memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第51部分

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be　submitted　by　General　Sherman　would　be　considered　under　the　protection　of　the　seal　of　secrecy；　and　would　not　be　divulged　to　the　public　till　all　apprehension　of　injurious　consequences　from　such　disclosure　had　passed。　　And　it　may　be　remarked；　further；　that　justice　to　General　Sherman　required　that　if；　at　any　future　time；　his　conclusions　as　to　the　amount　of　force　necessary　to　conduct　the　operations　committed　to　his　charge　should　be　made　public；　the　grounds　on　which　his　conclusions　were　based　should　be　made　public　at　the　same　time。

Mr。　Cameron　then　asked　General　Sherman　what　his　plans　were。　　To　this　General　Sherman　replied　that　he　had　no　plans；　that　no　sufficient　force　had　been　placed　at　his　disposition　with　which　to　devise　any　plan　of　operations；　that；　before　a　commanding　general　could　project　a　plan　of　campaign；　he　must　know　what　amount　of　force　he　would　have　to　operate　with。

The　general　added　that　he　had　views　which　he　would　be　happy　to　submit　for　the　consideration　of　the　Secretary。　　Mr。　Cameron　desired　to　hear　General　Sherman's　views。

General　Sherman　began　by　giving　his　opinion　of　the　people　of　Kentucky；　and　the　then　condition　of　the　State。　　He　remarked　that　he　believed　a　very　large　majority　of　the　people　of　Kentucky　were　thoroughly　devoted　to　the　Union；　and　loyal　to　the　Government；　and　that　the　Unionists　embraced　almost　all　the　older　and　more　substantial　men　in　the　State；　but；　unfortunately；　there　was　no　organization　nor　arms　among　the　Union　men；　that　the　rebel　minority；　thoroughly　vindictive　in　its　sentiments；　was　organized　and　armed　（this　having　been　done　in　advance　by　their　leaders）；　and；　beyond　the　reach　of　the　Federal　forces；　overawed　and　prevented　the　Union　men　from　organizing；　that；　in　his　opinion；　if　Federal　protection　were　extended　throughout　the　State　to　the　Union　men；　a　large　force　could　be　raised　for　the　service　of　the　Government。

General　Sherman　next　presented　a　resume　of　the　information　in　his　possession　as　to　the　number　of　the　rebel　troops　in　Kentucky。　Commencing　with　the　force　at　Columbus；　Kentucky；　the　reports　varied；　giving　the　strength　from　ten　to　twenty　thousand。　　It　was　commanded　by　Lieutenant…General　Polk。　　General　Sherman　fixed　it　at　the　lowest　estimate；　say；　ten　thousand。　　The　force　at　Bowling　Green；　commanded　by　General。　　A。　S。　Johnston；　supported　by　Hardee；　Buckner；　and　others；　was　variously　estimated　at　from　eighteen　to　thirty　thousand。　　General　Sherman　estimated　this　force　at　the　lowest　figures　given　to　it　by　his　informationeighteen　thousand。

He　explained　that；　for　purposes　of　defense；　these　two　forces　ought；　owing　to　the　facility　with　which　troops　might　be　transported　from　one　to　the　other；　by　the　net…work　of　railroads　in　Middle　and　West　Tennessee；　to　be　considered　almost　as　one。　　General　Sherman　remarked；　also；　on　the　facility　with　which　reinforcements　could　be　transported　by　railroad　to　Bowling　Green；　from　the　other　rebellions　States。

The　third　organized　body　of　rebel　troops　was　in　Eastern　Kentucky；　under　General　Zollicoffer；　estimated；　according　to　the　most　reliable　information；　at　six　thousand　men。　　This　force　threatened　a　descent；　if　unrestrained；　on　the　blue…grass　region　of　Kentucky；　including　the　cities　of　Lexington；　and　Frankfort；　the　capital　of　the　State；　and　if　successful　in　its　primary　movements；　as　it　would　gather　head　as　it　advanced；　might　endanger　the　safety　of　Cincinnati。

General　Sherman　said　that　the　information　in　his　possession　indicated　an　intention；　on　the　part　of　the　rebels；　of　a　general　and　grand　advance　toward　the　Ohio　River。　　He　further　expressed　the　opinion　that；　if　such　advance　should　be　made；　and　not　checked；　the　rebel　force　would　be　swollen　by　at　least　twenty　thousand　recruits　from　the　disloyalists　in　Kentucky。　　His　low　computation　of　the　organized　rebel　soldiers　then　in　Kentucky　fixed　the　strength　at　about　thirty…five　thousand。　　Add　twenty　thousand　for　reenforcements　gained　in　Kentucky；　to　say　nothing　of　troops　drawn　from　other　rebel　States；　and　the　effective　rebel　force　in　the　State；　at　a　low　estimate；　would　be　fifty…five　thousand　men。

General　Sherman　explained　forcibly　how　largely　the　difficulties　of　suppressing　the　rebellion　would　be　enhanced；　if　the　rebels　should　be　allowed　to　plant　themselves　firmly；　with　strong　fortifications；　at　commanding　points　on　the　Ohio　River。　　It　would　be　facile　for　them　to　carry　the　war　thence　into　the　loyal　States　north　of　the　river。

To　resist　an　advance　of　the　rebels；　General　Sherman　stated　that　he　did　not　have　at　that　time　in　Kentucky　more　than　some　twelve　to　fourteen　thousand　effective　men。　　The　bulk　of　this　force　was　posted　at　camp　Nolin；　on　the　Louisville　&　Nashville　Railway；　fifty　miles　south　of　Louisville。　　A　part　of　it　was　in　Eastern　Kentucky；　under　General　George　H。　Thomas；　and　a　very　small　force　was　in　the　lower　valley　of　Green　River。

This　disposition　of　the　force　had　been　made　for　the　double　purpose　of　watching　and　checking　the　rebels；　and　protecting　the　raising　and　organization　of　troops　among　the　Union　men　of　Kentucky。

Having　explained　the　situation　from　the　defensive　point　of　view；　General　Sherman　proceeded　to　consider　it　from　the　offensive　stand…point。　　The　Government　had　undertaken　to　suppress　the　rebellion；　the　onus　faciendi；　therefore；　rested　on　the　Government。　The　rebellion　could　never　be　put　down；　the　authority　of　the　paramount　Government　asserted；　and　the　union　of　the　States　declared　perpetual；　by　force　of　arms；　by　maintaining　the　defensive；　to　accomplish　these　grand　desiderata；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　the　Government　should　adopt；　and　maintain　until　the　rebellion　was　crushed；　the　offensive。

For　the　purpose　of　expelling　the　rebels　from　Kentucky；　General　Sherman　said　that　at　least　sixty　thousand　soldiers　were　necessary。　Considering　that　the　means　of　accomplishment　must　always　be　proportioned　to　the　end　to　be　achieved；　and　bearing　in　mind　the　array　of　rebel　force　then　in　Kentucky；　every　sensible　man　must　admit　that　the　estimate　of　the　force　given　by　General　Sherman；　for　driving　the　rebels　out　of　the　State；　and　reestablishing　and　maintaining　the　authority　of　the　Government；　was　a　very　low　one。　The　truth　is　that；　before　the　rebels　were　driven　from　Kentucky；　many　more　than　sixty　thousand　soldiers　were　sent　into　the　State。

Ascending　from　the　consideration　of　the　narrow　question　of　the　political　and　military　situation　in　Kentucky；　and　the　extent　of　force　necessary　to　redeem　the　State　from　rebel　thraldom；　forecasting　in　his　sagacious　intellect　the　grand　and　daring　operations　which；　three　years　afterward；　he　realized　in　a　campaign；　taken　in　its　entirety；　without　a　parallel　in　modern　times；　General　Sherman　expressed　the　opinion　that；　to　carry　the　war　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　and　destroy　all　armed　opposition　to　the　Goverment；　in　the　entire　Mississippi　Valley；　at　least　two　hundred　thousand　troops　were　absolutely　requisite。

So　soon　as　General　Sherman　had　concluded　the　expression　of　his　views；　Mr。　Cameron　asked；　with　much　warmth　and　apparent　irritation；　〃Where　do　you　suppose；　General　Sherman；　all　this　force　is　to　come　from。〃　　General　Sherman　replied　that　he　did　not　know；　that　it　was　not　his　duty　to　raise；　organize；　and　put　the　necessary　military　force　into　the　field；　that　duty　pertained　to　the　War　Department。　His　duty　was　to　organize　campaigns　and　command　the　troops　after　they　had　been　put　into　the　field。

At　this　point　of　the　proceedings；　General　Sherman　suggested　that　it　might　be　agreeable　to　the　Secretary　to　hear　the　views　of　Mr。　Guthrie。　　Thus　appealed　to；　Mr。　Guthrie　said　he　did　not　consider　himself；　being　a　civilian；　competent　to　give　an　opinion　as　to　the　extent　of　force　necessary　to　parry　the　war　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　but；　being　well　informed　of　the　condition　of　things　in　Kentucky；　he　indorsed　fully　General　Sherman'e　opinion　of　the　force　required　to　drive　the　rebels　out　of　the　State。

The　foregoing　is　a　circumstantial　account　of　the　deliberations　of　the　council　that　were　of　any　importance。

A　good　deal　of　desultory　conversation　followed；　on　immaterial　matters；　and　some　orders　were　issued　by　telegraph；　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　for　some　small　reenforcements　to　be　sent　to　Kentucky　immediately；　from　Pennsylvania　and　Indiana。

A　short　time　after　the　council　was　heldthe　exact　time　is　not　now　remembered　by　the　writeran　imperfect　narrative　of　it　appeared　in　the　Now　York　Tribune。　　This　account　announced　to　the　public　the　conclusions　uttered　by　General　Sherman　in　the　council；　without　giving　the　reasons　on　which　his　conclusions　were　based。　　The　unfairness　of　this　course　to　General　Sherman　needs　no　comment。　　All　military　men　were　shocked　by　the　gross　breach　of　faith　which　had　been　committed

TH。　J。　WOOD；　Major…General　Volunteeers

Vicksburg；　Mississippi；　August　24；　1886。


Brigadier…General　Don　Carlos　Buell　arrived　at　Louisville　about　the　middle　of　November；　with　orders　to　relieve　me；　and　I　was　transferred　for　duty　to　the　Department　of　the　Missouri；　and　ordered　to　report　in　person　to　Major…General　H。　W。　Halleck　at　St。　Louis。　　I　accompanied　General　Buell　to　the　camp　at　Nolin；　where　he　reviewed　and　inspected　the　camp　and　troops　under　the　command　of　General　A。　McD。　McCook；　and　on　our　way　back　General　Buell　inspected　the　regiment　of　Hazzard　at　Elizabethtown。　　I　then　turned　over　my　command　to　him；　and　took　my　departure　for　St。　Louis。

At　the　time　I　was　so　relieved　I　thought；　of　course；　it　was　done　in　fulfillment　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　promise　to　me；　and　as　a　necessary　result　of　my　repeated　demand　for　the　fulfillment　of　that　promise；　but　I　saw　and　felt；　and　was　of　course　deeply　moved　to　observe；　the　manifest　belief　that　there　was　more　or　less　of　truth　in　the　rumor　that　the　cares；　perplexities；　and　anxiety　of　the　situation　had　unbalanced　my　judgment　and　mind。　　It　was；　doubtless；　an　incident　common　to　al1　civil　wars；　to　which　I　could　only　submit　with　the　best　grace　possible；　trusting　to　the　future　for　an　opportunity　to　redeem　my　fortune　and　good　name。　　Of　course　I　could　not　deny　the　fact；　and　had　to　submit　to　all　its　painful　consequences　for　months；　and；　moreover；　I　could　not　hide　from　myself　that　many　of　the　officers　and　soldiers　subsequently　placed　under　my　command　looked　at　me　askance　and　with　suspicion。　　Indeed；　it　was　not　until　the　following　April　that　the　battle　of　Shiloh　gave　me　personally　the　cha