brigade to press the enemy under every favorable opportunity, and if possible prevent him from halting long enough to reorganize.  Notwithstanding Devin’s efforts the Confederates managed to assemble a considerable force to resist him, and being too weak for the rearguard, he awaited the arrival of Averell, who, I had informed him, would be hurried to the front with all possible despatch, for I thought that Averell must be close at hand.  It turned out, however, that he was not near by at all, and, moreover, that without good reason he had refrained from taking any part whatever in pursuing the enemy in the flight from Fisher’s Hill; and in fact had gone into camp and left to the infantry the work of pursuit.

It was nearly noon when Averell came up, and a great deal of precious time had been lost.  We had some hot words, but hoping that he would retrieve the mistake of the night before, I directed him to proceed to the front at once, and in conjunction with Devin close with the enemy.  He reached Devin’s command about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, just as this officer was pushing the Confederates so energetically that they were abandoning Mount Jackson, yet Averell utterly failed to accomplish anything.  Indeed, his indifferent attack was not at all worthy the excellent soldiers he commanded, and when I learned that it was his intention to withdraw from the enemy’s front, and this, too, on the indefinite report of a signal-officer that a “brigade or division” of Confederates was turning his right flank, and that he had not seriously attempted to verify the information, I sent him this order: 

“HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION,
“Woodstock, Va., Sept. 23, 1864

“BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL AVERELL

“Your report and report of signal-officer received.  I do not want you to let the enemy bluff you or your command, and I want you to distinctly understand this note.  I do not advise rashness, but I do desire resolution and actual fighting, with necessary casualties, before you retire.  There must now be no backing or filling by you without a superior force of the enemy actually engaging you.

“P.  H. SHERIDAN,
“Major-General Commanding.”

Some little time after this note went to Averell, word was brought me that he had already carried out the programme indicated when forwarding the report of the expected turning of his right, and that he had actually withdrawn and gone into camp near Hawkinsburg.  I then decided to relieve him from the command of his division, which I did, ordering him to Wheeling, Colonel William H. Powell being assigned to succeed him.