memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第43部分

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　had　no　existence　at　the　time；　and　that；　instead　of　being　allowed　to　enlist　the　men　and　instruct　them；　as　expected；　I　was　assigned　in　Washington　City；　by　an　order　of　Lieutenant…General　Winfield　Scott；　to　inspection　duty　near　him　on　the　20th　of　June；　1861。

At　that　time　Lieutenant…General　Scott　commanded　the　army　in　chief；　with　Colonel　E。　D。　Townsend　as　his　adjutant…general；

Major　G。　W。　Cullum；　United　States　Engineers；　and　Major　Schuyler　Hamilton；　as　aides。…de…camp。　　The　general　had　an　office　up　stairs　on　Seventeenth　Street；　opposite　the　War　Department；　and　resided　in　a　house　close　by；　on　Pennsylvania　Avenue。　　All　fears　for　the　immediate　safety　of　the　capital　had　ceased；　and　quite　a　large　force　of　regulars　and　volunteers　had　been　collected　in　and　about　Washington。　　Brigadier…General　J。　K。　Mansfield　commanded　in　the　city；　and　Brigadier…General　Irvin　McDowell　on　the　other　side　of　the　Potomac；　with　his　headquarters　at　Arlington　House。　　His　troops　extended　in　a　semicircle　from　Alexandria　to　above　Georgetown。　Several　forts　and　redoubts　were　either　built　or　in　progress；　and　the　people　were　already　clamorous　for　a　general　forward　movement。　Another　considerable　army　had　also　been　collected　in　Pennsylvania　under　General　Patterson；　and；　at　the　time　I　speak　of；　had　moved　forward　to　Hagerstown　and　Williamsport；　on　the　Potomac　River。　　My　brother；　John　Sherman；　was　a　volunteer　aide…de…camp　to　General　Patterson；　and；　toward　the　end　of　June；　I　went　up　to　Hagerstown　to　see　him。　　I　found　that　army　in　the　very　act　of　moving；　and　we　rode　down　to　Williamsport　in　a　buggy；　and　were　present　when　the　leading　division　crossed　the　Potomac　River　by　fording　it　waist…deep。　　My　friend　and　classmate；　George　H。　Thomas；　was　there；　in　command　of　a　brigade　in　the　leading　division。　　I　talked　with　him　a　good　deal；　also　with　General　Cadwalader；　and　with　the　staff…officers　of　General　Patterson；　viz。；　Fitz…John　Porter；　Belger；　Beckwith；　and　others；　all　of　whom　seemed　encouraged　to　think　that　the　war　was　to　be　short　and　decisive；　and　that；　as　soon　as　it　was　demonstrated　that　the　General　Government　meant　in　earnest　to　defend　its　rights　and　property；　some　general　compromise　would　result。

Patterson's　army　crossed　the　Potomac　River　on　the　1st　or　2d　of　July；　and；　as　John　Sherman　was　to　take　his　seat　as　a　Senator　in　the　called　session　of　Congress；　to　meet　July　4th；　he　resigned　his　place　as　aide…de…camp；　presented　me　his　two　horses　and　equipment；　and　we　returned　to　Washington　together。

The　Congress　assembled　punctually　on　the　4th　of　July；　and　the　message　of　Mr。　Lincoln　was　strong　and　good：　it　recognized　the　fact　that　civil　war　was　upon　us；　that　compromise　of　any　kind　was　at　an　end；　and　he　asked　for　four　hundred　thousand　men；　and　four　hundred　million　dollars；　wherewith　to　vindicate　the　national　authority；　and　to　regain　possession　of　the　captured　forts　and　other　property　of　the　United　States。

It　was　also　immediately　demonstrated　that　the　tone　and　temper　of　Congress　had　changed　since　the　Southern　Senators　and　members　had　withdrawn；　and　that　we；　the　military；　could　now　go　to　work　with　some　definite　plans　and　ideas。

The　appearance　of　the　troops　about　Washington　was　good；　but　it　was　manifest　they　were　far　from　being　soldiers。　　Their　uniforms　were　as　various　as　the　States　and　cities　from　which　they　came；　their　arms　were　also　of　every　pattern　and　calibre；　and　they　were　so　loaded　down　with　overcoats；　haversacks；　knapsacks；　tents；　and　baggage；　that　it　took　from　twenty…five　to　fifty　wagons　to　move　the　camp　of　a　regiment　from　one　place　to　another；　and　some　of　the　camps　had　bakeries　and　cooking　establishments　that　would　have　done　credit　to　Delmonico。

While　I　was　on　duty　with　General　Scott；　viz。；　from　June　20th　to　about　June　30th；　the　general　frequently　communicated　to　those　about　him　his　opinions　and　proposed　plans。　　He　seemed　vexed　with　the　clamors　of　the　press　for　immediate　action；　and　the　continued　interference　in　details　by　the　President；　Secretary　of　War；　and　Congress。　　He　spoke　of　organizing　a　grand　army　of　invasion；　of　which　the　regulars　were　to　constitute　the　〃iron　column；〃　and　seemed　to　intimate　that　he　himself　would　take　the　field　in　person；　though　he　was　at　the　time　very　old；　very　heavy；　and　very　unwieldy。　　His　age　must　have　been　about　seventy…five　years。

At　that　date；　July　4；　1861；　the　rebels　had　two　armies　in　front　of　Washington；　the　one　at　Manassas　Junction；　commanded　by　General　Beauregard；　with　his　advance　guard　at　Fairfax　Court　House；　and　indeed　almost　in　sight　of　Washington。　　The　other；　commanded　by　General　Joe　Johnston；　was　at　Winchester；　with　its　advance　at　Martinsburg　and　Harper's　Ferry；　but　the　advance　had　fallen　back　before　Patterson；　who　then　occupied　Martinsburg　and　the　line　of　the　Baltimore　&　Ohio　Railroad。

The　temper　of　Congress　and　the　people　would　not　permit　the　slow　and　methodical　preparation　desired　by　General　Scott；　and　the　cry　of　〃On　to　Richmond！〃　which　was　shared　by　the　volunteers；　most　of　whom　had　only　engaged　for　ninety　days；　forced　General　Scott　to　hasten　his　preparations；　and　to　order　a　general　advance　about　the　middle　of　July。　　McDowell　was　to　move　from　the　defenses　of　Washington；　and　Patterson　from　Martinsburg。　　In　the　organization　of　McDowell's　army　into　divisions　and　brigades；　Colonel　David　Hunter　was　assigned　to　command　the　Second　Division；　and　I　was　ordered　to　take　command　of　his　former　brigade；　which　was　composed　of　five　regiments　in　position　in　and　about　Fort　Corcoran；　and　on　the　ground　opposite　Georgetown。　　I　assumed　command　on　the　30th　of　June；　and　proceeded　at　once　to　prepare　it　for　the　general　advance。　　My　command　constituted　the　Third　Brigade　of　the　First　Division；　which　division　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Daniel　Tyler；　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　but　who　had　seen　little　or　no　actual　service。　　I　applied　to　General　McDowell　for　home　staff…officers；　and　he　gave　me；　as　adjutant…general；　Lieutenant　Piper；　of　the　Third　Artillery；　and；　as　aide…de…camp；　Lieutenant　McQuesten；　a　fine　young　cavalry…officer；　fresh　from　West　Point。

I　selected　for　the　field　the　Thirteenth　New　York；　Colonel　Qninby；　the　Sixty…ninth　New　York；　Colonel　Corcoran；　the　Seventy…ninth　New　York；　Colonel　Cameron；　and　the　Second　Wisconsin；　Lieutenant　Colonel　Peck。　　These　were　all　good；　strong；　volunteer　regiments；　pretty　well　commanded；　and　I　had　reason　to　believe　that　I　had　one　of　the　best　brigades　in　the　whole　army。　　Captain　Ayres's　battery　of　the　Third　Regular　Artillery　was　also　attached　to　my　brigade。　　The　other　regiment；　the　Twenty…ninth　New　York；　Colonel　Bennett；　was　destined　to　be　left　behind　in　charge　of　the　forts　and　camps　during　our　absence；　which　was　expected　to　be　short。　　Soon　after　I　had　assumed　the　command；　a　difficulty　arose　in　the　Sixty…ninth；　an　Irish　regiment。　　This　regiment　had　volunteered　in　New　York；　early　in　April；　for　ninety　days；　but；　by　reason　of　the　difficulty　of　passing　through　Baltimore；　they　had　come　via　Annapolis；　had　been　held　for　duty　on　the　railroad　as　a　guard　for　nearly　a　month　before　they　actually　reached　Washington；　and　were　then　mustered　in　about　a　month　after　enrollment。　　Some　of　the　men　claimed　that　they　were　entitled　to　their　discharge　in　ninety　days　from　the　time　of　enrollment；　whereas　the　muster…roll　read　ninety　days　from　the　date　of　muster…in。　　One　day；　Colonel　Corcoran　explained　this　matter　to　me。　　I　advised　him　to　reduce　the　facts　to　writing；　and　that　I　would　submit　it　to　the　War　Department　for　an　authoritative　decision。　　He　did　so；　and　the　War　Department　decided　that　the　muster…roll　was　the　only　contract　of　service；　that　it　would　be　construed　literally；　and　that　the　regiment　would　be　held　till　the　expiration　of　three　months　from　the　date　of　muster…in；　viz。；　to　about　August　1；　1861。　　General　Scott　at　the　same　time　wrote　one　of　his　characteristic　letters　to　Corcoran；　telling　him　that　we　were　about　to　engage　in　battle；　and　he　knew　his　Irish　friends　would　not　leave　him　in　such　a　crisis。　Corcoran　and　the　officers　generally　wanted　to　go　to　the　expected　battle；　but　a　good　many　of　the　men　were　not　so　anxious。　　In　the　Second　Wisconsin；　also；　was　developed　a　personal　difficulty。　　The　actual　colonel　was　S。　P。　Coon；　a　good…hearted　gentleman；　who　knew　no　more　of　the　military　art　than　a　child；　whereas　his　lieutenant…　colonel；　Peck；　had　been　to　West　Point；　and　knew　the　drill。　Preferring　that　the　latter　should　remain　in　command　of　the　regiment；　I　put　Colonel　Coon　on　my　personal　staff；　which　reconciled　the　difficulty。

In　due　season；　about　July　15th；　our　division　moved　forward　leaving　our　camps　standing；　Keyes's　brigade　in　the　lead；　then　Schenck's；　then　mine；　and　Richardson's　last。　　We　marched　via　Vienna；　Germantown；　and　Centreville；　where　all　the　army；　composed　of　five　divisions；　seemed　to　converge。　　The　march　demonstrated　little　save　the　general　laxity　of　discipline；　for　with　all　my　personal　efforts　I　could　not　prevent　the　men　from　straggling　for　water；　blackberries；　or　any　thing　on　the　way　they　fancied。

At　Centreville；　on　the　18th；　Richardson's　brigade　was　sent　by　General　Tyler　to　reconnoitre　Blackburn's　Ford　across　Bull　Run；　and　he　found　it　strongly　guarded。　　From　our　camp；　at　Centreville；　we　heard　the　cannonading；　and　then　a　sharp　musketry…fire。　　I　received　orders　from　General　Tyler　to　send　forward　Ayres's　battery；　and　very　soon　after　another　order　came　for　me　to　advance　with　my　whole　brigade。　　We　marched　　the　three　miles　at　the　double…quick；　arrived　in　time　to　relieve　Richardson's　brigade；　which　was　just　drawing　back　from　the　ford；　worsted；　and　stood　for　half　an　hour　or　so　under　a　fire　of　artillery；　which　killed　four　or　five　of　my　men。　　General　Tyler　was　there　in　person；　giving　directions；　and　soon　after　he　ordered　us　all　back　to　our　camp　in　Centreville。　　This　reconnoissance　had　developed　a　strong　force；　and　had　been　made　without　the　orders　of　General　McDowell；　however；　it　satisfied　us　that　the　enemy　was　in　force　on　the　other　side　of　Bull　Run；　and　had　no　intention　to　leave　without　a　serious　battle。　　We　lay　in　camp　at　Centreville　all　of　the　19th　and　20th；　and　during　that　night　began　the　movement　which　resulted　in　the　battle　of　Bull　Run；　on　July　21st。　　Of　this　so　much　has　been　written　that　more　would　be　superfluous；　and　the　reports　of　the　opposing　commanders；　McDowell　and　Johnston；　are　fair　and　correct。　　It　is　now　generally　a