WELDON RAILROAD:
Aug. 19, 1864
By the next morning Grant changed the course of the raid. Always looking for a chance to reverse roles, Grant saw an opportunity to have the Confederates attacking Union fortified positions for a change. This notion was helped by how committed Lee was to Richmond's defense and how easily Warren repulsed the Confederates the day before. So the raid was to be a permanent extension of the siege lines.
In the afternoon Heth and Gen. Mahone (CSA), in a well timed attack, hit the Union from the north and the east almost at once. Mahone hit a seam in the Union line, rolled up the flank and took numerous prisoners.