memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第93部分

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e　inside　the　yard；　and；　being　tired；　I　lay　down　on　a　bed　and　fell　asleep。　　Presently　I　heard　shouts　and　hallooing；　and　then　heard　pistol…shots　close　to　the　house。　　My　aide；　Major　Audenried；　called　me　and　said　we　were　attacked　by　rebel　cavalry；　who　were　all　around　us。　　I　jumped　up　and　inquired　where　was　the　regiment　of　infantry　I　had　myself　posted　at　the　cross…roads。　　He　said　a　few　moments　before　it　had　marched　past　the　house；　following　the　road　by　which　General　Hurlbut　had　gone；　and　I　told　him　to　run；　overtake　it；　and　bring　it　back。　　Meantime；　I　went　out　into　the　back…yard；　saw　wagons　passing　at　a　run　down　the　road；　and　horsemen　dashing　about　in　a　cloud　of　dust；　firing　their　pistols；　their　shots　reaching　the　house　in　which　we　were。　Gathering　the　few　orderlies　and　clerks　that　were　about；　I　was　preparing　to　get　into　a　corn…crib　at　the　back　side　of　the　lot；　wherein　to　defend　ourselves；　when　I　saw　Audenried　coming　back　with　the　regiment；　on　a　run；　deploying　forward　as　they　came。　　This　regiment　soon　cleared　the　place　and　drove　the　rebel　cavalry　back　toward　the　south；　whence　they　had　come。

It　transpired　that　the　colonel　of　this　infantry　regiment；　whose　name　I　do　not　recall；　had　seen　some　officers　of　McPherson's　staff　（among　them　Inspector…General　Strong）　coming　up　the　road　at　a　gallop；　raising　a　cloud　of　duet；　supposing　them　to　be　the　head　of　McPherson's　column；　and　being　anxious　to　get　into　camp　before　dark；　he　had　called　in　his　pickets　and　started　down　the　road；　leaving　me　perfectly　exposed。　　Some　straggling　wagons；　escorted　by　a　New　Jersey　regiment；　were　passing　at　the　time；　and　composed　the　rear　of　Hurlbut's　train。　　The　rebel　cavalry；　seeing　the　road　clear　of　troops；　and　these　wagons　passing；　struck　them　in　flank；　shot　down　the　mules　of　three　or　four　wagons；　broke　the　column；　and　began　a　general　skirmish。　　The　escort　defended　their　wagons　as　well　as　they　could；　and　thus　diverted　their　attention；　otherwise　I　would　surely　have　been　captured。　　In　a　short　time　the　head　of　McPherson's　column　came　up；　went　into　camp；　and　we　spent　the　night　in　Decatur。

The　next　day　we　pushed　on；　and　on　the　14th　entered　Meridian；　the　enemy　retreating　before　us　toward　Demopolis；　Alabama。　　We　at　once　set　to　work　to　destroy　an　arsenal；　immense　storehouses；　and　the　railroad　in　every　direction。　　We　staid　in　Meridian　five　days；　expecting　every　hour　to　hear　of　General　Sooy　Smith；　but　could　get　no　tidings　of　him　whatever。　　A　large　force　of　infantry　was　kept　at　work　all　the　time　in　breaking　up　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad　south　and　north；　also　the　Jackson　&　Selma　Railroad；　east　and　west。　　I　was　determined　to　damage　these　roads　so　that　they　could　not　be　used　again　for　hostile　purposes　during　the　rest　of　the　war。　　I　never　had　the　remotest　idea　of　going　to　Mobile；　but　had　purposely　given　out　that　idea　to　the　people　of　the　country；　so　as　to　deceive　the　enemy　and　to　divert　their　attention。　　Many　persons　still　insist　that；　because　we　did　not　go　to　Mobile　on　this　occasion；　I　had　failed；　but　in　the　following　letter　to　General　Banks；　of　January　31st；　written　from　Vicksburg　before　starting　for　Meridian；　it　will　be　seen　clearly　that　I　indicated　my　intention　to　keep　up　the　delusion　of　an　attack　on　Mobile　by　land；　whereas　I　promised　him　to　be　back　to　Vicksburg　by　the　1st　of　March；　so　as　to　cooperate　with　him　in　his　contemplated　attack　on　Shreveport：


HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　VICKSBURG；　January　31；　1864

Major…General　N。　P。　BANKS；　commanding　Department　of　the　Gulf；　New　Orleans。

GENERAL：　I　received　yesterday；　at　the　hands　of　Captain　Durham；　aide…de…camp；　your　letter　of　the　25th　inst。；　and　hasten　to　reply。　Captain　Durham　has　gone　to　the　mouth　of　White　River；　en　route　for　Little　Rock；　and　the　other　officers　who　accompanied　him　have　gone　up　to　Cairo；　as　I　understand；　to　charter　twenty…five　steamboats　for　the　Red　River　trip。　　The　Mississippi　River；　though　low　for　the　season；　is　free　of　ice　and　in　good　boating　order；　but　I　understand　that　Red　River　is　still　low。　　I　had　a　man　in　from　Alexandria　yesterday；　who　reported　the　falls　or　rapids　at　that　place　impassable　save　by　the　smallest　boats。　　My　inland　expedition　is　now　moving；　and　I　will　be　off　for　Jackson　and　Meridian　to…morrow。　　The　only　fear　I　have　is　in　the　weather。　　All　the　other　combinations　are　good。　　I　want　to　keep　up　the　delusion　of　an　attack　on　Mobile　and　the　Alabama　River；　and　therefore　would　be　obliged　if　you　would　keep　up　an　irritating　foraging　or　other　expedition　in　that　direction。

My　orders　from　General　Grant　will　not；　as　yet；　justify　me　in　embarking　for　Red　River；　though　I　am　very　anxious　to　move　in　that　direction。　　The　moment　I　learned　that　you　were　preparing　for　it；　I　sent　a　communication　to　Admiral　Porter；　and　dispatched　to　General　Grant　at　Chattanooga；　asking　if　he　wanted　me　and　Steele　to　cooperate　with　you　against　Shreveport；　and　I　will　have　his　answer　in　time；　for　you　cannot　do　any　thing　till　Red　River　has　twelve　feet　of　water　on　the　rapids　at　Alexandria。　　That　will　be　from　March　to　June。　　I　have　lived　on　Red　River；　and　know　somewhat　of　the　phases　of　that　stream。　　The　expedition　on　Shreveport　should　be　made　rapidly；　with　simultaneous　movements　from　Little　Rock　on　Shreveport；　from　Opelousas　on　Alexandria；　and　a　combined　force　of　gunboats　and　transports　directly　up　Red　River。　　Admiral　Porter　will　be　able　to　have　a　splendid　fleet　by　March　lst。　　I　think　Steele　could　move　with　ten　thousand　infantry　and　five　thousand　cavalry。　　I　could　take　about　ten　thousand；　and　you　could；　I　suppose；　have　the　same。　　Your　movement　from　Opelousas；　simultaneous　with　mine　up　the　river；　would　compel　Dick　Taylor　to　leave　Fort　De　Russy　（near　Marksville）；　and　the　whole　combined　force　could　appear　at　Shreveport　about　a　day　appointed　beforehand。

I　doubt　if　the　enemy　will　risk　a　siege　at　Shreveport；　although　I　am　informed　they　are　fortifying　the　place；　and　placing　many　heavy　guns　in　position。　　It　would　be　better　for　us　that　they　should　stand　there；　as　we　might　make　large　and　important　captures。　　But　I　do　not　believe　the　enemy　will　fight　a　force　of　thirty　thousand　men；　acting　in　concert　with　gunboats。

I　will　be　most　happy　to　take　part　in　the　proposed　expedition；　and　hope；　before　you　have　made　your　final　dispositions；　that　I　will　have　the　necessary　permission。　　Half　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　is　near　the　Tennessee　River；　beyond　Huntsville；　Alabama；　awaiting　the　completion　of　the　railroad；　and；　by　present　orders；　I　will　be　compelled　to　hasten　there　to　command　it　in　person；　unless　meantime　General　Grant　modifies　the　plan。　　I　have　now　in　this　department　only　the　force　left　to　hold　the　river　and　the　posts；　and　I　am　seriously　embarrassed　by　the　promises　made　the　veteran　volunteers　for　furlough。　　I　think；　by　March　lst；　I　can　put　afloat　for　Shreveport　ten　thousand　men；　provided　I　succeed　in　my　present　movement　in　cleaning　out　the　State　of　Mississippi；　and　in　breaking　up　the　railroads　about　Meridian。

I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

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


The　object　of　the　Meridian　expedition　was　to　strike　the　roads　inland；　so　to　paralyze　the　rebel　forces　that　we　could　take　from　the　defense　of　the　Mississippi　River　the　equivalent　of　a　corps　of　twenty　thousand　men；　to　be　used　in　the　next　Georgia　campaign；　and　this　was　actually　done。　　At　the　same　time；　I　wanted　to　destroy　General　Forrest；　who；　with　an　irregular　force　of　cavalry；　was　constantly　threatening　Memphis　and　the　river　above；　as　well　as　our　routes　of　supply　in　Middle　Tennessee。　　In　this　we　failed　utterly；　because　General　W。　Sooy　Smith　did　not　fulfill　his　orders；　which　were　clear　and　specific；　as　contained　in　my　letter　of　instructions　to　him　of　January　27th；　at　Memphis；　and　my　personal　explanations　to　him　at　the　same　time。　　Instead　of　starting　at　the　date　ordered；　February　1st；　he　did　not　leave　Memphis　till　the　11th；　waiting　for　Warings　brigade　that　was　ice…bound　near　Columbus；　Kentucky；　and　then；　when　he　did　start；　he　allowed　General　Forrest　to　head　him　off　and　to　defeat　him　with　an　inferior　force；　near　West　Point；　below　Okalona；　on　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad。

We　waited　at　Meridian　till　the　20th　to　hear　from　General　Smith；　but　hearing　nothing　whatever；　and　having　utterly　destroyed　the　railroads　in　and　around　that　junction；　I　ordered　General　McPherson　to　move　back　slowly　toward　Canton。　　With　Winslow's　cavalry；　and　Hurlbut's　infantry；　I　turned　north　to　Marion；　and　thence　to　a　place　called　〃Union；〃　whence　I　dispatched　the　cavalry　farther　north　to　Philadelphia　and　Louisville；　to　feel　as　it　were　for　General　Smith；　and　then　turned　all　the　infantry　columna　toward　Canton；　Mississippi。　　On　the　26th　we　all　reached　Canton；　but　we　had　not　heard　a　word　of　General　Smith；　nor　was　it　until　some　time　after　（at　Vicksburg）　that　I　learned　the　whole　truth　of　General　Smith's　movement　and　of　his　failure。　　Of　course　I　did　not　and　could　not　approve　of　his　conduct；　and　I　know　that　he　yet　chafes　under　the　censure。　　I　had　set　so　much　store　on　his　part　of　the　project　that　I　was　disappointed；　and　so　reported　officially　to　General　Grant。　General　Smith　never　regained　my　confidence　as　a　soldier；　though　I　still　regard　him　as　a　most　accomplished　gentleman　and　a　skillful　engineer。　　Since　the　close　of　the　war　he　has　appealed　to　me　to　relieve　him　of　that　censure；　but　I　could　not　do　it；　because　it　would　falsify　history。

Having　assembled　all　my　troops　in　and　about　Canton；　on　the　27th　of　February　I　left　them　under　the　command　of　the　senior　major…general；　Hurlbut；　with　orders　to　remain　till　about　the　3d　of　March；　and　then　to　come　into　Vicksburg　leisurely；　and；　escorted　by　Winslow's　cavalry；　I　rode　into　Vicksburg　on　the　last　day　of　February。　　There　I　found　letters　from　General　Grant；　at　Nashville；　and　General　Banks；　at　New　Orleans；　concerning　his　（General　Banks's）　projected　movement　up　Red　River。　　I　was　authorized　by　the　former　to　contribute　aid　to　General　Banks　for　a　limited　time；　but　General　Grant　insisted　on　my　returning　in　person　to　my　own　command　about　Huntsville；　Alabama；　as　soon　as　possible；　to　prepare　for　the　spring　campaign。

About　this　time　we　were　much　embarrassed　by　a　general　order　of　the　War　Department；　promising　a　thirty…days　furlough　to　all　soldiers　who　would　　〃veteranize　〃viz。；　reenlist　for　the　rest　of　the　war。　This　was　a　judicious　and　wise　measure；　b