"(Endorsement.)
"Respectfully forwarded to General R. E. Lee for his information.
"It will be seen by the reports of Generals Hoke and Hagood that they
are not responsible for the failure of the attack of the 24th ulto., which
would have undoubtedly been successful had the supports advanced in
time. General Hoke is mistaken, if he refers to me, when he says `I have
heard unofficially that both I and my command have been censured by the
commanding general.' I stated only that `the success would have been
most brilliant had the skirmishers been properly supported.' His report
and that of General Hagood prove the correctness of my assertion.
"General Hoke says, on the second page of his report, `After a lapse of
five minutes the fire of the guns (i. e., 44 guns on the north side of the
Appomattox) was directed upon the batteries of the enemy, drawing in a
great degree their fire from the advancing infantry, which, as far as I
could see, was the only service rendered by our guns. Indeed, I fear we
were injured more than we gained by the use of our guns, as it notified
the enemy of our intended attack.'
"The object of opening the fire of the batteries referred to during the
half hour preceding the infantry attack was to demoralize the enemy's
troops occupying the defensive lines which were to be attacked, and which
were enfiladed and taken in reverse by those batteries. It was expected
also that the heavy artillery fire would throw into confusion any supports
the enemy might have concealed in the woods near his line. The
best proof of the entire success of the plan is the facility with which an
unsupported line of skirmishers got possession of those lines, with a loss
of only twenty-five killed and seventy-two wounded. I am decidedly of
opinion that regard being had to locality and the attending circumstances,
no better results could have been obtained than the plan adopted, and
which failed only because not properly supported.
"Headquarters Department North Carolina and Southern Virginia, 5th
July, 1864.
"(Signed) G. T. Beauregard,
General."
"Official: John A. Cooper, A. A. A. G.
