The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

308 THE MAINE BUGLE.
As the marching flank of the enemy in pursuit of Davics and
Devin, wheeling toward the Plank Road, came crashing through
the woods, General Gibbes was ordered to attack, and his
gallant brigade had hardly started before they struck the enemy
in flank and rear. Almost simultaneously with General Gibbes's
assault. General Irvine Gregg vvas ordered to leave his position
on Chamberlaine's Run, move rapidly by his right flank,
mounted, and taking a wood-path leading over to the Five
Forks Road, fall upon the enemy's rear on the left of General
Gibbes. This order was promptly executed, and the sudden
and combined attack thus made by these brigades caused the
enemy to face about by the rear rank and look to his own
defense. Davies and Devin were thus at once relieved of the
pressure of the enemy's pursuit, and the trouble was averted
that must have resulted from the appearance of this force in
rear of the left flank of the Army of the Potomac, toward
which they had been retreating.
The result of the movements just described having been
anticipated, General Davies had been already instructed,
through General Merritt, to bring his command, with Devin's
division, to Dinwiddie Court House, by way of the Boydton
Plank Road, which had not yet fallen into possession of the
enemy.
It would have been possible at this time, as the enemy turned
to meet the attack of Gibbes and Irvine Gregg, for Davies and
Devin to have complicated his affairs somewhat by advancing
upon his line as soon as he ceased to follow them ; but it is
easy to imagine that their commands were in rather an unavail-
able shape for offensive purposes after the severe retreating
fight in which they had borne themselves so gallantly. Owing
to the woody nature of the country, too, it was impossible for
them to comprehend the exact position of the enemy in rela-
tion to our troops upon the left, and they could not therefore,
perhaps, have been expected to do more than get together their
men and horses and march to Dinwiddie Court House as rapidly
as possible. This they did, but only rejoined the command