Battle of Ft Mahone

The Battle of Fort Mahone

IX Corps Assault

IX Corps held the original lines east of Petersburg and curving slightly to the west. The opposing lines were held by elements of the Confederate Second Corps, commanded by Lt. Gen. John B. Gordon of Georgia. At the start of Grant's turning movement, Gordon had three divisions --- Walker's, Evans's, and Grimes's --- occupying a stretch of works from the Appomattox River to a small stream known as Lieutenant Run. These were some of the stoutest works in the entire network of fortifications defending Petersburg; the frontage was about 4 miles in width, and Gordon's original force was about 5400 men.

The Federal flanking moves had forced Lee to shift strength, so that by April 1st the former Second Corps front was now held by only Walker's and Evans's Divisions, estimated as 3600 men, total.

The first part of this line, the eastern face of the Petersburg entrenchments, was based on the line taken up by Beauregard when he fell back during the night of June 17-18, 1864. Where this line joined the original Dimmock Line the entrenchments curved sharply to the west. At the bend of the curve stood Fort Mahone --- sometimes called Fort Damnation --- a three-sided work that stood somewhat in advance of the main Confederate lines. For some reason, even though this was regarded as one of the strongest points of the Rebel lines, Maj. Gen. John G. Parke, commanding IX Corps, chose to make his assault just to the east of this position. Perhaps he felt that the bend in the line, which did create something of a salient in the enemy position, might make Fort Mahone vulnerable. Another reason might have been that his troops could use the Jerusalem Plank Road as a guide for their assault (which would begin before dawn, in the dark). But it is more likely that information obtained from the men captured a week earlier at Fort Stedman influenced this choice, for in one of his reports Parke stated that the enemy believed the assault on this front would come in front of Fort Stedman, because the lines there were so close.

Regardless of the chosen point of attack, Parke was anything but optimistic about his chances for success. Three times between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. he expressed doubt about his prospects to army headquarters, going so far in one message to ask that the attack order be cancelled. But his efforts were to no avail and the orders stood.

Parke's attack column consisted of Hartranft's Third Division just to the right of the Jerusalem Plank Road, Potter's Second Division on his left, and a single brigade from Willcox's First Division on the far right. At 4:00 a.m., the rest of Willcox's troops began a diversion near the Appomattox River, and at 4:30 a.m. the assault stepped off. At first the attack was successful, taking Batteries 25, 27, and 28, and gaining partial possession of Battery 29 (Fort Mahone) by about 7:00 a.m. But the Yankees quickly bogged down in the Rebel entrenchments and a stalemate persisted for much of the early morning. The Rebel defenders consisted of Battle's, Cook's, and Grimes's brigades, troops of the old Second Corps, now led by John Gordon. By 11:00 a.m. Gordon had contained Parke's breach and was in fact beginning to work on counterattacks to expel the Yankees. Parke was sufficiently pressed that at 12:25 p.m. he wired Meade's headquarters for reinforcements simply to maintain his position.

At 3:00 p.m., Gordon launched a counter-attack that hit the Federals hard, and nearly drove them out of their foothold in Fort Mahone. Only the timely arrival of reinforcements (the Army of the Potomac provost brigade, plus one brigade from VI Corps that had already participated in the main breakthrough along the Boydton line) prevented IX Corps from being driven out of the Rebel lines. Gordon still was not done; he was preparing yet another attack when he received word from Lee that VI Corps had broken through to the west and the evacuation of Petersburg was inevitable. There was therefore no point in trying to push IX Corps out of the lines.

Parke's losses for all of April 2nd amounted to around 1,700 men, killed, wounded, and missing. Gordon's losses were never reported.

The Assault on Fort Mahone to the end of the War.

Report of Bvt. Maj. Gen. John F. Hartranft, U.S. Army, commanding Third Division.

U.S. Arsenal, Washington, D.C., July 3,1865

I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Third Division, Ninth Army Corps, in the operations in front of Petersburg, Va., from March 30 to April 9:

On the night of March 30,in compliance with orders from corps headquarters, the First Brigade of my command, consisting of the Two hundredth, Two hundred and eighth, and Two hundred and ninth Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers, under command of Lieut. Col. W. H. H. McCall, Two hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, was massed near the Avery House, and the Second Brigade, consisting of the Two hundred and fifth, Two hundred and seventh, and Two hundred and eleventh Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers, under command of Col . J. A. Mathews, Two hundred and fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, near Fort Prescott, with a view of forming an assaulting column in front of Ft. Sedgwick at daylight on the following morning, but at 2:45 a.m. March 31 orders were received countermanding the movement, and the troops were accordingly sent back to their respective camps. The Division was held in readiness in camp during March 31 and April 1 ready to meet any emergency.

At 11 p.m. on the night of April 1 my troops were massed in the manner heretofore mentioned, and at 3 o ’clock on the morning of April 2 an assaulting column was formed in front of Fort Sedgwick, to the right of the Jerusalem plank road and between our main line of works and the picket line. The First Brigade, First Division, Ninth Army Corps, Col. Samuel Harriman, Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, commanding, consisting of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty eighth Regiments Wisconsin Volunteers, Eighth and Twenty-seventh Regiments Michigan Volunteers, and One hundred and ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, reported to me for orders at Fort Sedgwick at 2 o ’clock on the morning of April 2, in compliance with orders from Major-General Parke, commanding corps, and was put into position on the right of the Third Division.

The assaulting column was formed in column of regiments, with the left resting on the Jerusalem plank road, in the following order:

Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Cox commanding;

Two hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Major Morrow commanding;

Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Dodd commanding;

Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Heinzelman commanding.

The Two hundred and ninth and Two hundredth Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Third Division were held in reserve behind the works. Three regiments of Harriman ’s brigade, of the First Division, also formed in column of regiments on the right of the Third Division in the following order:

Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, Col. Bintliff commanding;

One hundred and ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, Lieut. Col. C. K. Pier (Thirty-eighth Wisconsin commanding)

Eighth Regiment Michigan Volunteers, Maj. R. N. Doyle commanding.

The Twenty-seventh Michigan and Thirty-seventh Wisconsin Volunteers were held in reserve in rear of the line of entrenchments. Strong engineer parties were formed in front of the assaulting columns. These parties were divided into squads and one squad placed on the right of each division of the leading regiments to cut away the abatis and chevaux-de-frise in front of the enemy ’s works Potter ’s division was formed on the left of the Jerusalem plank road and facing Fort Mahone. General Griffin, commanding Second Brigade, Second Division, was to make the advance, and my movement was to conform with his advance, and to this end one of my staff officers remained on the left of the first regiment of my assaulting column and communicated with an officer of General Griffin’s command. At 4:30 a.m., just at dawn of day, the assault was made. My command moved forward in the most handsome and gallant manner, capturing the enemy ’s picket-line and advanced to his main line, carrying all his works from a point a little to the left of the Jerusalem plank road, and for a distance of 400 yards to the right of the Jerusalem plank road (the line carried by my troops was known by the enemy as Miller’s Salient), capturing -pieces of artillery, 3 battle-flags, and a considerable number of prisoners. As soon as the line was carried the four reserve regiments were pushed forward to support the assaulting columns, which were much broken under the heavy fire of the enemy and in passing through the enemy’s abatis,&c. These regiments also suffered greatly from the fire of the enemy ’s artillery on the left of the works captured by the Second Division and from two-gun battery of 8 inch howitzers in the rear of the lines captured.

The pioneer parties did their work most nobly and effectually; the wires connecting and binding together the sections of the chevaux-de-frise were cut and the sections pulled back in the manner of opening a gate. This was very difficult to accomplish, and my men, suffering very much from the enemy’s fire, grew impatient, and with a will large numbers of them seized the sections, and by main force opened passages as above indicated. The guns captured were immediately turned upon the enemy, using their ammunition, and worked with effect by my men until artillerists, which were promptly forwarded, were sent to man them. Seeing that farther advance was impracticable, the troops being much exhausted in advancing, and the enemy still holding a strong position in the covered ways and traverses and having possession of a two-gun 8 inch mortar battery, and one 8-inch columbiad battery, I placed my troops in the most advantageous position along the line of captured works and put them to work to make them tenable. Works were also thrown up in rear of the enemy ’s field works to protect the artillerists who worked the guns. The ammunition left by the enemy was soon exhausted, but the demand was promptly supplied from time to time during the day by Brevet Brigadier-General Tidball, chief of artillery, and carried to the front under severe fire by troops of Colonel Carruth, commanding the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, and by detachments of my men.

Three determined charges to retake the works were made by the enemy during the day, one at 11:15 a.m., the second at 1:05 p.m., and the last at 3 p.m. In the latter charge the left of the line held by my command was forced to retire for a short time, owing to fact that part of the works held by the Second Division were retaken by the enemy, giving him a sweeping flank fire on my left, but upon the advance of new troops on the left my men regained confidence, and the line was re-established.

At 4:45 p.m. the Second Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps, Bvt. Brig. Gen. J. E. Hamblin commanding, reported to me at Fort Sedgwick and was immediately ordered to the front to support the left of my line, and, if possible, occupy part of the line farther to the left; the latter was impossible, owing to the enfilading fire of the enemy from the covered way leading from Fort Mahone, and this brigade was then held as a support to the left of my line. Immediately after dark, a skirmish line was pushed forward, and the chevaux-de-frise taken from the rear and put out in front of the line of my division. A line of works which had been commenced during the day connecting Miller ’s Salient with our picket line on the right was completed and occupied, and much work was done during the night along the entire line held to put it in the most defensible position. The Two hundred and fifth, the Two hundred and seventh, and Two hundred and eleventh Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers were withdrawn to our old picket-line as reserve, and General Hamblin’s troops placed in the positions occupied by these regiments. At 3 a.m. of the 3rd of April I ordered the officer of the day to advance his skirmishers and feel for the enemy, and at the same time all the troops of my command were held in readiness for movement. The enemy having retired from my immediate front at 3:30 a.m., I moved my division forward in column of regiments, and at the same time ordered Colonel Harriman to move forward in the same manner on the right and General Hamblin on the left, and advanced to the suburbs of Petersburg without opposition, reaching it at a few minutes before 5 a.m. My line of skirmishers reached the city at about 4:15 a.m. Immediately upon arriving in the city the Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Dodd commanding, was sent to the river to secure the bridges and prevent them from being destroyed, and picket the river, and the Two hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers was sent to the left to communicate with troops of the Sixth Corps, and Colonel McCalmont, with the Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers was ordered to take possession of the city, but upon arriving at the court house, he was met by Colonel Ely, commanding brigade in First Division, who claimed that the surrender of the city had been formally made to him, whereupon Col. McCalmont withdrew his command to the outskirts of the city where the balance of the division was stationed. I am satisfied that my skirmishers were the first Union troops in the city, and that Colonel McCalmont’s brigade was the first which entered the limits of the city in a body. I ordered Colonel Dodd as soon as relieved by troops which were to occupy the city, also Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick, commanding Two hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, after receiving his report that he had communicated with troops of the Sixth Corps, to return to their original camps. Harriman’s and Hamblin ’s brigades were ordered to rejoin their respective divisions. I then marched my division to the vicinity of the Avery house and got it in readiness for immediate movement I cannot refrain from speaking in the highest terms of the conduct of the officers and men of my command for their brave, gallant, and heroic conduct in this engagement and for the tenacity with which they held every inch of the captured works, and met and repulsed the stout and determined charges of the enemy during the entire day. They are deserving of the highest praise. I would call particular attention to the conduct of Col. J. A. Mathews, Two hundred and fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanding Second Brigade; Lieut. Col. W. H. H. McCall, Two hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanding First Brigade, and Col. Samuel Harriman, commanding First Brigade, First Division for their promptness and energy in disposing of and advancing the columns. To Col. R. C.. Cox, Two hundred and seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Col. James Bintley, Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, who commanded the leading regiments of the charging column, and who by their bravery, skill, and determination pushed their commands through the enemy’s abatis, and captured the works, I am much indebted for the brilliant success which attended this movement. Great credit is due to Col. L.A. Dodd, Two hundred and eleventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Col. R. C. . Cox, Two hundred and seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, for their energy and skill in disposing their commands and for the determination with which they met every advance of the enemy. These regiments were on the most exposed portion of the line and were put to the severest test. To Bvt. Brig. Gen. J. E. . Hamblin, commanding brigade, for the gallantry with which he led his brigade into position and for his promptness and the efficiency of his command while it remained under my orders. The following named officers are mentioned as having performed valuable and distinguished services:

Two hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Maj. Jacob Rehrer, First Lieut. John McWilliams, First Lieut. James McComas, First Lieut. B.F. Eberly;

Two hundred and eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieut. Col. M. T. Heinzelman, Maj. Alexander Bobb, Second Lieut. David F. Keagy;

Two hundred and ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieut. Col. George W. Frederick, Maj. J. L. Ritchey;

Two hundred and fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Maj. B. M. Morrow, Lieut. and Adjt. E. L. Reber, Capt. J. A. McCahan; Capt. Richard Boone, Capt. F. B. McClenahen, Lieut. Morris Davis;

Two hundred and seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, First Lieut. and Adjt. G. M. Bastian, Capt. J. A. Rogers, First Lieut. R. C. Ivory, Capt. J. W. Rutt, Capt. R. T. Wood, Capt. J. J. Rees.

These officers have been recommended for brevets.

The following-named enlisted men are mentioned as having pre-eminently distinguished themselves.

Private John Lilley, *Company F., Two hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers; Private John C. Ewing,*Company E, Private A.D. Harman, *Company K, Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers; Sgt. John H. Stephens, Company C; Sergeant Shontz, Company D, and Sergt. Henry Nabor, Company C, Two hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers; Sergt. Daniel A. Seward, Company C; Sergt. Charles H. Ilgnefritz, Company E, and Private Wilbur Brown, Company H, Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers; Sergt. Maj. J. S. McQuaid, First Sergt. James F. Johnston, Company D, and Sergt W.R. Moore, Company D, Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers.

These men have been recommended for medals of honor. The first three of these men captured colors for the enemy.

*Awarded a Medal of Honor.

To the officers of my staff -Bvt. Maj. .John D. Bertolette, assistant adjutant-general; Capt. E. P. Brown, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers, acting division inspector; Capt. R. M. Watts, Seventeenth Michigan Volunteers, aide-de-camp; Capt. W. T. Hoffman, Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, acting engineer officer -I am much indebted for the valuable and efficient services rendered in placing the troops in position for the assault, in carrying dispatches, in giving orders and arranging the troops to meet the repeated attacks on the enemy and for their coolness and bravery during the entire movement. At 3 p.m. April 3,I marched with my division, supplied with rations, ammunition, &c, through Petersburg toward Burkeville along the line of the South Side Railroad, as guard to the wagon train of the army. This division moved as far as Nottoway Court-House, which point I reached April 8,and guarded different points along the line of the railroad. No active part was taken with the enemy after April 3. I especially invite attention to the accompanying reports of brigade commanders. A tabular list of casualties is appended to this report. All of which is respectfully submitted.

John F. Hartranft, Brevet Major General, Commanding Bvt. Lieut. Col. John D., Bertolette, Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps.

Summary of Casualties: Division Staff -1 Officer wounded. First Brigade: 200th Pennsylvania Volunteers:2 men killed,1 officer and 33 men wounded,3 men missing. Total - 1 officer, 38 men.

208th Pennsylvania Volunteers : 7 men killed,1 officer and 38 men wounded,1 man missing. Total -1 officer,46 men.

209th Pennsylvania Volunteers: 1 officer and 6 men killed, three officers and 49 men wounded,3 men missing. Total -4 officers,58 men.

Second Brigade:

205th Pennsylvania Volunteers: 2 officers and 22 men killed, 6 officers and 91 men wounded, 5 men missing. Total -8 officers and 118 men.

207th Pennsylvania Volunteers: 37 men killed;10 officers and 130 men wounded;1 officer and 7 men missing. Total -11 officers and 174 men.

211th Pennsylvania Volunteers: 4 officers and 17 men killed; 4 officers and 89 men wounded; 21men missing. Total -8 officers and 127 men.

Headquarters, Third Division, Ninth Army Corps. April 3,1865

Lieutenant-Colonel Lydig, Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps:

Colonel:

I have the honor to transmit herewith two battle-flags captured by the Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, of this command, in the assault of yesterday. The white flag belonged to the Forty-fifth North Carolina, the other to the Sixty-first Alabama. Captured, respectively, by A. D.Harman, Company K, and John C. Ewing, Company E, Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Jno, D. Bertolette,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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