memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第79部分

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d　that　their　people　should　drink　of　the　very　lowest　dregs　of　the　cup　of　war；　which　they　themselves　had　prepared。

The　campaign　of　Vicksburg；　in　its　conception　and　execution；　belonged　exclusively　to　General　Grant；　not　only　in　the　great　whole；　but　in　the　thousands　of　its　details。　　I　still　retain　many　of　his　letters　and　notes；　all　in　his　own　handwriting；　prescribing　the　routes　of　march　for　divisions　and　detachments；　specifying　even　the　amount　of　food　and　tools　to　be　carried　along。　　Many　persons　gave　his　adjutant　general；　Rawlins；　the　credit　for　these　things；　but　they　were　in　error；　for　no　commanding　general　of　an　army　ever　gave　more　of　his　personal　attention　to　details；　or　wrote　so　many　of　his　own　orders；　reports；　and　letters；　as　General　Grant。　　His　success　at　Vicksburg　justly　gave　him　great　fame　at　home　and　abroad。　　The　President　conferred　on　him　the　rank　of　major…general　in　the　regular　army；　the　highest　grade　then　existing　by　law；　and　General　McPherson　and　I　shared　in　his　success　by　receiving　similar　commissions　as　brigadier…generals　in　the　regular　army。

But　our　success　at　Vicksburg　produced　other　results　not　so　favorable　to　our　causea　general　relaxation　of　effort；　and　desire　to　escape　the　hard　drudgery　of　camp：　officers　sought　leaves　of　absence　to　visit　their　homes；　and　soldiers　obtained　furloughs　and　discharges　on　the　most　slender　pretexts；　even　the　General　Government　seemed　to　relax　in　its　efforts　to　replenish　our　ranks　with　new　men；　or　to　enforce　the　draft；　and　the　politicians　were　pressing　their　schemes　to　reorganize　or　patch　up　some　form　of　civil　government；　as　fast　as　the　armies　gained　partial　possession　of　the　States。

In　order　to　illustrate　this　peculiar　phase　of　our　civil　war；　I　give　at　this　place　copies　of　certain　letters　which　have　not　hereto。　fore　been　published：

＇Private。＇

WASHINGTON；　Augustt　29；　1868。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Vicksburg；　Mississippi

My　DEAR　GENERAL：　The　question　of　reconstruction　in　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　and　Arkansas；　will　soon　come　up　for　decision　of　the　Government；　and　not　only　the　length　of　the　war；　but　our　ultimate　and　complete　success；　will　depend　upon　its　decision。　　It　is　a　difficult　matter；　but　I　believe　it　can　be　successfully　solved；　if　the　President　will　consult　opinions　of　cool　and　discreet　men；　who　are　capable　of　looking　at　it　in　all　its　bearings　and　effects。　　I　think　he　is　disposed　to　receive　the　advice　of　our　generals　who　have　been　in　these　States；　and　know　much　more　of　their　condition　than　gassy　politicians　in　Congress。　　General　Banks　has　written　pretty　fully；　on　the　subject。　　I　wrote　to　General　Grant；　immediately；　after　the　fall　of　Vicksburg；　for　his　views　in　regard　to　Mississippi；　but　he　has　not　yet　answered。

I　wish　you　would　consult　with　Grant；　McPherson；　and　others　of　cool；　good　judgment；　and　write　me　your　views　fully；　as　I　may　wish　to　use　them　with　the　President。　　You　had　better　write　me　unofficially；　and　then　your　letter　will　not　be　put　on　file；　and　cannot　hereafter　be　used　against　you。　　You　have　been　in　Washington　enough　to　know　how　every　thing　a　man　writes　or　says　is　picked　up　by　his　enemies　and　misconstrued。　　With　kind　wishes　for　your　further　success；

I　am　yours　truly；

H。　W。　HALLECK


＇Private　and　Confidential。＇

HEADQUARTERS；　FIFTEENTH　ARMY　CORPS；　CAMP　ON　BIG　BLACK；　MISSISSIPPI；　September　17　1863　H。　W。　HALLECK；　Commander…in…Chief；　Washington；　D。　C。

DEAR　GENERAL：　I　have　received　your　letter　of　August　29th；　and　with　pleasure　confide　to　you　fully　my　thoughts　on　the　important　matters　you　suggest；　with　absolute　confidence　that　you　will　use　what　is　valuable；　and　reject　the　useless　or　superfluous。

That　part　of　the　continent　of　North　America　known　as　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　and　Arkansas；　is　in　my　judgment　the　key　to　the　whole　interior。　　The　valley　of　the　Mississippi　is　America；　and；　although　railroads　have　changed　the　economy　of　intercommunication；　yet　the　water…channels　still　mark　the　lines　of　fertile　land；　and　afford　cheap　carriage　to　the　heavy　products　of　it。

The　inhabitants　of　the　country　on　the　Monongahela；　the　Illinois；　the　Minnesota；　the　Yellowstone；　and　Osage；　are　as　directly　concerned　in　the　security　of　the　Lower　Mississippi　as　are　those　who　dwell　on　its　very　banks　in　Louisiana；　and　now　that　the　nation　has　recovered　its　possession；　this　generation　of　men　will　make　a　fearful　mistake　if　they　again　commit　its　charge　to　a　people　liable　to　misuse　their　position；　and　assert；　as　was　recently　done；　that；　because　they　dwelt　on　the　banks　of　this　mighty　stream；　they　had　a　right　to　control　its　navigation。

I　would　deem　it　very　unwise　at　this　time；　or　for　years　to　come；　to　revive　the　State　governments　of　Louisiana；　etc。；　or　to　institute　in　this　quarter　any　civil　government　in　which　the　local　people　have　much　to　say。　　They　had　a　government　so　mild　and　paternal　that　they　gradually　forgot　they　had　any　at　all；　save　what　they　themselves　controlled；　they　asserted　an　absolute　right　to　seize　public　moneys；　forts；　arms；　and　even　to　shut　up　the　natural　avenues　of　travel　and　commerce。　　They　chose　warthey　ignored　and　denied　all　the　obligations　of　the　solemn　contract　of　government　and　appealed　to　force。

We　accepted　the　issue；　and　now　they　begin　to　realize　that　war　is　a　two…edged　sword；　and　it　may　be　that　many　of　the　inhabitants　cry　for　peace。　　I　know　them　well；　and　the　very　impulses　of　their　nature；　and　to　deal　with　the　inhabitants　of　that　part　of　the　South　which　borders　on　the　great　river；　we　must　recognize　the　classes　into　which　they　have　divided　themselves

First。　　The　large　planters；　owning　lands；　slaves；　and　all　kinds　of　personal　property。　　These　are；　on　the　whole；　the　ruling　class。　They　are　educated；　wealthy；　and　easily　approached。　　In　some　districts　they　are　bitter　as　gall；　and　have　given　up　slaves；　plantations；　and　all；　serving　in　the　armies　of　the　Confederacy；　whereas；　in　others；　they　are　conservative。　　None　dare　admit　a　friendship　for　us；　though　they　say　freely　that　they　were　at　the　outset　opposed　to　war　and　disunion。　　I　know　we　can　manage　this　class；　but　only　by　action。　　Argument　is　exhausted；　and　words　have　lost　their　usual　meaning。　　Nothing　but　the　logic　of　events　touches　their　understanding；　but；　of　late；　this　has　worked　a　wonderful　change。　　If　our　country　were　like　Europe；　crowded　with　people；　I　would　say　it　would　be　easier　to　replace　this　class　than　to　reconstruct　it；　subordinate　to　the　policy　of　the　nation；　but；　as　this　is　not　the　case；　it　is　better　to　allow　the　planters；　with　individual　exceptions；　gradually　to　recover　their　plantations；　to　hire　any　species　of　labor；　and　to　adapt　themselves　to　the　new　order　of　things。　　Still；　their　friendship　and　assistance　to　reconstruct　order　out　of　the　present　ruin　cannot　be　depended　on。　　They　watch　the　operations　of　our　armies；　and　hope　still　for　a　Southern　Confederacy　that　will　restore　to　them　the　slaves　and　privileges　which　they　feel　are　otherwise　lost　forever。　　In　my　judgment；　we　have　two　more　battles　to　win　before　we　should　even　bother　our　minds　with　the　idea　of　restoring　civil　orderviz。；　one　near　Meridian；　in　November；　and　one　near　Shreveport；　in　February　and　March　next；　when　Red　River　is　navigable　by　our　gunboats。　　When　these　are　done；　then；　and　not　until　then；　will　the　planters　of　Louisiana；　Arkansas；　and　Mississippi；　submit。　　Slavery　is　already　gone；　and；　to　cultivate　the　land；　negro　or　other　labor　must　be　hired。　　This；　of　itself；　is　a　vast　revolution；　and　time　must　be　afforded　to　allow　men　to　adjust　their　minds　and　habits　to　this　new　order　of　things。　　A　civil　government　of　the　representative　type　world　suit　this　class　far　less　than　a　pure　military　role；　readily　adapting　itself　to　actual　occurrences；　and　able　to　enforce　its　laws　and　orders　promptly　and　emphatically。

Second。　　The　smaller　farmers；　mechanics；　merchants；　and　laborers。　This　class　will　probably　number　three…quarters　of　the　whole；　have；　in　fact；　no　real　interest　in　the　establishment　of　a　Southern　Confederacy；　and　have　been　led　or　driven　into　war　on　the　false　theory　that　they　were　to　be　benefited　somehowthey　knew　not　how。　They　are　essentially　tired　of　the　war；　and　would　slink　back　home　if　they　could。　　These　are　the　real　tiers　etat　of　the　South；　and　are　hardly　worthy　a　thought；　for　they　swerve　to　and　fro　according　to　events　which　they　do　not　comprehend　or　attempt　to　shape。　　When　the　time　for　reconstruction　comes；　they　will　want　the　old　political　system　of　caucuses；　Legislatures；　etc。；　to　amuse　them　and　make　them　believe　they　are　real　sovereigns；　but　in　all　things　they　will　follow　blindly　the　lead　of　the　planters。　　The　Southern　politicians；　who　understand　this　class；　use　them　as　the　French　do　their　masses　seemingly　consult　their　prejudices；　while　they　make　their　orders　and　enforce　them。　　We　should　do　the　same。

Third。　　The　Union　men　of　the　South。　　I　must　confess　I　have　little　respect　for　this　class。　　They　allowed　a　clamorous　set　of　demagogues　to　muzzle　and　drive　them　as　a　pack　of　curs。　　Afraid　of　shadows；　they　submit　tamely　to　squads　of　dragoons；　and　permit　them；　without　a　murmur；　to　burn　their　cotton；　take　their　horses；　corn；　and　every　thing；　and；　when　we　reach　them；　they　are　full　of　complaints　if　our　men　take　a　few　fence…rails　for　fire；　or　corn　to　feed　our　horses。　They　give　us　no　assistance　or　information；　and　are　loudest　in　their　complaints　at　the　smallest　excesses　of　our　soldiers。　　Their　sons；　horses；　arms；　and　every　thing　useful；　are　in　the　army　against　us；　and　they　stay　at　home；　claiming　all　the　exemptions　of　peaceful　citizens。　　I　account　them　as　nothing　in　this　great　game　of　war。

Fourth。　　The　young　bloods　of　the　South：　sons　of　planters；　lawyers　about　towns；　good　billiard…players　and　sportsmen；　men　who　never　did　work　and　never　will。　　War　suits　them；　and　the　rascals　are　brave；　fine　riders；　bold　to　rashness；　and　dangerous　subjects　in　every　sense。　　They　care　not　a　sou　for　niggers；　land；　or　any　thing。　　They　hate　Yankees　per　se；　and　don't　bother　their　brains　about　the　past；　present；　or　future。　　As　long　as　they　have　good　horses；　plenty　of　forage；　and　an　open　country；　they　are　happy。　　This　is　a　larger　class　than　most　men　suppose；　and　they　are　the　most　dangerous　set　of　men　that　this　war　has　turned　loose　upon　the　world。　　They　are　splendid　riders；　first…rate　shots；　and　utterly　reckless。　　Stewart；　John　Morgan；　Forrest；　and　Jackson；　are　t