personal memoirs-2-第3节

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line　some　little　distance　in　advance　of　the　position　from　which　it

started　in　the　morning；　and　behind　Russell's　division　（now　commanded

by　Upton）　the　broken　regiments　of　Ricketts's　division　were　rallied。

Dwight's　division　was　then　brought　up　on　the　right；　and　Grover's　men

formed　behind　it。



The　charge　of　Russell　was　most　opportune；　but　it　cost　many　men　in

killed　and　wounded。　　Among　the　former　was　the　courageous　Russell

himself；　killed　by　a　piece　of　shell　that　passed　through　his　heart；

although　he　had　previously　been　struck　by　a　bullet　in　the　left

breast；　which　wound；　from　its　nature；　must　have　proved　mortal；　yet　of

which　he　had　not　spoken。　　Russell's　death　oppressed　us　all　with

sadness；　and　me　particularly。　　In　the　early　days　of　my　army　life　he

was　my　captain　and　friend；　and　I　was　deeply　indebted　to　him；　not　only

for　sound　advice　and　good　example；　but　for　the　inestimable　service　he

had　just　performed；　and　sealed　with　his　life；　so　it　may　be　inferred

how　keenly　I　felt　his　loss。



As　my　lines　were　being　rearranged；　it　was　suggested　to　me　to　put

Crook　into　the　battle；　but　so　strongly　had　I　set　my　heart　on　using

him　to　take　possession　of　the　Valley　pike　and　cut　off　the　enemy；　that

I　resisted　this　advice；　hoping　that　the　necessity　for　putting　him　in

would　be　obviated　by　the　attack　near　Stephenson's　depot　that

Torbert's　cavalry　was　to　make；　and　from　which　I　was　momentarily

expecting　to　hear。　　No　news　of　Torbert's　progress　came；　however；　so；

yielding　at　last；　I　directed　Crook　to　take　post　on　the　right　of　the

Nineteenth　Corps　and；　when　the　action　was　renewed；　to　push　his

command　forward　as　a　turning…column　in　conjunction　with　Emory。　　After

some　delay　in　the　annoying　defile；　Crook　got　his　men　up；　and　posting

Colonel　Thoburn's　division　on　the　prolongation　of　the　Nineteenth

Corps；　he　formed　Colonel　Duval's　division　to　the　right　of　Thoburn。

Here　I　joined　Crook；　informing　him　that　I　had　just　got　word　that

Torbert　was　driving　the　enemy　in　confusion　along　the　Martinsburg　pike

toward　Winchester；　at　the　same　time　I　directed　him　to　attack　the

moment　all　of　Duval's　men　were　in　line。　　Wright　was　instructed　to

advance　in　concert　with　Crook；　by　swinging　Emory　and　the　right　of　the

Sixth　Corps　to　the　left　together　in　a　half…wheel。　　Then　leaving

Crook；　I　rode　along　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps；　the　open　ground

over　which　they　were　passing　affording　a　rare　opportunity　to　witness

the　precision　with　which　the　attack　was　taken　up　from　right　to　left。

Crook's　success　began　the　moment　he　started　to　turn　the　enemy's　left；

and　assured　by　the　fact　that　Torbert　had　stampeded　the　Confederate

cavalry　and　thrown　Breckenridge's　infantry　into　such　disorder　that　it

could　do　little　to　prevent　the　envelopment　of　Gordon's　left；　Crook

pressed　forward　without　even　a　halt。



Both　Emory　and　Wright　took　up　the　fight　as　ordered；　and　as　they　did

so　I　sent　word　to　Wilson；　in　the　hope　that　he　could　partly　perform

the　work　originally　laid　out　for　Crook；　to　push　along　the　Senseny

road　and；　if　possible；　gain　the　valley　pike　south　of　Winchester。　　I

then　returned　toward　my　right　flank；　and　as　I　reached　the　Nineteenth

Corps　the　enemy　was　contesting　the　ground　in　its　front　with　great

obstinacy；　but　Emory's　dogged　persistence　was　at　length　rewarded　with

success；　just　as　Crook's　command　emerged　from　the　morass　of　Red　Bud

Run；　and　swept　around　Gordon；　toward　the　right　of　Breckenridge；　who；

with　two　of　Wharton's　brigades；　was　holding　a　line　at　right　angles

with　the　Valley　pike　for　the　protection　of　the　Confederate　rear。

Early　had　ordered　these　two　brigades　back　from　Stephenson's　depot　in

the　morning；　purposing　to　protect　with　them　his　right　flank　and　line

of　retreat；　but　while　they　were　en　route　to　this　end；　he　was　obliged

to　recall　them　to　his　left　to　meet　Crook's　attack。



To　confront　Torbert；　Patton's　brigade　of　infantry　and　some　of

Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry　had　been　left　back　by　Breckenridge；　but；　with

Averell　on　the　west　side　of　the　Valley　pike　and　Merritt　on　the　east；

Torbert　began　to　drive　this　opposing　force　toward　Winchester　the

moment　he　struck　it　near　Stephenson's　depot；　keeping　it　on　the　go

till　it　reached　the　position　held　by　Breckenridge；　where　it

endeavored　to　make　a　stand。



The　ground　which　Breckenridge　was　holding　was　open；　and　offered　an

opportunity　such　as　seldom　had　been　presented　during　the　war　for　a；

mounted　attack；　and　Torbert　was　not　slow　to　take　advantage　of　it。

The　instant　Merritt's　division　could　be　formed　for　the　charge；　it

went　at　Breckenridge's　infantry　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry　with　such

momentum　as　to　break　the　Confederate　left；　just　as　Averell　was

passing　around　it。　　Merritt's　brigades；　led　by　Custer；　Lowell；　and

Devin；　met　from　the　start　with　pronounced　success；　and　with　sabre　or

pistol　in　hand　literally　rode　down　a　battery　of　five　guns　and　took

about　1；200　prisoners。　　Almost　simultaneously　with　this　cavalry

charge；　Crook　struck　Breckenridge's　right　and　Gordon's　left；　forcing

these　divisions　to　give　way；　and　as　they　retired；　Wright；　in　a

vigorous　attack；　quickly　broke　Rodes　up　and　pressed　Ramseur　so　hard

that　the　whole　Confederate　army　fell　back；　contracting　its　lines

within　some　breastworks　which　had　been　thrown　up　at　a　former　period

of　the　war；　immediately　in　front　of　Winchester。



Here　Early　tried　hard　to　stem　the　tide；　but　soon　Torbert's　cavalry

began　passing　around　his　left　flank；　and　as　Crook；　Emory；　and　Wright

attacked　in　front；　panic　took　possession　of　the　enemy；　his　troops；

now　fugitives　and　stragglers；　seeking　escape　into　and　through

Winchester。



When　this　second　break　occurred；　the　Sixth　and　Nineteenth　corps　were

moved　over　toward　the　Millwood　pike　to　help　Wilson　on　the　left；　but

the　day　was　so　far　spent　that　they　could　render　him　no　assistance；

and　Ramseur's　division；　which　had　maintained　some　organization；　was

in　such　tolerable　shape　as　to　check　him。　　Meanwhile　Torbert　passed

around　to　the　west　of　Winchester　to　join　Wilson；　but　was　unable　to　do

so　till　after　dark。　　Crook's　command　pursued　the　enemy　through　the

town　to　Mill　Greek；　I　going　along。



Just　after　entering　the　town；　Crook　and　I　met；　in　the　main　street；

three　young　girls；　who　gave　us　the　most　hearty　reception。　　One　of

these　young　women　was　a　Miss　Griffith；　the　other　two　Miss　Jennie　and

Miss　Susie　Meredith。　　During　the　day　they　had　been　watching　the

battle　from　the　roof　of　the　Meredith　residence；　with　tears　and

lamentations；　they　said；　in　the　morning　when　misfortune　appeared　to

have　overtaken　the　Union　troops；　but　with　unbounded　exultation　when；

later；　the；　tide　set　in　against　the　Confederates。　　Our　presence　was；

to　them；　an　assurance　of　victory；　and　their　delight　being

irrepressible；　they　indulged　in　the　most　unguarded　manifestations　and

expressions。　　When　cautioned　by　Crook；　who　knew　them　well；　and

reminded　that　the　valley　had　hitherto　been　a　race…courseone　day　in

the'possession　of　friends；　and　the　next　of　enemiesand　warned　of　the

dangers　they　were　incurring　by　such　demonstrations；　they　assured　him

that　they　had　no　further　fears　of　that　kind　now；　adding　that　Early's

army　was　so　demoralized　by　the　defeat　it　had　just　sustained　that　it

would　never　be　in　condition　to　enter　Winchester　again。　　As　soon　as　we

had　succeeded　in　calming　the　excited　girls　a　little　I　expressed　a

desire　to　find　some　place　where　I　could　write　a　telegram　to　General

Grant　informing　him　of　the　result　of　the　battle；　and　General　Crook

conducted　me　to　the　home　of　Miss　Wright；　where　I　met　for　the　first

time　the　woman　who　had　contributed　so　much　to　our　success；　and　on　a

desk　in　her　school…room　wrote　the　despatch　announcing　that　we　had

sent　Early's　army　whirling　up　the　valley。



My　losses　in　the　battle　of　the　Opequon　were　heavy；　amounting　to　about

4；500　killed；　wounded；　and　missing。　　Among　the　killed　was　General

Russell；　commanding　a　division；　and　the　wounded　included　Generals

Upton；　McIntosh　and　Chapman；　and　Colonels　Duval　and　Sharpe。　　The

Confederate　loss　in　killed；　wounded；　and　prisoners　about　equaled

mine；　General　Rodes　being　of　the　killed；　while　Generals　Fitzhugh　Lee

and　York　were　severely　wounded。



We　captured　five　pieces　of　artillery　and　nine　battle…flags。　　The

restoration　of　the　lower　valleyfrom　the　Potomac　to　Strasburgto

the　control　of　the　Union　forces　caused　great　rejoicing　in　the　North；

and　relieved　the　Administration　from　further　solicitude　for　the

safety　of　the　Maryland　and　Pennsylvania　borders。　　The　President's

appreciation　of　the　victory　was　expressed　in　a　despatch　so　like　Mr。

Lincoln　that　I　give　a　facsimile　of　it　to　the　reader：



＇In　the　handwriting　of　President　Lincoln＇

〃EXECUTIVE　DEPARTMENT

〃WASHINGTON；　Sep。　　20；　1864



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERMAN

〃WINCHESTER；　VA。



〃Have　just　heard　of　your　geat　victory。　　God　bless　you　all；　officers

and　men。　　Strongly　inclined　to　come　up　and　see　you。



〃A。　LINCOLN





This　he　supplemented　by　promoting　me　to　the　grade　of　brigadier…

general