personal memoirs-1-第34章

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this　circuitous　route　was　sixty　miles；　and　the　numerous　passes；

coves；　and　small　valleys　through　which　the　road　ran　offered　tempting

opportunities；　for　the　destruction　of　trains；　and　the　enemy　was　not

slow　to　take　advantage　of　them。　　Indeed；　the　situation　was　not

promising；　and　General　Rosecrans　himself；　in　communicating　with　the

President　the　day　succeeding　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　expressed

doubts　of　his　ability　to　hold　the　gateway　of　the　Cumberland

Mountains。



The　position　taken　up　by　my　troops　inside　the　lines　of　Chattanooga

was　near　the　old　iron…works；　under　the　shadow　of　Lookout　Mountain。

Here　we　were　exposed　to　a　continual　fire　from　the　enemy's　batteries

for　many　days；　but　as　the　men　were　well　covered　by　secure　though

simple　intrenchments；　but　little　damage　was　done。　　My　own

headquarters　were　established　on　the　grounds　of　Mr。　William

Crutchfield；　a　resident　of　the　place；　whose　devotion　to　the　Union

cause　knew　no　bounds；　and　who　rendered　meand；　in　fact；　at　one　time

or　another；　nearly　every　general　officer　in　the　Army　of　the

Cumberlandinvaluable　service　in　the　way　of　information　about　the

Confederate　army。　　My　headquarters　camp　frequently　received　shots

from　the　point　of　Lookout　Mountain　also；　but　fortunately　no

casualties　resulted　from　this　plunging　fire；　though；　I　am　free　to

confess；　at　first　our　nerves　were　often　upset　by　the　whirring　of

twenty…pounder　shells　dropped　inconsiderately　into　our　camp　at

untimely　hours　of　the　night。



In　a　few　days　rain　began　to　fali；　and　the　mountain　roads　by　which　our

supplies　came　were　fast　growing　impracticable。　　Each　succeeding　train

of　wagons　took　longer　to　make　the　trip　from　Bridgeport；　and　the　draft

mules　were　dying　by　the　hundreds。　　The　artillery　horses　would　soon　go

too；　and　there　was　every　prospect　that　later　the　troops　would　starve

unless　something　could　be　done。　　Luckily　for　my　division；　a　company

of　the　Second　Kentucky　Cavalry　had　attached　itself　to　my

headquarters；　and；　though　there　without　authority；　had　been　left

undisturbed　in　view　of　a　coming　reorganization　of　the　army　incidental

to　the　removal　of　McCook　and　Crittenden　from　the　command　of　their

respective　corps；　a　measure　that　had　been　determined　upon　immediately

after　the　battle　of　Chickamauga。　　Desiring　to　remain　with　me；　Captain

Lowell　H。　Thickstun；　commanding　this　company；　was　ready　for　any　duty

I　might　find；　for　him；　so　I　ordered　him　into　the　Sequatchie　Valley

for　the　purpose　of　collecting　supplies　for　my　troops；　and　sent　my

scout；　Card　along　to　guide　him　to　the　best　locations。　　The　company

hid　itself　away　in　a　deep　cove　in　the　upper　end　of　the　valley；　and　by

keeping　very　quiet　and　paying　for　everything　it　took　from　the　people；

in　a　few　days　was　enabled　to　send　me　large　quantities　of　corn　for　my

animals　and　food　for　the　officers　and　men；　which　greatly　supplemented

the　scanty　supplies　we　were　getting　from　the　sub…depot　at　Bridgeport。

In　this　way　I　carried　men　and　animals　through　our　beleaguerment　in

pretty　fair　condition；　and　of　the　turkeys；　chickens；　ducks；　and　eggs

sent　in　for　the　messes　of　my　officers　we　often　had　enough　to　divide

liberally　among　those　at　different　headquarters。　　Wheeler's　cavalry

never　discovered　my　detached　company；　yet　the　chances　of　its　capture

were　not　small；　sometimes　giving　much　uneasiness；　still；　I　concluded

it　was　better　to　run　all　risks　than　to　let　the　horses　die　of

starvation　in　Chattanooga。　　Later；　after　the　battle　of　Missionary

Ridge；　when　I　started　to　Knoxville；　the　company　joined　me　in

excellent　shape；　bringing　with　it　an　abundance　of　food；　including　a

small　herd　of　beef　cattle。



The　whole　time　my　line　remained　near　the　iron…mills　the　shelling　from

Lookout　was　kept　up；　the　screeching　shots　inquisitively　asking　in

their　well…known　way；　〃Where　are　you？　Where　are　you？〃　but　it　is

strange　to　see　how　readily；　soldiers　can　become　accustomed　to　the

sound　of　dangerous　missiles　under　circumstances　of　familiarity；　and

this　case　was　no　exception　to　the　rule。　　Few　casualties　occurred；　and

soon　contempt　took　the　place　of　nervousness；　and　as　we　could　not

reply　in　kind　on　account　of　the　elevation　required　for　our　guns；　the

men　responded　by　jeers　and　imprecations　whenever　a　shell　fell　into

their　camp。



Meantime；　orders　having　been　issued　for　the　organization　of　the　army；

additional　troops　were　attached　to　my　command；　and　it　became　the

Second　Division　of　the　Fourth　Army　Corps；　to　which　Major…General

Gordon　Granger　was　assigned　as　commander。　　This　necessitated　a　change

of　position　of　the　division；　and　I　moved　to　ground　behind　our　works；

with　my　right　resting　on　Fort　Negley　and　my　left　extending　well　over

toward　Fort　Wood；　my　front　being　parallel　to　Missionary　Ridge。　　My

division　was　now　composed　of　twenty…five　regiments；　classified　into

brigades　and　demi…brigades；　the　former　commanded　by　Brigadier…General

G。　D。　Wagner；　Colonel　C。　G。　Harker；　and　Colonel　F。　T。　Sherman；　the

latter；　by　Colonels　Laiboldt；　Miller；　Wood；　Walworth；　and　Opdyke。

The　demi…brigade　was　an　awkward　invention　of　Granger's；　but　at　this

time　it　was　necessitatedperhaps　by　the　depleted　condition　of　our

regiments；　which　compelled　the　massing　of　a　great　number　of

regimental　organizations　into　a　division　to　give　it　weight　and　force。



On　October　16；　1863；　General　Grant　had　been　assigned　to　the　command

of　the　〃Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；〃　a　geographical　area

which　embraced　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　the　Cumberland；　and　the

Tennessee；　thus　effecting　a　consolidation　of　divided　commands　which

might　have　been　introduced　most　profitably　at　an　earlier　date。　　The

same　order　that　assigned　General　Grant　relieved　General　Rosecrans；

and　placed　General　Thomas　in　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland。

At　the　time　of　the　reception　of　the　order；　Rosecrans　was　busy　with

preparations　for　a　movement　to　open　the　direct　road　to　Bridgeport

having　received　in　the　interval；　since　we　came　back　to　Chattanooga；

considerable　reinforcement　by　the　arrival　in　his　department　of　the

Eleventh　and　Twelfth　corps；　under　General　Hooker；　from　the　Army　of

the　Potomac。　　With　this　force　Rosecrans　had　already　strengthened

certain　important　points　on　the　railroad　between　Nashville　and

Stevenson；　and　given　orders　to　Hooker　to　concentrate　at　Bridgeport

such　portions　of　his　command　as　were　available；　and　to　hold　them　in

readiness　to　advance　toward　Chattanooga。



On　the　19th　of　October；　after　turning　the　command　over　to　Thomas；

General　Rosecrans　quietly　slipped　away　from　the　army。　　He　submitted　_

uncomplainingly　to　his　removal；　and　modestly　left　us　without　fuss　or

demonstration；　ever　maintaining；　though；　that　the　battle　of

Chickamauga　was　in　effect　a　victory；　as　it　had　ensured　us；　he　said；

the　retention　of　Chattanooga。　　When　his　departure　became　known　deep

and　almost　universal　regret　was　expressed；　for　he　was

enthusiastically　esteemed　and　loved　by　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；

from　the　day　he　assumed　command　of　it　until　he　left　it；

notwithstanding　the　censure　poured　upon　him　after　the　battle　of

Chickamauga。



The　new　position　to　which　my　division　had　been　moved；　in　consequence

of　the　reorganization；　required　little　additional　labor　to　strengthen

it；　and　the　routine　of　fatigue　duty　and　drills　was　continued　as

before；　its　monotony　occasionally　broken　by　the　excitement　of　an

expected　attack；　or　by　amusements　of　various　kinds　that　were

calculated　to　keep　the　men　in　good　spirits。　　Toward　this　result　much

was　contributed　by　Mr。　James　E。　Murdock；　the　actor；　who　came　down

from　the　North　to　recover　the　body　of　his　son；　killed　at　Chickamauga；

and　was　quartered　with　me　for　the　greater　part　of　the　time　he　was

obliged　to　await　the　successful　conclusion　of　his　sad　mission。　　He

spent　days；　and　even　weeks；　going　about　through　the　division　giving

recitations　before　the　camp…fires；　and　in　improvised　chapels；　which

the　men　had　constructed　from　refuse　lumber　and　canvas。　　Suiting　his

selections　to　the　occasion；　he　never　failed　to　excite　intense

interest　in　the　breasts　of　all　present；　and　when　circumstances

finally　separated　him　from　us；　all　felt　that　a　debt　of　gratitude　was

due　him　that　could　never　be　paid。　　The　pleasure　he　gave；　and　the

confident　feeling　that　was　now　arising　from　expected　reinforcements；

was　darkened；　however；　by　one　sad　incident。　　Three　men　of　my　division

had　deserted　their　colors　at　the　beginning　of　the　siege　and　made

their　way　north。　　They　were　soon　arrested；　and　were　brought　back　to

stand　trial　for　the　worst　offense　that　can　be　committed　by　a　soldier；

convicted　of　the　crime；　and　ordered　to　be　shot。　　To　make　the　example

effective　I　paraded　the　whole　division　for　the　execution；　and　on　the

13th　of　November；　in　the　presence　of　their　former　comrades；　the

culprits　were　sent；　in　accordance　with　the　terms　of　their　sentence；

to　render　their　account　to　the　Almighty。　　It　was　the　saddest

spectacle　I　ever　witnessed；　but　there　could　be　no　evasion；　no

mitigation　of　the　full　letter　of　the　law；　its　timely　enforcement　was

but　justice　to　the　brave　spirits　who　had　yet　to　fight　the　rebellion

to　the　end。



General　Grant　arrived　at　Chattanooga　on　October　23；　and　began　at　once

to　carry　out　the　plans　that　had　been　formed　for　opening　the　shorter

or　river　road　to　Bridgeport。　　This　object　was　successfully

accomplished　by　the　moving　of　Hooker's　command　to　Rankin's　and

Brown's　ferries　in　concert　with　a　force　from　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland　which　was　directed　on　the　same　points；　so　by　the　27th　of

October　direct　communication　with　our　depots　was　established。　　The

four　weeks　which　followed　this　cheering　result　were　busy　with　the

work　of　refitting　and　preparing　for　offensive　operations　as　soon　as

General　Sherman　should　reach　us　with　his　troops　from　West　Tennessee。

During　this　period　of　activity　the　enemy　committed　the　serious　fault

of　detaching　Longstreet's　corpssending　it　to　aid　in　the　siege　of

Knoxville　in　East　Tennesseean　error　which　has　no　justification

whatever；　unless　it　be　based　on　the　presumption　that　it　was

absolutely　necessary　that　Longstreet　should　ultimately　rejoin　Lee's

army　in　Virginia　by　way　of　Knoxville　and　Lynchburg；　with　a　chance　of

picking　up　Burnside　en　route。　　Thus　depleted；　Bragg　still　held

Missionary　Ridge　in　strong　force；　but　that　part　of　his　line　which

extended　across　the　intervening　valley　to　the　northerly　point　of。

Lookout　Mountain　was　much　attenuated。



By　the　18th　of　November　General　Grant　had　issued　instructions

covering　his　intended　operations。　　They　contemplated　that　Sherman's

column；　which　was　arriving　by　the　north　bank　of　the　Tennessee；　should

cross　the　river　on　a　pontoon　bridge　just　below　the　mouth　of

Chickamauga　Creek　and　carry　the　northern　extremity　of　Missionary

Ridge　as　far　as　the　railroad　tunnel；　that　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland…

…the　centreshould　co…operate　with　Sherman；　and　that　Hooker　with　a

mixed　command　should　continue　to　hold　Lookout　Valley　and　operate　on

our　extreme