personal memoirs-2-第21章

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INQUIRYGENERAL　SHERMAN'S　OPINION。



The　night　of　March　30　Merritt；　with　Devin's　division　and　Davies's

brigade；　was　camped　on　the　Five　Forks　road　about　two　miles　in　front

of　Dinwiddie；　near　J。　Boisseau's。　　Crook；　with　Smith　and　Gregg's

brigades；　continued　to　cover　Stony　Creek；　and　Custer　was　still　back

at　Rowanty　Creek；　trying　to　get　the　trains　up。　　This　force　had　been

counted　while　crossing　the　creek　on　the　29th；　the　three　divisions

numbering　9；000　enlisted　men；　Crook　having　3；300；　and　Custer　and

Devin　5；700。



During　the　30th；　the　enemy　had　been　concentrating　his　cavalry；　and　by

evening　General　W。　H。　F。　Lee　and　General　Rosser　had　joined　Fitzhugh

Lee　near　Five　Forks。　　To　this　force　was　added；　about　dark；　five

brigades　of　infantrythree　from　Pickett's　division；　and　two　from

Johnson'sall　under　command　of　Pickett。　　The　infantry　came　by　the

White　Oak　road　from　the　right　of　General　Lee's　intrenchments；　and

their　arrival　became　positively　known　to　me　about　dark；　the

confirmatory　intelligence　being　brought　in　then　by　some　of　Young's

scouts　who　had　been　inside　the　Confederate　lines。



On　the　31st；　the　rain　having　ceased；　directions　were　given　at　an

early　hour　to　both　Merritt　and　Crook　to　make　reconnoissances

preparatory　to　securing　Five　Forks；　and　about　9　o'clock　Merritt

started　for　the　crossroads；　Davies's　brigade　supporting　him。　　His

march　was　necessarily　slow　because　of　the　mud；　and　the　enemy's

pickets　resisted　with　obstinacy　also；　but　the　coveted　crossroads　fell

to　Merritt　without　much　trouble；　as　the　bulk　of　the　enemy　was　just

then　bent　on　other　things。　　At　the　same　hour　that　Merritt　started；

Crook　moved　Smith's　brigade　out　northwest　from　Dinwiddie　to

Fitzgerald's　crossing　of　Chamberlain's　Creek；　to　cover　Merritt's

left；　supporting　Smith　by　placing　Gregg　to　his　right　and　rear。　　The

occupation　of　this　ford　was　timely；　for　Pickett；　now　in　command　of

both　the　cavalry　and　infantry；　was　already　marching　to　get　in

Merritt's　rear　by　crossing　Chamberlain's　Creek。



To　hold　on　to　Fitzgerald's　ford　Smith　had　to　make　a　sharp　fight；　but

Mumford's　cavalry　attacking　Devin；　the　enemy's　infantry　succeeded　in

getting　over　Chamberlain's　Creek　at　a　point　higher　up　than

Fitzgerald's　ford；　and　assailing　Davies；　forced　him　back　in　a

northeasterly　direction　toward　the　Dinwiddie　and　Five　Forks　road　in

company　with　Devin。　　The　retreat　of　Davies　permitted　Pickett　to　pass

between　Crook　and　Merritt；　which　he　promptly　did；　effectually

separating　them　and　cutting　off　both　Davies　and　Devin　from　the　road

to　Dinwiddie；　so　that　to　get　to　that　point　they　had　to　retreat　across

the　country　to　B。　Boisseau's　and　then　down　the　Boydton　road。



Gibbs's　brigade　had　been　in　reserve　near　the　intersection　of　the　Five

Forks　and　Dabney　roads；　and　directing　Merritt　to　hold　on　there；　I

ordered　Gregg's　brigade　to　be　mounted　and　brought　to　Merritt's　aid；

for　if　Pickett　continued　in　pursuit　north　of　the　Five　Forks　road　he

would　expose　his　right　and　rear；　and　I　determined　to　attack　him；　in

such　case；　from　Gibbs's　position。　　Gregg　arrived　in　good　season；　and

as　soon　as　his　men　were　dismounted　on　Gibbs's　left；　Merritt　assailed

fiercely；　compelling　Pickett　to　halt　and　face　a　new　foe；　thus

interrupting　an　advance　that　would　finally　have　carried　Pickett　into

the　rear　of　Warren's　corps。



It　was　now　about　4　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　and　we　were　in　a　critical

situation；　but　having　ordered　Merritt　to　bring　Devin　and　Davies　to

Dinwiddie　by　the　Boydton　road；　staff…officers　were　sent　to　hurry

Custer　to　the　same　point；　for　with　its　several　diverging　roads　the

Court　House　was　of　vital　importance；　and　I　determined　to　stay　there

at　all　hazards。　　At　the　same　time　orders　were　sent　to　Smith's

brigade；　which；　by　the　advance　of　Pickett　past　its　right　flank　and

the　pressure　of　W。　H。　F。　Lee　on　its　front；　had　been　compelled　to　give

up　Fitzgerald's　crossing；　to　fall　back　toward　Dinwiddie　but　to

contest　every　inch　of　ground　so　as　to　gain　time。



When　halted　by　the　attack　of　Gregg　and　Gibbs；　Pickett；　desisting　from

his　pursuit　of　Devin；　as　already　stated；　turned　his　undivided

attention　to　this　unexpected　force；　and　with　his　preponderating

infantry　pressed　it　back　on　the　Five　Forks　road　toward　Dinwiddle；

though　our　men；　fighting　dismounted　behind　barricades　at　different

points；　displayed　such　obstinacy　as　to　make　Pickett's　progress　slow；

and　thus　give　me　time　to　look　out　a　line　for　defending　the　Court

House。　　I　selected　a　place　about　three…fourths　of　a　mile　northwest　of

the　crossroads；　and　Custer　coming　up　quickly　with　Capehart's　brigade；

took　position　on　the　left　of　the　road　to　Five　Forks　in　some　open

ground　along　the　crest　of　a　gentle　ridge。　　Custer　got　Capehart　into

place　just　in　time　to　lend　a　hand　to　Smith；　who；　severely　pressed；

came　back　on　us　here　from　his　retreat　along　Chamberlain's　〃bed〃the

vernacular　for　a　woody　swamp　such　as　that　through　which　Smith

retired。　　A　little　later　the　brigades　of　Gregg　and　Gibbs；　falling　to

the　rear　slowly　and　steadily；　took　up　in　the　woods　a　line　which

covered　the　Boydton　Road　some　distance　to　the　right　of　Capehart；　the

intervening　gap　to　be　filled　with　Pennington's　brigade。　　By　this　time

our　horse…artillery；　which　for　two　days　had　been　stuck　in　the　mud；

was　all　up；　and　every　gun　was　posted　in　this　line。



It　was　now　near　sunset；　and　the　enemy's　cavalry　thinking　the　day　was

theirs；　made　a　dash　at　Smith；　but　just　as　the　assailants　appeared　in

the　open　fields；　Capehart's　men　opened　so　suddenly　on　their　left

flank　as　to　cause　it　to　recoil　in　astonishment；　which　permitted　Smith

to　connect　his　brigade　with　Custer　unmolested。　　We　were　now　in　good

shape　behind　the　familiar　barricades；　and　having　a　continuous　line；

excepting　only　the　gap　to　be　filled　with　Pennington；　that　covered

Dinwiddie　and　the　Boydton　Road。　　My　left　rested　in　the　woods　about

half　a　mile　west　of　the　Court　House；　and　the　barricades　extended　from

this　flank　in　a　semicircle　through　the　open　fields　in　a　northeasterly

direction；　to　a　piece…of　thick　timber　on　the　right；　near　the　Boydton

Road。



A　little　before　the　sun　went　down　the　Confederate　infantry　was　formed

for　the　attack；　and；　fortunately　for　us；　Pennington's　brigade　came　up

and　filled　the　space　to　which　it　was　assigned　between　Capehart　and

Gibbs；　just　as　Pickett　moved　out　across　the　cleared　fields　in　front

of　Custer；　in　deep　lines　that　plainly　told　how　greatly　we　were

outnumbered。



Accompanied　by　Generals　Merritt　and　Custer　and　my　staff；　I　now　rode

along　the　barricades　to　encourage　the　men。　　Our　enthusiastic

reception　showed　that　they　were　determined　to　stay。　　The　cavalcade

drew　the　enemy's　fire；　which　emptied　several　of　the　saddlesamong

others　Mr。　Theodore　Wilson；　correspondent　of　the　New　York　Herald；

being　wounded。　　In　reply　our　horse…artillery　opened　on　the　advancing

Confederates；　but　the　men　behind　the　barricades　lay　still　till

Pickett's　troops　were　within　short　range。　　Then　they　opened；　Custer's

repeating　rifles　pouring　out　such　a　shower　of　lead　that　nothing　could

stand　up　against　it。　　The　repulse　was　very　quick；　and　as　the　gray

lines　retired　to　the　woods　from　which　but　a　few　minutes　before　they

had　so　confidently　advanced；　all　danger　of　their　taking　Dinwiddie　or

marching　to　the　left　and　rear　of　our　infantry　line　was　over；　at　least

for　the　night。　　The　enemy　being　thus　checked；　I　sent　a　staff…officer…

…Captain　Sheridanto　General　Grant　to　report　what　had　taken　place

during　the　afternoon；　and　to　say　that　I　proposed　to　stay　at

Dinwiddie；　but　if　ultimately　compelled　to　abandon　the　place；　I　would

do　so　by　retiring　on　the　Vaughn　road　toward　Hatcher's　Run；　for　I　then

thought　the　attack　might　be　renewed　next　morning。　　Devin　and　Davies

joined　me　about　dark；　and　my　troops　being　now　well　in　hand；　I　sent　a

second　staff…officerColonel　John　Kelloggto　explain　my　situation

more　fully；　and　to　assure　General　Grant　that　I　would　hold　on　at

Dinwiddie　till　forced　to　let　go。



By　following　me　to　Di