No. 274. Report of Brigadier General William H. Wallace, C. S. Army.1
HEADQUARTERS WALLACE’S BRIGADE,
Near Appomattox Court-House, April 10, 1865.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that this brigade was moved on the 28th ultimo from the lines near Hatcher’s Run to a position near Burgess’ Mills, where it remained in line during the day without being engaged, and retiring at night to its former camp.
On the 29th of March it was moved, with the rest of the division, to the plank road near Bevill’s house, and at 3 p.m. was readvanced against a position of the enemy near Bevill’s house [held by infantry and artillery], which it failed to carry. At night-fall it was withdrawn to the camp within the lines near Hatcher’s Run.
On the 2nd of April, instant, the remnant of the brigade which had escaped from the affair of April 1 at the Five Cross-Roads reported to
Major-General Johnson at Ford’s Depot, and was marched to a position on-Creek, where it entrenched and remained until 2 a.m., when it was moved across the creek and encamped.
On the 3rd instant it was marched in the direction of Amelia Court-House, and skirmished with the enemy on the march.
On the 4th instant it moved on in the same direction, and entrenched about four miles from Amelia Court-House, where it repelled an attack by the enemy’s cavalry skirmishers.
On the 5th instant the command marched through Amelia Court-House, and continued to march until 6 p.m. on the 6th instant, when it was placed in position, and about 12 m. repelled an attack of cavalry skirmishers, who were driven back some distance by our line. About 1 p.m. it was moved farther on in the direction of the previous line of march, and ordered to hold a position, where it repelled an attack of cavalry skirmishers. At 5 p.m. it moved in line of battle in a direction unknown, with the division, which was attacked, after advancing a short distance, on its left flank by a party of cavalry and routed. The men, after falling back about a mile, were reassembled and marched to a road upon which the army was moving, where it joined the column and arrived at High Bridge about 11 p.m.
On the 7th instant, at 2 a.m., it moved to Farmville, and at 1 p.m. retreated with the army from that place.
On the 8th instant it reached a point about one mile from Appomattox Court-House, and at 10 p.m. was formed in line to meet a threatened attack. At 11 p.m. it was moved to Appomattox Court-House and again formed in line, the men sleeping on their arms. About this time I was directed to report with my command to Brigadier-General Evans, Second Army Corps.
The strength of the brigade on the 29th of March was about 1,300 aggregate, and the loss about 188. On the 2nd of April about 350 men had been reassembled. The losses in the subsequent skirmishes cannot be stated, but were slight.
I beg to call attention to the conspicuous gallantry of Major R. J. Betsill, Eighteenth South Carolina Volunteers, in all the actions mentioned in this report.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. H. WALLACE,
Brigadier-General.
Captain J. E. SANDERS,
Aide-de-Camp.
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), pp. 1291-1292 ↩