Summary:
Bvt. Maj. Gen. Charles Griffin commanded the Fifth Army Corps of the Army of the
Potomac which included the 107th Pa. Regiment. Griffin reports on the
skirmishing during the pursuit of the enemy.
Colonel
Nottoway Court-House,
April 29, 1865.
COL
In compliance with orders from Maj.-Gen. Sheridan, received April 5, at 7.40 p.m., I reported to Maj.-Gen. Meade with the Fifth Corps, at Jetersville, for orders. At 6 a.m. on the 6th instant, in compliance with orders from headquarters Army of the Potomac, the Fifth Corps marched from Jetersville along the Danville railroad in the direction of Amelia Court-House to attack the enemy, the second Division, under Gen. Ayres, taking the advance, the Sixth Corps connecting on the right, and the Second Corps on the left. After moving about three miles to a place called Smith's Shop, undoubted evidence was received that the enemy had left our front and had gone westward. The command was halted and this information sent to the major-general commanding, when orders were received for the Fifth Corps to move to the north on the Pridesville road, thence to move on the right of the army. The advance was continued, via Paineville, to the vicinity of Ligontown Ferry, meeting with no opposing force, save small detachments of cavalry, and capturing about 300 prisoners and many wagons. The distance marched this day was thirty-two miles.
April 7, moved at 5 a.m., in obedience to instructions, for Farmville, via Rice's Store. The head of the column arriving near High Bridge, orders were received, at 9.30 a.m., to pass in rear of the Sixth and Second Corps and move with all possible dispatch to Prince Edward Court-House which point was reached about 7.30 p.m., marching about twenty miles.
April 8, the corps marched toward the Lynchburg railroad, in obedience to the following order--
HDQRS. ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Farmville, April 7, 1865. (Received headquarters Fifth Army Corps 11 p.m.)
Gen. MEADE:
Order the Fifth Corps to follow the Twenty-fourth, at 6 a.m.,
up the Lynchburg road, the Second and Sixth to follow the enemy north of the
river.
U. S. GRANT,
Lieut.-Gen.
Striking it at Prospect Station about 12 m., thence following the Twenty-fourth Corps toward Appomattox Court-House, bivouacking the next morning about 2 a.m. within about two miles of the above place, having marched a distance of twenty-nine miles. The march from Prospect Station was very slow and tedious, the road being obstructed by the repeated and long halts of the Twenty-fourth Corps.
April 9, the corps moved at 4 a.m., reaching Gen. Sheridan's headquarters, near Appomattox Court-House, about 6 a.m. Very soon after it was reported that the cavlry were heavily engaged and hard pressed. The Twenty-fourth Corps was moving out when the Second Division, under Gen. Ayres, moved on parallel line rapidly toward the firing. A message was received from Gen. Sheridan, through his aide, Capt. Martin, that the enemy was pressing back the cavlry. Gen. Ayres immediately pushed forward his division at a double-quick, and deployed the One hundred and ninetieth and One hundred and ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, under Col. Pattee, as skirmishers, they being armed with the Spencer rifle, and the rest of the division in two lines of battle. The First Division, under Gen. Bartlett, came up on the right, and formed two lines of battle, with the One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania, a portion of the One hundred and ninety-eighth Pennsylvania, and the One hundred and eighty-fifth New York Volunteers as a skirmish line. All immediately moved forward and attacked the enemy, pushing him back, and driving both his infantry and artillery from the hills westward through the town, taking a number of prisoners, several wagons, caissons, and limbers. A portion of the skirmish line had entered the town, being strongly supported by our lines of battle, when a message was received from Gen. Sheridan that hostilities would be suspended, as Gen. Lee was about to surrender.
Although a battle was expected at this point, and orders had been carefully given by staff officers for the divisions to keep well closed up, through some unaccountable mistake or neglect on the part of the commander of the Third Division it failed to follow the column, and did not move until an officer had been specially dispatched for it to move up, and did not reach its proper position until after hostilities for the day had ceased.
In conclusion, to show more precisely the part taken in the short campaign by the corps, I would state that our killed and wounded amount to--officers, 18 killed, 103 wounded; enlisted men, 245 killed, 1,553 wounded; missing, 546; total, 2,465.
The number of prisoners captured were, 187 officers, 4,287 enlisted men; total, 4,474.
Too much praise cannot be given both officers and men for the cheerfulness exhibited through the long marches and the many privations and hardships that had to be endured.
I beg to call the especial attention of the major-general commanding to Brevet Maj.-Gen.'s Ayres and Bartlett and Brig.-Gen. Chamberlain for their promptness, efficiency, and zealousness in the execution of all orders.
To my staff, both personal and corps, my thanks are due for their patience, alacrity, and cheerfulness in the discharge of all their duties. A list of casualties, nominal and tabular, has already been forwarded.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHAS. GRIFFIN,
Brevet Maj.-Gen., Cmdg.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I., Volume 46. Part I, Reports., Serial No. 95, Pages 840, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
