54 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



destroy the railroad and canal in every direction, so as 

 to be of no further use to the rebellion. Sufficient cav- 

 alry should be left behind to look after Mosby's gang. 

 From Lynchburg, if information you might get there 

 would justify it, you could strike south, heading the 

 streams in Virginia to the westward of Danville, and 

 push on and join General Sherman. This additional 

 raid with one now about starting from East Tennessee 

 under Stoneman, numbering four or five thousand 

 cavalry, one from Vicksburg, numbering seven or 

 eight thousand cavalry, one from Eastport, Missis- 

 sippi, ten thousand cavalry, Canby from Mobile Bay, 

 with about thirty-eight thousand mixed troops; these 

 three latter pushing for Tuscaloosa, Selma, and Mont- 

 gomery, and Sherman with a large army eating out 

 the vitals of South Carolina, is all that will be wanted 

 to leave nothing for the rebellion to stand upon. I 

 would advise you to overcome great obstacles to 

 accomplish this. Charleston was evacuated on Tues- 

 davlast. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. 

 Major-General P. H. SHERIDAN. 



On the 25th he wrote again as follows : 



CITY POINT, VA., February 25, 1865. 



GENERAL: Sherman's movements will depend on 

 the amount of opposition he meets with from the 

 enemy. If strongly opposed, he may possibly have 

 to fall back to Georgetown, S. C., and fit out for a new 

 start. I think, however, all danger for the necessity 

 of going to that point has passed. I believe he has 

 passed Charlotte. He may take Fayetteville on his 

 way to Goldsboro. If you reach Lynchburg, you 

 will have to be guided in your after movements by 

 the information you obtain. Before you could pos- 

 sibly reach Sherman, I think you would find mm 

 moving from Goldsboro toward Raleigh, or en- 

 gaging the enemy strongly posted at one or the other 

 of these places, with railroad communications opened 

 from his army to Wilmington or Newbern. 



U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. 



Major-General P. H. SHERIDAN. 



On the 27th, Gen. Sheridan left his camp at 

 Winchester. The command consisted of the 

 1st and 3d Divisions of Cavalry of the Army 

 of the Shenandoah, under the immediate com- 

 mand of Brevet Major-General "Wesley Merritt, 

 Brevet Major-General George A. Ouster, com- 

 manding the 3d Division, and Brigadier-General 

 T. C. Devin the 1st. The force was 9,987 officers 

 and men. The column passed through Kerns- 

 town, Middletown, Strasburg, and Woodstock, 

 crossing the streams on the way without oppo- 

 sition. On the next day, the 28th, the march 

 was made without opposition from Woodstock, 

 through Edinburgh, to Hawkinsburgh. The 

 north fork of the Shenandoah was crossed on 

 a pontoon bridge, between Mount Jackson and 

 New Market. In the crossing nine men of Gen. 

 Ouster's division were drowned. On the next 

 day Gen. Sheridan passed through Harrison- 

 burgh, Mount Crawford, Mount Sidney, and 

 crossed Middle River, nine miles from Staunton, 

 and camped four miles from that place, having 

 advanced eighty -three miles in three days. The 

 only skirmishing thus far took place at a point 

 near the North River and Monnt Crawford, 

 between the brigade under Caphart and some 

 cavalry of Gen. Rosser's division. 



Gen. Early, who had occupied Staunton, 

 was unable to retain possession of the town. 

 During the night of March 1st, while the 

 troops were encamped outside of Staunton, 

 (ren. Devin's brigade of Merritt's division, 



moved to JStaunton, drove the enemy's pickets 

 through the town, and occupied it without op- 

 position. Gen. Devin's then turned to the left, 

 marching easterly on the road toward Rockfish 

 Gap, and destroyed the trestle bridge of the 

 Virginia Central Railroad at Christina's Creek. 

 On the 2d it rained heavily, but the column 

 moved through Staunton toward Waynesboro, 

 thirteen miles distant. At Fishersville, eight' 

 miles from Staunton, Gen. Ouster's division be- 

 ing in advance, met the enemy's videttes and 

 drove them back five miles to Waynesboro. 

 Here he made a reconnoissance and discovered 

 the enemy in position on some ridges along 

 South River, with five guns. Placing the bri- 

 gade of Gen. Pennington on the right, and 

 Wells' on the left, with that of Caphart acting 

 as a reserve, he advanced with the two forward 

 regiments deployed as skirmishers and firing 

 briskly. Immediately after firing a volley the 

 entire line of the enemy broke, when th troops 

 rushed upon them and captured 87 officers, 

 1,165 men, 13 flags, 5 cannon, over 100 horses 

 and mules, and nearly 100 wagons and ambu- 

 lances. Gen. Early lost his baggage but escaped 

 to Charlottesville. Pursuit was made, and 

 Caphart's brigade crossing South River moved 

 to Greenwood station, where it destroyed the 

 depot, a train containing six pieces of artillery, 

 and some commissary and ordnance supplies. 

 Gen. Ouster now waited for Gen. Merritt to 

 come up, and both forces pushed on through 

 Rockfish Gap to Charlottesville, eighteen miles. 

 The prisoners were sent back to Winchester 

 under a guard. At Charlottesville Gen. Sher- 

 idan remained two days. He says : " This 

 time was consumed in bringing over from 

 Waynesboro our ammunition and pontoon 

 trains. The weather was horrible beyond de- 

 scription, and the rain incessant. The two 

 divisions were during this time occupied in 

 destroying the two large iron bridges, one over 

 the Rivanna River, the other over "Morse's 

 Creek, near Charlottesville, and the railroad 

 for eight miles in the direction of Lynchburg." 

 On March 6th Gen. Devin's advanced with his 

 division to Scottsville, whence light parties were 

 sent through the country, destroying all mer- 

 chandise, mills, factories, bridges, &c. The di- 

 vision then proceeded along the James River 

 Canal to Duguidsville, fifteen miles from Lynch- 

 burg, destroying every lock, and in many places 

 the bank of the canal. The bridges at Duguids- 

 ville and Hardwicke had been burned by the 

 enemy, and the pontoons were useless on ac- 

 count of the high water. At the same time the 

 8d division started from Charlottesville and 

 proceeded down the Lynchburg Railroad to 

 Amherst Court House, destroying every bridge, 

 and in many places miles of the road. The 

 bridges were numerous, and some of them five 

 hundred feet in length. Abundant supplies 

 were found in all places. The canal had been, 

 says Gen. Sheridan, " the great feeder of Rich- 

 mond." At Rockfish River the bank of the 

 canal was cut, and at New Canton, where a 



