Sheridan March 1865- The Last Campaign III

Brevet Major-General Wesley Merritt

        YORKTOWN,  March 18, 1865.

General RAWLINS,

                Chief of Staff:

I left General Sheridan at White House 12 m. His command is all there. I have telegraphed to Captain James for twenty-five portable forges and shoeing tools, & c. If Captain James cannot fill the order at once General Ingalls had better send them. General Forsyth is with me. We shall be at Fort Monroe by 5 p.m. and at City Point before morning.

                    O.E. BABCOCK,
            Lieutenant- Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

FIELD ORDERS,                 HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY, 

 No. 15.                White House, Va., March 18, 1865.

I. Division commanders will at once have each regiment in their respective commands inspected, and turn out all the negroes who have joined the cavalry during the expedition. This inspection will be most rigid.

II, There are many negroes employed by both officers and men on the march who cannot be allowed to remain with the command.

III. All negroes who have joined the command during the expedition will be at once collected by the provost guards of the different commands and sent to the north end of the railway bridge, where they will be taken in charge by the provost-marshal of these headquarters.

By command of Brevet Major-General Merritt:

                    J. SPREADBURY,
                Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

FIELD ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY, No. 17. - White House, Va., March 18, 1865.

I. The command will cross the Pamunkey River to-morrow morning at 6 o'clock. The First Division will move in advance, the trains will follow, and the Third Division cross in rear. The command will mass on the south side of the river, when camps will be assigned them. The pickets will remain as at present until the entire command crosses, when they will be withdrawn.

By command of Brevet Major-General Merritt:

                    J. SPREADBURY,
                Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


- The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 46 (Part III)

Sheridan March 1865- The Last Campaign II

YORKTOWN, March 14, 1865.

General LUDLOW, Fort Magruder: GENERAL: Three hundred cavalry and 1,500 infantry, with gun-boats, have gone up the York River this morning. They proceed to White House, on Pamunkey, and will throw forward a cavalry force to meet Sheridan. Colonel Roberts commands party.

                     THOS. MULCAHY,
              Lientenant- Colonel and Provost-Marshal.

CITY POINT, VA., March 14, 1865.

Commodore RADFORD, U.S. Navy: (Care of Major-General Ord.) Will you please have a few gun-boats, say six, including four already gone, sent into the York and Pamunkey Rivers to keep open free navigation between White House and the mouth of York River. I have a large force now on its way to White House. When it is withdrawn, the navy can withdraw also.

        U.S. GRANT,

             Lieutenant- General.

Col. S. H. ROBERTS, Commanding Expedition:

Immediately on receipt of this you will embark your command and proceed up the York and Pamnukey Rivers to the White House, taking with you all your infantry. Your cavalry may be returned to its place on the James. It is expected that General Sheridan with a large force of cavalry will arrive at the White House near the same time with you; if he does not you will remain there until he arrives. Take with you the army gun-boats accompanying your expedition, and also request the navy gun-boats to go and remain with you. Rations and forage will be sent to you immediately, not only for your force but for the command under General Sheridan.

U.S. GRANT,

Lieutenant- General.

            YORKTOWN,  March 16, 1865-2 p.m.

Commander F.A. PARKER,

     Saint Inigoes, Md.:

General Roberts occupied White House 14th instant. Was in-trenched. Sheridan had not arrived at 12 yesterday. His camp fires in sight. Pamunkey is patrolled by army gun-boats Mosswood and Jesup.

                         PETER HAYES,
                             U.S. Navy.


-The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 46 (Part III)

Sheridan March 1865- The Last Campaign

                                                         No. 1.

Report of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, U. S. Army, commanding expedition.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE SOUTHWEST,

             New Orleans, La., July 16,1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of my command in the campaign from Winchester, in the Shenandoah Valley, to the armies in front of Petersburg, beginning February 27 and ending March 28:

 . . .

At daylight on the morning of the 16th we leisurely resumed the march to White House, encamping at Mangohick Church; on the 17th we marched to and encamped at Prince [King] William Court-House; on the 18th we reached Indiantown; and on the 19th crossed the Pamunkey at White House, on the railroad bridge which had been repaired by Lieutenant-Colonel Babcock, of Lieutenant-General Grants staff. We here found supplies in abundance.

The amount of private and public property collected for the use of the enemy and destroyed, and the destruction of lines of communication and supplies, was very great and beyond estimating. Every bridge on the Central railroad between Richmond and Lynchburg, except the one over the Chickahominy, and that over the James River at Lynchburg, and many of the culverts, were destroyed. The James River Canal was disabled beyond any immediate repair.

There perhaps never was a march where nature offered such impediments and shrouded herself in such gloom as upon this; incessant rain, deep and almost impassable streams, swamps, and mud, were overcome with a constant cheerfulness on the part of the troops that was truly admirable. Both officers and men appeared buoyed up by the thought that we had completed our work in the Valley of the Shenandoah, and that we were on our way to help our brothers-in-arms in front of Petersburg in the final struggle.

Our loss in horses was considerable, almost entirely from hoof-rot. After refitting at White House, until the 24th [25th] instant, we resumed our march, crossed the Chickahominy at Jones Bridge, arriving at and crossing the James River on the evening of the 25th [26th] of March, and on the following day [27th], by direction of the lieutenant- general, went into camp at Hancocks Station, on the railroad, in front of Petersburg.

. . .

 -The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 46 (Part I)

Sheridan- March 1865 II

 Section from "Grant's and Sheridan's campaigns, 1864 [and 1865]" LOC

The Richmond and Petersburg lines.

Everything was unusually quiet on this side of the James yesterday. Sheridan has made his hasty raid from Staunton to the White House, passing through the counties of Augusta, Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa, Hanover and New Kent, and leaving some desolation in his track. It is reported that he destroyed a large quantity of subsistence in his route. We have heard of many individuals who were robbed by his brigands. From the White House it is conjectured his forces have proceeded to Grant, either across the country or up James river in transports.

There was a very considerable bombardment near the Jerusalem plankroad, on the Petersburg lines, about daylight on Saturday morning. The firing was begun by our troops. The results, if any, are unknown.

-The Daily Dispatch: March 21, 1865

Sheridan- March 1865

Sheridan.

Further intelligence from General Sheridan reports that, on last Monday, a portion of his cavalry was engaged in tearing up the railroad between Richmond and Hanover Junction, while the main body was pushing on towards the White House, on the Pamunkey river, where it was expected that supplies would reach him, to enable him to continue his work.

-The Daily Dispatch: March 20, 1865.

100 Years Ago: "All This Hue and Cry About Education . . ."

 Hmmm . . . sounds sort of familiar . . .

The Voice of the People

Against Higher School Taxes.

To the Editor of The Times-Dispatch:

 Sir.- Since the two proposed tax bills seem so defective, why can't the present method be improved. If the counties draw too much why can't the State limit their drafts? In all these pauper counties the people are almost taxed to death, while schools are allowed to raid their treasuries. New Kent has always been in this list. In 1904 her tax rate jumped from $1.15 to $1.55 and has hovered around $1.45 ever since. The two assessments add each. The two railroads, telephone and telegraph lines pay about $7,000, it is said. I suppose conditions are about tho same in the other counties.

If schools are to get all they want, a confiscation will not suffice. All this hue and cry about education comes from those who live by the system. Paying little or nothing them selves, they care not what a burden taxation becomes. Half the land in the State produces income. It is like a vacant house in town. At the last census hardly a county showed any gain to brag about, while thirty declined. When riding on the cars, I wonder if our legislators ever think how it is possible to live on much or the land passed. To squeeze the last cent from the taxpayer seems their only thought.

Last year a rate of 20 cents per $100 on bank deposits was thought ample. Now the same men would give the State officials unlimited power regarding such deposits. A criminal can't he made to testify, but a depositor is to be forced to do so, while bank clerks are to become spies- a fund having been provided to pay for such work. In 1900 just such a bill slipped through. It was denounced everywhere and soon declared unconstitutional on account of some little technicality.
                H.T. FAUNT LE ROY
        New Kent, Va., February 3, 1915.

-Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 05, 1915

"No Wind To-day."

 It didn't take much to get one's home of a lifetime burned in 1865 . . .

      FORT MAGRUDER,  February 21, 1865- 7.35 p.m.

Maj. WICKHAM HOFFMAN,

 Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have just received notice that the telegraph line has been cut between this and Jamestown Island by bushwhackers. It could not have blown down, as there is been no wind to-day. Have I the authority, under the Order No. 196, dated December 1, 1864, from your headquarters, to burn all the houses in the vicinity, say within one mile? I did not get this information until after dark- too late to repair it. I will see that it is repaired by daylight tomorrow morning. Please answer.

    Respectfully,

                J.C. HICKS,
            Major, Commanding.

-The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.; Series 1- Volume 46(Part II)