personal memoirs-2-第14章

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hospitable　quarters　of　Ingalls。



Very　early　the　next　morning；　while　I　was　still　in　bed；　General

Sherman　came　to　me　and　renewed　the　subject　of　my　joining　him；　but

when　he　saw　that　I　was　unalterably　opposed　to　it　the　conversation

turned　into　other　channels；　and　after　we　had　chatted　awhile　he

withdrew；　and　later　in　the　day　went　up　the　river　with　the　President；

General　Grant；　and　Admiral　Porter；　I　returning　to　my　command　at

Hancock　Station；　where　my　presence　was　needed　to　put　my　troops　in

march　next　day。



During　the　entire　winter　General　Grant's　lines　fronting　Petersburg

had　extended　south　of　the　Appomattox　River；　practically　from　that

stream　around　to　where　the　Vaughn　road　crosses　Hatcher's　Run；　and

this　was　nearly　the　situation　Wilien　the　cavalry　concentrated　at

Hancock　Station；　General　Weitzel　holding　the　line　north　of　the

Appomattox；　fronting　Richmond　and　Bermuda　Hundred。



The　instructions　of　the　24th　of　March　contemplated　that　the　campaign

should　begin　with　the　movement　of　Warren's　corps　（the　Fifth）　at

3　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　29th；　and　Humphreys's　（the　Second）　at

6；　the　rest　of　the　infantry　holding　on　in　the　trenches。　　The　cavalry

was　to　move　in　conjunction　with　Warren　and　Humphreys；　and　make　its

way　out　beyond　our　left　as　these　corps　opened　the　road。



The　night　of　the　28th　I　received　the　following　additional

instructions；　the　general　tenor　of　which　again　disturbed　me；　for

although　I　had　been　assured　that　I　was　not　to　join　General　Sherman；

it　will　be　seen　that　the　supplemental　directions　distinctly　present

that　alternative；　and　I　therefore　feared　that　during　the　trip　up　the

James　River　on　the　morning　of　the　28th　General　Grant　had　returned　to

his　original　views：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃City　Point；　Va。；　March　28；　1865。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN：



〃The　Fifth　Army　Corps　will　move　by　the　Vaughn　road　at　3　A。M。

tomorrow　morning。　　The　Second　moves　at　about　9　A。M。；　having　but　about

three　miles　to　march　to　reach　the　point　designated　for　it　to　take　on

the　right　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　after　the　latter　reaches　Dinwiddie

Court　House。



〃Move　your　cavalry　at　as　early　an　hour　as　you　can；　and　without　being

confined　to　any　particular　road　or　roads。　　You　may　go　out　by　the

nearest　roads　in　rear　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　pass　by　its　left；　and

passing　near　to　or　through　Dinwiddie；　reach　the　right　and　rear　of　the

enemy　as　soon　as　you　can。　　It　is　not　the　intention　to　attack　the

enemy　in　his　intrenched　position；　but　to　force　him　out　if　possible。

Should　he　come　out　and　attack　us；　or　get　himself　where　he　can　be

attacked；　move　in　with　your　entire　force　in　your　own　way；　and　with

the　full　reliance　that　the　army　will　engage　or　follow　the　enemy；　as

circumstances　will　dictate。　　I　shall　be　on　the　field；　and　will

probably　be　able　to　communicate　with　you；　should　I　not　do　so；　and　you

find　that　the　enemy　keeps　within　his　main　intrenched　line；　you　may

cut　loose　and　push　for　the　Danville　road。　　If　you　find　it　practicable

I　would　like　you　to　cross　the　Southside　road；　between　Petersburg　and

Burkeville；　and　destroy　it　to　some　extent。　　I　would　not　advise　much

detention；　however；　until　you　reach　the　Danville　road；　which　I　would

like　you　to　strike　as　near　to　the　Appomattox　as　possible；　make　your

destruction　of　that　road　as　complete　as　possible；　you　can　then　pass

on　to　the　Southside　road；　west　of　Burkeville；　and　destroy　that　in

like　manner。



〃After　having　accomplished　the　destruction　of　the　two　railroads；

which　are　now　the　only　avenues　of　supply　to　Lee's　army；　you　may

return　to　this　army；　selecting　your　road　farther　south；　or　you　may　go

on　into　North　Carolina　and　join　General　Sherman。　　Should　you　select

the　latter　course；　get　the　information　to　me　as　early　as　possible；　so

that　I　may　send　orders　to　meet　you　at　Goldsboro'。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieut。…General。〃





These　instructions　did　not　alter　my　line　of　march　for　the　morrow；　and

I　trusted　matters　would　so　come　about　as　not　to　require　compliance

with　those　portions　relative　to　the　railroads　and　to　joining　Sherman；

so　early　on　the　29th　I　moved　my　cavalry　out　toward　Ream's　Station　on

the　Weldon　road；　Devin　commanding　the　First　Division；　with　Colonels

Gibbs；　Stagg；　and　Fitzhugh　in　charge　of　the　brigades；　the　Third

Division　under　Custer；　Colonels　Wells；　Capehart　and　Pennington　being

the　brigade　commanders。　　These　two　divisions　united　were　commanded　by

Merritt；　as　they　had　been　since　leaving　Winchester。　　Crook　headed　the

Second　Division；　his　brigades　being　under　General　Davies　and　Colonels

John　I。　Gregg　and　Smith。



Our　general　direction　was　westward；　over　such　routes　as　could　be

found；　provided　they　did　not　embarrass　the　march　of　the　infantry。

The　roads；　from　the　winter's　frosts　and　rains；　were　in　a　frightful

state；　and　when　it　was　sought　to　avoid　a　spot　which　the　head　of　the

column　had　proved　almost　bottomless；　the　bogs　and　quicksands　of　the

adjoining　fields　demonstrated　that　to　make　a　detour　was　to　go　from

bad　to　worse。　　In　the　face　of　these　discouragements　we　floundered　on；

however；　crossing　on　the　way　a　series　of　small　streams　swollen　to

their　banks。　　Crook　and　Devin　reached　the　county…seat　of　Dinwiddie

about　5　o'clock　in　the　evening；　having　encountered　only　a　small

picket；　that　at　once　gave　way　to　our　advance。　　Merritt　left　Custer　at

Malon's　crossing　of　Rowanty　Creek　to　care　for　the　trains　containing

our　subsistence　and　the　reserve　ammunition；　these　being　stuck　in　the

mire　at；　intervals　all　the　way　back　to　the　Jerusalem　plank…road；　and

to　make　any　headway　at　all　with　the　trains；　Custer's　men　often　had　to

unload　the　wagons　and　lift　them　out　of　the　boggy　places。



Crook　and　Devin　camped　near　Dinwiddie　Court　House　in　such　manner　as

to　cover　the　Vaughn；　Flatfoot；　Boydton；　and　Five　Forks　roads；　for；　as

these　all　intersected　at　Dinwiddie；　they　offered　a　chance　for　the

enemy's　approach　toward　the　rear　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　as　Warren

extended　to　the　left　across　the　Boydton　road。　　Any　of　these　routes

leading　to　the　south　or　west　might　also　be　the　one　on　which；　in

conformity　with　one　part　of　my　instructions；　I　was　expected　to　get

out　toward　the　Danville　and　Southside　railroads；　and　the　Five　Forks

road　would　lead　directly　to　General　Lee's　right　flank；　in　case

opportunity　was　found　to　comply　with　the　other　part。　　The　place　was；

therefore；　of　great　strategic　value；　and　getting　it　without　cost

repaid　us　for　floundering　through　the　mud。



Dinwiddie　Court　House；　though　a　most　important　point　in　the　campaign；

was　far　from　attractive　in　feature；　being　made　up　of　a　half…dozen

unsightly　houses；　a　ramshackle　tavern　propped　up　on　two　sides　with

pine　poles；　and　the　weatherbeaten　building　that　gave　official　name　to

the　cross…roads。　　We　had　no　tentsthere　were　none　in　the　commandso

I　took　possession　of　the　tavern　for　shelter　for　myself　and　staff；　and

just　as　we　had　finished　looking　over　its　primitive　interior　a　rain

storm　set　in。



The　wagon　containing　my　mess　equipment　was　back　somewhere　on　the

road；　hopelessly　stuck　in　the　mud；　and　hence　we　had　nothing　to　eat

except　some　coffee　which　two　young　women　living　at　the　tavern　kindly

made　for　us；　a　small　quantity　of　the　berry　being　furnished　from　the

haversacks　of　my　escort。　　By　the　time　we　got　the　coffee；　rain　was

falling　in　sheets；　and　the　evening　bade　fair　to　be　a　most　dismal　one；

but　songs　and　choruses　set　up　by　some　of　my　staffthe　two　young

women　playing　accompaniments　on　a　battered　pianorelieved　the

situation　and　enlivened　us　a　little。　　However；　the　dreary　night

brought　me　one　great　comfort；　for　General　Grant；　who　that　day　had

moved　out　to　Gravelly　Run；　sent　me　instructions　to　abandon　all　idea

of　the　contemplated　raid；　and　directed　me　to　act　in　concert　with　the

infantry　under　his　immediate　command；　to　turn；　if　possible；　the　right

flank　of　Lee's　army。　　The　despatch　made　my　mind　easy　with　respect　to

the　objectionable　feature　of　my　original　instructions；　and　of　course

relieved　me　also　from　the　anxiety　growing　out　of　the　letter　received

at　Hancock　Station　the　night　of　the　28th；　so；　notwithstanding　the

suspicions　excited　by　some　of　my　staff　concerning　the　Virginia

feather…bed　that　had　been　assigned　me；　I　turned　in　at　a　late　hour　and

slept　most　soundly。



The　night　of　the　29th　the　left　of　General　Grant's　infantryWarren's

corpsrested　on　the　Boydton　road；　not　far　from　its　intersection　with

the　Quaker　road。　　Humphreys's　corps　was　next　to　Warren；　then　came

Ord；　next　Wright；　and　then　Parke；　with　his　right　resting　on　the

Appomattox。　　The　moving　of　Warren　and　Humphreys　to　the　left　during

the　day　was　early　discovered　by　General　Lee。　　He　met　it　by　extending

the　right　of　his　infantry　on　the　White　Oak　road；　while　drawing　in　the

cavalry　of　W。　H。　F。　Lee　and　Rosser　along　the　south　bank　of　Stony

Creek　to　cover　a　crossroads　called　Five　Forks；　to　anticipate　me

there；　for　assuming　that　my　command　was　moving　in　conjunction　with

the　infantry；　with　the　ultimate　purpose　of　striking　the　Southside

railroad；　Lee　made　no　effort　to　hold　Dinwiddie；　which　he　might　have

done　with　his　cavalry；　and　in　this　he　made　a　fatal　mistake。　　The

cavalry　of　Fitz。　Lee　was　ordered　at　this　same　time　from　Sunderland

depot　to　Five　Forks；　and　its　chief　placed　in　command　of　all　the

mounted　troops　of　General　Lee's　army。



At　daylight　on　ttie　3oth　I　proceeded　to　make　dispositions　under　the

new　conditions　imposed　by　my　modified　instructions；　and　directed

Merritt　to　push　Devin　out　as　far　as　the　White　Oak　road　to　make　a

reconnoissance　to　Five　Forks；　Crook　being　instructed　to　send　Davies's

brigade　to　support　Devin。　　Crook　was　to　hold；　with　Gregg's　brigade；

the　Stony　Creek　crossing　of　the　Boydton　plank　road；　retaining　Smith's

near　Dinwiddie；　for　use　in　any　direction　required。　　On　the　29th　W。　H。

F。　Lee　conformed　the　march　of　his　cavalry　with　that　of　ours；　but　my

holding　Stony　Creek　in　this　way　forced　him　to　make　a　detour　west　of

Chamberlin's　Run；　in　order　to　get　in　communication　with　his　friends

at　Five　Forks。



The　rain　that　had　been　falling　all　night　gave　no　sign　of　stopping；

but　kept　pouring　down　all　day　long；　and　the　swamps　and　quicksands

mired　the　horses；　whether　they　marched　in　the　roads　or　across　the

adjacent　fields。　　Undismayed；　nevertheless；　each　column　set　out　for

its　appointed　duty；　but　shortly　after　the　troops　began　to　move　I

received　from　General　Grant　this　despatch；　which　put　a　new　phase　on

matters：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃GRAVELLY　RUN；　March　30；　1865。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN　：



〃The　heavy　rain　of　to…day　will　make　it　impossible　for　us　to　do　much

until　it　dries　up　a　little；　or　we　get　roads　around　our　rear　repaired。

You　may；　therefore；　leave　what　cavalry　you　deem　necessary　to　protect

the　left；　and　hold　such　positions　as　you　deem　necessary　for　that

purpose；　and　send　the　remainder　back　to　Humphrey's　Station　where　they

can　get　hay　and　grain。　　Fifty　wagons　loaded　with