personal memoirs-2-第15部分

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and　in　any　event　General　Grant　would　give　Lee　all　he　could　attend　to

on　the　left。　　Mr。　Lincoln　said　nothing　about　my　proposed　route　of

march；　and　I　doubt　if　he　knew　of　my　instructions；　or　was　in

possession　at　most　of　more　than　a　very　general　outline　of　the　plan　of

campaign。　　It　was　late　when　the　Mary　Martin　returned　to　City　Point；

and　I　spent　the　night　there　with　General　Ingalls。



The　morning　of　the　27th　I　went　out　to　Hancock　Station　to　look　after

my　troops　and　prepare　for　moving　two　days　later。　　In　the　afternoon　I

received　a　telegram　from　General　Grant；　saying：　〃General　Sherman　will

be　here　this　evening　to　spend　a　few　hours。　　I　should　like　to　have　you

come　down。〃　　Sherman's　coming　was　a　surpriseat　least　to　me　it　was

this　despatch　being　my　first　intimation　of　his　expected　arrival。

Well　knowing　the　zeal　and　emphasis　with　which　General　Sherman　would

present　his　views；　there　again　came　into　my　mind　many　misgivings　with

reference　to　the　movement　of　the　cavalry；　and　I　made　haste　to　start

for　Grant's　headquarters。　　I　got　off　a　little　after　7　o'clock；　taking

the　rickety　military　railroad；　the　rails　of　which　were　laid　on　the

natural　surface　of　the　ground；　with　grading　only　here　and　there　at

points　of　absolute　necessity；　and　had　not　gone　far　when　the

locomotive　jumped　the　track。　　This　delayed　my　arrival　at　City　Point

till　near　midnight；　but　on　repairing　to　the　little　cabin　that

sheltered　the　general…in…chief；　I　found　him　and　Sherman　still　up

talking　over　the　problem　whose　solution　was　near　at　hand。　　As　already

stated；　thoughts　as　to　the　tenor　of　my　instructions　became　uppermost

the　moment　I　received　the　telegram　in　the　afternoon；　and　they

continued　to　engross　and　disturb　me　all　the　way　down　the　railroad；

for　I　feared　that　the　telegram　foreshadowed；　under　the　propositions

Sherman　would　present；　a　more　specific　compliance　with　the　written

instructions　than　General　Grant　had　orally　assured　me　would　be

exacted。



My　entrance　into　the　shanty　suspended　the　conversation　for　a　moment

only；　and　then　General　Sherman；　without　prelude；　rehearsed　his　plans

for　moving　his　army；　pointing　out　with　every　detail　how　he　would　come

up　through　the　Carolinas　to　join　the　troops　besieging　Petersburg　and

Richmond；　and　intimating　that　my　cavalry；　after　striking　the

Southside　and　Danville　railroads；　could　join　him　with　ease。　　I　made

no　comments　on　the　projects　for　moving；　his　own　troops；　but　as　soon

as　opportunity　offered；　dissented　emphatically　from　the　proposition

to　have　me　join　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　repeating　in　substance

what　I　had　previously　expressed　to　General　Grant。



My　uneasiness　made　me　somewhat　too　earnest；　I　fear；　but　General　Grant

soon　mollified　me；　and　smoothed　matters　over　by　practically　repeating

what　he　had　told　me　in　regard　to　this　point　at　the　close　of　our

interview　the　day　before；　so　I　pursued　the　subject　no　further。　　In　a

little　while　the　conference　ended；　and　I　again　sought　lodging　at　the

hospitable　quarters　of　Ingalls。



Very　early　the　next　morning；　while　I　was　still　in　bed；　General

Sherman　came　to　me　and　renewed　the　subject　of　my　joining　him；　but

when　he　saw　that　I　was　unalterably　opposed　to　it　the　conversation

turned　into　other　channels；　and　after　we　had　chatted　awhile　he

withdrew；　and　later　in　the　day　went　up　the　river　with　the　President；

General　Grant；　and　Admiral　Porter；　I　returning　to　my　command　at

Hancock　Station；　where　my　presence　was　needed　to　put　my　troops　in

march　next　day。



During　the　entire　winter　General　Grant's　lines　fronting　Petersburg

had　extended　south　of　the　Appomattox　River；　practically　from　that

stream　around　to　where　the　Vaughn　road　crosses　Hatcher's　Run；　and

this　was　nearly　the　situation　Wilien　the　cavalry　concentrated　at

Hancock　Station；　General　Weitzel　holding　the　line　north　of　the

Appomattox；　fronting　Richmond　and　Bermuda　Hundred。



The　instructions　of　the　24th　of　March　contemplated　that　the　campaign

should　begin　with　the　movement　of　Warren's　corps　（the　Fifth）　at

3　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　29th；　and　Humphreys's　（the　Second）　at

6；　the　rest　of　the　infantry　holding　on　in　the　trenches。　　The　cavalry

was　to　move　in　conjunction　with　Warren　and　Humphreys；　and　make　its

way　out　beyond　our　left　as　these　corps　opened　the　road。



The　night　of　the　28th　I　received　the　following　additional

instructions；　the　general　tenor　of　which　again　disturbed　me；　for

although　I　had　been　assured　that　I　was　not　to　join　General　Sherman；

it　will　be　seen　that　the　supplemental　directions　distinctly　present

that　alternative；　and　I　therefore　feared　that　during　the　trip　up　the

James　River　on　the　morning　of　the　28th　General　Grant　had　returned　to

his　original　views：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃City　Point；　Va。；　March　28；　1865。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN：



〃The　Fifth　Army　Corps　will　move　by　the　Vaughn　road　at　3　A。M。

tomorrow　morning。　　The　Second　moves　at　about　9　A。M。；　having　but　about

three　miles　to　march　to　reach　the　point　designated　for　it　to　take　on

the　right　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　after　the　latter　reaches　Dinwiddie

Court　House。



〃Move　your　cavalry　at　as　early　an　hour　as　you　can；　and　without　being

confined　to　any　particular　road　or　roads。　　You　may　go　out　by　the

nearest　roads　in　rear　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　pass　by　its　left；　and

passing　near　to　or　through　Dinwiddie；　reach　the　right　and　rear　of　the

enemy　as　soon　as　you　can。　　It　is　not　the　intention　to　attack　the

enemy　in　his　intrenched　position；　but　to　force　him　out　if　possible。

Should　he　come　out　and　attack　us；　or　get　himself　where　he　can　be

attacked；　move　in　with　your　entire　force　in　your　own　way；　and　with

the　full　reliance　that　the　army　will　engage　or　follow　the　enemy；　as

circumstances　will　dictate。　　I　shall　be　on　the　field；　and　will

probably　be　able　to　communicate　with　you；　should　I　not　do　so；　and　you

find　that　the　enemy　keeps　within　his　main　intrenched　line；　you　may

cut　loose　and　push　for　the　Danville　road。　　If　you　find　it　practicable

I　would　like　you　to　cross　the　Southside　road；　between　Petersburg　and

Burkeville；　and　destroy　it　to　some　extent。　　I　would　not　advise　much

detention；　however；　until　you　reach　the　Danville　road；　which　I　would

like　you　to　strike　as　near　to　the　Appomattox　as　possible；　make　your

destruction　of　that　road　as　complete　as　possible；　you　can　then　pass

on　to　the　Southside　road；　west　of　Burkeville；　and　destroy　that　in

like　manner。



〃After　having　accomplished　the　destruction　of　the　two　railroads；

which　are　now　the　only　avenues　of　supply　to　Lee's　army；　you　may

return　to　this　army；　selecting　your　road　farther　south；　or　you　may　go

on　into　North　Carolina　and　join　General　Sherman。　　Should　you　select

the　latter　course；　get　the　information　to　me　as　early　as　possible；　so

that　I　may　send　orders　to　meet　you　at　Goldsboro'。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieut。…General。〃





These　instructions　did　not　alter　my　line　of　march　for　the　morrow；　and

I　trusted　matters　would　so　come　about　as　not　to　require　compliance

with　those　portions　relative　to　the　railroads　and　to　joining　Sherman；

so　early　on　the　29th　I　moved　my　cavalry　out　toward　Ream's　Station　on

the　Weldon　road；　Devin　commanding　the　First　Division；　with　Colonels

Gibbs；　Stagg；　and　Fitzhugh　in　charge　of　the　brigades；　the　Third

Division　under　Custer；　Colonels　Wells；　Capehart　and　Pennington　being

the　brigade　commanders。　　These　two　divisions　united　were　commanded　by

Merritt；　as　they　had　been　since　leaving　Winchester。　　Crook　headed　the

Second　Division；　his　brigades　being　under　General　Davies　and　Colonels

John　I。　Gregg　and　Smith。



Our　general　direction　was　westward；　over　such　routes　as　could　be

found；　provided　they　did　not　embarrass　the　march　of　the　infantry。

The　roads；　from　the　winter's　frosts　and　rains；　were　in　a　frightful

state；　and　when　it　was　sought　to　avoid　a　spot　which　the　head　of　the

column　had　proved　almost　bottomless；　the　bogs　and　quicksands　of　the

adjoining　fields　demonstrated　that　to　make　a　detour　was　to　go　from

bad　to　worse。　　In　the　face　of　these　discouragements　we　floundered　on；

however；　crossing　on　the　way　a　series　of　small　streams　swollen　to

their　banks。　　Crook　and　Devin　reached　the　county…seat　of　Dinwiddie

about　5　o'clock　in　the　evening；　having　encountered　only　a　small

picket；　that　at　once　gave　way　to　our　advance。　　Merritt　left　Custer　at

Malon's　crossing　of　Rowanty　Creek　to　care　for　the　trains　containing

our　subsistence　and　the　reserve　ammunition；　these　being　stuck　in　the

mire　at；　intervals　all　the　way　back　to　the　Jerusalem　plank…road；　and

to　make　any　headway　at　all　with　the　trains；　Custer's　men　often　had　to

unload　the　wagons　and　lift　them　out　of　the　boggy　places。



Crook　and　Devin　camped　near　Dinwiddie　Court　House　in　such　manner　as

to　cover　the　Vaughn；　Flatfoot；　Boydton；　and　Five　Forks　roads；　for；　as

these　all　intersected　at　Dinwiddie；　they　offered　a　chance　for　the

enemy's　approach　toward　the　rear　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　as　Warren

extended　to　the　left　across　the　Boydton　road。　　Any　of　these　routes

leading　to　the　south　or　west　might　also　be　the　one　on　which；　in

conformity　with　one　part　of　my　instructions；　I　was　expected　to　get

out　toward　the　Danville　and　Southside　railroads；　and　the　Five　Forks

road　would　lead　directly　to　General　Lee's　right　flank；　in　case

opportunity　was　found　to　comply　with　the　other　part。　　The　place　was；

therefore；　of　great　strategic　value；　and　getting　it　without　cost

repaid　us　for　floundering　through　the　mud。



Dinwiddie　Court　House；　though　a　most　important　point　in　the　campaign；

was　far　from　attractive　in　feature；　being　made　up　of　a　half…dozen

unsightly　houses；　a　ramshackle　tavern　propped　up　on　two　sides　with

pine　poles；　and　the　weatherbeaten　building　that　gave　official　name　to

the　cross…roads。　　We　had　no　tentsthere　were　none　in　the　commandso

I　took　possession　of　the　tavern　for　shelter　for　myself　and　staff；　and

just　as　we　had　finished　looking　over　its　primitive　interior　a　rain

storm　set　in。



The　wagon　containing　my　mess　e