artillery；　comprising　in　all　about　10；000　officers　and　men。　　On
  wheels　we　had；　to　accompany　this　column；　eight　ambulances；　sixteen
  ammunition　wagons；　a　pontoon　train　for　eight　canvas　boats；　and　a
  small　supply…train；　with　fifteen　days'　rations　of　coffee；　sugar；　and
  salt；　it　being　intended　to　depend　on　the　country　for　the　meat　and
  bread　ration；　the　men　carrying　in　their　haversacks　nearly　enough　to
  subsist　them　till　out　of　the　exhausted　valley。
  Grant's　orders　were　for　me　to　destroy　the　Virginia　Central　railroad
  and　the　James　River　canal；　capture　Lynchburg　if　practicable；　and　then
  join　General　Sherman　in　North　Carolina　wherever　he　might　be　found；　or
  return　to　Winchester；　but　as　to　joining　Sherman　I　was　to　be　governed
  by　the　state　of　affairs　after　the　projected　capture　of　Lynchburg。
  The　weather　was　cold；　the　valley　and　surrounding　mountains　being
  still　covered　with　snow；　but　this　was　fast　disappearing；　however；
  under　the　heavy　rain　that　was　coming　down　as　the　column　moved　along
  up　the　Valley　pike　at　a　steady　gait　that　took　us　to　Woodstock　the
  first　day。　　The　second　day　we　crossed　the　North　Fork　of　the
  Shenandoah　on　our　pontoon…bridge；　and　by　night…fall　reached　Lacy's
  Springs；　having　seen　nothing　of　the　enemy　as　yet　but　a　few　partisans
  who　hung　on　our　flanks　in　the　afternoon。
  March　1　we　encountered　General　Rosser　at　Mt　Crawford；　he　having　been
  able　to　call　together　only　some　five　or　six　hundred　of　his　troops；
  our　unsuspected　march　becoming　known　to　Early　only　the　day　before。
  Rosser　attempted　to　delay　us　here；　trying　to　burn　the　bridges　over
  the　Middle　Fork　of　the　Shenandoah；　but　two　regiments　from　Colonel
  Capehart's　brigade　swam　the　stream　and　drove　Rosser　to　Kline's　Mills；
  taking　thirty　prisoners　and　twenty　ambulances　and　wagons。
  Meanwhile　General　Early　was　busy　at　Staunton；　but　not　knowing　my
  objective　point；　he　had　ordered　the　return　of　Echol's　brigade　from
  southwestern　Virginia　for　the　protection　of　Lynchburg；　directed
  Lomax's　cavalry　to　concentrate　at　Pond　Gap　for　the　purpose　of
  harassing　me　if　I　moved　toward　Lynchburg；　and　at　the　same　time
  marched　Wharton's　two　brigades　of　infantry；　Nelson's　artillery；　and
  Rosser's　cavalry　to　Waynesboro'；　whither　he　went　also　to　remain　till
  the　object　of　my　movement　was　ascertained。
  I　entered　Staunton　the　morning　of　March　2；　and　finding　that　Early　had
  gone　to　Waynesboro'　with　his　infantry　and　Rosser；　the　question　at
  once　arose　whether　I　should　continue　my　march　to　Lynchburg　direct；
  leaving　my　adversary　in　my　rear；　or　turn　east　and　open　the　way
  through　Rockfish　Gap　to　the　Virginia　Central　railroad　and　James　River
  canal。　　I　felt　confident　of　the　success　of　the　latter　plan；　for　I
  knew　that　Early　numbered　there　not　more　than　two　thousand　men；　so；
  influenced　by　this；　and　somewhat　also　by　the　fact　that　Early　had　left
  word　in　Staunton　that　he　would　fight　at　Waynesboro'；　I　directed
  Merritt　to　move　toward　that　place　with　Custer；　to　be　closely　followed
  by　Devin；　who　was　to　detach　one　brigade　to　destroy　supplies　at
  Swoope's'depot。　　The　by…roads　were　miry　beyond　description；　rain
  having　fallen　almost　incessantly　since　we　left　Winchester；　but
  notwithstanding　the　down…pour　the　column　pushed　on；　men　and　horses
  growing　almost　unrecognizable　from　the　mud　covering　them　from　head　to
  foot。
  General　Early　was　true　to　the　promise　made　his　friends　in　Staunton；
  for　when　Custer　neared　Waynesboro'　he　found；　occupying　a　line　of
  breastworks　on　a　ridge　west　of　the　town；　two　brigades　of　infantry；
  with　eleven　pieces　of　artillery　and　Rosser's　cavalry。　　Custer；　when
  developing　the　position　of　the　Confederates；　discovered　that　their
  left　was　somewhat　exposed　instead　of　resting　on　South　River；　he
  therefore　made　his　dispositions　for　attack；　sending　around　that　flank
  the　dismounted　regiments　from　Pennington's　brigade；　while　he　himself；
  with　two　brigades；　partly　mounted　and　partly　dismounted；　assaulted
  along　the　whole　line　of　breastworks。　　Pennington's　flanking　movement
  stampeded　the　enemy　in　short　order；　thus　enabling　Custer　to　carry　the
  front　with　little　resistance；　and　as　he　did　so　the　Eighth　New　York
  and　First　Connecticut；　in　a　charge　in　column；　broke　through　the
  opening　made　by　Custer；　and　continued　on　through　the　town　of
  Waynesboro'；　never　stopping　till　they　crossed　South　River。　　There；
  finding　themselves　immediately　in　the　enemy's　rear；　they　promptly
  formed　as　foragers　and　held　the　east　bank　of　the　stream　till　all　the
  Confederates　surrendered　except　Rosser；　who　succeeded　in　making　his
  way　back　to　the　valley；　and　Generals　Early；　Wharton；　Long；　and
  Lilley；　who；　with　fifteen　or　twenty　men；　escaped　across　the　Blue
  Ridge。　　I　followed　up　the　victory　immediately　by　despatching　Capehart
  through　Rock…fish　Gap；　with　orders　to　encamp　on　the　east　side　of　the
  Blue　Ridge。　　By　reason　of　this　move　all　the　enemy's　stores　and
  transportation　fell　into　our　hands；　while　we　captured　on　the　field
  seventeen　battle　flags；　sixteen　hundred　officers　and　men；　and　eleven
  pieces　of　artillery。　　This　decisive　victory　closed　hostilities　in　the
  Shenandoah　Valley。　　The　prisoners　and　artillery　were　sent　back　to
  Winchester　next　morning；　under　a　guard　of　1；500　men；　commanded　by
  Colonel　J。　　H。　　Thompson；　of　the　First　New　Hampshire。
  The　night　of　March　2　Custer　camped　at　Brookfield；　Devin　remaining　at
  Waynesboro'。　　The　former　started　for　Charlottesville　the　next　morning
  early；　followed　by　Devin　with　but　two　brigades；　Gibbs　having　been
  left　behind　to　blow　up　the　iron　railroad　bridge　across　South　River。
  Because　of　the　incessant　rains　and　spring　thaws　the　roads　were　very
  soft；　and　the　columns　cut　them　up　terribly；　the　mud　being　thrown　by
  the　sets　of　fours　across　the　road　in　ridges　as　much　as　two　feet　high；
  making　it　most　difficult　to　get　our　wagons　along；　and　distressingly
  wearing　on　the　animals　toward　the　middle　and　rear　of　the　columns。
  Consequently　I　concluded　to　rest　at　Charlottesville　for　a　couple　of
  days　and　recuperate　a　little；　intending　at　the　same　time　to　destroy；
  with　small　parties；　the　railroad　from　that　point　toward　Lynchburg。
  Custer　reached　Charlottesville　the　3d；　in　the　afternoon；　and　was　met
  at　the　outskirts　by　a　deputation　of　its　citizens；　headed　by　the
  mayor；　who　surrendered　the　town　with　medieval　ceremony；　formally
  handing　over　the　keys　of　the　public　buildings　and　of　the　University
  of　Virginia。　　But　this　little　scene　did　not　delay　Custer　long　enough
  to　prevent　his　capturing；　just　beyond　the　village；　a　small　body　of
  cavalry　and　three　pieces　of　artillery。　　Gibbs's　brigade；　which　was
  bringing　up　my　mud…impeded　train；　did　not　arrive　until　the　5th　of
  March。　　In　the　mean　time　Young's　scouts　had　brought　word　that　the
  garrison　of　Lynchburg　was　being　increased　and　the　fortifications
  strengthened；　so　that　its　capture　would　be　improbable。　　I　decided；
  however；　to　move　toward　the　place　as　far　as　Amherst　Court　House；
  which　is　sixteen　miles　short　of　the　town；　so　Devin；　under　Merritt's
  supervision；　marched　along　the　James　River；　destroying　the　canal；
  while　Custer　pushed　ahead　on　the　railroad　and　broke　it　up。　　The　two
  columns　were　to　join　at　New　Market；　whence　I　intended　to　cross　the
  James　River　at　some　point　east　of　Lynchburg；　if　practicable；　so　as　to
  make　my　way　to　Appomattox　Court　House；　and　destroy　the　Southside
  railroad　as　far　east　as　Farmville。　　Owing　to　its　swollen　condition
  the　river　was　unfordable　but　knowing　that　there　was　a　covered　bridge
  at　Duguidsville；　I　hoped　to　secure　it　by　a　dash；　and　cross　there；　but
  the　enemy；　anticipating　this；　had　filled　the　bridge　with　inflammable
  material；　and　just　as　our　troops　got　within　striking　distance　it
  burst　into　flames。　　The　bridge　at　Hardwicksville　also　having　been
  burned　by　the　enemy；　there　was　now　no　means　of　crossing　except　by
  pontoons。　　but；　unfortunately；　I　had　only　eight　of　these；　and　they
  could　not　be　made　to　span　the　swollen　river。
  Being　thus　unable　to　cross　until　the　river　should　fall；　and　knowing
  that　it　was　impracticable　to　join　General　Sherman；　and　useless　to
  adhere　to　my　alternative　instructions　to　return　to　Winchester；　I　now
  decided　to　destroy　still　more　thoroughly　the　James　River　canal　and
  the　Virginia　Central　railroad　and　then　join　General　Grant　in　front　of
  Petersburg。　　I　was　master　of　the　whole　country　north　of　the　James　as
  far　down　as　Goochland；　hence　the　destruction　of　these　arteries　of
  supply　could　be　easily　compassed；　and　feeling　that　the　war　was
  nearing　its　end；　I　desired　my　cavalry　to　be　in　at　the　death。
  On　March　9　the　main　column　started　eastward　down　the　James　River；
  destroying　locks；　dams；　and　boats；　having　been　preceded　by　Colonel
  Fitzhugh's　brigade　of　Devin's　division　in　a　forced　march　to　Goochland
  and　Beaver　Dam　Creek；　with　orders　to　destroy　everything　below
  Columbia。　　I　made　Columbia　on　the　10th；　and　from　there　sent　a
  communication　to　General　Grant　reporting　what　had　occurred；　informing
  him　of　my　condition　and　intention；　asking　him　to　send　forage　and
  rations　to　meet　me　at