PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



737 



was carried, and sixteen hundred prisoners, eleven 

 pieces of artillery, with horses and caissons com- 

 plete, two hundred wagons and teams loaded with 

 subsistence, and seventeen battle-flags, were cap- 

 tured. The prisoners, under an escort of fifteen 

 hundred men, were sent back to Winchester. Thence 

 he marched on Charlottesville, destroying effectually 

 the railroad and bridges as he went, which place he 

 reached on the 3d. Here he remained two days, 

 destroying the railroad toward Richmond and Lynch- 

 burg, including the large iron bridges over the north 

 and south forks of the Rivanna River, and awaiting 

 the arrival of his trains. This necessary delay caused 

 him to abandon the idea of capturing Lynchburg. 

 On the morning of the 6th, dividing nis force into 

 two columns, he sent one to Scottsville, whence it 

 marched up the James River Canal to New Market, 

 destroying every lock, and in many places the bank 

 of the canal. From here a force was pushed out 

 from this column to Duiguidsville, to obtain posses- 

 sion of the bridge across the James River at that 

 place, but failed. The enemy burned it on our ap- 

 proach. The enemy also burned the bridge across 

 the river at Hardwicksville. The other column moved 

 down the railroad toward Lynchburg, destroying it 

 as far as Amherst Court-House, sixteen miles from 

 Lynchburg ; thence across the country, uniting with 

 the column at New Market. The river being very 

 high, his pontoons would not reach across it ; and 

 the enemy having destroyed the bridges by which he 

 had hoped to cross the river and get on the South 

 Side Railroad about Farmville, and destroy it to Ap- 

 pomattox Court-House, the only thing left for him 

 was to return to Winchester or strike a base at the 

 White House. Fortunately, he chose the latter. 

 From New Market be took up his line of march, fol- 

 lowing the canal toward Richmond, destroying every 

 lock upon it and cutting the banks wherever practi- 

 cable, to a point eight miles east of Goochland, con- 

 centrating the whole force at Columbia on the 10th. 

 Here he rested one day, and sent through by scouts 

 , information of his whereabouts and purposes, and a 

 request for supplies to meet him at White House, 

 which reached me on the night of the 12th. An in- 

 fantry force was immediately sent to get possession 

 of White House, and supplies were forwarded. Mov- 

 ing from Columbia in a direction to threaten Rich- 

 mond, to near Ashland Station, he crossed the Annas, 

 and after having destroyed all the bridges and many 

 miles of the railroad, proceeded down the north bank 

 of the Pamunkey to White House, which place he 

 reached on the 19th. 



Previous to this the following communication was 

 sent to General Thomas : 



CITY POINT, VA., March 7, 13659:30 A. M. 



GENERAL : I think it will be advisable now for you to re- 

 pair the railroad in East Tennessee, and throw a good force 

 up to Bull's Gap and fortify there. Supplies at Knoxville 

 could always be got forward as required. With Bull's Gap 

 fortified, you can occupy as outposts about all of East Ten- 

 nessee, and be prepared, if it should be required of you in 

 the spring, to make a campaign toward Lynchburg, or into 

 North Carolina. I do not think Stoneman should break the 

 road until he gets into Virginia, unless it should be to cut off 

 rolling stock that may be caught west of that. 



U. 8. GEANT, Lieutenant-Gcneral. 



Major-General G. H. THOMAS. 



Thus it will be seen that in March, 1865, General 

 Canby was moving an adequate force against Mobile 

 and the army defending it under General Dick Tay- 

 lor; Thomas was pushing out two large and well- 

 appointed cavalry expeditions one from Middle 

 Tennessee under Brevet Major-General Wilson, 

 against the enemy's vital points in Alabama, the 

 other from East Tennessee under Major-General 

 Stoneman toward Lynchburg and assembling the 

 remainder of his available forces, preparatory to 

 offensive operations from East Tennessee; General 

 Sheridan's cavalry was at White House ; the Armies 

 of the Potomac and James were confronting the en- 

 emy, under Lee, in his defences of Richmond and 



V r OL. V. 47 A 



Petersburg ; General Sherman with his armies, reSn- 

 forced bv that of General Schofield, was at Golds- 

 boro* ; General Pope was making preparations for a 

 spring campaign against the enemv under Kirby 

 Smith and Price, west of the Mississippi ; and Gen- 

 eral Hancock was concentrating a force in the vicinity 

 of Winchester, Virginia, to guard against invasion 

 or to operate offensively, as might prove necessary. 



After the long march by General Sheridan's cavalry 

 over winter roads, it was necessary to rest and refi't 

 at White House. At this time the greatest source 

 of uneasiness to me was the fear that the enemy 

 would leave his strong lines about Petersburg and 

 Richmond for the purpose of uniting with Johnston, 

 before he was driven from them by_ battle, or I was 

 prepared to make an effectual pursuit. On the 24th 

 of March General Sheridan moved from White House, 

 crossed the James River at Jones' Landing, and 

 formed ajunction with the Army of the Potomac in 

 front of Petersburg on the 27th. During this move. 

 General Ord sent forces to cover the crossings or 

 the Chickahominy. 



On the 24th of March the following instructions for 

 a general movement of the armies operating against 

 Richmond were issued : 



CITY Pourr, VA., March 24, 1865. 



GENERAL : On the 29th instant the armies operating against 

 Richmond will be moved by our left, for the double purpose 

 of turning the enemy out of his present position around 

 Petersburg, and to insure the success of the cavalry under 

 General Sheridan, which will start at the same time, in its 

 efforts to reach and destroy the South Side and Danville 

 Eailroads. Two corps of the Army of the Potomac will be 

 moved first in two columns, taking the two roads crossing 

 Hatcher' s Eun, nearest where the present line held by us 

 strikes that stream, both moving toward Dinwiddie Court- 

 House. 



The cavalry under General Sheridan, joined by the division 

 now under General Davies, will move at the same time by 

 the Weldon road and the Jerusalem plank road, turning wes't 

 from the latter before crossing the Nottaway, and west with 

 the whole column before reaching Stony Creek. General 

 Sheridan will then move independently, under other instruc- 

 tions which will be given him. All dismounted cavalry be- 

 longing to the Army of the Potomac, and the dismounted 

 cavalry from the middle military division not required for 

 guarding property belonging to their arm of service, will re- 

 port to Brigadier-General Benham, to be added to the de- 

 fences of City Point. Major-General Parke will be left in 

 command of all the army left for holding the lines about 

 Petersburg and City Point, subject, of course, to orders from 

 the commander of the Army of the Potomac. The Ninth 

 Army Corps will be left intact to hold the present line of 

 works so long as the whole line now occupied by us is held. 

 If, however, the troops to the left of the Ninth Corps are 

 withdrawn, then the left of the corps may be thrown back so 

 as to occupy the position held by the army prior to the cap- 

 ture of the Weldon road. All troops to the left of the Ninth 

 Corps will be held in readiness to move at the shortest no- 

 tice by such route as may be designated when the order is 

 given. 



General Ord will detach three divisions, two white and ono 

 colored, or so much of them as he can and hold his present 

 lines, and march for the present left of the Army of the Po- 

 tomac. In the absence of further orders, or until further 

 orders are given, the white divisions will follow the left 

 column of the Army of the Potomac, and the colored division 

 the right column. During the movement Major-General 

 Weitzel will be left in command of all the forces remaining 

 behind from the Army of the James. 



The movement of troops from the Army of the James will 

 commence on the night of the 27th instant General Ord 

 will leave behind the minimum number of cavalry necessary 

 for picket duty, in the absence of the main army. A cavalry 

 expedition from General Ord's command will .also be started 

 from Suffolk, to leave there on Saturday, the first of April, 

 under Colonel Sumner, ft>r the purpose of cutting the railroad 

 about Hicksford. This, if accomplished, will have to be n 

 surprise, and therefore from three to five hundred men will 

 be sufficient. They should, however, be supported by all t! c 

 infantry that can be spared from Norfolk and Portsmouth, rs 

 far out as to where the cavalry crosses the Blaekwater. T!..- 

 crossing should probably be at Uniten. Should Coloml 

 Sumner succeed In reaching the Weldon road, he will bo in- 

 structed to do all the damage possible to the triangle of roads 

 between Ilicksford, Weldon, and Gaston. The railroad bringe 

 at Weldon being fitted up for the passage of carriages. It 

 be practicable to destroy any accumulation of sup 



