personal memoirs-2-第13章

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around　the　northerly　face　of　the　Massanutten　Mountain；　and　again

cross　the　Shenandoah　at　Bowman's　and　McInturff's　fords。　　Payne's　task

was　to　capture　me　at　the　Belle　Grove　House。　　General　Early　himself；

with　Kershaw's　and　Wharton's　divisions；　was　to　move　through

Strasburg；　Kershaw；　accompanied　by　Early；　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　at

Roberts's　ford　and　connect　with　Gordon；　while　Wharton　was　to　continue

on　the　Valley　pike　to　Hupp's　Hill　and　join　the　left　of　Kershaw；　when

the　crossing　of　the　Valley　pike　over　Cedar　Creek　became　free。



Lomax's　cavalry；　then　in　the　Luray　Valley；　was　ordered　to　join　the

right　of　Gordon　on　the　field　of　battle；　while　Rosser　was　to　carry　the

crossing　of　Cedar　Creek　on　the　Back　road　and　attack　Custer。　　Early's

conceptions　were　carried　through　in　the　darkness　with　little　accident

or　delay；　Kershaw　opening　the　fight　by　a　furious　attack　on　Thoburn's

division；　while　at　dawn　and　in　a　dense　fog　Gordon　struck　Crook's

extreme　left；　surprising　his　pickets；　and　bursting　into　his　camp　with

such　suddenness　as　to　stampede　Crook's　men。　　Gordon　directing　his

march　on　my　headquarters　（the　Belle　Grove　House）；　successfully　turned

our　position　as　he　gained　the　Valley　pike；　and　General　Wright　was

thus　forced　to　order　the　withdrawal　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　from　its

post　at　the　Cedar　Creek　crossing；　and　this　enabled　Wharton　to　get

over　the　stream　there　unmolested　and　join　Kershaw　early　in　the

action。



After　Crook's　troops　had　been　driven　from　their　camps；　General　Wright

endeavored　to　form　a　line　with　the　Sixth　Corps　to　hold　the　Valley

pike　to　the　left　of　the　Nineteenth；　but　failing　in　this　he　ordered

the　withdrawal　of　the　latter　corps；　Ricketts；　temporarily　commanding

the　Sixth　Corps；　checking　Gordon　till　Emory　had　retired。　　As　already

stated；　Wharton　was　thus　permitted　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　on　the　pike；

and　now　that　Early　had　a　continuous　line；　he　pressed　his　advantage　so

vigorously　that　the　whole　Union　army　was　soon　driven　from　its　camps

in　more　or　less　disorder；　and　though　much　disjointed　resistance　was

displayed；　it　may　be　said　that　no　systematic　stand　was　made　until

Getty's　division；　aided　by　Torbert's　cavalry；　which　Wright　had

ordered　to　the　left　early　in　the　action；　took　up　the　ground　where；　on

arriving　from　Winchester；　I　found　them。



When　I　left　my　command　on　the　16th；　little　did　I　anticipate　that

anything　like　this　would　happen。　　Indeed；　I　felt　satisfied　that　Early

was；　of　himself；　too　weak　to　take　the　offensive；　and　although　I

doubted　the　Longstreet　despatch；　yet　I　was　confident　that；　even

should　it　prove　true；　I　could　get　back　before　the　junction　could　be

made；　and　at　the　worst　I　felt　certain　that　my　army　was　equal　to

confronting　the　forces　of　Longstreet　and　Early　combined。　　Still；　the

surprise　of　the　morning　might　have　befallen　me　as　well　as　the　general

on　whom　it　did　descend；　and　though　it　is　possible　that　this　could

have　been　precluded　had　Powell's　cavalry　been　closed　in；　as　suggested

in　my　despatch　from　Front　Royal；　yet　the　enemy's　desperation　might

have　prompted　some　other　clever　and　ingenious　scheme　for　relieving

his　fallen　fortunes　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley。









CHAPTER　IV。



GENERAL　EARLY　REORGANIZES　HIS　FORCESMOSBY　THE　GUERRILLAGENERAL

MERRITT　SENT　TO　OPERATE　AGAINST　MOSBYROSSER　AGAIN　ACTIVEGENERAL

CUSTER　SURPRISEDCOLONEL　YOUNG　SENT　TO　CAPTURE　GILMORE　THE

GUERRILLACOLONEL　YOUNG'S　SUCCESSCAPTURE　OF　GENERAL　KELLY　AND

GENERAL　CROOKSPIESWAS　WILKES　BOOTH　A　SPY？DRIVING　THE

CONFEDERATES　OUT　OF　THE　VALLEYTHE　BATTLE　OF　WAYNESBORO'MARCHING

TO　JOIN　THE　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC。



Early's　broken　army　practically　made　no　halt　in　its　retreat　after　the

battle　of　Cedar…Creek　until　it　reached　New　Market；　though　at　Fisher's

Hill　was　left　a　small　rear…guard　of　cavalry；　which　hastily　decamped；

however；　when　charged　by　Gibbs's　brigade　on　the　morning　of　the　20th。

Between　the　date　of　his　signal　defeat　and　the　11th　of　November；　the

enemy's　scattered　forces　had　sufficiently　reorganized　to　permit　his

again　making　a　reconnoissance　in　the　valley　as　far　north　as　Cedar

Creek；　my　army　having　meanwhile　withdrawn　to　Kernstown；　where　it　had

been　finally　decided　that　a　defensive　line　should　be　held　to　enable

me　to　detach　troops　to　General　Grant；　and　where；　by　reconstructing

the　Winchester　and　Potomac　railroad　from　Stephenson's　depot　to

Harper's　Ferry；　my　command　might　be　more　readily；　supplied。　　Early's

reconnoissance　north　of　Cedar　Creek　ended　in　a　rapid　withdrawal　of

his　infantry　after　feeling　my　front；　and　with　the　usual　ill…fortune

to　his　cavalry；　Merritt　and　Custer　driving　Rosser　and　Lomax　with　ease

across　Cedar　Creek　on　the　Middle　and　Back　roads；　while　Powell's

cavalry　struck　McCausland　near　Stony　Point；　and　after　capturing　two

pieces　of　artillery　and　about　three　hundred　officers　and　men　chased

him　into　the　Luray　Valley。



Early　got　back　to　New　Market　on　the　14th　of　November；　and；　from　lack

of　subsistence；　being　unable　to　continue　demonstrations　to　prevent　my

reinforcement　of　General　Grant；　began　himself　to　detach　to　General

Lee　by　returning　Kershaw's　division　to　Petersburg；　as　was　definitely

ascertained　by　Torbert　in　a　reconnoissance　to　Mount　Jackson。　　At　this

time　General　Grant　wished　me　to　send　him　the　Sixth　Corps；　and　it　was

got　ready　for　the　purpose；　but　when　I　informed　him　that　Torbert's

reconnoissance　had　developed　the　fact　that　Early　still　retained　four

divisions　of　infantry　and　one　of　cavalry；　it　was　decided；　on　my

suggestion；　to　let　the　Sixth　Corps　remain　till　the　season　should　be　a

little　further　advanced；　when　the　inclemency　of　the　weather　would

preclude　infantry　campaigning。　　These　conditions　came　about　early　in

December；　and　by　the　middle　of　the　month　the　whole　of　the　Sixth　Corps

was　at　Petersburg；　simultaneously　with　its　transfer　to　that　line

Early　sending　his　Second　Corps　to　Lee。



During　the　entire　campaign　I　had　been　annoyed　by　guerrilla　bands

under　such　partisan　chiefs　as　Mosby；　White；　Gilmore；　McNeil；　and

others；　and　this　had　considerably　depleted　my　line…of…battle

strength；　necessitating　as　it　did　large；　escorts　for　my　supply…

trains。　　The　most　redoubtable　of　these　leaders　was　Mosby；　whose　force

was　made　up　from　the　country　around　Upperville；　east　of　the　Blue

Ridge；　to　which　section　he　always　fled　for　a　hiding…place　when　he

scented　danger。　　I　had　not　directed　any　special　operations　against

these　partisans　while　the　campaign　was　active；　but　as　Mosby's　men　had

lately　killed；　within　my　lines；　my　chief　quartermaster；　Colonel

Tolles；　and　Medical　Inspector　Ohlenchlager；　I　concluded　to　devote

particular　attention　to　these　〃irregulars〃　during　the　lull　that　now

occurred；　so　on　the　28th　of　November；　I　directed　General　Merritt　to

march　to　the　Loudoun　Valley　and　operate　against　Mosby；　taking　care　to

clear　the　country　of　forage　and　subsistence；　so　as　to　prevent　the

guerrillas　from　being　harbored　there　in　the　future　their　destruction

or　capture　being　well…nigh　impossible；　on　account　of　their　intimate

knowledge　of　the　mountain　region。　　Merritt　carried　out　his

instructions　with　his　usual　sagacity　and　thoroughness；　sweeping

widely　over　each　side　of　his　general　line　of　march　with　flankers；　who

burned　the　grain　and　brought　in　large　herds　of　cattle；　hogs　and

sheep；　which　were　issued　to　the　troops。



While　Merritt　was　engaged　in　this　service　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio

railroad　once　more　received　the　attention　of　the　enemy；　Rosser；　with

two　brigades　of　cavalry；　crossing　the　Great　North　Mountain；　capturing

the　post　of　New　Creek；　with　about　five　hundred　prisoners　and　seven

guns；　destroying　all　the　supplies　of　the　garrison；　and　breaking　up

the　railroad　track。　　This　slight　success　of　the　Confederates　in　West

Virginia；　and　the　intelligence　that　they　were　contemplating　further

raids　in　that　section；　led　me　to　send；　Crook　there　with　one　division；

his　other　troops　going　to　City　Point；　and；　I　hoped　that　all　the

threatened　places　would　thus　be　sufficiently　protected；　but

neglige