In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

“you will soon hear of it” in the camps of Meade’s army, the rumor mill turned. on Monday, the 24th, a member of the 12th new York wrote that from “all indications something of importance is going to happen soon.”1 as preparations commenced, some soldiers correctly predicted the object of the upcoming operation. a Pennsylvanian in the Fifth Corps noted that the orders were “quickly interpreted to mean a determined effort to reach and hold, or destroy, the South Side Railroad.”2 on the 24th, Meade’s army began to move. Winfield Hancock’s Second Corps stirred first. His men would have the longest march on Thursday, the 27th, the day of the operation . to reach its staging point well before the offensive, the Second Corps began its movement on the 24th. The two divisions assigned to the operation (Hancock’s second and third) vacated the lines east of Petersburg late Monday and crept rearward , away from prying enemy eyes. in their place, general nelson Miles’s first division, with more than 6,000 muskets, filled the vacated works. after withdrawing from the front, Hancock’s second division, commanded by Brigadier general Thomas egan, halted in an open space just west of Fort Bross.3 egan’s movement was not flawless. early on the 25th, one of his brigades had sauntered across an open plain in “full view of the enemy,” much to Hancock’s displeasure .4 despite the imperfections, egan’s division eventually gathered behind Fort Bross. on the 25th, the gun crews of the 10th Massachusetts Battery and their six three-inch Parrott rifled guns joined the infantrymen. The Bay State gunners lay about, “hearing and circulating” rumors of the upcoming move.5 But despite a lot of talk, no one budged that afternoon. Through the woods to the west, Major general gershom Mott’s third division occupied the forest-lined field on the Southall Farm late on Monday, the 24th.6 Though some commanders remained ignorant of the details, they guessed an important movement was in the offing.7 The men woke to a fine, cool morning on the 25th and prepared to march again. according to a Maine volunteer, the troops waited all day as wagons rolled through the Southall property laden with rations 141 Chapter 7 The Union army Prepares for Battle • 142 richmond must fall and ammunition. artillery crews steered their teams to the southwest, further fueling rumors that the infantrymen would soon follow.8 Finally, an order arrived from Second Corps headquarters directing the men to fold tents at noon the next day (the 26th).9 another directive called on each man to take four days’ rations and directed the quartermasters to bring an additional three days’ rations of beef “on the hoof.” despite the hints, most members of the Second Corps turned in tuesday night still unsure of the timing and nature of the upcoming operation.10 on Wednesday morning, the 26th, the division commanders received word to depart at two o’clock and head for the Weldon Railroad. The appointed route ran “from the Southall house, through the wood by the Widow Smith’s, Williams’, and gurley’s houses, and Fort dushane,” a redoubt guarding the Halifax Road and Weldon Railroad. That evening, the corps would camp outside the Union earthworks near the vaughan house. Hancock’s orders confined the men to their bivouacs, prohibited bugle calls, and allowed only small fires.11 “We are still here but we will move in an hour. We don’t know where, yet it is a very important move and you will soon hear of it,” wrote Colonel Robert Mcallister on Wednesday.12 about thirty-six hours had passed since the fields at Fort Bross and the Southall house had filled with Hancock’s soldiers. at two o’clock Wednesday afternoon, the men finally stepped off toward the vaughan Road on what would be a long, tiring march. For nelson armstrong, a fever-stricken member of the 8th new York Heavy artillery, Wednesday’s march was weary and painful. “We hurried along the narrow roads, hastily cut through the timber by the pioneers,” he wrote. night found armstrong and the rest of the marching column in a dark forest, where they finally reached a clearing.13 With no fires to warm the night air, Hancock’s men flopped down to sleep.14 as the Second Corps’ foot soldiers marched westward on Wednesday, the army’s mounted arm also prepared. david M. gregg...

Share