memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第72部分

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dered　something　to　be　brought；　and　explained　to　me　that　by　his　〃orders〃　he　did　not　wish　to　interfere　with　the　actual　state　of　facts；　that　General　A。　J。　Smith　would　occupy　〃Fort　Hindman；〃　which　his　troops　had　first　entered；　and　I　could　hold　the　lines　outside；　and　go　on　securing　the　prisoners　and　stores　as　I　had　begun。　　I　returned　to　the　position　of　Garland's　brigade　and　gave　the　necessary　orders　for　marching　all　the　prisoners；　disarmed；　to　a　pocket　formed　by　the　river　and　two　deep　gullies　just　above　the　fort；　by　which　time　it　had　become　quite　dark。　　After　dark　another　rebel　regiment　arrived　from　Pine　Bluff；　marched　right　in；　and　was　also　made　prisoners。　　There　seemed　to　be　a　good　deal　of　feeling　among　the　rebel　officers　against　Garland；　who　asked　leave　to　stay　with　me　that　night；　to　which　I　of　course　consented。　　Just　outside　the　rebel　parapet　was　a　house　which　had　been　used　for　a　hospital。　　I　had　a　room　cleaned　out；　and　occupied　it　that　night。　　A　cavalry…soldier　lent　me　his　battered　coffee…pot　with　some　coffee　and　scraps　of　hard　bread　out　of　his　nose…bag；　Garland　and　I　made　some　coffee；　ate　our　bread　together；　and　talked　politics　by　the　fire　till　quite　late　at　night；　when　we　lay　down　on　straw　that　was　saturated　with　the　blood　of　dead　or　wounded　men。　The　next　day　the　prisoners　were　all　collected　on　their　boats；　lists　were　made　out；　and　orders　given　for　their　transportation　to　St。　Louis；　in　charge　of　my　aide；　Major　Sanger。　　We　then　proceeded　to　dismantle　and　level　the　forts；　destroy　or　remove　the　stores；　and　we　found　in　the　magazine　the　very　ammunition　which　had　been　sent　for　us　in　the　Blue　Wing；　which　was　secured　and　afterward　used　in　our　twenty…pound　Parrott　guns。

On　the　13th　we　reembarked；　the　whole　expedition　returned　out　of　the　river　by　the　direct　route　down　the　Arkansas　during　a　heavy　snow…storm；　and　rendezvoused　in　the　Mississippi；　at　Napoleon；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Arkansas。　　Here　General　McClernand　told　me　he　had　received　a　letter　from　General　Grant　at　Memphis；　who　disapproved　of　our　movement　up　the　Arkansas；　but　that　communication　was　made　before　he　had　learned　of　our　complete　success。　　When　informed　of　this；　and　of　the　promptness　with　which　it　had　been　executed；　he　could　not　but　approve。　　We　were　then　ordered　back　to　Milliken's　Bend；　to　await　General　Grant's　arrival　in　person。　　We　reached　Milliken's　Bend　January　21st。

McClernand's　report　of　the　capture　of　Fort　Hindman　almost　ignored　the　action　of　Porter's　fleet　altogether。　　This　was　unfair；　for　I　know　that　the　admiral　led　his　fleet　in　person　in　the　river…attack；　and　that　his　guns　silenced　those　of　Fort　Hindman；　and　drove　the　gunners　into　the　ditch。

The　aggregate　loss　in　my　corps　at　Arkansas　Post　was　five　hundred　and　nineteen；　viz。；　four　officers　and　seventy…five　men　killed；　thirty…four　officers　and　four　hundred　and　six　men　wounded。　　I　never　knew　the　losses　in　the　gunboat　fleet；　or　in　Morgan's　corps；　but　they　must　have　been　less　than　in　mine；　which　was　more　exposed。　　The　number　of　rebel　dead　must　have　been　nearly　one　hundred　and　fifty；　of　prisoners；　by　actual　count；　we　secured　four　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…one；　and　sent　them　north　to　St。　Louis。




CHAPTER　XIII。

VICKSBURG。

JANUARY　TO　JULY；　1888。


The　campaign　of　1863；　resulting；　in　the　capture　of　Vicksburg；　was　so　important；　that　its　history　has　been　well　studied　and　well　described　in　all　the　books　treating　of　the　civil　war；　more　especially　by　Dr。　Draper；　in　his　〃History　of　the　Civil　War　in　America；〃　and　in　Badeau's　〃Military　History　of　General　Grant。〃　　In　the　latter　it　is　more　fully　and　accurately　given　than　in　any　other；　and　is　well　illustrated　by　maps　and　original　documents。　　I　now　need　only　attempt　to　further　illustrate　Badeau's　account　by　some　additional　details。　　When　our　expedition　came　out　of　the　Arkansas　River；　January；　18；1863；　and　rendezvoused　at　the　river…bank；　in　front　of　the　town　of　Napoleon；　Arkansas；　we　were　visited　by　General　Grant　in　person；　who　had　come　down　from　Memphis　in　a　steamboat。　Although　at　this　time　Major…General　J。　A。　McClernand　was　in　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Mississippi；　by　virtue　of　a　confidential　order　of　the　War　Department；　dated　October　21；　1862；　which　order　bore　the　indorsement　of　President　Lincoln；　General　Grant　still　exercised　a　command　over　him；　by　reason　of　his　general　command　of　the　Department　of　the　Tennessee。　　By　an　order　（No。　210）　of　December　18；　1862；　from　the　War　Department；　received　at　Arkansas　Post；　the　Western　armies　had　been　grouped　into　five　corps　d'armee；　viz。：　the　Thirteenth；　Major…General　MeClernand；　the　Fourteenth；　Major…General　George　H。　Thomas；　in　Middle　Tennessee；　the　Fifteenth；　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　the　Sixteenth；　Major…General　Hurlbut；　then　at　or　near　Memphis；　and　the　Seventeenth；　Major…General　McPherson；　also　at　and　back　of　Memphis。　　General　Grant　when　at　Napoleon；　on　the　18th　of　January；　ordered　MeClernand　with　his　own　and　my　corps　to　return　to　Vicksburg；　to　disembark　on　the　west　bank；　and　to　resume　work　on　a　canal　across　the　peninsula；　which　had　been　begun　by　General　Thomas　Williams　the　summer　before；　the　object　being　to　turn　the　Mississippi　River　at　that　point；　or　at　least　to　make　a　passage　for　our　fleet　of　gunboats　and　transports　across　the　peninsula；　opposite　Vicksburg。　　General　Grant　then　returned　to　Memphis；　ordered　to　Lake　Providence；　about　sixty　miles　above　us；　McPherson's　corps；　the　Seventeenth；　and　then　came　down　again　to　give　his　personal　supervison　to　the　whole　movement。

The　Mississippi　River　was　very　high　and　rising；　and　we　began　that　system　of　canals　on　which　we　expended　so　much　hard　work　fruitlessly：　first；　the　canal　at　Young's　plantation；　opposite　Vicksburg；　second；　that　at　Lake　Providence；　and　third；　at　the　Yazoo　Pass；　leading　into　the　head…waters　of　the　Yazoo　River。　　Early　in　February　the　gunboats　Indianola　and　Queen　of　the　Pest　ran　the　batteries　of　Vicksburg。　　The　latter　was　afterward　crippled　in　Red　River；　and　was　captured　by　the　rebels；　and　the　Indianola　was　butted　and　sunk　about　forty　miles　below　Vicksburg。　　We　heard　the　booming　of　the　guns；　but　did　not　know　of　her　loss　till　some　days　after。　During　the　months　of　January　and　February；　we　were　digging　the　canal　and　fighting　off　the　water　of　the　Mississippi；　which　continued　to　rise　and　threatened　to　drown　us。　　We　had　no　sure　place　of　refuge　except　the　narrow　levee；　and　such　steamboats　as　remained　abreast　of　our　camps。　　My　two　divisions　furnished　alternately　a　detail　of　five　hundred　men　a　day；　to　work　on　the　canal。　　So　high　was　the　water　in　the　beginning　of　March；　that　MeClernand's　corps　was　moved　to　higher　ground；　at　Milliken's　Bend；　but　I　remained　at　Young's　plantation；　laid　off　a　due　proportion　of　the　levee　for　each　subdivision　of　my　command；　and　assigned　other　parts　to　such　steamboats　as　lay　at　the　levee。　　My　own　headquarters　were　in　Mrs。　Grove's　house；　which　had　the　water　all　around　it；　and　could　only　be　reached　by　a　plank…walk　from　the　levee；　built　on　posts。　　General　Frederick　Steele　commanded　the　first　division；　and　General　D。　Smart　the　second；　this　latter　division　had　been　reenforced　by　General　Hugh　Ewing's　brigade；　which　had　arrived　from　West　Virginia。

At　the　time　of　its　date　I　received　the　following　note　from　General　Grant：

MILLIKEN'S　BEND；　March　16；　1863

General　SHERMAN。

DEAR　SIR：　I　have　just　returned　from　a　reconnoissance　up　Steele's　Bayou；　with　the　admiral　（Porter）；　and　five　of　his　gunboats。　　With　some　labor　in　cutting　tree…tops　out　of　the　way；　it　will　be　navigable　for　any　class　of　steamers。

I　want　you　to　have　your　pioneer　corps；　or　one　regiment　of　good　men　for　such　work；　detailed；　and　at　the　landing　as　soon　as　possible。

The　party　will　want　to　take　with　them　their　rations；　arms；　and　sufficient　camp　and　garrison　equipage　for　a　few　days。　　I　will　have　a　boat　at　any　place　you　may　designate；　as　early　as　the　men　can　be　there。　　The　Eighth　Missouri　（being　many　of　them　boatmen）　would　be　excellent　men　for　this　purpose。

As　soon　as　you　give　directions　for　these　men　to　be　in　readiness；　come　up　and　see　me；　and　I　will　explain　fully。　　The　tug　that　takes　this　is　instructed　to　wait　for　you。　　A　full　supply　of　axes　will　be　required。

Very　respectfully；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


This　letter　was　instantly　（8　a。m。）　sent　to　Colonel　Giles　A。　Smith；　commanding　the　Eighth　Missouri；　with　orders　to　prepare　immediately。　He　returned　it　at　9。15；　with　an　answer　that　the　regiment　was　all　ready。　　I　went　up　to　Milliken's　Bend　in　the　tug；　and　had　a　conference　with　the　general；　resulting　in　these　orders：

HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　BEFORE　VICKSBURG；　March　16；　1863

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Fifteenth　Army　Corps。

GENERAL：　You　will　proceed　as　early　as　practicable　up　Steele's　Bayou；　and　through　Black　Bayou　to　Deer　Creek；　and　thence　with　the　gunboats　now　there　by　any　route　they　may　take　to　get　into　the　Yazoo　River；　for　the　purpose　of　determining　the　feasibility　of　getting　an　army　through　that　route　to　the　east　bank　of　that　river；　and　at　a　point　from　which　they　can　act　advantageously　against　Vicksburg。

Make　such　details　from　your　army　corps　as　may　be　required　to　clear　out　the　channel　of　the　various　bayous　through　which　transports　would　have　to　ran；　and　to　hold　such　points　as　in　your　judgment　should　be　occupied。

I　place　at　your　disposal　to…day　the　steamers　Diligent　and　Silver　Wave；　the　only　two　suitable　for　the　present　navigation　of　this　route。　　Others　will　be　supplied　you　as　fast　as　required；　and　they　can　be　got。

I　have　given　directions　（and　you　may　repeat　them）　that　the　party　going　on　board　the　steamer　Diligent　push　on　until　they　reach　Black　Bayou；　only　stopping　sufficiently　long　at　any　point　before　reaching　there　to　remove　such　obstructions　as　prevent　their　own　progress。　Captain　Kossak；　of　the　Engineers；　will　go　with　this　party。　　The　other　boat…load　will　commence　their　work　in　Steele's　Bayou；　and　make　the　navigation　as　free　as　possible　all　the　way　through。

There　is　but　little　work　to　be　done　in　Steele's　Bayou；　except　for　about　five　miles　abort　midway　of　the　bayou。　　In　this　portion　many　overhanging　trees　will　have　to　be　removed；　and　should　be　dragged　out　of　the　channel。

Very　respectfully；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


On　returning　to　my　camp　at　Young's　Point；　I　started　these　two　boats　up　the　Yazoo　and　Stee