personal memoirs-1-第61章

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well　supplied；　they　did　a　thrifty　business。　　When　their　stock　in

trade　was　all　disposed　of　they　wished　to　return；　but　they　were　so

intelligent　and　observant　that　I　thought　their　mission　involved　other

purposes　than　the　mere　sale　of　newspapers；　so　they　were　held　till　we

crossed　the　Chickahominy　and　then　turned　loose。



After　Merritt　had　crossed　the　Chickahominy　and　reached

Mechanicsville；　I　sent　him　orders　to　push　on　to　Gaines's　Mills。　　Near

the　latter　place　he　fell　in　with　the　enemy's　cavalry　again；　and

sending　me　word；　about　4　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　I　crossed　the

Chickahominy　with　Wilson　and　Gregg；　but　when　we　overtook　Merritt　he

had　already　brushed　the　Confederates　away；　and　my　whole　command　went

into　camp　between　Walnut　Grove　and　Gaines's　Mills。



The　main　purposes　of　the　expedition　had　now　been　executed。　They　were

〃to　break　up　General　Lee's　railroad　communications；　destroy　such

depots　of　supplies　as　could　be　found　in　his　rear；　and　to　defeat

General　Stuart's　cavalry。〃　　Many　miles　of　the　Virginia　Central　and　of

the；　Richmond　and　Fredericksburg　railroads　were　broken　up；　and

several　of　the　bridges　on　each　burnt。　　At　Beaver　Dam；　Ashland；　and

other　places；　about　two　millions　of　rations　had　been　captured　and

destroyed。　The　most　important　of　all；　however；　was　the　defeat　of

Stuart。　　Since　the　beginning　of　the　war　this　general　had

distinguished　himself　by　his　management　of　the　Confederate　mounted

force。　　Under　him　the　cavalry　of　Lee's　army　had　been　nurtured；　and

had　acquired　such　prestige　that　it　thought　itself　well…nigh

invincible；　indeed；　in　the　early　years　of　the　war　it　had　proved　to　be

so。　　This　was　now　dispelled　by　the　successful　march　we　had　made　in

Lee's　rear；　and　the　discomfiture　of　Stuart　at　Yellow　Tavern　had

inflicted　a　blow　from　which　entire　recovery　was　impossible。



In　its　effect　on　the　Confederate　cause　the　defeat　of　Stuart　was　most

disheartening；　but　his　death　was　even　a　greater　calamity；　as　is

evidenced　by　the　words　of　a　Confederate　writer　（Cooke）；　who　says：

〃Stuart　could　be　ill　spared　at　this　critical　moment；　and　General　Lee

was　plunged　into　the　deepest　melancholy　at　the　intelligence　of　his

death。　　When　it　reached　him　he　retired　from　those　around　him；　and

remained　for　some　time　communing　with　his　own　heart　and　memory。　　When

one　of　his　staff　entered　and　spoke　of　Stuart；　General　Lee　said：　'I

can　scarcely　think　of　him　without　weeping。'〃



》From　the　camp　near　Gaines's　Mills　I　resumed　the　march　to　Haxall's

Landing；　the　point　on　the　James　River　contemplated　in　my　instructions

where　I　was　to　obtain　supplies　from　General　Butler。　　We　got　to　the

James　on　the　14th　with　all　our　wounded　and　a　large　number　of

prisoners；　and　camped　between　Haxall's　and　Shirley。　　The　prisoners；

as　well　as　the　captured　guns；　were　turned　over　to　General　Butler's

provost…marshal；　and　our　wounded　were　quickly　and　kindly　cared　for　by

his　surgeons。　　Ample　supplies；　also；　in　the　way　of　forage　and

rations；　were　furnished　us　by　General　Butler；　and　the　work　of

refitting　for　our　return　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　was　vigorously

pushed。　By　the　17th　all　was　ready；　and　having　learned　by　scouting

parties　sent　in　the　direction　of　Richmond　and　as　far　as　Newmarket

that　the　enemy's　cavalry　was　returning　to　Lee's　army　I　started　that

evening　on　my　return　march；　crossing　the　Chickahominy　at　Jones's

bridge；　and　bivouacking　on　the　19th　near　Baltimore　crossroads。



My　uncertainty　of　what　had　happened　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　our

absence；　and　as　to　where　I　should　find　it；　made　our　getting　back　a

problem　somewhat　difficult　of　solution；　particularly　as　I　knew　that

reinforcements　for　Lee　had　come　up　from　the　south　to　Richmond；　and

that　most　likely　some　of　these　troops　were　being　held　at　different

points　on　the　route　to　intercept　my　column。　　Therefore　I　determined

to　pass　the　Pamunkey　River　at　the　White　House；　and　sent　to　Fort

Monroe　for　a　pontoon…bridge　on　which　to　make　the　crossing。　　While

waiting　for　the　pontoons　I　ordered　Custer　to　proceed　with　his　brigade

to　Hanover　Station；　to　destroy　the　railroad　bridge　over　the　South

Anna；　a　little　beyond　that　place；　at　the　same　time　I　sent　Gregg　and

Wilson　to　Cold　Harbor；　to　demonstrate　in　the　direction　of　Richmond　as

far　as　Mechanicsville；　so　as　to　cover　Custer's　movements。　　Merritt；

with　the　remaining　brigades　of　his　division；　holding　fast　at

Baltimore　crossroads　to　await　events。



After　Gregg　and　Custer　had　gone；　it　was　discovered　that　the　railroad

bridge　over　the　Pamunkey；　near　the　White　House；　had　been　destroyed

but　partiallythe　cross…ties　and　stringers　being　burned　in　places

onlyand　that　it　was　practicable　to　repair　it　sufficiently　to　carry

us　over。　　In　view　of　this　information　General　Merritt's　two　brigades

were　at　once　put　on　the　duty　of　reconstructing　the　bridge。　　By

sending　mounted　parties　through　the　surrounding　country；　each　man　of

which　would　bring　in　a　board　or　a　plank；　Merritt　soon　accumulated

enough　lumber　for　the　flooring；　and　in　one　day　the　bridge　was　made

practicable。　　On　the　22d　Gregg；　Wilson；　and　Custer　returned。　　The

latter　had　gone　on　his　expedition　as　far　as　Hanover　Station；

destroyed　some　commissary　stores　there；　and　burned　two　trestle

bridges　over　Hanover　Creek。　　This　done；　he　deemed　it　prudent　to

retire　to　Hanovertown。　　The　next　morning　he　again　marched　to　Hanover

Station；　and　there　ascertained　that　a　strong　force　of　the　enemy；

consisting　of　infantry；　cavalry；　and　artillery；　was　posted　at　the

South　Anna　bridges。　　These　troops　had　gone　there　from　Richmond　en

route　to　reinforce　Lee。　　In　the　face　of　this　impediment　Custer's

mission　could　not　be　executed　fully；　so　he　returned　to　Baltimore

crossroads。



The　whole　command　was　drawn　in　by　noon　of　the　22d；　and　that　day　it

crossed　the　Pamunkey　by　Merritt's　reconstructed　bridge；　marching　to

Ayletts；　on　the　Mattapony　River；　the　same　night。　　Here　I　learned　from

citizens；　and　from　prisoners　taken　during　the　day　by　scouting　parties

sent　toward　Hanover　Court　House；　that　Lee　had　been；　forced　from　his

position　near　Spottsylvania　Court　House　and　compelled　to　retire　to

the　line　of　the　North　Anna。　　I　then　determined　to　rejoin　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　at　the　earliest　moment；　which　I　did　by　making　for

Chesterfield　Station；　where　I　reported　to　General　Meade　on　the　24th

of　May。



Our　return　to　Chesterfield　ended　the　first　independent　expedition　the

Cavalry　Corps　had　undertaken　since　coming　under　my　command；　and　our

success　was　commended　highly　by　Generals　Grant　and　Meade；　both

realizing　that　our　operations　in　the　rear　of　Lee　had　disconcerted　and

alarmed　that　general　so　much　as　to　aid　materially　in　forcing　his

retrograde　march；　and　both　acknowledged　that；　by　drawing　off　the

enemy's　cavalry　during　the　past　fortnight；　we　had　enabled　them　to

move　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　and　its　enormous　trains　without

molestation　in　the　manoeuvres　that　had　carried　it　to　the　North　Anna。

Then；　too；　great　quantities　of　provisions　and　munitions　of　war　had

been　destroyedstores　that　the　enemy　had　accumulated　at　sub…depots

from　strained　resources　and　by　difficult　means；　the　railroads　that

connected　Lee　with　Richmond　broken；　the　most　successful　cavalry

leader　of　the　South　killed；　and　in　addition　to　all　this　there　had

been　inflicted　on　the　Confederate　mounted　troops　the　most　thorough

defeat　that　had　yet　befallen　them　in　Virginia。



When　the　expedition　set　out　the　Confederate　authorities　in　Richmond

were　impressed；　and　indeed　convinced；　that　my　designs　contemplated

the　capture　of　that　city；　and　notwithstanding　the　loss　they　sustained

in　the　defeat　and　death　of　Stuart；　and　their　repulse　the　succeeding

day；　they　drew　much　comfort　from　the　fact　that　I　had　not　entered

their　capital。　　Some　Confederate　writers　have　continued　to　hold　this

theory　and　conviction　since　the　war。　　In　this　view　they　were　and　are

in　error。　　When　Stuart　was　defeated　the　main　purpose　of　my

instructions　had　been　carried　out；　and　my　thoughts　then　turned　to

joining　General