memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第40章

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lance　Committee；　and　arrest　some　of　the　leaders。

We　played　cards　that　night；　carrying　on　a　conversation；　in　which　Wool　insisted　on　a　proclamation　commanding　the　Vigilance　Committee　to　disperse；　etc。；　and　he　told　us　how　he　had　on　some　occasion；　as　far　back　as　1814；　suppressed　a　mutiny　on　the　Northern　frontier。　　I　did　not　understand　him　to　make　any　distinct　promise　of　assistance　that　night；　but　he　invited　us　to　accompany　him　on　an　inspection　of　the　arsenal　the　next　day；　which　we　did。　　On　handling　some　rifled　muskets　in　the　arsenal　storehouse　he　asked　me　how　they　would　answer　our　purpose。　　I　said　they　were　the　very　things；　and　that　we　did　not　want　cartridge　boxes　or　belts；　but　that　I　would　have　the　cartridges　carried　in　the　breeches…pockets；　and　the　caps　in　the　vestpockets。　I　knew　that　there　were　stored　in　that　arsenal　four　thousand　muskets；　for　I　recognized　the　boxes　which　we　had　carried　out　in　the　Lexington　around　Cape　Horn　in　1846。　　Afterward　we　all　met　at　the　quarters　of　Captain　D。　R。　Jones　of　the　army；　and　I　saw　the　Secretary　of　State；　D。　F。　Douglass；　Esq。；　walk　out　with　General　Wool　in　earnest　conversation；　and　this　Secretary　of　State　afterward　asserted　that　Wool　there　and　then　promised　us　the　arms　and　ammunition；　provided　the　Governor　would　make　his　proclamation　for　the　committee　to　disperse；　and　that　I　should　afterward　call　out　the　militia；　etc。　　On　the　way　back　to　the　hotel　at　Benicia；　General　Wool；　Captain　Callendar　of　the　arsenal；　and　I；　were　walking　side　by　side；　and　I　was　telling　him　（General　Wool）　that　I　would　also　need　some　ammunition　for　the　thirty…two…pound　guns　then　in　position　at　Rineon　Point；　when　Wool　turned　to　Callendar　and　inquired；　〃Did　I　not　order　those　guns　to　be　brought　away？〃　　Callendar　said　〃Yes；　general。　　I　made　a　requisition　on　the　quartermaster　for　transportation；　but　his　schooner　has　been　so　busy　that　the　guns　are　still　there。　　Then　said　Wool：　〃Let　them　remain；　we　may　have　use　for　them。〃　　I　therefrom　inferred；　of　course；　that　it　was　all　agreed　to　so　far　as　he　was　concerned。

Soon　after　we　had　reached　the　hotel；　we　ordered　a　buggy；　and　Governor　Johnson　and　I　drove　to　Vallejo；　six　miles；　crossed　over　to　Mare　Island；　and　walked　up　to　the　commandant's　house；　where　we　found　Commodore　Farragut　and　his　family。　　We　stated　our　business　fairly；　but　the　commodore　answered　very　frankly　that　he　had　no　authority；　without　orders　from　his　department；　to　take　any　part　in　civil　broils；　he　doubted　the　wisdom　of　the　attempt；　said　he　had　no　ship　available　except　the　John　Adams；　Captain　Boutwell；　and　that　she　needed　repairs。　　But　he　assented　at　last；　to　the　proposition　to　let　the　sloop　John　Adams　drop　down　abreast　of　the　city　after　certain　repairs；　to　lie　off　there　for　moral　effect；　which　afterward　actually　occurred。

We　then　returned　to　Benicia；　and　Wool's　first　question　was；　〃What　luck？〃　　We　answered；　〃Not　much；〃　and　explained　what　Commodore　Farragut　could　and　would　do；　and　that；　instead　of　having　a　naval　vessel；　we　would　seize　and　use　one　of　the　Pacific　Mail　Company's　steamers；　lying　at　their　dock　in　Benicia；　to　carry　down　to　San　Francisco　the　arms　and　munitions　when　the　time　came。

As　the　time　was　then　near　at　hand　for　the　arrival　of　the　evening　boats；　we　all　walked　down　to　the　wharf　together；　where　I　told　Johnson　that　he　could　not　be　too　careful；　that　I　had　not　heard　General　Wool　make　a　positive　promise　of　assistance。

Upon　this；　Johnson　called　General　Wool　to　one　side；　and　we　three　drew　together。　　Johnson　said：　〃General　Wool；　General　Sherman　is　very　particular；　and　wants　to　know　exactly　what　you　propose　to　do。〃　Wool　answered：　〃I　understand；　Governor；　that　in　the　first　place　a　writ　of　Habeas　corpus　will　be　issued　commanding　the　jailers　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　to　produce　the　body　of　some　one　of　the　prisoners　held　by　them　（which；　of　course；　will　be　refused）；　that　you　then　issue　your　proclamation　commanding　them　to　disperse；　and；　failing　this；　you　will　call　out　the　militia；　and　command　General　Sherman　with　it　to　suppress　the　Vigilance　Committee　as　an　unlawful　body；〃　to　which　the　Governor　responded；　〃Yes。〃　　〃Then；〃　said　Wool；　〃on　General　Sherman's　making　his　requisition；　approved　by　you；　I　will　order　the　issue　of　the　necessary　arms　and　ammunition。〃　　I　remember　well　that　I　said；　emphatically：　〃That　is　all　I　want。　Now；　Governor；　you　may　go　ahead。〃　　We　soon　parted；　Johnson　and　Douglas　taking　the　boat　to　Sacramento；　and　I　to　San　Francisco。

The　Chief…Justice；　Terry；　came　to　San　Francisco　the　next　day；　issued　a　writ　of　habeas　corpus　for　the　body　of　one　Maloney；　which　writ　was　resisted；　as　we　expected。　　The　Governor　then　issued　his　proclamation；　and　I　published　my　orders；　dated　June　4；　1855。　　The　Quartermaster…General　of　the　State；　General　Kibbe；　also　came　to　San　Francisco；　took　an　office　in　the　City　Hall；　engaged　several　rooms　for　armories；　and　soon　the　men　began　to　enroll　into　companies。　　In　my　general　orders　calling　out　the　militia；　I　used　the　expression；　〃When　a　sufficient　number　of　men　are　enrolled；　arms　and　ammunition　will　be　supplied。〃　　Some　of　the　best　men　of　the　〃Vigilantes〃　came　to　me　and　remonstrated；　saying　that　collision　would　surely　result；　that　it　would　be　terrible；　etc。　　All　I　could　say　in　reply　was；　that　it　was　for　them　to　get　out。　　of　the　way。〃　　Remove　your　fort；　cease　your　midnight　councils；　and　prevent　your　armed　bodies　from　patrolling　the　streets。〃　　They　inquired　where　I　was　to　get　arms；　and　I　answered　that　I　had　them　certain。　　But　personally　I　went　right　along　with　my　business　at　the　bank；　conscious　that　at　any　moment　we　might　have　trouble。　　Another　committee　of　citizens；　a　conciliatory　body；　was　formed　to　prevent　collision　if　possible；　and　the　newspapers　boiled　over　with　vehement　vituperation。　　This　second　committee　was　composed　of　such　men　as　Crockett；　Ritchie；　Thornton；　Bailey　Peyton；　Foote；　Donohue；　Kelly；　and　others；　a　class　of　the　most　intelligent　and　wealthy　men　of　the　city；　who　earnestly　and　honestly　desired　to　prevent　bloodshed。　　They　also　came　to　me；　and　I　told　them　that　our　men　were　enrolling　very　fast；　and　that；　when　I　deemed　the　right　moment　had　come；　the　Vigilance　Committee　mast　disperse；　else　bloodshed　and　destruction　of　property　would　inevitably　follow。　　They　also　had　discovered　that　the　better　men　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　itself　were　getting　tired　of　the　business；　and　thought　that　in　the　execution　of　Casey　and　Cora；　and　the　banishment　of　a　dozen　or　more　rowdies；　they　had　done　enough；　and　were　then　willing　to　stop。　　It　was　suggested　that；　if　our　Law…and…Order　party　would　not　arm；　by　a　certain　day　near　at　hand　the　committee　would　disperse；　and　some　of　their　leaders　would　submit　to　an　indictment　and　trial　by　a　jury　of　citizens；　which　they　knew　would　acquit　them　of　crime。　　One　day　in　the　bank　a　man　called　me　to　the　counter　and　said；　〃If　you　expect　to　get　arms　of　General　Wool；　you　will　be　mistaken；　for　I　was　at　Benicia　yesterday；　and　heard　him　say　he　would　not　give　them。〃　　This　person　was　known　to　me　to　be　a　man　of　truth；　and　I　immediately　wrote　to　General　Wool　a　letter　telling　him　what　I　had　heard；　and　how　any　hesitation　on　his　part　would　compromise　me　as　a　man　of　truth　and　honor；　adding　that　I　did　not　believe　we　should　ever　need　the　arms；　but　only　the　promise　of　them；　for　〃the　committee　was　letting　down；　and　would　soon　disperse　and　submit　to　the　law；〃　etc。　　I　further　asked　him　to　answer　me　categorically　that　very　night；　by　the　Stockton　boat；　which　would　pass　Benicia　on　its　way　down　about　midnight；　and　I　would　sit　up　and　wait　for　his　answer。　　I　did　wait　for　his　letter；　but　it　did　not　come；　and　the　next　day　I　got　a　telegraphic　dispatch　from　Governor　Johnson；　who；　at　Sacramento；　had　also　heard　of　General　Wool's　〃back…down；〃　asking　me　to　meet　him　again　at　Benicia　that　night。

I　went　up　in　the　evening　boat；　and　found　General　Wool's　aide…de…　camp；　Captain　Arnold；　of　the　army；　on　the　wharf；　with　a　letter　in　his　hand；　which　he　said　was　for　me。　　I　asked　for　it；　but　he　said　he　knew　its　importance；　and　preferred　we　should　go　to　General　Wool's　room　together；　and　the　general　could　hand　it　to　me　in　person。　　We　did　go　right　up　to　General　Wool's；　who　took　the　sealed　parcel　and　laid　it　aside；　saying　that　it　was　literally　a　copy　of　one　he　had　sent　to　Governor　Johnson；　who　would　doubtless　give　m