534 Norto Carona Troops, 1861-65.

do not fear their giving way. But, tell him further that, in
my judgment, he is mistaken. Grant is withdrawing his
army from our front and going to City Point, and General
Lee should at once return Hoke’s Division to General Beau-
regard for the defense of Petersburg. Grant is going to at-
tack Richmond from the rear, as the Army of the Potomac
should have done long ago.”

General Smith replied: ‘No, Martin, our information is
different, and General Lee expects another attack right here.”
So our command went to work to strengthen the line and place
abatis in front of it and prepare for the attack, which never
came. History records that Beauregard was urging the War
Department to send him Hoke’s Division at that very time,
and also begging General Lee for the same, as he looked for
Grant to attack Petersburg. But we remained there several
days until the enemy disappeared from our front and then
after some hesitation, doubt and delay, we were suddenly hur-
ried to Petersburg.

If Hancock had not been disabled by wounds from com-
manding his corps he would have occupied Petersburg before
Hoke could reach Beauregard. But fortunately for our side
Major-General Smith commanded Grant’s advance and the
small band under Wise, Ferebee, Graham and others, herot-
cally held the enemy at bay until our arrival. Our division
crossed the James on a pontoon bridge near Drewry’s Bluff,
and my brigade took the shortest cut, through fields and dusty
roads, and reaching the Appomattox, crossed the bridge after
midnight and moved out on the City Point road. Bushrod
Johnson’s Division had also been ordered there, but when we
marched out there was not a Confederate line between the city
and the Federal army. I walked with General Hoke down
a ditch to within a few yards of the Federal pickets and saw
no Confederates. Our men could not be formed in line for
the immediate night attack ordered by General Beauregard,
but fell asleep upon the ground from sheer exhaustion. By
early dawn they were aroused to meet the fierce onslaughts of
Grant’s army, so graphically described by General Beaure-
gard in an article entitled, “Four Days of Battle at Peters-
burg—June 15, 16, 17 and 18, 1864.”