but failed to accomplish his object. That part of Smith's command which had been left at the White House was sent back again to Butler to co-operate with the cavalry move on Petersburg. Grant regarded the capture of this place as of great importance and lost no opportunity to consummate it.

Matters were now rapidly shaping for the daring and final swing of the army to the south of the James. The right had been gradually and quietly shifted to the left, till the lower crossings of the Chickahominy were under control. These, however, were not the only things to be considered. The James was beyond. Crossing of the one stream involved the crossing of the other. The point selected for the James was Wilcox's Landing, amply protected, except to the rearward, where engineers had been for some time looking out for good covering positions. Steamers, boats of various kinds, and pontoons had come up from Fortress Monroe, or would be up in time. To cross so large an army with all its artillery, ammunition, subsistence, hospital trains, and paraphernalia, over a wide, deep river, and with an enemy within striking distance, was a difficult and daring undertaking.

The crossings of the Chickahominy below Lee's position were Bottom Bridge, eight miles from Cold Harbor; Long Bridge, fifteen miles; Jones' Bridge, twenty miles, and Windsor Shades, twenty-four miles. The bridges at all these crossings were destroyed. The river is deep, sluggish, oozy, swampy. Two miles below Bottom Bridge, the White Oak Swamp enters the Chickahominy on the south. It, too, is a winding, sleepy, swampy stream, difficult to cross. To cross at Bottom Bridge would, therefore, necessitate a crossing of White Oak Swamp. Beside, it was too near to Lee for safety. Long Bridge was the first available crossing. Here Warren and Hancock should cross. Wright and Burnside should cross at Jones' Bridge. The trains, moving from White House, should cross at Windsor Shades, and still lower, at Coles' Ferry. Smith was to

make all haste to the White House, and thence by transport to Bermuda Hundred to report to Butler.

Wilson's cavalry was to precede Warren. Secrecy and dispatch were grave essentials, both to save attack on Grant's rear, and to secure a strong situation on the south side, with a sufficient force to cover all operations. By the night of June 12th, everything was in readiness to push forward in quest of new fields and a better fortune than had lately cheered the sorely tried veterans. A body of cavalry, dismounted, struggled through the swamps, and crossed the deep, oozy waters, as best they could, driving the Confederate guard before them. The Fifth Corps pontoon was quickly laid, and soon Chapman's brigade of cavalry was across. It dashed out toward Riddle's Shop, in the direction of Richmond, an important cross road point which Warren was to occupy, so that Lee might think Grant's object was to move on Richmond, between the Chickahominy and James. The cavalry met with stout opposition, but succeeded in securing Riddle's Shop and White Oak Bridge.

Warren's Fifth followed closely, and part of it relieved the cavalry, while the rest remained to cover the crossing. Burnside pushed for Jones' Bridge and got safely across. Hancock and Wright were left to the last to hold the Federal front. Hancock now followed Warren, and, when across, deflected to the left in the direction af Wilcox's Landing on the James. Wright followed Burnside. By morning of the 13th, Grant was south of the Chickahominy, and Lee faced an empty line of entrenchments. Then came hard, exhaustive marches for the Federals, in the direction of Wilcox's and Charles City. Hancock reached the vicinity by five, on the afternoon of the 13th, after a march of twenty-five miles. The Sixth and Ninth came in on the 14th, after a march of thirty miles. The Fifth fell back from Riddle's on the night of the 13th, and came up with the main body on the 14th. So successful had Warren, in

connection with the cavalry, been in deceiving the enemy into the belief that a movement on Richmond was intended from the south side of the Chickahominy, that Lee was in the dark as to the real objective of the Federal army up till the 17th of June.

By midnight of the 14th, the bridge across the James was laid and the approaches were ready. The artillery of the Ninth, Fifth and Sixth Corps was crossed first, and in the order named. Grant now left everything to Meade, and took a steamer for Bermuda Hundred to consult with Butler. Smith was already there with his force from the White House. He was ordered at once to march for Petersburg, and invest and attack. He was off on the 15th with all the force he could gather, and by evening was ready to attack. It was Grant's hope to capture it before Lee could avail himself of his short line and reach it. for defence. At 7 o'clock in the evening, Smith's lines moved in resolute, impetuous attack, carrying everything before them, capturing two and a half miles of rifle pits, fifteen pieces of artillery, and three hundred prisoners. Lee was not yet up. The Confederate troops in Petersburg were not used to severe attack or a sustained fire. The night was moonlight and favorable for continued operations. There were no inner lines of defence. Notwithstanding this, Smith halted to reform his troops and wait till morning. At midnight Hancock reached him with two divisions, which he offered to him. Instead of using them to push his way into Petersburg, he manned his trenches with them. That night Lee's advance reached the city, though he had not yet fully made out Grant's intentions, nor thrown his main army across the James. Fortifications went rapidly up. By morning there were strong inner lines, bristling with bayonets and mounted with guns. Smith had lost a grand opportunity, one for which Grant had longed, and of which he at last felt sure. He had gone down the river to Wilcox's on the 15th, but on the 16th returned to Smith, to

see him confronted with invincible works, and to feel that nothing could be done for the time being. Great was his mortification to witness a loss which an hour of prompt work could have saved, but which now months could not retrieve. He had actually won, moving in a circle of miles, against Lee moving on a radius, but the crowning movement had slipped through failure of a trusted officer to realize its importance.

But to go back a step. When Lee discovered that Grant was no longer before him, but across the Chickahominy, he too threw his army across, and by the 14th it was stretched from White Oak Swamp to Malvern Hill on the James, ready to confront Grant on his expected march upon Richmond. Grant's cavalry kept up an active series of operations on this front to further the supposition that a genuine movement was intended in this direction. Meanwhile the Federal army was crossing the James down at Wilcox's Landing. By means of boats and other appliances, Hancock had gotten across by the morning of the 15th, and was under orders to march to Petersburg. The other corps used the pontoon bridge mainly, a marvel of its kind, laid down by Major Duane. The crossing of the respective corps occupied most of the 15th and 16th. Every corps arrived on the south side of the James safely and under orders. Hancock, as we have seen, went immediately to Petersburg, and two divisions arrived in time to assist Smith on the night of the 15th, if he had used them. Wright's corps was divided, and part sent to Butler at Bermuda Hundred. Warren and Burnside were to march toward Petersburg, the former directly to the aid of Hancock and Smith.

Both armies were now very active, and a series of important movements were in operation. Beauregard knew the weakness of Petersburg, and had become convinced that Grant was about to move upon it from the south side of the James. He appealed to Lee for aid, but that officer sent only Hoke's command. He

refused to send more, saying he could not spare more from the north of the James till he knew of Grant's whereabouts and intentions. It was enough, however, and its arrival was timely, as has been seen. By the evening of the 16th, Burnside was at Petersburg. Grant determined to try another attack. It began in the evening and was continued with varying success till six the next morning. Several of the enemy's redoubts were captured, with many pieces of artillery, and four hundred prisoners. On the 17th, Warren's Fifth came up. The fighting was renewed, and continued that day and the next, without appreciable results, save as the enemy was forced to contract his lines.

All this time Beauregard was receiving reinforcements from other points. Johnston had been drawn in from in front of Butler at Bermuda Hundred, and Butler had been ordered to advance. But Johnston quickly returned, and after a severe engagement retook his old lines. Lee, too, having now made out Grant's designs, was pushing his best troops into Petersburg. It was, even under attack, fast becoming a formidable place, and it certainly rose to a mighty height of importance as the full purport of Grant's magnificent strategy dawned on the Confederate mind. It was close to and right under Richmond, entrepot for the capital on the south, centre of a line stretching along the Appomattox which would be to Richmond what the Chickahominy, the Pamunkey, and the Rappahannock had for four years been on the north.

By the 18th of June, Lee's forces were well on the south side of the James, along the railroad to Petersburg, and within the fortifications of that place. Yet on that day the Federal army made the most determined of its series of assaults, and forced itself close against the enemy's lines. Birney, in temporary command of the Second Corps, General Hancock being disabled by the opening of an old wound, made two splendid attacks to the right of the Prince George Court House road,