memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第99部分

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d　the　whole　matter　over　at　his　headquarters　during　the　siege　of　Vicksburg。　　He　said　that　if　the　charge　had　been　made　along　our　whole　line　with　the　same　vigor　of　attack　made　by　his　brigade；　and　if　we　had　been　supported　as　Morgan　promised　to　do；　we　might　have　succeeded。　　I　dissented　from　the　opinion　that　we　could　even　then　have　succeeded。　　I　asked　him　what　excuse　Morgan　gave　for　failing　to　support　us；　and　he　said　that　Colonel　or　General　De　Courcey　was　in　some　manner　to　blame　for　that；　but　he　said　Morgan　was　mistaken　as　to　the　nature　of　the　ground　and　generally　as　to　the　feasibility　of　the　whole　thing；　and　was　responsible　for　the　failure　to　afford　us　the　support　he　had　promised；　that　he　and　General　Sherman　and　all　of　them　were　misled　by　the　statements　and　opinions　of　Morgan　as　to　the　situation　in　our　front；　and　Morgan　was；　on　his　part；　deceived　by　the　reports　of　his　scouts　about　other　matters　as　well　as　the　matter　of　the　water　in　the　bayou。

THOMAS　C。　FLETCHER




ARKANSAS　POST。

Extracts　from　Admiral　Porter's　Journal。

Sherman　and　I　had　made　arrangements　to　capture　Arkansas　Post。

On　the　31st　of　December；　while　preparing　to　go　out　of　the　Yazoo；　an　army　officer　called　to　see　me；　and　said　that　he　belonged　to　General　MeClernand's　staff；　and　that　the　general　was　at　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo　River；　and　desired　to　see　me　at　once。　　I　sent　word　to　the　general　that　if　he　wished　to　see　me　he　could　have　an　opportunity　by　calling　on　board　my　flag…ship。

A　few　moments　after　I　had　heard　the　news　of　McClernand'a　arrival；　I　saw　Sherman　pulling　about　in　a　boat；　and　hailed　him；　informing　him　that　McClernand　was　at　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo。　　Sherman　then　came　on　board；　and；　in　consequence　of　this　unexpected　news；　determined　to　postpone　the　movement　out　of　the　Yazoo　River；　and　let　McClernand　take　that　upon　himself。

General　McClernand　took　my　hint　and　came　on　board　the　flag…ship；　but　I　soon　discovered　that　any　admiral；　Grant；　Sherman；　or　all　the　generals　in　the　army；　were　nobody　in　his　estimation。　　Sherman　had　been　at　McClernand's　headquarters　to　see　him　and　state　the　condition　of　affairs；　and　he　then　suggested　to　the　latter　the　plan　of　going　to　Arkansaw　Post。

I　had　a　number　of　fine　maps　hanging　up　in　my　cabin；　and　when　McClernand　came　on　board　he　examined　them　all　with　the　eye　of　a　connoisseur。　　He　then　stated　to　me　as　a　new　thing　the　plan　he　proposed！！！　of　going　to　Arkansas　Post　and　stirring　up　our　troops；　which　had　been　〃demoralized　by　the　late　defeat〃　（Sherman　was　present；　looking　daggers　at　him）。　　I　answered；　〃Yes；　General　Sherman　and　myself　have　already　arranged　for　going　to　Arkansas　Post。〃　　Sherman　then　made　some　remark　about　the　disposition　of　the　troops　in　the　coming　expedition；　when　McClernand　gave　him　rather　a　curt　answer。　　McClernand　then　remarked；　〃If　you　will　let　me　have　three　gunboats；　I　will　go　and　take　the　place。〃　　Now　General　McClernand　had　about　as　much　idea　of　what　a　gunboat　was；　or　could　do；　as　the　man　in　the　moon。　　He　did　not　know；　the　difference　between　an　ironclad　and　a　〃tin…clad。〃　　He　had　heard　that　gunboats　had　taken　Fort　Henry；　and　that　was　all　be　knew　about　them。　　I　said　to　him：　〃I'll　tell　you　what　I　will　do；　General　MoClernand。　　If　General　Sherman　goes　in　command　of　the　troops；　I　will　go　myself　in　command　of　a　proper　force；　and　will　insure　the　capture　of　the　post。〃　　McClernand　winced　under　this；　and　Sherman　quietly　walked　off　into　the　after…cabin。　　He　beckoned　me　to　come　there；　while　McClernand　was　apparently　deeply　engaged　in　studying　out　a　chart；　making　believe　he　was　interested；　in　order　to　conceal　his　temper。　Sherman　said　to　me：　〃Admiral；　how　could　you　make　such　a　remark　to　McClernand？　　He　hates　me　already；　and　you　have　made　him　an　enemy　for　life。〃

〃I　don't　care；〃　said　I；　〃he　shall　not　treat　you　rudely　in　my　cabin；　and　I　was　glad　of　the　opportunity　of　letting　him　know　my　sentiments。〃　　By　this　time；　General　McClernand　having　bottled　up　his　wrath；　or　cooled　down；　I　went　in　to　him　and　we　discussed　the　matter。　　He　consented　that　Sherman　should　go　in　command　of　the　troops；　and　the　interview　ended　pleasantly　enough。

The　above　extracts　from　Admiral　Porter's　journal　were　sent　by　the　admiral　to　General　Sherman；　inclosed　in　a　letter　dated　〃Washington；　May　29；　1875；〃　and　signed　〃David　D。　Porter。〃

J。　E。　TOURTELOTTE。




After　leaving　the　Yazoo；　the　Army　of　the　Mississippi　rendezvous　was　at　Milliken's　Bend。　　During　the　night　of　January　4th　or　5th；　General　McClernand　came　on　board　the　Forest　Queen；　and　with　General　Sherman　went　to　the　Black　Hawk　flag…boat。　　There　an　interview　took　place；　during　which　the　expedition　to　Arkansas　Poet　took　shape。　General　Sherman　having　asked　leave　to　take　the　post；　and　Admiral　Porter　having　decided　to　go　along；　McClernand　thought　best　to　go　with　his　entire　army；　although　the　enemy　were　supposed　to　have　only　about　four　or　five　thousand　men；　and　the　fort　was　little　more　than　a　large　earthwork　commanding　the　river。

General　Sherman's　command　was　then　entitled　the　Second　Corps；　Army　of　the　Mississippi；　and　was　comprised　of　the　First　Division；　Blair's；　Hovey's；　and　Thayer's　brigades；　commanded　by　Steele；　and　the　Second　Division；　commanded　by　David　Stuart；　with　Colonels　Giles　A。　and　Kilby　Smith　commanding　brigades。

Our　fleet　was　convoyed　by　three　ironclads　and　several　other　gunboats。　　The　weather　was　bitterly　cold　for　that　latitude；　we　were　four　days　getting　into　the　Arkansas　River；　which　we　entered　by　the　White　River　cut…off；　and　my　recollection　is；　that　our　passing　the　mouth　of　the　main　river　deceived　the　enemy　as　to　our　destination。　The　entrance　through　the　cut…off　was　feasible　by　reason　of　high　water；　and　I　think　made　our　appearance　a　surprise　to　the　force　at　the　post。　　We　disembarked　on　the　morning　of　the　10th　of　January。　Stuart's　division　first　encountered　the　enemy　behind　an　earthwork　about　four　miles　from　the　fort；　running　across　the　solid　ground　from　the　river　to　a　swamp。　　General　Sherman　in　person　took　Steele's　division；　and　followed　a　road　leading　to　the　rear　of　the　earthwork　just　mentioned。　　We　had　got　fairly　under　way　when　the　rebels　fell　back　to　the　fort；　and　McClernand；　coming　up；　ordered　us　to　fall　back；　and　march　up　the　river。　　It　seemed　to　me　then；　and　afterward；　that　it　would　have　been　better　to　have　marched　straight　to　the　rear　of　the　fort；　as　we　started　to　do。　　We　soon　overtook　Stuart　and　closed　in；　General　Sherman　on　the　right；　Morgan's　force　on　the　left；　reaching　to　the　river；　where　the　gunboats　were；　while　Sherman　reached　from　the　road　which　connected　the　post　with　the　back　country；　toward　where　the　earthworks　reached　the　river　above　the　fort；　and　threatened　their　communications　with　Little　Rock。　　The　night　was　cold　and　cloudy；　with　some　snow。　　There　were　a　good　many　abandoned　huts　to　our　rear；　but　our　forces　in　position　lay　on　the　frozen　ground；　sheltered　as　best　they　could；　among　the　bushes　and　timber。　　We　were　so　close　that　they　could　have　reached　us　any　time　during　the　night　with　light　artillery。　　The　gun…boats　threw　heavy　shells　into　the　fort　and　behind　the　earthworks　all　night；　keeping　the　enemy　awake　and　anxious。　　The　heavy　boom　of　the　artillery　was　followed　by　the　squeak；　squeak　of　Admiral　Porter's　little　tug；　as　he　moved　around　making　his　arrangements　for　the　morrow。　　The　sounds　were　ridiculous　by　comparison。　　General　Sherman　and　staff　lay　on　the　roots　of　an　old　oak…tree；　that　kept　them　partly　clear　of　mud。　The　cold　was　sharp；　my　right　boot　being　frozen　solid　in　a　puddle　in　the　morning。　　About　half…past　two　or　three　o'clock；　General　Sherman；　with　another　and　myself；　crept　in　as　close　as　possible　and　reconnoitred　the　position。　　The　general　managed　to　creep　in　much　closer　than　the　rest　of　usin　fact；　so　close　as　to　cause　us　anxiety。　　The　enemy　worked　hard　all　night　on　their　abatis　and　intrenchments；　and　in　the　morning　we　found　a　ditch　and　parapet　running　clear　across　the　point　on　which　the　post　was　situated。　This　point　was　cut　by　a　road　from　the　back　country；　across　which　was　a　heavy　earthwork　and　a　battery。　　This　road　was　at　the　extremity　of　our　left。　　General　McClernand　kept　his　head…quarters　on　his　boat；　the　Tigress。　　He　came　up　in　the　morning　to　a　place　in　the　woods　in　our　rear。　　One　of　his　staff；　a　cavalry…officer；　climbed　a　tree　to　report　movements；　but　from　that　point　there　was　very　little　to　be　seen。　　Between　ten　and　eleven　o'clock　the　fire　opened　from　the　fleet；　and　we　opened　along　the　whole　line　from　infantry　and　field…guns。　　Our　men　soon　worked　in　close　enough　to　keep　down　the　fire　of　the　enemy　to　a　very　marked　degree。

After　reporting　to　General　Sherman；　and　while　explaining　the　position　of　the　fleet；　the　smoke…stacks　and　flags　appeared　above　the　fort。　　What　firing　was　going　on　in　our　immediate　front　ceased。　A　good　many　rebels　were　in　plain　sight；　running　away　from　the　fort　and　scattering。　　While　we　were　still　surprised；　the　cry　was　raised　that　a　white　flag　was　hung　out。　　I　did　not　see　it；　but　in　a　few　minutes　saw　others　along　the　line；　and　just　as　the　general　started　for　the　fort　I　saw　the　flag　not　far　from　the　white　house；　near　the　parapet。　　Orders　were　given　to　cease　firing。　　Captain　Dayton　was　sent　to　the　fort　where　the　first　flag　was　raised。　　Some　shots　were　fired　and　some　men　hurt　after　this。　　The　first　rebel　officer　we　encountered　was　Colonel　or　General　Garland；　commanding　brigade；　who　was　ordered　to　put　his　men　in　line　and　stack　arms；　which　was　done。　I　was　directed　to　pass　along　the　line　to　the　right；　and　cause　the　prisoners　to　stack　arms　and　form　our　men　in　line；　just　outside　the　work。　　This　I　did　till　I　reached　Deshler's　brigade；　on　our　extreme　right；　or　nearly　so；　and　who　was　opposed　to　the　right　of　Steele's　force。　　Steele's　men　had　rushed　up　to　the　very　foot　of　the　parapet；　and　some　were　on　it；　though　they　did　not　fire。　　The　commander　of　the　enemy　（Deshler）　refused　to　obey　my　orders　to　stack　arms；　and　asked　a　good　many　questions　as　to　〃how　it　happened；〃　said　he　was　not　whipped；　but　held　us　in　check；　etc。　　I　told　him　there　were　eight　or　nine　thousand　men　right　there；　that　a　shot　from　me；　or　a　call；　would　bring　down　on　him；　and　that　we　had　entire　possession　of　the　place。　　After　sending　two　officers　from　the　nearest　troops　to　explain　the　condition　to　Steele；　and　to　warn　every　officer　they　met　to　pass　the　word　for　everybody　to　be　on　the