memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第69章

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As　near　as　I　can　learn；　there　are　five　regiments　of　rebel　infantry　at　Purdy；　at　Corinth；　and　distributed　along　the　railroad　to　Inca；　are　probably　thirty　thousand　men；　but　my　information　from　prisoners　is　very　indistinct。　　Every　road　and　path　is　occupied　by　the　enemy's　cavalry；　whose；　orders　seem　to　be；　to　fire　a　volley；　retire；　again　fire　and　retire。　　The　force　on　the　Purdy　road　attacked　and　driven　by　Major　Bowman　yesterday；　was　about　sixty　strong。　　That　encountered　last　night　on　the　Corinth　road　was　about　five　companies　of　Tennessee　cavalry；　sent　from　Purdy　about　2　p。m。　　yesterday。

I　hear　there　is　a　force　of　two　regiments　on　Pea　Ridge；　at　the　point　where　the　Purdy　and　Corinth　roads　come　together。

I　am　satisfied　we　cannot　reach　the　Memphis　&　Charleston　road　without　a　considerable　engagement；　which　is　prohibited　by　General　Halleck's　instructions；　so　that　I　will　be　governed　by　your　orders　of　yesterday；　to　occupy　Pittsburg　strongly；　extend　the　pickets　so　as　to　include　a　semicircle　of　three　miles；　and　push　a　strong　reconnoissance　as　far　out　as　Lick　Creek　and　Pea　Ridge。

I　will　send　down　a　good　many　boats　to…day；　to　be　employed　as　you　may　direct；　and　would　be　obliged　if　you　would　send　a　couple　of　thousand　sacks　of　corn；　as　much　hay　as　you　can　possibly　spare；　and；　if　possible；　a　barge　of　coal。

I　will　send　a　steamboat　under　care　of　the　gunboat；　to　collect　corn　from　cribs　on　the　river…bank

I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General；　commanding　First　Division。


HEADQUARTERS；　STEAMBOAT　CONTINENTAL；　Pittsburg；　March　18；　1882。

Captain　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT。

SIR：　The　division　surgeon　having　placed　some　one　hundred　or　more　sick　on　board　the　Fanny　Bullitt；　I　have　permitted　her　to　take　them　to　Savannah。　　There　is　neither　house　nor　building　of　any　kind　that　can　be　used　for　a　hospital　here。

I　hope　to　receive　an　order　to　establish　floating　hospitals；　but　in　the　mean　time；　by　the　advise　of　the　surgeon；　allow　these　sick　men　to　leave。　　Let　me　hope　that　it　will　meet　your　approbation。

The　order　for　debarkation　came　while　General　Sherman　was　absent　with　three　brigades；　and　no　men　are　left　to　move　the　effects　of　these　brigades。

The　landing；　too；　is　small；　with　scarcely　any　chance　to　increase　it；　therefore　there　is　a　great　accumulation　of　boats。　　Colonel　McArthur　has　arrived；　and　is　now　cutting　a　landing　for　himself。

General　Sherman　will　return　this　evening。　　I　am　obliged　to　transgress；　and　write　myself　in　the　mean　time；

Respectfully　your　obedient　servant；

J。　H。　HAMMOND；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。

P。　S4　p。m。Just　back；　have　been　half…way　to　Corinth　and　to　Purdy。　　All　right。　　Have　just　read　this　letter；　and　approve　all　but　floating　hospitals；　regimental　surgeons　can　take　care　of　all　sick；　except　chronic　cases；　which　can　always　be　sent　down　to　Paducah。

Magnificent　plain　for　camping　and　drilling；　and　a　military　point　of　great　strength。　　The　enemy　has　felt　us　twice；　at　great　loss　and　demoralization；　will　report　at　length　this　evening；　am　now　much　worn　out。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General。



HEADQUARTERS　FIRST　DIVISION　Pittsburg　Landing；　March　19；　1862。

Captain　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT；　Savannah；　Tennessee。

SIR：　I　have　just　returned　from　an　extensive　reconnoissance　toward　Corinth　and　Purdy；　and　am　strongly　impressed　with　the　importance　of　this　position；　both　for　its　land　advantages　and　its　strategic　position。　　The　ground　itself　admits　of　easy　defense　by　a　small　command；　and　yet　affords　admirable　camping…ground　for　a　hundred　thousand　men。　　I　will　as　soon　as　possible　make　or　cause　to　be　made　a　topographical　sketch　of　the　position。　　The　only　drawback　is　that；　at　this　stage　of　water；　the　space　for　landing　is　contracted　too　much　for　the　immense　fleet　now　here　discharging。

I　will　push　the　loading　and　unloading　of　boats；　but　suggest　that　you　send　at　once　（Captain　Dodd；　if　possible）　the　best　quartermaster　you　can；　that　he　may　control　and　organize　this　whole　matter。　　I　have　a　good　commissary；　and　will　keep　as　few　provisions　afloat　as　possible。　　Yours；　etc。；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General　commanding。



HEADQUARTERS　SHERMAN'S　DIVISION　Camp　Shiloh；　near　Pittsburg　Landing；　Tennessee；　April　2；　1862

Captain　J。　A。　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General　to　General　GRANT。

SIR：　In　obedience　to　General　Grant's　instructions　of　March　31st；　with　one　section　of　Captain　Muench's　Minnesota　Battery；　two　twelve…pound　howitzers；　a　detachment　of　Fifth　Ohio　Cavalry　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　men；　under　Major　Ricker；　and　two　battalions　of　infantry　from　the　Fifty…seventh　and　Seventy…seventh　Ohio；　under　the　command　of　Colonels　Hildebrand　and　Mungen；　I　marched　to　the　river；　and　embarked　on　the　steamers　Empress　and　Tecumseh。　　The　gunboat　Cairo　did　not　arrive　at　Pittsburg；　until　after　midnight；　and　at　6　p。m。　　Captain　Bryant；　commanding　the　gunboat；　notified　me　that　he　was　ready　to　proceed　up　the　river。　　I　followed；　keeping　the　transports　within　about　three　hundred　yards　of　the　gunboat。　　About　1　p。m。；　the　Cairo　commenced　shelling　the　battery　above　the　mouth　of　Indian　Creek；　but　elicited　no　reply。　　She　proceeded　up　the　river　steadily　and　cautiously；　followed　close　by　the　Tyler　and　Lexington；　all　throwing　shells　at　the　points　where；　on　former　visits　of　the　gunboats；　enemy's　batteries　were　found。　　In　this　order　all　followed；　till　it　was　demonstrated　that　all　the　enemy's　batteries；　including　that　at　Chickasaw；　were　abandoned。

I　ordered　the　battalion　of　infantry　under　Colonel　Hildebrand　to　disembark　at　Eastport；　and　with　the　other　battalion　proceeded　to　Chickasaw　and　landed。　　The　battery　at　this　point　had　evidently　been　abandoned　some　time；　and　consisted　of　the　remains　of　an　old　Indian　mound；　partly　washed　away　by　the　river；　which　had　been　fashioned　into　a　two…gun　battery；　with　a　small　magazine。　　The　ground　to　its　rear　had　evidently　been　overflowed　during　the　late　freshet；　and　led　to　the　removal　of　the　guns　to　Eastport；　where　the　batteries　were　on　high；　elevated　ground；　accessible　at　all　seasons　from　the　country　to　the　rear。

Upon　personal　inspection；　I　attach　little　importance　to　Chickasaw　as　a　military　position。　　The　people；　who　had　fled　during　the　approach　of　the　gunboats；　returned　to　the　village；　and　said　the　place　had　been　occupied　by　one　Tennessee　regiment　and　a　battery　of　artillery　from　Pensacola。　　After　remaining。　　at　Chickasaw　some　hours；　all　the　boats　dropped　back　to　Eastport；　not　more　than　a　mile　below；　and　landed　there。　　Eastport　Landing　during　the　late　freshet　must　have　been　about　twelve　feet　under　water；　but　at　the　present　stage　the　landing　is　the　best　I　have　seen　on　the　Tennessee　River。

The　levee　is　clear　of　trees　or　snags；　and　a　hundred　boats　could　land　there　without　confusion。

The　soil　is　of　sand　and　gravel；　and　very　firm。　　The　road　back　is　hard；　and　at　a　distance　of　about　four　hundred　yards　from　the　water　begin　the　gravel　hills　of　the　country。　　The　infantry　scouts　sent　out　by　Colonel　Hildebrand　found　the　enemy's　cavalry　mounted；　and　watching　the　Inca　road；　about　two　miles　back　of　Eastport。　　The　distance　to　Inca　is　only　eight　miles；　and　Inca　is　the　nearest　point　and　has　the　best　road　by　which　the　Charleston　&　Memphis　Railroad　can　be　reached。　　I　could　obtain　no　certain　information　as　to　the　strength　of　the　enemy　there；　but　am　satisfied　that　it　would　have　been　folly　to　have　attempted　it　with　my　command。　　Our　object　being　to　dislodge　the　enemy　from　the　batteries　recently　erected　near　Eastport；　and　this　being　attained；　I　have　returned；　and　report　the　river　to　be　clear　to　and　beyond　Chickasaw。

I　have　the　honor　to　be；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Brigadier…General　commanding　Division。



HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　DIVISION　CAMP　SHILOH；　April　5；　1862。

Captain　J。　A。　RAWLINS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General；　District　of　Western　Tennessee。

SIR：　I　have　the　honor　to　report　that　yesterday；　about　3　p。m。；　the　lieutenant　commanding　and　seven　men　of　the　advance　pickets　imprudently　advanced　from　their　posts　and　were　captured。　　I　ordered　Major　Ricker；　of　the　Fifth　Ohio　Cavalry；　to　proceed　rapidly　to　the　picket…station；　ascertain　the　truth；　and　act　according　to　circumstances。　　He　reached　the　station；　found　the　pi