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Reams' Station, Va., Aug 22-25, 1864. 2nd Army Corps, Gregg's and
Kautz's Cavalry. The battle of Reams' station was a part of the
operations about Petersburg during the siege. After Gen. Warren's
expedition against the Weldon railroad on Aug. 18-21, the Federal
intrenchments were extended from the Jerusalem plank road to connect
with Warren's new position on the railroad. This railroad was the
chief line of supply for the Confederate army, and although Warren
held it at Globe tavern, it was still open on his left, so that
supplies could be transported by wagon in a day's time to Petersburg.
Gen. Grant therefore determined to destroy the track as far as Rowanty
creek, about 20 miles south of Petersburg, which would force the enemy
to haul his supplies from Stony Creek station by way of Dinwiddie
Court House, a much greater distance. Maj.-Gen. W.S. Hancock, with the
1st and 2nd divisions of the 2nd corps, Gregg's cavalry division and
Spear's brigade of Kautz's cavalry, was charged with the work and
received his orders to that effect on the morning of the 21st, just
after his command had returned from Deep Bottom. He at once took up
the march toward Reams' station, Spear's cavalry having the advance
and engaging in a slight skirmish with the enemy on the Vaughan road.
The cavalry covered the roads leading to the railroad and by the
evening of the 24th the railroad was destroyed to Malone's crossing, 3
miles south of Reams' station. About 11 o'clock that night Hancock
received a despatch from headquarters notifying him that a Confederate
force, estimated at from 8,000 to 10,000 men, was moving from the
intrenchments by the Vaughan and Halifax roads. This was Gen. A.P.
Hill's corps, part of Longstreet's command and Hampton's cavalry, all
under the command of Hill. Slight intrenchments had been thrown up at
Reams' station during Wilson's raid in June. These were now occupied
by Hancock, Gibbon's division on the left and Miles' (Barlow's) on the
right, the cavalry being sent out on a reconnaissance to locate the
enemy and develop his strength. About noon on the 25th Miles' pickets
on the Dinwiddie road were driven in and at 2 p.m. two spirited
attacks were made in quick succession on his front, but both were
repulsed, some of the Confederates falling within a few yards of the
works. In the meantime Gen. Meade had ordered Gen. Mott to send all of
his available force down the plank road to the assistance of Hancock,
and about 2:30 directed Willcox's division of the 9th corps to follow
Mott. These reinforcements did not reach Hancock in time to be of any
material service. At 5 p.m. Hill opened a heavy fire of artillery,
taking part of the Union line in reverse. After about 15 minutes of
this cannonade an assault was made on Miles' front. The attack was
bravely met and the enemy thrown into some confusion, when the 7th,
39th and 52nd N.Y., composed chiefly of new recruits, broke in
disorder. A small brigade, under Lieut.-Col. Rugg, which had been
stationed in reserve, was ordered up to fill the gap in the line, but
Hancock says in his report: "the brigade could neither be made to go
forward nor fire." McKnight's battery was then ordered to direct its
fire into the opening, but the enemy, by advancing along the
rifle-pits, gained possession of the battery and turned one of the
guns on the Union troops. Gibbon was ordered forward with his division
to recapture the guns, but the men seemed to be panic-stricken,
"falling back to their breastworks on receiving a slight fire from the
enemy." Gibbon was now exposed to an attack in reverse and on the
flank, forcing his men to occupy the outside of their works, and for a
moment it looked as though the gallant 2nd corps, that had proved its
valor on so many battlefields, was doomed to utter annihilation. In
this critical moment Miles rallied a small force, formed a line at
right angles to the intrenchments, swept off the enemy and recaptured
the battery. Had Gibbon's officers been able to rally the men at this
juncture, the story of Reams' station might have been differently
told. But while the effort was being made to bring up the division an
attack was made upon it by the enemy's dismounted cavalry and the
whole command was driven from the breastworks. Elated by this success
the Confederates advanced with the "rebel yell" against Miles, when
they were met by a severe fire from the dismounted cavalry on the
extreme left and their advance summarily checked. Gibbon had finally
succeeded in forming a new line a short distance in the rear of the
rifle-pits, and to this line Gregg and Spear now retired, Woerner's
battery covering the movement and dealing havoc in the enemy's ranks
by its well-directed fire. This battery and the troops under Miles
held the road leading to the plank road until dark, when the order was
issued to withdraw. Willcox's division was then within a mile and a
half of the field, where it was formed in line of battle, and after
Hancock's men had passed became the rear-guard. In his report Hancock
says: "Had my troops behaved as well as heretofore, I would have been
able to defeat the enemy on this occasion. * * * I attribute the bad
conduct of some of my troops to their great fatigue, owing to the
heavy labor exacted of them and to their enormous losses during the
campaign, especially in officers." This was doubtless true. There is a
limit to human endurance and the men of Gibbon's division had reached
the limit. Marching all night of the 20th and all day on the 22nd,
tearing up railroad track through the day and standing picket at night
from that time until they were engaged on the 25th, the men were so
completely worn out that they had lost both ambition and patriotism.
The Union loss was 140 killed, 529 wounded and 2,073 missing. Hill
reported his total loss at 720, and claimed to have captured 2,150
prisoners, 9 cannon, 12 colors and over 3,000 stands of small arms.
Source: The Union Army, Volume 6, Cyclopedia of Battles,
1908 |