personal memoirs-1-第59部分

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〃Use　in　this　concentration　the　railroad；　if　by　so　doing　time　can　be

saved。　　From　Harper's　Ferry；　if　it　is　found　that　the　enemy　has　moved

north　of　the　Potomac　in　large　force；　push　north；　following　and

attacking　him　wherever　found；　following　him；　if　driven　south　of　the

Potomac；　as　long　as　it　is　safe　to　do　so。　　If　it　is　ascertained　that

the　enemy　has　but　a　small　force　north　of　the　Potomac；　then　push　south

the　main　force；　detaching；　under　a　competent　commander；　a　sufficient

force　to　look　after　the　raiders　and　drive　them　to　their　homes。　　In

detaching　such　a　force；　the　brigade　of　cavalry　now　en　route　from

Washington　via　Rockville　may　be　taken　into　account。



〃There　are　now　on　the　way　to　join　you　three　other　brigades　of　the

best　of　cavalry；　numbering　at　least　five　thousand　men　and　horses。

These　will　be　instructed；　in　the　absence　of　further　orders；　to　join

you　by　the　south　side　of　the　Potomac。　　One　brigade　will　probably

start　to…morrow。



〃In　pushing　up　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　as　it　is　expected　you　will　have

to　go　first　or　last；　it　is　desirable　that　nothing　should　be　left　to

invite　the　enemy　to　return。　　Take　all　provisions；　forage；　and　stock

wanted　for　the　use　of　your　command。　　Such　as　cannot　be　consumed；

destroy。　　It　is　not　desirable　that　the　buildings　should　be　destroyed…

…they　should；　rather；　be　protected；　but　the　people　should　be　informed

that　so　long　as　an　army　can　subsist　among　them　recurrences　of　these

raids　must　be　expected；　and　we　are　determined　to　stop　them　at　all

hazards。



〃Bear　in　mind；　the　object　is　to　drive　the　enemy　south；　and　to　do　this

you　want　to　keep　him　always　in　sight。　　Be　guided　in　your　course　by

the　course　he　takes。



〃Make　your　own　arrangements　for　supplies　of　all　kinds；　giving　regular

vouchers　for　such　as　may　be　taken　from　loyal　citizens　in　the　country

through　which　you　march。



〃Very　respectfully；

〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieut。…General。〃



〃Major…General　D。　HUNTER；

〃Commanding　Department　of　West　Virginia。〃





When　I　had　read　the　letter　addressed　to　Hunter；　General　Grant　said　I

would　be　expected　to　report　directly　to　him；　as　Hunter　had　asked　that

day　to　be　wholly　relieved；　not　from　any　chagrin　at　my　assignment　to

the　control　of　the　active　forces　of　his　command；　but　because　he

thought　that　his　fitness　for　the　position　he　was　filling　was

distrusted　by　General　Halleck；　and　he　had　no　wish　to　cause

embarrassment　by　remaining　where　he　could　but　remove　me　one　degree

from　the　headquarters　of　the　army。　　The　next　day　Hunter's　unselfish

request　was　complied　with；　and　an　order　was　issued　by　the　President；

consolidating　the　Middle　Department；　the　Department　of　Washington；

the　Department　of　the　Susquehanna；　and　the　Department　of　West

Virginia。



Under　this　order　these　four　geographical　districts　constituted　the

Middle　Military　Division；　and　I　was　temporarily　assigned　to　command

it。　　Hunter's　men　had　been　bivouacking　for　some　days　past　in　the

vicinity　of　Monocacy　Junction　and　Frederick；　but　before　General

Grant's　instructions　were　written　out；　Hunter　had　conformed　to　them

by　directing　the　concentration　at　Halltown；　about　four　miles　in　front

of　Harper's　Ferry；　of　all　his　force　available　for　field　service。

Therefore　the　different　bodies　of　troops；　with　the　exception　of

Averell's　cavalry；　which　had　followed　McCausland　toward　Moorefield

after　the　burning　of　Chambersburg；　were　all　in　motion　toward　Halltown

on　August　6。



Affairs　at　Monocacy　kept　me　but　an　hour　or　two；　and　these　disposed

of；　I　continued　on　to　Harper's　Ferry　by　the　special　train　which　had

brought　me　from　Washington；　that　point　being　intended　as　my

headquarters　while　making　preparations　to　advance。　　The　enemy　was

occupying　Martinsburg；　Williamsport；　and　Shepherdstown　at　the　time；

sending　occasional　raiding　parties　into　Maryland　as　far　as

Hagerstown。　　The　concentration　of　my　troops　at　Halltown　being　an

indication　to　Early　that　we　intended　to　renew　the　offensive；　however；

he　immediately　began　counter　preparations　by　drawing　in　all　his

detached　columns　from　the　north　side　of　the　Potomac；　abandoning　a

contemplated　raid　into　Maryland；　which　his　success　against　Crook　at

Kernstown　had　prompted　him　to　project；　and　otherwise　disposing

himself　for　defense。



At　Harper's　Ferry　I　made　my　headquarters　in　the　second　story　of　a

small　and　very　dilapidated　hotel；　and　as　soon　as　settled　sent　for

Lieutenant　John　R。　Meigs；　the　chief　engineer　officer　of　the　command；

to　study　with　him　the　maps　of　my　geographical　division。　　It　always

came　rather　easy　to　me　to　learn　the　geography　of　a　new　section；　and

its　important　topographical　features　as　well；　therefore　I　found　that；

with　the　aid　of　Meigs；　who　was　most　intelligent　in　his　profession；

the　region　in　which　I　was　to　operate　would　soon　be　well　fixed　in　my

mind。　　Meigs　was　familiar　with　every　important　road　and　stream；　and

with　all　points　worthy　of　note　west　of　the　Blue　Ridge；　and　was

particularly　well　equipped　with　knowledge　regarding　the　Shenandoah

Valley；　even　down　to　the　farmhouses。　　He　imparted　with　great

readiness　what　he　knew　of　this；　clearly　pointing　out　its

configuration　and　indicating　the　strongest　points　for　Confederate

defense；　at　the　same　time　illustrating　scientifically　and　forcibly

the　peculiar　disadvantages　under　which　the　Union　army　had　hitherto

labored。



The　section　that　received　my　closest　attention　has　its　northern　limit

along　the　Potomac　between　McCoy's　ferry　at　the　eastern　base　of　the

North　Mountain；　and　Harper's　Ferry　at　the　western　base　of　the　Blue

Ridge。　　The　southern　limit　is　south　of　Staunton；　on　the　divide　which

separates　the　waters　flowing　into　the　Potomac　from　those　that　run　to

the　James。　　The　western　boundary　is　the　eastern　slope　of　the

Alleghany　Mountains；　the　eastern；　the　Blue　Ridge；　these　two　distinct

mountain　ranges　trending　about　southwest　inclose　a　stretch　of　quite

open；　undulating　country　varying　in　width　from　the　northern　to　the

southern　extremity；　and　dotted　at　frequent　intervals　with　patches　of

heavy　woods：　At　Martinsburg　the　valley　is　about　sixty　miles　broad；

and　on　an　east　and　west　line　drawn　through　Winchester　about　forty…

five；　while　at　Strasburg　it　narrows　down　to　about　twenty…five。　　Just

southeast　of　Strasburg；　which　is　nearly　midway　between　the　eastern

and　western　walls　of　the　valley；　rises　an　abrupt　range　of　mountains

called　Massanutten；　consisting　of　several　ridges　which　extend

southward　between　the　North　and　South　Forks　of　the　Shenandoah　River

until；　losing　their　identity；　they　merge　into　lower　but　broken　ground

between　New　Market　and　Harrisonburg。　　The　Massanutten　ranges；　with

their　spurs　and　hills；　divide　the　Shenandoah　Valley　into　two　valleys；

the　one　next　the　Blue　Ridge　being　called　the　Luray；　while　that　next

the　North　Mountain　retains　the　name　of　Shenandoah。



A　broad　macadamized　road；　leading　south　from　Williamsport；　Maryland；

to　Lexington；　Virginia；　was　built　at　an　early　day　to　connect　the

interior　of　the　latter　State　with　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canal；　and

along　this　road　are　situated　the　principal　towns　and　villages　of　the

Shenandoah　Valley；　with　lateral　lines　of　communication　extending　to

the　mountain　ranges　on　the　east　and　west。　　The　roads　running　toward

the　Blue　Ridge　are　nearly　all　macadamized；　and　the　principal　ones

lead　to　the　railroad　system　of　eastern　Virginia　through　Snicker's；

Ashby's　Manassas；　Chester；　Thornton's　Swift　Run；　Brown's　and　Rock…

fish　gaps；　tending　to　an　ultimate　centre　at　Richmond。　　These　gaps　are

low　and　easy；　offering　little　obstruction　to　the　march　of　an　army

coming　from　eastern　Virginia；　and　thus　the　Union　troops　operating

west　of　the　Blue　Ridge　were　always　subjected　to　the　perils　of　a　flank

attack；　for　the　Confederates　could　readily　be　brought　by　rail　to

Gordonsville　and　Charlottesville；　from　which　points　they　could　move

with　such　celerity　through　the　Blue　Ridge　that；　on　more　than　one

occasion；　the　Shenandoah　Valley　had　been　the　theatre　of　Confederate

success；　due　greatly　to　the　advantage　of　possessing　these　interior

lines。



Nature　had　been　very　kind　to　the　valley；　making　it　rich　and

productive　to　an　exceptional　degree；　and　though　for　three　years

contending　armies　had　been　marching　up　and　down　it；　the　fertile　soil

still　yielded　ample　subsistence　for　Early's　men；　with　a　large　surplus

for　the　army　of　Lee。　　The　ground　had　long　been　well　cleared　of

timber；　and　the　rolling　surface　presented　so　few　obstacles　to　the

movement　of　armies　that　they　could　march　over　the　country　in　any

direction　almost　as　well　as　on　the　roads；　the　creeks　and　rivers　being

everywhere　fordable；　with　little　or　no　difficulty　beyond　that　of

leveling　the　approaches。



I　had　opposing　me　an　army　largely　composed　of　troops　that　had

operated　in　this　region　hitherto　under　〃Stonewall〃　Jackson　with

marked　success；　inflicting　defeat　on　the　Union　forces　almost　every

time　the　two　armies　had　come　in　contact。　These　men　were　now　commanded

by　a　veteran　officer　of　the　Confederacy…General　Jubal　A。　Earlywhose

past　services　had　so　signalized　his　ability　that　General　Lee

specially　selected　him　to　take　charge　of　the　Valley　District；　and；

notwithstanding　the　misfortunes　that　befell　him　later；　clung　to　him

till　the　end；　of　the　war。　　The　Confederate　army　at　this　date　was

about　twenty　thousand　strong；　and　consisted　of　Early's　own　corps；

with　Generals　Rodes；　Ramseur；　and　Gordon　commanding　its　divisions；

the　infantry　of　Breckenridge　from　southwestern　Virginia；　three

battalions　of　artillery；　and　the　cavalry　brigades　of　Vaughn；　Johnson；

McCausland；　and　Imboden。　　This　cavalry　was　a　short　time　afterward

organized　into　a　division　under　the　command　of　General　Lomax。



After　discovering　that　my　troops　were　massing　in　front　of　Harper's

Ferry；　Early　lost　not　a　moment　in　concentrating　his　in　the　vicinity

of　Martinsburg；　in　positions　from　which　he　could　continue　to　obstruct

the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad；　and　yet　be　enabled　to　retire　up　the

valley　und