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diff --git a/old/orig4362-h/p3.htm b/old/orig4362-h/p3.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..974111c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig4362-h/p3.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4858 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>MEMOIRS OF GENERAL SHERIDAN, Vol. I., Part. 3</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="p2.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p4.htm">Next Part</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + + +<br><br> + +<center><h1>PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF + +<br>P. H. SHERIDAN</h1></center> + + +<br><br> + + <h2>VOLUME I.</h2> + + <h3>Part 3</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> + +<center><img alt="Titlepage.jpg (28K)" src="images/Titlepage.jpg" height="1039" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br> + +<a name="Frontpiece"></a> +<br><br> + +<center><img alt="Frontpiece.jpg (70K)" src="images/Frontpiece.jpg" height="1007" width="541"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + +<a href="#ch16">CHAPTER XVI</a><br> +At Chattanooga—The Enemy Fortifies Lookout Mountain <br> +and Missionary Ridge—Reorganizing the Army <br> +—Removal of General Rosecrans—Punishment of <br> +Deserters—Grant at Chattanooga—The Fight on <br> +Lookout Mountain—A Brave Color-Bearer<br> +—Battle of Missionary Ridge<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch17">CHAPTER XVII.</a><br> +Ordered to Return to Chattanooga—March to Knoxville <br> +—Collecting Subsistence Stores—A Clever Stratagem<br> +—A Bridge of Wagons—Looking Out for the Personal <br> +Comfort of the Soldiers—A Leave of Absence<br> +—Ordered to Washington—Parting with Sheridan's Division<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch18">CHAPTER XVIII.</a><br> +At Washington—Meeting Secretary Stanton—Interview <br> +with President Lincoln—Made Commander of the <br> +Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac<br> +—Its Officers—General 'Meade's Method of Using <br> +Cavalry—Opening of the Campaign—Spottsylvania <br> +Court House—A Difference with General Meade <br> +—Preparing to Fight Stuart's Cavalry<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch19">CHAPTER XIX.</a><br> +The Expedition Starts—Destroying Supplies—Opening <br> +of the Fight at Yellow Tavern—General Custer's <br> +Brilliant Charge—Death of General Stuart—Removing <br> +Torpedoes—Excitement in Richmond—A Night March <br> +—Enterprising Newsboys—The Effects of Stuart's <br> +Defeat and Death—End of the First Expedition <br> +—Its Great Success and Beneficial Results<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch20">CHAPTER XX.</a><br> +General Wilson's Advance Toward Hanover Court <br> +House—Crossing the Pamunkey—Engagement of <br> +Hawe's Shop—Fight at Matadequin Creek—Capture <br> +of Cold Harbor—The Fight to Retain the <br> +Place—Movements of General Wilson<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch21">CHAPTER XXI.</a><br> +The Movement to the James—The Second Expedition <br> +—Battle of Trevillian Station—Defeat of General <br> +Wade Hampton—Mallory's Crossroads—Suffering of <br> +the Wounded—Securing the Trains—General Gregg's <br> +Stubborn Fight<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch22">CHAPTER XXII.</a><br> +General Wilson's Raid—Destroying Railroads<br> +—His Discomfiture—Results of his Raid—Remounts<br> +—Movement to the North Side of the James<br> +—Deceiving Lee—My Isolated Position—Estimate <br> +of Hancock—Success of the Cavalry—Their Constant <br> +Duties<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch23">CHAPTER XXIII.</a><br> +General Hunter's Successful March and Subsequent <br> +Retreat—General Jubal A. Early Threatens Washington<br> +—Chambersburg, Pa., Burned—Selected to Operate <br> +Against General Early—The Shenandoah Valley<br> +—The Confederate Army<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch24">CHAPTER XXIV.</a><br> +Moving on General Early—General Grant's Letter of <br> +Instructions—Destroying the Resources of the Valley<br> +—Reason for the Destruction—Withdrawal to Halltown<br> +—Alarm in the North over the Retrograde Movement<br> +—Renewing the Advance up the Valley—General <br> +Anderson's Attempt to Return to Petersburg<br> +—Strength of the Armies<br> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + +<br> +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS. </h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + + + +<a href="#Frontpiece">Steel Portrait—General P. H. Sheridan</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#gregg">Portrait of General D. McM. Gregg</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#torbert">Portrait of General A. T. A. Torbert</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#merritt">Portrait of General Wesley Merritt</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#custer">Portrait of General George A. Custer</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#sheridan2">Portrait of General Sheridan During the War</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#wilson">Portrait of General James H. Wilson</a><br><br /> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +<br> +<h2> +LIST OF MAPS.</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + + +<a href="#p317">Positions of General Sheridan's Division prior to the <br> +Attack on Missionary Ridge</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#p391">First Expedition—The Richmond Raid</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#p433">Second Expedition—The Trevillian Raid</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#p443">Third Expedition—Raid to Roanoke Station</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#p446">General Map, Embracing all the Expeditions</a> <br><br /> +<a href="#p470">Map of the Shenandoah Valley</a> <br><br /> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><h2>VOLUME I.</h2></center> + +<br> + +<h2>Part 3</h2> + +<br> +<center><h3>By Philip Henry Sheridan</h3></center> +<br><br> + + + + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch16"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AT CHATTANOOGA—THE ENEMY FORTIFIES LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY +RIDGE—REORGANIZING THE ARMY—REMOVAL OF GENERAL +ROSECRANS—PUNISHMENT OF DESERTERS—GRANT AT CHATTANOOGA—THE FIGHT ON LOOKOUT +MOUNTAIN—A BRAVE COLOR-BEARER—BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE.</p> + +<p>By 9 o'clock on the morning of September 22 my command took up a +position within the heavy line of intrenchments at Chattanooga, the +greater part of which defenses had been thrown up since the army +commenced arriving there the day before. The enemy, having now +somewhat recovered from the shock of the recent battle, followed +carefully, and soon invested us close into our lines with a parallel +system of rifle-pits. He also began at once to erect permanent lines +of earthworks on Missionary Ridge and to establish himself strongly +on Lookout Mountain. He then sent Wheeler's cavalry north of the +Tennessee, and, aided greatly by the configuration of the ground, +held us in a state of partial siege, which serious rains might +convert into a complete investment. The occupation of Lookout +Mountain broke our direct communication with Bridgeport-our +sub-depot—and forced us to bring supplies by way of the Sequatchie +Valley and Waldron's Ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, over a road +most difficult even in the summer season, but now liable to be +rendered impassable by autumn rains. The distance to Bridgeport by +this circuitous route was sixty miles, and the numerous passes, +coves, and small valleys through which the road ran offered tempting +opportunities, for the destruction of trains, and the enemy was not +slow to take advantage of them. Indeed, the situation was not +promising, and General Rosecrans himself, in communicating with the +President the day succeeding the battle of Chickamauga, expressed +doubts of his ability to hold the gateway of the Cumberland +Mountains.</p> + +<p>The position taken up by my troops inside the lines of Chattanooga +was near the old iron-works, under the shadow of Lookout Mountain. +Here we were exposed to a continual fire from the enemy's batteries +for many days, but as the men were well covered by secure though +simple intrenchments, but little damage was done. My own +headquarters were established on the grounds of Mr. William +Crutchfield, a resident of the place, whose devotion to the Union +cause knew no bounds, and who rendered me—and, in fact, at one time +or another, nearly every general officer in the Army of the +Cumberland—invaluable service in the way of information about the +Confederate army. My headquarters camp frequently received shots +from the point of Lookout Mountain also, but fortunately no +casualties resulted from this plunging fire, though, I am free to +confess, at first our nerves were often upset by the whirring of +twenty-pounder shells dropped inconsiderately into our camp at +untimely hours of the night.</p> + +<p>In a few days rain began to fali, and the mountain roads by which our +supplies came were fast growing impracticable. Each succeeding train +of wagons took longer to make the trip from Bridgeport, and the draft +mules were dying by the hundreds. The artillery horses would soon go +too, and there was every prospect that later the troops would starve +unless something could be done. Luckily for my division, a company +of the Second Kentucky Cavalry had attached itself to my +headquarters, and, though there without authority, had been left +undisturbed in view of a coming reorganization of the army incidental +to the removal of McCook and Crittenden from the command of their +respective corps, a measure that had been determined upon immediately +after the battle of Chickamauga. Desiring to remain with me, Captain +Lowell H. Thickstun, commanding this company, was ready for any duty +I might find, for him, so I ordered him into the Sequatchie Valley +for the purpose of collecting supplies for my troops, and sent my +scout, Card along to guide him to the best locations. The company +hid itself away in a deep cove in the upper end of the valley, and by +keeping very quiet and paying for everything it took from the people, +in a few days was enabled to send me large quantities of corn for my +animals and food for the officers and men, which greatly supplemented +the scanty supplies we were getting from the sub-depot at Bridgeport. +In this way I carried men and animals through our beleaguerment in +pretty fair condition, and of the turkeys, chickens, ducks, and eggs +sent in for the messes of my officers we often had enough to divide +liberally among those at different headquarters. Wheeler's cavalry +never discovered my detached company, yet the chances of its capture +were not small, sometimes giving much uneasiness; still, I concluded +it was better to run all risks than to let the horses die of +starvation in Chattanooga. Later, after the battle of Missionary +Ridge, when I started to Knoxville, the company joined me in +excellent shape, bringing with it an abundance of food, including a +small herd of beef cattle.</p> + +<p>The whole time my line remained near the iron-mills the shelling from +Lookout was kept up, the screeching shots inquisitively asking in +their well-known way, "Where are you? Where are you?" but it is +strange to see how readily, soldiers can become accustomed to the +sound of dangerous missiles under circumstances of familiarity, and +this case was no exception to the rule. Few casualties occurred, and +soon contempt took the place of nervousness, and as we could not +reply in kind on account of the elevation required for our guns, the +men responded by jeers and imprecations whenever a shell fell into +their camp.</p> + +<p>Meantime, orders having been issued for the organization of the army, +additional troops were attached to my command, and it became the +Second Division of the Fourth Army Corps, to which Major-General +Gordon Granger was assigned as commander. This necessitated a change +of position of the division, and I moved to ground behind our works, +with my right resting on Fort Negley and my left extending well over +toward Fort Wood, my front being parallel to Missionary Ridge. My +division was now composed of twenty-five regiments, classified into +brigades and demi-brigades, the former commanded by Brigadier-General +G. D. Wagner, Colonel C. G. Harker, and Colonel F. T. Sherman; the +latter, by Colonels Laiboldt, Miller, Wood, Walworth, and Opdyke. +The demi-brigade was an awkward invention of Granger's; but at this +time it was necessitated—perhaps by the depleted condition of our +regiments, which compelled the massing of a great number of +regimental organizations into a division to give it weight and force.</p> + +<p>On October 16, 1863, General Grant had been assigned to the command +of the "Military Division of the Mississippi," a geographical area +which embraced the Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the +Tennessee, thus effecting a consolidation of divided commands which +might have been introduced most profitably at an earlier date. The +same order that assigned General Grant relieved General Rosecrans, +and placed General Thomas in command of the Army of the Cumberland. +At the time of the reception of the order, Rosecrans was busy with +preparations for a movement to open the direct road to +Bridgeport—having received in the interval, since we came back to Chattanooga, +considerable reinforcement by the arrival in his department of the +Eleventh and Twelfth corps, under General Hooker, from the Army of +the Potomac. With this force Rosecrans had already strengthened +certain important points on the railroad between Nashville and +Stevenson, and given orders to Hooker to concentrate at Bridgeport +such portions of his command as were available, and to hold them in +readiness to advance toward Chattanooga.</p> + +<p>On the 19th of October, after turning the command over to Thomas, +General Rosecrans quietly slipped away from the army. He submitted +uncomplainingly to his removal, and modestly left us without fuss or +demonstration; ever maintaining, though, that the battle of +Chickamauga was in effect a victory, as it had ensured us, he said, +the retention of Chattanooga. When his departure became known deep +and almost universal regret was expressed, for he was +enthusiastically esteemed and loved by the Army of the Cumberland, +from the day he assumed command of it until he left it, +notwithstanding the censure poured upon him after the battle of +Chickamauga.</p> + +<p>The new position to which my division had been moved, in consequence +of the reorganization, required little additional labor to strengthen +it, and the routine of fatigue duty and drills was continued as +before, its monotony occasionally broken by the excitement of an +expected attack, or by amusements of various kinds that were +calculated to keep the men in good spirits. Toward this result much +was contributed by Mr. James E. Murdock, the actor, who came down +from the North to recover the body of his son, killed at Chickamauga, +and was quartered with me for the greater part of the time he was +obliged to await the successful conclusion of his sad mission. He +spent days, and even weeks, going about through the division giving +recitations before the camp-fires, and in improvised chapels, which +the men had constructed from refuse lumber and canvas. Suiting his +selections to the occasion, he never failed to excite intense +interest in the breasts of all present, and when circumstances +finally separated him from us, all felt that a debt of gratitude was +due him that could never be paid. The pleasure he gave, and the +confident feeling that was now arising from expected reinforcements, +was darkened, however, by one sad incident. Three men of my division +had deserted their colors at the beginning of the siege and made +their way north. They were soon arrested, and were brought back to +stand trial for the worst offense that can be committed by a soldier, +convicted of the crime, and ordered to be shot. To make the example +effective I paraded the whole division for the execution, and on the +13th of November, in the presence of their former comrades, the +culprits were sent, in accordance with the terms of their sentence, +to render their account to the Almighty. It was the saddest +spectacle I ever witnessed, but there could be no evasion, no +mitigation of the full letter of the law; its timely enforcement was +but justice to the brave spirits who had yet to fight the rebellion +to the end.</p> + +<p>General Grant arrived at Chattanooga on October 23, and began at once +to carry out the plans that had been formed for opening the shorter +or river road to Bridgeport. This object was successfully +accomplished by the moving of Hooker's command to Rankin's and +Brown's ferries in concert with a force from the Army of the +Cumberland which was directed on the same points, so by the 27th of +October direct communication with our depots was established. The +four weeks which followed this cheering result were busy with the +work of refitting and preparing for offensive operations as soon as +General Sherman should reach us with his troops from West Tennessee. +During this period of activity the enemy committed the serious fault +of detaching Longstreet's corps—sending it to aid in the siege of +Knoxville in East Tennessee—an error which has no justification +whatever, unless it be based on the presumption that it was +absolutely necessary that Longstreet should ultimately rejoin Lee's +army in Virginia by way of Knoxville and Lynchburg, with a chance of +picking up Burnside en route. Thus depleted, Bragg still held +Missionary Ridge in strong force, but that part of his line which +extended across the intervening valley to the northerly point of. +Lookout Mountain was much attenuated.</p> + +<p>By the 18th of November General Grant had issued instructions +covering his intended operations. They contemplated that Sherman's +column, which was arriving by the north bank of the Tennessee, should +cross the river on a pontoon bridge just below the mouth of +Chickamauga Creek and carry the northern extremity of Missionary +Ridge as far as the railroad tunnel; that the Army of the +Cumberland—the centre—should co-operate with Sherman; and that Hooker with a +mixed command should continue to hold Lookout Valley and operate on +our extreme right as circumstances might warrant. Sherman crossed on +the 24th to perform his alloted part of the programme, but in the +meantime Grant becoming impressed with the idea that Bragg was +endeavoring to get away, ordered Thomas to make a strong +demonstration in his front, to determine the truth or falsity of the +information that had been received. This task fell to the Fourth +Corps, and at 12 o'clock on the 23d I was notified that Wood's +division would make a reconnoissance to an elevated point in its +front called Orchard Knob, and that I was to support it with my +division and prevent Wood's right flank from being turned by an +advance of the enemy on Moore's road or from the direction of +Rossville. For this duty I marched my division out of the works +about 2 p.m., and took up a position on Bushy Knob. Shortly after we +reached this point Wood's division passed my left flank on its +reconnoissance, and my command, moving in support of it, drove in the +enemy's picket-line. Wood's took possession of Orchard Knob easily, +and mine was halted on a low ridge to the right of the Knob, where I +was directed by General Thomas to cover my front by a strong line of +rifle-pits, and to put in position two batteries of the Fourth +regular artillery that had joined me from the Eleventh Corps. After +dark Wood began to feel uneasy about his right flank, for a gap +existed between it and my left, so I moved in closer to him, taking +up a line where I remained inactive till the 25th, but suffering some +inconvenience from the enemy's shells.</p> + +<p>On the 24th General Sherman made an attack for the purpose of +carrying the north end of Missionary Ridge. His success was not +complete, although at the time it was reported throughout the army to +be so. It had the effect of disconcerting Bragg, however, and caused +him to strengthen his right by withdrawing troops from his left, +which circumstance led Hooker to advance on the northerly face of +Lookout Mountain. At first, with good glasses, we could plainly see +Hooker's troops driving the Confederates up the face of the mountain. +All were soon lost to view in the dense timber, but emerged again on +the open ground, across which the Confederates retreated at a lively +pace, followed by the pursuing line, which was led by a color-bearer, +who, far in advance, was bravely waving on his comrades. The +gallantry of this man elicited much enthusiasm among us all, but as +he was a considerable distance ahead of his comrades I expected to +see his rashness punished at any moment by death or capture. He +finally got quite near the retreating Confederates, when suddenly +they made a dash at him, but he was fully alive to such a move, and +ran back, apparently uninjured, to his friends. About this time a +small squad of men reached the top of Lookout and planted the Stars +and Stripes on its very crest. Just then a cloud settled down on the +mountain, and a heavy bank of fog obscured its whole face.</p> + +<p>After the view was lost the sharp rattle of musketry continued some +time, but practically the fight had been already won by Hooker's men, +the enemy only holding on with a rear-guard to assure his retreat +across Chattanooga Valley to Missionary Ridge. Later we heard very +heavy cannonading, and fearing that Hooker was in trouble I sent a +staff-officer to find out whether he needed assistance, which I +thought could be given by a demonstration toward Rossville. The +officer soon returned with the report that Hooker was all right, that +the cannonading was only a part of a little rear-guard fight, two +sections of artillery making all the noise, the reverberations from +point to point in the adjacent mountains echoing and reechoing till +it seemed that at least fifty guns were engaged.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 25th of November Bragg's entire army was +holding only the line of Missionary Ridge, and our troops, being now +practically connected from Sherman to Hooker, confronted it with the +Army of the Cumberland in the centre—bowed out along the front of +Wood's division and mine. Early in the day Sherman, with great +determination and persistence, made an attempt to carry the high +ground near the tunnel, first gaining and then losing advantage, but +his attack was not crowned with the success anticipated. Meanwhile +Hooker and Palmer were swinging across Chattanooga Valley, using me +as a pivot for the purpose of crossing Missionary Ridge in the +neighborhood of Rossville. In the early part of the day I had driven +in the Confederate pickets in my front, so as to prolong my line of +battle on that of Wood, the necessity of continuing to refuse my +right having been obviated by the capture of Lookout Mountain and the +advance of Palmer.</p> + +<p>About 2 o'clock orders came to carry the line at the foot of the +ridge, attacking at a signal of six guns. I had few changes or new +dispositions to make. Wagner's brigade, which was next to Wood's +division, was formed in double lines, and Harker's brigade took the +same formation on Wagner's right. Colonel F. T. Sherman's brigade +came on Harker's right, formed in a column of attack, with a front of +three regiments, he having nine. My whole front was covered with a +heavy line of skirmishers. These dispositions made, my right rested +a little distance south of Moore's road, my left joined Wood over +toward Orchard Knob, while my centre was opposite Thurman's +house—the headquarters of General Bragg—on Missionary Ridge. A small +stream of water ran parallel to my front, as far as which the ground +was covered by a thin patch of timber, and beyond the edge of the +timber was an open plain to the foot of Missionary Ridge, varying in +width from four to nine hundred yards. At the foot of the ridge was +the enemy's first line of rifle-pits; at a point midway up its face, +another line, incomplete; and on the crest was a third line, in which +Bragg had massed his artillery.</p> + +<p>The enemy saw we were making dispositions for an attack, and in plain +view of my whole division he prepared himself for resistance, +marching regiments from his left flank with flying colors; and +filling up the spaces not already occupied in his intrenchments. +Seeing the enemy thus strengthening himself, it was plain that we +would have to act quickly if we expected to accomplish much, and I +already began to doubt the feasibility of our remaining in the first +line of rifle-pits when we should have carried them. I discussed the +order with Wagner, Harker, and Sherman, and they were similarly +impressed, so while anxiously awaiting the signal I sent Captain +Ransom of my staff to Granger, who was at Fort Wood, to ascertain if +we were to carry the first line or the ridge beyond. Shortly after +Ransom started the signal guns were fired, and I told my brigade +commanders to go for the ridge.</p> + +<p>Placing myself in front of Harker's brigade, between the line of +battle and the skirmishers, accompanied by only an orderly so as not +to attract the enemy's fire, we moved out. Under a terrible storm of +shot and shell the line pressed forward steadily through the timber, +and as it emerged on the plain took the double-quick and with fixed +bayonets rushed at the enemy's first line. Not a shot was fired from +our line of battle, and as it gained on my skirmishers they melted +into and became one with it, and all three of my brigades went over +the rifle-pits simultaneously. They then lay down on the face of the +ridge, for a breathing-spell and for protection' from the terrible +fire, of canister and musketry pouring over us from the guns on the +crest. At the rifle-pits there had been little use for the bayonet, +for most of the Confederate troops, disconcerted by the sudden rush, +lay close in the ditch and surrendered, though some few fled up the +slope to the next line. The prisoners were directed to move out to +our rear, and as their intrenchments had now come under fire from the +crest, they went with alacrity, and without guard or escort, toward +Chattanooga.</p> + +<p>After a short pause to get breath the ascent of the ridge began, and +I rode, into the ditch of the intrenchments to drive out a few +skulkers who were hiding there. Just at this time I was joined by +Captain Ransom, who, having returned from Granger, told me that we +were to carry only the line at the base, and that in coming back, +when he struck the left of the division, knowing this interpretation +of the order, he in his capacity as an aide-de-camp had directed +Wagner, who was up on the face of the ridge, to return, and that in +consequence Wagner was recalling his men to the base. I could not +bear to order the recall of troops now so gallantly climbing the hill +step by step, and believing we could take it, I immediately rode to +Wagner's brigade and directed it to resume the attack. In the +meantime Harker's and F. T. Sherman's troops were approaching the +partial line of works midway of the ridge, and as I returned to the +centre of their rear, they were being led by many stands of +regimental colors. There seemed to be a rivalry as to which color +should be farthest to the front; first one would go forward a few +feet, then another would come up to it, the color-bearers vying with +one another as to who should be foremost, until finally every +standard was planted on the intermediate works. The enemy's fire +from the crest during the ascent was terrific in the noise made, but +as it was plunging, it over-shot and had little effect on those above +the second line of pits, but was very uncomfortable for those below, +so I deemed it advisable to seek another place, and Wagner's brigade +having reassembled and again pressed up the ridge, I rode up the face +to join my troops.</p> + +<p>As soon as the men saw me, they surged forward and went over the +works on the crest. The parapet of the intrenchment was too high for +my horse to jump, so, riding a short distance to the left, I entered +through a low place in the line. A few Confederates were found +inside, but they turned the butts of their muskets toward me in token +of surrender, for our men were now passing beyond them on both their +flanks.</p> + +<p>The right and right centre of my division gained the summit first, +they being partially sheltered by a depression in the face of the +ridge, the Confederates in their immediate front fleeing down the +southern face. When I crossed the rifle-pits on the top the +Confederates were still holding fast at Bragg's headquarters, and a +battery located there opened fire along the crest; making things most +uncomfortably hot. Seeing the danger to which I was exposed, for I +was mounted, Colonel Joseph Conrad, of the Fifteenth Missouri, ran up +and begged me to dismount. I accepted his excellent advice, and it +probably saved my life; but poor Conrad was punished for his +solicitude by being seriously wounded in the thigh at the moment he +was thus contributing to my safety.</p> + +<p>Wildly cheering, the men advanced along the ridge toward Bragg's +headquarters, and soon drove the Confederates from this last +position, capturing a number of prisoners, among them Breckenridge's +and Bates's adjutant-generals, and the battery that had made such +stout resistance on the crest-two guns which were named "Lady +Breckenridge" and "Lady Buckner" General Bragg himself having barely +time to escape before his headquarters were taken.</p> + +<p>My whole division had now reached the summit, and Wagner and +Harker—the latter slightly wounded—joined me as I was standing in the +battery just secured. The enemy was rapidly retiring, and though +many of his troops, with disorganized wagon-trains and several pieces +of artillery, could be distinctly seen in much confusion about half a +mile distant in the valley below, yet he was covering them with a +pretty well organized line that continued to give us a desultory +fire. Seeing this, I at once directed Wagner and Harker to take up +the pursuit along Moore's road, which led to Chickamauga +Station—Bragg's depot of supply—and as they progressed, I pushed Sherman's +brigade along the road behind them. Wagner and Harker soon overtook +the rearguard, and a slight skirmish caused it to break, permitting +nine guns and a large number of wagons which were endeavoring to get +away in the stampede to fall into our hands.</p> + +<p>About a mile and a half beyond Missionary Ridge, Moore's road passed +over a second ridge or high range of hills, and here the enemy had +determined to make a stand for that purpose, posting eight pieces of +artillery with such supporting force as he could rally. He was +immediately attacked by Harker and Wagner, but the position was +strong, the ridge being rugged and difficult of ascent, and after the +first onset our men recoiled. A staff-officer from Colonel Wood's +demi-brigade informing me at this juncture that that command was too +weak to carry the position in its front, I ordered the Fifteenth +Indiana and the Twenty-Sixth Ohio to advance to Wood's aid, and then +hastening to the front I found his men clinging to the face of the +ridge, contending stubbornly with the rear-guard of the enemy. +Directing Harker to put Opdyke's demi-brigade in on the right, I +informed Wagner that it was necessary to flank the enemy by carrying +the high bluff on our left where the ridge terminated, that I had +designated the Twenty-Sixth Ohio and Fifteenth Indiana for the work, +and that I wished him to join them.</p> + +<p>It was now dusk, but the two regiments engaged in the flanking +movement pushed on to gain the bluff. Just as they reached the crest +of the ridge the moon rose from behind, enlarged by the refraction of +the atmosphere, and as the attacking column passed along the summit +it crossed the moon's disk and disclosed to us below a most +interesting panorama, every figure nearly being thrown out in full +relief. The enemy, now outflanked on left and right, abandoned his +ground, leaving us two pieces of artillery and a number of wagons. +After this ridge was captured I found that no other troops than mine +were pursuing the enemy, so I called a halt lest I might become too +much isolated. Having previously studied the topography of the +country thoroughly, I knew that if I pressed on my line of march +would carry me back to Chickamauga station, where we would be in rear +of the Confederates that had been fighting General Sherman, and that +there was a possibility of capturing them by such action; but I did +not feel warranted in marching there alone, so I rode back to +Missionary Ridge to ask for more troops, and upon arriving there I +found Granger in command, General Thomas having gone back to +Chattanooga.</p> + +<p>Granger was at Braggy's late headquarters in bed. I informed him of +my situation and implored him to follow me up with the Army of the +Cumberland, but he declined, saying that he thought we had done well +enough. I still insisting, he told me finally to push on to the +crossing of Chickamauga Creek, and if I, encountered the enemy he +would order troops to my support. I returned to my division about +12 o'clock at night, got it under way, and reached the crossing, +about half a mile from the station, at 2 o'clock on the morning of +the 26th, and there found the bridge destroyed, but that the creek +was fordable. I did not encounter the enemy in any force, but feared +to go farther without assistance. This I thought I might bring up by +practicing a little deception, so I caused two regiments to simulate +an engagement by opening fire, hoping that this would alarm Granger +and oblige him to respond with troops, but my scheme failed. General +Granger afterward told me that he had heard the volleys, but +suspected their purpose, knowing that they were not occasioned by a +fight, since they were too regular in their delivery.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p317"></a><img alt="p317.jpg (69K)" src="images/p317.jpg" height="924" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>I was much disappointed that my pursuit had not been supported, for I +felt that great results were in store for us should the enemy be +vigorously followed. Had the troops under Granger's command been +pushed out with mine when Missionary Ridge was gained, we could have +reached Chickamauga Station by 12 o'clock the night of the 25th; or +had they been sent even later, when I called for them, we could have +got there by daylight and worked incalculable danger to the +Confederates, for the force that had confronted Sherman did not pass +Chickamauga Station in their retreat till after daylight on the +morning of the 26th.</p> + +<p>My course in following so close was dictated by a thorough knowledge +of the topography of the country and a familiarity with its roads, +bypaths, and farm-houses, gained with the assistance of Mr. +Crutchfield; and sure my column was heading in the right direction, +though night had fallen I thought that an active pursuit would almost +certainly complete the destruction of Bragg's army. When General +Grant came by my bivouac at the crossing of Chickamauga Creek on the +26th, he realized what might have been accomplished had the +successful assault on Missionary Ridge been supplemented by vigorous +efforts on the part of some high officers, who were more interested +in gleaning that portion of the battle-field over which my command +had passed than in destroying a panic-stricken enemy.</p> + +<p>Although it cannot be said that the result of the two days' +operations was reached by the methods which General Grant had +indicated in his instructions preceding the battle, yet the general +outcome was unquestionably due to his genius, for the manoeuvring of +Sherman's and Hooker's commands created the opportunity for Thomas's +corps of the Army of the Cumberland to carry the ridge at the centre. +In directing Sherman to attack the north end of the ridge, Grant +disconcerted Bragg—who was thus made to fear the loss of his depot +of supplies at Chickamauga Station—and compelled him to resist +stoutly; and stout resistance to Sherman meant the withdrawal of the +Confederates from Lookout Mountain. While this attack was in process +of execution advantage was taken of it by Hooker in a well-planned +and well-fought battle, but to my mind an unnecessary one, for our +possession of Lookout was the inevitable result that must follow from +Sherman's threatening attitude. The assault on Missionary Ridge by +Granger's and Palmer's corps was not premeditated by Grant, he +directing only the line at its base to be carried, but when this fell +into our hands the situation demanded our getting the one at the top +also.</p> + +<p>I took into the action an effective force of 6,000, and lost 123 +officers and 1,181 men killed and wounded. These casualties speak +louder than words of the character of the fight, and plainly tell +where the enemy struggled most stubbornly for these figures comprise +one-third the casualties of the entire body of Union +troops—Sherman's and all included. My division captured 1,762 prisoners +and, in all, seventeen pieces of artillery. Six of these guns I +turned over with caissons complete; eleven were hauled off the field +and appropriated by an officer of high rank—General Hazen. I have +no disposition to renew the controversy which grew out of this +matter. At the time the occurrence took place I made the charge in a +plain official report, which was accepted as correct by the corps and +army commanders, from General Granger up to General Grant. General +Hazen took no notice of this report then, though well aware of its +existence. Nearly a quarter of a century later, however, he +endeavored to justify his retention of the guns by trying to show +that his brigade was the first to reach the crest of Missionary +Ridge, and that he was therefore entitled to them. This claim of +being the first to mount the ridge is made by other brigades than +Hazen's, with equal if not greater force, so the absurdity of his +deduction is apparent:</p> + +<p>NOTE: In a book published by General Hazen in 1885, he endeavored to +show, by a number of letters from subordinate officers of his +command, written at his solicitation from fifteen to twenty years +after the occurrence, that his brigade was the first to mount +Missionary Ridge, and that it was entitled to possess these guns. +The doubtful character of testimony dimmed by the lapse of many years +has long been conceded, and I am content to let the controversy stand +the test of history, based on the conclusions of General Grant, as he +drew them from official reports made when the circumstances were +fresh in the minds of all.</p> + +<p>General Grant says: "To Sheridan's prompt movement, the Army of the +Cumberland and the nation are indebted for the bulk of the capture of +prisoners, artillery, and small-arms that day. Except for his prompt +pursuit, so much in this way would not have been accomplished."</p> + +<p>General Thomas says: "We captured all their cannon and ammunition +before they could be removed or destroyed. After halting a few +moments to reorganize the troops, who had become somewhat scattered +in the assault of the hill, General Sheridan pushed forward in +pursuit, and drove those in his front who had escaped capture across +Chickamauga Creek."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL FRANCIS T. SHERMAN, COMMANDING FIRST BRIGADE: +"When within ten yards of the crest, our men seemed to be thrown +forward as if by some powerful engine, and the old flag was planted +firmly and surely on the last line of works of the enemy, followed by +the men, taking one battery of artillery."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL MICHAEL GOODING, TWENTY-SECOND INDIANA: +...."I pushed men up to the second line of works as fast as possible; +on and on, clear to the top, and over the ridge they went, to the +hollow beyond, killing and wounding numbers of the enemy as we +advanced, and leaving the rebel battery in our rear. We captured +great numbers of prisoners, and sent them to the rear without guards, +as we deemed the pursuit of the enemy of greater importance.... +"I cannot give too much praise to Captain Powers, Company "H," +Lieutenant Smith, Company "K," Lieutenant Gooding, Company "A," and +Second Lieutenant Moser, Company "G," for their assistance, and for +the gallant manner in which they encouraged their men up the side of +the mountain, and charging the enemy's works right up to the muzzles +of their guns."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL JASON MARSH, SEVENTY-FOURTH ILLINOIS: +...."The first on the enemy's works, and almost simultaneously, were +Lieutenant Clement, Company "A," Captain Stegner, Company "I," +Captain Bacon, Company "G," and Captain Leffingwell, with some of +their men. The enemy was still in considerable force behind their +works; but, for some unaccountable reason, they either fled or +surrendered instantly upon the first few of our men reaching +them—not even trying to defend their battery, which was immediately +captured by Captain Stegner."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PORTER C. OLSON, THIRTY-SIXTH ILLINOIS: +...."In connection with other regiments of this brigade, we assisted +in capturing several pieces of artillery, a number of caissons, and a +great quantity of small-arms."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL JOHN Q. LANE: +...."At the house known as Bragg's headquarters, the enemy were +driven from three guns, which fell into our hands."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL G. D. WAGNER, SECOND BRIGADE: +...."I ordered the command to storm the ridge, bringing up the +Fifteenth Indiana and Ninety-seventh Ohio, which had not yet been +engaged, although suffering from the enemy's artillery. The result +is a matter of history, as we gained the ridge, capturing artillery, +prisoners, and small-arms; to what amount, however, I do not know, as +we pushed on after the enemy as soon as I had re-formed the command. +....Captain Tinney, with his usual gallantry, dashed up the line with +the first troops, and with the aid of an orderly (George Dusenbury, +Fifteenth Indiana), turned the loaded gun of the enemy on his +retreating ranks."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF CAPTAIN BENJAMIN F. HEGLER, FIFTEENTH INDIANA: +...."Our captures amounted to prisoners not counted, representing +many different regiments; several pieces of artillery, and some +wagons."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ELIAS NEFF, FORTIETH INDIANA: +...."As the regiment reached the top of the ridge and swept for. +ward, the right passed through, without stopping to take possession, +the battery at General Bragg's headquarters that had fired so +venomously during the whole contest."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J. MOORE, FIFTY-EIGHTH INDIANA: +...."In passing to the front from Missionary Ridge, we saw several +pieces of artillery which had been abandoned by the enemy, though I +did not leave any one in charge of them."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF MAJOR C, M. HAMMOND, ONE HUNDREDTH ILLINOIS: +...."I immediately organized my regiment, and while so doing +discovered a number of pieces of artillery in a ravine on my left. I +sent Lieutenant Stewart, of Company A, to see if these guns which the +enemy had abandoned could not be turned upon them. He returned and +reported them to be four ten-pound Parrotts and two brass Napoleons; +also that it would require a number of men to place them in position. +I ordered him to report the same to General Wagner, and ask +permission, but before receiving a reply was ordered by you to move +forward my regiment on the left of the Fifty-Eighth Indiana +Volunteers."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL CHARLES G. HARKER, THIRD BRIGADE: +...."My right and Colonel Sherman's left interlocked, so to speak, as +we approached the summit, and it was near this point that I saw the +first part of my line gain the crest. This was done by a few brave +men of my own and Colonel Sherman's command driving the enemy from +his intrenchments. The gap thus opened, our men rushed rapidly in, +and the enemy, loth to give up their position, still remained, firing +at my command toward the left, and the battery in front of the house +known as General Bragg's headquarters was still firing at the troops, +and was captured by our men while the gunners were still at their +posts.... +...."We captured and sent to division and corps headquarters 503 +prisoners and a large number of small-arms. In regard to the number +of pieces of artillery, it will probably be difficult to reconcile +the reports of my regimental commanders with the reports of other +regiments and brigades who fought so nobly with my own command, and +who alike are entitled to share the honors and glories of the day. +More anxious to follow the enemy than to appropriate trophies already +secured, we pushed to the front, while the place we occupied on +ascending the hill was soon occupied by other troops, who, I have +learned, claim the artillery as having fallen into their own hands. +It must therefore remain with the division and corps commanders, who +knew the relative position of each brigade and division, to accord to +each the trophies to which they are due. +...."From my personal observation I can claim a battery of six guns +captured by a portion of my brigade."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL EMERSON OPDYKE, FIRST DEMI-BRIGADE: +...."My command captured Bragg's headquarters, house, and the six +guns which were near there; one of these I ordered turned upon the +enemy, which was done with effect."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL H. C. DUNLAP, THIRD KENTUCKY: +...."The point at which the centre of my regiment reached the crest +was at the stable to the left of the house said to be Bragg's +headquarters, and immediately in front of the road which leads down +the southern slope of the ridge. One piece of the abandoned battery, +was to the left of this point, the remainder to the right, near by."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL W. A. BULLITT, SIXTY-FIFTH OHIO: +...."The position in which my regiment found itself was immediately +in front of a battery, which belched forth a stream of canister upon +us with terrible rapidity. In addition to this, the enemy, whenever +driven from other points, rallied around this battery, and defended +it with desperation. It cost a struggle to take it; but we finally +succeeded, and the colors of the Sixty-fifth Ohio were the first +planted upon the yet smoking guns. Captain Smith, of my regiment, +was placed in charge of the captured battery, which consisted of 5 +guns, 3 caissons, and 17 horses."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF CAPTAIN E. P. BATES, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH OHIO: +...."Perceiving that the ridge across which my regiment extended was +commanded to the very crest by a battery in front, also by those to +right and left, I directed the men to pass up the gorges on either +side. About forty men, with Captain Parks and Lieutenant Stinger, +passed to the left, the balance to the right, and boldly charged on, +till, foremost with those of other regiments, they stood on the +strongest point of the enemy's works, masters alike of his guns and +position.... Captain Parks reports his skirmish-line to have charged +upon and captured one gun, that otherwise would have been hauled +off."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL ALLEN BUCKNER, SEVENTY-NINTH ILLINOIS: +...."The right of the regiment rested on the left of the road, where +it crossed the rebel fortification, leading up the hill toward +Bragg's headquarters. We took a right oblique direction through a +peach orchard until arriving at the woods and logs on the side of the +ridge, when I ordered the men to commence firing, which they did with +good effect, and continued it all the way up until the heights were +gained. At this point the left of the regiment was near the right of +the house, and I claim that my officers and men captured two large +brass pieces, literally punching the cannoniers from their guns. +Privates John Fregan and Jasper Patterson, from Company "A," rushed +down the hill, captured one caisson, with a cannonier and six horses, +and brought them back."</p> + +<p>REPORT OF COLONEL J. R. MILES, TWENTY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS: +...."The regiment, without faltering, finally, at about 4.30 P.M., +gained the enemy's works in conjunction with a party of the +Thirty-sixth Illinois, who were immediately on our right. The regiment, or +a portion of it, proceeded to the left, down the ridge, for nearly or +quite a quarter of a mile capturing three or four pieces of cannon, +driving the gunners from them."</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch17"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>ORDERED TO RETURN TO CHATTANOOGA—MARCH TO KNOXVILLE—COLLECTING +SUBSISTENCE STORES—A CLEVER STRATAGEM—A BRIDGE OF WAGONS—LOOKING +OUT FOR THE PERSONAL COMFORT OF THE SOLDIERS-A LEAVE OF +ABSENCE—ORDERED TO WASHINGTON—PARTING WITH SHERIDAN'S DIVISION.</p> + +<p>The day after the battle of Missionary Ridge I was ordered in the +evening to return to Chattanooga, and from the limited supply of +stores to be had there outfit my command to march to the relief of +Knoxville, where General Burnside was still holding out against the +besieging forces of General Longstreet. When we left Murfreesboro' +in the preceding June, the men's knapsacks and extra clothing, as +well as all our camp equipage, had been left behind, and these +articles had not yet reached us, so we were poorly prepared for a +winter campaign in the mountains of East Tennessee. There was but +little clothing to be obtained in Chattanooga, and my command +received only a few overcoats and a small supply of India-rubber +ponchos. We could get no shoes, although we stood in great need of +them, for the extra pair with which each man had started out from +Murfreesboro' was now much the worse for wear. The necessity for +succoring Knoxville was urgent, however, so we speedily refitted as +thoroughly as was possible with the limited means at hand. My +division teams were in very fair condition in consequence of the +forage we had procured in the Sequatchie Valley, so I left the train +behind to bring up clothing when any should arrive in Chattanooga.</p> + +<p>Under these circumstances, on the 29th of November the Fourth Corps +(Granger's) took up the line of march for Knoxville, my men carrying +in their haversacks four days' rations, depending for a further +supply of food on a small steamboat loaded with subsistence stores, +which was to proceed up the Tennessee River and keep abreast of the +column.</p> + +<p>Not far from Philadelphia, Tennessee, the columns of General +Sherman's army, which had kept a greater distance from the river than +Granger's corps, so as to be able to subsist on the country, came in +toward our right and the whole relieving force was directed on +Marysville, about fifteen miles southwest of Knoxville. We got to +Marysville December 5, and learned the same day that Longstreet had +shortly before attempted to take Knoxville by a desperate assault, +but signally failing, had raised the siege and retired toward Bean's +Station on the Rutledge, Rogersville, and Bristol road, leading to +Virginia. From Marysville General Sherman's troops returned to +Chattanooga, while Granger's corps continued on toward Knoxville, to +take part in the pursuit of Longstreet.</p> + +<p>Burnside's army was deficient in subsistence, though not to the +extent that we had supposed before leaving Chattanooga. It had eaten +out the country in the immediate vicinity of Knoxville, however; +therefore my division did not cross the Holstein River, but was +required, in order to maintain itself, to proceed to the region of +the French Broad River. To this end I moved to Sevierville, and +making this village my headquarters, the division was spread out over +the French Broad country, between Big Pigeon and Little Pigeon +rivers, where we soon had all the mills in operation, grinding out +plenty of flour and meal. The whole region was rich in provender of +all kinds, and as the people with rare exceptions were +enthusiastically loyal, we in a little while got more than enough +food for ourselves, and by means of flatboats began sending the +surplus down the river to the troops at Knoxville.</p> + +<p>The intense loyalty of this part of Tennessee exceeded that of any +other section I was in during the war. The people could not do too +much to aid the Union cause, and brought us an abundance of +everything needful. The women were especially loyal, and as many of +their sons and husbands, who had been compelled to "refugee" on +account of their loyal sentiments, returned with us, numbers of the +women went into ecstasies of joy when this part of the Union army +appeared among them. So long as we remained in the French Broad +region, we lived on the fat of the land, but unluckily our stay was +to be of short duration, for Longstreet's activity kept the +department commander in a state of constant alarm.</p> + +<p>Soon after getting the mills well running, and when the shipment of +their surplus product down the river by flatboats had begun, I was +ordered to move to Knoxville, on account of demonstrations by +Longstreet from the direction of Blain's crossroads. On arriving at +Knoxville, an inspection of my command, showed that the shoes of many +of the men were entirely worn out, the poor fellows having been +obliged to protect their feet with a sort of moccasin, made from +their blankets or from such other material as they could procure. +About six hundred of the command were in this condition, plainly not +suitably shod to withstand the frequent storms of sleet and snow. +These men I left in Knoxville to await the arrival of my train, which +I now learned was en route from Chattanooga with shoes, overcoats, +and other clothing, and with the rest of the division proceeded to +Strawberry Plains, which we reached the latter part of December.</p> + +<p>Mid-winter was now upon us, and the weather in this mountain region +of East Tennessee was very cold, snow often falling to the depth of +several inches. The thin and scanty clothing of the men afforded +little protection, and while in bivouac their only shelter was the +ponchos with which they had been provided before leaving Chattanooga; +there was not a tent in the command. Hence great suffering resulted, +which I anxiously hoped would be relieved shortly by the arrival of +my train with supplies. In the course of time the wagons reached +Knoxville, but my troops derived little comfort from this fact, for +the train was stopped by General Foster, who had succeeded Burnside +in command of the department, its contents distributed pro rata to +the different organizations of the entire army, and I received but a +small share. This was very disappointing, not to say exasperating, +but I could not complain of unfairness, for every command in the army +was suffering to the same extent as mine, and yet it did seem that a +little forethought and exertion on the part of some of the other +superior officers, whose transportation was in tolerable condition, +might have ameliorated the situation considerably. I sent the train +back at once for more clothing, and on its return, just before +reaching Knoxville, the quartermaster in charge, Captain Philip +Smith, filled the open spaces in the wagons between the bows and load +with fodder and hay, and by this clever stratagem passed it through +the town safe and undisturbed as a forage train. On Smith's arrival +we lost no time in issuing the clothing, and when it had passed into +the hands of the individual soldiers the danger of its appropriation +for general distribution, like the preceding invoice, was very +remote.</p> + +<p>General Foster had decided by this time to move his troops to +Dandridge for the twofold purpose of threatening the enemy's left and +of getting into a locality where we could again gather subsistence +from the French Broad region. Accordingly we began an advance on the +15th of January, the cavalry having preceded us some time before. +The Twenty-third Corps and Wood's division of the Fourth Corps +crossed the Holstein River by a bridge that had been constructed at +Strawberry Plains. My division being higher up the stream, forded +it, the water very deep and bitter cold, being filled with slushy +ice. Marching by way of New Market, I reached Dandridge on the 17th, +and here on my arrival met General Sturgis, then commanding our +cavalry. He was on the eve of setting out to, "whip the enemy's +cavalry," as he said, and wanted me to go along and see him do it. I +declined, however, for being now the senior officer present, Foster, +Parke, and Granger having remained at Knoxville and Strawberry +Plains, their absence left me in command, and it was necessary that I +should make disposition of the infantry when it arrived. As there +were indications of a considerable force of the enemy on the +Russellville road I decided to place the troops in line of battle, so +as to be prepared for any emergency that might arise in the absence +of the senior officers, and I deemed it prudent to supervise +personally the encamping of the men. This disposition necessarily +required that some of the organizations should occupy very +disagreeable ground, but I soon got all satisfactorily posted with +the exception of General Willich, who expressed some discontent at +being placed beyond the shelter of the timber, but accepted the +situation cheerfully when its obvious necessity was pointed out to +him.</p> + +<p>Feeling that all was secure, I returned to my headquarters in the +village with the idea that we were safely established in ease of +attack, and that the men would now have a good rest if left +undisturbed; and plenty to eat, but hardly had I reached my own camp +when a staff-officer came post-haste from Sturgis with the +information that he was being driven back to my lines, despite the +confident invitation to me (in the morning) to go out and witness the +whipping which was to be given to the enemy's cavalry. Riding to the +front, I readily perceived that the information was correct, and I +had to send a brigade of infantry out to help Sturgis, thus relieving +him from a rather serious predicament. Indeed, the enemy was present +in pretty strong force, both cavalry and infantry, and from his +vicious attack on Sturgis it looked very much as though he intended +to bring on a general engagement.</p> + +<p>Under such circumstances I deemed it advisable that the responsible +commanders of the army should be present, and so informed them. My +communication brought Parke and Granger to the front without delay, +but Foster could not come, since the hardships of the winter had +reopened an old wound received during the Mexican War, and brought on +much suffering. By the time Parke and Granger arrived, however, the +enemy, who it turned out was only making a strong demonstration to +learn the object of our movement on Dandridge, seemed satisfied with +the results of his reconnoissance, and began falling back toward +Bull's Gap. Meanwhile Parke and Granger concluded that Dandridge was +an untenable point, and hence decided to withdraw a part of the army +to Strawberry Plains; and the question of supplies again coming up, +it was determined to send the Fourth Corps to the south side of the +French Broad to obtain subsistence, provided we could bridge the +river so that men could get across the deep and icy stream without +suffering.</p> + +<p>I agreed to undertake the construction of a bridge on condition that +each division should send to the ford twenty-five wagons with which +to make it. This being acceded to, Harker's brigade began the work +next morning at a favorable point a few miles down the river. As my +quota of wagons arrived, they were drawn into the stream one after +another by the wheel team, six men in each wagon, and as they +successively reached the other side of the channel the mules were +unhitched, the pole of each wagon run under thre hind axle of the one +just in front, and the tailboards used so as to span the slight space +between them. The plan worked well as long as the material lasted, +but no other wagons than my twenty-five coming on the ground, the +work stopped when the bridge was only half constructed. Informed of +the delay and its cause, in sheer desperation I finished the bridge +by taking from my own division all the wagons needed to make up the +deficiency.</p> + +<p>It was late in the afternoon when the work was finished, and I began +putting over one of my brigades; but in the midst of its crossing +word came that Longstreet's army was moving to attack us, which +caused an abandonment of the foraging project, and orders quickly +followed to retire to Strawberry Plains, the retrograde movement to +begin forthwith. I sent to headquarters information of the plight I +was in—baggage and supplies on the bank and wagons in the +stream—begged to know what was to become of them if we were to hurry off at +a moment's notice, and suggested that the movement be delayed until I +could recover my transportation. Receiving in reply no assurances +that I should be relieved from my dilemma—and, in fact, nothing +satisfactory—I determined to take upon myself the responsibility of +remaining on the ground long enough to get my wagons out of the +river; so I sent out a heavy force to watch for the enemy, and with +the remainder of the command went to work to break up the bridge. +Before daylight next morning I had recovered everything without +interference by Longstreet, who, it was afterward ascertained, was +preparing to move east toward Lynchburg instead of marching to attack +us; the small demonstration against Dandridge, being made simply to +deceive us as to his ultimate object. I marched to Strawberry Plains +unmolested, and by taking the route over Bay's Mountain, a shorter +one than that followed by the main body of our troops, reached the +point of rendezvous as soon as the most of the army, for the road it +followed was not only longer, but badly cut up by trains that had +recently passed over it.</p> + +<p>Shortly after getting into camp, the beef contractor came in and +reported that a detachment of the enemy's cavalry had captured my +herd of beef cattle. This caused me much chagrin at first, but the +commissary of my division soon put in an appearance, and assured me +that the loss would not be very disastrous to us nor of much benefit +to the enemy, since the cattle were so poor and weak that they could +not be driven off. A reconnoissance in force verified the +Commissary's statement. From its inability to travel, the herd, +after all efforts to carry it off had proved ineffectual, had been +abandoned by its captors.</p> + +<p>After the troops from Chattanooga arrived in the vicinity of +Knoxville and General Sherman had returned to Chattanooga, the +operations in East Tennessee constituted a series of blunders, +lasting through the entire winter; a state of affairs doubtless due, +in the main, to the fact that the command of the troops was so +frequently changed. Constant shifting of responsibility from one to +another ensued from the date that General Sherman, after assuring +himself that Knoxville was safe, devolved the command on Burnside. +It had already been intimated to Burnside that he was to be relieved, +and in consequence he was inactive and apathetic, confining his +operations to an aimless expedition whose advance extended only as +far as Blain's crossroads, whence it was soon withdrawn. Meanwhile +General Foster had superseded Burnside, but physical disabilities +rendered him incapable of remaining in the field, and then the chief +authority devolved on Parke. By this time the transmission of power +seemed almost a disease; at any rate it was catching, so, while we +were en route to Dandridge, Parke transferred the command to Granger. +The latter next unloaded it on me, and there is no telling what the +final outcome would have been had I not entered a protest against a +further continuance of the practice, which remonstrance brought +Granger to the front at Dandridge.</p> + +<p>While the events just narrated were taking place, General Grant had +made a visit to Knoxville—about the last of December—and arranged +to open the railroad between there and Chattanooga, with a view to +supplying the troops in East Tennessee by rail in the future, instead +of through Cumberland Gap by a tedious line of wagon-trains. In +pursuance of his plan the railroad had already been opened to Loudon, +but here much delay occurred on account of the long time it took to +rebuild the bridge over the Tennessee. Therefore supplies were still +very scarce, and as our animals were now dying in numbers from +starvation, and the men were still on short allowance, it became +necessary that some of the troops east of Knoxville should get nearer +to their depot, and also be in a position to take part in the coming +Georgia campaign, or render assistance to General Thomas, should +General Johnston (who had succeeded in command of the Confederate +army) make any demonstration against Chattanooga. Hence my division +was ordered to take station at Loudon, Tennessee, and I must confess +that we took the road for that point with few regrets, for a general +disgust prevailed regarding our useless marches during the winter.</p> + +<p>At this time my faithful scout Card and his younger brother left me, +with the determination, as I have heretofore related, to avenge their +brother's death. No persuasion could induce Card to remain longer, +for knowing that my division's next operation would be toward +Atlanta, and being ignorant of the country below Dalton, he +recognized and insisted that his services would then become +practically valueless.</p> + +<p>At Loudon, where we arrived January 27, supplies were more plentiful, +and as our tents and extra clothing reached us there in a few days, +every one grew contented and happy. Here a number of my regiments, +whose terms of service were about to expire, went through the process +of "veteranizing," and, notwithstanding the trials and hardships of +the preceding nine months, they re-enlisted almost to a man.</p> + +<p>When everything was set in motion toward recuperating and refitting +my troops, I availed myself of the opportunity during a lull that +then existed to take a short leave of absence—a privilege I had not +indulged in since entering the service in 1853. This leave I spent +in the North with much benefit to my physical condition, for I was +much run down by fatiguing service, and not a little troubled by +intense pain which I at times still suffered from my experience in +the unfortunate hand-car incident on the Cumberland Mountains the +previous July. I returned from leave the latter part of March, +rejoining my division with the expectation that the campaign in that +section would begin as early as April.</p> + +<p>On the 12th of March, 1864, General Grant was assigned to the command +of the armies of the United States, as general-in-chief. He was +already in Washington, whither he had gone to receive his commission +as lieutenant-general. Shortly after his arrival there, he commenced +to rearrange the different commands in the army to suit the plans +which he intended to enter upon in the spring, and out of this grew a +change in my career. Many jealousies and much ill-feeling, the +outgrowth of former campaigns, existed among officers of high grade +in the Army of the Potomac in the winter of 1864, and several general +officers were to be sent elsewhere in consequence. Among these, +General Alfred Pleasonton was to be relieved from the command of the +cavalry, General Grant having expressed to the President +dissatisfaction that so little had hitherto been accomplished by that +arm of the service, and I was selected as chief of the cavalry corps +of the Army of the Potomac, receiving on the night of the 23d of +March from General Thomas at Chattanooga the following telegram:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br> +<br>"MARCH 23, 1864. +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL THOMAS, Chattanooga +<br> +<br>"Lieutenant-General Grant directs that Major-General Sheridan +immediately repair to Washington and report to the Adjutant-General +of the Army. +<br> +<br>"H. W. HALLECK, +<br>Major-General, Chief-of-Staff." +<br> +</blockquote> +<p> +I was not informed of the purpose for which I was to proceed to +Washington, but I conjectured that it meant a severing of my +relations with the Second Division, Fourth Army Corps. I at once set +about obeying the order, and as but little preparation was necessary, +I started for Chattanooga the next day, without taking any formal +leave of the troops I had so long commanded. I could not do it; the +bond existing between them and me had grown to such depth of +attachment that I feared to trust my emotions in any formal parting +from a body of soldiers who, from our mutual devotion, had long +before lost their official designation, and by general consent within +and without the command were called "Sheridan's Division." When I +took the train at the station the whole command was collected on the +hill-sides around to see me off. They had assembled spontaneously, +officers and men, and as the cars moved out for Chattanooga they +waved me farewell with demonstrations of affection.</p> + +<p>A parting from such friends was indeed to be regretted. They had +never given me any trouble, nor done anything that could bring aught +but honor to themselves. I had confidence in them, and I believe +they had in me. They were ever steady, whether in victory or in +misfortune, and as I tried always to be with them, to put them into +the hottest fire if good could be gained, or save them from +unnecessary loss, as occasion required, they amply repaid all my care +and anxiety, courageously and readily meeting all demands in every +emergency that arose.</p> + +<p>In Kentucky, nearly two years before, my lot had been cast with about +half of the twenty-five regiments of infantry that I was just +leaving, the rest joining me after Chickamauga. It was practically a +new arm of the service to me, for although I was an infantry officer, +yet the only large command which up to that time I had controlled was +composed of cavalry, and most of my experience had been gained in +this arm of the service. I had to study hard to be able to master +all the needs of such a force, to feed and clothe it and guard all +its interests. When undertaking these responsibilities I felt that +if I met them faithfully, recompense would surely come through the +hearty response that soldiers always make to conscientious exertion +on the part of their superiors, and not only that more could be +gained in that way than from the use of any species of influence, but +that the reward would be quicker. Therefore I always tried to look +after their comfort personally; selected their camps, and provided +abundantly for their subsistence, and the road they opened for me +shows that my work was not in vain. I regretted deeply to have to +leave such soldiers, and felt that they were sorry I was going, and +even now I could not, if I would, retain other than the warmest +sentiments of esteem and the tenderest affection for the officers and +men of "Sheridan's Division," Army of the Cumberland.</p> + +<p>On reaching Chattanooga I learned from General Thomas the purpose for +which I had been ordered to Washington. I was to be assigned to the +command of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The +information staggered me at first, for I knew well the great +responsibilities of such a position; moreover, I was but slightly +acquainted with military operations in Virginia, and then, too, the +higher officers of the Army of the Potomac were little known to me, +so at the moment I felt loth to undergo the trials of the new +position. Indeed, I knew not a soul in Washington except General +Grant and General Halleck, and them but slightly, and no one in +General Meade's army, from the commanding general down, except a few +officers in the lower grades, hardly any of whom I had seen since +graduating at the Military Academy.</p> + +<p>Thus it is not much to be wondered at that General Thomas's +communication momentarily upset me. But there was no help for it, so +after reflecting on the matter a little I concluded to make the best +of the situation. As in Virginia I should be operating in a field +with which I was wholly unfamiliar, and among so many who were +strangers, it seemed to me that it would be advisable to have, as a +chief staff-officer, one who had had service in the East, if an +available man could be found. In weighing all these considerations +in my mind, I fixed upon Captain James W. Forsyth, of the Eighteenth +Infantry, then in the regular brigade at Chattanooga—a dear friend +of mine, who had served in the Army of the Potomac, in the Peninsula +and Antietam campaigns. He at once expressed a desire to accept a +position on my staff, and having obtained by the next day the +necessary authority, he and I started for Washington, accompanied by +Lieutenant T. W. C. Moore, one of my aides, leaving behind Lieutenant +M. V. Sheridan, my other aide, to forward our horses as soon as they +should be sent down to Chattanooga from Loudon, after which he was to +join me.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch18"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AT WASHINGTON—MEETING SECRETARY STANTON—INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT +LINCOLN—MADE COMMANDER OF THE CAVALRY CORPS OF THE ARMY OF THE +POTOMAC—ITS OFFICERS—GENERAL MEADE's METHOD OF USING +CAVALRY—OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN—SPOTTSYLVANIA C. H.—A DIFFERENCE WITH +GENERAL MEADE—PREPARING TO FIGHT STUART'S CAVALRY.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="sheridan2"></a><img alt="p345-Sheridan.jpg (32K)" src="images/p345-Sheridan.jpg" height="633" width="577"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Accompanied by Captain Forsyth and Lieutenant Moore, I arrived in +Washington on the morning of April, 4, 1864, and stopped at Willard's +Hotel, where, staying temporarily, were many officers of the Army of +the Potomac en route to their commands from leave at the North. +Among all these, however, I was an entire stranger, and I cannot now +recall that I met a single individual whom I had ever before known.</p> + +<p>With very little delay after reaching my hotel I made my way to +General Halleck's headquarters and reported to that officer, having +learned in the meantime that General Grant was absent from the city. +General Halleck talked to me for a few minutes, outlining briefly the +nature and duties of my new command, and the general military +situation in Virginia. When he had finished all he had to say about +these matters, he took me to the office of the Secretary of War, to +present me to Mr. Stanton. During the ceremony of introduction, I +could feel that Mr. Stanton was eying me closely and searchingly, +endeavoring to form some estimate of one about whom he knew +absolutely nothing, and whose career probably had never been called +to his attention until General Grant decided to order me East, after +my name had been suggested by General Halleck in an interview the two +generals had with Mr. Lincoln. I was rather young in +appearance—looking even under than over thirty-three years—but five feet five +inches in height, and thin almost to emaciation, weighing only one +hundred and fifteen pounds. If I had ever possessed any +self-assertion in manner or speech, it certainly vanished in the presence +of the imperious Secretary, whose name at the time was the synonym of +all that was cold and formal. I never learned what Mr. Stanton's +first impressions of me were, and his guarded and rather calculating +manner gave at this time no intimation that they were either +favorable or unfavorable, but his frequent commendation in after +years indicated that I gained his goodwill before the close of the +war, if not when I first came to his notice; and a more intimate +association convinced me that the cold and cruel characteristics +popularly ascribed to him were more mythical than real.</p> + +<p>When the interview with the Secretary was over, I proceeded with +General Halleck to the White House to pay my respects to the +President. Mr. Lincoln received me very cordially, offering both his +hands, and saying that he hoped I would fulfill the expectations of +General Grant in the new command I was about to undertake, adding +that thus far the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac had not done all +it might have done, and wound up our short conversation by quoting +that stale interrogation so prevalent during the early years of the +war, "Who ever saw a dead cavalryman?" His manner did not impress +me, however, that in asking the question he had meant anything beyond +a jest, and I parted from the President convinced that he did not +believe all that the query implied.</p> + +<p>After taking leave I separated from General Halleck, and on returning +to my hotel found there an order from the War Department assigning me +to the command of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. The next +morning, April 5, as I took the cars for the headquarters of the Army +of the Potomac, General Grant, who had returned to Washington the +previous night from a visit to his family, came aboard the train on +his way to Culpeper Court House, and on the journey down I learned +among other things that he had wisely determined to continue +personally in the field, associating himself with General Meade's +army; where he could supervise its movements directly, and at the +same time escape the annoyances which, should he remain in +Washington, would surely arise from solicitude for the safety of the +Capital while the campaign was in progress. When we reached Brandy +Station, I left the train and reported to General Meade, who told me +that the headquarters of the Cavalry Corps were some distance back +from the Station, and indicated the general locations of the +different divisions of the corps, also giving me, in the short time I +remained with him, much information regarding their composition.</p> + +<p>I reached the Cavalry Corps headquarters on the evening of April 5, +1864, and the next morning issued orders assuming command. General +Pleasonton had but recently been relieved, and many of his +staff-officers were still on duty at the headquarters awaiting the arrival +of the permanent commander. I resolved to retain the most of these +officers on my staff, and although they were all unknown to me when I +decided on this course, yet I never had reason to regret it, nor to +question the selections made by my predecessor.</p> + +<p>The corps consisted of three cavalry divisions and twelve batteries +of horse artillery. Brigadier-General A. T. A. Torbert was in +command of the First Division, which was composed of three brigades; +Brigadier-General D. McM. Gregg, of the Second, consisting of two +brigades; and Brigadier-General J. H. Wilson was afterward assigned +to command the Third, also comprising two brigades: Captain Robinson, +a veteran soldier of the Mexican war, was chief of artillery, and as +such had a general supervision of that arm, though the batteries, +either as units or in sections, were assigned to the different +divisions in campaign.</p> + +<p>Each one of my division commanders was a soldier by profession. +Torbert graduated from the Military Academy in 1855, and was +commissioned in the infantry, in which arm he saw much service on the +frontier, in Florida, and on the Utah expedition. At the beginning +of hostilities in April, 1861, he was made a colonel of New Jersey +volunteers, and from that position was promoted in the fall of 1862 +to be a brigadier-general, thereafter commanding a brigade of +infantry in the Army of the Potomac till, in the redistribution of +generals, after Grant came to the East, he was assigned to the First +Cavalry Division.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="torbert"></a><img alt="p117-Torbert.jpg (33K)" src="images/p117-Torbert.jpg" height="615" width="527"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Gregg graduated in 1855 also, and was appointed to the First +Dragoons, with which regiment, up to the breaking out of the war, he +saw frontier service extending from Fort Union, New Mexico, through +to the Pacific coast, and up into Oregon and Washington Territories, +where I knew him slightly. In the fall of 1861 he became colonel of +the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and a year later was made a +brigadier-general. He then succeeded to the command of a division of +cavalry, and continued in that position till the close of his +service, at times temporarily commanding the Cavalry Corps. He was +the only division commander I had whose experience had been almost +exclusively derived from the cavalry arm.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="gregg"></a><img alt="p065-Gregg.jpg (22K)" src="images/p065-Gregg.jpg" height="627" width="461"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Wilson graduated in 1860 in the Topographical Engineers, and was +first assigned to duty in Oregon, where he remained till July, 1861. +In the fall of that year his active service in the war began, and he +rose from one position to another, in the East and West, till, while +on General Grant's staff, he was made a brigadier-general in the fall +of 1863 in reward for services performed during the Vicksburg +campaign and for engineer duty at Chattanooga preceding the battle of +Missionary Ridge. At my request he was selected to command the Third +Division. General Grant thought highly of him, and, expecting much +from his active mental and physical ability, readily assented to +assign him in place of General Kilpatrick. The only other general +officers in the corps were Brigadier-General Wesley Merritt, +Brigadier-General George A. Custer, and Brigadier-General Henry E. +Davies, each commanding a brigade.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="wilson"></a><img alt="p409-Wilson.jpg (83K)" src="images/p409-Wilson.jpg" height="883" width="573"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>In a few days after my arrival at Brandy Station I reviewed my new +command, which consisted of about twelve thousand officers and men, +with the same number of horses in passable trim. Many of the general +officers of the army were present at the review, among them Generals +Meade, Hancock, and Sedgwick. Sedgwick being an old dragoon, came to +renew his former associations with mounted troops, and to encourage +me, as he jestingly said, because of the traditional prejudices the +cavalrymen were supposed to hold against being commanded by an +infantry officer. The corps presented a fine appearance at the +review, and so far as the health and equipment of the men were +concerned the showing was good and satisfactory; but the horses were +thin and very much worn down by excessive and, it seemed to me, +unnecessary picket duty, for the cavalry picket-line almost +completely encircled the infantry and artillery camps of the army, +covering a distance, on a continuous line, of nearly sixty miles, +with hardly a mounted Confederate confronting it at any point. From +the very beginning of the war the enemy had shown more wisdom +respecting his cavalry than we. Instead of wasting its strength by a +policy of disintegration he, at an early day, had organized his +mounted force into compact masses, and plainly made it a favorite; +and, as usual, he was now husbanding the strength of his horses by +keeping them to the rear, so that in the spring he could bring them +out in good condition for the impending campaign.</p> + +<p>Before and at the review I took in this situation, and determined to +remedy it if possible; so in due time I sought an interview with +General Meade and informed him that, as the effectiveness of my +command rested mainly on the strength of its horses, I thought the +duty it was then performing was both burdensome and wasteful. I also +gave him my idea as to what the cavalry should do, the main purport +of which was that it ought to be kept concentrated to fight the +enemy's cavalry. Heretofore, the commander of the Cavalry Corps had +been, virtually, but an adjunct at army headquarters—a sort of chief +of cavalry—and my proposition seemed to stagger General Meade not a +little. I knew that it would be difficult to overcome the recognized +custom of using the cavalry for the protection of trains and the +establishment of cordons around the infantry corps, and so far +subordinating its operations to the movements of the main army that +in name only was it a corps at all, but still I thought it my duty to +try.</p> + +<p>At first General Meade would hardly listen to my proposition, for he +was filled with the prejudices that, from the beginning of the war, +had pervaded the army regarding the importance and usefulness of +cavalry, General Scott then predicting that the contest would be +settled by artillery, and thereafter refusing the services of +regiment after regiment of mounted troops. General Meade deemed +cavalry fit for little more than guard and picket duty, and wanted to +know what would protect the transportation trains and artillery +reserve, cover the front of moving infantry columns, and secure his +flanks from intrusion, if my policy were pursued. I told him that if +he would let me use the cavalry as I contemplated, he need have +little solicitude in these respects, for, with a mass of ten thousand +mounted men, it was my belief that I could make it so lively for the +enemy's cavalry that, so far as attacks from it were concerned, the +flanks and rear of the Army of the Potomac would require little or no +defense, and claimed, further, that moving columns of infantry should +take care of their own fronts. I also told him that it was my object +to defeat the enemy's cavalry in a general combat, if possible, and +by such a result establish a feeling of confidence in my own troops +that would enable us after awhile to march where we pleased, for the +purpose of breaking General Lee's communications and destroying the +resources from which his army was supplied.</p> + +<p>The idea as here outlined was contrary to Meade's convictions, for +though at different times since he commanded the Army of the Potomac +considerable bodies of the cavalry had been massed for some special +occasion, yet he had never agreed to the plan as a permanency, and +could not be bent to it now. He gave little encouragement, +therefore, to what I proposed, yet the conversation was immediately +beneficial in one way, for when I laid before him the true condition +of the cavalry, he promptly relieved it from much of the arduous and +harassing picket service it was performing, thus giving me about two +weeks in which to nurse the horses before the campaign opened.</p> + +<p>The interview also disclosed the fact that the cavalry commander +should be, according to General Meade's views, at his headquarters +practically as one of his staff, through whom he would give detailed +directions as, in his judgment, occasion required. Meade's ideas and +mine being so widely divergent, disagreements arose between us later +during the battles of the Wilderness, which lack of concord ended in +some concessions on his part after the movement toward Spottsylvania +Court House began, and although I doubt that his convictions were +ever wholly changed, yet from that date on, in the organization of +the Army of the Potomac, the cavalry corps became more of a compact +body, with the same privileges and responsibilities that attached to +the other corps—conditions that never actually existed before.</p> + +<p>On the 4th of May the Army of the Potomac moved against Lee, who was +occupying a defensive position on the south bank of the Rapidan. +After detailing the various detachments which I was obliged to supply +for escorts and other mounted duty, I crossed the river with an +effective force of about 10,000 troopers. In the interval succeeding +my assignment to the command of the cavalry, I had taken the pains to +study carefully the topography of the country in eastern Virginia, +and felt convinced that, under the policy Meade intended I should +follow, there would be little opportunity for mounted troops to +acquit themselves well in a region so thickly wooded, and traversed +by so many almost parallel streams; but conscious that he would be +compelled sooner or later either to change his mind or partially give +way to the pressure of events, I entered on the campaign with the +loyal determination to aid zealously in all its plans.</p> + +<p>General Lee's army was located in its winter quarters behind +intrenchments that lay along the Rapidan for a distance of about +twenty miles; extending from Barnett's to Morton's ford. The fords +below Morton's were watched by a few small detachments of Confederate +cavalry, the main body of which, however, was encamped below +Hamilton's crossing, where it could draw supplies from the rich +country along the Rappahannock. Only a few brigades of Lee's +infantry guarded the works along the river, the bulk of it being so +situated that it could be thrown to either flank toward which the +Union troops approached.</p> + +<p>General Grant adopted the plan of moving by his left flank, with the +purpose of compelling Lee to come out from behind his intrenchments +along Mine Run and fight on equal terms. Grant knew well the +character of country through which he would have to pass, but he was +confident that the difficulties of operation in the thickly wooded +region of the Wilderness would be counterbalanced by the facility +with which his position would enable him to secure a new base; and by +the fact that as he would thus cover Washington, there would be +little or no necessity for the authorities there to detach from his +force at some inopportune moment for the protection of that city.</p> + +<p>In the move forward two divisions of my cavalry took the advance, +Gregg crossing the Rapidan at Ely's ford and Wilson at Germania ford. +Torbert's division remained in the rear to cover the trains and +reserve artillery, holding from Rapidan Station to Culpeper, and +thence through Stevensburg to the Rappahannock River. Gregg crossed +the Rapidan before daylight, in advance of the Second Corps, and when +the latter reached Ely's ford, he pushed on to Chancellorsville; +Wilson preceded the Fifth Corps to Germania ford, and when it reached +the river he made the crossing and moved rapidly by Wilderness +Tavern, as far as Parker's Store, from which point he sent a heavy +reconnoissance toward Mine Run, the rest of his division bivouacking +in a strong position. I myself proceeded to Chancellorsville and +fixed my headquarters at that place, whereon the 5th I was joined by +Torbert's division.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, General Meade had crossed the Rapidan and established his +headquarters not far from Germania ford. From that point he was in +direct communication with Wilson, whose original instructions from me +carried him only as far as Parker's Store, but it being found, during +the night of the 4th, that the enemy was apparently unacquainted with +the occurrences of the day, Meade directed Wilson to advance in the +direction of Craig's Meeting House; leaving one regiment to hold +Parker's Store. Wilson with the second brigade encountered Rosser's +brigade of cavalry just beyond the Meeting House, and drove it back +rapidly a distance of about two miles, holding it there till noon, +while his first brigade was halted on the north side of Robinson's +Run near the junction of the Catharpen and Parker's Store roads.</p> + +<p>Up to this time Wilson had heard nothing of the approach of the Fifth +Corps, and the situation becoming threatening, he withdrew the second +brigade to the position occupied by the first, but scarcely had he +done so when he learned that at an early hour in the forenoon the +enemy's infantry had appeared in his rear at Parker's Store and cut +off his communication with General Meade. Surprised at this, he +determined to withdraw to Todd's Tavern, but before his resolution +could be put into execution the Confederates attacked him with a +heavy force, and at the same time began pushing troops down the +Catharpen road. Wilson was now in a perplexing situation, sandwiched +between the Confederates who had cut him off in the rear at Parker's +store and those occupying the Catharpen road, but he extricated his +command by passing it around the latter force, and reached Todd's +Tavern by crossing the Po River at Corbin's bridge. General Meade +discovering that the enemy had interposed at Parker's store between +Wilson and the Fifth Corps, sent me word to go to Wilson's relief, +and this was the first intimation I received that Wilson had been +pushed out so far, but, surmising that he would retire in the +direction of Todd's Tavern I immediately despatched Gregg's division +there to his relief. Just beyond Todd's Tavern Gregg met Wilson, who +was now being followed by the enemy's cavalry. The pursuing force +was soon checked, and then driven back to Shady Grove Church, while +Wilson's troops fell in behind Gregg's line, somewhat the worse for +their morning's adventure.</p> + +<p>When the Army of the Potomac commenced crossing the Rapidan on the +4th, General J. E. B. Stuart, commanding the Confederate cavalry, +began concentrating his command on the right of Lee's infantry, +bringing it from Hamilton's crossing and other points where it had +been wintering. Stuart's force at this date was a little more than +eight thousand men, organized in two divisions, commanded by Generals +Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee. Hampton's division was composed of +three brigades, commanded by Generals Cordon, Young, and Rosser; +Fitzhugh Lee's division comprised three brigades also, Generals W. H. +F. Lee, Lomax, and Wickham commanding them.</p> + +<p>Information of this concentration, and of the additional fact that +the enemy's cavalry about Hamilton's crossing was all being drawn in, +reached me on the 5th, which obviated all necessity for my moving on +that point as I intended at the onset of the campaign. The +responsibility for the safety of our trains and of the left flank of +the army still continued, however, so I made such dispositions of my +troops as to secure these objects by holding the line of the Brock +road beyond the Furnaces, and thence around to Todd's Tavern and +Piney Branch Church. On the 6th, through some false information, +General Meade became alarmed about his left flank, and sent me the +following note:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, +<br>"May 6, 1864.—1 o'clock P. M. +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, +<br>"Commanding Cavalry Corps +<br> +<br>"Your despatch of 11.45 a.m., received. General Hancock has been +heavily pressed, and his left turned. The major-general commanding +thinks that you had better draw in your cavalry, so as to secure the +protection of the trains. The order requiring an escort for the +wagons to-night has been rescinded. +<br> +<br>"A. A. HUMPHREYS, +<br>"Major-General, Chief-of-Staff." +</blockquote> +<p> +On the morning of the 6th Custer's and Devin's brigades had been +severely engaged at the Furnaces before I received the above note. +They had been most successful in repulsing the enemy's attacks, +however, and I felt that the line taken up could be held; but the +despatch from General Humphreys was alarming, so I drew all the +cavalry close in toward Chancellorsville. It was found later that +Hancock's left had not been turned, and the points thus abandoned had +to be regained at a heavy cost in killed and wounded, to both the +cavalry and the infantry.</p> + +<p>On the 7th of May, under directions from headquarters, Army of the +Potomac, the trains were put in motion to go into park at Piney +Branch Church, in anticipation of the movement that was about to be +made for the possession of Spottsylvania Court House. I felt +confident that the order to move the trains there had been given +without a full understanding of the situation, for Piney Branch +Church was now held by the enemy, a condition which had resulted from +the order withdrawing the cavalry on account of the supposed disaster +to Hancock's left the day before; but I thought the best way to +remedy matters was to hold the trains in the vicinity of Aldrich's +till the ground on which it was intended to park them should be +regained.</p> + +<p>This led to the battle of Todd's Tavern, a spirited fight for the +possession of the crossroads at that point, participated in by the +enemy's cavalry and Gregg's division, and two brigades of Torbert's +division, the latter commanded by Merritt, as Torbert became very ill +on the 6th, and had to be sent to the rear. To gain the objective +point—the crossroads—I directed Gregg to assail the enemy on the +Catharpen road with Irvin Gregg's brigade and drive him over Corbin's +bridge, while Merritt attacked him with the Reserve brigade on the +Spottsylvania road in conjunction with Davies's brigade of Gregg's +division, which was to be put in on the Piney Branch Church road, and +unite with Merritt's left. Davies's and Irvin Gregg's brigades on my +right and left flanks met with some resistance, yet not enough to +deter them from, executing their orders. In front of Merritt the +enemy held on more stubbornly, however, and there ensued an +exceedingly severe and, at times, fluctuating fight. Finally the +Confederates gave way, and we pursued them almost to Spottsylvania +Court House; but deeming it prudent to recall the pursuers about +dark, I encamped Gregg's and Merritt's divisions in the open fields +to the east of Todd's Tavern.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="merritt"></a><img alt="p251-Merritt.jpg (38K)" src="images/p251-Merritt.jpg" height="595" width="567"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>During the preceding three days the infantry corps of the army had +been engaged in the various conflicts known as the battles of the +Wilderness. The success of the Union troops in those battles had not +been all that was desired, and General Grant now felt that it was +necessary to throw himself on Lee's communications if possible, while +preserving his own intact by prolonging the movement to the left. +Therefore, on the evening of the 7th he determined to shift his whole +army toward Spottsylvania Court House, and initiated the movement by +a night march of the infantry to Todd's Tavern. In view of what was +contemplated, I gave orders to Gregg and Merritt to move at daylight +on the morning of the 8th, for the purpose of gaining possession of +Snell's bridge over the Po River, the former by the crossing at +Corbin's bridge and the latter by the Block House. I also directed +Wilson, who was at Alsop's house, to take possession of Spottsylvania +as early as possible on the morning of the 8th, and then move into +position at Snell's bridge conjointly with the other two divisions. +Wilson's orders remained as I had issued them, so he moved +accordingly and got possession of Spottsylvania, driving the enemy's +cavalry a mile beyond, as will be seen by the following despatch sent +me at 9 A. M. of the 8th:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, +<br>"ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. +<br>"SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE, May 8, 1864 9 A. M. +<br>"LIEUTENANT-COLONEL FORSYTH, CHIEF-OF-STAFF, C. C. +<br> +<br>"Have run the enemy's cavalry a mile from Spottsylvania Court House; +have charged them, and drove them through the village; am fighting +now with a considerable force, supposed to be Lee's division. +Everything all right. +<br> +<br>"J. H. WILSON, +<br>"Brigadier-General Commanding. +</blockquote> +<p> +During the night of the 7th General Meade arrived at Todd's Tavern +and modified the orders I had given Gregg and Merritt, directing +Gregg simply to hold Corbin's bridge, and Merritt to move out in +front of the infantry column marching on the Spottsylvania road. +Merritt proceeded to obey, but in advancing, our cavalry and infantry +became intermingled in the darkness, and much confusion and delay was +the consequence. I had not been duly advised of these changes in +Gregg's and Merritt's orders, and for a time I had fears for the +safety of Wilson, but, while he was preparing to move on to form his +junction with Gregg and Merritt at Snell's bridge, the advance of +Anderson (who was now commanding Longstreet's corps) appeared on the +scene and drove him from Spottsylvania.</p> + +<p>Had Gregg and Merritt been permitted to proceed as they were +originally instructed, it is doubtful whether the battles fought at +Spottsylvania would have occurred, for these two divisions would have +encountered the enemy at the Pa River, and so delayed his march as to +enable our infantry to reach Spottsylvania first, and thus force Lee +to take up a line behind the Po. I had directed Wilson to move from +the left by "the Gate" through Spottsylvania to Snell's bridge, while +Gregg and Merritt were to advance to the same point by Shady Grove +and the Block House. There was nothing to prevent at least a partial +success of these operations; that is to say, the concentration of the +three divisions in front of Snell's bridge, even if we could not +actually have gained it. But both that important point and the +bridge on the Block House road were utterly ignored, and Lee's +approach to Spottsylvania left entirely unobstructed, while three +divisions of cavalry remained practically ineffective by reason of +disjointed and irregular instructions.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 8th, when I found that such orders had been +given, I made some strong remonstrances against the course that had +been pursued, but it was then too late to carry out the combinations +I had projected the night before, so I proceeded to join Merritt on +the Spottsylvania road. On reaching Merritt I found General Warren +making complaint that the cavalry were obstructing his infantry +column, so I drew Merritt off the road, and the leading division of +the Fifth Corps pushed up to the front. It got into line about 11 +o'clock, and advanced to take the village, but it did not go very far +before it struck Anderson's corps, and was hurled back with heavy +loss. This ended all endeavor to take Spottsylvania that day.</p> + +<p>A little before noon General Meade sent for me, and when I reached +his headquarters I found that his peppery temper had got the better +of his good judgment, he showing a disposition to be unjust, laying +blame here and there for the blunders that had been committed. He +was particularly severe on the cavalry, saying, among other things, +that it had impeded the march of the Fifth Corps by occupying the +Spottsylvania road. I replied that if this were true, he himself had +ordered it there without my knowledge. I also told him that he had +broken up my combinations, exposed Wilson's division to disaster, and +kept Gregg unnecessarily idle, and further, repelled his insinuations +by saying that such disjointed operations as he had been requiring of +the cavalry for the last four days would render the corps inefficient +and useless before long. Meade was very much irritated, and I was +none the less so. One word brought on another, until, finally, I +told him that I could whip Stuart if he (Meade) would only let me, +but since he insisted on giving the cavalry directions without +consulting or even notifying me, he could henceforth command the +Cavalry Corps himself—that I would not give it another order.</p> + +<p>The acrimonious interview ended with this remark, and after I left +him he went to General Grant's headquarters and repeated the +conversation to him, mentioning that I had said that I could whip +Stuart. At this General Grant remarked: "Did he say so? Then let him +go out and do it." This intimation was immediately acted upon by +General Meade, and a little later the following order came to me:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC +<br>"May 8th, 1864 1 P. M. + +<br><br>"GENERAL SHERIDAN, +<br>"Commanding Cavalry Corps. +<br> +<br>"The major-general commanding directs you to immediately concentrate +your available mounted force, and with your ammunition trains and +such supply trains as are filled (exclusive of ambulances) proceed +against the enemy's cavalry, and when your supplies are exhausted, +proceed via New Market and Green Bay to Haxall's Landing on the James +River, there communicating with General Butler, procuring supplies +and return to this army. Your dismounted men will be left with the +train here. +<br> +<br>"A. A. HUMPHREYS, +<br>"Major-General, Chief-of-staff." +</blockquote> +<p> +As soon as the above order was received I issued instructions for the +concentration of the three divisions of cavalry at Aldrich's to +prepare for the contemplated expedition. Three days' rations for the +men were distributed, and half rations of grain for one day were +doled out for the horses. I sent for Gregg, Merritt, and Wilson and +communicated the order to them, saying at the same time, "We are +going out to fight Stuart's cavalry in consequence of a suggestion +from me; we will give him a fair, square fight; we are strong, and I +know we can beat him, and in view of my recent representations to +General Meade I shall expect nothing but success." I also indicated +to my division commanders the line of march I should take—moving in +one column around the right flank of Lee's army to get in its +rear—and stated at the same time that it was my intention to fight Stuart +wherever he presented himself, and if possible go through to Haxall's +Landing; but that if Stuart should successfully interpose between us +and that point we would swing back to the Army of the Potomac by +passing around the enemy's left flank by way of Gordonsville. At +first the proposition seemed to surprise the division commanders +somewhat, for hitherto even the boldest, mounted expeditions had been +confined to a hurried ride through the enemy's country, without +purpose of fighting more than enough to escape in case of +molestation, and here and there to destroy a bridge. Our move would +be a challenge to Stuart for a cavalry duel behind Lee's lines, in +his own country, but the advantages which it was reasonable to +anticipate from the plan being quickly perceived, each division +commander entered into its support unhesitatingly, and at once set +about preparing for the march next day.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch19"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>THE EXPEDITION STARTS—DESTROYING SUPPLIES—OPENING OF THE FIGHT AT +YELLOW TAVERN—GENERAL CUSTER'S BRILLIANT CHARGE—DEATH OF GENERAL +STUART—REMOVING TORPEDOES—EXCITEMENT IN RICHMOND—A NIGHT +MARCH—ENTERPRISING NEWSBOYS—THE EFFECTS OF STUART'S DEFEAT AND DEATH—END +OF THE FIRST EXPEDITION—ITS GREAT SUCCESS AND BENEFICIAL RESULTS.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="custer"></a><img alt="p305-Custer.jpg (33K)" src="images/p305-Custer.jpg" height="631" width="531"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>The expedition which resulted in the battle of Yellow Tavern and the +death of General Stuart started from the vicinity of Aldrich's toward +Fredericksburg early on the morning of May 9, 1864, marching on the +plank-road, Merritt's division leading. When the column reached +Tabernacle Church it headed almost due east to the telegraph road, +and thence down that highway to Thornburg, and from that point +through Childsburg to Anderson's crossing of the North Anna River, it +being my desire to put my command south of that stream if possible, +where it could procure forage before it should be compelled to fight. +The corps moved at a walk, three divisions on the same road, making a +column nearly thirteen miles in length, and marched around the right +flank of the enemy unsuspected until my rear guard had passed +Massaponax Church. Although the column was very long, I preferred to +move it all on one road rather than to attempt combinations for +carrying the divisions to any given point by different routes. +Unless the separate commands in an expedition of this nature are very +prompt in movement, and each fully equal to overcoming at once any +obstacle it may meet, combinations rarely work out as expected; +besides, an engagement was at all times imminent, hence it was +specially necessary to keep the whole force well together.</p> + +<p>As soon as the Ny, Po, and Ta rivers were crossed, each of which +streams would have afforded an excellent defensive line to the enemy, +all anxiety as to our passing around Lee's army was removed, and our +ability to cross the North Anna placed beyond doubt. Meanwhile +General Stuart had discovered what we were about, and he set his +cavalry in motion, sending General Fitzhugh Lee to follow and attack +my rear on the Childsburg road, Stuart himself marching by way of +Davenport's bridge, on the North Anna, toward Beaver Dam Station, +near which place his whole command was directed to unite the next +day.</p> + +<p>My column having passed the Ta River, Stuart attacked its rear with +considerable vigor, in the hope that he could delay my whole force +long enough to permit him to get at least a part of his command in my +front; but this scheme was frustrated by Davies's brigade, which I +directed to fight as a rear-guard, holding on at one position and +then at another along the line of march just enough to deter the +enemy from a too rapid advance. Davies performed this responsible +and trying duty with tact and good judgment, following the main +column steadily as it progressed to the south, and never once +permitting Fitzhugh Lee's advance to encroach far enough to compel a +halt of my main body. About dark Merritt's division crossed the +North Anna at Anderson's ford, while Gregg and Wilson encamped on the +north side, having engaged the enemy, who still hung on my rear up to +a late hour at night.</p> + +<p>After Merritt's division passed the river, Custer's brigade proceeded +on to Beaver Dam Station to cut the Virginia Central railroad. +Before reaching the station he met a small force of the enemy, but +this he speedily drove off, recapturing from it about four hundred +Union prisoners, who had been taken recently in the Wilderness and +were being conducted to Richmond. Custer also destroyed the station, +two locomotives, three trains of cars, ninety wagons, from eight to +ten miles of railroad and telegraph lines, some two hundred thousand +pounds of bacon and other supplies, amounting in all to about a +million and a half of rations, and nearly all they medical stores of +General Lee's army, which had been moved from Orange Court House +either because Lee wished to have them directly in his rear or +because he contemplated falling back to the North Anna.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 10th Gregg and Wilson, while crossing the North +Anna, were again attacked, but were covered by the division on the +south side of the stream; the passage was effected without much loss, +notwithstanding the approach of Stuart on the south bank from the +direction of Davenport's bridge. The possession of Beaver Dam gave +us an important point, as it opened a way toward Richmond by the +Negro-foot road. It also enabled us to obtain forage for our +well-nigh famished animals, and to prepare for fighting the enemy, who, I +felt sure, would endeavor to interpose between my column and +Richmond.</p> + +<p>Stuart had hardly united his troops near Beaver Dam when he realized +that concentrating there was a mistake, so he began making +dispositions for remedying his error, and while we leisurely took the +Negro-foot toad toward Richmond, he changed his tactics and hauled +off from my rear, urging his horses to the death in order to get in +between Richmond and my column. This he effected about 10 o'clock on +the morning of the 11th, concentrating at Yellow Tavern, six miles +from the city, on the Brook turnpike. His change of tactics left my +march on the 10th practically unmolested, and we quietly encamped +that night on the south bank of the South Anna, near Ground Squirrel +Bridge. Here we procured an abundance of forage, and as the distance +traveled that day had been only fifteen to eighteen miles, men and +horses were able to obtain a good rest during the night.</p> + +<p>At 2 o'clock in the morning, May 11, Davies's brigade of Gregg's +division marched for Ashland to cut the Fredericksburg railroad. +Arriving there before the head of the enemy's column, which had to +pass through this same place to reach Yellow Tavern, Davies drove out +a small force occupying the town, burnt a train of cars and a +locomotive, destroyed the railroad for some distance, and rejoined +the main column at Allen's Station on the Fredericksburg and Richmond +railroad. From Allen's Station the whole command moved on Yellow +Tavern, Merritt in the lead, Wilson following, and Gregg in the rear.</p> + +<p>The appearance of Davies's brigade at Ashland in the morning had had +the effect of further mystifying the enemy as to my intentions; and +while he held it incumbent to place himself between me and Richmond, +yet he was still so uncertain of my movements that he committed the +same fault that he did the first day, when he divided his force and +sent a part to follow me on the Childsburg road. He now divided his +command again, sending a portion to hang upon my rear, while he +proceeded with the rest to Yellow Tavern. This separation not only +materially weakened the force which might have been thrown across my +line of march, but it also enabled me to attack with almost my entire +corps, while occupying the pursuers with a small rearguard.</p> + +<p>By forced marches General Stuart succeeded in reaching Yellow Tavern +ahead of me on May 11; and the presence of his troops, on the +Ashland and Richmond road becoming known to Merritt as he was +approaching the Brook turnpike, this general pressed forward at once +to the attack. Pushing his division to the front, he soon got +possession of the turnpike and drove the enemy back several hundred +yards to the east of it. This success had the effect of throwing the +head of my column to the east of the pike, and I quickly brought up +Wilson and one of Gregg's brigades to take advantage of the situation +by forming a line of battle on that side or the road. Meanwhile the +enemy, desperate but still confident, poured in a heavy fire from his +line and from a battery which enfiladed the Brook road, and made +Yellow Tavern an uncomfortably hot place. Gibbs's and Devin's +brigades, however, held fast there, while Custer, supported by +Chapman's brigade, attacked the enemy's left and battery in a mounted +charge.</p> + +<p>Custer's charge, with Chapman on his flank and the rest of Wilson's +division sustaining him, was brilliantly executed. Beginning at a +walk, he increased his gait to a trot, and then at full speed rushed +at the enemy. At the same moment the dismounted troops along my +whole front moved forward, and as Custer went through the battery, +capturing two of the guns with their cannoneers and breaking up the +enemy's left, Gibbs and Devin drove his centre and right from the +field. Gregg meanwhile, with equal success, charged the force in his +rear-Gordon's brigadeand the engagement ended by giving us complete +control of the road to Richmond. We captured a number of prisoners, +and the casualties on both sides were quite severe, General Stuart +himself falling mortally wounded, and General James B. Gordon, one of +his brigade commanders, being killed.</p> + +<p>After Custer's charge, the Confederate cavalry was badly broken up, +the main portion of it being driven in a rout toward Ashland and a +small part in the direction of Richmond, which latter force finally +rejoined Fitzhugh Lee near Mechanicsville. A reconnoitring party +being now sent up the Brook turnpike toward the city, dashed across +the South Fork of the Chickahominy, drove a small force from the +enemy's exterior intrenchments and went within them. I followed this +party, and after a little exploration found between the two lines of +works a country road that led across to the pike which runs from +Mechanicsville to Richmond. I thought we could go around within the +outer line of works by this country road across to the Mechanicsville +pike on the south side of the Chickahominy, and encamp the next night +at Fair Oaks; so I determined to make the movement after dark, being +influenced in this to some extent by reports received during the +afternoon from colored people, to the effect that General B. F. +Butler's army had reached a small stream on the south side of the +James, about four miles south of Richmond. If I could succeed in +getting through by this road, not only would I have a shorter line of +march to Haxall's landing, but there was also a possibility that I +could help Butler somewhat by joining him so near Richmond. +Therefore, after making the wounded as comfortable as possible, we +commenced the march about 11 o'clock on the night of the 1lth, and +massed the command on the plateau south of the Meadow bridge near +daylight on the 12th.</p> + +<p>The enemy, anticipating that I would march by this route, had planted +torpedoes along it, and many of these exploded as the column passed +over them, killing several horses and wounding a few men, but beyond +this we met with no molestation. The torpedoes were loaded shells +planted on each side of the road, and so connected by wires attached +to friction-tubes in the shells, that when a horse's hoof struck a +wire the shell was exploded by the jerk on the improvised lanyard. +After the loss of several horses and the wounding of some of the men +by these torpedoes, I gave directions to have them removed, if +practicable, so about twenty-five of the prisoners were brought up +and made to get down on their knees, feel for the wires in the +darkness, follow them up and unearth the shells. The prisoners +reported the owner of one of the neighboring houses to be the +principal person who had engaged in planting these shells, and I +therefore directed that some of them be carried and placed in the +cellar of his house, arranged to explode if the enemy's column came +that way, while he and his family were brought off as prisoners and +held till after daylight.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the most intense excitement prevailed in Richmond. The +Confederates, supposing that their capital was my objective point, +were straining every effort to put it in a state of defense, and had +collected between four and five thousand irregular troops, under +General Bragg, besides bringing up three brigades of infantry from +the force confronting General Butler south of the James River, the +alarm being intensified by the retreat, after the defeat at Yellow +Tavern, of Stuart's cavalry, now under General Fitzhugh Lee, by way +of Ashland to Mechanicsville, on the north side of the Chickahominy, +for falling back in that direction, left me between them and +Richmond.</p> + +<p>Our march during the night of the 11th was very tedious, on account +of the extreme darkness and frequent showers of rain; but at daylight +on the 12th the head of my column, under Wilson, reached the +Mechanicsville pike. Here Wilson, encountering the enemy's works and +batteries manned by General Bragg's troops, endeavored to pass. In +this he failed, and as soon as I was notified that it was +impracticable to reach Fair Oaks by passing between the works and the +Chickahominy, Custer's brigade was directed to make the crossing to +the north side of the Chickahominy, at the Meadow bridge. Custer +moved rapidly for the bridge, but found it destroyed, and that the +enemy's cavalry was posted on the north side, in front of +Mechanicsville. When this information came back, I ordered Merritt +to take his whole division and repair the bridge, instructing him +that the crossing must be made at all hazards; for, in view of an +impending attack by the enemy's infantry in Richmond, it was +necessary that I should have the bridge as a means of egress in case +of serious disaster.</p> + +<p>All the time that Merritt was occupied in this important duty, the +enemy gave great annoyance to the working party by sweeping the +bridge with a section of artillery and a fire from the supporting +troops, so a small force was thrown across to drive them away. When +Merritt had passed two regiments over, they attacked, but were +repulsed. The work on the bridge continued however, +not-withstanding this discomfiture; and when it was finished, Merritt +crossed nearly all his division, dismounted, and again attacked the +enemy, this time carrying the line, of temporary breastworks, built +with logs and rails, and pursuing his broken troops toward Gaines's +Mills.</p> + +<p>While Merritt was engaged in this affair, the Confederates advanced +from behind their works at Richmond, and attacked Wilson and Gregg. +Wilson's troops were driven back in some confusion at first; but +Gregg, in anticipation of attack, had hidden a heavy line of +dismounted men in a bushy ravine on his front, and when the enemy +marched upon it, with much display and under the eye of the President +of the Confederacy, this concealed line opened a destructive fire +with repeating carbines; and at the same time the batteries of +horse-artillery, under Captain Robinson, joining in the contest, belched +forth shot and shell with fatal effect. The galling fire caused the +enemy to falter, and while still wavering Wilson rallied his men, and +turning some of them against the right flank of the Confederates, +broke their line, and compelled them to withdraw for security behind +the heavy works thrown up for the defense of the city in 1862.</p> + +<p>By destroying the Meadow bridge and impeding my column on the +Mechanicsville, pike, the enemy thought to corner us completely, for +he still maintained the force in Gregg's rear that had pressed it the +day before; but the repulse of his infantry ended all his hopes of +doing us any serious damage on the limited ground between the +defenses of Richmond and the Chickahominy. He felt certain that on +account of the recent heavy rains we could not cross the Chickahominy +except by the Meadow bridge, and it also seemed clear to him that we +could not pass between the river and his intrenchments; therefore he +hoped to ruin us, or at least compel us to return by the same route +we had taken in coming, in which case we would run into Gordon's +brigade, but the signal repulse of Bragg's infantry dispelled these +illusions.</p> + +<p>Even had it not been our good fortune to defeat him, we could have +crossed the Chickahominy if necessary at several points that were +discovered by scouting parties which, while the engagement was going +on, I had sent out to look up fords. This means of getting out from +the circumscribed plateau I did not wish to use, however, unless +there was no alternative, for I wished to demonstrate to the Cavalry +Corps the impossibility of the enemy's destroying or capturing so +large a body of mounted troops.</p> + +<p>The chances of seriously injuring, us were more favorable to the +enemy this time than ever they were afterward, for with the troops +from Richmond, comprising three brigades of veterans and about five +thousand irregulars on my front and right flank, with Gordon's +cavalry in the rear, and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry on my left flank, +holding the Chickahominy and Meadow bridge, I was apparently hemmed +in on every side, but relying on the celerity with which mounted +troops could be moved, I felt perfectly confident that the seemingly +perilous situation could be relieved under circumstances even worse +than those then surrounding us. Therefore, instead of endeavoring to +get away without a fight, I concluded that there would be little +difficulty in withdrawing, even should I be beaten, and none whatever +if I defeated the enemy.</p> + +<p>In accordance with this view I accepted battle; and the complete +repulse of the enemy's infantry, which assailed us from his +intrenchments, and of Gordon's cavalry, which pressed Gregg on the +Brook road, ended the contest in our favor. The rest of the day we +remained on the battle-field undisturbed, and our time was spent in +collecting the wounded, burying the dead, grazing the horses, and +reading the Richmond journals, two small newsboys with commendable +enterprise having come within our lines from the Confederate capital +to sell their papers. They were sharp youngsters, and having come +well supplied, they did a thrifty business. When their stock in +trade was all disposed of they wished to return, but they were so +intelligent and observant that I thought their mission involved other +purposes than the mere sale of newspapers, so they were held till we +crossed the Chickahominy and then turned loose.</p> + +<p>After Merritt had crossed the Chickahominy and reached +Mechanicsville, I sent him orders to push on to Gaines's Mills. Near +the latter place he fell in with the enemy's cavalry again, and +sending me word, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon I crossed the +Chickahominy with Wilson and Gregg, but when we overtook Merritt he +had already brushed the Confederates away, and my whole command went +into camp between Walnut Grove and Gaines's Mills.</p> + +<p>The main purposes of the expedition had now been executed. They were +"to break up General Lee's railroad communications, destroy such +depots of supplies as could be found in his rear, and to defeat +General Stuart's cavalry." Many miles of the Virginia Central and of +the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroads were broken up, and +several of the bridges on each burnt. At Beaver Dam, Ashland, and +other places, about two millions of rations had been captured and +destroyed. The most important of all, however, was the defeat of +Stuart. Since the beginning of the war this general had +distinguished himself by his management of the Confederate mounted +force. Under him the cavalry of Lee's army had been nurtured, and +had acquired such prestige that it thought itself well-nigh +invincible; indeed, in the early years of the war it had proved to be +so. This was now dispelled by the successful march we had made in +Lee's rear; and the discomfiture of Stuart at Yellow Tavern had +inflicted a blow from which entire recovery was impossible.</p> + +<p>In its effect on the Confederate cause the defeat of Stuart was most +disheartening, but his death was even a greater calamity, as is +evidenced by the words of a Confederate writer (Cooke), who says: +"Stuart could be ill spared at this critical moment, and General Lee +was plunged into the deepest melancholy at the intelligence of his +death. When it reached him he retired from those around him, and +remained for some time communing with his own heart and memory. When +one of his staff entered and spoke of Stuart, General Lee said: 'I +can scarcely think of him without weeping.'"</p> + +<p>From the camp near Gaines's Mills I resumed the march to Haxall's +Landing, the point on the James River contemplated in my instructions +where I was to obtain supplies from General Butler. We got to the +James on the 14th with all our wounded and a large number of +prisoners, and camped between Haxall's and Shirley. The prisoners, +as well as the captured guns, were turned over to General Butler's +provost-marshal, and our wounded were quickly and kindly cared for by +his surgeons. Ample supplies, also, in the way of forage and +rations, were furnished us by General Butler, and the work of +refitting for our return to the Army of the Potomac was vigorously +pushed. By the 17th all was ready, and having learned by scouting +parties sent in the direction of Richmond and as far as Newmarket +that the enemy's cavalry was returning to Lee's army I started that +evening on my return march, crossing the Chickahominy at Jones's +bridge, and bivouacking on the 19th near Baltimore crossroads.</p> + +<p>My uncertainty of what had happened to the Army of the Potomac in our +absence, and as to where I should find it, made our getting back a +problem somewhat difficult of solution, particularly as I knew that +reinforcements for Lee had come up from the south to Richmond, and +that most likely some of these troops were being held at different +points on the route to intercept my column. Therefore I determined +to pass the Pamunkey River at the White House, and sent to Fort +Monroe for a pontoon-bridge on which to make the crossing. While +waiting for the pontoons I ordered Custer to proceed with his brigade +to Hanover Station, to destroy the railroad bridge over the South +Anna, a little beyond that place; at the same time I sent Gregg and +Wilson to Cold Harbor, to demonstrate in the direction of Richmond as +far as Mechanicsville, so as to cover Custer's movements. Merritt, +with the remaining brigades of his division, holding fast at +Baltimore crossroads to await events.</p> + +<p>After Gregg and Custer had gone, it was discovered that the railroad +bridge over the Pamunkey, near the White House, had been destroyed +but partially—the cross-ties and stringers being burned in places +only—and that it was practicable to repair it sufficiently to carry +us over. In view of this information General Merritt's two brigades +were at once put on the duty of reconstructing the bridge. By +sending mounted parties through the surrounding country, each man of +which would bring in a board or a plank, Merritt soon accumulated +enough lumber for the flooring, and in one day the bridge was made +practicable. On the 22d Gregg, Wilson, and Custer returned. The +latter had gone on his expedition as far as Hanover Station, +destroyed some commissary stores there, and burned two trestle +bridges over Hanover Creek. This done, he deemed it prudent to +retire to Hanovertown. The next morning he again marched to Hanover +Station, and there ascertained that a strong force of the enemy, +consisting of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, was posted at the +South Anna bridges. These troops had gone there from Richmond en +route to reinforce Lee. In the face of this impediment Custer's +mission could not be executed fully, so he returned to Baltimore +crossroads.</p> + +<p>The whole command was drawn in by noon of the 22d, and that day it +crossed the Pamunkey by Merritt's reconstructed bridge, marching to +Ayletts, on the Mattapony River, the same night. Here I learned from +citizens, and from prisoners taken during the day by scouting parties +sent toward Hanover Court House, that Lee had been, forced from his +position near Spottsylvania Court House and compelled to retire to +the line of the North Anna. I then determined to rejoin the Army of +the Potomac at the earliest moment, which I did by making for +Chesterfield Station, where I reported to General Meade on the 24th +of May.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p391"></a><img alt="p391.jpg (112K)" src="images/p391.jpg" height="1033" width="623"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Our return to Chesterfield ended the first independent expedition the +Cavalry Corps had undertaken since coming under my command, and our +success was commended highly by Generals Grant and Meade, both +realizing that our operations in the rear of Lee had disconcerted and +alarmed that general so much as to aid materially in forcing his +retrograde march, and both acknowledged that, by drawing off the +enemy's cavalry during the past fortnight, we had enabled them to +move the Army of the Potomac and its enormous trains without +molestation in the manoeuvres that had carried it to the North Anna. +Then, too, great quantities of provisions and munitions of war had +been destroyed—stores that the enemy had accumulated at sub-depots +from strained resources and by difficult means; the railroads that +connected Lee with Richmond broken, the most successful cavalry +leader of the South killed, and in addition to all this there had +been inflicted on the Confederate mounted troops the most thorough +defeat that had yet befallen them in Virginia.</p> + +<p>When the expedition set out the Confederate authorities in Richmond +were impressed, and indeed convinced, that my designs contemplated +the capture of that city, and notwithstanding the loss they sustained +in the defeat and death of Stuart, and their repulse the succeeding +day, they drew much comfort from the fact that I had not entered +their capital. Some Confederate writers have continued to hold this +theory and conviction since the war. In this view they were and are +in error. When Stuart was defeated the main purpose of my +instructions had been carried out, and my thoughts then turned to +joining General Butler to get supplies. I believed that I could do +this by cutting across to the Mechanicsville pike and Fair Oaks on +the south side of the Chickahominy, but the failure of Wilson's +column to get possession of the outwork which commanded the pike +necessitated my crossing at Meadow bridge, and then moving by +Mechanicsville and Gaines's Mills instead of by the shorter route. +Moreover, my information regarding General Butler's position was +incorrect, so that even had I been successful in getting to Fair Oaks +by the direct road I should still have gained nothing thereby, for I +should still have been obliged to continue down the James River to +Haxall's.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch20"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>GENERAL WILSON'S ADVANCE TOWARD HANOVER COURT HOUSE—CROSSING THE +PAMUNKEY—ENGAGEMENT OF HAWE'S SHOP—FIGHT AT MATADEQUIN +CREEK—CAPTURE OF COLD HARBOR—THE FIGHT TO RETAIN THE PLACE—MOVEMENTS OF +GENERAL WILSON.</p> + +<p>When I rejoined the Army of the Potomac, near Chesterfield Station, +the heavy battles around Spottsylvania had been fought, and the +complicated manoeuvres by which the whole Union force was swung +across the North Anna were in process of execution. In conjunction +with these manoeuvres Wilson's division was sent to the right flank +of the army, where he made a reconnoissance south of the North Anna +as far as Little River, crossing the former stream near Jericho +Mills. Wilson was to operate from day to day on that flank as it +swung to the south, covering to New Castle ferry each advance of the +infantry and the fords left behind on the march. From the 26th to +the 30th these duties kept Wilson constantly occupied, and also +necessitated a considerable dispersion of his force, but by the 31st +he was enabled to get all his division together again, and crossing +to the south side of the Pamunkey at New Castle ferry, he advanced +toward Hanover Court House. Near Dr Pride's house he encountered a +division of the enemy's cavalry under General W. H. F. Lee, and drove +it back across Mechamp's Creek, thus opening communication with the +right of our infantry resting near Phillips's Mills. Just as this +had been done, a little before dark, Wilson received an order from +General Meade directing him to push on toward Richmond until he +encountered the Confederates in such strength that he could no longer +successfully contend against them, and in compliance with this order +occupied Hanover Court House that same day. Resuming his march at +daylight on June 1, he went ahead on the Ashland road while sending +Chapman's brigade up the south bank of the South Anna to destroy the +bridges on that stream. Chapman having succeeded in this work, +Wilson re-united his whole command and endeavored to hold Ashland, +but finding the Confederate cavalry and infantry there in strong +force, he was obliged to withdraw to Dr. Price's house. Here he +learned that the army had gone to the left toward Cold Harbor, so on +the 2d of June he moved to Hawe's Shop.</p> + +<p>While Wilson was operating thus on the right, I had to cover with +Gregg's and Torbert's divisions the crossing of the army over the +Pamunkey River at and near Hanovertown. Torbert having recovered +from the illness which overtook him in the Wilderness, had now +returned to duty. The march to turn the enemy's right began on the +26th. Torbert and Gregg in advance, to secure the crossings of the +Pamunkey and demonstrate in such manner as to deceive the enemy as +much as possible in the movement, the two cavalry divisions being +supported by General D. A. Russell's division of the Sixth Corps.</p> + +<p>To attain this end in the presence of an ever-watchful foe who had +just recently been reinforced in considerable numbers from Richmond +and further south—almost enough to make up the losses he had +sustained in the Wilderness and at Spottsylvania—required the most +vigorous and zealous work on the part of those to whom had been +allotted the task of carrying out the initial manoeuvres. Torbert +started for Taylor's ford on the Pamunkey with directions to +demonstrate heavily at that point till after dark, as if the crossing +was to be made there, and having thus impressed the enemy, he was to +leave a small guard, withdraw quietly, and march to Hanovertown ford, +where the real crossing was to be effected. Meanwhile Gregg marched +to Littlepage's crossing of the Pamunkey, with instructions to make +feints in the same manner as Torbert until after dark, when he was to +retire discreetly, leaving a small force to keep up the +demonstration, and then march rapidly to Hanovertown crossing, taking +with him the pontoon-bridge.</p> + +<p>At the proper hour Russell took up the march and followed the +cavalry. The troops were in motion all night, undergoing the usual +delays incident to night marches, and, early on the morning of the +27th the crossing was made, Custer's brigade of Torbert's division +driving from the ford about one hundred of the enemy's cavalry, and +capturing between thirty and forty prisoners. The remainder of +Torbert's division followed this brigade and advanced to Hanovertown, +where General Gordon's brigade of Confederate cavalry was met. +Torbert attacked this force with Devin's brigade, while he sent +Custer to Hawe's Shop, from which point a road leading to the right +was taken that brought him in rear of the enemy's cavalry; when the +Confederates discovered this manoeuvre, they retired in the direction +of Hanover Court House. Pursuit continued as far as a little stream +called Crump's Creek, and here Torbert was halted, Gregg moving up on +his line meanwhile, and Russell encamping near the crossing of the +river. This completed our task of gaining a foothold south of the +Pamunkey, and on the 28th the main army crossed unharassed and took +up a position behind my line, extending south from the river, with +the Sixth Corps on the right across the Hanover Court House road at +Crump's Creek, the Second Corps on the left of the Sixth, and the +Fifth Corps about two miles in front of Hanovertown, its left +extending to the Tolopotomy.</p> + +<p>There was now much uncertainty in General Grant's mind as to the +enemy's whereabouts, and there were received daily the most +conflicting statements as to the nature of Lee's movements. It +became necessary, therefore, to find out by an actual demonstration +what Lee was doing, and I was required to reconnoitre in the +direction of Mechanicsville. For this purpose I moved Gregg's +division out toward this town by way of Hawe's Shop, and when it had +gone about three-fourths of a mile beyond the Shop the enemy's +cavalry was discovered dismounted and disposed behind a temporary +breastwork of rails and logs.</p> + +<p>This was the first occasion on which, since the battle of Yellow +Tavern, the Confederate troopers had confronted us in large numbers, +their mounted operations, like ours, having been dependent more or +less on the conditions that grew out of the movements in which Lee's +infantry had been engaged since the 14th of May.</p> + +<p>On that date General Lee had foreshadowed his intention of using his +cavalry in connection with the manoeuvres of his infantry by issuing +an order himself, now that Stuart was dead, directing that the "three +divisions of cavalry serving with the army [Lee's] will constitute +separate commands, and will report directly to and receive orders +from the headquarters of the army." The order indicates that since +Stuart's death the Confederate cavalry had been re-organized into +three divisions, that were commanded respectively by General Wade +Hampton, General Fitzhugh Lee, and General W. H. F. Lee, the +additional division organization undoubtedly growing out of the fact, +that General M. C. Butler's brigade of about four thousand men had +joined recently from South Carolina.</p> + +<p>When this force developed in Gregg's front, he attacked the moment +his troops could be dismounted; and the contest became one of +exceeding stubborness, for he found confronting him Hampton's and +Fitzhugh Lee's divisions, supported by what we then supposed to be a +brigade of infantry, but which, it has since been ascertained, was +Butler's brigade of mounted troops; part of them armed with +long-range rifles. The contest between the opposing forces was of the +severest character and continued till late in the evening. The +varying phases of the fight prompted me to reinforce Gregg as much as +possible, so I directed Custer's brigade to report to him, sending, +meanwhile, for the other two brigades of Torbert, but these were not +available at the time—on account of delays which occurred in +relieving them from the line at Crump's Creek—and did not get up +till the fight was over. As soon as Custer joined him, Gregg +vigorously assaulted the Confederate position along his whole front; +and notwithstanding the long-range rifles of the South Carolinians, +who were engaging in their first severe combat it appears, and fought +most desperately, he penetrated their barricades at several points.</p> + +<p>The most determined and obstinate efforts for success were now made +on both sides, as the position at Hawe's Shop had become of very +great importance on account of the designs of both Lee and Grant. +Lee wished to hold this ground while he manoeuvred his army to the +line of the Tolopotomy, where he could cover the roads to Richmond, +while Grant, though first sending me out merely to discover by a +strong reconnoissance the movements of the enemy, saw the value of +the place to cover his new base at the White House, and also to give +us possession of a direct road to Cold Harbor. Hawe's Shop remained +in our possession finally, for late in the evening Custer's brigade +was dismounted and formed in close column in rear of Gregg, and while +it assaulted through an opening near the centre of his line, the +other two brigades advanced and carried the temporary works. The +enemy's dead and many of his wounded fell into our hands; also a +considerable number of prisoners, from whom we learned that +Longstreet's and Ewell's corps were but four miles to the rear.</p> + +<p>The battle was a decidedly severe one, the loss on each side being +heavy in proportion to the number of troops engaged. This fight took +place almost immediately in front of our infantry, which, during the +latter part of the contest, was busily occupied in throwing up +intrenchments. Late in the afternoon I reported to General Meade the +presence of the enemy's infantry, and likewise that Hampton's and +Fitzhugh Lee's divisions were in my front also, and asked, at the +same time; that some of our infantry, which was near at hand, be sent +to my assistance. I could not convince Meade that anything but the +enemy's horse was fighting us, however, and he declined to push out +the foot-troops, who were much wearied by night marches. It has been +ascertained since that Meade's conclusions were correct in so far as +they related to the enemy's infantry; but the five cavalry brigades +far outnumbered my three, and it is to be regretted that so much was +risked in holding a point that commanded the roads to Cold Harbor and +Meadow bridge, when there was at hand a preponderating number of +Union troops which might have been put into action. However, Gregg's +division and Custer's brigade were equal to the situation, all +unaided as they were till dark, when Torbert and Merritt came on the +ground. The contest not only gave us the crossroads, but also +removed our uncertainty regarding Lee's movements, clearly +demonstrating that his army was retiring by its right flank, so that +it might continue to interpose between Grant and the James River; as +well as cover the direct route to Richmond.</p> + +<p>General Lee reported this battle to his Government as a Confederate +victory, but his despatch was sent early in the day, long before the +fight ended, and evidently he could not have known the final result +when he made the announcement, for the fight lasted until dark. +After dark, our own and the Confederate dead having been buried, I +withdrew, and moving to the rear of our infantry, marched all night +and till I reached the vicinity of Old Church, where I had been +instructed to keep a vigilant watch on the enemy with Gregg's and +Torbert's divisions. As soon as I had taken position at Old Church +my pickets were pushed out in the direction of Cold Harbor, and the +fact that the enemy was holding that point in some force was clearly +ascertained. But our occupation of Cold Harbor was of the utmost +importance; indeed, it was absolutely necessary that we should +possess it, to secure our communications with the White House, as +well as to cover the extension of our line to the left toward the +James River. Roads from Bethesda Church, Old Church, and the White +House centred at Cold Harbor, and from there many roads diverged also +toward different crossings of the Chickahominy, which were +indispensable to us.</p> + +<p>The enemy too realized the importance of the place, for as soon as he +found himself compelled to take up the line of the Tolopotomy he +threw a body of troops into Cold Harbor by forced marches, and +followed it up by pushing a part of this force out on the Old Church +road as far as Matadequin Creek, where he established a line of +battle, arranging the front of it parallel to the road along the +south bank of the Pamunkey; this for the purpose of endangering our +trains as they moved back and forth between the army and the White +House.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile I had occupied Old Church and pushed pickets down toward +Cold Harbor. The outposts struck each other just north of Matadequin +Creek, and a spirited fight immediately took place. At first our +pickets were sorely pressed, but Torbert, who was already preparing +to make a reconnoissance, lost no time in reinforcing them on the +north side of the creek with Devin's brigade. The fight then became +general, both sides, dismounted, stubbornly contesting the ground. +Of the Confederates, General Butler's South Carolinians bore the +brunt of the fight, and, strongly posted as they were on the south +bank of the creek, held their ground with the same obstinacy they had +previously shown at Hawe's Shop. Finally, however, Torbert threw +Merritt's and Custer's brigades into the action, and the enemy +retired, we pursuing to within a mile and a half of Cold Harbor and +capturing a number of prisoners. Gregg's division took no part in +the actual fighting, but remained near Old Church observing the roads +on Torberts flanks, one leading toward Bethesda Church on his right, +the other to his left in the direction of the White House. This +latter road Gregg was particularly instructed to keep open, so as to +communicate with General W. F. Smith, who was then debarking his +corps at the White House, and on the morning of the 31st this +general's advance was covered by a brigade which Gregg had sent him +for the purpose.</p> + +<p>Torbert having pursued toward Cold Harbor the troops he fought at +Matadequin Creek, had taken up a position about a mile and a half +from that place, on the Old Church road. The morning of the 31st I +visited him to arrange for his further advance, intending thus to +anticipate an expected attack from Fitzhugh Lee, who was being +reinforced by infantry. I met Torbert at Custer's headquarters, and +found that the two had already been talking over a scheme to capture +Cold Harbor, and when their plan was laid before me it appeared so +plainly feasible that I fully endorsed it, at once giving directions +for its immediate execution, and ordering Gregg to come forward to +Torbert's support with such troops as he could spare from the duty +with which he had been charged.</p> + +<p>Torbert moved out promptly, Merritt's brigade first, followed by +Custer's, on the direct road to Cold Harbor, while Devin's brigade +was detached, and marched by a left-hand road that would bring him in +on the right and rear of the enemy's line, which was posted in front +of the crossroads. Devin was unable to carry his part of the +programme farther than to reach the front of the Confederate right, +and as Merritt came into position to the right of the Old Church road +Torbert was obliged to place a part of Custer's brigade on Merritt's +left so as to connect with Devin. The whole division was now in +line, confronted by Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, supported by Clingman's +brigade from Hoke's division of infantry; and from the Confederate +breastworks, hastily constructed out of logs, rails, and earth, a +heavy fire was already being poured upon us that it seemed impossible +to withstand. None of Gregg's division had yet arrived, and so +stubborn was the enemy's resistance that I began to doubt our ability +to carry the place before reinforcements came up, but just then +Merritt reported that he could turn the enemy's left, and being +directed to execute his proposition, he carried it to a most +successful issue with the First and Second regular cavalry. Just as +these two regiments passed around the enemy's left and attacked his +rear, the remainder of the division assailed him in front. This +manoeuvre of Merritt's stampeded the Confederates, and the defenses +falling into our hands easily, we pushed ahead on the Bottom's bridge +road three-fourths of a mile beyond Cold Harbor.</p> + +<p>Cold Harbor was now mine, but I was about nine miles away from our +nearest infantry, and had been able to bring up only Davies's brigade +of cavalry, which arrived after the fight. My isolated position +therefore made me a little uneasy. I felt convinced that the enemy +would attempt to regain the place, for it was of as much importance +to him as to us, and the presence of his infantry disclosed that he +fully appreciated this. My uneasiness increased as the day grew +late, for I had learned from prisoners that the balance of Hoke's +division was en route to Cold Harbor, and Kershaw near at hand, +interposing between the Union left near Bethesda Church and my +position. In view of this state of affairs, I notified General Meade +that I had taken Cold Harbor, but could not with safety to my command +hold it, and forthwith gave directions to withdraw during the night. +The last of my troops had scarcely pulled out, however, when I +received a despatch from Meade directing me to hold Cold Harbor at +every hazard. General Grant had expected that a severe battle would +have to be fought before we could obtain possession of the place; and +its capture by our cavalry not being anticipated, no preparation had +been made for its permanent occupancy. No time was to be lost, +therefore, if the advantages which possession of Cold Harbor gave us +were to be improved, so at the same hour that Meade ordered me to +hold the place at all hazards the Sixth Corps was started on a forced +march, by Grant's directions, to aid in that object, and on arrival +to relieve my cavalry.</p> + +<p>The moment Meade's order was received, I directed a reoccupation of +Cold Harbor, and although a large portion of Torbert's command was +already well on its way back to the line we held on the morning of +the 31st, this force speedily retraced its steps, and re-entered the +place before daylight; both our departure and return having been +effected without the enemy being aware of our movements. We now +found that the temporary breastworks of rails and logs which the +Confederates had built were of incalculable benefit to us in +furnishing material with which to establish a line of defense, they +being made available by simply reversing them at some points, or at +others wholly reconstructing them to suit the circumstances of the +ground: The troops, without reserves, were then placed behind our +cover dismounted, boxes of ammunition distributed along the line, and +the order passed along that the place must be held. All this was +done in the darkness, and while we were working away at our cover the +enemy could be distinctly heard from our skirmish-line giving +commands and making preparations to attack.</p> + +<p>Just after daylight on the 1st of June the Confederate infantry under +General Kershaw endeavored to drive us out, advancing against my +right from the Bethesda Church road. In his assault he was permitted +to come close up to our works, and when within short range such afire +was opened on him from our horse-artillery and repeating carbines +that he recoiled in confusion after the first onset; still, he seemed +determined to get the place, and after reorganizing, again attacked; +but the lesson of the first repulse was not without effect, and his +feeble effort proved wholly fruitless. After his second failure we +were left undisturbed, and at 9 A.M. I sent the following despatch to +army headquarters:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, +<br>"ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. +<br>"Cold Harbor, Va., June 1, 1864—9 A.M. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL HUMPHREYS, +<br>"Chief-of-Staff. +<br> +<br>"GENERAL: In obedience to your instructions I am holding Cold Harbor. +I have captured this morning more prisoners; they belong to three +different infantry brigades. The enemy assaulted the right of my +lines this morning, but were handsomely repulsed. I have been very +apprehensive, but General Wright is now coming up. I built slight +works for my men; the enemy came up to them, and were driven back. +General Wright has just arrived. +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, +<br>"Major-General Commanding." +</blockquote> +<p> +About 10 o'clock in the morning the Sixth Corps relieved Torbert and +Davies, having marched all night, and these two generals moving out +toward the Chickahominy covered the left of the infantry line till +Hancock's corps took their place in the afternoon. By this time +Gregg had joined me with his two brigades, and both Torbert and Gregg +were now marched to Prospect Church, from which point I moved them to +a position on the north side of the Chickahominy at Bottom's bridge. +Here the enemy's cavalry confronted us, occupying the south bank of +the stream, with artillery in position at the fords prepared to +dispute our passage; but it was not intended that we should cross; so +Gregg and Torbert lay quiet in camp at Bottom's bridge and at Old +Church without noteworthy event until the 6th of June.</p> + +<p>As before related, Wilson's division struck the enemy's infantry as +well as W. H. F. Lee's cavalry near Ashland on the 1st of June, and +although Chapman destroyed the bridges over the South Anna, which was +his part of the programme, Wilson found it necessary to return to +Price's Store. From this point he continued to cover the right of +the Army of the Potomac, on the 2d of June driving the rear-guard of +the enemy from Hawe's Shop, the scene of the battle of May 28. The +same day he crossed Tolopotomy Creek, and passed around the enemy's +left flank so far that Lee thought his left was turned by a strong +force, and under cover of darkness withdrew from a menacing position +which he was holding in front of the Ninth Corps. This successful +manoeuvre completed, Wilson returned to Hawe's Shop, and on the 4th +went into camp at New Castle ferry, in anticipation of certain +operations of the Cavalry Corps, which were to take place while the +Army of the Potomac was crossing to the south side of the James.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch21"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>THE MOVEMENT TO THE JAMES—THE SECOND EXPEDITION—BATTLE OF +TREVILLIAN STATION—DEFEAT OF GENERAL WADE HAMPTON—MALLORY'S +CROSSROADS—SUFFERING OF THE WOUNDED—SECURING THE TRAINS—GENERAL +GREGG'S STUBBORN FIGHT.</p> + +<p>By the 6th of June General Grant again determined to continue the +movement of the army by its left flank to the south bank of the James +River, his unsuccessful attack on the enemy's works near Cold Harbor +having demonstrated that Lee's position north of the Chickahominy +could not be carried by assault with results that would compensate +for the enormous loss of life which must follow; therefore a further +attempt to fight a decisive battle north of Richmond was abandoned. +In carrying the army to the James River the hazardous manoeuvres +would be hampered by many obstacles, such as the thick timber, +underbrush, and troublesome swamps to be met in crossing the +Chickahominy. Besides, Lee held an interior line, from which all the +direct roads to Richmond could be covered with his infantry, leaving +his cavalry free to confront our advance on the south bank of the +Chickahominy as far down as Jones's bridge, and thence around to +Charles City Court House. In view of these difficulties it became +necessary to draw off the bulk of the enemy's cavalry while the +movement to the James was in process of execution, and General Meade +determined to do this by requiring me to proceed with two divisions +as far as Charlottesville to destroy the railroad bridge over the +Rivanna River near that town, the railroad itself from the Rivanna to +Gordonsville, and, if practicable, from Gordonsville back toward +Hanover Junction also.</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, +<br>"June 5, 1864. 3.30 P. M. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Commanding Cavalry Corps. +<br> +<br>"I am directed by the major-general commanding to furnish the +following instructions for your guidance in the execution of the duty +referred to in the order for movements and changes of position +to-night, a copy of which order accompanies this communication. +<br> +<br>"With two divisions of your corps you will move on the morning of the +7th instant to Charlottesville and destroy the railroad bridge over +the Rivanna near that town; you will then thoroughly destroy the +railroad from that point to Gordonsville, and from Gordonsville +toward Hanover Junction, and to the latter point, if practicable. +The chief engineer, Major Duane, will furnish you a canvas +pontoon-train of eight boats. The chief quartermaster will supply you with +such tools, implements, and materials as you may require for the +destruction of the road. Upon the completion of this duty you will +rejoin this army. +<br> +<br>"A. HUMPHREYS, +<br>"Major-General, Chief-of-Staff." +</blockquote> +<p> +After Meade's instructions reached me they were somewhat modified by +General Grant, who on the same evening had received information that +General Hunter, commanding the troops in West Virginia, had reached +Staunton and engaged with advantage the Confederate commander, +General Jones, near that place. General Grant informed me orally +that he had directed Hunter to advance as far as Charlottesville, +that he expected me to unite with him there, and that the two +commands, after destroying the James River canal and the Virginia +Central road, were to join the Army of the Potomac in the manner +contemplated in my instructions from General Meade; and that in view +of what was anticipated, it would be well to break up as much of the +railroad as possible on my way westward. A copy of his letter to +Hunter comprised my written instructions. A junction with this +general was not contemplated when the expedition was first conceived, +but became an important though not the paramount object after the +reception of the later information. The diversion of the enemy's +cavalry from the south side of the Chickahominy was its main purpose, +for in the presence of such a force as Lee's contracted lines would +now permit him to concentrate behind the Chickahominy, the +difficulties of crossing that stream would be largely increased if he +also had at hand a strong body of horse, to gain the time necessary +for him to oppose the movement at the different crossings with masses +of his infantry.</p> + +<p>The order calling for two divisions for the expedition, I decided to +take Gregg's and Torbert's, leaving Wilson's behind to continue with +the infantry in its march to the James and to receive instructions +directly from, the headquarters of the army. All my dismounted men +had been sent to the White House some days before, and they were +directed to report to Wilson as they could be provided with mounts.</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"COLD HARBOR, VA., June 6, 1964. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL D. HUNTER, Commanding Dept West Virginia. +<br> +<br>"General Sheridan leaves here to-morrow morning with instructions to +proceed to Charlottesville, Va., and to commence there the +destruction of the Virginia Central railroad, destroying this way as +much as possible. The complete destruction of this road and of the +canal on James River is of great importance to us. According to the +instructions I sent to General Halleck for your guidance, you will +proceed to Lynchburg and commence there. It would be of great value +to us to get possession of Lynchburg for a single day. But that +point is of so much importance to the enemy, that in attempting to +get it such resistance may be met as to defeat your getting into the +road or canal at all. I see, in looking over the letter to General +Halleck on the subject of your instructions, that it rather indicates +that your route should be from Staunton via Charlottesville. If you +have so understood it, you will be doing just what I want. The +direction I would now give is, that if this letter reaches you in the +valley between Staunton and Lynchburg, you immediately turn east by +the most practicable road until you strike the Lynchburg branch of +the Virginia Central road. From there move eastward along the line +of the road, destroying it completely and thoroughly, until you join +General Sheridan. After the work laid out for General Sheridan and +yourself is thoroughly done, proceed to join the Army of the Potomac +by the route laid out in General Sheridan's instructions. If any +portion of your force, especially your cavalry, is needed back in +your department, you are authorized to send it back. If on receipt +of this you should be near to Lynchburg and deem it practicable to +reach that point, you will exercise your judgment about going there. +If you should be on the railroad between Charlottesville and +Lynchburg, it may be practicable to detach a cavalry force to destroy +the canal. Lose no opportunity to destroy the canal. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." +</blockquote> +<p> +Owing to the hard service of the preceding month we had lost many +horses, so the number of dismounted men was large; and my strength +had also been much reduced by killed and wounded during the same +period of activity. The effective mounted force of my two divisions +was therefore much diminished, they mustering only about six thousand +officers and men when concentrated on June 6 at New Castle ferry. +Here they were provided with three days' rations, intended to last +five days, and with two days' grain for the horses. The rations and +forty rounds of ammunition per man were to be carried on the persons +of the troopers, the grain on the pommel of the saddle, and the +reserve ammunition in wagons. One medical wagon and eight ambulances +were also furnished, and one wagon was authorized for each division +and brigade headquarters; enough canvas-covered boats for a small +pontoon-bridge were also provided.</p> + +<p>My instructions permitting latitude in the route I should take, I +decided to march along the north bank of the North Anna River, cross +that stream at Carpenter's ford, strike the Virginia Central railroad +at Trevillian Station, destroy it toward Louisa Court House, march +past Gordonsville, strike the railroad again at Cobham's Station, and +destroy it thence to Charlottesville as we proceeded west. The +success of the last part of this programme would of course depend on +the location of General Hunter when I should arrive in the region +where it would be practicable for us to communicate with each other.</p> + +<p>From my camp at New Castle ferry we crossed the Pamunkey, marched +between Aylett's and Dunkirk on the Mattapony River, and on the 8th +of June encamped at Polecat Station. The next day we resumed the +march along the North Anna—our advance guard skirmishing with a few +mounted men of the enemy, who proved to be irregulars—and bivouacked +on Northeast Creek, near Young's Mills. This day I learned from some +of these irregulars whom we made prisoners that Breckenridge's +division of infantry, en route to the Shenandoah Valley by way of +Gordonsville, was passing slowly up the railroad parallel to me, and +that the enemy's cavalry had left its position on the south side of +the Chickahominy, and was marching on the old Richmond and +Gordonsville road toward Gordonsville, under command of General Wade +Hampton, the information being confirmed by a scouting party sent out +to cut the telegraph wires along the railroad in the night. +Breckenridge had been ordered back to the valley by General Lee as +soon as he heard of Hunter's victory near Staunton, but now that my +expedition had been discovered, the movement of Breckenridge's troops +on the railroad was being timed to correspond with the marches of my +command till Hampton could get more nearly parallel with me.</p> + +<p>On the 10th we resumed the march, passing by Twyman's store, crossing +the North Anna at Carpenter's ford and encamping on the road leading +along the south fork of the North Anna to Trevillian Station. During +the evening and night of the 10th the boldness of the enemy's +scouting parties, with which we had been coming into collision more +or less every day, perceptibly increased, thus indicating the +presence of a large force, and evidencing that his shorter line of +march had enabled him to bring to my front a strong body of cavalry, +although it started from Lee's army nearly two days later than I did +from Grant's. The arrival of this body also permitted Breckenridge +to pass on to Gordonsville, and from there to interpose between +General Hunter and me at either Charlottesville or Waynesboro' as +circumstances might determine.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 10th General Hampton's division camped about +three miles northwest of Trevillian, at a place called Green Spring +Valley and Fitzhugh Lee's division not far from Louisa Court House, +some six miles east of Trevillian. Learning that I was at +Carpenter's ford, Hampton marched his division by way of Trevillian +Station toward Clayton's store, on the road from Trevillian to +Carpenter's ford, intending to attack me at Clayton's. Fitzhugh +Lee's division was to join Hampton at Clayton's store from Louisa +Court House; but on the morning of the 11th the two generals were +separated by several miles.</p> + +<p>At daylight of the 11th my march, to Trevillian Station was resumed +on the direct road to that point, and engaging the enemy's pickets +and advanced parties soon after setting out, we began to drive them +in. Torbert had the lead with Merritt's and Devin's brigades, and as +he pressed back the pickets he came upon the enemy posted behind a +line of barricades in dense timber about three miles from Trevillian. +Meanwhile Custer's brigade had been sent from where we bivouacked, by +a wood road found on our left, to destroy Trevillian Station. In +following this road Custer got to the rear of Hampton's division, +having passed between its right flank and Fitzhugh Lee's division, +which was at the time marching on the road leading from Louisa Court +House to Clayton's store to unite with Hampton.</p> + +<p>Custer, the moment he found himself in Hampton's rear, charged the +led horses, wagons, and caissons found there, getting hold of a vast +number of each, and also of the station itself. The stampede and +havoc wrought by Custer in Hampton's rear compelled him to turn +Rosser's brigade in that direction, and while it attacked Custer on +one side, Fitzhugh Lee's division, which had followed Custer toward +Trevillian, attacked him on the other. There then ensued a desperate +struggle for the possession of the captured property, resulting +finally in its being retaken by the enemy. Indeed, the great number +of horses and vehicles could not be kept on the limited space within +Custer's line, which now formed almost a complete circle; and while +he was endeavoring to remove them to a secure place they, together +with Custer's headquarters wagon and four of his caissons, fell into +the hands of their original owners.</p> + +<p>As soon as the firing told that Custer had struck the enemy's rear, I +directed Torbert to press the line in front of Merritt and Devin, +aided by one brigade of Gregg's division on their left, Gregg's other +brigade in the meantime attacking Fitzhugh Lee on the Louisa Court +House road. The effect of this was to force Hampton back, and his +division was so hard pushed that a portion of it was driven pell-mell +into Custer's lines, leaving there about five hundred prisoners. The +rest of Hampton's men did not rally till they got some distance west +of Trevillian, while, in the meantime, Gregg had driven Fitzhugh Lee +toward Louisa Court House so far that many miles now intervened +between the two Confederate divisions, precluding their union until +about noon the next day, when Fitzhugh Lee effected the junction +after a circuitous march in the night. The defeat of Hampton at the +point where he had determined to resist my further advance, and his +retreat westward, gave me undisturbed possession of the station; and +after destroying the railroad to some extent toward Gordonsville, I +went into camp.</p> + +<p>From prisoners taken during the day, I gathered that General Hunter, +instead of coming toward Charlottesville, as I had reason to expect, +both from the instructions given me and the directions sent him by +General Grant, was in the neighborhood of Lexington—apparently +moving on Lynchburg—and that Breckenridge was at Gordonsville and +Charlottesville. I also heard, from the same source, that Ewell's +corps was on its way to Lynchburg, but this intelligence proved +afterward to be incorrect, for these troops, commanded by General +Early, did not leave Richmond till two days later.</p> + +<p>There was no doubt as to the information about Hunter's general +location, however. He was marching toward Lynchburg, away from +instead of toward me, thus making the junction of our commands beyond +all reasonable probability. So in view of this, I made up my mind to +abandon that part of the scheme, and to return by leisurely marches, +which would keep Hampton's cavalry away from Lee while Grant was +crossing the James River. I was still further influenced to this +course by the burden which was thrown on me in the large number of +wounded—there being about five hundred cases of my own—and the five +hundred prisoners that I would probably be forced to abandon, should +I proceed farther. Besides, the recent battle had reduced my supply +of ammunition to a very small amount—not more than enough for one +more respectable engagement; and as the chances were that I would +have to fight a great deal before I could reach Hunter, now that the +enemy's cavalry and Breckenridge's infantry were between us, the +risks of the undertaking seemed too great to warrant it.</p> + +<p>The morning of June 12 Gregg's division commenced destroying the +railroad to Louisa Court House, and continued the work during the +day, breaking it pretty effectually. While Gregg was thus occupied, +I directed Torbert to make a reconnoissance up the Gordonsville road, +to secure a by-road leading over Mallory's ford, on the North Anna, +to the Catharpen road, as I purposed following that route to +Spottsylvania Court House on my return, and thence via Bowling Green +and Dunkirk to the White House. About a mile beyond Trevillian the +Gordonsville road fork—the left fork leading to Charlottesville—and +about a mile beyond the fork Hampton had taken up and strongly +intrenched a line across both roads, being reinforced by Fitzhugh +Lee, who, as before related, had joined him about noon by a +roundabout march. Torbert soon hotly engaged this line, and by the +impetuosity of his first attack, gained some advantage; but the +appearance of Fitzhugh Lee's troops on the right, and Hampton's +strong resistance in front, rendered futile all efforts to carry the +position; and, although I brought up one of Gregg's brigades to +Torbert's assistance, yet the by-road I coveted was still held by the +enemy when night closed in.</p> + +<p>This engagement, like that off the day before around Trevillian, was +mostly fought dismounted by both sides, as had also been the earlier +fights of the cavalry during the summer in the Wilderness, at Todd's +Tavern, Hawe's Shop, and Matadequin Creek. Indeed, they could hardly +have been fought otherwise than on foot, as there was little chance +for mounted fighting in eastern Virginia, the dense woods, the +armament of both parties, and the practice of barricading making it +impracticable to use the sabre with anything like a large force; and +so with the exception of Yellow Tavern the dismounted method +prevailed in almost every engagement.</p> + +<p>The losses at Mallory's Crossroads were very heavy on both sides. +The character of the fighting, together with the day's results, +demonstrated that it was impossible to make the passage of the North +Anna at Mallory's ford without venturing another battle the next day. +This would consume the little ammunition left, and though we might +gain the road, yet the possibility of having no ammunition whatever +to get back with was too great a hazard, so I gave orders to withdraw +during the night of the 12th. We retired along the same road by +which we had come, taking with us the prisoners, and all of our +wounded who could be moved. Those who could not be transported, some +ninety in number, and all the Confederate wounded in my hands, were +left at Trevillian in hospitals, under charge of one of our surgeons, +with plenty of medical and other stores.</p> + +<p>We recrossed the North Anna at Carpenter's ford the following +morning, and halting there, unsaddled and turned the horses out to +graze, for they were nearly famished, having had neither food nor +water during the preceding forty-eight hours. Late in the afternoon +we saddled up and proceeded to Twyman's Store, while General +Hampton's main body moved down the south bank of the North Anna, with +the purpose of intervening between me and the Army of the Potomac, in +the hope of preventing my return to it; but his movements took no +definite shape beyond watching me, however, till several days later, +near St. Mary's Church, when I was crossing the peninsula to the +James River.</p> + +<p>On the 14th the march was continued, and we reached the Catharpen +road, upon which it was originally intended to move if we had been +able to cross at Mallory's ford, and this conducted me to Shady Grove +Church. The next day we passed over the battle-field of +Spottsylvania Court House. The marks of the recent conflicts about +there were visible on every hand, and in the neighboring houses were +found many Union and Confederate wounded, who had been too severely +hurt to be removed from the field-hospitals at the time of the +battles. Such of our wounded as were able to travel were brought +away.</p> + +<p>On the 16th I marched from Edge Hill on the Ta River through Bowling +Green to Dr. Butler's, on the north side of the Mattapony. When I +arrived here I was unable to ascertain the position of the Army of +the Potomac, and was uncertain whether or not the base at the White +House had been discontinued. I had heard nothing from the army for +nine days except rumors through Southern sources, and under these +circumstances did not like to venture between the Mattapony and +Pamunkey rivers, embarrassed as I was with some four hundred wounded, +five hundred prisoners, and about two thousand negroes that had +joined my column in the hope of obtaining their freedom. I therefore +determined to push down the north bank of the Mattapony far enough to +enable me to send these impediments directly to West Point, where I +anticipated finding some of our gunboats and transports, that could +carry all to the North. Following this plan, we proceeded through +Walkerton to King and Queen Court House, and bivouacked in its +vicinity the night of the 18th. Next day I learned that the depot at +the White House had not yet been broken up entirely, and that +supplies were in store for me there; so after sending the wounded, +prisoners, and negroes to West Point under an escort of two +regiments, I turned back to Dunkirk, on the Mattapony, and crossed to +the south side at a place where the stream was narrow enough to +bridge with my pontoon-boats.</p> + +<p>In returning from Trevillian, as the most of our wounded were hauled +in old buggies, carts, and such other vehicles as could be made +available in the absence of a sufficient number of ambulances, the +suffering was intense, the heat of the season and dusty roads adding +much to the discomfort. Each day we halted many times to dress the +wounds of the injured and to refresh them as much as possible, but +our means for mitigating their distress were limited. The fortitude +and cheerfulness of the poor fellows under such conditions were +remarkable, for no word of complaint was heard. The Confederate +prisoners and colored people being on foot, our marches were +necessarily made short, and with frequent halts also, but they too +suffered considerably from the heat and dust, though at times the +prisoners were relieved by being mounted on the horses of some of our +regiments, the owners meantime marching on foot. Where all the +colored people came from and what started them was inexplicable, but +they began joining us just before we reached Trevillian—men, women, +and children with bundles of all sorts containing their few worldly +goods, and the number increased from day to day until they arrived at +West Point. Probably not one of the poor things had the remotest +idea, when he set out, as to where he would finally land, but to a +man they followed the Yankees in full faith that they would lead to +freedom, no matter what road they took.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 20th, at an early hour, we resumed our march, +and as the column proceeded sounds of artillery were heard in the +direction of the White House, which fact caused us to quicken the +pace. We had not gone far when despatches from General Abercrombie, +commanding some fragmentary organizations at the White House, +notified me that the place was about to be attacked. I had +previously sent an advance party with orders to move swiftly toward +the cannonading and report to me by couriers the actual condition of +affairs. From this party I soon learned that there was no occasion +to push our jaded animals, since the crisis, if there had been one, +was over and the enemy repulsed, so the increased gait was reduced to +a leisurely march that took us late in the afternoon to the north +bank of the Pamunkey, opposite Abercrombie's camp. When I got to the +river the enemy was holding the bluffs surrounding the White House +farm, having made no effort to penetrate General Abercrombie's line +or do him other hurt than to throw a few shells among the teamsters +there congregated.</p> + +<p>Next day Gregg's division crossed the Pamunkey dismounted, and +Torbert's crossed mounted. As soon as the troops were over, Gregg, +supported by Merritt's brigade, moved out on the road to Tunstall's +Station to attack Hampton, posted an the west side of Black Creek, +Custer's brigade meanwhile moving, mounted, on the road to +Cumberland, and Devin's in like manner on the one to Baltimore +crossroads. This offer of battle was not accepted, however, and +Hampton withdrew from my front, retiring behind the Chickahominy, +where his communications with Lee would be more secure.</p> + +<p>While at the White House I received orders to break up that depot +wholly, and also instructions to move the trains which the Army of +the Potomac had left there across the peninsula to the pontoon-bridge +at Deep Bottom on the James River. These trains amounted to hundreds +of wagons and other vehicles, and knowing full well the dangers which +would attend the difficult problem of getting them over to +Petersburg, I decided to start them with as little delay as +circumstances would permit, and the morning of the 22d sent Torbert's +division ahead to secure Jones's bridge on the Chickahominy, so that +the wagons could be crossed at that point. The trains followed +Torbert, while Gregg's division marched by a road parallel to the one +on which the wagons were moving, and on their right flank, as they +needed to be covered and protected in that direction only.</p> + +<p>The enemy made no effort to attack us while we were moving the trains +that day, and the wagons were all safely parked for the night on the +south side of the Chickahominy, guarded by General Getty, who had +relieved Abercrombie from command of the infantry fragments before we +started off from the White House.</p> + +<p>To secure the crossing at Jones's bridge, Torbert had pushed Devin's +brigade out on the Long Bridge road, on the side of the Chickahominy +where, on the morning of the 23d, he was attacked by Chambliss's +brigade of W. H. F. Lee's division. Devin was driven in some little +distance, but being reinforced by Getty with six companies of colored +troops, he quickly turned the tables on Chambliss and re-established +his picketposts. From this affair I learned that Chambliss's brigade +was the advance of the Confederate cavalry corps, while Hampton +discovered from it that we were already in possession of the Jones's +bridge crossing of the Chickahominy; and as he was too late to +challenge our passage of the stream at this point he contented +himself with taking up a position that night so as to cover the roads +leading from Long Bridge to Westover, with the purpose of preventing +the trains from following the river road to the pontoon-bridge at +Deep Bottom.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p433"></a><img alt="p433.jpg (95K)" src="images/p433.jpg" height="1029" width="547"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>My instructions required me to cross the trains over the James River +on this pontoon-bridge if practicable, and to reach it I should be +obliged to march through Charles City Court House, and then by +Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill, the latter point being held by +the enemy. In fact, he held all the ground between Long Bridge on +the Chickahominy and the pontoon-bridge except the Tete de pont at +the crossing. Notwithstanding this I concluded to make the attempt, +for all the delays of ferrying the command and trains would be +avoided if we got through to the bridge; and with this object in view +I moved Torbert's division out on the Charles City road to conduct +the wagons. Just beyond Charles City Court House Torbert encountered +Lomax's brigade, which he drove across Herring Creek on the road to +Westover Church; and reporting the affair to me, I surmised, from the +presence of this force in my front, that Hampton would endeavor to +penetrate to the long column of wagons, so I ordered them to go into +park near Wilcox's landing, and instructed Gregg, whose division had +been marching in the morning along the road leading from Jones's +bridge to St. Mary's Church for the purpose of covering the exposed +flank of the train, to hold fast near the church without fail till +all the transportation had passed Charles City Court House.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, General Hampton, who had conjectured that I would try to +get the train across the James by the pontoonbridge at Deep Bottom, +began concentrating all his troops except Lomax's brigade, which was +to confront the head of my column on the river road, in the vicinity +of Nance's Shop. This was discovered by Gregg at an early hour, and +divining this purpose he had prepared to meet it by constructing +hasty cover for his men before receiving my instructions. About 4 +o'clock in the afternoon Hampton got his force in hand, and with +Fitzhugh Lee's division assailed the whole front of Gregg's line, and +his left flank with Chambliss's and Geary's brigades. For two hours +he continued to attack, but made little impression on Gregg—gain at +one point being counterbalanced by failure at another. Because of +the evident strength of Hampton, Gregg had placed all his troops in +line of battle from the first, and on discovery of the enemy's +superior numbers sent message after message to me concerning the +situation, but the messengers never arrived, being either killed or +captured, and I remained in total ignorance till dark of the strait +his division was in.</p> + +<p>Toward night it became clear to Gregg that he could maintain the +unequal contest no longer, and he then decided to retreat, but not +until convinced that the time won had enabled all the trains to pass +Charles City Court House in safety. When he had got all his led +horses fairly on the way, and such of the wounded as could be +transported, he retired by his right flank-in some confusion, it is +true, but stubbornly resisting to Hopewell Church, where Hampton +ceased to press him.</p> + +<p>Gregg's losses were heavy, and he was forced to abandon his dead and +most seriously wounded, but the creditable stand made ensured the +safety of the train, the last wagon of which was now parked at +Wilcox's Landing. His steady, unflinching determination to gain time +for the wagons to get beyond the point of danger was characteristic +of the man, and this was the third occasion on which he had exhibited +a high order of capacity and sound judgment since coming under my +command. The firmness and coolness with which he always met the +responsibilities of a dangerous place were particularly strong points +in Gregg's make-up, and he possessed so much professional though +unpretentious ability, that it is to be regretted he felt obliged a +few months later to quit the service before the close of the war.</p> + +<p>Gregg's fight fully satisfied me that we could not get the trains up +to the pontoon-bridge, for of course Hampton would now throw all his +cavalry in my front, on the river road, where it could be backed up +by Lee's infantry. Meanwhile, General Meade had become assured of +the same thing, and as he was now growing anxious about the fate of +Wilson's division—which, during my absence, had been sent out to +break the enemy's communications south of Petersburg, by destroying +the Southside and Danville railroads—he sent ferryboats to cross me +over the James. During the night'of the 24th, and next morning, the +immense train—which ought never to have been left for the cavalry to +escort, after a fatiguing expedition of three weeks—was moved back +through Charles City Court House to Douthard's landing, and there +ferried over the river, followed by my troops in like manner. When +General Hampton discovered this, he moved to Drury's Bluff, and +there, on the morning of the 27th, crossed the James by the +Confederate pontoon-bridge.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch22"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>GENERAL WILSON'S RAID—DESTROYING RAILROADS—HIS +DISCOMFITURE—RESULTS OF HIS RAID—REMOUNTS—MOVEMENT TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE +JAMES—DECEIVING LEE—MY ISOLATED POSITION—ESTIMATE OF +HANCOCK—SUCCESS OF THE CAVALRY—THEIR CONSTANT DUTIES.</p> + +<p>While I was absent on the expedition to Trevillian, the movement of +the Army of the Potomac across the James River was effected, and +Wilson, whom I had left behind for the purpose, was engaged in the +duty of covering its front and rear. Late on the night of June 12 +he, with Chapman's brigade, crossed the Chickahominy at Long Bridge, +in advance of the Fifth Corps, and by 7 o'clock next morning had +driven the enemy's pickets up to White Oak bridge, where he waited +for our infantry. When that came up, he pushed on as far as Riddle's +Shop, but late that evening the Confederate infantry forced him to +withdraw to St. Mary's Church; for early in the morning General Lee +had discovered the movement of our army, and promptly threw this +column of infantry south of the Chickahominy to White Oak Swamp, with +the design of covering Richmond. From St. Mary's Church Wilson +guarded all the roads toward White Oak Swamp and Riddle's Shop, +McIntosh's brigade joining him on the 14th, by way of Long Bridge, as +the rear of the Army of the Potomac passed the Chickahominy. In the +performance of this duty Wilson did not have to fight any engagement +of magnitude, for the bulk of the enemy's cavalry had followed me to +Trevillian. During the 15th and 16th Wilson drew his troops in +toward the James River, and next day crossed it on the pontoon-bridge +and camped on the Blackwater, near Mt. Sinai Church. Here he +remained till the 22d of June—the same day I reached the White House +with Gregg and Torbert—when, under orders from General Meade, he set +out to cut the enemy's communications to the south and southwest of +Petersburg.</p> + +<p>His instructions implied that the breaking up of the Petersburg and +Lynchburg, and Richmond and Danville railroads at Burkeville was the +most important part of his mission, and that when the work of +destruction began, it should be continued till he was driven off by +the enemy. Wilson's force consisted of about 5,500 men, General A. +V. Kautz, with the cavalry of the Army of the James, having joined +him for the expedition. In moving out Wilson crossed the Weldon road +near Ream's Station, first destroying it effectually at that point. +About fourteen miles west of Petersburg he struck the Southside +railroad, and broke it up clear to Burkeville, a distance of thirty +miles. Having destroyed everything at Burkeville Junction, he moved +along the Danville road to Staunton River, completely wrecking about +thirty miles of that line also. At Staunton River he found the +railroad bridge strongly guarded, and seeing that he could not burn +it, he began his return march that night, and reached Nottoway River, +some thirty miles south of Petersburg, at noon of the next day—the +28th.</p> + +<p>In this expedition Wilson was closely followcd from the start by +Barringer's brigade of W. H. F. Lee's cavalry, but the operations +were not interfered with materially, his success being signal till he +reached the vicinity of Stony Creek depot on his return. At this +point General Hampton, with his own and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, got +between Wilson and the Army of the Potomac, there being behind them +at Ream's Station, at the same time, two brigades of infantry under +General Mahone. A severe battle ensued, resulting in Wilson's +defeat, with the loss of twelve guns and all his wagons. In +consequence of this discomfiture he was obliged to fall back across +the Nottoway River with his own division, and rejoined the army by +way of Peter's bridge on that stream, while Kautz's division, unable +to unite with Wilson after the two commands had become separated in +the fight, made a circuit of the enemy's left, and reached the lines +of our army in the night of the 28th.</p> + +<p>Neither the presence of Hampton's cavalry at Stony Creek depot, nor +the possession of Ream's Station by the Confederate infantry, seems +to have been anticipated by Wilson, for in the report of the +expedition he states:</p> + +<p>"Foreseeing the probability of having to return northward, I wrote to +General Meade the evening before starting that I anticipated no +serious difficulty in executing his orders; but unless General +Sheridan was required to keep Hampton's cavalry engaged, and our +infantry to prevent Lee from making detachments, we should probably +experience great difficulty in rejoining the army. In reply to this +note, General Humphreys, chief-of-staff, informed me it was intended +the Army of the Potomac should cover the Weldon road the next day, +the Southside road the day after, and that Hampton having followed +Sheridan toward Gordonsville, I need not fear any trouble from him."</p> + +<p>I doubt that General Meade's letter of instructions and Wilson's note +of the same evening, warrant what General Wilson here says. It is +true that the Weldon railroad near Ream's Station was not covered by +our infantry, as General Humphreys informed him it would be, but +Wilson is in error when he intimates that he was assured that I would +look after Hampton. I do not think General Meade's instructions are +susceptible of this interpretation. I received no orders requiring +me to detain Hampton. On the contrary, when I arrived at the White +House my instructions required me to break up the depot there, and +then bring the train across the Peninsula as soon as practicable, nor +were these instructions ever modified. I began the duty imposed on +me on the morning of the 23d, totally in the dark as to what was +expected of Wilson, though it seems, from some correspondence between +Generals Grant and Meade, which I never saw till after the war, that +Grant thought Wilson could rely on Hampton's absence from his field +of operations throughout the expedition.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p443"></a><img alt="p443.jpg (120K)" src="images/p443.jpg" height="428" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p443.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, +<br>"June 21, 1864. 9:20 A. M. +<br> +<br>"BRIGADIER-GENERAL WILSON, +<br>"Commanding Third Division Cavalry Corps. +<br> +<br>"The major-general commanding directs that you move your command at +2 A. M. to-morrow, the 22d instant, in execution of the duty assigned +you of destroying certain railroads. Despatches received from the +White House state that Hampton's cavalry was before that place +yesterday evening, and that General Sheridan had also reached there, +hence it is desirable that you should march at the earliest moment. +In passing Petersburg you will endeavor to avoid the observation of +the enemy, and then move by the shortest routes to the intersection +of the Petersburg and Lynchburg, and the Richmond and Danville +railroads, and destroy both these roads to the greatest extent +possible, continuing their destruction until driven from it by such +attacks of the enemy as you can no longer resist. The destruction of +those roads to such an extent that they cannot be used by the enemy +in connection with Richmond during the remainder of the campaign is +an important part of the plan of campaign. The latest information +from Major-General Hunter represents him to be a few miles west of +Lynchburg. He may endeavor to form a junction with this army; you +will communicate with him if practicable, and have delivered to him +verbally the contents of the following copy of a communication from +Lieutenant-General Grant to the major-general commanding this army. +Lieutenant Brooks, who will accompany your expedition part of the +way, should be informed where General Hunter will probably be found. +<br> +<br>"The success of your expedition will depend upon the secrecy with +which it is commenced, and the celerity with which its movements are +conducted; your command will, therefore, have with it the lightest +supplies and smallest number of wheels consistent with the thorough +execution of the duty, the supplies of the section of country you +will operate in being taken into account. Upon the completion of the +work assigned you, you will rejoin this army. +<br> +<br>"The chief quartermaster was directed yesterday to supply you with +the implements and material for the destruction of railroads obtained +for General Sheridan. +<br> +<br>"[Signed] A. A. HUMPHREYS, +<br>"Major-General, Chief-of-Staff." + +<br><br><br> + +<br>"HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY FORCES, +<br>Mount Sinai Church, June 21, 1864—6 P.M. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL HUMPHREYS," +<br>"Chief-of-Staff. +<br><br>"The instructions of the major-general commanding, of this date, are +received. I shall march in obedience thereto at 2 A. M. to-morrow. +Before starting I would like to know if our infantry forces cover the +Weldon road. +<br> +<br>"I propose striking the Southside road first at Sutherland Station, +or some point in that vicinity, tearing up the track sufficiently to +delay railroad communication ten or twelve hours. At this place I +shall detach a force to strike the Richmond and Danville road, by a +rapid march, at the nearest point, tearing up the track at every +practicable point between there and Burkeville. +<br><br> +"From Sutherlands I shall move the main body of my command by the +Great road (breaking the railroad at every convenient point) directly +to Burkeville, which, if we succeed in capturing, will afford us the +opportunity of prosecuting our work with great advantage. As soon as +I have made dispositions for communicating with Hunter and done all +the damage possible, I shall move with all possible rapidity for +Danville and Grenboro'. +<br><br> +"Circumstances must, however, is a great degree control our movements +after leaving Burkeville. +<br><br> +"If Sheridan will look after Hampton, I apprehend no difficulty, and +hope to be able to do the enemy great damage. The ammunition issued +to my command is very defective. The implements for destroying roads +have not yet arrived, but I learn from General Ingalls that they will +certainly be here early to-morrow. +<br><br> +"[Signed] J. H. WILSON, +<br>"Brigadier-General Commanding." +</blockquote> +<br> + +<p> +The moment I received orders from General Meade to go to the relief +of Wilson, I hastened with Torbert and Gregg by way of Prince George +Court House and Lee's Mills to Ream's Station. Here I found the +Sixth Corps, which Meade had pushed out on his left flank immediately +on hearing of Wilson's mishap, but I was too late to render any +material assistance, Wilson having already disappeared, followed by +the enemy. However, I at once sent out parties to gather +information, and soon learned that Wilson had got safe across the +Nottoway at Peter's bridge and was making for the army by way of +Blunt's bridge, on the Blackwater.</p> + +<p>The benefits derived from this expedition, in the destruction of the +Southside and Danville railroads, were considered by General Grant as +equivalent for the losses sustained in Wilson's defeat, for the +wrecking of the railroads and cars was most complete, occasioning at +this, time serious embarrassment to the Confederate Government; but I +doubt if all this compensated for the artillery and prisoners that +fell into the hands of the enemy in the swamps of Hatcher's Run and +Rowanty Creek. Wilson's retreat from the perilous situation at +Ream's station was a most creditable performance—in the face of two +brigades of infantry and three divisions of cavalry—and in the +conduct of the whole expedition the only criticism that can hold +against him is that he placed too much reliance on meeting our +infantry at Ream's station, seeing that uncontrollable circumstances +might, and did, prevent its being there. He ought to have marched on +the 28th by Jarrett's Station to Peter's bridge, on the Nottoway, and +Blunts bridge on the Blackwater, to the rear of the Army of the +Potomac.</p> + +<p>When the safety of Wilson's command was assured, I was ordered back +to Light House Point, where I had gone into camp after crossing the +James River to rest and recruit my command, now very much reduced in +numbers by reason of casualties to both horses and men. It had been +marching and fighting for fifty consecutive days, and the fatiguing +service had told so fearfully on my animals that the number of +dismounted men in the corps was very large. With the exception of +about four hundred horses that I received at the White House, no +animals were furnished to supply the deficiencies which had arisen +from the wearing marches of the past two months until I got to this +camp at Light House Point; here my needs were so obvious that they +could no longer be neglected.</p> + +<p>I remained at Light House Point from the 2d to the 26th of July, +recuperating the cavalry, the intensely warm weather necessitating +almost an entire suspension of hostilities on the part of the Army of +the Potomac. Meanwhile fifteen hundred horses were sent me here, and +these, with the four hundred already mentioned, were all that my +troops received while I held the personal command of the Cavalry +Corps, from April 6 to August 1, 1864. This was not near enough to +mount the whole command, so I disposed the men who could not be +supplied in a dismounted camp.</p> + +<p>By the 26th of July our strength was pretty well restored, and as +General Grant was now contemplating offensive operations for the +purpose of keeping Lee's army occupied around Richmond, and also of +carrying Petersburg by assault if possible, I was directed to move to +the north side of the James River in conjunction with General +Hancock's corps, and, if opportunity offered, to make a second +expedition against the Virginia Central railroad, and again destroy +the bridges on the North Anna, the Little and the South Anna rivers.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p446"></a><img alt="p446.jpg (262K)" src="images/p446.jpg" height="908" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/p446.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + + +<p>I started out on the afternoon of the 26th and crossed the Appomattox +at Broadway landing. At Deep Bottom I was joined by Kautz's small +division from the Army of the James, and here massed the whole +command, to allow Hancock's corps to take the lead, it crossing to +the north bank of the James River by the bridge below the mouth of +Bailey's Creek. I moved late in the afternoon, so as not to come +within the enemy's view before dark, and after night-fall Hancock's +corps passed me and began crossing the pontoon-bridge about 2 o'clock +in the morning.</p> + +<p>By daylight Hancock was across, the cavalry following. Soon a +portion of his corps attacked the enemy's works on the east side of +Bailey's Creek, and, aided by the cavalry moving on its right, +captured four pieces of artillery. This opened the way for Hancock +to push out his whole corps, and as he advanced by a wheel, with his +left as a pivot, the cavalry joined in the movement, pressing forward +on the New Market and Central or Charles City roads.</p> + +<p>We did not go far before we found the enemy's infantry posted across +these two roads behind a strong line of intrenchments on the west +bank of Bailey's Creek. His videttes in front of Ruffin's house on +the New Market road were soon driven in on their main line, and the +high ground before the house was immediately occupied by Torbert and +Gregg, supported by Kautz's division. By the time the cavalry line +was formed the Confederate General Kershaw, with his own division of +infantry and those of Wilcox and Heath, advanced to attack us. +Directing the most of his troops against the cavalry, which was still +mounted, Kershaw drove it back some distance over the high ground. +When it reached the eastern face of the ridge, however, it was +quickly dismounted, and the men directed to lie down in line of +battle about fifteen yards from the crest, and here the onset of the +enemy was awaited. When Kershaw's men reached the crest such a +severe fire was opened on them, and at such close quarters, that they +could not withstand it, and gave way in disorder. They were followed +across the plain by the cavalry, and lost about two hundred and fifty +prisoners and two battle-flags. The counter attack against the +infantry by Torbert and Gregg re-established our line and gave us the +victory of Darbytown, but it also demonstrated the fact that General +Lee had anticipated the movement around his left flank by +transferring to the north side of the James a large portion of his +infantry and W. H. F. Lee's division of cavalry.</p> + +<p>This development rendered useless any further effort on Hancock's +part or mine to carry out the plan of the expedition, for General +Grant did not intend Hancock to assault the enemy's works unless +there should be found in them but a very thin line of infantry which +could be surprised. In such event, Hancock was to operate so that +the cavalry might turn the Confederates on the Central or Charles +City road, but the continually increasing force of the enemy showed +this to be impracticable. The long front presented by Hancock's +corps and the cavalry deceived General Lee, and he undoubtedly +thought that nearly all of Grant's army had been moved to the north +side of the James River; and to meet the danger he transferred the +most of his own strength to the same side to confront his adversary, +thinning the lines around Petersburg to reinforce those opposing us +on the Central and New Market roads. This was what Grant hoped Lee +would do in case the operations of Hancock and myself became +impracticable, for Grant had an alternative plan for carrying +Petersburg by assault in conjunction with the explosion of a mine +that had been driven under the enemy's works from the front of +Burnside's corps.</p> + +<p>Now that there was no longer a chance for the cavalry to turn the +enemy's left, our attention was directed to keeping up the deception +of Lee, and on the afternoon of the 28th Hancock's corps withdrew to +a line nearer the head of the bridge, the cavalry drawing back to a +position on his right. From now on, all sorts of devices and +stratagems were practiced—anything that would tend to make the +Confederates believe we were being reinforced, while Hancock was +preparing for a rapid return to Petersburg at the proper time. In +order to delude the enemy still more after night-fall of the 28th I +sent one of my divisions to the south side of the James, first +covering the bridgeway with refuse hay to keep the tramp of the horses +from being heard. After daylight the next morning, I marched this +division back again on foot, in full view of the enemy, to create the +impression of a continuous movement large bodies of infantry to the +north side, while the same time Kautz was made to skirmish with the +enemy on our extreme right. These various artifices had the effect +intended, for by the evening of the 29th Lee had transferred all his +infantry to the north bank of the James, except three divisions, and +all his cavalry save one.</p> + +<p>The morning of the 30th had been fixed upon to explode the mine and +assault the enemy's works, so after dark on the evening of the 29th +Hancock hastily but quietly withdrew his corps to the south side to +take part in the engagement which was to succeed the explosion, and I +was directed to follow Hancock. This left me on the north side of +the river confronting two-thirds of Lee's army in a perilous +position, where I could easily be driven into Curl's Neck and my +whole command annihilated. The situation, therefore, was not a +pleasant one to contemplate, but it could not be avoided. Luckily +the enemy did not see fit to attack, and my anxiety was greatly +relieved by getting the whole command safely across the bridge +shortly after daylight, having drawn in the different brigades +successively from my right. By 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th +my leading division was well over toward the left of our army in +front of Petersburg, marching with the purpose to get around the +enemy's right flank during the operations that were to succeed the +mine explosion, but when I reached General Meade's headquarters I +found that lamentable failure had attended the assault made when the +enemy's works were blown up in the morning. Blunder after blunder +had rendered the assault abortive, and all the opportunities opened +by our expedition to the north side were irretrievably lost, so +General Meade at once arrested the movement of the cavalry.</p> + +<p>In the expedition to Deep Bottom I was under the command of +Major-General Hancock, who, by seniority, was to control my corps as well +as his own until the way was opened for me to get out on the Virginia +Central railroad. If this opportunity was gained, I was to cut loose +and damage Lee's communications with the Shenandoah Valley in such +manner as best suited the conditions, but my return was not to be +jeopardized nor long delayed. This necessitated that Hancock's line +should extend to Bottom's bridge on the Chickahominy. The enemy's +early discovery of the movement and his concentration of troops on +the north side prevented Hancock from accomplishing the programme +laid out for him. Its impracticability was demonstrated early on the +27th, and Hancock's soldierly instincts told him this the moment he +unexpectedly discovered Kershaw blocking the New Market and Charles +City roads. To Hancock the temptation to assault Kershaw's position +was strong indeed, but if he carried it there would still remain the +dubious problem of holding the line necessary for my safe return, so +with rare judgment he desisted zealously turning to the alternative +proposition—the assault on Petersburg—for more significant results. +This was the only occasion during the war in which I was associated +with Hancock in campaign. Up till then we had seldom met, and that +was the first opportunity I had to observe his quick apprehension, +his physical courage, and the soldierly personality which had long +before established his high reputation.</p> + +<p>On the 1st of August, two days after the mine explosion, I was. +relieved from the personal command of the Cavalry Corps, and ordered +to the Shenandoah Valley, where at a later date Torbert's and +Wilson's divisions joined me. Practically, after I went to the +valley, my command of the Cavalry Corps became supervisory merely. +During the period of my immediate control of the corps, I tried to +carry into effect, as far as possible, the views I had advanced +before and during the opening of the Wilderness campaign, i.e., "that +our cavalry ought to fight the enemy's cavalry, and our infantry the +enemy's infantry"; for there was great danger of breaking the spirit +of the corps if it was to be pitted against the enemy's compact +masses of foot-troops posted behind intrenchments, and unless there +was some adequate tactical or strategical advantage to be gained, +such a use of it would not be justified. Immediately succeeding the +battles of the Wilderness, opportunity offered to put this plan into +execution to some extent, and from that time forward—from the battle +of Yellow Tavern—our success was almost continuous, resulting +finally, before the close of the war, in the nearly total +annihilation of the enemy's cavalry.</p> + +<p>The constant activity of the corps from May 5 till August 1 gave +little opportunity for the various division and brigade commanders to +record its work in detail; so there exists but meagre accounts of the +numerous skirmishes and graver conflicts in which, in addition to the +fights mentioned in this narrative, it engaged. A detailed history +of its performances is not within the province of a work of this +nature; but in review, it can be said, without trespassing on the +reader's time, that the Cavalry Corps led the advance of the Army of +the Potomac into the Wilderness in the memorable campaign of 1864; +that on the expedition by way of Richmond to Haxall's it marked out +the army's line of march to the North Anna; that it again led the +advance to the Tolopotomy, and also to Cold Harbor, holding that +important strategic point at great hazard; and that by the Trevillian +expedition it drew away the enemy's cavalry from the south side of +the Chickahominy, and thereby assisted General Grant materially in +successfully marching to the James River and Petersburg. +Subsequently, Wilson made his march to Staunton bridge, destroying +railroads and supplies of inestimable value, and though this was +neutralized by his disaster near Ream's Station, the temporary +set-back there to one division was soon redeemed by victory over the +Confederate infantry at the battle of Darbytown.</p> + +<p>In the campaign we were almost always on the march, night and day, +often unable to care properly for our wounded, and obliged to bury +our dead where they fell; and innumerable combats attest the part the +cavalry played in Grant's march from the Rapidan to Petersburg. In +nearly all of these our casualties were heavy, particularly so when, +as was often the case, we had to engage the Confederate infantry; but +the enemy returned such a full equivalent in dead and wounded in +every instance, that finally his mounted power, which from the +beginning of the war had been nurtured with a wise appreciation of +its value, was utterly broken.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch23"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>GENERAL HUNTER'S SUCCESSFUL MARCH AND SUBSEQUENT RETREAT—GENERAL +JUBAL A. EARLY THREATENS WASHINGTON—CHAMBERSBURG, PA., +BURNED—SELECTED TO OPERATE AGAINST GENERAL EARLY—THE SHENANDOAH +VALLEY—THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.</p> + +<p>When the attempt to take Petersburg in conjunction with the mine +explosion resulted in such a dismal failure, all the operations +contemplated in connection with that project came to a standstill, +and there was every prospect that the intensely hot and sultry +weather would prevent further activity in the Army of the Potomac +till a more propitious season. Just now, however, the conditions +existing in the Shenandoah Valley and along the upper Potomac +demanded the special attention of General Grant, for, notwithstanding +the successful march that Major-General David Hunter had made toward +Lynchburg early in the summer, what he had first gained was +subsequently lost by strategical mistakes, that culminated in +disaster during the retreat he was obliged to make from the vicinity +of Lynchburg to the Kanawha Valley. This route of march uncovered +the lower portion of the Valley of the Shenandoah, and with the +exception of a small force of Union troops under General Franz Sigel +posted aft Martinsburg for the purpose of covering the Baltimore and +Ohio railroad, there was nothing at hand to defend the lower valley.</p> + +<p>The different bodies of Confederates which compelled Hunter's retreat +were under command of General Jubal A. Early, who had been sent to +Lynchburg with Ewell's corps after the defeat of the Confederate +General W. C. Jones near Staunton on the 5th of June, to take command +of the Valley District. When Early had forced Hunter into the +Kanawha region far enough to feel assured that Lynchburg could not +again be threatened from that direction, he united to his own corps +General John C. Breckenridge's infantry division and the cavalry of +Generals J. H. Vaughn, John McCausland. B. T. Johnson, and J. D. +Imboden, which heretofore had been operating in southwest and western +Virginia under General Robert Ransom, Jr., and with the column thus +formed, was ready to turn his attention to the lower Shenandoah +Valley. At Early's suggestion General Lee authorized him to move +north at an opportune moment, cross the upper Potomac into Maryland +and threaten Washington. Indeed, General Lee had foreshadowed such a +course when Early started toward Lynchburg for the purpose of +relieving the pressure in front of Petersburg, but was in some doubt +as to the practicability of the movement later, till persuaded to it +by the representations of Early after that general had driven Hunter +beyond the mountains and found little or nothing opposing except the +small force of Sigel, which he thought he could readily overcome by +celerity of movement.</p> + +<p>By rapid marching Early reached Winchester on the 2d of July, and on +the 4th occupied Martinsburg, driving General Sigel out of that place +the same day that Hunter's troops, after their fatiguing retreat +through the mountains, reached Charlestown, West Virginia. Early was +thus enabled to cross the Potomac without difficulty, when, moving +around Harper's Ferry, through the gaps of the South Mountain, he +found his path unobstructed till he reached the Monocacy, where +Ricketts's division of the Sixth Corps, and some raw troops that had +been collected by General Lew Wallace, met and held the Confederates +till the other reinforcements that had been ordered to the capital +from Petersburg could be brought up. Wallace contested the line of +the Monocacy with obstinacy, but had to retire finally toward +Baltimore. The road was then open to Washington, and Early marched +to the outskirts and began against the capital the demonstrations +which were designed to divert the Army of the Potomac from its main +purpose in front of Petersburg.</p> + +<p>Early's audacity in thus threatening Washington had caused some +concern to the officials in the city, but as the movement was looked +upon by General Grant as a mere foray which could have no decisive +issue, the Administration was not much disturbed till the +Confederates came in close proximity. Then was repeated the alarm +and consternation of two years before, fears for the safety of the +capital being magnified by the confusion and discord existing among +the different generals in Washington and Baltimore; and the imaginary +dangers vanished only with the appearance of General Wright, who, +with the Sixth Corps and one division of the Nineteenth Corps, pushed +out to attack Early as soon as he could get his arriving troops in +hand, but under circumstances that precluded celerity of movement; +and as a consequence the Confederates escaped with little injury, +retiring across the Potomac to Leesburg, unharassed save by some +Union cavalry that had been sent out into Loudoun County by Hunter, +who in the meantime had arrived at Harper's Ferry by the Baltimore +and Ohio railroad. From Leesburg Early retired through Winchester +toward Strasburg, but when the head of his column reached this place +he found that he was being followed by General Crook with the +combined troops of Hunter and Sigel only, Wright having returned to +Washington under orders to rejoin Meade at Petersburg. This +reduction of the pursuing force tempting Early to resume the +offensive, he attacked Crook at Kernstown, and succeeded in +administering such a check as to necessitate this general's retreat +to Martinsburg, and finally to Harper's Ferry. Crook's withdrawal +restored to Early the line of the upper Potomac, so, recrossing this +stream, he advanced again into Maryland, and sending McCausland on to +Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, laid that town in ashes, leaving three +thousand non-combatants without shelter or food.</p> + +<p>When Early fell back from the vicinity of Washington toward +Strasburg, General Grant believed that he would rejoin Lee, but later +manoeuvres of the enemy indicated that Early had given up this idea, +if he ever, entertained it, and intended to remain in the valley, +since it would furnish Lee and himself with subsistence, and also +afford renewed opportunities for threatening Washington. Indeed, the +possession of the Valley of the Shenandoah at this time was of vast +importance to Lee's army, and on every hand there were indications +that the Confederate Government wished to hold it at least until +after the crops could be gathered in to their depots at Lynchburg and +Richmond. Its retention, besides being of great advantage in the +matter of supplies, would also be a menace to the North difficult for +General Grant to explain, and thereby add an element of considerable +benefit to the Confederate cause; so when Early's troops again +appeared at Martinsburg it was necessary for General Grant to +confront them with a force strong enough to put an end to incursions +north of the Potomac, which hitherto had always led to National +discomfiture at some critical juncture, by turning our army in +eastern Virginia from its chief purpose—the destruction of Lee and +the capture of the Confederate capital.</p> + +<p>This second irruption of Early, and his ruthless destruction of +Chambersburg led to many recommendations on the part of General Grant +looking to a speedy elimination of the confusion then existing among +the Union forces along the upper Potomac, but for a time the +authorities at Washington would approve none of his propositions. +The President and Secretary Stanton seemed unwilling to adopt his +suggestions, and one measure which he deemed very important—the +consolidation into a single command of the four geographical +districts into which, to relieve political pressure no doubt, the +territory had been divided—met with serious opposition. Despite +Grant's representations, he could not prevail on the Administration +to approve this measure, but finally the manoeuvres of Early and the +raid to Chambersburg compelled a partial compliance, though Grant had +somewhat circumvented the difficulty already by deciding to appoint a +commander for the forces in the field that were to operate against +Early.</p> + +<p>On the 31st of July General Grant selected me as this commander, and +in obedience to his telegraphic summons I repaired to his +headquarters at City Point. In the interview that followed, he +detailed to me the situation of affairs on the upper Potomac, telling +me that I was to command in the field the troops that were to operate +against Early, but that General Hunter, who was at the head of the +geographical department, would be continued in his position for the +reason that the Administration was reluctant to reconstruct or +consolidate the different districts. After informing me that one +division of the Cavalry Corps would be sent to my new command, he +went on to say that he wanted me to push the enemy as soon as this +division arrived, and if Early retired up the Shenandoah Valley I was +to pursue, but if he crossed the Potomac I was to put myself south of +him and try to compass his destruction. The interview having ended, +I returned to Hancock Station to prepare for my departure, and on the +evening of August 1 I was relieved from immediate duty with the Army +of the Potomac, but not from command of the cavalry as a corps +organization.</p> + +<p>I arrived at Washington on the 4th of August, and the next day +received instructions from General Halleck to report to General Grant +at Monocacy Junction, whither he had gone direct from City Point, in +consequence of a characteristic despatch from the President +indicating his disgust with the confusion, disorder, and helplessness +prevailing along the upper Potomac, and intimating that Grant's +presence there was necessary.</p> + +<p>In company with the Secretary of War I called on the President before +leaving Washington, and during a short conversation Mr. Lincoln +candidly told me that Mr. Stanton had objected to my assignment to +General Hunter's command, because he thought me too young, and that +he himself had concurred with the Secretary; but now, since General +Grant had "ploughed round" the difficulties of the situation by +picking me out to command the "boys in the field," he felt satisfied +with what had been done, and "hoped for the best." Mr. Stanton +remained silent during these remarks, never once indicating whether +he, too, had become reconciled to my selection or not; and although, +after we left the White House, he conversed with me freely in regard +to the campaign I was expected to make, seeking to impress on me the +necessity for success from the political as well as from the military +point of view, yet he utterly ignored the fact that he had taken any +part in disapproving the recommendation of the general-in-chief.</p> + +<p>August 6, I reported to General Grant at the Monocacy, and he there +turned over to me the following instructions, which he had previously +prepared for General Hunter in the expectation that general would +continue to command the department:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, +<br>"Monocacy Bridge, Md., Aug. 5, 1864. +<br> +<br>"GENERAL: Concentrate all your available force without delay in the +vicinity of Harper's Ferry, leaving only such railroad guards and +garrisons for public property as may be necessary. +<br> +<br>"Use in this concentration the railroad, if by so doing time can be +saved. From Harper's Ferry, if it is found that the enemy has moved +north of the Potomac in large force, push north, following and +attacking him wherever found; following him, if driven south of the +Potomac, as long as it is safe to do so. If it is ascertained that +the enemy has but a small force north of the Potomac, then push south +the main force, detaching, under a competent commander, a sufficient +force to look after the raiders and drive them to their homes. In +detaching such a force, the brigade of cavalry now en route from +Washington via Rockville may be taken into account. +<br> +<br>"There are now on the way to join you three other brigades of the +best of cavalry, numbering at least five thousand men and horses. +These will be instructed, in the absence of further orders, to join +you by the south side of the Potomac. One brigade will probably +start to-morrow. +<br> +<br>"In pushing up the Shenandoah Valley, as it is expected you will have +to go first or last, it is desirable that nothing should be left to +invite the enemy to return. Take all provisions, forage, and stock +wanted for the use of your command. Such as cannot be consumed, +destroy. It is not desirable that the buildings should be +destroyed—they should, rather, be protected; but the people should be informed +that so long as an army can subsist among them recurrences of these +raids must be expected, and we are determined to stop them at all +hazards. +<br> +<br>"Bear in mind, the object is to drive the enemy south; and to do this +you want to keep him always in sight. Be guided in your course by +the course he takes. +<br> +<br>"Make your own arrangements for supplies of all kinds, giving regular +vouchers for such as may be taken from loyal citizens in the country +through which you march. +<br> +<br>"Very respectfully, +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General." +<br><br> +<br>"Major-General D. HUNTER, +<br>"Commanding Department of West Virginia." +</blockquote> + +<p> +When I had read the letter addressed to Hunter, General Grant said I +would be expected to report directly to him, as Hunter had asked that +day to be wholly relieved, not from any chagrin at my assignment to +the control of the active forces of his command, but because he +thought that his fitness for the position he was filling was +distrusted by General Halleck, and he had no wish to cause +embarrassment by remaining where he could but remove me one degree +from the headquarters of the army. The next day Hunter's unselfish +request was complied with, and an order was issued by the President, +consolidating the Middle Department, the Department of Washington, +the Department of the Susquehanna, and the Department of West +Virginia.</p> + +<p>Under this order these four geographical districts constituted the +Middle Military Division, and I was temporarily assigned to command +it. Hunter's men had been bivouacking for some days past in the +vicinity of Monocacy Junction and Frederick, but before General +Grant's instructions were written out, Hunter had conformed to them +by directing the concentration at Halltown, about four miles in front +of Harper's Ferry, of all his force available for field service. +Therefore the different bodies of troops, with the exception of +Averell's cavalry, which had followed McCausland toward Moorefield +after the burning of Chambersburg, were all in motion toward Halltown +on August 6.</p> + +<p>Affairs at Monocacy kept me but an hour or two, and these disposed +of, I continued on to Harper's Ferry by the special train which had +brought me from Washington, that point being intended as my +headquarters while making preparations to advance. The enemy was +occupying Martinsburg, Williamsport, and Shepherdstown at the time; +sending occasional raiding parties into Maryland as far as +Hagerstown. The concentration of my troops at Halltown being an +indication to Early that we intended to renew the offensive, however, +he immediately began counter preparations by drawing in all his +detached columns from the north side of the Potomac, abandoning a +contemplated raid into Maryland, which his success against Crook at +Kernstown had prompted him to project, and otherwise disposing +himself for defense.</p> + +<p>At Harper's Ferry I made my headquarters in the second story of a +small and very dilapidated hotel, and as soon as settled sent for +Lieutenant John R. Meigs, the chief engineer officer of the command, +to study with him the maps of my geographical division. It always +came rather easy to me to learn the geography of a new section, and +its important topographical features as well; therefore I found that, +with the aid of Meigs, who was most intelligent in his profession, +the region in which I was to operate would soon be well fixed in my +mind. Meigs was familiar with every important road and stream, and +with all points worthy of note west of the Blue Ridge, and was +particularly well equipped with knowledge regarding the Shenandoah +Valley, even down to the farmhouses. He imparted with great +readiness what he knew of this, clearly pointing out its +configuration and indicating the strongest points for Confederate +defense, at the same time illustrating scientifically and forcibly +the peculiar disadvantages under which the Union army had hitherto +labored.</p> + +<p>The section that received my closest attention has its northern limit +along the Potomac between McCoy's ferry at the eastern base of the +North Mountain, and Harper's Ferry at the western base of the Blue +Ridge. The southern limit is south of Staunton, on the divide which +separates the waters flowing into the Potomac from those that run to +the James. The western boundary is the eastern slope of the +Alleghany Mountains, the eastern, the Blue Ridge; these two distinct +mountain ranges trending about southwest inclose a stretch of quite +open, undulating country varying in width from the northern to the +southern extremity, and dotted at frequent intervals with patches of +heavy woods: At Martinsburg the valley is about sixty miles broad, +and on an east and west line drawn through Winchester about +forty-five, while at Strasburg it narrows down to about twenty-five. Just +southeast of Strasburg, which is nearly midway between the eastern +and western walls of the valley, rises an abrupt range of mountains +called Massanutten, consisting of several ridges which extend +southward between the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River +until, losing their identity, they merge into lower but broken ground +between New Market and Harrisonburg. The Massanutten ranges, with +their spurs and hills, divide the Shenandoah Valley into two valleys, +the one next the Blue Ridge being called the Luray, while that next +the North Mountain retains the name of Shenandoah.</p> + +<p>A broad macadamized road, leading south from Williamsport, Maryland, +to Lexington, Virginia, was built at an early day to connect the +interior of the latter State with the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and +along this road are situated the principal towns and villages of the +Shenandoah Valley, with lateral lines of communication extending to +the mountain ranges on the east and west. The roads running toward +the Blue Ridge are nearly all macadamized, and the principal ones +lead to the railroad system of eastern Virginia through Snicker's, +Ashby's Manassas, Chester, Thornton's Swift Run, Brown's and +Rock-fish gaps, tending to an ultimate centre at Richmond. These gaps are +low and easy, offering little obstruction to the march of an army +coming from eastern Virginia, and thus the Union troops operating +west of the Blue Ridge were always subjected to the perils of a flank +attack; for the Confederates could readily be brought by rail to +Gordonsville and Charlottesville, from which points they could move +with such celerity through the Blue Ridge that, on more than one +occasion, the Shenandoah Valley had been the theatre of Confederate +success, due greatly to the advantage of possessing these interior +lines.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p470"></a><img alt="p470upper.jpg (157K)" src="images/p470upper.jpg" height="1317" width="650"> +</center> +<br> +<center><img alt="p470lower.jpg (182K)" src="images/p470lower.jpg" height="1306" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Nature had been very kind to the valley, making it rich and +productive to an exceptional degree, and though for three years +contending armies had been marching up and down it, the fertile soil +still yielded ample subsistence for Early's men, with a large surplus +for the army of Lee. The ground had long been well cleared of +timber, and the rolling surface presented so few obstacles to the +movement of armies that they could march over the country in any +direction almost as well as on the roads, the creeks and rivers being +everywhere fordable, with little or no difficulty beyond that of +leveling the approaches.</p> + +<p>I had opposing me an army largely composed of troops that had +operated in this region hitherto under "Stonewall" Jackson with +marked success, inflicting defeat on the Union forces almost every +time the two armies had come in contact. These men were now commanded +by a veteran officer of the Confederacy-General Jubal A. Early—whose +past services had so signalized his ability that General Lee +specially selected him to take charge of the Valley District, and, +notwithstanding the misfortunes that befell him later, clung to him +till the end, of the war. The Confederate army at this date was +about twenty thousand strong, and consisted of Early's own corps, +with Generals Rodes, Ramseur, and Gordon commanding its divisions; +the infantry of Breckenridge from southwestern Virginia; three +battalions of artillery; and the cavalry brigades of Vaughn, Johnson, +McCausland, and Imboden. This cavalry was a short time afterward +organized into a division under the command of General Lomax.</p> + +<p>After discovering that my troops were massing in front of Harper's +Ferry, Early lost not a moment in concentrating his in the vicinity +of Martinsburg, in positions from which he could continue to obstruct +the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and yet be enabled to retire up the +valley under conditions of safety when I should begin an offensive +campaign.</p> + +<p>When I took command of the Army of the Shenandoah its infantry force +comprised the Sixth Corps, one division of the Nineteenth Corps, and +two divisions from West Virginia. The Sixth Corps was commanded by +Major-General Horatio G. Wright; its three divisions by +Brigadier-Generals David A. Russell, Geo. W. Getty, and James B. Ricketts. +The single division of the Nineteenth Corps had for its immediate +chief Brigadier-General William Dwight, the corps being commanded by +Brigadier-General Wm. H. Emory. The troops from West Virginia were +under Brigadier-General George Crook, with Colonels Joseph Thoburn +and Isaac H. Duval as division commanders, and though in all not more +than one fair-sized division, they had been designated, on account of +the department they belonged to, the Army of West Virginia. General +Torbert's division, then arriving from the Cavalry Corps of the Army +of the Potomac, represented the mounted arm of the service, and in +the expectation that Averell would soon join me with his troopers, I +assigned General Torbert as chief of cavalry, and General Wesley +Merritt succeeded to the command of Torbert's division.</p> + +<p>General Wright, the commander of the Sixth Corps, was an officer of +high standing in the Corps of Engineers, and had seen much active +service during the preceding three years. He commanded the +Department of the Ohio throughout the very trying period of the +summer and fall of 1862, and while in that position he, with other +prominent officers, recommended my appointment as a +brigadier-general. In 1863 he rendered valuable service at the battle of +Gettysburg, following which he was assigned to the Sixth Corps, and +commanded it at the capture of the Confederate works at Rappahannock +Station and in the operations at Mine Run. He ranked me as a +major-general of volunteers by nearly a year in date of commission, but my +assignment by the President to the command of the army in the valley +met with Wright's approbation, and, so far as I have ever known, he +never questioned the propriety of the President's action. The Sixth +Corps division commanders, Getty, Russell, and Ricketts, were all +educated soldiers, whose records, beginning with the Mexican War, had +already been illustrated in the war of the rebellion by distinguished +service in the Army of the Potomac.</p> + +<p>General Emory was a veteran, having graduated at the Military Academy +in 1831, the year I was born. In early life he had seen much service +in the Artillery, the Topographical Engineers, and the Cavalry, and +in the war of the rebellion had exhibited the most soldierly +characteristics at Port Hudson and on the Red River campaign. At +this time he had but one division of the Nineteenth Corps present, +which division was well commanded by General Dwight, a volunteer +officer who had risen to the grade of brigadier-general through +constant hard work. Crook was a classmate of mine—at least, we +entered the Military Academy the same year, though he graduated a +year ahead of me. We had known each other as boys before we entered +the army, and later as men, and I placed implicit faith in his +experience and qualifications as a general.</p> + +<p>The transfer of Torbert to the position of chief of cavalry left +Merritt, as I have already said, in command of the First Cavalry +Division. He had been tried in the place before, and from the day he +was selected as one of a number of young men to be appointed general +officers, with the object of giving life to the Cavalry Corps, he +filled the measure of expectation. Custer was one of these young men +too, and though as yet commanding a brigade under Merritt, his +gallant fight at Trevillian Station, as well as a dozen others during +the summer, indicated that he would be equal to the work that was to +fall to him when in a few weeks he should succeed Wilson. But to go +on down the scale of rank, describing the officers who commanded in +the Army of the Shenandoah, would carry me beyond all limit, so I +refrain from the digression with regret that I cannot pay to each his +well-earned tribute.</p> + +<p>The force that I could take with me into the field at this time +numbered about 26,000 men. Within the limits of the geographical +division there was a much greater number of troops than this. +Baltimore, Washington, Harper's Ferry, Hagerstown, Frederick, +Cumberland, and a score of other points; besides the strong +detachments that it took to keep the Baltimore and Ohio railroad open +through the mountains of West Virginia, and escorts for my trains, +absorbed so many men that the column which could be made available +for field operations was small when compared with the showing on +paper. Indeed, it was much less than it ought to have been, but for +me, in the face of the opposition made by different interests +involved, to detach troops from any of the points to which they had +been distributed before I took charge was next to impossible.</p> + +<p>In a few days after my arrival preparations were completed, and I was +ready to make the first move for the possession of the Shenandoah +Valley. For the next five weeks the operations on my part consisted +almost wholly of offensive and defensive manoeuvring for certain +advantages, the enemy confining himself meanwhile to measures +intended to counteract my designs. Upon the advent of Torbert, Early +immediately grew suspicious, and fell back twelve miles south of +Martinsburg, to Bunker Hill and vicinity, where his right flank would +be less exposed, but from which position he could continue to +maintain the break in the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and push +reconnoitring parties through Smithfield to Charlestown. These +reconnoitring parties exhibited considerable boldness at times, but +since they had no purpose in view save to discover whether or not we +were moving, I did not contest any ground with them except about our +outposts. Indeed, I desired that Early might remain at some point +well to the north till I was fully prepared to throw my army on his +right and rear and force a battle, and hence I abstained from +disturbing him by premature activity, for I thought that if I could +beat him at Winchester, or north of it, there would be far greater +chances of weighty results. I therefore determined to bring my +troops, if it were at all possible to do so, into such a position +near that town as to oblige Early to fight. The sequel proved, +however, that he was accurately informed of all my movements. To +anticipate them, therefore, he began his retreat up the valley the +day that I moved out from Halltown, and consequently was able to +place himself south of Winchester before I could get there.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch24"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>MOVING ON GENERAL EARLY—GENERAL GRANT'S LETTER OF +INSTRUCTIONS—DESTROYING THE RESOURCES OF THE VALLEY—REASON FOR THE +DESTRUCTION—WITHDRAWAL TO HALLTOWN—ALARM IN THE NORTH OVER THE RETROGRADE +MOVEMENT—RENEWING THE ADVANCE UP THE VALLEY—GENERAL ANDERSON'S +ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO PETERSBURG—STRENGTH OF THE ARMIES.</p> + +<p>For a clear understanding of the operations which preceded the +victories that resulted in almost annihilating General Early's army +in the Shenandoah Valley, it is necessary to describe in considerable +detail the events that took place prior to the 19th of September. My +army marched from Harper's Ferry on the 10th of August, 1864, General +Torbert with Merritt's division of cavalry moving in advance through +Berryville, going into position near White Post. The Sixth Corps, +under General Wright, moved by way of Charlestown and Summit Point to +Clifton; General Emory, with Dwight's division of the Nineteenth +Corps, marched along the Berryville pike through Berryville to the +left of the position of the Sixth Corps at Clifton; General Crook's +command, moving on the Kabletown road, passed through Kabletown to +the vicinity of Berryville, and went into position on the left of +Dwight's division, while Colonel Lowell, with a detached force of two +small regiments of cavalry, marched to Summit Point; so that on the +night of August 10 my infantry occupied a line stretching from +Clifton to Berryville, with Merritt's cavalry at White Post and +Lowell's at Summit Point. The enemy, as stated before, moved at the +same time from Bunker Hill and vicinity, and stretched his line from +where the Winchester and Potomac railroad crosses Opequon Creek to +the point at which the Berryville and Winchester pike crosses the +same stream, thus occupying the west bank to cover Winchester.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 11th the Sixth Corps was ordered to move across +the country toward the junction of the Berryville-Winchester pike and +the Opequon, and to take the crossing and hold it, Dwight's division +being directed to move through Berryville on the White Post road for +a mile, then file to the right by heads of regiments at deploying +distances, and carry the crossing of Opequon Creek at a ford about +three-fourths of a mile from the left of the Sixth Corps, while Crook +was instructed to move out on the White Post road, a mile and a half +beyond Berryville, then head to the right and secure the ford about a +mile to the left of Dwight; Torbert's orders were to push Merritt's +division up the Millwood pike toward Winchester, attack any force he +might run against, and ascertain the movements of the Confederate +army; and lastly, Lowell received instructions to close in from +Summit Point on the right of the Sixth Corps.</p> + +<p>My object in securing the fords was to further my march on Winchester +from the southeast, since, from all the information gathered during +the 10th, I still thought Early could be brought to a stand at that +point; but in this I was mistaken, as Torbert's reconnoissance +proved, for on the morning of the 11th, when Merritt had driven the +Confederate cavalry, then covering the Millwood pike west of the +Opequon, off toward Kernstown, he found that their infantry and +artillery were retreating south, up the Valley pike.</p> + +<p>As soon as this information was obtained Torbert moved quickly +through the toll-gate on the Front Royal and Winchester road to +Newtown, to strike the enemy's flank and harass him in his retreat, +Lowell following up through Winchester, on the Valley pike; Crook was +turned to the left and ordered to Stony Point, while Emory and +Wright, marching to the left also, were directed to take post on the +night of the 11th between the Millwood and Front Royal roads, within +supporting distance of Crook. Merritt meeting some of the enemy's +cavalry at the tollgate, drove it in the direction of Newtown till it +got inside the line of Gordon's division of infantry, which had been +thrown out and posted behind barricades to cover the flank of the +main force in its retreat. A portion of Merritt's cavalry attacked +this infantry and drove in its skirmish-line, and though not able to +dislodge Gordon, Merritt held the ground gained till night-fall, when +the Confederate infantry moved off under cover of darkness to Hupp's +Hill, between Strasburg and Cedar Creek</p> + +<p>The next morning Crook marched from Stony Point to Cedar Creek, Emory +followed with Dwight, and the cavalry moved to the same point by way +of Newtown and the Valley pike, the Sixth Corps following the +cavalry. That night Crook was in position at Cedar Creek, on the +left of the Valley pike, Emory on the right of the pike, the Sixth +Corps on the right of Emory, and the cavalry on the flanks. In the +afternoon a heavy skirmish-line had been thrown forward to the +heights on the south side of Cedar Creek, and a brisk affair with the +enemy's pickets took place, the Confederates occupying with their +main force the heights north of Strasburg. On the morning of the +13th my cavalry went out to reconnoitre toward Strasburg, on the +middle road, about two and a half miles west of the Valley pike, and +discovered that Early's infantry was at Fisher's Hill, where he had +thrown up behind Tumbling Run earthworks extending clear across the +narrow valley between the Massanutten and North mountains. On the +left of these works he had Vaughan's, McCausland's, and Johnson's +brigades of cavalry under General Lomax, who at this time relieved +General Ramseur from the command of the Confederate mounted forces.</p> + +<p>Within the past day or two I had received information that a column +of the enemy was moving up from Culpeper Court House and approaching +Front Royal through Chester Gap, and although the intelligence was +unconfirmed, it caused me much solicitude; for there was strong +probability that such a movement would be made, and any considerable +force advancing through Front Royal toward Winchester could fall upon +my rear and destroy my communication with Harper's Ferry, or, moving +along the base of Massanutten Mountain, could attack my flank in +conjunction with the force at Fisher's Hill without a possibility of +my preventing it.</p> + +<p>Neither Wilson's cavalry nor Grower's infantry had yet joined me, and +the necessities, already explained, which obliged me to hold with +string garrisons Winchester and other points heretofore mentioned. +had so depleted my line of battle strength that I knew the enemy +would outnumber me when Anderson's corps should arrive in the valley. +I deemed it advisable, therefore, to act with extreme caution, so, +with the exception of a cavalry reconnoissance on the 13th, I +remained on the defensive, quietly awaiting developments. In the +evening of that day the enemy's skirmishers withdrew to Tumbling Run, +his main force remaining inactive behind the intrenchments at +Fisher's Hill waiting for the arrival of Anderson.</p> + +<p>The rumors in regard to the force advancing from Culpeper kept +increasing every hour, so on the morning of the 14th I concluded to +send a brigade of cavalry to Front Royal to ascertain definitely what +was up. At the same time I crossed the Sixth Corps to the south side +of Cedar Creek, and occupied the heights near Strasburg. That day I +received from the hands of Colonel Chipman, of the Adjutant-General's +Department, the following despatch, to deliver which he had ridden in +great haste from Washington through Snicker's Gap, escorted by a +regiment of cavalry:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"CITY POINT, August 12, 1864—9 A. M. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL HALLECK +<br> +<br>"Inform General Sheridan that it is now certain two (2) divisions of +infantry have gone to Early, and some cavalry and twenty (20) pieces +of artillery. This movement commenced last Saturday night. He must +be cautious, and act now on the defensive until movements here force +them to detach to send this way. Early's force, with this increase, +cannot exceed forty thousand men, but this is too much for General +Sheridan to attack. Send General Sheridan the remaining brigade of +the Nineteenth Corps. +<br> +<br>"I have ordered to Washington all the one-hundred-day men. Their +time will soon be out, but for the present they will do to serve in +the defenses. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." +<br> +</blockquote> + +<p> +The despatch explained the movement from Culpeper, and on the morning +of the 15th Merritt's two remaining brigades were sent to Front Royal +to oppose Anderson, and the Sixth Corps withdrawn to the north side +of Cedar Creek, where it would be in a position enabling me either to +confront Anderson or to act defensively, as desired by General Grant.</p> + +<p>To meet the requirements of his instructions I examined the map of +the valley for a defensive line—a position where a smaller number of +troops could hold a larger number—for this information led me to +suppose that Early's force would greatly exceed mine when Anderson's +two divisions of infantry and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry had joined him. +I could see but one such position, and that was at Halltown, in front +of Harper's Ferry. Subsequent experience convinced me that there was +no other really defensive line in the Shenandoah Valley, for at +almost any other point the open country and its peculiar topography +invites rather than forbids flanking operations.</p> + +<p>This retrograde movement would also enable me to strengthen my +command by Grower's division of the Nineteenth Corps and Wilson's +cavalry, both of which divisions were marching from Washington by way +of Snicker's Gap.</p> + +<p>After fully considering the matter, I determined to move back to +Halltown, carrying out, as I retired, my instructions to destroy all +the forage and subsistence the country afforded. So Emory was +ordered to retire to Winchester on the night of the 15th, and Wright +and Crook to follow through Winchester to Clifton the next night.</p> + +<p>For the cavalry, in this move to the rear, I gave the following +instructions:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"....In pushing up the Shenandoah Valley, as it is expected you will +have to go first or last, it is desirable that nothing should be left +to invite the enemy to return. Take all provisions, forage, and +stock wanted for the use of your command. Such as cannot be +consumed, destroy. It is not desirable that buildings should be +destroyed—they should, rather, be protected; but the people should +be informed that so long as an army can subsist among them, +recurrences of these raids must be expected, and we are determined to +stop them at all hazards...." [Grant's letter of instructions.] +<br> +<br> +<br><br>"HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, +<br>"Cedar Creek, Va., August 16, 1864. +<br> +<br>"GENERAL: In compliance with instructions of the Lieutenant-General +commanding, you will make the necessary arrangements and give the +necessary orders for the destruction of the wheat and hay south of a +line from Millwood to Winchester and Petticoat Gap. You will seize +all mules, horses, and cattle that may be useful to our army. Loyal +citizens can bring in their claims against the Government for this +necessary destruction. No houses will be burned, and officers in +charge of this delicate but necessary duty must inform the people +that the object is to make this valley untenable for the raiding +parties of the rebel army. +<br> +<br>"Very respectfully, +<br> +<br>"P. H. SHERIDAN, +<br>"Major-General Commanding. +<br><br> +<br>"BRIGADIER-GENERAL A. T. A. TORBERT, +"Chief of Cavalry, Middle Military Division." +</blockquote> + +<p> +During his visit to General Hunter at the Monocacy, General Grant had +not only decided to retain in the Shenandoah Valley a large force +sufficient to defeat Early's army or drive it back to Lee, but he had +furthermore determined to make that sections by the destruction of +its supplies, untenable for continued occupancy by the Confederates. +This would cut off one of Lee's main-stays in the way of subsistence, +and at the same time diminish the number of recruits and conscripts +he received; the valley district while under his control not only +supplying Lee with an abundance of food, but also furnishing him many +men for his regular and irregular forces. Grant's instructions to +destroy the valley began with the letter of August 5 to Hunter, which +was turned over to me, and this was followed at intervals by more +specific directions, all showing the earnestness of his purpose.</p> + +<blockquote> +<br> +<br>"CITY POINT, Va., Aug. 16—3:30 P. M., 1864. +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Winchester, Va.: +<br> +<br>"If you can possibly spare a division of cavalry, send them through +Loudoun County to destroy and carry off the crops, animals, negroes, +and all men under fifty years of age capable of bearing arms. In +this way you will get many of Mosby's men. All male citizens under +fifty can fairly be held as prisoners of war, not as citizen +prisoners. If not already soldiers, they will be made so the moment +the rebel army gets hold of them. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." + +<br><br><br> + +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, +<br>"CITY POINT, Aug. 21, 1864. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Charlestown, Va.: +<br> +<br>"In stripping Loudoun County of supplies, etc., impress from all +loyal persons so that they may receive pay for what is taken from +them. I am informed by the Assistant Secretary of War that Loudoun +County has a large population of Quakers, who are all favorably +disposed to the Union. These people may be exempted from arrest. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." + +<br><br><br> + +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES +<br>"CITY POINT, Va., Aug. 26,2:30 P. M. 1864. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Halltown, Va.: +<br> +<br>"Telegraphed you that I had good reason for believing that Fitz Lee +had been ordered back here. I now think it likely that all troops +will be ordered back from the valley except what they believe to be +the minimum number to detain you. My reason for supposing this is +based upon the fact that yielding up the Weldon road seems to be a +blow to the enemy he cannot stand. I think I do not overstate the +loss of the enemy in the last two weeks at 10,000 killed and wounded. +We have lost heavily, mostly in captured when the enemy gained +temporary advantages. Watch closely, and if you find this theory +correct, push with all vigor. Give the enemy no rest, and if it is +possible to follow to the Virginia Central road, follow that far. Do +all the damage to railroads and crops you can. Carry off stock of +all descriptions and negroes, so as to prevent further planting. If +the war is to last another year we want the Shenandoah Valley to +remain a barren waste. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. + +<br><br><br> + +<br>"HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, +<br>"CITY POINT, Va., Sept. 4,—10 A. M.—1864. +<br> +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Charlestown, Va.: +<br> +<br>"In cleaning out the arms-bearing community of Loudoun County and the +subsistence for armies, exercise your own judgment as to who should +be exempt from arrest, and as to who should receive pay for their +stock, grain, etc. It is our interest that that county should not be +capable of subsisting a hostile army, and at the same time we want to +inflict as little hardship upon Union men as possible. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." + +<br><br><br> + +<br>"CITY POINT, Va., Nov. 9, 1864. +<br>"MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN, Cedar Creek, Va.: +<br> +<br>"Do you not think it advisable to notify all citizens living east of +the Blue Ridge to move out north of the Potomac all their stock, +grain, and provisions of every description? There is no doubt about +the necessity of clearing out that country so that it will not +support Mosby's gang. And the question is whether it is not better +that the people should save what they can. So long as the war lasts +they must be prevented from raising another crop, both there and as +high up the valley as we can control. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General." +</blockquote> + +<p>He had rightly concluded that it was time to bring the war home to a +people engaged in raising crops from a prolific soil to feed the +country's enemies, and devoting to the Confederacy its best youth. I +endorsed the programme in all its parts, for the stores of meat and +grain that the valley provided, and the men it furnished for Lee's +depleted regiments, were the strongest auxiliaries he possessed in +the whole insurgent section. In war a territory like this is a +factor of great importance, and whichever adversary controls it +permanently reaps all the advantages of its prosperity. Hence, as I +have said, I endorsed Grant's programme, for I do not hold war to +mean simply that lines of men shall engage each other in battle, and +material interests be ignored. This is but a duel, in which one +combatant seeks the other's life; war means much more, and is far +worse than this. Those who rest at home in peace and plenty see but +little of the horrors attending such a duel, and even grow +indifferent to them as the struggle goes on, contenting themselves +with encouraging all who are able-bodied to enlist in the cause, to +fill up the shattered ranks as death thins them. It is another +matter, however, when deprivation and suffering are brought to their +own doors. Then the case appears much graver, for the loss of +property weighs heavy with the most of mankind; heavier often, than +the sacrifices made on the field of battle. Death is popularly +considered the maximum of punishment in war, but it is not; reduction +to poverty brings prayers for peace more surely and more quickly than +does the destruction of human life, as the selfishness of man has +demonstrated in more than one great conflict.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon of the 16th I started back to Winchester, whence I +could better supervise our regressive march. As I was passing +through Newtown, I heard cannonading from the direction of Front +Royal, and on reaching Winchester, Merritt's couriers brought me word +that he had been attacked at the crossing of the Shenandoah by +Kershaw's division of Anderson's corps and two brigades of Fitzhugh +Lee's cavalry, but that the attack had been handsomely repulsed, with +a capture of two battle-flags and three hundred prisoners. This was +an absolute confirmation of the despatch from Grant; and I was now +more than satisfied with the wisdom of my withdrawal.</p> + +<p>At daylight of the 17th Emory moved from Winchester to Berryville, +and the same morning Crook and Wright reached Winchester, having +started from Cedar Creek the day before. From Winchester, Crook and +Wright resumed their march toward Clifton, Wright, who had the rear +guard, getting that day as far as the Berryville crossing of the +Opequon, where he was ordered to remain, while Crook went ahead till +he reached the vicinity of Berryville. On the afternoon of the 17th +Lowell with his two regiments of troopers came into Winchester, where +he was joined by Wilson's mounted division, which had come by a rapid +march from Snicker's ferry. In the mean time Merritt, after his +handsome engagement with Kershaw near Front Royal, had been ordered +back to the neighborhood of White Post, so that my cavalry outposts +now extended from this last point around to the west of Winchester.</p> + +<p>During all these operations the enemy had a signal-station on Three +Top Mountain, almost overhanging Strasburg, from which every movement +made by our troops could be plainly seen; therefore, early on the +morning of the 17th he became aware of the fact that we were retiring +down the valley, and at once made after us, and about sundown drove +Torbert out of Winchester, he having been left there-with Wilson and +Lowell, and the Jersey brigade of the Sixth Corps, to develop the +character of the enemy's pursuit. After a severe skirmish Wilson and +Lowell fell back to Summit Point, and the Jersey brigade joined its +corps at the crossing of the Opequon. This affair demonstrated that +Early's whole army had followed us from Fisher's Hill, in concert +with Anderson and Fitzhugh Lee from Front Royal, and the two columns +joined near Winchester the morning of the 18th.</p> + +<p>That day I moved the Sixth Corps by way of Clifton to Flowing Spring, +two and a half miles west of Charlestown, on the Smithfield pike; and +Emory, with Dwight's and Grower's divisions (Grower's having joined +that morning from Washington), to a position about the same distance +south of Charlestown, on the Berryville pike. Following these +movements, Merritt fell back to Berryville, covering the Berryville +pike crossing of the Opequon, and Wilson was stationed at Summit +Point, whence he held a line along the Opequon as far north as the +bridge at Smithfield. Crook continued to hold on near Clifton until +the next day, and was then moved into place on the left of Emory.</p> + +<p>This line was practically maintained till the 21st, when the enemy, +throwing a heavy force across the Opequon by the bridge at +Smithfield, drove in my cavalry pickets to Summit Point, and followed +up with a rapid advance against the position of the Sixth Corps near +Flowing Spring. A sharp and obstinate skirmish with a heavy +picket-line of the Sixth Corps grew out of this manoeuvre, and resulted very +much in our favor, but the quick withdrawal of the Confederates left +no opportunity for a general engagement. It seems that General Early +thought I had taken position near Summit Point, and that by moving +rapidly around through Smithfield he could fall upon my rear in +concert with an attack in front by Anderson, but the warm reception +given him disclosed his error, for he soon discovered that my line +lay in front of Charlestown instead of where he supposed.</p> + +<p>In the manoeuvre Merritt had been attacked in front of Berryville and +Wilson at Summit Point, the former by cavalry and the latter by +Anderson's infantry. The exposed positions of Merritt and Wilson +necessitated their withdrawal if I was to continue to act on the +defensive; so, after the army had moved back to Halltown the +preceding night, without loss or inconvenience, I called them in and +posted them on the right of the infantry.</p> + +<p>My retrograde move from Strasburg to Halltown caused considerable +alarm in the North, as the public was ignorant of the reasons for it; +and in the excited state of mind then prevailing, it was generally +expected that the reinforced Confederate army would again cross the +Potomac, ravage Maryland and Pennsylvania, and possibly capture +Washington. Mutterings of dissatisfaction reached me from many +sources, and loud calls were made for my removal, but I felt +confident that my course would be justified when the true situation +was understood, for I knew that I was complying with my instructions. +Therefore I paid small heed to the adverse criticisms pouring down +from the North almost every day, being fully convinced that the best +course was to bide my time, and wait till I could get the enemy into +a position from which he could not escape without such serious +misfortune as to have some bearing on the general result of the war. +Indeed, at this time I was hoping that my adversary would renew the +boldness he had exhibited the early part of the month, and strike for +the north side of the Potomac, and wrote to General Grant on the 20th +of August that I had purposely left everything in that direction open +to the enemy.</p> + +<p>On the 22d the Confederates moved to Charlestown and pushed well up +to my position at Halltown. Here for the next three days they +skirmished with my videttes and infantry pickets, Emory and Cook +receiving the main attention; but finding that they could make no +impression, and judging it to be an auspicious time to intensify the +scare in the North, on the 25th of August Early despatched Fitzhugh +Lee's cavalry to Williamsport, and moved all the rest of his army but +Anderson's infantry and McCausland's cavalry to Kerneysville. This +same day there was sharp picket firing along the whole front of my +infantry line, arising, as afterward ascertained, from a heavy +demonstration by Anderson. During this firing I sent Torbert, with +Merritt's and Wilson's divisions, to Kerrteysville, whence he was to +proceed toward Leetown and learn what had become of Fitz. Lee.</p> + +<p>About a mile from Leetown Torbert met a small force of Confederate +cavalry, and soon after encountering it, stumbled on Breckenridge's +corps of infantry on the march, apparently heading for Shepherdstown. +The surprise was mutual, for Torbert expected to meet only the +enemy's cavalry, while the Confederate infantry column was +anticipating an unobstructed march to the Potomac. Torbert attacked +with such vigor as at first to double up the head of Breckenridge's +corps and throw it into confusion, but when the Confederates realized +that they were confronted only by cavalry, Early brought up the whole +of the four infantry divisions engaged in his manoeuvre, and in a +sharp attack pushed Torbert rapidly back.</p> + +<p>All the advantages which Torbert had gained by surprising the enemy +were nullified by this counter-attack, and he was obliged to withdraw +Wilson's division toward my right, to the neighborhood of Duffield's +Station, Merritt drawing back to the same point by way of the +Shepherdstown ford. Custer's brigade becoming isolated after the +fight while assisting the rear guard, was also obliged to retire, +which it did to Shepherdstown and there halted, picketing the river +to Antietam ford.</p> + +<p>When Torbert reported to me the nature of his encounter, and that a +part of Early's infantry was marching to the north, while Fitzhugh +Lee's cavalry had gone toward Martinsburg, I thought that the +Confederate general meditated crossing his cavalry into Maryland, so +I sent Wilson by way of Harper's Ferry to watch his movements from +Boonesboro', and at the same time directed Averell, who had reported +from West Virginia some days before, to take post at Williamsport and +hold the crossing there until he was driven away. I also thought it +possible that Early might cross the Potomac with his whole army, but +the doubts of a movement like this outweighed the probabilities +favoring it. Nevertheless, to meet such a contingency I arranged to +throw my army on his rear should the occasion arise, and deeming my +position at Halltown the most advantageous in which to await +developments, my infantry was retained there.</p> + +<p>If General Early had ever intended to cross the Potomac, Torbert's +discovery of his manoeuvre put an end to his scheme of invasion, for +he well knew that and success he might derive from such a course +would depend on his moving with celerity, and keeping me in ignorance +of his march till it should be well under way; so he settled all the +present uncertainties by retiring with all his troops about +Kerneysville to his old position at Bunker Hill behind the Opequon, +and on the night of the 26th silently withdrew Anderson and +McCausland from my front at Halltown to Stephenson's depot.</p> + +<p>By the 27th all of Early's infantry was in position at Brucetown and +Bunker Hill, his cavalry holding the outposts of Leetown and +Smithfield, and on that day Merritt's division attacked the enemy's +horse at Leetown, and pressed it back through Smithfield to the west +side of the Opequon. This reconnoissance determined definitely that +Early had abandoned the projected movement into Maryland, if he ever +seriously contemplated it; and I marched my infantry out from +Halltown to the front of Charlestown, with the intention of occupying +a line between Clifton and Berryville the moment matters should so +shape themselves that I could do so with advantage. The night of the +28th Wilson joined me near Charlestown from his points of observation +in Maryland, and the next day Averell crossed the Potomac at +Williamsport and advanced to Martinsburg.</p> + +<p>Merritt's possession of Smithfield bridge made Early somewhat uneasy, +since it afforded opportunity for interposing a column between his +right and left flanks, so he concluded to retake the crossing, and, +to this end, on the 29th advanced two divisions of infantry. A +severe fight followed, and Merritt was forced to retire, being driven +through the village toward Charlestown with considerable loss. As +Merritt was nearing my infantry line, I ordered. Ricketts's division +of the Sixth Corps to his relief, and this in a few minutes turned +the tide, the Smithfield crossing of the Opequon being regained, and +afterward held by Lowell's brigade, supported by Ricketts. The next +morning I moved Torbert, with Wilson and Merritt, to Berryville, and +succeeding their occupation of that point there occurred along my +whole line a lull, which lasted until the 3d of September, being +undisturbed except by a combat near Bunker Hill between Averell's +cavalry and a part of McCausland's, supported by Rodes's division of +infantry, in which affair the Confederates were defeated with the +loss of about fifty prisoners and considerable property in the shape +of wagons and beef-cattle.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Torbert's movement to Berryville had alarmed Early, and as +a counter move on the 2d of September he marched with the bulk of his +army to Summit Point, but while reconnoitring in that region on the +3d he learned of the havoc that Averell was creating in his rear, and +this compelled him to recross to the west side of the Opequon and +mass his troops in the vicinity of Stephenson's depot, whence he +could extend down to Bunker Hill, continue to threaten the Baltimore +and Ohio railroad, and at the same time cover Winchester.</p> + +<p>The same day I was moving my infantry to take up the +Clifton-Berryville line, and that afternoon Wright went into position at +Clifton, Crook occupied Berryville, and Emory's corps came in between +them, forming almost a continuous line. Torbert had moved to White +Post meanwhile, with directions to reconnoitre as far south as the +Front Royal Pike.</p> + +<p>My infantry had just got fairly into this position about an hour +before sunset, when along Crook's front a combat took place that at +the time caused me to believe it was Early's purpose to throw a +column between Crook and Torbert, with the intention of isolating the +latter; but the fight really arose from the attempt of General +Anderson to return to Petersburg with Kershaw's division in response +to loud calls from General Lee. Anderson started south on the 3d of +September, and possibly this explains Early's reconnoissance that day +to Summit Point as a covering movement, but his rapid withdrawal left +him in ignorance of my advance, and Anderson marched on heedlessly +toward Berryville, expecting to cross the Blue Ridge through Ashby's +Gap. At Berryville however, he blundered into Crook's lines about +sunset, and a bitter little fight ensued, in which the Confederates +got so much the worst of it that they withdrew toward Winchester. +When General Early received word of this encounter he hurried to +Anderson's assistance with three divisions, but soon perceiving what +was hitherto unknown to him, that my whole army was on a new line, he +decided, after some slight skirmishing, that Anderson must remain at +Winchester until a favorable opportunity offered for him to rejoin +Lee by another route.</p> + +<p>Succeeding the discomfiture of Anderson, some minor operations took +place on the part of, Averell on the right and McIntosh's brigade of +Wilson's division on the left, but from that time until the 19th of +September no engagement of much importance occurred. The line from +Clifton to Berryville was occupied by the Sixth Corps and Grower's +and Dwight's divisions of the Nineteenth, Crook being transferred to +Summit Point, whence I could use him to protect my right flank and my +communication with Harper's Ferry, while the cavalry threatened the +enemy's right flank and line of retreat up the valley.</p> + +<p>The difference of strength between the two armies at this date was +considerably in my favor, but the conditions attending my situation +in a hostile region necessitated so much detached service to protect +trains, and to secure Maryland and Pennsylvania from raids, that my +excess in numbers was almost canceled by these incidental demands +that could not be avoided, and although I knew that I was strong, +yet, in consequence of the injunctions of General Grant, I deemed it +necessary to be very cautious; and the fact that the Presidential +election was impending made me doubly so, the authorities at +Washington having impressed upon me that the defeat of my army might +be followed by the overthrow of the party in power, which event, it +was believed, would at least retard the progress of the war, if, +indeed, it did not lead to the complete abandonment of all coercive +measures. Under circumstances such as these I could not afford to +risk a disaster, to say nothing of the intense disinclination every +soldier has for such results; so, notwithstanding my superior +strength, I determined to take all the time necessary to equip myself +with the fullest information, and then seize an opportunity under +such conditions that I could not well fail of success.</p> + + + +<br><br> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p2.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> +</td><td> + <a href="p4.htm">Next Part</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + + +</body> +</html> |