personal memoirs-2-第7章

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attack　the　enemy　as　soon　as　the　Sixth　Corps　reached　me；　but　General

Early　having　learned　from　his　demonstration　that　I　had　not　detached

as　largely　as　his　previous　information　had　led　him　to　believe；　on　the

night　of　the　13th　withdrew　to　Fisher's　Hill；　so；　concluding　that　he

could　not　do　us　serious　hurt　from　there；　I　changed　my　mind　as　to

attacking；　deciding　to　defer　such　action　till　I　could　get　to

Washington；　and　come　to　some　definite　understanding　about　my　future

operations。



To　carry　out　this　idea；　on　the　evening　of　the　15th　I　ordered　all　of

the　cavalry　under　General　Torbert　to　accompany　me　to　Front　Royal；

again　intending　to　push　it　thence　through　Chester　Gap　to　the　Virginia

Central　railroad　at　Charlottesville；　to　destroy　the　bridge　over　the

Rivanna　River；　while　I　passed　through　Manassas　Gap　to　Rectortown；　and

thence　by　rail　to　Washington。　　On　my　arrival　with　the　cavalry　near

Front　Royal　on　the　16th；　I　halted　at　the　house　of　Mrs。　Richards；　on

the　north　bank　of　the　river；　and　there　received　the　following

despatch　and　inclosure　from　General　Wright；　who　had　been　left　in

command　at　Cedar　Creek　：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MIDDLE　MILITARY　Division；

〃October　16；　1864。



〃GENERAL：



〃I　enclose　you　despatch　which　explains　itself。　　If　the　enemy　should

be　strongly　reenforced　in　cavalry；　he　might；　by　turning　our　right；

give　us　a　great　deal　of　trouble。　　I　shall　hold　on　here　until　the

enemy's　movements　are　developed；　and　shall　only　fear　an　attack　on　my

right；　which　I　shall　make　every　preparation　for　guarding　against　and

resisting。



〃Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；



〃H。　　G。　　WRIGHT；　Major…General　Commanding。

〃MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Commanding　Middle　Military　Division。〃





＇INCLOSURE。＇　〃To　LIEUTENANT…GENERAL　EARLY：



〃Be　ready　to　move　as　soon　as　my　forces　join　you；　and　we　will　crush

Sheridan。



〃LONGSTREET；　Lieutenant…General。〃





The　message　from　Longstreet　had　been　taken　down　as　it　was　being

flagged　from　the　Confederate　signal…station　on　Three　Top　Mountain；

and　afterward　translated　by　our　signal　officers；　who　knew　the

Confederate　signal　code。　　I　first　thought　it　a　ruse；　and　hardly　worth

attention；　but　on　reflection　deemed　it　best　to　be　on　the　safe　side；

so　I　abandoned　the　cavalry　raid　toward　Charlottesville；　in　order　to

give　General　Wright　the；　entire　strength　of　the　army；　for　it　did　not

seem　wise　to　reduce　his　numbers　while　reinforcement　for　the　enemy

might　be　near；　and　especially　when　such　pregnant　messages　were

reaching　Early　from　one　of　the　ablest　of　the　Confederate　generals。

Therefore　I　sent　the　following　note　to　General　Wright：　　　　　　I



〃HEADQUARTERS　MIDDLE　MILITARY　DIVISION；

〃Front　Royal；　October　16；　x864。



〃GENERAL：　The　cavalry　is　all　ordered　back　to　you；　make　your　position

strong。　　If　Longstreet's　despatch　is　true；　he　is　under　the　impression

that　we　have　largely　detached。　　I　will　go　over　to　Augur；　and　may　get

additional　news。　　Close　in　Colonel　Powell；　who　will　be　at　this　point。

If　the　enemy　should　make　an　advance；　I　know　you　will　defeat　him。

Look　well　to　your　ground　and　be　well　prepared。　　Get　up　everything

that　can　be　spared。　　I　will　bring　up　all　I　can；　and　will　be　up　on

Tuesday；　if　not　sooner。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Major…General。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　H。　　G。　　WRIGHT；

〃Commanding　Sixth　Army　Corps。〃





At　5　o'clock　on　the　evening　of　the　16th　I　telegraphed　General　Halleck

from　Rectortown；　giving　him　the　information　which　had　come　to　me　from

Wright；　asking　if　anything　corroborative　of　it　had　been　received　from

General　Grant；　and　also　saying　that　I　would　like　to　see　Halleck；　the

telegram　ending　with　the　question：　〃Is　it　best　for　me　to　go　to　see

you？〃　　Next　morning　I　sent　back　to　Wright　all　the　cavalry　except　one

regiment；　which　escorted　me　through　Manassas　Gap　to　the　terminus　of

the　railroad　from　Washington。　　I　had　with　me　Lieutenant…Colonel　James

W。　　Forsyth；　chief…of…staff；　and　three　of　my　aides；　Major　George　A。

Forsyth；　Captain　Joseph　O'Keefe；　and　Captain　Michael　V。　Sheridan。　　I

rode　my　black　horse；　Rienzi；　and　the　others　their　own　respective

mounts。



Before　leaving　Cedar　Creek　I　had　fixed　the　route　of　my　return　to　be

by　rail　from　Washington　to　Martinsburg；　and　thence　by　horseback　to

Winchester　and　Cedar　Creek；　and　had　ordered　three　hundred　cavalry　to

Martinsburg　to　escort　me　from　that　point　to　the　front。　　At　Rectortown

I　met　General　Augur；　who　had　brought　a　force　out　from　Washington　to

reconstruct　and　protect　the　line　of　railroad；　and　through　him

received　the　following　reply　from　General　Halleck：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　October　16　1864



〃To　MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；

〃Rectortown；　Va。



General　Grant　says　that　Longstreet　brought　with　him　no　troops　from

Richmond；　but　I　have　very　little　confidence　in　the　information

collected　at　his　headquarters。　　If　you　can　leave　your　command　with

safety；　come　to　Washington；　as　I　wish　to　give　you　the　views　of　the

authorities　here。



〃H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General；　Chief…of…Staff。





In　consequence　of　the　Longstreet　despatch；　I　felt　a　concern　about　my

absence　which　I　could　hardly　repress；　but　after　duly　considering　what

Halleck　said；　and　believing　that　Longstreet　could　not　unite　with

Early　before　I　got　back；　and　that　even　if　he　did　Wright　would　be　able

to　cope　with　them　both；　I　and　my　staff；　with　our　horses；　took　the

cars　for　Washington；　where　we　arrived　on　the　morning　of　the　17th　at

about　8　o'clock。　　I　proceeded　at　an　early　hour　to　the　War　Department；

and　as　soon　as　I　met　Secretary　Stanton；　asked　him　for　a　special　train

to　be　ready　at　12　o'clock　to　take　me　to　Martinsburg；　saying　that　in

view　of　existing　conditions　I　must　get　back　to　my　army　as　quickly　as

possible。　　He　at　once　gave　the　order　for　the　train；　and　then　the

Secretary；　Halleck；　and　I　proceeded　to　hold　a　consultation　in　regard

to　my　operating　east　of　the　Blue　Ridge。　　The　upshot　was　that　my　views

against　such　a　plan　were　practically　agreed　to；　and　two　engineer

officers　were　designated　to　return　with　me　for　the　purpose　of

reporting　on　a　defensive　line　in　the　valley　that　could　be　held　while

the　bulk　of　my　troops　were　being　detached　to　Petersburg。　　Colonel

Alexander　and　Colonel　Thom　both　of　the　Engineer　Corps；　reported　to

accompany　me；　and　at　12　o'clock　we　took　the　train。



We　arrived　about　dark　at　Martinsburg；　and　there　found　the　escort　of

three　hundred　men　which　I　had　ordered　before　leaving　Cedar　Creek。　　We

spent　that　night　at　Martinsburg；　and　early　next　morning　mounted　and

started　up　the　Valley　pike　for　Winchester；　leaving　Captain　Sheridan

behind　to　conduct　to　the　army　the　Commissioners　whom　the　State　of　New

York　had　sent　down　to　receive　the　vote　of　her　troops　in　the　coming

Presidential　election。　　Colonel　Alexander　was　a　man　of　enormous

weight；　and　Colonel　Thom　correspondingly　light；　and　as　both　were

unaccustomed　to　riding　we　had　to　go　slowly；　losing　so　much　time；　in

fact；　that　we　did　not　reach　Winchester　till　between　3　and　4　o'clock

in　the　afternoon；　though　the　distance　is　but　twenty…eight　miles。　　As

soon　as　we　arrived　at　Colonel　Edwards's　headquarters　in　the　town；

where　I　intended　stopping　for　the　night；　I　sent　a　courier　to　the

front　to　bring　me　a　report　of　the　condition　of　affairs；　and　then　took

Colonel　Alexander　out　on　the　heights　about　Winchester；　in　order　that

he　might　overlook　the　country；　and　make　up　his　mind　as　to　the　utility

of　fortifying　there。　　By　the　time　we　had　completed　our　survey　it　was

dark；　and　just　as　we　reached　Colonel　Edwards's　house　on　our　return　a

courier　came　in　from　Cedar　Creek　bringing　word　that　everything　was

all　right；　that　the　enemy　was　quiet　at　Fisher's　Hill；　and　that　a

brigade　of　Grover's　division　was　to　make　a　reconnoissance　in　the

morning；　the　19th；　so　about　10　o'clock　I　went　to　bed　greatly

relieved；　and　expecting　to　rejoin　my　headquarters　at　my　leisure　next

day。



Toward　6　o'clock　the　morning　of　the　19th；　the　officer　on　picket　duty

at　Winchester　came　to　my　room；　I　being　yet　in　bed；　and　reported

artillery　firing　from　the　direction　of　Cedar　Creek。　　I　asked　him　if

the　firing　was　continuous　or　only　desultory；　to　which　he　replied　that

it　was　not　a　sustained　fire；　but　rather　irregular　and　fitful。　　I

remarked：　〃It's　all　right；　Grover　has　gone　out　this　morning　to　make　a

reconnoissance；　and　he　is　merely　feeling　the　enemy。〃　I　tried　to　go　to

sleep　again；　but　grew　so　restless　that　I　could　not；　and　soon　got　up

and　dressed　myself。　　A　little　later　the　picket　officer　came　back　and

reported　that　the　firing；　which　could　be　distinctly　heard　from　his

line　on　the　heights　outside　of　Winchester；　was　still　going　on。　　I

asked　him　if　it　sounded　like　a　battle；　and　as　he　again　said　that　it

did　not；　I　still　inferred　that　the　cannonading　was　caused　by　Grover's

division　banging　away　at　the　enemy　simply　to　find　out　what　he　was　up

to。　　However；　I　went　down…stairs　and　requested　that　breakfast　be

hurried　up；　and　at　the　same　time　ordered　the　horses　to　be　saddled　and

in　readiness；　for　I　concluded　to　go　to　the　front　before　any　further

examinations　were　made　in　regard　to　the　defensive　line。



We　mounted　our　horses　between　half…past　8　and　9；　and　as　we　were

proceeding　up　the　street　which　leads　directly　through　Winchester；

from　the　Logan　residence；　where　Edwards　was　quartered；　to　the　Valley

pike；　I　noticed　that　there　were　many　women　at　the　windows　and　doors

of　the　houses；　who　kept　shaking　their　skirts　at　us　and　who　were

otherwise　markedly　insolent　in　their　demeanor；　but　supposing　this

conduct　to　be　instigated　by　their　well…known　and　perhaps　natural

prejudices；　I　ascribed　to　it　no　unusual　significance。　　On　reaching

the　edge　of　the　town　I　halted　a　moment；　and　there　heard　quite

distinctly　the　sound　of　artillery　firing　in　an　unceasing　roar。

Concluding　from　this　that　a　battle　was　in　progress；　I　now　felt

confident　that　the　women　along　the　street　had　received　intelligence

from　the　battle；　field　by　the　〃grape…vine　telegraph；〃　and　were　in

raptures　over　some　good　news；　while　I　as　yet　was　utterly　ignorant　of

the　actual　situation。　　Moving　on；　I　put　my　head　down　toward　the

pommel　of　my　saddle　and　listened　intently；　trying　to　locate　and

interpret　the　sound；　continuing　in　this　position　till　we　had　crossed

Mill　Creek；　about　half　a　mile　from　Winchester。　　The　result　of　my

efforts　in　the　interval　was　the　conviction　that　the　travel　of　the

sound　was　increasing　too　rapidly　to　be　accounted　for　by　my　own　rate

of　motion；　and　that　therefore　my　army　must　be　falling　back。



At　Mill　Creek　my　escort　fell　in　behind；　and　we　were　going　ahead　at　a

regular　pace；　when；　just　as　we　made　the　crest　of　the　rise　beyond　the

stream；　there　burst　upon　our　view　the　appalling　spectacle　of　a　panic…

stricken　army…hundreds　of　slightly　wounded　men；　throngs　of　others

unhurt　but　utterly　demoralized；　and　baggage…wagons　by　the　score；　all

pressing　to　the　rear　in　hopeless　confusion；　telling　only　too　plainly