The Last March of Lee's Army: Weldon Railroad and Hatcher's Run

The final important naval event was the capture of Fort Fisher, which covered the channel leading to Wilmington, North Carolina, the only port now attainable by blockade-runners. In December, 1864, a combined land and water expedition was sent against the fort, accompanied by a boat stored with two hundred and fifteen tons of gun-powder, by the explosion of which near the fort it was hoped that its walls might be shattered. This proved a failure. The powder-boat was expioded without doing the slightest damage. The fleet then attacked the fort, whose guns were silenced. But General Butler, who commanded the land force, would not make an assault, and the expedition returned unsuccessful. Another expedition, under General Terry, was sent in January. The bombardment by the fleet continued for several days, after which, on the 15th, a land assault was made, and the fort taken, after a severe struggle. This event completely closed the Confederacy from the outside world. The blockade was finally made fully effective.

Yet there was a Confederate navy, whose ships had never entered a Southern port, but which managed to commit great depredations upon American shipping. It was composed of vessels built abroad and sold to the Confederates, one of them in France, the remainder in England. Two powerful rams were built for this purpose in England, but were detained when Minister Adams plainly hinted at war if they were suffered to escape. Of the Confederate vessels which were permitted to sail from British harbors, much the most important was the Alabama. This vessel was a virtual pirate, which lured its victims by flying the British flag until they were within its power. It did great damage to American shipping. Finally the Alabama was encountered by the sloop-of-war Kearsarge, off the harbor of Cherbourg, France. A severe battle ensued, in which the Alabama was dreadfully shattered and finally sunk. During her career she had captured sixty-five vessels, most of which she burned. The loss occasioned was afterwards charged upon England, by the decision of an International Commission, and paid in accordance with the verdict.

We have one further series of events to review,--those attending the siege of Petersburg by Grant, and its defence by Lee. The first important event of that siege was Grant's attempt to seize the Weldon Railroad, on June 21, 1864. This was repulsed, with a loss of four thousand men. Immediately afterwards a cavalry expedition was sent to cut the railroads south of Richmond. It was driven back with loss, after doing some damage, which was quickly repaired. The next important event was the attempt to destroy the Confederate works by a mine. This was excavated with great labor, and exploded on the morning of July 30. A deep gap was blown through the works, but the subsequent assault was so completely mismanaged that the Confederates had hours in which to bring up troops and batteries. As a result the charging column was repulsed, with heavy loss, and Petersburg saved. On August 12 a demonstration in force was made against Richmond, north of the James, and advantage taken of the concentration of Confederate troops in that direction, to assail the defenders of the Weldon Railroad. This road was taken, and effectually ruined. On the 29th another assault was made north of the James, and Fort Harrison, one of the Confederate earthworks, taken. These operations had been attended with serious losses, with but little compensating advantage.

The next purpose in Grant's operations was the destruction of the Southside Railroad, with the eventual intention to assail the Danville Road, the main line of communication between Richmond and the South. During the remainder of the season, however, very little was done. A severe engagement took place at Hatcher's Run, in a movement towards the Southside Railroad. The affair ended in a Union withdrawal. Butler's effort to dig a canal across Dutch Gap, a point where the James makes a wide bend, proved useless, and the armies settled down to an autumn and winter rest.

Active operations began again in March, Grant having then about one hundred and twenty thousand men. Lee's actual number is not well known. On February 5, 1865, an attempt had been made to turn Lee's lines at Hatcher's Run, which was repulsed, with loss. The only offensive movement of Lee during this long siege was made on March 25, an early morning attack being directed against Fort Steadman, near the site of the mine. The surprise was complete, and the fort taken. But its holders were at once assailed from all sides, and driven out, with a loss of three thousand out of the five thousand engaged.