to　the　road；　keeping　closed　to　the　left。　　Ayres　did　his　part　well；
  and　to　the　letter；　bringing　his　division　square　up　to　the　front　of
  the　return　near　the　angle；　but　Crawford　did　not　wheel　to　the　left；　as
  was　intended。　　On　the　contrary；　on　receiving　fire　from　Mumford's
  cavalry；　Crawford　swerved　to　the　right　and　moved　north　from　the
  return；　thus　isolating　his　division　from　Ayres；　and　Griffin；
  uncertain　of　the　enemy's　position；　naturally　followed　Crawford。
  The　deflection　of　this　division　on　a　line　of　march　which　finally
  brought　it　out　on　the　Ford　road　near　C。　Young's　house；　frustrated　the
  purpose　I　had　in　mind　when　ordering　the　attack；　and　caused　a　gap
  between　Ayres　and　Crawford；　of　which　the　enemy　quickly　took
  advantage；　and　succeeded　in　throwing　a　part　of　Ayres's　division　into
  confusion。　　At　this　juncture　I　sent　word　to　General　Warren　to　have
  Crawford　recalled；　for　the　direction　he　was　following　was　not　only　a
  mistaken　one；　but；　in　case　the　assault　at　the　return　failed；　he　ran
  great　risk　of　capture。　　Warren　could　not　be　found；　so　I　then　sent　for
  Griffinfirst　by　Colonel　Newhall；　and　then　by　Colonel　Shermanto
  come　to　the　aid　of　Ayres；　who　was　now　contending　alone　with　that　part
  of　the　enemy's　infantry　at　the　return。　　By　this　time　Griffin　had
  observed　and　appreciated　Crawford's　mistake；　however；　and　when　the
  staff…officers　reached　him；　was　already　faced　to　the　left；　so；
  marching　across　Crawford's　rear；　he　quickly　joined　Ayres；　who
  meanwhile　had　rallied　his　troops　and　carried　the　return。
  When　Ayres's　division　went　over　the　flank　of　the　enemy's　works；
  Devin's　division　of　cavalry；　which　had　been　assaulting　the　front；
  went　over　in　company　with　it；　and　hardly　halting　to　reform；　the
  intermingling　infantry　and　dismounted　cavalry　swept　down　inside　the
  intrenchments；　pushing　to　and　beyond　Five　Forks；　capturing　thousands
  of　prisoners。　　The　only　stand　the　enemy　tried　to　make　was　when　he
  attempted　to　form　near　the　Ford　road。　　Griffin　pressed　him　so　hard
  there；　however；　that　he　had　to　give　way　in　short　order；　and　many　of
  his　men；　with　three　pieces　of　artillery；　fell　into　the　hands　of
  Crawford　while　on　his　circuitous　march。
  The　right　of　Custer's　division　gained　a　foothold　on　the　enemy's　works
  simultaneously　with　Devin's；　but　on　the　extreme　left　Custer　had　a
  very　severe　combat　with　W。　H。　F。　Lee's　cavalry；　as　well　as　with
  Corse's　and　Terry's　infantry。　　Attacking　Terry　and　Corse　with
  Pennington's　brigade　dismounted；　he　assailed　Lee's　cavalry　with　his
  other　two　brigades　mounted；　but　Lee　held　on　so　obstinately　that
  Custer　gained　but　little　ground　till　our　troops；　advancing　behind　the
  works；　drove　Corse　and　Terry　out。　　Then　Lee　made　no　further　stand
  except　at　the　west　side　of　the　Gillian　field；　where；　assisted　by
  Corse's　brigade；　he　endeavored　to　cover　the　retreat；　but　just　before
  dark　Custer；　in　concert　with　some　Fifth　Corps　regiments　under　Colonel
  Richardson；　drove　ihe　last　of　the　enemy　westward　on　the　White　Oak
  road。
  Our　success　was　unqualified；　we　had　overthrown　Pickett；　taken　six
  guns；　thirteen　battle…flags；　and　nearly　six　thousand　prisoners。　　When
  the　battle　was　practically　over；　I　turned　to　consider　my　position
  with　reference　to　the　main　Confederate　army。　　My　troops；　though
  victorious；　were　isolated　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　for　on　the
  31st　of　March　the　extreme　left　of　that　army　had　been　thrown　back
  nearly　to　the　Boydton　plank…road；　and　hence　there　was　nothing　to
  prevent　the　enemy's　issuing　from　his　trenches　at　the　intersection　of
  the　White　Oak　and　Claiborne　roads　and　marching　directly　on　my　rear。
  I　surmised　that　he　might　do　this　that　night　or　early　next　morning。
  It　was　therefore　necessary　to　protect　myself　in　this　critical
  situation；　and　General　Warren　having　sorely　disappointed　me；　both　in
  the　moving　of　his　corps　and　in　its　management　during　the　battle；　I
  felt　that　he　was　not　the　man　to　rely　upon　under　such　circumstances；
  and　deeming　that　it　was　to　the　best　interest　of　the　service　as　well
  as　but　just　to　myself；　I　relieved　him；　ordering　him　to　report　to
  General　Grant。
  I　then　put　Griffin　in　command　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　and　directed　him　to
  withdraw　from　the　pursuit　as　quickly　as　he　could　after　following　the
  enemy　a　short　distance；　and　form　in　line　of　battle　near　Gravelly　Run
  Church；　at　right　angles　with　the　White　Oak　road；　with　Ayres　and
  Crawford　facing　toward　the　enemy　at　the　junction　of　the　White　Oak　and
  Claiborne　roads；　leaving　Bartlett；　now　commanding　Griffin's　division；
  near　the　Ford　road。　　Mackenzie　also　was　left　on　the　Ford　road　at　the
  crossing　of　Hatcher's　Run；　Merritt　going　into　camp　on　the　Widow
  Gillian's　plantation。　　As　I　had　been　obliged　to　keep　Crook's　division
  along　Stony　Creek　throughout　the　day；　it　had　taken　no　active　part　in
  the　battle。
  Years　after　the　war；　in　1879；　a　Court　of　Inquiry　was　given　General
  Warren　in　relation　to　his　conduct　on　the　day　of　the　battle。　　He
  assumed　that　the　delay　in　not　granting　his　request　for　an　inquiry；
  which　was　first　made　at　the　close　of　the　war；　was　due　to　opposition
  on　my　part。　　In　this　he　was　in　error；　I　never　opposed　the　ordering　of
  the　Court；　but　when　it　was　finally　decided　to　convene　it　I　naturally
  asked　to　be　represented　by　counsel；　for　the　authorization　of　the
  Inquiry　was　so　peculiarly　phrased　that　it　made　me　practically　a
  respondent。
  〃NEW　YORK　CITY；　May　3；　1880
  〃MAJOR…GENERAL　W。　S。　HANCOCK；　U。　S。　A。
  〃President　Court　of　Inquiry；　Governor's　Island。
  〃Sir：　Since　my　arrival　in　this　city；　under　a　subpoena　to　appear　and
  testify　before　the　Court　of　which　you　are　president；　I　have　been
  indirectly　and　unofficially　informed　that　the　Court　some　time　ago
  forwarded　an　invitation　to　me　（which　has　not　been　received）　to　appear
  personally　or　by　counsel；　in　order　to　aid　it　in　obtaining　a　knowledge
  as　to　the　facts　concerning　the　movements　terminating　in　the　battle　of
  'Five　Forks；'　with　reference　to　the　direct　subjects　of　its　inquiry。
  Any　invitation　of　this　character　I　should　always　and　do　consider　it
  incumbent　on　me　to　accede　to；　and　do　everything　in　my　power　in
  furtherance　of　the　specific　purposes　for　which　courts　of　inquiry　are
  by　law　instituted。
  〃The　order　convening　the　Court　（a　copy　of　which　was　not　received　by
  me　at　my　division　headquarters　until　two　days　after　the　time
  appointed　for　the　Court　to　assemble）　contemplates　an　inquiry　based　on
  the　application　of　Lieutenant　Colonel　G。　K。　Warren；　Corps　of
  Engineers；　as　to　his　conduct　while　major…general　commanding　the　Fifth
  Army　Corps；　under　my　command；　in　reference　to　accusations　or
  imputations　assumed　in　the　order　to　have　been　made　against　him；　and　I
  understand　through　the　daily　press　that　my　official　report　of　the
  battle　of　Five　Forks　has　been　submitted　by　him　as　a　basis　of　inquiry。
  〃If　it　is　proposed　to　inquire；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　as　to
  any　action　of　mine　so　far　as　the　commanding　general　Fifth　Army　Corps
  was　concerned；　or　my　motives　for　such　action；　I　desire　to　be
  specifically　informed　wherein　such　action　or　transaction　is　alleged
  to　contain　an　accusation　or　imputation　to　become　a　subject　of
  inquiry；　so　that；　knowing　what　issues　are　raised；　I　may　intelligently
  aid　the　Court　in　arriving　at　the　facts。
  〃It　is　a　long　time　since　the　battle　of　Five　Forks　was　fought；　and
  during　the　time　that　has　elapsed　the　official　reports　of　that　battle
  have　been　received　and　acknowledged　by　the　Government；　but　now；　when
  the　memory　of　events　has　in　many　instances　grown　dim；　and　three　of
  the　principal　actors　on　that　field　are　deadGenerals　Griffin；
  Custer；　and　Devin；　whose　testimony　would　have　been　valuablean
  investigation　is　ordered　which　might　perhaps　do　injustice　unless　the
  facts　pertinent　to　the　issues　are　fully　developed。
  〃My　duties　are　such　that　it　will　not　be　convenient　for　me　to　be
  present　continuously　during　the　sessions　of　the　Court。　　In　order；
  however；　that　everything　may　be　laid　before　it　in　my　power　pertinent
  to　such　specific　issues　as　aie　legally　raised；　I　beg　leave　to
  introduce　Major　Asa　Bird　Gardner　as　my　counsel。
  〃Very　respectfully；
  〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Lieut。…General。〃
  Briefly　stated；　in　my　report　of　the　battle　of　Five　Forks　there　were
  four　imputations　concerning　General　Warren。　　The　first　implied　that
  Warren　failed　to　reach　me　on　the　1st　of　April；　when　I　had　reason　to
  expect　him；　the　second；　that　the　tactical　handling　of　his　corps　was
  unskillful；　the　third；　that　he　did　not　exert　himself　to　get　his　corps
  up　to　Gravelly　Run　Church；　and　the　fourth；　that　when　portions　of　his
  line　gave　way　he　did　not　exert　himself　to　restore　confidence　to　his
  troops。　　The　Court　found　against　him　on　the　first　and　second　counts；
  and　for　him　on　the　third　and　fourth。　　This　finding　was　unsatisfactory
  to　General　Warren；　for　he　hoped　to　obtain　such　an　unequivocal
  recognition　of　his　services　as　to　cast　discredit　on　my　motives　for
  relieving　him。　　These　were　prompted　by　the　conditions　aloneby　the
  conduct　of　Ge