memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第76章

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ts　（with　great　experience　acquired　at　Vicksburg）；　and　drove　them　back。　　With　their　artillery　they　knocked　to　pieces　our　locomotive　and　several　of　the　cars；　and　set　fire　to　the　train；　but　we　managed　to　get　possession　again；　and　extinguished　the　fire。　　Colonel　Audenreid；　aide…de…camp；　was　provoked　to　find　that　his　valise　of　nice　shirts　had　been　used　to　kindle　the　fire。　　'　The　fighting　continued　all　round　us　for　three　or　four　hours；　when　we　observed　signs　of　drawing　off；　which　I　attributed　to　the　rightful　cause；　the　rapid　approach　of　Corse's　division；　which　arrived　about　dark；　having　marched　the　whole　distance　from　Memphis；　twenty…six　miles；　on　the　double…quick。　　The　next　day　we　repaired　damages　to　the　railroad　and　locomotive；　and　went　on　to　Corinth。

At　Corinth；　on　the　16th；　I　received　the　following　important　dispatches：

MEMPHIS；　October　14；　186311　a。m。

Arrived　this　morning。　　Will　be　off　in　a　few　hours。　　My　orders　are　only　to　go　to　Cairo；　and　report　from　there　by　telegraph。　　McPherson　will　be　in　Canton　to…day。　　He　will　remain　there　until　Sunday　or　Monday　next；　and　reconnoitre　as　far　eastward　as　possible　with　cavalry；　in　the　mean　time。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


WASHINGTON；　October　14；　18631　p。m。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Corinth

Yours　of　the　10th　is　received。　　The　important　matter　to　be　attended　to　is　that　of　supplies。　　When　Eastport　can　be　reached　by　boats；　the　use　of　the　railroad　can　be　dispensed　with；　but　until　that　time　it　must　be　guarded　as　far　as　need。　　The　Kentucky　Railroad　can　barely　supply　General　Rosecrans。　　All　these　matters　must　be　left　to　your　judgment　as　circumstances　may　arise。　　Should　the　enemy　be　so　strong　as　to　prevent　your　going　to　Athena；　or　connecting　with　General　Rosecrans；　you　will　nevertheless　have　assisted　him　greatly　by　drawing　away　a　part　of　the　enemy's　forces。

H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General。


On　the　18th；　with　my　staff　and　a　small　escort；　I　rode　forward　to　Burnsville；　and　on　the　19th　to　Iuka；　where；　on　the　next　day；　I　was　most　agreeably　surprised　to　hear　of　the　arrival　at　Eastport　（only　ten　miles　off）　of　two　gunboats；　under　the　command　of　Captain　Phelps；　which　had　been　sent　up　the　Tennessee　River　by　Admiral　Porter；　to　help　us。

Satisfied　that；　to　reach　Athens　and　to　communicate　with　General　Rosecrans；　we　should　have　to　take　the　route　north　of　the　Tennessee　River；　on　the　24th　I　ordered　the　Fourth　Division　to　cross　at　Eastport　with　the　aid　of　the　gunboats；　and　to　move　to　Florence。　About　the　same　time；　I　received　the　general　orders　assigning　General　Grant　to　command　the　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；　authorizing　him；　on　reaching　Chattanooga；　to　supersede　General　Rosecrans　by　General　George　H。　Thomas；　with　other　and　complete　authority；　as　set；　forth　in　the　following　letters　of　General　Halleck；　which　were　sent　to　me　by　General　Grant；　and　the　same　orders　devolved　on　me　the　command　of　the　Department　and　Army　of　the　Tennessee。


HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　October　16；　1863

Major…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Louisville。

GENERAL：　You　will　receive　herewith　the　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　placing　you　in　command　of　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　Cumberland；　and　Tennessee。　　The　organization　of　these　departments　will　be　changed　as　you　may　deem　most　practicable。　　You　will　immediately　proceed　to　Chattanooga；　and　relieve　General　Rosecrans。　　You　can　communicate　with　Generals　Burnside　and　Sherman　by　telegraph。　　A　summary　of　the　orders　sent　to　these　officers　will　be　sent　to　you　immediately。　　It　is　left　optional　with　you　to　supersede　General　Rosecrans　by　General　G。　H。　Thomas　or　not。　　Any　other　changes　will　be　made　on　your　request　by　telegram。

One　of　the　first　objects　requiring　your　attention　is　the　supply　of　your　armies。　　Another　is　the　security　of　the　passes　in　the　Georgia　mountains；　to　shut　out　the　enemy　from　Tennessee　and　Kentucky。　　You　will　consult　with　General　Meigs　and　Colonel　Scott　in　regard　to　transportation　and　supplies。

Should　circumstances　permit；　I　will　visit　you　personally　in　a　few　days　for　consultation。

H。　W。　HALLECK；　General…in…Chief。



HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　October　20；　1868。

Major…General　GRANT；　Louisville。

GENERAL　：　In　compliance　with　my　promise；　I　now　proceed　to　give　you　a　brief　statement　of　the　objects　aimed　at　by　General　Rosecrans　and　General　Burnside's　movement　into　East　Tennessee；　and　of　the　measures　directed　to　be　taken　to　attain　these　objects。

It　has　been　the　constant　desire　of　the　government；　from　the　beginning　of　the　war；　to　rescue　the　loyal　inhabitants　of　East　Tennessee　from　the　hands　of　the　rebels；　who　fully　appreciated　the　importance　of　continuing　their　hold　upon　that　country。　　In　addition　to　the　large　amount　of　agricultural　products　drawn　from　the　upper　valley　of　the　Tennessee；　they　also　obtained　iron　and　other　materials　from　the　vicinity　of　Chattanooga。　　The　possession　of　East　Tennessee　would　cut　off　one　of　their　most　important　railroad　communications；　and　threaten　their　manufactories　at　Rome；　Atlanta；　etc。

When　General　Buell　was　ordered　into　East　Tennessee　in　the　summer　of　1882；　Chattanooga　was　comparatively　unprotected；　but　Bragg　reached　there　before　Buell；　and；　by　threatening　his　communications；　forced　him　to　retreat　on　Nashville　and　Louisville。　　Again；　after　the　battle　of　Perryville；　General　Buell　was　urged　to　pursue　Bragg's　defeated　army；　and　drive　it　from　East　Tennessee。　　The　same　was　urged　upon　his　successor；　but　the　lateness　of　the　season　or　other　causes　prevented　further　operations　after　the　battle　of　Stone　River。

Last　spring；　when　your　movements　on　the　Mississippi　River　had　drawn　out　of　Tennessee　a　large　force　of　the　enemy；　I　again　urged　General　Rosecrans　to　take　advantage　of　that　opportunity　to　carry　out　his　projected　plan　of　campaign；　General　Burnside　being　ready　to　cooperate；　with　a　diminished　but　still　efficient　force。　　But　he　could　not　be　persuaded　to　act　in　time；　preferring　to　lie　still　till　your　campaign　should　be　terminated。　　I　represented　to　him；　but　without　avail；　that　by　this　delay　Johnston　might　be　able　to　reenforce　Bragg　with　the　troops　then　operating　against　you。

When　General　Rosecrans　finally　determined　to　advance；　he　was　allowed　to　select　his　own　lines　and　plans　for　carrying　out　the　objects　of　the　expedition。　　He　was　directed；　however；　to　report　his　movements　daily；　till　he　crossed　the　Tennessee；　and　to　connect　his　left；　so　far　as　possible；　with　General　Burnside's　right。　　General　Burnside　was　directed　to　move　simultaneously；　connecting　his　right；　as　far　as　possible；　with　General　Roaecrans's　left　so　that；　if　the　enemy　concentrated　upon　either　army；　the　other　could　move　to　its　assistance。　　When　General　Burnside　reached　Kingston　and　Knoxville；　and　found　no　considerable　number　of　the　enemy　in　East　Tennessee；　he　was　instructed　to　move　down　the　river　and　cooperate　with　General　Rosecrans。

These　instructions　were　repeated　some　fifteen　times；　but　were　not　carried　out；　General　Burnside　alleging　as　an　excuse　that　he　believed　that　Bragg　was　in　retreat；　and　that　General　Rosecrans　needed　no　reenforcements。　　When　the　latter　had　gained　possession　of　Chattanooga　he　was　directed　not　to　move　on　Rome　as　he　proposed；　but　simply　to　hold　the　mountain…passes；　so　as　to　prevent　the　ingress　of　the　rebels　into　East　Tennessee。　　That　object　accomplished；　I　considered　the　campaign　as　ended；　at　least　for　the　present。　　Future　operations　would　depend　upon　the　ascertained　strength　and；　movements　of　the　enemy。　　In　other　words；　the　main　objects　of　the　campaign　were　the　restoration　of　East　Tennessee　to　the　Union；　and　by　holding　the　two　extremities　of　the　valley　to　secure　it　from　rebel　invasion。

The　moment　I　received　reliable　information　of　the　departure　of　Longstreet's　corps　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　I　ordered　forward　to　General　Rosecrans　every　available　man　in　the　Department　of　the　Ohio；　and　again　urged　General　Burnside　to　move　to　his　assistance。　I　also　telegraphed　to　Generals　Hurlbut；　Sherman；　and　yourself；　to　send　forward　all　available　troops　in　your　department。　　If　these　forces　had　been　sent　to　General　Roseerans　by　Nashville；　they　could　not　have　been　supplied；　I　therefore　directed　them　to　move　by　Corinth　and　the　Tennessee　River。　　The　necessity　of　this　has　been　proved　by　the　fact　that　the　reinforcements　sent　to　him　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　have　not　been　able；　for　the　want　of　railroad　transportation；　to　reach　General　Rosecrans's　army　in　the　field。

In　regard　to　the　relative　strength　of　the　opposing　armies；　it　is　believed　that　General　Rosecrans　when　he　first　moved　against　Bragg　had　double；　if　not　treble；　his　force。　　General　Burnside；　also；　had　more　than　double　the　force　of　Buckner；　and；　even　when　Bragg　and　Buckner　united；　Rosecrans's　army　was　very　greatly　superior　in　number。　　Even　the　eighteen　thousand　men　sent　from　Virginia；　under　Longstreet；　would　not　have　given　the　enemy　the　superiority。　　It　is　now　ascertained　that　the　greater　part　of　the　prisoners　parolled　by　you　at　Vicksburg；　and　General　Banks　at　Port　Hudson；　were　illegally　and　improperly　declared　exchanged；　and　forced　into　the　ranks　to　swell　the　rebel　numbers　at　Chickamauga。　　This　outrageous　act；　in　violation　of　the　laws　of　war；　of　the　cartel　entered　into　by　the　rebel　authorities；　and　of　all　sense　of　honor；　gives　us　a　useful　lesson　in　regard　to　the　character　of　the　enemy　with　whom　we　are　contending。　　He　neither　regards　the　rules　of　civilized　warfare；　nor　even　his　most　solemn　engagements。　　You　may；　therefore；　expect　to　meet　in　arms　thousands　of　unexchanged　prisoners　released　by　you　and　others　on　parole；　not　to　serve　again　till　duly　exchanged。

Although　the　enemy　by　this　disgraceful　means　has　been　able　to　concentrate　in　Georgia　and　Alabama　a　much　larger　force　than　we　anticipated；　your　armies　will　be　abundantly　able　to　defeat　him。　Your　difficulty　will　not　be　in　the　want　of　men；　but　in　the　means　of　supplying　them　at　this　season　of　the　year。　　A　single…track　railroad　can　supply　an　army　of　sixty　or　seventy　thousand　men；　with　the　usual　number　of　cavalry　and　artillery；　but　beyond　that　number；　or　with　a　large　mounted　force；　the　difficulty　of　supply　is　very　great。

I　do　not　know　the　present　condition　of　the　road　from　Nashville　to　Decatur；　but；　if　practicable　to　repair　it；　the　use　of　that　triangle　will　be　of　great　assistance　to　you。　　I　hope；　also；　that　the　recent　rise　of　water　in　the　Cumberland　and　Tennessee　Rivers　will　enable　you　to　employ　water　transportation　to　Nashville；　Eastport；　or　Florence。

If　you　reoccupy　the　passes　of　Lookout　Mountain；　which　should　never　have　been　given　up；　you　will　be　able　to　use　the　railroad　and　river　from　Bridgeport　to　Chattanooga。　　This　seems　to　me　a　matter　of　vital　importance；　and　should　receive　your　early　attention。

I　submit　this　summary　in　the　hope　that　it　will　assist　you　in　fully　understanding　the　objects　of　the　campaign；　and　the　means　of　attaining　these　objects。　　Probably　the　Secretary　of　War；　in　his　interviews　with　you　at　Louisville；　has　gone　over　the　same　ground。　　Whatever　measures　you　may　deem　proper　to　adopt　under　existing　cir…cumstances；　you　will　receive　all　possible　assistance　from　the　authorities　at　Washington。　　You　have　never；　heretofore；　complained　that　such　assistance　has　not　been　afforded　you　in　your　operations；　and　I　think　you　will　have　no　cause　of　complaint　in　your　present　campaign。