memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第54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！


rman　for　orders　to　go　up　the　Cumberland　for　you；　or；　if　you　march　accross　to　Fort　Henry；　then　to　send　them　up　the　Tennessee。

G。　W。　CULLUM；　Brigadier…General。


On　the　4th　came　this　dispatch：

To　Major…General　U。　S。　GRANT

You　will　place　Major…General　C。　F。　Smith　in　command　of　expedition；　and　remain　yourself　at　Fort　Henry。　　Why　do　you　not　obey　my　orders　to　report　strength　and　positions　of　your　command？

H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General。


Halleck　was　evidently　working　himself　into　a　passion；　but　he　was　too　far　from　the　seat　of　war　to　make　due　allowance　for　the　actual　state　of　facts。　　General　Grant　had　done　so　much；　that　General　Halleck　should　have　been　patient。　　Meantime；　at　Paducah；　I　was　busy　sending　boats　in　every　directionsome　under　the　orders　of　General　Halleck；　others　of　General　Cullum；　others　for　General　Grant；　and　still　others　for　General　Buell　at　Nashville；　and　at　the　same　time　I　was　organizing　out　of　the　new　troops　that　were　arriving　at　Paducah　a　division　for　myself　when　allowed　to　take　the　field；　which　I　had　been　promised　by　General　Halleck。　　His　purpose　was　evidently　to　operate　up　the　Tennessee　River；　to　break　up　Bear　Creek　Bridge　and　the　railroad　communications　between　the　Mississippi　and　Tennessee　Rivers；　and　no　doubt　he　was　provoked　that　Generals　Grant　and　Smith　had　turned　aside　to　Nashville。　　In　the　mean　time　several　of　the　gunboats；　under　Captain　Phelps；　United　States　Navy；　had　gone　up　the　Tennessee　as　far　as　Florence；　and　on　their　return　had　reported　a　strong　Union　feeling　among　the　people　along　the　river。　　On　the　l0th　of　March；　having　received　the　necessary　orders　from　General　Halleck；　I　embarked　my　division　at　Paducah。　　It　was　composed　of　four　brigades。　　The　First；　commanded　by　Colonel　S。　G。　Hicks；　was　composed　of　the　Fortieth　Illinois；　Forty…sixth　Ohio；　and　Morton's　Indiana　Battery；　on　the　boats　Sallie　List；　Golden　Gate；　J。　B。　Adams；　and　Lancaster。

The　Second　Brigade；　Colonel　D。　Stuart；　was　composed　of　the　Fifty…fifth　Illinois；　Seventy…first　Ohio；　and　Fifty…fourth　Ohio；　embarked　on　the　Hannibal；　Universe；　Hazel　Dell；　Cheeseman；　and　Prairie　Rose。

The　Third　Brigade；　Colonel　Hildebrand；　was　composed　of　the　Seventy…seventh　Ohio；　Fifty…seventh　Ohio；　and　Fifty…third　Ohio；　embarked　on　the　Poland；　Anglo…Saxon；　Ohio　No。　Three；　and　Continental。

The　Fourth　Brigade；　Colonel　Buckland；　was　composed　of　the　Seventy…second　Ohio；　Forty…eighth　Ohio；　and　Seventieth　Ohio；　embarked　on　the　Empress；　Baltic；　Shenango；　and　Marrengo。

We　steamed　up　to　Fort　Henry；　the　river　being　high　and　in　splendid　order。　　There　I　reported　in　person　to　General　C。　F。　Smith；　and　by　him　was　ordered　a　few　miles　above；　to　the　remains　of　the　burned　railroad　bridge；　to　await　the　rendezvous　of　the　rest　of　his　army。　I　had　my　headquarters　on　the　Continental。

Among　my　colonels　I　had　a　strange　characterThomas　Worthington；　colonel　of　the　Forty…sixth　Ohio。　　He　was　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　of　the　class　of　1827；　was；　therefore；　older　than　General　Halleck；　General　Grant；　or　myself；　and　claimed　to　know　more　of　war　than　all　of　us　put　together。　　In　ascending　the　river　he　did　not　keep　his　place　in　the　column；　but　pushed　on　and　reached　Savannah　a　day　before　the　rest　of　my　division。　　When　I　reached　that　place；　I　found　that　Worthington　had　landed　his　regiment；　and　was　flying　about　giving　orders；　as　though　he　were　commander…in…chief。　　I　made　him　get　back　to　his　boat；　and　gave　him　to　understand　that　he　must　thereafter　keep　his　place。　　General　C。　F。　Smith　arrived　about　the　13th　of　March；　with　a　large　fleet　of　boats；　containing　Hurlbut's　division；　Lew。　Wallace's　division；　and　that　of　himself；　then　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　W。　H。　L。　Wallace。

General　Smith　sent　for　me　to　meet　him　on　his　boat；　and　ordered　me　to　push　on　under　escort　of　the　two　gunboats；　Lexington　and　Tyler；　commanded　by　Captains　Gwin　and　Shirk；　United　States　Navy。　　I　was　to　land　at　some　point　below　Eastport；　and　make　a　break　of　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　Railroad；　between　Tuscumbia　and　Corinth。　　General　Smith　was　quite　unwell；　and　was　suffering　from　his　leg；　which　was　swollen　and　very　sore；　from　a　mere　abrasion　in　stepping　into　a　small　boat。　　This　actually　mortified；　and　resulted　in　his　death　about　a　month　after；　viz。；　April　25；　1862。　　He　was　ad…　jutant　of　the　Military　Academy　during　the　early　part　of　my　career　there；　and　afterward　commandant　of　cadets。　　He　was　a　very　handsome　and　soldierly　man；　of　great　experience；　and　at　Donelson　had　acted　with　so　much　personal　bravery　that　to　him　many　attributed　the　success　of　the　assault。

I　immediately　steamed　up　the　Tennessee　River；　following　the　two　gunboats；　and；　in　passing　Pittsburg　Landing；　was　told　by　Captain　Gwin　that；　on　his　former　trip　up　the　river；　he　had　found　a　rebel　regiment　of　cavalry　posted　there；　and　that　it　was　the　usual　landing…place　for　the　people　about　Corinth；　distant　thirty　miles。　I　sent　word　back　to　General　Smith　that；　if　we　were　detained　up　the　river；　he　ought　to　post　some　troops　at　Pittsburg　Landing。　　We　went　on　up　the　river　cautiously；　till　we　saw　Eastport　and　Chickasaw；　both　of　which　were　occupied　by　rebel　batteries　and　a　small　rebel　force　of　infantry。

We　then　dropped　back　quietly　to　the　mouth　of　Yellow　River；　a　few　miles　below；　whence　led　a　road　to　Burnsville；　a　place　on　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road；　where　were　the　company's　repair…shops。　We　at　once　commenced　disembarking　the　command：　first　the　cavalry；　which　started　at　once　for　Burnsville；　with　orders　to　tear　up　the　railroad…track；　and　burn　the　depots；　shops；　etc；　and　I　followed　with　the　infantry　and　artillery　as　fast　as　they　were　disembarked。　It　was　raining　very　hard　at　the　time。　　Daylight　found　us　about　six　miles　out；　where　we　met　the　cavalry　returning。　　They　had　made　numerous　attempts　to　cross　the　streams；　which　had　become　so　swollen　that　mere　brooks　covered　the　whole　bottom；　and　my　aide…de…camp；　Sanger；　whom　I　had　dispatched　with　the　cavalry；　reported　the　loss；　by　drowning；　of　several　of　the　men。　　The　rain　was　pouring　in　torrents；　and　reports　from　the　rear　came　that　the　river　was　rising　very　fast；　and　that；　unless　we　got　back　to　our　boats　soon；　the　bottom　would　be　simply　impassable。　　There　was　no　alternative　but　to　regain　our　boats；　and　even　this　was　so　difficult；　that　we　had　to　unharness　the　artillery…horses；　and　drag　the　guns　under　water　through　the　bayous；　to　reach　the　bank　of　the　river。　　Once　more　embarked；　I　concluded　to　drop　down　to　Pittsburg　Landing；　and　to　make　the　attempt　from　there。　　During　the　night　of　the　14th；　we　dropped　down　to　Pittsburg　Landing；　where　I　found　Hurlbut's　division　in　boats。　　Leaving　my　command　there；　I　steamed　down　to　Savannah；　and　reported　to　General　Smith　in　person；　who　saw　in　the　flooded　Tennessee　the　full　truth　of　my　report；　and　he　then　instructed　me　to　disembark　my　own　division；　and　that　of　General　Hurlbut；　at　Pittsburg　Landing；　to　take　positions　well　back；　and　to　leave　room　for　his　whole　army；　telling　me　that　he　would　soon　come　up　in　person；　and　move　out　in　force　to　make　the　lodgment　on　the　railroad；　contemplated　by　General　Halleck's　orders。

Lieutenant…Colonel　McPherson；　of　General　C。　F。　Smith's；　or　rather　General　Halleck's；　staff；　returned　with　me；　and　on　the　16th　of　March　we　disembarked　and　marched　out　about　ten　miles　toward　Corinth；　to　a　place　called　Monterey　or　Pea　Ridge；　where　the　rebels　had　a　cavalry　regiment；　which　of　course　decamped　on　our　approach；　but　from　the　people　we　learned　that　trains　were　bringing　large　masses　of　men　from　every　direction　into　Corinth。　　McPherson　and　I　reconnoitred　the　ground　well；　and　then　returned　to　our　boats。　　On　the　18th；　Hurlbut　disembarked　his　division　and　took　post　about　a　mile　and　a　half　out；　near　where　the　roads　branched；　one　leading　to　Corinth　and　the　other　toward　Hamburg。　　On　the　19th　I　disembarked　my　division；　and　took　post　about　three　miles　back；　three　of　the　brigades　covering　the　roads　to　Purdy　and　Corinth；　and　the　other　brigade　（Stuart's）　temporarily　at　a　place　on　the　Hamburg　Road；　near　Lick　Creek　Ford；　where　the　Bark　Road　came　into　the　Hamburg　Road。　Within　a　few　days；　Prentiss's　division　arrived　and　camped　on　my　left；　and　afterward　McClernand's　and　W。　H。　L。　Wallace's　divisions；　which　formed　a　line　to　our　rear。　　Lew　Wallace's　division　remained　on　the　north　side　of　Snake　Creek；　on　a　road　leading　from　Savannah　or　Cramp's　Landing　to　Purdy。

General　C。　F。　Smith　remained　back　at　Savannah；　in　chief　command；　and　I　was　only　responsible　for　my　own　division。　　I　kept　pickets　well　out　on　the　roads；　and　made　myself　familiar　with　all　the　ground　inside　and　outside　my　lines。　　My　personal　staff　was　composed　of　Captain　J。　H。　Hammond；　assistant　adjutant…general；　Surgeons　Hartshorn　and　L'Hommedieu；　Lieutenant　Colonels　Hascall　and　Sanger；　inspector…generals；　Lieutenants　McCoy　and　John　Taylor；　aides…de…camp。　　We　were　all　conscious　that　the　enemy　was　collecting　at　Corinth；　but　in　what　force　we　could　not　know；　nor　did　we　know　what　was　going　on　behind　us。　　On　the　17th　of　March；　General　U。　S。　Grant　was　restored　to　the　command　of　all　the　troops　up　the　Tennessee　River；　by　reason　of　General　Smith's　extreme　illness；　and　because　he　had　explained　to　General　Halleck　satisfactorily　his　conduct　after　Donelson；　and　he　too　made　his　headquarters　at　Savannah；　but　frequently　visited　our　camps。　　I　always　acted　on　the　supposition　that　we　were　an　invading　army；　that　our　purpose　was　to　move　forward　in　force；　make　a　lodgment　on　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road；　and　thus　repeat　the　grand　tactics　of　Fort　Donelson；　by　separating　the　rebels　in　the　interior　from　those　at　Memphis　and　on　the　Mississippi　River。　　We　did　not　fortify　our　camps　against　an　attack；　because　we　had　no　orders　to　do　so；　and　because　such　a　course　would　have　made　our　raw　men　timid。　　The　position　was　naturally　strong；　with　Snake　Creek　on　our　right；　a　deep；　bold　stream；　with　a　confluent　（Owl　Creek）　to　our　right　front；　and　Lick　Creek；　with　a　similar　confluent；　on　our　left；　thus　narrowing　the　space　over　which　we　could　be　attacked　to　about　a　mile　and　a　half　or　two　miles。

At　a　later　period　of　the　war；　we　could　have　rendered　this　position　impregnable　in　one　night；　but　at　this　time　we　did　not　do　it；　and　it　may　be　it　is　well　we　did　not。　　From　about　the　1st　of　April　we　were　conscious　that　the　rebel　cavalry　in　our　front　was　getting　bolder　and　more　saucy；　and　on　Friday；　the　4th