memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第98章

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d　encamp　my　whole　corps　near　the　Big　Black；　pretty　much　on　the　same　ground　we　had　occupied　before　the　movement；　and　with　the　prospect　of　a　period　of　rest　for　the　remainder　of　the　summer。　　We　reached　our　camps　on　the　27th　of　July。

Meantime；　a　division　of　troops；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　W。　Sooy　Smith；　had　been　added　to　my　corps。　　General　Smith　applied　for　and　received　a　sick…leave　on　the　20th　of　July；　Brigadier…General　Hugh　Ewing　was　assigned　to　its　command；　and　from　that　time　it　constituted　the　Fourth　Division　of　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps。

Port　Hudson　had　surrendered　to　General　Banks　on　the　8th　of　July　（a　necessary　consequence　of　the　fall　of　Vicksburg）；　and　thus　terminated　probably　the　most　important　enterprise　of　the　civil　war…　…the　recovery　of　the　complete　control　of　the　Mississippi　River；　from　its　source　to　its　mouthor；　in　the　language　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　the　Mississippi　went　〃unvexed　to　the　sea。〃

I　put　my　four　divisions　into　handsome；　clean　camps；　looking　to　health　and　comfort　alone；　and　had　my　headquarters　in　a　beautiful　grove　near　the　house　of　that　same　Parson　Fox　where　I　had　found　the　crowd　of　weeping　rebel　women　waiting　for　the　fate　of　their　friends　in　Vicksburg。

The　loss　sustained　by　the　Fifteenth　Corps　in　the　assault　of　May　19th；　at　Vicksburg；　was　mostly　confined　to　the　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　Regulars；　whose　commanding　officer；　Captain　Washington；　was　mortally　wounded；　and　afterward　died　in　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　which　battalion　lost　seventy…seven　men　out　of　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　engaged；　the　Eighty…third　Indiana　（Colonel　Spooner）；　and　the　One　Hundred　and　Twenty　seventh　Illinois　（Lieutenant…Colonel　Eldridge）；　the　aggregate　being　about　two　hundred。

In　the　assaults　of　the　22d；　the　loss　in　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　about　six　hundred。

In　the　attack　on　Jackson；　Mississippi；　during　the　11th…16th　of　July；　General　Ord　reported　the　loss　in　the　Thirteenth　Army　Corps　seven　hundred　and　sixty…two；　of　which　five　hundred　and　thirty…three　were　confined　to　Lauman's　division；　General　Parkes　reported；　in　the　Ninth　Corps；　thirty…seven　killed；　two　hundred　and　fifty…eight　wounded；　and　thirty…three　missing：　total；　three　hundred　and　twenty…eight。　　In　the　Fifteenth　Corps　the　loss　was　less；　so　that；　in　the　aggregate；　the　loss　as　reported　by　me　at　the　time　was　less　than　a　thousand　men；　while　we　took　that　number　alone　of　prisoners。

In　General　Grant's　entire　army　before　Vicksburg；　composed　of　the　Ninth；　part　of　the　Sixteenth；　and　the　whole　of　the　Thirteenth；　Fifteenth；　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　the　aggregate　loss；　as　stated　by　Badeau；　was：

Killed：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1243　Wounded：。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　7095　Missing：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　535

Total：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　8873


Whereas　the　Confederate　loss；　as　stated　by　the　same　author；

Surrendered　at　Vicksburg　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　32000　Captured　at　Champion　Hills。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　3000　Captured　at　Big　Black　Bridge　。。。。。。。。。。　　　2000　Captured　at　Port　Gibson。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　2000　Captured　with　Loring　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　4000　Killed　and　wounded　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　10000　Stragglers。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　3000

Total。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　56000

Besides　which；　〃a　large　amount　of　public　property；　consisting　of　railroads；　locomotives；　cars；　steamers；　cotton；　guns；　muskets；　ammunition；　etc。；　etc。；　was　captured　in　Vicksburg。〃

The　value　of　the　capture　of　Vicksburg；　however；　was　not　measured　by　the　list　of　prisoners；　guns；　and　small…arms；　but　by　the　fact　that　its　possession　secured　the　navigation　of　the　great　central　river　of　the　continent；　bisected　fatally　the　Southern　Confederacy；　and　set　the　armies　which　had　been　used　in　its　conquest　free　for　other　purposes；　and　it　so　happened　that　the　event　coincided　as　to　time　with　another　great　victory　which　crowned　our　arms　far　away；　at　Gettysburg；　Pennsylvania。　　That　was　a　defensive　battle；　whereas　ours　was　offensive　in　the　highest　acceptation　of　the　term；　and　the　two；　occurring　at　the　same　moment　of　time；　should　have　ended　the　war；　but　the　rebel　leaders　were　mad；　and　seemed　determined　that　their　people　should　drink　of　the　very　lowest　dregs　of　the　cup　of　war；　which　they　themselves　had　prepared。

The　campaign　of　Vicksburg；　in　its　conception　and　execution；　belonged　exclusively　to　General　Grant；　not　only　in　the　great　whole；　but　in　the　thousands　of　its　details。　　I　still　retain　many　of　his　letters　and　notes；　all　in　his　own　handwriting；　prescribing　the　routes　of　march　for　divisions　and　detachments；　specifying　even　the　amount　of　food　and　tools　to　be　carried　along。　　Many　persons　gave　his　adjutant　general；　Rawlins；　the　credit　for　these　things；　but　they　were　in　error；　for　no　commanding　general　of　an　army　ever　gave　more　of　his　personal　attention　to　details；　or　wrote　so　many　of　his　own　orders；　reports；　and　letters；　as　General　Grant。　　His　success　at　Vicksburg　justly　gave　him　great　fame　at　home　and　abroad。　　The　President　conferred　on　him　the　rank　of　major…general　in　the　regular　army；　the　highest　grade　then　existing　by　law；　and　General　McPherson　and　I　shared　in　his　success　by　receiving　similar　commissions　as　brigadier…generals　in　the　regular　army。

But　our　success　at　Vicksburg　produced　other　results　not　so　favorable　to　our　causea　general　relaxation　of　effort；　and　desire　to　escape　the　hard　drudgery　of　camp：　officers　sought　leaves　of　absence　to　visit　their　homes；　and　soldiers　obtained　furloughs　and　discharges　on　the　most　slender　pretexts；　even　the　General　Government　seemed　to　relax　in　its　efforts　to　replenish　our　ranks　with　new　men；　or　to　enforce　the　draft；　and　the　politicians　were　pressing　their　schemes　to　reorganize　or　patch　up　some　form　of　civil　government；　as　fast　as　the　armies　gained　partial　possession　of　the　States。

In　order　to　illustrate　this　peculiar　phase　of　our　civil　war；　I　give　at　this　place　copies　of　certain　letters　which　have　not　hereto。　fore　been　published：

＇Private。＇

WASHINGTON；　Augustt　29；　1868。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Vicksburg；　Mississippi

My　DEAR　GENERAL：　The　question　of　reconstruction　in　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　and　Arkansas；　will　soon　come　up　for　decision　of　the　Government；　and　not　only　the　length　of　the　war；　but　our　ultimate　and　complete　success；　will　depend　upon　its　decision。　　It　is　a　difficult　matter；　but　I　believe　it　can　be　successfully　solved；　if　the　President　will　consult　opinions　of　cool　and　discreet　men；　who　are　capable　of　looking　at　it　in　all　its　bearings　and　effects。　　I　think　he　is　disposed　to　receive　the　advice　of　our　generals　who　have　been　in　these　States；　and　know　much　more　of　their　condition　than　gassy　politicians　in　Congress。　　General　Banks　has　written　pretty　fully；　on　the　subject。　　I　wrote　to　General　Grant；　immediately；　after　the　fall　of　Vicksburg；　for　his　views　in　regard　to　Mississippi；　but　he　has　not　yet　answered。

I　wish　you　would　consult　with　Grant；　McPherson；　and　others　of　cool；　good　judgment；　and　write　me　your　views　fully；　as　I　may　wish　to　use　them　with　the　President。　　You　had　better　write　me　unofficially；　and　then　your　letter　will　not　be　put　on　file；　and　cannot　hereafter　be　used　against　you。　　You　have　been　in　Washington　enough　to　know　how　every　thing　a　man　writes　or　says　is　picked　up　by　his　enemies　and　misconstrued。　　With　kind　wishes　for　your　further　success；

I　am　yours　truly；

H。　W。　HALLECK


＇Private　and　Confidential。＇

HEADQUARTERS；　FIFTEENTH　ARMY　CORPS；　CAMP　ON　BIG　BLACK；　MISSISSIPPI；　September　17　1863　H。　W。　HALLECK；　Commander…in…Chief；　Washington；　D。　C。

DEAR　GENERAL：　I　have　received　your　letter　of　August　29th；　and　with　pleasure　confide　to　you　fully　my　thoughts　on　the　important　matters　you　suggest；　with　absolute　confidence　that　you　will　use　what　is　valuable；　and　reject　the　useless　or　superfluous。

That　part　of　the　continent　of　North　America　known　as　Louisiana；　Mississippi；　and　Arkansas；　is　in　my　judgment　the　key　to　the　whole　interior。　　The　valley　of　the　Mississippi　is　America；　and；　although　railroads　have　changed　the　economy　of　intercommunication；　yet　the　water…channels　still　mark　the　lines　of　fertile　land；　and　afford　cheap　carriage　to　the　heavy　products　of　it。

The　inhabitants　of　the　country　on　the　Monongahela；　the　Illinois；　the　Minnesota；　the　Yellowstone；　and　Osage；　are　as　directly　concerned　in　the　security　of　the　Lower　Miss