personal memoirs-2-第7章

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artillery；　now　on　their　return。



By　the　morning　of　the　25th　the　main　body　of　the　enemy　had　disappeared

entirely　from　my　front；　and　the　capture　of　some　small；　squads　of

Confederates　in　the　neighboring　hills　furnished　us　the　only　incidents

of　the　day。　　Among　the　prisoners　was　a　tall　and　fine　looking　officer；

much　worn　with　hunger　and　fatigue。　　The　moment　I　saw　him　I　recognized

him　as　a　former　comrade；　George　W。　Carr；　with　whom　I　had　served　in

Washington　Territory。　　He　was　in　those　days　a　lieutenant　in　the　Ninth

Infantry；　and　was　one　of　the　officers　who　superintended　the　execution

of　the　nine　Indians　at　the　Cascades　of　the　Columbia　in　1856。　　Carr

was　very　much　emaciated；　and　greatly　discouraged　by　the　turn　events

had　recently　taken。　　For　old　acquaintance　sake　I　gave　him　plenty　to

eat；　and　kept　him　in　comfort　at　my　headquarters　until　the　next　batch

of　prisoners　was　sent　to　the　rear；　when　he　went　with　them。　　He　had

resigned　from　the　regular　army　at　the　commencement　of　hostilities；

and；　full　of　high　anticipation；　cast　his　lot　with　the　Confederacy；

but　when　he　fell　into　our　hands；　his　bright　dreams　having　been

dispelled　by　the　harsh　realities　of　war；　he　appeared　to　think　that

for　him　there　was　no　future。



Picking　up　prisoners　here　and　there；　my　troops　resumed　their　march

directly　south　on　the　Valley　pike；　and　when　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth

corps　reached　Harrisonburg；　they　went　into　camp；　Powell　in　the

meanwhile　pushing　on　to　Mt。　Crawford；　and　Crook　taking　up　a　position

in　our　rear　at　the　junction　of　the　Keezletown　road　and　the　Valley

pike。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　Torbert's　cavalry　came　in　from　New

Market　arriving　at　that　place　many　hours　later　than　it　had　been

expected。



The　succeeding　day　I　sent　Merritt　to　Port　Republic　to　occupy　the

enemy's　attention；　while　Torbert；　with　Wilson's　division　and　the

regular　brigade；　was　ordered　to　Staunton；　whence　he　was　to　proceed　to

Waynesboro'　and　blow　up　the　railroad　bridge。　　Having　done　this；

Torbert；　as　he　returned；　was　to　drive　off　whatever　cattle　he　could

find；　destroy　all　forage　and　breadstuffs；　and　burn　the　mills。　　He

took　possession　of　Waynesboro'　in　due　time；　but　had　succeeded　in　only

partially　demolishing　the　railroad　bridge　when；　attacked　by　Pegram's

division　of　infantry　and　Wickham's　cavalry；　he　was　compelled　to　fall

back　to　Staunton。　　From　the　latter　place　he　retired　to　Bridgewater；

and　Spring　Hill；　on　the　way；　however；　fully　executing　his

instructions　regarding　the　destructLon　of　supplies。



While　Torbert　was　on　this　expedition；　Merritt　had　occupied　Port

Republic；　but　he　happened　to　get　there　the　very　day　that　Kershaw's

division　was　marching　from　Swift　Run　Gap　to　join　Early。　　By　accident

Kershaw　ran　into　Merritt　shortly　after　the　latter　had　gained　the

village。　　Kershaw's　four　infantry　brigades　attacked　at　once；　and

Merrit；　forced　out　of　Port　Republic；　fell　back　toward　Cross　Keys；　and

in　anticipation　that　the　Confederates　could　be　coaxed　to　that　point；

I　ordered　the　infantry　there；　but　Torbert's　attack　at　Wavnesboro'　had

alarmed　Early；　and　in　consequence　he　drew　all　his　forces　in　toward

Rock…fish　Gap。　　This　enabled　me　to　re…establish　Merritt　at　Port

Republic；　send　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps　to　the　neighborhood　of

Mt。　Crawford　to　await　the　return　of　Torbert；　and　to　post　Crook　at

Harrisonburg；　these　dispositions　practically　obtained　till　the　6th　of

October；　I　holding　a　line　across　the　valley　from　Port　Republic　along

North　River　by　Mt。　Crawford　to　the　Back　road　near　the　mouth　of　Briery

Branch　Gap。



It　was　during　this　period；　about　dusk　on　the　evening　of　October　3；

that　between　Harrisonburg　and　Dayton　my　engineer　officer；　Lieutenant

John　R。　Meigs；　was　murdered　within　my　lines。　　He　had　gone　out　with

two　topographical　assistants　to　plot　the　country；　and　late　in　the

evening；　while　riding　along　the　public　road　on　his　return　to　camp；　he

overtook　three　men　dressed　in　our　uniform。　　From　their　dress；　and

also　because　the　party　was　immediately　behind　our　lines　and　within　a

mile　and　a　half　of　my　headquarters；　Meigs　and　his　assistants

naturally　thought　that　they　were　joining　friends；　and　wholly

unsuspicious　of　anything　to　the　contrary；　rode　on　with　the　three　men

some　little　distance；　but　their　perfidy　was　abruptly　discovered　by

their　suddenly　turning　upon　Meigs　with　a　call　for　his　surrender。　　It

has　been　claimed　that；　refusing　to　submit；　he　fired　on　the

treacherous　party；　but　the　statement　is　not　true；　for　one　of　the

topographers　escapedthe　other　was　capturedand　reported　a　few

minutes　later　at　my　headquarters　that　Meigs　was　killed　without

resistance　of　any　kind　whatever；　and　without　even　the　chance　to　give

himself　up。　　This　man　was　so　cool；　and　related　all　the　circumstances

of　the　occurrence　with　such　exactness；　as　to　prove　the　truthfulness

of　his　statement。　　The　fact　that　the　murder　had　been　committed　inside

our　lines　was　evidence　that　the　perpetrators　of　the　crime；　having

their　homes　in　the　vicinity；　had　been　clandestinely　visiting　them；

and　been　secretly　harbored　by　some　of　the　neighboring　residents。

Determining　to　teach　a　lesson　to　these　abettors　of　the　foul　deeda

lesson　they　would　never　forgetI　ordered　all　the　houses　within　an

area　of　five　miles　to　be　burned。　　General　Custer；　who　had　succeeded

to　the　command　of　the　Third　Cavalry　division　（General　Wilson　having

been　detailed　as　chief　of　cavalry　to　Sherman's　army）；　was　charged

with　this　duty；　and　the　next　morning　proceeded　to　put　the　order　into

execution。　　The　prescribed　area　included　the　little　village　of

Dayton；　but　when　a　few　houses　in　the　immediate　neighborhood　of　the

scene　of　the　murder　had　been　burned；　Custer　was　directed　to　cease　his

desolating　work；　but　to　fetch　away　all　the　able…bodied　males　as

prisoners。









CHAPTER　III。



REASONS　FOR　NOT　PURSUING　EARLY　THROUGH　THE　BLUE　RIDGEGENERAL

TORBERT　DETAILED　TO　GIVE　GENERAL　ROSSER　A　〃DRUBBING〃GENERAL　ROSSER

ROUTEDTELEGRAPHED　TO　MEET　STANTONLONGSTREET'S　MESSAGERETURN　TO

WINCHESTERTHE　RIDE　TO　CEDAR　CREEKTHE　RETREATING　ARMYRALLYING

THE　TROOPSREFORMING　THE　LINECOMMENCING　THE　ATTACKDEFEAT　OF　THE

CONFEDERATESAPPOINTED　A　MAJOR…GENERAL　IN　THE　REGULAR　ARMYRESULTS

OF　THE　BATTLE。



While　we　lay　in　camp　at　Harrisonburg　it　became　necessary　to　decide

whether　or　not　I　would　advance　to　Brown's　Gap；　and；　after　driving　the

enemy　from　there；　follow　him　through　the　Blue　Ridge　into　eastern

Virginia。　　Indeed；　this　question　began　to　cause　me　solicitude　as　soon

as　I　knew　Early　had　escaped　me　at　New　Market；　for　I　felt　certain　that

I　should　be　urged　to　pursue　the　Confederates　toward　Charlottesville

and　Gordonsville；　and　be　expected　to　operate　on　that　line　against

Richmond。　　For　many　reasons　I　was　much　opposed　to　such　a　plan；　but

mainly　because　its　execution　would　involve　the　opening　of　the　Orange

and　Alexandria　railroad。　　To　protect　this　road　against　the　raids　of

the　numerous　guerrilla　bands　that　infested　the　region　through　which

it　passed；　and　to　keep　it　in　operation；　would　require　a　large　force

of　infantry；　and　would　also　greatly　reduce　my　cavalry；　besides；　I

should　be　obliged　to　leave　a　force　in　the　valley　strong　enough　to

give　security　to　the　line　of　the　upper　Potomac　and　the　Baltimore　and

Ohio　railroad；　and　this　alone　would　probably　take　the　whole　of

Crook's　command；　leaving　me　a　wholly　inadequate　number　of　fighting

men　to　prosecute　a　campaign　against　the　city　of　Richmond。　　Then；　too；

I　was　in　doubt　whether　the　besiegers　could　hold　the　entire　army　at

Petersburg；　and　in　case　they　could　not；　a　number　of　troops　sufficient

to　crush　me　might　be　detached　by　Lee；　moved　rapidly　by　rail；　and；

after　overwhelming　me；　be　quickly　returned　to　confront　General　Meade。

I　was　satisfied；　moreover；　that　my　transportation　could　not　supply　me

further　than　Harrisonburg；　and　if　in　penetrating　the　Blue　Ridge　I　met

with　protracted　resistance；　a　lack　of　supplies　might　compel　me　to

abandon　the　attempt　at　a　most　inopportune　time。



I　therefore　advised　that