Civil War Spring Campaign, 1865

VOL. IX.—No. 426.]

NEW YORK, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1865.

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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1865, by Harper & Brothers, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

OPENING OF THE SPRING
CAMPAIGN.

THE field of military operations is narrowed down to the territory included between the Savannah and the James rivers. There will be military movements in the West, indeed, but not upon a large scale. The resistance which can be made to THOMAS'S southward march through Mississippi can not be very great ; but it is also true that, depleted as he must be by the transfer of so large a number of his troops eastward, General THOMAS will not be able to undertake the offensive with an army large enough to decide the conflict in the West. Both General GRANT and General LEE are aware that the vital conflict this spring must be in the Carolinas.

The campaign properly opened with the capture of Fort Fisher. The last week's record shows that it is now being vigorously pushed forward south of Petersburg and in the rear of Charleston. TERRY'S army also has been largely reinforced, and threatens the capture of Wilmington. The Confederate army in the East is necessarily divided into three parts; one of which defends Richmond, another Charleston, and the third Wilmington, being thus distributed among three States.

SHERMAN'S army operating against Charleston has made great progress. After Pocotaligo was captured it was left to General FOSTER, whose army thus becomes a pivot about which HOWARD'S and SLOCUM'S columns turn northward, with Branchville for their goal. The occupation of Branchville determines the fate of Charleston. Then Charleston takes the place of Pocotaligo, and becomes the pivotal centre in the second stage of the Carolina campaign. The capture of Branchville simplifies the

operations of both the Federal and Confederate armies. While it insures for us an excellent base of operations on the coast of South Carolina, it secures for the enemy a more perfect concentration of his force north of Branchville. By the abandonment of Charleston and Augusta several thousand men will be added to BEAUREGARD'S army in SHERMAN'S immediate front.

The army before Petersburg received marching orders January 31 - the same day that SHERMAN

moved from the line of the Savannah River. Nothing was accomplished, however, until the 5th of February, except a shelling of the enemy's lines along the Appomattox. At 3 A.M. of the 5th GREGG'S cavalry started down the Jerusalem Plank-Road, reaching Reams's Station a little after day-break. The Fifth Corps followed soon after along the Halifax Road. Further to the west, on the Vaughan Road, the Second Corps was advancing directly on Hatcher's Run, The Fifth Corps was,

by a detour around the enemy's extreme right, to take the works on Hatcher's Run in reverse. The Sixth and Ninth Corps were to support the movement. It will be seen that this operation was very similar to the at-tempt formerly made on Hatcher's Run. GREGG encountered a portion of HAMPTON'S cavalry at the crossing of Rowanty Creek. He was supported by the Second Division of the Fifth Corps, and took the bridge, with 22 prisoners. This conflict we have illustrated on page 116. A little west of the creek an empty supply-train, en route for North Carolina, was captured. A scouting party sent up the Boydton Road came upon some deserted camps of the enemy.

The Second Corps in the mean time came up to Hatcher's Run.—NOTT'S and DE TROBRIAND'S divisions crossed and captured the enemy's breast-works. SMYTH'S Division, instead of crossing, turned in a north-easterly direction toward Armstrong's Mills, and soon found the enemy in full force. Ile then established his connection with MOTT, forming the right of the Second Corps. Upon this portion of the line three severe attacks were made by GORDON and HILL, late in the afternoon, and were repulsed. During the night the Second and

Fifth Corps had established connection with each other, and GREGG covered the left of
the latter. On the 6th CRAWFORD'S Division (the Third) of the Fifth Corps advanced northward to Dabney's Mills, and succeeded in capturing the enemy's works at that point. CRAWFORD, it appears, pushed on, but the rebels soon made a desperate stand and threatened to cut him off from the main army. This led to a retreat of the Third Division in considerable confusion. The enemy sought to follow up this temporary advantage by an attack on (Next Page)

BEFORE PETERSBURG—WINTER-QUARTERS FROM THE PLANTATION.—[SKETCHED BY A. W. WARREN.]

POCOTALIGO DEPOT, SOUTH CAROLINA.- [SKETCHED BY THEODORE R. DAVIS.]