memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第115章

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troops　along　the　railroad　from　Stevenson　to　Decatur；　Alabama；　and　from　Decatur　up　toward　Nashville。

General　G。　M。　Dodge；　who　was　in　command　of　the　detachment　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps；　numbering　about　eight　thousand　men；　had　not　participated　with　us　in　the　battle　of　Chattanooga；　but　had　remained　at　and　near　Pulaski；　Tennessee；　engaged　in　repairing　that　railroad；　as　auxiliary　to　the　main　line　which　led　from　Nashville　to　Stevenson；　and　Chattanooga。　　General　John　A。　Logan　had　succeeded　to　the　command　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　by　regular　appointment　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　had　relieved　General　Frank　P。　Blair；　who　had　been　temporarily　in　command　of　that　corps　during　the　Chattanooga　and　Knoxville　movement。

At　that　time　I　was　in　command　of　the　Department　of　the　Tennessee；　which　embraced　substantially　the　territory　on　the　east　bank　of　the　Mississippi　River；　from　Natchez　up　to　the　Ohio　River；　and　thence　along　the　Tennessee　River　as　high　as　Decatur　and　Bellefonte；　Alabama。　　General　McPherson　was　at　Vicksburg　and　General　Hurlbut　at　Memphis；　and　from　them　I　had　the　regular　reports　of　affairs　in　that　quarter　of　my　command。　　The　rebels　still　maintained　a　considerable　force　of　infantry　and　cavalry　in　the　State　of　Mississippi；　threatening　the　river；　whose　navigation　had　become　to　us　so　delicate　and　important　a　matter。　　Satisfied　that　I　could　check　this　by　one　or　two　quick　moves　inland；　and　thereby　set　free　a　considerable　body　of　men　held　as　local　garrisons；　I　went　up　to　Nashville　and　represented　the　case　to　General　Grant；　who　consented　that　I　might　go　down　the　Mississippi　River；　where　the　bulk　of　my　command　lay；　and　strike　a　blow　on　the　east　of　the　river；　while　General　Banks　from　New　Orleans　should　in　like　manner　strike　another　to　the　west；　thus　preventing　any　further　molestation　of　the　boats　navigating　the　main　river；　and　thereby　widening　the　gap　in　the　Southern　Confederacy。

After　having　given　all　the　necessary　orders　for　the　distribution；　during　the　winter　months；　of　that　part　of　my　command　which　was　in　Southern　and　Middle　Tennessee；　I　went　to　Cincinnati　and　Lancaster；　Ohio；　to　spend　Christmas　with　my　family；　and　on　my　return　I　took　Minnie　with　me　down　to　a　convent　at　Reading；　near　Cincinnati；　where　I　left　her；　and　took　the　cars　for　Cairo；　Illinois；　which　I　reached　January　3d；　a　very　cold　and　bitter　day。　　The　ice　was　forming　fast；　and　there　was　great　danger　that　the　Mississippi　River；　would　become　closed　to　navigation。　　Admiral　Porter；　who　was　at　Cairo；　gave　me　a　small　gunboat　（the　Juliet）；　with　which　I　went　up　to　Paducah；　to　inspect　that　place；　garrisoned　by　a　small　force；　commanded　by　Colonel　S。　G。　Hicks；　Fortieth　Illinois；　who　had　been　with　me　and　was　severely　wounded　at　Shiloh。　　Returning。　　to　Cairo；　we　started　down　the　Mississippi　River；　which　was　full　of　floating　ice。　　With　the　utmost　difficulty　we　made　our　way　through　it；　for　hours　floating　in　the　midst　of　immense　cakes；　that　chafed　and　ground　our　boat　so　that　at　times　we　were　in　danger　of　sinking。　　But　about　the　l0th　of　January　we　reached　Memphis；　where　I　found　General　Hurlbut；　and　explained　to　him　my　purpose　to　collect　from　his　garrisons　and　those　of　McPherson　about　twenty　thousand　men；　with　which　in　February　to　march　out　from　Vicksburg　as　far　as　Meridian；　break　up　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad；　and　also　the　one　leading　from　Vicksburg　to　Selma；　Alabama。　　I　instructed　him　to　select　two　good　divisions；　and　to　be　ready　with　them　to　go　along。　　At　Memphis　I　found　Brigadier…General　W。　Sooy　Smith；　with　a　force　of　about　twentyfive　hundred　cavalry；　which　he　had　by　General　Grant's　orders　brought　across　from　Middle　Tennessee；　to　assist　in　our　general　purpose；　as　well　as　to　punish　the　rebel　General　Forrest；　who　had　been　most　active　in　harassing　our　garrisons　in　West　Tennessee　and　Mississippi。　　After　staying　a　couple　of　days　at　Memphis；　we　continued　on　in　the　gunboat　Silver　Cloud　to　Vicksburg；　where　I　found　General　McPherson；　and；　giving　him　similar　orders；　instructed　him　to　send　out　spies　to　ascertain　and　bring　back　timely　information　of　the　strength　and　location　of　the　enemy。　　The　winter　continued　so　severe　that　the　river　at　Vicksburg　was　full　of　floating　ice；　but　in　the　Silver　Cloud　we　breasted　it　manfully；　and　got　back　to　Memphis　by　the　20th。　　A　chief　part　of　the　enterprise　was　to　destroy　the　rebel　cavalry　commanded　by　General　Forrest；　who　were　a　constant　threat　to　our　railway　communications　in　Middle　Tennessee；　and　I　committed　this　task　to　Brigadier…General　W。　Sooy　Smith。　　General　Hurlbut　had　in　his　command　about　seven　thousand　five　hundred　cavalry；　scattered　from　Columbus；　Kentucky；　to　Corinth；　Mississippi；　and　we　proposed　to　make　up　an　aggregate　cavalry　force　of　about　seven　thousand　〃effective；〃　out　of　these　and　the　twenty…five　hundred　which　General　Smith　had　brought　with　him　from　Middle　Tennessee。　　With　this　force　General　Smith　was　ordered　to　move　from　Memphis　straight　for　Meridian；　Mississippi；　and　to　start　by　February　1st。　　I　explained　to　him　personally　the　nature　of　Forrest　as　a　man；　and　of　his　peculiar　force；　told　him　that　in　his　route　he　was　sure　to　encounter　Forrest；　who　always　attacked　with　a　vehemence　for　which　he　must　be　prepared；　and　that；　after　he　had　repelled　the　first　attack；　he　must　in　turn　assume　　the　most　determined　offensive；　overwhelm　him　and　utterly　destroy　his　whole　force。　　I　knew　that　Forrest　could　not　have　more　than　four　thousand　cavalry；　and　my　own　movement　world　give　employment　to　every　other　man　of　the　rebel　army　not　immediately　present　with　him；　so　that　he　（General　Smith）　might　safely　act　on　the　hypothesis　I　have　stated。

Having　completed　all　these　preparations　in　Memphis；　being　satisfied　that　the　cavalry　force　would　be　ready　to　start　by　the　1st　of　February；　and　having　seen　General　Hurlbut　with　his　two　divisions　embark　in　steamers　for　Vicksburg；　I　also　reembarked　for　the　same　destination　on　the　27th　of　January。

On　the　1st　of　February　we　rendezvoused　in　Vicksburg；　where　I　found　a　spy　who　had　been　sent　out　two　weeks　before；　had　been　to　Meridian；　and　brought　back　correct　information　of　the　state　of　facts　in　the　interior　of　Mississippi。　　Lieutenant…General　（Bishop）　Polk　was　in　chief　command；　with　headquarters　at　Meridian；　and　had　two　divisions　of　infantry；　one　of　which　（General　Loring's）　was　posted　at　Canton；　Mississippi；　the　other　（General　French's）　at　Brandon。　　He　had　also　two　divisions　of　cavalryArmstrong's；　composed　of　the　three　brigades　of　Ross；　Stark；　and　Wirt　Adams；　which　were　scattered　from　the　neighborhood　of　Yazoo　City　to　Jackson　and　below；　and　Forrest's；　which　was　united；　toward　Memphis；　with　headquarters　at　Como。　General　Polk　seemed　to　have　no　suspicion　of　our　intentions　to　disturb　his　serenity。

Accordingly；　on　the　morning　of　February　3d；　we　started　in　two　columns；　each　of　two　divisions；　preceded　by　a　light　force　of　cavalry；　commanded　by　Colonel　E。　F。　Winslow。　　General　McPheraon　commanded　the　right　column；　and　General　Hurlbut　the　left。　　The　former　crossed　the　Big　Black　at　the　railroad…bridge；　and　the　latter　seven　miles　above；　at　Messinger's。　　We　were　lightly　equipped　as　to　wagons；　and　marched　without　deployment　straight　for　Meridian；　distant　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　　We　struck　the　rebel　cavalry　beyond　the　Big　Black；　and　pushed　them　pell…mell　into　and　beyond　Jackson　during　the　6th。　　The　next　day　we　reached　Brandon；　and　on　the　9th　Morton；　where　we　perceived　signs　of　an　infantry　concentration；　but　the　enemy　did　not　give　us　battle；　and　retreated　before　us。　　The　rebel　cavalry　were　all　around　us；　so　we　kept　our　columns　compact　and　offered　few　or　no　chances　for　their　dashes。　　As　far　as　Morton　we　had　occupied　two　roads；　but　there　we　were　forced　into　one。　　Toward　evening　of　the　12th；　Hurlbut's　column　passed　through　Decatur；　with　orders　to　go　into　camp　four　miles　beyond　at　a　creek。　　McPherson's　head　of　column　was　some　four　miles　behind；　and　I　personally　detached　one　of　Hurlbut's　regiments　to　guard　the　cross…roads　at　Decatur　till　the　head　of　McPherson's　column　should　come　in　sight。　　Intending　to　spend　the　night　in　Decatur；　I　went　to　a　double　log…house；　and　arranged　with　the　lady　for　some　supper。　　We　unsaddled　our　horses；　tied　them　to　the　fence　inside　the　yard；　and；　being　tired；　I　lay　down　on　a　bed　and　fell　asleep。　　Presently　I　heard　shouts