personal memoirs-2-及22准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
relieving him。 These were prompted by the conditions aloneby the
conduct of General Warren as described察and my consequent lack of
confidence in him。
It will be remembered that in my conversation with General Grant on
the 30th察relative to the suspension of operations because of the
mud察I asked him to let me have the Sixth Corps to help me in
breaking in on the enemy's right察but that it could not be sent me
it will be recalled also that the Fifth Corps was afterward tendered
and declined。 From these facts it has been alleged that I was
prejudiced against General Warren察but this is not true。 As we had
never been thrown much together I knew but little of him。 I had no
personal objection to him察and certainly could have none to his
corps。 I was expected to do an extremely dangerous piece of work
and knowing the Sixth Corps wellmy cavalry having campaigned with
it so successfully in the Shenandoah Valley察I naturally preferred
it察and declined the Fifth for no other reason。 But the Sixth could
not be given察and the turn of events finally brought me the Fifth
after my cavalry察under the most trying difficulties察had drawn the
enemy from his works察and into such a position as to permit the
realization of General Grant's hope to break up with my force Lee's
right flank。 Pickett's isolation offered an opportunity which we
could not afford to neglect察and the destruction of his command would
fill the measure of General Grant's expectations as well as meet my
own desires。 The occasion was not an ordinary one察and as I thought
that Warren had not risen to its demand in the battle察I deemed it
injudicious and unsafe under the critical conditions existing to
retain him longer。 That I was justified in this is plain to all who
are disposed to be fair´minded察so with the following extract from
General Sherman's review of the proceedings of the Warren Court察and
with which I am convinced the judgment of history will accord察I
leave the subject
;。。。。It would be an unsafe and dangerous rule to hold the commander
of an army in battle to a technical adherence to any rule of conduct
for managing his command。 He is responsible for results察and holds
the lives and reputations of every officer and soldier under his
orders as subordinate to the great endvictory。 The most important
events are usually compressed into an hour察a minute察and he cannot
stop to analyze his reasons。 He must act on the impulse察the
conviction察of the instant察and should be sustained in his
conclusions察if not manifestly unjust。 The power to command men察and
give vehement impulse to their joint action察is something which
cannot be defined by words察but it is plain and manifest in battles
and whoever commands an army in chief must choose his subordinates by
reason of qualities which can alone be tested in actual conflict。
;No one has questioned the patriotism察integrity察and great
intelligence of General Warren。 These are attested by a long record
of most excellent service察but in the clash of arms at and near Five
Forks察March 31 and April 1察1865察his personal activity fell short
of the standard fixed by General Sheridan察on whom alone rested the
great responsibility for that and succeeding days。
;My conclusion is that General Sheridan was perfectly justified in
his action in this case察and he must be fully and entirely sustained
if the United States expects great victories by her arms in the
future。;
CHAPTER VII。
RESULT OF THE BATTLE OF FIVE FORKSRETREAT OF LEEAN INTERCEPTED
DESPATCHAT AMELIA COURT HOUSEBATTLE OF SAILOR'S CREEKTHE
CONFEDERATES' STUBBORN RESISTANCEA COMPLETE VICTORYIMPORTANCE OF
THE BATTLE。
When the news of the battle at Five Forks reached General Grant察he
realized that the decisive character of our victory would necessitate
the immediate abandonment of Richmond and Petersburg by the enemy
and fearing that Lee would escape without further injury察he issued
orders察the propriety of which must be settled by history察to assault
next morning the whole intrenched line。 But Lee could not retreat at
once。 He had not anticipated察dissster at Five Forks察and hence was
unprepared to withdraw on the moment察and the necessity of getting
off his trains and munitions of war察as well as being obliged to
cover the flight of the Confederate Government察compelled him to hold
on to Richmond and Petersburg till the afternoon of the 2d察though
before that Parke察Ord察and Wright had carried his outer
intrenchments at several points察thus materially shortening the line
of investment。
The night of the 1st of April察General Humphreys's corps´the Second´
had extended its left toward the White Oak road察and early next
morning察under instructions from General Grant察Miles's division of
that corps reported to me察and supporting him with Ayres's and
Crawford's divisions of the Fifth Corps察I then directed him to
advance toward Petersburg and attack the enemy's works at the
intersection of the Claiborne and White Oak roads。
Such of the enemy as were still in the works Miles easily forced
across Hatcher's Run察in the direction of Sutherland's depot察but the
Confederates promptly took up a position north of the little stream
and Miles being anxious to attack察I gave him leave察but just at this
time General Humphreys came up with a request to me from General
Meade to return Miles。 On this request I relinquished command of the
division察when察supported by the Fifth Corps it could have broken in
the enemy's right at a vital point察and I have always since regretted
that I did so察for the message Humphreys conveyed was without
authority from General Grant察by whom Miles had been sent to me察but
thinking good feeling a desideratum just then察and wishing to avoid
wrangles察I faced the Fifth Corps about and marched it down to Five
Forks察and out the Ford road to the crossing of Hatcher's Run。 After
we had gone察General Grant察intending this quarter of the field to be
under my control察ordered Humphreys with his other two divisions to
move to the right察in toward Petersburg。 This left Miles entirely
unsupported察and his gallant attack made soon after was unsuccessful
at first察but about 3 o'clock in the afternoon he carried the point
which covered the retreat from Petersburg and Richmond。
Merritt had been sent westward察meanwhile察in the direction of Ford's
Station察to break the enemy's horse which had been collecting to the
north of Hatcher's Run。 Meeting察with but little opposition察Merritt
drove this cavalry force in a northerly direction toward Scott's
Corners察while the Fifth Corps was pushed toward Sutherland's depot
in the hope of coming in on the rear of the force that was
confronting Miles when I left him。 Crawford and Merritt engaged the
enemy lightly just before night察but his main column察retreating
along the river road south of the Appomattox察had got across Namozine
Creek察and the darkness prevented our doing more than to pick up some
stragglers。 The next morning the pursuit was resumed察the cavalry
again in advance察the Fifth Corps keeping up with it all the while
and as we pressed our adversaries hundreds and hundreds of prisoners
armed and unarmed察fell into our hands察together with many wagons and
five pieces of artillery。 At Deep Creek the rearguard turned on us
and a severe skirmish took place。 Merritt察finding the enemy very
strong察was directed to await the arrival of Crook and for the rear
division of the Fifth Corps察but by the time they reached the creek
darkness had again come to protect the Confederates察and we had to be
content with meagre results at that point。
〃From the beginning it was apparent that Lee察in his retreat察was
making for Amelia Court House察where his columns north and south of
the Appomattox River could join察and where察no doubt察he expected to
meet supplies察so Crook was ordered to march early on April 4 to
strike the Danville railroad察between Jettersville and Burkeville
and then move south along the railroad toward JettersVille察Merritt
to move toward Amelia Court House察and the Fifth Corps to
Jettersville itself。
The Fifth Corps got to Jettersville about 5 in the afternoon察and I
immediately intrenched it across the Burkeville road with the
determination to stay there till the main army could come up察for I
hoped we could force Lee to surrender at Amelia Court House察since a
firm hold on Jettersville would cut him off from his line of retreat
toward Burkeville。
Accompanied only by my escortthe First United States Cavalry察about
two hundred strongI reached Jettersville some little time before
the Fifth Corps察and having nothing else at hand I at once deployed
this handful of men to cover the crossroads till the arrival of the
corps。 Just as the troopers were deploying察a man on a mule察heading
for Burkeville察rode into my pickets。 He was arrested察of cou