CHAP. XXVIII.] AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, 1861-1866. 



481 



Crook's, Custcr'a, and Dcveii.s' divisions swept ahead of the 

 retreating eolumn, crossed Sailor's CJreek before them, 

 and rapidly taking position on the high grouml on the. 

 far side of the stream, they formed in line, dismounted, 

 and placing thcmselviis directly across the path of the 

 €nemy, with their firearms they disputed his passage. 



The result of this manoeuvre on the part of Sheridan's 

 cavalry was the capture of sixteen guns, 400 wp^gons, 

 and many prisoners. The strength of the position they 

 had assumed, and the defensive power obtained by the 

 eflfective fire of their dismounted men, with thei^lbng- 

 range repeating rifles, enabled them to intercept on their 

 retreat, and delay, until they were captured, three whole 

 divisions of the Confederate infantry. • 



By the same method of tactics the pursuit was 

 resumed, the retreat to Lyncli])urg cut ofl' by wide 

 turning movements of the cavalry, who, dismounted, 

 checked the retreat, and so brought about the surrender 

 of the whole of Lee's army at Appomattox Court House, 

 on the 9 th April. 



Sir Henry Havelock's comments on this affair are well 

 worthy of consideration, as the views of an officer of 

 high training and great experiejice in the field. He 

 says: — "The mode in which Sheri(Jfan, from the special 

 arming and training of his cavalry, was able to deal with 

 this rear-guard, first, to overtake it in retreat, then to 

 pass completely beyond it, to turn, face it, and take up 

 at leisure a position strong enough to enable him to 

 detain it, in spite of its naturally fierce and determined 

 (jff'orts to break through, is highly characteristic of the 

 self-reliant, all-sufficing efficiency, to which at this time 

 the Northern horsemen had been brought. The practical 

 experience of nearly four years of continual war, the 

 entire and untrammeled confidence placed in good men 

 amongst the Northern leaders, when they proved them- 

 selves to be so, and the complete freedom left them of 

 devising and executing the improvements their daily 

 experience suggested, had enabled Sheridan, and one or 

 two more of similar bent of mind, to shake them- 

 selves free of the unsound traditions of European cavalry 



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