memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第81部分

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g　to　pursue　him　farther；　and　negotiations　followed；　which　resulted；　as　you　all　know；　in　his　surrender。

How　far　the　operations　of　this　army　contributed　to　the　final　overthrow　of　the　Confederacy　and　the　peace　which　now　dawns　upon　us；　must　be　judged　by　others；　not　by　us；　but　that　you　have　done　all　that　men　could　do　has　been　admitted　by　those　in　authority；　and　we　have　a　right　to　join　in　the　universal　joy　that　fills　our　land　because　the　war　is　over；　and　our　Government　stands　vindicated　before　the　world　by　the　joint　action　of　the　volunteer　armies　and　navy　of　the　United　States。

To　such　as　remain　in　the　service；　your　general　need　only　remind　you　that　success　in　the　past　was　due　to　hard　work　and　discipline；　and　that　the　same　work　and　discipline　are　equally　important　in　the　future。　　To　such　as　go　home；　he　will　only　say　that　our　favored　country　is　so　grand；　so　extensive；　so　diversified　in　climate；　soil；　and　productions；　that　every　man　may　find　a　home　and　occupation　suited　to　his　taste；　none　should　yield　to　the　natural　impatience　sure　to　result　from　our　past　life　of　excitement　and　adventure。　　You　will　be　invited　to　seek　new　adventures　abroad；　do　not　yield　to　the　temptation；　for　it　will　lead　only　to　death　and　disappointment。

Your　general　now　bids　you　farewell；　with　the　full　belief　that；　as　in　war　you　have　been　good　soldiers；　so　in　peace　you　will　make　good　citizens；　and　if；　unfortunately；　new　war　should　arise　in　our　country；　〃Sherman's　army〃　will　be　the　first　to　buckle　on　its　old　armor；　and　come　forth　to　defend　and　maintain　the　Government　of　our　inheritance。

By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；

L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。



List　of　the　Average　Number　of　Miles　marched　by　the　Different　Army　Corps　of　the　United　States　Forces　under　Command　of　Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　United　States　Army；　during　his　Campaigns：　1863…'64…'65。

　　　　　　　　　4th　　　　　　　14th　　　　　　15th　　　　　　16th　　　　　　17th　　　　　　　20th　　　　　　　　　Corps。　　　Corps。　　　　Corps。　　　Corps　　　　Corps。　　　　Corps。

Miles：　　　110　　　　　1；586　　　　　2；289　　　　　508　　　　　2；076　　　　　1；525




CHAPTER　XXV。

CONCLUSIONMILITARY　LESSONS　OF　THE　WAR。

Having　thus　recorded　a　summary　of　events；　mostly　under　my　own　personal　supervision；　during　the　years　from　1846　to　1865；　it　seems　proper　that　I　should　add　an　opinion　of　some　of　the　useful　military　lessons　to　be　derived　therefrom。

That　civil　war；　by　reason　of　the　existence　of　slavery；　was　apprehended　by　most　of　the　leading　statesmen　of　the　half…century　preceding　its　outbreak；　is　a　matter　of　notoriety。　　General　Scott　told　me　on　my　arrival　at　New　York；　as　early　as　1850；　that　the　country　was　on　the　eve　of　civil　war；　and　the　Southern　politicians　openly　asserted　that　it　was　their。　　purpose　to　accept　as　a　casus　belli　the　election　of　General　Fremont　in　1856；　but；　fortunately　or　unfortunately；　he　was　beaten　by　Mr。　Buchanan；　which　simply　postponed　its　occurrence　for　four　years。　　Mr。　Seward　had　also　publicly　declared　that　no　government　could　possibly　exist　half　slave　and　half　free；　yet　the　Government　made　no　military　preparation；　and　the　Northern　people　generally　paid　no　attention；　took　no　warning　of　its　coming；　and　would　not　realize　its　existence　till　Fort　Sumter　was　fired　on　by　batteries　of　artillery；　handled　by　declared　enemies；　from　the　surrounding　islands　and　from　the　city　of　Charleston。

General　Bragg；　who　certainly　was　a　man　of　intelligence；　and　who；　in　early　life；　ridiculed　a　thousand　times；　in　my　hearing；　the　threats　of　the　people　of　South　Carolina　to　secede　from　the　Federal　Union；　said　to　me　in　New　Orleans；　in　February；　1861；　that　he　was　convinced　that　the　feeling　between　the　slave　and　free　States　had　become　so　embittered　that　it　was　better　to　part　in　peace；　better　to　part　anyhow；　and；　as　a　separation　was　inevitable；　that　the　South　should　begin　at　once；　because　the　possibility　of　a　successful　effort　was　yearly　lessened　by　the　rapid　and　increasing　inequality　between　the　two　sections；　from　the　fact　that　all　the　European　immigrants　were　coming　to　the　Northern　States　and　Territories；　and　none　to　the　Southern。

The　slave　population　m　1860　was　near　four　millions；　and　the　money　value　thereof　not　far　from　twenty…five　hundred　million　dollars。　Now；　ignoring　the　moral　side　of　the　question；　a　cause　that　endangered　so　vast　a　moneyed　interest　was　an　adequate　cause　of　anxiety　and　preparation；　and　the　Northern　leaders　surely　ought　to　have　foreseen　the　danger　and　prepared　for　it。　　After　the　election　of　Mr。　Lincoln　in　1860；　there　was　no　concealment　of　the　declaration　and　preparation　for　war　in　the　South。　　In　Louisiana；　as　I　have　related；　men　were　openly　enlisted；　officers　were　appointed；　and　war　was　actually　begun；　in　January；　1861。　　The　forts　at　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　were　seized；　and　occupied　by　garrisons　that　hauled　down　the　United　States　flag　and　hoisted　that　of　the　State。　　The　United　States　Arsenal　at　Baton　Rouge　was　captured　by　New　Orleans　militia；　its　garrison　ignominiously　sent　off；　and　the　contents　of　the　arsenal　distributed。　　These　were　as　much　acts　of　war　as　was　the　subsequent　firing　on　Fort　Sumter；　yet　no　public　notice　was　taken　thereof；　and　when；　months　afterward；　I　came　North；　I　found　not　one　single　sign　of　preparation。　　It　was　for　this　reason；　somewhat；　that　the　people　of　the　South　became　convinced　that　those　of　the　North　were　pusillanimous　and　cowardly；　and　the　Southern　leaders　were　thereby　enabled　to　commit　their　people　to　the　war；　nominally　in　defense　of　their　slave　property。　　Up　to　the　hour　of　the　firing　on　Fort　Sumter；　in　April；　1861；　it　does　seem　to　me　that　our　public　men；　our　politicians；　were　blamable　for　not　sounding　the　note　of　alarm。

Then；　when　war　was　actually　begun；　it　was　by　a　call　for　seventy…　five　thousand　〃ninety…day〃　men；　I　suppose　to　fulfill　Mr。　Seward's　prophecy　that　the　war　would　last　but　ninety　days。

The　earlier　steps　by　our　political　Government　were　extremely　wavering　and　weak；　for　which　an　excuse　can　be　found　in　the　fact　that　many　of　the　Southern　representatives　remained　in　Congress；　sharing　in　the　public　councils；　and　influencing　legislation。　　But　as　soon　as　Mr。　Lincoln　was　installed；　there　was　no　longer　any　reason　why　Congress　and　the　cabinet　should　have　hesitated。　　They　should　have　measured　the　cause；　provided　the　means；　and　left　the　Executive　to　apply　the　remedy。

At　the　time　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　inauguration；　viz。；　March　4；　1861；　the　Regular　Army；　by　law；　consisted　of　two　regiments　of　dragoons；　two　regiments　of　cavalry；　one　regiment　of　mounted　rifles；　four　regiments　of　artillery；　and　ten　regiments　of　infantry；　admitting　of　an　aggregate　strength　of　thirteen　thousand　and　twenty…four　officers　and　men。　　On　the　subsequent　4th　of　May　the　President；　by　his　own　orders　（afterward　sanctioned　by　Congress）；　added　a　regiment　of　cavalry；　a　regiment　of　artillery；　and　eight　regiments　of　infantry；　which；　with　the　former　army；　admitted　of　a　strength　of　thirty…nine　thousand　nine　hundred　and　seventy…three；　but　at　no　time　during　the　war　did　the　Regular　Army　attain　a　strength　of　twenty…five　thousand　men。

To　the　new　regiments　of　infantry　was　given　an　organization　differing　from　any　that　had　heretofore　prevailed　in　this　country　of　three　battalions　of　eight　companies　each；　but　at　no　time　did　more　than　one　of　these　regiments　attain　its　full　standard；　nor　in　the　vast　army　of　volunteers　that　was　raised　during　the　war　were　any　of　the　regiments　of　infantry　formed　on　the　three…battalion　system；　but　these　were　universally　single　battalions　of　ten　companies；　so　that；　on　the　reorganization　of　the　Regular　Army　at　the　close　of　the　war；　Congress　adopted　the　form　of　twelve　companies　for　the　regiments　of　cavalry　and　artillery；　and　that　of　ten　companies　for　the　infantry；　which　is　the　present　standard。

Inasmuch　as　the　Regular　Army　will　naturally　form　the　standard　of　organization　for　any　increase　or　for　new　regiments　of　volunteers；　it　becomes　important　to　study　this　subject　in　the　light　of　past　experience；　and　to　select　that　form　which　is　best　for　peace　as　well　as　war。

A　cavalry　regiment　is　now　composed　of　twelve　companies；　usually　divided　into　six　squadrons；　of　two　companies　each；　or　better　subdivided　into　three　battalions　of　four　companies　each。　　This　is　an　excellent　form；　easily　admitting　of　subdivision　as　well　as　union　into　larger　masses。

A　single　battalion　of　four　companies；　with　a　field…officer；　will　compose　a　good　body　for　a　garrison；　for　a　separate　expedition；　or　for　a　detachment；　and；　in　war；　three　regiments　would　compose　a　good　brigade；　three　brigades　a　division；　and　three　divisions　a　strong　cavalry　corps；　such　as　was　formed　and　fought　by　Generals　Sheridan　and　Wilson　during　the　war。

In　the　artillery　arm；　the　officers　differ　widely　in　their　opinion　of　the　true　organization。　　A　single　company　forms　a　battery；　and　habitually　each　battery　acts　separately；　though　sometimes　several　are　united　or　〃massed；〃　but　these　always　act　in　concert　with　cavalry　or　infantry。

Nevertheless；　the　regimental　organization　for　artillery　has　always　been　maintained　in　this　country　for　classification　and　promotion。　Twelve　companies　compose　a　regiment；　and；　though　probably　no　colonel　ever　commanded　his　full　regiment　in　the　form　of　twelve　batteries；　yet　in　peace　they　occupy　our　heavy　sea…coast　forts　or　act　as　infantry；　then　the　regimental　organization　is　both　necessary　and　convenient。

But　the　infantry　composes　the　great　mass　of　all　armies；　and　the　true　form　of　the　regiment　or　unit　has　been　the　subject　of　infinite　discussion；　and；　as　I　have　stated；　during　the　civil　war　the　regiment　was　a　single　battalion　of　ten　companies。　　In　olden　times　the　regiment　was　composed　of　eight　battalion　companies　and　two　flank　companies。　　The　first　and　tenth　companies　were　armed　with　rifles；　and　were　styled　and　used　as　〃skirmishers；〃　but　during　'the　war　they　were　never　used　exclusively　for　that　special　purpose；　and　in　fact　no　distinction　existed　between　them　and　the　other　eight　companies。

The　ten…company　organization　is　awkward　in　practice；　and　I　am　satisfied　that　the　infantry　regiment　should　have　the　same　identical　organization　as　exists　for　the　cavalry　and　artillery；　viz。；　twelve　companies；　so　as　to　be　susceptible　of　division　into　three　battalions　of　four　companies　each。

These　companies　should　habitually　be　about　a　hundred　one　men　strong；　giving　twelve　hundre