personal memoirs-2-第6章

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We　reached　Woodstock　early　on　the　morning　of　the　23d；　and　halted

there　some　little　time　to　let　the　troops　recover　their　organization；

which　had　been　broken　in　the　night　march　they　had　just　made。　　When

the　commands　had　closed　up　we　pushed　on　toward　Edinburg；　in　the　hope

of　making　more　captures　at　Narrow　Passage　Creek；　but　the

Confederates；　too　fleet　for　us；　got　away；　so　General　Wright　halted

the　infantry　not　far　from　Edinburg；　till　rations　could　be　brought　the

men。　　Meanwhile　I；　having　remained　at　Woodstock；　sent　Dedin's　brigade

to　press　the　enemy　under　every　favorable　opportunity；　and　if　possible

prevent　him　from　halting　long　enough　to　reorganize。　　Notwithstanding

Devin's　efforts　the　Confederates　managed　to　assemble　a　considerable

force　to　resist　him；　and　being　too　weak　for　the　rearguard；　he　awaited

the　arrival　of　Averell；　who；　I　had　informed　him；　would　be　hurried　to

the　front　with　all　possible　despatch；　for　I　thought　that　Averell　must

be　close　at　hand。　　It　turned　out；　however；　that　he　was　not　near　by　at

all；　and；　moreover；　that　without　good　reason　he　had　refrained　from

taking　any　part　whatever　in　pursuing　the　enemy　in　the　flight　from

Fisher's　Hill；　and　in　fact　had　gone　into　camp　and　left　to　the

infantry　the　work　of　pursuit。



It　was　nearly　noon　when　Averell　came　up；　and　a　great　deal　of　precious

time　had　been　lost。　　We　had　some　hot　words；　but　hoping　that　he　would

retrieve　the　mistake　of　the　night　before；　I　directed　him　to　proceed

to　the　front　at　once；　and　in　conjunction　with　Devin　close　with　the

enemy。　　He　reached　Devin's　command　about　3　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；

just　as　this　officer　was　pushing　the　Confederates　so　energetically

that　they　were　abandoning　Mount　Jackson；　yet　Averell　utterly　failed

to　accomplish　anything。　　Indeed；　his　indifferent　attack　was　not　at

all　worthy　the　excellent　soldiers　he　commanded；　and　when　I　learned

that　it　was　his　intention　to　withdraw　from　the　enemy's　front；　and

this；　too；　on　the　indefinite　report　of　a　signal…officer　that　a

〃brigade　or　division〃　of　Confederates　was　turning　his　right　flank；

and　that　he　had　not　seriously　attempted　to　verify　the　information；　I

sent　him　this　order：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MIDDLE　MILITARY　DIVISION；

〃Woodstock；　Va。；　Sept。　　23；　1864



〃BREVET　MAJOR…GENERAL　AVERELL



〃Your　report　and　report　of　signal…officer　received。　　I　do　not　want

you　to　let　the　enemy　bluff　you　or　your　command；　and　I　want　you　to

distinctly　understand　this　note。　　I　do　not　advise　rashness；　but　I　do

desire　resolution　and　actual　fighting；　with　necessary　casualties；

before　you　retire。　　There　must　now　be　no　backing　or　filling　by　you

without　a　superior　force　of　the　enemy　actually　engaging　you。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。'





Some　little　time　after　this　note　went　to　Averell；　word　was　brought　me

that　he　had　already　carried　out　the　programme　indicated　when

forwarding　the　report　of　the　expected　turning　of　his　right；　and　that

he　had　actually　withdrawn　and　gone　into　camp　near　Hawkinsburg。　　I

then　decided　to　relieve　him　from　the　command　of　his　division；　which　I

did；　ordering　him　to　Wheeling；　Colonel　William　H。　Powell　being

assigned　to　succeed　him。



The　removal　of　Averell　was　but　the　culmination　of　a　series　of　events

extending　back　to　the　time　I　assumed　command　of　the　Middle　Military

Division。　　At　the　outset；　General　Grant；　fearing　discord　on　account

of　Averell's　ranking　Torbert；　authorized　me　to　relieve　the　former

officer；　but　I　hoped　that　if　any　trouble　of　this　sort　arose；　it　could

be　allayed；　or　at　least　repressed；　during　the　campaign　against　Early；

since　the　different　commands　would　often　have　to　act　separately。

After　that；　the　dispersion　of　my　army　by　the　return　of　the　Sixth

Corps　and　Torbert's　cavalry　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　would　take

place；　I　thought；　and　this　would　restore　matters　to　their　normal

condition　；　but　Averell's　dissatisfaction　began　to　show　itself

immediately　after　his　arrival　at　Martinsburg；　on　the　14th　of　August；

and；　except　when　he　was　conducting　some　independent　expedition；　had

been　manifested　on　all　occasions　since。　　I　therefore　thought　that　the

interest　of　the　service　would　be　subserved　by　removing　one　whose

growing　indifference　might　render　the　best…laid　plans　inoperative。





〃HEADQUARTERS　MIDDLE　MILITARY　DIVISION。

〃HARRISONBURG；　VA。；　SEPT。　　25；　1864　11：30　P。　M。

〃LIEUT…GENERAL　GRANT；　Comd'g；　City　Point；　Va。



〃I　have　relieved　Averell　from　his　command。　　Instead　of　following　the

enemy　when　he　was　broken　at　Fisher's　Hill　（so　there　was　not　a　cavalry

organization　left）；　he　went　into　camp　and　let　me　pursue　the　enemy　for

a　distance　of　fifteen　miles；　with　infantry；　during　the　night。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Major…General。〃





The　failure　of　Averell　to　press　the　enemy　the　evening　of　the　23d　gave

Early　time　to　collect　his　scattered　forces　and　take　up　a　position　on

the　east　side　of　the　North　Fork　of　the　Shenandoah；　his　left　resting

on　the　west　side　of　that　stream　at　Rude's　Hill；　a　commanding　point

about　two　miles　south　of　Mt。　　Jackson。　　Along　this　line　he　had

constructed　some　slight　works　during　the　night；　and　at　daylight　on

the　24th；　I　moved　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps　through　Mt。　Jackson

to　attack　him；　sending　Powell's　division　to　pass　around　his　left

flank；　toward　Timberville；　and　Devin's　brigade　across　the　North　Fork；

to　move　along　the　base　of　Peaked　Ridge　and　attack　his　right。　　The

country　was　entirely　open；　and　none　of　these　manoeuvres　could　be

executed　without　being　observed；　so　as　soon　as　my　advance　began；　the

enemy　rapidly　retreated　in　line　of　battle　up　the　valley　through　New

Market；　closely　followed　by　Wright　and　Emory；　their　artillery　on　the

pike　and　their　columns　on　its　right　and　left。　　Both　sides　moved　with

celerity；　the　Confederates　stimulated　by　the　desire　to　escape；　and

our　men　animated　by　the　prospect　of　wholly　destroying　Early's　army。

The　stern…chase　continued　for　about　thirteen　miles；　our　infantry

often　coming　within　range；　yet　whenever　we　began　to　deploy；　the

Confederates　increased　the　distance　between　us　by　resorting　to　a

double　quick；　evading　battle　with　admirable　tact。　　While　all　this　was

going　on；　the　open　country　permitted　us　a　rare　and　brilliant　sight；

the　bright　sun　gleaming　from　the　arms　and　trappings　of　the　thousands

of　pursuers　and　pursued。



Near　New　Market；　as　a　last　effort　to　hold　the　enemy；　I　pushed　Devin's

cavalrycomprising　about　five　hundred　menwith　two　guns　right　up　on

Early's　lines；　in　the　hope　that　the　tempting　opportunity　given　him　to

capture　the　guns　would　stay　his　retreat　long　enough　to　let　my

infantry　deploy　within　range；　but　he　refused　the　bait；　and　after

momentarily　checking　Devin　he　continued　on　with　little　loss　and　in

pretty　good　order。



All　hope　of　Torbert's　appearing　in　rear　of　the　Confederates　vanished

as　they　passed　beyond　New　Market。　　Some　six　miles　south　of　this　place

Early　left　the　Valley　Pike　and　took　the　road　to　Keezletown；　a　move

due　in　a　measure　to　Powell's　march　by　way　of　Timberville　toward

Lacy's　Springs；　but　mainly　caused　by　the　fact　that　the　Keezletown

road　ran　immediately　along　the　base　of　Peaked　Mountaina　rugged

ridge　affording　protection　to　Early's　right　flankand　led　in　a

direction　facilitating　his　junction　with　Kershaw；　who　had　been

ordered　back　to　him　from　Culpeper　the　day　after　the　battle　of　the

Opequon。　　The　chase　was　kept　up　on　the　Keezeltown　road　till　darkness

overtook　us；　when　my　weary　troops　were　permitted　to　go　into　camp；　and

as　soon　as　the　enemy　discovered　by　our　fires　that　the　pursuit　had

stopped；　he　also　bivouacked　some　five　miles　farther　south　toward　Port

Republic。



The　next　morning　Early　was　joined　by　Lomax's　cavalry　from

Harrisonburg；　Wickham's　and　Payne's　brigades　of　cavalry　also　uniting

with　him　from　the　Luray　Valley。　　His　whole　army　then　fell　back　to　the

mouth　of　Brown's　Gap　to　await　Kershaw's　division　and　Cutshaw's

artillery；　now　on　their　return。



By　the　morning　of　the　25th　the　main　body　of　the　enemy　h