William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac

Warren promptly dispatched Ayres' division, as the one that could get under way most expeditiously; and proceeded to make arrangements to move with the other two divisions as soon as practicable. Had the roads been unobstructed, the march to Dinwiddie would not have occupied above four or five hours. When, however, the project was formed of sending Warren to succor Sheridan, there was one very important fact which was not known at headquarters, but which was of a nature to prevent any possibility of a force reaching Sheridan that night. This was the fact that the bridge over Gravelly Run, by the Boydton plankroad, was destroyed. It was, by consequence, necessary for General Ayres to halt at the run until an infantry bridge was built. This consumed till near two A. M. of April 1st, when Ayres crossed his division and hastened towards Dinwiddie.

When the condition of the crossing of Gravelly Run became known to General Meade, that commander, believing that Sheridan ‘could not maintain himself at Dinwiddie without re-enforcements,’ suggested (in a dispatch received by General Warren at one A. M.) other methods by which the desired end