Oct. 1, 1864. |
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| The Butler medal. |
Oct. 7, |
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at the close of the war, presented a silver medal to the most meritorious actors.1
Battery Harrison was so important to the Confederates, that a desperate!
attempt was made
to retake it under the immediate direction of General Lee, who massed some of his best troops against it, under Generals Hoke and Field.
They were driven back with a loss of seven battle-flags, and the almost annihilation of Clingman's (North
Carolina) brigade.2 Meanwhile General Kautz had pushed up the Charles City road to the inner lines of the Confederates, within three or four miles of Richmond, where he was attacked
and driven back with a loss of nine guns and about four hundred men made prisoners, by General Anderson, who tried to turn the National right.
The assailants speedily encountered the Tenth Corps, and in a severe battle that ensued, they were driven back toward Richmond, with a loss of three commanders of brigades, and about seven hundred men.
Taking advantage of the absence of a part of Lee's force from his right, General Meade sent Warren with two divisions of his corps, Parke with two divisions of the Ninth, and Gregg, with his cavalry division, to attempt the extension of the National left beyond the Weldon road, in the direction of the Southside railway.
In this movement, du r ing the first and second days of October, there was much, and, at times, severe fighting, with varying fortunes for both parties.
The Confederates determined to protect the Southside road at all hazards, and fought desperately to maintain advanced and intrenched positions.
But they were gradually pushed back toward the Boydton road, where the Nationals seized, held, and intrenched
1 The engraving represents the medal, in form, device, and size. The design on each side Is simple, and explains itself. The medal was suspended by a strong red, white, and blue ribbon. In reply to a question. concerning the history of the medal, made by the author, General Butler wrote on the 8th of March, 1868:--“Never was a charge more gallantly made, or works more splendidly carried, although with very considerable loss, but the troops never faltered. Some of the companies, by the loss of their officers, were under the command of their colored sergeants only, and yet were carried forward in good order. As I could not promote these men to officers for their gallantry, and as Congress had made no provision for a medal to colored troops, I determined to have one struck, and designed the one you have, some two hundred of which were afterward distributed to these brave men the only silver medals given to private soldiers during the war.”
2 General Butler's Address to the Soldiers of the Army of the James, October 11, 1864.
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