memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第83章

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country　or　cause。　When　people　forget　their　obligations　to　a　Government　that　made　them　respected　among　the　nations　of　the　earth；　and　speak　contemptuously　of　the　flag　which　is　the　silent　emblem　of　that　country；　I　will　not　go　out　of　my　way　to　protect　them　or　their　property。　　I　will　punish　the　soldiers　for　trespass　or　waste　if　adjudged　by　a　court…martial；　because　they　disobey　orders；　but　soldiers　are　men　and　citizens　as　well　as　soldiers；　and　should　promptly　resent　any　insult　to　their　country；　come　from　what　quarter　it　may。　　I　mention　this　phase　because　it　is　too　common。　　Insult　to　a　soldier　does　not　justify　pillage；　but　it　takes　from　the　officer　the　disposition　he　would　otherwise　feel　to　follow　up　the　inquiry　and　punish　the　wrong…doers。

Again；　armies　in　motion　or　stationary　must　commit　some　waste。　Flankers　must　let　down　fences　and　cross　fields；　and；　when　an　attack　is　contemplated　or　apprehended；　a　command　will　naturally　clear　the　ground　of　houses；　fences；　and　trees。　　This　is　waste；　but　is　the　natural　consequence　of　war；　chargeable　on　those　who　caused　the　war。　So　in　fortifying　a　place；　dwelling…houses　must　be　taken；　materials　used；　even　wasted；　and　great　damage　done；　which　in　the　end　may　prove　useless。　　This；　too；　is　an　expense　not　chargeable　to　us；　but　to　those　who　made　the　war；　and　generally　war　is　destruction　and　nothing　else。

We　must　bear　this　in　mind；　that　however　peaceful　things　look；　we　are　really　at　war；　and　much　that　looks　like　waste　or　destruction　is　only　the　removal　of　objects　that　obstruct　our　fire；　or　would　afford　cover　to　an　enemy。

This　class　of　waste　must　be　distinguished　from　the　wanton　waste　committed　by　army…stragglers；　which　is　wrong；　and　can　be　punished　by　the　death…penalty　if　proper　testimony　can　be　produced。

Yours；　etc。；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。


Satisfied　that；　in　the　progress　of　the　war；　Memphis　would　become　an　important　depot；　I　pushed　forward　the　construction　of　Fort　Pickering；　kept　most　of　the　troops　in　camps　back　of　the　city；　and　my　own　headquarters　remained　in　tents　on　the　edge　of　the　city；　near　Mr。　Moon's　house；　until；　on　the　approach　of　winter；　Mrs。　Sherman　came　down　with　the　children　to　visit　me；　when　I　took　a　house　nearer　the　fort。

All　this　time　battalion　and　brigade　drills　were　enforced；　so　that；　when　the　season　approached　for　active　operations　farther　south；　I　had　my　division　in　the　best　possible　order；　and　about　the　1st　of　November　it　was　composed　as　follows

First　Brigade；　Brigadier…General　M。　L。　SMITH　…　Eighth　Missouri；　Colonel　G。　A。　Smith；　Sixth　Missouri；　Colonel　Peter　E。　Bland；　One　Hundred　and　Thirteenth　Illinois；　Colonel　George　B。　Hoge；　Fifty…fourth　Ohio；　Colonel　T。　Kilby　Smith；　One　Hundred　and　Twentieth　Illinois；　Colonel　G。　W。　McKeaig。

Second　Brigade；　Colonel　JOHN　ADAIR　McDOWELL。…　Sixth　Iowa；　Lieutenant…Colonel　John　M。　Corse；　Fortieth　Illinois；　Colonel　J。　W。　Booth；　Forty…sixth　Ohio；　Colonel　O。　C。　Walcutt；　Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry；　First　Battalion；　Major　D。　Chase。

Third　Brigade；　Brigadier…General　J。　W。　DENVER。　…　Forty…eighth　Ohio；　Colonel　P。　J。　Sullivan；　Fifty…third　Ohio；　Colonel　W。　S。　Jones；　Seventieth　Ohio；　Colonel　J。　R。　Cockerill。

Fourth　Brigade；　Colonel　DAVID　STUART。…　Fifty…fifth　Illinois；　Colonel　O。　Malmburg；　Fifty…seventh　Ohio；　Colonel　W。　Mungen；　Eighty…third　Indiana；　Colonel　B。　Spooner；　One　Hundred　and　Sixteenth　Illinois；　Colonel　Tupper；　One　Hundred　and　Twenty…seventh　Illinois；　Lieutenant…Colonel　Eldridge。

Fifth　Brigade；　Colonel　R。　P。　BUCKLAND。…　Seventy…second　Ohio；　Lieutenant…Colonel　D。　W。　C。　Loudon；　Thirty…second　Wisconsin；　Colonel　J。　W。　Howe；　Ninety…third　Indiana；　Colonel　Thomas；　Ninety…third　Illinois；　Major　J。　M。　Fisher。


Subsequently；　Brigadier…General　J。　G。　Lauman　arrived　at　Memphis；　and　I　made　up　a　sixth　brigade；　and　organized　these　six　brigades　into　three　divisions；　under　Brigadier…Generals　M。　L。　Smith；　J。　W。　Denver；　and　J。　G。　Lauman。

About　the　17th　of　November　I　received　an　order　from　General　Grant；　dated：

LAGRANGE；　November　16；　1862。

Meet　me　at　Columbus；　Kentucky；　on　Thursday　next。　　If　you　have　a　good　map　of　the　country　south　of　you；　take　it　up　with　you。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


I　started　forthwith　by　boat；　and　met　General　Grant；　who　had　reached　Columbus　by　the　railroad　from　Jackson；　Tennessee。　　He　explained　to　me　that　he　proposed　to　move　against　Pemberton；　then　intrenched　on　a　line　behind　the　Tallahatchie　River　below　Holly　Springs；　that　he　would　move　on　Holly　Springs　and　Abberville；　from　Grand　Junction；　that　McPherson；　with　the　troops　at　Corinth；　would　aim　to　make　junction　with　him　at　Holly　Springs；　and　that　he　wanted　me　to　leave　in　Memphis　a　proper　garrison；　and　to　aim　for　the　Tallahatchie；　so　as　to　come　up　on　his　right　by　a　certain　date。　　He　further　said　that　his　ultimate　object　was　to　capture　Vicksburg；　to　open　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　River；　and　that　General　Halleck　had　authorized　him　to　call　on　the　troops　in　the　Department　of　Arkansas；　then　commanded　by　General　S。　R。　Curtis；　for　cooperation。　　I　suggested　to　him　that　if　he　would　request　General　Curtis　to　send　an　expedition　from　some　point　on　the　Mississippi；　near　Helena；　then　held　in　force；　toward　Grenada；　to　the　rear　of　Pemberton；　it　would　alarm　him　for　the　safety　of　his　communications；　and　would　assist　us　materially　in　the　proposed　attack　on　his　front。　　He　authorized　me　to　send　to　the　commanding　officer　at　Helena　a　request　to　that　effect；　and；　as　soon　as　I　reached　Memphis；　I　dispatched　my　aide；　Major　McCoy；　to　Helena；　who　returned；　bringing　me　a　letter　from　General　Frederick　Steele；　who　had　just　reached　Helena　with　Osterhaus's　division；　and　who　was　temporarily　in　command；　General　Curtis　having　gone　to　St。　Louis。　　This　letter　contained　the　assurance　that　he　〃would　send　from　Friar's　Point　a　large　force　under　Brigadier…General　A。　P。　Hovey　in　the　direction　of　Grenada；　aiming　to　reach　the　Tallahatchie　at　Charleston；　on　the　next　Monday；　Tuesday；　or　Wednesday　（December　1st）　at　furthest。〃　　My　command　was　appointed　to　start　on　Wednesday；　November　24th；　and　meantime　MajorGeneral　S。　A。　Hurlbut；　having　reported　for　duty；　was　assigned　to　the　command　of　Memphis；　with　four　regiments　of　infantry　one　battery　of　artillery；　two　companies　of　Thielman's　cavalry　and　the　certain　prospect　of　soon　receiving　a　number　of　new　regiments；　known　to　be　en　route。

I　marched　out　of　Memphis　punctually　with　three　small　divisions；　taking　different　roads　till　we　approached　the　Tallahatchie；　when　we　converged　on　Wyatt　to　cross　the　river；　there　a　bold；　deep　stream；　with　a　newly…constructed　fort　behind。　　I　had　Grierson's　Sixth　Illinois　Cavalry　with　me；　and　with　it　opened　communication　with　General　Grant　when　we　were　abreast　of　Holly　Springs。　　We　reached　Wyatt　on　the　2d　day　of　December　without　the　least　opposition；　and　there　learned　that　Pemberton's　whole　army　had　fallen　back　to　the　Yalabusha　near　Grenada；　in　a　great　measure　by　reason　of　the　exaggerated　reports　concerning　the　Helena　force；　which　had　reached　Charleston；　and　some　of　General　Hovey's　cavalry；　under　General　Washburn；　having　struck　the　railroad　in　the　neighborhood　of　Coffeeville；　naturally　alarmed　General　Pemberton　for　the　safety　of　his　communications；　and　made　him　let　go　his　Tallahatchie　line　with　all　the　forts　which　he　had　built　at　great　cost　in　labor。　　We　had　to　build　a　bridge　at　Wyatt；　which　consumed　a　couple　of　days；　and　on　the　5th　of　December　my　whole　command　was　at　College　Hill；　ten　miles　from　Oxford；　whence　I　reported　to　General　Grant　in　Oxford。

On　the　8th　I　received　the　following　letter：

OXFORD　MISSISSIPPI；　December　8；　1862Morning

General　SHERMAN；　College　Hill。

DEAR　GENERAL：　The　following　is　a　copy　of　dispatch　just　received　from　Washington：


WASHINGTON；　December　7；　186212M

General　GRANT：

The　capture　of　Grenada　may　change　our　plans　in　regard　to　Vicksburg。　You　will　move　your　troops　as　you　may　deem　best　to　accomplish　the　great　object　in　view。　　You　will　retain；　till　further　orders；　all　troops　of　General　Curtis　now　in　your　department。　　Telegraph　to　General　Allen　in　St。　Louis　for　all　steamboats　you　may　require。　　Ask　Porter　to　cooperate。　　Telegraph　what　are　your　present　plans。

H。　W。　HALLECK；　General…in。…Chief。


I　wish　you　world　come　over　this　evening　and　stay　to…night；　or　come　in　t