memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第52章

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　have　rented　a　house；　and　incurred　other　obligations；　so　that　I　am　not　at　liberty　to　change。

I　thank　you　for　the　compliment　contained　in　your　offer；　and　assure　you　that　I　wish　the　Administration　all　success　in　its　almost　impossible　task　of　governing　this　distracted　and　anarchical　people。

Yours　truly；

W。T。　SHERMAN


I　was　afterward　told　that　this　letter　gave　offense；　and　that　some　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　cabinet　concluded　that　I　too　would　prove　false　to　the　country。

Later　in　that　month；　after　the　capture　of　Fort　Sumter　by　the　Confederate　authorities；　a　Dr。　Cornyn　came　to　our　house　on　Locust　Street；　one　night　after　I　had　gone　to　bed；　and　told　me　he　had　been　sent　by　Frank　Blair；　who　was　not　well；　and　wanted　to　see　me　that　night　at　his　house。　　I　dressed　and　walked　over　to　his　house　on　Washington　Avenue；　near　Fourteenth；　and　found　there；　in　the　front…room；　several　gentlemen；　among　whom　I　recall　Henry　T。　Blow。　Blair　was　in　the　back…room；　closeted　with　some　gentleman；　who　soon　left；　and　I　was　called　in。　　He　there　told　me　that　the　Government　was　mistrustful　of　General　Harvey；　that　a　change　in　the　command　of　the　department　was　to　be　made；　that　he　held　it　in　his　power　to　appoint　a　brigadier…general；　and　put　him　in　command　of　the　department；　and　he　offered　me　the　place。　　I　told　him　I　had　once　offered　my　services；　and　they　were　declined；　that　I　had　made　business　engagements　in　St。　Louis；　which　I　could　not　throw　off　at　pleasure；　that　I　had　long　deliberated　on　my　course　of　action；　and　must　decline　his　offer；　however　tempting　and　complimentary。　　He　reasoned　with　me；　but　I　persisted。　　He　told　me；　in　that　event；　he　should　appoint　Lyon；　and　he　did　so。

Finding　that　even　my　best　friends　were　uneasy　as　to　my　political　status；　on　the　8th　of　May　I　addressed　the　following　official　letter　to　the　Secretary　of　War：


Office　of　the　St。　Louis　Railroad　Company；　May　8；1881。

Hon。　S。　Cameron；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington；　D。　C。

Dear　Sir：　I　hold　myself　now；　as　always；　prepared　to　serve　my　country　in　the　capacity　for　which　I　was　trained。　　I　did　not　and　will　not　volunteer　for　three　months；　because　I　cannot　throw　my　family　on　the　cold　charity　of　the　world。　　But　for　the　three…years　call；　made　by　the　President；　an　officer　can　prepare　his　command　and　do　good　service。

I　will　not　volunteer　as　a　soldier；　because　rightfully　or　wrongfully　I　feel　unwilling　to　take　a　mere　private's　place；　and；　having　for　many　years　lived　in　California　and　Louisiana；　the　men　are　not　well　enough　acquainted　with　me　to　elect　me　to　my　appropriate　place。

Should　my　services　be　needed；　the　records　of　the　War　Department　will　enable　you　to　designate　the　station　in　which　I　can　render　most　service。

Yours　truly；　　　W。　T。　SHERMAN。


To　this　I　do　not　think　I　received　a　direct　answer；　but；　on　the　10th　of　the　same　month；　I　was　appointed　colonel　of　the　Thirteenth　Regular　Infantry。

I　remember　going　to　the　arsenal　on　the　9th　of　May；　taking　my　children　with　me　in　the　street…cars。　　Within　the　arsenal　wall　were　drawn　up　in　parallel　lines　four　regiments　of　the　〃Home　Guards；〃　and　I　saw　men　distributing　cartridges　to　the　boxes。　　I　also　saw　General　Lyon　running　about　with　his　hair　in　the　wind；　his　pockets　full　of　papers；　wild　and　irregular；　but　I　knew　him　to　be　a　man　of　vehement　purpose　and　of　determined　action。　　I　saw　of　course　that　it　meant　business；　but　whether　for　defense　or　offense　I　did　not　know。　　The　next　morning　I　went　up　to　the　railroad…office　in　Bremen；　as　usual；　and　heard　at　every　corner　of　the　streets　that　the　〃Dutch〃　were　moving　on　Camp　Jackson。　　People　were　barricading　their　houses；　and　men　were　running　in　that　direction。　　I　hurried　through　my　business　as　quickly　as　I　could；　and　got　back　to　my　house　on　Locust　Street　by　twelve　o'clock。　　Charles　Ewing　and　Hunter　were　there；　and　insisted　on　going　out　to　the　camp　to　see　〃the　fun。〃　　I　tried　to　dissuade　them；　saying　that　in　case　of　conflict　the　bystanders　were　more　likely　to　be　killed　than　the　men　engaged；　but　they　would　go。　　I　felt　as　much　interest　as　anybody　else；　but　staid　at　home；　took　my　little　son　Willie；　who　was　about　seven　years　old；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　pavement　in　front　of　our　house；　listening　for　the　sound　of　musketry　or　cannon　in　the　direction　of　Camp　Jackson。　　While　so　engaged　Miss　Eliza　Dean；　who　lived　opposite　us；　called　me　across　the　street；　told　me　that　her　brother…in…law；　Dr。　Scott；　was　a　surgeon　in　Frost's　camp；　and　she　was　dreadfully　afraid　he　would　be　killed。　　I　reasoned　with　her　that　General　Lyon　was　a　regular　officer；　that　if　he　had　gone　out；　as　reported；　to　Camp　Jackson；　he　would　take　with　him　such　a　force　as　would　make　resistance　impossible；　but　she　would　not　be　comforted；　saying　that　the　camp　was　made　up　of　the　young　men　from　the　first　and　best　families　of　St。　Louis；　and　that　they　were　proud；　and　would　fight。　　I　explained　that　young　men　of　the　best　families　did　not　like　to　be　killed　better　than　ordinary　people。　　Edging　gradually　up　the　street；　I　was　in　Olive　Street　just　about　Twelfth；　when　I　saw　a　man　running　from　the　direction　of　Camp　Jackson　at　full　speed；　calling；　as　he　went；　〃They've　surrendered；　they've　surrendered！〃　So　I　turned　back　and　rang　the　bell　at　Mrs。　Dean's。　　Eliza　came　to　the　door；　and　I　explained　what　I　had　heard；　but　she　angrily　slammed　the　door　in　my　face！　　Evidently　she　was　disappointed　to　find　she　was　mistaken　in　her　estimate　of　the　rash　courage　of　the　best　families。

I　again　turned　in　the　direction　of　Camp　Jackson；　my　boy　Willie　with　me　still。　　At　the　head　of　Olive　Street；　abreast　of　Lindell's　Grove；　I　found　Frank　Blair's　regiment　in　the　street；　with　ranks　opened；　and　the　Camp　Jackson　prisoners　inside。　　A　crowd　of　people　was　gathered　around；　calling　to　the　prisoners　by　name；　some　hurrahing　for　Jeff　Davis；　and　others　encouraging　the　troops。　　Men；　women；　and　children；　were　in　the　crowd。　　I　passed　along　till　I　found　myself　inside　the　grove；　where　I　met　Charles　Ewing　and　John　Hunter；　and　we　stood　looking　at　the　troops　on　the　road；　heading　toward　the　city。　A　band　of　music　was　playing　at　the　head；　and　the　column　made　one　or　two　ineffectual　starts；　but　for　some　reason　was　halted。　　The　battalion　of　regulars　was　abreast　of　me；　of　which　Major　Rufus　Saxton　was　in　command；　and　I　gave　him　an　evening　paper；　which　I　had　bought　of　the　newsboy　on　my　way　out。　　He　was　reading　from　it　some　piece　of　news；　sitting　on　his　horse；　when　the　column　again　began　to　move　forward；　and　he　resumed　his　place　at　the　head　of　his　command。　At　that　part　of　the　road；　or　street；　was　an　embankment　about　eight　feet　high；　and　a　drunken　fellow　tried　to　pass　over　it　to　the　people　opposite。

One　of　the　regular　sergeant　file…closers　ordered　him　back；　but　he　attempted　to　pass　through　the　ranks；　when　the　sergeant　barred　his　progress　with　his　musket　〃a…port。〃　　The　drunken　man　seized　his　musket；　when　the　sergeant　threw　him　off　with　violence；　and　he　rolled　over　and　over　down　the　bank。　　By　the　time　this　man　had　picked　himself　up　and　got　his　hat；　which　had　fallen　off；　and　had　again　mounted　the　embankment；　the　regulars　had　passed；　and　the　head　of　Osterhaus's　regiment　of　Home　Guards　had　come　up。　　The　man　had　in　his　hand　a　small　pistol；　which　he　fired　off；　and　I　heard　that　the　ball　had　struck　the　leg　of　one　of　Osterhaus's　staff；　the　regiment　stopped；　there　was　a　moment　of　confusion；　when　the　soldiers　of　that　regiment　began　to　fire　over　our　heads　in　the　grove。　　I　heard　the　balls　cutting　the　leaves　above　our　heads；　and　saw　several　men　and　women　running　in　all　directions；　some　of　whom　were　wounded。　　Of　course　there　was　a　general　stampede。　　Charles　Ewing　threw　Willie　on　the　ground　and　covered　him　with　his　body。　　Hunter　ran　behind　the　hill；　and　I　also　threw　myself　on　the　ground。　　The　fire　ran　back　from　the　head　of　the　regiment　toward　its　rear；　and　as　I　saw　the　men　reloading　their　pieces；　I　jerked　Willie　up；　ran　back　with　him　into　a　gully　which　covered　us；　lay　there　until　I　saw　that　the　fire　had　ceased；　and　that　the　column　was　again　moving　on；　when　I　took　up　Willie　and　started　back　for　home　round　by　way　of　Market　Street。　　A　woman　and　child　were　killed　outright；　two　or　three　men　were　also　killed；　and　several　others　were　wounded。　　The　great　mass　of　the　people　on　that　occasion　were　simply　curious　spectators；　though　men　were　sprinkled　through