memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第105章

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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。　　Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

H。　W。　HALLECK；　General…in…Chief


General　Frank　P。　Blair；　who　was　then　ahead　with　the　two　divisions　of　Osterhaus　and　John　E。　Smith；　was　temporarily　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps。　　General　Hurlbut　remained　at　Memphis　in　command　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps；　and　General　McPherson　at　Vicksburg。with　the　Seventeenth。　　These　three　corps　made　up　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee。　　I　was　still　busy　in　pushing　forward　the　repairs　to　the　rail　roadbridge　at　Bear　Creek；　and　in　patching　up　the　many　breaks　between　it　and　Tuscumbia；　when　on　the　27th　of　October；　as　I　sat　on　the　porch　of　a　house；　I　was　approached　by　a　dirty；　black…　haired　individual　with　mixed　dress　and　strange　demeanor；　who　inquired　for　me；　and；　on　being　assured　that　I　was　in　fact　the　man；　he　handed　me　a　letter　from　General　Blair　at　Tuscumbia；　and　another　short　one；　which　was　a　telegraph…message　from　General　Grant　at　Chattanooga；　addressed　to　me　through　General　George　Crook；　commanding　at　Huntsville；　Alabama；　to　this　effect：

Drop　all　work　on　Memphis　&　Charleston　Railroad；　cross　the　Tennessee　and　hurry　eastward　with　all　possible　dispatch　toward　Bridgeport；　till　you　meet　further　orders　from　me。

U。　S。　GRANT。


The　bearer　of　this　message　was　Corporal　Pike；　who　described　to　me；　in　his　peculiar　way；　that　General　Crook　had　sent　him　in　a　canoe；　that　he　had　paddled　down　the　Tennessee　River；　over　Muscle　Shoals；　was　fired　at　all　the　way　by　guerrillas；　but　on　reaching　Tuscumbia　he　had　providentially　found　it　in　possession　of　our　troops。　　He　had　reported　to　General　Blair；　who　sent　him　on　to　me　at　Iuka。　　This　Pike　proved　to　be　a　singular　character；　his　manner　attracted　my　notice　at　once；　and　I　got　him　a　horse；　and　had　him　travel　with　us　eastward　to　about　Elkton；　whence　I　sent　him　back　to　General　Crook　at　Huntsville；　but　told　him；　if　I　could　ever　do　him　a　personal　service；　he　might　apply　to　me。　　The　next　spring　when　I　was　in　Chattanooga；　preparing　for　the　Atlanta　campaign；　Corporal　Pike　made　his　appearance　and　asked　a　fulfillment　of　my　promise。　　I　inquired　what　he　wanted；　and　he　said　he　wanted　to　do　something　bold；　something　that　would　make　him　a　hero。　　I　explained　to　him；　that　we　were　getting　ready　to　go　for　Joe　Johnston　at　Dalton；　that　I　expected　to　be　in　the　neighborhood　of　Atlanta　about　the　4th　of　July；　and　wanted　the　bridge　across　the　Savannah　River　at　Augusta；　Georgia；　to　be　burnt　about　that　time；　to　produce　alarm　and　confusion　behind　the　rebel　army。　　I　explained　to　Pike　that　the　chances　were　three　to　one　that　he　would　be　caught　and　hanged；　but　the　greater　the　danger　the　greater　seemed　to　be　his　desire　to　attempt　it。　　I　told　him　to　select　a　companion；　to　disguise　himself　as　an　East　Tennessee　refugee；　work　his　way　over　the　mountains　into　North　Carolina；　and　at　the　time　appointed　to　float　down　the　Savannah　River　and　burn　that　bridge。　　In　a　few　days　he　had　made　his　preparations　and　took　his　departure。　　The　bridge　was　not　burnt；　and　I　supposed　that　Pike　had　been　caught　and　hanged。

When　we　reached　Columbia；　South　Carolina；　in　February；　1865；　just　as　we　were　leaving　the　town；　in　passing　near　the　asylum；　I　heard　my　name　called；　and　saw　a　very　dirty　fellow　followed　by　a　file　of　men　running　toward　me；　and　as　they　got　near　I　recognized　Pike。　　He　called　to　me　to　identify　him　as　one　of　my　men；　he　was　then　a　prisoner　under　guard；　and　I　instructed　the　guard　to　bring　him　that　night　to　my　camp　some　fifteen　miles　up　the　road；　which　was　done。　Pike　gave　me　a　graphic　narrative　of　his　adventures；　which　would　have　filled　a　volume；　told　me　how　he　had　made　two　attempts　to　burn　the　bridge；　and　failed；　and　said　that　at　the　time　of　our　entering　Columbia　he　was　a　prisoner　in　the　hands　of　the　rebels；　under　trial　for　his　life；　but　in　the　confusion　of　their　retreat　he　made　his　escape　and　got　into　our　lines；　where　he　was　again　made　a　prisoner　by　our　troops　because　of　his　looks。　　Pike　got　some　clothes；　cleaned　up；　and　I　used　him　afterward　to　communicate　with　Wilmington；　North　Carolina。　　Some　time　after　the　war；　he　was　appointed　a　lieutenant　of　the