personal memoirs-1-第57章

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between　the　Confederates　who　had　cut　him　off　in　the　rear　at　Parker's

store　and　those　occupying　the　Catharpen　road；　but　he　extricated　his

command　by　passing　it　around　the　latter　force；　and　reached　Todd's

Tavern　by　crossing　the　Po　River　at　Corbin's　bridge。　　General　Meade

discovering　that　the　enemy　had　interposed　at　Parker's　store　between

Wilson　and　the　Fifth　Corps；　sent　me　word　to　go　to　Wilson's　relief；

and　this　was　the　first　intimation　I　received　that　Wilson　had　been

pushed　out　so　far；　but；　surmising　that　he　would　retire　in　the

direction　of　Todd's　Tavern　I　immediately　despatched　Gregg's　division

there　to　his　relief。　　Just　beyond　Todd's　Tavern　Gregg　met　Wilson；　who

was　now　being　followed　by　the　enemy's　cavalry。　　The　pursuing　force

was　soon　checked；　and　then　driven　back　to　Shady　Grove　Church；　while

Wilson's　troops　fell　in　behind　Gregg's　line；　somewhat　the　worse　for

their　morning's　adventure。



When　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　commenced　crossing　the　Rapidan　on　the

4th；　General　J。　E。　B。　Stuart；　commanding　the　Confederate　cavalry；

began　concentrating　his　command　on　the　right　of　Lee's　infantry；

bringing　it　from　Hamilton's　crossing　and　other　points　where　it　had

been　wintering。　　Stuart's　force　at　this　date　was　a　little　more　than

eight　thousand　men；　organized　in　two　divisions；　commanded　by　Generals

Wade　Hampton　and　Fitzhugh　Lee。　　Hampton's　division　was　composed　of

three　brigades；　commanded　by　Generals　Cordon；　Young；　and　Rosser；

Fitzhugh　Lee's　division　comprised　three　brigades　also；　Generals　W。　H。

F。　Lee；　Lomax；　and　Wickham　commanding　them。



Information　of　this　concentration；　and　of　the　additional　fact　that

the　enemy's　cavalry　about　Hamilton's　crossing　was　all　being　drawn　in；

reached　me　on　the　5th；　which　obviated　all　necessity　for　my　moving　on

that　point　as　I　intended　at　the　onset　of　the　campaign。　　The

responsibility　for　the　safety　of　our　trains　and　of　the　left　flank　of

the　army　still　continued；　however；　so　I　made　such　dispositions　of　my

troops　as　to　secure　these　objects　by　holding　the　line　of　the　Brock

road　beyond　the　Furnaces；　and　thence　around　to　Todd's　Tavern　and

Piney　Branch　Church。　　On　the　6th；　through　some　false　information；

General　Meade　became　alarmed　about　his　left　flank；　and　sent　me　the

following　note：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC；

〃May　6；　1864。1　o'clock　P。　M。

〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；

〃Commanding　Cavalry　Corps



〃Your　despatch　of　11。45　a。m。；　received。　　General　Hancock　has　been

heavily　pressed；　and　his　left　turned。　　The　major…general　commanding

thinks　that　you　had　better　draw　in　your　cavalry；　so　as　to　secure　the

protection　of　the　trains。　　The　order　requiring　an　escort　for　the

wagons　to…night　has　been　rescinded。



〃A。　A。　HUMPHREYS；

〃Major…General；　Chief…of…Staff。〃





On　the　morning　of　the　6th　Custer's　and　Devin's　brigades　had　been

severely　engaged　at　the　Furnaces　before　I　received　the　above　note。

They　had　been　most　successful　in　repulsing　the　enemy's　attacks；

however；　and　I　felt　that　the　line　taken　up　could　be　held；　but　the

despatch　from　General　Humphreys　was　alarming；　so　I　drew　all　the

cavalry　close　in　toward　Chancellorsville。　　It　was　found　later　that

Hancock's　left　had　not　been　turned；　and　the　points　thus　abandoned　had

to　be　regained　at　a　heavy　cost　in　killed　and　wounded；　to　both　the

cavalry　and　the　infantry。



On　the　7th　of　May；　under　directions　from　headquarters；　Army　of　the

Potomac；　the　trains　were　put　in　motion　to　go　into　park　at　Piney

Branch　Church；　in　anticipation　of　the　movement　that　was　about　to　be

made　for　the　possession　of　Spottsylvania　Court　House。　　I　felt

confident　that　the　order　to　move　the　trains　there　had　been　given

without　a　full　understanding　of　the　situation；　for　Piney　Branch

Church　was　now　held　by　the　enemy；　a　condition　which　had　resulted　from

the　order　withdrawing　the　cavalry　on　account　of　the　supposed　disaster

to　Hancock's　left　the　day　before；　but　I　thought　the　best　way　to

remedy　matters　was　to　hold　the　trains　in　the　vicinity　of　Aldrich's

till　the　ground　on　which　it　was　intended　to　park　them　should　be

regained。



This　led　to　the　battle　of　Todd's　Tavern；　a　spirited　fight　for　the

possession　of　the　crossroads　at　that　point；　participated　in　by　the

enemy's　cavalry　and　Gregg's　division；　and　two　brigades　of　Torbert's

division；　the　latter　commanded　by　Merritt；　as　Torbert　became　very　ill

on　the　6th；　and　had　to　be　sent　to　the　rear。　　To　gain　the　objective

pointthe　crossroadsI　directed　Gregg　to　assail　the　enemy　on　the

Catharpen　road　with　Irvin　Gregg's　brigade　and　drive　him　over　Corbin's

bridge；　while　Merritt　attacked　him　with　the　Reserve　brigade　on　the

Spottsylvania　road　in　conjunction　with　Davies's　brigade　of　Gregg's

division；　which　was　to　be　put　in　on　the　Piney　Branch　Church　road；　and

unite　with　Merritt's　left。　　Davies's　and　Irvin　Gregg's　brigades　on　my

right　and　left　flanks　met　with　some　resistance；　yet　not　enough　to

deter　them　from；　executing　their　orders。　　In　front　of　Merritt　the

enemy　held　on　more　stubbornly；　however；　and　there　ensued　an

exceedingly　severe　and；　at　times；　fluctuating　fight。　　Finally　the

Confederates　gave　way；　and　we　pursued　them　almost　to　Spottsylvania

Court　House；　but　deeming　it　prudent　to　recall　the　pursuers　about

dark；　I　encamped　Gregg's　and　Merritt's　divisions　in　the　open　fields

to　the　east　of　Todd's　Tavern。



During　the　preceding　three　days　the　infantry　corps　of　the　army　had

been　engaged　in　the　various　conflicts　known　as　the　battles　of　the

Wilderness。　　The　success　of　the　Union　troops　in　those　battles　had　not

been　all　that　was　desired；　and　General　Grant　now　felt　that　it　was

necessary　to　throw　himself　on　Lee's　communications　if　possible；　while

preserving　his　own　intact　by　prolonging　the　movement　to　the　left。

Therefore；　on　the　evening　of　the　7th　he　determined　to　shift　his　whole

army　toward　Spottsylvania　Court　House；　and　initiated　the　movement　by

a　night　march　of　the　infantry　to　Todd's　Tavern。　　In　view　of　what　was

contemplated；　I　gave　orders　to　Gregg　and　Merritt　to　move　at　daylight

on　the　morning　of　the　8th；　for　the　purpose　of　gaining　possession　of

Snell's　bridge　over　the　Po　River；　the　former　by　the　crossing　at

Corbin's　bridge　and　the　latter　by　the　Block　House。　　I　also　directed

Wilson；　who　was　at　Alsop's　house；　to　take　possession　of　Spottsylvania

as　early　as　possible　on　the　morning　of　the　8th；　and　then　move　into

position　at　Snell's　bridge　conjointly　with　the　other　two　divisions。

Wilson's　orders　remained　as　I　had　issued　them；　so　he　moved

accordingly　and　got　possession　of　Spottsylvania；　driving　the　enemy's

cavalry　a　mile　beyond；　as　will　be　seen　by　the　following　despatch　sent

me　at　9　A。　M。　of　the　8th：



〃HEADQUARTERS　THIRD　DIVISION；　CAVALRY　CORPS；

〃ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC。

〃SPOTTSYLVANIA　COURT　HOUSE；　May　8；　1864　9　A。　M。

〃　LIEUTENANT…COLONEL　FORSYTH；　CHIEF…OF…STAFF；　C。　C。



〃Have　run　the　enemy's　cavalry　a　mile　from　Spottsylvania　Court　House；

have　charged　them；　and　drove　them　through　the　village；　am　fighting

now　with　a　considerable　force；　supposed　to　be　Lee's　division。

Everything　all　right。



〃J。　H。　WILSON；

〃Brigadier…General　Commanding。





During　the　night　of　the　7th　General　Meade　arrived　at　Todd's　Tavern

and　modified　the　orders　I　had　given　Gregg　and　Merritt；　directing

Gregg　simply　to　hold　Corbin's　bridge；　and　Merritt　to　move　out　in

front　of　the　infantry　column　marching　on　the　Spottsylvania　road。

Merritt　proceeded　to　obey；　but　in　advancing；　our　cavalry　and　infantry

became　intermingled　in　the　darkness；　and　much　confusion　and　delay　was

the　consequence。　　I　had　not　been　duly　advised　of　these　changes　in

Gregg's　and　Merritt's　orders；　and　for　a　time　I　had　fears　for　the

safety　of　Wilson；　but；　while　he　was　preparing　to　move　on　to　form　his

junction　with　Gregg　and　Merritt　at　Snell's　bridge；　the　advance　of

Anderson　（who　was　now　commanding　Longstreet's　corps）　appeared　on　the

scene　and　drove　him　from　Spottsylvania。



Had　Gregg　and　Merritt　been　permitted　to　proceed　as　they　were

originally　instructed；　it　is