memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第70部分

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o　practicable　points；　it　would　prove　too　costly；　and　accordingly　resolved　to　look　elsewhere　for　a　point　below　Haines's　Bluff；　or　Blake's　plantation。　That　night　I　conferred　with　Admiral　Porter；　who　undertook　to　cover　the　landing；　and　the　next　day　（December　30th）　the　boats　were　all　selected；　but　so　alarmed　were　the　captains　and　pilots；　that　we　had　to　place　sentinels　with　loaded　muskets　to　insure　their　remaining　at　their　posts。　　Under　cover　of　night；　Steele's　division；　and　one　brigade　of　Stuart's；　were　drawn　out　of　line；　and　quietly　embarked　on　steamboats　in　the　Yazoo　River。　　The　night　of　December　30th　was　appointed　for　this　force；　under　the　command　of　General　Fred　Steele；　to　proceed　up　the　Yazoo　just　below　Haines's　Bluff；　there　to　disembark　about　daylight；　and　make　a　dash　for　the　hills。　　Meantime　we　had　strengthened　our　positions　near　Chickasaw　Bayou；　had　all　our　guns　in　good　position　with　parapets；　and　had　every　thing　ready　to　renew　our　attack　as　soon　as　we　heard　the　sound　of　battle　above。

At　midnight　I　left　Admiral　Porter　on　his　gunboat；　he　had　his　fleet　ready　and　the　night　was　propitious。　　I　rode　back　to　camp　and　gave　orders　for　all　to　be　ready　by　daybreak；　but　when　daylight　came　I　received　a　note　from　General　Steele　reporting　that；　before　his　boats　had　got　up　steam；　the　fog　had　settled　down　on　the　river　so　thick　and　impenetrable；　that　it　was　simply　impossible　to　move；　so　the　attempt　had　to　be　abandoned。　　The　rain；　too；　began　to　fall；　and　the　trees　bore　water…marks　ten　feet　above　our　heads；　so　that　I　became　convinced　that　the　part　of　wisdom　was　to　withdraw。　　I　ordered　the　stores　which　had　been　landed　to　be　reembarked　on　the　boats；　and　preparations　made　for　all　the　troops　to　regain　their　proper　boats　during　the　night　of　the　1st　of　January；　1863。　　From　our　camps　at　Chickasaw　we　could　hear；　the　whistles　of　the　trains　arriving　in　Vicksburg；　could　see　battalions　of　men　marching　up　toward　Haines's　Bluff；　and　taking　post　at　all　points　in　our　front。　I　was　more　than　convinced　that　heavy　reenforcements　were　coming　to　Vicksburg；　whether　from　Pemberton　at　Grenada；　Bragg　in　Tennessee；　or　from　other　sources；　I　could　not　tell；　but　at　no　point　did　the　enemy　assume　the　offensive；　and　when　we　drew　off　our　rear…guard；　on　the　morning　of　the　2d；　they　simply　followed　up　the　movement；　timidly。　　Up　to　that　moment　I　had　not　heard　a　word　from　General　Grant　since　leaving　Memphis；　and　most　assuredly　I　had　listened　for　days　for　the　sound　of　his　guns　in　the　direction　of　Yazoo　City。　　On　the　morning　of　January　2d；　all　my　command　were　again　afloat　in　their　proper　steamboats；　when　Admiral　Porter　told　me　that　General　McClernand　had　arrived　at　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo　in　the　steamboat　Tigress；　and　that　it　was　rumored　he　had　come　down　to　supersede　me。　Leaving　my　whole　force　where　it　was；　I　ran　down　to　the　month　of　the　Yazoo　in　a　small　tug　boat；　and　there　found　General　McClernand；　with　orders　from　the　War　Department　to　command　the　expeditionary　force　on　the　Mississippi　River。　　I　explained　what　had　been　done；　and　what　was　the　actual　state　of　facts；　that　the　heavy　reenforcements　pouring　into　Vicksburg　must　be　Pemberton's　army；　and　that　General　Grant　must　be　near　at　hand。　　He　informed　me　that　General　Grant　was　not　coming　at　all；　that　his　depot　at　Holly　Springs　had　been　captured　by　Van　Dorn；　and　that　he　had　drawn　back　from　Coffeeville　and　Oxford　to　Holly　Springs　and　Lagrange；　and；　further；　that　Quinby's　division　of　Grant's　army　was　actually　at　Memphis　for　stores　when　he　passed　down。　　This；　then；　fully　explained　how　Vicksburg　was　being　reenforced。　　I　saw　that　any　attempt　on　the　place　from　the　Yazoo　was　hopeless；　and；　with　General　McClernand's　full　approval；　we　all　came　out　of　the　Yazoo；　and　on　the　3d　of　January　rendezvoused　at　Milliken's。　　Bend；　about　ten　miles　above。　On　the　4th　General　McClernand　issued　his　General　Order　No。　1；　assuming　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Mississippi；　divided　into　two　corps；　the　first　to　be　commanded　by　General　Morgan；　composed　of　his　own　and　A。　J。　Smith's　divisions；　and　the　second；　composed　of　Steele's　and　Stuart's　divisions；　to　be　commanded　by　me。　　Up　to　that　time　the　army　had　been　styled　the　right　wing　of　（General　Grant's）　Thirteenth　Army　Corps；　and　numbered　about　thirty　thousand　men。　　The　aggregate　loss　during　the　time　of　any　command；　mostly　on　the　29th　of　December；　was　one　hundred　and　seventy…five　killed；　nine　hundred　and　thirty　wounded；　and　seven　hundred　and　forty…three　prisoners。　According　to　Badeau；　the　rebels　lost　sixty…three　killed；　one　hundred　and　thirty…four　wounded；　and　ten　prisoners。　　It　afterward　transpired　that　Van　Dorn　had　captured　Holly　Springs　on　the　20th　of　December；　and　that　General　Grant　fell　back　very　soon　after。　General　Pemberton；　who　had　telegraphic　and　railroad　communication　with　Vicksburg；　was　therefore　at　perfect　liberty　to　reenforce　the　place　with　a　garrison　equal；　if　not　superior；　to　my　command。　　The　rebels　held　high；　commanding　ground；　and　could　see　every　movement　of　our　men　and　boats；　so　that　the　only　possible　hope　of　success　consisted　in　celerity　and　surprise；　and　in　General　Grant's　holding　all　of　Pemberton's　army　hard　pressed　meantime。　　General　Grant　was　perfectly　aware　of　this；　and　had　sent　me　word　of　the　change；　but　it　did　not　reach　me　in　time；　indeed；　I　was　not　aware　of　it　until　after　my　assault　of　December　29th；　and　until　the　news　was　brought　me　by　General　MeClernand　as　related。　　General　McClernand　was　appointed　to　this　command　by　President　Lincoln　in　person；　who　had　no　knowledge　of　what　was　then　going　on　down　the　river。　　Still；　my　relief；　on　the　heels　of　a　failure；　raised　the　usual　cry；　at　the　North；　of　〃repulse；　failure；　and　bungling。〃　　There　was　no　bungling　on　my　part；　for　I　never　worked　harder　or　with　more　intensity　of　purpose　in　my　life；　and　General。　　Grant；　long　after；　in　his　report　of　the　operations　of　the　siege　of　Vicksburg；　gave　us　all　full　credit　for　the　skill　of　the　movement；　and　described　the　almost　impregnable　nature　of　the　ground；　and；　although　in　　all　official　reports　I　assumed　the　whole　responsibility；　I　have　ever　felt　that　had　General　Morgan　promptly　and　skillfully　sustained　the　lead　of　Frank　Blair's　brigade　on　that　day；　we　should　have　broken　the　rebel　line；　and　effected　a　lodgment　on　the　hills　behind　Vicksburg。　　General　Frank　Blair　was　outspoken　and　　indignant　against　Generals　Morgan　and　De　Courcey　at　the　time；　and　always　abused　me　for　assuming　the　whole　blame。　　But；　had　we　succeeded；　we　might　have　found　ourselves　in　a　worse　trap；　when　General　Pemberton　was　at　full　liberty　to　turn　his　whole　force　against　us。　　While　I　was　engaged　at　Chickasaw　Bayou；　Admiral　Porter　was　equally　busy　in　the　Yazoo　River；　threatening　the　enemy's　batteries　at　Haines's　and　Snyder's　Bluffs　above。　　In　a　sharp　engagement　he　lost　one　of　his　best　officers；　in　the　person　of　Captain　Gwin；　United　States　Navy；　who；　though　on　board　an　ironclad；　insisted　on　keeping　his　post　on　deck；　where　he　was　struck　in　the　breast　by　a　round　shot；　which　carried　away　the　muscle；　　and　contused　the　lung　within；　from　which　he　died　a　few　days　after。　　We　of　the　army　deplored　his　loss　quite　as　much　as　his　fellows　of　the　navy；　for　he　had　been　intimately　associated　with　us　in　our　previous　operations　on　the　Tennessee　River；　at　Shiloh　and　above；　and　we　had　come　to　regard　him　as　one　of　us。

On　the　4th　of　January；　1863；　our　fleet　of　transports　was　collected　at　Milliken's　Bend；　about　ten　miles　above　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo；　Admiral　Porter　remaining　with　his　gunboats　at　the　Yazoo。　　General　John　A。　McClernand　was　in　chief　command；　General　George　W。　Morgan　commanded　the　First　Corps　and　I　the　Second　Corps　of　the　Army　of　the　Mississippi。

I　had　learned　that　a　small　steamboat；　the　Blue　Wing；　with　a　mail；　towing　coal…barges　and　loaded　with　ammunition；　had　left　Memphis　for　the　Yazoo；　about　the　20th　of　December；　had　been　captured　by　a　rebel　boat　which　had　come　out　of　the　Arkansas　River；　and　had　been　carried　up　that　river　to　Fort　Hind

We　had　reports　from　this　fort；　usually　called　the　〃Post　of　Arkansas；〃　about　forty　miles　above　the　mouth；　that　it　was　held　by　about　five　thousand　rebels；　was　an　inclosed　work；　commanding　the　passage　of　the　river；　but　supposed　to　be　easy　of　capture　from　the　rear。　　At　that　time　I　don't　think　General　McClernand　had　any　definite　views　or　plays　of　action。　　If　so；　he　did　not　impart　them　to　me。　　He　spoke；　in　general　terms　of　opening　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi；　〃cutting　his　way　to　the　sea；〃　etc。；　etc。；　but　the　modus　operandi　was　not　so　clear。　　Knowing　full　well　that　we　could　not　carry　on　operations　against　Vicksburg　as　long　as　the　rebels　held　the　Post　of　Arkansas；　whence　to　attack　our　boats　coming　and　going　without　convoy；　I　visited　him　on　his　boat；　the　Tigress；　took　with　me　a　boy　who　had　been　on　the　Blue　Wing；　and　had　escaped；　and　asked　leave　to　go　up　the　Arkansas；　to　clear　out　the　Post。　　He　made　various　objections；　but　consented　to　go　with　me　to　see　Admiral　Porter　about　it。　　We　got　up　steam　in　the　Forest　Queen；　during　the　night　of　January　4th；　stopped　at　the　Tigress；　took　General　McClernand　on　board；　and　proceeded　down　the　river　by　night　to　the　admiral's　boat；　the　Black　Hawk；　lying　in　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo。　It　must　have　been　near　midnight；　and　Admiral　Porter　was　in　deshabille。　　We　were　seated　in　his　cabin　and　I　explained　my　views　about　Arkansas　Post；　and　asked　his　cooperation。　　He　said　that　he　was　short　of　coal；　and　could　not　use　wood　in　his　iron…clad　boats。　Of　these　I　asked　for　two；　to　be　commanded　by　Captain　Shirk　or　Phelps；　or　some　officer　of　my　acquaintance。　　At　that　moment；　poor　Gwin　lay　on　his　bed；　in　a　state…room　close　by；　dying　from　the　effect　of　the　cannon　shot　received　at　Haines's　Bluff；　as　before　described。　　Porter's　manner　to　McClernand　was　so　curt　that　I　invited　him　out　into　a　forward…cabin　where　he　had　his　charts；　and　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　it。　　He　said　that　〃he　did　not　like　him；〃　that　in　Washington；　before　coming　West；　he　had　been　introduced　to　him　by　President　Lincoln；　and　he　had　taken　a　strong　prejudice　against　him。　　I　begged　him；　for　the　sake　of　harmony；　to　waive　that；　which　he　promised　to　do。　　Returning　to　the　cabin；　the　conversation　was　resumed；　and；　on　our　offering　to　tow　his　gunboats　up　the　river　to　save　coal；　and　on　renewing　the　request　for　Shirk　to　command　the　detachment；　Porter　said；　〃Suppose　I　go　along　myself