memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第31部分

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It　looks　to　me　as　though　Hood　was　bound　for　Tuscumbia。　　He　is　now　crossing　the　Coosa　River　below　Rome；　looking　weSt。　Let　me　know　if　you　can　hold　him　with　your　forces　now　in　Tennessee　and　the　expected　reenforeements；　as；　in　that　event；　you　know　what　I　propose　to　do。

I　will　be　at　Kingston　to…morrow。　　I　think　Rome　is　strong　enough　to　resist　any　attack；　and　the　rivers　are　all　high。　If　he　turns　up　by　Summerville；　I　will　get　in　behind　him。


And　on　the　same　day　to　General　Grant；　at　City　Point：

Hood　is　now　crossing　the　Coosa；　twelve　miles　below　Rome；　bound　weSt。　If　he　passes　over　to　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad；　had　I　not　better　execute　the　plan　of　my　letter　sent　you　by　Colonel　Porter；　and　leave　General　Thomas；　with　the　troops　now　in　Tennessee；　to　defend　the　State？　He　will　have　an　ample　force　when　the　reenforcements　ordered　reach　Nashville。


I　found　General　John　E。　　Smith　at　Cartersville；　and　on　the　11th　rode　on　to　Kingston；　where　I　had　telegraphic　communications　in　all　directions。

》From　General　Corse；　at　Rome；　I　learned　that　Hood's　army　had　disappeared；　but　in　what　direction　he　was　still　in　doubt；　and　I　was　so　strongly　convinced　of　the　wisdom　of　my　proposition　to　change　the　whole　tactics　of　the　campaign；　to　leave　Hood　to　General　Thomas；　and　to　march　across　Georgia　for　Savannah　or　Charleston；　that　I　again　telegraphed　to　General　Grant：

We　cannot　now　remain　on　the　defensive。　　With　twenty…five　thousand　infantry　and　the　bold　cavalry　he　has；　Hood　can　constantly　break　my　road。　　I　would　infinitely　prefer　to　make　a　wreck　of　the　road　and　of　the　country　from　Chattanooga　to　Atlanta；　including　the　latter　city；　send　back　all　my　wounded　and　unserviceable　men；　and　with　my　effective　army　move　through　Georgia；　smashing　things　to　the　sea。　Hood　may　turn　into　Tennessee　and　Kentucky；　but　I　believe　he　will　be　forced　to　follow　me。　　Instead　of　being　on　the　defensive；　I　will　be　on　the　offensive。　　Instead　of　my　guessing　at　what　he　means　to　do；　he　will　have　to　guess　at　my　plans。　　The　difference　in　war　would　be　fully　twenty…five　per　pent。　　I　can　make　Savannah；　Charleston；　or　the　month　of　the　Chattahoochee　（Appalachicola）。　　Answer　quick；　as　I　know　we　will　not　have　the　telegraph　long。


I　received　no　answer　to　this　at　the　time；　and　the　next　day　went　on　to　Rome；　where　the　news　came　that　Hood　had　made　his　appearance　at　Resaca；　and　had　demanded　the　surrender　of　the　place；　which　was　commanded　by　Colonel　Weaver；　reenforced　by　Brevet　Brigadier…General　Raum。　　General　Hood　had　evidently　marched　with　rapidity　up　the　Chattooga　Valley；　by　Summerville；　Lafayette；　Ship's　Gap；　and　Snake…Creek　Gap；　and　had　with　him　his　whole　army；　except　a　small　force　left　behind　to　watch　Rome。　　I　ordered　Resaca　to　be　further　reenforced　by　rail　from　Kingston；　and　ordered　General　Cox　to　make　a　bold　reconnoissance　down　the　Coosa　Valley；　which　captured　and　brought　into　Rome　some　cavalrymen　and　a　couple　of　field…guns；　with　their　horses　and　men。　　At　first　I　thought　of　interposing　my　whole　army　in　the　Chattooga　Valley；　so　as　to　prevent　Hood's　escape　south；　but　I　saw　at　a　glance　that　he　did　not　mean　to　fight；　and　in　that　event；　after　damaging　the　road　all　he　could；　he　would　be　likely　to　retreat　eastward　by　Spring　Place；　which　I　did　not　want　him　to　do；　and；　hearing　from　General　Raum　that　he　still　held　Resaca　safe；　and　that　General　Edward　McCook　had　also　got　there　with　some　cavalry　reenforcements；　I　turned　all　the　heads　of　columns　for　Resaca；　viz。；　General　Cox's；　from　Rome；　General　Stanley's；　from　McGuire's；　and　General　Howard's；　from　Kingston。　　We　all　reached　Resaca　during　that　night；　and　the　next　morning　（13th）　learned　that　Hood's　whole　army　had　passed　up　the　valley　toward　Dalton；　burning　the　railroad　and　doing　all　the　damage　possible。

On　the　12th　he　had　demanded　the　surrender　of　Resaca　in　the　following　letter


HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　TENNESSEE　IN　THE　FIELD；　October　12；1861。

To　the　officer　commanding　the　United　Stales　Forces　at　Resaca；　Georgia。

SIR：　I　demand　the　immediate　and　unconditional　surrender　of　the　post　and　garrison　under　your　command；　and；　should　this　be　acceded　to；　all　white　officers　and　soldiers　will　be　parolled　in　a　few　days。　　If　the　place　is　carried　by　assault；　no　prisoners　will　be　taken。　　Most　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

J。　　B。　　HOOD；　General。


To　this　Colonel　Weaver；　then　in　command；　replied：

HEADQUARTERS　SECOND　BRIGADE；　THIRD　DIVISION；　FIFTEENTH　CORPS　RESACA；　GEORGIA；　　October　12；　1884。

To　General　J。　B。　HOOD

Your　communication　of　this　date　just　received。　　In　reply；　I　have　to　state　that　I　am　somewhat　surprised　at　the　concluding　paragraph；　to　the　effect　that；　if　the　place　is　carried　by　assault；　no　prisoners　will　be　taken。　　In　my　opinion　I　can　hold　this　poSt。　If　you　want　it；　come　and　take　it。

I　am；　general；　very　respectfully；　your　most　obedient　servant；

CLARK　R。　WEAVER；　Commanding　Officer。


This　brigade　　was　very　small；　and　as　Hood's　investment　extended　only　from　the　Oostenaula；　below　the　town；　to　the　Connesauga　above；　he　left　open　the　approach　from　the　south；　which　enabled　General　Raum　and　the　cavalry　of　Generals　McCook　and　Watkins　to　reenforce　from　Kingston。　　In　fact；　Hood；　admonished　by　his　losses　at　Allatoona；　did　not　attempt　an　assault　at　all；　but　limited　his　attack　to　the　above　threat；　and　to　solve　skirmishing；　giving　his　attention　chiefly　to　the　destruction　of　the　railroad；　which　he　accomplished　all　the　way　up　to　Tunnel　Hill；　nearly　twenty　miles；　capturing　en　route　the　regiment　of　black　troops　at　Dalton　（Johnson's　Forty…fourth　United　States　colored）。　　On　the　14th；　I　turned　General　Howard　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　and　sent　General　Stanley　around　by　Tilton；　with　orders　to　cross　the　mountain　to　the　west；　so　as　to　capture；　if　possible；　the　force　left　by　the　enemy　in　Snake…Creek　Gap。　　We　found　this　gap　very　badly　obstructed　by　fallen　timber；　but　got　through　that　night；　and　the　next　day　the　main　army　was　at　Villanow。　　On　the　morning　of　the　16th；　the　leading　division　of　General　Howard's　column；　commanded　by　General　Charles　R。　Woods；　carried　Ship's　Gap；　taking　prisoners　part　of　the　Twenty…fourth　South　Carolina　Regiment；　which　had　been　left　there　to　hold　us　in　check。

The　best　information　there　obtained　located　Hood's　army　at　Lafayette；　near　which　place　I　hoped　to　catch　him　and　force　him　to　battle；　but；　by　the　time　we　had　got　enough　troops　across　the　mountain　at　Ship's　Gap；　Hood　had　escaped　down　the　valley　of　the　Chattooga；　and　all　we　could　do　was　to　follow　him　as　closely　as　possible。　　From　Ship's　Gap　I　dispatched　couriers　to　Chattanooga；　and　received　word　back　that　General　Schofield　was　there；　endeavoring　to　cooperate　with　me；　but　Hood　had　broken　up　the　telegraph；　and　thus　had　prevented　quick　communication。　　General　Schofield　did　not　reach　me　till　the　army　had　got　down　to　Gaylesville；　about　the　21st　of　October。

It　was　at　Ship's　Gap　that　a　courier　brought　me　the　cipher　message　from　General　Halleck　which　intimated　that　the　authorities　in　Washington　were　willing　I　should　undertake　the　march　across　Georgia　to　the　sea。　　The　translated　dispatch　named　〃Horse…i…bar　Sound〃　as　the　point　where　the　fleet　would　await　my　arrival。　　After　much　time　I　construed　it　to　mean；　〃Ossabaw　Sound；〃　below　Savannah；　which　was　correct。

On　the　16th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Thomas；　at　Nashville：

Send　me　Morgan's　and　Newton's　old　divisions。　　Reestablish　the　road；　and　I　will　follow　Hood　wherever　he　may　go。　　I　think　he　will　move　to　Blue　Mountain。　　We　can　maintain　our　men　and　animals　on　the　country。


General　Thomas's　reply　was：

NASHVILLE；　October　17；　186410。30　a。m。

Major…General　SHERMAN：

Your　dispatch　from　Ship's　Gap；　5　p。m。　of　the　16th；　just　received。　Schofield；　whom　I　placed　in　command　of　the　two　divisions　（Wagner's　and　Morgan's）；　was　to　move　up　Lookout　Valley　this　A。M。；　to　intercept　Hood；　should　he　be　marching　for　Bridgeport。　　I　will　order　him　to　join　you　with　the　two　divisions；　and　will　reconstruct　the　road　as　soon　as　possible。　　Will　also　reorganize　the　guards　for　posts　and　block…houses　。。。。　　Mower　and　Wilson　have　arrived；　and　are　on　their　way　to　join　you。　　I　hope　you　will　adopt　Grant's　idea　of　turning　Wilson　loose；　rather　than　undertake　the　plan　of　a　march　with　the　whole　force　through　Georgia　to　the　sea；　inasmuch　as　General　Grant　cannot　cooperate　with　you　as　at　first　arranged。

GEORGE　H。　　THOMAS；　Major…General。


So　it　is　clear　that　at　that　date　neither　General　Grant　nor　General　Thomas　heartily　favored　my　proposed　plan　of　campaign。　　On　the　same　day；　I　wrote　to　General　Schofield　at　Chattanooga：

Hood　is　not　at　Dear　Head　Cove。　　We　occupy　Ship's　Gap　and　Lafayette。　Hood　is　moving　south　via　Summerville；　Alpine；　and　Gadsden。　　If　he　enters　Tennessee；　it　will　be　to　the　west　of　Huntsville；　but　I　think　he　has　given　up　all　such　idea。　　I　want　the　road　repaired　to　Atlanta；　the　sick　and　wounded　men　sent　north　of　the　Tennessee；　my　army　recomposed；　and　I　will　then　make　the　interior　of　Georgia　feel　the　weight　of　war。　　It　is　folly　for　us　to　be　moving　our　armies　on　the　reports　of　scouts　and　citizens。　　We　must　maintain　the　offensive。　　Your　first　move　on　Trenton　and　Valley　Head　was　right…　…the　move　to　defend　Caperton's　Ferry　is　wrong。　　Notify　General　Thomas　of　these　my　views。　　We　must　follow　Hood　till　he　is　beyoud　the　reach　of　mischief；　and　then　resume　the　offensive。


The　correspondence　between　me　and　the　authorities　at　Washington；　as　well　as　with　the　several　army　commanders；　given　at　length　in　the　report　of　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　is　full　on　all　these　points。

After　striking　our　road　at　Dalton；　Hood　was　compelled　to　go　on　to　Chattanooga　and　Bridgeport；　or　to　pass　around　by　Decatur　and　abandon　altogether　his　attempt　to　make　us　let　go　our　hold　of　Atlanta　by　attacking　our　communications。　　It　was　clear　to　me　that　he　had　no　intention　to　meet　us　in　open　battle；　and　the　lightness　and　celerity　of　his　army　convinced　me　that　I　could　not　possibly　catch　him　on　a　stern…chase。　　We　therefore　quietly　followed　him　down　the　Chattooga　Valley　to　the　neighborhood　of　Gadsden；　but　halted　the　main　armies　near　the　Coosa　River；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Chattooga；　drawing　our　supplies　of　corn　and　meat　from　the　farms　of　that　comparatively　rich　valley　and　of　the　neighborhood。

General　Slocum；　in　Atlanta；　had　likewise　sent　out；　under　strong　escort；　large　trains　of　wago