Today in History:

909 Series I Volume XLII-I Serial 87 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part I

Page 909 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.


HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
Petersburg, Va., November 4, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have nothing new to report this morning. Three deserters from the Second Army Corps came in last night.

The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Gracie's brigade, killed, 1. Elliott's brigade, killed, 1; wounded, 1.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. R. JOHNSON,

Major-General.

Lieutenant WILLIAM MCWILLIE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
Petersburg, Va., November 5, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: Brigade commanders report that everything has been very quiet along the front during the past twenty-four hours.

The following casualties are respectfully submitted: Gracie's brigade, killed, 1; Elliott's brigade, wounded, 1.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. R. JOHNSON,

Major-General.

Lieutenant WILLIAM MCWILLIE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
Petersburg, Va., November 6, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: With a view to force the enemy's picket-line farther back at points very near our line, two movements were made in this division with small detachments last night. At 11.40 p. m. Brigadier-General Gracie moved out three companies of the Forty-first Alabama Regiment and took the enemy's picket-line in front of Gracie's salient, capturing 31 prisoners without firing a gun or suffering the loss of a man. Our picket-line in front of the salient is now established on the enemy's old line, with the left resting on Gracie's dam and the right connected with our picket-line on the right of the Norfolk railroad. The enemy seem not to have been aware of the movement until some time after it was consummated, and they now appear to acquiesce in the change in our lines, having made no effort to drive back our troops. At the same time 200 men of Holcombe Legion carried the enemy's picket-line in front of the Crater, capturing the adjutant and nine men of the Eleventh Massachusetts Regiment. The enemy were on the alert here, and fled after delivering a single volley. They, however, continued to fight for the position, and fired on our forces in possession of their works from all points, but mainly from the (our) right of that position. They continually pressed their forces up the ditch and kept up a fire from the ridge on the (our) right. From this ridge they enfiladed our line, and for five hours small additions were being constantly made to our losses. A working party was placed at work to make a covering for our troops on the new line, with a view to holding it permanently. Through the incessant fire this party made such little progress in the work that at 5 o'clock this morning our losses continued to be such as to induce the withdrawal of our troops to our old line.


Page 909 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.