March 30, 1865
I take advantage of a rainy morning to draw you a map and
start a letter, to explain and recount the deeds of yesterday. . . . The day before, a part of the Army of
the James had crossed to us, from Bermuda Hundred, and, under the sure conduct
of Rosie, had relieved the 2d Corps in their part of the line. At daylight the
5th Corps moved from our extreme left, crossed the stream at the Perkins house
and marched along the stage road. Somewhat later the 2d Corps crossed directly
by the Vaughan road and marched down it as far as Gravelly Run, then faced to
the right and formed from east to west. It was like to the ruins of Carthage to
behold those chimneys, which, since October last, have been our comfort at
Headquarters, now left lonely and desolate, deprived of their tents, which
seemed to weep, as they were ruthlessly torn down and thrown into waggons. At
7.30 A.M. we all got on the chargers and wended toward the left. The fancy huts
of the 2d Corps were all roofless, and their Headquarters were occupied by
General Gibbon, of the other side of the river. The 1st division was crossing
the Hatcher's Run bridge, as we got to it, the two others being already over.
Near Gravelly Run we came on the sturdy Humphreys, who was gleaming through his
spectacles with a fun-ahead sort of expression and presently rode away to get
his men “straightened out,” as Pleasonton used to say. Bye-and-bye he came
jogging back, to say his Corps was now in position, running from near Hatcher's
Run, on the right, to near Quaker Road Church on the left. Whereupon we rode
off to see General Warren, who had arrived at the Junction of the Vaughan and
Quaker roads. As soon as we got there, Griffin's division was sent up the
Quaker road, to join the left of Humphreys', and to be followed by most of the
rest of the Corps. . . . At 1.30 P.M. we
went up the Quaker road to see General Griffin, being somewhat delayed by
Gravelly Run, a brook too deep for fording and whereof the little bridge had
been broken by the Rebs. The country is much more variegated over here. There
are some rocks and high ground, and the runs are quite picturesque, with steep
banks. One pretty sight was a deserted farmhouse quite surrounded by peach
trees, loaded with blossoms. In the distance it seemed covered with pink
clouds. After starting Griffin's line forward, we rode along the line of battle
of Miles (who had the left of the 2d Corps), where we found General Humphreys.
The right of his line had sent out a party which took possession of Dabney's
Mill, driving out a few Rebels. The whole force from one end to another was
ordered to go forward at once, Griffin being, from the nature of the ground,
somewhat in advance. All went on without anything more than scattered
skirmishing till near five P.M., when Griffin was struck by a part, or the
whole, of two Rebel divisions. But G. is a rough man to handle, and, after a
sharp fight, drove them back and followed them up, taking a hundred prisoners.
Our losses were some 400 altogether in this affair. Of the enemy we buried 126;
so that their total loss, including prisoners, must be, say, 800. The Griffin
was in great spirits at this affair and vowed he could drive the enemy wherever
he found them. Their object in attacking us was to delay our advance, and to
get time to man their works. As soon as Warren got up the rest of his Corps, he
pushed on the attack, but John had got enough and had fallen back to his
parapets, and thus the day ended. Riding back to the Vaughan road, we found
General Grant, who had come up with his Staff, and who camped near us last
night, 29th. . . .
[To-day] nothing to note, but that there was a steady and
drenching rain the whole livelong day, which reduced these sandy, clayey roads
to a pudding or porridge, as the case might be. The chief Quartermaster told me
it was the worst day for moving trains he ever had had in all his experience. A
train of 600 waggons, with the aid of 1000 engineer troops, was fifty-six hours
in going five miles!
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 328-30
