memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第97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！


d　children　to　feed；　in　addition　to　his　combatant　force。　　If　we　could　prevent　sallies；　or　relief　from　the　outside；　the　fate　of　the　garrison　of　Vicksburg　was　merely　a　question　of　time。

I　had　my　headquarters　camp　close　up　to　the　works；　near　the　centre　of　my　corps；　and　General　Grant　had　his　bivouac　behind　a　ravine　to　my　rear。　　We　estimated　Pemberton's　whole　force　in　Vicksburg　at　thirty　thousand　men；　and　it　was　well　known　that　the　rebel　General　Joseph　E。　Johnston　was　engaged　in　collecting　another　strong　force　near　the　Big　Black；　with　the　intention　to　attack　our　rear；　and　thus　to　afford　Pemberton　an　opportunity　to　escape　with　his　men。　　Even　then　the　ability　of　General　Johnston　was　recognized；　and　General　Grant　told　me　that　he　was　about　the　only　general　on　that　side　whom　he　feared。　　Each　corps　kept　strong　pickets　well　to　the　rear；　but；　as　the　rumors　of　Johnston's　accumulating　force　reached　us；　General　Grant　concluded　to　take　stronger　measures。　　He　had　received　from　the　North　General　J。　G。　Parker's　corps　（Ninth）；　which　had　been　posted　at　Haines's　Bluff；　then；　detailing　one　division　from　each　of　the　three　corps　d'armee　investing　Vicksburg；　he　ordered　me　to　go　out；　take　a　general　command　of　all；　and　to　counteract　any　movement　on　the　part　of　General　Johnston　to　relieve　Vicksburg。　　I　reconnoitred　the　whole　country；　from　Haines's　Bluff　to　the　railroad　bridge；　and　posted　the　troops　thus：

Parke's　two　divisions　from　Haines's　Bluff　out　to　the　Benton　or　ridge　road；　Tuttle's　division；　of　my　corps；　joining　on　and　extending　to　a　plantation　called　Young's；　overlooking　Bear　Creek　valley；　which　empties　into　the　Big　Black　above　Messinger's　Ferry；　then　McArthurs　division；　of　McPherson's　corps；　took　up　the　line；　and　reached　to　Osterhaus's　division　of　McClernand's　corps；　which　held　a　strong　fortified　position　at　the　railroad…crossing　of　the　Big　Black　River。　　I　was　of　opinion　that；　if　Johnston　should　cross　the　Big　Black；　he　could　by　the　favorable　nature　of　the　country　be　held　in　check　till　a　concentration　could　be　effected　by　us　at　the　point　threatened。　　From　the　best　information　we　could　gather；　General　Johnston　had　about　thirty　or　forty　thousand　men。　　I　took　post　near　a　plantation　of　one　Trible；　near　Markham's；　and　frequently　reconnoitred　the　whole　line；　and　could　see　the　enemy　engaged　in　like　manner；　on　the　east　aide　of　Big　Black；　but　he　never　attempted　actually　to　cross　over；　except　with　some　cavalry；　just　above　Bear　Creek；　which　was　easily　driven　back。　　I　was　there　from　June　20th　to　the　4th　of　July。　　In　a　small　log…house　near　Markham's　was　the　family　of　Mr。　Klein；　whose　wife　was　the　daughter　of　Mrs。　Day；　of　New　Orleans；　who　in　turn　was　the　sister　of　Judge　T。　W。　Bartley；　my　brother…in…law。　　I　used　frequently　to　drop　in　and　take　a　meal　with　them；　and　Mrs。　Klein　was　generally　known　as　the　general's　cousin；　which　doubtless　saved　her　and　her　family　from　molestation；　too　common　on　the　part　of　our　men。

One　day；　as　I　was　riding　the　line　near　a　farm　known　as　Parson　Fog's；　I　heard　that　the　family　of　a　Mr。　Wilkinson；　of　New　Orleans；　was　〃refugeeing〃　at　a　house　near　by。　　I　rode　up；　inquired；　and　found　two　young　girls　of　that　name；　who　said　they　were　the　children　of　General　Wilkinson；　of　Louisiana；　and　that　their　brother　had　been　at　the　Military　School　at　Alexandria。　　Inquiring　for　their　mother；　I　was　told　she　was　spending　the　day　at　Parson　Fox's。　　As　this　house　was　on　my　route；　I　rode　there；　went　through　a　large　gate　into　the　yard；　followed　by　my　staff　and　escort；　and　found　quite　a　number　of　ladies　sitting　on　the　porch。　　I　rode　up　and　inquired　if　that　were　Parson　Fox's。　　The　parson；　a　fine…looking；　venerable　old　man；　rose；　and　said　that　he　was　Parson　Fox。　　I　then　inquired　for　Mrs。　Wilkinson；　when　an　elderly　lady　answered　that　she　was　the　person。　I　asked　her　if　she　were　from　Plaquemine　Parish；　Louisiana；　and　she　said　she　was。　　I　then　inquired　if　she　had　a　son　who　had　been　a　cadet　at　Alexandria　when　General　Sherman　was　superintendent；　and　she　answered　yes。　　I　then　announced　myself；　inquired　after　the　boy；　and　she　said　he　was　inside　of　Vicksburg；　an　artillery　lieutenant。　I　then　asked　about　her　husband；　whom　I　had　known；　when　she　burst　into　tears；　and　cried　out　in　agony；　〃You　killed　him　at　Bull　Run；　where　he　was　fighting　for　his　country！〃　　I　disclaimed　killing　anybody　at　Bull　Run；　but　all　the　women　present　（nearly　a　dozen）　burst　into　loud　lamentations；　which　made　it　most　uncomfortable　for　me；　and　I　rode　away。　　On　the　3d　of　July；　as　I　sat　at　my　bivouac　by　the　road…side　near　Trible's；　I　saw　a　poor；　miserable　horse；　carrying　a　lady；　and　led　by　a　little　negro　boy；　coming　across　a　cotton…field　toward　me；　as　they　approached　I　recognized　poor　Mrs。　Wilkinson；　and　helped　her　to　dismount。　　I　inquired　what　had　brought　her　to　me　in　that　style；　and　she　answered　that　she　knew　Vicksburg；　was　going　to　surrender；　and　she　wanted　to　go　right　away　to　see　her　boy。　　I　had　a　telegraph…wire　to　General　Grant's　headquarters；　and　had　heard　that　there　were　symptoms　of　surrender；　but　as　yet　nothing　definite。　　I　tried　to　console　and　dissuade　her；　but　she　was　resolved；　and　I　could　not　help　giving　her　a　letter　to　General　Grant；　explaining　to　him　who　she　was；　and　asking　him　to　give　her　the　earliest　opportunity　to　see　her　son。　　The　distance　was　fully　twenty　miles；　but　off　she　started；　and　I　afterward　learned　that　my　letter　had　enabled　her　to　see　her　son；　who　had　escaped　unharmed。　Later　in　the　day　I　got　by　telegraph　General　Grant's　notice　of　the　negotiations　for　surrender；　and；　by　his　directions；　gave　general　orders　to　my　troops　to　be　ready　at　a　moment's　notice　to　cross　the　Big　Black；　and　go　for　Joe　Johnston。

The　next　day　（July　4；　1863）　Vicksburg　surrendered；　and　orders　were　given　for　at　once　attacking　General　Johnston。　　The　Thirteenth　Corps　（General　Ord）　was　ordered　to　march　rapidly；　and　cross　the　Big　Black　at　the　railroad…bridge；　the　Fifteenth　by　Mesainger's；　and　the　Ninth　（General　Parker）　by　Birdsong's　Ferry…all　to　converge　on　Bolton。　　My　corps　crossed　the　Big　Black　during　the　5th　and　6th　of　July；　and　marched　for　Bolton；　where　we　came　in　with　General　Ord's　troops；　but　the　Ninth　Corps　was　delayed　in　crossing　at　Birdsong's。　　Johnston　had　received　timely　notice　of　Pemberton's　surrender；　and　was　in　full　retreat　for　Jackson。　　On　the　8th　all　our　troops　reached　the　neighborhood　of　Clinton；　the　weather　fearfully　hot；　and　water　scarce。　　Johnston　had　marched　rapidly；　and　in　retreating　had　caused　cattle；　hogs；　and　sheep；　to　be　driven　into　the　ponds　of　water；　and　there　shot　down；　so　that　we　had　to　haul　their　dead　and　stinking　carcasses　out　to　use　the　water。　　On　the　l0th　of　July　we　had　driven　the　rebel　army　into　Jackson；　where　it　turned　at　bay　behind　the　intrenchments；　which　had　been　enlarged　and　strengthened　since　our　former　visit　in　May。　　We　closed　our　lines　about　Jackson；　my　corps　（Fifteenth）　held　the　centre；　extending　from　the　Clinton　to　the　Raymond　road；　Ord's　（Thirteenth）　on　the　right；　reaching　Pearl　River　below　the　town；　and　Parker's　（Ninth）　the　left；　above　the　town。

On　the　11th　we　pressed　close　in；　and　shelled　the　town　from　every　direction。　　One　of　Ords　brigades　（Lauman's）　got　too　close；　and　was　very　roughly　handled　and　driven　back　in　disorder。　　General　Ord　accused　the　commander　（General　Lauman）　of　having　disregarded　his　orders；　and　attributed　to　him　personally　the　disaster　and　heavy　loss　of　men。　　He　requested　his　relief；　which　I　granted；　and　General　Lauman　went　to　the　rear；　and　never　regained　his　division。　　He　died　after　the　war；　in　Iowa；　much　respected；　as　before　that　time　he　had　been　universally　esteemed　a　most　gallant　and　excellent　officer。　The　weather　was　fearfully　hot；　but　we　continued　to　press　the　siege　day　and　night；　using　our　artillery　pretty　freely；　and　on　the　morning　of　July　17th　the　place　was　found　evacuated。　　General　Steele's　division　was　sent　in　pursuit　as　far　as　Brandon　（fourteen　miles）；　but　General　Johnston　had　carried　his　army　safely　off；　and　pursuit　in　that　hot　weather　would　have　been　fatal　to　my　command。

Reporting　the　fact　to　General　Grant；　he　ordered　me　to　return；　to　send　General　Parkes's　corps　to　Haines's　Bluff；　General　Ord's　back　to　Vicksburg；　and　he　consented　that　I　should　encamp　my　whole　corps　near　the　Big　Black；　pretty　much　on　the　same　ground　we　had　occupied　before　th