From another correspondent
headquarters armies operating
Against Richmond March 30, 1865
special correspondence of the inquirer

When the history of the present war is to be written, the analyst who wishes to be accurate and circumstantial, must not omit to give a prominent place to the weather as related to the movements of the army of the Potomac. The (continued on Eighth page)

Army of the Potomac
o continued from the first page

Experience of this army presents a notable exception to the law that good and evil are usually mingled in about equal proportions in all human affairs; four, in respect to the weather, his luck has almost invariably been most disagreeably bad, so much so, that an order to move now has come to be regarded among the troops as an indication of rain far more reliable than any of the meteorological phenomena which usually form the criterion of the weatherwise.

the sacred soil of Virginia – – so often have our marching columns been called to need its surface, that an infantryman is known as a dough boy that’s“ – – if it is not morning. Noon and night, sacred now and forever.
The operations of today have consisted mainly in straightening the line, advancing it as far as practice football, and developing the position of the enemy, all of which has been done without any fighting, except slight skirmishing attended with very few casualties
In my dispatch of yesterday I stated that the fifth and second corps were beyond hatcher’s run – – line of battle, – – and that the latter had fortified its position. This morning an advance was ordered, the object being to push the enemy back as far as possible, without assaulting their works. In advancing the second corps left an interval between its right flank and Hatchers Run, and this was filled by General Turner’s division of the 24th corps.

This division crossed the creek (hatchers) early this morning, and,moving west from the Vaughan Road, passed by Dabney’s Mills, and pushed on in line of battle as far as Crow’s Plantation. Here its right rests on the creek and its left on ns the second corps, which advanced simultaneously with it. North of the Creek the second division of the 25th corps General Birney’s and the first division of the 24th corps General Foster’s, which hold the position of our old line of works vacated by the Second Corps, moved forward so as to bring the left of their line opposite the right of Turner’s court attorneys, thus establishing connection between his division and General Birney’s.

This advance was made at 2 PM. It was attended with slight skirmishing and drew a few shots from a rebel battery, which fell harmlessly. The line now occupied, when it is intersected by hatchers run, is but little more than a mile from the Boydton plank Road, and about half a mile in advance of the former place

On the left, the fifth corps has swung its left wing around to the Boydton Road. The skirmishers of General Crawford‘s division reached it last night, and today our line of battle extends along it for nearly a mile, while our pickets are thrown some distance beyond it. The point where our line first touches the Boydton road is about half a mile below the intersection with the Quaker Road.

This point is distant about five or 6 miles from the southside railroad, and perhaps about the same distance from Dinwiddie courthouse. To gain this portion of the road it was not necessary to attack the enemy’s fortifications, as these cross it higher up and follow the direction of Hatchers Run. General Sheridan is on the left of the infantry near Dinwiddie courthouse. A reconnoitering force from Merritt’s division, which he sent in the direction of the White Oak Grove, on the southside railroad, reports all the approaches to this line of communications well defended by cavalry and infantry.

About 6000 of the former left Petersburg westwardly yesterday and it is probably this force which Sheridan’s men encountered and infantry beside.

The results of today’s operations indicates a disposition on the part of the enemy to keep behind his main works and await our attack. Until we assault him in his entrenchments we should not be able to develop his forces. Tomorrow may witness a trial of this experiment

E T Peters
Philadelphia Inquirer
April 3, 1865
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