memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第87部分

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　thought　was　hard　treatment　to　his　men　and　himself。　　I　know　that　his　language　and　manner　at　that　time　produced　on　my　mind　a　bad　impression；　and　it　was　one　of　the　causes　which　led　me　to　relieve　him　as　a　corps　commander　in　the　campaign　of　the　next　spring。　　I　asked　General　Burnside　to　reduce　his　wishes　to　writing；　which　he　did　in　the　letter　of　December　7th；　embodied　in　my　official　report。　　General　Burnside　and　I　then　walked　along　his　lines　and　examined　the　salient；　known　as　Fort　Sanders；　where；　some　days　before；　Longstreet　had　made　his　assault；　and　had　sustained　；　a　bloody　repulse。

Returning　to　Burnside's　quarters；　we　all　sat　down　to　a　good　dinner；　embracing　roast…turkey。　　There　was　a　regular　dining　table；　with　clean　tablecloth；　dishes；　knives；　forks；　spoons；　etc。；　etc。　　I　had　seen　nothing　of　this　kind　in　my　field　experience；　and　could　not　help　exclaiming　that　I　thought　〃they　were　starving；〃　etc。；　but　Burnside　explained　that　Longstreet　had　at　no　time　completely　invested　the　place；　and　that　he　had　kept　open　communication　with　the　country　on　the　south　side　of　the　river　Holston；　more　especially　with　the　French　Broad　settlements；　from　whose　Union　inhabitants　he　had　received　a　good　supply　of　beef；　bacon；　and　corn　meal。　　Had　I　known　of　this；　I　should　not　have　hurried　my　men　so　fast；　but　until　I　reached　Knoxville　I　thought　his　troops　there　were　actually　in　danger　of　starvation。　　Having　supplied　General　Burnside　all　the　help　he　wanted；　we　began　our　leisurely　return　to　Chattanooga；　which　we　reached　on　the　16th；　when　General　Grant　in　person　ordered　me　to　restore　to　General　Thomas　the　divisions　of　Howard　and　Davis；　which　belonged　to　his　army；　and　to　conduct　my　own　corps　（the　Fifteenth）　to　North　Alabama　for　winter…quarters。


HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　ARMY　OF　TENNESSEE；　BRIDGEPORT；　ALABAMA　December　19；　1863

Brigadier…General　John　A。　RAWLINS；　Chief　of　Staff　to　General　GRANT；　Chattanooga。

GENERAL：　For　the　first　time；　I　am　now　at　leisure　to　make　an　official　record　of　events　with　which　the　troops　under　my　command　have　been　connected　daring　the　eventful　campaign　which　has　just　closed。　　Dating　the　month　of　September　last；　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps；　which　I　had　the　honor　to　command；　lay　in　camps　along　the　Big　Black；　about　twenty　miles　east　of　Vicksburg；　Mississippi。　　It　consisted　of　four　divisions：

The　First；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　P。　J。　Osterhaus；　was　composed　of　two　brigades；　led　by　Brigadier…General　C。　R。　Woods　and　Colonel　J。　A。　Williamson　（of　the　Fourth　Iowa）。

The　Second；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Morgan　L。　Smith；　was　composed　of　two　brigades；　led　by　Brigadier…Generals　Giles　A。　Smith　and　J。　A。　J。　Lightburn。

The　Third；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　J。　M。　Tuttle；　was　composed　of　three　brigades；　led　by　Brigadier…Generals　J。　A。　Mower　and　R。　P。　Buckland；　and　Colonel　J。　J。　Wood　（of　the　Twelfth　Iowa）。

The　Fourth；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Hugh　Ewing；　was　composed　of　three　brigades；　led　by　Brigadier…General　J。　M。　Corse；　Colonel　Loomis　（Twenty…sixth　Illinois）；　and　Colonel　J。　R。　Cockerill　（of　the　Seventieth　Ohio）。

On　the　22d　day　of　September　I　received　a　telegraphic　dispatch　from　General　Grant；　then　at　Vicksburg；　commanding　the　Department　of　the　Tennessee；　requiring　me　to　detach　one　of　my　divisions　to　march　to　Vicksburg；　there　to　embark　for　Memphis；　where　it　was　to　form　a　part　of　an　army　to　be　sent　to　Chattanooga；　to　resnforce　General　Rosecrans。　　I　designated　the　First　Division；　and　at　4　r。　　as。　　the　same　day　it　marched　for　Vicksburg；　and　embarked　the　neat　day。

On　the　23d　of　September　I　was　summoned　to　Vicksburg　by　the　general　commanding；　who　showed　me　several　dispatches　from　the　general…in…　chief；　which　led　him　to　suppose　he　would　have　to　send　me　and　my　whole　corps　to　Memphis　and　eastward；　and　I　was　instructed　to　prepare　for　such　orders。　　It　was　explained　to　me　that；　in　consequence　of　the　low　stage　of　water　in　the　Mississippi；　boats　had　arrived　irregularly；　and　had　brought　dispatches　that　seemed　to　conflict　in　their　meaning；　and　that　General　John　E。　Smith's　division　（of　General　McPherson's　corps）　had　been　ordered　up　to　Memphis；　and　that　I　should　take　that　division　and　leave　one　of　my　own　in　its　stead；　to　hold　the　line　of　the　Big　Black。　　I　detailed　my　third　division　（General　Tuttle）　to　remain　and　report　to　Major…　General　McPherson；　commanding　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　at　Vicksburg；　and　that　of　General　John　E。　Smith；　already　started　for　Memphis；　was　styled　the　Third　Division；　Fifteenth　Corps；　though　　it　still　belongs　to　the　Seventeenth　Army　Corps。　　This　division　is　also　composed　of　three　brigades；　commanded　by　General　Matthias；　Colonel　J。　B。　Raum　（of　the　Fifty…sixth　Illinois）；　and　Colonel　J。　I。　Alexander　（of　the　Fifty…ninth　Indiana）。

The　Second　and　Fourth　Divisions　were　started　for　Vicksburg　the　moment　I　was　notified　that　boats　were　in　readiness；　and　on　the　27th　of　September　I　embarked　in　person　in　the　steamer　Atlantic；　for　Memphis；　followed　by　a　fleet　of　boats　conveying　these　two　divisions。　　Our　progress　was　slow；　on　account　of　the　unprecedentedly　low　water　in　the　Mississippi；　and　the　scarcity　of　coal　and　wood。　　We　were　compelled　at　places　to　gather　fence…rails；　and　to　land　wagons　and　haul　wood　from　the　interior　to　the　boats；　but　I　reached　Memphis　during　the　night　of　the　2d　of　October；　and　the　other　boats　came　in　on　the　3d　and　4th。

On　arrival　at　Memphis　I　saw　General　Hurlbut；　and　read　all　the　dispatches　and　letters　of　instruction　of　General　Halleck；　and　therein　derived　my　instructions；　which　I　construed　to　be　as　follows：

To　conduct　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps；　and　all　other　troops　which　could　be　spared　from　the　line　of　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　Railroad；　to　Athens；　Alabama；　and　thence　report　by　letter　for　orders　to　General　Rosecrans；　commanding　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　at　Chattanooga；　to　follow　substantially　the　railroad　eastward；　repairing　it　as　I　moved；　to　look　to　my　own　line　for　supplies；　and　in　no　event　to　depend　on　General　Rosecrans　for　supplies；　as　the　roads　to　his　rear　were　already　overtaxed　to　supply　his　present　army。

I　learned　from　General　Hurlbut　that　General　Osterhaus's　division　was　already　out　in　front　of　Corinth；　and　that　General　John　E。　Smith　was　still　at　Memphis；　moving　his　troops　and　material　by　railroad　as　fast　as　its　limited　stock　would　carry　them。　　General　J。　D。　Webster　was　superintendent　of　the　railroad；　and　was　enjoined　to　work　night　and　day；　and　to　expedite　the　movement　as　rapidly　as　possible；　but　the　capacity　of　the　road　was　so　small；　that　I　soon　saw　that　I　could　move　horses；　mules；　and　wagons　faster　by　land；　and　therefore　I　dispatched　the　artillery　and　wagons　by　the　road　under　escort；　and　finally　moved　the　entire　Fourth　Division　by　land。

The　enemy　seems　to　have　had　early　notice　of　this　movement；　and　he　endeavored　to　thwart　us　from　the　start。　　A　considerable　force　assembled　in　a　threatening　attitude　at　Salem；　south　of　Salisbury　Station；　and　General　Carr；　who　commanded　at　Corinth；　felt　compelled　to　turn　back　and　use　a　part　of　my　troops；　that　had　already　reached　Corinth；　to　resist　the　threatened　attack。

On　Sunday；　October　11th；　having　put　in　motion　my　whole　force；　I　started　myself　for　Corinth；　in　a　special　train；　with　the　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars　as　escort。　　We　reached　Collierville　Station　about　noon；　just　in　time　to　take　part　in　the　defense　made　of　that　station　by　Colonel　D。　C。　Anthony；　of　the　Sixty…sixth　Indiana；　against　an　attack　made　by　General　Chalmers　with　a　force　of　about　three　thousand　cavalry；　with　eight　pieces　of　artillery。　　He　was　beaten　off；　the　damage　to　the　road　repaired；　and　we　resumed　our　journey　the　next　day；　reaching　Corinth　at　night。

I　immediately　ordered　General　Blair　forward　to　Iuka；　with　the　First　Division；　and；　as　fast　as　I　got　troops　up；　pushed　them　forward　of　Bear　Creek；　the　bridge　of　which　was　completely　destroyed；　and　an　engineer　regiment；　under　command　of　Colonel　Flag；　was　engaged　in　its　repairs。

Quite　a　considerable　force　of　the　enemy　was　assembled　in　our　front；　near　Tuscumbia；　to　resist　our　advance。　　It　was　commanded　by　General　Stephen　D。　Lee；　and　composed　of　Roddy's　and　Ferguson's　brigades；　with　irregular　cavalry；　amounting　in　the　aggregate　to　about　five　thousand。

In　person　I　moved　from　Corinth　to　Burnsville　on　the　18th；　and　to　Iuka　on　the　19th　of　October。

Osterhaus's　division　was　in　the　advance；　constantly　skirmishing　with　the　enemy；　he　was　supported　by　General　Morgan　L。　Smith's；　both　divisions　under　the　general　command　of　Major…General　Blair。　General　John　E。　Smith's　division　covered　the　working…party　engaged　in　rebuilding　the　railroad。

Foreseeing　difficulty　in　crossing　the　Tennessee　River；　I　had　written　to　Admiral　Porter；　at　Cairo；　asking　him　to　watch　the　Tennessee　and　send　up　some　gunboats　the　moment　the　stage　of　water　admitted；　and　had　also　requested　General　Allen；　quartermaster　at　St。　Louis；　to　dispatch　to　Eastport　a　steam　ferry…boat。

The　admiral；　ever　prompt　and　ready　to　assist　us；　had　two　fine　gunboats　at　Eastport；　under　Captain　Phelps；　the　very　day　after　my　arrival　at　Iuka；　and　Captain　Phelps　had　a　coal…barge　decked　over；　with　which　to　cross　our　horses　and　wagons　before　the　arrival　of　the　ferry…boat。

Still　following　literally　the　instructions　of　General　Halleck；　I　pushed　forward　the　repairs　of　the　railroad；　and　ordered　General　Blair；　with　the　two　leading　divisions；　to　drive　the　enemy　beyond　Tuscumbia。　　This　he　did　successfully；　after　a　pretty　severe　fight　at　Cane　Creek；　occupying　Tuscumbia　on　the　27th　of　October。

In　the　meantime　many　important　changes　in　command　had　occurred；　which　I　must　note　here；　to　a　proper　understanding　of　the　case。

General　Grant　had　been　called　from　Vicksburg；　and　sent　to　Chattanooga　to　command　the　military　division　of　the　Mississippi；　composed　of　the　three　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　Cumberland；　and　Tennessee；　and　the　Department　of　the　Tennessee　had　been　devolved　on　me；　with　instructions；　however；　to　retain　command　of　the　army　in　the　field。　　At　Iuka　I　made　what　appeared　to　me　the　best　disposition　of　matters　relating　to　the　department；　giving　General　McPherson　full　powers　in　Mississippi　and　General　Hurlbut　in　West　Tennessee；　and　assigned　General　Blair　to　the　command　of　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps；　and　summoned　General　Hurlbut　from　Memphis；　and　General　Dodge　from　Corinth；　and　s