him　of　my　condition　and　intention；　asking　him　to　send　forage　and
  rations　to　meet　me　at　the　White　House；　and　also　a　pontoon…bridge　to
  carry　me　over　the　Pamunkey；　for　in　view　of　the　fact　that　hitherto　it
  had　been　impracticable　to　hold　Lee　in　the　trenches　around　Petersburg；
  I　regarded　as　too　hazardous　a　march　down　the　south　bank　of　the
  Pamunkey；　where　the　enemy；　by　sending　troops　out　from　Richmond；　might
  fall　upon　my　flank　and　rear。　　It　was　of　the　utmost　importance　that
  General　Grant　should　receive　these　despatches　without　chance　of
  failure；　in　order　that　I　might；　depend　absolutely　on　securing
  supplies　at　the　White　House；　therefore　I　sent　the　message　in
  duplicate；　one　copy　overland　direct　to　City　Point　by　two　scouts；
  Campbell　and　Rowan；　and　the　other　by　Fannin　and　Moore；　who　were　to　go
  down　the　James　River　in　a　small　boat　to　Richmond；　join　the　troops　in
  the　trenches　in　front　of　Petersburg；　and；　deserting　to　the　Union
  lines；　deliver　their　tidings　into　General　Grant's　hands。　　Each　set　of
  messengers　got　through；　but　the　copy　confided　to　Campbell　and　Rowan
  was　first　at　Grant's　headquarters。
  I　halted　for　one　day　at　Columbia　to　let　my　trains　catch　up；　for　it
  was　still　raining　and　the　mud　greatly　delayed　the　teams；　fatiguing
  and　wearying　the　mules　so　much　that　I　believe　we　should　have　been
  forced　to　abandon　most　of　the　wagons　except　for　the　invaluable　help
  given　by　some　two　thousand　negroes　who　had　attached　themselves　to　the
  column：　they　literally　lifted　the　wagons　out　of　the　mud。　　From
  Columbia　Merritt；　with　Devin's　division；　marched　to　Louisa　Court
  House　and　destroyed　the　Virginia　Central　to　Frederick's　Hall。
  Meanwhile　Custer　was　performing　similar　work　from　Frederick's　Hall　to
  Beaver　Dam　Station；　and　also　pursued　for　a　time　General　Early；　who；
  it　was　learned　from　despatches　captured　in　the　telegraph　office　at
  Frederick's　Hall；　was　in　the　neighborhood　with　a　couple　of　hundred
  men。　　Custer　captured　some　of　these　men　and　two　of　Early's　staff…
  officers；　but　the　commander　of　the　Valley　District；　accompanied　by　a
  single　orderly；　escaped　across　the　South　Anna　and　next　day　made　his
  way　to　Richmond；　the　last　man　of　the　Confederate　army　that　had　so
  long　contended　with　us　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley。
  At　Frederick's　Hall；　Young's　scouts　brought　me　word　from　Richmond
  that　General　Longstreet　was　assembling　a　force　there　to　prevent　my
  junction　with　Grant；　and　that　Pickett's　division；　which　had　been　sent
  toward　Lynchburg　to　oppose　my　march；　and　Fitzhugh　Lee's　cavalry；　were
  moving　east　on　the　Southside　railroad；　with　the　object　of
  circumventing　me。　　Reasoning　that　Longstreet　could　interpose
  effectually　only　by　getting　to　the　White　House　ahead　of　me；　I　pushed
  one　column　under　Custer　across　the　South　Anna；　by　way　of　Ground
  Squirrel　bridge；　to　Ashland；　where　it　united　with　Merritt；　who　had
  meanwhile　marched　through　Hanover　Junction。　　Our　appearance　at
  Ashland　drew　the　Confederates　out　in　that　direction；　as　was　hoped；
  so；　leaving　Colonel　Pennington's　brigade　there　to　amuse　them；　the
  united　command　retraced　its　route　to　Mount　Carmel　church　to　cross　the
  North　Anna。　　After　dark　Pennington　came　away；　and　all　the　troops
  reached　the　church　by　midnight　of　the　15th。
  Resuming　the　march　at　an　early　hour　next　morning；　we　took　the　road　by
  way　of　King　William　Court　House　to　the　White　House；　where；　arriving
  on　the　18th；　we　found；　greatly　to　our　relief；　the　supplies　which　I
  had　requested　to　be　sent　there。　　In　the　meanwhile　the　enemy　had
  marched　to　Hanover　Court　House；　but　being　unable　either　to　cross　the
  Pamunkey　there　or　forestall　me　at　the　White　House　on　the　south　side
  of　the　river；　he　withdrew　to　Richmond　without　further　effort　to
  impede　my　column。
  The　hardships　of　this　march　far　exceeded　those　of　any　previous
  campaigns　by　the　cavalry。　　Almost　incessant　rains　had　drenched　us　for
  sixteen　days　and　nights；　and　the　swollen　streams　and　well…nigh
  bottomless　roads　east　of　Staunton　presented　grave　difficulties　on
  every　hand；　but　surmounting　them　all；　we　destroyed　the　enemy's　means
  of　subsistence；　in　quantities　beyond　computation；　and　permanently
  crippled　the　Virginia　Central　railroad；　as　well　as　the　James　River
  canal；　and　as　each　day　brought　us　nearer　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　all
  were　filled　with　the　comforting　reflection　that　our　work　in　the
  Shenandoah　Valley　had　been　thoroughly　done；　and　every　one　was　buoyed
  up　by　the　cheering　thought　that　we　should　soon　take　part　in　the　final
  struggle　of　the　war。
  CHAPTER　V。
  TRANSFERRED　TO　PETERSBURGGENERAL　RAWLINS　CORDIAL　WELCOMEGENERAL
  GRANT's　ORDERS　AND　PLANSA　TRIP　WITH　MR。　LINCOLN　AND　GENERAL　GRANT
  MEETING　GENERAL　SHERMANOPPOSED　TO　JOINING　THE　ARMY　OF　THE　TENNESSEE
  OPENING　OF　THE　APPOMATTOX　CAMPAIGNGENERAL　GRANT　AND　GENERAL
  RAWLINS。
  The　transfer　of　my　command　from　the　Shenandoah　Valley　to　the　field　of
  operations　in　front　of　Petersburg　was　not　anticipated　by　General
  Grant；　indeed；　the　despatch　brought　from　Columbia　by　my　scouts；
  asking　that　supplies　be　sent　me　at　the　White　House；　was　the　first
  word　that　reached　him　concerning　the　move。　　In　view　of　my　message　the
  general…in…chief　decided　to　wait　my　arrival　before　beginning　spring
  operations　with　the　investing　troops　south　of　the　James　River；　for　he
  felt　the　importance　of　having　my　cavalry　at　hand　in　a　campaign　which
  he　was　convinced　would　wind　up　the　war。　　We　remained　a　few　days　at
  the　White　House　resting　and　refitting　the　cavalry；　a　large　amount　of
  shoeing　being　necessary；　but　nothing　like　enough　horses　were　at　hand
  to　replace　those　that　had　died　or　been　disabled　on　the　mud　march　from
  Staunton　to　the　Pamunkey　River；　so　a　good　many　of　the　men　were　still
  without　mounts；　and　all　such　were　sent　by　boat　to　the　dismounted　camp
  near　City　Point。　　When　all　was　ready　the　column　set　out　for　Hancock
  Station；　a　point　on　the　military　railroad　in　front　of　Petersburg；　and
  arriving　there　on　the　27th　of　March；　was　in　orders　reunited　with　its
  comrades　of　the　Second　Division；　who　had　been　serving　with　the　Army
  of　the　Potomac　since　we　parted　from　them　the　previous　August。
  General　Crook；　who　had　been　exchanged　within　a　few　days；　was　now　in
  command　of　this　Second　Division。　　The　reunited　corps　was　to　enter
  upon　the　campaign　as　a　separate　army；　I　reporting　directly　to　General
  Grant；　the　intention　being　thus　to　reward　me　for　foregoing；　of　my　own
  choice；　my　position　as　a　department　commander　by　joining　the　armies
  at　Petersburg。
  Taking　the　road　across　the　Peninsula；　I　started　from　the　White　House
  with　Merritt's　column　on　the　25th　of　March　and　encamped　that　night　at
  Harrison's　Landing。　　Very　early　next　morning；　in　conformity　with　a
  request　from　General　Grant；　I　left　by　boat　for　City　Point；　Merritt
  meanwhile　conducting　the　column　across　the　James　River　to　the　point
  of　rendezvous；　The　trip　to　City　Point　did　not　take　long；　and　on
  arrival　at　army　headquarters　the　first　person　I　met　was　General　John
  A。　Rawlins；　General　Grant's　chief…of…staff。　　Rawlins　was　a　man　of
  strong　likes　and　dislikes；　and　positive　always　both　in　speech　and
  action；　exhibiting　marked　feelings　when　greeting　any　one；　and　on　this
  occasion　met　me　with　much　warmth。　　His　demonstrations　of　welcome
  over；　we　held　a　few　minutes'　conversation　about　the　coming　campaign；
  he　taking　strong　ground　against　a　part　of　the　plan　of　operations
  adopted；　namely；　that　which　contemplated　my　joining　General　Sherman's
  army。　　His　language　was　unequivocal　and　vehement；　and　when　he　was
  through　talking；　he　conducted　me　to　General　Grant's　quarters；　but　he
  himself　did　not　enter。
  General　Grant　was　never　impulsive；　and　always　met　his　officers　in　an
  unceremonious　way；　with　a　quiet　〃How　are　you〃　soon　putting　one　at　his
  ease；　since　the　pleasant　tone　in　which　he　spoke　gave　assurance　of
  welcome；　although　his　manner　was　otherwise　impassive。　　When　the
  ordinary　greeting　was　over；　he　usually　waited　for　his　visitor　to　open
  the　conversation；　so　on　this　occasion　I　began　by　giving　him　the
  details　of　my　march　from　Winchester；　my　reasons　for　not　joining
  Sherman；　as　contemplated　in　my　instructions；　and　the　motives　which
  had　influenced　me　to　march　to　the　White　House。　　The　other　provision
  of　my　orders　on　setting　out　from　Winchesterthe　alternative　return
  to　that　placewas　not　touched　upon；　for　the　wisdom　of　having　ignored
  that　was　fully　apparent。　　Commenting　on　this　recital　of　my　doings；
  the　General　referred　only　to　the　tortuous　course　of　my　march　from
  Waynesboro'　down；　our　sore　trials；　and　the　valuable　services　of　the
  scouts　who　had　brought　him　tidings　of　me；　closing　with　the　remark
  that　it　was；　rare　a　department　commander　voluntarily　deprived　himself
  of　independence；　and　added　that　I　should　not　suffer　for　it。　　Then
  turning　to　the　business　for　which　he　had　called　rne　to　City　Point；　he
  outlined　what　he　expected　me　to　do；　saying　that　I　was　to　cut　loose
  from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by　passing　its　left　flank　to　the
  southward　along　the　line　of　the　Danville　railroad；　and