memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第32部分

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General　Slocum；　in　Atlanta；　had　likewise　sent　out；　under　strong　escort；　large　trains　of　wagons　to　the　east；　and　brought　back　corn；　bacon；　and　all　kinds　of　provisions；　so　that　Hood's　efforts　to　cut　off　our　supplies　only　reacted　on　his　own　people。　　So　long　as　the　railroads　were　in　good　order；　our　supplies　came　full　and　regular　from　the　North；　but　when　the　enemy　broke　our　railroads　we　were　perfectly　justified　in　stripping　the　inhabitants　of　all　they　had。　I　remember　well　the　appeal　of　a　very　respectable　farmer　against　our　men　driving　away　his　fine　flock　of　sheep。　　I　explained　to　him　that　General　Hood　had　broken　our　railroad；　that　we　were　a　strong；　hungry　crowd；　and　needed　plenty　of　food；　that　Uncle　Sam　was　deeply　interested　in　our　continued　health　and　would　soon　repair　these　roads；　but　meantime　we　must　eat；　we　preferred　Illinois　beef；　but　mutton　would　have　to　answer。　　Poor　fellow！　　I　don't　believe　he　was　convinced　of　the　wisdom　or　wit　of　my　explanation。　　Very　soon　after　reaching　Lafayette　we　organized　a　line　of　supply　from　Chattanooga　to　Ringgold　by　rail；　and　thence　by　wagons　to　our　camps　about　Gaylesville。　　Meantime；　also；　Hood　had　reached　the　neighborhood　of　Gadsden；　and　drew　his　supplies　from　the　railroad　at　Blue　Mountain。

On　the　19th　of　October　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck；　at　Washington：

Hood　has　retreated　rapidly　by　all　the　roads　leading　south。　　Our　advance　columns　are　now　at　Alpine　and　Melville　Post…Office。　　I　shall　pursue　him　as　far　as　Gaylesville。　　The　enemy　will　not　venture　toward　Tennessee　except　around　by　Decatur。　　I　propose　to　send　the　Fourth　Corps　back　to　General　Thomas；　and　leave　him；　with　that　corps；　the　garrisons；　and　new　troops；　to　defend　the　line　of　the　Tennessee　River；　and　with　the　rest　I　will　push　into　the　heart　of　Georgia　and　come　out　at　Savannah；　destroying　all　the　railroads　of　the　State。　　The　break　in　our　railroad　at　Big　Shanty　is　almost　repaired；　and　that　about　Dalton　should　be　done　in　ten　days。　　We　find　abundance　of　forage　in　the　country。


On　the　same　day　I　telegraphed　to　General　L。　C。　Easton；　chief…quartermaster；　who　had　been　absent　on　a　visit　to　Missouri；　but　had　got　back　to　Chattanooga：

Go　in　person　to　superintend　the　repairs　of　the　railroad；　and　make　all　orders　in　my　name　that　will　expedite　its　completion。　　I　want　it　finished；　to　bring　back　from　Atlanta　to　Chattanooga　the　sick　and　wounded　men　and　surplus　stores。　　On　the　1st　of　November　I　want　nothing　in　front　of　Chattanooga　except　what　we　can　use　as　food　and　clothing　and　haul　in　our　wagons。　　There　is　plenty　of　corn　in　the　country；　and　we　only　want　forage　for　the　posts。　　I　allow　ten　days　for　all　this　to　be　done；　by　which　time　I　expect　to　be　at　or　near　Atlanta。


I　telegraphed　also　to　General　Amos　Beckwith；　chief…commissary　in　Atlanta；　who　was　acting　as　chief…quartermaster　during　the　absence　of　General　Easton：

Hood　will　escape　me。　　I　want　to　prepare　for　my　big　raid。　　On　the　1st　of　November　I　want　nothing　in　Atlanta　but　what　is　necessary　for　war。　　Send　all　trash　to　the　rear　at　once；　and　have　on　hand　thirty　days'　food　and　but　little　forage。　　I　propose　to　abandon　Atlanta；　and　the　railroad　back　to　Chattanooga；　to　sally　forth　to　ruin　Georgia　and　bring　up　on　the　seashore。　　Make　all　dispositions　accordingly。　　I　will　go　down　the　Coosa　until　I　am　sure　that　Hood　has　gone　to　Blue　Mountain。


On　the　21st　of　October　I　reached　Gaylesville；　had　my　bivouac　in　an　open　field　back　of　the　village；　and　remained　there　till　the　28th。　During　that　time　General　Schofield　arrived；　with　the　two　divisions　of　Generals　Wagner　（formerly　Newton's）　and　Morgan；　which　were　returned　to　their　respective　corps　（the　Fourth　and　Fourteenth）；　and　General　Schofield　resumed　his　own　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　then　on　the　Coosa　River；　near　Cedar　Bluff。　　General　Joseph　A。　Mower　also　arrived；　and　was　assigned　to　command　a　division　in　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　and　General　J。　H。　Wilson　came；　having　been　sent　from　Virginia　by　General　Grant；　for　the　purpose　of　commanding　all　my　cavalry。　　I　first　intended　to　organize　this　cavalry　into　a　corps　of　three　small　divisions；　to　be　commanded　by　General　Wilson；　but　the　horses　were　well　run　down；　and；　at　Wilson's　instance；　I　concluded　to　retain　only　one　division　of　four　thousand　five　hundred　men；　with　selected　horses；　under　General　Kilpatrick；　and　to　send　General　Wilson　back　with　all　the　rest　to　Nashville；　to　be　reorganized　and　to　act　under　General　Thomas　in　the　defense　of　Tennessee。　　Orders　to　this　effect　were　made　on　the　24th　of　October。

General　Grant；　in　designating　General　Wilson　to　command　my　cavalry；　predicted　that　he　would；　by　his　personal　activity；　increase　the　effect　of　that　arm　〃fifty　per　cent。；〃　and　he　advised　that　he　should　be　sent　south；　to　accomplish　all　that　I　had　proposed　to　do　with　the　main　army；　but　I　had　not　so　much　faith　in　cavalry　as　he　had；　and　preferred　to　adhere　to　my　original　intention　of　going　myself　with　a　competent　force。

About　this　time　I　learned　that　General　Beauregard　had　reached　Hood's　army　at　Gadsden；　that；　without　assuming　direct　command　of　that　army；　he　had　authority　from　the　Confederate　Government　to　direct　all　its　movements；　and　to　call　to　his　assistance　the　whole　strength　of　the　South。　　His　orders；　on　assuming　command；　were　full　of　alarm　and　desperation；　dated：

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　WEST　October　17；　1864

In　assuming　command；　at　this　critical　juncture；　of　the　Military　Division　of　the　West；　I　appeal　to　my　countrymen；　of　all　classes　and　sections；　for　their　generous　support。　　In　assigning　me　to　this　responsible　position；　the　President　of　the　Confederate　States　has　extended　to　me　the　assurance　of　his　earnest　support。　　The　Executives　of　your　States　meet　me　with　similar　expressions　of　their　devotion　to　our　cause。　　The　noble　army　in　the　field；　composed　of　brave　men　and　gallant　officers；　are　strangers　to　me；　but　I　know　they　will　do　all　that　patriots　can　achieve。。。。。

The　army　of　Sherman　still　defiantly　holds　Atlanta。　　He　can　and　must　be　driven　from　it。　　It　is　only　for　the　good　people　of　Georgia　and　surrounding　states　to　speak　the　word；　and　the　work　is　done；　we　have　abundant　provisions。　　There　are　men　enough　in　the　country；　liable　to　and　able　for　service；　to　accomplish　the　result。。。。。

My　countrymen；　respond　to　this　call　as　you　have　done　in　days　that　are　past；　and；　with　the　blessing　of　a　kind　and　overruling　Providence；　the　enemy　shall　be　driven　from　your　soil。　　The　security　of　your　wives　and　daughters　from　the　insults　and　outrages　of　a　brutal　foe　shall　be　established　soon；　and　be　followed　by　a；　permanent　and　honorable　peace。　　The　claims　of　home　and　country；　wife　and　children；　uniting　with　the　demands　of　honor　and　patriotism；　summon　us　to　the　field。　　We　cannot；　dare　not；　will　not　fail　to　respond。　　Full　of　hope　and　confidence；　I　come　to　join　you　in　your　struggles；　sharing　your　privations；　and；　with　your　brave　and　true　men；　to　strike　the　blow　that　shall　bring　success　to　our；　arms；　triumph　to　our　cause；　and　peace　to　our　country！。。。。。。

G。　T。　BEAUREGARD；　General。


Notwithstanding　this　somewhat　boastful　order　or　appeal；　General　Beauregard　did　not　actually　accompany　General　Hood　on　his　disastrous　march　to　Nashville；　but　took　post　at　Corinth；　Mississippi；　to　control　the　movement　of　his　supplies　and　to　watch　me。

At　Gaylesville　the　pursuit　of　Hood　by　the　army　under　my　immediate　command　may　be　said　to　have　ceased。　　During　this　pursuit；　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　commanded　by　its　senior　major…general　present；　P。　J。　Osterhaus；　in　the　absence　of　General　John　A。　Logan；　and　the　Seventeenth　Corps　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　T。　E。　G。　Ransom；　the　senior　officer　present；　in　the　absence　of　General　Frank　P。　　Blair。

General　Ransom　was　a　young；　most　gallant；　and　promising　officer；　son　of　the　Colonel　Ransom　who　was　killed　at　Chapultepec；　in　the　Mexican　War。　　He　had　served　with　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　in　1862　and　1863；　at　Vicksburg；　where　he　was　severely　wounded。　　He　was　not　well　at　the　time　we　started　from　Atlanta；　but　he　insisted　on　going　along　with　his　command。　　His　symptoms　became　more　aggravated　on　the　march；　and　when　we　were　encamped　near　Gaylesville；　I　visited　him　in　company　with　Surgeon　John　Moors；　United　States　Army；　who　said　that　the　case　was　one　of　typhoid　fever；　which　would　likely　prove　fatal。　A　few　days　after；　viz。；　the　28th；　he　was　being　carried　on　a　litter　toward　Rome；　and　as　I　rode　from　Gaylesville　to　Rome；　I　passed　him　by　the　way；　stopped；　and　spoke　with　him；　but　did　not　then　suppose　he　was　so　near　his　end。　　The　next　day；　however；　his　escort　reached　Rome；　bearing　his　dead　body。　　The　officer　in　charge　reported　that；　shortly　after　I　had　passed；　his　symptoms　became　so　much　worse　that　they　stopped　at　a　farmhouse　by　the　road…side；　where　he　died　that　evening。　　His　body　was　at　once　sent　to　Chicago　for　burial；　and　a　monument　has　been　ordered　by　the　Society　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　be　erected　in　his　memory。

On　the　26th　of　October　I　learned　that　Hood's　whole　army　had　made　its　appearance　about　Decatur；　Alabama；　and　at　once　caused　a　strong　reconnoissance　to　be　made　down　the　Coosa　to　near　Gadsden；　which　revealed　the　truth　that　the　enemy　was　gone　except　a　small　force　of　cavalry；　commanded　by　General　Wheeler；　which　had　been　left　to　watch　us。　　I　then　finally　resolved　on　my　future　course；　which　was　to　leave　Hood　to　be　encountered　by　General　Thomas；　while　I　should　carry　into　full　effect　the　long…contemplated　project　of　marching　for　the　sea…coast；　and　thence　to　operate　toward　Richmond。　　But　it　was　all…important　to　me　and　to　our　cause　that　General　Thomas　should　have　an　ample　force；　equal　to　any　and　every　emergency。

He　then　had　at　Nashville　about　eight　or　ten　thousand　new　troops；　and　as　many　more　civil　employs　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　which　were　not　suited　far　the　field；　but　would　be　most　useful　in　manning　the　excellent　forts　that　already　covered　Nashville。　　At　Chattanooga；　he　had　General　Steedman's　division；　about　five　thousand　men；　besides　garrisons　for　Chattanooga；　Bridgeport；　and　Stevenson；　at　Murfreesboro'　he　also　had　General　Rousseau's　division；　which　was　full　five　thousand　strong；　independent　of　the　necessary　garrisons　for　the　railroad。　　At　Decatur　and　Huntsville；　Alabama；　was　the　infantry　division　of　General　R。　S。　Granger；　estimated　at　four　thousand；　and　near　Florence；　Alab