POPLAR SPRING CHURCH (PEE BLES' AND PEGRAM'S FARM, Vaughan Road), Battle of. In co-operation with the movement against Richmond from the north side of James River, 29 Sept. 1864 (see FORT HARRISON, BArrli or), General Grant ordered a movement from his left, south of the river, in a northwest direction toward the Boydton road and South Side Railroad, the intention be ing to extend his intrenched line beyond the Weldon Railroad in the direction of the South Side Railroad. General Warren, with Griffin's and Ayres' divisions of the Fifth was first to secure the junction of the Squirrel Level and Poplar Spring Church roads, coming in from the southwest, at which point the Con federates had intrenchments covering the roads. General Parke, with Willcox's and Potter's di visions of the Ninth corps, was to follow War ren and form on his left, then both were to advance toward the Boydton road. Gregg's cavalry division was to move on the Vaughan road and other roads on the left and rear to the crossing of Hatcher's Run, where the Con federates had a redoubt at the termination of their intrenchments. At 7.30 A.m., 30 Septem ber, Griffin and Ayres moved out of their in trenchments at Globe Tavern, advanced cau tiously three miles through a dense growth of woods and encountered a Confederate picket line behind light works thrown up along the road in front of Poplar Spring Church. This line was driven in, and the advance continued, until it came under a sharp fire from a line of works on Peebles' farm, held by Dearing's cavalry brigade and some infantry. A short halt was made, the order to assault was given and the works were carried with small loss. On the left Parke moved through a narrow belt of timber, in a northwest direction toward the Boydton road, and encountered the Con federates on Pegram's farm. The forces hold ing the Petersburg intrenchments were A. P.
Hill's corps and B. R. Johnson's division of infantry, with Wade Hampton's two divisions and Dearing's brigade of cavalry, all under command of A. P. Hill. The main Confederate line of intrenchments had been extended in a southwest direction nearly to Hatcher's Run, covering the Boydton road and South Side Railroad. Hill threw out two divisions, which came into collision with Potter's division, flanked it on the right and drove it back in some confusion. A new line was now formed by Parke, with Willcox's troops, which, with Griffin's line on the right, after a spirited en gagement, checked the Confederate advance about dark, after a loss in Parke's command of nearly 500 killed and wounded, and many pris oners. Late in the afternoon next day (1 Octo ber) Mott's division of the Second corps came up, and on the 2d Parke advanced, under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, and estab lished a line of intrenchments about a mile from that of the Confederates, connecting on the right with the line held by the Fifth corps, and on the left reaching the Weldon Railroad and extending to the left and rear. On the left and rear Gregg's cavalry, 30 September, drove back Dunnovant's cavalry brigade, and next day was heavily attacked by Hampton's cavalry on the Vaughan road, but he repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy loss. The Union loss, 30 September, 1 and 2 October, was 187 killed, 900 wounded and 1,802 missing. The Confederate loss is not certainly known, but is estimated at less than 1,000. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XLII); Humphreys' 'The Vir ginian Campaign of 1864-69 ; Powell, 'His tory of the Fifth Army Corps' ; 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War> (New York 1890).