memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第50章

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too　made　his　headquarters　at　Savannah；　but　frequently　visited　our　camps。　　I　always　acted　on　the　supposition　that　we　were　an　invading　army；　that　our　purpose　was　to　move　forward　in　force；　make　a　lodgment　on　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road；　and　thus　repeat　the　grand　tactics　of　Fort　Donelson；　by　separating　the　rebels　in　the　interior　from　those　at　Memphis　and　on　the　Mississippi　River。　　We　did　not　fortify　our　camps　against　an　attack；　because　we　had　no　orders　to　do　so；　and　because　such　a　course　would　have　made　our　raw　men　timid。　　The　position　was　naturally　strong；　with　Snake　Creek　on　our　right；　a　deep；　bold　stream；　with　a　confluent　（Owl　Creek）　to　our　right　front；　and　Lick　Creek；　with　a　similar　confluent；　on　our　left；　thus　narrowing　the　space　over　which　we　could　be　attacked　to　about　a　mile　and　a　half　or　two　miles。

At　a　later　period　of　the　war；　we　could　have　rendered　this　position　impregnable　in　one　night；　but　at　this　time　we　did　not　do　it；　and　it　may　be　it　is　well　we　did　not。　　From　about　the　1st　of　April　we　were　conscious　that　the　rebel　cavalry　in　our　front　was　getting　bolder　and　more　saucy；　and　on　Friday；　the　4th　of　April；　it　dashed　down　and　carried　off　one　of　our　picket…guards；　composed　of　an　officer　and　seven　men；　posted　a　couple　of　miles　out　on　the　Corinth　road。　Colonel　Buckland　sent　a　company　to　its　relief；　then　followed　himself　with　a　regiment；　and；　fearing　lest　he　might　be　worsted；　I　called　out　his　whole　brigade　and　followed　some　four　or　five　miles；　when　the　cavalry　in　advance　encountered　artillery。　　I　then；　after　dark；　drew　back　to　our　lines；　and　reported　the　fact　by　letter　to　General　Grant；　at　Savannah；　but　thus　far　we　had　not　positively　detected　the　presence　of　infantry；　for　cavalry　regiments　generally　had　a　couple　of　guns　along；　and　I　supposed　the　guns　that　opened　on　the　on　the　evening　of　Friday；　April　4th；　belonged　to　the　cavalry　that　was　hovering　along　our　whole　front。

Saturday　passed　in　our　camps　without　any　unusual　event；　the　weather　being　wet　and　mild；　and　the　roads　back　to　the　steamboat　landing　being　heavy　with　mud；　but　on　Sunday　morning；　the　6th；　early；　there　was　a　good　deal　of　picket…firing；　and　I　got　breakfast；　rode　out　along　my　lines；　and；　about　four　hundred　yards　to　the　front　of　Appler's　regiment；　received　from　some　bushes　in　a　ravine　to　the　left　front　a　volley　which　killed　my　orderly；　Holliday。　　About　the　same　time　I　saw　the　rebel　lines　of　battle　in　front　coming　down　on　us　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　　All　my　troops　were　in　line　of　battle；　ready；　and　the　ground　was　favorable　to　us。　　I　gave　the　necessary　orders　to　the　battery　（Waterhouse's）　attached　to　Hildebrand's　brigade；　and　cautioned　the　men　to　reserve　their　fire　till　the　rebels　had　crossed　the　ravine　of　Owl　Creek；　and　had　begun　the　ascent；　also；　sent　staff…officers　to　notify　Generals　McClernand　and　Prentiss　of　the　coming　blow。　　Indeed；　McClernand　had　already　sent　three　regiments　to　the　support　of　my　left　flank；　and　they　were　in　position　when　the　onset　came。

In　a　few　minutes　the　battle　of　〃Shiloh〃　began　with　extreme　fury；　and　lasted　two　days。　　Its　history　has　been　well　given；　and　it　has　been　made　the　subject　of　a　great　deal　of　controversy。　　Hildebrand's　brigade　was　soon　knocked　to　pieces；　but　Buckland's　and　McDowell's　kept　their　organization　throughout。　　Stuart's　was　driven　back　to　the　river；　and　did　not　join　me　in　person　till　the　second　day　of　the　battle。　　I　think　my　several　reports　of　that　battle　are　condensed　and　good；　made　on　the　spot；　when　all　the　names　and　facts　were　fresh　in　my　memory；　and　are　herewith　given　entire：

HEADQUARTERS　FIRST　DIVISION　PITTSBURG　LANDING；　March　17；　1862

Captain　Wm。　　McMICHAEL；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　C。　F　SMITH；　Savannah；　Tennessee。

SIR：　Last　night　I　dispatched　a　party　of　cavalry；　at　6　p。m。；　under　the　command　of　Lieutenant…Colonel　Heath；　Fifth　Ohio　Cavalry；　for　a　strong　reconnoissance；　if　possible；　to　be　converted　into　an　attack　upon　the　Memphis　road。　　The　command　got　off　punctually；　followed　at　twelve　o'clock　at　night　by　the　First　Brigade　of　my　division；　commanded　by　Colonel　McDowell；　the　other　brigades　to　follow　in　order。

About　one　at　night　the　cavalry　returned；　reporting　the　road　occupied　in　force　by　the　enemy；　with　whose　advance…guard　they　skirmished；　driving　them　backabout　a　mile；　taking　two　prisoners；　and　having　their　chief　guide；　Thomas　Maxwell；　Esq。；　and　three　men　of　the　Fourth　Illinois　wounded。

Inclosed　please　find　the　report　of　Lieutenant…Colonel　Heath；　also　a　copy　of　his　instructions；　and　tile　order　of　march。　　As　soon　as　the　cavalry　returned；　I　saw　that　an　attempt　on　the　road　was　frustrated；　and　accordingly　have　placed　McDowell's　brigade　to　our　right　front；　guarding　the　pass　of　Snake　Creek；　Stuart's　brigade　to　the　left　front；　to　watch　the　pass　of　Lick　Creek；　and　I　shall　this　morning　move　directly　out　on　the　Corinth　road；　about　eight　miles　to　or　toward　Pea　Ridge；　which　is　a　key…point　to　the　southwest。

General　Hurlbut's　division　will　be　landed　to…day；　and　the　artillery　and　infantry　disposed　so　as　to　defend　Pittsburg；　leaving　my　division　entire　for　any　movement　by　land　or　water。

As　near　as　I　can　learn；　there　are　five　regiments　of　rebel　infantry　at　Purdy；　at　Corinth；　and　distributed　along　the　railroad　to　Inca；　are　probably　thirty　thousand　men；　but　my　information　from　prisoners　is　very　indistinct。　　Every　road　and　path　is　occupied　by　the　enemy's　cavalry；　whose；　orders　seem　to　be；　to　fire　a　volley；　retire；　again　fire　and　retire。　　The　force　on　the　Purdy　road　attacked　and　driven　by　Major　Bowman　yesterday；　was　about　sixty　strong。　　That　encountered　last　night　on　the　Corinth　road　was　about　five　companies　of　Tennessee　cavalry；　sent　from　Purdy　about　2　p。m。　　yesterday。

I　hear　there　is　a　force　of　two　regiments　on　Pea　Ridge；　at　the　point　where　the　Purdy　and　Corinth　roads　come　together。

I　am　satisfied　we　cannot　reach　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road　without　a　considerable　engagement；　which　is　prohibited　by　General　Halleck's　instructions；　so　that　I　will　be　governed　by　your　orders　of　yesterday；　to　occupy　Pittsburg　strongly；　extend　the　pickets　so　as　to　include　a　semicircle　of　three　miles；　and　push　a　strong　reconnoissance　as　far　out　as　Lick　Creek　and　Pea　Ridge。

I　will　send　down　a　good　many　boats　to…day；　to　be　employed　as　you　may　direct；　and　would　be　obliged　if　you　would　send　a　couple　of　thousand　sacks　of　corn；　as　much　hay　as　you　can　possibly　spare；　and；　if　possible；　a　barge　of　coal。

I　will　send　a　steamboat　under　care　of　the　gunboat；　to　collect　corn　from　cribs　on　the　river…bank

I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General；　commanding　First　Division。


HEADQUARTERS；　STEAMBOAT　CONTINENTAL；　Pittsburg；　March　18；　1882。

Captain　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT。

SIR：　The　division　surgeon　having　placed　some　one　hundred　or　more　sick　on　board　the　Fanny　Bullitt；　I　have　permitted　her　to　take　them　to　Savannah。　　There　is　neither　house　nor　building　of　any　kind　that　can　be　used　for　a　hospital　here。

I　hope　to　receive　an　order　to　establish　floating　hospitals；　but　in　the　mean　time；　by　the　advise　of　the　surgeon；　allow　these　sick　men　to　leave。　　Let　me　hope　that　it　will　meet　your　approbation。

The　order　for　debarkation　came　while　General　Sherman　was　absent　with　three　brigades；　and　no　men　are　left　to　move　the　effects　of　these　brigades。

The　landing；　too；　is　small；　with　scarcely　any　chance　to　increase　it；　therefore　there　is　a　great　accumulation　of　boats。　　Colonel　McArthur　has　arrived；　and　is　now　cutting　a　landing　for　himself。

General　Sherman　will　return　this　evening。　　I　am　obliged　to　transgress；　and　write　myself　in　the　mean　time；

Respectfully　your　obedient　servant；

J。　H。　HAMMOND；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。

P。　S4　p。m。Just　back；　have　been　half…way　to　Corinth　and　to　Purdy。　　All　right。　　Have　just　read　this　letter；　and　approve　all　but　floating　hospitals；　regimental　surgeons　can　take　care　of　all　sick；　except　chronic　cases；　which　can　always　be　sent　down　to　Paducah。

Magnificent　plain　for　camping　and　drilling；　and　a　military　point　of　great　strength。　　The　enemy　has　felt　us　twice；　at　great　loss　and　demoralization；　will　report　at　length　this　evening；　am　now　much　worn　out。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General。



HEADQUARTERS　FIRST　DIVISION　Pittsburg　Landing；　March　19；　1862。

Captain　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT；　Savannah；　Tennessee。

SIR：　I　have　just　returned　from　an　extensive　reconnoissance　toward　Corinth　and　Purdy；　and　am　strongly　impressed　with　the　importance　of　this　position；　both　for　its　land　advantages　and　its　strategic　position。　　The　ground　itself　admits　of　easy　defense　by　a　small　command；　and　yet　affords　admirable　camping…ground　for　a　hundred　thousand　men。　　I　will　as　soon　as　possible　make　or　cause　to　be　made　a　topographical　sketch　of　the　position。　　The　only　drawback　is　that；　at　this　stage　of　water；　the　space　for　landing　is　contracted　too　much　for　the　immense　fleet　now　here　discharging。

I　will　push　the　loading　and　unloading　of　boats；　but　suggest　that　you　send　at　once　（Captain　Dodd；　if　possible）　the　best　quartermaster　you　can；　that　he　may　control　and　organize　this　whole　matter。　　I　have　a　good　commissary；　and　will　keep　as　few　provisions　afloat　as　possible。　　Yours；　etc。；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General　commanding。



HEADQUARTERS　SHERMAN'S　DIVISION　Camp　Shiloh；　near　Pittsburg　Landing；　Tennessee；　April　2；　1862

Captain　J。　A。　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT。

SIR：　In　obedience　to　General　Grant's　instructions　of　March　31st；　with　one　section　of　Captain　Muench's　Minnesota　Battery；　two　twelve…pound　howitzers；　a　detachment　of　Fifth　Ohio　Cavalry　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　men；　under　Major　Ricker；　and　two　battalions　of　infantry　from　the　Fifty…seventh　and　Seventy…seventh　Ohio；　under　the　command　of　Colonels　Hildebrand　and　Mungen；　I　marched　to　the　river；　and　embarked　on　the　steamers　Empress　and　Tecumseh。　　The　gunboat　Cairo　did　not　arrive　at　Pittsburg；　until　after　midnight；　and　at　6　p。m。　　Captain　Bryant；　commanding　the　gunboat；　notified　me　that　he　was　ready　to　proceed　up　the　river。　　I　followed；　keeping　the　transports　within　about　three　hundred　yards　of　the　gunboat。　　About　1　p。m。；　the　Cairo　commenced　shelling　the　battery　above　the　mouth　of　Indian　Creek；　but　elicited　no　reply。　　She　proceeded　up　the　river　steadily　and　cautiously；　followed　close　by　the　Tyler　and　Lexington；　all　throwing　shells　at　the　points　where；　on　former　visits　of　the　gunboats；　enemy's　batteries　were　found。　　In　this　order　all　followed；　till　it　was　demonstrated　that　all　the　enemy's　batteries；　including　that　at　Chickasaw；　were　abandoned。

I　ordered　the　battalion　of　infantry　under　Colonel　Hildebrand　to　disembark　at　Eastport；　and　with　the　other　battalion　proceeded　to　Chickasaw　and　landed。　　The　battery　at　this　point　had　evidently　been　abandoned　some　time；　and　consisted　of　the　remains　of　an　old　Indian　mound；　partly　washed　away　by　the　river；　which　had　been　fashioned　into　a　two…gun　battery；　with　a　small　magazine。　　The　ground　to　its　rear　had　evidently　been　overflowed　during　the　late　freshet；　and　led　to　the　removal　of　the　guns　to　Eastport；　where　the　batteries　were　on　high；　elevated　ground；　accessible　at　all　seasons　from　the　country　to　the　rear。

Upon　personal　inspection；　I　attach　little　importance　to　Chickasaw　as　a　military　position。　　The