personal memoirs-1-第60节

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

Church。　　The　next　day　we　passed　over　the　battle…field　of

Spottsylvania　Court　House。　　The　marks　of　the　recent　conflicts　about

there　were　visible　on　every　hand；　and　in　the　neighboring　houses　were

found　many　Union　and　Confederate　wounded；　who　had　been　too　severely

hurt　to　be　removed　from　the　field…hospitals　at　the　time　of　the

battles。　　Such　of　our　wounded　as　were　able　to　travel　were　brought

away。



On　the　16th　I　marched　from　Edge　Hill　on　the　Ta　River　through　Bowling

Green　to　Dr。　Butler's；　on　the　north　side　of　the　Mattapony。　　When　I

arrived　here　I　was　unable　to　ascertain　the　position　of　the　Army　of

the　Potomac；　and　was　uncertain　whether　or　not　the　base　at　the　White

House　had　been　discontinued。　　I　had　heard　nothing　from　the　army　for

nine　days　except　rumors　through　Southern　sources；　and　under　these

circumstances　did　not　like　to　venture　between　the　Mattapony　and

Pamunkey　rivers；　embarrassed　as　I　was　with　some　four　hundred　wounded；

five　hundred　prisoners；　and　about　two　thousand　negroes　that　had

joined　my　column　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　their　freedom。　　I　therefore

determined　to　push　down　the　north　bank　of　the　Mattapony　far　enough　to

enable　me　to　send　these　impediments　directly　to　West　Point；　where　I

anticipated　finding　some　of　our　gunboats　and　transports；　that　could

carry　all　to　the　North。　　Following　this　plan；　we　proceeded　through

Walkerton　to　King　and　Queen　Court　House；　and　bivouacked　in　its

vicinity　the　night　of　the　18th。　　Next　day　I　learned　that　the　depot　at

the　White　House　had　not　yet　been　broken　up　entirely；　and　that

supplies　were　in　store　for　me　there；　so　after　sending　the　wounded；

prisoners；　and　negroes　to　West　Point　under　an　escort　of　two

regiments；　I　turned　back　to　Dunkirk；　on　the　Mattapony；　and　crossed　to

the　south　side　at　a　place　where　the　stream　was　narrow　enough　to

bridge　with　my　pontoon…boats。



In　returning　from　Trevillian；　as　the　most　of　our　wounded　were　hauled

in　old　buggies；　carts；　and　such　other　vehicles　as　could　be　made

available　in　the　absence　of　a　sufficient　number　of　ambulances；　the

suffering　was　intense；　the　heat　of　the　season　and　dusty　roads　adding

much　to　the　discomfort。　　Each　day　we　halted　many　times　to　dress　the

wounds　of　the　injured　and　to　refresh　them　as　much　as　possible；　but

our　means　for　mitigating　their　distress　were　limited。　　The　fortitude

and　cheerfulness　of　the　poor　fellows　under　such　conditions　were

remarkable；　for　no　word　of　complaint　was　heard。　　The　Confederate

prisoners　and　colored　people　being　on　foot；　our　marches　were

necessarily　made　short；　and　with　frequent　halts　also；　but　they　too

suffered　considerably　from　the　heat　and　dust；　though　at　times　the

prisoners　were　relieved　by　being　mounted　on　the　horses　of　some　of　our

regiments；　the　owners　meantime　marching　on　foot。　　Where　all　the

colored　people　came　from　and　what　started　them　was　inexplicable；　but

they　began　joining　us　just　before　we　reached　Trevillianmen；　women；

and　children　with　bundles　of　all　sorts　containing　their　few　worldly

goods；　and　the　number　increased　from　day　to　day　until　they　arrived　at

West　Point。　　Probably　not　one　of　the　poor　things　had　the　remotest

idea；　when　he　set　out；　as　to　where　he　would　finally　land；　but　to　a

man　they　followed　the　Yankees　in　full　faith　that　they　would　lead　to

freedom；　no　matter　what　road　they　took。



On　the　morning　of　the　20th；　at　an　early　hour；　we　resumed　our　march；

and　as　the　column　proceeded　sounds　of　artillery　were　heard　in　the

direction　of　the　White　House；　which　fact　caused　us　to　quicken　the

pace。　　We　had　not　gone　far　when　despatches　from　General　Abercrombie；

commanding　some　fragmentary　organizations　at　the　White　House；

notified　me　that　the　place　was　about　to　be　attacked。　　I　had

previously　sent　an　advance　party　with　orders　to　move　swiftly　toward

the　cannonading　and　report　to　me　by　couriers　the　actual　condition　of

affairs。　　From　this　party　I　soon　learned　that　there　was　no　occasion

to　push　our　jaded　animals；　since　the　crisis；　if　there　had　been　one；

was　over　and　the　enemy　repulsed；　so　the　increased　gait　was　reduced　to

a　leisurely　march　that　took　us　late　in　the　afternoon　to　the　north

bank　of　the　Pamunkey；　opposite　Abercrombie's　camp。　　When　I　got　to　the

river　the　enemy　was　holding　the　bluffs　surrounding　the　White　House

farm；　having　made　no　effort　to　penetrate　General　Abercrombie's　line

or　do　him　other　hurt　than　to　throw　a　few　shells　among　the　teamsters

there　congregated。



Next　day　Gregg's　division　crossed　the　Pamunkey　dismounted；　and

Torbert's　crossed　mounted。　As　soon　as　the　troops　were　over；　Gregg；

supported　by　Merritt's　brigade；　moved　out　on　the　road　to　Tunstall's

Station　to　attack　Hampton；　posted　an　the　west　side　of　Black　Creek；

Custer's　brigade　meanwhile　moving；　mounted；　on　the　road　to

Cumberland；　and　Devin's　in　like　manner　on　the　one　to　Baltimore

crossroads。　　This　offer　of　battle　was　not　accepted；　however；　and

Hampton　withdrew　from　my　front；　retiring　behind　the　Chickahominy；

where　his　communications　with　Lee　would　be　more　secure。



While　at　the　White　House　I　received　orders　to　break　up　that　depot

wholly；　and　also　instructions　to　move　the　trains　which　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　had　left　there　across　the　peninsula　to　the　pontoon…bridge

at　Deep　Bottom　on　the　James　River。　　These　trains　amounted　to　hundreds

of　wagons　and　other　vehicles；　and　knowing　full　well　the　dangers　which

would　attend　the　difficult　problem　of　getting　them　over　to

Petersburg；　I　decided　to　start　them　with　as　little　delay　as

circumstances　would　permit；　and　the　morning　of　the　22d　sent　Torbert's

division　ahead　to　secure　Jones's　bridge　on　the　Chickahominy；　so　that

the　wagons　could　be　crossed　at　that　point。　　The　trains　followed

Torbert；　while　Gregg's　division　marched　by　a　road　parallel　to　the　one

on　which　the　wagons　were　moving；　and　on　their　right　flank；　as　they

needed　to　be　covered　and　protected　in　that　direction　only。



The　enemy　made　no　effort　to　attack　us　while　we　were　moving　the　trains

that　day；　and　the　wagons　were　all　safely　parked　for　the　night　on　the

south　side　of　the　Chickahominy；　guarded　by　General　Getty；　who　had

relieved　Abercrombie　from　command　of　the　infantry　fragments　before　we

started　off　from　the　White　House。



To　secure　the　crossing　at　Jones's　bridge；　Torbert　had　pushed　Devin's

brigade　out　on　the　Long　Bridge　road；　on　the　side　of　the　Chickahominy

where；　on　the　morning　of　the　23d；　he　was　attacked　by　Chambliss's

brigade　of　W。　H。　F。　Lee's　division。　　Devin　was　driven　in　some　little

distance；　but　being　reinforced　by　Getty　with　six　companies　of　colored

troops；　he　quickly　turned　the　tables　on　Chambliss　and　re…established

his　picketposts。　　From　this　affair　I　learned　that　Chambliss's　brigade

was　the　advance　of　the　Confederate　cavalry　corps；　while　Hampton

discovered　from　it　that　we　were　already　in　possession　of　the　Jones's

bridge　crossing　of　the　Chickahominy；　and　as　he　was　too　late　to

challenge　our　passage　of　the　stream　at　this　point　he　contented

himself　with　taking　up　a　position　that　night　so　as　to　cover　the　roads

leading　from　Long　Bridge　to　Westover；　with　the　purpose　of　preventing

the　trains　from　following　the　river　road　to　the　pontoon…bridge　at

Deep　Bottom。



My　instructions　required　me　to　cross　the　trains　over　the　James　River

on　this　pontoon…bridge　if　practicable；　and　to　reach　it　I　should　be

obliged　to　march　through　Charles　City　Court　House；　and　then　by

Harrison's　Landing　and　Malvern　Hill；　the　latter　point　being　held　by

the　enemy。　　In　fact；　he　held　all　the　ground　between　Long　Bridge　on

the　Chickahominy　and　the　pontoon…bridge　except　the　Tete　de　pont　at

the　crossing。　　Notwithstanding　this　I　concluded　to　make　the　attempt；

for　all　the　delays　of　ferrying　the　command　and　trains　would　be

avoided　if　we　got　through　to　the　bridge；　and　with　this　object　in　view

I　moved　Torbert's　division　out　on　the　Charles　City　road　to　conduct

the　wagons。　　Just　beyond　Charles　City　Court　House　Torbert　encountered

Lomax's　brigade；　which　he　drove　across　Herring　Creek　on　the　road　to

Westover　Church；　and　reporting　the　affair　to　me；　I　surmised；　from　the

presence　of　this　force　in　my　front；　that　Hampton　would　endeavor　to

penetrate　to　the　long　column　of　wagons；　so　I　ordered　them　to　go　into

park　near　Wilcox's　landing；　and　instructed　Gregg；　whose　division　had

been　marching　in　the　morning　along　the　road　leading　from　Jones's

bridge　to　St。　　Mary's　Church　for　the　purpose　of　covering　the　exposed

flank　of　the　train；　to　hold　fast　near　the　church　without　fail　till

all　the　transportation　had　passed　Charles　City　Court　House。



Meanwhile；　General　Hampton；　who　had　conjectured　that　I　would　try　to

get　the　train　across　the　James　by　the　pontoonbridge　at　Deep　Bottom；

began　concentrating　all　his　troops　except　Lomax's　brigade；　which　was

to　confront　the　head　of　my　column　on　the　river　road；　in　the　vicinity

of　Nance's　Shop。　　This　was　discovered　by　Gregg　at　an　early　hour；　and

divining　this　purpose　he　had　prepared　to　meet