Today in History:

653 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 653 Chapter LVIII. THE APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN.

On the morning of the 8th I conducted the leading division to the coal mine at the intersection of the Lynchburg road with the Maysville or Buckingham Court-House plank road. There the troops halted and were rationed. The march was soon resumed on the plank road to a point eight miles from Farmville, where the road forked-one branch leading northeasterly to Cumberland Court-House, the other westerly, via Curdsville, to Buckingham Court-House. I directed the troops on the road, which turned abruptly northward to Buckingham Court-House, and continued our westerly course to the New Store, where the mud road on which we had been traveling came into the Lynchburg road. The Sixth Corps headquarters for the night were established near the New Store. The line of march during the day was over a distance of seventeen had a half miles; good road, excepting the last four miles. A few insignificant bridges destroyed by the enemy were repaired by the pioneers without interrupting the march of the troops.

On the 9th the corps followed the Second Corps, on the Lynchburg road, a distance of ten or twelve miles; and in the afternoon, the Army of Northern Virginal having surrendered, I was by your order relieved from duty with the Sixth Corps, and since that time have not been placed on duty with any of the corps of the army.

I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. HARWOOD,

Captain of Engineers, Brevet Major, U. S. Army.

Bvt. Colonel J. C. DUANE,

Chief Engineer, Army of the Potomac.


Numbers 15. Report of Bvt. Major William H. Paine, Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, April 15, 1865.

I have the honor to submit the following report relative to duties assigned me during the late movements of the army from March 29 to April 9, 1865, inclusive:

On March 29, in accordance with instructions received form you, i examined the several roads leading from the Vaughan road to the Monk's Neck road, west of Hatcher's Run, and found them practicable for making such connection as may be necessary between the Second and Fifth Corps, with the exception of the crossing of Gravelly Run, which required that short bridges be made, as the banks were too high to make na easy ford; stream form fifteen to twenty feet wide, two feet deep. Laterin the day I made a reconnaissance to the front of the Second Corps, and prepared a sketch showing the roads leading from the Vauhgan road to their position, also of the roads previously mentioned, all of which were placed upon the maps during the next day, which was very rainy. Headquarters removed on the 29th from old camp on Aiken's farm to a point south of the Vaughan road an east of Gravelly Run, where it remained the 30th and 31st. On March 31 the rain ceased before noon. Made a reconnaissance and sketch of the


Page 653 Chapter LVIII. THE APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN.