memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第16部分

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ance　ahead　of　his　staff　and　orderlies；　and　was　shot　dead。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD　NEAR　ATLANTA；　July　26；1864。

Major…General　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　C。

GENERAL：　I　find　it　difficult　to　make　prompt　report　of　results；　coupled　with　some　data　or　information；　without　occasionally　making　mistakes。　　McPherson's　sudden　death；　and　Logan　succeeding　to　the　command　as　it　were　in　the　midst　of　battle；　made　some　confusion　on　our　extreme　left；　but　it　soon　recovered　and　made　sad　havoc　with　the　enemy；　who　had　practised　one　of　his　favorite　games　of　attacking　our　left　when　in　motion；　and　before　it　had　time　to　cover　its　weak　flank。　　After　riding　over　the　ground　and　hearing　the　varying　statements　of　the　actors；　I　directed　General　Logan　to　make　an　official　report　of　the　actual　result；　and　I　herewith　inclose　it。

Though　the　number　of　dead　rebels　seems　excessive；　I　am　disposed　to　give　full　credit　to　the　report　that　our　loss；　though　only　thirty…　five　hundred　and　twenty…one　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　the　enemy's　dead　alone　on　the　field　nearly　equaled　that　number；　viz。；　thirty…two　hundred　and　twenty。　　Happening　at　that　point　of　the　line　when　a　flag　of　truce　was　sent　in　to　ask　permission　for　each　party　to　bury　its　dead；　I　gave　General　Logan　authority　to　permit　a　temporary　truce　on　that　flank　alone；　while　our　labors　and　fighting　proceeded　at　all　others。

I　also　send　you　a　copy　of　General　Garrard's　report　of　the　breaking　of　the　railroad　toward　Augusta。　　I　am　now　grouping　my　command　to　attack　the　Macon　road；　and　with　that　view　will　intrench　a　strong　line　of　circumvallation　with　flanks；　so　as　to　have　as　large　an　infantry　column　as　possible；　with　all　the　cavalry　to　swing　round　to　the　south　and　east；　to　strike　that　road　at　or　below　East　Point。

I　have　the　honor　to　be；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。


HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　AND　ARMY　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　BEFORE　ATLANTA　GEORGIA；　July　24；　1864

Major…General　W。　T。　　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。

GENERAL：　I　have　the　honor　to　report　the　following　general　summary　of　the　result　of　the　attack　of　the　enemy　on　this　army　on　the　22d　inst。

Total　loss；　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　thirty…five　hundred　and　twenty…one；　and　ten　pieces　of　artillery。

We　have　buried　and　delivered　to　the　enemy；　under　a　flag　of　trace　sent　in　by　them；　in　front　of　the　Third　Division；　Seventeenth　Corps；　one　thousand　of　their　killed。

The　number　of　their　dead　in　front　of　the　Fourth　Division　of　the　same　corps；　including　those　on　the　ground　not　now　occupied　by　our　troops；　General　Blair　reports；　will　swell　the　number　of　their　dead　on　his　front　to　two　thousand。

The　number　of　their　dead　buried　in　front　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　up　to　this　hour；　is　three　hundred　and　sixty；　and　the　commanding　officer　reports　that　at　least　as　many　more　are　yet　unburied；　burying…parties　being　still　at　work。

The　number　of　dead　buried　in　front　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps　is　four　hundred　and　twenty…two。　　We　have　over　one　thousand　of　their　wounded　in　our　hands；　the　larger　number　of　the　wounded　being　carried　off　during　the　night；　after　the　engagement；　by　them。

We　captured　eighteen　stands　of　colors；　and　have　them　now。　　We　also　captured　five　thousand　stands　of　arms。

The　attack　was　made　on　our　lines　seven　times；　and　was　seven　times　repulsed。　　Hood's　and　Hardee's　corps　and　Wheeler's　cavalry　engaged　us。

We　have　sent　to　the　rear　one　thousand　prisoners；　including　thirty…three　commissioned　officers　of　high　rank。

We　still　occupy　the　field；　and　the　troops　are　in　fine　spirits。　　A　detailed　and　full　report　will　be　furnished　as　soon　as　completed。

Recapitulation。

Our　total　loss。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　3；521　Enemy's　dead；　thus　far　reported；　buried；　and　delivered　to　them。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　3；220　Total　prisoners　sent　North。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　1；017　Total　prisoners；　wounded；　in　our　hands。。。。　1；000　Estimated　loss　of　the　enemy；　at　least。。。。　10；000

Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；　Joan　A。　　Logan；　Major…General。


On　the　22d　of　July　General　Rousseau　reached　Marietta；　having　returned　from　his　raid　on　the　Alabama　road　at　Opelika；　and　on　the　next　day　General　Garrard　also　returned　from　Covington；　both　having　been　measurably　successful。　　The　former　was　about　twenty…five　hundred　strong；　the　latter　about　four　thousand；　and　both　reported　that　their　horses　were　jaded　and　tired；　needing　shoes　and　reSt。　But；　about　this　time；　I　was　advised　by　General　Grant　（then　investing　Richmond）　that　the　rebel　Government　had　become　aroused　to　the　critical　condition　of　things　about　Atlanta；　and　that　I　must　look　out　for　Hood　being　greatly　reenforced。　　I　therefore　was　resolved　to　push　matters；　and　at　once　set　about　the　original　purpose　of　transferring　the　whole　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　our　right　flank；　leaving　Schofield　to　stretch　out　so　as　to　rest　his　left　on　the　Augusta　road；　then　torn　up　for　thirty　miles　eastward；　and；　as　auxiliary　thereto；　I　ordered　all　the　cavalry　to　be　ready　to　pass　around　Atlanta　on　both　flanks；　to　break　up　the　Macon　road　at　some　point　below；　so　as　to　cut　off　all　supplies　to　the　rebel　army　inside；　and　thus　to　force　it　to　evacuate；　or　come　out　and　fight　us　on　equal　terms。

But　it　first　became　necessary　to　settle　the　important　question　of　who　should　succeed　General　McPherson？　　General　Logan　had　taken　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　by　virtue　of　his　seniority；　and　had　done　well；　but　I　did　not　consider　him　equal　to　the　command　of　three　corps。　　Between　him　and　General　Blair　there　existed　a　natural　rivalry。　　Both　were　men　of　great　courage　and　talent；　but　were　politicians　by　nature　and　experience；　and　it　may　be　that　for　this　reason　they　were　mistrusted　by　regular　officers　like　Generals　Schofield；　Thomas；　and　myself。　　It　was　all…important　that　there　should　exist　a　perfect　understanding　among　the　army　commanders；　and　at　a　conference　with　General　George　H。　Thomas　at　the　headquarters　of　General　Thomas　J。　Woods；　commanding　a　division　in　the　Fourth　Corps；　he　（Thomas）　remonstrated　warmly　against　my　recommending　that　General　Logan　should　be　regularly　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　by　reason　of　his　accidental　seniority。　　We　discussed　fully　the　merits　and　qualities　of　every　officer　of　high　rank　in　the　army；　and　finally　settled　on　Major…General　O。　O。　Howard　as　the　best　officer　who　was　present　and　available　for　the　purpose；　on　the　24th　of　July　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck　this　preference；　and　it　was　promptly　ratified　by　the　President。　　General　Howard's　place　in　command　of　the　Fourth　Corps　was　filled　by　General　Stanley；　one　of　his　division　commanders；　on　the　recommendation　of　General　Thomas。　　All　these　promotions　happened　to　fall　upon　West…Pointers；　and　doubtless　Logan　and　Blair　had　some　reason　to　believe　that　we　intended　to　monopolize　the　higher　honors　of　the　war　for　the　regular　officers。　　I　remember　well　my　own　thoughts　and　feelings　at　the　time；　and　feel　sure　that　I　was　not　intentionally　partial　to　any　class；　I　wanted　to　succeed　in　taking　Atlanta；　and　needed　commanders　who　were　purely　and　technically　soldiers；　men　who　would　obey　orders　and　execute　them　promptly　and　on　time；　for　I　knew　that　we　would　have　to　execute　some　most　delicate　manoeuvres；　requiring　the　utmost　skill；　nicety；　and　precision。　　I　believed　that　General　Howard　would　do　all　these　faithfully　and　well；　and　I　think　the　result　has　justified　my　choice。　　I　regarded　both　Generals　Logan　and　Blair　as　〃volunteers；〃　that　looked　to　personal　fame　and　glory　as　auxiliary　and　secondary　to　their　political　ambition；　and　not　as　professional　soldiers。

As　soon　as　it　was　known　that　General　Howard　had　been　chosen　to　command　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　General　Hooker　applied　to　General　Thomas　to　be　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　and　General　Thomas　forwarded　his　application　to　me　approved　and　heartily　recommended。　　I　at　once　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck；　recommending　General　Slocum　（then　at　Vicksburg）　to　be　his　successor；　because　Slocum　had　been　displaced　from　the　command　of　his　corps　at　the　time　when　the　Eleventh　and　Twelfth　were　united　and　made　the　Twentieth。

General　Hooker　was　offended　because　he　was　not　chosen　to　succeed　McPherson；　but　his　chances　were　not　even　considered；　indeed；　I　had　never　been　satisfied　with　him　since　his　affair　at　the　Gulp　House；　and　had　been　more　than　once　disposed　to　relieve　him　of　his　corps；　because　of　his　repeated　attempts　to　interfere　with　Generals　McPherson　and　Schofield。　　I　had　known　Hooker　since　1836；　and　was　intimately　associated　with　him　in　California；　where　we　served　together　on　the　staff　of　General　Persifer　F。　Smith。　　He　had　come　to　us　from　the　East　with　a　high　reputation　as　a　〃fighter；〃　which　he　had　fully　justified　at　Chattanooga　and　Peach…Tree　Creek；　at　which　latter　battle　I　complimented　him　on　the　field　for　special　gallantry；　and　afterward　in　official　reports。　　Still；　I　did　feel　a　sense　of　relief　when　he　left　us。　　We　were　then　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　in　advance　of　our　base；　dependent　on　a　single　line　of　railroad　for　our　daily　food。　　We　had　a　bold；　determined　foe　in　our　immediate　front；　strongly　intrenched；　with　communication　open　to　his　rear　for　supplies　and　reenforcements；　and　every　soldier　realized　that　we　had　plenty　of　hard　fighting　ahead；　and　that　all　honors　had　to　be　fairly　earned。

Until　General　Slocum　joined　（in　the　latter　part　of　August）；　the　Twentieth　Corps　was　commanded　by　General　A。　S。　Williams；　the　senior　division　commander　present。　　On　the　25th　of　July　the　army；　therefore；　stood　thus：　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　（General　O。　O。　Howard　commanding）　was　on　the　left；　pretty　much　on　the　same　ground　it　had　occupied　during　the　battle　of　the　22d；　all　ready　to　move　rapidly　by　the　rear　to　the　extreme　right　beyond　Proctor's　Creek；　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　（General　Schofield）　was　next　in　order；　with　its　left　flank　reaching　the　Augusta　Railroad；　next　in　order；　conforming　closely　with　the　rebel　intrenchmenta　of　Atlanta；　was　General　Thomas's　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　in　the　order　ofthe　Fourth　Corps　（Stanley's）；　the　Twentieth　Corps　（Williams's）；　and　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Palmer's）。　　Palmer's　right　division　（Jefferson　C。　Davis's）　was　strongly　refused　along　Proctor's　Creek。　　This　line　was　about　five　m