ed from
Lee's main army, concentrated in front of Five Forks, where they
intrenched.

Warren was ordered to push rapidly on the left of the enemy.
Sheridan promptly opened battle, but he was hard pressed throughout
the day. Warren, for some not satisfactorily explained cause, did
not arrive on the field and bring his three infantry divisions into
action until late in the day, but yet in time to strike the enemy
on his left and rear, as had been planned. Just at night a combined
assault of all arms completely overthrew Pickett and Fitz Lee,
taking six of their guns, thirteen battle-flags, and nearly six
thousand prisoners. The Confederates who escaped were cut off from
the remainder of Lee's army and thrown back on the upper Appomattox.

Warren, in the full flush of the victory, was, by Sheridan, with
Grant's previous authority, relieved on the battle-field from the
command of his corps for the alleged dilatory march to the relief
of the imperilled cavalry. Warren had long commanded the Fifth
Corps, and was beloved by it. But the fates of war were inexorable.
The removal of Warren was perhaps unjust, in the light of the
previous conduct of the war. He had not been insubordinate. He
had imbibed the notion too often theretofore acted on, that in the
execution of an important order, even when other movements depended
on it, the subordinate officer could properly exercise his own
discretion as to the time and manner of its execution. Warren was
a skilled engineer officer and held too closely in an emergency to
purely scientific principles. He had none of Sheridan's precipitancy,
and did not believe in violating, under any circumstances, principles
of war taught by the books. Before a subsequent court of inquiry
Warren produced what appeared to be overwhelming testimony from
experienced and distinguished officers of the army to the effect
that he had moved his corps to Five Forks with the energy and
celerity usually exhibited by an officer of ordinary skill and
ability.

Sheridan was called as a witness before the same court, and when
interrogated, corroborated the other officers' testimony, adding,
that it was not an officer of _ordinary_ skill and ability that
was required to meet an emergency when a battle was on, but one of
_extraordinary_ skill and ability; that officers of the former
class were plenty, but they were not fit to command an army corps
in time of battle. Sheridan wanted an officer like Desai