personal memoirs-2-第25章

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intelligence　of　General　Warren。　　These　are　attested　by　a　long　record

of　most　excellent　service；　but　in　the　clash　of　arms　at　and　near　Five

Forks；　March　31　and　April　1；　1865；　his　personal　activity　fell　short

of　the　standard　fixed　by　General　Sheridan；　on　whom　alone　rested　the

great　responsibility　for　that　and　succeeding　days。



〃My　conclusion　is　that　General　Sheridan　was　perfectly　justified　in

his　action　in　this　case；　and　he　must　be　fully　and　entirely　sustained

if　the　United　States　expects　great　victories　by　her　arms　in　the

future。〃









CHAPTER　VII。



RESULT　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　FIVE　FORKSRETREAT　OF　LEEAN　INTERCEPTED

DESPATCHAT　AMELIA　COURT　HOUSEBATTLE　OF　SAILOR'S　CREEKTHE

CONFEDERATES'　STUBBORN　RESISTANCEA　COMPLETE　VICTORYIMPORTANCE　OF

THE　BATTLE。



When　the　news　of　the　battle　at　Five　Forks　reached　General　Grant；　he

realized　that　the　decisive　character　of　our　victory　would　necessitate

the　immediate　abandonment　of　Richmond　and　Petersburg　by　the　enemy；

and　fearing　that　Lee　would　escape　without　further　injury；　he　issued

orders；　the　propriety　of　which　must　be　settled　by　history；　to　assault

next　morning　the　whole　intrenched　line。　　But　Lee　could　not　retreat　at

once。　　He　had　not　anticipated；　dissster　at　Five　Forks；　and　hence　was

unprepared　to　withdraw　on　the　moment；　and　the　necessity　of　getting

off　his　trains　and　munitions　of　war；　as　well　as　being　obliged　to

cover　the　flight　of　the　Confederate　Government；　compelled　him　to　hold

on　to　Richmond　and　Petersburg　till　the　afternoon　of　the　2d；　though

before　that　Parke；　Ord；　and　Wright　had　carried　his　outer

intrenchments　at　several　points；　thus　materially　shortening　the　line

of　investment。



The　night　of　the　1st　of　April；　General　Humphreys's　corps…the　Second…

had　extended　its　left　toward　the　White　Oak　road；　and　early　next

morning；　under　instructions　from　General　Grant；　Miles's　division　of

that　corps　reported　to　me；　and　supporting　him　with　Ayres's　and

Crawford's　divisions　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　I　then　directed　him　to

advance　toward　Petersburg　and　attack　the　enemy's　works　at　the

intersection　of　the　Claiborne　and　White　Oak　roads。



Such　of　the　enemy　as　were　still　in　the　works　Miles　easily　forced

across　Hatcher's　Run；　in　the　direction　of　Sutherland's　depot；　but　the

Confederates　promptly　took　up　a　position　north　of　the　little　stream；

and　Miles　being　anxious　to　attack；　I　gave　him　leave；　but　just　at　this

time　General　Humphreys　came　up　with　a　request　to　me　from　General

Meade　to　return　Miles。　　On　this　request　I　relinquished　command　of　the

division；　when；　supported　by　the　Fifth　Corps　it　could　have　broken　in

the　enemy's　right　at　a　vital　point；　and　I　have　always　since　regretted

that　I　did　so；　for　the　message　Humphreys　conveyed　was　without

authority　from　General　Grant；　by　whom　Miles　had　been　sent　to　me；　but

thinking　good　feeling　a　desideratum　just　then；　and　wishing　to　avoid

wrangles；　I　faced　the　Fifth　Corps　about　and　marched　it　down　to　Five

Forks；　and　out　the　Ford　road　to　the　crossing　of　Hatcher's　Run。　　After

we　had　gone；　General　Grant；　intending　this　quarter　of　the　field　to　be

under　my　control；　ordered　Humphreys　with　his　other　two　divisions　to

move　to　the　right；　in　toward　Petersburg。　　This　left　Miles　entirely

unsupported；　and　his　gallant　attack　made　soon　after　was　unsuccessful

at　first；　but　about　3　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　he　carried　the　point

which　covered　the　retreat　from　Petersburg　and　Richmond。



Merritt　had　been　sent　westward；　meanwhile；　in　the　direction　of　Ford's

Station；　to　break　the　enemy's　horse　which　had　been　collecting　to　the

north　of　Hatcher's　Run。　　Meeting；　with　but　little　opposition；　Merritt

drove　this　cavalry　force　in　a　northerly　direction　toward　Scott's

Corners；　while　the　Fifth　Corps　was　pushed　toward　Sutherland's　depot；

in　the　hope　of　coming　in　on　the　rear　of　the　force　that　was

confronting　Miles　when　I　left　him。　　Crawford　and　Merritt　engaged　the

enemy　lightly　just　before　night；　but　his　main　column；　retreating

along　the　river　road　south　of　the　Appomattox；　had　got　across　Namozine

Creek；　and　the　darkness　prevented　our　doing　more　than　to　pick　up　some

stragglers。　　The　next　morning　the　pursuit　was　resumed；　the　cavalry

again　in　advance；　the　Fifth　Corps　keeping　up　with　it　all　the　while；

and　as　we　pressed　our　adversaries　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　prisoners；

armed　and　unarmed；　fell　into　our　hands；　together　with　many　wagons　and

five　pieces　of　artillery。　　At　Deep　Creek　the　rearguard　turned　on　us；

and　a　severe　skirmish　took　place。　　Merritt；　finding　the　enemy　very

strong；　was　directed　to　await　the　arrival　of　Crook　and　for　the　rear

division　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　but　by　the　time　they　reached　the　creek；

darkness　had　again　come　to　protect　the　Confederates；　and　we　had　to　be

content　with　meagre　results　at　that　point。



》From　the　beginning　it　was　apparent　that　Lee；　in　his　retreat；　was

making　for　Amelia　Court　House；　where　his　columns　north　and　south　of

the　Appomattox　River　could　join；　and　where；　no　doubt；　he　expected　to

meet　supplies；　so　Crook　was　ordered　to　march　early　on　April　4　to

strike　the　Danville　railroad；　between　Jettersville　and　Burkeville；

and　then　move　south　along　the　railroad　toward　JettersVille；　Merritt

to　move　toward　Amelia　Court　House；　and　the　Fifth　Corps　to

Jettersville　itself。



The　Fifth　Corps　got　to　Jettersville　about　5　in　the　afternoon；　and　I

immediately　intrenched　it　across　the　Burkeville　road　with　the

determination　to　stay　there　till　the　main　army　could　come　up；　for　I

hoped　we　could　force　Lee　to　surrender　at　Amelia　Court　House；　since　a

firm　hold　on　Jettersville　would　cut　him　off　from　his　line　of　retreat

toward　Burkeville。



Accompanied　only　by　my　escortthe　First　United　States　Cavalry；　about

two　hundred　strongI　reached　Jettersville　some　little　time　before

the　Fifth　Corps；　and　having　nothing　else　at　hand　I　at　once　deployed

this　handful　of　men　to　cover　the　crossroads　till　the　arrival　of　the

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　Cour