memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第85部分

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cate　with　Wilmington；　North　Carolina。　　Some　time　after　the　war；　he　was　appointed　a　lieutenant　of　the　Regular；　Cavalry；　and　was　killed　in　Oregon；　by　the　accidental　discharge　of　a　pistol。　　Just　before　his　death　he　wrote　me；　saying　that　he　was　tired　of　the　monotony　of　garrison…life；　and　wanted　to　turn　Indian；　join　the　Cheyennes　on　the　Plains；　who　were　then　giving　us　great　trouble；　and；　after　he　had　gained　their　confidence；　he　would　betray　them　into　our　hands。　　Of　course　I　wrote　him　that　he　must　try　and　settle　down　and　become　a　gentleman　as　well　as　an　officer；　apply　himself　to　his　duties；　and　forget　the　wild　desires　of　his　nature；　which　were　well　enough　in　time　of　war；　but　not　suited　to　his　new　condition　as　an　officer；　but；　poor　fellow　I　he　was　killed　by　an　accident；　which　probably　saved　him　from　a　slower　but　harder　fate。

At　Iuka　I　issued　all　the　orders　to　McPherson　and　Hurlbut　necessary　for　the　Department　of　the　Tennessee　during　my　absence；　and；　further；　ordered　the　collection　of　a　force　out　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps；　of　about　eight　thousand　men；　to　be　commanded　by　General　G。　M。　Dodge；　with　orders　to　follow　as　far　east　as　Athens；　Tennessee；　there　to　await　instructions。　　We　instantly　discontinued　all　attempts　to　repair　the　Charleston　Railroad；　and　the　remaining　three　divisions　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　marched　to　Eastport；　crossed　the　Tennessee　River　by　the　aid　of　the　gunboats；　a　ferry…boat；　and　a　couple　of　transports　which　had　come　up；　and　hurried　eastward。

In　person　I　crossed　on　the　1st　of　November；　and　rode　forward　to　Florence；　where　I　overtook　Ewing's　division。　　The　other　divisions　followed　rapidly。　　On　the　road　to　Florence　I　was　accompanied　by　my　staff；　some　clerks；　and　mounted　orderlies。　　Major　Ezra　Taylor　was　chief　of　artillery；　and　one　of　his　sons　was　a　clerk　at　head…　quarters。　　The　latter　seems　to　have　dropped　out　of　the　column；　and　gone　to　a　farm　house　near　the　road。　　There　was　no　organized　force　of　the　rebel　army　north　of　the　Tennessee　River；　but　the　country　was　full　of　guerrillas。　　A　party　of　these　pounced　down　on　the　farm；　caught　young　Taylor　and　another　of　the　clerks；　and　after　reaching　Florence；　Major　Taylor　heard　of　the　capture　of　his　son；　and　learned　that　when　last　seen　he　was　stripped　of　his　hat　and　coat；　was　tied　to　the　tail…board　of　a　wagon；　and　driven　rapidly　to　the　north　of　the　road　we　had　traveled。　　The　major　appealed　to　me　to　do　something　for　his　rescue。　　I　had　no　cavalry　to　send　in　pursuit；　but　knowing　that　there　was　always　an　understanding　between　these　guerrillas　and　their　friends　who　staid　at　home；　I　sent　for　three　or　four　of　the　principal　men　of　Florence　（among　them　a　Mr。　Foster；　who　had　once　been　a　Senator　in　Congress）；　explained　to　them　the　capture　of　young　Taylor　and　his　comrade；　and　demanded　their　immediate　restoration。　They；　of　course；　remonstrated；　denied　all　knowledge　of　the　acts　of　these　guerrillas；　and　claimed　to　be　peaceful　citizens　of　Alabama；　residing　at　home。　　I　insisted　that　these　guerrillas　were　their　own　sons　and　neighbors；　that　they　knew　their　haunts；　and　could　reach　them　if　they　wanted；　and　they　could　effect　the　restoration　to　us　of　these　men；　and　I　said；　moreover；　they　must　do　it　within　twenty…four　hours；　or　I　would　take　them；　strip　them　of　their　hats　and　coats；　and　tie　them　to　the　tail…boards　of　our　wagons　till　they　were　produced。　　They　sent　off　messengers　at　once；　and　young　Taylor　and　his　comrade　were　brought　back　the　next　day。

Resuming　our　march　eastward　by　the　large　road；　we　soon　reached　Elk　River；　which　was　wide　and　deep；　and　could　only　be　crossed　by　a　ferry；　a　process　entirely　too　slow　for　the　occasion；　so　I　changed　the　route　more　by　the　north；　to　Elkton；　Winchester；　and　Deckerd。　At　this　point　we　came　in　communication　with　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　and　by　telegraph　with　General　Grant；　who　was　at　Chattanooga。　　He　reiterated　his　orders　for　me　and　my　command　to　hurry　forward　with　all　possible　dispatch；　and　in　person　I　reached　Bridgeport　during　the　night　of　November　13th；　my　troops　following　behind　by　several　roads。　　At　Bridgeport　I　found　a　garrison　guarding　the　railroad…bridge　and　pontoon　bridge　there；　and　staid　with　the　quartermaster；　Colonel　William　G。　Le　Due　（who　was　my　school…mate　at　How's　School　in　1836）。　　There　I　received　a　dispatch　from　General　Grant；　at　Chattanooga；　to　come　up　in　person；　leaving　my　troops　to　follow　as　fast　as　possible。　　At　that　time　there　were　two　or　three　small　steamboats　on　the　river；　engaged　in　carrying　stores　up　as　far　as　Kelly's　Ferry。　　In　one　of　these　I　took　passage；　and　on　reaching　Kelly's　Ferry　found　orderlies；　with　one　of　General　Grant's　private　horses；　waiting　for　me；　on　which　I　rode　into　Chattanooga；　November　14th。　　Of　course；　I　was　heartily　welcomed　by　Generals　Grant；　Thomas；　and　all；　who　realized　the　extraordinary　efforts　we　had　made　to　come　to　their　relief。　　The　next　morning　we　walked　out　to　Fort　Wood；　a　prominent　salient　of　the　defenses　of　the　place；　and　from　its　parapet　we　had　a　magnificent　view　of　the　panorama。　　Lookout　Mountain；　with　its　rebel　flags　and　batteries；　stood　out　boldly；　and　an　occasional　shot　fired　toward　Wauhatchee　or　Moccasin　Point　gave　life　to　the　scene。　　These　shots　could　barely　reach　Chattanooga；　and　I　was　told　that　one　or　more　shot　had　struck　a　hospital　inside　the　lines。　　All　along　Missionary　Ridge　were　the　tents　of　the　rebel　beleaguering　force；　the　lines　of　trench　from　Lookout　up　toward　the　Chickamauga　were　plainly　visible；　and　rebel　sentinels；　in　a　continuous　chain；　were　walking　their　posts　in　plain　view；　not　a　thousand　yards　off。　　〃Why；〃　said　I；　〃General　Grant；　you　are　besieged；〃　and　he　said；　〃It　is　too　true。〃　　Up　to　that　moment　I　had　no　idea　that　things　were　so　bad。　　The　rebel　lines　actually　extended　from　the　river；　below　the　town；　to　the　river　above；　and　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　was　closely　held　to　the　town　and　its　immediate　defenses。　　General　Grant　pointed　out　to　me　a　house　on　Missionary　Ridge；　where　General　Bragg's　headquarters　were　known　to　be。　　He　also　explained　the　situation　of　affairs　generally；　that　the　mules　and　horses　of　Thomas's　army　were　so　starved　that　they　could　not　haul　his　guns；　that　forage；　corn；　and　provisions；　were　so　scarce　that　the　men　in　hunger　stole　the　few　grains　of　corn　that　were　given　to　favorite　horses；　that　the　men　of　Thomas's　army　had　been　so　demoralized　by　the　battle　of　Chickamauga　that　he　feared　they　could　not　be　got　out　of　their　trenches　to　assume　the　offensive；　that　Bragg　had　detached　Longstreet　with　a　considerable　force　up　into　East　Tennessee；　to　defeat　and　capture　Burnside；　that　Burnside　was　in　danger；　etc。；　and　that　he　（Grant）　was　extremely　anxious　to　attack　Bragg　in　position；　to　defeat　him；　or　at　least　to　force　him　to　recall　Longstreet。　　The　Army　of　the　Cumberland　had　so　long　been　in　the　trenches　that　he　wanted　my　troops　to　hurry　up；　to　take　the　offensive　first；　after　which；　he　had　no　doubt　the　Cumberland　army　would　fight　well。　　Meantime　the　Eleventh　and　Twelfth　Corps；　under　General　Hooker；　had　been　advanced　from　Bridgeport　along　the　railroad　to　Wauhatchee；　but　could　not　as　yet　pass　Lookout　Mountain。　A　pontoon…bridge　had　been　thrown　across　the　Tennessee　River　at　Brown's　Ferry；　by　which　supplies　were　hauled　into　Chattanooga　from　Kelly's　and　Wauhatchee。。

Another　bridge　was　in　course　of　construction　at　Chattanooga；　under　the　immediate　direction　of　Quartermaster…General　Meigs；　but　at　the　time　all　wagons；　etc。；　had　to　be　ferried　across　by　a　flying…bridge。　Men　were　busy　and　hard　at　work　everywhere　inside　our　lines；　and　boats　for　another　pontoon…bridge　were　being　rapidly　constructed　under　Brigadier…General　W。　F。　Smith；　familiarly　known　as　〃Baldy　Smith；〃　and　this　bridge　was　destined　to　be　used　by　my　troops；　at　a　point　of　the　river　about　four　miles　above　Chattanooga；　just　below　the　mouth　of　the　Chickamauga　River。　　General　Grant　explained　to　me　that　he　had　reconnoitred　the　rebel　line　from　Lookout　Mountain　up　to　Chickamauga；　and　he　believed　that　the　northern　portion　of　Missionary　Ridge　was　not　fortified　at　all；　and　he　wanted　me；　as　soon　as　my　troops　got　up；　to　lay　the　new　pontoon…bridge　by　night；　cross　over；　and　attack　Bragg's　right　flank　on　that　part　of　the　ridge　abutting　on　Chickamauga　Creek；　near　the　tunnel；　and　he　proposed　that　we　should　go　at　once　to　look　at　the　ground。　　In　company　with　Generals　Thomas；　W。　F。　Smith；　Brannan；　and　others；　we　crossed　by　the　flying…bridge；　rode　back　of　the　hills　some　four　miles；　left　our　horses；　and　got　on　a　hill　overlooking　the　whole　ground　about　the　mouth　of　the　Chickamauga　River；　and　across　to　the　Missionary　Hills　near　the　tunnel。　　Smith　and　I　crept　down　behind　a　fringe　of　trees　that　lined　the　river…bank；　to　the　very　point　selected　for　the　new　bridge；　where　we　sat　for　some　time；　seeing　the　rebel　pickets　on　the　opposite　bank；　and　almost　hearing　their　words。

Having　seen　enough；　we　returned　to　Chattanooga；　and　in　order　to　hurry　up　my　command；　on　which　so　much　depended；　I　started　back　to　Kelly's　in　hopes　to　catch　the　steamboat　that　same　evening；　but　on　my　arrival　the　boat　had　gone。　　I　applied　to　the　commanding　officer；　got　a　rough　boat　manned　by　four　soldiers；　and　started　down　the　river　by　night。　　I　occasionally　took　a　turn　at　the　oars　to　relieve　some　tired　man；　and　about　midnight　we　reached　Shell　Mound；　where　General　Whittaker；　of　Kentucky；　furnished　us　a　new　and　good　crew；　with　which　we　reached　Bridgeport　by　daylight。　　I　started　Ewings　division　in　advance；　with　orders　to　turn　aside　toward　Trenton；　to　make　the　enemy　believe　we　were　going　to　turn　Braggs　left　by　pretty　much　the　same　road　Rosecrans　had　followed；　but　with　the　other　three　divisions　I　followed　the　main　road；　via　the　Big　Trestle　at　Whitesides；　and　reached　General　Hooker's　headquarters；　just　above　Wauhatchee；　on　the　20th；　my　troops　strung　all　the　way　back　to　Bridgeport。　　It　was　on　this　occasion　that　the　Fifteenth　Corps　gained　its　peculiar　badge：　as　the　men　were　trudging　along　the　deeply…cut；　muddy　road；　of　a　cold；　drizzly　day；　one　of　our　Western　soldiers　left　his　ranks　and　joined　a　party　of　the　Twelfth　Corps　at　their　camp…fire。　　They　got　into　conversation；　the　Twelfth…Corps　men　asking　what　troops　we　were；　etc。；　etc。　　In　turn；　our　fellow　（who　had　never　seen　a　corps…badge；　and　noticed　that　every　thing　was　marked　with　a　star）　asked　if　they　were　all　brigadier…generals。　　Of　course　they　were　not；　but　the　st