memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第63部分

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nk。　　On　the　morning　of　the　5th；　General　Ord　reached　the　Hatchie　River；　at　Davies　bridge；　with　four　thousand　men；　crossed　over　and　encountered　the　retreating　army；　captured　a　battery　and　several　hundred　prisoners；　dispersing　the　rebel　advance；　and　forcing　the　main　column　to　make　a　wide　circuit　by　the　south　in　order　to　cross　the　Hatchie　River。　　Had　General　Rosecrans　pursued　promptly；　and　been　on　the　heels　of　this　mass　of　confused　and　routed　men；　Van　Dorn's　army　would　surely　have　been　utterly　ruined；　as　it　was；　Van　Dom　regained　Holly　Springs　somewhat　demoralized。

General　Rosecrans　did　not　begin　his　pursuit　till　the　next　morning；　the　5th；　and　it　was　then　too　late。　　General　Grant　was　again　displeased　with　him；　and　never　became　fully　reconciled。　　General　Rosecrans　was　soon　after　relieved；　and　transferred　to　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　in　Tennessee；　of　which　he　afterward　obtained　the　command；　in　place　of　General　Buell；　who　was　removed。

The　effect　of　the　battle　of　Corinth　was　very　great。　　It　was；　indeed；　a　decisive　blow　to　the　Confederate　cause　in　our　quarter；　and　changed　the　whole　aspect　of　affairs　in　West　Tennessee。　　From　the　timid　defensive　we　were　at　once　enabled　to　assume　the　bold　offensive。　　In　Memphis　I　could　see　its　effects　upon　the　citizens；　and　they　openly　admitted　that　their　cause　had　sustained　a　death…blow。　　But　the　rebel　government　was　then　at　its　maximum　strength；　Van　Dorn　was　reenforced；　and　very　soon　Lieutenant…General　J。　C。　Pemberton　arrived　and　assumed　the　command；　adopting　for　his　line　the　Tallahatchie　River；　with　an　advance…guard　along　the　Coldwater；　and　smaller　detachments　forward　at　Grand　Junction　and　Hernando。　　General　Grant；　in　like　manner；　was　reenforced　by　new　regiments。

Out　of　those　which　were　assigned　to　Memphis；　I　organized　two　new　brigades；　and　placed　them　under　officers　who　had　gained　skill　and　experience　during　the　previous　campaign。





CHAPTER　XII。

MEMPHIS　TO　ARKANSAS　POST。

JULY；　1882；　TO　JANUARY；　1883


When　we　first　entered　Memphis；　July　21；1862；　I　found　the　place　dead；　no　business　doing；　the　stores　closed；　churches；　schools；　and　every　thing　shut　up。　　The　people　were　all　more　or　less　in　sympathy　with　our　enemies；　and　there　was　a　strong　prospect　that　the　whole　civil　population　would　become　a　dead　weight　on　our　hands。　　Inasmuch　as　the　Mississippi　River　was　then　in　our　possession　northward；　and　steamboats　were　freely　plying　with　passengers　and　freight；　I　caused　all　the　stores　to　be　opened；　churches；　schools；　theatres；　and　places　of　amusement；　to　be　reestablished；　and　very　soon　Memphis　resumed　its　appearance　of　an　active；　busy；　prosperous　place。　　I　also　restored　the　mayor　（whose　name　was　Parks）　and　the　city　government　to　the　performance　of　their　public　functions；　and　required　them　to　maintain　a　good　civil　police。

Up　to　that　date　neither　Congress　nor　the　President　had　made　any　clear；　well…defined　rules　touching　the　negro　slaves；　and　the　different　generals　had　issued　orders　according　to　their　own　political　sentiments。　　Both　Generals　Halleck　and　Grant　regarded　the　slave　as　still　a　slave；　only　that　the　labor　of　the　slave　belonged　to　his　owner；　if　faithful　to　the　Union；　or　to　the　United　States；　if　the　master　had　taken　up　arms　against　the　Government；　or　adhered　to　the　fortunes　of　the　rebellion。　　Therefore；　in　Memphis；　we　received　all　fugitives；　put　them　to　work　on　the　fortifications；　supplied　them　with　food　and　clothing；　and　reserved　the　question　of　payment　of　wages　for　future　decision。　　No　force　was　allowed　to　be　used　to　restore　a　fugitive　slave　to　his　master　in　any　event；　but　if　the　master　proved　his　loyalty；　he　was　usually　permitted　to　see　his　slave；　and；　if　he　could　persuade　him　to　return　home；　it　was　permitted。　　Cotton；　also；　was　a　fruitful　subject　of　controversy。　The　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　Mr。　Chase；　was　extremely　anxious　at　that　particular　time　to　promote　the　purchase　of　cotton；　because　each　bale　was　worth；　in　gold；　about　three　hundred　dollars；　and　answered　the　purpose　of　coin　in　our　foreign　exchanges。　　He　therefore　encouraged　the　trade；　so　that　hundreds　of　greedy　speculators　flocked　down　the　Mississippi；　and　resorted　to　all　sorts　of　measures　to　obtain　cotton　from　the　interior；　often　purchasing　it　from　negroes　who　did　not　own　it；　but　who　knew　where　it　was　concealed。　　This　whole　business　was　taken　from　the　jurisdiction　of　the　military；　and　committed　to　Treasury　agents　appointed　by　Mr。　Chase。

Other　questions　absorbed　the　attention　of　military　commanders；　and　by　way　of　illustration　I　here　insert　a　few　letters　from　my　〃letter…book；〃　which　contains　hundreds　on　similar　subjects：

HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　DIVISION　Memphis；　Tennessee；　August　11；　1862

Hon。　S。　P。　CHASE；　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。

Sir：　Your　letter　of　August　2d；　just　received；　invites　my　discussion　of　the　cotton　question。

I　will　write　plainly　and　slowly；　because　I　know　you　have　no　time　to　listen　to　trifles。　　This　is　no　trifle；　when　one　nation　is　at　war　with　another；　all　the　people　of　the　one　are　enemies　of　the　other：　then　the　rules　are　plain　and　easy　of　understanding。　　Most　unfortunately；　the　war　in　which　we　are　now　engaged　has　been　complicated　with　the　belief　on　the　one　hand　that　all　on　the　other　are　not　enemies。　　It　would　have　been　better　if；　at　the　outset；　this　mistake　had　not　been　made；　and　it　is　wrong　longer　to　be　misled　by　it。　　The　Government　of　the　United　States　may　now　safely　proceed　on　the　proper　rule　that　all　in　the　South　are　enemies　of　all　in　the　North；　and　not　only　are　they　unfriendly；　but　all　who　can　procure　arms　now　bear　them　as　organized　regiments；　or　as　guerrillas。　　There　is　not　a　garrison　in　Tennessee　where　a　man　can　go　beyond　the　sight　of　the　flag…staff　without　being　shot　or　captured。　　It　so　happened　that　these　people　had　cotton；　and；　whenever　they　apprehended　our　large　armies　would　move；　they　destroyed　the　cotton　in　the　belief　that；　of　course；　we　world　seize　it；　and　convert　it　to　our　use。　They　did　not　and　could　not　dream　that　we　would　pay　money　for　it。　It　had　been　condemned　to　destruction　by　their　own　acknowledged　government；　and　was　therefore　lost　to　their　people；　and　could　have　been；　without　injustice；　taken　by　us；　and　sent　away；　either　as　absolute　prize　of　war；　or　for　future　compensation。　　But　the　commercial　enterprise　of　the　Jews　soon　discovered　that　ten　cents　would　buy　a　pound　of　cotton　behind　our　army；　that　four　cents　would　take　it　to　Boston；　where　they　could　receive　thirty　cents　in　gold。　The　bait　was　too　tempting；　and　it　spread　like　fire；　when　here　they　discovered　that　salt；　bacon；　powder；　fire…arms；　percussion…caps；　etc。；　etc。；　were　worth　as　much　as　gold；　and；　strange　to　say；　this　traffic　was　not　only　permitted；　but　encouraged。　　Before　we　in　the　interior　could　know　it；　hundreds；　yea　thousands　of　barrels　of　salt　and　millions　of　dollars　had　been　disbursed；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　Bragg's　army　at　Tupelo；　and　Van　Dorn's　at　Vicksburg；　received　enough　salt　to　make　bacon；　without　which　they　could　not　have　moved　their　armies　in　mass；　and　that　from　ten　to　twenty　thousand　fresh　arms；　and　a　due　supply　of　cartridges；　have　also　been　got；　I　am　equally　satisfied。　　As　soon　as　I　got　to　Memphis；　having　seen　the　effect　in　the　interior；　I　ordered　（only　as　to　my　own　command）　that　gold；　silver；　and　Treasury　notes；　were　contraband　of　war；　and　should　not　go　into　the　interior；　where　all　were　hostile。　　It　is　idle　to　talk　about　Union　men　here：　many　want　peace；　and　fear　war　and　its　results；　but　all　prefer　a　Southern；　independent　government；　and　are　fighting　or　working　for　it。　　Every　gold　dollar　that　was　spent　for　cotton；　was　sent　to　the　seaboard；　to　be　exchanged　for　bank…notes　and　Confederate　scrip；　which　will　buy　goods　here；　and　are　taken　in　ordinary　transactions。　　I　therefore　required　cotton　to　be　paid　for　in　such　notes；　by　an　obligation　to　pay　at　the　end　of　the　war；　or　by　a　deposit　of　the　price　in　the　hands　of　a　trustee；　viz。；　the　United　States　Quartermaster。　　Under　these　rules　cotton　is　being　obtained　about　as　fast　as　by　any　other　process；　and　yet　the　enemy　receives　no　〃aid　or　comfort。〃　　Under　the　〃gold〃　rule；　the　country　people　who　had　concealed　their　cotton　from　the　burners；　and　who　openly　scorned　our　greenbacks；　were　willing　enough　to　take　Tennessee　money；　which　will　buy　their　groceries；　but　now　that　the　trade　is　to　be　encouraged；　and　gold　paid　out；　I　admit　that　cotton　will　be　sent　in　by　our　open　enemies；　who　can　make　better　use　of　gold　than　they　can　of　their　hidden　bales　of　cotton。

I　may　not　appreciate　the　foreign　aspect　of　the　question；　but　my　views　on　this　may　be　ventured。　　If　England　ever　threatens　war　because　we　don't　furnish　her　cotton；　tell　her　plainly　if　she　can't　employ　and　feed　her　own　people；　to　send　them　here；　where　they　cannot　only　earn　an　honest　living；　but　soon　secure　independence　by　moderate　labor。　　We　are　not　bound　to　furnish　her　cotton。　　She　has　more　reason　to　fight　the　South　for　burning　that　cotton；　than　us　for　not　shipping　it。　　To　aid　the　South　on　this　ground　would　be　hypocrisy　which　the　world　would　detect　at　once。　　Let　her　make　her　ultimatum；　and　there　are　enough　generous　minds　in　Europe　that　will　counteract　her　in　the　balance。　　Of　course　her　motive　is　to　cripple　a　power　that　rivals　her　in　commerce　and　manufactures；　that　threatenes　even　to　usurp　her　history。　　In　twenty　more　years　of　prosperity；　it　will　require　a　close　calculation　to　determine　whether　England；　her　laws　and　history；　claim　for　a　home　the　Continent　of　America　or　the　Isle　of　Britain。　　Therefore；　finding　us　in　a　death…struggle　for　existence；　she　seems　to　seek　a　quarrel　to　destroy　both　parts　in　detail。

Southern　people　know　this　full　well；　and　will　only　accept　the　alliance　of　England　in　order　to　get　arms　and　manufactures　in　exchange　for　their　cotton。　　The　Southern　Confederacy　will　accept　no　other　mediation；　because　she　knows　full　well　that　in　Old　England　her　slaves　and　slavery　will　receive　no　more　encouragement　than　in　New　England。

France　certainly　does　not　need　our　cotton　enough　to　disturb　her　equilibrium；　and　her　mediation　would　be　entitled　to　a　more　respect　consideration　than　on　the　part　of　her　present　ally。　　But　I　feel　assured　the　French　will　not　encourage　rebellion　and　secession　anywhere　as　a　political　doctrine。　　Certainly　all　the　German　states　must　be　our　ardent　friends；　and；　in　case　of　European　intervention；　they　could　no