During the entire winter General Grant’s lines fronting Petersburg had extended south of the Appomattox River, practically from that stream around to where the Vaughn road crosses Hatcher’s Run, and this was nearly the situation Wilien the cavalry concentrated at Hancock Station, General Weitzel holding the line north of the Appomattox, fronting Richmond and Bermuda Hundred.

The instructions of the 24th of March contemplated that the campaign should begin with the movement of Warren’s corps (the Fifth) at 3 o’clock on the morning of the 29th, and Humphreys’s (the Second) at 6; the rest of the infantry holding on in the trenches.  The cavalry was to move in conjunction with Warren and Humphreys, and make its way out beyond our left as these corps opened the road.

The night of the 28th I received the following additional instructions, the general tenor of which again disturbed me, for although I had been assured that I was not to join General Sherman, it will be seen that the supplemental directions distinctly present that alternative, and I therefore feared that during the trip up the James River on the morning of the 28th General Grant had returned to his original views: 

“Headquarters armies of the united states, “City Point, Va., March 28, 1865.

“Major-general P. H. Sheridan: 

“The Fifth Army Corps will move by the Vaughn road at 3 A.M. tomorrow morning.  The Second moves at about 9 A.M., having but about three miles to march to reach the point designated for it to take on the right of the Fifth Corps, after the latter reaches Dinwiddie Court House.

“Move your cavalry at as early an hour as you can, and without being confined to any particular road or roads.  You may go out by the nearest roads in rear of the Fifth Corps, pass by its left, and passing near to or through Dinwiddie, reach the right and rear of the enemy as soon as you can.  It is not the intention to attack the enemy in his intrenched position, but to force him out if possible.  Should he come out and attack us, or get himself where he can be attacked, move in with your entire force in your own way, and with the full reliance that the army will engage or follow the enemy, as circumstances will dictate.  I shall be on the field, and will probably be able to communicate with you; should I not do so, and you find that the enemy keeps within his main intrenched line, you may cut loose and push for the Danville road.  If you find it practicable I would like you to cross the Southside road, between Petersburg and Burkeville, and destroy it to some extent.  I would not advise much detention, however, until you reach the Danville road, which I would like you to strike as near to the Appomattox as possible; make your destruction of that road as complete as possible; you can then pass on to the Southside road, west of Burkeville, and destroy that in like manner.