Scouting for Grant and Meade by Peter G. Tsouras

Author:Peter G. Tsouras
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

The chickens and ducks were all plucked and ready for cooking when they brought them in. Hastily selecting some of the fowls, honey and butter, we sent them to Gen. Patrick with our compliments. We never heard of any complaints, although all hands had many misgivings when we saw the profuse supply unloaded.

The Times correspondent was a most grateful man and when we sought our blankets about midnight, all hands were very happy. I lay awake listening for the sound of cannonading on our right, which never came, and in the morning I found the Second Corps had been brought back, and it, as well as all the rest of the army, were moving to the left.

In the Fall of 1864 I saw John C. Babcock, who took my report when I came in from Tinsley’s Mill. He did not remember anything of the report, but hunted up some old photographed maps of the vicinity of Corbin’s Bridge. One had to hold them up to the light and look through them from the back.111 While I make no claims to having put down the rebellion, I have always had an idea that my report that night had something to do with the army moving by the left flank at that time.112

When we left Spotsylvania Courthouse I don’t remember anything of the roads or appearance of the country until we came to the Pamunkey River near old Hanovertown, where we crossed and headquarters were established on a farm called Gold Hill, from which place Jas. Hatton and myself started to carry dispatches to Yorktown, an account of which was published in the National Tribune [See Chapter 8] but a few weeks ago.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following official correspondence addresses the realization that Lee was moving his army on May 13, 1864, from Spotsylvania.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

May 13, 1864 - 8 [a.m.]

General HUMPHREYS:

Twenty prisoners brought in this a.m. were taken partly on the enemy’s skirmish line but mostly in its rear, asleep in houses. They only know that their line has fallen back; don’t know where. Their rations were out last night and were to have been issued last evening; but neither to those who were on the skirmish line nor to those who were with or near the main body of the troops were any rations issued. The prisoners represent four divisions: Anderson’s, Rhode’s, Early’s, and Wilcox’s.

Very respectfully,

GEORGE H. SHARPE,

Colonel, &c.

OR, Vol. 36, Part II, p. 699

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,

May 13, 1864 - 8.40 a. m.

Major-General MEADE:

From the dispatch just shown me by Captain Meade, I do not infer the enemy are making a stand, but simply covering a retreat, which must necessarily have been slow with such roads and so dark a night as they had last night. I think it advisable to push with at least three good divisions to see beyond doubt what they are doing.

Respectfully,

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

OR, Vol. 36, Part II, p. 698

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