personal memoirs-1-第59节

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to　pass　on　to　Gordonsville；　and　from　there　to　interpose　between

General　Hunter　and　me　at　either　Charlottesville　or　Waynesboro'　as

circumstances　might　determine。



On　the　night　of　the　Loth　General　Hampton's　division　camped　about

three　miles　northwest　of　Trevillian；　at　a　place　called　Green　Spring

Valley　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　division　not　far　from　Louisa　Court　House；

some　six　miles　east　of　Trevillian。　　Learning　that　I　was　at

Carpenter's　ford；　Hampton　marched　his　division　by　way　of　Trevillian

Station　toward　Clayton's　store；　on　the　road　from　Trevillian　to

Carpenter's　ford；　intending　to　attack　me　at　Clayton's。　　Fitzhugh

Lee's　division　was　to　join　Hampton　at　Clayton's　store　from　Louisa

Court　House；　but　on　the　morning　of　the　11th　the　two　generals　were

separated　by　several　miles。



At　daylight　of　the　11th　my　march；　to　Trevillian　Station　was　resumed

on　the　direct　road　to　that　point；　and　engaging　the　enemy's　pickets

and　advanced　parties　soon　after　setting　out；　we　began　to　drive　them

in。　　Torbert　had　the　lead　with　Merritt's　and　Devin's　brigades；　and　as

he　pressed　back　the　pickets　he　came　upon　the　enemy　posted　behind　a

line　of　barricades　in　dense　timber　about　three　miles　from　Trevillian。

Meanwhile　Custer's　brigade　had　been　sent　from　where　we　bivouacked；　by

a　wood　road　found　on　our　left；　to　destroy　Trevillian　Station。　　In

following　this　road　Custer　got　to　the　rear　of　Hampton's　division；

having　passed　between　its　right　flank　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　division；

which　was　at　the　time　marching　on　the　road　leading　from　Louisa　Court

House　to　Clayton's　store　to　unite　with　Hampton。



Custer；　the　moment　he　found　himself　in　Hampton's　rear；　charged　the

led　horses；　wagons；　and　caissons　found　there；　getting　hold　of　a　vast

number　of　each；　and　also　of　the　station　itself。　　The　stampede　and

havoc　wrought　by　Custer　in　Hampton's　rear　compelled　him　to　turn

Rosser's　brigade　in　that　direction；　and　while　it　attacked　Custer　on

one　side；　Fitzhugh　Lee's　division；　which　had　followed　Custer　toward

Trevillian；　attacked　him　on　the　other。　　There　then　ensued　a　desperate

struggle　for　the　possession　of　the　captured　property；　resulting

finally　in　its　being　retaken　by　the　enemy。　　Indeed；　the　great　number

of　horses　and　vehicles　could　not　be　kept　on　the　limited　space　within

Custer's　line；　which　now　formed　almost　a　complete　circle；　and　while

he　was　endeavoring　to　remove　them　to　a　secure　place　they；　together

with　Custer's　headquarters　wagon　and　four　of　his　caissons；　fell　into

the　hands　of　their　original　owners。



As　soon　as　the　firing　told　that　Custer　had　struck　the　enemy's　rear；　I

directed　Torbert　to　press　the　line　in　front　of　Merritt　and　Devin；

aided　by　one　brigade　of　Gregg's　division　on　their　left；　Gregg's　other

brigade　in　the　meantime　attacking　Fitzhugh　Lee　on　the　Louisa　Court

House　road。　　The　effect　of　this　was　to　force　Hampton　back；　and　his

division　was　so　hard　pushed　that　a　portion　of　it　was　driven　pell…mell

into　Custer's　lines；　leaving　there　about　five　hundred　prisoners。　　The

rest　of　Hampton's　men　did　not　rally　till　they　got　some　distance　west

of　Trevillian；　while；　in　the　meantime；　Gregg　had　driven　Fitzhugh　Lee

toward　Louisa　Court　House　so　far　that　many　miles　now　intervened

between　the　two　Confederate　divisions；　precluding　their　union　until

about　noon　the　next　day；　when　Fitzhugh　Lee　effected　the　junction

after　a　circuitous　march　in　the　night。　　The　defeat　of　Hampton　at　the

point　where　he　had　determined　to　resist　my　further　advance；　and　his

retreat　westward；　gave　me　undisturbed　possession　of　the　station；　and

after　destroying　the　railroad　to　some　extent　toward　Gordonsville；　I

went　into　camp。



》From　prisoners　taken　during　the　day；　I　gathered　that　General　Hunter；

instead　of　coming　toward　Charlottesville；　as　I　had　reason　to　expect；

both　from　the　instructions　given　me　and　the　directions　sent　him　by

General　Grant；　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　Lexingtonapparently

moving　on　Lynchburgand　that　Breckenridge　was　at　Gordonsville　and

Charlottesville。　　I　also　heard；　from　the　same　source；　that　Ewell's

corps　was　on　its　way　to　Lynchburg；　but　this　intelligence　proved

afterward　to　be　incorrect；　for　these　troops；　commanded　by　General

Early；　did　not　leave　Richmond　till　two　days　later。



There　was　no　doubt　as　to　the　information　about　Hunter's　general

location；　however。　　He　was　marching　toward　Lynchburg；　away　from

instead　of　toward　me；　thus　making　the　junction　of　our　commands　beyond

all　reasonable　probability。　　So　in　view　of　this；　I　made　up　my　mind　to

abandon　that　part　of　the　scheme；　and　to　return　by　leisurely　marches；

which　would　keep　Hampton's　cavalry　away　from　Lee　while　Grant　was

crossing　the　James　River。　　I　was　still　further　influenced　to　this

course　by　the　burden　which　was　thrown　on　me　in　the　large　number　of

woundedthere　being　about　five　hundred　cases　of　my　ownand　the　five

hundred　prisoners　that　I　would　probably　be　forced　to　abandon；　should

I　proceed　farther。　　Besides；　the　recent　battle　had　reduced　my　supply

of　ammunition　to　a　very　small　amountnot　more　than　enough　for　one

more　respectable　engagement；　and　as　the　chances　were　that　I　would

have　to　fight　a　great　deal　before　I　could　reach　Hunter；　now　that　the

enemy's　cavalry　and　Breckenridge's　infantry　were　between　us；　the

risks　of　the　undertaking　seemed　too　great　to　warrant　it。



The　morning　of　June　12　Gregg's　division　commenced　destroying　the

railroad　to　Louisa　Court　House；　and　continued　the　work　during　the

day；　breaking　it　pretty　effectually。　　While　Gregg　was　thus　occupied；

I　directed　Torbert　to　make　a　reconnoissance　up　the　Gordonsville　road；

to　secure　a　by…road　leading　over　Mallory's　ford；　on　the　North　Anna；

to　the　Catharpen　road；　as　I　purposed　following　that　route　to

Spottsylvania　Court　House　on　my　return；　and　thence　via　Bowling　Green

and　Dunkirk　to　the　White　House。　　About　a　mile　beyond　Trevillian　the

Gordonsville　road　forkthe　left　fork　leading　to　Charlottesvilleand

about　a　mile　beyond　the　fork　Hampton　had　taken　up　and　strongly

intrenched　a　line　across　both　roads；　being　reinforced　by　Fitzhugh

Lee；　who；　as　before　related；　had　joined　him　about　noon　by　a

roundabout　march。　　Torbert　soon　hotly　engaged　this　line；　and　by　the

impetuosity　of　his　first　attack；　gained　some　advantage；　but　the

appearance　of　Fitzhugh　Lee's　troops　on　the　right；　and　Hampton's

strong　resistance　in　front；　rendered　futile　all　efforts　to　carry　the

position；　and；　although　I　brought　up　one　of　Gregg's　brigades　to

Torbert's　assistance；　yet　the　by…road　I　coveted　was　still　held　by　the

enemy　when　night　closed　in。



This　engagement；　like　that　off　the　day　before　around　Trevillian；　was

mostly　fought　dismounted　by　both　sides；　as　had　also　been　the　earlier

fights　of　the　cavalry　during　the　summer　in　the　Wilderness；　at　Todd's

Tavern；　Hawe's　Shop；　and　Matadequin　Creek。　　Indeed；　they　could　hardly

have　been　fought　otherwise　than　on　foot；　as　there　was　little　chance

for　mounted　fighting　in　eastern　Virginia；　the　dense　woods；　the

armament　of　both　parties；　and　the　practice　of　barricading　making　it

impracticable　to　use　the　sabre　with　anything　like　a　large　force；　and

so　with　the　exception　of　Yellow　Tavern　the　dismounted　method

prevailed　in　almost　every　engagement。



The　losses　at　Mallory's　Crossroads　were　very　heavy　on　both　sides。

The　character　of　the　fighting；　together　with　the　day's　results；

demonstrated　that　it　was　impossible　to　make　the　passage　of　the　North

Anna　at　Mallory's　ford　without　venturing　another　battle　the　next　day。

This　would　consume　the　little　ammunition　left；　and　though　we　might

gain　the　road；　yet　the　possibility　of　having　no　ammunition　whatever

to　get　back　with　was　too　great　a　hazard；　so　I　gave　orders　to　withdraw

during　the　night　of　the　12th。　　We　retired　along　the　same　road　by

which　we　had　come；　taking　with　us　the　prisoners；　and　all　of　our

wounded　who　could　be　moved。　　Those　who　could　not　be　transported；　some

ninety　in　number；　and　all　the　Confederate　wounded　in　my　hands；　were

left　at　Trevillian　in　hospitals；　under　charge　of　one　of　our　surgeons；

with　plenty　of　medical　and　other　stores。



We　recrossed　the　North　Anna　at　Carpenter's　ford　the　following

morning；　and　halting　there；　unsaddled　and　turned　the　horses　out　to

graze；　for　they　were　nearly　famished；　having　had　neither　food　nor

water　during　the　preceding　forty…eight　hours。　　Late　in　the　afternoon

we　saddled　up　and　proceeded　to　Twyman's　Store；　while　General

Hampton's　main　body　moved　down　the　south　bank　of　the　North　Anna；　with

the　purpose　of　intervening　between　me　and　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　in

the　hope　of　preventing　my　return　to　it；　but　his　movements　took　no

definite　shape　beyond　watching　me；　however；　till　several　days　later；

near　St。　Mary's　Church；　when　I　was　crossing　the　peninsula　to　the

James　River。



On　the　14th　the　march　was　continued；　and　we　reached　the　Catharpen

road；　upon　which　it　was　originally　intended　to　move　if　we　had　been

able　to　cross　at　Mallory's　ford；　and　this　conducted　me　to　Shady　Grove

Church。　　The　next　day　we　passe