safe
position in rear of the line listening to the firing and was not ordered
in at all. If Custer or Merritt had been in command it would have been
different. When Sheridan found that Torbert had retreated, he gave him a
very peremptory order to retrace his steps and try again. Custer,
followed by Lowell, was sent to the front and in the forenoon of the
24th Wickham's troopers were scattered in flight and the way opened for
Torbert to carry out his instructions. Even then the march was
leisurely, and the two big divisions arrived in Newmarket on the 25th
only to find that it was too late. Early had escaped again.

On the 26th at Harrisonburg, Custer assumed command of the Second
division in place of Averell and I succeeded to the command of the
brigade.

On the same day, the brigade was ordered to Port Republic and seeing a
wagon train on the other side, the Sixth and Seventh were sent across
the south fork of the Shenandoah river to attack it. It turned out to
be Kershaw's division, which had been shuttle-cocked back and forth
between Lee's army and the valley all summer and which, once more on the
wing to reinforce Early, was just coming from Swift Run Gap. The two
regiments were driven back, but retired in good order and recrossed the
river. Sheridan then withdrew to Cross Keys, hoping to lure Early to
that point, but was unsuccessful. The next day Port Republic was
reoccupied and the brigade established a picket line extended thence to
Conrad's Ferry, a distance of twenty miles.

While occupying this position, the discovery was made that there were
several good grist-mills along the river that were also well stored with
grist. There were plenty of men in the brigade who were practical
millers, and putting them in charge, I had all the mills running very
early in the morning, grinding flour and meal which the commissaries
were proceeding to issue to the several regiments, according to their
needs, and we all flattered ourselves that we were doing a fine stroke
of business. This complacent state of mind was rudely disturbed when,
about seven o'clock (the mills had been running some two hours, or more)
General Merritt accompanied by his staff, dashed up and, in an angry
mood which he did not attempt to conceal, began to reprimand me because
the mills had not been set on fire.

The fiat had gone forth from General Grant himself, that everything in
the valley that might contribute to the support of the army must be