Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[647] time was to be lost in attacking Petersburg upon either side of the Appomattox, but Richmond was to be invested on the south side of the James in ten days from the 4th of May, to hold all the troops there from marching to the aid of Lee, and I was to throw my force between Beauregard and Lee, and prevent a possible junction of their forces. General Grant's victorious army was pressing the broken troops of Lee within three days march of Richmond at the moment, and while I was securing the line of the Appomattox, Lee might be upon my rear and line of communications. At the same time I received a despatch which showed that the enemy had withdrawn from North Carolina, and might be concentrating upon Richmond to form a junction with Lee.¹

The enemy had already withdrawn all their troops from South Carolina. While meditating upon all this information, the correctness of which I could not doubt, for it had been sent from General Grant for my guidance, I was roused by a communication from both of my corps commanders, in the handwriting of General Gillmore, suggesting, as the result of a conference between them, whether it would not be better to withdraw our forces to our lines, destroying all that part of the road north of Chester Station, and then cross the Appomattox on a pontoon bridge and cut all the roads, entering Petersburg on that side.²

To that letter I at once replied that, while regretting the infirmity of purpose which did not permit them to state to me while personally present the suggestion contained in their note, but allowed me to go to my headquarters under the impression that a far different purpose was advised by them, I should not yield to their written suggestions which implied a change of plan within thirty minutes after I left