n the spot.
Perhaps Lee saw what the end would be, and did the best he could with
his troops; but inasmuch as he did not issue the order for the transfer
of a division from Richmond to the south side till Saturday night, after
the Five Forks were lost, it may be presumed that he did not fully
comprehend the importance of holding that gateway. If he had seen that
Richmond must be eventually evacuated, he might have saved his army by a
sudden withdrawal from both Richmond and Petersburg on Friday night,
pushing down the Southside Road, and throwing his whole force on
Sheridan and the Fifth Corps, which would have enabled him to reach
Danville. Not doing that, he lost all.

It is not intended in this article to give the details of the attack at
the Five Forks and along the line, but merely to show how the forces
were wielded in that last magnificent, annihilating blow.

On the 25th of March, the Twenty-Fourth Corps was transferred from the
north side of the James to Hatcher's Run, taking the position of the
Second Corps.

The force designed for the attack upon the Five Forks was composed of
the Fifth Corps and Sheridan's Cavalry,--the whole under command of
Sheridan. The Second Corps was massed across Hatcher's Run, and kept in
position to frustrate any attempt which might be made to cut Sheridan
off from the support of the main army.

Sheridan found a large force in front of him, along Chamberlain's Creek,
three miles west of Dinwiddie Court-House. He had hard fighting, and was
repulsed. There was want of cooperation on the part of Warren,
commanding the Fifth Corps, who was relieved of his command the next
morning, General Griffin succeeding him. A heavy rain-storm came on.
Wagons went hub-deep in the mud. The swamps were overflowed. The army
came to a stand-still. The soldiers were without tents. Thousands had
thrown away their blankets. There was gloom and discouragement
throughout the camp. But all the axes and shovels were brought into
requisition, and the men went to work building corduroy roads. It was
much better for the _morale_ of the army than to sit by bivouac-fires
waiting for sunny skies. The week passed away. The Richmond papers were
confident and boastful of final success.

"We are very hopeful of the campaign which is opening, and trust that we
are to reap a large advantage from the operations evidently near at
hand.... We have only to resolve that we will never surrender, and it
will be impossible