to leave Richmond for Danville that night via the Richmond and Danville Railroad. Parke attacks southeast of Petersburg The Union Army's IX Corps under Major General John G. Parke occupied the original trenches east of Petersburg that were captured in June 1864. Facing Parke was a strong Confederate position along the Jerusalem Plank Road dominated by Fort Mahone (strengthened from the former Battery 29 and named after Major General William Mahone; also known as "Fort Damnation"), covered by batteries in six redoubts and manned by the forces of Major General John B. Gordon. The fort was connected to the main Confederate line by a covered way. The Confederates had built a strong secondary line about behind their main line. Union Fort Sedgwick was about from Fort Mahone. Since much of the recent action had occurred west of Petersburg, in particular the Battle of Five Forks, the Confederate strength due south and east of Petersburg was considerably weakened. Gordon noted only 5,500 men were available to hold over of line. Major General Bryan Grimes's division of 2,200 men held of line between the Crater and Battery No. 45, including the defenses around Fort Mahone. Although lightly manned, the positions between Batteries 25 and 30, especially Fort Mahone (Battery 29), where Parke was to attack, had been considerably strengthened since their initial construction. Even if unsuccessful on the morning of April 2, a simultaneous assault here would occupy these Confederate troops and prevent them from being shifted westward. On the night of April 1, 1865 at 11:00 p.m., Parke sent men from Brigadier General Simon G. Griffin's brigade of Brigadier General (Brevet Major General) Robert B. Potter's division forward from a point near Fort Sedgwick (also known as "Fort Hell") to take Grimes's picket line. They captured 249 officers and men, about half of Colonel Edwin L. Hobson's brigade in the process. Parke was still quite concerned about trying to assault these works and pointedly asked that the offensive be cancelled since the element of surprise had been lost. Early artillery fire starting at 10:00 p.m. on April 1 and the attack on the picket line and subsequent skirmishing had put the defenders on alert. When Parke did not receive a favorable reply to his request for cancellation of the assault, he prepared to send 18 regiments forward. Brigadier General Robert B. Potter's division was to the west of the Jerusalem Plank