personal memoirs-2-第5章

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assault；　I　resolved　on　the　night　of　the　20th　to　use　again　a　turning…

column　against　his　left；　as　had　been　done　on　the　19th　at　the　Opequon。

To　this　end　I　resolved　to　move　Crook；　unperceived　if　possible；　over

to　the　eastern　face　of　Little　North　Mountain；　whence　he　could　strike

the　left　and　rear　of　the　Confederate　line；　and　as　he　broke　it　up；　I

could　support　him　by　a　left　half…wheel　of　my　whole　line　of　battle。

The　execution　of　this　plan　would　require　perfect　secrecy；　however；

for　the　enemy　from　his　signal…station　on　Three　Top　could　plainly　see

every　movement　of　our　troops　in　daylight。　　Hence；　to　escape　such

observation；　I　marched　Crook　during　the　night　of　the　20th　into　some

heavy　timber　north　of　Cedar　Creek；　where　he　lay　concealed　all　day　the

21st。　　This　same　day　Wright　and　Emory　were　moved　up　closer　to　the

Confederate　works；　and　the　Sixth　Corps；　after　a　severe　fight；　in

which　Ricketts's　and　Getty　were　engaged；　took　up　some　high　ground　on

the　right　of　the　Manassas　Gap　railroad　in　plain　view　of　the

Confederate　works；　and　confronting　a　commanding　point　where　much　of

Early's　artillery　was　massed。　　Soon　after　General　Wright　had

established　this　line　I　rode　with　him　along　it　to　the　westward；　and

finding　that　the　enemy　was　still　holding　an　elevated　position　further

to　our　right；　on　the　north　side　of　Tumbling　Run；　I　directed　this　also

to　be　occupied。　　Wright　soon　carried　the　point；　which　gave　us　an

unobstructed　view　of　the　enemy's　works　and　offered　good　ground　for

our　artillery。　　It　also　enabled　me　to　move　the　whole　of　the　Sixth

Corps　to　the　front　till　its　line　was　within　about　seven　hundred　yards

of　the　enemy's　works；　the　Nineteenth　Corps；　on　the　morning　of　the

22d；　covering　the　ground　vacated　by　the　Sixth　by　moving　to　the　front

and　extending　to　the　right；　but　still　keeping　its　reserves　on　the

railroad。



In　the　darkness　of　the　night　of　the　gist；　Crook　was　brought　across

Cedar　Creek　and　hidden　in　a　clump　of　timber　behind　Hupp's　Hill　till

daylight　of　the　22d；　when；　under　cover　of　the　intervening　woods　and

ravines；　he　was　marched　beyond　the　right　of　the　Sixth　Corps　and　again

concealed　not　far　from　the　Back　road。　　After　Crook　had　got　into　this

last　position；　Ricketts's　division　was　pushed　out　until　it　confronted

the　left　of　the　enemy's　infantry；　the　rest　of　the　Sixth　Corps

extending　from　Ricketts's　left　to　the　Manassas　Gap　railroad；　while

the　Nineteenth　Corps　filled　in　the　space　between　the　left　of　the

Sixth　and　the　North　Fork　of　the　Shenandoah。



When　Ricketts　moved　out　on　this　new　line；　in　conjunction　with

Averell's　cavalry　on　his　right；　the　enemy　surmising；　from　information

secured　from　his　signal…station；　no　doubt；　that　my　attack　was　to　be

made　from　Ricketts's　front；　prepared　for　it　there；　but　no　such

intention　ever　existed。　　Ricketts　was　pushed　forward　only　that　he

might　readily　join　Crook's　turning…column　as　it　swung　into　the

enemy's　rear。　　To　ensure　success；　all　that　I　needed　now　was　enough

daylight　to　complete　my　arrangements；　the　secrecy　of　movement　imposed

by　the　situation　consuming　many　valuable　hours。



While　Ricketts　was　occupying　the　enemy's　attention；　Crook；　again

moving　unobserved　into　the　dense　timber　on　the　eastern　face　of　Little

North　Mountain；　conducted　his　command　south　in　two　parallel　columns

until　he　gained　the　rear　of　the　enemy's　works；　when；　marching　his

divisions　by　the　left　flank；　he　led　them　in　an　easterly　direction

down　the　mountain…side。　　As　he　emerged　from　the　timber　near　the　base

of　the　mountain；　the　Confederates　discovered　him；　of　course；　and

opened　with　their　batteries；　but　it　was　too　latethey　having　few

troops　at　hand　to　confront　the　turning…column。　　Loudly　cheering；

Crook's　men　quickly　crossed　the　broken　stretch　in　rear　of　the　enemy's

left；　producing　confusion　and　consternation　at　every　step。



About　a　mile　from　the　mountain's　base　Crook's　left　was　joined　by

Ricketts；　who　in　proper　time　had　begun　to　swing　his　division　into　the

action；　and　the　two　commands　moved　along　in　rear　of　the　works　so

rapidly　that；　with　but　slight　resistance；　the　Confederates　abandoned

the　guns　massed　near　the　centre。　　The　swinging　movement　of　Ricketts

was　taken　up　successively　from　right　to　left　throughout　my　line；　and

in　a　few　minutes　the　enemy　was　thoroughly　routed；　the　action；　though

brief；　being　none　the　less　decisive。　　Lomax's　dismounted　cavalry　gave

way　first；　but　was　shortly　followed　by　all　the　Confederate　infantry

in　an　indescribable　panic；　precipitated　doubtless　by　fears　of　being

caught　and　captured　in　the　pocket　formed　by　Tumbling　Run　and　the

North　Fork　of　the　Shenandoah　River。　　The　stampede　was　complete；　the

enemy　leaving　the　field　without　semblance　of　organization；　abandoning

nearly　all　his　artillery　and　such　other　property　as　was　in　the　works；

and　the　rout　extending　through　the　fields　and　over　the　roads　toward

Woodstock；　Wright　and　Emory　in　hot　pursuit。



Midway　between　Fisher's　Hill　and　Woodstock　there　is　some　high　ground；

where　at　night…fall　a　small　squad　endeavored　to　stay　us　with　two

pieces　of　artillery；　but　this　attempt　at　resistance　proved　fruitless；

and；　notwithstanding　the　darkness；　the　guns　were　soon　captured。　　The

chase　was　then　taken　up　by　Devin's　brigade　as　soon　as　it　could　be

passed　to　the　front；　and　continued　till　after　daylight　the　next

morning；　but　the　delays　incident　to　a　night　pursuit　made　it

impossible　for　Devin　to　do　more　than　pick　up　stragglers。



Our　success　was　very　great；　yet　I　had　anticipated　results　still　more

pregnant。　　Indeed；　I　had　high　hopes　of　capturing　almost　the　whole　of

Early's　army　before　it　reached　New　Market；　and　with　this　object　in

view；　during　the　manoeuvres　of　the　21st　I　had　sent　Torbert　up　the

Luray　Valley　with　Wilson's　division　and　two　of　Merritt's　brigades；　in

the　expectation　that　he　would　drive　Wickham　out　of　the　Luray　Pass　by

Early's　right；　and　by　crossing　the　Massanutten　Mountain　near　New

Market；　gain　his　rear。　　Torbert　started　in　good　season；　and　after

some　slight　skirmishing　at　Gooney　Run；　got　as　far　as　Milford；　but

failed　to　dislodge　Wickham。　　In　fact；　he　made　little　or　no　attempt　to

force　Wickham　from　his　position；　and　with　only　a　feeble　effort

withdrew。　　I　heard　nothing　at　all　from　Torbert　during　the　22d；　and

supposing　that　everything　was　progressing　favorably；　I　was　astonished

and　chagrined　on　the　morning　of　the　23d；　at　Woodstock；　to　receive　the

intelligence　that　he　had　fallen　back　to　Front　Royal　and　Buckton　ford。

My　disappointment　was　extreme；　but　there　was　now　no　help　for　the

situation　save　to　renew　and　emphasize　Torbert's　orders；　and　this　was

done　at　once；　notwithstanding　that　I　thought；　the　delay；　had　so　much

diminished　the　chances　of　his　getting　in　the　rear　of　Early　as　to　make

such　a　result　a　very　remote　possibility；　unless；　indeed；　far　greater

zeal　was　displayed　than　had　been　in　the　first　attempt　to　penetrate

the　Luray　Valley。



The　battle　of　Fisher's　Hill　was；　in　a　measure；　a　part　of　the　battle

of　the　Opequon；　that　is　to　say；　it　was　an　incident　of　the　pursuit

resulting　from　that　action。　　In　many　ways；　however；　it　was　much　more

satisfactory；　and　particularly　so　because　the　plan　arranged　on　the

evening　of　the　20th　was　carried　out　to　the　very　letter　by　Generals

Wright；　Crook；　and　Emory；　not　only　in　all　their　preliminary

manoeuvres；　but　also　during　the　fight　itself。　　The　only　drawback　was

with　the　cavalry；　and　to　this　day　I　have　been　unable　to　account

satisfactorily　for　Torbert's　failure。　　No　doubt；　Wickham's　position

near　Milford　was　a　strong　one；　but　Torbert　ought　to　have　made　a

fight。　　Had　he　been　defeated　in　this；　his　withdrawal　then　to　await

the　result　at　Fisher's　Hill　would　have　been　justified；　but　it　does

not　appear　that　he　made　any　serious　effort　of　all　to　dislodge　the

Confederate　cavalry：　his　impotent　attempt　not　only　chagrined　me　very

much；　but　occasioned　much　unfavorable　comment　throughout　the　army。



We　reached　Woodstock　early　on　the　morning　of　the　23d；　and　halted

there　some　little　time　t