memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第51部分

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d　he　answered；　〃Fort　Fisher　done　took！〃　　Of　course；　they　all　laughed；　and　none　more　heartily　than　General　Butler　himself。

On　the　11th　of　January　there　arrived　at　Savannah　a　revenue…cutter；　having　on　board　Simeon　Draper；　Esq。；　of　New　York　City；　the　Hon。　E。　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　Quartermaster…General　Meigs；　Adjutant…General　Townsend；　and　a　retinue　of　civilians；　who　had　come　down　from　the　North　to　regulate　the　civil　affairs　of　Savannah。。。。

I　was　instructed　by　Mr。　Stanton　to　transfer　to　Mr。　Draper　the　custom　house；　post…office；　and　such　other　public　buildings　as　these　civilians　needed　in　the　execution　of　their　office；　and　to　cause　to　be　delivered　into　their　custody　the　captured　cotton。　　This　was　accomplished　by…


＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　10。＇

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　January　12；　1865。

1。　　Brevet　Brigadier…General　Euston；　chief…quartermaster；　will　turn　over　to　Simeon　Draper；　Esq。；　agent　of　the　United　States　Treasury　Department；　all　cotton　now　in　the　city　of　Savannah；　prize　of　war；　taking　his　receipt　for　the　same　in　gross；　and　returning　for　it　to　the　quartermaster…general　He　will　also　afford　Mr。　Draper　all　the　facilities　in　his　power　in　the　way　of　transportation；　labor；　etc。；　to　enable　him　to　handle　the　cotton　with　expedition。

2。　　General　Euston　will　also　turn　over　to　Mr。　Draper　the　custom…　house；　and　such　other　buildings　in　the　city　of　Savannah　as　he　may　need　in　the　execution　of　his　office。

By　order　of　General　W。　T。　Sherman；

L。　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。


Up　to　this　time　all　the　cotton　had　been　carefully　guarded；　with　orders　to　General　Euston　to　ship　it　by　the　return…vessels　to　New　York；　for　the　adjudication　of　the　nearest　prize…court；　accompanied　with　invoices　and　all　evidence　of　title　to　ownership。　　Marks；　numbers；　and　other　figures；　were　carefully　preserved　on　the　bales；　so　that　the　court　might　know　the　history　of　each　bale。　　But　Mr。　Stanton；　who　surely　was　an　able　lawyer；　changed　all　this；　and　ordered　the　obliteration　of　all　the　marks；　so　that　no　man；　friend　or　foe；　could　trace　his　identical　cotton。　　I　thought　it　strange　at　the　time；　and　think　it　more　so　now；　for　I　am　assured　that　claims；　real　and　fictitious；　have　been　proved　up　against　this　identical　cotton　of　three　times　the　quantity　actually　captured；　and　that　reclamations　on　the　Treasury　have　been　allowed　for　more　than　the　actual　quantity　captured；　viz。；　thirty…one　thousand　bales。

Mr。　Stanton　staid　in　Savannah　several　days；　and　seemed　very　curious　about　matters　and　things　in　general。　　I　walked　with　him　through　the　city；　especially　the　bivouacs　of　the　several　regiments　that　occupied　the　vacant　squares；　and　he　seemed　particularly　pleased　at　the　ingenuity　of　the　men　in　constructing　their　temporary　huts。　Four　of　the　〃dog…tents；〃　or　tentes　d'abri；　buttoned　together；　served　for　a　roof；　and　the　sides　were　made　of　clapboards；　or　rough　boards　brought　from　demolished　houses　or　fences。　　I　remember　his　marked　admiration　for　the　hut　of　a　soldier　who　had　made　his　door　out　of　a　handsome　parlor　mirror；　the　glass　gone　and　its　gilt　frame　serving　for　his　door。

He　talked　to　me　a　great　deal　about　the　negroes；　the　former　slaves；　and　I　told　him　of　many　interesting　incidents；　illustrating　their　simple　character　and　faith　in　our　arms　and　progress。　　He　inquired　particularly　about　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis；　who；　he　said；　was　a　Democrat；　and　hostile　to　the　negro。　　I　assured　him　that　General　Davis　was　an　excellent　soldier；　and　I　did　not　believe　he　had　any　hostility　to　the　negro；　that　in　our　army　we　had　no　negro　soldiers；　and；　as　a　rule；　we　preferred　white　soldiers；　but　that　we　employed　a　large　force　of　them　as　servants；　teamsters；　and　pioneers；　who　had　rendered　admirable　service。　　He　then　showed　me　a　newspaper　account　of　General　Davis　taking　up　his　pontoon…bridge　across　Ebenezer　Creek；　leaving　sleeping　negro　men；　women；　and　children；　on　the　other　side；　to　be　slaughtered　by　Wheeler's　cavalry。　　I　had　heard　such　a　rumor；　and　advised　Mr。　Stanton；　before　becoming　prejudiced；　to　allow　me　to　send　for　General　Davis；　which　he　did；　and　General　Davis　explained　the　matter　to　his　entire　satisfaction。　　The　truth　was；　that；　as　we　approached　the　seaboard；　the　freedmen　in　droves；　old　and　young；　followed　the　several　columns　to　reach　a　place　of　safety。　　It　so　happened　that　General　Davies　route　into　Savannah　followed　what　was　known　as　the　〃River…road；〃　and　he　had　to　make　constant　use　of　his　pontoon…train…the　head　of　his　column　reaching　some　deep；　impassable　creek　before　the　rear　was　fairly　over　another。　　He　had　occasionally　to　use　the　pontoons　both　day　and　night。　　On　the　occasion　referred　to；　the　bridge　was　taken　up　from　Ebenezer　Creek　while　some　of　the　camp…followers　remained　asleep　on　the　farther　side；　and　these　were　picked　up　by　Wheeler's　cavalry。　Some　of　them；　in　their　fright；　were　drowned　in　trying　to　swim　over；　and　others　may　have　been　cruelly　killed　by　Wheeler's　men；　but　this　was　a　mere　supposition。　　At　all　events；　the　same　thing　might　have　resulted　to　General　Howard；　or　to　any　other　of　the　many　most　humane　commanders　who　filled　the　army。　　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis　was　strictly　a　soldier；　and　doubtless　hated　to　have　his　wagons　and　columns　encumbered　by　these　poor　negroes；　for　whom　we　all　felt　sympathy；　but　a　sympathy　of　a　different　sort　from　that　of　Mr。　Stanton；　which　was　not　of　pure　humanity；　but　of　politics。　　The　negro　question　was　beginning　to　loom　up　among　the　political　eventualities　of　the　day；　and　many　foresaw　that　not　only　would　the　slaves　secure　their　freedom；　but　that　they　would　also　have　votes。　I　did　not　dream　of　such　a　result　then；　but　knew　that　slavery；　as　such；　was　dead　forever；　and　did　not　suppose　that　the　former　slaves　would　be　suddenly；　without　preparation；　manufactured　into　voters；　equal　to　all　others；　politically　and　socially。　　Mr。　Stanton　seemed　desirous　of　coming　into　contact　with　the　negroes　to　confer　with　them；　and　he　asked　me　to　arrange　an　interview　for　him。　　I　accordingly　sent　out　and　invited　the　most　intelligent　of　the　negroes；　mostly　Baptist　and　Methodist　preachers；　to　come　to　my　rooms　to　meet　the　Secretary　of　War。　　Twenty　responded；　and　were　received　in　my　room　up…stairs　in　Mr。　Green's　house；　where　Mr。　Stanton　and　Adjutant…General　Townsend　took　down　the　conversation　in　the　form　of　questions　and　answers。　　Each　of　the　twenty　gave　his　name　and　partial　history；　and　then　selected　Garrison　Frazier　as　their　spokesman：

First　Question。　　State　what　your　understanding　is　in　regard　to　the　acts　of　Congress　and　President　Lincoln's　proclamation　touching　the　colored　people　in　the　rebel　States？

Answer。　　So　far　as　I　understand　President　Lincoln's　proclamation　to　the　rebel　States；　it　is；　that　if　they　will　lay　down　their　arms　and　submit　to　the　laws　of　the　United　States；　before　the　1st　of　January；　1863；　all　should　be　well；　but　if　they　did　not；　then　all　the　slaves　in　the　Southern　States　should　be　free；　henceforth　and　forever。　That　is　what　I　understood。

Second　Question。　　State　what　you　understand　by　slavery；　and　the　freedom　that　was　to　be　given　by　the　President's　proclamation？

Answer。　　Slavery　is　receiving　by　irresistible　power　the　work　of　another　man；　and　not　by　his　consent。　　The　freedom；　as　I　understand　it；　promised　by　the　proclamation；　is　taking　us　from　under　the　yoke　of　bondage　and　placing　us　where　we　can　reap　the　fruit　of　our　own　labor；　and　take　care　of　ourselves　and　assist　the　Government　in　maintaining　our　freedom。

Fourth　Question。　　State　in　what　manner　you　would　rather　live…　…whether　scattered　among　the　whites；　or　in　colonies　by　yourselves？

Answer。　　I　would　prefer　to　live　by　ourselves；　for　there　is　a　prejudice　against　us　in　the　South　that　will　take　years　to　get　over；　but　I　do　not　know　that　I　can　answer　for　my　brethren。

（All　but　Mr。　Lynch；　a　missionary　from　the　North；　agreed　with　Frazier；　but　he　thought　they　ought　to　live　together；　along　with　the　whites。）

Eighth　Question。　　If　the　rebel　leaders　were　to　arm　the　slaves；　what　would　be　its　effect？

Answer。　　I　think　they　would　fight　as　long　as　they　were　before　the　〃bayonet；〃　and　just　as　soon　as　they　could　get　away　they　would　desert；　in　my　opinion。

Tenth　Question。　　Do　you　understand　the　mode　of　enlistment　of　colored　persons　in　the　rebel　States　by　State　agents；　under　the　act　of　Congress；　if　yea；　what　is　your　understanding？

Answer。　　My　understanding　is；　that　colored　persons　enlisted　by　State　agents　are　enlisted　as　substitutes；　and　give　credit　to　the　State　and　do　not　swell　the　army；　because　every　black　man　enlisted　by　a　State　agent　leaves　a　white　man　at　home；　and　also　that　larger　bounties　are　given；　or　promised；　by　the　State　agents　than　are　given　by　the　United　States。　　The　great　object　should　be　to　push　through　this　rebellion　the　shortest　way；　and　there　seems　to　be　something　wanting　in　the　enlistment　by　State　agents；　for　it　don't　strengthen　the　army；　but　takes　one　away　for　every　colored　man　enlisted。

Eleventh　Question。　　State　what；　in　your　opinion；　is　the　best　way　to　enlist　colored　men　as　soldiers？

Answer。　　I　think；　sir；　that　all　compulsory　operations　should　be　put　a　stop　to。　　The　ministers　would　talk　to　them；　and　the　young　men　would　enliSt。　It　is　my　opinion　that　it　world　be　far　better　for　the　State　agents　to　stay　at　home　and　the　enlistments　be　made　for　the　United　States　under　the　direction　of　General　Sherman。

Up　to　this　time　I　was　present；　and；　on　Mr。　Stanton's　intimating　that　he　wanted　to　ask　some　questions　affecting　me；　I　withdrew；　and　then　he　put　the　twelfth　and　last　question

Twelfth　Question。　　State　what　is　the　feeling　of　the　colored　people　toward　General　Sherman；　and　how　far　do　they　regard　his　sentiments　and　actions　as　friendly　to　their　rights　and　interests；　or　otherwise。

Answer。　　We　looked　upon　General　Sherman；　prior　to　his　arrival；　as　a　man；　in　the　providence　of　God；　specially　set　apart　to　accomplish　this　work；　and　we　unanimously　felt　inexpressible　gratitude　to　him；　looking　upon　him　as　a　man　who　should　be　honored　for　the　faithful　performance　of　his　duty。　　Some　of　us　called　upon　him　immediately　upon　his　arrival；　and　it　is　probable　he　did　not　meet　the　secretary　with　more　courtesy　than　he　did　us。　　His　conduct　and　deportment　toward　us　characterized　him　as　a　friend　and　gentleman。　　We　have　confidence　in　General　Sherman；　and　think　wha