memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　was　watched　from　the　deck　until　she　was　out　of　sight；　and　has　never　been　heard　of　since。　　There　was；　of　coarse；　much　speculation　as　to　their　fate；　some　contending　that　the　boat　must　have　been　capsized　in　San　Pablo　Bay；　and　that　all　were　lost；　others　contending　that　the　crew　had　murdered　the　officers　for　the　money；　and　then　escaped；　but；　so　far　as　I　know；　not　a　man　of　that　crew　has　ever　been　seen　or　heard　of　since。　　When　at　last　the　boat　was　ready　for　us；　we　started；　leaving　all　hands；　save　the　commodore；　impressed　with　the　belief　that　we　were　going　on　some　errand　connected　with　the　loss　of　the　missing　boat　and　crew　of　the　St。　Mary。　　We　sailed　directly　north；　up　the　bay　and　across　San　Pablo；　reached　the　month　of　Sonoma　Creek　about　dark；　and　during　the　night　worked　up　the　creek　some　twelve　miles　by　means　of　the　tide；　to　a　landing　called　the　Embarcadero。　　To　maintain　the　secrecy　which　the　commodore　had　enjoined　on　us；　McLane　and　I　agreed　to　keep　up　the　delusion　by　pretending　to　be　on　a　marketing　expedition　to　pick　up　chickens；　pigs；　etc。；　for　the　mess　of　the　Columbus；　soon　to　depart　for　home。

Leaving　the　midshipman　and　four　sailors　to　guard　the　boat；　we　started　on　foot　with　the　other　four　for　Sonoma　Town；　which　we　soon　reached。　　It　was　a　simple　open　square；　around　which　were　some　adobe…houses；　that　of　General　Vallejo　occupying　one　side。　　On　another　was　an　unfinished　two…story　adobe　building；　occupied　as　a　barrack　by　Bracken's　company。　　We　soon　found　Captain　Brackett；　and　I　told　him　that　I　intended　to　take　Nash　a　prisoner　and　convey　him　back　to　Monterey　to　answer　for　his　mutinous　behavior。　　I　got　an　old　sergeant　of　his　company；　whom　I　had　known　in　the　Third　Artillery；　quietly　to　ascertain　the　whereabouts　of　Nash；　who　was　a　bachelor；　stopping　with　the　family　of　a　lawyer　named　Green。　　The　sergeant　soon　returned；　saying　that　Nash　had　gone　over　to　Napa；　but　would　be　back　that　evening；　so　McLane　and　I　went　up　to　a　farm　of　some　pretensions；　occupied　by　one　Andreas　Hoepner；　with　a　pretty　Sitka　wife；　who　lived　a　couple　of　miles　above　Sonoma；　and　we　bought　of　him　some　chickens；　pigs；　etc。　　We　then　visited　Governor　Boggs's　family　and　that　of　General　Vallejo；　who　was　then；　as　now；　one　of　the　most　prominent　and　influential　natives　of　California。　　About　dark　I　learned　that　Nash　had　come　back；　and　then；　giving　Brackett　orders　to　have　a　cart　ready　at　the　corner　of　the　plaza；　McLane　and　I　went　to　the　house　of　Green。　　Posting　an　armed　sailor　on　each　side　of　the　house；　we　knocked　at　the　door　and　walked　in。　　We　found　Green；　Nash；　and　two　women；　at　supper。　　I　inquired　if　Nash　were　in；　and　was　first　answered　〃No；〃　but　one　of　the　women　soon　pointed　to　him；　and　he　rose。　　We　were　armed　with　pistols；　and　the　family　was　evidently　alarmed。　　I　walked　up　to　him　and　took　his　arm；　and　told　him　to　come　along　with　me。　　He　asked　me；　〃Where？〃　and　I　said；　〃Monterey。〃　　　〃Why？〃　I　would　explain　that　more　at　leisure。　　Green　put　himself　between　me　and　the　door；　and　demanded；　in　theatrical　style；　why　I　dared　arrest　a　peaceable　citizen　in　his　house。　　I　simply　pointed　to　my　pistol；　and　told　him　to　get　out　of　the　way；　which　he　did。　　Nash　asked　to　get　some　clothing；　but　I　told　him　he　should　want　for　nothing。　　We　passed　out；　Green　following　us　with　loud　words；　which　brought　the　four　sailors　to　the　front…door；　when　I　told　him　to　hush　up　or　I　would　take　him　prisoner　also。　　About　that　time　one　of　the　sailors；　handling　his　pistol　carelessly；　discharged　it；　and　Green　disappeared　very　suddenly。　　We　took　Nash　to　the　cart；　put　him　in；　and　proceeded　back　to　our　boat。　　The　next　morning　we　were　gone。

Nash　being　out　of　the　way；　Boggs　entered　on　his　office；　and　the　right　to　appoint　or　remove　from　civil　office　was　never　again　questioned　in　California　during　the　military　regime。　　Nash　was　an　old　man；　and　was　very　much　alarmed　for　his　personal　safety。　　He　had　come　across　the　Plains；　and　had　never　yet　seen　the　sea。　　While　on　our　way　down　the　bay；　I　explained　fully　to　him　the　state　of　things　in　California；　and　he　admitted　he　had　never　looked　on　it　in　that　light　before；　and　professed　a　willingness　to　surrender　his　office；　but；　having　gone　so　far；　I　thought　it　best　to　take　him　to　Monterey。　On　our　way　down　the　bay　the　wind　was　so　strong；　as　we　approached　the　Columbus；　that　we　had　to　take　refuge　behind　Yerba　Buena　Island；　then　called　Goat　Island；　where　we　landed；　and　I　killed　a　gray　seal。　The　next　morning；　the　wind　being　comparatively　light；　we　got　out　and　worked　our　way　up　to　the　Columbus；　where　I　left　my　prisoner　on　board；　and　went　on　shore　to　find　Commodore　Biddle；　who　had　gone　to　dine　with　Frank　Ward。　　I　found　him　there；　and　committed　Nash　to　his　charge；　with　the　request　that　he　would　send　him　down　to　Monterey；　which　he　did　in　the　sloop…of…war　Dale；　Captain　Selfridge　commanding。　　I　then　returned　to　Monterey　by　land；　and；　when　the　Dale　arrived；　Colonel　Mason　and　I　went　on　board；　found　poor　old　Mr。　Nash　half　dead　with　sea…sickness　and　fear；　lest　Colonel　Mason　would　treat　him　with　extreme　military　rigor。　　But；　on　the　contrary；　the　colonel　spoke　to　him　kindly；　released　him　as　a　prisoner　on　his　promise　to　go　back　to　Sonoma。　　surrender　his　office　to　Boggs；　and　account　to　him　for　his　acts　while　in　office。　　He　afterward　came　on　shore；　was　provided　with　clothing　and　a　horse；　returned　to　Sonoma；　and　I　never　have　seen　him　since。

Matters　and　things　settled　down　in　Upper　California；　and　all　moved　along　with　peace　and　harmony。　　The　war　still　continued　in　Mexico；　and　the　navy　authorities　resolved　to　employ　their　time　with　the　capture　of　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas。　　Lower　California　had　already　been　occupied　by　two　companies　of　Stevenson's　regiment；　under　Lieutenant…Colonel　Burton；　who　had　taken　post　at　La　Paz；　and　a　small　party　of　sailors　was　on　shore　at　San　Josef；　near　Cape　San　Lucas；　detached　from　the　Lexington；　Lieutenant…Commander　Bailey。　The　orders　for　this　occupation　were　made　by　General　Kearney　before　he　left；　in　pursuance　of　instructions　from　the　War　Department；　merely　to　subserve　a　political　end；　for　there　were　few　or　no　people　in　Lower　California；　which　is　a　miserable；　wretched；　dried…up　peninsula。　　I　remember　the　proclamation　made　by　Burton　and　Captain　Bailey；　in　taking　possession；　which　was　in　the　usual　florid　style。　Bailey　signed　his　name　as　the　senior　naval　officer　at　the　station；　but；　as　it　was　necessary　to　put　it　into　Spanish　to　reach　the　inhabitants　of　the　newly…acquired　country；　it　was　interpreted；　〃El　mas　antiguo　de　todos　los　oficiales　de　la　marina；〃　etc。；　which；　literally；　is　〃the　　most　ancient　of　all　the　naval　officers；〃　etc。；　a　translation　at　which　we　made　some　fun。

The　expedition　to　Mazatlan　was；　however；　for　a　different　purpose；　viz。；　to　get　possession　of　the　ports　of　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas；　as　a　part　of　the　war　against　Mexico；　and　not　for　permanent　conquest。

Commodore　Shubrick　commanded　this　expedition；　and　took　Halleck　along　as　his　engineer…officer。　　They　captured　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas；　and　then　called　on　Colonel　Mason　to　send　soldiers　down　to　hold　possession；　but　he　had　none　to　spare；　and　it　was　found　impossible　to　raise　other　volunteers　either　in　California　or　Oregon；　and　the　navy　held　these　places　by　detachments　of　sailors　and　marines　till　the　end　of　the　war。　　Burton　also　called　for　reenforcements；　and　Naglee'a　company　was　sent　to　him　from　Monterey；　and　these　three　companies　occupied　Lower　California　at　the　end　of　the　Mexican　War。　Major　Hardie　still　commanded　at　San　Francisco　and　above；　Company　F；　Third　Artillery；　and　Shannon's　company　of　volunteers；　were　at　Monterey；　Lippett's　company　at　Santa　Barbara；　Colonel　Stevenson；　with　one　company　of　his　regiment；　and　the　company　of　the　First　Dragoons；　was　at　Los　Angeles；　and　a　company　of　Mormons；　reenlisted　out　of　the　Mormon　Battalion；　garrisoned　San　Diegoand　thus　matters　went　along　throughout　1847　into　1848。　　I　had　occasion　to　make　several　trips　to　Yerba　Buena　and　back；　and　in　the　spring　of　1848　Colonel　Mason　and　I　went　down　to　Santa　Barbara　in　the　sloop…of…war　Dale。

I　spent　much　time　in　hunting　deer　and　bear　in　the　mountains　back　of　the　Carmel　Mission；　and　ducks　and　geese　in　the　plains　of　the　Salinas。　　As　soon　as　the　fall　rains　set　in；　the　young　oats　would　sprout　up；　and　myriads　of　ducks；　brant；　and　geese；　made　their　appearance。　　In　a