personal memoirs-1-第43章

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CHAPTER　XIX。



THE　EXPEDITION　STARTSDESTROYING　SUPPLIESOPENING　OF　THE　FIGHT　AT

YELLOW　TAVERNGENERAL　CUSTER'S　BRILLIANT　CHARGEDEATH　OF　GENERAL

STUARTREMOVING　TORPEDOESEXCITEMENT　IN　RICHMONDA　NIGHT　MARCH

ENTERPRISING　NEWSBOYSTHE　EFFECTS　OF　STUART'S　DEFEAT　AND　DEATHEND

OF　THE　FIRST　EXPEDITIONITS　GREAT　SUCCESS　AND　BENEFICIAL　RESULTS。



The　expedition　which　resulted　in　the　battle　of　Yellow　Tavern　and　the

death　of　General　Stuart　started　from　the　vicinity　of　Aldrich's　toward

Fredericksburg　early　on　the　morning　of　May　9；　1864；　marching　on　the

plank…road；　Merritt's　division　leading。　　When　the　column　reached

Tabernacle　Church　it　headed　almost　due　east　to　the　telegraph　road；

and　thence　down　that　highway　to　Thornburg；　and　from　that　point

through　Childsburg　to　Anderson's　crossing　of　the　North　Anna　River；　it

being　my　desire　to　put　my　command　south　of　that　stream　if　possible；

where　it　could　procure　forage　before　it　should　be　compelled　to　fight。

The　corps　moved　at　a　walk；　three　divisions　on　the　same　road；　making　a

column　nearly　thirteen　miles　in　length；　and　marched　around　the　right

flank　of　the　enemy　unsuspected　until　my　rear　guard　；　had　passed

Massaponax　Church。　　Although　the　column　was　very　long；　I　preferred　to

move　it　all　on　one　road　rather　than　to　attempt　combinations　for

carrying　the　divisions　to　any　given　point　by　different　routes。

Unless　the　separate　commands　in　an　expedition　of　this　nature　are　very

prompt　in　movement；　and　each　fully　equal　to　overcoming　at　once　any

obstacle　it　may　meet；　combinations　rarely　work　out　as　expected；

besides；　an　engagement　was　at　all　times　imminent；　hence　it　was

specially　necessary　to　keep　the　whole　force　well　together。



As　soon　as　the　Ny；　Po；　and　Ta　rivers　were　crossed；　each　；of　which

streams　would　have　afforded　an　excellent　defensive　line　to　the　enemy；

all　anxiety　as　to　our　passing　around　Lee's　army　was　removed；　and　our

ability　to　cross　the　North　Anna　placed　beyond　doubt。　Meanwhile

General　Stuart　had　discovered　what　we　were　about；　and　he　set　his

cavalry　in　motion；　sending　General　Fitzhugh　Lee　to　follow　and　attack

my　rear　on　the　Childsburg　road；　Stuart　himself　marching　by　way　of

Davenport's　bridge；　on　the　North　Anna；　toward　Beaver　Dam　Station；

near　which　place　his　whole　command　was　directed　to　unite　the　next

day。



My　column　having　passed　the　Ta　River；　Stuart　attacked　its　rear　with

considerable　vigor；　in　the　hope　that　he　could　delay　my　whole　force

long　enough　to　permit　him　to　get　at　least　a　part　of　his　command　in　my

front；　but　this　scheme　was　frustrated　by　Davies's　brigade；　which　I

directed　to　fight　as　a　rear…guard；　holding　on　at　one　position　and

then　at　another　along　the　line　of　march　just　enough　to　deter　the

enemy　from　a　too　rapid　advance。　　Davies　performed　this　responsible

and　trying　duty　with　tact　and　good　judgment；　following　the　main

column　steadily　as　it　progressed　to　the　south；　and　never　once

permitting　Fitzhugh　Lee's　advance　to　encroach　far　enough　to　compel　a

halt　of　my　main　body。　　About　dark　Merritt's　division　crossed　the

North　Anna　at　Anderson's　ford；　while　Gregg　and　Wilson　encamped　on　the

north　side；　having　engaged　the　enemy；　who　still　hung　on　my　rear　up　to

a　late　hour　at　night。



After　Merritt's　division　passed　the　river；　Custer's　brigade　proceeded

on　to　Beaver　Dam　Station　to　cut　the　Virginia　Central　railroad。

Before　reaching　the　station　he　met　a　small　force　of　the　enemy；　but

this　he　speedily　drove　off；　recapturing　from　it　about　four　hundred

Union　prisoners；　who　had　been　taken　recently　in　the　Wilderness　and

were　being　conducted　to　Richmond。　　Custer　also　destroyed　the　station；

two　locomotives；　three　trains　of　cars；　ninety　wagons；　from　eight　to

ten　miles　of　railroad　and　telegraph　lines；　some　two　hundred　thousand

pounds　of　bacon　and　other　supplies；　amounting　in　all　to　about　a

million　and　a　half　of　rations；　and　nearly　all　they　medical　stores　of

General　Lee's　army；　which　had　been　moved　from　Orange　Court　House

either　because　Lee　wished　to　have　them　directly　in　his　rear　or

because　he　contemplated　falling　back　to　the　North　Anna。



On　the　morning　of　the　l0th　Gregg　and　Wilson；　while　crossing　the　North

Anna；　were　again　attacked；　but　were　covered　by　the　division　on　the

south　side　of　the　stream；　the　passage　was　effected　without　much　loss；

notwithstanding　the　approach　of　Stuart　on　the　south　bank　from　the

direction　of　Davenport's　bridge。　　The　possession　of　Beaver　Dam　gave

us　an　important　point；　as　it　opened　a　way　toward　Richmond　by　the

Negro…foot　road。　　It　also　enabled　us　to　obtain　forage　for　our　well…

nigh　famished　animals；　and　to　prepare　for　fighting　the　enemy；　who；　I

felt　sure；　would　endeavor　to　interpose　between　my　column　and

Richmond。



Stuart　had　hardly　united　his　troops　near　Beaver　Dam　when　he　realized

that　concentrating　there　was　a　mistake；　so　he　began　making

dispositions　for　remedying　his　error；　and　while　we　leisurely　took　the

Negro…foot　toad　toward　Richmond；　he　changed　his　tactics　and　hauled

off　from　my　rear；　urging　his　horses　to　the　death　in　order　to　get　in

between　Richmond　and　my　column。　　This　he　effected　about　10　o'clock　on

the　morning　of　the　11th；　concentrating　at　Yellow　Tavern；　six　miles

from　the　city；　on　the　Brook　turnpike。　　His　change　of　tactics　left　my

march　on　the　l0th　practically　unmolested；　and　we　quietly　encamped

that　night　on　the　south　bank　of　the　South　Anna；　near　Ground　Squirrel

Bridge。　　Here　we　procured　an　abundance　of　forage；　and　as　the　distance

traveled　that　day　had　been　only　fifteen　to　eighteen　miles；　men　and

horses　were　able　to　obtain　a　good　rest　during　the　night。



At　2　o'clock　in　the　morning；　May　11；　Davies's　brigade　of　Gregg's

division　marched　for　Ashland　to　cut　the　Fredericksburg　railroad。

Arriving　there　before　the　head　of　the　enemy's　column；　which　had　to

pass　through　this　same　place　to　reach　Yellow　Tavern；　Davies　drove　out

a　small　force　occupying　the　town；　burnt　a　train　of　cars　and　a

locomotive；　destroyed　the　railroad　for　some　distance；　and　rejoined

the　main　column　at　Allen's　Station　on　the　Fredericksburg　and　Richmond

railroad。　　From　Allen's　Station　the　whole　command　moved　on　Yellow

Tavern；　Merritt　in　the　lead；　Wilson　following；　and　Gregg　in　the　rear。



The　appearance　of　Davies's　brigade　at　Ashland　in　the　morning　had　had

the　effect　of　further　mystifying　the　enemy　as　to　my　intentions；　and

while　he　held　it　incumbent　to　place　himself　between　me　and　Richmond；

yet　he　was　still　so　uncertain　of　my　movements　that　he　committed　the

same　fault　that　he　did　the　first　day；　when　he　divided　his　force　and

sent　a　part　to　follow　me　on　the　Childsburg　road。　　He　now　divided　his

command　again；　sending　a　portion　to　hang　upon　my　rear；　while　he

proceeded　with　the　rest　to　Yellow　Tavern。　　This　separation　not　only

materially　weakened　the　force　which　might　have　been　thrown　across　my

line　of　march；　but　it　also　enabled　me　to　attack　with　almost　my　entire

corps；　while　occupying　the　pursuers　with　a　small　rearguard。



By　forced　marches　General　Stuart　succeeded　in　reaching　Yellow　Tavern

ahead　of　me　on　May　11；　and　the　presence　of；　his　troops；　on　the

Ashland　and　Richmond　road　becoming　known　to　Merritt　as　he　was

approaching　the　Brook　turnpike；　this　general　pressed　forward　at　once

to　the　attack。　　Pushing　his　division　to　the　front；　he　soon　got

possession　of　the　turnpike　and　drove　the　enemy　back　several　hundred

yards　to　the　east　of　it。　　This　success　had　the　effect　of　throwing　the

head　of　my　column　to　the　east　of　the　pike；　and　I　quickly　brought　up

Wilson　and　one　of　Gregg's　brigades　to　take　advantage　of　the　situation

by　forming　a　line　of　battle　on　that　side　or　the　road。　　Meanwhile　the

enemy；　desperate　but　still　confident；　poured　in　a　heavy　fire　from　his

line　and　from　a　battery　which　enfiladed　the　Brook　road；　and　made

Yellow　Tavern　an　uncomfortably　hot　place。　　Gibbs's　and　Devin's

brigades；　however；　held　fast　there；　while　Custer；　supported　by

Chapman's　brigade；　attacked　the　enemy's　left　and　battery　in　a　mounted

charge。



Custer's　charge；　with　Chapman　on　his　flank　and　the　rest　of　Wilson's

division　sustaining　him；　was　brilliantly　executed。　　Beginning　at　a

walk；　he　increased　his　gait　to　a　trot；　and　then　at　full　speed　rushed

at　the　enemy。　　At　the　same　moment　the　dismounted　troops　along　my

whole　front　moved　forward；　and　as　Custer　went　through　the　battery；

capturing　two　of　the　guns　with　their　cannoneers　and　breaking　up　the

enemy's　left；　Gibbs　and　Devin　drove　his　centre　and　right　from　the

field。　　Gregg　meanwhile；　with　equal　success；　charged　the　force　in　his

rear…Gordon's　brigadeand　the　engagement　ended　by　giving　us　complete

control　of　the　road　to　Richmond。　　We　captured　a　number　of　prisoners；

and　the　casualties　on　both　sides　were　quite　severe；　General　Stuart

himself　falling　mortally　wounded；　and　General　James　B。　Gordon；　one　of

his　brigade　commanders；　being　killed。



After　Custer's　charge；　the　Confederate　cavalry　was　badly　broken　up；

the　main　portion　of　it　being　driven　in　a　rout　toward　Ashland　and　a

small　part　in　the　direction　of　Richmond；　which　latter　force　finally

rejoined　Fitzhugh　Lee　near　Mechanicsville。　　A　reconnoitring　party

being　now　sent　up　the　Brook　turnpike　toward　the　city；　dashed　across

the　South　Fork　of　the　Chickahominy；　drove　a　small　force　from　the

enemy's　exterior　intrenchments　and　went　within　them。　　I　followed　this

party；　and　after　a　little　exploration　found　between　the　two　lines　of

works　a　country　road　that　led　across　to　the　pike　which　runs　from

Mechanicsville　to　Richmond。　　I　thought　we　could　go　around　within　the

outer　line　of　works　by　this　country　road　across　to　the　Mechanicsville

pike　on　the　south　side　of　the　Chickahominy；　and　encamp　the　next　night

at　Fair　Oaks；　so　I　determined　to　make　the　movement　after　dark；　being

influenced　in　this　to　some　extent　by　reports　received　during　the

afternoon　from　colored　people；　to　the　effect　that　General　B。　F。

Butler's　army　had　reached　a　small　stream　on　the　south　side　of　the

James；　about　four　miles　south　of　Richmond。　　If　I　could　succeed　in

getting　through　by　this　road；　not　only　would　I　have　a　shorter　line　of

march　to　Haxall's　landing；　but　there　was　also　a　possibility　that　I

could　help　Butler　somewhat　by　joining　him　so　near　Richmond。

Therefore；　after　making　the　wounded　as　comfortable　as　possible；　we

commenced　the　march　about　11　o'clock　on　the　night　of　the　1lth；　and

massed　the　command　on　the　plateau　south　of　the　Meadow　bridge　near

daylight　on　the　12th。



The　enemy；　anticipating　that　I　would　march　by　this　route；　had　planted

torpedoes　along　it；　and　many　of　these　exploded　as　the　column　passed

over　them；　killing　several　horses　and　wounding　a　few　men；　but　beyond

this　we　met　with　no　molestation。　　The　torpedoes　were　loaded　shells

planted　on　each　side　of　the　road；　and　so　connected　by　wires　attached

to　friction…tubes　in　the　shells；　that　when　a　horse's　hoof　struck　a

wire　the　shell　was　exploded　by　the　jerk　on　the　improvised　lanyard。

After　the　loss　of　several　horses　and　the　wounding