division。　　The　enemy　are　in　his　immediate　front；　lying　so　as　to　cover
  the　road　just　this　side　of　A。　Adams's　house；　which　leads　across
  Chamberlain's　bed；　or　run。　　I　understand　you　have　a　division　at　J。＇G＇
  Boisseau's；　if　so；　you　are　in　rear　of　the　enemy's　line　and　almost　on
  his　flank。　　I　will　hold　on　here。　　Possibly　they　may　attack　Custer　at
  daylight；　if　so；　attack　instantly　and　in　full　force。　　Attack　at
  daylight　anyhow；　and　I　will　make　an　effort　to　get　the　road　this　side
  of　Adams's　house；　and　if　I　do；　you　can　capture　the　whole　of　them。
  Any　force　moving　down　the　road　I　am　holding；　or　on　the　White　Oak
  road；　will　be　in　the　enemy's　rear；　and　in　all　probability　get　any
  force　that　may　escape　you　by　a　flank　movement。　　Do　not　fear　my
  leaving　here。　　If　the　enemy　remains；　I　shall　fight　at　daylight。
  〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Major…General。
  With　daylight　came　a　slight　fog；　but　it　lifted　almost　immediately；
  and　Merritt　moved　Custer　and　Devin　forward。　　As　these　divisions
  advanced　the　enemy's　infantry　fell　back　on　the　Five　Forks　road；　Devin
  pressing　him　along　the　road；　while　Custer　extended　on　the　left　over
  toward　Chamberlain's　Run；　Crook　being　held　in　watch　along　Stony
  Creek；　meanwhile；　to　be　utilized　as　circumstances　might　require　when
  Warren　attacked。
  The　order　of　General　Meade　to　Warren　the　night　of　March　31a　copy
  being　sent　me　alsowas　positive　in　its　directions；　but　as　midnight
  came　without　a　sign　of　or　word　from　the　Fifth　Corps；　notwithstanding
  that　was　the　hour　fixed　for　its　arrival；　I　nevertheless　assumed　that
  there　were　good　reasons　for　its　non…appearance；　but　never　once
  doubted　that　measures　would　be　taken　to　comply　with　my　despatch　Of
  3　A。　M。　and　therefore　hoped　that；　as　Pickett　was　falling　back　slowly
  toward　Five　Forks；　Griffin's　and　Crawford's　divisions　would　come　in
  on　the　Confederate　left　and　rear　by　the　Crump　road　near　J。＇G＇
  Boisseau's　house。
  But　they　did　not　reach　there　till　after　the　enemy　had　got　by。　　As　a
  matter　of　fact；　when　Pickett　was　passing　the　all…important　point
  Warren's　men　were　just　breaking　from　the　bivouac　in　which　their　chief
  had　placed　them　the　night　before；　and　the　head　of　Griffin's　division
  did　not　get　to　Boisseau's　till　after　my　cavalry；　which　meanwhile　had
  been　joined　by　Ayres's　division　of　the　Fifth　Corps　by　way　of　the
  Boydton　and　Dabney　roads。　　By　reason　of　the　delay　in　moving　Griffin
  and　Crawford；　the　enemy　having　escaped；　I　massed　the　Fifth　Corps　at
  J。＇G＇　Boisseau's　so　that　the　men　could　be　rested；　and　directed　it　to
  remain　there；　General　Warren　himself　had　not　then　come　up。　　General
  Mackenzie；　who　had　reported　just　after　daybreak；　was　ordered　at　first
  to　stay　at　Dinwiddie　Court　House；　but　later　was　brought　along　the
  Five　Forks　road　to　Dr。　Smith's；　and　Crook's　division　was　directed　to
  continue　watching　the　crossings　of　Stony　Creek　and　Chamberlain's　Run。
  That　we　had　accomplished　nothing　but　to　oblige　our　foe　to　retreat　was
  to　me　bitterly　disappointing；　but　still　feeling　sure　that　he　would
  not　give　up　the　Five　Forks　crossroads　without　a　fight；　I　pressed　him
  back　there　with　Merritt's　cavalry；　Custer　advancing　on　the　Scott
  road；　while　Devin　drove　the　rearguard　along　that　leading　from　J。＇G＇
  Boisseau's　to　Five　Forks。
  By　2　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Merritt　had　forced　the　enemy　inside　his
  intrenchments；　which　began　with　a　short　return　about　three…quarters
  of　a　mile　east　of　the　Forks　and　ran　along　the　south　side　of　the　White
  Oak　road　to　a　point　about　a　mile　west　of　the　Forks。　　From　the　left　of
  the　return　over　toward　Hatcher's　Run　was　posted　Mumford's　cavalry；
  dismounted。　　In　the　return　itself　was　Wallace's　brigade；　and　next　on
  its　right　came　Ransom's；　then　Stewart's；　then　Terry's；　then　Corse's。
  On　the　right　of　Corse　was　W。　H。　F。　Lee's　division　of　cavalry。　　Ten
  pieces　of　artillery　also　were　in　this　line；　three　on　the　right　of　the
  works；　three　near　the　centre　at　the　crossroads；　and　four　on　the　left；
  in　the　return。　　Rosser's　cavalry　was　guarding　the　Confederate　trains
  north　of　Hatcher's　Run　beyond　the　crossing　of　the　Ford　road。
  I　felt　certain　the　enemy　would　fight　at　Five　Forkshe　had　toso；
  while　we　were　getting　up　to　his　intrenchments；　I　decided　on　my　plan
  of　battle。　　This　was　to　attack　his　whole　front　with　Merritt's　two
  cavalry　divisions；　make　a　feint　of　turning　his　right　flank；　and　with
  the　Fifth　Corps　assail　his　left。　　As　the　Fifth　Corps　moved　into
  action；　its　right　flank　was　to　be　covered　by　Mackenzie's　cavalry；
  thus　entirely　cutting　off　Pickett's　troops　from　communication　with
  Lee's　right　flank；　which　rested　near　the　Butler　house　at　the　junction
  of　the　Claiborne　and　White　Oaks　roads。　　In　execution　of　this　plan；
  Merritt　worked　his　men　close　in　toward　the　intrenchments；　and　while
  he　was　thus　engaged；　I　ordered　Warren　to　bring　up　the　Fifth　Corps；
  sending　the　order　by　my　engineer　officer；　Captain　Gillespie；　who　had
  reconnoitred　the　ground　in　the　neighborhood　of　Gravelly　Run　Church；
  where　the　infantry　was　to　form　for　attack。
  Gillespie　delivered　the　order　about　1　o'clock；　and　when　the　corps　was
  put　in　motion；　General　Warren　joined　me　at　the　front。　　Before　he
  came；　I　had　received；　through　Colonel　Babcock；　authority　from　General
  Grant　to　relieve　him；　but　I　did　not　wish　to　do　it；　particularly　on
  the　eve　of　battle；　so；　saying　nothing　at　all　about　the　message
  brought　me；　I　entered　at　once　on　the　plan　for　defeating　Pickett；
  telling　Warren　how　the　enemy　was　posted；　explaining　with　considerable
  detail；　and　concluding　by　stating　that　I　wished　his　troops　to　be
  formed　on　the　Gravelly　Church　road；　near　its　junction　with　the　White
  Oak　road；　with　two　divisions　to　the　front；　aligned　obliquely　to　the
  White　Oak　road；　and　one　in　reserve；　opposite　the　centre　of　these　two。
  General　Warren　seemed　to　understand　me　clearly；　and　then　left　to　join
  his　command；　while　I　turned　my　attention　to　the　cavalry；　instructing
  Merritt　to　begin　by　making　demonstrations　as　though　to　turn　the
  enemy's　right；　and　to　assault　the　front　of　the　works　with　his
  dismounted　cavalry　as　soon　as　Warren　became　engaged。　　Afterward　I
  rode　around　to　Gravelly　Run　Church；　and　found　the　head　of　Warren's
  column　just　appearing；　while　he　was　sitting　under　a　tree　making　a
  rough　sketch　of　the　ground。　　I　was　disappointed　that　more　of　the
  corps　was　not　already　up；　and　as　the　precious　minutes　went　by　without
  any　apparent　effort　to　hurry　the　troops　on　to　the　field；　this
  disappointment　grew　into　disgust。　　At　last　I　expressed　to　Warren　my
  fears　that　the　cavalry　might　expend　all　their　ammunition　before　the
  attack　could　be　made；　that　the　sun　would　go　down　before　the　battle
  could　be　begun；　or　that　troops　from　Lee's　right；　which；　be　it
  remembered；　was　less　than　three　miles　away　from　my　right；　might；　by
  striking　my　rear；　or　even　by　threatening　it；　prevent　the　attack　on
  Pickett。
  Warren　did　not　seem　to　me　to　be　at　all　solicitous；　his　manner
  exhibited　decided　apathy；　and　he　remarked　with　indifference　that
  〃Bobby　Lee　was　always　getting　people　into　trouble。〃　　With　unconcern
  such　as　this；　it　is　no　wonder　that　fully　three　hours'　time　was
  consumed　in　marching　his　corps　from　J。＇G＇　　Boisseau's　to　Gravelly　Run
  Church；　though　the　distance　was　but　two　miles。　　However；　when　my
  patience　was　almost　worn　out；　Warren　reported　his　troops　ready；
  Ayres's　division　being　formed　on　the　west　side　of　the　Gravelly　Church
  road；　Crawford's　on　the　east　side；　and　Griffin　in　reserve　behind　the
  right　of　Crawford；　a　little　different　from　my　instructions。　　The
  corps　had　no　artillery　present；　its　batteries；　on　account　of　the　mud；
  being　still　north　of　Gravelly　Run。　　Meanwhile　Merritt　had　been　busy
  working　his　men　close　up　to　the　intrenchments　from　the　angle　of　the
  return　west；　along　the　White　Oak　road。
  About　4　o'clock　Warren　began　the　attack。　　He　was　to　assault　the　left
  flank　of　the　Confederate　infantry　at　a　point　where　I　knew　Pickett's
  intrenchments　were　refused；　almost　at　right　angles　with　the　White　Oak
  road。　　I　did　not　know　exactly　how　far　toward　Hatcher's　Run　this　part
  of　the　works　extended；　for　here　the　videttes　of　Mumford's　cavalry
  were　covering；　but　I　did　know　where　the　refusal　began。　　This　return；
  then；　was　the　point　I　wished　to　assail；　believing　that　if　the　assault
  was　made　with　spirit；　the　line　could　be　turned。　　I　therefore　intended
  that　Ayres　and　Crawford　should　attack　the　refused　trenches　squarely；
  and　when　these　two　divisions　and　Merritt's　cavalry　became　hotly
  engaged；　Griffin's　division　was　to　pass　around　the　left　of　the
  Confederate　line；　and　I　personally　instructed　Griffin　how　I　wished
  him　to　go　in；　telling　him　also　that　as　he　advanced；　his　right　flank
  would　be　taken　care　of　by　Mackenzie；who　was　to　be　pushed　over　toward
  the　Ford　road　and　Hatcher's　Run。
  The　front　of　the　corps　was　oblique　to　the　White　Oak　road；　and　on
  getting　there；　it　was　to　swing　round　to　the　left　till　perpendicular
  to　the　road；　keeping　closed　to　the　left。　　Ayres　did　his　part　well；
  and　to　the　letter；　bringing　his