memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第74部分

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ting　the　movements　of　the　troops；　but　at　the　same　time　exposing　himself　beyond　precedent　in　a　commanding　general。　　At　three　o'clock　of　Saturday　morning；　the　20th　instant；　General　Sherman　having　received　a　communication　from　Admiral　Porter　at　the　month　of　Rolling　Fork；　asking　for　a　speedy　cooperation　of　the　land　forces　with　his　fleet；　I　was　ordered　by　General　Sherman　to　be　ready；　with　all　the　available　force　at　that　point；　to　accompany　him　to　his　relief；　but　before　starting　it　was　arranged　that　I　should　proceed　with　the　force　at　hand　（eight　hundred　men）；　while　he　remained；　again　entirely　unprotected；　to　hurry　up　the　troops　expected　to　arrive　that　night；　consisting　of　the　Thirteenth　Infantry　and　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois　Volunteers；　completing　my　brigade；　and　the　Second　Brigade；　Colonel　T。　Kilby　Smith　commanding。

This；　as　the　sequel　showed；　proved　a　very　wise　measure；　and　resulted　in　the　safety　of　the　whole　fleet。　　At　daybreak　we　were　in　motion；　with　a　regular　guide。　　We　had　proceeded　but　about　six　miles；　when　we　found　the　enemy　had　been　very　busy　felling　trees　to　obstruct　the　creek。

All　the　negroes　along　the　route　had　been　notified　to　be　ready　at　night　fall　to　continue　the　work。　　To　prevent　this　as　much　as　possible；　I　ordered　all　able…bodied　negroes　to　be　taken　along；　and　warned　some　of　the　principal　inhabitants　that　they　would　be　held　responsible　for　any　more　obstructions　being　placed　across　the　creek。　　We　reached　the　admiral　about　four　o'clock　p。m。；　with　no　opposition　save　my　advance…guard　（Company　A；　Sixth　Missouri）　being　fired　into　from　the　opposite　side　of　　the　creek；　killing　one　man；　and　slightly　wounding　another；　having　no　way　of　crossing；　we　had　to　content　ourselves　with　driving　them　beyond　musket…range。　Proceeding　with　as　little　loss　of　time　as　possible；　I　found　the　fleet　obstructed　in　front　by　fallen　trees；　in　rear　by　a　sunken　coal…barge；　and　surrounded；　by　a　large　force　of　rebels　with　an　abundant　supply　of　artillery；　but　wisely　keeping　their　main　force　out　of　range　of　the　admiral's　guns。　　Every　tree　and　stump　covered　a　sharp…shooter；　ready　to　pick　off　any　luckless　marine　who　showed　his　head　above…decks；　and　entirely　preventing　the　working…parties　from　removing　obstructions。

In　pursuance　of　orders　from　General　Sherman；　I　reported　to　Admiral　Porter　for　orders；　who　turned　over　to　me　all　the　land…forces　in　his　fleet　（about　one　hundred　and　fifty　men）；　together　with　two　howitzers；　and　I　was　instructed　by　him　to　retain　a　sufficient　force　to　clear　out　the　sharp…shooters；　and　to　distribute　the　remainder　along　the　creek　for　six　or　seven　miles　below；　to　prevent　any　more　obstructions　being　placed　in　it　during　the　night。　　This　was　speedily　arranged；　our　skirmishers　capturing　three　prisoners。　Immediate　steps　were　now　taken　to　remove　the　coal…barge；　which　was　accomplished　about　daylight　on　Sunday　morning；　when　the　fleet　moved　back　toward　Black　Bayou。　　By　three　o'clock　p。m。　　we　had　only　made　about　six　miles；　owing　to　the　large　number　of　trees　to　be　removed；　at　this　point；　where　our　progress　was　very　slow；　we　discovered　a　long　line　of　the　enemy　filing　along　the　edge　of　the　woods；　and　taking　position　on　the　creek　below　us；　and　about　one　mile　ahead　of　our　advance。　　Shortly　after；　they　opened　fire　on　the　gunboats　from　batteries　behind　the　cavalry　and　infantry。　　The　boats　not　only　replied　to　the　batteries；　which　they　soon　silenced；　but　poured　a　destructive　fire　into　their　lines。　　Heavy　skirmishing　was　also　heard　in　our　front；　supposed　to　be　by　three　companies　from　the　Sixth　and　Eighth　Missouri；　whose　position；　taken　the　previous　night　to　guard　the　creek；　was　beyond　the　point　reached　by　the　enemy；　and　consequently　liable　to　be　cut　off　or　captured。　　Captain　Owen；　of　the　Louisville；　the　leading　boat；　made　every　effort　to　go　through　the　obstructions　and　aid　in　the　rescuing　of　the　men。　　I　ordered　Major　Kirby；　with　four　companies　of　the　Sixth　Missouri；　forward；　with　two　companies　deployed。　　He　soon　met　General　Sherman；　with　the　Thirteenth　Infantry　and　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois；　driving　the　enemy　before　them；　and　opening　communication　along　the　creek　with　the　gunboats。　　Instead　of　our　three　companies　referred　to　as　engaging　the　enemy；　General　Sherman　had　arrived　at　a　very　opportune　moment　with　the　two　regiments　mentioned　above；　and　the　Second　Brigade。　　The　enemy；　not　expecting　an　attack　from　that　quarter；　after　some　hot　skirmishing；　retreated。　　General　Sherman　immediately　ordered　the　Thirteenth　Infantry　and　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois　to　pursue；　but；　after　following　their　trace　for　about　two　miles；　they　were　recalled。

We　continued　our　march　for　about　two　miles；　when　we　bivouacked　for　the　night。　　Early　on　Monday　morning　（March　22d）　we　continued　our　march；　but　owing　to　the　slow　progress　of　the　gunboats　did　not　reach　Hill's　plantation　until　Tuesday；　the　23d　instant；　where　we　remained　until　the　25th；　we　then　reembarked；　and　arrived　at　Young's　Point　on　Friday；　the　27th　instant。

Below　you　will　find　a　list　of　casualties。　　Very　respectfully；

Giles　A。　SMITH；　Colonel　Eighth　Missouri；　commanding　First　Brigade。

P。　S。…I　forgot　to　state　above　that　the　Thirteenth　Infantry　and　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois　being　under　the　immediate　command　of　General　Sherman；　he　can　mention　them　as　their　conduct　deserves。


On　the　3d　of　April；　a　division　of　troops；　commanded　by　Brigadier…　General　J。　M。　Tuttle；　was　assigned　to　my　corps；　and　was　designated　the　Third　Division；　and；　on　the　4th　of　April；　Brigadier…General　D。　Stuart　was　relieved　from　the　command　of　the　Second　Division；　to　which　Major…General　Frank　P。　Blair　was　appointed　by　an　order　from　General　Grant's　headquarters。　　Stuart　had　been　with　me　from　the　time　we　were　at　Benton　Barracks；　in　command　of　the　Fifty…fifth　Illinois；　then　of　a　brigade；　and　finally　of　a　division；　but　he　had　failed　in　seeking　a　confirmation　by　the　Senate　to　his　nomination　as　brigadier…general；　by　reason　of　some　old　affair　at　Chicago；　and；　having　resigned　his　commission　as　colonel；　he　was　out　of　service。　I　esteemed　him　very　highly；　and　was　actually　mortified　that　the　service　should　thus　be　deprived　of　so　excellent　and　gallant　an　officer。　　He　afterward　settled　in　New　Orleans　as　a　lawyer；　and　died　about　1867　or　1868。

On　the　6th　of　April；　my　command；　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　was　composed　of　three　divisions：

The　First　Division；　commanded　by　Major…General　Fred　Steele；　and　his　three　brigades　by　Colonel　Manter；　Colonel　Charles　R。　Wood；　and　Brigadier…General　John　M。　Thayer。

The　Second　Division；　commanded　by　Major…General　Frank　P。　Blair；　and　his　three　brigades　by　Colonel　Giles　A。　Smith；　Colonel　Thomas　gilby　Smith；　and　Brigadier…General　Hugh　Ewing。

The　Third　Division；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　J。　M。　Tuttle；　and　his　three　brigades　by　Brigadier…General　R。　P。　Buckland；　Colonel　J。　A。　Mower；　and　Brigadier…General　John　E。　Smith。

My　own　staff　then　embraced：　Dayton；　McCoy；　and　Hill；　aides；　J。　H。　Hammond；　assistant　adjutant…general；　Sanger；　inspector…general；　McFeeley；　commissary；　J。　Condit　Smith；　quartermaster；　Charles　McMillan；　medical　director；　Ezra　Taylor；　chief　of　artillery；　JNo。　C。　Neely；　ordnance…officer；　Jenney　and　Pitzman；　engineers。

By　this　time　it　had　become　thoroughly　demonstrated　that　we　could　not　divert　the　main　river　Mississippi；　or　get　practicable　access　to　the　east　bank　of　the　Yazoo；　in　the　rear　of　Vicksburg；　by　any　of　the　passes；　and　we　were　all　in　the　habit　of　discussing　the　various　chances　of　the　future。　　General　Grant's　headquarters　were　at　Milliken's　Bend；　in　tents；　and　his　army　was　strung　along　the　river　all　the　way　from　Young's　Point　up　to　Lake　Providence；　at　least　sixty　miles。　　I　had　always　contended　that　the　best　way　to　take　Vicksburg　was　to　resume　the　movement　which　had　been　so　well　begun　the　previous　November；　viz。；　for　the　main　army　to　march　by　land　down　the　country　inland　of　the　Mississippi　River；　while　the　gunboat…fleet　and　a　minor　land…force　should　threaten　Vicksburg　on　its　river…front。

I　reasoned　that；　with　the　large　force　then　subject　to　General　Grant's　orders…viz。；　four　army　corpshe　could　easily　resume　the　movement　from　Memphis；　by　way　of　Oxford　and　Grenada；　to　Jackson；　Mississippi；　or　down　the　ridge　between　the　Yazoo　and　Big　Black；　but　General　Grant　would　not；　for　reasons　other　than　military；　take　any　course　which　looked　like；　a　step　backward；　and　he　himself　concluded　on　the　river　movement　below　Vicksburg；　so　as　to　appear　like　connecting　with　General　Banks；　who　at　the　same　time　was　besieging　Port　Hudson　from　the　direction　of　New　Orleans。

Preliminary　orders　had　already　been　given；　looking　to　the　digging　of　a　canal；　to　connect　the　river　at　Duckport　with　Willow　Bayou；　back　of　Milliken's　Bend；　so　as　to　form　a　channel　for　the　conveyance　of　supplies；　by　way　of　Richmond；　to　New　Carthage；　and　several　steam　dredge…boats　had　come　from　the　upper　rivers　to　assist　in　the　work。　One　day　early　in　April；　I　was　up　at　General　Grant's　headquarters；　and　we　talked　over　all　these　things　with　absolute　freedom。　　Charles　A。　Dana；　Assistant　Secretary　of　War；　was　there；　and　Wilson；　Rawlins；　Frank　Blair；　McPherson；　etc。　　We　all　knew；　what　was　notorious；　that　General　MeClernand　was　still　intriguing　against　General　Grant；　in　hopes　to　regain　the　command　of　the　whole　expedition；　and　that　others　were　raising　a　clamor　against　General　Grant　in　the　news　papers　at　the　North。　　Even　Mr。　Lincoln　and　General　Halleck　seemed　to　be　shaken；　but　at　no　instant　of　time　did　we　（his　personal　friends）　slacken　in　our　loyalty　to　him。　　One　night；　after　such　a　discussion；　and　believing　that　General　McClernand　had　no　real　plan　of　action　shaped　in　his　mind；　I　wrote　my　letter　of　April　8；　1863；　to　Colonel　Rawlins；　which　letter　is　embraced　in　full　at　page　616　of　Badeau's　book；　and　which　I　now　reproduce　here：

HEADQUARTERS　FIFTEENTH　ARMY　CORPS；　CAMP　NEAR　VICKSBURG；　April　8；1868。

Colonel　J。　A。　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT。

SIR：　I　would　most　respectfully　suggest　（for　reasons　which　I　will　not　name）　that　General　Grant　call　on　his　corps　commanders　for　their　opinions；　concise　and　positive；　on　the　best　general　plan　of　a　campaign。　　Unless　this　be　done；　there　are　men　who　will；　in　any　result　falling　below　the　popular　standard；　claim　that　their　advice　was　unheeded；　and　that　fatal　consequence　resulted　there