personal memoirs-2-第3章

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woods　on　their　right；　slight　underbrush　and　corn…fields　along　their

Centre；　and　a　large　body　of　timber　on　their　left　along　the　Red　Bud；

opened　fire　from　their　whole　front。　　We　gained　considerable　ground　at

first；　especially　on　our　left　but　the　desperate　resistance　which　the

right　met　with　demonstrated　that　the　time　we　had　unavoidably　lost　in

the　morning　had　been　of　incalculable　value　to　Early；　for　it　was

evident　that　he　had　been　enabled　already　to　so　far　concentrate　his

troops　as　to　have　the　different　divisions　of　his　army　in　a　connected

line　of　battle；　in　good　shape　to　resist。



Getty　and　Ricketts　made　some　progress　toward　Winchester　in　connection

with　Wilson's　cavalry；　which　was　beyond　the　Senseny　road　on　Getty's

left；　and　as　they　were　pressing　back　Ramseur's　infantry　and　Lomax's

cavalry　Grover　attacked　from　the　right　with　decided　effect。　　Grover

in　a　few　minutes　broke　up　Evans's　brigade　of　Gordon's　division；　but

his　pursuit　of　Evans　destroyed　the　continuity　of　my　general　line；　and

increased　an　interval　that　had　already　been　made　by　the　deflection　of

Ricketts　to　the　1eft；　in　obedience　to　instructions　that　had　been

given　him　to　guide　his　division　on　the　Berryville　pike。　　As　the　line

pressed　forward；　Ricketts　observed　this　widening　interval　and

endeavored　to　fill　it　with　the　small　brigade　of　Colonel　Keifer；　but

at　this　juncture　both　Gordon　and　Rodes　struck　the　weak　spot　where　the

right　of　the　Sixth　Corps　and　the　left　of　the　Nineteenth　should　have

been　in　conjunction；　and　succeeded　in　checking　my　advance　by　driving

back　a　part　of　Ricketts's　division；　and　the　most　of　Grover's。　　As

these　troops　were　retiring　I　ordered　Russell's　reserve　division　to　be

put　into　action；　and　just　as　the　flank　of　the　enemy's　troops　in

pursuit　of　Grover　was　presented；　Upton's　brigade；　led　in　person　by

both　Russell　and　Upton；　struck　it　in　a　charge　so　vigorous　as　to　drive

the　Confederates　back　in　turn　to　their　original　ground。



The　success　of　Russell　enabled　me　to　re…establish　the　right　of　my

line　some　little　distance　in　advance　of　the　position　from　which　it

started　in　the　morning；　and　behind　Russell's　division　（now　commanded

by　Upton）　the　broken　regiments　of　Ricketts's　division　were　rallied。

Dwight's　division　was　then　brought　up　on　the　right；　and　Grover's　men

formed　behind　it。



The　charge　of　Russell　was　most　opportune；　but　it　cost　many　men　in

killed　and　wounded。　　Among　the　former　was　the　courageous　Russell

himself；　killed　by　a　piece　of　shell　that　passed　through　his　heart；

although　he　had　previously　been　struck　by　a　bullet　in　the　left

breast；　which　wound；　from　its　nature；　must　have　proved　mortal；　yet　of

which　he　had　not　spoken。　　Russell's　death　oppressed　us　all　with

sadness；　and　me　particularly。　　In　the　early　days　of　my　army　life　he

was　my　captain　and　friend；　and　I　was　deeply　indebted　to　him；　not　only

for　sound　advice　and　good　example；　but　for　the　inestimable　service　he

had　just　performed；　and　sealed　with　his　life；　so　it　may　be　inferred

how　keenly　I　felt　his　loss。



As　my　lines　were　being　rearranged；　it　was　suggested　to　me　to　put

Crook　into　the　battle；　but　so　strongly　had　I　set　my　heart　on　using

him　to　take　possession　of　the　Valley　pike　and　cut　off　the　enemy；　that

I　resisted　this　advice；　hoping　that　the　necessity　for　putting　him　in

would　be　obviated　by　the　attack　near　Stephenson's　depot　that

Torbert's　cavalry　was　to　make；　and　from　which　I　was　momentarily

expecting　to　hear。　　No　news　of　Torbert's　progress　came；　however；　so；

yielding　at　last；　I　directed　Crook　to　take　post　on　the　right　of　the

Nineteenth　Corps　and；　when　the　action　was　renewed；　to　push　his

command　forward　as　a　turning…column　in　conjunction　with　Emory。　　After

some　delay　in　the　annoying　defile；　Crook　got　his　men　up；　and　posting

Colonel　Thoburn's　division　on　the　prolongation　of　the　Nineteenth

Corps；　he　formed　Colonel　Duval's　division　to　the　right　of　Thoburn。

Here　I　joined　Crook；　informing　him　that　I　had　just　got　word　that

Torbert　was　driving　the　enemy　in　confusion　along　the　Martinsburg　pike

toward　Winchester；　at　the　same　time　I　directed　him　to　attack　the

moment　all　of　Duval's　men　were　in　line。　　Wright　was　instructed　to

advance　in　concert　with　Crook；　by　swinging　Emory　and　the　right　of　the

Sixth　Corps　to　the　left　together　in　a　half…wheel。　　Then　leaving

Crook；　I　rode　along　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps；　the　open　ground

over　which　they　were　passing　affording　a　rare　opportunity　to　witness

the　precision　with　which　the　attack　was　taken　up　from　right　to　left。

Crook's　success　began　the　moment　he　started　to　turn　the　enemy's　left；

and　assured　by　the　fact　that　Torbert　had　stampeded　the　Confederate

cavalry　and　thrown　Breckenridge's　infantry　into　such　disorder　that　it

could　do　little　to　prevent　the　envelopment　of　Gordon's　left；　Crook

pressed　forward　without　even　a　halt。



Both　Emory　and　Wright　took　up　the　fight　as　ordered；　and　as　they　did

so　I　sent　word　to　Wilson；　in　the　hope　that　he　could　partly　perform

the　work　originally　laid　out　for　Crook；　to　push　along　the　Senseny

road　and；　if　possible；　gain　the　valley　pike　south　of　Winchester。　　I

then　returned　toward　my　right　flank；　and　as　I　reached　the　Nineteenth

Corps　the　enemy　was　contesting　the　ground　in　its　front　with　great

obstinacy；　but　Emory's　dogged　persistence　was　at　length　rewarded　with

success；　just　as　Crook's　command　emerged　from　the　morass　of　Red　Bud

Run；　and　swept　around　Gordon；　toward　the　right　of　Breckenridge；　who；

with　two　of　Wharton's　brigades；　was　holding　a　line　at　right　angles

with　the　Valley　pike　for　the　protection　of　the　Confederate　rear。

Early　had　ordered　these　two　brigades　back　from　Stephenson's　depot　in

the　morning；　purposing　to　protect　with　them　his　right　flank　and　line

of　retreat；　but　while　they　were　en　route　to　this　end；　he　was　obliged

to　recall　them　to　his　left　to　meet　Crook's　attack。



To　confront　Torbert；　Patton's　brigade　of　infantry　and　some　of

Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry　had　been　left　back　by　Breckenridge；　but；　with

Averell　on　the　west　side　of　the　Valley　pike　and　Merritt　on　the　east；

Torbert　began　to　drive　this　opposing　force　toward　Winchester　the

moment　he　struck　it　near　Stephenson's　depot；　keeping　it　on　the　go

till　it　reached　the　position　held　by　Breckenridge；　where　it

endeavored　to　make　a　stand。



The　ground　which　Breckenridge　was　holding　was　open；　and　offered　an

opportunity　such　as　seldom　had　been　presented　during　the　war　for　a；

mounted　attack；　and　Torbert　was　not　slow　to　take　advantage　of　it。

The　instant　Merritt's　division　could　be　formed　for　the　charge；　it

went　at　Breckenridge's　infantry　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry　with　such

momentum　as　to　break　the　Confederate　left；　just　as　Averell　was

passing　around　it。　　Merritt's　brigades；　led　by　Custer；　Lowell；　and

Devin；　met　from　the　start　with　pronounced　success；　and　with　sabre　or

pistol　in　hand　literally　rode　down　a　battery　of　five　guns　and　took

about　1；200　prisoners。　　Almost　simultaneously　with　this　cavalry

charge；　Crook　struck　Breckenridge's　right　and　Gordon's　left；　forcing

these　divisions　to　give　way；　and　as　they　retired；　Wright；　in　a

vigorous　attack；　quickly　broke　Rodes　up　and　pressed　Ramseur　so　hard

that　the　whole　Confederate　army　fell　back；　contracting　its　lines

within　some　breastworks　which　had　been　thrown　up　at　a　former　period

of　the　war；　immediately　in　front　of　Winchester。



Here　Early　tried　hard　to　stem　the　tide；　but　soon　Torbert's　cavalry

began　passing　around　his　left　flank；　and　as　Crook；　Emory；　and　Wright

attacked　in　front；　panic　took　possession　of　the　enemy；　his　troops；

now　fugitives　and　stragglers；　seeking　escape　into　and　through

Winchester。



When　this　second　break　occurred；　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps　were

moved　over　toward　the　Millwood　pike　to　help　Wilson　on　the　left；　but

the　day　was　so　far　spent　that　they　could　render　him　no　assistance；

and　Ramseur's　division；　which　had　maintained　some　organization；　was

in　such　tolerable　shape　as　to　check　him。　　Meanwhile　Torbert　passed

around　to　the　west　of　Winchester　to　j