memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第15部分

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sonal　staff　to　go　on　and　escort　the　body　to　his　home；　in　Clyde；　Ohio；　where　it　was　received　with　great　honor；　and　it　is　now　buried　in　a　small　cemetery；　close　by　his　mother's　house；　which　cemetery　is　composed　in　part　of　the　family　orchard；　in　which　he　used　to　play　when　a　boy。　The　foundation　is　ready　laid　for　the　equestrian　monument　now　in　progress；　under　the　auspices　of　the　Society　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee。

The　reports　that　came　to　me　from　all　parts　of　the　field　revealed　clearly　what　was　the　game　of　my　antagonist；　and　the　ground　somewhat　favored　him。　　The　railroad　and　wagon…road　from　Decatur　to　Atlanta　lie　along　the　summit；　from　which　the　waters　flow；　by　short；　steep　valleys；　into　the　〃Peach…Tree〃　and　Chattahoochee；　to　the　west；　and　by　other　valleys；　of　gentler　declivity；　toward　the　east　（Ocmulgee）。　The　ridges　and　level　ground　were　mostly　cleared；　and　had　been　cultivated　as　corn　or　cotton　fields；　but　where　the　valleys　were　broken；　they　were　left　in　a　state　of　naturewooded；　and　fall　of　undergrowth。　　McPherson's　line　of　battle　was　across　this　railroad；　along　a　general　ridge；　with　a　gentle　but　cleared　valley　to　his　front；　between　him　and　the　defenses　of　Atlanta；　and　another　valley；　behind　him；　was　clear　of　timber　in　part；　but　to　his　left　rear　the　country　was　heavily　wooded。　　Hood；　during　the　night　of　July　21st；　had　withdrawn　from　his　Peach…Tree　line；　had　occupied　the　fortified　line　of　Atlanta；　facing　north　and　east；　with　Stewart'sformerly　Polk'scorps　and　part　of　Hardee's；　and　with　G。　W。　Smith's　division　of　militia。　　His　own　corps；　and　part　of　Hardee's；　had　marched　out　to　the　road　leading　from　McDonough　to　Decatur；　and　had　turned　so　as　to　strike　the　left　and；　rear　of　McPherson's　line　〃in　air。〃　　At　the　same　time　he　had　sent　Wheeler's　division　of　cavalry　against　the　trains　parked　in　Decatur。　　Unluckily　for　us；　I　had　sent　away　the　whole　of　Garrard's　division　of　cavalry　during　the　night　of　the　20th；　with　orders　to　proceed　to　Covington；　thirty　miles　east；　to　burn　two　important　bridges　across　the　Ulcofauhatchee　and　Yellow　Rivers；　to　tear　up　the　railroad；　to　damage　it　as　much　as　possible　from　Stone　Mountain　eastward；　and　to　be　gone　four　days；　so　that　McPherson　had　no　cavalry　in　hand　to　guard　that　flank。

The　enemy　was　therefore　enabled；　under　cover　or　the　forest；　to　approach　quite　near　before　he　was　discovered；　indeed；　his　skirmish…　line　had　worked　through　the　timber　and　got　into　the　field　to　the　rear　of　Giles　A。　Smith's　division　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　unseen；　had　captured　Murray's　battery　of　regular　artillery；　moving　through　these　woods　entirely　unguarded；　and　had　got　possession　of　several　of　the　hospital　camps。　　The　right　of　this　rebel　line　struck　Dodge's　troops　in　motion；　but；　fortunately；　this　corps　（Sixteenth）　had　only　to　halt；　face　to　the　left；　and　was　in　line　of　battle；　and　this　corps　not　only　held　in　check　the　enemy；　but　drove　him　back　through　the　woods。　　About　the　same　time　this　same　force　had　struck　General　Giles　A。　Smith's　left　flank；　doubled　it　back；　captured　four　guns　in　position　and　the　party　engaged　in　building　the　very　battery　which　was　the　special　object　of　McPherson's　visit　to　me；　and　almost　enveloped　the　entire　left　flank。　　The　men；　however；　were　skillful　and　brave；　and　fought　for　a　time　with　their　backs　to　Atlanta。　　They　gradually　fell　back；　compressing　their　own　line；　and　gaining　strength　by　making　junction　with　Leggett's　division　of　the　Seven…　teenth　Corps；　well　and　strongly　posted　on　the　hill。　　One　or　two　brigades　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　ordered　by　McPherson；　came　rapidly　across　the　open　field　to　the　rear；　from　the　direction　of　the　railroad；　filled　up　the　gap　from　Blair's　new　left　to　the　head　of　Dodge's　column…now　facing　to　the　general　leftthus　forming　a　strong　left　flank；　at　right　angles　to　the　original　line　of　battle。　The　enemy　attacked；　boldly　and　repeatedly；　the　whole　of　this　flank；　but　met　an　equally　fierce　resistance；　and　on　that　ground　a　bloody　battle　raged　from　little　after　noon　till　into　the　night。　　A　part　of　Hood's　plan　of　action　was　to　sally　from　Atlanta　at　the　same　moment；　but　this　sally　was　not；　for　some　reason；　simultaneous；　for　the　first　attack　on　our　extreme　left　flank　had　been　checked　and　repulsed　before　the　sally　came　from　the　direction　of　Atlanta。　Meantime；　Colonel　Sprague；　in　Decatur；　had　got　his　teams　harnessed　up；　and　safely　conducted　his　train　to　the　rear　of　Schofield's　position；　holding　in　check　Wheeler's　cavalry　till　he　had　got　off　all　his　trains；　with　the　exception　of　three　or　four　wagons。　　I　remained　near　the　Howard　House；　receiving　reports　and　sending　orders；　urging　Generals　Thomas　and　Schofield　to　take　advantage　of　the　absence　from　their　front　of　so　considerable　a　body　as　was　evidently　engaged　on　our　left；　and；　if　possible；　to　make　a　lodgment　in　Atlanta　itself；　but　they　reported　that　the　lines　to　their　front；　at　all　accessible　points；　were　strong；　by　nature　and　by　art；　and　were　fully　manned。　　About　4　p。m。　the　expected；　sally　came　from　Atlanta；　directed　mainly　against　Leggett's　Hill　and　along　the　Decatur　road。　　At　Leggett's　Hill　they　were　met　and　bloodily　repulsed。　　Along　the　railroad　they　were　more　successful。　　Sweeping　over　a　small　force　with　two　guns；　they　reached　our　main　line；　broke　through　it；　and　got　possession　of　De　Gress's　battery　of　four　twenty…pound　Parrotts；　killing　every　horse；　and　turning　the　guns　against　us。　　General　Charles　R。　Wood's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　on　the　extreme　right　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　between　the　railroad　and　the　Howard　House；　where　he　connected　with　Schofield's　troops。　　He　reported　to　me　in　person　that　the　line　on　his　left　had　been　swept　back；　and　that　his　connection　with　General　Logan；　on　Leggett's　Hill；　was　broken。　　I　ordered　him　to　wheel　his　brigades　to　the　left；　to　advance　in　echelon；　and　to　catch　the　enemy　in　flank。　　General　Schofield　brought　forward　all　his　available　batteries；　to　the　number　of　twenty　guns；　to　a　position　to　the　left　front　of　the　Howard　House；　whence　we　could　overlook　the　field　of　action；　and　directed　a　heavy　fire　over　the　heads　of　General　Wood's　men　against　the　enemy；　and　we　saw　Wood's　troops　advance　and　encounter　the　enemy；　who　had　secured　possession　of　the　old　line　of　parapet　which　had　been　held　by　our　men。　　His　right　crossed　this　parapet；　which　he　swept　back；　taking　it　in　flank；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　division　which　had　been　driven　back　along　the　railroad　was　rallied　by　General　Logan　in　person；　and　fought　for　their　former　ground。　　These　combined　forces　drove　the　enemy　into　Atlanta；　recovering　the　twenty　pound　Parrott　guns　but　one　of　them　was　found　〃bursted〃　while　in　the　possession　of　the　enemy。　　The　two　six…pounders　farther　in　advance　were；　however；　lost；　and　had　been　hauled　back　by　the　enemy　into　Atlanta。　　Poor　Captain　de　Gress　came　to　me　in　tears；　lamenting　the　loss　of　his　favorite　guns；　when　they　were　regained　he　had　only　a　few　men　left；　and　not　a　single　horse。　He　asked　an　order　for　a　reequipment；　but　I　told　him　he　must　beg　and　borrow　of　others　till　he　could　restore　his　battery；　now　reduced　to　three　guns。　　How　he　did　so　I　do　not　know；　but　in　a　short　time　he　did　get　horses；　men；　and　finally　another　gun；　of　the　same　special　pattern；　and　served　them　with　splendid　effect　till　the　very　close　of　the　war。　　This　battery　had　also　been　with　me　from　Shiloh　till　that　time。

The　battle　of　July　22d　is　usually　called　the　battle　of　Atlanta。　　It　extended　from　the　Howard　House　to　General　Giles　A。　Smith's　position；　about　a　mile　beyond　the　Augusta　Railroad；　and　then　back　toward　Decatur；　the　whole　extent　of　ground　being　fully　seven　miles。　In　part　the　ground　was　clear　and　in　part　densely　wooded。　　I　rode　over　the　whole　of　it　the　next　day；　and　it　bore　the　marks　of　a　bloody　conflict。　　The　enemy　had　retired　during　the　night　inside　of　Atlanta；　and　we　remained　masters　of　the　situation　outside。　　I　purposely　allowed　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　fight　this　battle　almost　unaided；　save　by　demonstrations　on　the　part　of　General　Schofield　and　Thomas　against　the　fortified　lines　to　their　immediate　fronts；　and　by　detaching；　as　described；　one　of　Schofield's　brigades　to　Decatur；　because　I　knew　that　the　attacking　force　could　only　be　a　part　of　Hood's　army；　and　that；　if　any　assistance　were　rendered　by　either　of　the　other　armies；　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　would　be　jealous。　　Nobly　did　they　do　their　work　that　day；　and　terrible　was　the　slaughter　done　to　our　enemy；　though　at　sad　cost　to　ourselves；　as　shown　by　the　following　reports：


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD　NEAR　ATLANTA；　July　23；1864。

General　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　　C。

Yesterday　morning　the　enemy　fell　back　to　the　intrenchments　proper　of　the　city　of　Atlanta；　which　are　in　a　general　circle；　with　a　radius　of　one　and　a　half　miles；　and　we　closed　in。　　While　we　were　forming　our　lines；　and　selecting　positions　for　our　batteries；　the　enemy　appeared　suddenly　out　of　the　dense　woods　in　heavy　masses　on　our　extreme　left；　and　struck　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（General　Blair）　in　flank；　and　was　forcing　it　back；　when　the　Sixteenth　Corps　（General　Dodge）　came　up　and　checked　the　movement；　but　the　enemy's　cavalry　got　well　to　our　rear；　and　into　Decatur；　and　for　some　hours　our　left　flank　was　completely　enveloped。　　The　fight　that　resulted　was　continuous　until　night；　with　heavy　loss　on　both　sides。　　The　enemy　took　one　of　our　batteries　（Murray's；　of　the　Regular　Army）　that　was　marching　in　its　place　in　column　in　the　road；　unconscious　of　danger。　　About　p。m。　the　enemy　sallied　against　the　division　of　General　Morgan　L。　Smith；　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　which　occupied　an　abandoned　line　of　rifle…trench　near　the　railroad　east　of　the　city；　and　forced　it　back　some　four　hundred　yards；　leaving　in　his　hands　for　the　time　two　batteries；　but　the　ground　and　batteries　were　immediately　after　recovered　by　the　same　troops　reenforced。　　I　cannot　well　approximate　our　loss；　which　fell　heavily　on　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　but　count　it　as　three　thousand；　I　know　that；　being　on　the　defensive；　we　have　inflicted　equally　heavy　loss　on　the　enemy。

General　McPherson；　when　arranging　his　troops　about　11。00　A。M。；　and　passing　from　one　column　to　another；　incautiously　rode　upon　an　ambuscade　without　apprehension；　at　some　distance　ahead　of　his　staff　and　orderlies；　and　was　shot　dead。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding