personal memoirs-2-第14章

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threatened　places　would　thus　be　sufficiently　protected；　but

negligence　at　Beverly　resulted　in　the　capture　of　that　station　by

Rosser　on　the　11th　of　January。



In　the　meanwhile；　Early　established　himself　with　Wharton's　division

at　Staunton　in　winter　quarters；　posting　his　cavalry　in　that

neighborhood　also；　except　a　detachment　at　New　Market；　and　another

small　one　at　the　signalstation　on　Three　Top　Mountain。　　The　winter　was

a　most　severe　one；　snow　falling　frequently　to　the　depth　of　several

inches；　and　the　mercury　often　sinking　below　zero。　　The　rigor　of　the

season　was　very　much　against　the　success　of　any　mounted　operations；

but　General　Grant　being　very　desirous　to　have　the　railroads　broken　up

about　Gordonsville　and　Charlottesville；　on　the　19th　of　December　I

started　the　cavalry　out　for　that　purpose；　Torbert；　with　Merritt　and

Powell；　marching　through　Chester　Gap；　while　Custer　moved　toward

Staunton　to　make　a　demonstration　in　Torbert's　favor；　hoping　to　hold

the　enemy's　troops　in　the　valley。　　Unfortunately；　Custer　did　not

accomplish　all　that　was　expected　of　him；　and　being　surprised　by

Rosser　and　Payne　near　Lacy's　Springs　before　reveille；　had　to　abandon

his　bivouac　and　retreat　down　the　valley；　with　the　loss　of　a　number　of

prisoners；　a　few　horses；　and　a　good　many　horse　equipments；　for；

because　of　the　suddenness　of　Rosser's　attack；　many　of　the　men　had　no

time　to　saddle　up。　　As　soon　as　Custer's　retreat　was　assured；

Wharton's　division　of　infantry　was　sent　to　Charlottesville　to　check

Torbert；　but　this　had　already　been　done　by　Lomax；　with　the　assistance

of　infantry　sent　up　from　Richmond。　　Indeed；　from　the　very　beginning

of　the　movement　the　Confederates　had　been　closely　observing　the

columns　of　Torbert　and　Custer；　and　in　consequence　of　the　knowledge

thus　derived；　Early　had　marched　Lomax　to　Gordonsville　in　anticipation

of　an　attack　there；　at　the　same　time　sending　Rosser　down　the　valley

to　meet　Custer。　　Torbert　in　the　performance　of　his　task　captured　two

pieces　of　artillery　from　Johnson's　and　McCausland's　brigades；　at

Liberty　Mills　on　the　Rapidan　River；　but　in　the　main　the　purpose　of

the　raid　utterly　failed；　so　by　the　27th　of　December　he　returned；

many；　of　his　men　badly　frost…bitten　from　the　extreme　cold　which　had

prevailed。



This　expedition　practically　closed　all　operations　for　the　season；　and

the　cavalry　was　put　into　winter　cantonment　near　Winchester。　　The

distribution　of　my　infantry　to　Petersburg　and　West　Virginia　left　with

me　in　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　as　already　stated；　but　the　one

small　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps。　　On　account　of　this

diminution　of　force；　it　became　necessary　for　me　to　keep　thoroughly

posted　in　regard　to　the　enemy；　and　I　now　realized　more　than　I　had

done　hitherto　how　efficient　my　scouts　had　become　since　under　the

control　of　Colonel　Young；　for　not　only　did　they　bring　me　almost　every

day　intelligence　from　within　Early's　lines；　but　they　also　operated

efficiently　against　the　guerrillas　infesting　West　Virginia。



Harry　Gilmore；　of　Maryland；　was　the　most　noted　of　these　since　the

death　of　McNeil；　and　as　the　scouts　had　reported　him　in　Harrisonburg

the　latter　part　of　January；　I　directed　two　of　the　most　trustworthy　to

be　sent　to　watch　his　movements　and　ascertain　his　purposes。　　In　a　few

days　these　spies　returned　with　the　intelligence　that　Gilmore　was　on

his　way　to　Moorefield；　the　centre　of　a　very　disloyal　section　in　West

Virginia；　about　ninety　miles　southwest　of　Winchester；　where；　under

the　guise　of　a　camp…meeting；　a　gathering　was　to　take　place；　at　which

he　expected　to　enlist　a　number　of　men；　be　joined　by　a　party　of　about

twenty　recruits　coming　from　Maryland；　and　then　begin　depredations

along　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad。　　Believing　that　Gilmore　might

be　captured；　I　directed　Young　to　undertake　the　task；　and　as　a

preliminary　step　he　sent　to　Moorefield　two　of　his　men　who　early　in

the　war　had　〃refugeed〃　from　that　section　and　enlisted　in　one　of　the

Union　regiments　from　West　Virginia。　　In　about　a　week　these　men　came

back　and　reported　that　Gilmore　was　living　at　a　house　between　three

and　four　miles　from　Moorefield；　and　gave　full　particulars　as　to　his

coming　and　going；　the　number　of　men　he　had　about　there　and　where　they

rendezvoused。



With　this　knowledge　at　hand　I　directed　Young　to　take　twenty　of　his

best　men　and　leave　that　night　for　Moorefield；　dressed　in　Confederate

uniforms；　telling　him　that　I　would　have　about　three　hundred　cavalry

follow　in　his　wake　when　he　had　got　about　fifteen　miles　start；　and

instructing　him　to　pass　his　party　off　as　a　body　of　recruits　for

Gilmore　coming　from　Maryland　and　pursued　by　the　Yankee　cavalry。　　I

knew　this　would　allay　suspicion　and　provide　him　help　on　the　road；

and；　indeed；　as　Colonel　Whittaker；　who　alone　knew　the　secret；

followed　after　the　fleeing　〃Marylanders；〃　he　found　that　their　advent

had　caused　so　little　remark　that　the　trail　would　have　been　lost　had

he　not　already　known　their　destination。　　Young　met　with　a　hearty；

welcome　wherever　he　halted　on　the　way；　and　as　he　passed　through　the

town　of　Moorefield　learned　with　satisfaction　that　Gilmore　still　made

his　headquarters　at　the　house　where　the　report　of　the　two　scouts　had

located　him　a　few　days　before。　　Reaching　the　designated　place　about

12　o'clock　on　the　night　of　the　5th　of　February；　Young；　under　the

representation　that　he　had　come　directly　from　Maryland　and　was　being

pursued　by　the　Union　cavalry；　gained　immediate　access　to　Gilmore's

room。　　He　found　the　bold　guerrilla　snugly　tucked　in　bed；　with　two

pistols　lying　on　a　chair　near　by。　　He　was　sleeping　so　soundly　that　to

arouse　him　Young　had　to　give　him　a　violent　shake。　　As　he　awoke　and

asked　who　was　disturbing　his　slumbers；　Young；　pointing　at　him　a

cocked　six…shooter；　ordered　him　to　dress　without　delay；　and　in　answer

to　his　inquiry；　informed　him　that　he　was　a　prisoner　to　one　of

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　wa