NY Times 3-26-1865
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in March 1865:
The Progress of the War.
On Saturday morning just before daybreak, three divisions of the enemy made a sudden and determined attack on Fort Steadman, in front of Petersburg, overpowering the garrison and capturing the fort, where they temporarily established themselves, and turned the guns upon our lines. Our troops on either flank maintained their ground. A determined attack on Fort Haskell was gallantly repulsed with considerable loss to the enemy. After several attempts to retake the hill, a charge was made by the Second Brigade, aided by the troops of the Third Division on either flank, and the rebels were driven out of the fort with a reported loss of about 2,700 prisoners, and the whole line was re-occupied, with the guns uninjured. The slaughter of the enemy at the point where they entered our lines, and in front of it, is estimated by Gen. Grant at not less than 3,000. Our own loss in killed, wounded and missing is put down at 2,080.
Gen. Lee in his report of the engagement, published elsewhere, says his loss is not heavy.
“[Map of defenses of Petersburg, Virginia, showing the position of General Lee and his staff during the attack on Fort Stedman, March 25, 1865].” (Library of Congress)
Later dispatches from Washington say that the losses in the Ninth Corps are much larger than heretofore reported. The First Division have in hospital 160 wounded, and 30 are known to have been killed. In the Third Division Hospital there are 166 wounded, and about 32 killed. The Second Division was not engaged, but in their hospital they have 130 wounded.
We begin to see something like a connected narrative of Sherman’s march thro’ the Carolinas. That march, it would seem, was very far from being a pleasure trip, as many have supposed. Hard fighting has been the order of the day, and the enemy in many instances have achieved substantial successes over Sherman’s columns.
The enemy claim that he is entrenching, and arrested in his march with a loss of 10,000 men. But this we are inclined to think is an exaggeration, as Sherman reports his loss since leaving Savannah at less than half that number. His army is now at Goldsboro, having formed a junction with Schofield, and Gen. Sherman is at City Point in consultation with Gens. Grant, Sheridan and the President.
The National Park Service link has the City Point meeting of President Lincoln, General Grant and Sherman. and Admiral Porter on March 28, 1865. On the 25th President Lincoln’s joy in the Union victory was later tempered when he saw some of the dead and wounded.
And the top link is another interesting report by Civil War Daily Gazette that includes excellent maps that detail the back and fort of the battle.
“Federal picket line in front of Fort Steadman” (Library of Congress)
