personal memoirs-2-第13章

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arriving　there　on　the　27th　of　March；　was　in　orders　reunited　with　its

comrades　of　the　Second　Division；　who　had　been　serving　with　the　Army

of　the　Potomac　since　we　parted　from　them　the　previous　August。

General　Crook；　who　had　been　exchanged　within　a　few　days；　was　now　in

command　of　this　Second　Division。　　The　reunited　corps　was　to　enter

upon　the　campaign　as　a　separate　army；　I　reporting　directly　to　General

Grant；　the　intention　being　thus　to　reward　me　for　foregoing；　of　my　own

choice；　my　position　as　a　department　commander　by　joining　the　armies

at　Petersburg。



Taking　the　road　across　the　Peninsula；　I　started　from　the　White　House

with　Merritt's　column　on　the　25th　of　March　and　encamped　that　night　at

Harrison's　Landing。　　Very　early　next　morning；　in　conformity　with　a

request　from　General　Grant；　I　left　by　boat　for　City　Point；　Merritt

meanwhile　conducting　the　column　across　the　James　River　to　the　point

of　rendezvous；　The　trip　to　City　Point　did　not　take　long；　and　on

arrival　at　army　headquarters　the　first　person　I　met　was　General　John

A。　Rawlins；　General　Grant's　chief…of…staff。　　Rawlins　was　a　man　of

strong　likes　and　dislikes；　and　positive　always　both　in　speech　and

action；　exhibiting　marked　feelings　when　greeting　any　one；　and　on　this

occasion　met　me　with　much　warmth。　　His　demonstrations　of　welcome

over；　we　held　a　few　minutes'　conversation　about　the　coming　campaign；

he　taking　strong　ground　against　a　part　of　the　plan　of　operations

adopted；　namely；　that　which　contemplated　my　joining　General　Sherman's

army。　　His　language　was　unequivocal　and　vehement；　and　when　he　was

through　talking；　he　conducted　me　to　General　Grant's　quarters；　but　he

himself　did　not　enter。



General　Grant　was　never　impulsive；　and　always　met　his　officers　in　an

unceremonious　way；　with　a　quiet　〃How　are　you〃　soon　putting　one　at　his

ease；　since　the　pleasant　tone　in　which　he　spoke　gave　assurance　of

welcome；　although　his　manner　was　otherwise　impassive。　　When　the

ordinary　greeting　was　over；　he　usually　waited　for　his　visitor　to　open

the　conversation；　so　on　this　occasion　I　began　by　giving　him　the

details　of　my　march　from　Winchester；　my　reasons　for　not　joining

Sherman；　as　contemplated　in　my　instructions；　and　the　motives　which

had　influenced　me　to　march　to　the　White　House。　　The　other　provision

of　my　orders　on　setting　out　from　Winchesterthe　alternative　return

to　that　placewas　not　touched　upon；　for　the　wisdom　of　having　ignored

that　was　fully　apparent。　　Commenting　on　this　recital　of　my　doings；

the　General　referred　only　to　the　tortuous　course　of　my　march　from

Waynesboro'　down；　our　sore　trials；　and　the　valuable　services　of　the

scouts　who　had　brought　him　tidings　of　me；　closing　with　the　remark

that　it　was；　rare　a　department　commander　voluntarily　deprived　himself

of　independence；　and　added　that　I　should　not　suffer　for　it。　　Then

turning　to　the　business　for　which　he　had　called　rne　to　City　Point；　he

outlined　what　he　expected　me　to　do；　saying　that　I　was　to　cut　loose

from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by　passing　its　left　flank　to　the

southward　along　the　line　of　the　Danville　railroad；　and　after　crossing

the　Roanoke　River；　join　General　Sherman。　　While　speaking；　he　handed

me　a　copy　of　a　general　letter　of　instructions　that　had　been　drawn　up

for　the　army　on　the　24th。　　The　letter　contained　these　words

concerning　the　movements　of　my　command：



〃The　cavalry　under　General　Sheridan；　joined　by　the　division　now　under

General　Davies；　will　move　at　the　same　time　（29th　inst。）　by　the　Weldon

road　and　the　Jerusalem　plank…road；　turning　west　from　the　latter

before　crossing　the　Nottoway；　and　west　with　the　whole　column　before

reaching　Stony　Creek。　　General　Sheridan　will　then　move　independently

under　other　instructions　which　will　be　given　him。　　All　dismounted

cavalry　belonging　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　the　dismounted

cavalry　from　the　Middle　Military　Division　not　required　for　guarding

property　belonging　to　their　arm　of　the　service；　will　report　to

Brigadier…General　Benham　to　be　added　to　the　defenses　of　City　Point。〃



When　I　had　gone　over　the　entire　letter　I　showed　plainly　that　I　was

dissatisfied　with　it；　for；　coupled　with　what　the　General　had　outlined

orally；　which　I　supposed　was　the　〃other　instructions；〃　I　believed　it

foreshadowed　my　junction　with　General　Sherman。　　Rawlins　thought　so

too；　as　his　vigorous　language　had　left　no　room　to　doubt；　so　I

immediately　began　to　offer　my　objections　to　the　programme。　　These

were；　that　it　would　be　bad　policy　to　send　me　down　to　the　Carolinas

with　a　part　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　to　come　back　to　crush　Lee

after　the　destruction　of　General　Johnston's　army；　such　a　course　would

give　rise　to　the　charge　that　his　own　forces　around　Petersburg　were

not　equal　to　the　task；　and　would　seriously　affect　public　opinion　in

the　North；　that　in　fact　my　cavalry　belonged　to　the　Army　of　the

Potomac；　which　army　was　able　unaided　to　destroy　Lee；　and　I　could　not

but　oppose　any　dispersion　of　its　strength。



All　this　was　said　in　a　somewhat　emphatic　manner；　and　when　I　had

finished　he　quietly　told　me　that　the　portion　of　my　instructions　from

which　I　so　strongly　dissented　was　intended　as　a　〃blind〃　to　cover　any

check　the　army　in　its　general　move；　to　the　left　might　meet　with；　and

prevent　that　element　in　the　North　which　held　that　the　war　could　be

ended　only　through　negotiation；　from　charging　defeat。　　The　fact　that

my　cavalry　was　not　to　ultimately　join　Sherman　was　a　great　relief　to

me；　and　after　expressing　the　utmost　confidence　in　the　plans　unfolded

for　closing　the　war　by　directing　every　effort　to　the　annihilation　of

Lee's　army；　I　left　him　to　go　to　General　Ingalls's　quarters。　　On　the

way　I　again　met　Rawlins；　who；　when　I　told　him　that　General　Grant　had

intimated　his　intention　to　modify　the　written　plan　of　operations　so

far　as　regarded　the　cavalry；　manifested　the　greatest　satisfaction；

and　I　judged　from　this　that　the　new　view　of　the　matter　had　not

previously　been　communicated　to　the　chief…of…staff；　though　he　must

have　been　acquainted　of　course　with　the　programme　made　out　on　the

24th　of　March。



Toward　noon　General　Grant　sent　for　me　to　accompany　him　up　the　river。

When　I　joined　the　General　he　informed　me　that　the　President　was　on

board　the　boatthe　steamer　Mary　Martin。　　For　some　days　Mr。　Lincoln

had　been　at　City　Point；　established　on　the　steamer　River　Queen；

having　come　down　from　Washington　to　be　nearer　his　generals；　no　doubt；

and　also　to　be　conveniently　situated　for　the　reception　of　tidings

from　the　front　when　operations　began；　for　he　could　not　endure　the

delays　in　getting　news　to　Washington。　　This　trip　up　the　James　had

been　projected　by　General　Meade；　but　on　account　of　demands　at　the

front　he　could　not　go；　so　the　President；　General　Grant；　and　I

composed　the　party。　　We　steamed　up　to　where　my　cavalry　was　crossing

on　the　pontoon…bridge　below　the　mouth　of　the　Dutch　Gap　canal；　and　for

a　little　while　watched　the　column　as　it　was　passing　over　the　river；

the　bright　sunshine　presaging　good　weather；　but　only　to　delude；　as

was　proved　by　the　torrents　of　rain　brought　by　the　succeeding　days　of

March。　　On　the　trip　the　President　was　not　very　cheerful。　　In　fact；　he

was　dejected；　giving　no　indication　of　his　usual　means　of　diversion；

by　which　（his　quaint　stories）　I　had　often　heard　he　could　find　relief

from　his　cares。　　He　spoke　to　me　of　the　impending　operations　and　asked

many　questions；　laying　stress　upon　the　one；　〃What　would　be　the　result

when　the　army　moved　out　to　the　left；　if　the　enemy　should　come　down

and　capture　City　Point？〃　the　question　being　prompted；　doubtless；　by

the　bold　assault　on　our　lines　and　capture　of　Fort　Steadman　two　days

before　by　General　Gordon。　　I　answered　that　I　did　not　think　it　at　all

probable　that　General　Lee　would　undertake　such　a　desperate　measure　to

relieve　the　strait　he　was　in；　that　General　Hartranft's　successful

check　to　Gordon　had　ended；　I　thought；　attacks　of　such　a　character；

and　in　any　event　General　Grant　would　give　Lee　all　he　could　attend　to

on　the　left。　　Mr。　Lincoln　said　nothing　about　my　proposed　route　of

march；　and　I　doubt　if　he　knew　of　my　instructions；　or　was　in

possession　at　most　of　more　than　a　very　general　outline　of　the　plan　of

campaign。　　It　was　late　when　the　Mary　Martin　returned　to　City　Point；

and　I　spent　the　night　there　with　General　Ingalls。



The　morning　of　the　27th　I　went　out　to　Hancock　Station　to　look　after

my　troops　and　prepare　for　moving　two　days　later。　　In　the　afternoon　I

received　a　telegram　from　General　Grant；　saying：　〃General　Sherman　will

be　here　this　evening　to　spend　a　few　hours。　　I　should　like　to　have　you

come　down。〃　　Sherman's　coming　was　a　surpriseat　least　to　me　it　was

this　despatch　being　my　first　intimation　of　his　expected　arrival。

Well　knowing　the　zeal　and　emphasis　with　which　General　Sherman　would

present　his　views；　there　again　came　into　my　mind　many　misgivings　with

reference　to　the　movement　of　the　cavalry；　and　I　made　haste　to　start

for　Grant's　headquarters。　　I　got　off　a　little　after　7　o'clock；　taking

the　rickety　military　railroad；　the　rails　of　which　were　laid　on　the

natural　surface　of　the　ground；　with　grading　only　here　and　there　at

points　of　absolute　necessity；　and　had　not　gone　far　when　the

locomotive　jumped　the　track。　　This　delayed　my　arrival　at　City　Point

till　near　midnight；　but　on　repairing　to　the　little　cabin　that

sheltered　the　general…in…chief；　I　found　him　and　Sherman　still　up

talking　over　the　problem　whose　solution　was　near　at　hand。　　As　already

stated；　thoughts　as　to　the　tenor　of　my　instructions　became　uppermost

the　moment　I　received　the　telegram　in　the　afternoon；　and　they

continued　to　engross　and　disturb　me　all　the　way　down　the　railroad；

for　I　feared　that　the　telegram　foreshadowed；　under　the　propositions

Sherman　would　present；　a　more　specific　compliance　with　the　written

instructions　than　General　Grant　had　orally　assured　me　would　be

exacted。



My　entrance　into　the　shanty　suspended　the　conversation　for　a　moment

only；　and　then　General　Sherman；　without　prelude；　rehearsed　his　plans

for　moving　his　army；　pointing　out　with　every　detail　how　he　would　come

up　through　the　Carolinas　to　join　the　troops　besieging　Petersburg　and

Richmond；　and　intimating　that　my　cavalry；　after　striking　the

Southside　and　Danville　railroads；　could　join　him　with　ease。　　I　made

no　comments　on　the　projects　for　moving；　his　own　troops；　but　as　soon

as　opportunity　offered；　dissented　emphatically　from　the　proposition

to　have　me　join　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　repeating　in　substance

what　I　had　previously　expressed　to　General　Grant。



My　uneasiness　made　me　somewhat　too　earnest；　I　fear；　but　General　Grant

soon　mollified　me；　and　smoothed　matters　over　by　practically　repeating

what　he　had　told　me　in　regard　to　this　point　at　the　close　of　our

interview　the　day　before；　so　I　pursued　the　subject　no　further。　　In　a

little　while　the　conference　ended；　and　I　again　sought　lodging　at　the

hospitable　quarters　of　Ingalls。



Very　early　the　next　morning；　while　I　was　still　in　bed