subsistence　for　armies；　exercise　your　own　judgment　as　to　who　should
  be　exempt　from　arrest；　and　as　to　who　should　receive　pay　for　their
  stock；　grain；　etc。　　It　is　our　interest　that　that　county　should　not　be
  capable　of　subsisting　a　hostile　army；　and　at　the　same　time　we　want　to
  inflict　as　little　hardship　upon　Union　men　as　possible。
  〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃
  〃CITY　POINT；　Va。；　Nov。　9；　1864。
  〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Cedar　Creek；　Va。：
  〃Do　you　not　think　it　advisable　to　notify　all　citizens　living　east　of
  the　Blue　Ridge　to　move　out　north　of　the　Potomac　all　their　stock；
  grain；　and　provisions　of　every　description？　　There　is　no　doubt　about
  the　necessity　of　clearing　out　that　country　so　that　it　will　not
  support　Mosby's　gang。　　And　the　question　is　whether　it　is　not　better
  that　the　people　should　save　what　they　can。　　So　long　as　the　war　lasts
  they　must　be　prevented　from　raising　another　crop；　both　there　and　as
  high　up　the　valley　as　we　can　control。
  〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。〃
  He　had　rightly　concluded　that　it　was　time　to　bring　the　war　home　to　a
  people　engaged　in　raising　crops　from　a　prolific　soil　to　feed　the
  country's　enemies；　and　devoting　to　the　Confederacy　its　best　youth。　　I
  endorsed　the　programme　in　all　its　parts；　for　the　stores　of　meat　and
  grain　that　the　valley　provided；　and　the　men　it　furnished　for　Lee's
  depleted　regiments；　were　the　strongest　auxiliaries　he　possessed　in
  the　whole　insurgent　section。　　In　war　a　territory　like　this　is　a
  factor　of　great　importance；　and　whichever　adversary　controls　it
  permanently　reaps　all　the　advantages　of　its　prosperity。　　Hence；　as　I
  have　said；　I　endorsed　Grant's　programme；　for　I　do　not　hold　war　to
  mean　simply　that　lines　of　men　shall　engage　each　other　in　battle；　and
  material　interests　be　ignored。　　This　is　but　a　duel；　in　which　one
  combatant　seeks　the　other's　life；　war　means　much　more；　and　is　far
  worse　than　this。　　Those　who　rest　at　home　in　peace　and　plenty　see　but
  little　of　the　horrors　attending　such　a　duel；　and　even　grow
  indifferent　to　them　as　the　struggle　goes　on；　contenting　themselves
  with　encouraging　all　who　are　able…bodied　to　enlist　in　the　cause；　to
  fill　up　the　shattered　ranks　as　death　thins　them。　　It　is　another
  matter；　however；　when　deprivation　and　suffering　are　brought　to　their
  own　doors。　　Then　the　case　appears　much　graver；　for　the　loss　of
  property　weighs　heavy　with　the　most　of　mankind；　heavier　often；　than
  the　sacrifices　made　on　the　field　of　battle。　　Death　is　popularly
  considered　the　maximum　of　punishment　in　war；　but　it　is　not；　reduction
  to　poverty　brings　prayers　for　peace　more　surely　and　more　quickly　than
  does　the　destruction　of　human　life；　as　the　selfishness　of　man　has
  demonstrated　in　more　than　one　great　conflict。
  In　the　afternoon　of　the　16th　I　started　back　to　Winchester；　whence　I
  could　better　supervise　our　regressive　march。　　As　I　was　passing
  through　Newtown；　I　heard　cannonading　from　the　direction　of　Front
  Royal；　and　on　reaching　Winchester；　Merritt's　couriers　brought　me　word
  that　he　had　been　attacked　at　the　crossing　of　the　Shenandoah　by
  Kershaw's　division　of　Anderson's　corps　and　two　brigades　of　Fitzhugh
  Lee's　cavalry；　but　that　the　attack　had　been　handsomely　repulsed；　with
  a　capture　of　two　battle…flags　and　three　hundred　prisoners。　　This　was
  an　absolute　confirmation　of　the　despatch　from　Grant；　and　I　was　now
  more　than　satisfied　with　the　wisdom　of　my　withdrawal。
  At　daylight　of　the　17th　Emory　moved　from　Winchester　to　Berryville；
  and　the　same　morning　Crook　and　Wright　reached　Winchester；　having
  started　from　Cedar　Creek　the　day　before。　　From　Winchester；　Crook　and
  Wright　resumed　their　march　toward　Clifton；　Wright；　who　had　the　rear
  guard；　getting　that　day　as　far　as　the　Berryville　crossing　of　the
  Opequon；　where　he　was　ordered　to　remain；　while　Crook　went　ahead　till
  he　reached　the　vicinity　of　Berryville。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　17th
  Lowell　with　his　two　regiments　of　troopers　came　into　Winchester；　where
  he　was　joined　by　Wilson's　mounted　division；　which　had　come　by　a　rapid
  march　from　Snicker's　ferry。　　In　the　mean　time　Merritt；　after　his
  handsome　engagement　with　Kershaw　near　Front　Royal；　had　been　ordered
  back　to　the　neighborhood　of　White　Post；　so　that　my　cavalry　outposts
  now　extended　from　this　last　point　around　to　the　west　of　Winchester。
  During　all　these　operations　the　enemy　had　a　signal…station　on　Three
  Top　Mountain；　almost　overhanging　Strasburg；　from　which　every　movement
  made　by　our　troops　could　be　plainly　seen；　therefore；　early　on　the
  morning　of　the　17th　he　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　we　were　retiring
  down　the　valley；　and　at　once　made　after　us；　and　about　sundown　drove
  Torbert　out　of　Winchester；　he　having　been　left　there…with　Wilson　and
  Lowell；　and　the　Jersey　brigade　of　the　Sixth　Corps；　to　develop　the
  character　of　the　enemy's　pursuit。　　After　a　severe　skirmish　Wilson　and
  Lowell　fell　back　to　Summit　Point；　and　the　Jersey　brigade　joined　its
  corps　at　the　crossing　of　the　Opequon。　　This　affair　demonstrated　that
  Early's　whole　army　had　followed　us　from　Fisher's　Hill；　in　concert
  with　Anderson　and　Fitzhugh　Lee　from　Front　Royal；　and　the　two　columns
  joined　near　Winchester　the　morning　of　the　18th。
  That　day　I　moved　the　Sixth　Corps　by　way　of　Clifton　to　Flowing　Spring；
  two　and　a　half　miles　west　of　Charlestown；　on　the　Smithfield　pike；　and
  Emory；　with　Dwight's　and　Grower's　divisions　（Grower's　having　joined
  that　morning　from　Washington）；　to　a　position　about　the　same　distance
  south　of　Charlestown；　on　the　Berryville　pike。　　Following　these
  movements；　Merritt　fell　back　to　Berryville；　covering　the　Berryville
  pike　crossing　of　the　Opequon；　and　Wilson　was　stationed　at　Summit
  Point；　whence　he　held　a　line　along　the　Opequon　as　far　north　as　the
  bridge　at　Smithfield。　　Crook　continued　to　hold　on　near　Clifton　until
  the　next　day；　and　was　then　moved　into　place　on　the　left　of　Emory。
  This　line　was　practically　maintained　till　the　21st；　when　the　enemy；
  throwing　a　heavy　force　across　the　Opequon　by　the　bridge　at
  Smithfield；　drove　in　my　cavalry　pickets　to　Summit　Point；　and　followed
  up　with　a　rapid　advance　against　the　position　of　the　Sixth　Corps　near
  Flowing　Spring。　　A　sharp　and　obstinate　skirmish　with　a　heavy　picket…
  line　of　the　Sixth　Corps　grew　out　of　this　manoeuvre；　and　resulted　very
  much　in　our　favor；　but　the　quick　withdrawal　of　the　Confederates　left
  no　opportunity　for　a　general　engagement。　　It　seems　that　General　Early
  thought　I　had　taken　position　near　Summit　Point；　and　that　by　moving
  rapidly　around　through　Smithfield　he　could　fall　upon　my　rear　in
  concert　with　an　attack　in　front　by　Anderson；　but　the　warm　reception
  given　him　disclosed　his　error；　for　he　soon　discovered　that　my　line
  lay　in　front　of　Charlestown　instead　of　where　he　supposed。
  In　the　manoeuvre　Merritt　had　been　attacked　in　front　of　Berryville　and
  Wilson　at　Summit　Point；　the　former　by　cavalry　and　the　latter　by
  Anderson's　infantry。　　The　exposed　positions　of　Merritt　and　Wilson
  necessitated　their　withdrawal　if　I　was　to　continue　to　act　on　the
  defensive；　so；　after　the　army　had　moved　back　to　Halltown　the
  preceding　night；　without　loss　or　inconvenience；　I　called　them　in　and
  posted　them　on　the　right　of　the　infantry。
  My　retrograde　move　from　Strasburg　to　Halltown　caused　considerable
  alarm　in　the　North；　as　the　public　was　ignorant　of　the　reasons　for　it；
  and　in　the　excited　state　of　mind　then　prevailing；　it　was　generally
  expected　that　the　reinforced　Confederate　army　would　again　cross　the
  Potomac；　ravage　Maryland　and　Pennsylvania；　and　possibly　capture
  Washington。　　Mutterings　of　dissatisfaction　reached　me　from　many
  sources；　and　loud　calls　were　made　for　my　removal；　but　I　felt
  confident　that　my　course　would　be　justified　when　the　true　situation
  was　understood；　for　I　knew　that　I　was　complying　with　my　instructions。
  Therefore　I　paid　small　heed　to　the　adverse　criticisms　pouring　down
  from　the　North　almost　every　day；　being　fully　convinced　that　the　best
  course　was　to　bide　my　time；　and　wait　till　I　could　get　the　enemy　into
  a　position　from　which　he　could　not　escape　without　such　serious
  misfortune　as　to　have　some　bearing　on　the　general　result　of　the　war。
  Indeed；　at　this　time　I　was　hoping　that　my　adversary　would　renew　the
  boldness　he　had　exhibited　the　early　part　of　the　month；　and　strike　for
  the　north　side　of　the　Potomac；　and　wrote　to　General　Grant　on　the　20th
  of　August　that　I　had　purposely　left　everything　in　that　direction　open
  to　the　enemy。
  On　the　22d　the　Confederates　moved　to　Charlestown　and　pushed　well　up
  to　my　position　at　Halltown。　　Here　for　the　next　three　days　they
  skirmished　with　my　videttes　and　infantry　pickets；　Emory　and　Cook
  receiving　the　main　attention；　but　finding　that　they　could　make　no
  impression；　and　judging　it　to　be　an　auspicious　time　to　intensify　the
  scare　in　the　North；　on　the　25th　of　August　Early　despatched　Fitzhugh
  Lee's　cavalry　to　Williamsport；　and　moved　all　the　rest　of　his　army　but
  Anderson's　infantry　and　McCausland's　cavalry　to　Kerneysville。　　Th