memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第91部分

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tion　of　work。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　they　were　nearly　impregnable。　　We　examined　the　redoubt　named　〃Sanders；〃　where；　on　the　Sunday　previous；　three　brigades　of　the　enemy　had　assaulted　and　met　a　bloody　repulse。　　Now；　all　was　peaceful　and　quiet；　but　a　few　hours　before；　the　deadly　bullet　sought　its　victim　all　round　about　that　hilly　barrier。

The　general　explained　to　me　fully　and　frankly　what　he　had　done；　and　what　he　proposed　to　do。　　He　asked　of　me　nothing　but　General　Granger's　command；　and　suggested；　in　view　of　the　large　force　I　had　brought　from　Chattanooga；　that　I　should　return　with　due　expedition　to　the　line　of　the　Hiawasaee；　lest　Bragg；　reenforced；　might　take　advantage　of　our　absence　to　resume　the　offensive。　　I　asked　him　to　reduce　this　to　writing；　which　he　did；　and　I　here　introduce　it　as　part　of　my　report：

HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　OHIO　KNOXVILLE；　December　7；　1863

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding；　etc。

GENERAL：　I　desire　to　express　to　you　and　your　command　my　most　hearty　thanks　and　gratitude　for　your　promptness　in　coming　to　our　relief　during　the　siege　of　Knoxville；　and　I　am　satisfied　your　approach　served　to　raise　the　siege。　　The　emergency　having　passed；　I　do　not　deem；　for　the　present；　any　other　portion　of　your　command　but　the　corps　of　General　Granger　necessary　for　operations　in　this　section；　and；　inasmuch　as　General　Grant　has　weakened　the　forces　immediately　with　him　in　order　to　relieve　us　（thereby　rendering　the　position　of　General　Thomas　less　secure）；　I　deem　it　advisable　that　all　the　troops　now　here；　save　those　commanded　by　General　Granger；　should　return　at　once　to　within　supporting　distance　of　the　forces　in　front　of　Bragg's　army。　　In　behalf　of　my　command；　I　desire　again　to　thank　you　and　your　command　for　the　kindness　you　have　done　us。

I　am；　general；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

A。　E。　BURNSIDE；　Major…General　commanding。


Accordingly；　having　seen　General　Burnside's　forces　move　out　of　Knoxville　in　pursuit　of　Longstreet；　and　General　Granger's　move　in；　I　put　in　motion　my　own　command　to　return。　　General　Howard　was　ordered　to　move；　via　Davis's　Ford　and　Sweetwater；　to　Athena；　with　a　guard　forward　at　Charleston；　to　hold　and　repair　the　bridge　which　the　enemy　had　retaken　after　our　passage　up。　　General　Jeff。　　C。　Davis　moved　to　Columbus；　on　the　Hiawaesee；　via　Madisonville；　and　the　two　divisions　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　moved　to　Tellico　Plains；　to　cover　movement　of　cavalry　across　the　mountains　into　Georgia；　to　overtake　a　wagon…train　which　had　dodged　us　on　our　way　up；　and　had　escaped　by　way　of　Murphy。　　Subsequently；　on　a　report　from　General　Howard　that　the　enemy　held　Charleston；　I　diverted　General　Ewing's　division　to　Athena；　and　went　in　person　to　Tellico　with　General　Morgan　L。　Smith's　division。　　By　the　9th　all　our　troops　were　in　position；　and　we　held　the　rich　country　between　the　Little　Tennessee　and　the　Hiawasaee。　　The　cavalry；　under　Colonel　Long；　passed　the　mountain　at　Tellico；　and　proceeded　about　seventeen　miles　beyond　Murphy；　when　Colonel　Long；　deeming　his　farther　pursuit　of　the　wagon…train　useless；　returned　on　the　12th　to　Tellico。　　I　then　ordered　him　and　the　division　of　General　Morgan　L。　Smith　to　move　to　Charleston；　to　which　point　I　had　previously　ordered　the　corps　of　General　Howard。

On　the　14th　of　December　all　of　my　command　in　the　field　lay　along　the　Hiawassee。　　Having　communicated　to　General　Grant　the　actual　state　of　affairs；　I　received　orders　to　leave；　on　the　line　of　the　Hiawassee；　all　the　cavalry；　and　come　to　Chattanooga　with　the　rest　of　my　command。　　I　left　the　brigade　of　cavalry　commanded　by　Colonel　Long；　reenforced　by　the　Fifth　Ohio　Cavalry　（Lieutenant…Colonel　Heath）the　only　cavalry　properly　belonging　to　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corpsat　Charleston；　and　with　the　remainder　moved　by　easy　marches；　by　Cleveland　and　Tyner's　Depot；　into　Chattanooga；　where　I　received　in　person　from　General　Grant　orders　to　transfer　back　to　their　appropriate　commands　the　corps　of　General　Howard　and　the　division　commanded　by　General　Jeff。　　C。　Davis；　and　to　conduct　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps　to　its　new　field　of　operations。

It　will　thus　appear　that　we　have　been　constantly　in　motion　since　our　departure　from　the　Big　Black；　in　Mississippi；　until　the　present　moment。　　I　have　been　unable　to　receive　from　subordinate　commanders　the　usual　full；　detailed　reports　of　events；　and　have　therefore　been　compelled　to　make　up　this　report　from　my　own　personal　memory；　but；　as　soon　so　possible；　subordinate　reports　will　be　received　and　duly　forwarded。

In　reviewing　the　facts；　I　must　do　justice　to　the　men　of　my　command　for　the　patience；　cheerfulness；　and　courage　which　officers　and　men　have　displayed　throughout；　in　battle；　on　the　march；　and　in　camp。　For　long　periods；　without　regular　rations　or　supplies　of　any　kind；　they　have　marched　through　mud　and　over　rocks；　sometimes　barefooted；　without　a　murmur。　　Without　a　moment's　rest　after　a　march　of　over　four　hundred　miles；　without　sleep　for　three　successive　nights；　we　crossed　the　Tennessee；　fought　our　part　of　the　battle　of　Chattanooga；　pursued　the　enemy　out　of　Tennessee；　and　then　turned　more　than　a　hundred　and　twenty　miles　north　and　compelled　Longstreet　to　raise　the　siege　of　Knoxville；　which　gave　so　much　anxiety　to　the　whole　country。　　It　is　hard　to　realize　the　importance　of　these　events　without　recalling　the　memory　of　the　general　feeling　which　pervaded　all　minds　at　Chattanooga　prior　to　our　arrival。　　I　cannot　speak　of　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps　without　a　seeming　vanity；　but　as　I　am　no　longer　its　commander；　I　assert　that　there　is　no　better　body　of　soldiers　in　America　than　it。　　I　wish　all　to　feel　a　just　pride　in　its　real　honors。

To　General　Howard　and　his　command；　to　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis　and　his；　I　am　more　than　usually　indebted　for　the　intelligence　of　commanders　and　fidelity　of　commands。　　The　brigade　of　Colonel　Bushbeck；　belonging　to　the　Eleventh　Corps；　which　was　the　first　to　come　out　of　Chattanooga　to　my　flank；　fought　at　the　Tunnel　Hill；　in　connection　with　General　Ewing's　division；　and　displayed　a　courage　almost　amounting　to　rashness。　　Following　the　enemy　almost　to　the　tunnel…gorge；　it　lost　many　valuable　lives；　prominent　among　them　Lieutenant…Colonel　Taft；　spoken　of　as　a　most　gallant　soldier。

In　General　Howard　throughout　I　found　a　polished　and　Christian　gentleman；　exhibiting　the　highest　and　most　chivalric　traits　of　the　soldier。　　General　Davis　handled　his　division　with　artistic　skill；　more　especially　at　the　moment　we　encountered　the　enemy's　rear…guard；　near　Graysville；　at　nightfall。　　I　must　award　to　this　division　the　credit　of　the　best　order　during　our　movement　through　East　Tennessee；　when　long　marches　and　the　necessity　of　foraging　to　the　right　and　left　gave　some　reason　for　disordered　ranks：

Inasmuch　as　exception　may　be　taken　to　my　explanation　of　the　temporary　confusion；　during　the　battle　of　Chattanooga；　of　the　two　brigades　of　General　Matthias　and　Colonel　Raum；　I　will　here　state　that　I　saw　the　whole；　and　attach　no　blame　to　any　one。　　Accidents　will　happen　in　battle；　as　elsewhere；　and　at　the　point　where　they　so　manfully　went　to　relieve　the　pressure　on　other　parts　of　our　assaulting　line；　they　exposed　themselves　unconsciously　to　an　enemy　vastly　superior　in　force；　and　favored　by　the　shape　of　the　ground。　Had　that　enemy　come　out　on　equal　terms；　those　brigades　world　have　shown　their　mettle；　which　has　been　tried　more　than　once　before　and　stood　the　test　of　fire。　　They　reformed　their　ranks；　and　were　ready　to　support　General　Ewing's　division　in　a　very　few　minutes；　and　the　circumstance　would　have　hardly　called　for　notice　on　my　part；　had　not　others　reported　what　was　seen　from　Chattanooga；　a　distance　of　nearly　five　miles；　from　where　could　only　be　seen　the　troops　in　the　open　field　in　which　this　affair　occurred。

I　now　subjoin　the　best　report　of　casualties　I　am　able　to　compile　from　the　records　thus　far　received：

Killed；　Wounded；　and　Missing。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1949

No　report　from　General　Davis's　division；　but　loss　is　small。

Among　the　killed　were　some　of　our　most　valuable　officers：　Colonels　Putnam；　Ninety…third　Illinois；　O'Meara；　Ninetieth　Illinois；　and　Torrence；　Thirtieth　Iowa；　Lieutenant…Colonel…Taft；　of　the　Eleventh　Corps；　and　Major　Bushnell；　Thirteenth　Illinois。

Among　the　wounded　are　Brigadier…Generals　Giles　A。　Smith；　Corse；　and　Matthias；　Colonel　Raum；　Colonel　Waugelin；　Twelfth　Missouri；　Lieutenant…Colonel　Partridge；　Thirteenth　Illinois；　Major　P。　I。　Welsh；　Fifty…sixth　Illinois；　and　Major　Nathan　McAlla；　Tenth　Iowa。

Among　the　missing　is　Lieutenant…Colonel　Archer；　Seventeenth　Iowa。

My　report　is　already　so　long；　that　I　must　forbear　mentioning　acts　of　individual　merit。　　These　will　be　recorded　in　the　reports　of　division　commanders；　which　I　will　cheerfully　indorse；　but　I　mnst　say　that　it　is　but　justice　that　colonels　of　regiments；　who　have　so　long　and　so　well　commanded　brigades；　as　in　the　following　cases；　should　be　commissioned　to　the　grade　which　they　have　filled　with　so　much　usefulness　and　credit　to　the　public　service；　viz。：　Colonel　J。　R。　Cockerell；　Seventieth；　Ohio；　Colonel　J。　M。　Loomis；　Twenty…sixth　Illinois；　Colonel　C。　C。　Walcutt；　Forty…sixth　Ohio；　Colonel　J。　A。　Williamson；　Fourth　Iowa；　Colonel　G。　B。　Raum；　Fifty…sixth　Illinois；　Colonel　J。　I。　Alexander；　Fifty…ninth　Indiana。

My　personal　staff；　as　usual；　have　served　their　country　with　fidelity；　and　credit　to　themselves；　throughout　these　events；　and　have　received　my　personal　thanks。

Inclosed　you　will　please　find　a　map　of　that　part　of　the　battle…field　of　Chattanooga　fought　over　by　the　troops　under　my　command；　surveyed　and　drawn　by　Captain　Jenney；　engineer　on　my　staff。　　I　have　the　。honor　to　be；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。


＇General　Order　No。　68。＇

WAR　DEPARTMENT　ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE　WASHINGTON；　February　21；　1884

Joint　resolution　tendering　the　thanks　of　Congress　to　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman　and　others。

Be　it　resolved　by　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　of　the　United　States　of　America　in　Congress　assembled；　That　the　thanks　of　Congress　and　of　the　people　of　the　United　States　are　due；　and　that　the　same　are　hereby　tendered；　to　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　commander　of　the　Department　and　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　and　the　officers　and　soldiers　who　served　under　him；　for　their　gallant　and　arduous　services　in　marching　to　the　rel