memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第61部分

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ed　to　his　division　in　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　that　whole　army　under　General　Buell　was　turned　east　along　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road；　to　march　for　Chattanooga。　　McClernand's　〃reserve〃　was　turned　west　to　Bolivar　and　Memphis。　　General　Halleck　took　post　himself　at　Corinth；　assigned　Lieutenant…Colonel　McPherson　to　take　charge　of　the　railroads；　with　instructions　to　repair　them　as　far　as　Columbus；　Kentucky；　and　to　collect　ears　and　locomotives　to　operate　them　to　Corinth　and　Grand　Junction。　　I　was　soon　dispatched　with　my　own　and　Hurlbut's　divisions　northwest　fourteen　miles　to　Chewalla；　to　save　what　could　be　of　any　value　out　of　six　trains　of　cars　belonging　to　the　rebels　which　had　been　wrecked　and　partially　burned　at　the　time　of　the　evacuation　of　Corinth。

A　short　time　before　leaving　Corinth　I　rode　from　my　camp　to　General　Halleck's　headquarters；　then　in　tents　just　outside　of　the　town；　where　we　sat　and　gossiped　for　some　time；　when　he　mentioned　to　me　casually　that　General　Grant　was　going　away　the　next　morning。　　I　inquired　the　cause；　and　he　said　that　he　did　not　know；　but　that　Grant　had　applied　for　a　thirty　days'　leave；　which　had　been　given　him。　　Of　course　we　all　knew　that　he　was　chafing　under　the　slights　of　his　anomalous　position；　and　I　determined　to　see　him　on　my　way　back。　　His　camp　was　a　short　distance　off　the　Monterey　road；　in　the　woods；　and　consisted　of　four　or　five　tents；　with　a　sapling　railing　around　the　front。　　As　I　rode　up；　Majors　Rawlins；　Lagow；　and　Hilyer；　were　in　front　of　the　camp；　and　piled　up　near　them　were　the　usual　office　and　camp　chests；　all　ready　for　a　start　in　the　morning。　　I　inquired　for　the　general；　and　was　shown　to　his　tent；　where　I　found　him　seated　on　a　camp…stool；　with　papers　on　a　rude　camp…table；　he　seemed　to　be　employed　in　assorting　letters；　and　tying　them　up　with　red　tape　into　convenient　bundles。　　After　passing　the　usual　compliments；　I　inquired　if　it　were　true　that　he　was　going　away。　　He　said；　〃Yes。〃　　I　then　inquired　the　reason；　and　he　said　〃Sherman；　you　know。　　You　know　that　I　am　in　the　way　here。　　I　have　stood　it　as　long　as　I　can；　and　can　endure　it　no　longer。〃　　I　inquired　where　he　was　going　to；　and　he　said；　〃St。　Louis。〃　　I　then　asked　if　he　had　any　business　there；　and　he　said；　〃Not　a　bit。〃　　I　then　begged　him　to　stay；　illustrating　his　case　by　my　own。

Before　the　battle　of　Shiloh；　I　had　been　cast　down　by　a　mere　newspaper　assertion　of　〃crazy；〃　but　that　single　battle　had　given　me　new　life；　and　now　I　was　in　high　feather；　and　I　argued　with　him　that；　if　he　went　away；　events　would　go　right　along；　and　he　would　be　left　out；　whereas；　if　he　remained；　some　happy　accident　might　restore　him　to　favor　and　his　true　place。　　He　certainly　appreciated　my　friendly　advice；　and　promised　to　wait　awhile；　at　all　events；　not　to　go　without　seeing　me　again；　or　communicating　with　me。　　Very　soon　after　this；　I　was　ordered　to　Chewalla；　where；　on　the　6th　of　June；　I　received　a　note　from　him；　saying　that　he　had　reconsidered　his　intention；　and　would　remain。　　I　cannot　find　the　note；　but　my　answer　I　have　kept：

Chewalla；　Jane　6；　1862。

Major…General　GRANT。

My　DEAR　SIR：　I　have　just　received　your　note；　and　am　rejoiced　at　your　conclusion　to　remain；　for　you　could　not　be　quiet　at　home　for　a　week　when　armies　were　moving；　and　rest　could　not　relieve　your　mind　of　the　gnawing　sensation　that　injustice　had　been　done　you。


My　orders　at　Chewalla　were　to　rescue　the　wrecked　trains　there；　to　reconnoitre　westward　and　estimate　the　amount　of　damage　to　the　railroad　as　far　as　Grand　Junction；　about　fifty　miles。　　We　camped　our　troops　on　high；　healthy　ground　to　the　south　of　Chewalla；　and　after　I　had　personally　reconnoitred　the　country；　details　of　men　were　made　and　volunteer　locomotive　engineers　obtained　to　superintend　the　repairs。　　I　found　six　locomotives　and　about　sixty　cars；　thrown　from　the　track；　parts　of　the　machinery　detached　and　hidden　in　the　surrounding　swamp；　and　all　damaged　as　much　by　fire　as　possible。　　It　seems　that　these　trains　were　inside　of　Corinth　during　the　night　of　evacuation；　loading　up　with　all　sorts　of　commissary　stores；　etc。；　and　about　daylight　were　started　west；　but　the　cavalry…picket　stationed　at　the　Tuscumbia　bridge　had；　by　mistake　or　panic；　burned　the　bridge　before　the　trains　got　to　them。　　The　trains；　therefore；　were　caught；　and　the　engineers　and　guards　hastily　scattered　the　stores　into　the　swamp；　and　disabled　the　trains　as　far　as　they　could；　before　our　cavalry　had　discovered　their　critical　situation。　　The　weather　was　hot；　and　the　swamp　fairly　stunk　with　the　putrid　flour　and　fermenting　sugar　and　molasses；　I　was　so　much　exposed　there　in　the　hot　sun；　pushing　forward　the　work；　that　I　got　a　touch　of　malarial　fever；　which　hung　on　me　for　a　month；　and　forced　me　to　ride　two　days　in　an　ambulance；　the　only　time　I　ever　did　such　a　thing　during　the　whole　war。　　By　the　7th　I　reported　to　General　Halleck　that　the　amount　of　work　necessary　to　reestablish　the　railroad　between　Corinth　and　Grand　Junction　was　so　great；　that　he　concluded　not　to　attempt　its　repair；　but　to　rely　on　the　road　back　to　Jackson　（Tennessee）；　and　forward　to　Grand　Junction；　and　I　was　ordered　to　move　to　Grand　Junction；　to　take　up　the　repairs　from　there　toward　Memphis。

The　evacuation　of　Corinth　by　Beauregard；　and　the　movements　of　General　McClernand's　force　toward　Memphis；　had　necessitated　the　evacuation　of　Fort　Pillow；　which　occurred　about　June　1st；　soon　followed　by　the　further　withdrawal　of　the　Confederate　army　from　Memphis；　by　reason　of　the　destruction　of　the　rebel　gunboats　in　the　bold　and　dashing　attack　by　our　gun。　　boats　under　command　of　Admiral　Davis；　who　had　succeeded　Foote。　　This　occurred　June　7th。　　Admiral　Farragut　had　also　captured　New　Orleans　after　the　terrible　passage　of　Forts　Jackson　and　St。　Philip　on　May　24th；　and　had　ascended　the　river　as　high　as　Vicksburg；　so　that　it　seemed　as　though；　before　the　end　of　June；　we　should　surely　have　full　possession　of　the　whole　river。　　But　it　is　now　known　that　the　progress　of　our　Western　armies　had　aroused　the　rebel　government　to　the　exercise　of　the　most　stupendous　energy。　　Every　man　capable　of　bearing　arms　at　the　South　was　declared　to　be　a　soldier；　and　forced　to　act　as　such。　　All　their　armies　were　greatly　reenforced；　and　the　most　despotic　power　was　granted　to　enforce　discipline　and　supplies。　　Beauregard　was　replaced　by　Bragg；　a　man　of　more　abilityof　greater　powers　of　organization；　of　action；　and　disciplinebut　naturally　exacting　and　severe；　and　not　possessing　the　qualities　to　attract　the　love　of　his　officers　and　men。　　He　had　a　hard　task　to　bring　into　order　and　discipline　that　mass　of　men　to　whose　command　he　succeeded　at　Tupelo；　with　which　he　afterward　fairly　outmanoeuvred　General　Buell；　and　forced　him　back　from　Chattanooga　to　Louisville。　　It　was　a　fatal　mistake；　however；　that　halted　General　Halleck　at　Corinth；　and　led　him　to　disperse　and　scatter　the　best　materials　for　a　fighting　army　that；　up　to　that　date；　had　been　assembled　in　the　West。

During　the　latter　part　of　June　and　first　half　of　July；　I　had　my　own　and　Hurlbut's　divisions　about　Grand　Junction；　Lagrange；　Moscow；　and　Lafayette；　building　railroad…trestles　and　bridges；　fighting　off　cavalry　detachments　coming　from　the　south；　and　waging　an　everlasting　quarrel　with　planters　about　their　negroes　and　fences　they　trying；　in　the　midst　of　moving　armies；　to　raise　a　crop　of　corn。　　On　the　17th　of　June　I　sent　a　detachment　of　two　brigades；　under　General　M。　L。　Smith；　to　Holly　Springs；　in　the　belief　that　I　could　better　protect　the　railroad　from　some　point　in　front　than　by　scattering　our　men　along　it；　and；　on　the　23d；　I　was　at　Lafayette　Station；　when　General　Grant；　with　his　staff　and　a　very　insignificant　escort；　arrived　from　Corinth　en　route　for　Memphis；　to　take　command　of　that　place　and　of　the　District　of　West　Tennessee。　He　came　very　near　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　who　infested　the　whole　country　with　small　but　bold　detachments　of　cavalry。　　Up　to　that　time　I　had　received　my　orders　direct　from　General　Halleck　at　Corinth；　but　soon　after　I　fell　under　the　immediate　command　of　General　Grant　and　so　continued　to　the　end　of　the　war；　but；　on　the　29th；　General　Halleck　notified　me　that　〃a　division　of　troops　under　General　C。　S。　Hamilton　of　'Rosecrans's　army　corps；'　had　passed　the　Hatchie　from　Corinth；〃　and　was　destined　for　Holly　Springs；　ordering　me　to　〃cooperate　as　far　as　advisable；〃　but　〃not　to　neglect　the　protection　of　the　road。〃　　I　ordered　General　Hurlbut　to　leave　detachments　at　Grand　Junction　and　Lagrange；　and　to　march　for　Holly　Springs。　　I　left　detachments　at　Moscow　and　Lafayette；　and；　with　about　four　thousand　men；　marched　for　the　same　point。　　Hurlbut　and　I　met　at　Hudsonville；　and　thence　marched　to　the　Coldwater；　within　four　miles　of　Holly　Springs。　　We　encountered　only　small　detachments　of　rebel　cavalry　under　Colonels　Jackson　and　Pierson；　and　drove　them　into　and　through　Holly　Springs；　but　they　hung　about；　and　I　kept　an　infantry　brigade　in　Holly　Springs　to　keep　them　out。　　I　heard　nothing　from　General　Hamilton　till　the　5th　of　July；　when　I　received　a　letter　from　him　dated　Rienzi；　saying　that　he　had　been　within　nineteen　miles　of　Holly　Springs　and　had　turned　back　for　Corinth；　and　on　the　next　day；　July　6th；　I　got　a　telegraph　order　from　General　Halleck；　of　July　2d；　sent　me　by　courier　from　Moscow；　〃not　to　attempt　to　hold　Holly　Springs；　but　to　fall　back　and　protect　the　railroad。〃　　We　accordingly　marched　back　twenty…five　milesHurlbut　to　Lagrange；　and　I　to　Moscow。　　The　enemy　had　no　infantry　nearer　than　the　Tallahatchee　bridge；　but　their　cavalry　was　saucy　and　active；　superior　to　ours；　and　I　despaired　of　ever　protecting　a　railroad；　preventing　a　broad　front　of　one　hundred　miles；　from　their　dashes。

About　this　time；　we　were　taunted　by　the　Confederate　soldiers　and　citizens　with　the　assertion　that　Lee　had　defeated　McClellan　at　Richmond；　that　he　would　soon　be　in　Washington；　and　that　our　turn　would　come　next。　　The　extreme　caution　of　General　Halleck　also　indicated　that　something　had　gone　wrong；　and；　on　the　16th　of　July；　at　Moscow；　I　received　a　dispatch　from　him；　announcing　that　he　had　been　summoned　to　Washington；　which　he　seemed　to　regret；　and　which　at　that　moment　I　most　deeply　deplored。　　He　announced　that　his　command　would　devolve　on　General　Grant；　who　had　been　summoned　around　from　Memphis　to　Corinth　by　way　of　Columbus；　Kentucky；　and