memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第90部分

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countered　the　rear…guard　of　the　retreating　enemy。　　The　fight　was　sharp；　but　the　night　closed　in　so　dark　that　we　could　not　move。　　General　Grant　came　up　to　us　there。　　At　daylight　we　resumed　the　march；　and　at　Graysville；　where　a　good　bridge　spanned　the　Chickamauga；　we　found　the　corps　of　General　Palmer　on　the　south　bank；　who　informed　us　that　General　Hooker　was　on　a　road　still　farther　south；　and　we　could　hear　his　guns　near　Ringgold。

As　the　roads　were　filled　with　all　the　troops　they　could　possibly　accommodate；　I　turned　to　the　east；　to　fulfill　another　part　of　the　general　plan；　viz。；　to　break　up　all　communication　between　Bragg　and　Longstreet。

We　had　all　sorts　of　rumors　as　to　the　latter；　but　it　was　manifest　that　we　should　interpose　a　proper　force　between　these　two　armies。　I　therefore　directed　General　Howard　to　move　to　Parker's　Gap；　and　thence　send　rapidly　a　competent　force　to　Red　Clay；　or　the　Council…Ground；　there　to　destroy　a　large　section　of　the　railroad　which　connects　Dalton　and　Cleveland。　　This　work　was　most　successfully　and　folly　accomplished　that　day。　　The　division　of　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis　was　moved　close　up　to　Ringgold；　to　assist　General　Hooker　if　needed；　and　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　held　at　Grayeville；　for　any　thing　that　might　turn　up。　　About　noon　I　had　a　message　from　General　Hooker；　saying　he　had　had　a　pretty　hard　fight　at　the　mountain…pass　just　beyond　Ringgold；　and　he　wanted　me　to　come　forward　to　turn　the　position。　　He　was　not　aware　at　the　time　that　Howard；　by　moving　through　Parker's　Gap　toward　Red　Clay；　had　already　turned　it。　　So　I　rode　forward　to　Ringgold　in　person；　and　found　the　enemy　had　already　fallen　back　to　Tunnel　Hill。　　He　was　already　out　of　the　valley　of　the　Chickamauga；　and　on　ground　whence　the　waters　flow　to　the　Coosa。　　He　was　out　of　Tennessee。

I　found　General　Grant　at　Ringgold；　and；　after　some　explanations　as　to　breaking　up　the　railroad　from　Ringgold　back　to　the　State　line；　as　soon　as　some　cars　loaded　with　wounded　men　could　be　pushed　back　to　Chickamauga　depot；　I　was　ordered　to　move　slowly　and　leisurely　back　to　Chattanooga。

On　the　following　day　the　Fifteenth　Corps　destroyed　absolutely　and　effectually　the　railroad　from　a　point　half…way　between　Ringgold　and　Graysville；　back　to　the　State　line；　and　General　Grant；　coming　to　Graysville；　consented　that；　instead　of　returning　direct　to　Chattanooga；　I　might　send　back　all　my　artillery…wagons　and　impediments；　and　make　a　circuit　by　the　north　as　far　as　the　Hiawasaee　River。

Accordingly；　on　the　morning　of　November　29th；　General　Howard　moved　from　Parker's　Gap　to　Cleveland；　General　Davis　by　way　of　McDaniel's　Gap；　and　General　Blair　with　two　divisions　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　by　way　of　Julien's　Gap；　all　meeting　at　Cleveland　that　night。　　Here　another　good　break　was　made　in　the　Dalton　&　Cleveland　road。　　On　the　30th　the　army　moved　to　Charleston；　General　Howard　approaching　so　rapidly　that　the　enemy　evacuated　with　haste；　leaving　the　bridge　but　partially　damaged；　and　five　car…loads　of　flour　and　provisions　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Hiawassee。

This　was　to　have　been　the　limit　of　our　operations。　　Officers　and　men　had　brought　no　baggage　or　provisions；　and　the　weather　was　bitter　cold。　　I　had　already　reached　the　town　of　Charleston；　when　General　Wilson　arrived　with　a　letter　from　General　Grant；　at　Chattanooga；　informing　me　that　the　latest　authentic　accounts　from　Knoxville　were　to　the　27th；　at　which　time　General　Burnside　was　completely　invested；　and　had　provisions　only　to　include　the　3d　of　December；　that　General　Granger　had　left　Chattanooga　for　Knoxville；　by　the　river…road；　with　a　steamboat　following　him　in　the　river；　but　he　feared　that　General　Granger　could　not　reach　Knoxville　in　time；　and　ordered　me　to　take　command　of　all　troops　moving　for　the　relief　of　Knoxville；　and　hasten　to　General　Burnside。　　Seven　days　before；　we　had　left　our　camps　on　the　other　side　of　the　Tennessee　with　two　days'　rations；　without　a　change　of　clothingstripped　for　the　fight；　with　but　a　single　blanket　or　coat　per　man；　from　myself　to　the　private　included。

Of　course；　we　then　had　no　provisions　save　what　we　gathered　by　the　road；　and　were　ill　supplied　for　such　a　march。　　But　we　learned　that　twelve　thousand　of　our　fellow…soldiers　were　beleaguered　in　the　mountain　town　of　Knoxville；　eighty…four　miles　distant；　that　they　needed　relief；　and　must　have　it　in　three　days。　　This　was　enough　and　it　had　to　be　done。　　General　Howard　that　night　repaired　and　planked　the　railroad…bridge；　and　at　daylight　the　army　passed　over　the　Hiawassee　and　marched　to　Athens；　fifteen　miles。　　I　had　supposed　rightly　that　General　Granger　was　about　the　mouth　of　the　Hiawassee；　and　had　sent　him　notice　of　my　orders；　that　General　Grant　had　sent　me　a　copy　of　his　written　instructions；　which　were　full　and　complete；　and　that　he　must　push　for　Kingston；　near　which　we　would　make　a　junction。　　But　by　the　time　I　reached　Athens　I　had　better　studied　the　geography；　and　sent　him　orders；　which　found　him　at　Decatur；　that　Kingston　was　out　of　our　way；　that　he　should　send　his　boat　to　Kingston；　but　with　his　command　strike　across　to　Philadelphia；　and　report　to　me　there。　　I　had　but　a　small　force　of　cavalry；　which　was；　at　the　time　of　my　receipt　of　General　Grant's　orders；　scouting　over　about　Benton　and　Columbus。　　I　left　my　aide；　Major　McCoy；　at　Charleston；　to　communicate　with　this　cavalry　and　hurry　it　forward。　　It　overtook　me　in　the　night　at　Athens。

On　the　2d　of　December　the　army　moved　rapidly　north　toward　Loudon；　twenty…six　miles　distant。　　About　11　a。m。；　the　cavalry　passed　to　the　head　of　the　column；　was　ordered　to　push　to　London；　and；　if　possible；　to　save　a　pontoon…bridge　across　the　Tennessee；　held　by　a　brigade　of　the　enemy　commanded　by　General　Vaughn。　　The　cavalry　moved　with　such　rapidity　as　to　capture　every　picket；　but　the　brigade　of　Vaughn　had　artillery　in　position；　covered　by　earthworks；　and　displayed　a　force　too　respectable　to　be　carried　by　a　cavalry　dash；　so　that　darkness　closed　in　before　General　Howard's　infantry　got　up。　　The　enemy　abandoned　the　place　in　the　night；　destroying　the　pontoons；　running　three　locomotives　and　forty…eight　cars　into　the　Tennessee　River；　and　abandoned　much　provision；　four　guns；　and　other　material；　which　General　Howard　took　at　daylight。　　But　the　bridge　was　gone；　and　we　were　forced　to　turn　east　and　trust　to　General　Burnside's　bridge　at　Knoxville。　　It　was　all…important　that　General　Burnside　should　have　notice　of　our　coming；　and　but　one　day　of　the　time　remained。

Accordingly；　at　Philadelphia；　during　the　night　of　the　2d　of　December；　I　sent　my　aide　（Major　Audenried）　forward　to　Colonel　Long；　commanding　the　brigade　of　cavalry　at　London；　to　explain　to　him　how　all…important　it　was　that　notice　of　our　approach　should　reach　General　Burnside　within　twenty…four　hours；　ordering　him　to　select　the　best　materials　of　his　command；　to　start　at　once；　ford　the　Little　Tennessee；　and　push　into　Knoxville　at　whatever　cost　of　life　and　horse…flesh。　　Major　Audenried　was　ordered　to　go　along。　　The　distance　to　be　traveled　was　about　forty　miles；　and　the　roads　villainous。　　Before　day　they　were　off；　and　at　daylight　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　turned　from　Philadelphia　for　the　Little　Tennessee　at　Morgantown；　where　my　maps　represented　the　river　as　being　very　shallow；　but　it　was　found　too　deep　for　fording；　and　the　water　was　freezing　coldwidth　two　hundred　and　forty　yards；　depth　from　two　to　five　feet；　horses　could　ford；　but　artillery　and　men　could　not。　　A　bridge　was　indispensable。　　General　Wilson　（who　accompanied　me）　undertook　to　superintend　the　bridge；　and　I　am　under　many　obligations　to　him；　as　I　was　without　an　engineer；　having　sent　Captain　Jenny　back　from　Graysville　to　survey　our　field　of　battle。　We　had　our　pioneers；　but　only　such　tools　as　axes；　picks；　and　spades。　　General　Wilson；　working　partly　with　cut　wood　and　partly　with　square　trestles　（made　of　the　houses　of　the　late　town　of　Morgantown）；　progressed　apace；　and　by　dark　of　December　4th　troops　and　animals　passed　over　the　bridge；　and　by　daybreak　of　the　5th　the　Fifteenth　Corps　（General　Blair's）　was　over；　and　Generals…Granger's　and　Davis's　divisions　were　ready　to　pass；　but　the　diagonal　bracing　was　imperfect　for；　want　of　spikes；　and　the　bridge　broke；　causing　delay。　　I　had　ordered　General　Blair　to　move　out　on　the　Marysville　road　five　miles；　there　to　await　notice　that　General　Granger　was　on　a　parallel　road　abreast　of　him；　and　in　person　I　was　at　a　house　where　the　roads　parted；　when　a　messenger　rode　up；　bringing　me　a　few　words　from　General　Burnside；　to　the　effect　that　Colonel　Long　had　arrived　at　Knoxville　with　his　cavalry；　and　that　all　was　well　with　him　there；　Longstreet　still　lay　before　the　place；　but　there　were　symptoms　of　his　speedy　departure。

I　felt　that　I　had　accomplished　the　first　great　step　in　the　problem　for　the　relief　of　General　Burnside's　army；　but　still　urged　on　the　work。　　As　soon　as　the　bridge　was　mended；　all　the　troops　moved　forward。　　General　Howard　had　marched　from　Loudon；　had　found　a　pretty　good　ford　for　his　horses　and　wagons　at　Davis's；　seven　miles　below　Morgantown；　and　had　made　an　ingenious　bridge　of　the　wagons　left　by　General　Vaughn　at　London；　on　which　to　pass　his　men。　　He　marched　by　Unitia　and　Louisville。　　On　the　night　of　the　5th　all　the　heads　of　columns　communicated　at　Marysville；　where　I　met　Major　Van　Buren　（of　General　Burnside's　staff）；　who　announced　that　Longstreet　had　the　night　before　retreated　on　the　Rutledge；　Rogersville；　and　Bristol　road；　leading　to　Virginia；　that　General　Burnside's　cavalry　was　on　his　heels；　and　that　the　general　desired　to　see　me　in　person　as　soon　as　I　could　come　to　Knoxville。　　I　ordered　all　the　troops　to　halt　and　rest；　except　the　two　divisions　of　General　Granger；　which　were　ordered　to　move　forward　to　Little　River；　and　General　Granger　to　report　in　person　to　General　Burnside　for　orders。　　His　was　the　force　originally　designed　to　reenforce　General　Burnside；　and　it　was　eminently　proper　that　it　should　join　in　the　stern…chase　after　Longstreet。

On　the　morning　of　December　6th　I　rode　from　Marysville　into　Knoxville；　and　met　General　Burnside。　　General　Granger　arrived　later　in　the　day。　　We　examined　his　lines　of　fortifications；　which　were　a　wonderful　production　for　the　short　time　allowed　in　their　selection　of　ground　and　construction　of　work。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　they　were　nearly　impregnable。　　We　examined　the　redoubt　named　〃Sa