memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第68部分

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or　three　small　boats　suitable　for　navigating　the　Yazoo。　　It　may　become　necessary　for　me　to　look　to　that　base　for　supplies　before　we　get　through。。。。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


When　we　rode　to　Oxford　from　College　Hill；　there　happened　a　little　circumstance　which　seems　worthy　of　record。　　While　General　Van　Dorn　had　his　headquarters　in　Holly　Springs；　viz。；　in　October；　1862；　he　was　very　short　of　the　comforts　and　luxuries　of　life；　and　resorted　to　every　possible　device　to　draw　from　the　abundant　supplies　in　Memphis。　　He　had　no　difficulty　whatever　in　getting　spies　into　the　town　for　information；　but　he　had　trouble　in　getting　bulky　supplies　out　through　our　guards；　though　sometimes　I　connived　at　his　supplies　of　cigars；　liquors；　boots；　gloves；　etc。；　for　his　individual　use；　but　medicines　and　large　supplies　of　all　kinds　were　confiscated；　if　attempted　to　be　passed　out。　　As　we　rode　that　morning　toward　Oxford；　I　observed　in　a　farmer's　barn…yard　a　wagon　that　looked　like　a　city　furniture…wagon　with　springs。　　We　were　always　short　of　wagons；　so　I　called　the　attention　of　the　quartermaster；　Colonel　J。　Condit　Smith；　saying；　〃There　is　a　good　wagon；　go　for　it。〃　　He　dropped　out　of　the　retinue　with　an　orderly；　and　after　we　had　ridden　a　mile　or　so　he　overtook　us；　and　I　asked　him；　〃What　luck？〃　　He　answered；　〃All　right；　I　have　secured　that　wagon；　and　I　also　got　another；〃　and　explained　that　he　had　gone　to　the　farmer's　house　to　inquire　about　the　furniture…wagon；　when　the　farmer　said　it　did　not　belong　to　him；　but　to　some　party　in　Memphis；　adding　that　in　his　barn　was　another　belonging　to　the　same　party。　　They　went　to　the　barn；　and　there　found　a　handsome　city　hearse；　with　pall　and　plumes。　　The　farmer　said　they　had　had　a　big　funeral　out　of　Memphis；　but　when　it　reached　his　house；　the　coffin　was　found　to　contain　a　fine　assortment　of　medicines　for　the　use　of　Van　Dorn's　army。　　Thus　under　the　pretense　of　a　first…class　funeral；　they　had　carried　through　our　guards　the　very　things　we　had　tried　to　prevent。　　It　was　a　good　trick；　but　diminished　our　respect　for　such　pageants　afterward。

As　soon　as　I　was　in　possession　of　General　Grant's　instructions　of　December　8th；　with　a　further　request　that　I　should　dispatch　Colonel　Grierson；　with　his　cavalry；　across　by　land　to　Helena；　to　notify　General　Steele　of　the　general　plan；　I　returned　to　College　Hill；　selected　the　division　of　Brigadier…General　Morgan　L。　Smith　to　return　with　me　to　Memphis；　started　Grierson　on　his　errand　to　Helena；　and　ordered　Generals　Denver　and　Lauman　to　report　to　General　Grant　for　further　orders。　　We　started　back　by　the　most　direct　route；　reached　Memphis　by　noon　of　December　12th；　and　began　immediately　the　preparations　for　the　Vicksburg　movement。　　There　I　found　two　irregular　divisions　which　had　arrived　at　Memphis　in　my　absence；　commanded　respectively　by　Brigadier…General　A。　J。　Smith　and　Brigadier…General　George　W。　Morgan。　　These　were　designated　the　First　and　Third　Divisions；　leaving　the　Second　Division　of　Morgan　Z。　Smith　to　retain　its　original　name　and　number。

I　also　sent　orders；　in　the　name　of　General　Grant；　to　General　Gorman；　who　meantime　had　replaced　General　Steele　in　command　of　Helena；　in　lieu　of　the　troops　which　had　been　east　of　the　Mississippi　and　had　returned；　to　make　up　a　strong　division　to　report　to　me　on　my　way　down。　　This　division　was　accordingly　organized；　and　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Frederick　Steele；　constituting　my　Fourth　Division。

Meantime　a　large　fleet　of　steamboats　was　assembling　from　St。　Louis　and　Cairo；　and　Admiral　Porter　dropped　down　to　Memphis　with　his　whole　gunboat　fleet；　ready　to　cooperate　in　the　movement。　　The　preparations　were　necessarily　hasty　in　the　extreme；　but　this　was　the　essence　of　the　whole　plan；　viz。；　to　reach　Vicksburg　as　it　were　by　surprise；　while　General　Grant　held　in　check　Pemberton's　army　about　Grenada；　leaving　me　to　contend　only　with　the　smaller　garrison　of　Vicksburg　and　its　well…known　strong　batteries　and　defenses。　　On　the　19th　the　Memphis　troops　were　embarked；　and　steamed　down　to　Helena；　where　on　the　21st　General　Steele's　division　was　also　embarked；　and　on　the　22d　we　were　all　rendezvoused　at　Friar's　Point；　in　the　following　order；　viz。：

Steamer　Forest　Queen；　general　headquarters；　and　battalion　Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry。

First　Division；　Brigadier…General　A。　J。　SMITH。…　Steamers　Des　Arc；　division　headquarters　and　escort；　Metropolitan；　Sixth　Indiana；　J。　H。　Dickey；　Twenty…third　Wisconsin；　J。　C。　Snow；　Sixteenth　Indiana；　Hiawatha；　Ninety…sixth　Ohio；　J。　S。　Pringle；　Sixty…seventh　Indiana；　J。　W。　Cheeseman；　Ninth　Kentucky；　R。　Campbell；　Ninety…seventh　Indiana；　Duke　of　Argyle；　Seventy…seventh　Illinois；　City　of　Alton；　One　Hundred　and　Eighth　and　Forty…eighth　Ohio；　City　of　Louisiana；　Mercantile　Battery；　Ohio　Belle；　Seventeenth　Ohio　Battery；　Citizen；　Eighty…third　Ohio；　Champion；　commissary…boat；　General　Anderson；　Ordnance。

Second　Division；；　Brigadier…General　M。　L。　SMITH。…Steamers　Chancellor；　headquarters；　and　Thielman's　cavalry；　Planet；　One　Hundred　and　Sixteenth　Illinois；　City　of　Memphis；　Batteries　A　and　B　（Missouri　Artillery）；　Eighth　Missouri；　and　section　of　Parrott　guns；　Omaha；　Fifty…seventh　Ohio；　Sioux　City；　Eighty…third　Indiana；　Spread　Eagle；　One　Hundred　and　Twenty…seventh　Illinois；　Ed。　　Walsh；　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois；　Westmoreland；　Fifty…fifth　Illinois；　headquarters　Fourth　Brigade；　Sunny　South；　Fifty…fourth　Ohio；　Universe；　Sixth　Missouri；　Robert　Allen；　commissary…boat。

Third　Division；　Brigadier…General　G。　W。　MORGAN。…　Steamers　Empress；　division　headquarters；　Key　West；　One　Hundred　and　Eighteenth　Illinois；　Sam　Gaty；　Sixty…ninth　Indiana；　Northerner；　One　Hundred　and　Twentieth　Ohio；　Belle　Peoria；　headquarters　Second　Brigade；　two　companies　Forty…ninth　Ohio；　and　pontoons；　Die　Vernon；　Third　Kentucky；　War　Eagle；　Forty…ninth　Indiana　（eight　companies）；　and　Foster's　battery；　Henry　von　Phul；　headquarters　Third　Brigade；　and　eight　companies　Sixteenth　Ohio；　Fanny　Bullitt；　One　Hundred　and　Fourteenth　Ohio；　and　Lamphere's　battery；　Crescent　City；　Twenty…second　Kentucky　and　Fifty…fourth　Indiana；　Des　Moines；　Forty…second　Ohio；　Pembina；　Lamphere's　and　Stone's　batteries；　Lady　Jackson；　commissary…boat。

Fourth　Division；　Brigadier…General　FREDERICK　STEELE　…　　Steamers　Continental；　headquarters；　escort　and　battery；　John　J。　Roe；　Fourth　and　Ninth　Iowa；　Nebraska；　Thirty…first　Iowa；　Key　West；　First　Iowa　Artillery；　John　Warner；　Thirteenth　Illinois；　Tecumseh；　Twenty…sixth　Iowa；　Decatur；　Twenty…eighth　Iowa；　Quitman；　Thirty…fourth　Iowa；　Kennett；　Twenty　ninth　Missouri；　Gladiator；　Thirtieth　Missouri；　Isabella；　Thirty…first　Missouri；　D。　G。　Taylor；　quartermaster's　stores　and　horses；　Sucker　State；　Thirty…second　Missouri；　Dakota；　Third　Missouri；　Tntt；　Twelfth　Missouri　Emma；　Seventeenth　Missouri；　Adriatic；　First　Missouri；　Meteor；　Seventy…sixth　Ohio；　Polar　Star；　Fifty…eighth　Ohio。


At　the　same　time　were　communicated　the　following　instructions：

HEADQUARTERS　RIGHT　WING；　THIRTEENTH　ARMY　Corps　FOREST　QUEEN；　December　23；　1882。

To　Commanders　of　Divisions；　Generals　F。　STEELE；　GEORGE　W。　MORGAN；　A。J。　SMITH；　and　M。　L。　SMITH

With　this　I　hand　to　each　of　yoU　a　copy　of　a　map；　compiled　from　the　best　sources；　and　which　in　the　main　is　correct。　　It　is　the　same　used　by　Admiral　Porter　and　myself。　　Complete　military　success　can　only　be　accomplished　by　united　action　on　some　general　plan；　embracing　usually　a　large　district　of　country。　　In　the　present　instance；　our　object　is　to　secure　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　River　and　its　main　branches；　and　to　hold　them　as　military　channels　of　communication　and　for　commercial　purposes。　　The　river；　above　Vicksburg；　has　been　gained　by　conquering　the　country　to　its　rear；　rendering　its　possession　by　our　enemy　useless　and　unsafe　to　him；　and　of　great　value　to　us。　　But　the　enemy　still　holds　the　river　from　Vicksburg　to　Baton　Rouge；　navigating　it　with　his　boats；　and　the　possession　of　it　enables　him　to　connect　his　communications　and　routes　of　supply；　east　and　west。　　To　deprive　him　of　this　will　be　a　severe　blow；　and；　if　done　effectually；　will　be　of　great　advantage　to　us；　and　probably；　the　most　decisive　act　of　the　war。　　To　accomplish　this　important　result　we　are　to　act　our　partan　important　one　of　the　great　whole。　　General　Banks；　with　a　large　force；　has　reinforced　General　Butler　in　Louisiana；　and　from　that　quarter　an　expedition；　by　water　and　land；　is　coming　northward。　General　Grant；　with　the　Thirteenth　Army　Corps；　of　which　we　compose　the　right　wing；　is　moving　southward。　　The　naval　squadron　（Admiral　Porter）　is　operating　with　his　gunboat　fleet　by　water；　each　in　perfect　harmony　with　the　other。

General　Grant's　left　and　centre　were　at　last　accounts　approaching　the　Yalabusha；　near　Grenada；　and　the　railroad　to　his　rear；　by　which　he　drew　his　supplies；　was　reported　to　be　seriously　damaged。　　This　may　disconcert　him　somewhat；　but　only　makes　more　important　our　line　of　operations。　　At　the　Yalabusha　General　Grant　may　encounter　the　army　of　General　Pemberton；　the　same　which　refused　him　battle　on　the　line　of　the　Tallahatchie；　which　was　strongly　fortified；　but；　as　he　will　not　have　time　to　fortify　it；　he　will　hardly　stand　there；　and；　in　that　event；　General　Grant　will　immediately　advance　down　the　high　ridge　between　the　Big　Black　and　Yazoo；　and　will　expect　to　meet　us　on　the　Yazoo　and　receive　from　us　the　supplies　which　he　needs；　and　which　he　knows　we　carry　along。　　Parts　of　this　general　plan　are　to　cooperate　with　the　naval　squadron　in　the　reduction　of　Vicksburg；　to　secure　possession　of　the　land　lying　between　the　Yazoo　and　Big　Black；　and　to　act　in　concert　with　General　Grant　against　Pemberton's　forces；　supposed　to　have　Jackson；　Mississippi；　as　a　point　of　concentration。　　Vicksburg　is　doubtless　very　strongly　fortified；　both　against　the　river　and　land　approaches。　　Already　the　gunboats　have　secured　the　Yazoo　up　for　twenty…three　miles；　to　a　fort　on　the　Yazoo　at　Haines's　Bluff；　giving　us　a　choice　for　a　landing…place　at　some　point　up　the　Yazoo　below　this　fort；　or　on　the　island　which　lies　between　Vicksburg　and　the　present　mouth　of　the　Yazoo。　　（See　map　＇b；　c；　d＇；　Johnson's　plantation。）

　　　　　But；　before　any　actual　collision　with　the　enemy；　I　purpose；　after　our　whole　land　force　is　rendezvoused　at　Gaines's　Landing；　Arkansas；　to　proceed　in　order　to　Milliken's　Bend　（a）；　and　there　dispatch　a　brigade；　wit