FORT STEDMAN, Assault on. In March 1865 General Lee prepared to abandon Richmond and Petersburg, unite with Johnston at Danville, and attack Sherman, who was marching northward from Savannah. In order that he might wait for favorable weather, he decided on a sortie against Grant to hold him near the Appomattox. The sortie was com mitted to General Gordon, with about one-half of the army. The point of Gordon's attack was Fort Stedman. At 4 A.m. 25 March the attack was made, and a rush of Gordon's men overcame the pickets and advance guards, took from 400 to 500 yards of the main line (Willcox's), including Fort Stedman, the de fenders of which, after a spirited resistance, were overpowered and captured, turned its artillery upon the Union line, captured between 500 and 600 prisoners, and endeavored to sweep down the intrenchments, but met with a repulse. It was so dark that friend could not be dis tinguished from foe, but General Parke ordered Willcox to recapture the works, General Hart ranft to support him. By 7.30 A.M. Parke had regained a part of the line and drawn a cordon around Fort Stedman, and Tidball's artillery had concentrated a heavy fire upon it and the line adjacent. Hartranft advanced at 7.45 A.M.,
attacked detachments of the enemy that were moving in the direction of City Point, captur ing or driving them back, and at 8 A.M. Fort Stedman and the entire line was recaptured, to gether with 1,949 prisoners and nine stands of colors, the Federal loss (Ninth corps) being 72 killed, 450 wounded and 522 missing. The Sixth corps now attacked and captured the Confederate picket-line, losing 449 killed and wounded and 30 missing; and the Second corps did the same, capturing 365 prisoners, and losing 51 killed, 462 wounded and 177 missing. The Confederates made several efforts to re capture their own advanced lines but failed. The entire Union loss in this engagethent was 170 killed, 1,323 wounded and 729 missing, an aggregate of 2,222. The Confederate loss is not definitely known; General Meade estimates it at 5,000 men; it was probably not more than 4,000, of whom one-half were prisoners. Con sult
Records' (Vol. XLVI) • Hum phreys,