personal memoirs-2-第27章

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I　was　well　advised　as　to　the　position　of　the　enemy　through

information　brought　me　by　an　intelligent　young　soldier；　William　A。

Richardson；　Company　〃A；〃　Second　Ohio；　who；　in　one　of　the　cavalry

charges　on　Anderson；　had　cleared　the　barricades　and　made　his　way　back

to　my　front　through　Ewell's　line。　　Richardson　had　told　me　just　how

the　main　body　of　the　enemy　was　posted；　so　as　Seymour's　division

arrived　I　directed　General　Wright　to　put　it　on　the　right　of　the　road；

while　Wheaton's　men；　coming　up　all　hot　and　out　of　breath；　promptly

formed　on　Seymour's　left。　　Both　divisions　thus　aligned　faced

southwest　toward　Sailor's　Creek；　and　the　artillery　of　the　corps　being

massed　to　the　left　and　front　of　the　Hibbon　house；　without　waiting　for

Getty's　divisionfor　I　feared　that　if　we　delayed　longer　the　enemy

might　effect　his　escape　toward　Farmvillethe　general　attack　was

begun。　　Seymour　and　Wheaton；　moving　forward　together；　assailed　the

enemy's　front　and　left；　and　Stagg's　brigade；　too；　which　in　the　mean

time　had　been　placed　between　Wheaton's　left　and　Devin's　right；　went

at　him　along　with　them；　Merritt　and　Crook　resuming　the　fight　from

their　positions　in　front　of　Anderson。　　The　enemy；　seeing　little

chance　of　escape；　fought　like　a　tiger　at　bay；　but　both　Seymour　and

Wheaton　pressed　him　vigorously；　gaining　ground　at　all　points　except

just　to　the　right　of　the　road；　where　Seymour's　left　was　checked。

Here　the　Confederates　burst　back　on　us　in　a　counter…charge；　surging

down　almost　to　the　creek；　but　the　artillery；　supported　by　Getty；　who

in　the　mean　time　had　come　on　the　ground；　opened　on　them　so　terribly

that　this　audacious　and　furious　onset　was　completely　broken；　though

the　gallant　fellows　fell　back　to　their　original　line　doggedly；　and

not　until　after　they　had　almost　gained　the　creek。　　Ewell　was　now

hemmed　in　on　every　side；　and　all　those　under　his　immediate　command

were　captured。　　Merritt　and　Crook　had　also　broken　up　Anderson　by　this

time；　but　he　himself；　and　about　two　thousand　disorganized　men　escaped

by　making　their　way　through　the　woods　toward　the　Appomattox　River

before　they　could　be　entirely　enveloped。　　Night　had　fallen　when　the

fight　was　entirely　over；　but　Devin　was　pushed　on　in　pursuit　for　about

two　miles；　part　of　the　Sixth　Corps　following　to　clinch　a　victory

which　not　only　led　to　the　annihilation　of　one　corps　of　Lee's

retreating　army；　but　obliged　Longstreet　to　move　up　to　Farmville；　so

as　to　take　a　road　north　of　the　Appomattox　River　toward　Lynchburg

instead　of　continuing　toward　Danville。



At　the　close　of　the　battle　I　sent　one　of　my　staffColonel　Redwood

Priceto　General　Grant　to　report　what　had　been　done；　that　we　had

taken　six　generals　and　from　nine　to　ten　thousand　prisoners。　　On　his

way　Price　stopped　at　the　headquarters　of　General　Meade；　where　he

learned　that　not　the　slightest　intelligence　of　the　occurrence　on　my

line　had　been　received；　for　I　not　being　under　Meade's　command；　he　had

paid　no　attention　to　my　movements。　　Price　gave　the　story　of　the

battle；　and　General　Meade；　realizing　its　importance；　sent　directions

immediately　to　General　Wright　to　make　his　report　of　the　engagement　to

the　headquarters　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　assuming　that　Wright　was

operating　independently　of　me　in　the　face　of　Grant's　despatch　Of

2　o'clock；　which　said　that　Wright　was　following　the　cavalry　and　would

〃go　in　with　a　vim〃　wherever　I　dictated。　　Wright　could　not　do　else

than　comply　with　Meade's　orders　in　the　case；　and　I；　being　then　in

ignorance　of　Meade's　reasons　for　the　assumption；　could　say　nothing。

But　General　Grant　plainly　intending；　and　even　directing；　that　the

corps　should　be　under　my　command；　remedied　this　phase　of　the　matter；

when　informed　of　what　had　taken　place；　by　requiring　Wright　to　send　a

report　of　the　battle　through　me。　　What　he　then　did；　and　what　his

intentions　and　orders　were；　are　further　confirmed　by　a　reference　to

the　episode　in　his　〃Memoirs；〃　where　he　gives　his　reasons　for　ordering

the　Sixth　Corps　to　abandon　the　move　on　Amelia　Court　House　and　pass　to

the　left　of　the　army。　　On　the　same　page　he　also　says；　referring　to

the　6th　of　April：　〃The　Sixth　Corps　now　remained　with　the　cavalry

under　Sheridan's　direct　command　until　after　the　surrender。〃　　He

unquestionably　intended　all　of　this；　but　his　purpose　was　partly

frustrated　by　General　Meade's　action　next　morning　in　assuming

direction　of　the　movements　of　the　corps；　and　before　General　Grant

became　aware　of　the　actual　conditions　the　surrender　was　at　hand。









CHAPTER　VIII。



LINCOLN'S　LACONIC　DESPATCHCAPTURING　LEE'S　SUPPLIESDELIGHTED

ENGINEERSTHE　CONFEDERATES'　LAST　EFFORTA　FLAG　OF　TRUCEGENERAL

GEARY'S　〃LAST　DITCH〃　ABSURDITYMEETING　OF　GRANT　AND　LEETHE

SURRENDERESTIMATE　OF　GENERAL　GRANT。



The　first　report　of　the　battle　of　Sailor's　Creek　that　General　Grant

received　was；　as　already　stated；　an　oral　message　carried　by　Colonel

Price；　of　my　staff。　　Near　midnight　I　sent　a　despatch　giving　the　names

of　the　generals　captured。　　These　were　Ewell；　Kershaw；　Barton；　Corse；

Dubose；　and　Custis　Lee。　　In　the　same　despatch　I　wrote：　〃If　the　thing

is　pressed；　I　think　that　Lee　will　surrender。〃　　When　Mr。　Lincoln；　at

City　Point；　received　this　word　from　General　Grant；　who　was

transmitting　every　item　of　news　to　the　President；　he　telegraphed

Grant　the　laconic　message：　〃Let　the　thing　be　pressed。〃　The　morning　of

the　7th　we　moved　out　at　a　very　early　hour；　Crook's　division　marching

toward　Farmville　in　direct　pursuit；　while　Merritt　and　Mackenzie　were

ordered　to　Prince　Edward's　Court　House　to　anticipate　any　effort　Lee

might　make　to　escape　through　that　place　toward　Danville　since　it　had

been　discovered　that　Longstreet　had　slipped　away　already　from　the

front　of　General　Ord's　troops　at　Rice's　Station。　　Crook　overtook　the

main　body　of　the　Confederates　at　Farmville；　and　promptly　attacked

their　trains　on　the　north　side　of　the　Appomattox　with　Gregg's

brigade；　which　was　fiercely　turned　upon　and　forced　to　re…cross　the

river　with　the　loss　of　a　number　of　prisoner's；　among　them　Gregg

himself。　　When　Crook　sent　word　of　this　fight；　it　was　clear　that　Lee

had　abandoned　all　effort　to　escape　to　the　southwest　by　way　of

Danville。　　Lynchburg　was　undoubtedly　his　objective　point　now；　so；

resolving　to　throw　my　cavalry　again　across　his　path；　and　hold　him

till　the　infantry　could　overtake　him；　I　directed　everything　on

Appomattox　depot；　recalling　Crook　the　night　of　the　7th　to　Prospect

Station；　while　Merritt　camped　at　Buffalo　Creek；　and　Mackenzie　made　a

reconnoissance　along　the　Lynchburg　railroad。



At　break　of　day；　April　8；　Merritt　and　Mackenzie　united　with　Crook　at

Prospect　Station；　and　the　cavalry　all　moved　then　toward　Appomattox

depot。　　Hardly　had　it　started　when　one　of　the　scoutsSergeant　White…

…informed　me　that　there　were　four　trains　of　cars　at　the　depot　loaded

with　supplies　for　Lee's　army；　these　had　been　sent　from　Lynchburg；　in

compliance　with　the　telegram　of　Lee's　commissary…general；　which

message；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　captured　and　transmitted　to

Lynchburg　by　two　of　Young's　scouts　on　the　4th。　　Sergeant　White；　who

had　been　on　the　lookout　for　the　trains　ever　since　sending　the

despatch；　found　them　several　miles　west　of　Appomattox　depot　feeling

their　way　along；　in　ignorance　of　Lee's　exact　position。　　As　he　had　the

original　despatch　with　him；　and　took　pains　to　dwell　upon　the　pitiable

condition　of　Lee's　army；　he　had　little　difficulty　in　persuading　the

men　in　charge　of　the　trains　to　bring　them　east　of　Appomattox　Station；

but　fearing　that　the　true　state　of　affairs　would　be　learned　before

long；　and　the　trains　be　returned　to　Lynchburg；　he　was　painfully

anxious　to　have　them　cut　off　by　breaking　the　track　west　of　the

station。



The　intelligence　as　to　the　trains　was　immediately　despatched　to

Crook；　and　I　pushed　on　to　join　him　with　Merritt's　command。　　Custer

having　the　advance；　moved　rapidly；　and　on　nearing　the　station

detailed　two　regiments　to　make　a　detour　southward　to　strike　the

railroad　some　distance　beyon