memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第12部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　caused　by　his　orders；　that　Nash　was　backed　by　most　of　the　Americans　there　who　had　come　across　from　Missouri　with　American　ideas；　that　as　he　（Brackett）　was　a　volunteer　officer；　likely　to　be　soon　discharged；　and　as　he　designed　to　settle　there；　he　asked　in　consequence　to　be　excused　from　the　execution　of　this　（to　him）　unpleasant　duty。　　Such　a　request；　coming　to　an　old　soldier　like　Colonel　Mason；　aroused　his　wrath；　and　he　would　have　proceeded　rough…shod　against　Brackett；　who；　by…the…way；　was　a　West　Point　graduate；　and　ought　to　have　known　better；　but　I　suggested　to　the　colonel　that；　the　case　being　a　test　one；　he　had　better　send　me　up　to　Sonoma；　and　I　would　settle　it　quick　enough。　　He　then　gave　me　an　order　to　go　to　Sonoma　to　carry　out　the　instructions　already　given　to　Brackett。

I　took　one　soldier　with　me；　Private　Barnes；　with　four　horses；　two　of　which　we　rode；　and　the　other　two　we　drove　ahead。　　The　first　day　we　reached　Gilroy's　and　camped　by　a　stream　near　three　or　four　adobe…hots　known　as　Gilroy's　ranch。　　The　next　day　we　passed　Murphy's；　San　Jose；　and　Santa　Clara　Mission；　camping　some　four　miles　beyond；　where　a　kind　of　hole　had　been　dug　in　the　ground　for　water。　　The　whole　of　this　distance；　now　so　beautifully　improved　and　settled；　was　then　scarcely　occupied；　except　by　poor　ranches　producing　horses　and　cattle。　　The　pueblo　of　San　Jose　was　a　string　of　low　adobe…houses　festooned　with　red　peppers　and　garlic；　and　the　Mission　of　Santa　Clara　was　a　dilapidated　concern；　with　its　church　and　orchard。　　The　long　line　of　poplar…trees　lining　the　road　from　San　Jose　to　Santa　Clara　bespoke　a　former　period　when　the　priests　had　ruled　the　land。　　Just　about　dark　I　was　lying　on　the　ground　near　the　well；　and　my　soldier　Barnes　had　watered　our　horses　and　picketed　them　to　grass；　when　we　heard　a　horse　crushing　his　way　through　the　high　mustard…bushes　which　filled　the　plain；　and　soon　a　man　came　to　us　to　inquire　if　we　had　seen　a　saddle…horse　pass　up　the　road。　　We　explained　to　him　what　we　had　heard；　and　he　went　off　in　pursuit　of　his　horse。　　Before　dark　he　came　back　unsuccessful；　and　gave　his　name　as　Bidwell；　the　same　gentleman　who　has　since　been　a　member　of　Congress；　who　is　married　to　Miss　Kennedy；　of　Washington　City；　and　now　lives　in　princely　style　at　Chico；　California。

He　explained　that　he　was　a　surveyor；　and　had　been　in　the　lower　country　engaged　in　surveying　land；　that　the　horse　had　escaped　him　with　his　saddle…bags　containing　all　his　notes　and　papers；　and　some　six　hundred　dollars　in　money；　all　the　money　he　had　earned。　　He　spent　the　night　with　us　on　the　ground；　and　the　next　morning　we　left　him　there　to　continue　the　search　for　his　horse；　and　I　afterward　heard　that　he　had　found　his　saddle…bags　all　right；　but　never　recovered　the　horse。　　The　next　day　toward　night　we　approached　the　Mission　of　San　Francisco；　and　the　village　of　Yerba　Buena；　tired　and　wearythe　wind　as　usual　blowing　a　perfect　hurricane；　and　a　more　desolate　region　it　was　impossible　to　conceive　of。　　Leaving　Barnes　to　work　his　way　into　the　town　as　best　he　could　with　the　tired　animals；　I　took　the　freshest　horse　and　rode　forward。　　I　fell　in　with　Lieutenant　Fabius　Stanley；　United　States　Navy；　and　we　rode　into　Yerba　Buena　together　about　an　hour　before　sundown；　there　being　nothing　but　a　path　from　the　Mission　into　the　town；　deep　and　heavy　with　drift…sand。　　My　horse　could　hardly　drag　one　foot　after　the　other　when　we　reached　the　old　Hudson　Bay　Company's　house；　which　was　then　the　store　of　Howard　and　Mellus。　　There　I　learned　where　Captain　Folsom；　the　quartermaster；　was　to　be　found。　　He　was　staying　with　a　family　of　the　name　of　Grimes；　who　had　a　small　horse　back　of　Howard's　store；　which　must　have　been　near　where　Sacramento　Street　now　crosses　Kearney。　　Folsom　was　a　classmate　of　mine；　had　come　out　with　Stevenson's　regiment　as　quartermaster；　and　was　at　the　time　the　chief…quartermaster　of　the　department。　　His　office　was　in　the　old　custom…horse　standing　at　the　northwest　corner　of　the　Plaza。　　He　had　hired　two　warehouses；　the　only　ones　there　at　the　time；　of　one　Liedsdorff；　the　principal　man　of　Yerba　Buena；　who　also　owned　the　only　public…house；　or　tavern；　called　the　City　Hotel；　on　Kearney　Street；　at　the　southeast　corner　of　the　Plaza。　　I　stopped　with　Folsom　at　Mrs。　Grimes's；　and　he　sent　my　horse；　as　also　the　other　three　when　Barnes　had　got　in　after　dark；　to　a　coral　where　he　had　a　little　barley；　but　no　hay。　　At　that　time　nobody　fed　a　horse；　but　he　was　usually　turned　out　to　pick　such　scanty　grass　as　he　could　find　on　the　side…hills。　　The　few　government　horses　used　in　town　were　usually　sent　out　to　the　Presidio；　where　the　grass　was　somewhat　better。　　At　that　time　（July；　1847）；　what　is　now　called　San　Francisco　was　called　Yerba　Buena。　　A　naval　officer；　Lieutenant　Washington　A。　Bartlett；　its　first　alcalde；　had　caused　it　to　be　surveyed　and　laid　out　into　blocks　and　lots；　which　were　being　sold　at　sixteen　dollars　a　lot　of　fifty　vuras　square；　the　understanding　being　that　no　single　person　could　purchase　of　the　alcalde　more　than　one　in…lot　of　fifty　varas；　and　one　out…lot　of　a　hundred　varas。　Folsom；　however；　had　got　his　clerks；　orderlies；　etc。；　to　buy　lots；　and　they；　for　a　small　consideration；　conveyed　them　to　him；　so　that　he　was　nominally　the　owner　of　a　good　many　lots。　　Lieutenant　Halleck　had　bought　one　of　each　kind；　and　so　had　Warner。　　Many　naval　officers　had　also　invested；　and　Captain　Folsom　advised　me　to　buy　some；　but　I　felt　actually　insulted　that　he　should　think　me　such　a　fool　as　to　pay　money　for　property　in　such　a　horrid　place　as　Yerba　Buena；　especially　ridiculing　his　quarter　of　the　city；　then　called　Happy　Valley。　　At　that　day　Montgomery　Street　was；　as　now；　the　business　street；　extending　from　Jackson　to　Sacramento；　the　water　of　the　bay　leaving　barely　room　for　a　few　houses　on　its　east　side；　and　the　public　warehouses　were　on　a　sandy　beach　about　where　the　Bank　of　California　now　stands；　viz。；　near　the　intersection　of　Sansome　and　California；　Streets。　　Along　Montgomery　Street　were　the　stores　of　Howard　&　Mellus；　Frank　Ward；　Sherman　&　Ruckel；　Ross　&　Co。；　and　it　may　be　one　or　two　others。　　Around　the　Plaza　were　a　few　houses；　among　them　the　City　Hotel　and　the　Custom…House；　single…story　adobes　with　tiled　roofs；　and　they　were　by　far　the　most　substantial　and　best　houses　in　the　place。　　The　population　was　estimated　at　about　four　hundred；　of　whom　Kanakas　（natives　of　the　Sandwich　Islands）　formed　the　bulk。

At　the　foot　of　Clay　Street　was　a　small　wharf　which　small　boats　could　reach　at　high　tide；　but　the　principal　landing…place　was　where　some　stones　had　fallen　into　the　water；　about　where　Broadway　now　intersects　Battery　Street。　　On　the　steep　bluff　above　had　been　excavated；　by　the　navy；　during　the　year　before；　a　bench；　wherein　were　mounted　a　couple　of　navy…guns；　styled　the　battery；　which；　I　suppose；　gave　name　to　the　street。　　I　explained　to　Folsom　the　object　of　my　visit；　and　learned　from　him　that　he　had　no　boat　in　which　to　send　me　to　Sonoma；　and　that　the　only；　chance　to　get　there　was　to　borrow　a　boat　from　the　navy。　　The　line…of…battle…ship　Columbus　was　then　lying　at　anchor　off　the　town；　and　he　said　if　I　would　get　up　early　the　next　morning　I　could　go　off　to　her　in　one　of　the　market…boats。

Accordingly；　I　was　up　bright　and　early；　down　at　the　wharf；　found　a　boat；　and　went　off　to　the　Columbus　to　see　Commodore　Biddle。　　On　reaching　the　ship　and　stating　to　the　officer　of　the　deck　my　business；　I　was　shown　into　the　commodore's　cabin；　and　soon　made　known　to　him　my　object。　　Biddle　was　a　small…sized　man；　but　vivacious　in　the　extreme。　　He　had　a　perfect　contempt　for　all　humbug；　and　at　once　entered　into　the　business　with　extreme　alacrity。　　I　was　somewhat　amused　at　the　importance　he　attached　to　the　step。　　He　had　a　chaplain；　and　a　private　secretary；　in　a　small　room　latticed　off　from　his　cabin；　and　he　first　called　on　them　to　go　out；　and；　when　we　were　alone；　he　enlarged　on　the　folly　of　Sloat's　proclamation；　giving　the　people　the　right　to　elect　their　own　officers；　and　commended　Kearney　and　Mason　for　nipping　that　idea　in　the　bud；　and　keeping　the　power　in　their　own　hands。　　He　then　sent　for　the　first　lieutenant　（Drayton）；　and　inquired　if　there　were　among　the　officers　on　board　any　who　had　ever　been　in　the　Upper　Bay；　and　learning　that　there　was　a　midshipman　（Whittaker）　he　was　sent　for。　　It　so　happened　that　this　midshipman　had　been　on　a　frolic　on　shore　a　few　nights　before；　and　was　accordingly　much　frightened　when　summoned　into　the　commodore's　presence；　but　as　soon　as　he　was　questioned　as　to　his　knowledge　of　the　bay；　he　was　sensibly　relieved；　and　professed　to　know　every　thing　about　it。

Accordingly；　the　long　boat　was　ordered　with　this　midshipman　and　eight　sailors；　prepared　with　water　and　provisions　for　several　days　absence。　　Biddle　then　asked　me　if　I　knew　any　of　his　own　officers；　and　which　one　of　them　I　would　prefer　to　accompany　me。　　I　knew　most　of　them；　and　we　settled　down　on　Louis　McLane。　　He　was　sent　for；　and　it　was　settled　that　McLane　and　I　were　to　conduct　this　important　mission；　and　the　commodore　enjoined　on　us　complete　secrecy；　so　as　to　insure　success；　and　he　especially　cautioned　us　against　being　pumped　by　his　ward…room　officers；　Chapman；　Lewis；　Wise；　etc。；　while　on　board　his　ship。　　With　this　injunction　I　was　dismissed　to　the　wardroom；　where　I　found　Chapman；　Lewis；　and　Wise；　dreadfully　exercised　at　our　profound　secrecy。　　The　fact　that　McLane　and　I　had　been　closeted　with　the　commodore　for　an　hour；　that　orders　for　the　boat　and　stores　had　been　made；　that　the　chaplain　and　clerk　had　been　sent　out　of　the　cabin；　etc。；　etc。；　all　excited　their　curiosity；　but　McLane　and　I　kept　our　secret　well。　　The　general　impression　was；　that　we　had　some　knowledge　about　the　fate　of　Captain　Montgomery's　two　sons　and　the　crew　that　had　been　lost　the　year　before。　　In　1846　Captain　Montgomery　commanded　at　Yerba　Buena；　on　board　the　St。　Mary　sloop…of…war；　and　he　had　a　detachment　of　men　stationed　up　at　Sonoma。　　Occasionally　a　boat　was　sent　up　with　provisions　or　intelligence　to　them。　　Montgomery　had　two　sons　on　board　his　ship；　one　a　midshipman；　the　other　his　secretary。　　Having　occasion　to　send　some　money　up　to　Sonoma；　he　sent　his　two　sons　with　a　good　boat　and　crew。　　The　boat　started　with　a　strong　breeze　and　a　very　large　sail；　was　watched　from　the　deck　until　she　was　out　of　sight；　and　has　never　been　heard　of　since。　　There　was