desert.  When they got to our lines they at once took possession and sent our pickets to the rear as prisoners.  In the main line our men were sleeping serenely, as if in great security.  This plan was to have been executed and much damage done before daylight; but the troops that were to reinforce Gordon had to be brought from the north side of the James River and, by some accident on the railroad on their way over, they were detained for a considerable time; so that it got to be nearly daylight before they were ready to make the charge.

The charge, however, was successful and almost without loss, the enemy passing through our lines between Fort Stedman and Battery No. 10.  Then turning to the right and left they captured the fort and the battery, with all the arms and troops in them.  Continuing the charge, they also carried batteries Eleven and Twelve to our left, which they turned toward City Point.

Meade happened to be at City Point that night, and this break in his line cut him off from all communication with his headquarters.  Parke, however, commanding the 9th corps when this breach took place, telegraphed the facts to Meade’s headquarters, and learning that the general was away, assumed command himself and with commendable promptitude made all preparations to drive the enemy back.  General Tidball gathered a large number of pieces of artillery and planted them in rear of the captured works so as to sweep the narrow space of ground between the lines very thoroughly.  Hartranft was soon out with his division, as also was Willcox.  Hartranft to the right of the breach headed the rebels off in that direction and rapidly drove them back into Fort Stedman.  On the other side they were driven back into the intrenchments which they had captured, and batteries eleven and twelve were retaken by Willcox early in the morning.

Parke then threw a line around outside of the captured fort and batteries, and communication was once more established.  The artillery fire was kept up so continuously that it was impossible for the Confederates to retreat, and equally impossible for reinforcements to join them.  They all, therefore, fell captives into our hands.  This effort of Lee’s cost him about four thousand men, and resulted in their killing, wounding and capturing about two thousand of ours.

After the recapture of the batteries taken by the Confederates, our troops made a charge and carried the enemy’s intrenched picket line, which they strengthened and held.  This, in turn, gave us but a short distance to charge over when our attack came to be made a few days later.

The day that Gordon was making dispositions for this attack (24th of March) I issued my orders for the movement to commence on the 29th.  Ord, with three divisions of infantry and Mackenzie’s cavalry, was to move in advance on the night of the 27th, from the north side of the James River and take his place on our extreme left, thirty miles away.  He left Weitzel with the rest of the Army of the James to hold Bermuda Hundred and the north of the James River.  The engineer brigade was to be left at City Point, and Parke’s corps in the lines about Petersburg. (42)