personal memoirs-1-第76章

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

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

Confederate　cavalry；　then　covering　the　Millwood　pike　west　of　the

Opequon；　off　toward　Kernstown；　he　found　that　their　infantry　and

artillery　were　retreating　south；　up　the　Valley　pike。



As　soon　as　this　information　was　obtained　Torbert　moved　quickly

through　the　toll…gate　on　the　Front　Royal　and　Winchester　road　to

Newtown；　to　strike　the　enemy's　flank　and　harass　him　in　his　retreat；

Lowell　following　up　through　Winchester；　on　the　Valley　pike；　Crook　was

turned　to　the　left　and　ordered　to　Stony　Point；　while　Emory　and

Wright；　marching　to　the　left　also；　were　directed　to　take　post　on　the

night　of　the　11th　between　the　Millwood　and　Front　Royal　roads；　within

supporting　distance　of　Crook。　　Merritt　meeting　some　of　the　enemy's

cavalry　at　the　tollgate；　drove　it　in　the　direction　of　Newtown　till　it

got　inside　the　line　of　Gordon's　division　of　infantry；　which　had　been

thrown　out　and　posted　behind　barricades　to　cover　the　flank　of　the

main　force　in　its　retreat。　　A　portion　of　Merritt's　cavalry　attacked

this　infantry　and　drove　in　its　skirmish…line；　and　though　not　able　to

dislodge　Gordon；　Merritt　held　the　ground　gained　till　night…fall；　when

the　Confederate　infantry　moved　off　under　cover　of　darkness　to　Hupp's

Hill；　between　Strasburg　and　Cedar　Creek



The　next　morning　Crook　marched　from　Stony　Point　to　Cedar　Creek；　Emory

followed　with　Dwight；　and　the　cavalry　moved　to　the　same　point　by　way

of　Newtown　and　the　Valley　pike；　the　Sixth　Corps　following　the

cavalry。　　That　night　Crook　was　in　position　at　Cedar　Creek；　on　the

left　of　the　Valley　pike；　Emory　on　the　right　of　the　pike；　the　Sixth

Corps　on　the　right　of　Emory；　and　the　cavalry　on　the　flanks。　　In　the

afternoon　a　heavy　skirmish…line　had　been　thrown　forward　to　the

heights　on　the　south　side　of　Cedar　Creek；　and　a　brisk　affair　with　the

enemy's　pickets　took　place；　the　Confederates　occupying　with　their

main　force　the　heights　north　of　Strasburg。　　On　the　morning　of　the

13th　my　cavalry　went　out　to　reconnoitre　toward　Strasburg；　on　the

middle　road；　about　two　and　a　half　miles　west　of　the　Valley　pike；　and

discovered　that　Early's　infantry　was　at　Fisher's　Hill；　where　he　had

thrown　up　behind　Tumbling　Run　earthworks　extending　clear　across　the

narrow　valley　between　the　Massanutten　and　North　mountains。　　On　the

left　of　these　works　he　had　Vaughan's；　McCausland's；　and　Johnson's

brigades　of　cavalry　under　General　Lomax；　who　at　this　time　relieved

General　Ramseur　from　the　command　of　the　Confederate　mounted　forces。



Within　the　past　day　or　two　I　had　received　information　that　a　column

of　the　enemy　was　moving　up　from　Culpeper　Court　House　and　approaching

Front　Royal　through　Chester　Gap；　and　although　the　intelligence　was

unconfirmed；　it　caused　me　much　solicitude；　for　there　was　strong

probability　that　such　a　movement　would　be　made；　and　any　considerable

force　advancing　through　Front　Royal　toward　Winchester　could　fall　upon

my　rear　and　destroy　my　communication　with　Harper's　Ferry；　or；　moving

along　the　base　of　Massanutten　Mountain；　could　attack　my　flank　in

conjunction　with　the　force　at　Fisher's　Hill　without　a　possibility　of

my　preventing　it。



Neither　Wilson's　cavalry　nor　Grower's　infantry　had　yet　joined　me；　and

the　necessities；　already　explained；　which　obliged　me　to　hold　with

string　garrisons　Winchester　and　other　points　heretofore　mentioned。

had　so　depleted　my　line　of　battle　strength　that　I　knew　the　enemy

would　outnumber　me　when　Anderson's　corps　should　arrive　in　the　valley。

I　deemed　it　advisable；　therefore；　to　act　with　extreme　caution；　so；

with　the　exception　of　a　cavalry　reconnoissance　on　the　13th；　I

remained　on　the　defensive；　quietly　awaiting　developments。　　In　the

evening　of　that　day　the　enemy's　skirmishers　withdrew　to　Tumbling　Run；

his　main　force　remaining　inactive　behind　the　intrenchments　at

Fisher's　Hill　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　Anderson。



The　rumors　in　regard　to　the　force　advancing　from　Culpeper　kept

increasing　every　hour；　so　on　the　morning　of　the　14th　I　concluded　to

send　a　brigade　of　cavalry　to　Front　Royal　to　ascertain　definitely　what

was　up。　　At　the　same　time　I　crossed　the　Sixth　Corps　to　the　south　side


of　Cedar　Creek；　and　occupied　the　heights　near　Strasburg。　　That　day　I

received　from　the　hands　of　Colonel　Chipman；　of　the　Adjutant…General's

Department；　the　following　despatch；　to　deliver　which　he　had　ridden　in

great　haste　from　Washington　through　Snicker's　Gap；　escorted　by　a

regiment　of　cavalry：



〃CITY　POINT；　August　12；　18649　A。　M。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　HALLECK



〃Inform　General　Sheridan　that　it　is　now　certain　two　（2）　divisions　of

infantry　have　gone　to　Early；　and　some　cavalry　and　twenty　（20）　pieces

of　artillery。　　This　movement　commenced　last　Saturday　night。　　He　must

be　cautious；　and　act　now　on　the　defensive　until　movements　here　force

them　to　detach　to　send　this　way。　　Early's　force；　with　this　increase；

cannot　exceed　forty　thousand　men；　but　this　is　too　much　for　General

Sheridan　to　attack。　　Send　General　Sheridan　the　remaining　brigade　of

the　Nineteenth　Corps。



〃I　have　ordered　to　Washington　all　the　one…hundred…day　men。　　Their

time　will　soon　be　out；　but　for　the　present　they　will　do　to　serve　in

the　defenses。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃





The　despatch　explained　the　movement　from　Culpeper；　and　on　the　morning

of　the　15th　Merritt's　two　remaining　brigades　were　sent　to　Front　Royal

to　oppose　Anderson；　and　the　Sixth　Corps　withdrawn　to　the　north　side

of　Cedar　Creek；　where　it　would　be　in　a　position　enabling　me　either　to

confront　Anderson　or　to　act　defensively；　as　desired　by　General　Grant。



To　meet　the　requirements　of　his　instructions　I　examined　the　map　of

the　valley　for　a　defensive　linea　position　where　a　smaller　number　of

troops　could　hold　a　larger　numberfor　this　information　led　me　to

suppose　that　Early's　force　would　greatly　exceed　mine　when　Anderson's

two　divisions　of　infantry　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry　had　joined　him。

I　could　see　but　one　such　position；　and　that　was　at　Halltown；　in　front

of　Harper's　Ferry。　　Subsequent　experience　convinced　me　that　there　was

no　other　really　defensive　line　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　for　at

almost　any　other　point　the　open　country　and　its　peculiar　topography

invites　rather　than　forbids　flanking　operations。



This　retrograde　movement　would　also　enable　me　to　strengthen　my

command　by　Grower's　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　and　Wilson's

cavalry；　both　of　which　divisions　were　marching　from　Washington　by　way

of　Snicker's　Gap。



After　fully　considering　the　matter；　I　determined　to　move　back　to

Halltown；　carrying　out；　as　I　retired；　my　instructions　to　destroy　all

the　forage　and　subsistence　the　country　afforded。　　So　Emory　was

ordered　to　retire　to　Winchester　on　the　night　of　the　15th；　and　Wright

and　Crook　to　follow　through　Winchester　to　Clifton　the　next　night。



For　the　cavalry；　in　this　move　to　the　rear；　I　gave　the　following

instructions：



〃。。。。In　pushing　up　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　as　it　is　expected　you　will

have　to　go　first　or　last；　it　is　desirable　that　nothing　should　be　left

to　invite　the　enemy　to　return。　　Take　all　provisions；　forage；　and

stock　wanted　for　the　use　of　your　command。　　Such　as　cannot　be

consumed；　destroy。　　It　is　not　desirable　that　buildings　should　be

destroyedthey　should；　rather；　be　protected；　but　the　people　should

be　informed　that　so　long　as　an　army　can　subsist　among　them；

recurrences　of　these　raids　must　be　expected；　and　we　are　determined　to

stop　them　at　all　hazards。。。。〃　＇Grant's　letter　of　instructions。＇





〃HEADQUARTERS　MIDDLE　MILITARY　DIVISION；

〃Cedar　Creek；　Va。；　August　16；　1864。



〃GENERAL：　In　compliance　with　instructions　of　the　Lieutenant…General

commanding；　you　will　make　the　necessary　arrangements　and　give　the

necessary　orders　for　the　destruction　of　the　wheat　and　hay　south　of　a

line　from　Millwood　to　Winchester　and　Petticoat　Gap。　　You　will　seize

all　mules；　horses；　and　cattle　that　may　b