The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

of escape. Al 8 r. M., April 2, Ixe conimeiiccd his final rotrcal. Very cai ly in tlie morning of the 3.I, Petcisburg
was taken possession of by General Wilcox, and at 8.15 A. M., Richmond was formally surrendered to General Weitzel.
* * Early on the 3d the pursuit of Lee was commenced in earnest. * * If the concrete force of
language is estimated, the advance of the infantry was rather delayed than assisted by the cavalry, and the efforts
of the cavalry, except to harass or annoy, would have tended to no decisive result, without the positive body-blows
of the infantry. If any one would take the trouble to examine a corect plan and trace the route followed by the
cavalry, and the roads marched over by Lee, it is impossible not to reach the conclusion that the horsemen did not
come in contact with the still organized forces— the three arms combined—of the Confederates until late in the afternoon
of the 6th, after Humphreys, with his combined Second-Third corps, unsupported, had caught up with them at
Flat Creek, about 8.30 A. M., had partly forded the stream, armpit deep, partly crossed it on an improvised bridge
one hundred feet long, built by them, and split off Ewell's Division about 4.30 p. M.—having been engaged in seven
stand-up fights, and carried several hastily and partially intrenched positions defended by artillery, winding up the day
with a 'heavy battle' at nightfall, with Gordon's Division, which alone escaped, through the sudden shutting in of
darkness. Ewell's Division, hardly hammered for about eight hoiu-s, and split off by Humphreys, slid into the hands
of the cavalry and Sixth corps, and surrendered without the shot of a cannon on their part.
"The failure of Lee to find the supplies he expected at Amelia Court House no doubt had a terrible effect
upon the fighting power of his army. With that, however, this article has nothing to do, except to present clearly
the potential energy and fight of Humphreys on the 6th and 7th; for he had to do, pretty much all the time, with
everything that remained compact and cohesive of the Army of Northern Virginia. This narrative left him still
fighting on the 6th, when darkness fell upon the field. He was up with the first light of day (7th), and it was the
combined Second -Third corps, and not the cavalry, that saved High Bridge and continued to drive and fight Lee all
day long. If the cavalry in the same way had saved the bridges at Karmville, it would have greatly simplified matters,
and ended up Lee the same day. At Cumberland Church, on the afternoon of the 7th, occurred the last stand up
fight, or pitched battle, between the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee and the Army of the Potomac represented
by the combined Second-Third corps under Humphreys. All the Union troops that made any attempt to help him
was a division of cavalry, which came to grief so suddenly that it at once voted itself out of the fight, and recrossed
the Appomattox at Farmville, fording 'belly deep.' While Humphreys was holding and pressing Lee's troops, horse
and foot, were piling up at Farmville, within three miles of the scene of collision. Humphreys struck Lee at 1. 20
p. M. and asked for reinforcements. The Sixth corps was at Farmville at 2.20 P. ^t. The Twenty-fourth corps was
moving forward. Grant was there at 4.40 P. M. Remember, the cavalry crossed and recrossed 'belly-deep,' which
is about or less than three feet. This is exactly the measurement given by Mr. W. W Jackson, of the depth of the
ford at his (Jackson's) Mill, about one and a half miles above Farmville. Mr. Hooper, of Farmville, shortly after
the war, gave a maximum depth at any point at that place at four to five feet ordinary water, bottom sandy, and
he added that, owing to the dams, the water does not deepen in the spring. The Appomattox may be about the
width of a New York avenue from house to house. Had the Sixth corps and Twenty-fourth corps crossed to the
assisUnce of Humphreys, the war in Virginia might have ended elegantly, with a battle and a capture by force of
arms forty miles by road and forty-six hours by time, short of the quiet surrender at Appomattox Court House; yes,
ended in a blaze of glory fur the .^rmy of the Potomac, which deserved such a termination to their labors and sufferings.
"Why did not this occur? The problem is insoluble. Troops have forded and bridged broader, more boisterous
and deeper rivers successfully, under similar and more difficult circumstances, and under fire, crossing victoriously in
the teeth of opposition through water armpit, even cravat deep, on very many occasions. There was no lack of
material of every kind— buildings and large trees in abundance near at hand. A cantilever bridge could have been
thrown between the piers of the burned railroad bridge in an hour, and any kind of bridge sufficient for artillery and
trains in two hours at the farthest; in fact, any sufficient kind of a bridge constructed in about two hours. Mean-
while, if the cavalry and infantry got through, artillery could have been hauled across by hand if the teams could
not perform their duty. Every detail that enters into the question has been examined with care. An expert, a
military engineer, has given his opinion, corroborating that some sort of a trustworthy viaduct could have been
accomplished in two hours at farthest. There were mechanics in superabundance, likewise material; but nothing was
done until too late, and Meade telegraphed toward night-fall to Humphreys: 'You must lookout for yourself.' He
had done so, and he continued to do so. Lee fully appreciated his pertinacity, and said so. When the enemy were
headed off at Appomattox (.lourt House, and on this occasion the Second-Third were supported by the Sixth corps,
a judge of the highest merit and experience recorded his belief that Humphreys would have annihilated the enemy
immediately before him if he had not been stopped by orders.
"To augment the dissatisfaction felt by Humphreys, one if not more ol his most important dispatches (night,
April 6, 1865) was suppressed, which was an early and perfect revelation of the truth of what he and his corps had
done, whereas everything that the cavalry performed was scattered broadcast throughout the land. Humphreys often
alluded to these ami other injustices with great feeling, particularly in the following letter: