memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第59部分

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for　him。　　He　came　again　just　before　dark；　and　described　the　last　assault　made　by　the　rebels　at　the　ravine；　near　the　steamboat…landing；　which　he　had　repelled　by　a　heavy　battery　collected　under　Colonel　J。　D。　Webster　and　other　officers；　and　he　was　convinced　that　the　battle　was　over　for　that　day。　　He　ordered　me　to　be　ready　to　assume　the　offensive　in　the　morning；　saying　that；　as　he　had　observed　at　Fort　Donelson　at　the　crisis　of　the　battle；　both　sides　seemed　defeated；　and　whoever　assumed　the　offensive　was　sure　to　win。　　General　Grant　also　explained　to　me　that　General　Buell　had　reached　the　bank　of　the　Tennessee　River　opposite　Pittsburg　Landing；　and　was　in　the　act　of　ferrying　his　troops　across　at　the　time　he　was　speaking　to　me。

About　half　an　hour　afterward　General　Buell　himself　rode　up　to　where　I　was；　accompanied　by　Colonels　Fry；　Michler；　and　others　of　his　staff。　　I　was　dismounted　at　the　time；　and　General　Buell　made　of　me　a　good　many　significant　inquiries　about　matters　and　things　generally。　　By　the　aid　of　a　manuscript　map　made　by　myself；　I　pointed　out　to　him　our　positions　as　they　had　been　in　the　morning；　and　our　then　positions；　I　also　explained　that　my　right　then　covered　the　bridge　over　Snake　Creek　by　which　we　had　all　day　been　expecting　Lew　Wallace；　that　McClernand　was　on　my　left；　Hurlbut　on　his　left；　and　so　on。　　But　Buell　said　he　had　come　up　from　the　landing；　and　had　not　seen　our　men；　of　whose　existence　in　fact　he　seemed　to　doubt。　　I　insisted　that　I　had　five　thousand　good　men　still　left　in　line；　and　thought　that　MeClernand　had　as　many　more；　and　that　with　what　was　left　of　Hurlbut's；　W。　H。　L。　Wallace's；　and　Prentiss's　divisions；　we　ought　to　have　eighteen　thousand　men　fit　for　battle。　　I　reckoned　that　ten　thousand　of　our　men　were　dead；　wounded；　or　prisoners；　and　that　the　enemy's　loss　could　not　be　mach　less。　　Buell　said　that　Nelson's；　MeCook's；　and　Crittendens　divisions　of　his　army；　containing　eighteen　thousand　men；　had　arrived　and　could　cross　over　in　the　night；　and　be　ready　for　the　next　day's　battle。　　I　argued　that　with　these　reenforcements　we　could　sweep　the　field。　　Buell　seemed　to　mistrust　us；　and　repeatedly　said　that　he　did　not　like　the　looks　of　things；　especially　about　the　boat…landing；and　I　really　feared　he　would　not　cross　over　his　army　that　night；　lest　he　should　become　involved　in　our　general　disaster。　　He　did　not；　of　course；　understand　the　shape　of　the　ground；　and　asked　me　for　the　use　of　my　map；　which　I　lent　him　on　the　promise　that　he　would　return　it。　　He　handed　it　to　Major　Michler　to　have　it　copied；　and　the　original　returned　to　me；　which　Michler　did　two　or　three　days　after　the　battle。　　Buell　did　cross　over　that　night；　and　the　next　day　we　assumed　the　offensive　and　swept　the　field；　thus　gaining　the　battle　decisively。　　Nevertheless；　the　controversy　was　started　and　kept　up；　mostly　to　the　personal　prejudice　of　General　Grant；　who　as　usual　maintained　an　imperturbable　silence。

After　the　battle；　a　constant　stream　of　civilian　surgeons；　and　sanitary　commission　agents；　men　and　women；　came　up　the　Tennessee　to　bring　relief　to　the　thousands　of　maimed　and　wounded　soldiers　for　whom　we　had　imperfect　means　of　shelter　and　care。　　These　people　caught　up　the　camp…stories；　which　on　their　return　home　they　retailed　through　their　local　papers；　usually　elevating　their　own　neighbors　into　heroes；　but　decrying　all　others：　Among　them　was　Lieutenant…Governor　Stanton；　of　Ohio；　who　published　in　Belfontaine；　Ohio；　a　most　abusive　article　about　General　Grant　and　his　subordinate　generals。　　As　General　Grant　did　not　and　would　not　take　up　the　cudgels；　I　did　so。　　My　letter　in　reply　to　Stanton；　dated　June　10；　1862；　was　published　in　the　Cincinnati　Commercial　soon　after　its　date。　　To　this　Lieutenant…Governor　Stanton　replied；　and　I　further　rejoined　in　a　letter　dated　July　12；　1862。　　These　letters　are　too　personal　to　be　revived。　　By　this　time　the　good　people　of　the　North　had　begun　to　have　their　eyes　opened；　and　to　give　us　in　the　field　more　faith　and　support。　　Stanton　was　never　again　elected　to　any　public　office；　and　was　commonly　spoken　of　as　〃the　late　Mr。　Stanton。〃　　He　is　now　dead；　and　I　doubt　not　in　life　he　often　regretted　his　mistake　in　attempting　to　gain　popular　fame　by　abusing　the　army…leaders；　then　as　now　an　easy　and　favorite　mode　of　gaining　notoriety；　if　not　popularity。　　Of　course；　subsequent　events　gave　General　Grant　and　most　of　the　other　actors　in　that　battle　their　appropriate　place　in　history；　but　the　danger　of　sudden　popular　clamors　is　well　illustrated　by　this　case。

Tho　battle　of　Shiloh；　or　Pittsburg　Landing；　was　one　of　the　most　fiercely　contested　of　the　war。　　On　the　morning　of　April　6；　1862；　the　five　divisions　of　McClernand；　Prentiss；　Hurlbut；　W。　H。　L。　Wallace；　and　Sherman；　aggregated　about　thirty…two　thousand　men。　　We　had　no　intrenchments　of　any　sort；　on　the　theory　that　as　soon　as　Buell　arrived　we　would　march　to　Corinth　to　attack　the　enemy。　　The　rebel　army；　commanded　by　General　Albert　Sidney　Johnston；　was；　according　to　their　own　reports　and　admissions；　forty…five　thousand　strong；　had　the　momentum　of　attack；　and　beyond　all　question　fought　skillfully　from　early　morning　till　about　2　a。m。；　when　their　commander…in…chief　was　killed　by　a　Mini…ball　in　the　calf　of　his　leg；　which　penetrated　the　boot　and　severed　the　main　artery。　　There　was　then　a　perceptible　lull　for　a　couple　of　hours；　when　the　attack　was　renewed；　but　with　much　less　vehemence；　and　continued　up　to　dark。　　Early　at　night　the　division　of　Lew　Wallace　arrived　from　the　other　side　of　Snake　Creek；　not　having　fired　a　shot。　　A　very　small　part　of　General　Buell's　army　was　on　our　side　of　the　Tennessee　River　that　evening；　and　their　loss　was　trivial。

During　that　night；　the　three　divisions　of　McCook；　Nelson；　and　Crittenden；　were　ferried　across　the　Tennessee；　and　fought　with　us　the　next　day　（7th）。　　During　that　night；　also；　the　two　wooden　gunboats；　Tyler；　commanded　by　Lieutenant　Groin；　and　Lexington；　Lieutenant　Shirk；　both　of　the　regular　navy；　caused　shells　to　be　thrown　toward　that　part　of　the　field　of　battle　known　to　be　occupied　by　the　enemy。　　Beauregard　afterward　reported　his　entire　loss　as　ten　thousand　six　hundred　and　ninety…nine。　　Our　aggregate　loss；　made　up　from　official　statements；　shows　seventeen　hundred　killed；　seven　thousand　four　hundred　and　ninety…five　wounded；　and　three　thousand　and　twenty…two　prisoners；　aggregate；　twelve　thousand　two　hundred　and　seventeen；　of　which　twenty…one　hundred　and　sixty…seven　were　in　Buell's　army；　leaving　for　that　of　Grant　ten　thousand　and　fifty。　This　result　is　a　fair　measure　of　the　amount　of　fighting　done　by　each　army。




CHAPTER　XI。

SHILOH　TO　MEMPHIS。

APIRIL　TO　JULY；　1862。


While；　the　〃Army　of　the　Tennessee；〃　under　Generals　Grant　and　C。　F。　Smith；　was　operating　up　the　Tennessee　River；　another　force；　styled　the　〃Army　of　the　Mississippi；〃　commanded　by　Major…General　John　Pope；　was　moving　directly　down　the　Mississippi　River；　against　that　portion　of　the　rebel　line　which；　under　Generals　Polk　and　Pillow；　had　fallen　back　from　Columbus；　Kentucky；　to　Island　Number　Ten　and　New　Madrid。　　This　army　had　the　full　cooperation　of　the　gunboat　fleet；　commanded　by　Admiral　Foote；　and　was　assisted　by　the　high　flood　of　that　season；　which　enabled　General　Pope；　by　great　skill　and　industry；　to　open　a　canal　from　a　point　above　Island　Number　Ten　to　New　Madrid　below；　by　which　he　interposed　between　the　rebel　army　and　its　available　line　of　supply　and　retreat。　　At　the　very　time　that　we　were　fighting　the　bloody　battle　on　the　Tennessee　River；　General　Pope　and　Admiral　Foote　were　bombarding　the　batteries　on　Island　Number　Ten；　and　the　Kentucky　shore　abreast　of　it；　and　General　Pope　having　crossed　over　by　steamers　a　part　of　his　army　to　the　east　bank；　captured　a　large　part　of　this　rebel　army；　at　and　near　Tiptonville。

General　Halleck　still　remained　at　St。　Louis；　whence　he　gave　general　directions　to　the　armies　of　General　Curtis；　Generals　Grant；　Buell；　and　Pope；　and　instead　of　following　up　his　most　important　and　brilliant　successes　directly　down　the　Mississippi；　he　concluded　to　bring　General　Pope's　army　around　to　the　Tennessee；　and　to　come　in　person　to　command　there。　　The　gunboat　fleet　pushed　on　down　the　Mississippi；　but　was　brought　up　again　all　standing　by　the　heavy　batteries　at　Fort　Pillow；　about　fifty　miles　above　Memphis。　　About　this　time　Admiral　Farragut；　with　another　large　sea…going　fleet；　and　with　the　cooperating　army　of　General　Butler；　was　entering　the　Mississippi　River　by　the　Passes；　and　preparing　to　reduce　Forts　Jackson　and　St；　Philip　in　order　to　reach　New　Orleans；　so　that　all　minds　were　turned　to　the　conquest　of　the　Mississippi　River；　and　surely　adequate　means　were　provided　for　the　undertaking。

The　battle　of　Shiloh　had　been　fought；　as　described；　on　the　6th　and　7th　of　April；　and　when　the　movement　of　the　8th　had　revealed　that　our　enemy　was　gone；　in　full　retreat；　leaving　killed；　wounded；　and　much　property　by　the　way；　we　all　experienced　a　feeling　of　relief。　The　struggle　had　been　so　long；　so　desperate　and　bloody；　that　the　survivors　seemed　exhausted　and　nerveless；　we　appreciated　the　value　of　the　victory；　but　realized　also　its　great　cost　of　life。　　The　close　of　the　battle　had　left　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　on　the　right；　and　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　on　the　left；　but　I　believe　neither　General　Grant　nor　Buell　exercised　command；　the　one　over　the　other；　each　of　them　having　his　hands　full　in　repairing　damages。　　All　the　division；　brigade；　and　regimental　commanders　were　busy　in　collecting　stragglers；　regaining　lost　property；　in　burying　dead　men　and　horses；　and　in　providing　for　their　wounded。　　Some　few　new　regiments　came　forward；　and　some　changes　of　organization　became　necessary。　　Then；　or　very　soon　after；　I　consolidated　my　font　brigades　into　three；　which　were　commanded：　First；　Brigadier…General　Morgan　L：　Smith；　Second；　Colonel　John　A。　McDowell；　Third；　Brigadier…General　J。　W。　Denver。　　About　the　same　time　I　was　promoted　to　major…general　volunteers。

The　Seventy…first　Ohio　was　detached　to　Clarksville；　Tennessee；　and　the　Sixth　and　Eighth　Missouri　were　transferred　to　my　division。

In　a　few　days　after　the　battle；　General　Halleck　arrived　by　steamboat　from　St。　Louis；　pitched　his　camp　near　the　steamboat…　landing；　and　assumed　personal　command　of　all　the　armies。　　He　was　attended　by　his　staff；　composed　of　General　G。　W。　Cullum；　U。　S。　Engi