personal memoirs-1-第52节

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Cavalry　Corps　himselfthat　I　would　not　give　it　another　order。



The　acrimonious　interview　ended　with　this　remark；　and　after　I　left

him　he　went　to　General　Grant's　headquarters　and　repeated　the

conversation　to　him；　mentioning　that　I　had　said　that　I　could　whip

Stuart。　　At　this　General　Grant　remarked：　〃Did　he　say　so？　Then　let　him

go　out　and　do　it。〃　　This　intimation　was　immediately　acted　upon　by

General　Meade；　and　a　little　later　the　following　order　came　to　me：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC

〃May　8th；　1864　1　P。　M。



〃GENERAL　SHERIDAN；

〃Commanding　Cavalry　Corps。



〃The　major…general　commanding　directs　you　to　immediately　concentrate

your　available　mounted　force；　and　with　your　ammunition　trains　and

such　supply　trains　as　are　filled　（exclusive　of　ambulances）　proceed

against　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　when　your　supplies　are　exhausted；

proceed　via　New　Market　and　Green　Bay　to　Haxall's　Landing　on　the　James

River；　there　communicating　with　General　Butler；　procuring　supplies

and　return　to　this　army。　　Your　dismounted　men　will　be　left　with　the

train　here。



〃A。　A。　HUMPHREYS；

〃Major…General；　Chief…of…staff。〃





As　soon　as　the　above　order　was　received　I　issued　instructions　for　the

concentration　of　the　three　divisions　of　cavalry　at　Aldrich's　to

prepare　for　the　contemplated　expedition。　　Three　days'　rations　for　the

men　were　distributed；　and　half　rations　of　grain　for　one　day　were

doled　out　for　the　horses。　　I　sent　for　Gregg；　Merritt；　and　Wilson　and

communicated　the　order　to　them；　saying　at　the　same　time；　〃We　are

going　out　to　fight　Stuart's　cavalry　in　consequence　of　a　suggestion

from　me；　we　will　give　him　a　fair；　square　fight；　we　are　strong；　and　I

know　we　can　beat　him；　and　in　view　of　my　recent　representations　to

General　Meade　I　shall　expect　nothing　but　success。〃　　I　also　indicated

to　my　division　commanders　the　line　of　march　I　should　takemoving　in

one　column　around　the　right　flank　of　Lee's　army　to　get　in　its　rear

and　stated　at　the　same　time　that　it　was　my　intention　to　fight　Stuart

wherever　he　presented　himself；　and　if　possible　go　through　to　Haxall's

Landing；　but　that　if　Stuart　should　successfully　interpose　between　us

and　that　point　we　would　swing　back　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by

passing　around　the　enemy's　left　flank　by　way　of　Gordonsville。　　At

first　the　proposition　seemed　to　surprise　the　division　commanders

somewhat；　for　hitherto　even　the　boldest；　mounted　expeditions　had　been

confined　to　a　hurried　ride　through　the　enemy's　country；　without

purpose　of　fighting　more　than　enough　to　escape　in　case　of

molestation；　and　here　and　there　to　destroy　a　bridge。　　Our　move　would

be　a　challenge　to　Stuart　for　a　cavalry　duel　behind　Lee's　lines；　in

his　own　country；　but　the　advantages　which　it　was　reasonable　to

anticipate　from　the　plan　being　quickly　perceived；　each　division

commander　entered　into　its　support　unhesitatingly；　and　at　once　set

about　preparing　for　the　march　next　day。









CHAPTER　XIX。



THE　EXPEDITION　STARTSDESTROYING　SUPPLIESOPENING　OF　THE　FIGHT　AT

YELLOW　TAVERNGENERAL　CUSTER'S　BRILLIANT　CHARGEDEATH　OF　GENERAL

STUARTREMOVING　TORPEDOESEXCITEMENT　IN　RICHMONDA　NIGHT　MARCH

ENTERPRISING　NEWSBOYSTHE　EFFECTS　OF　STUART'S　DEFEAT　AND　DEATHEND

OF　THE　FIRST　EXPEDITIONITS　GREAT　SUCCESS　AND　BENEFICIAL　RESULTS。



The　expedition　which　resulted　in　the　battle　of　Yellow　Tavern　and　the

death　of　General　Stuart　started　from　the　vicinity　of　Aldrich's　toward

Fredericksburg　early　on　the　morning　of　May　9；　1864；　marching　on　the

plank…road；　Merritt's　division　leading。　　When　the　column　reached

Tabernacle　Church　it　headed　almost　due　east　to　the　telegraph　road；

and　thence　down　that　highway　to　Thornburg；　and　from　that　point

through　Childsburg　to　Anderson's　crossing　of　the　North　Anna　River；　it

being　my　desire　to　put　my　command　south　of　that　stream　if　possible；

where　it　could　procure　forage　before　it　should　be　compelled　to　fight。

The　corps　moved　at　a　walk；　three　divisions　on　the　same　road；　making　a

column　nearly　thirteen　miles　in　length；　and　marched　around　the　right

flank　of　the　enemy　unsuspected　until　my　rear　guard　；　had　passed

Massaponax　Church。　　Although　the　column　was　very　long；　I　preferred　to

move　it　all　on　one　road　rather　than　to　attempt　combinations　for

carrying　the　divisions　to　any　given　point　by　different　routes。

Unless　the　separate　commands　in　an　expedition　of　this　nature　are　very

prompt　in　movement；　and　each　fully　equal　to　overcoming　at　once　any

obstacle　it　may　meet；　combinations　rarely　work　out　as　expected；

besides；　an　engagement　was　at　all　times　imminent；　hence　it　was

specially　necessary　to　keep　the　whole　force　well　together。



As　soon　as　the　Ny；　Po；　and　Ta　rivers　were　crossed；　each　；of　which

streams　would　have　afforded　an　excellent　defensive　line　to　the　enemy；

all　anxiety　as　to　our　passing　around　Lee's　army　was　removed；　and　our

ability　to　cross　the　North　Anna　placed　beyond　doubt。　Meanwhile

General　Stuart　had　discovered　what　we　were　about；　and　he　set　his

cavalry　in　motion；　sending　General　Fitzhugh　Lee　to　follow　and　attack

my　rear　on　the　Childsburg　road；　Stuart　himself　marching　by　way　of

Davenport's　bridge；　on　the　North　Anna；　toward　Beaver　Dam　Station；

near　which　place　his　whole　command　was　directed　to　unite　the　next

day。



My　column　having　passed　the　Ta　River；　Stuart　attacked　its　rear　with

considerable　vigor；　in　the　hope　that　he　could　delay　my　whole　force

long　enough　to　permit　him　to　get　at　least　a　part　of　his　command　in　my

front；　but　this　scheme　was　frustrated　by　Davies's　brigade；　which　I

directed　to　fight　as　a　rear…guard；　holding　on　at　one　position　and

then　at　another　along　the　line　of　march　just　enough　to　deter　the

enemy　from　a　too　rapid　advance。　　Davies　performed　this　responsible

and　trying　duty　with　tact　and　good　judgment；　following　the　main

column　steadily　as　it　progressed　to　the　south；　and　never　once

permitting　Fitzhugh　Lee's　advance　to　encroach　far　enough　to　compel　a

halt　of　my　main　body。　　About　dark　Merritt's　division　crossed　the

North　Anna　at　Anderson's　ford；　while　Gregg　and　Wilson　encamped　on　the

north　side；　having　engaged　the　enemy；　who　still　hung　on　my　rear　up　to

a　late　hour　at　night。



After　Merritt's　division　passed　the　river；　Custer's　brigade　proceeded

on　to　Beaver　Dam　Station　to　cut　the　Virginia　Central　railroad。

Before　reaching　the　station　he　met　a　small　force　of　the　enemy；　but

this　he　speedily　drove　off；　recapturing　from　it　about　four　hundred

Union　prisoners；　who　had　been　taken　recently　in　the　Wilderness　and

were　being　conducted　to　Richmond。　　Custer　also　destroyed　the　station；

two　locomotives；　three　trains　of　cars；　ninety　wagons；　from　eight　to

ten　miles　of　railroad　and　telegraph　lines；　some　two　hundred　thousand

pounds　of　bacon　and　other　supplies；　amounting　in　all　to　about　a

million　and　a　half　of　rations；　and　nearly　all　they　medical　stores　of

General　Lee's　army；　which　had　been　moved　from　Orange　Court　House

either　because　Lee　wished　to　have　them　directly　in　his　rear　or

because　he　contemplated　falling　back　to　the　North　Anna。



On　the　morning　of　the　l0th　Gregg　and　Wilson；　while　crossing　the　North

Anna；　were　again　attacked；　but　were　covered　by　the　division　on　the

south　side　of　the　stream；　the　passage　was　effected　without　much　loss；

notwithstanding　the　approach　of　Stuart　on　the　south　bank　from　the

direction　of　Davenport's　bridge。　　The　possession　of　Beaver　Dam　gave

us　an　important　point；　as　it　opened　a　way　toward　Richmond　by　the

Negro…foot　road。　　It　also　enabled　us　to　obtain　forage　for　our　well…

nigh　famished　animals；　and　to　prepare　for　fighting　the　enemy；　who；　I

felt　sure；　would　endeavor　to　interpose　between　my　column　and

Richmond。



Stuart　had　hardly　united　his　troops　near　Beaver　Dam　when　he　realized

that　concentrating　there　was　a　mistake；　so　he　began　making

dispositions　for　remedying　his　error；　and　while　we　leisurely　took　the

Negro…foot　toad　toward　Richmond；　he　changed　his　tactics　and　hauled

off　from　my　rear；　urging　his　horses　to　the　death　in　order　to　get　in

between　Richmond　and　my　column。　　This　he　effected　about　10　o'clock　on

the　morning　of　the　11th；　concentrating　at　Yellow　Tavern；　six　miles

from　the　city；　on　the　Brook　turnpike。　　His　change　of　tactics　left　my

march　on　the　l0th　practically　unmolested；　and　we　quietly　encamped

that　night　on　the　south　bank　of　the　South　Anna；　near　Ground　Squirrel

Bridge。　　Here　we　procured　an　abundance　of　forage；　and　as　the　distance

traveled　that　day　had　been　only　fifteen　to　eighteen　miles；　men　and

horses　were　able　to　obtain　a　good　rest　during　the　night。



At　2　o'clock　in　the　morning；　May　11；　Davies's　brigade　of　Gregg's

division　marched　for　Ashland　to　cut　the　Fredericksburg　railroad。

Arriving　there　before　the　head　of　the　enemy's　column；　which　had　to

pass　through　this　same　place　to　reach　Yellow　Tavern；　Davies　drove　out

a　small　force　occupying　the　town；　burnt　a　train　of　cars　and　a

locomotive；　destroyed　the　railroad　for　some　distance；　and　rejoined

the　main　column　at　Allen's　Station　on　the　Frederick