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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:23:23 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:23:23 -0700 |
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diff --git a/old/orig4362-h/p4.htm b/old/orig4362-h/p4.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..44efcb2 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig4362-h/p4.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2977 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>MEMOIRS OF GENERAL SHERIDAN, Vol. II., Part. 4</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background:#faebd7; margin:10%; text-align:justify} + P { + text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 95% } + .figleft {float: left;} + .figright {float: right;} + .toc { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + // --> +</style> + +</head> +<body> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p3.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p5.htm">Next Part</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + + +<br><br> + +<center><h1>PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF + +<br>P. H. SHERIDAN</h1></center> + + +<h2>VOLUME II.</h2> + +<h3>Part 4</h3> + +<br><br> + + + +<br><hr> +<br> + + + +<br><br> + + +<center><img alt="Cover.jpg (168K)" src="images/Cover.jpg" height="963" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><img alt="Spines.jpg (76K)" src="images/Spines.jpg" height="1425" width="597"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> +< +<br><br><br><br> + + +<h2>VOLUME II.</h2> + +<h2>Part 4</h2> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + +<a href="#ch1b">CHAPTER I.</a><br> +Organizing Scouts—Miss Rebecca Wright—Important <br> +Information—Decides to Move on Newtown—Meeting <br> +General Grant—Organization of the Union Army<br> +—Opening of the Battle of the Opequon<br> +—Death of General Russell—A Turning Movement <br> +—A Successful Cavalry Charge—Victory—Three <br> +Loyal Girls—Appointed a Brigadier—General in the <br> +Regular Army—Remarks on the Battle<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch2b">CHAPTER II.</a><br> +Pursuing Early—A Secret March—Fisher's Hill<br> +—A Great Success—Removal of Averell—The Retreat<br> +—Capturing an Old Comrade—The Murder of Lieutenant Meigs<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch3b">CHAPTER III.</a><br> +Reasons for Not Pursuing Early Through the Blue Ridge<br> +—General Torbert Detailed to Give General <br> +Rosser a "Drubbing"—General Rosser Routed <br> +—Telegraphed to Meet Stanton—Longstreet's Message<br> +—Return to Winchester—The Ride to Cedar Creek<br> +—The Retreating Army—Rallying the Troops<br> +—Reforming the Line—Commencing the Attack—Defeat <br> +of the Confederates—Appointed a Major-General <br> +in the Regular Army—Results of the Battle<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch4b">CHAPTER IV.</a><br> +General Early Reorganizes His Forces—Mosby the <br> +Guerrilla—General Merritt sent to Operate Against <br> +Mosby—Rosser Again Active—General Custer <br> +Surprised—Colonel Young Sent to Capture Gilmore <br> +the Guerrilla—Colonel Young's Success<br> +—Capture of General Kelly and General Crook<br> +—Spies—Was Wilkes Booth a Spy—Driving the <br> +Confederates Out of the Valley—The Battle of <br> +Waynesboro'—Marching to join the Army of the <br> +Potomac<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch5b">CHAPTER V.</a><br> +Transferred to Petersburg—General Raw'ins's Cordial <br> +Welcome—General Grant's Orders and Plans—A Trip <br> +with Mr. Lincoln and General Grant—Meeting General <br> +Sherman—Opposed to Joining the Army of the Tennessee<br> +—Opening of the Appomattox Campaign—General Grant <br> +and General Rawlins<br> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> +<br> +<br> +<h2> +ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + +<a href="#Frontpiece2">Steel Portrait—General P. H. Sheridan</a> <br> +<a href="#misswright">Portrait of Miss Rebecca M. Wright</a> <br> +<a href="#lincoln1">Fac-simile Letter from Abraham Lincoln, Sept. 20, 1864</a> <br> +<a href="#lincoln2">Fac-simile Letter from Abraham Lincoln, Oct. 22, 1864</a> <br> +<a href="#emory">Portrait of General William H. Emory</a> <br> +<a href="#crook">Portrait of General George Crook</a> <br> +<a href="#dinwiddie">General Sheridan and Staff. Dinwiddie Court House</a><br> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<br> +<br> +<h2> +LIST OF MAPS.</h2> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + +<a href="#pb039">Battle-field of Fisher's Hill</a> <br> +<a href="#pb094">Battle-field of Cedar Creek</a> <br> +<a href="#pb101">Fourth Expedition—Merritt's Raid to Loudoun</a> <br> +<a href="#pb103">Fifth Expedition—Torbert's Raid to Gordonsville</a> <br> +<a href="#pb117">Battle-field of Waynesboro</a> <br> +<a href="#pb122">Sixth Expedition—Winchester to Petersburg</a> <br> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + +<br> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><h2>VOLUME II.</h2></center> + +<h3>Part 4</h3> +<br><br> +<center><h3>By Philip Henry Sheridan</h3></center> +<br><br> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="Frontpiece2"></a> +<br><br> +<center><img alt="Frontpiece2.jpg (99K)" src="images/Frontpiece2.jpg" height="927" width="650"> +</center> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch1b"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>ORGANIZING SCOUTS—MISS REBECCA WRIGHT—IMPORTANT INFORMATION—DECIDE +TO MOVE ON NEWTOWN—MEETING GENERAL GRANT—ORGANIZATION OF THE UNION +ARMY—OPENING OF THE BATTLE OF THE OPEQUON—DEATH OF GENERAL +RUSSELL—A TURNING MOVEMENT—A SUCCESSFUL CAVALRY CHARGE—VICTORY—THREE +LOYAL GIRLS—APPOINTED A BRIGADIER-GENERAL IN THE REGULAR +ARMY—REMARKS ON THE BATTLE.</p> + +<p>While occupying the ground between Clifton and Berryville, referred +to in the last chapter of the preceding volume, I felt the need of an +efficient body of scouts to collect information regarding the enemy, +for the defective intelligence-establishment with which I started out +from Harper's Ferry early in August had not proved satisfactory. I +therefore began to organize my scouts on a system which I hoped would +give better results than bad the method hitherto pursued in the +department, which was to employ on this service doubtful citizens and +Confederate deserters. If these should turn out untrustworthy, the +mischief they might do us gave me grave apprehension, and I finally +concluded that those of our own soldiers who should volunteer for the +delicate and hazardous duty would be the most valuable material, and +decided that they should have a battalion organization and be +commanded by an officer, Major H. K. Young, of the First Rhode Island +Infantry. These men were disguised in Confederate uniforms whenever +necessary, were paid from the Secret-Service Fund in proportion to +the value of the intelligence they furnished, which often stood us in +good stead in checking the forays of Gilmore, Mosby, and other +irregulars. Beneficial results came from the plan in many other ways +too, and particularly so when in a few days two of my scouts put me +in the way of getting news conveyed from Winchester. They had +learned that just outside of my lines, near Millwood, there was +living an old colored man, who had a permit from the Confederate +commander to go into Winchester and return three times a week, for +the purpose of selling vegetables to the inhabitants. The scouts had +sounded this man, and, finding him both loyal and shrewd, suggested +that he might be made useful to us within the enemy's lines; and the +proposal struck me as feasible, provided there could be found in +Winchester some reliable person who would be willing to co-operate +and correspond with me. I asked General Crook, who was acquainted +with many of the Union people of Winchester, if he knew of such a +person, and he recommended a Miss Rebecca Wright, a young lady whom +he had met there before the battle of Kernstown, who, he said, was a +member of the Society of Friends and the teacher of a small private +school. He knew she was faithful and loyal to the Government, and +thought she might be willing to render us assistance, but he could +not be certain of this, for on account of her well known loyalty she +was under constant surveillance. I hesitated at first, but finally +deciding to try it, despatched the two scouts to the old negro's +cabin, and they brought him to my headquarters late that night. I +was soon convinced of the negro's fidelity, and asking him if he was +acquainted with Miss Rebecca Wright, of Winchester, he replied that +he knew her well. There upon I told him what I wished to do, and +after a little persuasion he agreed to carry a letter to her on his +next marketing trip. My message was prepared by writing it on tissue +paper, which was then compressed into a small pellet, and protected +by wrapping it in tin-foil so that it could be safely carried in the +man's mouth. The probability, of his being searched when he came to +the Confederate picket-line was not remote, and in such event he was +to swallow the pellet. The letter appealed to Miss Wright's loyalty +and patriotism, and requested her to furnish me with information +regarding the strength and condition of Early's army. The night +before the negro started one of the scouts placed the odd-looking +communication in his hands, with renewed injunctions as to secrecy +and promptitude. Early the next morning it was delivered to Miss +Wright, with an intimation that a letter of importance was enclosed +in the tin-foil, the negro telling her at the same time that she +might expect him to call for a message in reply before his return +home. At first Miss Wright began to open the pellet nervously, but +when told to be careful, and to preserve the foil as a wrapping for +her answer, she proceeded slowly and carefully, and when the note +appeared intact the messenger retired, remarking again that in the +evening he would come for an answer.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="misswright"></a><img alt="pb006.jpg (60K)" src="images/pb006.jpg" height="835" width="553"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>On reading my communication Miss Wright was much startled by the +perils it involved, and hesitatingly consulted her mother, but her +devoted loyalty soon silenced every other consideration, and the +brave girl resolved to comply with my request, notwithstanding it +might jeopardize her life. The evening before a convalescent +Confederate officer had visited her mother's house, and in +conversation about the war had disclosed the fact that Kershaw's +division of infantry and Cutshaw's battalion of artillery had started +to rejoin General Lee. At the time Miss Wright heard this she +attached little if any importance to it, but now she perceived the +value of the intelligence, and, as her first venture, determined to +send it to me at once, which she did with a promise that in the +future she would with great pleasure continue to transmit information +by the negro messenger.</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"SEPTEMBER 15, 1864. +<br> +<br>"I learn from Major-General Crook that you are a loyal lady, and +still love the old flag. Can you inform me of the position of +Early's forces, the number of divisions in his army, and the strength +of any or all of them, and his probable or reported intentions? Have +any more troops arrived from Richmond, or are any more coming, or +reported to be coming? +<br> +<br>"You can trust the bearer." +<br> +<br>"I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General Commanding." +<br><br> +<br><br> + +<br>"SEPTEMBER 16, 1864. +<br> +<br>"I have no communication whatever with the rebels, but will tell you +what I know. The division of General Kershaw, and Cutshaw's +artillery, twelve guns and men, General Anderson commanding, have +been sent away, and no more are expected, as they cannot be spared +from Richmond. I do not know how the troops are situated, but the +force is much smaller than represented. I will take pleasure +hereafter in learning all I can of their strength and position, and +the bearer may call again. +<br> +<br>"Very respectfully yours," +<br>............ +</blockquote> + + +<p>Miss Wright's answer proved of more value to me than she anticipated, +for it not only quieted the conflicting reports concerning Anderson's +corps, but was most important in showing positively that Kershaw was +gone, and this circumstance led, three days later, to the battle of +the Opequon, or Winchester as it has been unofficially called. Word +to the effect that some of Early's troops were under orders to return +to Petersburg, and would start back at the first favorable +opportunity, had been communicated to me already from many sources, +but we had not been able to ascertain the date for their departure. +Now that they had actually started, I decided to wait before offering +battle until Kershaw had gone so far as to preclude his return, +feeling confident that my prudence would be justified by the improved +chances of victory; and then, besides, Mr. Stanton kept reminding me +that positive success was necessary to counteract the political +dissatisfaction existing in some of the Northern States. This course +was advised and approved by General Grant, but even with his powerful +backing it was difficult to resist the persistent pressure of those +whose judgment, warped by their interests in the Baltimore and Ohio +railroad, was often confused and misled by stories of scouts (sent +out from Washington), averring that Kershaw and Fitzhugh Lee had +returned to Petersburg, Breckenridge to southwestern Virginia, and at +one time even maintaining that Early's whole army was east of the +Blue Ridge, and its commander himself at Gordonsville.</p> + +<p>During the inactivity prevailing in my army for the ten days +preceding Miss Wright's communication the infantry was quiet, with +the exception of Getty's division, which made a reconnoissance to the +Opequon, and developed a heavy force of the enemy at Edwards's +Corners. The cavalry, however, was employed a good deal in this +interval skirmishing heavily at times to maintain a space about six +miles in width between the hostile lines, for I wished to control +this ground so that when I was released from the instructions of +August 12, I could move my men into position for attack without the +knowledge of Early. The most noteworthy of these mounted encounters +was that of McIntosh's brigade, which captured the Eighth South +Carolina at Abraham's Creek September 13.</p> + +<p>It was the evening of the 16th of September that I received from Miss +Wright the positive information that Kershaw was in march toward +Front Royal on his way by Chester Gap to Richmond. Concluding that +this was my opportunity, I at once resolved to throw my whole force +into Newtown the next day, but a despatch from General Grant +directing me to meet him at Charlestown, whither he was coming to +consult with me, caused me to defer action until after I should see +him. In our resulting interview at Charlestown, I went over the +situation very thoroughly, and pointed out with so much confidence +the chances of a complete victory should I throw my army across the +Valley pike near Newtown that he fell in with the plan at once, +authorized me to resume the offensive, and to attack Early as soon as +I deemed it most propitious to do so; and although before leaving +City Point he had outlined certain operations for my army, yet he +neither discussed nor disclosed his plans, my knowledge of the +situation striking him as being so much more accurate than his own.</p> + +<blockquote><blockquote> +<br>["Extract from Grant's Memoirs," page 328.] +<br> +<br>"....Before starting I had drawn up a plan of campaign for Sheridan, +which I had brought with me; but seeing that he was so clear and so +positive in his views, and so confident of success, I said nothing +about this, and did not take it out of my pocket...." +<br> +</blockquote></blockquote> + +<p>The interview over, I returned to my army to arrange for its movement +toward Newtown, but while busy with these preparations, a report came +to me from General Averell which showed that Early was moving with +two divisions of infantry toward Martinsburg. This considerably +altered the state of affairs, and I now decided to change my plan and +attack at once the two divisions remaining about Winchester and +Stephenson's depot, and later, the two sent to Martinsburg; the +disjointed state of the enemy giving me an opportunity to take him in +detail, unless the Martinsburg column should be returned by forced +marches.</p> + +<p>While General Early was in the telegraph office at Martinsburg on the +morning of the 18th, he learned of Grant's visit to me; and +anticipating activity by reason of this circumstance, he promptly +proceeded to withdraw so as to get the two divisions within +supporting distance of Ramseur's, which lay across the Berryville +pike about two miles east of Winchester, between Abraham's Creek and +Red Bud Run, so by the night of the 18th Wharton's division, under +Breckenridge, was at Stephenson's depot, Rodes near there, and +Gordon's at Bunker Hill. At daylight of the 19th these positions of +the Confederate infantry still obtained, with the cavalry of Lomax, +Jackson, and Johnson on the right of Ramseur, while to the left and +rear of the enemy's general line was Fitzhugh Lee, covering from +Stephenson's depot west across the Valley pike to Applepie Ridge.</p> + +<p>My army moved at 3 o'clock that morning. The plan was for Torbert to +advance with Merritt's division of cavalry from Summit Point, carry +the crossings of the Opequon at Stevens's and Lock's fords, and form +a junction near Stephenson's depot, with Averell, who was to move +south from Darksville by the Valley pike. Meanwhile, Wilson was to +strike up the Berryville pike, carry the Berryville crossing of the +Opequon, charge through the gorge or canyon on the road west of the +stream, and occupy the open ground at the head of this defile. +Wilson's attack was to be supported by the Sixth and Nineteenth +corps, which were ordered to the Berryville crossing, and as the +cavalry gained the open ground beyond the gorge, the two infantry +corps, under command of General Wright, were expected to press on +after and occupy Wilson's ground, who was then to shift to the south +bank of Abraham's Creek and cover my left; Crook's two divisions, +having to march from Summit Point, were to follow the Sixth and +Nineteenth corps to the Opcquon, and should they arrive before the +action began, they were to be held in reserve till the proper moment +came, and then, as a turning-column, be thrown over toward the Valley +pike, south of Winchester.</p> + +<p>McIntosh's brigade of Wilson's division drove the enemy's pickets +away from the Berryville crossing at dawn, and Wilson following +rapidly through the gorge with the rest of the division, debouched +from its western extremity with such suddenness as to capture a small +earthwork in front of General Ramseur's main line; and +not-withstanding the Confederate infantry, on recovering from its +astonishment, tried hard to dislodge them, Wilson's troopers +obstinately held the work till the Sixth Corps came up. I followed +Wilson to select the ground on which to form the infantry. The Sixth +Corps began to arrive about 8 o'clock, and taking up the line Wilson +had been holding, just beyond the head of the narrow ravine, the +cavalry was transferred to the south side of Abraham's Creek.</p> + +<p>The Confederate line lay along some elevated ground about two miles +east of Winchester, and extended from Abraham's Creek north across +the Berryville pike, the left being hidden in the heavy timber on Red +Bud Run. Between this line and mine, especially on my right, clumps +of woods and patches of underbrush occurred here and there, but the +undulating ground consisted mainly of open fields, many of which were +covered with standing corn that had already ripened.</p> + +<p>Much time was lost in getting all of the Sixth and Nineteenth corps +through the narrow defile, Grover's division being greatly delayed +there by a train of ammunition wagons, and it was not until late in +the forenoon that the troops intended for the attack could be got +into line ready to advance. General Early was not slow to avail +himself of the advantages thus offered him, and my chances of +striking him in detail were growing less every moment, for Gordon and +Rodes were hurrying their divisions from Stephenson's +depot—across-country on a line that would place Gordon in the woods south of Red +Bud Run, and bring Rodes into the interval between Gordon and +Ramseur.</p> + +<p>When the two corps had all got through the canyon they were formed +with Getty's division of the Sixth to the left of the Berryville +pike, Rickett's division to the right of the pike, and Russell's +division in reserve in rear of the other two. Grover's division of +the Nineteenth Corps came next on the right of Rickett's, with Dwight +to its rear in reserve, while Crook was to begin massing near the +Opequon crossing about the time Wright and Emory were ready to +attack.</p> + +<p>Just before noon the line of Getty, Ricketts, and Grover moved +forward, and as we advanced, the Confederates, covered by some heavy +woods on their right, slight underbrush and corn-fields along their +Centre, and a large body of timber on their left along the Red Bud, +opened fire from their whole front. We gained considerable ground at +first, especially on our left but the desperate resistance which the +right met with demonstrated that the time we had unavoidably lost in +the morning had been of incalculable value to Early, for it was +evident that he had been enabled already to so far concentrate his +troops as to have the different divisions of his army in a connected +line of battle, in good shape to resist.</p> + +<p>Getty and Ricketts made some progress toward Winchester in connection +with Wilson's cavalry, which was beyond the Senseny road on Getty's +left, and as they were pressing back Ramseur's infantry and Lomax's +cavalry Grover attacked from the right with decided effect. Grover +in a few minutes broke up Evans's brigade of Gordon's division, but +his pursuit of Evans destroyed the continuity of my general line, and +increased an interval that had already been made by the deflection of +Ricketts to the left, in obedience to instructions that had been +given him to guide his division on the Berryville pike. As the line +pressed forward, Ricketts observed this widening interval and +endeavored to fill it with the small brigade of Colonel Keifer, but +at this juncture both Gordon and Rodes struck the weak spot where the +right of the Sixth Corps and the left of the Nineteenth should have +been in conjunction, and succeeded in checking my advance by driving +back a part of Ricketts's division, and the most of Grover's. As +these troops were retiring I ordered Russell's reserve division to be +put into action, and just as the flank of the enemy's troops in +pursuit of Grover was presented, Upton's brigade, led in person by +both Russell and Upton, struck it in a charge so vigorous as to drive +the Confederates back in turn to their original ground.</p> + +<p>The success of Russell enabled me to re-establish the right of my +line some little distance in advance of the position from which it +started in the morning, and behind Russell's division (now commanded +by Upton) the broken regiments of Ricketts's division were rallied. +Dwight's division was then brought up on the right, and Grover's men +formed behind it.</p> + +<p>The charge of Russell was most opportune, but it cost many men in +killed and wounded. Among the former was the courageous Russell +himself; killed by a piece of shell that passed through his heart, +although he had previously been struck by a bullet in the left +breast, which wound, from its nature, must have proved mortal, yet of +which he had not spoken. Russell's death oppressed us all with +sadness, and me particularly. In the early days of my army life he +was my captain and friend, and I was deeply indebted to him, not only +for sound advice and good example, but for the inestimable service he +had just performed, and sealed with his life, so it may be inferred +how keenly I felt his loss.</p> + +<p>As my lines were being rearranged, it was suggested to me to put +Crook into the battle, but so strongly had I set my heart on using +him to take possession of the Valley pike and cut off the enemy, that +I resisted this advice, hoping that the necessity for putting him in +would be obviated by the attack near Stephenson's depot that +Torbert's cavalry was to make, and from which I was momentarily +expecting to hear. No news of Torbert's progress came, however, so, +yielding at last, I directed Crook to take post on the right of the +Nineteenth Corps and, when the action was renewed, to push his +command forward as a turning-column in conjunction with Emory. After +some delay in the annoying defile, Crook got his men up, and posting +Colonel Thoburn's division on the prolongation of the Nineteenth +Corps, he formed Colonel Duval's division to the right of Thoburn. +Here I joined Crook, informing him that I had just got word that +Torbert was driving the enemy in confusion along the Martinsburg pike +toward Winchester; at the same time I directed him to attack the +moment all of Duval's men were in line. Wright was instructed to +advance in concert with Crook, by swinging Emory and the right of the +Sixth Corps to the left together in a half-wheel. Then leaving +Crook, I rode along the Sixth and Nineteenth corps, the open ground +over which they were passing affording a rare opportunity to witness +the precision with which the attack was taken up from right to left. +Crook's success began the moment he started to turn the enemy's left; +and assured by the fact that Torbert had stampeded the Confederate +cavalry and thrown Breckenridge's infantry into such disorder that it +could do little to prevent the envelopment of Gordon's left, Crook +pressed forward without even a halt.</p> + +<p>Both Emory and Wright took up the fight as ordered, and as they did +so I sent word to Wilson, in the hope that he could partly perform +the work originally laid out for Crook, to push along the Senseny +road and, if possible, gain the valley pike south of Winchester. I +then returned toward my right flank, and as I reached the Nineteenth +Corps the enemy was contesting the ground in its front with great +obstinacy; but Emory's dogged persistence was at length rewarded with +success, just as Crook's command emerged from the morass of Red Bud +Run, and swept around Gordon, toward the right of Breckenridge, who, +with two of Wharton's brigades, was holding a line at right angles +with the Valley pike for the protection of the Confederate rear. +Early had ordered these two brigades back from Stephenson's depot in +the morning, purposing to protect with them his right flank and line +of retreat, but while they were en route to this end, he was obliged +to recall them to his left to meet Crook's attack.</p> + +<p>To confront Torbert, Patton's brigade of infantry and some of +Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry had been left back by Breckenridge, but, with +Averell on the west side of the Valley pike and Merritt on the east, +Torbert began to drive this opposing force toward Winchester the +moment he struck it near Stephenson's depot, keeping it on the go +till it reached the position held by Breckenridge, where it +endeavored to make a stand.</p> + +<p>The ground which Breckenridge was holding was open, and offered an +opportunity such as seldom had been presented during the war for a +mounted attack, and Torbert was not slow to take advantage of it. +The instant Merritt's division could be formed for the charge, it +went at Breckenridge's infantry and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry with such +momentum as to break the Confederate left, just as Averell was +passing around it. Merritt's brigades, led by Custer, Lowell, and +Devin, met from the start with pronounced success, and with sabre or +pistol in hand literally rode down a battery of five guns and took +about 1,200 prisoners. Almost simultaneously with this cavalry +charge, Crook struck Breckenridge's right and Gordon's left, forcing +these divisions to give way, and as they retired, Wright, in a +vigorous attack, quickly broke Rodes up and pressed Ramseur so hard +that the whole Confederate army fell back, contracting its lines +within some breastworks which had been thrown up at a former period +of the war, immediately in front of Winchester.</p> + +<p>Here Early tried hard to stem the tide, but soon Torbert's cavalry +began passing around his left flank, and as Crook, Emory, and Wright +attacked in front, panic took possession of the enemy, his troops, +now fugitives and stragglers, seeking escape into and through +Winchester.</p> + +<p>When this second break occurred, the Sixth and Nineteenth corps were +moved over toward the Millwood pike to help Wilson on the left, but +the day was so far spent that they could render him no assistance, +and Ramseur's division, which had maintained some organization, was +in such tolerable shape as to check him. Meanwhile Torbert passed +around to the west of Winchester to join Wilson, but was unable to do +so till after dark. Crook's command pursued the enemy through the +town to Mill Greek, I going along.</p> + +<p>Just after entering the town, Crook and I met, in the main street, +three young girls, who gave us the most hearty reception. One of +these young women was a Miss Griffith, the other two Miss Jennie and +Miss Susie Meredith. During the day they had been watching the +battle from the roof of the Meredith residence, with tears and +lamentations, they said, in the morning when misfortune appeared to +have overtaken the Union troops, but with unbounded exultation when, +later, the tide set in against the Confederates. Our presence was, +to them, an assurance of victory, and their delight being +irrepressible, they indulged in the most unguarded manifestations and +expressions. When cautioned by Crook, who knew them well, and +reminded that the valley had hitherto been a race-course—one day in +the possession of friends, and the next of enemies—and warned of the +dangers they were incurring by such demonstrations, they assured him +that they had no further fears of that kind now, adding that Early's +army was so demoralized by the defeat it had just sustained that it +would never be in condition to enter Winchester again. As soon as we +had succeeded in calming the excited girls a little I expressed a +desire to find some place where I could write a telegram to General +Grant informing him of the result of the battle, and General Crook +conducted me to the home of Miss Wright, where I met for the first +time the woman who had contributed so much to our success, and on a +desk in her school-room wrote the despatch announcing that we had +sent Early's army whirling up the valley.</p> + +<p>My losses in the battle of the Opequon were heavy, amounting to about +4,500 killed, wounded, and missing. Among the killed was General +Russell, commanding a division, and the wounded included Generals +Upton, McIntosh and Chapman, and Colonels Duval and Sharpe. The +Confederate loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners about equaled +mine, General Rodes being of the killed, while Generals Fitzhugh Lee +and York were severely wounded.</p> + +<p>We captured five pieces of artillery and nine battle-flags. The +restoration of the lower valley—from the Potomac to Strasburg—to +the control of the Union forces caused great rejoicing in the North, +and relieved the Administration from further solicitude for the +safety of the Maryland and Pennsylvania borders. The President's +appreciation of the victory was expressed in a despatch so like Mr. +Lincoln that I give a facsimile of it to the reader:</p> + +<p>[In the handwriting of President Lincoln] +"EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT +"WASHINGTON, Sep. 20, 1864</p> + +<p>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN +"WINCHESTER, VA.</p> + +<p>"Have just heard of your geat victory. God bless you all, officers +and men. Strongly inclined to come up and see you.</p> + +<p>"A. LINCOLN."</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="lincoln1"></a><img alt="pb031.jpg (39K)" src="images/pb031.jpg" height="388" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb031.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p> +This he supplemented by promoting me to the grade of +brigadier-general in the regular army, and assigning me to the permanent +command of the Middle Military Department, and following that came +warm congratulations from Mr. Stanton and from Generals Grant, +Sherman, and Meade.</p> + +<p>The battle was not fought out on the plan in accordance with which +marching orders were issued to my troops, for I then hoped to take +Early in detail, and with Crook's force cut off his retreat. I +adhered to this purpose during the early part of the contest, but was +obliged to abandon the idea because of unavoidable delays by which I +was prevented from getting the Sixth and Nineteenth corps through the +narrow defile and into position early enough to destroy Ramseur while +still isolated. So much delay had not been anticipated, and this +loss of time was taken advantage of by the enemy to recall the troops +diverted to Bunker Hill and Martinsburg on the 17th, thus enabling +him to bring them all to the support of Ramseur before I could strike +with effect. My idea was to attack Ramseur and Wharton, +successively, at a very early hour and before they could get succor, +but I was not in condition to do it till nearly noon, by which time +Gordon and Rodes had been enabled to get upon the ground at a point +from which, as I advanced, they enfiladed my right flank, and gave it +such a repulse that to re-form this part of my line I was obliged to +recall the left from some of the ground it had gained. It was during +this reorganization of my lines that I changed my plan as to Crook, +and moved him from my left to my right. This I did with great +reluctance, for I hoped to destroy Early's army entirely if Crook +continued on his original line of march toward the Valley pike, south +of Winchester; and although the ultimate results did, in a measure +vindicate the change, yet I have always thought that by adhering to +the original plan we might have captured the bulk of Early's army.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch2b"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>PURSUING EARLY—A SECRET MARCH—FISHER'S HILL—A GREAT +SUCCESS—REMOVAL OF AVERELL—THE RETREAT—CAPTURING AN OLD COMRADE—THE MURDER +OF LIEUTENANT MEIGS.</p> + +<p>The night of the 19th of September I gave orders for following Early +up the valley next morning—the pursuit to begin at daybreak—and in +obedience to these directions Torbert moved Averell out on the Back +road leading to Cedar Creek, and Merritt up the Valley pike toward +Strasburg, while Wilson was directed on Front Royal by way of +Stevensburg. Merritt's division was followed by the infantry, +Emory's and Wright's columns marching abreast in the open country to +the right and left of the pike, and Crook's immediately behind them. +The enemy having kept up his retreat at night, presented no +opposition whatever until the cavalry discovered him posted at +Fisher's Hill, on the first defensive line where he could hope to +make any serious resistance. No effort was made to dislodge him, and +later in the day, after Wright and Emory came up, Torbert shifted +Merritt over toward the Back road till he rejoined Averell. As +Merritt moved to the right, the Sixth and Nineteenth corps crossed +Cedar Creek and took up the ground the cavalry was vacating, Wright +posting his own corps to the west of the Valley pike overlooking +Strasburg, and Emory's on his left so as to extend almost to the road +leading from Strasburg to Front Royal. Crook, as he came up the same +evening, went into position in some heavy timber on the north bank of +Cedar Creek.</p> + +<p>A reconnoissance made pending these movements convinced me that the +enemy's position at Fisher's Hill was so strong that a direct assault +would entail unnecessary destruction of life, and, besides, be of +doubtful result. At the point where Early's troops were in position, +between the Massanutten range and Little North Mountain, the valley +is only about three and a half miles wide. All along the precipitous +bluff which overhangs Tumbling Run on the south side, a heavy line of +earthworks had been constructed when Early retreated to this point in +August, and these were now being strengthened so as to make them +almost impregnable; in fact, so secure did Early consider himself +that, for convenience, his ammunition chests were taken from the +caissons and placed behind the breastworks. Wharton, now in command +of Breckenridge's division—its late commander having gone to +southwest Virginia—held the right of this line, with Gordon next +him; Pegram, commanding Ramseur's old division, joined Gordon. +Ramseur with Rodes's division, was on Pegram's left, while Lomax's +cavalry, now serving as foot-troops, extended the line to the Back +road. Fitzhugh Lee being wounded, his cavalry, under General +Wickham, was sent to Milford to prevent Fisher's Hill from being +turned through the Luray Valley.</p> + +<p>In consequence of the enemy's being so well protected from a direct +assault, I resolved on the night of the 20th to use again a +turning-column against his left, as had been done on the 19th at the Opequon. +To this end I resolved to move Crook, unperceived if possible, over +to the eastern face of Little North Mountain, whence he could strike +the left and rear of the Confederate line, and as he broke it up, I +could support him by a left half-wheel of my whole line of battle. +The execution of this plan would require perfect secrecy, however, +for the enemy from his signal-station on Three Top could plainly see +every movement of our troops in daylight. Hence, to escape such +observation, I marched Crook during the night of the 20th into some +heavy timber north of Cedar Creek, where he lay concealed all day the +21st. This same day Wright and Emory were moved up closer to the +Confederate works, and the Sixth Corps, after a severe fight, in +which Ricketts's and Getty were engaged, took up some high ground on +the right of the Manassas Gap railroad in plain view of the +Confederate works, and confronting a commanding point where much of +Early's artillery was massed. Soon after General Wright had +established this line I rode with him along it to the westward, and +finding that the enemy was still holding an elevated position further +to our right, on the north side of Tumbling Run, I directed this also +to be occupied. Wright soon carried the point, which gave us an +unobstructed view of the enemy's works and offered good ground for +our artillery. It also enabled me to move the whole of the Sixth +Corps to the front till its line was within about seven hundred yards +of the enemy's works; the Nineteenth Corps, on the morning of the +22d, covering the ground vacated by the Sixth by moving to the front +and extending to the right, but still keeping its reserves on the +railroad.</p> + +<p>In the darkness of the night of the gist, Crook was brought across +Cedar Creek and hidden in a clump of timber behind Hupp's Hill till +daylight of the 22d, when, under cover of the intervening woods and +ravines, he was marched beyond the right of the Sixth Corps and again +concealed not far from the Back road. After Crook had got into this +last position, Ricketts's division was pushed out until it confronted +the left of the enemy's infantry, the rest of the Sixth Corps +extending from Ricketts's left to the Manassas Gap railroad, while +the Nineteenth Corps filled in the space between the left of the +Sixth and the North Fork of the Shenandoah.</p> + +<p>When Ricketts moved out on this new line, in conjunction with +Averell's cavalry on his right, the enemy surmising, from information +secured from his signal-station, no doubt, that my attack was to be +made from Ricketts's front, prepared for it there, but no such +intention ever existed. Ricketts was pushed forward only that he +might readily join Crook's turning-column as it swung into the +enemy's rear. To ensure success, all that I needed now was enough +daylight to complete my arrangements, the secrecy of movement imposed +by the situation consuming many valuable hours.</p> + +<p>While Ricketts was occupying the enemy's attention, Crook, again +moving unobserved into the dense timber on the eastern face of Little +North Mountain, conducted his command south in two parallel columns +until he gained the rear of the enemy's works, when, marching his +divisions by the left flank, he led them in an easterly direction +down the mountain-side. As he emerged from the timber near the base +of the mountain, the Confederates discovered him, of course, and +opened with their batteries, but it was too late—they having few +troops at hand to confront the turning-column. Loudly cheering, +Crook's men quickly crossed the broken stretch in rear of the enemy's +left, producing confusion and consternation at every step.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb039"></a><img alt="pb039.jpg (63K)" src="images/pb039.jpg" height="1083" width="601"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>About a mile from the mountain's base Crook's left was joined by +Ricketts, who in proper time had begun to swing his division into the +action, and the two commands moved along in rear of the works so +rapidly that, with but slight resistance, the Confederates abandoned +the guns massed near the centre. The swinging movement of Ricketts +was taken up successively from right to left throughout my line, and +in a few minutes the enemy was thoroughly routed, the action, though +brief, being none the less decisive. Lomax's dismounted cavalry gave +way first, but was shortly followed by all the Confederate infantry +in an indescribable panic, precipitated doubtless by fears of being +caught and captured in the pocket formed by Tumbling Run and the +North Fork of the Shenandoah River. The stampede was complete, the +enemy leaving the field without semblance of organization, abandoning +nearly all his artillery and such other property as was in the works, +and the rout extending through the fields and over the roads toward +Woodstock, Wright and Emory in hot pursuit.</p> + +<p>Midway between Fisher's Hill and Woodstock there is some high ground, +where at night-fall a small squad endeavored to stay us with two +pieces of artillery, but this attempt at resistance proved fruitless, +and, notwithstanding the darkness, the guns were soon captured. The +chase was then taken up by Devin's brigade as soon as it could be +passed to the front, and continued till after daylight the next +morning, but the delays incident to a night pursuit made it +impossible for Devin to do more than pick up stragglers.</p> + +<p>Our success was very great, yet I had anticipated results still more +pregnant. Indeed, I had high hopes of capturing almost the whole of +Early's army before it reached New Market, and with this object in +view, during the manoeuvres of the 21st I had sent Torbert up the +Luray Valley with Wilson's division and two of Merritt's brigades, in +the expectation that he would drive Wickham out of the Luray Pass by +Early's right, and by crossing the Massanutten Mountain near New +Market, gain his rear. Torbert started in good season, and after +some slight skirmishing at Gooney Run, got as far as Milford, but +failed to dislodge Wickham. In fact, he made little or no attempt to +force Wickham from his position, and with only a feeble effort +withdrew. I heard nothing at all from Torbert during the 22d, and +supposing that everything was progressing favorably, I was astonished +and chagrined on the morning of the 23d, at Woodstock, to receive the +intelligence that he had fallen back to Front Royal and Buckton ford. +My disappointment was extreme, but there was now no help for the +situation save to renew and emphasize Torbert's orders, and this was +done at once, notwithstanding that I thought, the delay, had so much +diminished the chances of his getting in the rear of Early as to make +such a result a very remote possibility, unless, indeed, far greater +zeal was displayed than had been in the first attempt to penetrate +the Luray Valley.</p> + +<p>The battle of Fisher's Hill was, in a measure, a part of the battle +of the Opequon; that is to say, it was an incident of the pursuit +resulting from that action. In many ways, however, it was much more +satisfactory, and particularly so because the plan arranged on the +evening of the 20th was carried out to the very letter by Generals +Wright, Crook, and Emory, not only in all their preliminary +manoeuvres, but also during the fight itself. The only drawback was +with the cavalry, and to this day I have been unable to account +satisfactorily for Torbert's failure. No doubt, Wickham's position +near Milford was a strong one, but Torbert ought to have made a +fight. Had he been defeated in this, his withdrawal then to await +the result at Fisher's Hill would have been justified, but it does +not appear that he made any serious effort of all to dislodge the +Confederate cavalry: his impotent attempt not only chagrined me very +much, but occasioned much unfavorable comment throughout the army.</p> + +<p>We reached Woodstock early on the morning of the 23d, and halted +there some little time to let the troops recover their organization, +which had been broken in the night march they had just made. When +the commands had closed up we pushed on toward Edinburg, in the hope +of making more captures at Narrow Passage Creek; but the +Confederates, too fleet for us, got away; so General Wright halted +the infantry not far from Edinburg, till rations could be brought the +men. Meanwhile I, having remained at Woodstock, sent Dedin's brigade +to press the enemy under every favorable opportunity, and if possible +prevent him from halting long enough to reorganize. Notwithstanding +Devin's efforts the Confederates managed to assemble a considerable +force to resist him, and being too weak for the rearguard, he awaited +the arrival of Averell, who, I had informed him, would be hurried to +the front with all possible despatch, for I thought that Averell must +be close at hand. It turned out, however, that he was not near by at +all, and, moreover, that without good reason he had refrained from +taking any part whatever in pursuing the enemy in the flight from +Fisher's Hill; and in fact had gone into camp and left to the +infantry the work of pursuit.</p> + +<p>It was nearly noon when Averell came up, and a great deal of precious +time had been lost. We had some hot words, but hoping that he would +retrieve the mistake of the night before, I directed him to proceed +to the front at once, and in conjunction with Devin close with the +enemy. He reached Devin's command about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, +just as this officer was pushing the Confederates so energetically +that they were abandoning Mount Jackson, yet Averell utterly failed +to accomplish anything. Indeed, his indifferent attack was not at +all worthy the excellent soldiers he commanded, and when I learned +that it was his intention to withdraw from the enemy's front, and +this, too, on the indefinite report of a signal-officer that a +"brigade or division" of Confederates was turning his right flank, +and that he had not seriously attempted to verify the information, I +sent him this order:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, +<br>"Woodstock, Va., Sept. 23, 1864 +<br> +<br>"BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL AVERELL +<br> +<br>"Your report and report of signal-officer received. I do not want +you to let the enemy bluff you or your command, and I want you to +distinctly understand this note. I do not advise rashness, but I do +desire resolution and actual fighting, with necessary casualties, +before you retire. There must now be no backing or filling by you +without a superior force of the enemy actually engaging you. +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, +<br>"Major-General Commanding.' +</blockquote> + +<p> +Some little time after this note went to Averell, word was brought me +that he had already carried out the programme indicated when +forwarding the report of the expected turning of his right, and that +he had actually withdrawn and gone into camp near Hawkinsburg. I +then decided to relieve him from the command of his division, which I +did, ordering him to Wheeling, Colonel William H. Powell being +assigned to succeed him.</p> + +<p>The removal of Averell was but the culmination of a series of events +extending back to the time I assumed command of the Middle Military +Division. At the outset, General Grant, fearing discord on account +of Averell's ranking Torbert, authorized me to relieve the former +officer, but I hoped that if any trouble of this sort arose, it could +be allayed, or at least repressed, during the campaign against Early, +since the different commands would often have to act separately. +After that, the dispersion of my army by the return of the Sixth +Corps and Torbert's cavalry to the Army of the Potomac would take +place, I thought, and this would restore matters to their normal +condition; but Averell's dissatisfaction began to show itself +immediately after his arrival at Martinsburg, on the 14th of August, +and, except when he was conducting some independent expedition, had +been manifested on all occasions since. I therefore thought that the +interest of the service would be subserved by removing one whose +growing indifference might render the best-laid plans inoperative.</p> + +<blockquote> + +<br>"HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION. +<br>"HARRISONBURG, VA., SEPT. 25, 1864 11:30 P. M. +<br>"LIEUT-GENERAL GRANT, Comd'g, City Point, Va. +<br> +<br>"I have relieved Averell from his command. Instead of following the +enemy when he was broken at Fisher's Hill (so there was not a cavalry +organization left), he went into camp and let me pursue the enemy for +a distance of fifteen miles, with infantry, during the night. +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General." +</blockquote> +<p> +The failure of Averell to press the enemy the evening of the 23d gave +Early time to collect his scattered forces and take up a position on +the east side of the North Fork of the Shenandoah, his left resting +on the west side of that stream at Rude's Hill, a commanding point +about two miles south of Mt. Jackson. Along this line he had +constructed some slight works during the night, and at daylight on +the 24th, I moved the Sixth and Nineteenth corps through Mt. Jackson +to attack him, sending Powell's division to pass around his left +flank, toward Timberville, and Devin's brigade across the North Fork, +to move along the base of Peaked Ridge and attack his right. The +country was entirely open, and none of these manoeuvres could be +executed without being observed, so as soon as my advance began, the +enemy rapidly retreated in line of battle up the valley through New +Market, closely followed by Wright and Emory, their artillery on the +pike and their columns on its right and left. Both sides moved with +celerity, the Confederates stimulated by the desire to escape, and +our men animated by the prospect of wholly destroying Early's army. +The stern-chase continued for about thirteen miles, our infantry +often coming within range, yet whenever we began to deploy, the +Confederates increased the distance between us by resorting to a +double quick, evading battle with admirable tact. While all this was +going on, the open country permitted us a rare and brilliant sight, +the bright sun gleaming from the arms and trappings of the thousands +of pursuers and pursued.</p> + +<p>Near New Market, as a last effort to hold the enemy, I pushed Devin's +cavalry—comprising about five hundred men—with two guns right up on +Early's lines, in the hope that the tempting opportunity given him to +capture the guns would stay his retreat long enough to let my +infantry deploy within range, but he refused the bait, and after +momentarily checking Devin he continued on with little loss and in +pretty good order.</p> + +<p>All hope of Torbert's appearing in rear of the Confederates vanished +as they passed beyond New Market. Some six miles south of this place +Early left the Valley Pike and took the road to Keezletown, a move +due in a measure to Powell's march by way of Timberville toward +Lacy's Springs, but mainly caused by the fact that the Keezletown +road ran immediately along the base of Peaked Mountain—a rugged +ridge affording protection to Early's right flank—and led in a +direction facilitating his junction with Kershaw, who had been +ordered back to him from Culpeper the day after the battle of the +Opequon. The chase was kept up on the Keezeltown road till darkness +overtook us, when my weary troops were permitted to go into camp; and +as soon as the enemy discovered by our fires that the pursuit had +stopped, he also bivouacked some five miles farther south toward Port +Republic.</p> + +<p>The next morning Early was joined by Lomax's cavalry from +Harrisonburg, Wickham's and Payne's brigades of cavalry also uniting +with him from the Luray Valley. His whole army then fell back to the +mouth of Brown's Gap to await Kershaw's division and Cutshaw's +artillery, now on their return.</p> + +<p>By the morning of the 25th the main body of the enemy had disappeared +entirely from my front, and the capture of some small, squads of +Confederates in the neighboring hills furnished us the only incidents +of the day. Among the prisoners was a tall and fine looking officer, +much worn with hunger and fatigue. The moment I saw him I recognized +him as a former comrade, George W. Carr, with whom I had served in +Washington Territory. He was in those days a lieutenant in the Ninth +Infantry, and was one of the officers who superintended the execution +of the nine Indians at the Cascades of the Columbia in 1856. Carr +was very much emaciated, and greatly discouraged by the turn events +had recently taken. For old acquaintance sake I gave him plenty to +eat, and kept him in comfort at my headquarters until the next batch +of prisoners was sent to the rear, when he went with them. He had +resigned from the regular army at the commencement of hostilities, +and, full of high anticipation, cast his lot with the Confederacy, +but when he fell into our hands, his bright dreams having been +dispelled by the harsh realities of war, he appeared to think that +for him there was no future.</p> + +<p>Picking up prisoners here and there, my troops resumed their march +directly south on the Valley pike, and when the Sixth and Nineteenth +corps reached Harrisonburg, they went into camp, Powell in the +meanwhile pushing on to Mt. Crawford, and Crook taking up a position +in our rear at the junction of the Keezletown road and the Valley +pike. Late in the afternoon Torbert's cavalry came in from New +Market arriving at that place many hours later than it had been +expected.</p> + +<p>The succeeding day I sent Merritt to Port Republic to occupy the +enemy's attention, while Torbert, with Wilson's division and the +regular brigade, was ordered to Staunton, whence he was to proceed to +Waynesboro' and blow up the railroad bridge. Having done this, +Torbert, as he returned, was to drive off whatever cattle he could +find, destroy all forage and breadstuffs, and burn the mills. He +took possession of Waynesboro' in due time, but had succeeded in only +partially demolishing the railroad bridge when, attacked by Pegram's +division of infantry and Wickham's cavalry, he was compelled to fall +back to Staunton. From the latter place he retired to Bridgewater, +and Spring Hill, on the way, however, fully executing his +instructions regarding the destruction of supplies.</p> + +<p>While Torbert was on this expedition, Merritt had occupied Port +Republic, but he happened to get there the very day that Kershaw's +division was marching from Swift Run Gap to join Early. By accident +Kershaw ran into Merritt shortly after the latter had gained the +village. Kershaw's four infantry brigades attacked at once, and +Merrit, forced out of Port Republic, fell back toward Cross Keys; and +in anticipation that the Confederates could be coaxed to that point, +I ordered the infantry there, but Torbert's attack at Wavnesboro' had +alarmed Early, and in consequence he drew all his forces in toward +Rock-fish Gap. This enabled me to re-establish Merritt at Port +Republic, send the Sixth and Nineteenth corps to the neighborhood of +Mt. Crawford to await the return of Torbert, and to post Crook at +Harrisonburg; these dispositions practically obtained till the 6th of +October, I holding a line across the valley from Port Republic along +North River by Mt. Crawford to the Back road near the mouth of Briery +Branch Gap.</p> + +<p>It was during this period, about dusk on the evening of October 3, +that between Harrisonburg and Dayton my engineer officer, Lieutenant +John R. Meigs, was murdered within my lines. He had gone out with +two topographical assistants to plot the country, and late in the +evening, while riding along the public road on his return to camp, he +overtook three men dressed in our uniform. From their dress, and +also because the party was immediately behind our lines and within a +mile and a half of my headquarters, Meigs and his assistants +naturally thought that they were joining friends, and wholly +unsuspicious of anything to the contrary, rode on with the three men +some little distance; but their perfidy was abruptly discovered by +their suddenly turning upon Meigs with a call for his surrender. It +has been claimed that, refusing to submit, he fired on the +treacherous party, but the statement is not true, for one of the +topographers escaped—the other was captured—and reported a few +minutes later at my headquarters that Meigs was killed without +resistance of any kind whatever, and without even the chance to give +himself up. This man was so cool, and related all the circumstances +of the occurrence with such exactness, as to prove the truthfulness +of his statement. The fact that the murder had been committed inside +our lines was evidence that the perpetrators of the crime, having +their homes in the vicinity, had been clandestinely visiting them, +and been secretly harbored by some of the neighboring residents. +Determining to teach a lesson to these abettors of the foul deed—a +lesson they would never forget—I ordered all the houses within an +area of five miles to be burned. General Custer, who had succeeded +to the command of the Third Cavalry division (General Wilson having +been detailed as chief of cavalry to Sherman's army), was charged +with this duty, and the next morning proceeded to put the order into +execution. The prescribed area included the little village of +Dayton, but when a few houses in the immediate neighborhood of the +scene of the murder had been burned, Custer was directed to cease his +desolating work, but to fetch away all the able-bodied males as +prisoners.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch3b"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>REASONS FOR NOT PURSUING EARLY THROUGH THE BLUE RIDGE—GENERAL +TORBERT DETAILED TO GIVE GENERAL ROSSER A "DRUBBING"—GENERAL ROSSER +ROUTED—TELEGRAPHED TO MEET STANTON—LONGSTREET'S MESSAGE—RETURN TO +WINCHESTER—THE RIDE TO CEDAR CREEK—THE RETREATING ARMY—RALLYING +THE TROOPS—REFORMING THE LINE—COMMENCING THE ATTACK—DEFEAT OF THE +CONFEDERATES—APPOINTED A MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE REGULAR ARMY—RESULTS +OF THE BATTLE.</p> + +<p>While we lay in camp at Harrisonburg it became necessary to decide +whether or not I would advance to Brown's Gap, and, after driving the +enemy from there, follow him through the Blue Ridge into eastern +Virginia. Indeed, this question began to cause me solicitude as soon +as I knew Early had escaped me at New Market, for I felt certain that +I should be urged to pursue the Confederates toward Charlottesville +and Gordonsville, and be expected to operate on that line against +Richmond. For many reasons I was much opposed to such a plan, but +mainly because its execution would involve the opening of the Orange +and Alexandria railroad. To protect this road against the raids of +the numerous guerrilla bands that infested the region through which +it passed, and to keep it in operation, would require a large force +of infantry, and would also greatly reduce my cavalry; besides, I +should be obliged to leave a force in the valley strong enough to +give security to the line of the upper Potomac and the Baltimore and +Ohio railroad, and this alone would probably take the whole of +Crook's command, leaving me a wholly inadequate number of fighting +men to prosecute a campaign against the city of Richmond. Then, too, +I was in doubt whether the besiegers could hold the entire army at +Petersburg; and in case they could not, a number of troops sufficient +to crush me might be detached by Lee, moved rapidly by rail, and, +after overwhelming me, be quickly returned to confront General Meade. +I was satisfied, moreover, that my transportation could not supply me +further than Harrisonburg, and if in penetrating the Blue Ridge I met +with protracted resistance, a lack of supplies might compel me to +abandon the attempt at a most inopportune time.</p> + +<p>I therefore advised that the Valley campaign be terminated north of +Staunton, and I be permitted to return, carrying out on the way my +original instructions for desolating the Shenandoah country so as to +make it untenable for permanent occupation by the Confederates. I +proposed to detach the bulk of my army when this work of destruction +was completed, and send it by way of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad +through Washington to the Petersburg line, believing that I could +move it more rapidly by that route than by any other. I was +confident that if a movement of this character could be made with +celerity it would culminate in the capture of Richmond and possibly +of General Lee's army, and I was in hopes that General Grant would +take the same view of the matter; but just at this time he was so +pressed by the Government and by public-opinion at the North, that he +advocated the wholly different conception of driving Early into +eastern Virginia, and adhered to this plan with some tenacity. +Considerable correspondence regarding the subject took place between +us, throughout which I stoutly maintained that we should not risk, by +what I held to be a false move, all that my army had gained. I being +on the ground, General Grant left to me the final decision of the +question, and I solved the first step by determining to withdraw down +the valley at least as far as Strasburg, which movement was begun on +the 6th of October.</p> + +<p>The cavalry as it retired was stretched across the country from the +Blue Ridge to the eastern slope of the Alleghanies, with orders to +drive off all stock and destroy all supplies as it moved northward. +The infantry preceded the cavalry, passing down the Valley pike, and +as we marched along the many columns of smoke from burning stacks, +and mills filled with grain, indicated that the adjacent country was +fast losing the features which hitherto had made it a great magazine +of stores for the Confederate armies.</p> + +<p>During the 6th and 7th of October, the enemy's horse followed us up, +though at a respectful distance. This cavalry was now under command +of General T. W. Rosser, who on October 5 had joined Early with an +additional brigade from Richmond. As we proceeded the Confederates +gained confidence, probably on account of the reputation with which +its new commander had been heralded, and on the third day's march had +the temerity to annoy my rear guard considerably. Tired of these +annoyances, I concluded to open the enemy's eyes in earnest, so that +night I told Torbert I expected him either to give Rosser a drubbing +next morning or get whipped himself, and that the infantry would be +halted until the affair was over; I also informed him that I proposed +to ride out to Round Top Mountain to see the fight. When I decided +to have Rosser chastised, Merritt was encamped at the foot of Round +Top, an elevation just north of Tom's Brook, and Custer some six +miles farther north and west, near Tumbling Run. In the night Custer +was ordered to retrace his steps before daylight by the Back road, +which is parallel to and about three miles from the Valley pike, and +attack the enemy at Tom's Brook crossing, while Merritt's +instructions were to assail him on the Valley pike in concert with +Custer. About 7 in the morning, Custer's division encountered Rosser +himself with three brigades, and while the stirring sounds of the +resulting artillery duel were reverberating through the valley +Merritt moved briskly to the front and fell upon Generals Lomax and +Johnson on the Valley pike. Merritt, by extending his right, quickly +established connection with Custer, and the two divisions moved +forward together under Torbert's direction, with a determination to +inflict on the enemy the sharp and summary punishment his rashness +had invited.</p> + +<p>The engagement soon became general across the valley, both sides +fighting mainly mounted. For about two hours the contending lines +struggled with each other along Tom's Brook, the charges and counter +charges at many points being plainly visible from the summit of Round +Top, where I had my headquarters for the time.</p> + +<p>The open country permitting a sabre fight, both sides seemed bent on +using that arm. In the centre the Confederates maintained their +position with much stubbornness, and for a time seemed to have +recovered their former spirit, but at last they began to give way on +both flanks, and as these receded, Merritt and Custer went at the +wavering ranks in a charge along the whole front. The result was a +general smash-up of the entire Confederate line, the retreat quickly +degenerating into a rout the like of which was never before seen. +For twenty-six miles this wild stampede kept up, with our troopers +close at the enemy's heels; and the ludicrous incidents of the chase +never ceased to be amusing topics around the camp-fires of Merritt +and Custer. In the fight and pursuit Torbert took eleven pieces of +artillery, with their caissons, all the wagons and ambulances the +enemy had on the ground, and three hundred prisoners. Some of +Rosser's troopers fled to the mountains by way of Columbia Furnace, +and some up the Valley pike and into the Massamitten Range, +apparently not discovering that the chase had been discontinued till +south of Mount Jackson they rallied on Early's infantry.</p> + +<p>After this catastrophe, Early reported to General Lee that his +cavalry was so badly demoralized that it should be dismounted; and +the citizens of the valley, intensely disgusted with the boasting and +swaggering that had characterized the arrival of the "Laurel Brigade" +in that section, baptized the action (known to us as Tom's Brook) the +"Woodstock Races," and never tired of poking fun at General Rosser +about his precipitate and inglorious flight. (When Rosser arrived +from Richmond with his brigade he was proclaimed as the savior of the +Valley, and his men came all bedecked with laurel branches.)</p> + +<p>On the 10th my army, resuming its retrograde movement, crossed to the +north side of Cedar Creek. The work of repairing the Manassas Gap +branch of the Orange and Alexandria railroad had been begun some days +before, out from Washington, and, anticipating that it would be in +readiness to transport troops by the time they could reach Piedmont, +I directed the Sixth Corps to continue its march toward Front Royal, +expecting to return to the Army of the Potomac by that line. By the +12th, however, my views regarding the reconstruction of this railroad +began to prevail, and the work on it was discontinued. The Sixth +Corps, therefore, abandoned that route, and moved toward Ashby's Gap +with the purpose of marching direct to Washington, but on the 13th I +recalled it to Cedar Creek, in consequence of the arrival of the +enemy's infantry at Fisher's Hill, and the receipt, the night before, +of the following despatch, which again opened the question of an +advance on Gordonsville and Charlottesville:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>(Cipher.) +<br>"WASHINGTON, October 12, 1864, 12 M. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN: +<br> +<br>"Lieutenant-General Grant wishes a position taken far enough south to +serve as a base for further operations upon Gordonsville and +Charlottesville. It must be strongly fortified and provisioned. +Some point in the vicinity of Manassas Gap would seem best suited for +all purposes. Colonel Alexander, of the Engineers, will be sent to +consult with you as soon as you connect with General Augur.<br> +<br> +<br>"H. W. HALLECK, Major-General." +</blockquote> + +<p> +As it was well known in Washington that the views expressed in the +above despatch were counter to my convictions, I was the next day +required by the following telegram from Secretary Stanton to repair +to that city:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"WASHINGTON, October 13, 1864. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN +(through General Augur) +<br> +<br>"If you can come here, a consultation on several points is extremely +desirable. I propose to visit General Grant, and would like to see +you first. +<br> +<br>"EDWIN M. STANTON, +"Secretary of War." +</blockquote> +<p> +I got all ready to comply with the terms of Secretary Stanton's +despatch, but in the meantime the enemy appeared in my front in +force, with infantry and cavalry, and attacked Colonel Thoburn, who +had been pushed out toward Strasburg from Crook's command, and also +Custer's division of cavalry on the Back road. As afterward +appeared, this attack was made in the belief that all of my troops +but Crook's had gone to Petersburg. From this demonstration there +ensued near Hupp's Hill a bitter skirmish between Kershaw and +Thoburn, and the latter was finally compelled to withdraw to the +north bank of Cedar Creek. Custer gained better results, however, on +the Back road, with his usual dash driving the enemy's cavalry away +from his front, Merritt's division then joining him and remaining on +the right.</p> + +<p>The day's events pointing to a probability that the enemy intended to +resume the offensive, to anticipate such a contingency I ordered the +Sixth Corps to return from its march toward Ashby's Gap. It reached +me by noon of the 14th, and went into position to the right and rear +of the Nineteenth Corps, which held a line along the north bank of +Cedar Creek, west of the Valley pike. Crook was posted on the left +of the Nineteenth Corps and east of the Valley pike, with Thoburn's +division advanced to a round hill, which commanded the junction of +Cedar Creek and the Shenandoah River, while Torbert retained both +Merritt and Custer on the right of the Sixth Corps, and at the same +time covered with Powell the roads toward Front Royal. My +head-quarters were at the Belle Grove House, which was to the west of the +pike and in rear of the Nineteenth Corps. It was my intention to +attack the enemy as soon as the Sixth Corps reached me, but General +Early having learned from his demonstration that I had not detached +as largely as his previous information had led him to believe, on the +night of the 13th withdrew to Fisher's Hill; so, concluding that he +could not do us serious hurt from there, I changed my mind as to +attacking, deciding to defer such action till I could get to +Washington, and come to some definite understanding about my future +operations.</p> + +<p>To carry out this idea, on the evening of the 15th I ordered all of +the cavalry under General Torbert to accompany me to Front Royal, +again intending to push it thence through Chester Gap to the Virginia +Central railroad at Charlottesville, to destroy the bridge over the +Rivanna River, while I passed through Manassas Gap to Rectortown, and +thence by rail to Washington. On my arrival with the cavalry near +Front Royal on the 16th, I halted at the house of Mrs. Richards, on +the north bank of the river, and there received the following +despatch and inclosure from General Wright, who had been left in +command at Cedar Creek:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY Division, +<br>"October 16, 1864. +<br> +<br>"GENERAL:<br> +<br> +<br>"I enclose you despatch which explains itself. If the enemy should +be strongly reenforced in cavalry, he might, by turning our right, +give us a great deal of trouble. I shall hold on here until the +enemy's movements are developed, and shall only fear an attack on my +right, which I shall make every preparation for guarding against and +resisting.<br> +<br> +<br>"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, +<br> +<br>"H. G. WRIGHT, Major-General Commanding. +<br><br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL P. H. SHERIDAN, +<br>"Commanding Middle Military Division." + +<br><br><br> +<br>[INCLOSURE.] "To LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EARLY: +<br> +<br>"Be ready to move as soon as my forces join you, and we will crush +Sheridan. +<br> +<br>"LONGSTREET, Lieutenant-General." +</blockquote> +<p> +The message from Longstreet had been taken down as it was being +flagged from the Confederate signal-station on Three Top Mountain, +and afterward translated by our signal officers, who knew the +Confederate signal code. I first thought it a ruse, and hardly worth +attention, but on reflection deemed it best to be on the safe side, +so I abandoned the cavalry raid toward Charlottesville, in order to +give General Wright the entire strength of the army, for it did not +seem wise to reduce his numbers while reinforcement for the enemy +might be near, and especially when such pregnant messages were +reaching Early from one of the ablest of the Confederate generals. +Therefore I sent the following note to General Wright:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, +<br>"Front Royal, October 16, 1864. +<br> +<br>"GENERAL: The cavalry is all ordered back to you; make your position +strong. If Longstreet's despatch is true, he is under the impression +that we have largely detached. I will go over to Augur, and may get +additional news. Close in Colonel Powell, who will be at this point. +If the enemy should make an advance, I know you will defeat him. +Look well to your ground and be well prepared. Get up everything +that can be spared. I will bring up all I can, and will be up on +Tuesday, if not sooner. +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General. +<br><br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL H. G. WRIGHT, +<br>"Commanding Sixth Army Corps." +</blockquote> +<p> +At 5 o'clock on the evening of the 16th I telegraphed General Halleck +from Rectortown, giving him the information which had come to me from +Wright, asking if anything corroborative of it had been received from +General Grant, and also saying that I would like to see Halleck; the +telegram ending with the question: "Is it best for me to go to see +you?" Next morning I sent back to Wright all the cavalry except one +regiment, which escorted me through Manassas Gap to the terminus of +the railroad from Washington. I had with me Lieutenant-Colonel James +W. Forsyth, chief-of-staff, and three of my aides, Major George A. +Forsyth, Captain Joseph O'Keefe, and Captain Michael V. Sheridan. I +rode my black horse, Rienzi, and the others their own respective +mounts.</p> + +<p>Before leaving Cedar Creek I had fixed the route of my return to be +by rail from Washington to Martinsburg, and thence by horseback to +Winchester and Cedar Creek, and had ordered three hundred cavalry to +Martinsburg to escort me from that point to the front. At Rectortown +I met General Augur, who had brought a force out from Washington to +reconstruct and protect the line of railroad, and through him +received the following reply from General Halleck:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, +<br>"WASHINGTON, D.C., October 16 1864 +<br> +<br>"To MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, +<br>"Rectortown, Va. +<br> +<br>General Grant says that Longstreet brought with him no troops from +Richmond, but I have very little confidence in the information +collected at his headquarters. If you can leave your command with +safety, come to Washington, as I wish to give you the views of the +authorities here. +<br> +<br>"H. W. HALLECK, Major-General, Chief-of-Staff." +</blockquote> +<p> +In consequence of the Longstreet despatch, I felt a concern about my +absence which I could hardly repress, but after duly considering what +Halleck said, and believing that Longstreet could not unite with +Early before I got back, and that even if he did Wright would be able +to cope with them both, I and my staff, with our horses, took the +cars for Washington, where we arrived on the morning of the 17th at +about 8 o'clock. I proceeded at an early hour to the War Department, +and as soon as I met Secretary Stanton, asked him for a special train +to be ready at 12 o'clock to take me to Martinsburg, saying that in +view of existing conditions I must get back to my army as quickly as +possible. He at once gave the order for the train, and then the +Secretary, Halleck, and I proceeded to hold a consultation in regard +to my operating east of the Blue Ridge. The upshot was that my views +against such a plan were practically agreed to, and two engineer +officers were designated to return with me for the purpose of +reporting on a defensive line in the valley that could be held while +the bulk of my troops were being detached to Petersburg. Colonel +Alexander and Colonel Thom both of the Engineer Corps, reported to +accompany me, and at 12 o'clock we took the train.</p> + +<p>We arrived about dark at Martinsburg, and there found the escort of +three hundred men which I had ordered before leaving Cedar Creek. We +spent that night at Martinsburg, and early next morning mounted and +started up the Valley pike for Winchester, leaving Captain Sheridan +behind to conduct to the army the Commissioners whom the State of New +York had sent down to receive the vote of her troops in the coming +Presidential election. Colonel Alexander was a man of enormous +weight, and Colonel Thom correspondingly light, and as both were +unaccustomed to riding we had to go slowly, losing so much time, in +fact, that we did not reach Winchester till between 3 and 4 o'clock +in the afternoon, though the distance is but twenty-eight miles. As +soon as we arrived at Colonel Edwards's headquarters in the town, +where I intended stopping for the night, I sent a courier to the +front to bring me a report of the condition of affairs, and then took +Colonel Alexander out on the heights about Winchester, in order that +he might overlook the country, and make up his mind as to the utility +of fortifying there. By the time we had completed our survey it was +dark, and just as we reached Colonel Edwards's house on our return a +courier came in from Cedar Creek bringing word that everything was +all right, that the enemy was quiet at Fisher's Hill, and that a +brigade of Grover's division was to make a reconnoissance in the +morning, the 19th, so about 10 o'clock I went to bed greatly +relieved, and expecting to rejoin my headquarters at my leisure next +day.</p> + +<p>Toward 6 o'clock the morning of the 19th, the officer on picket duty +at Winchester came to my room, I being yet in bed, and reported +artillery firing from the direction of Cedar Creek. I asked him if +the firing was continuous or only desultory, to which he replied that +it was not a sustained fire, but rather irregular and fitful. I +remarked: "It's all right; Grover has gone out this morning to make a +reconnoissance, and he is merely feeling the enemy." I tried to go to +sleep again, but grew so restless that I could not, and soon got up +and dressed myself. A little later the picket officer came back and +reported that the firing, which could be distinctly heard from his +line on the heights outside of Winchester, was still going on. I +asked him if it sounded like a battle, and as he again said that it +did not, I still inferred that the cannonading was caused by Grover's +division banging away at the enemy simply to find out what he was up +to. However, I went down-stairs and requested that breakfast be +hurried up, and at the same time ordered the horses to be saddled and +in readiness, for I concluded to go to the front before any further +examinations were made in regard to the defensive line.</p> + +<p>We mounted our horses between half-past 8 and 9, and as we were +proceeding up the street which leads directly through Winchester, +from the Logan residence, where Edwards was quartered, to the Valley +pike, I noticed that there were many women at the windows and doors +of the houses, who kept shaking their skirts at us and who were +otherwise markedly insolent in their demeanor, but supposing this +conduct to be instigated by their well-known and perhaps natural +prejudices, I ascribed to it no unusual significance. On reaching +the edge of the town I halted a moment, and there heard quite +distinctly the sound of artillery firing in an unceasing roar. +Concluding from this that a battle was in progress, I now felt +confident that the women along the street had received intelligence +from the battle, field by the "grape-vine telegraph," and were in +raptures over some good news, while I as yet was utterly ignorant of +the actual situation. Moving on, I put my head down toward the +pommel of my saddle and listened intently, trying to locate and +interpret the sound, continuing in this position till we had crossed +Mill Creek, about half a mile from Winchester. The result of my +efforts in the interval was the conviction that the travel of the +sound was increasing too rapidly to be accounted for by my own rate +of motion, and that therefore my army must be falling back.</p> + +<p>At Mill Creek my escort fell in behind, and we were going ahead at a +regular pace, when, just as we made the crest of the rise beyond the +stream, there burst upon our view the appalling spectacle of a +panic-stricken army—hundreds of slightly wounded men, throngs of others +unhurt but utterly demoralized, and baggage-wagons by the score, all +pressing to the rear in hopeless confusion, telling only too plainly +that a disaster had occurred at the front. On accosting some of the +fugitives, they assured me that the army was broken up, in full +retreat, and that all was lost; all this with a manner true to that +peculiar indifference that takes possession of panic-stricken men. I +was greatly disturbed by the sight, but at once sent word to Colonel +Edwards commanding the brigade in Winchester, to stretch his troops +across the valley, near Mill Creek, and stop all fugitives, directing +also that the transportation be, passed through and parked on the +north side of the town.</p> + +<p>As I continued at a walk a few hundred yards farther, thinking all +the time of Longstreet's telegram to Early, "Be ready when I join +you, and we will crush Sheridan," I was fixing in my mind what I +should do. My first thought was too stop the army in the suburbs of +Winchester as it came back, form a new line, and fight there; but as +the situation was more maturely considered a better conception +prevailed. I was sure the troops had confidence in me, for +heretofore we had been successful; and as at other times they had +seen me present at the slightest sign of trouble or distress, I felt +that I ought to try now to restore their broken ranks, or, failing in +that, to share their fate because of what they had done hitherto.</p> + +<p>About this time Colonel Wood, my chief commissary, arrived from the +front and gave me fuller intelligence, reporting that everything was +gone, my headquarters captured, and the troops dispersed. When I +heard this I took two of my aides-de-camp, Major. George A. Forsyth +and Captain Joseph O'Keefe, and with twenty men from the escort +started for the front, at the same time directing Colonel James W. +Forsyth and Colonels Alexander and Thom to remain behind and do what +they could to stop the runaways.</p> + +<p>For a short distance I traveled on the road, but soon found it so +blocked with wagons and wounded men that my progress was impeded, and +I was forced to take to the adjoining fields to make haste. When +most of the wagons and wounded were past I returned to the road, +which was thickly lined with unhurt men, who, having got far enough +to the rear to be out of danger, had halted, without any +organization, and begun cooking coffee, but when they saw me they +abandoned their coffee, threw up their hats, shouldered their +muskets, and as I passed along turned to follow with enthusiasm and +cheers. To acknowledge this exhibition of feeling I took off my hat, +and with Forsyth and O'Keefe rode some distance in advance of my +escort, while every mounted officer who saw me galloped out on either +side of the pike to tell the men at a distance that I had come back. +In this way the news was spread to the stragglers off the road, when +they, too, turned their faces to the front and marched toward the +enemy, changing in a moment from the depths of depression, to the +extreme of enthusiasm. I already knew that even in the ordinary +condition of mind enthusiasm is a potent element with soldiers, but +what I saw that day convinced me that if it can be excited from a +state of despondency its power is almost irresistible. I said +nothing except to remark as I rode among those on the road: "If I had +been, with you this morning this disaster would not have happened. +We must face the other way; we will go back and recover our camp."</p> + +<p>My first halt was made just north of Newtown, where I met a chaplain +digging his heels into the sides of his jaded horse, and making for +the rear with all possible speed. I drew up for an instant, and +inquired of him how matters were going at the front. He replied, +"Everything is lost; but all will be right when you get there"; yet +notwithstanding this expression of confidence in me, the parson at +once resumed his breathless pace to the rear. At Newtown I was +obliged to make a circuit to the left, to get round the village. I +could not pass through it, the streets were so crowded, but meeting +on this detour Major McKinley, of Crook's staff, he spread the news +of my return through the motley throng there.</p> + +<p>When nearing the Valley pike, just south of Newtown I saw about +three-fourths of a mile west of the pike a body of troops, which +proved to be Ricketts's and Wheaton's divisions of the Sixth Corps, +and then learned that the Nineteenth Corps had halted a little to the +right and rear of these; but I did not stop, desiring to get to the +extreme front. Continuing on parallel with the pike, about midway +between Newtown and Middletown I crossed to the west of it, and a +little later came up in rear of Getty's division of the Sixth Corps. +When I arrived, this division and the cavalry were the only troops in +the presence of and resisting the enemy; they were apparently acting +as a rear-guard at a point about three miles north of the line we +held at Cedar Creek when the battle began. General Torbert was the +first officer to meet me, saying as he rode up, "My God! I am glad +you've come." Getty's division, when I found it, was about a mile +north of Middletown, posted on the reverse slope of some slightly +rising ground, holding a barricade made with fence-rails, and +skirmishing slightly with the enemy's pickets. Jumping my horse over +the line of rails, I rode to the crest of the elevation, and there +taking off my hat, the men rose up from behind their barricade with +cheers of recognition. An officer of the Vermont brigade, Colonel A. +S. Tracy, rode out to the front, and joining me, informed me that +General Louis A. Grant was in command there, the regular division +commander, General Getty, having taken charge of the Sixth Corps in +place of Ricketts, wounded early in the action, while temporarily +commanding the corps. I then turned back to the rear of Getty's +division, and as I came behind it, a line of regimental flags rose up +out of the ground, as it seemed, to welcome me. They were mostly the +colors of Crook's troops, who had been stampeded and scattered in the +surprise of the morning. The color-bearers, having withstood the +panic, had formed behind the troops of Getty. The line with the +colors was largely composed of officers, among whom I recognized +Colonel R. B. Hayes, since president of the United States, one of the +brigade commanders. At the close of this incident I crossed the +little narrow valley, or depression, in rear of Getty's line, and +dismounting on the opposite crest, established that point as my +headquarters. In a few minutes some of my staff joined me, and the +first directions I gave were to have the Nineteenth Corps and the two +divisions of Wright's corps brought to the front, so they could be +formed on Getty's division, prolonged to the right; for I had already +decided to attack the enemy from that line as soon as I could get +matters in shape to take the offensive. Crook met me at this time, +and strongly favored my idea of attacking, but said, however, that +most of his troops were gone. General Wright came up a little later, +when I saw that he was wounded, a ball having grazed the point of his +chin so as to draw the blood plentifully.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="crook"></a><img alt="pb375-Crook.jpg (80K)" src="images/pb375-Crook.jpg" height="933" width="581"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Wright gave me a hurried account of the day's events, and when told +that we would fight the enemy on the line which Getty and the cavalry +were holding, and that he must go himself and send all his staff to +bring up the troops, he zealously fell in with the scheme; and it was +then that the Nineteenth Corps and two divisions of the Sixth were +ordered to the front from where they had been halted to the right and +rear of Getty.</p> + +<p>After this conversation I rode to the east of the Valley pike and to +the left of Getty's division, to a point from which I could obtain a +good view of the front, in the mean time sending Major Forsyth to +communicate with Colonel Lowell (who occupied a position close in +toward the suburbs of Middletown and directly in front of Getty's +left) to learn whether he could hold on there. Lowell replied that +he could. I then ordered Custer's division back to the right flank, +and returning to the place where my headquarters had been established +I met near them Ricketts's division under General Keifer and General +Frank Wheaton's division, both marching to the front. When the men +of these divisions saw me they began cheering and took up the double +quick to the front, while I turned back toward Getty's line to point +out where these returning troops should be placed. Having done this, +I ordered General Wright to resume command of the Sixth Corps, and +Getty, who was temporarily in charge of it, to take command of his +own division. A little later the Nineteenth Corps came up and was +posted between the right of the Sixth Corps and Middle Marsh Brook.</p> + +<p>All this had consumed a great deal of time, and I concluded to visit +again the point to the east of the Valley pike, from where I had +first observed the enemy, to see what he was doing. Arrived there, I +could plainly see him getting ready for attack, and Major Forsyth now +suggested that it would be well to ride along the line of battle +before the enemy assailed us, for although the troops had learned of +my return, but few of them had seen me. Following his suggestion I +started in behind the men, but when a few paces had been taken I +crossed to the front and, hat in hand, passed along the entire length +of the infantry line; and it is from this circumstance that many of +the officers and men who then received me with such heartiness have +since supposed that that was my first appearance on the field. But +at least two hours had elapsed since I reached the ground, for it was +after mid-day, when this incident of riding down the front took +place, and I arrived not later, certainly, than half-past 10 o'clock.</p> + +<p>After re-arranging the line and preparing to attack I returned again +to observe the Confederates, who shortly began to advance on us. The +attacking columns did not cover my entire front, and it appeared that +their onset would be mainly directed against the Nineteenth Corps, +so, fearing that they might be too strong for Emory on account of his +depleted condition (many of his men not having had time to get up +from the rear), and Getty's division being free from assault I +transferred a part of it from the extreme left to the support of the +Nineteenth Corps. The assault was quickly repulsed by Emory, +however, and as the enemy fell back Getty's troops were returned to +their original place. This repulse of the Confederates made me feel +pretty safe from further offensive operations on their part, and I +now decided to suspend the fighting till my thin ranks were further +strengthened by the men who were continually coming up from the rear, +and particularly till Crook's troops could be assembled on the +extreme left.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="emory"></a><img alt="pb329-Emory.jpg (86K)" src="images/pb329-Emory.jpg" height="855" width="581"> +</center> + +<p>In consequence of the despatch already mentioned, "Be ready when I +join you, and we will crush Sheridan," since learned to have been +fictitious, I had been supposing all day that Longstreet's troops +were present, but as no definite intelligence on this point had been +gathered, I concluded, in the lull that now occurred, to ascertain +something positive regarding Longstreet; and Merritt having been +transferred to our left in the morning, I directed him to attack an +exposed battery then at the edge of Middletown, and capture some +prisoners. Merritt soon did this work effectually, concealing his +intention till his troops got close in to the enemy, and then by a +quick dash gobbling up a number of Confederates. When the prisoners +were brought in, I learned from them that the only troops of +Longstreet's in the fight were of Kershaw's division, which had +rejoined Early at Brown's Gap in the latter part of September, and +that the rest of Longstreet's corps was not on the field. The +receipt of this information entirely cleared the way for me to take +the offensive, but on the heels of it came information that +Longstreet was marching by the Front Royal pike to strike my rear at +Winchester, driving Powell's cavalry in as he advanced. This renewed +my uneasiness, and caused me to delay the general attack till after +assurances came from Powell denying utterly the reports as to +Longstreet, and confirming the statements of the prisoners.</p> + +<p>Between half-past and 4 o'clock, I was ready to assail, and decided +to do so by advancing my infantry line in a swinging movement, so as +to gain the Valley pike with my right between Middletown and the +Belle Grove House; and when the order was passed along, the men +pushed steadily forward with enthusiasm and confidence. General +Early's troops extended some little distance beyond our right, and +when my flank neared the overlapping enemy, he turned on it, with the +effect of causing a momentary confusion, but General McMillan quickly +realizing the danger, broke the Confederates at the reentering angle +by a counter charge with his brigade, doing his work so well that the +enemy's flanking troops were cut off from their main body and left to +shift for themselves. Custer, who was just then moving in from the +west side of Middle Marsh Brook, followed McMillan's timely blow with +a charge of cavalry, but before starting out on it, and while his men +were forming, riding at full speed himself, to throw his arms around +my neck. By the time he had disengaged himself from this embrace, +the troops broken by McMillan had gained some little distance to +their rear, but Custer's troopers sweeping across the Middletown +meadows and down toward Cedar Creek, took many of them prisoners +before they could reach the stream—so I forgave his delay.</p> + +<p>My whole line as far as the eye could see was now driving everything +before it, from behind trees, stone walls, and all such sheltering +obstacles, so I rode toward the left to ascertain how matters were +getting on there. As I passed along behind the advancing troops, +first General Grover, and then Colonel Mackenzie, rode up to welcome +me. Both were severely wounded, and I told them to leave the field, +but they implored permission to remain till success was certain. +When I reached the Valley pike Crook had reorganized his men, and as +I desired that they should take part in the fight, for they were the +very same troops that had turned Early's flank at Winchester and at +Fisher's Hill, I ordered them to be pushed forward; and the alacrity +and celerity with which they moved on Middletown demonstrated that +their ill-fortune of the morning had not sprung from lack of valor.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Lowell's brigade of cavalry, which, it will be remembered, +had been holding on, dismounted, just north of Middletown ever since +the time I arrived from Winchester, fell to the rear for the purpose +of getting their led horses. A momentary panic was created in the +nearest brigade of infantry by this withdrawal of Lowell, but as soon +as his men were mounted they charged the enemy clear up to the stone +walls in the edge of Middletown; at sight of this the infantry +brigade renewed its attack, and the enemy's right gave way. The +accomplished Lowell received his death-wound in this courageous +charge.</p> + +<p>All our troops were now moving on the retreating Confederates, and as +I rode to the front Colonel Gibbs, who succeeded Lowell, made ready +for another mounted charge, but I checked him from pressing the +enemy's right, in the hope that the swinging attack from my right +would throw most of the Confederates to the east of the Valley pike, +and hence off their line of retreat through Strasburg to Fisher's +Hill. The eagerness of the men soon frustrated this anticipation, +however, the left insisting on keeping pace with the centre and +right, and all pushing ahead till we regained our old camps at Cedar +Creek. Beyond Cedar Creek, at Strasburg, the pike makes a sharp turn +to the west toward Fisher's Hill, and here Merritt uniting with +Custer, they together fell on the flank of the retreating columns, +taking many prisoners, wagons, and guns, among the prisoners being +Major-General Ramseur, who, mortally wounded, died the next day.</p> + +<p>When the news of the victory was received, General Grant directed a +salute of one hundred shotted guns to be fired into Petersburg, and +the President at once thanked the army in an autograph letter. A few +weeks after, he promoted me, and I received notice of this in a +special letter from the Secretary of War, saying:</p> + +<p>"—that for the personal gallantry, military skill, and just confidence +in the courage and patriotism of your troops, displayed by you on the +19th day of October at Cedar Run, whereby, under the blessing of +Providence, your routed army was reorganized, a great National +disaster averted, and a brilliant victory achieved over the rebels +for the third time in pitched battle within thirty days, Philip H. +Sheridan is appointed a major-general in the United States Army."</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="lincoln2"></a><img alt="pb091.jpg (50K)" src="images/pb091.jpg" height="427" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb091.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>The direct result of the battle was the recapture of all the +artillery, transportation, and camp equipage we had lost, and in +addition twenty-four pieces of the enemy's artillery, twelve hundred +prisoners, and a number of battle-flags. But more still flowed from +this victory, succeeding as it did the disaster of the morning, for +the reoccupation of our old camps at once re-established a morale +which for some hours had been greatly endangered by ill-fortune.</p> + +<p>It was not till after the battle that I learned fully what had taken +place before my arrival, and then found that the enemy, having +gathered all the strength he could through the return of +convalescents and other absentees, had moved quietly from Fisher's +Hill, in the night of the 18th and early on the morning of the 19th, +to surprise my army, which, it should be remembered, was posted on +the north bank of Cedar Creek, Crook holding on the left of the +Valley pike, with Thoburn's division advanced toward the creek on +Duval's (under Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes) and Kitching's +provisional divisions to the north and rear of Thoburn. The +Nineteenth Corps was on the right of Crook, extending in a +semi-circular line from the pike nearly to Meadow Brook, while the Sixth +Corps lay to the west of the brook in readiness to be used as a +movable column. Merritt's division was to the right and rear of the +Sixth Corps, and about a mile and a half west of Merrit was Custer +covering the fords of Cedar Creek as far west as the Middle road.</p> + +<p>General Early's plan was for one column under General Gordon, +consisting of three divisions of infantry (Gordon's, Ramseur's, and +Pegram's), and Payne's brigade of cavalry to cross the Shenandoah +River directly east of the Confederate works at Fisher's Hill, march +around the northerly face of the Massanutten Mountain, and again +cross the Shenandoah at Bowman's and McInturff's fords. Payne's task +was to capture me at the Belle Grove House. General Early himself, +with Kershaw's and Wharton's divisions, was to move through +Strasburg, Kershaw, accompanied by Early, to cross Cedar Creek at +Roberts's ford and connect with Gordon, while Wharton was to continue +on the Valley pike to Hupp's Hill and join the left of Kershaw, when +the crossing of the Valley pike over Cedar Creek became free.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb094"></a><img alt="pb094.jpg (162K)" src="images/pb094.jpg" height="561" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb094.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Lomax's cavalry, then in the Luray Valley, was ordered to join the +right of Gordon on the field of battle, while Rosser was to carry the +crossing of Cedar Creek on the Back road and attack Custer. Early's +conceptions were carried through in the darkness with little accident +or delay, Kershaw opening the fight by a furious attack on Thoburn's +division, while at dawn and in a dense fog Gordon struck Crook's +extreme left, surprising his pickets, and bursting into his camp with +such suddenness as to stampede Crook's men. Gordon directing his +march on my headquarters (the Belle Grove House), successfully turned +our position as he gained the Valley pike, and General Wright was +thus forced to order the withdrawal of the Nineteenth Corps from its +post at the Cedar Creek crossing, and this enabled Wharton to get +over the stream there unmolested and join Kershaw early in the +action.</p> + +<p>After Crook's troops had been driven from their camps, General Wright +endeavored to form a line with the Sixth Corps to hold the Valley +pike to the left of the Nineteenth, but failing in this he ordered +the withdrawal of the latter corps, Ricketts, temporarily commanding +the Sixth Corps, checking Gordon till Emory had retired. As already +stated, Wharton was thus permitted to cross Cedar Creek on the pike, +and now that Early had a continuous line, he pressed his advantage so +vigorously that the whole Union army was soon driven from its camps +in more or less disorder; and though much disjointed resistance was +displayed, it may be said that no systematic stand was made until +Getty's division, aided by Torbert's cavalry, which Wright had +ordered to the left early in the action, took up the ground where, on +arriving from Winchester, I found them.</p> + +<p>When I left my command on the 16th, little did I anticipate that +anything like this would happen. Indeed, I felt satisfied that Early +was, of himself, too weak to take the offensive, and although I +doubted the Longstreet despatch, yet I was confident that, even +should it prove true, I could get back before the junction could be +made, and at the worst I felt certain that my army was equal to +confronting the forces of Longstreet and Early combined. Still, the +surprise of the morning might have befallen me as well as the general +on whom it did descend, and though it is possible that this could +have been precluded had Powell's cavalry been closed in, as suggested +in my despatch from Front Royal, yet the enemy's desperation might +have prompted some other clever and ingenious scheme for relieving +his fallen fortunes in the Shenandoah Valley.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch4b"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>GENERAL EARLY REORGANIZES HIS FORCES—MOSBY THE GUERRILLA—GENERAL +MERRITT SENT TO OPERATE AGAINST MOSBY—ROSSER AGAIN ACTIVE—GENERAL +CUSTER SURPRISED—COLONEL YOUNG SENT TO CAPTURE GILMORE THE +GUERRILLA—COLONEL YOUNG'S SUCCESS—CAPTURE OF GENERAL KELLY AND +GENERAL CROOK—SPIES—WAS WILKES BOOTH A SPY?—DRIVING THE +CONFEDERATES OUT OF THE VALLEY—THE BATTLE OF WAYNESBORO'—MARCHING +TO JOIN THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.</p> + +<p>Early's broken army practically made no halt in its retreat after the +battle of Cedar-Creek until it reached New Market, though at Fisher's +Hill was left a small rear-guard of cavalry, which hastily decamped, +however, when charged by Gibbs's brigade on the morning of the 20th. +Between the date of his signal defeat and the 11th of November, the +enemy's scattered forces had sufficiently reorganized to permit his +again making a reconnoissance in the valley as far north as Cedar +Creek, my army having meanwhile withdrawn to Kernstown, where it had +been finally decided that a defensive line should be held to enable +me to detach troops to General Grant, and where, by reconstructing +the Winchester and Potomac railroad from Stephenson's depot to +Harper's Ferry, my command might be more readily, supplied. Early's +reconnoissance north of Cedar Creek ended in a rapid withdrawal of +his infantry after feeling my front, and with the usual ill-fortune +to his cavalry; Merritt and Custer driving Rosser and Lomax with ease +across Cedar Creek on the Middle and Back roads, while Powell's +cavalry struck McCausland near Stony Point, and after capturing two +pieces of artillery and about three hundred officers and men chased +him into the Luray Valley.</p> + +<p>Early got back to New Market on the 14th of November, and, from lack +of subsistence, being unable to continue demonstrations to prevent my +reinforcement of General Grant, began himself to detach to General +Lee by returning Kershaw's division to Petersburg, as was definitely +ascertained by Torbert in a reconnoissance to Mount Jackson. At this +time General Grant wished me to send him the Sixth Corps, and it was +got ready for the purpose, but when I informed him that Torbert's +reconnoissance had developed the fact that Early still retained four +divisions of infantry and one of cavalry, it was decided, on my +suggestion, to let the Sixth Corps remain till the season should be a +little further advanced, when the inclemency of the weather would +preclude infantry campaigning. These conditions came about early in +December, and by the middle of the month the whole of the Sixth Corps +was at Petersburg; simultaneously with its transfer to that line +Early sending his Second Corps to Lee.</p> + +<p>During the entire campaign I had been annoyed by guerrilla bands +under such partisan chiefs as Mosby, White, Gilmore, McNeil, and +others, and this had considerably depleted my line-of-battle +strength, necessitating as it did large, escorts for my +supply-trains. The most redoubtable of these leaders was Mosby, whose force +was made up from the country around Upperville, east of the Blue +Ridge, to which section he always fled for a hiding-place when he +scented danger. I had not directed any special operations against +these partisans while the campaign was active, but as Mosby's men had +lately killed, within my lines, my chief quartermaster, Colonel +Tolles, and Medical Inspector Ohlenchlager, I concluded to devote +particular attention to these "irregulars" during the lull that now +occurred; so on the 28th of November, I directed General Merritt to +march to the Loudoun Valley and operate against Mosby, taking care to +clear the country of forage and subsistence, so as to prevent the +guerrillas from being harbored there in the future their destruction +or capture being well-nigh impossible, on account of their intimate +knowledge of the mountain region. Merritt carried out his +instructions with his usual sagacity and thoroughness, sweeping +widely over each side of his general line of march with flankers, who +burned the grain and brought in large herds of cattle, hogs and +sheep, which were issued to the troops.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb101"></a><img alt="pb101.jpg (73K)" src="images/pb101.jpg" height="297" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb101.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>While Merritt was engaged in this service the Baltimore and Ohio +railroad once more received the attention of the enemy; Rosser, with +two brigades of cavalry, crossing the Great North Mountain, capturing +the post of New Creek, with about five hundred prisoners and seven +guns, destroying all the supplies of the garrison, and breaking up +the railroad track. This slight success of the Confederates in West +Virginia, and the intelligence that they were contemplating further +raids in that section, led me to send, Crook there with one division, +his other troops going to City Point; and, I hoped that all the +threatened places would thus be sufficiently protected, but +negligence at Beverly resulted in the capture of that station by +Rosser on the 11th of January.</p> + +<p>In the meanwhile, Early established himself with Wharton's division +at Staunton in winter quarters, posting his cavalry in that +neighborhood also, except a detachment at New Market, and another +small one at the signal-station on Three Top Mountain. The winter was +a most severe one, snow falling frequently to the depth of several +inches, and the mercury often sinking below zero. The rigor of the +season was very much against the success of any mounted operations, +but General Grant being very desirous to have the railroads broken up +about Gordonsville and Charlottesville, on the 19th of December I +started the cavalry out for that purpose, Torbert, with Merritt and +Powell, marching through Chester Gap, while Custer moved toward +Staunton to make a demonstration in Torbert's favor, hoping to hold +the enemy's troops in the valley. Unfortunately, Custer did not +accomplish all that was expected of him, and being surprised by +Rosser and Payne near Lacy's Springs before reveille, had to abandon +his bivouac and retreat down the valley, with the loss of a number of +prisoners, a few horses, and a good many horse equipments, for, +because of the suddenness of Rosser's attack, many of the men had no +time to saddle up. As soon as Custer's retreat was assured, +Wharton's division of infantry was sent to Charlottesville to check +Torbert, but this had already been done by Lomax, with the assistance +of infantry sent up from Richmond. Indeed, from the very beginning +of the movement the Confederates had been closely observing the +columns of Torbert and Custer, and in consequence of the knowledge +thus derived, Early had marched Lomax to Gordonsville in anticipation +of an attack there, at the same time sending Rosser down the valley +to meet Custer. Torbert in the performance of his task captured two +pieces of artillery from Johnson's and McCausland's brigades, at +Liberty Mills on the Rapidan River, but in the main the purpose of +the raid utterly failed, so by the 27th of December he returned, +many, of his men badly frost-bitten from the extreme cold which had +prevailed.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb103"></a><img alt="pb103.jpg (70K)" src="images/pb103.jpg" height="865" width="641"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>This expedition practically closed all operations for the season, and +the cavalry was put into winter cantonment near Winchester. The +distribution of my infantry to Petersburg and West Virginia left with +me in the beginning of the new year, as already stated, but the one +small division of the Nineteenth Corps. On account of this +diminution of force, it became necessary for me to keep thoroughly +posted in regard to the enemy, and I now realized more than I had +done hitherto how efficient my scouts had become since under the +control of Colonel Young; for not only did they bring me almost every +day intelligence from within Early's lines, but they also operated +efficiently against the guerrillas infesting West Virginia.</p> + +<p>Harry Gilmore, of Maryland, was the most noted of these since the +death of McNeil, and as the scouts had reported him in Harrisonburg +the latter part of January, I directed two of the most trustworthy to +be sent to watch his movements and ascertain his purposes. In a few +days these spies returned with the intelligence that Gilmore was on +his way to Moorefield, the centre of a very disloyal section in West +Virginia, about ninety miles southwest of Winchester, where, under +the guise of a camp-meeting, a gathering was to take place, at which +he expected to enlist a number of men, be joined by a party of about +twenty recruits coming from Maryland, and then begin depredations +along the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Believing that Gilmore might +be captured, I directed Young to undertake the task, and as a +preliminary step he sent to Moorefield two of his men who early in +the war had "refugeed" from that section and enlisted in one of the +Union regiments from West Virginia. In about a week these men came +back and reported that Gilmore was living at a house between three +and four miles from Moorefield, and gave full particulars as to his +coming and going, the number of men he had about there and where they +rendezvoused.</p> + +<p>With this knowledge at hand I directed Young to take twenty of his +best men and leave that night for Moorefield, dressed in Confederate +uniforms, telling him that I would have about three hundred cavalry +follow in his wake when he had got about fifteen miles start, and +instructing him to pass his party off as a body of recruits for +Gilmore coming from Maryland and pursued by the Yankee cavalry. I +knew this would allay suspicion and provide him help on the road; +and, indeed, as Colonel Whittaker, who alone knew the secret, +followed after the fleeing "Marylanders," he found that their advent +had caused so little remark that the trail would have been lost had +he not already known their destination. Young met with a hearty, +welcome wherever he halted on the way, and as he passed through the +town of Moorefield learned with satisfaction that Gilmore still made +his headquarters at the house where the report of the two scouts had +located him a few days before. Reaching the designated place about +12 o'clock on the night of the 5th of February, Young, under the +representation that he had come directly from Maryland and was being +pursued by the Union cavalry, gained immediate access to Gilmore's +room. He found the bold guerrilla snugly tucked in bed, with two +pistols lying on a chair near by. He was sleeping so soundly that to +arouse him Young had to give him a violent shake. As he awoke and +asked who was disturbing his slumbers, Young, pointing at him a +cocked six-shooter, ordered him to dress without delay, and in answer +to his inquiry, informed him that he was a prisoner to one of +Sheridan's staff. Meanwhile Gilmore's men had learned of his +trouble, but the early appearance of Colonel Whittaker caused them to +disperse; thus the last link between Maryland and the Confederacy was +carried a prisoner to Winchester, whence he was sent to Fort Warren.</p> + +<p>The capture of Gilmore caused the disbandment of the party he had +organized at the "camp-meeting," most of the men he had recruited +returning to their homes discouraged, though some few joined the +bands of Woodson and young Jesse McNeil, which, led by the latter, +dashed into Cumberland, Maryland, at 3 O'clock on the morning of the +21st of February and made a reprisal by carrying off General Crook +and General Kelly, and doing their work so silently and quickly that +they escaped without being noticed, and were some distance on their +way before the colored watchman at the hotel where Crook was +quartered could compose himself enough to give the alarm. A troop of +cavalry gave hot chase from Cumberland, striving to intercept the +party at Moorefield and other points, but all efforts were fruitless, +the prisoners soon being beyond reach.</p> + +<p>Although I had adopted the general rule of employing only soldiers as +scouts, there was an occasional exception to it. I cannot say that +these exceptions proved wholly that an ironclad observance of the +rule would have been best, but I am sure of it in one instance. A +man named Lomas, who claimed to be a Marylander, offered me his +services as a spy, and coming highly recommended from Mr. Stanton, +who had made use of him in that capacity, I employed him. He made +many pretensions, often appearing over anxious to impart information +seemingly intended to impress me with his importance, and yet was +more than ordinarily intelligent, but in spite of that my confidence +in him was by no means unlimited. I often found what he reported to +me as taking place within the Confederate lines corroborated by +Young's men, but generally there were discrepancies in his tales, +which led me to suspect that he was employed by the enemy as well as +by me. I felt, however, that with good watching he could do me +little harm, and if my suspicions were incorrect he might be very +useful, so I held on to him.</p> + +<p>Early in February Lomas was very solicitous for me to employ a man +who, he said, had been with Mosby, but on account of some quarrel in +the irregular camp had abandoned that leader. Thinking that with two +of them I might destroy the railroad bridges east of Lynchburg, I +concluded, after the Mosby man had been brought to my headquarters by +Lomas about 12 o'clock one night, to give him employment, at the same +time informing Colonel Young that I suspected their fidelity, +however, and that he must test it by shadowing their every movement. +When Lomas's companion entered my room he was completely disguised, +but on discarding the various contrivances by which his identity was +concealed he proved to be a rather slender, dark-complexioned, +handsome young man, of easy address and captivating manners. He gave +his name as Renfrew, answered all my questions satisfactorily, and +went into details about Mosby and his men which showed an intimacy +with them at some time. I explained to the two men the work I had +laid out for them, and stated the sum of money I would give to have +it done, but stipulated that in case of failure there would be no +compensation whatever beyond the few dollars necessary for their +expenses. They readily assented, and it was arranged that they +should start the following night. Meanwhile Young had selected his +men to shadow them, and in two days reported my spies as being +concealed at Strasburg, where they remained, without making the +slightest effort to continue on their mission, and were busy, no +doubt, communicating with the enemy, though I was not able to fasten +this on them. On the 16th of February they returned to Winchester, +and reported their failure, telling so many lies about their +hazardous adventure as to remove all remaining doubt as to their +double-dealing. Unquestionably they were spies from the enemy, and +hence liable to the usual penalties of such service; but it struck me +that through them, I might deceive Early as to the time of opening +the spring campaign, I having already received from General Grant an +intimation of what was expected of me. I therefore retained the men +without even a suggestion of my knowledge of their true character, +Young meanwhile keeping close watch over all their doings.</p> + +<p>Toward the last of February General Early had at Staunton two +brigades of infantry under Wharton. All the rest of the infantry +except Echol's brigade, which was in southwestern Virginia, had been +sent to Petersburg during the winter, and Fitz. Lee's two brigades of +cavalry also. Rosser's men were mostly at their homes, where, on +account of a lack of subsistence and forage in the valley, they had +been permitted to go, subject to call. Lomax's cavalry was at +Millboro', west of Staunton, where supplies were obtainable. It was +my aim to get well on the road before Early could collect these +scattered forces, and as many of the officers had been in the habit +of amusing themselves fox-hunting during the latter part of the +winter, I decided to use the hunt as an expedient for stealing a +march on the enemy, and had it given out officially that a grand +fox-chase would take place on the 29th of February. Knowing that Lomas, +and Renfrew would spread the announcement South, they were permitted +to see several red foxes that had been secured, as well as a large +pack of hounds which Colonel Young had collected for the sport, and +were then started on a second expedition to burn the bridges. Of +course, they were shadowed as usual, and two days later, after they +had communicated with friends from their hiding-place, in Newtown, +they were arrested. On the way north to Fort Warren they escaped +from their guards when passing through Baltimore, and I never heard +of them again, though I learned that, after the assassination of, Mr. +Lincoln, Secretary Stanton strongly suspected his friend Lomas of +being associated with the conspirators, and it then occurred to me +that the good-looking Renfrew may have been Wilkes Booth, for he +certainly bore a strong resemblance to Booth's pictures.</p> + +<p>On the 27th of February my cavalry entered upon the campaign which +cleared the Shenandoah Valley of every remnant of organized +Confederates. General Torbert being absent on leave at this time, I +did not recall him, but appointed General Merritt Chief of Cavalry. +for Torbert had disappointed me on two important occasions—in the +Luray Valley during the battle of Fisher's Hill, and on the recent +Gordonsville expedition—and I mistrusted his ability to conduct any +operations requiring much self-reliance. The column was composed of +Custer's and Devin's divisions of cavalry, and two sections of +artillery, comprising in all about 10,000 officers and men. On +wheels we had, to accompany this column, eight ambulances, sixteen +ammunition wagons, a pontoon train for eight canvas boats, and a +small supply-train, with fifteen days' rations of coffee, sugar, and +salt, it being intended to depend on the country for the meat and +bread ration, the men carrying in their haversacks nearly enough to +subsist them till out of the exhausted valley.</p> + +<p>Grant's orders were for me to destroy the Virginia Central railroad +and the James River canal, capture Lynchburg if practicable, and then +join General Sherman in North Carolina wherever he might be found, or +return to Winchester, but as to joining Sherman I was to be governed +by the state of affairs after the projected capture of Lynchburg. +The weather was cold, the valley and surrounding mountains being +still covered with snow; but this was fast disappearing, however, +under the heavy rain that was coming down as the column moved along +up the Valley pike at a steady gait that took us to Woodstock the +first day. The second day we crossed the North Fork of the +Shenandoah on our pontoon-bridge, and by night-fall reached Lacy's +Springs, having seen nothing of the enemy as yet but a few partisans +who hung on our flanks in the afternoon.</p> + +<p>March 1 we encountered General Rosser at Mt. Crawford, he having been +able to call together only some five or six hundred of his troops, +our unsuspected march becoming known to Early only the day before. +Rosser attempted to delay us here, trying to burn the bridges over +the Middle Fork of the Shenandoah, but two regiments from Colonel +Capehart's brigade swam the stream and drove Rosser to Kline's Mills, +taking thirty prisoners and twenty ambulances and wagons.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile General Early was busy at Staunton, but not knowing my +objective point, he had ordered the return of Echol's brigade from +southwestern Virginia for the protection of Lynchburg, directed +Lomax's cavalry to concentrate at Pond Gap for the purpose of +harassing me if I moved toward Lynchburg, and at the same time +marched Wharton's two brigades of infantry, Nelson's artillery, and +Rosser's cavalry to Waynesboro', whither he went also to remain till +the object of my movement was ascertained.</p> + +<p>I entered Staunton the morning of March 2, and finding that Early had +gone to Waynesboro' with his infantry and Rosser, the question at +once arose whether I should continue my march to Lynchburg direct, +leaving my adversary in my rear, or turn east and open the way +through Rockfish Gap to the Virginia Central railroad and James River +canal. I felt confident of the success of the latter plan, for I +knew that Early numbered there not more than two thousand men; so, +influenced by this, and somewhat also by the fact that Early had left +word in Staunton that he would fight at Waynesboro', I directed +Merritt to move toward that place with Custer, to be closely followed +by Devin, who was to detach one brigade to destroy supplies at +Swoope's depot. The by-roads were miry beyond description, rain +having fallen almost incessantly since we left Winchester, but +notwithstanding the down-pour the column pushed on, men and horses +growing almost unrecognizable from the mud covering them from head to +foot.</p> + +<p>General Early was true to the promise made his friends in Staunton, +for when Custer neared Waynesboro' he found, occupying a line of +breastworks on a ridge west of the town, two brigades of infantry, +with eleven pieces of artillery and Rosser's cavalry. Custer, when +developing the position of the Confederates, discovered that their +left was somewhat exposed instead of resting on South River; he +therefore made his dispositions for attack, sending around that flank +the dismounted regiments from Pennington's brigade, while he himself, +with two brigades, partly mounted and partly dismounted, assaulted +along the whole line of breastworks. Pennington's flanking movement +stampeded the enemy in short order, thus enabling Custer to carry the +front with little resistance, and as he did so the Eighth New York +and First Connecticut, in a charge in column, broke through the +opening made by Custer, and continued on through the town of +Waynesboro', never stopping till they crossed South River. There, +finding themselves immediately in the enemy's rear, they promptly +formed as foragers and held the east bank of the stream till all the +Confederates surrendered except Rosser, who succeeded in making his +way back to the valley, and Generals Early, Wharton, Long, and +Lilley, who, with fifteen or twenty men, escaped across the Blue +Ridge. I followed up the victory immediately by despatching Capehart +through Rock-fish Gap, with orders to encamp on the east side of the +Blue Ridge. By reason of this move all the enemy's stores and +transportation fell into our hands, while we captured on the field +seventeen battle flags, sixteen hundred officers and men, and eleven +pieces of artillery. This decisive victory closed hostilities in the +Shenandoah Valley. The prisoners and artillery were sent back to +Winchester next morning, under a guard of 1,500 men, commanded by +Colonel J. H. Thompson, of the First New Hampshire.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb117"></a><img alt="pb117.jpg (44K)" src="images/pb117.jpg" height="657" width="637"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>The night of March 2 Custer camped at Brookfield, Devin remaining at +Waynesboro'. The former started for Charlottesville the next morning +early, followed by Devin with but two brigades, Gibbs having been +left behind to blow up the iron railroad bridge across South River. +Because of the incessant rains and spring thaws the roads were very +soft, and the columns cut them up terribly, the mud being thrown by +the sets of fours across the road in ridges as much as two feet high, +making it most difficult to get our wagons along, and distressingly +wearing on the animals toward the middle and rear of the columns. +Consequently I concluded to rest at Charlottesville for a couple of +days and recuperate a little, intending at the same time to destroy, +with small parties, the railroad from that point toward Lynchburg. +Custer reached Charlottesville the 3d, in the afternoon, and was met +at the outskirts by a deputation of its citizens, headed by the +mayor, who surrendered the town with medieval ceremony, formally +handing over the keys of the public buildings and of the University +of Virginia. But this little scene did not delay Custer long enough +to prevent his capturing, just beyond the village, a small body of +cavalry and three pieces of artillery. Gibbs's brigade, which was +bringing up my mud-impeded train, did not arrive until the 5th of +March. In the mean time Young's scouts had brought word that the +garrison of Lynchburg was being increased and the fortifications +strengthened, so that its capture would be improbable. I decided, +however, to move toward the place as far as Amherst Court House, +which is sixteen miles short of the town, so Devin, under Merritt's +supervision, marched along the James River, destroying the canal, +while Custer pushed ahead on the railroad and broke it up. The two +columns were to join at New Market, whence I intended to cross the +James River at some point east of Lynchburg, if practicable, so as to +make my way to Appomattox Court House, and destroy the Southside +railroad as far east as Farmville. Owing to its swollen condition +the river was unfordable but knowing that there was a covered bridge +at Duguidsville, I hoped to secure it by a dash, and cross there, but +the enemy, anticipating this, had filled the bridge with inflammable +material, and just as our troops got within striking distance it +burst into flames. The bridge at Hardwicksville also having been +burned by the enemy, there was now no means of crossing except by +pontoons. But, unfortunately, I had only eight of these, and they +could not be made to span the swollen river.</p> + +<p>Being thus unable to cross until the river should fall, and knowing +that it was impracticable to join General Sherman, and useless to +adhere to my alternative instructions to return to Winchester, I now +decided to destroy still more thoroughly the James River canal and +the Virginia Central railroad and then join General Grant in front of +Petersburg. I was master of the whole country north of the James as +far down as Goochland; hence the destruction of these arteries of +supply could be easily compassed, and feeling that the war was +nearing its end, I desired my cavalry to be in at the death.</p> + +<p>On March 9 the main column started eastward down the James River, +destroying locks, dams, and boats, having been preceded by Colonel +Fitzhugh's brigade of Devin's division in a forced march to Goochland +and Beaver Dam Creek, with orders to destroy everything below +Columbia. I made Columbia on the 10th, and from there sent a +communication to General Grant reporting what had occurred, informing +him of my condition and intention, asking him to send forage and +rations to meet me at the White House, and also a pontoon-bridge to +carry me over the Pamunkey, for in view of the fact that hitherto it +had been impracticable to hold Lee in the trenches around Petersburg, +I regarded as too hazardous a march down the south bank of the +Pamunkey, where the enemy, by sending troops out from Richmond, might +fall upon my flank and rear. It was of the utmost importance that +General Grant should receive these despatches without chance of +failure, in order that I might, depend absolutely on securing +supplies at the White House; therefore I sent the message in +duplicate, one copy overland direct to City Point by two scouts, +Campbell and Rowan, and the other by Fannin and Moore, who were to go +down the James River in a small boat to Richmond, join the troops in +the trenches in front of Petersburg, and, deserting to the Union +lines, deliver their tidings into General Grant's hands. Each set of +messengers got through, but the copy confided to Campbell and Rowan +was first at Grant's headquarters.</p> + +<p>I halted for one day at Columbia to let my trains catch up, for it +was still raining and the mud greatly delayed the teams, fatiguing +and wearying the mules so much that I believe we should have been +forced to abandon most of the wagons except for the invaluable help +given by some two thousand negroes who had attached themselves to the +column: they literally lifted the wagons out of the mud. From +Columbia Merritt, with Devin's division, marched to Louisa Court +House and destroyed the Virginia Central to Frederick's Hall. +Meanwhile Custer was performing similar work from Frederick's Hall to +Beaver Dam Station, and also pursued for a time General Early, who, +it was learned from despatches captured in the telegraph office at +Frederick's Hall, was in the neighborhood with a couple of hundred +men. Custer captured some of these men and two of Early's +staff-officers, but the commander of the Valley District, accompanied by a +single orderly, escaped across the South Anna and next day made his +way to Richmond, the last man of the Confederate army that had so +long contended with us in the Shenandoah Valley.</p> + +<p>At Frederick's Hall, Young's scouts brought me word from Richmond +that General Longstreet was assembling a force there to prevent my +junction with Grant, and that Pickett's division, which had been sent +toward Lynchburg to oppose my march, and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, were +moving east on the Southside railroad, with the object of +circumventing me. Reasoning that Longstreet could interpose +effectually only by getting to the White House ahead of me, I pushed +one column under Custer across the South Anna, by way of Ground +Squirrel bridge, to Ashland, where it united with Merritt, who had +meanwhile marched through Hanover Junction. Our appearance at +Ashland drew the Confederates out in that direction, as was hoped, +so, leaving Colonel Pennington's brigade there to amuse them, the +united command retraced its route to Mount Carmel church to cross the +North Anna. After dark Pennington came away, and all the troops +reached the church by midnight of the 15th.</p> + +<p>Resuming the march at an early hour next morning, we took the road by +way of King William Court House to the White House, where, arriving +on the 18th, we found, greatly to our relief, the supplies which I +had requested to be sent there. In the meanwhile the enemy had +marched to Hanover Court House, but being unable either to cross the +Pamunkey there or forestall me at the White House on the south side +of the river, he withdrew to Richmond without further effort to +impede my column.</p> + +<p>The hardships of this march far exceeded those of any previous +campaigns by the cavalry. Almost incessant rains had drenched us for +sixteen days and nights, and the swollen streams and well-nigh +bottomless roads east of Staunton presented grave difficulties on +every hand, but surmounting them all, we destroyed the enemy's means +of subsistence, in quantities beyond computation, and permanently +crippled the Virginia Central railroad, as well as the James River +canal, and as each day brought us nearer the Army of the Potomac, all +were filled with the comforting reflection that our work in the +Shenandoah Valley had been thoroughly done, and every one was buoyed +up by the cheering thought that we should soon take part in the final +struggle of the war.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb122"></a><img alt="pb122.jpg (276K)" src="images/pb122.jpg" height="875" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb122.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch5b"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>TRANSFERRED TO PETERSBURG—GENERAL RAWLINS CORDIAL WELCOME—GENERAL +GRANT'S ORDERS AND PLANS—A TRIP WITH MR. LINCOLN AND GENERAL +GRANT—MEETING GENERAL SHERMAN—OPPOSED TO JOINING THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE +—OPENING OF THE APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN—GENERAL GRANT AND GENERAL +RAWLINS.</p> + +<p>The transfer of my command from the Shenandoah Valley to the field of +operations in front of Petersburg was not anticipated by General +Grant; indeed, the despatch brought from Columbia by my scouts, +asking that supplies be sent me at the White House, was the first +word that reached him concerning the move. In view of my message the +general-in-chief decided to wait my arrival before beginning spring +operations with the investing troops south of the James River, for he +felt the importance of having my cavalry at hand in a campaign which +he was convinced would wind up the war. We remained a few days at +the White House resting and refitting the cavalry, a large amount of +shoeing being necessary; but nothing like enough horses were at hand +to replace those that had died or been disabled on the mud march from +Staunton to the Pamunkey River, so a good many of the men were still +without mounts, and all such were sent by boat to the dismounted camp +near City Point. When all was ready the column set out for Hancock +Station, a point on the military railroad in front of Petersburg, and +arriving there on the 27th of March, was in orders reunited with its +comrades of the Second Division, who had been serving with the Army +of the Potomac since we parted from them the previous August. +General Crook, who had been exchanged within a few days, was now in +command of this Second Division. The reunited corps was to enter +upon the campaign as a separate army, I reporting directly to General +Grant; the intention being thus to reward me for foregoing, of my own +choice, my position as a department commander by joining the armies +at Petersburg.</p> + +<p>Taking the road across the Peninsula, I started from the White House +with Merritt's column on the 25th of March and encamped that night at +Harrison's Landing. Very early next morning, in conformity with a +request from General Grant, I left by boat for City Point, Merritt +meanwhile conducting the column across the James River to the point +of rendezvous, The trip to City Point did not take long, and on +arrival at army headquarters the first person I met was General John +A. Rawlins, General Grant's chief-of-staff. Rawlins was a man of +strong likes and dislikes, and positive always both in speech and +action, exhibiting marked feelings when greeting any one, and on this +occasion met me with much warmth. His demonstrations of welcome +over, we held a few minutes' conversation about the coming campaign, +he taking strong ground against a part of the plan of operations +adopted, namely, that which contemplated my joining General Sherman's +army. His language was unequivocal and vehement, and when he was +through talking, he conducted me to General Grant's quarters, but he +himself did not enter.</p> + +<p>General Grant was never impulsive, and always met his officers in an +unceremonious way, with a quiet "How are you" soon putting one at his +ease, since the pleasant tone in which he spoke gave assurance of +welcome, although his manner was otherwise impassive. When the +ordinary greeting was over, he usually waited for his visitor to open +the conversation, so on this occasion I began by giving him the +details of my march from Winchester, my reasons for not joining +Sherman, as contemplated in my instructions, and the motives which +had influenced me to march to the White House. The other provision +of my orders on setting out from Winchester—the alternative return +to that place—was not touched upon, for the wisdom of having ignored +that was fully apparent. Commenting on this recital of my doings, +the General referred only to the tortuous course of my march from +Waynesboro' down, our sore trials, and the valuable services of the +scouts who had brought him tidings of me, closing with the remark +that it was, rare a department commander voluntarily deprived himself +of independence, and added that I should not suffer for it. Then +turning to the business for which he had called me to City Point, he +outlined what he expected me to do; saying that I was to cut loose +from the Army of the Potomac by passing its left flank to the +southward along the line of the Danville railroad, and after crossing +the Roanoke River, join General Sherman. While speaking, he handed +me a copy of a general letter of instructions that had been drawn up +for the army on the 24th. The letter contained these words +concerning the movements of my command:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"The cavalry under General Sheridan, joined by the division now under +General Davies, will move at the same time (29th inst.) by the Weldon +road and the Jerusalem plank-road, turning west from the latter +before crossing the Nottoway, and west with the whole column before +reaching Stony Creek. General Sheridan will then move independently +under other instructions which will be given him. All dismounted +cavalry belonging to the Army of the Potomac, and the dismounted +cavalry from the Middle Military Division not required for guarding +property belonging to their arm of the service, will report to +Brigadier-General Benham to be added to the defenses of City Point." +</blockquote> + +<p>When I had gone over the entire letter I showed plainly that I was +dissatisfied with it, for, coupled with what the General had outlined +orally, which I supposed was the "other instructions," I believed it +foreshadowed my junction with General Sherman. Rawlins thought so +too, as his vigorous language had left no room to doubt, so I +immediately began to offer my objections to the programme. These +were, that it would be bad policy to send me down to the Carolinas +with a part of the Army of the Potomac, to come back to crush Lee +after the destruction of General Johnston's army; such a course would +give rise to the charge that his own forces around Petersburg were +not equal to the task, and would seriously affect public opinion in +the North; that in fact my cavalry belonged to the Army of the +Potomac, which army was able unaided to destroy Lee, and I could not +but oppose any dispersion of its strength.</p> + +<p>All this was said in a somewhat emphatic manner, and when I had +finished he quietly told me that the portion of my instructions from +which I so strongly dissented was intended as a "blind" to cover any +check the army in its general move, to the left might meet with, and +prevent that element in the North which held that the war could be +ended only through negotiation, from charging defeat. The fact that +my cavalry was not to ultimately join Sherman was a great relief to +me, and after expressing the utmost confidence in the plans unfolded +for closing the war by directing every effort to the annihilation of +Lee's army, I left him to go to General Ingalls's quarters. On the +way I again met Rawlins, who, when I told him that General Grant had +intimated his intention to modify the written plan of operations so +far as regarded the cavalry, manifested the greatest satisfaction, +and I judged from this that the new view of the matter had not +previously been communicated to the chief-of-staff, though he must +have been acquainted of course with the programme made out on the +24th of March.</p> + +<p>Toward noon General Grant sent for me to accompany him up the river. +When I joined the General he informed me that the President was on +board the boat—the steamer Mary Martin. For some days Mr. Lincoln +had been at City Point, established on the steamer River Queen, +having come down from Washington to be nearer his generals, no doubt, +and also to be conveniently situated for the reception of tidings +from the front when operations began, for he could not endure the +delays in getting news to Washington. This trip up the James had +been projected by General Meade, but on account of demands at the +front he could not go, so the President, General Grant, and I +composed the party. We steamed up to where my cavalry was crossing +on the pontoon-bridge below the mouth of the Dutch Gap canal, and for +a little while watched the column as it was passing over the river, +the bright sunshine presaging good weather, but only to delude, as +was proved by the torrents of rain brought by the succeeding days of +March. On the trip the President was not very cheerful. In fact, he +was dejected, giving no indication of his usual means of diversion, +by which (his quaint stories) I had often heard he could find relief +from his cares. He spoke to me of the impending operations and asked +many questions, laying stress upon the one, "What would be the result +when the army moved out to the left, if the enemy should come down +and capture City Point?" the question being prompted, doubtless, by +the bold assault on our lines and capture of Fort Steadman two days +before by General Gordon. I answered that I did not think it at all +probable that General Lee would undertake such a desperate measure to +relieve the strait he was in; that General Hartranft's successful +check to Gordon had ended, I thought, attacks of such a character; +and in any event General Grant would give Lee all he could attend to +on the left. Mr. Lincoln said nothing about my proposed route of +march, and I doubt if he knew of my instructions, or was in +possession at most of more than a very general outline of the plan of +campaign. It was late when the Mary Martin returned to City Point, +and I spent the night there with General Ingalls.</p> + +<p>The morning of the 27th I went out to Hancock Station to look after +my troops and prepare for moving two days later. In the afternoon I +received a telegram from General Grant, saying: "General Sherman will +be here this evening to spend a few hours. I should like to have you +come down." Sherman's coming was a surprise—at least to me it +was—this despatch being my first intimation of his expected arrival. +Well knowing the zeal and emphasis with which General Sherman would +present his views, there again came into my mind many misgivings with +reference to the movement of the cavalry, and I made haste to start +for Grant's headquarters. I got off a little after 7 o'clock, taking +the rickety military railroad, the rails of which were laid on the +natural surface of the ground, with grading only here and there at +points of absolute necessity, and had not gone far when the +locomotive jumped the track. This delayed my arrival at City Point +till near midnight, but on repairing to the little cabin that +sheltered the general-in-chief, I found him and Sherman still up +talking over the problem whose solution was near at hand. As already +stated, thoughts as to the tenor of my instructions became uppermost +the moment I received the telegram in the afternoon, and they +continued to engross and disturb me all the way down the railroad, +for I feared that the telegram foreshadowed, under the propositions +Sherman would present, a more specific compliance with the written +instructions than General Grant had orally assured me would be +exacted.</p> + +<p>My entrance into the shanty suspended the conversation for a moment +only, and then General Sherman, without prelude, rehearsed his plans +for moving his army, pointing out with every detail how he would come +up through the Carolinas to join the troops besieging Petersburg and +Richmond, and intimating that my cavalry, after striking the +Southside and Danville railroads, could join him with ease. I made +no comments on the projects for moving, his own troops, but as soon +as opportunity offered, dissented emphatically from the proposition +to have me join the Army of the Tennessee, repeating in substance +what I had previously expressed to General Grant.</p> + +<p>My uneasiness made me somewhat too earnest, I fear, but General Grant +soon mollified me, and smoothed matters over by practically repeating +what he had told me in regard to this point at the close of our +interview the day before, so I pursued the subject no further. In a +little while the conference ended, and I again sought lodging at the +hospitable quarters of Ingalls.</p> + +<p>Very early the next morning, while I was still in bed, General +Sherman came to me and renewed the subject of my joining him, but +when he saw that I was unalterably opposed to it the conversation +turned into other channels, and after we had chatted awhile he +withdrew, and later in the day went up the river with the President, +General Grant, and Admiral Porter, I returning to my command at +Hancock Station, where my presence was needed to put my troops in +march next day.</p> + +<p>During the entire winter General Grant's lines fronting Petersburg +had extended south of the Appomattox River, practically from that +stream around to where the Vaughn road crosses Hatcher's Run, and +this was nearly the situation Wilien the cavalry concentrated at +Hancock Station, General Weitzel holding the line north of the +Appomattox, fronting Richmond and Bermuda Hundred.</p> + +<p>The instructions of the 24th of March contemplated that the campaign +should begin with the movement of Warren's corps (the Fifth) at +3 o'clock on the morning of the 29th, and Humphreys's (the Second) at +6; the rest of the infantry holding on in the trenches. The cavalry +was to move in conjunction with Warren and Humphreys, and make its +way out beyond our left as these corps opened the road.</p> + +<p>The night of the 28th I received the following additional +instructions, the general tenor of which again disturbed me, for +although I had been assured that I was not to join General Sherman, +it will be seen that the supplemental directions distinctly present +that alternative, and I therefore feared that during the trip up the +James River on the morning of the 28th General Grant had returned to +his original views:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, +<br>:City Point, Va., March 28, 1865. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL P. H. SHERIDAN: +<br> +<br>"The Fifth Army Corps will move by the Vaughn road at 3 A.M. +tomorrow morning. The Second moves at about 9 A.M., having but about +three miles to march to reach the point designated for it to take on +the right of the Fifth Corps, after the latter reaches Dinwiddie +Court House. +<br> +<br>"Move your cavalry at as early an hour as you can, and without being +confined to any particular road or roads. You may go out by the +nearest roads in rear of the Fifth Corps, pass by its left, and +passing near to or through Dinwiddie, reach the right and rear of the +enemy as soon as you can. It is not the intention to attack the +enemy in his intrenched position, but to force him out if possible. +Should he come out and attack us, or get himself where he can be +attacked, move in with your entire force in your own way, and with +the full reliance that the army will engage or follow the enemy, as +circumstances will dictate. I shall be on the field, and will +probably be able to communicate with you; should I not do so, and you +find that the enemy keeps within his main intrenched line, you may +cut loose and push for the Danville road. If you find it practicable +I would like you to cross the Southside road, between Petersburg and +Burkeville, and destroy it to some extent. I would not advise much +detention, however, until you reach the Danville road, which I would +like you to strike as near to the Appomattox as possible; make your +destruction of that road as complete as possible; you can then pass +on to the Southside road, west of Burkeville, and destroy that in +like manner. +<br> +<br>"After having accomplished the destruction of the two railroads, +which are now the only avenues of supply to Lee's army, you may +return to this army, selecting your road farther south, or you may go +on into North Carolina and join General Sherman. Should you select +the latter course, get the information to me as early as possible, so +that I may send orders to meet you at Goldsboro'. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General." +</blockquote> + +<p> +These instructions did not alter my line of march for the morrow, and +I trusted matters would so come about as not to require compliance +with those portions relative to the railroads and to joining Sherman; +so early on the 29th I moved my cavalry out toward Ream's Station on +the Weldon road, Devin commanding the First Division, with Colonels +Gibbs, Stagg, and Fitzhugh in charge of the brigades; the Third +Division under Custer, Colonels Wells, Capehart and Pennington being +the brigade commanders. These two divisions united were commanded by +Merritt, as they had been since leaving Winchester. Crook headed the +Second Division, his brigades being under General Davies and Colonels +John I. Gregg and Smith.</p> + +<p>Our general direction was westward, over such routes as could be +found, provided they did not embarrass the march of the infantry. +The roads, from the winter's frosts and rains, were in a frightful +state, and when it was sought to avoid a spot which the head of the +column had proved almost bottomless, the bogs and quicksands of the +adjoining fields demonstrated that to make a detour was to go from +bad to worse. In the face of these discouragements we floundered on, +however, crossing on the way a series of small streams swollen to +their banks. Crook and Devin reached the county-seat of Dinwiddie +about 5 o'clock in the evening, having encountered only a small +picket, that at once gave way to our advance. Merritt left Custer at +Malon's crossing of Rowanty Creek to care for the trains containing +our subsistence and the reserve ammunition, these being stuck in the +mire at, intervals all the way back to the Jerusalem plank-road; and +to make any headway at all with the trains, Custer's men often had to +unload the wagons and lift them out of the boggy places.</p> + +<p>Crook and Devin camped near Dinwiddie Court House in such manner as +to cover the Vaughn, Flatfoot, Boydton, and Five Forks roads; for, as +these all intersected at Dinwiddie, they offered a chance for the +enemy's approach toward the rear of the Fifth Corps, as Warren +extended to the left across the Boydton road. Any of these routes +leading to the south or west might also be the one on which, in +conformity with one part of my instructions, I was expected to get +out toward the Danville and Southside railroads, and the Five Forks +road would lead directly to General Lee's right flank, in case +opportunity was found to comply with the other part. The place was, +therefore, of great strategic value, and getting it without cost +repaid us for floundering through the mud.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="dinwiddie"></a><a name="pb419"></a><img alt="pb419.jpg (110K)" src="images/pb419.jpg" height="431" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb419.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Dinwiddie Court House, though a most important point in the campaign, +was far from attractive in feature, being made up of a half-dozen +unsightly houses, a ramshackle tavern propped up on two sides with +pine poles, and the weatherbeaten building that gave official name to +the cross-roads. We had no tents—there were none in the command—so +I took possession of the tavern for shelter for myself and staff, and +just as we had finished looking over its primitive interior a rain +storm set in.</p> + +<p>The wagon containing my mess equipment was back somewhere on the +road, hopelessly stuck in the mud, and hence we had nothing to eat +except some coffee which two young women living at the tavern kindly +made for us; a small quantity of the berry being furnished from the +haversacks of my escort. By the time we got the coffee, rain was +falling in sheets, and the evening bade fair to be a most dismal one; +but songs and choruses set up by some of my staff—the two young +women playing accompaniments on a battered piano—relieved the +situation and enlivened us a little. However, the dreary night +brought me one great comfort; for General Grant, who that day had +moved out to Gravelly Run, sent me instructions to abandon all idea +of the contemplated raid, and directed me to act in concert with the +infantry under his immediate command, to turn, if possible, the right +flank of Lee's army. The despatch made my mind easy with respect to +the objectionable feature of my original instructions, and of course +relieved me also from the anxiety growing out of the letter received +at Hancock Station the night of the 28th; so, notwithstanding the +suspicions excited by some of my staff concerning the Virginia +feather-bed that had been assigned me, I turned in at a late hour and +slept most soundly.</p> + +<p>The night of the 29th the left of General Grant's infantry—Warren's +corps—rested on the Boydton road, not far from its intersection with +the Quaker road. Humphreys's corps was next to Warren; then came +Ord, next Wright, and then Parke, with his right resting on the +Appomattox. The moving of Warren and Humphreys to the left during +the day was early discovered by General Lee. He met it by extending +the right of his infantry on the White Oak road, while drawing in the +cavalry of W. H. F. Lee and Rosser along the south bank of Stony +Creek to cover a crossroads called Five Forks, to anticipate me +there; for assuming that my command was moving in conjunction with +the infantry, with the ultimate purpose of striking the Southside +railroad, Lee made no effort to hold Dinwiddie, which he might have +done with his cavalry, and in this he made a fatal mistake. The +cavalry of Fitz. Lee was ordered at this same time from Sunderland +depot to Five Forks, and its chief placed in command of all the +mounted troops of General Lee's army.</p> + +<p>At daylight on the 30th I proceeded to make dispositions under the +new conditions imposed by my modified instructions, and directed +Merritt to push Devin out as far as the White Oak road to make a +reconnoissance to Five Forks, Crook being instructed to send Davies's +brigade to support Devin. Crook was to hold, with Gregg's brigade, +the Stony Creek crossing of the Boydton plank road, retaining Smith's +near Dinwiddie, for use in any direction required. On the 29th W. H. +F. Lee conformed the march of his cavalry with that of ours, but my +holding Stony Creek in this way forced him to make a detour west of +Chamberlin's Run, in order to get in communication with his friends +at Five Forks.</p> + +<p>The rain that had been falling all night gave no sign of stopping, +but kept pouring down all day long, and the swamps and quicksands +mired the horses, whether they marched in the roads or across the +adjacent fields. Undismayed, nevertheless, each column set out for +its appointed duty, but shortly after the troops began to move I +received from General Grant this despatch, which put a new phase on +matters:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, +<br>"GRAVELLY RUN, March 30, 1865. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN: +<br> +<br>"The heavy rain of to-day will make it impossible for us to do much +until it dries up a little, or we get roads around our rear repaired. +You may, therefore, leave what cavalry you deem necessary to protect +the left, and hold such positions as you deem necessary for that +purpose, and send the remainder back to Humphrey's Station where they +can get hay and grain. Fifty wagons loaded with forage will be sent +to you in the morning. Send an officer back to direct the wagons +back to where you want them. Report to me the cavalry you will leave +back, and the position you will occupy. Could not your cavalry go +back by the way of Stony Creek depot and destroy or capture the store +of supplies there? +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General." +<br> +</blockquote> + +<p> +When I had read and pondered this, I determined to ride over to +General Grant's headquarters on Gravelly Run, and get a clear idea of +what it was proposed to do, for it seemed to me that a suspension of +operations would be a serious mistake. Mounting a powerful gray +pacing horse called Breckenridge (from its capture from one of +Breckenridge's staff-officers at Missionary Ridge), and that I knew +would carry me through the mud, I set out accompanied by my Assistant +Adjutant-General, Colonel Frederick C. Newhall, and an escort of +about ten or fifteen men. At first we rode north up the Boydton +plank-road, and coming upon our infantry pickets from a direction +where the enemy was expected to appear, they began to fire upon us, +but seeing from our actions that we were friends, they ceased, and +permitted us to pass the outposts. We then struggled on in a +northeasterly direction across-country, till we struck the Vaughn +road. This carried us to army headquarters, which were established +south of Gravelly Run in an old cornfield. I rode to within a few +yards of the front of General Grant's tent, my horse plunging at +every step almost to his knees in the mud, and dismounted near a +camp-fire, apparently a general one, for all the staff-officers were +standing around it on boards and rails placed here and there to keep +them from sinking into the mire.</p> + +<p>Going directly to General Grant's tent, I found him and Rawlins +talking over the question of suspending operations till the weather +should improve. No orders about the matter had been issued yet, +except the despatch to me, and Rawlins, being strongly opposed to the +proposition, was frankly expostulating with General Grant, who, after +greeting me, remarked, in his quiet way: "Well, Rawlins, I think you +had better take command." Seeing that there was a difference up +between Rawlins and his chief, I made the excuse of being wet and +cold, and went outside to the fire. Here General Ingalls met me and +took me to his tent, where I was much more comfortable than when +standing outside, and where a few minutes later we were joined by +General Grant. Ingalls then retired, and General Grant began talking +of our fearful plight, resulting from the rains and mud, and saying +that because of this it seemed necessary to suspend operations. I at +once begged him not to do so, telling him that my cavalry was already +on the move in spite of the difficulties, and that although a +suspension of operations would not be fatal, yet it would give rise +to the very charge of disaster to which he had referred at City +Point, and, moreover, that we would surely be ridiculed, just as +General Burnside's army was after the mud march of 1863. His better +judgment was against suspending operations, but the proposition had +been suggested by all sorts of complaints as to the impossibility of +moving the trains and the like, so it needed little argument to +convince him, and without further discussion he said, in that manner +which with him meant a firmness of purpose that could not be changed +by further complainings, "We will go on." I then told him that I +believed I could break in the enemy's right if he would let me have +the Sixth Corps; but saying that the condition of the roads would +prevent the movement of infantry, he replied that I would have to +seize Five Forks with the cavalry alone.</p> + +<p>On my way back to Dinwiddie I stopped at the headquarters of General +Warren, but the General being asleep, I went to the tent of one of +his staff-officers. Colonel William T. Gentry, an old personal +friend with whom I had served in Oregon. In a few minutes Warren +came in and we had a short conversation, he speaking rather +despondently of the outlook, being influenced no doubt by the +depressing weather.</p> + +<p>From Warren's headquarters I returned, by the Boydton road to +Dinwiddie Court House, fording Gravelly Run with ease. When I got as +far as the Dabney road I sent Colonel Newhall out on it toward Five +Forks, with orders for Merritt to develop the enemy's position and +strength, and then rode on to Dinwiddie to endeavor to get all my +other troops up. Merritt was halted at the intersection of the Five +Forks and Gravelly Church roads when Newhall delivered the orders, +and in compliance moving out Gibbs's brigade promptly, sharp +skirmishing was brought on, Gibbs driving the Confederates to Five +Forks, where he found them behind a line of breastworks running along +the White Oak road. The reconnoissance demonstrating the intention +of the enemy to hold this point, Gibbs was withdrawn.</p> + +<p>That evening, at 7 o'clock, I reported the position of the +Confederate cavalry, and stated that it had been reinforced by +Pickett's division of infantry. On receipt of this despatch, General +Grant offered me the Fifth Corps, but I declined to take it, and +again asked for the Sixth, saying that with it I believed I could +turn the enemy (Pickett's) left, or break through his lines. The +morning of the 31st General Grant replied the the Sixth Corps could +not be taken from its position in the line, and offered me the +Second; but in the mean time circumstances had changed, and no corps +was ordered.</p> + + +<br><br> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p3.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p5.htm">Next Part</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +</body> +</html> + |