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| History of Cambria County, V.2 |
| 400 | HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In Gen. Sheridan's report to Gen. Grant that night he said: "If the thing is pressed, I think that Lee will surrender." This advice was immediately wired to Mr. Lincoln, who promptly congratulated the army and included the well known laconic message, "Let the thing be pressed." HIGH BRIDGE, APRIL 6
While those stirring events were taking place on Sailor's Creek, the 54th Regiment (Capt. Decker, Capt. McCune) were in conflict with the enemy in one of the most gallant actions of the war, a few miles east of the creek. The companies from Cambria county were:
The 54th Regiment was a part of the Army of the James, commanded by Maj.-Gen. E. O. C. Ord. Early on lthe morning of April 3, following the desperate hand-to-hand combat the day before in the capture of Fort Gregg, it took the lead in Gen. Grant's army in the pursuit to intercept Gen. Lee in his flight to the west. The regiment started from Petersburg on the Cox road, being parallel to and south of the South Side railroad. Gen. Grant was with Gen. Ord's command until he reached a point beyong the Nottoway Court House, when he left it to meet Sheridan at Jetersville. Before taking his departure Grant directed Ord to proceed in all haste and get in front of Lee's army to cut the High Bridge which crosses the Appomattox river on the Lynchburg railroad. Two other companies from Cambria county were in Gen Gibbon's corps, but they were not in the High Bridge engagement, namely:
On the night of April 5 these seven companies from Cambria county were at and in the vicinity of Burkesville. They had marched thirty miles that day and were then in front of and west of Lee's army, which was between Gen. Grant's army and the Army of the James. At an early hour on the morning of April 6th Gen. Turner |
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