memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第20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！


y　headquarters　should　be。　　By　the　Oregon　there　arrived　at　San　Francisco　a　man　who　deserves　mention　hereBaron　Steinberger。　　He　had　been　a　great　cattle…dealer　in　the　United　States；　and　boasted　that　he　had　helped　to　break　the　United　States　Bank；　by　being　indebted　to　it　five　million　dollars！　At　all　events；　he　was　a　splendid　looking　fellow；　and　brought　with　him　from　Washington　a　letter　to　General　Smith　and　another　for　Commodore　Jones；　to　the　effect　that　he　was　a　man　of　enlarged　experience　in　beef；　that　the　authorities　in　Washington　knew　that　there　existed　in　California　large　herds　of　cattle；　which　were　only　valuable　for　their　hides　and　tallow；　that　it　was　of　great　importance　to　the　Government　that　this　beef　should　be　cured　and　salted　so　as　to　be　of　use　to　the　army　and　navy；　obviating　the　necessity　of　shipping　salt…　beef　around　Cape　Horn。　　I　know　he　had　such　a　letter　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　Marcy；　to　General　Smith；　for　it　passed　into　my　custody；　and　I　happened　to　be　in　Commodore　Jones's　cabin　when　the　baron　presented　the　one　for　him　from　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　The　baron　was　anxious　to　pitch　in　at　once；　and　said　that　all　he　needed　to　start　with　were　salt　and　barrels。　　After　some　inquiries　of　his　purser；　the　commodore　promised　to　let　him　have　the　barrels　with　their　salt；　as　fast　as　they　were　emptied　by　the　crew。　　Then　the　baron　explained　that　he　could　get　a　nice　lot　of　cattle　from　Don　Timoteo　Murphy；　at　the　Mission　of　San　Rafael；　on　the　north　aide　of　the　bay；　but　he　could　not　get　a　boat　and　crew　to　handle　them。　Under　the　authority　from　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　the　commodore　then　promised　him　the　use　of　a　boat　and　crew；　until　he　（the　baron）　could　find　and　purchase　a　suitable　one　for　himself。　　Then　the　baron　opened　the　first　regular　butcher…shop　in　San　Francisco；　on　the　wharf　about　the　foot　of　Broadway　or　Pacific　Street；　where　we　could　buy　at　twenty…five　or　fifty　cents　a　pound　the　best　roasts；　steaks；　and　cuts　of　beef；　which　had　cost　him　nothing；　for　he　never　paid　anybody　if　he　could　help　it；　and　he　soon　cleaned　poor　Don　Timoteo　out。　　At　first；　every　boat　of　his；　in　coming　down　from　the　San　Rafael；　touched　at　the　Ohio；　and　left　the　best　beefsteaks　and　roasts　for　the　commodore；　but　soon　the　baron　had　enough　money　to　dispense　with　the　borrowed　boat；　and　set　up　for　himself；　and　from　this　small　beginning；　step　by　step；　he　rose　in　a　few　months　to　be　one　of　the　richest　and　most　influential　men　in　San　Francisco；　but　in　his　wild　speculations　he　was　at　last　caught；　and　became　helplessly　bankrupt。　　He　followed　General　Fremont　to　St。　Louis　in　1861；　where　I　saw　him；　but　soon　afterward　he　died　a　pauper　in　one　of　the　hospitals。　　When　General　Smith　had　his　headquarters　in　San　Francisco；　in　the　spring　of　1849；　Steinberger　gave　dinners　worthy　any　baron　of　old；　and　when；　in　after…years；　I　was　a　banker　there；　he　used　to　borrow　of　me　small　sums　of　money　in　repayment　for　my　share　of　these　feasts；　and　somewhere　among　my　old　packages　I　hold　one　of　his　confidential　notes　for　two　hundred　dollars；　but　on　the　whole　I　got　off　easily。　　I　have　no　doubt　that；　if　this　man's　history　could　be　written　out；　it　would　present　phases　as　wonderful　as　any　of　romance；　but　in　my　judgment　he　was　a　dangerous　man；　without　any　true…sense　of　honor　or　honesty。

Little　by　little　the　rains　of　that　season　grew　less　and　less；　and　the　hills　once　more　became　green　and　covered　with　flowers。　　It　became　perfectly　evident　that　no　family　could　live　in　San　Francisco　on　such　a　salary　as　Uncle　Sam　allowed　his　most　favored　officials；　so　General　Smith　and　Major　Ogden　concluded　to　send　their　families　back　to　the　United　States；　and　afterward　we　men…folks　could　take　to　camp　and　live　on　our　rations。　　The　Second　Infantry　had　arrived；　and　had　been　distributed；　four　companies　to　Monterey；　and　the　rest　somewhat　as　Stevenson's　regiment　had　been。　　A。　J。　Smith's　company　of　dragoons　was　sent　up　to　Sonoma；　whither　General　Smith　had　resolved　to　move　our　headquarters。　　On　the　steamer　which　sailed　about　May　1st　（I　think　the　California）；　we　embarked；　the　ladies　for　home　and　we　for　Monterey。　　At　Monterey　we　went　on　shore；　and　Colonel　Mason；　who　meantime　had　been　relieved　by　General　Riley；　went　on　board；　and　the　steamer　departed　for　Panama。　　Of　all　that　party　I　alone　am　alive。

General　Riley　had；　with　his　family；　taken　the　house　which　Colonel　Mason　had　formerly　used；　and　Major　Canby　and　wife　had　secured　rooms　at　Alvarado's。　　Captain　Bane　was　quartermaster；　and　had　his　family　in　the　house　of　a　man　named　Garner；　near　the　redoubt。　　Burton　and　Company　F　were　still　at　the　fort；　the　four　companies　of　the　Second　Infantry　were　quartered　in　the　barracks；　the　same　building　in　which　we　had　had　our　headquarters；　and　the　company　officers　were　quartered　in　hired　buildings　near　by。　　General　Smith　and　his　aide；　Captain　Gibbs；　went　to　Larkin's　house；　and　I　was　at　my　old　rooms　at　Dona　Augustias。　　As　we　intended　to　go　back　to　San　Francisco　by　land　and　afterward　to　travel　a　good　deal；　General　Smith　gave　me　the　necessary　authority　to　fit　out　the　party。　　There　happened　to　be　several　trains　of　horses　and　mules　in　town；　so　I　purchased　about　a　dozen　horses　and　mules　at　two　hundred　dollars　a　head；　on　account　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　and　we　had　them　kept　under　guard　in　the　quartermaster's　corral。

I　remember　one　night　being　in　the　quarters　of　Lieutenant　Alfred　Sully；　where　nearly　all　the　officers　of　the　garrison　were　assembled；　listening　to　Sully's　stories。　　Lieutenant　Derby；　〃Squibob；〃　was　one　of　the　number；　as　also　Fred　Steele；　〃Neighbor〃　Jones；　and　others；　when；　just　after　〃tattoo；〃　the　orderly…sergeants　came　to　report　the　result　of　　〃tattoo〃　roll…call；　one　reported　five　men　absent；　another　eight；　and　so　on；　until　it　became　certain　that　twenty…eight　men　had　deserted；　and　they　were　so　bold　and　open　in　their　behavior　that　it　amounted　to　defiance。　　They　had　deliberately　slung　their　knapsacks　and　started　for　the　gold…mines。　　Dr。　Murray　and　I　were　the　only　ones　present　who　were　familiar　with　the　country；　and　I　explained　how　easy　they　could　all　be　taken　by　a　party　going　out　at　once　to　Salinas　Plain；　where　the　country　was　so　open　and　level　that　a　rabbit　could　not　cross　without　being　seen；　that　the　deserters　could　not　go　to　the　mines　without　crossing　that　plain；　and　could　not　reach　it　before　daylight。　　All　agreed　that　the　whole　regiment　would　desert　if　these　men　were　not　brought　back。　Several　officers　volunteered　on　the　spot　to　go　after　them；　and；　as　the　soldiers　could　not　be　trusted；　it　was　useless　to　send　any　but　officers　in　pursuit。　　Some　one　went　to　report　the　affair　to　the　adjutant…general；　Canby；　and　he　to　General　Riley。　　I　waited　some　time；　and；　as　the　thing　grew　cold；　I　thought　it　was　given　up；　and　went　to　my　room　and　to　bed。

About　midnight　I　was　called　up　and　informed　that　there　were　seven　officers　willing　to　go；　but　the　difficulty　was　to　get　horses　and　saddles。　　I　went　down　to　Larkin's　house　and　got　General　Smith　to　consent　that　we　might　take　the　horses　I　had　bought　for　our　trip。　It　was　nearly　three　o'clock　a。m。　before　we　were　all　mounted　and　ready。　　I　had　a　musket　which　I　used　for　hunting。　　With　this　I　led　off　at　a　canter；　followed　by　the　others。　　About　six　miles　out；　by　the　faint　moon；　I　saw　ahead　of　us　in　the　sandy　road　some　blue　coats；　and；　fearing　lest　they　might　resist　or　escape　into　the　dense　bushes　which　lined　the　road；　I　halted　and　found　with　me　Paymaster　Hill；　Captain　N。　H。　Davis；　and　Lieutenant　John　Hamilton。　　We　waited　some　time　for　the　others；　viz。；　Canby；　Murray；　Gibbs；　and　Sully；　to　come　up；　but　as　they　were　not　in　sight　we　made　a　dash　up　the　road　and　captured　six　of　the　deserters；　who　were　Germans；　with　heavy　knapsacks　on；　trudging　along　the　deep；　sandy　road。　　They　had　not　expected　pursuit；　had　not　heard　our　horses；　and　were　accordingly　easily　taken。　　Finding　myself　the　senior　officer　present；　I　ordered　Lieutenant　Hamilton　to　search　the　men　and　then　to　march　them　back　to　Monterey；　suspecting；　as　was　the　fact；　that　the　rest　of　our　party　had　taken　a　road　that　branched　off　a　couple　of　miles　back。　Daylight　broke　as　we　reached　the　Saunas　River；　twelve　miles　out；　and　there　the　trail　was　broad　and　fresh　leading　directly　out　on　the　Saunas　Plain。　　This　plain　is　about　five　miles　wide；　and　then　the　ground　becomes　somewhat　broken。　　The　trail　continued　very　plain；　and　I　rode　on　at　a　gallop　to　where　there　was　an　old　adobe…ranch　on　the　left　of　the　road；　with　the　head　of　a　lagoon；　or　pond；　close　by。　I　saw　one　or　two　of　the　soldiers　getting　water　at　the　pond；　and　others　up　near　the　house。　　I　had　the　best　horse　and　was　considerably　ahead；　but　on　looking　back　could　see　Hill　and　Davis　coming　up　behind　at　a　gallop。　　I　motioned　to　them　to　hurry　forward；　and　turned　my　horse　across　the　head　of　the　pond；　knowing　the　ground　well；　as　it　was　a　favorite　place　for　shooting　geese　and　ducks。　Approaching　the　house；　I　ordered　the　men　who　were　outside　to　go　in。　They　did　not　know　me　personally；　and　exchanged　glances；　but　I　had　my　musket　cocked；　and；　as　the　two　had　seen　Davis　and　Hill　coming　up　pretty　fast；　they　obeyed。　　Dismounting；　I　found　the　house　full　of　deserters；　and　there　was　no　escape　for　them。　　They　naturally　supposed　that　I　had　a　strong　party　with　me；　and　when　I　ordered　them　to　〃fall　in〃　they　obeyed　from　habit。　　By　the　time　Hill　and　Davis　came　up　I　had　them　formed　in　two　ranks；　the　front　rank　facing　about；　and　I　was　taking　away　their　bayonets；　pistols；　etc。　　We　disarmed　them；　destroying　a　musket　and　several　pistols；　and；　on　counting　them；　we　found　that　we　three　had　taken　eighteen；　which；　added　to　the　six　first　captured；　made　twenty…four。　　We　made　them　sling　their　knapsacks　and　begin　their　homeward　march。　　It　was　near　night　when　we　got　back；　so　that　these　deserters　had　traveled　nearly　forty　miles　since　〃tattoo〃　of　the　night　before。　　The　other　party　had　captured　three；　so　that　only　one　man　had　escaped。　　I　doubt　not　this　prevented　the　desertion　of　the　bulk　of　the　Second　Infantry　that　spring；　for　at　that　time　so　demoralizing　was　the　effect　of　the　gold…mines　that　everybody　not　in　the　military　service　justified　desertion；　because　a　soldier；　if　free；　could　earn　more　money　in　a　day　than　he　received　per　month。　　Not　only　did　soldiers　and　sailors　desert；　but　captains　and　masters　of　ships　actually　abandoned　their　vessels　and　cargoes　to　try　their　luck