General Pickett, with three brigades of his division, two of B. R. Johnson’s division (Ransom’s and Wallace’s), with the cavalry, was ordered to engage Sheridan’s cavalry at Five Forks, while General Lee attacked, with McGowan’s, Gracie’s, Hunton’s, and Wise’s brigades, the Fifth Army Corps, that was between Pickett and our line of fortifications. The opening of this part of the battle was in favor of the Confederates. General Lee drove back the advance division of the Fifth Corps to the next, and pushed the two back to concentration upon the third, where that part of the battle rested.
General Pickett made his part of the battle by putting W. H. F. Lee’s and Rosser’s divisions of cavalry on his right, and following that leading by his infantry and artillery, leaving Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry division, under General T. T. Mumford, along the right front of Sheridan’s cavalry. He pressed his separate battle by his right advance until night, forcing Sheridan back to Dinwiddie Court-House, where the latter reported to General Grant that the force in front of him was too strong, and asked for reinforcements. Pickett prepared to follow his success by early morning battle and rested for the night, but Miles’s division of the Second Corps was put against the other end of the battle, and the Fifth Corps rallied and advanced against the brigades that were with General Lee. They were forced back to the White Oak road, then into their fortified lines, leaving an interval of five miles behind Pickett’s left.
Responding to General Sheridan’s call, General Grant ordered the Fifth Corps, under General Warren, fifteen thousand[207] strong, and Mackenzie’s cavalry division (sixteen hundred). The design was that the Fifth Corps should come in on Pickett’s left rear and cut off his retreat, but heavy rains of the 30th and morning of the 31st had so flooded the streams and roads that the night march was slow and fatiguing, and Pickett receiving notice during the night of the projected move against his rear, changed his orders for battle, and directed the troops withdrawn for Five Forks before daylight. His retrograde was made in time to escape the Fifth Corps, and was followed by Sheridan’s cavalry, but no serious effort was made to delay his movements. He made his march of five miles to Five Forks, put his troops in order of battle by nine o’clock of the morning of the 1st of April, and ordered his well-chosen line examined and put under construction of field-works. Corse’s, Terry’s, and Steuart’s brigades of Pickett’s division, and Ransom’s and Wallace’s brigades of B. R. Johnson’s division, were posted from right to left. Of Pegram’s artillery, three guns were planted at the Forks, and three more near his right; W. H. F. Lee’s division of cavalry on his right; Fitzhugh Lee’s division on his left,—General T. T. Mumford commanding the latter; Rosser’s division in rear guarding trains. General Fitzhugh Lee was chief of cavalry.
As soon as the infantry line was formed, the troops set to work intrenching the position. The line of battle was parallel to and lay along the White Oak road, the left broken smartly to the rear, the retired end in traverse and flanking defence. The extreme right of the infantry line was also refused, but not so much. Four miles east from Pickett’s left was the right of the fortified lines of General Lee’s army. On the right and outside of those lines was a detachment of cavalry under General Roberts. The division of Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry was ordered to cover the ground between Roberts’s cavalry and Pickett’s left by a line of vedettes, and his division was posted on that part of the field.
W. H. F. Lee’s cavalry held strong guard on the right, and had the benefit of some swamp lands. His lines formed and field-works under construction, General Pickett rode to the rear for his noon lunch, and was soon followed by the cavalry chief.
Sheridan’s cavalry followed close on Pickett’s march, but did not attempt to seriously delay it. He made a dash about ten o’clock to measure the strength of the works under construction, and found them too strong to warrant fierce adventure. Delayed by the heavy roads and flooding streams, the Fifth Corps was not in position until four o’clock in the afternoon.
General Sheridan planned for battle to have General Merritt display the cavalry divisions of Custer and Devens against the Confederate front and right, to convey the impression that that was the field from which his battle would be made, while he drew up and massed the Fifth Corps at the other end of the field for the real fight. The corps was arranged, Crawford’s division in column on the right, Ayres’s on Crawford’s left, Griffin’s division in support, Mackenzie’s cavalry division on the right of the infantry column, at the White Oak road. The Fifth Corps was to wheel in close connection and assault against the face of the return of Confederate works, while the cavalry divisions in front were to assail on that line and the right of the works.
The march and wheel of the Fifth Corps were made in tactical order, and the lines advanced in courageous charge, but staggered and halted under the destructive infantry fire. The charge was repeated, but held in check until Crawford’s division found a way under cover of a woodland beyond the Confederate works, and marched to that advantage.
Ransom drew his brigade from the intrenched line to meet that march, but it was one brigade against three—and those supported by part of Griffin’s division.
Ransom’s horse was killed, falling on him; his adjutant-general, Captain Gee, was killed, and the brigade was forced back.