memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第74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！
He is now dead； and I doubt not in life he often regretted his mistake in attempting to gain popular fame by abusing the army…leaders； then as now an easy and favorite mode of gaining notoriety； if not popularity。 Of course； subsequent events gave General Grant and most of the other actors in that battle their appropriate place in history； but the danger of sudden popular clamors is well illustrated by this case。
Tho battle of Shiloh； or Pittsburg Landing； was one of the most fiercely contested of the war。 On the morning of April 6； 1862； the five divisions of McClernand； Prentiss； Hurlbut； W。 H。 L。 Wallace； and Sherman； aggregated about thirty…two thousand men。 We had no intrenchments of any sort； on the theory that as soon as Buell arrived we would march to Corinth to attack the enemy。 The rebel army； commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnston； was； according to their own reports and admissions； forty…five thousand strong； had the momentum of attack； and beyond all question fought skillfully from early morning till about 2 a。m。； when their commander…in…chief was killed by a Mini…ball in the calf of his leg； which penetrated the boot and severed the main artery。 There was then a perceptible lull for a couple of hours； when the attack was renewed； but with much less vehemence； and continued up to dark。 Early at night the division of Lew Wallace arrived from the other side of Snake Creek； not having fired a shot。 A very small part of General Buell's army was on our side of the Tennessee River that evening； and their loss was trivial。
During that night； the three divisions of McCook； Nelson； and Crittenden； were ferried across the Tennessee； and fought with us the next day （7th）。 During that night； also； the two wooden gunboats； Tyler； commanded by Lieutenant Groin； and Lexington； Lieutenant Shirk； both of the regular navy； caused shells to be thrown toward that part of the field of battle known to be occupied by the enemy。 Beauregard afterward reported his entire loss as ten thousand six hundred and ninety…nine。 Our aggregate loss； made up from official statements； shows seventeen hundred killed； seven thousand four hundred and ninety…five wounded； and three thousand and twenty…two prisoners； aggregate； twelve thousand two hundred and seventeen； of which twenty…one hundred and sixty…seven were in Buell's army； leaving for that of Grant ten thousand and fifty。 This result is a fair measure of the amount of fighting done by each army。
CHAPTER XI。
SHILOH TO MEMPHIS。
APIRIL TO JULY； 1862。
While； the 〃Army of the Tennessee；〃 under Generals Grant and C。 F。 Smith； was operating up the Tennessee River； another force； styled the 〃Army of the Mississippi；〃 commanded by Major…General John Pope； was moving directly down the Mississippi River； against that portion of the rebel line which； under Generals Polk and Pillow； had fallen back from Columbus； Kentucky； to Island Number Ten and New Madrid。 This army had the full cooperation of the gunboat fleet； commanded by Admiral Foote； and was assisted by the high flood of that season； which enabled General Pope； by great skill and industry； to open a canal from a point above Island Number Ten to New Madrid below； by which he interposed between the rebel army and its available line of supply and retreat。 At the very time that we were fighting the bloody battle on the Tennessee River； General Pope and Admiral Foote were bombarding the batteries on Island Number Ten； and the Kentucky shore abreast of it； and General Pope having crossed over by steamers a part of his army to the east bank； captured a large part of this rebel army； at and near Tiptonville。
General Halleck still remained at St。 Louis； whence he gave general directions to the armies of General Curtis； Generals Grant； Buell； and Pope； and instead of following up his most important and brilliant successes directly down the Mississippi； he concluded to bring General Pope's army around to the Tennessee； and to come in person to command there。 The gunboat fleet pushed on down the Mississippi； but was brought up again all standing by the heavy batteries at Fort Pillow； about fifty miles above Memphis。 About this time Admiral Farragut； with another large sea…going fleet； and with the cooperating army of General Butler； was entering the Mississippi River by the Passes； and preparing to reduce Forts Jackson and St； Philip in order to reach New Orleans； so that all minds were turned to the conquest of the Mississippi River； and surely adequate means were provided for the undertaking。
The battle of Shiloh had been fought； as described； on the 6th and 7th of April； and when the movement of the 8th had revealed that our enemy was gone； in full retreat； leaving killed； wounded； and much property by the way； we all experienced a feeling of relief。 The struggle had been so long； so desperate and bloody； that the survivors seemed exhausted and nerveless； we appreciated the value of the victory； but realized also its great cost of life。 The close of the battle had left the Army of the Tennessee on the right； and the Army of the Ohio on the left； but I believe neither General Grant nor Buell exercised command； the one over the other； each of them having his hands full in repairing damages。 All the division； brigade； and regimental commanders were busy in collecting stragglers； regaining lost property； in burying dead men and horses； and in providing for their wounded。 Some few new regiments came forward； and some changes of organization became necessary。 Then； or very soon after； I consolidated my font brigades into three； which were commanded： First； Brigadier…General Morgan L： Smith； Second； Colonel John A。 McDowell； Third； Brigadier…General J。 W。 Denver。 About the same time I was promoted to major…general volunteers。
The Seventy…first Ohio was detached to Clarksville； Tennessee； and the Sixth and Eighth Missouri were transferred to my division。
In a few days after the battle； General Halleck arrived by steamboat from St。 Louis； pitched his camp near the steamboat… landing； and assumed personal command of all the armies。 He was attended by his staff； composed of General G。 W。 Cullum； U。 S。 Engineers； as his chief of staff； Colonel George Thom；U。 S。 Engineers； and Colonels Kelton and Kemper； adjutants…general。 It soon became manifest that his mind had been prejudiced by the rumors which had gone forth to the detriment of General Grant； for in a few days he issued an order； reorganizing and rearranging the whole army。 General Buell's Army of the Ohio constituted the centre； General Pope's army； then arriving at Hamburg Landing； was the left； the right was made up of mine and Hurlbut's divisions； belonging to the old Army of the Tennessee； and two new ones； made up from the fragments of the divisions of Prentiss and C。 F。 Smith； and of troops transferred thereto； commanded by Generals T。 W。 Sherman and Davies。 General George H。 Thomas was taken from Buell； to command the right。 McClernand's and Lew Wallace's divisions were styled the reserve； to be commanded by McClernand。 General Grant was substantially left out； and was named 〃second in command；〃 according to some French notion； with no clear； well…defined command or authority。 He still retained his old staff； composed of Rawlins； adjutant…general； Riggin； Lagow； and Hilyer； aides； and he had a small company of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry as an escort。 For more than a month he thus remained； without any apparent authority； frequently visiting me and others； and rarely complaining； but I could see that he felt deeply the indignity； if not insult； heaped upon him。
General Thomas at once assumed command of the right wing； and； until we reached Corinth； I served immediately under his command。 We were classmates； intimately acquainted； had served together before in the old army； and in Kentucky； and it made to us little difference who commanded the other； provided the good cause prevailed。
Corinth was about thirty miles distant； and we all knew that we should find there the same army with which we had so fiercely grappled at Shiloh； reorganized； reenforced； and commanded in chief by General Beauregard in place of Johnston； who had fallen at Shil
