personal memoirs-2-第19章

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corps。　　Just　as　the　troopers　were　deploying；　a　man　on　a　mule；　heading

for　Burkeville；　rode　into　my　pickets。　　He　was　arrested；　of　course；

and　being　searched　there　was　found　in　his　boots　this　telegram　in

duplicate；　signed　by　Lee's　Commissary　General。



〃The　army　is　at　Amelia　Court　House；　short　of　provisions。　　Send

300；000　rations　quickly　to　BurkeVille　Junction。〃　One　copy　was

addressed　to　the　supply　department　at　Danville；　and　the　other　to　that

at　Lynchburg。　　I　surmised　that　the　telegraph　lines　north　of

Burkeville　had　been　broken　by　Crook　after　the　despatches　were

written；　which　would　account　for　their　being　transmitted　by

messenger。　　There　was　thus　revealed　not　only　the　important　fact　that

Lee　was　concentrating　at　Amelia　Court　House；　but　also　a　trustworthy

basis　for　estimating　his　troops；　so　I　sent　word　to　Crook　to　strike　up

the　railroad　toward　me；　and　to　Merrittwho；　as　I　have　said；　had

followed　on　the　heels　of　the　enemyto　leave　Mackenzie　there　and

himself　close　in　on　Jettersville。　　Staff…officers　were　also

despatched　to　hurry　up　Griffin　with　theFifth　Corps；　and　his　tired　men

redoubled　their　strides。



My　troops　too　were　hard　up　for　rations；　for　in　the　pursuit　we　could

not　wait　for　our　trains；　so　I　concluded　to　secure　if　possible　these

provisions　intended　for　Lee。　　To　this　end　I　directed　Young　to　send

four　of　his　best　scouts　to　Burkeville　Junction。　　There　they　were　to

separate；　two　taking　the　railroad　toward　Lynchburg　and　two　toward

Danville；　and　as　soon　as　a　telegraph　station　was　reached　the　telegram

was　to　be　transmitted　as　it　had　been　written　and　the　provisions　thus

hurried　forward。



Although　the　Fifth　Corps　arrived　at　Jettersville　the　evening　of　April

4；　as　did　also　Crook's　and　Merritt's　cavalry；　yet　none　of　the　army　of

the　Potomac　came　up　till　about　3　o'clock　the　afternoon　of　the　5th；

the　Second　Corps；　followed　by　the　Sixth；　joining　us　then。　　General

Meade　arrived　at　Jettersville　an　hour　earlier；　but　being　ill；

requested　me　to　put　his　troops　in　position。　　The　Fifth　Corps　being

already　intrenched　across　the　Amelia　Court　House　road　facing　north；　I

placed　the　Sixth　on　its　right　and　the　Second　on　its　left　as　they

reached　the　ground。



As　the　enemy　had　been　feeling　us　ever　since　morningto　learn　what　he

was　up　to　I　directed　Crook　to　send　Davies's　brigade　on　a

reconnoissance　to　Paine's　crossroads。　　Davies　soon　found　out　that　Lee

was　trying　to　escape　by　that　flank；　for　at　the　crossroads　he　found

the　Confederate　trains　and　artillery　moving　rapidly　westward。　　Having

driven　away　the　escort；　Davies　succeeded　in　burning　nearly　two

hundred　wagons；　and　brought　off　five　pieces　of　artillery。　　Among

these　wagons　were　some　belonging　to　General；　Lee's　and　to　General

Fitzhugh　Lee's　headquarters。　　This　work　through；　Davies　withdrew　and

rejoined　Crook；　who；　with　Smith　and　Gregg；　was　established　near　Flat

Creek。



It　being　plain　that　Lee　would　attempt　to　escape　as　soon　as　his　trains

were　out　of　the　way；　I　was　most　anxious　to　attack　him　when　the　Second

Corps　began　to　arrive；　for　I　felt　certain　that　unless　we　did　so　he

would　succeed　in　passing　by　our　left　flank；　and　would　thus　again　make

our　pursuit　a　stern…chase；　but　General　Meade；　whose　plan　of　attack

was　to　advance　his　right　flank　on　Amelia　Court　House；　objected　to

assailing　before　all　his　troops　were　up。



I　then　sent　despatches　to　General　Grant；　explaining　what　Davies　had

done；　and　telling　him　that　the　Second　Corps　was　arriving；　and　that　I

wished　he　himself　was　present。　　I　assured　him　of　my　confidence　in　our

capturing　Lee　if　we　properly　exerted　ourselves；　and　informed　him；

finally；　that　I　would　put　all　my　cavalry；　except　Mackenzie；　on　my

left；　and　that；　with　such　a　disposition　of　my　forces；　I　could　see　no

escape　for　Lee。　　I　also　inclosed　him　this　letter；　which　had　just　been

captured：



〃AMELIA　C。　H。；　April　5；　1865。



DEAR　MAMMA：



〃Our　army　is　ruined；　I　fear。　　We　are　all　safe　as　yet。　　Shyron　left　us

sick。　　John　Taylor　is　wellsaw　him　yesterday。　　We　are　in　line　of

battle　this　morning。　　General　Robert　Lee　is　in　the　field　near　us。　　My

trust　is　still　in　the　justice　of　our　cause；　and　that　of　God。　　General

Hill　is　killed。　　I　saw　Murray　a　few　minutes　since。　　Bernard；　Terry

said；　was　taken　prisoner；　but　may　yet　get　out。　　I　send　this　by　a

negro　I　see　passing　up　the　railroad　to　Mechlenburg。　　Love　to　all。



〃Your　devoted　son；



〃Wm。　B。　TAYLOR；　Colonel。〃





General　Grant；　who　on　the　5th　was　accompanying　General　Ord's　column

toward　Burkeville　Junction；　did　not　receive　this　intelligence　till

nearly　nightfall；　when　within　about　ten　miles　of　the　Junction。　　He

set　out　for　Jettersville　immediately；　but　did　not　reach　us　till　near

midnight；　too　late　of　course　to　do　anything　that　night。　　Taking　me

with　him；　we　went　over　to　see　Meade；　whom　he　then　directed　to　advance

early　in　the　morning　on　Amelia　Court　House。　　In　this　interview　Grant

also　stated　that　the　orders　Meade　had　already　issued　would　permit

Lee's　escape；　and　therefore　must　be　changed；　for　it　was　not　the　aim

only　to　follow　the　enemy；　but　to　get　ahead　of　him；　remarking　during

the　conversation　that；　〃he　had　no　doubt　Lee　was　moving　right　then。〃

On　this　same　occasion　Meade　expressed　a　desire　to　have　in　the

proposed　attack　all　the　troops　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　under　his

own　command；　and　asked　for　the　return　of　the　Fifth　Corps。　　I　made　no

objections；　and　it　was　ordered　to　report；　to　him。



When；　on　the　morning　of　the　6th；　Meade　advanced　toward　Amelia　Court

House；　he　found；　as　predicted；　that　Lee　was　gone。　　It　turned　out　that

the　retreat　began　the　evening　of　the　5th　and　continued　all　night。

Satisfied　that　this　would　be　the　case；　I　did　not　permit　the　cavalry

to　participate　in　Meade's　useless　advance；　but　shifted　it　out　toward

the　left　to　the　road　running　from　Deatonsville　to　Rice's　station；

Crook　leading　and　Merritt　close　up。　　Before　long　the　enemy's　trains

were　discovered　on　this　road；　but　Crook　could　make　but　little

impression　on　them；　they　were　so　strongly　guarded；　so；　leaving

Stagg's　brigade　and　Miller's　battery　about　three　miles　southwest　of

Deatonsvillewhere　the　road　forks；　with　a　branch　leading　north

toward　the　Appomattoxto　harass　the　retreating　column　and　find　a

vulnerable　point；　I　again　shifted　the　rest　of　the　cavalry　toward　the

left；　across…country；　but　still　keeping　parallel　to　the　enemy's　line

of　march。



Just　after　crossing　Sailor's　Greek；　a　favorable　opportunity　offering；

both　Merritt　and　Crook　attacked　vigorously；　gained　the　Rice's　Station

road；　destroyed　several　hundred　wagons；　made　many　prisoners；　and

captured　sixteen　pieces　of　artillery。　　This　was　important；　but　more

valuable　still　was　the　fact　that　we　were　astride　the　enemy's　line　of

retreat；　and　had　cut　off　from　joining　Longstreet；　waiting　at　Rice's

Station；　a　corps　of　Confederate　infantry　under　General　Ewell；

composed　of　Anderson's；　Kershaw's；　and　Custis　Lee's　divisions。

Stagg's　brigade　and　Miller's　battery；　which；　as　I　have　said；　had　been

left　at　the　forks　of　the　Deatonsville　road；　had　meanwhile　broken　in

between　the　rear　of　Ewell's　column　and　the　head　of　Gordon's；　forcing

Gordon　to　abandon　his　march　for　Rice's　Station；　and　to　take　the

right…hand　road　at　the　forks；　on　which　he　was　pursued　by　General

Humphreys。



The　complete　isolation　of　Ewell　from　Longstreet　in　his　front　and

Gordon　in　his　rear　led　to　the　battle　of　Sailor's　Creek；　one　of　the

severest　conflicts　of　the　war；　for　the　enemy　fought　with　desperation

to　escape　capture；　and　we；　bent　on　his　destruction；　were　no　less

eager　and　determined。　　The　capture　of　Ewell；　with　six　of　his　generals

and　most　of　his　troops；　crowned　our　success；　but　the　fight　was　so

overshadowed　by　the　stirring　events　of　the　surrender　three　days

later；　that　the　battle　has　never　been　accorded　the　prominence　it

deserves。



The　small　creek　from　which　the　field　takes　its　name　flows　in　a

northwesterly　direction　across　the　road　leading　from　Deatonsville　to

Rice's　Station。　　By　shifting　to　the　left；　Merritt　gained　the　Rice's

Station　road　west　of　the　creek；　making　havoc　of　the　wagon…trains；

while　Crook　struck　them　further　on　and　planted　himself　square　across

the　road。　　This　blocked　Ewell；　who；　advancing　Anderson　to　some　high

ground　west　of　the　creek；　posted　him　behind　barricades；　with　the

intention　of　making　a　hard　fight　there；　while　the　main　body　should

escape　through　the　woods　in　a　westerly　direction　to　roads　that　led　to

Farmville。　　This　was　prevented；　however；　by　Crook　forming　his

division；　two　brigades　dismounted　and　one　mounted；　and　at　once

assaulting　all　along　Anderson's　front　and　overlapping　his　right；

while　Merritt　fiercely　attacked　to　the　right　of　Crook。　　The　enemy

being　thus　held；　enabled　the　Sixth　Corpswhich　in　the　meantime　I　had

sent　forto　come　upon　the　ground；　and　Ewell；　still　contending　with

the　cavalry；　found　himself　suddenly　beset　by　this　new　danger　from　his

rear。　　To；　meet　it；　he　placed　Kershaw　to　the　right　and　Custis　Lee　to

the　left　of　the　Rice's　Station　road；　facing　them　north　toward　and

some　little　distance　from　Sailor's　Creek；　supporting　Kershaw　with

Commander　Tucker's　Marine　brigade。　　Ewell's　skirmishers　held　the　line

of　Sailor's　Creek；　which　runs　through　a　gentle　valley；　the　north

slope　of　which　was　cleared　ground。



By　General　Grant's　directions　the　Sixth　Corps　had　been　following　my

route　of　march　since　the　discovery；　about　9　o'clock　in　the　morning；

that　Lee　had　decamped　from　Amelia　Court　House。　　Grant　had　promptly

informed　me　of　this　in　a　note；　saying；　〃The　Sixth　Corps　will　go　in

with　a　vim　any　place　you　may　dictate；〃　so　when　I　sent　word　to　Wright

of　the　enemy's　isolation；　and　asked　him　to　hurry　on　with　all　speed；

his　gallant　corps　came　as　fast　as　legs　could　carry　them；　he　sending

to　me　successively　Major　McClellan　and　Colonel　Franklin；　of　his

staff；　to　report　his　approach。



I　was　well　advised　as　to　the　position　of　the　enemy　through

information　brought　me　by　an　intelligent　young　soldier；　William　A。

Richardson；　Company　〃A；〃　Second　Ohio；　who；　in　one　of　the　cavalry

charges　on　Anderson；　had　cleared　the　barricades　and　made　his　way　back

to　my　front　through　Ewell's　line。　　Richardson　had　told　me　just　how

the　main　body　of　the　enemy　was　posted；　so　as　Seymour's　division

arrived　I　directed　General　Wright　to　put　it　on　the　right　of　the　road；

while　Wheaton's　men；　coming　up　all　hot　and　out　of　breath；　promptly

formed　on　Seymour's　left。　　Both　divisions　thus　aligned　faced

southwest　toward　Sailor's　Creek；　and　the　artillery　of　the　corps　being

massed　to　the　left　and　front　of　the　Hibbon　house；　without　waiting　for

Getty's　divisionfor　I　feared　that　if　we　delayed　longer　the　enemy

might　effect　his　escape　toward　Farmvillethe　general　attack　was

begun。　　Seymour　and　Wheaton；　moving　forward　together；　assailed　the

enemy's　front　and　left；　and　Stagg's　brigade；　too；　which　in　the　mean

time　had　been　placed　between　Wheaton's　left　and　Devin's　right；　went

at　him　a