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personal memoirs-1-第84章

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〃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 Con
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