Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-22

CAVALRY HEADQUARTERS, J%ERsEYvILLE,
April D, 1863, 3 p. m.-Lieut. Gen. u. >.
Grant, Commanding Armies of the United
States-General: / send you the in
closed letter, which will give you an idea
of the condition of the enemy and their
whereabouts. sent Gen. Davis brigade
this morning around on my left flank.
He captured at flames crossroads five
pieces of artillery, about two hundred
wagons, and eight or nine battle flags, and
a number of prisoners. The Second
army corps is now coming up. | wish
your were here yourself. ] feel confident
of capturing the army of Northern Vir-
ginia, if we exert ourselves. l see no es-
cape for Lee. l will put all my cavalry
out on our left flank, except Mackenzie,
who is now on the right.
"P. III. SHERIDAN, Maj. Gen"
On receipt of this he Immediately
started for my headquarters at letters
vile, arriving there about IL o'clock Of
the night of April 5. Next morning,
April q, the infantry of the army adj
vanced on Amelia court house. 1t was
found before reaching it that the enemy
had turned our left flank and taken an
other road to Sailors creek and Farm
vile. The cavalry did not advance with
the infantry on Amelia court house, but
moved to the left and rear, at daylight on
the morning of the 9Th, and struck the
moving columns of the enemy's infantry
and artillery, with which a series Of con
Hicts ensued that resulted in the battle of
Sailors creek, where Gen. Elwell lost
his command Of about ten thousand men,
and was himself taken prisoner, together
with ten other general officers.
We now come to the morning of the
9TH. l thought that Lee would not
abandon the direct road to Danville
through Prince Edwards court house,
and early on the morning OF the 7th,
directed Gen. Crook to follow up his
} rear, while with Merritt Clusters and
Devin's division), l swung off to the left,
and moved quickly to strike the Danville
road six or eight miles south Of Prince
: Edwards court house, and thus again
t head or cut off all or some of the retreat
l ing confederate army. On reaching that
, road it was found that Gen. Lees army
had not passed, and my command was in
l stantly turned north for Prince Edwards
a court house. A detachment ordered to
!. move with the greatest CELEBRITY, via
Prince Edwards court house, reported
l that Lee had
CROSSED THE A~PPoMATToX
: at and near Farmville, and that Crook
! had followed him. On looking at the mar
it will be seen that Gen. Lee would be
. obliged to pass through AppomattoI
= court house and Appomattox station OF
" the railroad, to reach Lynchburg by the
road he had taken north of the Appomat
tox river, and that that was the longest
y road to get there. He had given the
h shortest one-the one south Of the rivel
!, to the cavalry. Gen. Crook was a
o once sent for, and the three divisions
s numbering perhaps at that time sever
It thousand men, concentrated on the nigh
: of the 9TH of April at and near Prospec
station, ON the Lynchburg and Richmond
o railroad, and Appomattox station be
o came the objective point of the cavalry
: for the operations Of the next day
the 9th.
l Meantime my scouts had not been idle
{ but had followed down the railroad, look
t ing out for the trains with the 300, 00t
1 ~rations which they had telegraphed for OF
the night of the 4th. Just before reach
. ing Appomattox station, they found five
: trains Of cars feeling their way along il
the direction of Burkesville Junction, no
knowing exactly where Lee was. They
: induced the person in charge to com'
further on by their description Of tn
pitiable condition Of the confederat
troops. Our start on the morning Of tn
:, 9th was before the suK was OPP, and hav
ing proceeded but a few miles, Majo
i. 1 yln.E- r H. .-. ,..nII oaA tv,k1
n the news that the trains were east of Ap
pomattox station, that he had succeede,
in bringing them on some distance, bu
o was afraid that they would again be rul
n back to the station. Intelligence of thi
fact was Immediately communicated
Q Crook, Merritt and Custer, and the lat
ter, who had the advance, was urged nc
to let the trains escape, and | pushed o
d and Joined him. Before reaching til
% station, Custer detailed two regiments {
d make a detour, strike the railroad beyon
the station, tear up the track, and secul
70 the trains. This was accomplished, b,
on the arrival of the main body of u a,
IS vance at the station it was found that Il
advance guard of Lees army was ju
r coming on the ground.
o A sANaUINE ENGAGEMENT
at once ensued. The enemy was drive
= off, forty pieces of artillery captured, nj
s four hundred baggage wagons burne'
o The railroad trains had been secured
y the first onset, and were taken possessit
!. of by locomotive engineers, soldiers
: the command, whose delight ut again sc
y, ting at their former employment was
~ great that they produced the widest col
= fusion by running the trains to and I
!" on the track, and making such an u
earthly screeching with the whistles tn
l was at one time on the point of orde
W ing the trains burned; but We finally G
10 them off, and ran them to our rear ten
ffeeen miles, to Ord and Gibbon, WI
with the infantry were following the ca
ng airy. The cavalry continued the fghtil
nat nearly all that night, driving the enen
back to the vicinity of Appomattox col
mt house, a distance of about four mil,
lie thus giving him no repose, and GOVERN
OF ing the weakness of the attacking for,
ard remember well the little frame hou
Just south of the station where the hes
ltt, quarters of the cavalry rested, OF ratl
cir remained, for there was no rest the mig
ps, of'the 9Th. Dispatches were going ba
tn to our honored chief, Gen Grant, a
oing Ord was requested to push on thewear
Tor infantry. Tomorrow was to end
ore troubles in all reasonable probability, |
my it was thought necessary that the inf
up try should arrive, in order to doubly
!. sure the result. Merritt, Crook and G
4th ter were, at times, there. Happiness ,
nom .n a.,.,., 1000 n.. 49, an1 xan -