nd Petersburg and to keep Butler bottled up in
Bermuda Hundred until help could reach him from Lee. He telegraphed to
Richmond for all the assistance that could be sent to him, and was
re-enforced by a brigade, which arrived just in time, for Smith had
already captured a portion of the intrenchments, but was now driven out.

The next day Beauregard was attacked both by Smith's and Hancock's
corps, which had now arrived. With 8000 men he kept at bay the assaults
of two whole army corps, having in the meantime sent orders to Gracie,
the officer in command of the brigade before Butler, to leave a few
sentries there to deceive that general, and to march with the rest of
his force to his aid. It arrived at a critical moment. Overwhelmed by
vastly superior numbers, many of the Confederates had left their posts,
and Breckenridge was in vain trying to rally them when Gracie's brigade
came up. The position was reoccupied and the battle continued.

At noon Burnside with his corps arrived and joined the assailants; while
Butler, discovering at last that the troops in front of him were
withdrawn, moved out and barred the road against re-enforcements from
Richmond. Nevertheless, the Confederates held their ground all the
afternoon and until eleven o'clock at night, when the assault ceased.

At midnight Beauregard withdrew his troops from the defenses that they
were too few to hold, and set them to work to throw up fresh
intrenchments on a shorter line behind. All night the men worked with
their bayonets, canteens, and any tools that came to hand.

It was well for them that the enemy were so exhausted that it was noon
before they were ready to advance again, for by this time help was at
hand. Anderson, who had succeeded to the command of Longstreet's corps,
and was leading the van of Lee's army, forced his way through Butler's
troops and drove him back into Bermuda Hundred, and leaving one brigade
to watch him marched with another into Petersburg just as the attack was
recommenced. Thus re-enforced, Beauregard successfully defeated all the
assaults of the enemy until night fell. Another Federal army corps came
up before morning, and the assault was again renewed, but the
defenders, who had strengthened their defenses during the night, drove
their assailants back with terrible loss. The whole of Lee's army now
arrived, and the rest of Grant's army also came up, and that general
found that, after all his movements, his way to Richmon