Alan J. Pitts
Re: March 25, 1865
Thu Jul 26 11:39:17 2001


This is most helpful. The news article that appeared in the Macon GA paper (April 19, 1865, the day before Wilson's Cavalry came to call) mentions four brigades and two regiments involved in the afternoon fighting. Thomas' GA Brigade had just returned from the eastern end of the line. Might any other brigades have returned as well?

I'm only generally familiar with positions along the Confederate line west of Petersburg. You clearly defined the positions of Wise's VA and Moody's AL brigades, and it seems that Moody's left connected with Davis' MS brigade of Heth's Division. Were there any infantry commands west of Wise's position? Can I assume that Wilcox's line was to left of Heth, and Mahone's men to the left of Wilcox?

If memory serves, vol. II of "The Long Arm of Lee" references battery positions from the OR (XLVI 2:1185 & 1194-96) without naming specific artillery commands. One would expect batteries of the Hill's Third Corps to be posted along his line. However, W. T. Poague's Battalion was at Dutch Gap, north of Petersburg, during the early months of 1865. I'm also curious about the three or four artillery battalions attached to Anderson's Fourth Corps, which at that time consisted of Johnson's Division.

I'd like to know where each battalion had been assigned. Federal reports of "Watkins House" mention Confederate artillery, and obviously Confederate artilleryman had an important role in defense of this thinly-held line. Even a general idea developed from isolated battery histories would help. I've not looked at Virginia battery histories from the series published at Lynchburg. Do any of these provide clues about where they were?