Thus ended the battle of “Fort Gilmer,” and there was no more fighting done on this part of the line where we were that day, though I think the part of the line occupied by Gary's cavalry was attacked, but I never knew anything about that fight.
General Lee arrived from Petersburg during the night of September 29th, with Field's Virginia and Hoke's North Carolina divisions, and upon the 30th both those divisions charged “Fort Harrison,” but after a desperate fight they were forced to retire, and the Stars and stripes waved over “Fort Harrison” until Richmond fell. Another line of works was built around the old line, and several batteries of mortars were placed there, which kept up a pretty constant fire upon the Yankees during the rest of the war.
Fort Gilmer is about four miles below Richmond, very near the farm then owned by Mrs. Gunn, and from the nearest point of this fight to the capitol could not have been more than three miles.
Had our troops given way upon that day (and I think if the Yankees had known how near they were to Richmond we must have been beaten), there was nothing between us and the city, and instead of being burned by our men, as it afterwards was, Richmond must have fallen into the hands of “Beast Butler” and drunken negroes, though to give the devil his due, we were told by prisoners that Butler was not in the fight at all, but was on the top of his big observatory at City Point, looking at the fight through a long telescope.
Pardon me, General, for having intruded so long upon your time; you may probably have material from which to write an account of this affair much better than this letter, and if you have I shall not be offended that no notice is taken of my effort in that direction.
You know better than I can tell you how few opportunities a private has of knowing what is going on around him, but I have written what I remember seeing at the time and hearing the officers talk about it.
With very great respect for yourself, not only on account of your career in the army, but for the stand you have since taken, allow me to write myself, your comrade,
