memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第43章

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oon；　and　I　concluded　to　wait　till　the　next　morning；　but　that　night　I　received　a　dispatch　from　General　Anderson　in　Louisville　to　hurry　back；　as　events　were　pressing；　and　he　needed　me。

Accordingly；　I　rose　early　next　morning　before　daybreak；　got　breakfast　with　the　early　railroad…passengers；　and　about　sunrise　was　at　the　gate　of　General　Fremont's　headquarters。　　A　sentinel　with　drawn　sabre　paraded　up　and　down　in　front　of　the　house。　　I　had　on　my　undress　uniform　indicating　my　rank；　and　inquired　of　the　sentinel；　〃Is　General　Fremont　up？〃　　He　answered；　〃I　don't　know。〃　　Seeing　that　he　was　a　soldier　by　his　bearing；　I　spoke　in　a　sharp；　emphatic　voice；　〃Then　find　out。〃　　He　called　for　the　corporal　of　the　guard；　and　soon　a　fine…looking　German　sergeant　came；　to　whom　I　addressed　the　same　inquiry。　　He　in　turn　did　not　know；　and　I　bade　him　find　out；　as　I　had　immediate　and　important　business　with　the　general。　The　sergeant　entered　the　house　by　the　front…basement　door；　and　after　ten　or　fifteen　minutes　the　main　front…door　above　was　slowly　opened　from　the　inside；　and　who　should　appear　but　my　old　San　Francisco　acquaintance　Isaiah　C。　Woods；　whom　I　had　not　seen　or　heard　of　since　his　flight　to　Australia；　at　the　time　of　the　failure　of　Adams　&　Co。　in　1851！　　He　ushered　me　in　hastily；　closed　the　door；　and　conducted　me　into　the　office　on　the　right　of　the　hall。　　We　were　glad　to　meet；　after　so　long　and　eventful　an　interval；　and　mutually　inquired　after　our　respective　families　and　special　acquaintances。　I　found　that　he　was　a　commissioned　officer；　a　major　on　duty　with　Fremont；　and　Major　Eaton；　now　of　the　paymaster's　Department；　was　in　the　same　office　with　him。　　I　explained　to　them　that　I　had　come　from　General　Anderson；　and　wanted　to　confer　with　General　Fremont　in　person。　　Woods　left　me；　but　soon　returned；　said　the　general　would　see　me　in　a　very　few　minutes；　and　within　ten　minutes　I　was　shown　across　the　hall　into　the　large　parlor；　where　General　Fremont　received　me　very　politely。　　We　had　met　before；　as　early　as　1847；　in　California；　and　I　had　also　seen　him　several　times　when　he　was　senator。　　I　then　in　a　rapid　manner　ran　over　all　the　points　of　interest　in　General　Anderson's　new　sphere　of　action；　hoped　he　would　spare　us　from　the　new　levies　what　troops　he　could；　and　generally　act　in　concert　with　us。　　He　told　me　that　his　first　business　would　be　to　drive　the　rebel　General　Price　and　his　army　out　of　Missouri；　when　he　would　turn　his　attention　down　the　Mississippi。　　He　asked　my　opinion　about　the　various　kinds　of　field…artillery　which　manufacturers　were　thrusting　on　him；　especially　the　then　newly…　invented　James　gun；　and　afterward　our　conversation　took　a　wide　turn　about　the　character　of　the　principal　citizens　of　St。　Louis；　with　whom　I　was　well　acquainted。

Telling　General　Fremont　that　I　had　been　summoned　to　Louisville　and　that　I　should　leave　in　the　first　train；　viz。；　at　3　p。m。；　I　took　my　leave　of　him。　　Returning　to　Wood's　office；　I　found　there　two　more　Californians；　viz。；　Messrs。　　Palmer　and　Haskell；　so　I　felt　that；　while　Fremont　might　be　suspicious　of　others；　he　allowed　free　ingress　to　his　old　California　acquaintances。

Returning　to　the　Planters'　House；　I　heard　of　Beard；　another　Californian；　a　Mormon；　who　had　the　contract　for　the　line　of　redoubts　which　Fremont　had　ordered　to　be　constructed　around　the　city；　before　he　would　take　his　departure　for　the　interior　of　the　State；　and　while　I　stood　near　the　office…counter；　I　saw　old　Baron　Steinberger；　a　prince　among　our　early　California　adventurers；　come　in　and　look　over　the　register。　　I　avoided　him　on　purpose；　but　his　presence　in　St。　Louis　recalled　the　maxim；　〃Where　the　vultures　are；　there　is　a　carcass　close　by；〃　and　I　suspected　that　the　profitable　contracts　of　the　quartermaster；　McKinstry；　had　drawn　to　St。　Louis　some　of　the　most　enterprising　men　of　California。　　I　suspect　they　can　account　for　the　fact　that；　in　a　very　short　time；　Fremont　fell　from　his　high　estate　in　Missouri；　by　reason　of　frauds；　or　supposed　frauds；　in　the　administration　of　the　affairs　of　his　command。

I　left　St。　Louis　that　afternoon　and　reached　Louisville　the　next　morning。　　I　found　General　Anderson　quartered　at　the　Louisville　Hotel；　and　he　had　taken　a　dwelling　hones　on　_____　Street　as　an　office。　　Captain　O。　D。　Greens　was　his　adjutant…general；　Lieutenant　Throckmorton　his　aide；　and　Captain　Prime；　of　the　Engineer　Corps；　was　on　duty　with　him。　　General　George　H。　Thomas　had　been　dispatched　to　camp　Dick　Robinson；　to　relieve　Nelson。

The　city　was　full　of　all　sorts　of　rumors。　　The　Legislature；　moved　by　considerations　purely　of　a　political　nature；　had　taken　the　step；　whatever　it　was；　that　amounted　to　an　adherence　to　the　Union；　instead　of　joining　the　already…seceded　States。　　This　was　universally　known　to　be　the　signal　for　action。　　For　it　we　were　utterly　unprepared；　whereas　the　rebels　were　fully　prepared。　General　Sidney　Johnston　immediately　crossed　into　Kentucky；　and　advanced　as　far　as　Bowling　Green；　which　he　began　to　fortify；　and　thence　dispatched　General　Buckner　with　a　division　forward　toward　Louisville；　General　Zollicoffer；　in　like　manner；　entered　the　State　and　advanced　as　far　as　Somerset。　　On　the　day　I　reached　Louisville　the　excitement　ran　high。　　It　was　known　that　Columbus；　Kentucky；　had　been　occupied；　September　7th；　by　a　strong　rebel　force；　under　Generals　Pillow　and　Polk；　and　that　General　Grant　had　moved　from　Cairo　and　occupied　Paducah　in　force　on　the　6th。　　Many　of　the　rebel　families　expected　Buckner　to　reach　Louisville　at　any　moment。　　That　night；　General　Anderson　sent　for　me；　and　I　found　with　him　Mr。　Guthrie；　president　of　the　Louisville　&　Nashville　Railroad；　who　had　in　his　hands　a　dispatch　to　the　effect　that　the　bridge　across　the　Rolling　Fork　of　Salt　Creek；　less　than　thirty　miles　out；　had　been　burned；　and　that　Buckner's　force；　en　route　for　Louisville；　had　been　detained　beyond　Green　River　by　a　train　thrown　from　the　track。　　We　learned　afterward　that　a　man　named　Bird　had　displaced　a　rail　on　purpose　to　throw　the　train　off　the　track；　and　thereby　give　us　time。

Mr。　Guthrie　explained　that　in　the　ravine　just　beyond　Salt　Creek　were　several　high　and　important　trestles　which；　if　destroyed；　would　take　months　to　replace；　and　General　Anderson　thought　it　well　。　worth　the　effort　to　save　them。　　Also；　on　Muldraugh's　Hill　beyond；　was　a　strong　position；　which　had　in　former　years　been　used　as　the　site　for　the　State　〃Camp　of　Instruction；〃　and　we　all　supposed　that　General　Buckner；　who　was　familiar　with　the　ground；　was　aiming　for　a　position　there；　from　which　to　operate　on　Louisville。

All　the　troops　we　had　to　counteract　Buckner　were　Rousseau's　Legion；　and　a　few　Home　Guards　in　Louisville。　　The　former　were　still　encamped　across　the　river　at　Jeffersonville；　so　General　Anderson　ordered　me　to　go　over；　and　with　them；　and　such　Home　Guards　as　we　could　collect；　make　the　effort　to　secure　possession　of　Muldraugh's　Hill　before　Buckner　could　reach　it。　　I　took　Captain　Prime　with　me；　and　crossed　over　to　Rousseau's　camp。　　The　long…roll　was　beaten；　and　within　an　hour　the　men；　to　the　number　of　about　one　thousand；　were　marching　for　the　ferry…boat　and　for　the　Nashville　depot。　　Meantime　General　Anderson　had　sent　to　collect　some　Home　Guards；　and　Mr。　Guthrie　to　get　the　trains　ready。　　It　was　after　midnight　before　we　began　to　move。　　The　trains　proceeded　slowly；　and　it　was　daybreak　when　we　reached　Lebanon　Junction；　twenty…six　miles　out；　where　we　disembarked；　and　marched　to　the　bridge　over　Salt　River；　which　we　found　had　been　burnt；　whether　to　prevent　Buckner　coming　into　Louisville；　or　us　from　going　out；　was　not　clear。　　Rousseau's　Legion　forded　the　stream　and　marched　up　to　the　State　Camp　of　Instruction；　finding　the　high　trestles　all　secure。　　The　railroad　hands　went　to　work　at　once　to　rebuild　the　bridge。　　I　remained　a　couple　of　days　at　Lebanon　Junction；　during　which　General　Anderson　forwarded　two　regiments　of　volunteers　that　had　come　to　him。　　Before　the　bridge　was　done　we　　advanced　the　whole　camp　to　the　summit　of　Muldraugh's　Hill；　just　back　of　Elizabethtown。　　There　I　learned　definitely　that　General　Buckner　had　not　crossed　Green　River　at　all；　that　General　Sidney　Johnston　was　fortifying　Bowling　Green；　and　preparing　for　a　systematic　advance　into　Kentucky；　of　which　he　was　a　native；　and　with　whose　people　and　geography　he　must　have　been　familiar。　　As　fast　as　fresh　troops　reached　Louisville；　they　were　sent　out　to　me　at　Muldraugh's　Hill；　where　I　was　endeavoring　to　put　them　into　shape　for　service；　and　by　the　1st　of　October　I　had　the　equivalent　of　a　division　of　two　brigades　preparing　to　move　forward　toward　Green　River。　　The　daily　correspondence　between　General　Anderson　and　myself　satisfied　me　that　the　worry　and　harassment　at　Louisville　were　exhausting　his　strength　and　health；　and　that　he　would　soon　leave。　　On　a　telegraphic　summons　from　him；　about　the　5th　of　October；　I　went　down　to　Louisville；　when　General　Anderson　said　he　could　not　stand　the　mental　torture　of　his　command　any　longer；　and　that　he　must　go　away；　or　it　would　kill　him。　　On　the　8th　of　October　he　actually　published　an　order　relinquishing　the　command；　and；　by　reason　of　my　seniority；　I　had　no　alternative　but　to　assume　command；　though　much　against　the　grain；　and　in　direct　violation　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　promise　to　me。　　I　am　certain　that；　in　my　earliest　communication　to　the　War　Department；　I　renewed　the　expression　of　my　wish　to　remain　in　a　subordinate　position；　and　that　I　received　the　assurance　that　Brigadier…General　Buell　would　soon　arrive　from　California；　and　would　be　sent　to　relieve　me。　　By　that　time　I　had　become　pretty　familiar　with　the　geography　and　the　general　resources　of　Kentucky。　　We　had　parties　all　over　the　State　raising　regiments　and　companies；　but　it　was　manifest　that　the　young　men　were　generally　inclined　to　the　cause　of　the　South；　while　the　older　men　of　property　wanted　to　be　let　alonei。e。；　to　remain　neutral。　　As　to　a　forward　movement　that　fall；　it　was　simply　impracticable；　for　we　were　forced　to　use　divergent　lines；　leading　our　columns　farther　and　farther　apart；　and　all　I　could　attempt　was　to　go　on　and　collect　force　and　material　at　the　two　points　already　chosen；　viz。；　Dick　Robinson　and　Elizabethtown。　　General　George　H。　Thomas　still　continued　to　command　the　former；　and　on　the　12th　of　October　I　dispatched　Brigadier…General　A。　McD。　McCook　to　command　the　latter；　which　had　been　moved　forward　to　Nolin　Creek；　fifty…two　miles　out　of　Louisville；　toward　Bowling　Green。　　Staff…officers　began　to　arrive　to　relieve　us　of　the　constant　drudgery　which；　up　to　that　time；　had　been　forced　on　General　Anderson　and　myself；　and　these　were　all　good　men。　　Colonel　Thomas　Swords；　quartermaster；　arrived　on　the　13th；　Paymaster　Larned　on　the　14th；　and　Lieutenant　Smyzer；　Fifth　Artillery；　acting　ordnance…officer；　on　the　20th；　Captain　Symonds　was　already　on　duty　as　the　com　missary　of　subsistence；　Captain　O。　D。　Greene　was　the　adjutant…general；　and　completed　a　good　working　staff。

The　everlasting　worry　of　citizens　complaining　of　every　petty　delinquency　of　a　soldier；　and　forcing　themselves　forward　to　discuss　politics；　made　the　position　of　a　commanding　general　no　sinecure。　　I　continued　to　strengthen　the　two　corps　forward　and　their　routes　of　supply；　all　the　time　expecting　that　Sidney　Johnston；　who　was　a　real　general；　and　who　had　as　correct　information　of　our　situation　as　I　had；　would　unite　his　force　with　Zollicoffer；　an