March 10, 1865. |
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| Lee's residence |
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satisfied that Lynchburg was too strong for him, Sheridan now divided his command, and pushed for the James River. One column, under General Devin, pressed rapidly to it at Scottsville, in Albemarle County, and the other by way of Lovingston, to the same stream at New Market, in Nelson County.
The right column then proceeded along the canal to Duguidsville, hoping to cross the James there, over a bridge, but the vigilant Confederates had burned it; also one at Hardwicksville.
The rains had made the River so full that Sheridan's pontoons could not span it, and he was compelled to choose whether to return to Winchester, or to pass behind Lee's Army to White House, and thence to the Army of the James, on Grant's right.
He chose the latter course, and proceeding eastward, destroyed the James River canal, then the chief channel of supplies for Richmond, to Columbia, and making a General destruction of bridges over all that region.
“everybody is bewildered by our movements,” Sheridan said in a dispatch from Columbia.
he might have added, had he known the fact, that he had produced the greatest consternation in Richmond.
The “Government” prepared to fly. The families of officials “packed” for a journey.
Lee hastened up to Richmond, from his lines at Petersburg, and held earnest consultations with Davis and his “Cabinet ;” and his family, living in a pleasant House on Franklin Street, not far from the Capitol, made preparations, it was said, for an Early departure.
Boxes were sent to the “Departments” for packing up the archives, and directions were given to do the business as secretly as possible, so as “not to alarm the people.”
1 the “Congress” were very nervous, and wanted to adjourn and fly, but Davis persuaded them that the public necessity required them to remain as long as possible.
Sheridan halted in Columbia only a day, during which a brigade destroyed the canal as far as Goochland, in the direction of Richmond.
Then the whole command dashed off in a northeasterly direction, for the Virginia Central railroad, which they struck at Tolersville, and destroyed it from there to Beaver Dam Station, a distance of fifteen miles. Then Custer, in one direction, and Devin in another, made complete destruction of the railways and bridges, as well as supplies, in the rear of Lee's Army, inflicting a more fatal blow upon the Confederate cause than any victories on the sea-board, or in the interior, during the last campaign.
Having done the work thoroughly, which he was appointed to do, he swept around by the Pamunkey
1 Jones, in noting this fact in his Diary, under date of March 7, says: “a large per cent. Of the population would behold the exodus with pleasure!” on the day before, he wrote: “four days hence we have a day of fasting, &c., appointed by the President; and I understand there are but three days' rations for the Army — a nice calculation.” on the night after Sheridan's arrival at Columbia, the “Government” was so frightened by a rumor that that bold rider was at the outer fortifications of the capital, that “Secretary Mallory and Postmaster-General Reagan,” Jones recorded. “were in the saddle; and rumor says,” he added, “that the President, and the remainder of his Cabinet, had their horses saddled in readiness for flight.”
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