HATCHER'S RUN (Bovrrrox Rom)), Battle of. On 27 Oct. 1864, General Grant, with the intention to extend his lines to the South Side Railroad, and under the belief that the Confederate works around Petersburg ex tended only to the Boydton road crossing of Hatcher's Run and were but feebly manned, moved parts of the Ninth, Fifth and Second corps, together with Gregg's cavalry division, in all about 38,000 men, in three columns to the left. General Parke, commanding the Ninth corps, moving to surprise the right of the Con federate works, found them strongly held and made no attack The Fifth corps, on the left of the Ninth, crossed Hatcher's Run and en deavored to seize the bridge by which the Boydton road crossed that stream, and was re pulsed. The Second corps and Gregg's cavalry succeeded in forcing a passage over Hatcher's Run by the Vaughan road, and reaching the Boydton road, moved down it to Burgess' Tav ern, near the bridge over Hatcher's Run, some four miles above Armstrong's Mill, where the infantry was checked. Hancock's Second corps having effected the passage of Hatcher's Run, by the Vaughan road, Warren was ordered to cross Crawford's division of the Fifth corps at Armstrong's Mill and, sweeping up the right bank of the stream, endeavor to recross and assault the Confederate line in the rear, while Griffin's division assaulted in front. Hancock was advised of the orders given Warren and authorized to make the attempt to carry the bridge in his front and gain some high ground beyond. At 4.30 P.M., when Hancock was ex
tending his right to connect with Crawford, and was about to assault the bridge, General Heth, with his own division and a part of hone's, having crossed Hatcher's Run and trated the interval between Hancock and Craw ford, vigorously attacked Hancock's right and rear, throwing it into some confusion and cap turing many prisoners, but Heth was finally repulsed. At about the same time Hampton, with five cavalry brigades, attacked Hancock's left and rear and Gregg's cavalry, but was re pulsed. Crawford, who had crossed at Arm strong's Mill, found great difficulty in moving up the bank of Hatcher's Run, and failed to make connection with Hancock The object of the entire movement failed, with Hancock still six miles from the South Side Railroad. The Union troops were withdrawn during the night and, next day, moved back to the line of en trenchments. The Union loss, the greater part of which fell upon the Second corps, was 1,194 killed and wounded, and 564 missing. The Confederate loss is unknown. Consult (Official Records' (Vol. XLII) ; Humphreys, The Vir ginia Campaign of 1864-65); Walker, (History of the Second Army The Century Company's (Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. IV).