WAYNESBORO (Va.), Battle of. On 27 Feb. 1865 General Sheridan started from Win chester, Va., on his final campaign up the Shen andoah Valley, under instructions from General Grant to destroy the Virginia Central Railroad, the James River canal, capture Lynchburg, if practicable and join General Sherman, where ever he might be found in North Carolina, or return to Winchester. He had Custer's and Devin's divisions of cavalry and two sections of artillery, about 10,000 officers and men, the whole commanded by General Merritt. his chief of cavalry. At Mount Crawford, 1 March, he was met by Rosser's cavalry which was promptly dispersed, and 2 March he reached Staunton, which had been abandoned by Gen eral Early, who had fallen back eastward to a ridge west of and near Waynesboro, where he could muster only Wharton's two small brigades of infantry, Nelson's battery of six guns and Rosser's cavalry, in all not over 1,1400 men. Merritt followed from Staunton, and late in the afternoon, after some artillery-firing, three of Custer's dismounted regiments moved around Early's left flank, between it and South River, while two of his brigades charged his front. Early's men made hut a feeble resist ance and broke in a disorderly rout, hotly pursued by the Union cavalry through Waynes boro and as far as the South Fork of the Shenandoah and to Greenwood Station, where five guns were captured and several loaded cars burned. Merritt took as prisoners 1,450
officers and men and captured 11 guns with horses and caissons complete, 200 loaded wagons and several battle-flags. Generals Early, Long, Wharton, Lilley and Rosser, with a few men, escaped. From Waynesboro the prisoners and captured artillery were sent back to Winchester, under guard of 1,600 men. Early's army had disappeared and Sheridan moved unmolested to the Virginia Central Rail road, which was destroyed for several miles. The swollen conditions of the rivers made it impossible to join Sherman and Sheridan de termined to destroy still more thorougly the railroad and James River canal and then join Grant in front of Petersburg. He divided his command, sending one part to the James River canal, which it destroyed as effectually as the other part destroyed the railroad. This done, he moved to White House on the Pamunkey River, where he arrived on 19 March 1865, and thence to the army in front of Petersburg. Con sult 'Official Records,' (Vol. XLVI); Pond, 'The Shenandoah Valley in 1864' ; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs' (Vol. II) ; Early, 'Last Year of the War for Independence' ; The Cen tury Company's 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. IV).