The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-03
OCUT OFF GENERAL LEE.
COLONEL MOSBY GIVES TIE PLAN
OF GRANT AND SHERIDAN.
Ths Celebrated Eighth Illinois Cavalry.
Colonel Chapman Takes q Plunge
on General Chapman.

AS before stated. Grants main object was
10 cut Lees line OF communication Win
the son thwest. For this reason he want
ed Sheridan 10 repeat the attempt Hunter
had made II this was accomplished inc
Inevitable result would be the fan OF
Richmond and the end OF the war. IL
vas immA erial whether 1t was secured ny
defeating Earlys army In battle. OIL push
Ing It south by flank movements. But
pursuing Early some distance up the val
ley and then returning 10 the point nc
started from was q good deal IKE march-
ing up a hill and then marching do""
again ON the I'D OF September after
Fishers IIill. Grant had telegraphed MN
Keep on and you will cause the IAN
OF Richmond -
He did not keep on. but turned back. Tn
the 2gth Grant telegraphed Mr.. Lincoln.
II am taking steps to prevent Lee send
ing reinfOrcements to Early by attacking
him here
But II Grant had thought that Sheridan
intended TO retreat. the very thing that
ne would have desired would have been
for General Lee TO weaken his lines ana
reinforce Early.
obviously " SUcl4udH was hpl SV'iS ~
press Early General Lee was more In
need of reinforcements than Early was.
ON the 18th Sheridan wrote 10 Grant from
HarrisonbuTg:
Only impression IS that most Of the
troops which Early had left passed
. through these mountains to Charlottes-
VILE. Kershaw's division came to his as
sistance. and. | think. passed along the
west base OF the mountain to Wdynes-
AZ adj nf a Z
Mount Crawford. eight miles south OF
HarrisonDuTg. From the most reliable
accounts EdriY's army was completely
broken up and dispirited. $50 he did not
retreat from Earlys arnly) II VIII be
exceedingly difficult for me TO carry the
infantry over the mountains and StT.he at
the Central road. Oils advance vas then
In Thirty miles Of Charlottesville, the
junction of the Central and Orange and
Alexandra railroad. Lynchburg Is sixty
miles farther south on the canal and
railroad connecting Richmond with the
Southwest | cannot accumulate stores
to do so, and think 1t best 10 take some
position near Front Royal and operate
with cavalry and infantry
In reply TO Grants dispatch a lew days
before he had said
II am now about eighty miles from
Martinsburg. and find 1t exceedingly diff
cult 10 supply this army"
Grant rejoined:
Your victories have caused the great
est CONSERVATION. If You car possibly
subsist your army 40 the front for few
days more. do it. and make a great eff
fort TO destroy the roads about Charlottes-
Vile. and the canal wherever your caval-
ry can reach.
If this advice had been acted on Sheri-
dams army would have been thrown into
the rear al General Grant Jid nat
OF course. mean that Sheridan could stop
at Charlottesville. He wanted him first
10 gain foothold there. accumulate sup
plies by the Orange railroad and make II
new starting point for further opera
tions. on the I'd Grant had asked Hal
leck:
VIII 1t not be practicable to open in
short time the railroad from Washing
ton 10 Strasburg?'
His object was to make a new base for
Sheridan, 50 as 20 save the long haul from
Martnsburg and Harper's Ferry.
LINE OF SUPPLIES.
The Orange and Alexandria railroad
runs south by Gordonsville and
Charlottesville TO Lynchburg. From
Manassas Juncton-twenty five miles
from Washington--a branch road
runs west through the Blue Ridge TO
Front Royal and Strasburg. 1t was as
sumed that II the Northern army held
the Manassas Gap line my command
would retire south OF the Rappahannock.
In this way Il double purpose would be
effected; a more convenient line Of sup
plies would be secured, as well as the
annexation of more territory TO the United
States. The sequel shows that / had
not been consulted. On the 23d Halleck
replied 10 Grant:
II now learn that Manassas Gap rail-
road can be put in running order TO
Piedmont. sixteen miles from Front Royal,
In three days. piedmont is a station at
the eastern and Front Royal at the west
ern base of the Blue Ridge) From there
10 Front Royal all the iron OF tne track
mas been carried away, and ii will re-
quire about week 10 replace 1t. | WOULD
also remark that the Orange railroad TO
Culpeper and the Rapidan can be repaired
in three days / will have everything in
readiness to begin the work on either road
the moment l receive your orders. We can
picket It from Alexandria to Thorough
fare, bat General Sheridan must defend
IL beyond. To put 1t In operation within
the time specified, | will require work
ing parties all along the road at the same
time"
During all the time that Sheridan had
been in the Shenandoah Valley my COM
mand had kept up an incessant warfare
upon his communication the farther ne
advanced the more vulnerable he became.
But our operations were not confined 10
the Valley. The troops belonging to the
defences of Washington and guarding the
line OF the Potomac were a portion of
Sheridans command. To prevent him
from being reinforced from this source,
frequent attacks were made on the out
posts I'm Fairfax. and demonstrations
along the Potomac. The Eighth Illinois
Cavalry, the largest and regarded as the
finest regiment in the ARMY of the Poto-
mac had been brought back TO Wash
ington. largely recruited. and stationed at
Seneca Cor Muddy Branch, on the river
above Washington. There were num-
Der of other detachments of cavalry on
the Maryland side. and two regiments OF
cavalry in Fairfax. General Augur COM
manded at Washington. Stevenson. at
Harpers Ferry, had nine thousand men,
which we We're expected to keep employed
IN watching the canal and railroad.
Sheridan wanted TO take the Eighth
Illinois TO the Valley, but Ausur objected.
on the ground that they could not be
spared from Washington.
SHERIDAN AND AUGUR,
Sheridan to Augur:
"Harpers Ferry. Aug. s. 1854
What force have YOU at Edwards and
Noiand's' ferries? Ton the Potomac)
Where IS Colonel Lazelle posted? Mosby
has about 200 cavalry at or near Point of
Rocks"
cribs was dated the day after Sheridan
took formal command of the Army of
tie ShenandC ah)
Augur TO sheridan:
Washington. d. c., August S.
colonel Lazelle is posted at Falls