personal memoirs-2-第28章

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detailed　two　regiments　to　make　a　detour　southward　to　strike　the

railroad　some　distance　beyond　and　break　the　track。　　These　regiments

set　off　at　a　gallop；　and　in　short　order　broke　up　the　railroad　enough

to　prevent　the　escape　of　the　trains；　Custer　meanwhile　taking

possession　of　the　station；　but　none　too　soon；　for　almost　at　the

moment　he　did　so　the　advance…guard　of　Lee's　army　appeared；　bent　on

securing　the　trains。　　Without　halting　to　look　after　the　cars　further；

Custer　attacked　this　advance…guard　and　had　a　spirited　fight；　in　which

he　drove　the　Confederates　away　from　the　station；　captured　twenty…five

pieces　of　artillery；　a　hospital　train；　and　a　large　park　of　wagons；

which；　in　the　hope　that　they　would　reach　Lynchburg　next　day；　were

being　pushed　ahead　of　Lee's　main　body。



Devin　coming　up　a　little　before　dusk；　was　put　in　on　the　right　of

Custer；　and　one　of　Crook's　brigades　was　sent　to　our　left　and　the

other　two　held　in　reserve。　　I　then　forced　the　enemy　back　on　the

Appomattox　road　to　the　vicinity　of　the　Court　House；　and　that　the

Confederates　might　have　no　rest；　gave　orders　to　continue　the

skirmishing　throughout　the　night。　　Meanwhile　the　captured　trains　had

been　taken　charge　of　by　locomotive　engineers；　soldiers　of　the

command；　who　were　delighted　evidently　to　get　back　at　their　old

calling。　　They　amused　themselves　by　running　the　trains　to　and　fro；

creating　much　confusion；　and　keeping　up　such　an　unearthly　screeching

with　the　whistles　that　I　was　on　the　point　of　ordering　the　cars

burned。　　They　finally　wearied　of　their　fun；　however；　and　ran　the

trains　off　to　the　east　toward　General　Ord's　column。



The　night　of　the　8th　I　made　my　headquarters　at　a　little　frame　house

just　south　of　the　station。　　I　did　not　sleep　at　all；　nor　did　anybody

else；　the　entire　command　being　up　all　night　long；　indeed；　there　had

been　little　rest　in　the；　cavalry　for　the　past　eight　days。　　The

necessity　of　getting　Ord's　column　up　was　so　obvious　now　that　staff…

officer　after　staff…officer　was　sent　to　him　and　to　General　Grant

requesting　that　the　infantry　be　pushed　on；　for　if　it　could　get　to　the

front；　all　knew　that　the　rebellion　would　be　ended　on　the　morrow。

Merritt；　Crook；　Custer；　and　Devin　were　present　at　frequent　intervals

during　the　night；　and　everybody　was　overjoyed　at　the　prospect　that

our　weary　work　was　about　to　end　so　happily。　　Before　sun…up　General

Ord　arrived；　and　informed　me　of　the　approach　of　his　column；　it　having

been　marching　the　whole　night。　　As　he　ranked　me；　of　course　I　could

give　him　no　orders；　so　after　a　hasty　consultation　as　to　where　his

troops　should　be　placed　we　separated；　I　riding　to　the　front　to

overlook　my　line　near　Appomattox　Court　House；　while　he　went　back　to

urge　along　his　weary　troops。



The　night　before　General　Lee　had　held　a　council　with　his　principal

generals；　when　it　was　arranged　that　in　the　morning　General　Gordon

should　undertake　to　break　through　my　cavalry；　and　when　I　neared　my

troops　this　movement　was　beginning；　a　heavy　line　of　infantry　bearing

down　on　us　from　the　direction　of　the　village。　　In　front　of　Crook　and

Mackenzie　firing　had　already　begun；　so　riding　to　a　slight　elevation

where　a　good　view　of　the　Confederates　could　be　had；　I　there　came　to

the　conclusion　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　offer　more　resistance　than

that　necessary　to　give　Ord　time　to　form；　so　I　directed　Merritt　to

fall　back；　and　in　retiring　to　shift　Devin　and　Custer　to　the　right　so

as　to　make　room　for　Ord；　now　in　the　woods　to　my　rear。　　Crook；　who

with　his　own　and　Mackenzie's　divisions　was　on　my　extreme　left

covering　some　by…roads；　was　ordered　to　hold　his　ground　as　long　as

practicable　without　sacrificing　his　men；　and；　if　forced　to　retire；　to

contest　with　obstinacy　the　enemy's　advance。



As　already　stated；　I　could　not　direct　General　Ord's　course；　he　being

my　senior；　but　hastily　galloping　back　to　where　he　was；　at　the　edge　of

the　timber；　I　explained　to　him　what　was　taking　place　at　the　front。

Merritt's　withdrawal　inspired　the　Confederates；　who　forthwith　began

to　press　Crook；　their　line　of　battle　advancing　with　confidence　till

it　reached　the　crest　whence　I　had　reconnoitred　them。　　From　this

ground　they　could　see　Ord's　men　emerging　from　the　woods；　and　the

hopelessness　of　a　further　attack　being　plain；　the　gray　lines

instinctively　halted；　and　then　began　to　retire　toward　a　ridge

immediately　fronting　Appomattox　Court　House；　while　Ord；　joined　on　his

right　by　the　Fifth　Corps；　advanced　on　them　over　the　ground　that

Merritt　had　abandoned。



I　now　directed　my　steps　toward　Merritt；　who；　having　mounted　his

troopers；　had　moved　them　off　to　the　right；　and　by　the　time　I　reached

his　headquarters　flag　he　was　ready　for　work；　so　a　move　on　the　enemy's

left　was　ordered；　and　every　guidon　was　bent　to　the　front。　　As　the

cavalry　marched　along　parallel　with　the　Confederate　line；　and　in

toward　its　left；　a　heavy　fire　of　artillery　opened　on　us；　but　this

could　not　check　us　at　such　a　time；　and　we　soon　reached　some　high

ground　about　half　a　mile　from　the　Court　House；　and　from　here　I　could

see　in　the　low　valley　beyond　the　village　the　bivouac　undoubtedly　of

Lee's　army。　　The　troops　did　not　seem　to　be　disposed　in　battle　order；

but　on　the　other　side　of　the　bivouac　was　a　line　of　battlea　heavy

rear…guardconfronting；　presumably；　General　Meade。



I　decided　to　attack　at　once；　and　formations　were　ordered　at　a　trot

for　a　charge　by　Custer's　and　Devin's　divisions　down　the　slope　leading

to　the　camps。　　Custer　was　soon　ready；　but　Devin's　division　being　in

rear　its　formation　took　longer；　since　he　had　to　shift　further　to　the

right；　Devin's　preparations　were；　therefore；　but　partially　completed

when　an　aide…decamp　galloped　up　to　with　the　word　from　Custer；　〃Lee

has　surrendered；　do　not　charge；　the　white　flag　is　up。〃　　The　enemy

perceiving　that　Custer　was　forming　for　attack；　had　sent　the　flag　out

to　his　front　and　stopped　the　charge　just　in　time。　　I　at　once　sent

word　of　the　truce　to　General　Ord；　and　hearing　nothing　more　from

Custer　himself；　I　supposed　that　he　had　gone　down　to　the　Court　House

to　join　a　mounted　group　of　Confederates　that　I　could　see　near　there；

so　I；　too；　went　toward　them；　galloping　down　a　narrow　ridge；　staff　and

orderlies　following；　but　we　had　not　got　half　way　to　the　Court　House

when；　from　a　skirt　of　timber　to　our　right；　not　more　than　three

hundred　yards　distant；　a　musketry　fire　was　opened　on　us。　　This　halted

us；　when；　waving　my　hat；　I　called　out　to　the　firing　party　that　we

were　under　a　truce；　and　they　were　violating　it。　　This　did　not　stop

them；　however；　so　we　hastily　took　shelter　in　a　ravine　so　situated　as

to　throw　a　ridge　between　us　and　the　danger。



We　traveled　in　safety　down　this　depression　to　its　mouth；　and　thence

by　a　gentle　ascent　approached　the　Court　House。　　I　was　in　advance；

followed　by　a　sergeant　carrying　my　battleflag。　　When　I　got　within

about　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　of　the　enemy's　line；　which　was

immediately　in　front　of　the　Court　House；　some　of　the　Confederates

leveled　their　pieces　at　us；　and　I　again　halted。　　Their　officers　kept

their　men　from　firing；　however；　but　meanwhile　a　single…handed　contest

had　begun　behind　me；　for　on　looking　back　I　heard　a　Confederate

soldier　demanding　my　battle…flag　from　the　color…bearer；　thinking；　no

doubt；　that　we　were　coming　in　as　prisoners。　　The　sergeant　had　drawn

his　sabre　and　was　about　to　cut　the　man　down；　but　at　a　word　from　me　he

desisted　and　carried　the　flag　back　to　my　staff；　his　assailant　quickly

realizing　that　the　boot　was　on　the　other　leg。



These　incidents　determined　me　to　remain　where　I　was　till　the　return

of　a　staff…officer　whom　I　had　sent　over　to　demand　an　explanation　from

the　group　of　Confederates　for　which　I　had　been　heading。　　He　came　back

in　a　few　minutes　with　apologies　for　what　had　occurred；　and　informed

me　that　General　Gordon　and　General　Wilcox　were　the　superior　officers

in　the　group。　　As　they　wished　me　to　join　them　I　rode　up　with　my

staff；　but　we　had　hardly　met　when　in　front　of　Merritt　firing　began。

At　the