personal memoirs-2-第9节

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against　such　a　plan　were　practically　agreed　to；　and　two　engineer

officers　were　designated　to　return　with　me　for　the　purpose　of

reporting　on　a　defensive　line　in　the　valley　that　could　be　held　while

the　bulk　of　my　troops　were　being　detached　to　Petersburg。　　Colonel

Alexander　and　Colonel　Thom　both　of　the　Engineer　Corps；　reported　to

accompany　me；　and　at　12　o'clock　we　took　the　train。



We　arrived　about　dark　at　Martinsburg；　and　there　found　the　escort　of

three　hundred　men　which　I　had　ordered　before　leaving　Cedar　Creek。　　We

spent　that　night　at　Martinsburg；　and　early　next　morning　mounted　and

started　up　the　Valley　pike　for　Winchester；　leaving　Captain　Sheridan

behind　to　conduct　to　the　army　the　Commissioners　whom　the　State　of　New

York　had　sent　down　to　receive　the　vote　of　her　troops　in　the　coming

Presidential　election。　　Colonel　Alexander　was　a　man　of　enormous

weight；　and　Colonel　Thom　correspondingly　light；　and　as　both　were

unaccustomed　to　riding　we　had　to　go　slowly；　losing　so　much　time；　in

fact；　that　we　did　not　reach　Winchester　till　between　3　and　4　o'clock

in　the　afternoon；　though　the　distance　is　but　twenty…eight　miles。　　As

soon　as　we　arrived　at　Colonel　Edwards's　headquarters　in　the　town；

where　I　intended　stopping　for　the　night；　I　sent　a　courier　to　the

front　to　bring　me　a　report　of　the　condition　of　affairs；　and　then　took

Colonel　Alexander　out　on　the　heights　about　Winchester；　in　order　that

he　might　overlook　the　country；　and　make　up　his　mind　as　to　the　utility

of　fortifying　there。　　By　the　time　we　had　completed　our　survey　it　was

dark；　and　just　as　we　reached　Colonel　Edwards's　house　on　our　return　a

courier　came　in　from　Cedar　Creek　bringing　word　that　everything　was

all　right；　that　the　enemy　was　quiet　at　Fisher's　Hill；　and　that　a

brigade　of　Grover's　division　was　to　make　a　reconnoissance　in　the

morning；　the　19th；　so　about　10　o'clock　I　went　to　bed　greatly

relieved；　and　expecting　to　rejoin　my　headquarters　at　my　leisure　next

day。



Toward　6　o'clock　the　morning　of　the　19th；　the　officer　on　picket　duty

at　Winchester　came　to　my　room；　I　being　yet　in　bed；　and　reported

artillery　firing　from　the　direction　of　Cedar　Creek。　　I　asked　him　if

the　firing　was　continuous　or　only　desultory；　to　which　he　replied　that

it　was　not　a　sustained　fire；　but　rather　irregular　and　fitful。　　I

remarked：　〃It's　all　right；　Grover　has　gone　out　this　morning　to　make　a

reconnoissance；　and　he　is　merely　feeling　the　enemy。〃　I　tried　to　go　to

sleep　again；　but　grew　so　restless　that　I　could　not；　and　soon　got　up

and　dressed　myself。　　A　little　later　the　picket　officer　came　back　and

reported　that　the　firing；　which　could　be　distinctly　heard　from　his

line　on　the　heights　outside　of　Winchester；　was　still　going　on。　　I

asked　him　if　it　sounded　like　a　battle；　and　as　he　again　said　that　it

did　not；　I　still　inferred　that　the　cannonading　was　caused　by　Grover's

division　banging　away　at　the　enemy　simply　to　find　out　what　he　was　up

to。　　However；　I　went　down…stairs　and　requested　that　breakfast　be

hurried　up；　and　at　the　same　time　ordered　the　horses　to　be　saddled　and

in　readiness；　for　I　concluded　to　go　to　the　front　before　any　further

examinations　were　made　in　regard　to　the　defensive　line。



We　mounted　our　horses　between　half…past　8　and　9；　and　as　we　were

proceeding　up　the　street　which　leads　directly　through　Winchester；

from　the　Logan　residence；　where　Edwards　was　quartered；　to　the　Valley

pike；　I　noticed　that　there　were　many　women　at　the　windows　and　doors

of　the　houses；　who　kept　shaking　their　skirts　at　us　and　who　were

otherwise　markedly　insolent　in　their　demeanor；　but　supposing　this

conduct　to　be　instigated　by　their　well…known　and　perhaps　natural

prejudices；　I　ascribed　to　it　no　unusual　significance。　　On　reaching

the　edge　of　the　town　I　halted　a　moment；　and　there　heard　quite

distinctly　the　sound　of　artillery　firing　in　an　unceasing　roar。

Concluding　from　this　that　a　battle　was　in　progress；　I　now　felt

confident　that　the　women　along　the　street　had　received　intelligence

from　the　battle；　field　by　the　〃grape…vine　telegraph；〃　and　were　in

raptures　over　some　good　news；　while　I　as　yet　was　utterly　ignorant　of

the　actual　situation。　　Moving　on；　I　put　my　head　down　toward　the

pommel　of　my　saddle　and　listened　intently；　trying　to　locate　and

interpret　the　sound；　continuing　in　this　position　till　we　had　crossed

Mill　Creek；　about　half　a　mile　from　Winchester。　　The　result　of　my

efforts　in　the　interval　was　the　conviction　that　the　travel　of　the

sound　was　increasing　too　rapidly　to　be　accounted　for　by　my　own　rate

of　motion；　and　that　therefore　my　army　must　be　falling　back。



At　Mill　Creek　my　escort　fell　in　behind；　and　we　were　going　ahead　at　a

regular　pace；　when；　just　as　we　made　the　crest　of　the　rise　beyond　the

stream；　there　burst　upon　our　view　the　appalling　spectacle　of　a　panic…

stricken　army…hundreds　of　slightly　wounded　men；　throngs　of　others

unhurt　but　utterly　demoralized；　and　baggage…wagons　by　the　score；　all

pressing　to　the　rear　in　hopeless　confusion；　telling　only　too　plainly

that　a　disaster　had　occurred　at　the　front。　　On　accosting　some　of　the

fugitives；　they　assured　me　that　the　army　was　broken　up；　in　full

retreat；　and　that　all　was　lost；　all　this　with　a　manner　true　to　that

peculiar　indifference　that　takes　possession　of　panic…stricken　men。　　I

was　greatly　disturbed　by　the；　sight；　but　at　once　sent　word　to　Colonel

Edwards　commanding　the　brigade　in　Winchester；　to　stretch　his　troops

across　the　valley；　near　Mill　Creek；　and　stop　all　fugitives；　directing

also　that　the　transportation　be；　passed　through　and　parked　on　the

north　side　of　the　town。



As　I　continued　at　a　walk　a　few　hundred　yards　farther；　thinking　all

the　time　of　Longstreet's　telegram　to　Early；　〃Be　ready　when　I　join

you；　and　we　will　crush　Sheridan；〃　I　was　fixing　in　my　mind　what　I

should　do。　　My　first　thought　was　too　stop　the　army　in　the　suburbs　of

Winchester　as　it　came　back；　form　a　new　line；　and　fight　there；　but　as

the　situation　was　more　maturely　considered　a　better　conception

prevailed。　　I　was　sure　the　troops　had　confidence　in　me；　for

heretofore　we　had　been　successful；　and　as　at　other　times　they　had

seen　me　present　at　the　slightest　sign　of　trouble　or　distress；　I　felt

that　I　ought　to　try　now　to　restore　their　broken　ranks；　or；　failing　in

that；　to　share　their　fate　because　of　what　they　had　done　hitherto。



About　this　time　Colonel　Wood；　my　chief　commissary；　arrived　from　the

front　and　gave　me　fuller　intelligence；　reporting　that　everything　was

gone；　my　headquarters　captured；　and　the　troops　dispersed。　　When　I

heard　this　I　took　two　of　my　aides…de…camp；　Major。　George　A。　Forsyth

and　Captain　Joseph　O'Keefe；　and　with　twenty　men　from　the　escort

started　for　the　front；　at　the　same　time　directing　Colonel　James　W。

Forsyth　and　Colonels　Alexander　and　Thom　to　remain　behind　and　do　what

they　could　to　stop　the　runaways。



For　a　short　distance　I　traveled　on　the　road；　but　soon　found　it　so

blocked　with　wagons　and　wounded　men　that　my　progress　was　impeded；　and

I　was　forced　to　take　to　the　adjoining　fields　to　make　haste。　　When

most　of　the　wagons　and　wounded　were　past　I　returned　to　the　road；

which　was　thickly　lined　with　unhurt　　men；　who；　having　got　far　enough

to　the　rear　to　be　out　of　danger；　had　halted；　without　any

organization；　and　begun　cooking　coffee；　but　when　they　saw　me　they

abandoned　their　coffee；　threw　up　their　hats；　shouldered　their

muskets；　and　as　I　passed　along　turned　to　follow　with　enthusiasm　and

cheers。　　To　acknowledge　this　exhibition　of　feeling　I　took　off　my　hat；

and　with　Forsyth　and　O'Keefe　rode　some　distance　in　advance　of　my

escort；　while　every　mounted　officer　who　saw　me　galloped　out　on　either

side　of　the　pike　to　tell　the　men　at　a　distance　that　I　had　come　back。

In　this　way　the　news　was　spread　to　the　stragglers　off　the　road；　when

they；　too；　turned　their　faces　to　the　front　and　marched　toward　the

enemy；　changing　in　a　moment　from　the　depths　of　depression　；　to　the

extreme　of　enthusiasm。　　I　already　knew　that　even　in　the　ordinary

condition　of　mind　enthusiasm　is　a　potent　element　with　soldiers；　but

what　I　saw　that　day　convinced　me　that　if　it　can　be　excited　from　a

state　of　despondency　its　power　is　almost　irresistible。　　I　said

nothing　except　to　remark　as　I　rode　among　those　on　the　road：　〃If　I　had

been；　with　you　this　morning　this　disaster　would　not　have　happened。

We　must　face　the　other　way；　we　will　go　back　and　recover　our　camp。〃



My　first　halt　was　made　just　north　of　Newtown；　where　I　met　a　chaplain

digging　his　heels　into　the　sides　of　his　jaded　horse；　and　making　for

the　rear　with　all　possible　speed。　　I　drew　up　for　an　instant；　and

inquired　of　him　how　matters　were　going　at　the　front。　　He　replied；

〃Everything　is　lost；　but　all　will　be　right　when　you　get　there〃；　yet

notwithstanding　this　expression　of　confidence　in　me；　the　parson　at

once　resumed　his　breathless　pace　to　the　rear。　　At　Newtown　I　was

obliged　to　make　a　circuit　to　the　left；　to　get　round　the　village。　　I

could　not　pass　through　it；　the　streets　were　so　crowded；　but　meeting

on　th