personal memoirs-1-第77章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

all　mules；　horses；　and　cattle　that　may　be　useful　to　our　army。　　Loyal

citizens　can　bring　in　their　claims　against　the　Government　for　this

necessary　destruction。　　No　houses　will　be　burned；　and　officers　in

charge　of　this　delicate　but　necessary　duty　must　inform　the　people

that　the　object　is　to　make　this　valley　untenable　for　the　raiding

parties　of　the　rebel　army。



〃Very　respectfully；



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。



〃BRIGADIER…GENERAL　A。　T。　A。　TORBERT；

〃Chief　of　Cavalry；　Middle　Military　Division。〃





During　his　visit　to　General　Hunter　at　the　Monocacy；　General　Grant　had

not　only　decided　to　retain　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley　a　large　force

sufficient　to　defeat　Early's　army　or　drive　it　back　to　Lee；　but　he　had

furthermore　determined　to　make　that　sections　by　the　destruction　of

its　supplies；　untenable　for　continued　occupancy　by　the　Confederates。

This　would　cut　off　one　of　Lee's　main…stays　in　the　way　of　subsistence；

and　at　the　same　time　diminish　the　number　of　recruits　and　conscripts

he　received；　the　valley　district　while　under　his　control　not　only

supplying　Lee　with　an　abundance　of　food；　but　also　furnishing　him　many

men　for　his　regular　and　irregular　forces。　　Grant's　instructions　to

destroy　the　valley　began　with　the　letter　of　August　5　to　Hunter；　which

was　turned　over　to　me；　and　this　was　followed　at　intervals　by　more

specific　directions；　all　showing　the　earnestness　of　his　purpose。





〃CITY　POINT；　Va。；　Aug。　163：30　P。　M。；　1864。

〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Winchester；　Va。：



〃If　you　can　possibly　spare　a　division　of　cavalry；　send　them　through

Loudoun　County　to　destroy　and　carry　off　the　crops；　animals；　negroes；

and　all　men　under　fifty　years　of　age　capable　of　bearing　arms。　　In

this　way　you　will　get　many　of　Mosby's　men。　　All　male　citizens　under

fifty　can　fairly　be　held　as　prisoners　of　war；　not　as　citizen

prisoners。　　If　not　already　soldiers；　they　will　be　made　so　the　moment

the　rebel　army　gets　hold　of　them。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃







〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃CITY　POINT；　Aug。　21；　1864。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Charlestown；　Va。：



〃In　stripping　Loudoun　County　of　supplies；　etc。；　impress　from　all

loyal　persons　so　that　they　may　receive　pay　for　what　is　taken　from

them。　　I　am　informed　by　the　Assistant　Secretary　of　War　that　Loudoun

County　has　a　large　population　of　Quakers；　who　are　all　favorably

disposed　to　the　Union。　　These　people　may　be　exempted　from　arrest。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃







〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES

〃CITY　POINT；　Va。；　Aug。　26；2：30　P。　M。　1864。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Halltown；　Va。：



〃Telegraphed　you　that　I　had　good　reason　for　believing　that　Fitz　Lee

had　been　ordered　back　here。　　I　now　think　it　likely　that　all　troops

will　be　ordered　back　from　the　valley　except　what　they　believe　to　be

the　minimum　number　to　detain　you。　　My　reason　for　supposing　this　is

based　upon　the　fact　that　yielding　up　the　Weldon　road　seems　to　be　a

blow　to　the　enemy　he　cannot　stand。　　I　think　I　do　not　overstate　the

loss　of　the　enemy　in　the　last　two　weeks　at　10；000　killed　and　wounded。

We　have　lost　heavily；　mostly　in　captured　when　the　enemy　gained

temporary　advantages。　　Watch　closely；　and　if　you　find　this　theory

correct；　push　with　all　vigor。　　Give　the　enemy　no　rest；　and　if　it　is

possible　to　follow　to　the　Virginia　Central　road；　follow　that　far。　　Do

all　the　damage　to　railroads　and　crops　you　can。　　Carry　off　stock　of

all　descriptions　and　negroes；　so　as　to　prevent　further　planting。　　If

the　war　is　to　last　another　year　we　want　the　Shenandoah　Valley　to

remain　a　barren　waste。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。







〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃CITY　POINT；　Va。；　Sept。　4；10　A。　M。1864。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Charlestown；　Va。：



〃In　cleaning　out　the　arms…bearing　community　of　Loudoun　County　and　the

subsistence　for　armies；　exercise　your　own　judgment　as　to　who　should

be　exempt　from　arrest；　and　as　to　who　should　receive　pay　for　their

stock；　grain；　etc。　　It　is　our　interest　that　that　county　should　not　be

capable　of　subsisting　a　hostile　army；　and　at　the　same　time　we　want　to

inflict　as　little　hardship　upon　Union　men　as　possible。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃







〃CITY　POINT；　Va。；　Nov。　9；　1864。

〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Cedar　Creek；　Va。：



〃Do　you　not　think　it　advisable　to　notify　all　citizens　living　east　of

the　Blue　Ridge　to　move　out　north　of　the　Potomac　all　their　stock；

grain；　and　provisions　of　every　description？　　There　is　no　doubt　about

the　necessity　of　clearing　out　that　country　so　that　it　will　not

support　Mosby's　gang。　　And　the　question　is　whether　it　is　not　better

that　the　people　should　save　what　they　can。　　So　long　as　the　war　lasts

they　must　be　prevented　from　raising　another　crop；　both　there　and　as

high　up　the　valley　as　we　can　control。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃







He　had　rightly　concluded　that　it　was　time　to　bring　the　war　home　to　a

people　engaged　in　raising　crops　from　a　prolific　soil　to　feed　the

country's　enemies；　and　devoting　to　the　Confederacy　its　best　youth。　　I

endorsed　the　programme　in　all　its　parts；　for　the　stores　of　meat　and

grain　that　the　valley　provided；　and　the　men　it　furnished　for　Lee's

depleted　regiments；　were　the　strongest　auxiliaries　he　possessed　in

the　whole　insurgent　section。　　In　war　a　territory　like　this　is　a

factor　of　great　importance；　and　whichever　adversary　controls　it

permanently　reaps　all　the　advantages　of　its　prosperity。　　Hence；　as　I

have　said；　I　endorsed　Grant's　programme；　for　I　do　not　hold　war　to

mean　simply　that　lines　of　men　shall　engage　each　other　in　battle；　and

material　interests　be　ignored。　　This　is　but　a　duel；　in　which　one

combatant　seeks　the　other's　life；　war　means　much　more；　and　is　far

worse　than　this。　　Those　who　rest　at　home　in　peace　and　plenty　see　but

little　of　the　horrors　attending　such　a　duel；　and　even　grow

indifferent　to　them　as　the　struggle　goes　on；　contenting　themselves

with　encouraging　all　who　are　able…bodied　to　enlist　in　the　cause；　to

fill　up　the　shattered　ranks　as　death　thins　them。　　It　is　another

matter；　however；　when　deprivation　and　suffering　are　brought　to　their

own　doors。　　Then　the　case　appears　much　graver；　for　the　loss　of

property　weighs　heavy　with　the　most　of　mankind；　heavier　often；　than

the　sacrifices　made　on　the　field　of　battle。　　Death　is　popularly

considered　the　maximum　of　punishment　in　war；　but　it　is　not；　reduction

to　poverty　brings　prayers　for　peace　more　surely　and　more　quickly　than

does　the　destruction　of　human　life；　as　the　selfishness　of　man　has

demonstrated　in　more　than　one　great　conflict。



In　the　afternoon　of　the　16th　I　started　back　to　Winchester；　whence　I

could　better　supervise　our　regressive　march。　　As　I　was　passing

through　Newtown；　I　heard　cannonading　from　the　direction　of　Front

Royal；　and　on　reaching　Winchester；　Merritt's　couriers　brought　me　word

that　he　had　been　attacked　at　the　crossing　of　the　Shenandoah　by

Kershaw's　division　of　Anderson's　corps　and　two　brigades　of　Fitzhugh

Lee's　cavalry；　but　that　the　attack　had　been　handsomely　repulsed；　with

a　capture　of　two　battle…flags　and　three　hundred　prisoners。　　This　was

an　absolute　confirmation　of　the　despatch　from　Grant；　and　I　was　now

more　than　satisfied　with　the　wisdom　of　my　withdrawal。



At　daylight　of　the　17th　Emory　moved　from　Winchester　to　Berryville；

and　the　same　morning　Crook　and　Wright　reached　Winchester；　having

started　from　Cedar　Creek　the　day　before。　　From　Winchester；　Crook　and

Wright　resumed　their　march　toward　Clifton；　Wright；　who　had　the　rear

guard；　getting　that　day　as　far　as　the　Berryville　crossing　of　the

Opequon；　where　he　was　ordered　to　remain；　while　Crook　went　ahead　till

he　reached　the　vicinity　of　Berryville。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　17th

Lowell　with　his　two　regiments　of　troopers　came　into　Winchester；　where

he　was　joined　by　Wilson's　mounted　division；　which　ha