480 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[P£RI0D V. 



General Merritt moved with the cavalry in pursuit on 

 the morning of the 3rd April, Lee having commenced 

 his retreat the previous night. Merritt came up with 

 the Confederate rear-guard at the Namozine Creek, 

 where they had destroyed the bridge and entrenched 

 themselves to defend the passage. He immediately 

 forded the creek, and by a flank movement, aided by 

 artillery, turned the enemy's position, and so compelled 

 them to retire. The cavalry followed up the pursuit 

 twenty miles, Sheridan with the 5th corps of infantry 

 following them with all speed.* During the day the 

 Southern rear-guard lost 300 prisoners, four guns, and 

 two colours. At daybreak the pursuit was resumed, 

 nine brigades of cavalry leading the way. The 

 Southerners were overtaken at Bethany, strongly posted 

 and fortified, and no attack could be made that night, 

 buo about 11 P.M. Sheridan, hearing that the enemy were 

 retreating, resumed the pursuit, and at 6 a.m. on the 5th 

 reached Jettersville, where they found the 5 th corps of 

 infantry, which had marched directly to that point. 

 This cut off Lee*s retreat towards Danville and forced 

 him towards Lynchburg. 



While Grant followed with the main army, Sheridan, 

 in the advance, came up with the Confederate rear- 

 guard, 10,000 strong, between Deatonsville and Sailor's 

 Creek. And now occurred an extraordinary and original 

 method of using cavalry in a pursuit. Sheridan saw 

 that the force of the Confederate rear-guard was too 

 great for him to be able to defeat them by a direct 

 attack. He decided therefore to move westwardly to 

 get upon their flank, when the leading division of his 

 cavaliy was ordered to attack the flank of the train and 

 the escorting column. As the enemy were strong in 

 numbers, and splendid soldiers, this division could only 

 delay and harass them on their march, but the other 

 divisions moved on in rear of the line of dismounted 

 horsemen which held fast and annoyed the enemy with 

 their fire. Each division in turn attacked the column 

 further on in flank, so that moving on successively 



^ Havelock, 90. 



