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memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第5部分

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s had not from the beginning the least faith in his sincerity; had made up his mind to seize the whole party and compel them to emigrate。  He arranged for the usual council; and instructed Lieutenant Taylor to invite Coacoochee and his uncle (who was held to be a principal chief) to his room to take some good brandy; instead of the common commissary whiskey。  At a signal agreed on I was to go to the quarters of Company A; to dispatch the first…sergeant and another man to Lieutenant Taylor's room; there to seize the two chiefs and secure them; and with the company I was to enter Major Childs's room and secure the remainder of the party。 Meantime Lieutenant Van Vliet was ordered to go to the quarters of his company; F; and at the same signal to march rapidly to the rear of the officers' quarters; so as to catch any who might attempt to escape by the open windows to the rear。

All resulted exactly as prearranged; and in a few minutes the whole party was in irons。  At first they claimed that we had acted treacherously; but very soon they admitted that for a month Coacoochee had been quietly removing his women and children toward Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades; and that this visit to our post was to have been their last。  It so happened that almost at the instant of our seizing these Indians a vessel arrived off the bar with reenforcements from St。 Augustine。  These were brought up to Fort Pierce; and we marched that night and next day rapidly; some fifty miles; to Lake Okeechobee; in hopes to capture the balance of the tribe; especially the families; but they had taken the alarm and escaped。  Coacoochee and his warriors were sent by Major Childs in a schooner to New Orleans en route to their reservation; but General Worth recalled them to Tampa Bay; and by sending out Coacoochee himself the women and children came in voluntarily; and then all were shipped to their destination。  This was a heavy loss to the Seminoles; but there still remained in the Peninsula a few hundred warriors with their families scattered into very small parcels; who were concealed in the most inaccessible hammocks and swamps。  These had no difficulty in finding plenty of food anywhere and everywhere。  Deer and wild turkey were abundant; and as for fish there was no end to them。  Indeed; Florida was the Indian's paradise; was of little value to us; and it was a great pity to remove the Seminoles at all; for we could have collected there all the Choctaws; Creeks; Cherokees; and Chickasaws; in addition to the Seminoles。  They would have thrived in the Peninsula; whereas they now occupy lands that are very valuable; which are coveted by their white neighbors on all sides; while the Peninsula; of Florida still remains with a population less than should make a good State。

During that and preceding years General W。 S。 Harney had penetrated and crossed through the Everglades; capturing and hanging Chekika and his band; and had brought in many prisoners; who were also shipped West。  We at Fort Pierce made several other excursions to Jupiter; Lake Worth; Lauderdale; and into the Everglades; picking up here and there a family; so that it was absurd any longer to call it a 〃war。〃  These excursions; however; possessed to us a peculiar charm; for the fragrance of the air; the abundance of game and fish; and just enough of adventure; gave to life a relish。  I had just returned to Lauderdale from one of these scouts with Lieutenants Rankin; Ord; George H。 Thomas; Field; Van Vliet; and others; when I received notice of my promotion to be first lieutenant of Company G; which occurred November 30; 1841; and I was ordered to return to Fort Pierce; turn over the public property for which I was accountable to Lieutenant H。 S。 Burton; and then to join my new company at St。 Augustine。

I reached St。 Augustine before Christmas; and was assigned to command a detachment of twenty men stationed at Picolata; on the St。 John's River; eighteen miles distant。  At St。 Augustine were still the headquarters of the regiment; Colonel William Gates; with Company E; Lieutenant Bragg; and Company G; Lieutenant H。 B。 Judd。 The only buildings at Picolata were the one occupied by my detachment; which had been built for a hospital; and the dwelling of a family named Williams; with whom I boarded。  On the other hand; St。 Augustine had many pleasant families; among whom was prominent that of United States Judge Bronson。  I was half my time in St。 Augustine or on the road; and remember the old place with pleasure。  In February we received orders transferring the whole regiment to the Gulf posts; and our company; G; was ordered to escort Colonel Gates and his family across to the Suwanee River; en route for Pensacola。  The company; with the colonel and his family; reached Picolata (where my detachment joined); and we embarked in a steamboat for Pilatka。  Here Lieutenant Judd discovered that he had forgotten something and had to return to St。 Augustine; so that I commanded the company on the march; having with me Second… Lieutenant George B。 Ayres。  Our first march was to Fort Russell; then Micanopy; Wacahoota; and Wacasassee; all which posts were garrisoned by the Second or Seventh Infantry。  At Wacasassee we met General Worth and his staff; en route for Pilatka。  Lieutenant Judd overtook us about the Suwanee; where we embarked on a small boat for Cedar Keys; and there took a larger one for Pensacola; where the colonel and his family landed; and our company proceeded on in the same vessel to our postFort Morgan; Mobile Point。

This fort had not been occupied by troops for many years; was very dirty; and we found little or no stores there。  Major Ogden; of the engineers; occupied a house outside the fort。  I was quartermaster and commissary; and; taking advantage of one of the engineer schooners engaged in bringing materials for the fort; I went up to Mobile city; and; through the agency of Messrs。  Deshon; Taylor; and Myers; merchants; procured all essentials for the troops; and returned to the post。  In the coarse of a week or ten days arrived another company; H; commanded by Lieutenant James Ketchum; with Lieutenants Rankin and Sewall L。 Fish; and an assistant surgeon (Wells。)  Ketchum became the commanding officer; and Lieutenant Rankin quartermaster。  We proceeded to put the post in as good order as possible; had regular guard…mounting and parades; but little drill。  We found magnificent fishing with the seine on the outer beach; and sometimes in a single haul we would take ten or fifteen barrels of the best kind of fish; embracing pompinos; red…fish; snappers; etc。

We remained there till June; when the regiment was ordered to exchange from the Gulf posts to those on the Atlantic; extending from Savannah to North Carolina。  The brig Wetumpka was chartered; and our company (G) embarked and sailed to Pensacola; where we took on board another company (D) (Burke's); commanded by Lieutenant H。 S。 Burton; with Colonel Gates; the regimental headquarters; and some families。  From Pensacola we sailed for Charleston; South Carolina。  The weather was hot; the winds light; and we made a long passage but at last reached Charleston Harbor; disembarked; and took post in Fort Moultrie。

Soon after two other companies arrived; Bragg's (B) and Keyes's (K)。  The two former companies were already quartered inside of Fort Moultrie; and these latter were placed in gun…sheds; outside; which were altered into barracks。  We remained at Fort Moultrie nearly five years; until the Mexican War scattered us forever。  Our life there was of strict garrison duty; with plenty of leisure for hunting and social entertainments。  We soon formed many and most pleasant acquaintances in the city of Charleston; and it so happened that many of the families resided at Sullivan's Island in the summer season; where we could reciprocate the hospitalities extended to us in the winter。

During the summer of 1843; having been continuously on duty for three years; I applied for and received a leave of absence for three months; which I spent mostly in Ohio。  In November I started to return to my post at Charleston by way of New Orleans; took the stage to Chillicothe; Ohio; November 16th; having Henry Stanberry; Esq。; and wife; as travelling companions; We continued by stage。 next day to Portsmouth; Ohio。

At Portsmouth Mr。 Stanberry took a boat up the river; and I one down to Cincinnati。  There I found my brothers Lampson and Hoyt employed in the 〃Gazette〃 printing…office; and spent much time with them and Charles Anderson; Esq。; visiting his brother Larz; Mr。 Longworth; some of his artist friends; and especially Miss Sallie Carneal; then quite a belle; and noted for her fine voice;

On the 20th I took passage on the steamboat Manhattan for St。 Louis; reached Louisville; where Dr。 Conrad; of the army; joined me; and in the Manhattan we continued on to St。 Louis; with a mixed crowd。  We reached the Mississippi at Cairo the 23d; and St。 Louis; Friday; November 24; 1843。  At St。 Louis we called on Colonel S。 W。 Kearney and Major Cooper; his adjutant…general; and found my classmate; Lieutenant McNutt; of the ordnance; stationed at the arsenal; also Mr。 Deas; an artist; and Pacificus Ord; who was studying law。  I spent a week at St。 Louis; visiting the arsenal; Jefferson Barracks; and most places of interest; and then became impressed with its great future。  It then contained about forty thousand people; and my notes describe thirty…six good steamboats receiving and discharging cargo at the levee。

I took passage December 4th in the steamer John Aull for New Orleans。  As we passed Cairo the snow was falling; and the country was wintery and devoid of verdure。  Gradually; however; as we proceeded south; the green color came; grass and trees showed the change of latitude; and when in the course of a week we had reached New Orleans; the roses were in full bloom; the sugar…cane just ripe; and a tropical air prevalent。  We reached New Orleans December 11; 1843; where I spent about a week visiting the barracks; then occupied by the Seventh Infantry; the theatres; hotels; and all the usual places of interest of that day。

On the 16th of December I continued on to Mobile in the steamer Fashion by way of Lake Pontchartrain; saw there most of my personal f
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