personal memoirs-2-第7节

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TORBERT　DETAILED　TO　GIVE　GENERAL　ROSSER　A　〃DRUBBING〃GENERAL　ROSSER

ROUTEDTELEGRAPHED　TO　MEET　STANTONLONGSTREET'S　MESSAGERETURN　TO

WINCHESTERTHE　RIDE　TO　CEDAR　CREEKTHE　RETREATING　ARMYRALLYING

THE　TROOPSREFORMING　THE　LINECOMMENCING　THE　ATTACKDEFEAT　OF　THE

CONFEDERATESAPPOINTED　A　MAJOR…GENERAL　IN　THE　REGULAR　ARMYRESULTS

OF　THE　BATTLE。



While　we　lay　in　camp　at　Harrisonburg　it　became　necessary　to　decide

whether　or　not　I　would　advance　to　Brown's　Gap；　and；　after　driving　the

enemy　from　there；　follow　him　through　the　Blue　Ridge　into　eastern

Virginia。　　Indeed；　this　question　began　to　cause　me　solicitude　as　soon

as　I　knew　Early　had　escaped　me　at　New　Market；　for　I　felt　certain　that

I　should　be　urged　to　pursue　the　Confederates　toward　Charlottesville

and　Gordonsville；　and　be　expected　to　operate　on　that　line　against

Richmond。　　For　many　reasons　I　was　much　opposed　to　such　a　plan；　but

mainly　because　its　execution　would　involve　the　opening　of　the　Orange

and　Alexandria　railroad。　　To　protect　this　road　against　the　raids　of

the　numerous　guerrilla　bands　that　infested　the　region　through　which

it　passed；　and　to　keep　it　in　operation；　would　require　a　large　force

of　infantry；　and　would　also　greatly　reduce　my　cavalry；　besides；　I

should　be　obliged　to　leave　a　force　in　the　valley　strong　enough　to

give　security　to　the　line　of　the　upper　Potomac　and　the　Baltimore　and

Ohio　railroad；　and　this　alone　would　probably　take　the　whole　of

Crook's　command；　leaving　me　a　wholly　inadequate　number　of　fighting

men　to　prosecute　a　campaign　against　the　city　of　Richmond。　　Then；　too；

I　was　in　doubt　whether　the　besiegers　could　hold　the　entire　army　at

Petersburg；　and　in　case　they　could　not；　a　number　of　troops　sufficient

to　crush　me　might　be　detached　by　Lee；　moved　rapidly　by　rail；　and；

after　overwhelming　me；　be　quickly　returned　to　confront　General　Meade。

I　was　satisfied；　moreover；　that　my　transportation　could　not　supply　me

further　than　Harrisonburg；　and　if　in　penetrating　the　Blue　Ridge　I　met

with　protracted　resistance；　a　lack　of　supplies　might　compel　me　to

abandon　the　attempt　at　a　most　inopportune　time。



I　therefore　advised　that　the　Valley　campaign　be　terminated　north　of

Staunton；　and　I　be　permitted　to　return；　carrying　out　on　the　way　my

original　instructions　for　desolating　the　Shenandoah　country　so　as　to

make　it　untenable　for　permanent　occupation　by　the　Confederates。　　I

proposed　to　detach　the　bulk　of　my　army　when　this　work　of　destruction

was　completed；　and　send　it　by　way　of　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad

through　Washington　to　the　Petersburg　line；　believing　that　I　could

move　it　more　rapidly　by　that　route　than　by　any　other。　　I　was

confident　that　if　a　movement　of　this　character　could　be　made　with

celerity　it　would　culminate　in　the　capture　of　Richmond　and　possibly

of　General　Lee's　army；　and　I　was　in　hopes　that　General　Grant　would

take　the　same　view　of　the　matter；　but　just　at　this　time　he　was　so

pressed　by　the　Government　and　by　public…opinion　at　the　North；　that　he

advocated　the　wholly　different　conception　of　driving　Early　into

eastern　Virginia；　and　adhered　to　this　plan　with　some　tenacity。

Considerable　correspondence　regarding　the　subject　took　place　between

us；　throughout　which　I　stoutly　maintained　that　we　should　not　risk；　by

what　I　held　to　be　a　false　move；　all　that　my　army　had　gained。　　I　being

on　the　ground；　General　Grant　left　to　me　the　final　decision　of　the

question；　and　I　solved　the　first　step　by　determining　to　withdraw　down

the　valley　at　least　as　far　as　Strasburg；　which　movement　was　begun　on

the　6th　of　October。



The　cavalry　as　it　retired　was　stretched　across　the　country　from　the

Blue　Ridge　to　the　eastern　slope　of　the　Alleghanies；　with　orders　to

drive　off　all　stock　and　destroy　all　supplies　as　it　moved　northward。

The　infantry　preceded　the　cavalry；　passing　down　the　Valley　pike；　and

as　we　marched　along　the　many　columns　of　smoke　from　burning　stacks；

and　mills　filled　with　grain；　indicated　that　the　adjacent　country　was

fast　losing　the　features　which　hitherto　had　made　it　a　great　magazine

of　stores　for　the　Confederate　armies。



During　the　6th　and　7th　of　October；　the　enemy's　horse　followed　us　up；

though　at　a　respectful　distance。　　This　cavalry　was　now　under　command

of　General　T。　W。　Rosser；　who　on　October　5　had　joined　Early　with　an

additional　brigade　from　Richmond。　　As　we　proceeded　the　Confederates

gained　confidence；　probably　on　account　of　the　reputation　with　which

its　new　commander　had　been　heralded；　and　on　the　third　day's　march　had

the　temerity　to　annoy　my　rear　guard　considerably。　　Tired　of　these

annoyances；　I　concluded　to　open　the　enemy's　eyes　in　earnest；　so　that

night　I　told　Torbert　I　expected　him　either　to　give　Rosser　a　drubbing

next　morning　or　get　whipped　himself；　and　that　the　infantry　would　be

halted　until　the　affair　was　over；　I　also　informed　him　that　I　proposed

to　ride　out　to　Round　Top　Mountain　to　see　the　fight。　　When　I　decided

to　have　Rosser　chastised；　Merritt　was　encamped　at　the　foot　of　Round

Top；　an　elevation　just　north　of　Tom's　Brook；　and　Custer　some　six

miles　farther　north　and　west；　near　Tumbling　Run。　　In　the　night　Custer

was　ordered　to　retrace　his　steps　before　daylight　by　the　Back　road；

which　is　parallel　to　and　about　three　miles　from　the　Valley　pike；　and

attack　the　enemy　at　Tom's　Brook　crossing；　while　Merritt's

instructions　were　to　assail　him　on　the　Valley　pike　in　concert　with

Custer。　　About　7　in　the　morning；　Custer's　division　encountered　Rosser

himself　with　three　brigades；　and　while　the　stirring　sounds　of　the

resulting　artillery　duel　were　reverberating　through　the　valley

Merritt　moved　briskly　to　the　front　and　fell　upon　Generals　Lomax　and

Johnson　on　the　Valley　pike。　　Merritt；　by　extending　his　right；　quickly

established　connection　with　Custer；　and　the　two　divisions　moved

forward　together　under　Torbert's　direction；　with　a　determination　to

inflict　on　the　enemy　the　sharp　and　summary　punishment　his　rashness

had　invited。



The　engagement　soon　became　general　across　the　valley；　both　sides

fighting　mainly　mounted。　　For　about　two　hours　the　contending　lines

struggled　with　each　other　along　Tom's　Brook；　the　charges　and　counter

charges　at　many　points　being　plainly　visible　from　the　summit　of　Round

Top；　where　I　had　my　headquarters　for　the　time。



The　open　country　permitting　a　sabre　fight；　both　sides　seemed　bent　on

using　that　arm。　　In　the　centre　the　Confederates　maintained　their

position　with　much　stubbornness；　and　for　a　time　seemed　to　have

recovered　their　former　spirit；　but　at　last　they　began　to　give　way　on

both　flanks；　and　as　these　receded；　Merritt　and　Custer　went　at　the

wavering　ranks　in　a　charge　along　the　whole　front。　　The　result　was　a

general　smash…up　of　the　entire　Confederate　line；　the　retreat　quickly

degenerating　into　a　rout　the　like　of　which　was　never　before　seen。

For　twenty…six　miles　this　wild　stampede　kept　up；　with　our　troopers

close　at　the　enemy's　heels；　and　the　ludicrous　incidents　of　the　chase

never　ceased　to　be　amusing　topics　around　the　camp…fires　of　Merritt

and　Custer。　　In　the　fight　and　pursuit　Torbert　took　eleven　pieces　of

artillery；　with　their　caissons；　all　the　wagons　and　ambulances　the

enemy　had　on　the　ground；　and　three　hundred　prisoners。　　Some　of

Rosser's　troopers　fled　to　the　mountains　by　way　of　Columbia　Furnace；

and　some　up　the　Valley　pike　and　into　the　Massamitten　Range；

apparently　not　discovering　that　the　chase　had　been　discontinued　till

south　of　Mount　Jackson　they　rallied　on　Early's　infantry。



After　this　catastrophe；　Early　reported　to　General　Lee　that　his

cavalry　was　so　badly　demoralized　that　it　should　be　dismounted；　and

the　citizens　of　the　valley；　intensely　disgusted　with　the　boasting　and

swaggering　that　had　characterized　the　arrival　of　the　〃Laurel　Brigade〃

in　that　section；　baptized　the　action　（known　to　us　as　Tom's　Brook）　the

〃Woodstock　Races；〃　and　never　tired　of　poking　fun　at　General　Rosser

about　his　precipitate　and　inglorious　flight。　　（When　Rosser　arrived

from　Richmond　with　his　brigade　he　was　proclaimed　as　the　savior　of　the

Valley；　and　his　men　came　all　bedecked　with　laurel　branches。）



On　the　l0th　my　army；　resuming　its　retrograde　movement；　crossed　to　the

north　side　of　Cedar　Creek。　　The　work　of　repairing　the　Manassas　Gap

branch　of　the　Orange　and　Alexandria　railroad　had　been　begun　some　days

before；　out　from　Washington；　and；　anticipating　that　it　would　be　in

readiness　to　transport　troops　by　the　time　they　could　reach　Piedmont；

I　directed　the　Sixth　Corps　to　continue　its　march　toward　Front　Royal；

expecting　to　return　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by　that　line。　　By　the

12th；　however；　my　views　regarding　the　reconstruction　of　this　railroad

began　to　prevail；　and　the　work　on　it　was　discontinued。　　The　Sixth

Corps；　therefore；　abandoned　that　route；　and　moved　toward　Ashby's　Gap

with　the　purpose　of　marching　direct　to　Washington；　but　on　the　l3th　I

recalled　it　to　Cedar　Creek；　in　consequence　of　the　arrival　of　the

enemy's　infantry　at　Fisher's　Hill；　and　the　receipt；　the　night　before；

of　the　following