personal memoirs-1-第68章

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crossroads。　　This　offer　of　battle　was　not　accepted；　however；　and

Hampton　withdrew　from　my　front；　retiring　behind　the　Chickahominy；

where　his　communications　with　Lee　would　be　more　secure。



While　at　the　White　House　I　received　orders　to　break　up　that　depot

wholly；　and　also　instructions　to　move　the　trains　which　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　had　left　there　across　the　peninsula　to　the　pontoon…bridge

at　Deep　Bottom　on　the　James　River。　　These　trains　amounted　to　hundreds

of　wagons　and　other　vehicles；　and　knowing　full　well　the　dangers　which

would　attend　the　difficult　problem　of　getting　them　over　to

Petersburg；　I　decided　to　start　them　with　as　little　delay　as

circumstances　would　permit；　and　the　morning　of　the　22d　sent　Torbert's

division　ahead　to　secure　Jones's　bridge　on　the　Chickahominy；　so　that

the　wagons　could　be　crossed　at　that　point。　　The　trains　followed

Torbert；　while　Gregg's　division　marched　by　a　road　parallel　to　the　one

on　which　the　wagons　were　moving；　and　on　their　right　flank；　as　they

needed　to　be　covered　and　protected　in　that　direction　only。



The　enemy　made　no　effort　to　attack　us　while　we　were　moving　the　trains

that　day；　and　the　wagons　were　all　safely　parked　for　the　night　on　the

south　side　of　the　Chickahominy；　guarded　by　General　Getty；　who　had

relieved　Abercrombie　from　command　of　the　infantry　fragments　before　we

started　off　from　the　White　House。



To　secure　the　crossing　at　Jones's　bridge；　Torbert　had　pushed　Devin's

brigade　out　on　the　Long　Bridge　road；　on　the　side　of　the　Chickahominy

where；　on　the　morning　of　the　23d；　he　was　attacked　by　Chambliss's

brigade　of　W。　H。　F。　Lee's　division。　　Devin　was　driven　in　some　little

distance；　but　being　reinforced　by　Getty　with　six　companies　of　colored

troops；　he　quickly　turned　the　tables　on　Chambliss　and　re…established

his　picketposts。　　From　this　affair　I　learned　that　Chambliss's　brigade

was　the　advance　of　the　Confederate　cavalry　corps；　while　Hampton

discovered　from　it　that　we　were　already　in　possession　of　the　Jones's

bridge　crossing　of　the　Chickahominy；　and　as　he　was　too　late　to

challenge　our　passage　of　the　stream　at　this　point　he　contented

himself　with　taking　up　a　position　that　night　so　as　to　cover　the　roads

leading　from　Long　Bridge　to　Westover；　with　the　purpose　of　preventing

the　trains　from　following　the　river　road　to　the　pontoon…bridge　at

Deep　Bottom。



My　instructions　required　me　to　cross　the　trains　over　the　James　River

on　this　pontoon…bridge　if　practicable；　and　to　reach　it　I　should　be

obliged　to　march　through　Charles　City　Court　House；　and　then　by

Harrison's　Landing　and　Malvern　Hill；　the　latter　point　being　held　by

the　enemy。　　In　fact；　he　held　all　the　ground　between　Long　Bridge　on

the　Chickahominy　and　the　pontoon…bridge　except　the　Tete　de　pont　at

the　crossing。　　Notwithstanding　this　I　concluded　to　make　the　attempt；

for　all　the　delays　of　ferrying　the　command　and　trains　would　be

avoided　if　we　got　through　to　the　bridge；　and　with　this　object　in　view

I　moved　Torbert's　division　out　on　the　Charles　City　road　to　conduct

the　wagons。　　Just　beyond　Charles　City　Court　House　Torbert　encountered

Lomax's　brigade；　which　he　drove　across　Herring　Creek　on　the　road　to

Westover　Church；　and　reporting　the　affair　to　me；　I　surmised；　from　the

presence　of　this　force　in　my　front；　that　Hampton　would　endeavor　to

penetrate　to　the　long　column　of　wagons；　so　I　ordered　them　to　go　into

park　near　Wilcox's　landing；　and　instructed　Gregg；　whose　division　had

been　marching　in　the　morning　along　the　road　leading　from　Jones's

bridge　to　St。　　Mary's　Church　for　the　purpose　of　covering　the　exposed

flank　of　the　train；　to　hold　fast　near　the　church　without　fail　till

all　the　transportation　had　passed　Charles　City　Court　House。



Meanwhile；　General　Hampton；　who　had　conjectured　that　I　would　try　to

get　the　train　across　the　James　by　the　pontoonbridge　at　Deep　Bottom；

began　concentrating　all　his　troops　except　Lomax's　brigade；　which　was

to　confront　the　head　of　my　column　on　the　river　road；　in　the　vicinity

of　Nance's　Shop。　　This　was　discovered　by　Gregg　at　an　early　hour；　and

divining　this　purpose　he　had　prepared　to　meet　it　by　constructing

hasty　cover　for　his　men　before　receiving　my　instructions。　　About　4

o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Hampton　got　his　force　in　hand；　and　with

Fitzhugh　Lee's　division　assailed　the　whole　front　of　Gregg's　line；　and

his　left　flank　with　Chambliss's　and　Geary's　brigades。　　For　two　hours

he　continued　to　attack；　but　made　little　impression　on　Gregggain　at

one　point　being　counterbalanced　by　failure　at　another。　　Because　of

the　evident　strength　of　Hampton；　Gregg　had　placed　all　his　troops　in

line　of　battle　from　the　first；　and　on　discovery　of　the　enemy's

superior　numbers　sent　message　after　message　to　me　concerning　the

situation；　but　the　messengers　never　arrived；　being　either　killed　or

captured；　and　I　remained　in　total　ignorance　till　dark　of　the　strait

his　division　was　in。



Toward　night　it　became　clear　to　Gregg　that　he　could　maintain　the

unequal　contest　no　longer；　and　he　then　decided　to　retreat；　but　not

until　convinced　that　the　time　won　had　enabled　all　the　trains　to　pass

Charles　City　Court　House　in　safety。　　When　he　had　got　all　his　led

horses　fairly　on　the　way；　and　such　of　the　wounded　as　could　be

transported；　he　retired　by　his　right　flank…in　some　confusion；　it　is

true；　but　stubbornly　resisting　to　Hopewell　Church；　where　Hampton

ceased　to　press　him。



Gregg's　losses　were　heavy；　and　he　was　forced　to　abandon　his　dead　and

most　seriously　wounded；　but　the　creditable　stand　made　ensured　the

safety　of　the　train；　the　last　wagon　of　which　was　now　parked　at

Wilcox's　Landing。　　His　steady；　unflinching　determination　to　gain　time

for　the　wagons　to　get　beyond　the　point　of　danger　was　characteristic

of　the　man；　and　this　was　the　third　occasion　on　which　he　had　exhibited

a　high　order　of　capacity　and　sound　judgment　since　coming　under　my

command。　　The　firmness　and　coolness　with　which　he　always　met　the

responsibilities　of　a　dangerous　place　were　particularly　strong　points

in　Gregg's　make…up；　and　he　possessed　so　much　professional　though

unpretentious　ability；　that　it　is　to　be　regretted　he　felt　obliged　a

few　months　later　to　quit　the　service　before　the　close　of　the　war。



Gregg's　fight　fully　satisfied　me　that　we　could　not　get　the　trains　up

to　the　pontoon…bridge；　for　of　course　Hampton　would　now　throw　all　his

cavalry　in　my　front；　on　the　river　road；　where　it　could　be　backed　up

by　Lee's　infantry。　　Meanwhile；　General　Meade　had　become　assured　of

the　same　thing；　and　as　he　was　now　growing　anxious　about　the　fate　of

Wilson's　divisionwhich；　during　my　absence；　had　been　sent　out　to

break　the　enemy's　communications　south　of　Petersburg；　by　destroying

the　Southside　and　Danville　railroadshe　sent　ferryboats　to　cross　me

over　the　James。　　During　the　night'of　the　24th；　and　next　morning；　the

immense　trainwhich　ought　never　to　have　been　left　for　the　cavalry　to

escort；　after　a　fatiguing　expedition　of　three　weekswas　moved　back

through　Charles　City　Court　House　to　Douthard's　landing；　and　there

ferried　over　the　river；　followed　by　my　troops　in　like　manner。　　When

General　Hampton　discovered　this；　he　moved　to　Drury's　Bluff；　and

there；　on　the　morning　of　the　27th；　crossed　the　James　by　the

Confederate　pontoon…bridge。









CHAPTER　XXII。



GENERAL　WILSON'S　RAIDDESTROYING　RAILROADSHIS　DISCOMFITURE

RESULTS　OF　HIS　RAIDREMOUNTSMOVEMENT　TO　THE　NORTH　SIDE　OF　THE

JAMESDECEIVING　LEEMY　ISOLATED　POSITIONESTIMATE　OF　HANCOCK

SUCCESS　OF　THE　CAVALRYTHEIR　CONSTANT　DUTIES。



While　I　was　absent　on　the　expedition　to　Trevillian；　the　movement　of

the　Army　of　the　Potomac　across　the　James　River　was　effected；　and

Wilson；　whom　I　had　left　behind　for　the　purpose；　was　engaged　in　the

duty　of　covering　its　front　and　rear。　　Late　on　the　night　of　June　12

he；　with　Chapman's　brigade；　crossed　the　Chickahominy　at　Long　Bridge；

in　advance　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　and　by　7　o'clock　next　morning　had

driven　the　enemy's　pickets　up　to　White　Oak　bridge；　where　he　waited

for　our　infantry。　　When