personal memoirs-2-第20章

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there；　for　assuming　that　my　command　was　moving　in　conjunction　with

the　infantry；　with　the　ultimate　purpose　of　striking　the　Southside

railroad；　Lee　made　no　effort　to　hold　Dinwiddie；　which　he　might　have

done　with　his　cavalry；　and　in　this　he　made　a　fatal　mistake。　　The

cavalry　of　Fitz。　Lee　was　ordered　at　this　same　time　from　Sunderland

depot　to　Five　Forks；　and　its　chief　placed　in　command　of　all　the

mounted　troops　of　General　Lee's　army。



At　daylight　on　ttie　3oth　I　proceeded　to　make　dispositions　under　the

new　conditions　imposed　by　my　modified　instructions；　and　directed

Merritt　to　push　Devin　out　as　far　as　the　White　Oak　road　to　make　a

reconnoissance　to　Five　Forks；　Crook　being　instructed　to　send　Davies's

brigade　to　support　Devin。　　Crook　was　to　hold；　with　Gregg's　brigade；

the　Stony　Creek　crossing　of　the　Boydton　plank　road；　retaining　Smith's

near　Dinwiddie；　for　use　in　any　direction　required。　　On　the　29th　W。　H。

F。　Lee　conformed　the　march　of　his　cavalry　with　that　of　ours；　but　my

holding　Stony　Creek　in　this　way　forced　him　to　make　a　detour　west　of

Chamberlin's　Run；　in　order　to　get　in　communication　with　his　friends

at　Five　Forks。



The　rain　that　had　been　falling　all　night　gave　no　sign　of　stopping；

but　kept　pouring　down　all　day　long；　and　the　swamps　and　quicksands

mired　the　horses；　whether　they　marched　in　the　roads　or　across　the

adjacent　fields。　　Undismayed；　nevertheless；　each　column　set　out　for

its　appointed　duty；　but　shortly　after　the　troops　began　to　move　I

received　from　General　Grant　this　despatch；　which　put　a　new　phase　on

matters：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃GRAVELLY　RUN；　March　30；　1865。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN　：



〃The　heavy　rain　of　to…day　will　make　it　impossible　for　us　to　do　much

until　it　dries　up　a　little；　or　we　get　roads　around　our　rear　repaired。

You　may；　therefore；　leave　what　cavalry　you　deem　necessary　to　protect

the　left；　and　hold　such　positions　as　you　deem　necessary　for　that

purpose；　and　send　the　remainder　back　to　Humphrey's　Station　where　they

can　get　hay　and　grain。　　Fifty　wagons　loaded　with　forage　will　be　sent

to　you　in　the　morning。　　Send　an　officer　back　to　direct　the　wagons

back　to　where　you　want　them。　　Report　to　me　the　cavalry　you　will　leave

back；　and　the　position　you　will　occupy。　　Could　not　your　cavalry　go

back　by　the　way　of　Stony　Creek　depot　and　destroy　or　capture　the　store

of　supplies　there？



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieut。…General。〃





When　I　had　read　and　pondered　this；　I　determined　to　ride　over　to

General　Grant's　headquarters　on　Gravelly　Run；　and　get　a　clear　idea　of

what　it　was　proposed　to　do；　for　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　suspension　of

operations　would　be　a　serious　mistake。　　Mounting　a　powerful　gray

pacing　horse　called　Breckenridge　（from　its　capture　from　one　of

Breckenridge's　staff…officers　at　Missionary　Ridge）；　and　that　I　knew

would　carry　me　through　the　mud；　I　set　out　accompanied　by　my　Assistant

Adjutant…General；　Colonel　Frederick　C。　　Newhall；　and　an　escort　of

about　ten　or　fifteen　men。　　At　first　we　rode　north　up　the　Boydton

plank…road；　and　coming　upon　our　infantry　pickets　from　a　direction

where　the　enemy　was　expected　to　appear；　they　began　to　fire　upon　us；

but　seeing　from　our　actions　that　we　were　friends；　they　ceased；　and

permitted　us　to　pass　the　outposts。　　We　then　struggled　on　in　a

northeasterly　direction　across…country；　till　we　struck　the　Vaughn

road。　　This　carried　us　to　army　headquarters；　which　were　established

south　of　Gravelly　Run　in　an　old　cornfield。　　I　rode　to　within　a　few

yards　of　the　front　of　General　Grant's　tent；　my　horse　plunging　at

every　step　almost　to　his　knees　in　the　mud；　and　dismounted　near　a

camp…fire；　apparently　a　general　one；　for　all　the　staff…officers　were

standing　around　it　on　boards　and　rails　placed　here　and　there　to　keep

them　from　sinking　into　the　mire。



Going　directly　to　General　Grant's　tent；　I　found　him　and　Rawlins

talking　over　the　question　of　suspending　operations　till　the　weather

should　improve。　　No　orders　about　the　matter　had　been　issued　yet；

except　the　despatch　to　me；　and　Rawlins；　being　strongly　opposed　to　the

proposition；　was　frankly　expostulating　with　General　Grant；　who；　after

greeting　me；　remarked；　in　his　quiet　way：　〃　Well；　Rawlins；　I　think　you

had　better　take　command。〃　　Seeing　that　there　was　a　difference　up

between　Rawlins　and　his　chief；　I　made　the　excuse　of　being　wet　and

cold；　and　went　outside　to　the　fire。　　Here　General　Ingalls　met　me　and

took　me　to　his　tent；　where　I　was　much　more　comfortable　than　when

standing　outside；　and　where　a　few　minutes　later　we　were　joined　by

General　Grant。　　Ingalls　then　retired；　and　General　Grant　began　talking

of　our　fearful　plight；　resulting　from　the　rains　and　mud；　and　saying

that　because　of　this　it　seemed　necessary　to　suspend　operations。　　I　at

once　begged　him　not　to　do　so；　telling　him　that　my　cavalry　was　already

on　the　move　in　spite　of　the　difficulties；　and　that　although　a

suspension　of　operations　would　not　be　fatal；　yet　it　would　give　rise

to　the　very　charge　of　disaster　to　which　he　had　referred　at　City

Point；　and；　moreover；　that　we　would　surely　be　ridiculed；　just　as

General　Burnside's　army　was　after　the　mud　march　of　1863。　　His　better

judgment　was　against　suspending　operations；　but　the　proposition　had

been　suggested　by　all　sorts　of　complaints　as　to　the　impossibility　of

moving　the　trains　and　the　like；　so　it　needed　little　argument　to

convince　him；　and　without　further　discussion　he　said；　in　that　manner

which　with　him　meant　a　firmness　of　purpose　that　could　not　be　changed

by　further　complainings；　〃We　will　go　on。〃　　I　then　told　him　that　I

believed　I　could　break　in　the　enemy's　right　if　he　would　let　me　have

the　Sixth　Corps；　but　saying　that　the　condition　of　the　roads　would

prevent　the　movement　of　infantry；　he　replied　that　I　would　have　to

seize　Five　Forks　with　the　cavalry　alone。



On　my　way　back　to　Dinwiddie　I　stopped　at　the　headquarters　of　General

Warren；　but　the　General　being　asleep；　I　went　to　the　tent　of　one　of

his　staff…officers。　　Colonel　William　T。　Gentry；　an　old　personal

friend　with　whom　I　had　served　in　Oregon。　　In　a　few　minutes　Warren

came　in　and　we　had　a　short　conversation；　he　speaking　rather

despondently　of　the　outlook；　being　influenced　no　doubt　by　the

depressing　weather。



》From　Warren's　headquarters　I　returned；　by　the　Boydton　road　to

Dinwiddie　Court　House；　fording　Gravelly　Run　with　ease。　　When　I　got　as

far　as　the　Dabney　road　I　sent　Colonel　Newhall　out　on　it　toward　Five

Forks；　with　orders　for　Merritt　to　develop　the　enemy's　position　and

strength；　and　then　rode　on　to　Dinwiddie　to　endeavor　to　get　all　my

other　troops　up。　　Merritt　was　halted　at　the　intersection　of　the　Five

Forks　and　Gravelly　Church　roads　when　Newhall　delivered　the　orders；

and　in　compliance　moving　out　Gibbs's　brigade　promptly；　sharp

skirmishing　was　brought　on；　Gibbs　driving　the　Confederates　to　Five

Forks；　where　he　found　them　behind　a　line　of　breastworks　running　along

the　White　Oak　road。　　The　reconnoissance　demonstrating　the　intention

of　the　enemy　to　hold　this　point；　Gibbs　was　withdrawn。



That　evening；　at　7　o'clock；　I　reported　the　position　of　the

Confederate　cavalry；　and　stated　that　it　had　been　reinforced　by

Pickett's　division　of　infantry。　　On　receipt　of　this　despatch；　General

Grant　offered　me　the　Fifth　Corps；　but　I　declined　to　take　it；　and

again　asked　for　the　Sixth；　saying　that　with　it　I　believed　I　could

turn　the　enemy　（Pickett's）　left；　or　break　through　his　lines。　　The

morning　of　the　31st　General　Grant　replied　the　the　Sixth　Corps　could

not　be　taken　from　its　position　in　the　line；　and　offered　me　the

Second；　but　in　the　mean　time　circumstances　had　changed；　and　no　corps

was　ordered。









CHAPTER　VI。



BATTLE　OF　DINWIDDIE　COURT　HOUSEPICKETT　REPULSEDREINFORCED　BY　THE

FIFTH　CORPSBATTLE　OF　FIVE　FORKSTURNING　THE　CONFEDERATE　LEFTAN

UNQUALIFIED　SUCCESSRELIEVING　GENERAL　WARRENTHE　WARREN　COURT　OF

INQUIRYGENERAL　SHERMAN'S　OPINION。



The　night　of　March　30　Merritt；　with　Devin's　division　and　Davies's

brigade；　w