William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac

How nearly Petersburg then fell a prize to Smith's coup de main has already been seen. But night sufficed to throw into the city a Confederate force so considerable as to insure that its capture would cost a severe struggle.

The morning of the 16th found on the Union side present before Petersburg no more than the two corps of Smith and Hancock: the remaining corps were distant several hours' march. The centre of the line of redans enveloping the city from the south had been penetrated the night before, and the positions then gained were securely held by the Union force. But the Confederates clung tenaciously to a hastily improvised line close in the rear of the lost point; and this on its left flank ran into portions of the original system of earthworks that remained still in the enemy's hands.

But although by the morning of the 16th Lee had succeeded in throwing into Petersburg a considerable body of troops, it was outnumbered by the Union force present, while the latter was also in position to be re-enforced more rapidly than the Confederates. The situation, therefore, was not even yet of a nature to forbid the hope of securing Petersburg, or at least securing all the commanding ground before the heavy Confederate re-enforcements should arrive. General Hancock, to whom, in the absence of Generals Grant or Meade, the command of the field fell, was fully alive to the importance of so doing, and he had the night before instructed his division officers, Generals Birney and Gibbon, that all such ground between their positions and the Appomattox should be attacked and taken at or before daylight.¹ These instructions were not promptly complied with, nor indeed did the efforts of these officers possess any serious character. This forfeited the one opportunity that remained; and when, later in the morning, reconnoissances were pushed forward, it was found the enemy had secured the commanding positions and greatly strengthened his line at all important points.²