memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第85章
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ct for such pageants afterward。
As soon as I was in possession of General Grant's instructions of December 8th； with a further request that I should dispatch Colonel Grierson； with his cavalry； across by land to Helena； to notify General Steele of the general plan； I returned to College Hill； selected the division of Brigadier…General Morgan L。 Smith to return with me to Memphis； started Grierson on his errand to Helena； and ordered Generals Denver and Lauman to report to General Grant for further orders。 We started back by the most direct route； reached Memphis by noon of December 12th； and began immediately the preparations for the Vicksburg movement。 There I found two irregular divisions which had arrived at Memphis in my absence； commanded respectively by Brigadier…General A。 J。 Smith and Brigadier…General George W。 Morgan。 These were designated the First and Third Divisions； leaving the Second Division of Morgan Z。 Smith to retain its original name and number。
I also sent orders； in the name of General Grant； to General Gorman； who meantime had replaced General Steele in command of Helena； in lieu of the troops which had been east of the Mississippi and had returned； to make up a strong division to report to me on my way down。 This division was accordingly organized； and was commanded by Brigadier…General Frederick Steele； constituting my Fourth Division。
Meantime a large fleet of steamboats was assembling from St。 Louis and Cairo； and Admiral Porter dropped down to Memphis with his whole gunboat fleet； ready to cooperate in the movement。 The preparations were necessarily hasty in the extreme； but this was the essence of the whole plan； viz。； to reach Vicksburg as it were by surprise； while General Grant held in check Pemberton's army about Grenada； leaving me to contend only with the smaller garrison of Vicksburg and its well…known strong batteries and defenses。 On the 19th the Memphis troops were embarked； and steamed down to Helena； where on the 21st General Steele's division was also embarked； and on the 22d we were all rendezvoused at Friar's Point； in the following order； viz。：
Steamer Forest Queen； general headquarters； and battalion Thirteenth United States Infantry。
First Division； Brigadier…General A。 J。 SMITH。… Steamers Des Arc； division headquarters and escort； Metropolitan； Sixth Indiana； J。 H。 Dickey； Twenty…third Wisconsin； J。 C。 Snow； Sixteenth Indiana； Hiawatha； Ninety…sixth Ohio； J。 S。 Pringle； Sixty…seventh Indiana； J。 W。 Cheeseman； Ninth Kentucky； R。 Campbell； Ninety…seventh Indiana； Duke of Argyle； Seventy…seventh Illinois； City of Alton； One Hundred and Eighth and Forty…eighth Ohio； City of Louisiana； Mercantile Battery； Ohio Belle； Seventeenth Ohio Battery； Citizen； Eighty…third Ohio； Champion； commissary…boat； General Anderson； Ordnance。
Second Division；； Brigadier…General M。 L。 SMITH。…Steamers Chancellor； headquarters； and Thielman's cavalry； Planet； One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois； City of Memphis； Batteries A and B （Missouri Artillery）； Eighth Missouri； and section of Parrott guns； Omaha； Fifty…seventh Ohio； Sioux City； Eighty…third Indiana； Spread Eagle； One Hundred and Twenty…seventh Illinois； Ed。 Walsh； One Hundred and Thirteenth Illinois； Westmoreland； Fifty…fifth Illinois； headquarters Fourth Brigade； Sunny South； Fifty…fourth Ohio； Universe； Sixth Missouri； Robert Allen； commissary…boat。
Third Division； Brigadier…General G。 W。 MORGAN。… Steamers Empress； division headquarters； Key West； One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois； Sam Gaty； Sixty…ninth Indiana； Northerner； One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio； Belle Peoria； headquarters Second Brigade； two companies Forty…ninth Ohio； and pontoons； Die Vernon； Third Kentucky； War Eagle； Forty…ninth Indiana （eight companies）； and Foster's battery； Henry von Phul； headquarters Third Brigade； and eight companies Sixteenth Ohio； Fanny Bullitt； One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio； and Lamphere's battery； Crescent City； Twenty…second Kentucky and Fifty…fourth Indiana； Des Moines； Forty…second Ohio； Pembina； Lamphere's and Stone's batteries； Lady Jackson； commissary…boat。
Fourth Division； Brigadier…General FREDERICK STEELE … Steamers Continental； headquarters； escort and battery； John J。 Roe； Fourth and Ninth Iowa； Nebraska； Thirty…first Iowa； Key West； First Iowa Artillery； John Warner； Thirteenth Illinois； Tecumseh； Twenty…sixth Iowa； Decatur； Twenty…eighth Iowa； Quitman； Thirty…fourth Iowa； Kennett； Twenty ninth Missouri； Gladiator； Thirtieth Missouri； Isabella； Thirty…first Missouri； D。 G。 Taylor； quartermaster's stores and horses； Sucker State； Thirty…second Missouri； Dakota； Third Missouri； Tntt； Twelfth Missouri Emma； Seventeenth Missouri； Adriatic； First Missouri； Meteor； Seventy…sixth Ohio； Polar Star； Fifty…eighth Ohio。
At the same time were communicated the following instructions：
HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING； THIRTEENTH ARMY Corps FOREST QUEEN； December 23； 1882。
To Commanders of Divisions； Generals F。 STEELE； GEORGE W。 MORGAN； A。J。 SMITH； and M。 L。 SMITH
With this I hand to each of yoU a copy of a map； compiled from the best sources； and which in the main is correct。 It is the same used by Admiral Porter and myself。 Complete military success can only be accomplished by united action on some general plan； embracing usually a large district of country。 In the present instance； our object is to secure the navigation of the Mississippi River and its main branches； and to hold them as military channels of communication and for commercial purposes。 The river； above Vicksburg； has been gained by conquering the country to its rear； rendering its possession by our enemy useless and unsafe to him； and of great value to us。 But the enemy still holds the river from Vicksburg to Baton Rouge； navigating it with his boats； and the possession of it enables him to connect his communications and routes of supply； east and west。 To deprive him of this will be a severe blow； and； if done effectually； will be of great advantage to us； and probably； the most decisive act of the war。 To accomplish this important result we are to act our partan important one of the great whole。 General Banks； with a large force； has reinforced General Butler in Louisiana； and from that quarter an expedition； by water and land； is coming northward。 General Grant； with the Thirteenth Army Corps； of which we compose the right wing； is moving southward。 The naval squadron （Admiral Porter） is operating with his gunboat fleet by water； each in perfect harmony with the other。
General Grant's left and centre were at last accounts approaching the Yalabusha； near Grenada； and the railroad to his rear； by which he drew his supplies； was reported to be seriously damaged。 This may disconcert him somewhat； but only makes more important our line of operations。 At the Yalabusha General Grant may encounter the army of General Pemberton； the same which refused him battle on the line of the Tallahatchie； which was strongly fortified； but； as he will not have time to fortify it； he will hardly stand there； and； in that event； General Grant will immediately advance down the high ridge between the Big Black and Yazoo； and will expect to meet us on the Yazoo and receive from us the supplies which he needs； and which he knows we carry along。 Parts of this general plan are to cooperate with the naval squadron in the reduction of Vicksburg； to secure possession of the land lying between the Yazoo and Big Black； and to act in concert with General Grant against Pemberton's forces； supposed to have Jackson； Mississippi； as a point of concentration。 Vicksburg is doubtless very strongly fortified； both against the river and land approaches。 Already the gunboats have secured the Yazoo up for twenty…three miles； to a fort on the Yazoo at Haines's Bluff； giving us a choice for a landing…place at some point up the Yazoo below this fort； or on the island which lies between Vicksburg and the present mouth of the Yazoo。 （See map ＇b； c； d＇； Johnson's plantation。）
But； before any actual collision with the enemy； I purpose； after our whole land force is rendezvoused at Gaines's Landing； Arkansas； to proceed in order to Milliken's Bend （a）； and there dispatch a brigade； wit
