On the 12th of May, a heavy force under General Gilmore advanced up the railroad toward Chester and Richmond, while a corresponding force, under General Smith, proceeded up the Petersburg and Richmond road between James river and the railroad. The object of this combined expedition was to cover the movements of General Kautz’s cavalry, then operating on the Nottaway river.
After a series of skirmishes throughout the day, General Smith’s troops reached Proctor’s Run towards night, within three miles of Fort Darling.
Meantime General Gilmore’s troops on the left, had approached the neighborhood of Half-way House, unopposed by the enemy, at which place he baited his command for the night.
On the following morning the rebels were found to have withdrawn themselves within an extensive range of earthworks, which constituted the outer line of defences of Fort Darling. After consultation, General Butler determined to dislodge them from their position by turning their works on the left. While heavy skirmishing along the whole line was in progress, the Union left was ordered to swing around upon the centre and right, while a large body of troops advanced to turn the right flank of the rebel works. The flanking column moved round stealthily through the woods, slightly to the left, till they reached the outer edge of the fortifications. Here, under cover, they charged up a steep hill, and then across an open space, only twenty or thirty rods in width, in the face of a destructive fire of musketry. Before the rebels could reload the Federals troops had carried the position, capturing thirty of the enemy. Their own loss was about one hundred and thirty.
The enemy abandoned the whole of the outer line on the next morning, and withdrew to their second tier of works. The parapet of these outer defences was in some places ten feet thick, having many embrasures for artillery.
The Federal artillery was now brought to bear on the rebels in their new position, and aided by the sharpshooters, the enemy’s batteries were soon silenced, and the combat for the remainder of the day was confined to the sharpshooters.
One of the magazines of Fort Darling exploded during the afternoon, which was the occasion of much cheering in the Union lines. A night attack was made on the Federals near the Petersburg turnpike, but being on the alert, the enemy was repulsed without much difficulty.
At noon on the 15th, the rebels came out of their intrenchments in great force, and attacked Heckman’s brigade. The combat was with musketry alone, and lasted until four o’clock, when the enemy were discomfited, and retired within their works.
At daylight on the 16th the rebels again hurled a strong force on the weakest point of the Federal lines, upon Heckman’s brigade on the right wing, the same troops who had suffered so heavily in previous contests. Under cover of a dense fog the rebels bore down in overwhelming numbers, and Heckman’s brave troops were compelled to yield their position. Colonel Drake’s brigade was fortunately thrown forward at this juncture, and for a time stayed the advancing enemy. Two brigades of Weitzel’s division were also attacked at the same time, but repulsed the enemy with great slaughter. Meantime, with courageous pertinacity, the rebels attacked Terry’s division on the Union left, and two of the Union brigades of that commander suffered heavy loss. General Gilmore was soon compelled to yield his favorable position on the left, and the whole Federal force was then withdrawn, without confusion or serious loss in retreating.
An attempt of the enemy to get in the rear of the Union forces was repulsed; but General Butler was compelled to cut new roads for the retreat of his army, as the rebels held control, of both the roads by which the Federals had advanced. General Butler was then compelled to retire within his intrenchments between the forks of the James and Appomattox rivers, at Bermuda Hundred, a strong position, in which he was perfectly secure against the whole rebel army.