put on board of a steam transport without being given time to draw
rations. From there we steamed down the York and up the James river to the
Appomattox, and up the river to Point of Rocks. We landed here on the
Bermuda Hundred side, in the rear of Butler's works, obtained some bread
and coffee, and then crossed the Appomattox on pontoons and pushed on
towards Petersburg. Our regiment belonged at that time to the 2nd brigade,
2nd division of the 18th corps, commanded by Major General "Baldy" Smith.

We soon met the enemy's pickets in front of Petersburg. They fled before
that long, serpentine file of blue-coats like deer. On, on we went. We
could see the rebels running in their shirt sleeves, throwing coats, guns
and everything in their mad flight. I don't think there was a shot fired
on either side 'till we reached a fort, Smith I think it was called. It
was just at dusk. This fort was located on a mound or hill with a ravine
in front of it. Our brigade was drawn up in line of battle in a
wheat-field on the right. A colored brigade was ordered to charge the fort
from the hill opposite, and across this ravine; then I beheld one of the
grandest and most awful sights I ever saw; those colored troops started on
a double quick, and as they descended the hill, the fort poured volley
after volley into them. The men seemed to fall like blades of grass before
a machine, but it did not stop them; they rallied and moved on; it was
only the work of a few minutes. With a yell they were up and into that
fort, and in less time than it takes to tell it, the guns were turned on
the fleeing rebels. Here was the greatest mistake of our greatest
commander. All of our army was brought to a standstill by some one's
foolish order. Not another move was made. We lay there waiting, and all
night long we could hear the trains rumbling along on the other side of
the Appomattox river. Lee had been outwitted. We had stolen a march on
him. We had arrived in front of defenseless Petersburg, and could have
gone right in and on to Richmond without a struggle. But that fatal order
to halt gave him all night to hurry his forces from Cold Harbor, and in
the morning we found plenty of determined rebels in front of us, and
thereby the war was prolonged months and hundreds and thousands of lives
lost. I swore all night. I kicked and condemned every general there was in
the army for the blunder I saw they were making. I only wished I could be
the general comman