BATTLE OF CHAPIN’S BLUFF.
September 28, 1864.
If not very successful, the movement which led to this battle was very bold, and was executed with remarkable courage and endurance by the soldiers of the Union. It began from two points, and was designed to capture Richmond by a bold push. General Ord, with the Eighteenth corps, crossed the James river at Aiken’s Landing, which is eight miles above Deep Bottom, and advanced against the works on Chapin’s Farm. At the same time, General Birney, with the Tenth corps, moved against the enemy’s works in front of Deep Bottom, which he captured, thence moving along the Newmarket road toward Richmond, and, at an early hour, establishing communication with General Ord. The latter had already captured the first line of the rebel intrenchments at Chapin’s Bluff, and with it fifteen pieces of artillery. When General Birney came up, an assaulting column was organized, of both corps, to carry the heavy interior line of rebel works. By this time, however, the rebels had received reinforcements, and hence were enabled—the works being of great strength—to repel the charge of the Unionists. The attack began early in the afternoon, the men rushing forward impetuously, and cheering loudly. A storm of grape and canister was hurled into their faces, which wrought terrible destruction in their ranks. But they neither flinched nor halted, but steadily held on their way. Soon a fearful enfilading fire of artillery swept in upon them, mowing down their ranks like grass; but still they pressed forward till they found themselves in front of the enemy’s redoubts, which proved to be of a much more formidable character than had been supposed. A perfect abattis held them completely at bay, while the enemy’s infantry leveled their ranks with the ground to the right and to the left. The few who succeeded in gaining the rebel lines found them to be utterly unassailable. They were completely surrounded by a ditch eight feet in depth, and twelve feet in width; and could only be reached by means of a drawbridge, which, of course, was now drawn up. The Union men still determined to make an assault if an attack was within the bounds of possibility, and leaped into the ditch, in hope of finding a passage to the forts beyond, but found themselves penned in, and unable to either advance or retreat.
The conduct of the colored troops, under General Birney, deserves the highest praise. Many of them, by climbing on each other’s shoulders, succeeded in reaching the parapet, but in numbers far too small to make an attack on the fort. They therefore, as many as could, effected a retreat; those who could not, as well as those in the ditch, being compelled to surrender.
This assault, though a failure, is worthy of commendation for its exceeding boldness; but it cost the Union troops a heavy price. Over five hundred men in killed and wounded were lost. The negro troops suffered very severely; and in General Foster’s division the loss in field-officers was so great that scarcely a regiment escaped losing its leader.
ARMY OF THE JAMES.
BATTLE BEFORE RICHMOND.
October 7, 1864.
The enemy under General Anderson, on this day, attacked the extreme right of the army of the James, their object being to distract the attention of General Grant from his intended operations against the rebel left. The attack was made at about daylight, and lasted till noon. Kautz’s cavalry, posted on the Central road, was first assailed, and a simultaneous charge was made against the line of the Tenth corps, commanded by General Birney, who took the field on this occasion, although ill, and suffering severely from malarious fever. The rebel divisions engaged were those of Field and Hoke.
Their first movement was, in a measure, successful. They succeeded in almost surrounding Kautz’s cavalry, and driving it back, in a sort of panic, to the rear, where however, it was immediately rallied.
The artillery in this fight,—Battery B of the First United States, and the Fifth Wisconsin Battery,—did efficient service, and was handled with great skill and courage. Colonel Sumner’s New York Mounted Rifles also distinguished themselves by a bold stand, to cover the confusion of Kautz’s retreat, and enable General Birney to seasonably perfect his line of battle. At ten o’clock the rebels made a determined assault on Birney’s line, and the battle became general. Artillery was employed with great effect, and the loss in this branch of the service was uncommonly severe, attesting the fury of the rebel attack. Battery E of the Third United States Artillery, lost three men killed, and nine wounded, and fourteen horses killed. Battery D of the First United States lost one man killed, and four wounded, and ten horses killed. Battery C of the Third Rhode Island, and the Fifth New Jersey Battery also suffered severe losses. But the brunt of the battle was borne by the Second Brigade—in the centre—upon which the rebels made their most desperate and pertinacious attack. They were met by a destructive fire from a line of carbineers, which, falling back, gave place to another line, from which the fire was even more deadly. Still the enemy pressed over piles of his own dead and wounded, and still the fire of the carbineers continued, the woods being resonant with the continuous rattle and roar of musketry. At last, baffled and utterly routed, the rebels gave up their enterprise, and retreated—only stopping when safe within their works along the James river, and in Richmond. General Grant computed the Union loss in this engagement at about three hundred; and the rebel loss at upwards of one thousand. In effect, the Union forces repulsed a formidable attack, which, had it succeeded, would have cost them the loss of very strong and important works, and an advanced position beyond Deep Bottom. But the rebel movement utterly failed, nor was General Grant for a moment deterred in his proposed operations against the rebel left. The Confederate General Gregg was killed in this battle, and several other rebel officers of distinction were wounded. About one hundred and fifty prisoners were captured by the Union forces.