memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第62部分

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eneral　Grant；　who　had　been　summoned　around　from　Memphis　to　Corinth　by　way　of　Columbus；　Kentucky；　and　that　I　was　to　go　into　Memphis　to　take　command。　　of　the　District　of　West　Tennessee；　vacated　by　General　Grant。　　By　this　time；　also；　I　was　made　aware　that　the　great；　army　that　had　assembled　at　Corinth　at　the　end　of　May　had　been　scattered　and　dissipated；　and　that　terrible　disasters　had　befallen　our　other　armies　in　Virginia　and　the　East。

I　soon　received　orders　to　move　to　Memphis；　taking　Hurlbut's　division　along。　　We　reached　Memphis　on　the　21st；　and　on　the　22d　I　posted　my　three　brigades　mostly　in　and　near　Fort　Dickering；　and　Hurlbut's　division　next　below　on　the　river…bank　by　reason　of　the　scarcity　of　water；　except　in　the　Mississippi　River　itself。　　The　weather　was　intensely　hot。　　The　same　order　that　took　us　to　Memphis　required　me　to　send　the　division　of　General　Lew　Wallace　（then　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　A。　P。　Hovey）　to　Helena；　Arkansas；　to　report　to　General　Curtis；　which　was　easily　accomplished　by　steamboat。　　I　made　my　own　camp　in　a　vacant　lot；　near　Mr。　Moon's　house；　and　gave　my　chief　attention　to　the　construction　of　Fort　Pickering；　then　in　charge　of　Major　Prime；　United　States　Engineers；　to　perfecting　the　drill　and　discipline　of　the　two　divisions　under　my　command；　and　to　the　administration　of　civil　affairs。

At　the　time　when　General　Halleck　was　　summoned　from　Corinth　to　Washington；　to　succeed　McClellan　as　commander…in…chief；　I　surely　expected　of　him　immediate　and　important　results。　　The　Army　of　the　Ohio　was　at　the　time　marching　toward　Chattanooga；　and　was　strung　from　Eastport　by　Huntsville　to　Bridgeport；　under　the　command　of　General　Buell。　　In　like　manner；　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　was　strung　along　the　same　general　line；　from　Memphis　to　Tuscumbia；　and　was　commanded　by　General　Grant；　with　no　common　commander　for　both　these　forces：　so　that　the　great　army　which　General　Halleck　had　so　well　assembled　at　Corinth；　was　put　on　the　defensive；　with　a　frontage　of　three　hundred　miles。　　Soon　thereafter　the　rebels　displayed　peculiar　energy　and　military　skill。　　General　Bragg　had　reorganized　the　army　of　Beauregard　at　Tupelo；　carried　it　rapidly　and　skillfully　toward　Chattanooga；　whence　he　boldly　assumed　the　offensive；　moving　straight　for　Nashville　and　Louisville；　and　compelling　General　Buell　to　fall　back　to　the　Ohio　River　at　Louisville。

The　army　of　Van　Dorn　and　Price　had　been　brought　from　the　trans…Mississippi　Department　to　the　east　of　the　river；　and　was　collected　at　and　about　Holly　Springs；　where；　reenforced　by　Armstrong's　and　Forrests　cavalry；　it　amounted　to　about　forty　thousand　brave　and　hardy　soldiers。　　These　were　General　Grant's　immediate　antagonists；　and　so　many　and　large　detachments　had　been　drawn　from　him；　that　for　a　time　he　was　put　on　the　defensive。　　In　person　he　had　his　headquarters　at　Corinth；　with　the　three　divisions　of　Hamilton；　Davies；　and　McKean；　under　the　immediate　orders　of　General　Rosecrans。　　General　Ord　had　succeeded　to　the　division　of　McClernand　（who　had　also　gone　to　Washington）；　and　held　Bolivar　and　Grand　Junction。　　I　had　in　Memphis　my　own　and　Hurlbut's　divisions；　and　other　smaller　detachments　were　strung　along　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road。　　But　the　enemy's　detachments　could　strike　this　road　at　so　many　points；　that　no　use　could　be　made　of　it；　and　General　Grant　had　to　employ　the　railroads；　from　Columbus；　Kentucky；　to　Corinth　and　Grand　Junction；　by　way　of　Jackson；　Tennessee；　a　point　common　to　both　roads；　and　held　in　some　force。

In　the　early　part　of　September　the　enemy　in　our　front　manifested　great　activity；　feeling　with　cavalry　at　all　points；　and　on　the　13th　General　Van　Dorn　threatened　Corinth；　while　General　Price　seized　the　town　of　Iuka；　which　was　promptly　abandoned　by　a　small　garrison　under　Colonel　Murphy。　　Price's　force　was　about　eight　thousand　men；　arid　the　general　impression　was　that　he　was　en　route　for　Eastport；　with　the　purpose　to　cross　the　Tennessee　River　in　the　direction　of　Nashville；　in　aid　of　General　Bragg；　then　in　full　career　for　Kentucky。　　General　Grant　determined　to　attack　him　in　force；　prepared　to　regain　Corinth　before　Van　Dorn　could　reach　it。　　He　had　drawn　Ord　to　Corinth；　and　moved　him；　by　Burnsville；　on　Iuka；　by　the　main　road；　twenty…six　miles。　　General　Grant　accompanied　this　column　as　far　as　Burnsville。　　At　the　same　time　he　had　dispatched　Rosecrans　by　roads　to　the　south；　via　Jacinto；　with　orders　to　approach　Iuka　by　the　two　main　roads；　coming　into　Iuka　from　the　south；　viz。；　they　Jacinto　and　Fulton　roads。

On　the　18th　General　Ord　encountered　the　enemy　about　four　miles　out　of　Iuka。　　His　orders　contemplated　that　he　should　not　make　a　serious　attack；　until　Rosecrans　had　gained　his　position　on　the　south；　but；　as　usual；　Rosecrans　had　encountered　difficulties　in　the　confusion　of　roads；　his　head　of　column　did　not　reach　the　vicinity　of　Iuka　till　4　p。m。　　of　the　19th；　and　then　his　troops　were　long　drawn　out　on　the　single　Jacinto　road；　leaving　the　Fulton　road　clear　for　Price's　use。　　Price　perceived　his　advantage；　and　attacked　with　vehemence　the　head　of　Rosecrans's　column；　Hamilton's　division；　beating　it　back；　capturing　a　battery；　and　killing　and　disabling　seven　hundred　and　thirty…six　men；　so　that　when　night　closed　in　Rosecrans　was　driven　to　the　defensive；　and　Price；　perceiving　his　danger；　deliberately　withdrew　by　the　Fulton　road；　and　the　next　morning　was　gone。　　Although　General　Ord　must　have　been　within　four　or　six　miles　of　this　battle；　he　did　not　hear　a　sound；　and　he　or　General　Grant　did　not　know　of　it　till　advised　the　next　morning　by　a　courier　who　had　made　a　wide　circuit　to　reach　them。　　General　Grant　was　much　offended　with　General　Rosecrans　because　of　this　affair；　but　in　my　experience　these　concerted　movements　generally　fail；　unless　with　the　very　best　kind　of　troops；　and　then　in　a　country　on　whose　roads　some　reliance　can　be　placed；　which　is　not　the　case　in　Northern　Mississippi。　　If　Price　was　aiming　for　Tennessee；　he　failed；　and　was　therefore　beaten。　　He　made　a　wide　circuit　by　the　south；　and　again　joined　Van　Dorn。

On　the　6th　of　September；　at　Memphis；　I　received　an　order　from　General　Grant　dated　the　2d；　to　send　Hurlbut's　division　to　Brownsville；　in　the　direction　of　Bolivar；　thence　to　report　by　letter　to　him　at　Jackson。　　The　division　started　the　same　day；　and；　as　our　men　and　officers　had　been　together　side　by　side　from　the　first　landing　at　Shiloh；　we　felt　the　parting　like　the　breaking　up　of　a　family。　　But　General　Grant　was　forced　to　use　every　man；　for　he　knew　well　that　Van　Dorn　could　attack　him　at　pleasure；　at　any　point　of　his　long　line。　　To　be　the　better　prepared；　on　the　23d　of　September　he　took　post　himself　at　Jackson；　Tennessee；　with　a　small　reserve　force；　and　gave　Rosecrans　command　of　Corinth；　with　his　three　divisions　and　some　detachments；　aggregating　about　twenty　thousand　men。　　He　posted　General　Ord　with　his　own　and　Hurlbut'a　divisions　at　Bolivar；　with　outposts　toward　Grand　Junction　and　Lagrange。　　These　amounted　to　nine　or　ten　thousand　men；　and　I　held　Memphis　with　my　own　division；　amounting　to　about　six　thousand　men。　The　whole　of　General　Grant's　men　at　that　time　may　have　aggregated　fifty　thousand；　but　he　had　to　defend　a　frontage　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　guard　some　two　hundred　miles　of　railway；　and　as　much　river。　　Van　Dom　had　forty　thousand　men；　united；　at　perfect　liberty　to　move　in　any　direction；　and　to　choose　his　own　point　of　attack；　under　cover　of　woods；　and　a　superior　body　of　cavalry；　familiar　with　every　foot　of　the　ground。　　Therefore　General　Grant　had　good　reason　for　telegraphing　to　General　Halleck；　on　the　1st　of　October；　that　his　position　was　precarious；　〃but　I　hope　to　get　out　of　it　all　right。〃　　In　Memphis　my　business　was　to　hold　fast　that　important　flank；　and　by　that　date　Fort　Dickering　had　been　made　very　strong；　and　capable　of　perfect　defense　by　a　single　brigade。　　I　therefore　endeavored　by　excursions　to　threaten　Van　Dorn's　detachments　to　the　southeast　and　east。　　I　repeatedly　sent　out　strong　detachments　toward　Holly　Springs；　which　was　his　main　depot　of　supply；　and　General　Grierson；　with　his　Sixth　Illinois；　the　only　cavalry　I　had；　made　some　bold　and　successful　dashes　at　the　Coldwater；　compelling　Van　Dorn　to　cover　it　by　Armstrong's　whole　division　of　cavalry。　Still；　by　the　1st　of　October；　General　Grant　was　satisfied　that　the　enemy　was　meditating　an　attack　in　force　on　Bolivar　or　Corinth；　and　on　the　2d　Van　Dorn　made　his　appearance　near　Corinth；　with　his　entire　army。　　On　the　3d　he　moved　down　on　that　place　from　the　north　and　northwest；　General　Roseerana　went　out　some　four　miles　to　meet　him；　but　was　worsted　and　compelled　to　fall　back　within　the　line　of　his　forts。　　These　had　been　began　under　General　Halleck；　but　were　much　strengthened　by　General　Grant；　and　consisted　of　several　detached　redoubts；　bearing　on　each　other；　and　inclosing　the　town　and　the　depots　of　stores　at　the　intersection　of　the　two　railroads。　Van　Dorn　closed　down　on　the　forts　by　the　evening　of　the　3d；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　4th　assaulted　with　great　vehemence。　　Our　men；　covered　by　good　parapets；　fought　gallantly；　and　defended　their　posts　well；　inflicting　terrible　losses　on　the　enemy；　so　that　by　noon　the　rebels　were　repulsed　at　all　points；　and　drew　off；　leaving　their　dead　and　wounded　in　our　hands。　　Their　losses；　were　variously　estimated；　but　the　whole　truth　will　probably　never　be　known；　for　in　that　army　reports　and　returns　were　not　the　fashion。　　General　Rosecrans　admitted　his　own　loss　to　be　three　hundred　and　fifteen　killed；　eighteen　hundred　and　twelve　wounded；　and　two　hundred　and　thirty…two　missing　or　prisoners；　and　claimed　on　the　part　of　the　rebels　fourteen　hundred　and　twenty…three　dead；　two　thousand　and　twenty…five　prisoners　and　wounded。　　Of　course；　most　of　the　wounded　must　have　gone　off　or　been　carried　off；　so　that；　beyond　doubt；　the　rebel　army　lost　at　Corinth　fully　six　thousand　men。

Meantime；　General　Grant；　at　Jackson；　had　dispatched　Brigadier…　General　McPherson；　with　a　brigade；　directly　for　Corinth；　which　reached　General　Rosecrans　after　the　battle；　and；　in　anticipation　of　his　victory；　had　ordered　him　to　pursue　instantly；　notifying　him　that　he　had　ordered　Ord's　and　Hurlbut's　divisions　rapidly　across　to　Pocahontas；　so　as　to　strike　the　rebels　in　flank。　　On　the　morning　of　the　5th；　General　Ord　reached　the　Hatchie　River；　at　Davies　bridge；　with　four　t