memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第50部分

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ents；　will　be　better　than　any　that　can　be　obtained　now。

It　may　not　be　possible　for　you　to　march　to　the　rear　of　Petersburg；　but；　failing　in　this；　you　could　strike　either　of　the　sea…coast　ports　in　North　Carolina　held　by　us。　　From　there　you　could　take　shipping。　　It　would　be　decidedly　preferable；　however；　if　you　could　march　the　whole　distance。

》From　the　best　information　I　have；　you　will　find　no　difficulty　in　supplying　your　army　until　you　cross　the　Roanoke。　　From　there　here　is　but　a　few　days'　march；　and　supplies　could　be　collected　south　of　the　river　to　bring　you　through。　　I　shall　establish　communication　with　you　there；　by　steamboat　and　gunboat。　　By　this　means　your　wants　can　be　partially　supplied。　　I　shall　hope　to　hear　from　you　soon；　and　to　hear　your　plan；　and　about　the　time　of　starting。

Please　instruct　Foster　to　hold　on　to　all　the　property　in　Savannah；　and　especially　the　cotton。　　Do　not　turn　it　over　to　citizens　or　Treasury　agents；　without　orders　of　the　War　Department。

Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　January　2；　1865。

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point。

GENERAL　：　I　have　received；　by　the　hands　of　General　Barnard；　your　note　of　26th　and　letter　of　27th　December。

I　herewith　inclose　to　you　a　copy　of　a　projet　which　I　have　this　morning；　in　strict　confidence；　discussed　with　my　immediate　commanders。

I　shall　need；　however；　larger　supplies　of　stores；　especially　grain。　I　will　inclose　to　you；　with　this；　letters　from　General　Easton；　quartermaster；　and　Colonel　Beckwith；　commissary　of　subsistence；　setting　forth　what　will　be　required；　and　trust　you　will　forward　them　to　Washington　with　your　sanction；　so　that　the　necessary　steps　may　be　taken　at　once　to　enable　me　to　carry　out　this　plan　on　time。

I　wrote　you　very　fully　on　the　24th；　and　have　nothing　to　add。　　Every　thing　here　is　quiet；　and　if　I　can　get　the　necessary　supplies　in　our　wagons；　shall　be　ready　to　start　at　the　time　indicated　in　my　projet　（January　15th）。　　But；　until　those　supplies　are　in　hand；　I　can　do　nothing；　after　they　are；　I　shall　be　ready　to　move　with　great　rapidity。

I　have　heard　of　the　affair　at　Cape　Fear。　　It　has　turned　out　as　you　will　remember　I　expected。

I　have　furnished　General　Easton　a　copy　of　the　dispatch　from　the　Secretary　of　War。　　He　will　retain　possession　of　all　cotton　here；　and　ship　it　as　fast　as　vessels　can　be　had　to　New　York。

I　shall　immediately　send　the　Seventeenth　Corps　over　to　Port　Royal；　by　boats；　to　be　furnished　by　Admiral　Dahlgren　and　General　Foster　（without　interfering　with　General　Easton's　vessels）；　to　make　a　lodgment　on　the　railroad　at　Pocotaligo。

General　Barnard　will　remain　with　me　a　few　days；　and　I　send　this　by　a　staff…officer；　who　can　return　on　one　of　the　vessels　of　the　supply…fleet。　　I　suppose　that；　now　that　General　Butler　has　got　through　with　them；　you　can　spare　them　to　us。

My　report　of　recent　operations　is　nearly　ready；　and　will　be　sent　you　in　a　day　or　two；　as　soon　as　some　farther　subordinate　reports　come　in。

I　am；　with　great　respect；　very　truly；　your　friend；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。



＇Entirely　confidential＇

PROJET　FOR　JANUARY。

1。　　Right　wing　to　move　men　and　artillery　by　transports　to　head　of　Broad　River　and　Beaufort；　reestablish　Port　Royal　Ferry；　and　mass　the　wing　at　or　in　the　neighborhood　of　Pocotaligo。

Left　wing　and　cavalry　to　work　slowly　across　the　causeway　toward　Hardeeville；　to　open　a　road　by　which　wagons　can　reach　their　corps　about　Broad　River；　also；　by　a　rapid　movement　of　the　left；　to　secure　Sister's　Ferry；　and　Augusta　road　out　to　Robertsville。

In　the　mean　time；　all　guns；　shot；　shell；　cotton；　etc。；　to　be　moved　to　a　safe　place；　easy　to　guard；　and　provisions　and　wagons　got　ready　for　another　swath；　aiming　to　have　our　army　in　hand　about　the　head　of　Broad　River；　say　Pocotaligo；　Robertsville；　and　Coosawhatchie；　by　the　15th　January。

2。　　The　whole　army　to　move　with　loaded　wagons　by　the　roads　leading　in　the　direction　of　Columbia；　which　afford　the　best　chance　of　forage　and　provisions。　　Howard　to　be　at　Pocotaligo　by　the　15th　January；　and　Slocum　to　be　at　Robertsville；　and　Kilpatrick　at　or　near　Coosawhatchie　about　the　same　date。　　General　Fosters　troops　to　occupy　Savannah；　and　gunboats　to　protect　the　rivers　as　soon　as　Howard　gets　Pocotaligo。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。


Therefore；　on　the　2d　of　January；　I　was　authorized　to　march　with　my　entire　army　north　by　land；　and　concluded　at　once　to　secure　a　foothold　or　starting…point　on　the　South　Carolina　side；　selecting　Pocotaligo　and　Hardeeville　as　the　points　of　rendezvous　for　the　two　wings；　but　I　still　remained　in　doubt　as　to　the　wishes　of　the　Administration；　whether　I　should　take　Charleston　en　route；　or　confine　my　whole　attention　to　the　incidental　advantages　of　breaking　up　the　railways　of　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　the　greater　object　of　uniting　my　army　with　that　of　General　Grant　before　Richmond。

General　Barnard　remained　with　me　several　days；　and　was　regarded　then；　as　now；　one　of　the　first　engineers　of　the　age；　perfectly　competent　to　advise　me　on　the　strategy　and　objects　of　the　new　campaign。　　He　expressed　himself　delighted　with　the　high　spirit　of　the　army；　the　steps　already　taken；　by　which　we　had　captured　Savannah；　and　he　personally　inspected　some　of　the　forts；　such　as　Thunderbolt　and　Causten's　Bluff；　by　which　the　enemy　had　so　long　held　at　bay　the　whole　of　our　navy；　and　had　defeated　the　previous　attempts　made　in　April；　1862；　by　the　army　of　General　Gillmore；　which　had　bombarded　and　captured　Fort　Pulaski；　but　had　failed　to　reach　the　city　of　Savannah。　　I　think　General　Barnard　expected　me　to　invite　him　to　accompany　us　northward　in　his　official　capacity；　but　Colonel　Poe；　of　my　staff；　had　done　so　well；　and　was　so　perfectly　competent；　that　I　thought　it　unjust　to　supersede　him　by　a　senior　in　his　own　corps。　　I　therefore　said　nothing　of　this　to　General　Barnard；　and　soon　after　he　returned　to　his　post　with　General　Grant；　at　City　Point；　bearing　letters　and　full　personal　messages　of　our　situation　and　wants。

We　were　very　mUch　in　want　of　light…draught　steamers　for　navigating　the　shallow　waters　of　the　coast；　so　that　it　took　the　Seventeenth　Corps　more　than　a　week　to　transfer　from　Thunderbolt　to　Beaufort；　South　Carolina。　　Admiral　Dahlgren　had　supplied　the　Harvest　Moon　and　the　Pontiac；　and　General　Foster　gave　us　a　couple　of　hired　steamers；　I　was　really　amused　at　the　effect　this　short　sea…voyage　had　on　our　men；　most　of　whom　had　never　before　looked　upon　the　ocean。　　Of　course；　they　were　fit　subjects　for　sea…sickness；　and　afterward　they　begged　me　never　again　to　send　them　to　sea；　saying　they　would　rather　march　a　thousand　miles　on　the　worst　roads　of　the　South　than　to　spend　a　single　night　on　the　ocean。　　By　the　10th　General　Howard　had　collected　the　bulk　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（General　Blair）　on　Beaufort　Island；　and　began　his　march　for　Pocotaligo；　twenty…five　miles　inland。　　They　crossed　the　channel　between　the　island　and　main…land　during　Saturday；　the　14th　of　January；　by　a　pontoon…　bridge；　and　marched　out　to　Garden's　Corners；　where　there　was　some　light　skirmishing；　the　next　day；　Sunday；　they　continued　on　to　Pocotaligo；　finding　the　strong　fort　there　abandoned；　and　accordingly　made　a　lodgment　on　the　railroad；　having　lost　only　two　officers　and　eight　men。

About　the　same　time　General　Slocum　crossed　two　divisions　of　the　Twentieth　Corps　over　the　Savannah　River；　above　the　city；　occupied　Hardeeville　by　one　division　and　Purysburg　by　another。　　Thus；　by　the　middle　of　January；　we　had　effected　a　lodgment　in　South　Carolina；　and　were　ready　to　resume　the　march　northward；　but　we　had　not　yet　accumulated　enough　provisions　and　forage　to　fill　the　wagons；　and　other　causes　of　delay　occurred；　of　which　I　will　make　mention　in　due　order。

On　the　last　day　of　December；　1864；　Captain　Breese；　United　States　Navy；　flag…officer　to　Admiral　Porter；　reached　Savannah；　bringing　the　first　news　of　General　Butler's　failure　at　Fort　Fisher；　and　that　the　general　had　returned　to　James　River　with　his　land…forces；　leaving　Admiral　Porter's　fleet　anchored　off　Cape　Fear；　in　that　tempestuous　season。　　Captain　Breese　brought　me　a　letter　from　the　admiral；　dated　December　29th；　asking　me　to　send　him　from　Savannah　one　of　my　old　divisions；　with　which　he　said　he　would　make　short　work　of　Fort　Fisher；　that　he　had　already　bombarded　and　silenced　its　guns；　and　that　General　Butler　had　failed　because　he　was　afraid　to　attack；　or　even　give　the　order　to　attack；　after　（as　Porter　insisted）　the　guns　of　Fort　Fisher　had　been　actually　silenced　by　the　navy。

I　answered　him　promptly　on　the　31st　of　December；　that　I　proposed　to　march　north　inland；　and　that　I　would　prefer　to　leave　the　rebel　garrisons　on　the　coast；　instead　of　dislodging　and　piling　them　up　in　my　front　as　we　progressed。　　From　the　chances；　as　I　then　understood　them；　I　supposed　that　Fort　Fisher　was　garrisoned　by　a　comparatively　small　force；　while　the　whole　division　of　General　Hoke　remained　about　the　city　of　Wilmington；　and　that；　if　Fort　Fisher　were　captured；　it　would　leave　General　Hoke　free　to　join　the　larger　force　that　would　naturally　be　collected　to　oppose　my　progress　northward。　I　accordingly　answered　　Admiral　Porter　to　this　effect；　declining　to　loan　him　the　use　of　one　of　my　divisions。　　It　subsequently　transpired；　however；　that；　as　soon　as　General　Butler　reached　City　Point；　General　Grant　was　unwilling　to　rest　under　a　sense　of　failure；　and　accordingly　dispatched　back　the　same　troops；　reenforced　and　commanded　by　General　A。　H。　Terry；　who；　on　the　15th　day　of　January；　successfully　assaulted　and　captured　Fort　Fisher；　with　its　entire　garrison。　　After　the　war　was　over；　about　the　20th　of　May；　when　I　was　giving　my　testimony　before　the　Congressional　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　the　chairman　of　the　committee；　Senator　B。　F。　Wade；　of　Ohio；　told　me　that　General　Butler　had　been　summoned　before　that　committee　during　the　previous　January；　and　had　just　finished　his　demonstration　to　their　entire　satisfaction　that　Fort　Fisher　could　not　be　carried　by　assault；　when　they　heard　the　newsboy　in　the　hall　crying　out　an　〃extra〃　Calling　him　in；　they　inquired　the　news；　and　he　answered；　〃Fort　Fisher　done　took！〃　　Of　course；　they　all　laughed；　and　none　more　heartily　than　Ge