raid and the Trevilian raid. He was bre vetted lieutenant-colonel, United States army, May 11, 1864, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Yellow Tavern, Virginia, and colonel, United States army, May 26, 1864, for Hawes Shop, Virginia. He commanded the 1st division, Torbert's cavalry, Army of the Shenandoah, at Winchester, September 19, 1864, at Fisher's Hill, September 22, 1864, and at Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 16, 1864, and was brevetted major-general, United States volunteers, October 19, 1864, for Winchester and Fisher's Hill, Virginia.
He commanded the Army of the Shenandoah in the Appomattox campaign and was prominent in the battle of Five Forks, Virginia, April 1, 1865, where he "led his cavalry in a final dash over the breastworks with a hurrah, captured a battery of artillery and scattered everything in front of him." At Sailors Creek, he flanked the extreme right of the enemy's position; and when the Federal centre was broken and forced to fall back, he attacked the left wing of the Confederates now pressing forward confident of victory, and in a gallant charge Merritt overthrew all in front of him on the right and rear and although the Confederate officers gallantly struggled to avert disaster and bravely tried to form lines to the right and left to repel the flank attack, it was too late, and they were obliged to throw down their arms and become captives. He was present at the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Court House. For his last services in the Civil war he was bre vetted brigadier-general, United States army, for Five Forks, Virginia; major-general, United States army, for services during the campaign ending with the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, and was commissioned major-general of volunteers, April 1, 1865, "for gallant services."
After the close of the war he served with the military division of the Southwest as chief of cavalry, June-July, 1865; in command of the cavalry in the Department of Texas, July-November, 1865; and in the military division of the Gulf, November, 1865, to February, 1866. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, February 6, 1866; was promoted lieutenant-colonel, United States army, and assigned to the 9th United States cavalry, July 28, 1866; was on frontier duty in Texas, Dakota and Wyoming, 1866-82, meantime serving as inspector of cavalry, Division of the Missouri, 1875-76. He was promoted to the rank of colonel, United States army, and transferred to the 5th United States cavalry, July 1, 1876. He was
