particularly　well　equipped　with　knowledge　regarding　the　Shenandoah
  Valley；　even　down　to　the　farmhouses。　　He　imparted　with　great
  readiness　what　he　knew　of　this；　clearly　pointing　out　its
  configuration　and　indicating　the　strongest　points　for　Confederate
  defense；　at　the　same　time　illustrating　scientifically　and　forcibly
  the　peculiar　disadvantages　under　which　the　Union　army　had　hitherto
  labored。
  The　section　that　received　my　closest　attention　has　its　northern　limit
  along　the　Potomac　between　McCoy's　ferry　at　the　eastern　base　of　the
  North　Mountain；　and　Harper's　Ferry　at　the　western　base　of　the　Blue
  Ridge。　　The　southern　limit　is　south　of　Staunton；　on　the　divide　which
  separates　the　waters　flowing　into　the　Potomac　from　those　that　run　to
  the　James。　　The　western　boundary　is　the　eastern　slope　of　the
  Alleghany　Mountains；　the　eastern；　the　Blue　Ridge；　these　two　distinct
  mountain　ranges　trending　about　southwest　inclose　a　stretch　of　quite
  open；　undulating　country　varying　in　width　from　the　northern　to　the
  southern　extremity；　and　dotted　at　frequent　intervals　with　patches　of
  heavy　woods：　At　Martinsburg　the　valley　is　about　sixty　miles　broad；
  and　on　an　east　and　west　line　drawn　through　Winchester　about　forty…
  five；　while　at　Strasburg　it　narrows　down　to　about　twenty…five。　　Just
  southeast　of　Strasburg；　which　is　nearly　midway　between　the　eastern
  and　western　walls　of　the　valley；　rises　an　abrupt　range　of　mountains
  called　Massanutten；　consisting　of　several　ridges　which　extend
  southward　between　the　North　and　South　Forks　of　the　Shenandoah　River
  until；　losing　their　identity；　they　merge　into　lower　but　broken　ground
  between　New　Market　and　Harrisonburg。　　The　Massanutten　ranges；　with
  their　spurs　and　hills；　divide　the　Shenandoah　Valley　into　two　valleys；
  the　one　next　the　Blue　Ridge　being　called　the　Luray；　while　that　next
  the　North　Mountain　retains　the　name　of　Shenandoah。
  A　broad　macadamized　road；　leading　south　from　Williamsport；　Maryland；
  to　Lexington；　Virginia；　was　built　at　an　early　day　to　connect　the
  interior　of　the　latter　State　with　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canal；　and
  along　this　road　are　situated　the　principal　towns　and　villages　of　the
  Shenandoah　Valley；　with　lateral　lines　of　communication　extending　to
  the　mountain　ranges　on　the　east　and　west。　　The　roads　running　toward
  the　Blue　Ridge　are　nearly　all　macadamized；　and　the　principal　ones
  lead　to　the　railroad　system　of　eastern　Virginia　through　Snicker's；
  Ashby's　Manassas；　Chester；　Thornton's　Swift　Run；　Brown's　and　Rock…
  fish　gaps；　tending　to　an　ultimate　centre　at　Richmond。　　These　gaps　are
  low　and　easy；　offering　little　obstruction　to　the　march　of　an　army
  coming　from　eastern　Virginia；　and　thus　the　Union　troops　operating
  west　of　the　Blue　Ridge　were　always　subjected　to　the　perils　of　a　flank
  attack；　for　the　Confederates　could　readily　be　brought　by　rail　to
  Gordonsville　and　Charlottesville；　from　which　points　they　could　move
  with　such　celerity　through　the　Blue　Ridge　that；　on　more　than　one
  occasion；　the　Shenandoah　Valley　had　been　the　theatre　of　Confederate
  success；　due　greatly　to　the　advantage　of　possessing　these　interior
  lines。
  Nature　had　been　very　kind　to　the　valley；　making　it　rich　and
  productive　to　an　exceptional　degree；　and　though　for　three　years
  contending　armies　had　been　marching　up　and　down　it；　the　fertile　soil
  still　yielded　ample　subsistence　for　Early's　men；　with　a　large　surplus
  for　the　army　of　Lee。　　The　ground　had　long　been　well　cleared　of
  timber；　and　the　rolling　surface　presented　so　few　obstacles　to　the
  movement　of　armies　that　they　could　march　over　the　country　in　any
  direction　almost　as　well　as　on　the　roads；　the　creeks　and　rivers　being
  everywhere　fordable；　with　little　or　no　difficulty　beyond　that　of
  leveling　the　approaches。
  I　had　opposing　me　an　army　largely　composed　of　troops　that　had
  operated　in　this　region　hitherto　under　〃Stonewall〃　Jackson　with
  marked　success；　inflicting　defeat　on　the　Union　forces　almost　every
  time　the　two　armies　had　come　in　contact。　These　men　were　now　commanded
  by　a　veteran　officer　of　the　Confederacy…General　Jubal　A。　Earlywhose
  past　services　had　so　signalized　his　ability　that　General　Lee
  specially　selected　him　to　take　charge　of　the　Valley　District；　and；
  notwithstanding　the　misfortunes　that　befell　him　later；　clung　to　him
  till　the　end；　of　the　war。　　The　Confederate　army　at　this　date　was
  about　twenty　thousand　strong；　and　consisted　of　Early's　own　corps；
  with　Generals　Rodes；　Ramseur；　and　Gordon　commanding　its　divisions；
  the　infantry　of　Breckenridge　from　southwestern　Virginia；　three
  battalions　of　artillery；　and　the　cavalry　brigades　of　Vaughn；　Johnson；
  McCausland；　and　Imboden。　　This　cavalry　was　a　short　time　afterward
  organized　into　a　division　under　the　command　of　General　Lomax。
  After　discovering　that　my　troops　were　massing　in　front　of　Harper's
  Ferry；　Early　lost　not　a　moment　in　concentrating　his　in　the　vicinity
  of　Martinsburg；　in　positions　from　which　he　could　continue　to　obstruct
  the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　railroad；　and　yet　be　enabled　to　retire　up　the
  valley　under　conditions　of　safety　when　I　should　begin　an　offensive
  campaign。
  When　I　took　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Shenandoah　its　infantry　force
  comprised　the　Sixth　Corps；　one　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps；　and
  two　divisions　from　West　Virginia。　　The　Sixth　Corps　was　commanded　by
  Major…General　Horatio　G。　Wright；　its　three　divisions　by　Brigadier…
  Generals　David　A。　Russell；　Geo。　　W。　Getty；　and　James　B。　Ricketts。
  The　single　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　had　for　its　immediate
  chief　Brigadier…General　William　Dwight；　the　corps　being　commanded　by
  Brigadier…General　Wm。　　H。　Emory。　　The　troops　from　West　Virginia　were
  under　Brigadier…General　George　Crook；　with　Colonels　Joseph　Thoburn
  and　Isaac　H。　Duval　as　division　commanders；　and　though　in　all　not　more
  than　one　fair…sized　division；　they　had　been　designated；　on　account　of
  the　department　they　belonged　to；　the　Army　of　West　Virginia。　　General
  Torbert's　division；　then　arriving　from　the　Cavalry　Corps　of　the　Army
  of　the　Potomac；　represented　the　mounted　arm　of　the　service；　and　in
  the　expectation　that　Averell　would　soon　join　me　with　his　troopers；　I
  assigned　General　Torbert　as　chief　of　cavalry；　and　General　Wesley
  Merritt　succeeded　to　the　command　of　Torbert's　division。
  General　Wright；　the　commander　of　the　Sixth　Corps；　was　an　officer　of
  high　standing　in　the　Corps　of　Engineers；　and　had　seen　much　active
  service　during　the　preceding　three　years。　　He　commanded　the
  Department　of　the　Ohio　throughout　the　very　trying　period　of　the
  summer　and　fall　of　1862；　and　while　in　that　position　he；　with　other
  prominent　officers；　recommended　my　appointment　as　a　brigadier…
  general。　　In　1863　he　rendered　valuable　service　at　the　battle　of
  Gettysburg；　following　which　he　was　assigned　to　the　Sixth　Corps；　and
  commanded　it　at　the　capture　of　the　Confederate　works　at　Rappahannock
  Station　and　in　the　operations　at　Mine　Run。　　He　ranked　me　as　a　major…
  general　of　volunteers　by　nearly　a　year　in　date　of　commission；　but　my
  assignment　by　the　President　to　the　command　of　the　army　in　the　valley
  met　with　Wright's　approbation；　and；　so　far　as　I　have　ever　known；　he
  never　questioned　the　propriety　of　the　President's　action。　　The　Sixth
  Corps　division　commanders；　Getty；　Russell；　and　Ricketts；　were　all
  educated　soldiers；　whose　records；　beginning　with　the　Mexican　War；　had
  already　been　illustrated　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion　by　distinguished
  service　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac。
  General　Emory　was　a　veteran；　having　graduated　at　the　Military　Academy
  in　1831；　the　year　I　was　born。　　In　early　life　he　had　seen　much　service
  in　the　Artillery；　the　Topographical　Engineers；　and　the　Cavalry；　and
  in　the　war　of　the　rebellion　had　exhibited　the　most　soldierly
  characteristics　at　Port　Hudson　and　on　the　Red　River　campaign。　　At
  this　time　he　had　but　one　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　present；
  which　division　was　well　commanded　by　General　Dwight；　a　volunteer
  officer　who　had　risen　to　the　grade　of　brigadier…general　through
  constant　hard　work。　　Crook　was　a　classmate　of　mineat　least；　we
  entered　the　Military　Academy　the　same　year；　though　he　graduated　a
  year　ahead　of　me。　　We　had　known　each　other　as　boys　before　we　entered
  the　army；　and　later　as　men；　and　I　placed　implicit　faith　in　his
  experience　and　qualifications　as　a　general。
  The　transfer　of　Torbert　to　the　position　of　chief　of　cavalry　left
  Merritt；　as　I　have　already　said；　in　command　of　the　First　Cavalry
  Division。　　He　had　been　tried　in　the　place　before；　and　from　the　day　he
  was　selected　as　one　of　a　number　of　young　men　to　be　appointed　general
  officers；　with　the　object　of　giving　life　to　the　Cavalry　Corps；　he
  filled　the　measure　of　expectation。　　Custer　was　one　of　these　young　men
  too；　and　though　as　yet　commanding　a　brigade　under　Merritt；　his
  gallant　fight　at　Trevillian　Station；　as　well　as　a　dozen　others　during
  the　summer；　indicated　that　he　would　be　equal　to　the　work　that　was　to
  fall　to　him　when　in　a　few　weeks　he　should　succeed　Wilson。　　But　to　go