personal memoirs-2-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



officers；　but　the　commander　of　the　Valley　District；　accompanied　by　a

single　orderly；　escaped　across　the　South　Anna　and　next　day　made　his

way　to　Richmond；　the　last　man　of　the　Confederate　army　that　had　so

long　contended　with　us　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley。



At　Frederick's　Hall；　Young's　scouts　brought　me　word　from　Richmond

that　General　Longstreet　was　assembling　a　force　there　to　prevent　my

junction　with　Grant；　and　that　Pickett's　division；　which　had　been　sent

toward　Lynchburg　to　oppose　my　march；　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry；　were

moving　east　on　the　Southside　railroad；　with　the　object　of

circumventing　me。　　Reasoning　that　Longstreet　could　interpose

effectually　only　by　getting　to　the　White　House　ahead　of　me；　I　pushed

one　column　under　Custer　across　the　South　Anna；　by　way　of　Ground

Squirrel　bridge；　to　Ashland；　where　it　united　with　Merritt；　who　had

meanwhile　marched　through　Hanover　Junction。　　Our　appearance　at

Ashland　drew　the　Confederates　out　in　that　direction；　as　was　hoped；

so；　leaving　Colonel　Pennington's　brigade　there　to　amuse　them；　the

united　command　retraced　its　route　to　Mount　Carmel　church　to　cross　the

North　Anna。　　After　dark　Pennington　came　away；　and　all　the　troops

reached　the　church　by　midnight　of　the　15th。



Resuming　the　march　at　an　early　hour　next　morning；　we　took　the　road　by

way　of　King　William　Court　House　to　the　White　House；　where；　arriving

on　the　18th；　we　found；　greatly　to　our　relief；　the　supplies　which　I

had　requested　to　be　sent　there。　　In　the　meanwhile　the　enemy　had

marched　to　Hanover　Court　House；　but　being　unable　either　to　cross　the

Pamunkey　there　or　forestall　me　at　the　White　House　on　the　south　side

of　the　river；　he　withdrew　to　Richmond　without　further　effort　to

impede　my　column。



The　hardships　of　this　march　far　exceeded　those　of　any　previous

campaigns　by　the　cavalry。　　Almost　incessant　rains　had　drenched　us　for

sixteen　days　and　nights；　and　the　swollen　streams　and　well…nigh

bottomless　roads　east　of　Staunton　presented　grave　difficulties　on

every　hand；　but　surmounting　them　all；　we　destroyed　the　enemy's　means

of　subsistence；　in　quantities　beyond　computation；　and　permanently

crippled　the　Virginia　Central　railroad；　as　well　as　the　James　River

canal；　and　as　each　day　brought　us　nearer　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　all

were　filled　with　the　comforting　reflection　that　our　work　in　the

Shenandoah　Valley　had　been　thoroughly　done；　and　every　one　was　buoyed

up　by　the　cheering　thought　that　we　should　soon　take　part　in　the　final

struggle　of　the　war。









CHAPTER　V。



TRANSFERRED　TO　PETERSBURGGENERAL　RAWLINS　CORDIAL　WELCOMEGENERAL

GRANT's　ORDERS　AND　PLANSA　TRIP　WITH　MR。　LINCOLN　AND　GENERAL　GRANT

MEETING　GENERAL　SHERMANOPPOSED　TO　JOINING　THE　ARMY　OF　THE　TENNESSEE

OPENING　OF　THE　APPOMATTOX　CAMPAIGNGENERAL　GRANT　AND　GENERAL

RAWLINS。



The　transfer　of　my　command　from　the　Shenandoah　Valley　to　the　field　of

operations　in　front　of　Petersburg　was　not　anticipated　by　General

Grant；　indeed；　the　despatch　brought　from　Columbia　by　my　scouts；

asking　that　supplies　be　sent　me　at　the　White　House；　was　the　first

word　that　reached　him　concerning　the　move。　　In　view　of　my　message　the

general…in…chief　decided　to　wait　my　arrival　before　beginning　spring

operations　with　the　investing　troops　south　of　the　James　River；　for　he

felt　the　importance　of　having　my　cavalry　at　hand　in　a　campaign　which

he　was　convinced　would　wind　up　the　war。　　We　remained　a　few　days　at

the　White　House　resting　and　refitting　the　cavalry；　a　large　amount　of

shoeing　being　necessary；　but　nothing　like　enough　horses　were　at　hand

to　replace　those　that　had　died　or　been　disabled　on　the　mud　march　from

Staunton　to　the　Pamunkey　River；　so　a　good　many　of　the　men　were　still

without　mounts；　and　all　such　were　sent　by　boat　to　the　dismounted　camp

near　City　Point。　　When　all　was　ready　the　column　set　out　for　Hancock

Station；　a　point　on　the　military　railroad　in　front　of　Petersburg；　and

arriving　there　on　the　27th　of　March；　was　in　orders　reunited　with　its

comrades　of　the　Second　Division；　who　had　been　serving　with　the　Army

of　the　Potomac　since　we　parted　from　them　the　previous　August。

General　Crook；　who　had　been　exchanged　within　a　few　days；　was　now　in

command　of　this　Second　Division。　　The　reunited　corps　was　to　enter

upon　the　campaign　as　a　separate　army；　I　reporting　directly　to　General

Grant；　the　intention　being　thus　to　reward　me　for　foregoing；　of　my　own

choice；　my　position　as　a　department　commander　by　joining　the　armies

at　Petersburg。



Taking　the　road　across　the　Peninsula；　I　started　from　the　White　House

with　Merritt's　column　on　the　25th　of　March　and　encamped　that　night　at

Harrison's　Landing。　　Very　early　next　morning；　in　conformity　with　a

request　from　General　Grant；　I　left　by　boat　for　City　Point；　Merritt

meanwhile　conducting　the　column　across　the　James　River　to　the　point

of　rendezvous；　The　trip　to　City　Point　did　not　take　long；　and　on

arrival　at　army　headquarters　the　first　person　I　met　was　General　John

A。　Rawlins；　General　Grant's　chief…of…staff。　　Rawlins　was　a　man　of

strong　likes　and　dislikes；　and　positive　always　both　in　speech　and

action；　exhibiting　marked　feelings　when　greeting　any　one；　and　on　this

occasion　met　me　with　much　warmth。　　His　demonstrations　of　welcome

over；　we　held　a　few　minutes'　conversation　about　the　coming　campaign；

he　taking　strong　ground　against　a　part　of　the　plan　of　operations

adopted；　namely；　that　which　contemplated　my　joining　General　Sherman's

army。　　His　language　was　unequivocal　and　vehement；　and　when　he　was

through　talking；　he　conducted　me　to　General　Grant's　quarters；　but　he

himself　did　not　enter。



General　Grant　was　never　impulsive；　and　always　met　his　officers　in　an

unceremonious　way；　with　a　quiet　〃How　are　you〃　soon　putting　one　at　his

ease；　since　the　pleasant　tone　in　which　he　spoke　gave　assurance　of

welcome；　although　his　manner　was　otherwise　impassive。　　When　the

ordinary　greeting　was　over；　he　usually　waited　for　his　visitor　to　open

the　conversation；　so　on　this　occasion　I　began　by　giving　him　the

details　of　my　march　from　Winchester；　my　reasons　for　not　joining

Sherman；　as　contemplated　in　my　instructions；　and　the　motives　which

had　influenced　me　to　march　to　the　White　House。　　The　other　provision

of　my　orders　on　setting　out　from　Winchesterthe　alternative　return

to　that　placewas　not　touched　upon；　for　the　wisdom　of　having　ignored

that　was　fully　apparent。　　Commenting　on　this　recital　of　my　doings；

the　General　referred　only　to　the　tortuous　course　of　my　march　from

Waynesboro'　down；　our　sore　trials；　and　the　valuable　services　of　the

scouts　who　had　brought　him　tidings　of　me；　closing　with　the　remark

that　it　was；　rare　a　department　commander　voluntarily　deprived　himself

of　independence；　and　added　that　I　should　not　suffer　for　it。　　Then

turning　to　the　business　for　which　he　had　called　rne　to　City　Point；　he

outlined　what　he　expected　me　to　do；　saying　that　I　was　to　cut　loose

from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by　passing　its　left　flank　to　the

southward　along　the　line　of　the　Danville　railroad；　and　after　crossing

the　Roanoke　River；　join　General　Sherman。　　While　speaking；　he　handed

me　a　copy　of　a　general　letter　of　instructions　that　had　been　drawn　up

for　the　army　on　the　24th。　　The　letter　contained　these　words

concerning　the　movements　of　my　command：



〃The　cavalry　under　General　Sheridan；　joined　by　the　division　now　under

General　Davies；　will　move　at　the　same　time　（29th　inst。）　by　the　Weldon

road　and　the　Jerusalem　plank…road；　turning　west　from　the　latter

before　crossing　the　Nottoway；　and　west　with　the　whole　column　before

reaching　Stony　Creek。　　General　Sheridan　will　then　move　independently

under　other　instructions　which　will　be　given　him。　　All　dismounted

cavalry　belonging　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　the　dismounted

cavalry　from　the　Middle　Military　Division　not　required　for　guarding

property　belonging　to　their　arm　of　the　service；　will　report　to

Brigadier…General　Benham　to　be　added　to　the　defenses　of　City　Point。〃



When　I　had　gone　over　the　entire　letter　I　showed　plainly　tha