personal memoirs-2-第16章

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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　enemy　in　short　order；　thus　enabling　Custer　to　carry　the

front　with　little　resistance；　and　as　he　did　so　the　Eighth　New　York

and　First　Connecticut；　in　a　charge　in　column；　broke　through　the

opening　made　by　Custer；　and　continued　on　through　the　town　of

Waynesboro'；　never　stopping　till　they　crossed　South　River。　　There；

finding　themselves　immediately　in　the　enemy's　rear；　they　promptly

formed　as　foragers　and　held　the　east　bank　of　the　stream　till　all　the

Confederates　surrendered　except　Rosser；　who　succeeded　in　making　his

way　back　to　the　valley；　and　Generals　Early；　Wharton；　Long；　and

Lilley；　who；　with　fifteen　or　twenty　men；　escaped　across　the　Blue

Ridge。　　I　followed　up　the　victory　immediately　by　despatching　Capehart

through　Rock…fish　Gap；　with　orders　to　encamp　on　the　east　side　of　the

Blue　Ridge。　　By　reason　of　this　move　all　the　enemy's　stores　and

transportation　fell　into　our　hands；　while　we　captured　on　the　field

seventeen　battle　flags；　sixteen　hundred　officers　and　men；　and　eleven

pieces　of　artillery。　　This　decisive　victory　closed　hostilities　in　the

Shenandoah　Valley。　　The　prisoners　and　artillery　were　sent　back　to

Winchester　next　morning；　under　a　guard　of　1；500　men；　commanded　by

Colonel　J。　　H。　　Thompson；　of　the　First　New　Hampshire。



The　night　of　March　2　Custer　camped　at　Brookfield；　Devin　remaining　at

Waynesboro'。　　The　former　started　for　Charlottesville　the　next　morning

early；　followed　by　Devin　with　but　two　brigades；　Gibbs　having　been

left　behind　to　blow　up　the　iron　railroad　bridge　across　South　River。

Because　of　the　incessant　rains　and　spring　thaws　the　roads　were　very

soft；　and　the　columns　cut　them　up　terribly；　the　mud　being　thrown　by

the　sets　of　fours　across　the　road　in　ridges　as　much　as　two　feet　high；

making　it　most　difficult　to　get　our　wagons　along；　and　distressingly

wearing　on　the　animals　toward　the　middle　and　rear　of　the　columns。

Consequently　I　concluded　to　rest　at　Charlottesville　for　a　couple　of

days　and　recuperate　a　little；　intending　at　the　same　time　to　destroy；

with　small　parties；　the　railroad　from　that　point　toward　Lynchburg。

Custer　reached　Charlottesville　the　3d；　in　the　afternoon；　and　was　met

at　the　outskirts　by　a　deputation　of　its　citizens；　headed　by　the

mayor；　who　surrendered　the　town　with　medieval　ceremony；　formally

handing　over　the　keys　of　the　public　buildings　and　of　the　University

of　Virginia。　　But　this　little　scene　did　not　delay　Custer　long　enough

to　prevent　his　capturing；　just　beyond　the　village；　a　small　body　of

cavalry　and　three　pieces　of　artillery。　　Gibbs's　brigade；　which　was

bringing　up　my　mud…impeded　train；　did　not　arrive　until　the　5th　of

March。　　In　the　mean　time　Young's　scouts　had　brought　word　that　the

garrison　of　Lynchburg　was　being　increased　and　the　fortifications

strengthened；　so　that　its　capture　would　be　improbable。　　I　decided；

however；　to　move　toward　the　place　as　far　as　Amherst　Court　House；

which　is　sixteen　miles　short　of　the　town；　so　Devin；　under　Merritt's

supervision；　marched　along　the　James　River；　destroying　the　canal；

while　Custer　pushed　ahead　on　the　railroad　and　broke　it　up。　　The　two

columns　were　to　join　at　New　Market；　whence　I　intended　to　cross　the

James　River　at　some　point　east　of　Lynchburg；　if　practicable；　so　as　to

make　my　way　to　Appomattox　Court　House；　and　destroy　the　Southside

railroad　as　far　east　as　Farmville。　　Owing　to　its　swollen　condition

the　river　was　unfordable　but　knowing　that　there　was　a　covered　bridge

at　Duguidsville；　I　hoped　to　secure　it　by　a　dash；　and　cross　there；　but

the　enemy；　anticipating　this；　had　filled　the　bridge　with　inflammable

material；　and　just　as　our　troops　got　within　striking　distance　it

burst　into　flames。　　The　bridge　at　Hardwicksville　also　having　been

burned　by　the　enemy；　there　was　now　no　means　of　crossing　except　by

pontoons。　　but；　unfortunately；　I　had　only　eight　of　these；　and　they

could　not　be　made　to　span　the　swollen　river。



Being　thus　unable　to　cross　until　the　river　should　fall；　and　knowing

that　it　was　impracticable　to　join　General　Sherman；　and　useless　to

adhere　to　my　alternative　instructions　to　return　to　Winchester；　I　now

decided　to　destroy　still　more　thoroughly　the　James　River　canal　and

the　Virginia　Central　railroad　and　then　join　General　Grant　in　front　of

Petersburg。　　I　was　master　of　the　whole　country　north　of　the　James　as

far　down　as　Goochland；　hence　the　destruction　of　these　arteries　of

supply　could　be　easily　compassed；　and　feeling　that　the　war　was

nearing　its　end；　I　desired　my　cavalry　to　be　in　at　the　death。



On　March　9　the　main　column　started　eastward　down　the　James　River；

destroying　locks；　dams；　and　boats；　having　been　preceded　by　Colonel

Fitzhugh's　brigade　of　Devin's　division　in　a　forced　march　to　Goochland

and　Beaver　Dam　Creek；　with　orders　to　destroy　everything　below

Columbia。　　I　made　Columbia　on　the　10th；　and　from　there　sent　a

communication　to　General　Grant　reporting　what　had　occurred；　informing

him　of　my　condition　and　intention；　asking　him　to　send　forage　and

rations　to　meet　me　at　the　White　House；　and　also　a　pontoon…bridge　to

carry　me　over　the　Pamunkey；　for　in　view　of　the　fact　that　hitherto　it

had　been　impracticable　to　hold　Lee　in　the　trenches　around　Petersburg；

I　regarded　as　too　hazardous　a　march　down　the　south　bank　of　the

Pamunkey；　where　the　enemy；　by　sending　troops　out　from　Richmond；　might

fall　upon　my　flank　and　rear。　　It　was　of　the　utmost　importance　that

General　Grant　should　receive　these　despatches　without　chance　of

failure；　in　order　that　I　might；　depend　absolutely　on　securing

supplies　at　the　White　House；　therefore　I　sent　the　message　in

duplicate；　one　copy　overland　direct　to　City　Point　by　two　scouts；

Campbell　and　Rowan；　and　the　other　by　Fannin　and　Moore；　who　were　to　go

down　the　James　River　in　a　small　boat　to　Richmond；　join　the　troops　in

the　trenches　in　front　of　Petersburg；　and；　deserting　to　the　Union

lines；　deliver　their　tidings　into　General　Grant's　hands。　　Each　set　of

messengers　got　through；　but　the　copy　confided　to　Campbell　and　Rowan

was　first　at　Grant's　headquarters。



I　halted　for　one　day　at　Columbia　to　let　my　trains　catch　up；　for　it

was　still　raining　and　the　mud　greatly　delayed　the　teams；　fatiguing

and　wearying　the　mules　so　much　that　I　believe　we　should　have　been

forced　to　abandon　most　of　the　wagons　except　for　the　invaluable　help

given　by　some　two　thousand　negroes　who　had　attached　themselves　to　the

column：　they　literally　lifted　the　wagons　out　of　the　mud。　　From

Columbia　Merritt；　with　Devin's　division；　marched　to　Louisa　Court

House　and　destroyed　the　Virginia　Central　to　Frederick's　Hall。

Meanwhile　Custer　was　performing　similar　work　from　Frederick's　Hall　to

Beaver　Dam　Station；　and　also　pursued　for　a　time　General　Early；　who；

it　was　learned　from　despatches　captured　in　the　telegraph　office　at

Frederick's　Hall；　was　in　the　neighborhood　with　a　couple　of　hundred

men。　　Custer　captured　some　of　these　men　and　two　of　Early's　staff…

officers；　but　the　commander　of　the　Valley　District；　accompanied　by　a

single　order