personal memoirs-1-第75章

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general　of　volunteers　by　nearly　a　year　in　date　of　commission；　but　my

assignment　by　the　President　to　the　command　of　the　army　in　the　valley

met　with　Wright's　approbation；　and；　so　far　as　I　have　ever　known；　he

never　questioned　the　propriety　of　the　President's　action。　　The　Sixth

Corps　division　commanders；　Getty；　Russell；　and　Ricketts；　were　all

educated　soldiers；　whose　records；　beginning　with　the　Mexican　War；　had

already　been　illustrated　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion　by　distinguished

service　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac。



General　Emory　was　a　veteran；　having　graduated　at　the　Military　Academy

in　1831；　the　year　I　was　born。　　In　early　life　he　had　seen　much　service

in　the　Artillery；　the　Topographical　Engineers；　and　the　Cavalry；　and

in　the　war　of　the　rebellion　had　exhibited　the　most　soldierly

characteristics　at　Port　Hudson　and　on　the　Red　River　campaign。　　At

this　time　he　had　but　one　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　present；

which　division　was　well　commanded　by　General　Dwight；　a　volunteer

officer　who　had　risen　to　the　grade　of　brigadier…general　through

constant　hard　work。　　Crook　was　a　classmate　of　mineat　least；　we

entered　the　Military　Academy　the　same　year；　though　he　graduated　a

year　ahead　of　me。　　We　had　known　each　other　as　boys　before　we　entered

the　army；　and　later　as　men；　and　I　placed　implicit　faith　in　his

experience　and　qualifications　as　a　general。



The　transfer　of　Torbert　to　the　position　of　chief　of　cavalry　left

Merritt；　as　I　have　already　said；　in　command　of　the　First　Cavalry

Division。　　He　had　been　tried　in　the　place　before；　and　from　the　day　he

was　selected　as　one　of　a　number　of　young　men　to　be　appointed　general

officers；　with　the　object　of　giving　life　to　the　Cavalry　Corps；　he

filled　the　measure　of　expectation。　　Custer　was　one　of　these　young　men

too；　and　though　as　yet　commanding　a　brigade　under　Merritt；　his

gallant　fight　at　Trevillian　Station；　as　well　as　a　dozen　others　during

the　summer；　indicated　that　he　would　be　equal　to　the　work　that　was　to

fall　to　him　when　in　a　few　weeks　he　should　succeed　Wilson。　　But　to　go

on　down　the　scale　of　rank；　describing　the　officers　who　commanded　in

the　Army　of　the　Shenandoah；　would　carry　me　beyond　all　limit；　so　I

refrain　from　the　digression　with　regret　that　I　cannot　pay　to　each　his

well…earned　tribute。



The　force　that　I　could　take　with　me　into　the　field　at　this　time

numbered　about　26；000　men。　　Within　the　limits　of　the　geographical

division　there　was　a　much　greater　number　of　troops　than　this。

Baltimore；　Washington；　Harper's　Ferry；　Hagerstown；　Frederick；

Cumberland；　and　a　score　of　other　points；　besides　the　strong

detachments　that　it　took　to　keep　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad　open

through　the　mountains　of　West　Virginia；　and　escorts　for　my　trains；

absorbed　so　many　men　that　the　column　which　could　be　made　available

for　field　operations　was　small　when　compared　with　the　showing　on

paper。　　Indeed；　it　was　much　less　than　it　ought　to　have　been；　but　for

me；　in　the　face　of　the　opposition　made　by　different　interests

involved；　to　detach　troops　from　any　of　the　points　to　which　they　had

been　distributed　before　I　took　charge　was　next　to　impossible。



In　a　few　days　after　my　arrival　preparations　were　completed；　and　I　was

ready　to　make　the　first　move　for　the　possession　of　the　Shenandoah

Valley。　　For　the　next　five　weeks　the　operations　on　my　part　consisted

almost　wholly　of　offensive　and　defensive　manoeuvring　for　certain

advantages；　the　enemy　confining　himself　meanwhile　to　measures

intended　to　counteract　my　designs。　　Upon　the　advent　of　Torbert；　Early

immediately　grew　suspicious；　and　fell　back　twelve　miles　south　of

Martinsburg；　to　Bunker　Hill　and　vicinity；　where　his　right　flank　would

be　less　exposed；　but　from　which　position　he　could　continue　to

maintain　the　break　in　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad；　and　push

reconnoitring　parties　through　Smithfield　to　Charlestown。　　These

reconnoitring　parties　exhibited　considerable　boldness　at　times；　but

since　they　had　no　purpose　in　view　save　to　discover　whether　or　not　we

were　moving；　I　did　not　contest　any　ground　with　them　except　about　our

outposts。　　Indeed；　I　desired　that　Early　might　remain　at　some　point

well　to　the　north　till　I　was　fully　prepared　to　throw　my　army　on　his

right　and　rear　and　force　a　battle；　and　hence　I　abstained　from

disturbing　him　by　premature　activity；　for　I　thought　that　if　I　could

beat　him　at　Winchester；　or　north　of　it；　there　would　be　far　greater

chances　of　weighty　results。　　I　therefore　determined　to　bring　my

troops；　if　it　were　at　all　possible　to　do　so；　into　such　a　position

near　that　town　as　to　oblige　Early　to　fight。　　The　sequel　proved；

however；　that　he　was　accurately　informed　of　all　my　movements。　　To

anticipate　them；　therefore；　he　began　his　retreat　up　the　valley　the

day　that　I　moved　out　from　Halltown；　and　（consequently　was　able　to

place　himself　south　of　Winchester　before　I　could　get　there。









CHAPTER　XXIV。



MOVING　ON　GENERAL　EARLYGENERAL　GRANT'S　LETTER　OF　INSTRUCTIONS

DESTROYING　THE　RESOURCES　OF　THE　VALLEYREASON　FOR　THE　DESTRUCTION

WITHDRAWAL　TO　HALLTOWNALARM　IN　THE　NORTH　OVER　THE　RETROGRADE

MOVEMENTRENEWING　THE　ADVANCE　UP　THE　VALLEYGENERAL　ANDERSON'S

ATTEMPT　TO　RETURN　TO　PETERSBURGSTRENGTH　OF　THE　ARMIES。



For　a　clear　understanding　of　the　operations　which　preceded　the

victories　that　resulted　in　almost　annihilating　General　Early's　army

in　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　it　is　necessary　to　describe　in　considerable

detail　the　events　that　took　place　prior　to　the　19th　of　September。　　My

army　marched　from　Harper's　Ferry　on　the　l0th　of　August；　1864；　General

Torbert　with　Merritt's　division　of　cavalry　moving　in　advance　through

Berryville；　going　into　position　near　White　Post。　　The　Sixth　Corps；

under　General　Wright；　moved　by　way　of　Charlestown　and　Summit　Point　to

Clifton；　General　Emory；　with　Dwight's　division　of　the　Nineteenth

Corps；　marched　along　the　Berryville　pike　through　Berryville　to　the

left　of　the　position　of　the　Sixth　Corps　at　Clifton；　General　Crook's

command；　moving　on　the　Kabletown　road；　passed　through　Kabletown　to

the　vicinity　of　Berryville；　and　went　into　position　on　the　left　of

Dwight's　division；　while　Colonel　Lowell；　with　a　detached　force　of　two

small　regiments　of　cavalry；　marched　to　Summit　Point；　so　that　on　the

night　of　August　10　my　infantry　occupied　a　line　stretching　from

Clifton　to　Berryville；　with　Merritt's　cavalry　at　White　Post　and

Lowell's　at　Summit　Point。　　The　enemy；　as　stated　before；　moved　at　the

same　time　from　Bunker　Hill　and　vicinity；　and　stretched　his　line　from

where　the　Winchester　and　Potomac　railroad　crosses　Opequon　Creek　to

the　point　at　which　the　Berryville　and　Winchester　pike　crosses　the

same　stream；　thus　occupying　the　west　bank　to　cover　Winchester。



On　the　morning　of　the　11th　the　Sixth　Corps　was　ordered　to　move　across

the　country　toward　the　junction　of　the　Berryville…Winchester　pike　and

the　Opequon；　and　to　take　the　crossing　and　hold　it；　Dwight's　division

being　directed　to　move　through　Berryville　on　the　White　Post　road　for

a　mile；　then　file　to　the　right　by　heads　of　regiments　at　deploying

distances；　and　carry　the　crossing　of　Opequon　Creek　at　a　ford　about

three…fourths　of　a　mile　from　the　left　of　the　Sixth　Corps；　while　Crook

was　instructed　to　move　out　on　the　White　Post　road；　a　mile　and　a　half

beyond　Berryville；　then　head　to　the　right　and　secure　the　ford　about　a

mile　to　the　left　of　Dwight；　Torbert's　orders　were　to　push　Merritt's

division　up　the　Millwood　pike　toward　Winchester；　attack　any　force　he

might　run　against；　and　ascertain　the　movements　of　the　Confederate

army；　and　lastly；　Lowell　received　instructions　to　close　in　from

Summit　Point　on　the　right　of　the　Sixth　Corps。



My　object　in　securing　the　fords　was　to　further　my　march　on　Winchester

from　the　southeast；　since；　from　all　the　information　gathered　during

the　l0th；　I　still　thought　Early　could　be　brought　to　a　stand　at　that

point；　but　in　this　I　was　mistaken；　as　Torbert's　reconnoissance

proved；　for　on　the　morning　of　the　11th；　when　Merritt　had　driven　the