personal memoirs-1-第65章

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River；　his　unsuccessful　attack　on　the　enemy's　works　near　Cold　Harbor

having　demonstrated　that　Lee's　position　north　of　the　Chickahominy

could　not　be　carried　by　assault　with　results　that　would　compensate

for　the　enormous　loss　of　life　which　must　follow；　therefore　a　further

attempt　to　fight　a　decisive　battle　north　of　Richmond　was　abandoned。

In　carrying　the　army　to　the　James　River　the　hazardous　manoeuvres

would　be　hampered　by　many　obstacles；　such　as　the　thick　timber；

underbrush；　and　troublesome　swamps　to　be　met　in　crossing　the

Chickahominy。　　Besides；　Lee　held　an　interior　line；　from　which　all　the

direct　roads　to　Richmond　could　be　covered　with　his　infantry；　leaving

his　cavalry　free　to　confront　our　advance　on　the　south　bank　of　the

Chickahominy　as　far　down　as　Jones's　bridge；　and　thence　around　to

Charles　City　Court　House。　　In　view　of　these　difficulties　it　became

necessary　to　draw　off　the　bulk　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　while　the

movement　to　the　James　was　in　process　of　execution；　and　General　Meade

determined　to　do　this　by　requiring　me　to　proceed　with　two　divisions

as　far　as　Charlottesville　to　destroy　the　railroad　bridge　over　the

Rivanna　River　near　that　town；　the　railroad　itself　from　the　Rivanna　to

Gordonsville；　and；　if　practicable；　from　Gordonsville　back　toward

Hanover　Junction　also。





〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC；

〃June　5；　1864。　　3。30　P。　M。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Commanding　Cavalry　Corps。



〃I　am　directed　by　the　major…general　commanding　to　furnish　the

following　instructions　for　your　guidance　in　the　execution　of　the　duty

referred　to　in　the　order　for　movements　and　changes　of　position　to…

night；　a　copy　of　which　order　accompanies　this　communication。



〃With　two　divisions　of　your　corps　you　will　move　on　the　morning　of　the

7th　instant　to　Charlottesville　and　destroy　the　railroad　bridge　over

the　Rivanna　near　that　town；　you　will　then　thoroughly　destroy　the

railroad　from　that　point　to　Gordonsville；　and　from　Gordonsville

toward　Hanover　Junction；　and　to　the　latter　point；　if　practicable。

The　chief　engineer；　Major　Duane；　will　furnish　you　a　canvas　pontoon…

train　of　eight　boats。　　The　chief　quartermaster　will　supply　you　with

such　tools；　implements；　and　materials　as　you　may　require　for　the

destruction　of　the　road。　　Upon　the　completion　of　this　duty　you　will

rejoin　this　army。



〃A。　HUMPHREYS；

〃Major…General；　Chief…of…Staff。〃





After　Meade's　instructions　reached　me　they　were　somewhat　modified　by

General　Grant；　who　on　the　same　evening　had　received　information　that

General　Hunter；　commanding　the　troops　in　West　Virginia；　had　reached

Staunton　and　engaged　with　advantage　the　Confederate　commander；

General　Jones；　near　that　place。　　General　Grant　informed　me　orally

that　he　had　directed　Hunter　to　advance　as　far　as　Charlottesville；

that　he　expected　me　to　unite　with　him　there；　and　that　the　two

commands；　after　destroying　the　James　River　canal　and　the　Virginia

Central　road；　were　to　join　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　the　manner

contemplated　in　my　instructions　from　General　Meade；　and　that　in　view

of　what　was　anticipated；　it　would　be　well　to　break　up　as　much　of　the

railroad　as　possible　on　my　way　westward。　　A　copy　of　his　letter　to

Hunter　comprised　my　written　instructions。　　A　junction　with　this

general　was　not　contemplated　when　the　expedition　was　first　conceived；

but　became　an　important　though　not　the　paramount　object　after　the

reception　of　the　later　information。　　The　diversion　of　the　enemy's

cavalry　from　the　south　side　of　the　Chickahominy　was　its　main　purpose；

for　in　the　presence　of　such　a　force　as　Lee's　contracted　lines　would

now　permit　him　to　concentrate　behind　the　Chickahominy；　the

difficulties　of　crossing　that　stream　would　be　largely　increased　if　he

also　had　at　hand　a　strong　body　of　horse；　to　gain　the　time　necessary

for　him　to　oppose　the　movement　at　the　different　crossings　with　masses

of　his　infantry。



The　order　calling　for　two　divisions　for　the　expedition；　I　decided　to

take　Gregg's　and　Torbert's；　leaving　Wilson's　behind　to　continue　with

the　infantry　in　its　march　to　the　James　and　to　receive　instructions

directly　from；　the　headquarters　of　the　army。　　All　my　dismounted　men

had　been　sent　to　the　White　House　some　days　before；　and　they　were

directed　to　report　to　Wilson　as　they　could　be　provided　with　mounts。







〃COLD　HARBOR；　VA。；　June　6；　1964。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　D。　HUNTER；　Commanding　Dept　West　Virginia。



〃General　Sheridan　leaves　here　to…morrow　morning　with　instructions　to

proceed　to　Charlottesville；　Va。；　and　to　commence　there　the

destruction　of　the　Virginia　Central　railroad；　destroying　this　way　as

much　as　possible。　　The　complete　destruction　of　this　road　and　of　the

canal　on　James　River　is　of　great　importance　to　us。　　According　to　the

instructions　I　sent　to　General　Halleck　for　your　guidance；　you　will

proceed　to　Lynchburg　and　commence　there。　　It　would　be　of　great　value

to　us　to　get　possession　of　Lynchburg　for　a　single　day。　　But　that

point　is　of　so　much　importance　to　the　enemy；　that　in　attempting　to

get　it　such　resistance　may　be　met　as　to　defeat　your　getting　into　the

road　or　canal　at　all。　　I　see；　in　looking　over　the　letter　to　General

Halleck　on　the　subject　of　your　instructions；　that　it　rather　indicates

that　your　route　should　be　from　Staunton　via　Charlottesville。　　If　you

have　so　understood　it；　you　will　be　doing　just　what　I　want。　　The

direction　I　would　now　give　is；　that　if　this　letter　reaches　you　in　the

valley　between　Staunton　and　Lynchburg；　you　immediately　turn　east　by

the　most　practicable　road　until　you　strike　the　Lynchburg　branch　of

the　Virginia　Central　road。　　From　there　move　eastward　along　the　line

of　the　road；　destroying　it　completely　and　thoroughly；　until　you　join

General　Sheridan。　　After　the　work　laid　out　for　General　Sheridan　and

yourself　is　thoroughly　done；　proceed　to　join　the　Army　of　the　Potomac

by　the　route　laid　out　in　General　Sheridan's　instructions。　　If　any

portion　of　your　force；　especially　your　cavalry；　is　needed　back　in

your　department；　you　are　authorized　to　send　it　back。　　If　on　receipt

of　this　you　should　be　near　to　Lynchburg　and　deem　it　practicable　to

reach　that　point；　you　will　exercise　your　judgment　about　going　there。

If　you　should　be　on　the　railroad　between　Charlottesville　and

Lynchburg；　it　may　be　practicable　to　detach　a　cavalry　force　to　destroy

the　canal。　　Lose　no　opportunity　to　destroy　the　canal。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃





Owing　to　the　hard　service　of　the　preceding　month　we　had　lost　many

horses；　so　the　number　of　dismounted　men　was　large；　and　my　strength

had　also　been　much　reduced　by　killed　and　wounded　during　the　same

period　of　activity。　　The　effective　mounted　force　of　my　two　divisions

was　therefore　much　diminished；　they　mustering　only　about　six　thousand

officers　and　men　when　concentrated　on　June　6　at　New　Castle　ferry。

Here　they　were　provided　with　three　days'　rations；　intended　to　last

five　days；　and　with　two　days'　grain　for　the　horses。　　The　rations　and

forty　rounds　of　ammunition　per　man　were　to　be　carried　on　the　persons

of　the　troopers；　the　grain　on　the　pommel　of　the　saddle；　and　the

reserve　ammunition　in　wagons。　　One　medical　wagon　and　eight　ambulances

were　also　furnished；　and　one　wagon　was　authorized　for　each　division

and　brigade　headquarters；　enough　canvas…covered　boats　for　a　small

pontoon…bridge　were　also　provided。



My　instructions　permitting　latitude　in　the　route　I　should　take；　I

decided　to　march　along　the　north　bank　of　the　North　Anna　River；　cross

that　stream　at　Carpenter's　ford；　strike　the　Virginia　Central　railroad

at　Trevillian　Station；　destroy　it　toward　Louisa　Court　House；　march

past　Gordonsville；　strike　the　railroad　again　at　Cobham's　Station；　and

destroy　it　thence　to　Charlottesville　as　we　proceeded　west。　　The

success　of　the　last　part　of　this　programme　would　of　course　depend　on

the　location　of　General　Hunter　when　I　should　arrive　in　the　region

where　it　would　be　practicable　for　us　to　communicate　with　each　other。



》From　my　camp　at　New　Castle　ferry