personal memoirs-1-第40章

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in　my　mind；　I　fixed　upon　Captain　James　W。　Forsyth；　of　the　Eighteenth

Infantry；　then　in　the　regular　brigade　at　Chattanoogaa　dear　friend

of　mine；　who　had　served　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　in　the　Peninsula

and　Antietam　campaigns。　　He　at　once　expressed　a　desire　to　accept　a

position　on　my　staff；　and　having　obtained　by　the　next　day　the

necessary　authority；　he　and　I　started　for　Washington；　accompanied　by

Lieutenant　T。　W。　C。　Moore；　one　of　my　aides；　leaving　behind　Lieutenant

M。　V。　Sheridan；　my　other　aide；　to　forward　our　horses　as　soon　as　they

should　be　sent　down　to　Chattanooga　from　Loudon；　after　which　he　was　to

join　me。









CHAPTER　XVIII。




AT　WASHINGTONMEETING　SECRETARY　STANTONINTERVIEW　WITH　PRESIDENT

LINCOLNMADE　COMMANDER　OF　THE　CAVALRY　CORPS　OF　THE　ARMY　OF　THE

POTOMACITS　OFFICERSGENERAL　MEADE's　METHOD　OF　USING　CAVALRY

OPENING　OF　THE　CAMPAIGNSPOTTSYLVANIA　C。　H。A　DIFFERENCE　WITH

GENERAL　MEADEPREPARING　TO　FIGHT　STUART'S　CAVALRY。



Accompanied　by　Captain　Forsyth　and　Lieutenant　Moore；　I　arrived　in

Washington　on　the　morning　of　April；　4；　1864；　and　stopped　at　Willard's

Hotel；　where；　staying　temporarily；　were　many　officers　of　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　en　route　to　their　commands　from　leave　at　the　North。

Among　all　these；　however；　I　was　an　entire　stranger；　and　I　cannot　now

recall　that　I　met　a　single　individual　whom　I　had　ever　before　known。



With　very　little　delay　after　reaching　my　hotel　I　made　my　way　to

General　Halleck's　headquarters　and　reported　to　that　officer；　having

learned　in　the　meantime　that　General　Grant　was　absent　from　the　city。

General　Halleck　talked　to　me　for　a　few　minutes；　outlining　briefly　the

nature　and　duties　of　my　new　command；　and　the　general　military

situation　in　Virginia。　　When　he　had　finished　all　he　had　to　say　about

these　matters；　he　took　me　to　the　office　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　to

present　me　to　Mr。　Stanton。　　During　the　ceremony　of　introduction；　I

could　feel　that　Mr。　Stanton　was　eying　me　closely　and　searchingly；

endeavoring　to　form　some　estimate　of　one　about　whom　he　knew

absolutely　nothing；　and　whose　career　probably　had　never　been　called

to　his　attention　until　General　Grant　decided　to　order　me　East；　after

my　name　had　been　suggested　by　General　Halleck　in　an　interview　the　two

generals　had　with　Mr。　Lincoln。　　I　was　rather　young　in　appearance

looking　even　under　than　over　thirty…three　yearsbut　five　feet　five

inches　in　height；　and　thin　almost　to　emaciation；　weighing　only　one

hundred　and　fifteen　pounds。　　If　I　had　ever　possessed　any　self…

assertion　in　manner　or　speech；　it　certainly　vanished　in　the　presence

of　the　imperious　Secretary；　whose　name　at　the　time　was　the　synonym　of

all　that　was　cold　and　formal。　　I　never　learned　what　Mr。　Stanton's

first　impressions　of　me　were；　and　his　guarded　and　rather　calculating

manner　gave　at　this　time　no　intimation　that　they　were　either

favorable　or　unfavorable；　but　his　frequent　commendation　in　after

years　indicated　that　I　gained　his　goodwill　before　the　close　of　the

war；　if　not　when　I　first　came　to　his　notice；　and　a　more　intimate

association　convinced　me　that　the　cold　and　cruel　characteristics

popularly　ascribed　to　him　were　more　mythical　than　real。



When　the　interview　with　the　Secretary　was　over；　I　proceeded　with

General　Halleck　to　the　White　House　to　pay　my　respects　to　the

President。　　Mr。　Lincoln　received　me　very　cordially；　offering　both　his

hands；　and　saying　that　he　hoped　I　would　fulfill　the　expectations　of

General　Grant　in　the　new　command　I　was　about　to　undertake；　adding

that　thus　far　the　cavalry　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　had　not　done　all

it　might　have　done；　and　wound　up　our　short　conversation　by　quoting

that　stale　interrogation　so　prevalent　during　the　early　years　of　the

war；　〃Who　ever　saw　a　dead　cavalryman？〃　　His　manner　did　not　impress

me；　however；　that　in　asking　the　question　he　had　meant　anything　beyond

a　jest；　and　I　parted　from　the　President　convinced　that　he　did　not

believe　all　that　the　query　implied。



After　taking　leave　I　separated　from　General　Halleck；　and　on　returning

to　my　hotel　found　there　an　order　from　the　War　Department　assigning　me

to　the　command　of　the　Cavalry　Corps；　Army　of　the　Potomac。　　The　next

morning；　April　5；　as　I　took　the　cars　for　the　headquarters　of　the　Army

of　the　Potomac；　General　Grant；　who　had　returned　to　Washington　the

previous　night　from　a　visit　to　his　family；　came　aboard　the　train　on

his　way　to　Culpeper　Court　House；　and　on　the　journey　down　I　learned

among　other　things　that　he　had　wisely　determined　to　continue

personally　in　the　field；　associating　himself　with　General　Meade's

army；　where　he　could　supervise　its　movements　directly；　and　at　the

same　time　escape　the　annoyances　which；　should　he　remain　in

Washington；　would　surely　arise　from　solicitude　for　the　safety　of　the

Capital　while　the　campaign　was　in　progress。　　When　we　reached　Brandy

Station；　I　left　the　train　and　reported　to　General　Meade；　who　told　me

that　the　headquarters　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　were　some　distance　back

from　the　Station；　and　indicated　the　general　locations　of　the

different　divisions　of　the　corps；　also　giving　me；　in　the　short　time　I

remained　with　him；　much　information　regarding　their　composition。



I　reached　the　Cavalry　Corps　headquarters　on　the　evening　of　April　5；

1864；　and　the　next　morning　issued　orders　assuming　command。　　General

Pleasonton　had　but　recently　been　relieved；　and　many　of　his　staff…

officers　were　still　on　duty　at　the　headquarters　awaiting　the　arrival

of　the　permanent　commander。　　I　resolved　to　retain　the　most　of　these

officers　on　my　staff；　and　although　they　were　all　unknown　to　me　when　I

decided　on　this　course；　yet　I　never　had　reason　to　regret　it；　nor　to

question　the　selections　made　by　my　predecessor。



The　corps　consisted　of　three　cavalry　divisions　and　twelve　batteries

of　horse　artillery。　　Brigadier…General　A。　T。　A。　Torbert　was　in

command　of　the　First　Division；　which　was　composed　of　three　brigades；

Brigadier…General　D。　McM。　Gregg；　of　the　Second；　consisting　of　two

brigades；　and　Brigadier…General　J。　H。　Wilson　was　afterward　assigned

to　command　the　Third；　also　comprising　two　brigades：　Captain　Robinson；

a　veteran　soldier　of　the　Mexican　war；　was　chief　of　artillery；　and　as

such　had　a　general　supervision　of　that　arm；　though　the　batteries；

either　as　units　or　in　sections；　were　assigned　to　the　different

divisions　in　campaign。



Each　one　of　my　division　commanders　was　a　soldier　by　profession。

Torbert　graduated　from　the　Military　Academy　in　1855；　and　was

commissioned　in　the　infantry；　in　which　arm　he　saw　much　service　on　the

frontier；　in　Florida；　and　on　the　Utah　expedition。　　At　the　beginning

of　hostilities　in　April；　1861；　he　was　made　a　colonel　of　New　Jersey

volunteers；　and　from　that　position　was　promoted　in　the　fall　of　1862

to　be　a　brigadier…general；　thereafter　commanding　a　brigade　of

infantry　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　till；　in　the　redistribution　of

generals；　after　Grant　came　to　the　East；　he　was　assigned　to　the　First

Cavalry　Division。



Gregg　graduated　in　1855　also；　and　was　appointed　to　the　First

Dragoons；　with　which　regiment；　up　to　the　breaking　out　of　the　war；　he

saw　frontier　service　extending　from　Fort　Union；　New　Mexico；　through

to　the　Pacific　coast；　and　up　into　Oregon　and　Washington　Territories；

where　I　knew　him　slightly。　　In　the　fall　of　1861　he　became　colonel　of

the　Eighth　Pennsylvania　Cavalry；　and　a　year　later　was　made　a

brigadier…general。　　He　then　succeeded　to　the　command　of　a　division　of

cavalry；　and　continued　in　that　position　till　the　close　of　his

service；　at　times　temporarily　commanding　the　Cavalry　Corps。　　He　was

the　only　division　commander　I　had　whose　experience　had　been　almost

exclusively　derived　from　the　cavalry　arm。



Wilson　graduated　in　1860　in　the　Topographical　Engineers；　and　was

first　assigned　to　duty　in　Oregon；　where　he　remained　till　July；　1861。

In　the　fall　of　that　year　his　active　service　in　the　war　began；　and　he

rose　from　one　position　to　another；　in　the　East　and　West；　till；　while

on　General　Grant's　staff；　he　was　made　a　brigadier…general　in　the　fall

of　1863　in　reward　for　services　performed　during　the　Vicksburg

campaign　and　for　engineer　duty　at　Chattanooga　preceding　the　battle　of

Missionary　Ridge。　　At　my　request　he　was　selected　to　command　the　Third

Division。　　General　Grant　thought　highly　of　him；　and；　expecting　much

from　his　active　mental　and　physical　ability；　readily　assented　to

assign　him　in　place　of　General　Kilpatrick。　　The　only　other　general

officers　in　the　corps　were　Brigadier…General　Wesley　Merritt；

Brigadier…General　George　A。　Custer；　and　Brigadier…General　Henry　E。

Davies；　each　commanding　a　brigade。



In　a　few　days　after　my　arrival　at　Brandy　Station　I　reviewed　my　new

command；　which　consisted　of　about　twelve　thousand　officers　and　men；

with　the　same　number　of　horses　in　passable　trim。　　Many　of　the　general

officers　of　the　army　were　present　at　the　review；　among　them　Generals

Meade；　Hancock；　and　Sedgwick。　　Sedgwick　being　an　old　dragoon；　came　to

renew　his　former　associations　with　mounted　troops；　and　to　encourage

me；　as　he　jestingly　said；　because　of　the　traditional　prejudices　the

cavalrymen　were　supposed　to　hold　against　being　commanded　by　an

infantry　officer。　　The　corps　presented　a　fine　appearance　at　the

review；　and　so　far　as　the　health　and　equipment　of　the　men　were

concerned　the　showing　was　good　and　satisfactory；　but　the　horses　were

thin　and　very　much　worn　down　by　excessive　and；　it　seemed　to　me；

unnecessary　picket　duty；　for　the　cavalry　picket…line　almost

completely　encircled　the　infantry　and　artillery　camps　of　the　army；

covering　a　distance；　on　a　continuous　line；　of　nearly　sixty　miles；

with　hardly　a　mounted　Confederate　confronting　it　at　any　point。　　From

the　very　beginning　of　the　war　the　enemy　had　shown　more　wisdom

respecting　his　cavalry　than　we。　　Instead　of　wasting　its　strength　by　a

policy　of　disintegration　he；　at　an　early　day；　had　organized　his

mounted　force　into　compact　masses；　and　plainly　made　it　a　favorite；

and；　as　usual；　he　was　now　husbanding　the　strength　of　his　horses　by

keeping　them　to　the　rear；　so　that　in　the　spring　he　could　bring　them

out　in　good　condition　for　the　impending　campaign。



Before　and　at　the　review　I　took　in　this　situation；　and　determined　to

remedy　it　if　possible；　so　in　due　time　I　sought　an　interview　with

General　Meade　and　informed　him　that；　as　the　effectiveness　of　my

command　rested　mainly　on　the　strength　of　its　horses；　I　thought　the

duty　it　was　then　performing　was　both　burdensome　and　wasteful。　　I　also

gave　him　my　idea　as　to　what　the　cavalry　should　do；　the　main　purport

of　which　was　that　it　ought　to　be　kept　concentrated　to　fight　the

enemy's　cavalry。　　Heretofore；　the　commander　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　had

been；　virtually；　but　an　adjunct　at　army　headquartersa　sort　of　chief

of　cavalryand　my　proposition　seemed　to　stagger　General　Meade　not　a

little。　　I　knew　that　it　would　be　difficult　to　overcome　the　recognized

custom　of　using　the　cavalry　for　the　protection　of　trains　and　the

establis