personal memoirs-2-第18章

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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；　General

Sherman　came　to　me　and　renewed　the　subject　of　my　joining　him；　but

when　he　saw　that　I　was　unalterably　opposed　to　it　the　conversation

turned　into　other　channels；　and　after　we　had　chatted　awhile　he

withdrew；　and　later　in　the　day　went　up　the　river　with　the　President；

General　Grant；　and　Admiral　Porter；　I　returning　to　my　command　at

Hancock　Station；　where　my　presence　was　needed　to　put　my　troops　in

march　next　day。



During　the　entire　winter　General　Grant's　lines　fronting　Petersburg

had　extended　south　of　the　Appomattox　River；　practically　from　that

stream　around　to　where　the　Vaughn　road　crosses　Hatcher's　Run；　and

this　was　nearly　the　situation　Wilien　the　cavalry　concentrated　at

Hancock　Station；　General　Weitzel　holding　the　line　north　of　the

Appomattox；　fronting　Richmond　and　Bermuda　Hundred。



The　instructions　of　the　24th　of　March　contemplated　that　the　campaign

should　begin　with　the　movement　of　Warren's　corps　（the　Fifth）　at

3　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　29th；　an