memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第47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！


　I　certainly　hoped　that　the　threatened　storm　would　blow　over；　as　had　so　often　occurred　before；　after　similar　threats。　　At　our　seminary　the　order　of　exercises　went　along　with　the　regularity　of　the　seasons。　　Once　a　week；　I　had　the　older　cadets　to　practise　reading；　reciting；　and　elocution；　and　noticed　that　their　selections　were　from　Calhoun；　Yancey；　and　other　Southern　speakers；　all　treating　of　the　defense　of　their　slaves　and　their　home　institutions　as　the　very　highest　duty　of　the　patriot。　　Among　boys　this　was　to　be　expected；　and　among　the　members　of　our　board；　though　most　of　them　declaimed　against　politicians　generally；　and　especially　abolitionists；　as　pests；　yet　there　was　a　growing　feeling　that　danger　was　in　the　wind。　I　recall　the　visit　of　a　young　gentleman　who　had　been　sent　from　Jackson；　by　the　Governor　of　Mississippi；　to　confer　with　Governor　Moore；　then　on　his　plantation　at　Bayou　Robert；　and　who　had　come　over　to　see　our　college。　　He　spoke　to　me　openly　of　secession　as　a　fixed　fact；　and　that　its　details　were　only　left　open　for　discussion。　　I　also　recall　the　visit　of　some　man　who　was　said　to　be　a　high　officer　in　the　order　of　〃Knights　of　the　Golden　Circle；〃　of　the　existence　of　which　order　I　was　even　ignorant；　until　explained　to　me　by　Major　Smith　and　Dr。　Clark。　　But　in　November；　1860；　no　man　ever　approached　me　offensively；　to　ascertain　my　views；　or　my　proposed　course　of　action　in　case　of　secession；　and　no　man　in　or　out　of　authority　ever　tried　to　induce　me　to　take　part　in　steps　designed　to　lead　toward　disunion。　　I　think　my　general　opinions　were　well　known　and　understood；　viz。；　that　〃secession　was　treason；　was　war；〃　and　that　in　no　event　would　the　North　and　West　permit　the　Mississippi　River　to　pass　out　of　their　control。　　But　some　men　at　the　South　actually　supposed　at　the　time　that　the　Northwestern　States；　in　case　of　a　disruption　of　the　General　Government；　would　be　drawn　in　self…interest　to　an　alliance　with　the　South。　　What　I　now　write　I　do　not　offer　as　any　thing　like　a　history　of　the　important　events　of　that　time；　but　rather　as　my　memory　of　them；　the　effect　they　had　on　me　personally；　and　to　what　extent　they　influenced　my　personal　conduct。

South　Carolina　seceded　December　20；　1860；　and　Mississippi　soon　after。　　Emissaries　came　to　Louisiana　to　influence　the　Governor；　Legislature；　and　people；　and　it　was　the　common　assertion　that；　if　all　the　Cotton　States　would　follow　the　lead　of　South　Carolina；　it　would　diminish　the　chances　of　civil　war；　because　a　bold　and　determined　front　would　deter　the　General　Government　from　any　measures　of　coercion。　　About　this　time　also；　viz。；　early　in　December；　we　received　Mr。　Buchanan's　annual　message　to　Congress；　in　which　he　publicly　announced　that　the　General　Government　had　no　constitutional　power　to　〃coerce　a　State。〃　　I　confess　this　staggered　me；　and　I　feared　that　the　prophecies　and　assertions　of　Alison　and　other　European　commentators　on　our　form　of　government　were　right；　and　that　our　Constitution　was　a　mere　rope　of　sand；　that　would　break　with　the　first　pressure。

The　Legislature　of　Louisiana　met　on　the　10th　of　December；　and　passed　an　act　calling　a　convention　of　delegates　from　the　people；　to　meet　at　Baton　Rouge；　on　the　8th　of　January；　to　take　into　consideration　the　state　of　the　Union；　and；　although　it　was　universally　admitted　that　a　large　majority　of　the　voters　of　the　State　were　opposed　to　secession；　disunion；　and　all　the　steps　of　the　South　Carolinians；　yet　we　saw　that　they　were　powerless；　and　that　the　politicians　would　sweep　them　along　rapidly　to　the　end；　prearranged　by　their　leaders　in　Washington。　　Before　the　ordinance　of　secession　was　passed；　or　the　convention　had　assembled；　on　the　faith　of　a　telegraphic　dispatch　sent　by　the　two　Senators；　Benjamin　and　Slidell；　from　their　seats　in　the　United　States　Senate　at　Washington；　Governor　Moore　ordered　the　seizure　of　all　the　United　States　forts　at　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　and　Lake　Pontchartrain；　and　of　the　United　States　arsenal　at　Baton　Rouge。　The　forts　had　no　garrisons；　but　the　arsenal　was　held　by　a　small　company　of　artillery；　commanded　by　Major　Haskins；　a　most　worthy　and　excellent　officer；　who　had　lost　an　arm　in　Mexico。　　I　remember　well　that　I　was　strongly　and　bitterly　impressed　by　the　seizure　of　the　arsenal；　which　occurred　on　January　10；　1861。

When　I　went　first　to　Baton　Rouge；　in　1859；　en　route　to　Alexandria；　I　found　Captain　Rickett's　company　of　artillery　stationed　in　the　arsenal；　but　soon　after　there　was　somewhat　of　a　clamor　on　the　Texas　frontier　about　Brownsville；　which　induced　the　War　Department　to　order　Rickett's　company　to　that　frontier。　　I　remember　that　Governor　Moore　remonstrated　with　the　Secretary　of　War　because　so　much　dangerous　property；　composed　of　muskets；　powder；　etc。；　had　been　left　by　the　United　States　unguarded；　in　a　parish　where　the　slave　population　was　as　five　or　six　to　one　of　whites；　and　it　was　on　his　official　demand　that　the　United　States　Government　ordered　Haskinss　company　to　replace　Rickett's。　　This　company　did　not　number　forty　men。　　In　the　night　of　January　9th；　about　five　hundred　New　Orleans　militia；　under　command　of　a　Colonel　Wheat；　went　up　from　New　Orleans　by　boat；　landed；　surrounded　the　arsenal；　and　demanded　its　surrender。　　Haskins　was　of　course　unprepared　for　such　a　step；　yet　he　at　first　resolved　to　defend　the　post　as　he　best　could　with　his　small　force。　　But　Bragg；　who　was　an　old　army　acquaintance　of　his；　had　a　parley　with　him；　exhibited　to　him　the　vastly　superior　force　of　his　assailants；　embracing　two　field…batteries；　and　offered　to　procure　for　him　honorable　terms；　to　march　out　with　drums　and　colors；　and　to　take　unmolested　passage　in　a　boat　up　to　St。　Louis；　alleging；　further；　that　the　old　Union　was　at　an　end；　and　that　a　just　settlement　would　be　made　between　the　two　new　fragments　for　all　the　property　stored　in　the　arsenal。　　Of　course　it　was　Haskins's　duty　to　have　defended　his　post　to　the　death；　but　up　to　that　time　the　national　authorities　in　Washington　had　shown　such　pusillanimity；　that　the　officers　of　the　army　knew　not　what　to　do。　The　result；　anyhow；　was　that　Haskins　surrendered　his　post；　and　at　once　embarked　for　St。　Louis。　　The　arms　and　munitions　stored　in　the　arsenal　were　scatteredsome　to　Mississippi；　some　to　New　Orleans；　some　to　Shreveport；　and　to　me；　at　the　Central　Arsenal；　were　consigned　two　thousand　muskets；　three　hundred　Jager　rifles；　and　a　large　amount　of　cartridges　and　ammunition。　　The　invoices　were　signed　by　the　former　ordnance…sergeant；　Olodowski；　as　a　captain　of　ordnance；　and　I　think　he　continued　such　on　General　Bragg's　staff　through　the　whole　of　the　subsequent　civil　war。　　These　arms；　etc。；　came　up　to　me　at　Alexandria；　with　orders　from　Governor　Moore　to　receipt　for　and　account　for　them。　　Thus　I　was　made　the　receiver　of　stolen　goods；　and　these　goods　the　property　of　the　United　States。　This　grated　hard　on　my　feelings　as　an　ex…army…officer；　and　on　counting　the　arms　I　noticed　that　thqy　were　packed　in　the　old　familiar　boxes；　with　the　〃U。　S。〃　　simply　scratched　off。　　General　G。　Mason　Graham　had　resigned　as　the　chairman　of　the　Executive　Committee；　and　Dr。　S。　A。　Smith；　of　Alexandria；　then　a　member　of　the　State　Senate；　had　succeeded　him　as　chairman；　and　acted　as　head　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors。　　At　the　time　I　was　in　most　intimate　correspondence　with　all　of　these　parties；　and　our　letters　must　have　been　full　of　politics；　but　I　have　only　retained　copies　of　a　few　of　the　letters；　which　I　will　embody　in　this　connection；　as　they　will　show；　better　than　by　any　thing　I　can　now　recall；　the　feelings　of　parties　at　that　critical　period。　　The　seizure　of　the　arsenal　at　Baton　Rouge　occurred　January　10；　1861；　and　the　secession　ordinance　was　not　passed　until　about　the　25th　or　26th　of　the　same　month。　　At　all　events；　after　the　seizure　of　the　arsenal；　and　before　the　passage　of　the　ordinance　of　secession；　viz。；　on　the　18th　of　January；　I　wrote　as　follows：


Louisiana　State　Seminary　of　Learning　and　Military　Academy　January　18；　1861

Governor　THOMAS　O。　MOORE；　Baton；　Rouge；　Louisiana。

Sir　：　As　I　occupy　a　quasi…military　position　under　the　laws　of　the　State；　I　deem　it　proper　to　acquaint　you　that　I　accepted　such　position　when　Louisiana　was　a　State　in　the　Union；　and　when　the　motto　of　this　seminary　was　inserted　in　marble　over　the　main　door：　〃By　the　liberalit