New-York tribune., 1880-06-17
TESTIMONY OF GENERAL ". MERRITT
WHAT HE DID AT FIVE FORKS.


sTATPNFNTs DIFFICULT TO RECONCILE WITH THOSE
OF BOTH UNION AND CONFEDERATE OFFICERS
General w. Merritt, commanding the 5th
United States Cavalry. testified before the warren
Court OF Inquiry yesterday. In 1860 GeneraI Merr't
was in command Of the First aud Third DIVISIONS VI
shcridan's cavalry and directed their movements aV e
hattie of Five Forks. His division commanders "ere
Generals Deven and Custer. 1t had been eA-
pected that he would he called a witness Tor denc
raj Sheridan before the testimony closed ana
ance on the stand for General Warren was III 'no h'
of a surprise He came to New-York for pleasure nU
was summoned by General Warrens couhsel 10 u'''
the court. Mr.. Sckley's questions appeaIeu u Do "
rected with the view Of learning whether Genera 0"o
dan would be borne out in the assertion that lno o"
Irv were chiefly entitled to credit for the victory a'
Five Forks. General MeFrltts testimony dd NOT eu'
port that claim. lie did not tell OF any severe nN
by the cavalry men, and hr said the losses Ol ns oo
mand were much smaller nan those O the Ie'ou' u3'
The witness, who passed the night OF March 81 IN
Diuwidde said that hc began to move about dayhgh'
NJ Arrn An advance was made by the Third Division
early IN Il morning. which showed that the enemy hau
retired.
"What were your personal movements IN the lorc
noon Z" asked Mr.. Stckney.
"Inrst moved ont with tho lines until we reached
the edge of the woods where the enemy had been
posted The enemy had withdrawn and moVed
in the direction of Five Forks. went
in the direction OF the Bolsseau nouS',
and was with General Sheridan when Ocnera
Ayres responded. supposed he was the advance "
the Fifth Corps delay occurred IN consequence oi
Avres asking permission for his men TO COOK conce'
which was grOnIcd. cannot say what ana uhti' De-
tween 7 and O'Clock. when received orders to move
with the cavalry and divc the enemy into their WORKS.
In the early part of the forenoon was engaged III 'S
work. Personally went up In front OF tho Hl"lam
House aud was with the line. the left OF when reSteu
on Chamherlains Bed. / am not positive mat went
H.. II rpan
doubtful"
" Did Won personally reach tho line OF the enemy's
work ON the White Oak road before the advance OF the
Infantry T.
Yes, SIR" 80
Bc,ore the advance from the Gravclj Run Church =
~ can't say about that hut before the fsht began
Before the substantial hghlhG ucs""' "Nc'' "'''
your two divisions placcdF
Imne liAcly in front Of the rtllcry OF the enemy
which understood was posted at the Forks Inc u'
vision lines TONED about there. Understood that NY
,luc covered nearly the entire works 81 the enemy 80
nearly TO the anglo. the Fir't DIVISION was
IN to right. and the Third DIVISION
wos 10 the left Custer had brigade mounted to cover
tbe cnrmys right faux. In the MAN, my line was par
alel with the White Oak road. The lott OF the Imrd
DIVISION extended across the Gillian h'!d Custer ahd
the enemy had fighting IL that ncld'
"Backwads AM forwardsl'
Not backward and forward There was som" trouble
there in Inc enemy, hut not 50 mu'h "s th'y h"u
he day before IN driving nS. ,.. IT,. ,.,,
"Did you receive IN orrr IN the afternoon from "'h'
| crul Sner tau t. withhold your W hckt -
probably half IN hour before The infantry altaok an
order was brought to m rom "ch"r1 Hi''i"'r i & w.
ilnriinn Witn the infantry advance about o'clock
Did you General Sheridan after the "t'ucA oc'
~" saw him after crossed tho works. lie wa coming
from, the rght ns went thr works at the foikH
riis t,,I-i h1v, been b.w ami O'Clock. Ir VAS
| on thn cnrlv's sdc Of he works Nv m"n were thrh
| swcrpius down toward the .ci T-r 'n my Huiith-
drr.d here large numbers. with apparent "lliinS
nj :. ind Won sec any Of onr infantry at this ~
Yes. inry wcr coming up tiom ihr fii.t % ON me ne
enemy side Of the works NOV, thnt ~ 'lh'r J."
the north and thcu turhtd 10 the "'-' I"''r M''
drsu,iury resistance from tIe enemy; "h2 o hNti
accot the accidents OF Ia, glonnu mu @ m'i ,, wa, ~
| as would naturally De found while being driven.
DO Won REMEMBER any line oi TIC enemy al the west
| of tho Gillian field of anv stand they made 49,
Not the south Of Tho Nhr OAk f3"d. W" met no
such resistance in the Gillian Held That WAS T. ''7'y
tnd wac made mt tho west sid, OF the G;luam
Ii could not have been before, d y may have h'rh
whc was passlng IGrro ~is ~. , hn'"'cF o' s'A'u'
| "Dd you General Warren ahcr the hssahIt De-
ranT -.
How soon after crossing the vSrl; X at the Forks did
! you get 10 he west Of IL" Gl IN ucId
"rfnc you went over the works where were you per
Nrr the Ford road. Tho cavalry were dismissed in
tnr morning when tIr h-t determine Il rcsi,imrc was
met There about 5000 m"n IN the First vision
: rri incurnG iho-e who nrld the hnrr- ana brtwr'n
und 5000 men IN tie In RI lpfl7Ol can't -hY
| what was the length OF my iinr.'
Did ttOcayalry carry the WoIRs anywhere cast o
IYes I do not know This Of my own personal knowl-
edge but AIN morally certain that they d!d. saw a
| line to rlGht, but my observation WIS uoi
| yrlI e eXtenIcd owing To the thick woods"
Mr. Sckn asked Gri crdl Merritt 10 state any 'Arts
| that 10 hriTug upon the objects Ot the LquIY
Mr. Gardner quickly objected, AMI u" Court Inlrd That
tirnrral Merritt knew any fact, ihI related 10 IN
mutations or accusations against General warren he
IN ght thcu but UtEcwiHc he must De questioned
| dir, ely. General Merritt sad he dId not thlhk MI
| S,Icknrys request qni,c fair 10 hn.
" Before YOU went over the wotks' resumed Mr..
Siickncy. how near were yOn TO the line ol works on
| the White OK road T.
| within a few yards 1T the tmc OF tho attack; at
| other times l dlHtint from 80 To- 100 yards
In rrp.y questions tirHrrti Merritt tihd that h7
Losses In ciry part o. the day were not large. ~
there wns no severe hg ting The enemy were con.
Hdutly flaukcd, uud forced t. rctrC without
much ehtin,. rnc witness corrected the tnr WHEN he
bad General sheridan AT tdc Forks from brwr u
ana O'ciuCk To shortly ait'r . oclurk MT bHrlbr
d,r mrd to crossrx anime General Merritt ~ he in
tends 10 call HIM a witness Or General SHcrldan.
General Hancock N Oimcd General W. Trlt that II was
incVdrnce that the enemy formed ~ line about dusk
he wc-t Of he Gillian Held both north
and s0nih ~ the Whic OaT Road. AMI asked him how
me- would explain this stdc Ol nKtrH or reconcile II
with his statement that he had gone over the works
| enemy away. General MERIT replied that lie
| could offer CXpan tiun whatever. lie hau
| not known OF any such stand by the enemy. IL may
nave been possible that such line was formed alter hr
had passed ami gone on III pun sui OI tht IOICO tnht hu
| opposed him.
To Mr. Stickncy the witness sad that the enemy had
al cleared OF TIE works bi fore hr went M ana
tha' troops swept everything ont clean lie cnnd
net, therefore, com rrhcnd how the enemy colld hhNt
| formed a line after he had passed.
| The Court VIII meet this morning at IL o'clock.
| ---
| MIDNIGHT WEATHER REPORT.