memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第63章

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rought　to　a　stand…still；　and　this　produces　doubt　and　alarm。　With　our　present　force　it　would　be　simple　madness　to　cross　Green　River；　and　yet　hesitation　may　be　as　fatal。　　In　like　manner　the　other　columns　are　in　peril；　not　so　much　in　front　as　rear；　the　railroads　over　which　our　stores　must　pass　being　much　exposed。　　I　have　the　Nashville　Railroad　guarded　by　three　regiments；　yet　it　is　far　from　being　safe；　and；　the　moment　actual　hostilities　commence；　these　roads　will　be　interrupted；　and　we　will　be　in　a　dilemma。　　To　meet　this　in　part　I　have　put　a　cargo　of　provisions　at　the　mouth　of　Salt　River；　guarded　by　two　regiments。　　All　these　detachments　weaken　the　main　force；　and　endanger　the　whole。　　Do　not　conclude；　as　before；　that　I　exaggerate　the　facts。　　They　are　as　stated；　and　the　future　looks　as　dark　as　possible。　　It　would　be　better　if　some　man　of　sanguine　mind　were　here；　for　I　am　forced　to　order　according　to　my　convictions。

Yours　truly；　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General　commanding。


After　the　war　was　over；　General　Thomas　J。　Wood；　then　in　command　of　the　district　of　Vicksburg；　prepared　a　statement　addressed　to　the　public；　describing　the　interview　with　the　Secretary　of　War；　which　he　calls　a　〃Council　of　War。〃　　I　did　not　then　deem　it　necessary　to　renew　a　matter　which　had　been　swept　into　oblivion　by　the　war　itself；　but；　as　it　is　evidence　by　an　eyewitness；　it　is　worthy　of　insertion　here。


STATEMENT。

On　the　11th　of　October；　1861；　the　writer；　who　had　been　personally　on　mustering　duty　in　Indiana；　was　appointed　a　brigadier…general　of　volunteers；　and　ordered　to　report　to　General　Sherman；　then　in　command　of　the　Department　of　the　Cumberland；　with　his　headquarters　at　Louisville；　having　succeeded　General　Robert　Anderson。　　When　the　writer　was　about　leaving　Indianapolis　to　proceed　to　Louisville；　Mr。　Cameron；　returning　from　his　famous　visit　of　inspection　to　General　Fremont's　department；　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　arrived　at　Indianapolis；　and　announced　his　intention　to　visit　General　Sherman。

The　writer　was　invited　to　accompany　the　party　to　Louisville。　Taking　the　early　morning　train　from　Indianapolis　to　Louisville　on　the　16th　of　October；　1861；　the　party　arrived　in　Jeffersonville　shortly　after　mid…day。　　General　Sherman　met　the　party　in　Jeffersonville；　and　accompanied　it　to　the　Galt　House；　in　Louisville；　the　hotel　at　which　he　was　stopping。

During　the　afternoon　General　Sherman　informed　the　writer　that　a　council　of　war　was　to　be　held　immediately　in　his　private　room　in　the　hotel；　and　desired　him　to　be　present　at　the　council。　　General　Sherman　and　the　writer　proceeded　directly　to　the　room。　　The　writer　entered　the　room　first；　and　observed　in　it　Mr。　Cameron；　Adjutant…　General　L。　Thomas；　and　some　other　persons；　all　of　whose　names　he　did　not　know；　but　whom　he　recognized　as　being　of　Mr。　Cameron's　party。　　The　name　of　one　of　the　party　the　writer　had　learned；　which　he　remembers　as　Wilkinson；　or　Wilkerson；　and　who　he　understood　was　a　writer　for　the　New　York　Tribune　newspaper。　　The　Hon。　James　Guthrie　was　also　in　the　room；　having　been　invited；　on　account　of　his　eminent　position　as　a　citizen　of　Kentucky；　his　high　civic　reputation；　and　his　well…known　devotion　to　the　Union；　to　meet　the　Secretary　of　War　in　the　council。　　When　General　Sherman　entered　the　room　he　closed　the　door；　and　turned　the　key　in　the　lock。

Before　entering　on　the　business　of　the　meeting；　General　Sherman　remarked　substantially：　〃Mr。　Cameron；　we　have　met　here　to　discuss　matters　and　interchange　views　which　should　be　known　only　by　persons　high　in　the　confidence　of　the　Government。　　There　are　persons　present　whom　I　do　not　know；　and　I　desire　to　know；　before　opening　the　business　of　the　council；　whether　they　are　persons　who　may　be　properly　allowed　to　hear　the　views　which　I　have　to　submit　to　you。〃　Mr。　Cameron　replied；　with　some　little　testiness　of　manner；　that　the　persons　referred　to　belonged　to　his　party；　and　there　was　no　objection　to　their　knowing　whatever　might　be　communicated　to　him。

Certainly　the　legitimate　and　natural　conclusion　from　this　remark　of　Mr。　Cameron's　was　that　whatever　views　might　be　submitted　by　General　Sherman　would　be　considered　under　the　protection　of　the　seal　of　secrecy；　and　would　not　be　divulged　to　the　public　till　all　apprehension　of　injurious　consequences　from　such　disclosure　had　passed。　　And　it　may　be　remarked；　further；　that　justice　to　General　Sherman　required　that　if；　at　any　future　time；　his　conclusions　as　to　the　amount　of　force　necessary　to　conduct　the　operations　committed　to　his　charge　should　be　made　public；　the　grounds　on　which　his　conclusions　were　based　should　be　made　public　at　the　same　time。

Mr。　Cameron　then　asked　General　Sherman　what　his　plans　were。　　To　this　General　Sherman　replied　that　he　had　no　plans；　that　no　sufficient　force　had　been　placed　at　his　disposition　with　which　to　devise　any　plan　of　operations；　that；　before　a　commanding　general　could　project　a　plan　of　campaign；　he　must　know　what　amount　of　force　he　would　have　to　operate　with。

The　general　added　that　he　had　views　which　he　would　be　happy　to　submit　for　the　consideration　of　the　Secretary。　　Mr。　Cameron　desired　to　hear　General　Sherman's　views。

General　Sherman　began　by　giving　his　opinion　of　the　people　of　Kentucky；　and　the　then　condition　of　the　State。　　He　remarked　that　he　believed　a　very　large　majority　of　the　people　of　Kentucky　were　thoroughly　devoted　to　the　Union；　and　loyal　to　the　Government；　and　that　the　Unionists　embraced　almost　all　the　older　and　more　substantial　men　in　the　State；　but；　unfortunately；　there　was　no　organization　nor　arms　among　the　Union　men；　that　the　rebel　minority；　thoroughly　vindictive　in　its　sentiments；　was　organized　and　armed　（this　having　been　done　in　advance　by　their　leaders）；　and；　beyond　the　reach　of　the　Federal　forces；　overawed　and　prevented　the　Union　men　from　organizing；　that；　in　his　opinion；　if　Federal　protection　were　extended　throughout　the　State　to　the　Union　men；　a　large　force　could　be　raised　for　the　service　of　the　Government。

General　Sherman　next　presented　a　resume　of　the　information　in　his　possession　as　to　the　number　of　the　rebel　troops　in　Kentucky。　Commencing　with　the　force　at　Columbus；　Kentucky；　the　reports　varied；　giving　the　strength　from　ten　to　twenty　thousand。　　It　was　commanded　by　Lieutenant…General　Polk。　　General　Sherman　fixed　it　at　the　lowest　estimate；　say；　ten　thousand。　　The　force　at　Bowling　Green；　commanded　by　General。　　A。　S。　Johnston；　supported　by　Hardee；　Buckner；　and　others；　was　variously　estimated　at　from　eighteen　to　thirty　thousand。　　General　Sherman　estimated　this　force　at　the　lowest　figures　given　to　it　by　his　informationeighteen　thousand。

He　explained　that；　for　purposes　of　defense；　these　two　forces　ought；　owing　to　the　facility　with　which　troops　might　be　transported　from　one　to　the　other；　by　the　net…work　of　railroads　in　Middle　and　West　Tennessee；　to　be　considered　almost　as　one。　　General　Sherman　remarked；　also；　on　the　facility　with　which　reinforcements　could　be　transported　by　railroad　to　Bowling　Green；　from　the　other　rebellions　States。

The　third　organized　body　of　rebel　troops　was　in　Eastern　Kentucky；　under　General　Zollicoffer；　estimated；　according　to　the　most　reliable　information；　at　six　thousand　men。　　This　force　threatened　a　descent；　if　unrestrained；　on　the　blue…grass　region　of　Kentucky；　including　the　cities　of　Lexington；　and　Frankfort；　the　capital　of　the　State；　and　if　successful　in　its　primary　movements；　as　it　would　gather　head　as　it　advanced；　might　endanger　the　safety　of　Cincinnati。

General　Sherman　said　that　the　information　in　his　possession　indicated　an　intention；　on　the　part　of　the　rebels；　of　a　general　and　grand　advance　toward　the　Ohio　River。　　He　further　expressed　the　opinion　that；　if　such　advance　should　be　made；　and　not　checked；　the　rebel　force　would　be　swollen　by　at　least　twenty　thousand　recruits　from　the　disloyalists　in　Kentucky。　　His　low　computation　of　the　organized　rebel　soldiers　then　in　Kentucky　fixed　the　strength　at　about　thirty…five　thousand。　　Add　twenty　thousand　for　reenforcements　gained　in　Kentucky；　to　say　nothing　of　troops　drawn　from　other　rebel　States；　and　the　effective　rebel　force　in　the　State；　at　a　low　estimate；　would　be　fifty…five　thousand　men。

General　Sherman　explained　forcibly　how　largely　the　difficulties　of　suppressing　the　rebellion　would　be