personal memoirs-2-第11章

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Sheridan's　staff。　　Meanwhile　Gilmore's　men　had　learned　of　his

trouble；　but　the　early　appearance　of　Colonel　Whittaker　caused　them　to

disperse；　thus　the　last　link　between　Maryland　and　the　Confederacy　was

carried　a　prisoner　to　Winchester；　whence　he　was　sent　to　Fort　Warren。



The　capture　of　Gilmore　caused　the　disbandment　of　the　party　he　had

organized　at　the　〃camp…meeting；〃　most　of　the　men　he　had　recruited

returning　to　their　homes　discouraged；　though　some　few　joined　the

bands　of　Woodson　and　young　Jesse　McNeil；　which；　led　by　the　latter；

dashed　into　Cumberland；　Maryland；　at　3　O'clock　on　the　morning　of　the

21st　of　February　and　made　a　reprisal　by　carrying　off　General　Crook

and　General　Kelly；　and　doing　their　work　so　silently　and　quickly　that

they　escaped　without　being　noticed；　and　were　some　distance　on　their

way　before　the　colored　watchman　at　the　hotel　where　Crook　was

quartered　could　compose　himself　enough　to　give　the　alarm。　　A　troop　of

cavalry　gave　hot　chase　from　Cumberland；　striving　to　intercept　the

party　at　Moorefield　and　other　points；　but　all　efforts　were　fruitless；

the　prisoners　soon　being　beyond　reach。



Although　I　had　adopted　the　general　rule　of　employing　only　soldiers　as

scouts；　there　was　an　occasional　exception　to　it。　　I　cannot　say　that

these　exceptions　proved　wholly　that　an　ironclad　observance　of　the

rule　would　have　been　best；　but　I　am　sure　of　it　in　one　instance。　　A

man　named　Lomas；　who　claimed　to　be　a　Marylander；　offered　me　his

services　as　a　spy；　and　coming　highly　recommended　from　Mr。　Stanton；

who　had　made　use　of　him　in　that　capacity；　I　employed　him。　　He　made

many　pretensions；　often　appearing　over　anxious　to　impart　information

seemingly　intended　to　impress　me　with　his　importance；　and　yet　was

more　than　ordinarily　intelligent；　but　in　spite　of　that　my　confidence

in　him　was　by　no　means　unlimited。　　I　often　found　what　he　reported　to

me　as　taking　place　within　the　Confederate　lines　corroborated　by

Young's　men；　but　generally　there　were　discrepancies　in　his　tales；

which　led　me　to　suspect　that　he　was　employed　by　the　enemy　as　well　as

by　me。　　I　felt；　however；　that　with　good　watching　he　could　do　me

little　harm；　and　if　my　suspicions　were　incorrect　he　might　be　very

useful；　so　I　held　on　to　him。



Early　in　February　Lomas　was　very　solicitous　for　me　to　employ　a　man

who；　he　said；　had　been　with　Mosby；　but　on　account　of　some　quarrel　in

the　irregular　camp　had　abandoned　that　leader。　　Thinking　that　with　two

of　them　I　might　destroy　the　railroad　bridges　east　of　Lynchburg；　I

concluded；　after　the　Mosby　man　had　been　brought　to　my　headquarters　by

Lomas　about　12　o'clock　one　night；　to　give　him　employment；　at　the　same

time　informing　Colonel　Young　that　I　suspected　their　fidelity；

however；　and　that　he　must　test　it　by　shadowing　their　every　movement。

When　Lomas's　companion　entered　my　room　he　was　completely　disguised；

but　on　discarding　the　various　contrivances　by　which　his　identity　was

concealed　he　proved　to　be　a　rather　slender；　dark…complexioned；

handsome　young　man；　of　easy　address　and　captivating　manners。　　He　gave

his　name　as　Renfrew；　answered　all　my　questions　satisfactorily；　and

went　into　details　about　Mosby　and　his　men　which　showed　an　intimacy

with　them　at　some　time。　　I　explained　to　the　two　men　the　work　I　had

laid　out　for　them；　and　stated　the　sum　of　money　I　would　give　to　have

it　done；　but　stipulated　that　in　case　of　failure　there　would　be　no

compensation　whatever　beyond　the　few　dollars　necessary　for　their

expenses。　　They　readily　assented；　and　it　was　arranged　that　they

should　start　the　following　night。　　Meanwhile　Young　had　selected　his

men　to　shadow　them；　and　in　two　days　reported　my　spies　as　being

concealed　at　Strasburg；　where　they　remained；　without　making　the

slightest　effort　to　continue　on　their　mission；　and　were　busy；　no

doubt；　communicating　with　the　enemy；　though　I　was　not　able　to　fasten

this　on　them。　　On　the　16th　of　February　they　returned　to　Winchester；

and　reported　their　failure；　telling　so　many　lies　about　their

hazardous　adventure　as　to　remove　all　remaining　doubt　as　to　their

double…dealing。　　Unquestionably　they　were　spies　from　the　enemy；　and

hence　liable　to　the　usual　penalties　of　such　service；　but　it　struck　me

that　through　them；　I　might　deceive　Early　as　to　the　time　of　opening

the　spring　campaign；　I　having　already　received　from　General　Grant　an

intimation　of　what　was　expected　of　me。　　I　therefore　retained　the　men

without　even　a　suggestion　of　my　knowledge　of　their　true　character；

Young　meanwhile　keeping　close　watch　over　all　their　doings。



Toward　the　last　of　February　General　Early　had　at　Staunton　two

brigades　of　infantry　under　Wharton。　　All　the　rest　of　the　infantry

except　Echol's　brigade；　which　was　in　southwestern　Virginia；　had　been

sent　to　Petersburg　during　the　winter；　and　Fitz。　Lee's　two　brigades　of

cavalry　also。　　Rosser's　men　were　mostly　at　their　homes；　where；　on

account　of　a　lack　of　subsistence　and　forage　in　the　valley；　they　had

been　permitted　to　go；　subject　to　call。　　Lomax's　cavalry　was　at

Millboro'；　west　of　Staunton；　where　supplies　were　obtainable。　　It　was

my　aim　to　get　well　on　the　road　before　Early　could　collect　these

scattered　forces；　and　as　many　of　the　officers　had　been　in　the　habit

of　amusing　themselves　fox…hunting　during　the　latter　part　of　the

winter；　I　decided　to　use　the　hunt　as　an　expedient　for　stealing　a

march　on　the　enemy；　and　had　it　given　out　officially　that　a　grand　fox…

chase　would　take　place　on　the　29th　of　February。　　Knowing　that　Lomas；

and　Renfrew　would　spread　the　announcement　South；　they　were　permitted

to　see　several　red　foxes　that　had　been　secured；　as　well　as　a　large

pack　of　hounds　which　Colonel　Young　had　collected　for　the　sport；　and

were　then　started　on　a　second　expedition　to　burn　the　bridges。　　Of

course；　they　were　shadowed　as　usual；　and　two　days　later；　after　they

had　communicated　with　friends　from　their　hiding…place；　in　Newtown；

they　were　arrested。　　On　the　way　north　to　Fort　Warren　they　escaped

from　their　guards　when　passing　through　Baltimore；　and　I　never　heard

of　them　again；　though　I　learned　that；　after　the　assassination　of；　Mr。

Lincoln；　Secretary　Stanton　strongly　suspected　his　friend　Lomas　of

being　associated　with　the　conspirators；　and　it　then　occurred　to　me

that　the　good…looking　Renfrew　may　have　been　Wilkes　Booth；　for　he

certainly　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　Booth's　pictures。



On　the　27th　of　February　my　cavalry　entered　upon　the　campaign　which

cleared　the　Shenandoah　Valley　of　every　remnant　of　organized

Confederates。　　General　Torbert　being　absent　on　leave　at　this　time；　I

did　not　recall　him；　but　appointed　General　Merritt　Chief　of　Cavalry。

for　Torbert　had　disappointed　me　on　two　important　occasionsin　the

Luray　Valley　during　the　battle　of　Fisher's　Hill；　and　on　the　recent

Gordonsville　expeditionand　I　mistrusted　his　ability　to　conduct　any

operations　requiring　much　self…reliance。　　The　column　was　composed　of

Custer's　and　Devin's　divisions　of　cavalry；　and　two　sections　of

artillery；　comprising　in　all　about　10；000　officers　and　men。　　On

wheels　we　had；　to　accompany　this　column；　eight　ambulances；　sixteen

ammunition　wagons；　a　pontoon　train　for　eight　canvas　boats；　and　a

small　supply…train；　with　fifteen　days'　rations　of　coffee；　sugar；　and

salt；　it　being　intended　to　depend　on　the　country　for　the　meat　and

bread　ration；　the　men　carrying　in　their　haversacks　nearly　enough　to

subsist　them　till　out　of　the　exhausted　valley。



Grant's　orders　were　for　me　to　destroy　the　Virginia　Central　railroad

and　the　James　River　canal；　capture　Lynchburg　if　practicable；　and　then

join　General　Sherman　in　North　Carolina　wherever　he　might　be　found；　or

return　to　Winchester；　but　as　to　joining　Sherman　I　was　to　be　governed

by　the　state　of　affairs　after　the　projected　capture　of　Lynchburg。

The　weather　was　cold；　the　valley　and　surrounding　mountains　being

still　covered　with　snow；　but　this　was　fast　disappearing；　however；

under　the　heavy　rain　that　was　coming　down　as　the　column　moved　along

up　the　Valley　pike　at　a　steady　gait　that　took　us　to　Woodstock　the

first　day。　　The　second　day　we　crossed　the　North　Fork　of　the

Shenandoah　on　our　pontoon…bridge；　and　by　night…fall　reached　Lacy's

Springs；　having　seen　nothing　of　the　enemy　as　yet　but　a　few　partisans

who　hung　on　our　flanks　in　the　afternoon。



March　1　we　encountered　General　Rosser　at　Mt　Crawford；　he　having　been

able　to　call　together　only　some　five　or　six　hundred　of　his　troops；

our　unsuspected　march　becoming　known　to　Early　only　the　day　before。

Rosser　attempted　to　delay　us　here；　trying　to　burn　the　bridges　over

the　Middle　Fork　of　the　Shenandoah；　but　two　regiments　from　Colonel

Capehart's　brigade　swam　the　stream　and　drove　Rosser　to　Kline's　Mills；

taking　thirty　prisoners　and　twenty　ambulances　and　wagons。



Meanwhile　General　Early　was　busy　at　Staunton；　but　not　knowing　my

objective　point；　he　had　ordered　the　return　of　Echol's　brigade　from

southwestern　Virginia　for　the　protection　of　Lynchburg；　directed

Lomax's　cavalry　to　concentrate　at　Pond　Gap　for　the　purpose　of

harassing　me　if　I　moved　toward　Lynchburg；　and　at　the　same　time

marched　Wharton's　two　brigades　of　infantry；　Nelson's　artillery；　and

Rosser's　cavalry　to　Waynesboro'；　whither　he　went　also　to　remain　till

the　object　of　my　movement　was　ascertained。



I　entered　Staunton　the　morning　of　March　2；　and　finding　that　Early　had

gone　to　Waynesboro'　with　his　infantry　and　Rosser；　the　question　at

once　arose　whether　I　should　continue　my　march　to　Lynchburg　direct；

leaving　my　adversary　in　my　rear；　or　turn　east　and　open　the　way

through　Rockfish　Gap　to　the　Virginia　Central　railroad　and　James　River

canal。　　I　felt　confident　of　the　success　of　the　latter　plan；　for　I

knew　that　Early　numbered　there　not　more　than　two　thousand　men；　so；

influenced　by　this；　and　somewhat　also　by　the　fact　that　Early　had　left

word　in　Staunton　that　he　would　fight　at　Waynesboro'；　I　directed

Merritt　to　move　toward　that　place　with　Custer；　to　be　closely　followed

by　Devin；　who　was　to　detach　one　brigade　to　destroy　supplies　at

Swoope's'depot。　　The　by…roads　were　miry　beyond　description；　rain

having　fallen　almost　incessantly　since　we　left　Winchester；　but

notwithstanding　the　down…pour　the　column　pushed　on；　men　and　horses

growing　almost　unrecognizable　from　the　mud　covering　them　from　head　to

foot。



General　Early　was　true　to　the　promise　made　his　friends　in　Staunton；

for　when　Custer　neared　Waynesboro'　he　found；　occupying　a　line　of

breastworks　on　a　ridge　west　of　the　town；　two　brigades　of　infantry；

with　eleven　pieces　of　artillery　and　Rosser's　cavalry。　　Custer；　when

developing　the　position　of　the　Confederates；　discovered　that　their

left　was　somewhat　exposed　instead　of　resting　on　South　River；　he

therefore　made　his　dispositions　for　attack；　sending　around　that　flank

the　dismounted　regiments　from　Pennington's　brigade；　while　he　himself；

with　two　brigades；　partly　mounted　and　partly　dismounted；　assaulted

along　the　whole　line　of　breastworks。　　Pennington's　flanking　movement

stampeded　the