memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第6部分

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　he　had　fallen　back　three　miles　to　the　month　of　Snake　Creek　Gap；　and　was　there　fortified。　　I　wrote　him　the　next　day　the　following　letters；　copies　of　which　are　in　my　letter…book；　but　his　to　me　were　mere　notes　in　pencil；　not　retained



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　TUNNEL　HILL；　GEORGIA；　May　11；　1864

Major…General　McPHERSON；　commanding　army　of　the　Tennessee；　Sugar　Valley；　Georgia。


GENERAL：　I　received　by　courier　（in　the　night）　yours　of　5　and　8。30　P。　M。　of　yesterday。

You　now　have　your　twenty…three　thousand　men；　and　General　Hooker　is　in　close　support；　so　that　you　can　hold　all　of　Jos。　Johnston's　army　in　check　should　he　abandon　Dalton。　　He　cannot　afford　to　abandon　Dalton；　for　he　has　fixed　it　up　on　purpose　to　receive　us；　and　he　observes　that　we　are　close　at　hand；　waiting　for　him　to　quit。　　He　cannot　afford　a　detachment　strong　enough　to　fight　you；　as　his　army　will　not　admit　of　it。

Strengthen　your　position；　fight　any　thing　that　comes；　and　threaten　the　safety　of　the　railroad　all　the　time。　　But；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　would　rather　the　enemy　would　stay　in　Dalton　two　more　days；　when　he　may　find　in　his　rear　a　larger　party　than　he　expects　in　an　open　field。　　At　all　events；　we　can　then　choose　our　own　ground；　and　he　will　be　forced　to　move　out　of　his　works。　　I　do　not　intend　to　put　a　column　into　Buzzard…Roost　Gap　at　present。

See　that　you　are　in　easy　communication　with　me　and　with　all　head…　quarters。　　After　to…day　the　supplies　will　be　at　Ringgold。　Yours；　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　TUNNEL　HILL；　GEORGIA；　May　11；　1864…Evening

Major…General　McPHERSON；　commanding　army　of　the　Tennessee；　Sugar　Valley；　Georgia

GENERAL：　The　indications　are　that　Johnston　is　evacuating　Dalton。　In　that　event；　Howard's　corps　and　the　cavalry　will　pursue；　all　the　rest　will　follow　your　route。　　I　will　be　down　early　in　the　morning。

Try　to　strike　him　if　possible　about　the　forks　of　the　road。

Hooker　must　be　with　you　now；　and　you　may　send　General　Garrard　by　Summerville　to　threaten　Rome　and　that　flank。　　I　will　cause　all　the　lines　to　be　felt　at　once。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　major…general　commanding。



McPherson　had　startled　Johnston　in　his　fancied　security；　but　had　not　done　the　full　measure　of　his　work。　　He　had　in　hand　twenty…three　thousand　of　the　best　men　of　the　army；　and　could　have　walked　into　Resaca　（then　held　only　by　a　small　brigade）；　or　he　could　have　placed　his　whole　force　astride　the　railroad　above　Resaca；　and　there　have　easily　withstood　the　attack　of　all　of　Johnston's　army；　with　the　knowledge　that　Thomas　and　Schofield　were　on　his　heels。　　Had　he　done　so；　I　am　certain　that　Johnston　would　not　have　ventured　to　attack　him　in　position；　but　would　have　retreated　eastward　by　Spring　Place；　and　we　should　have　captured　half　his　army　and　all　his　artillery　and　wagons　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　campaign。

Such　an　opportunity　does　not　occur　twice　in　a　single　life；　but　at　the　critical　moment　McPherson　seems　to　have　been　a　little　cautious。　Still；　he　was　perfectly　justified　by　his　orders；　and　fell　back　and　assumed　an　unassailable　defensive　position　in　Sugar　Valley；　on　the　Resaca　side　of　Snake…Creek　Gap。　　As　soon　as　informed　of　this；　I　determined　to　pass　the　whole　army　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　and　to　move　on　Resaca　with　the　main　army。

But　during　the　10th；　the　enemy　showed　no　signs　of　evacuating　Dalton；　and　I　was　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　Garrard's　and　Stoneman's　cavalry；　known　to　be　near　at　hand；　eo　as　to　secure　the　full　advantages　of　victory；　of　which　I　felt　certain。　　Hooker's　Twentieth　Corps　was　at　once　moved　down　to　within　easy　supporting　distance　of　McPherson；　and　on　the　11th；　perceiving　signs　of　evacuation　of　Dalton；　I　gave　all　the　orders　for　the　general　movement；　leaving　the　Fourth　Corps　（Howard）　and　Stoneman's　cavalry　in　observation　in　front　of　Buzzard…Roost　Gap；　and　directing　all　the　rest　of　the　army　to　march　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　straight　on　Resaca。　　The　roads　were　only　such　as　the　country　afforded；　mere　rough　wagon…ways；　and　these　converged　to　the　single　narrow　track　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　but　during　the　12th　and　13th　the　bulk　of　Thomas's　and　Schofield's　armies　were　got　through；　and　deployed　against　Resaca；　McPherson　on　the　right；　Thomas　in　the　centre；　and　Schofield　on　the　left。　　Johnston；　as　I　anticipated；　had　abandoned　all　his　well…prepared　defenses　at　Dalton；　and　was　found　inside　of　Resaca　with　the　bulk　of　his　army；　holding　his　divisions　well　in　hand；　acting　purely　on　the　defensive；　and　fighting　well　at　all　points　of　conflict。　　A　complete　line　of　intrenchments　was　found　covering　the　place；　and　this　was　strongly　manned　at　all　points。　　On　the　14th　we　closed　in；　enveloping　the　town　on　its　north　and　west；　and　during　the　15th　we　had　a　day　of　continual　battle　and　skirmish。　At　the　same　time　I　caused　two　pontoon…bridges　to　be　laid　across　the　Oostenaula　River　at　Lay's　Ferry；　about　three　miles　below　the　town；　by　which　we　could　threaten　Calhoun；　a　station　on　the　railroad　seven　miles　below　Resaca。　　At　the　same　time；　May　14th；　I　dispatched　General　Garrard；　with　his　cavalry　division；　down　the　Oostenaula　by　the　Rome　road；　with　orders　to　cross　over；　if　possible；　and　to　attack　or　threaten　the　railroad　at　any　point　below　Calhoun　and　above　Kingston。

During　the　15th；　without　attempting　to　assault　the　fortified　works；　we　pressed　at　all　points；　and　the　sound　of　cannon　and　musketry　rose　all　day　to　the　dignity　of　a　battle。　　Toward　evening　McPherson　moved　his　whole　line　of　battle　forward；　till　he　had　gained　a　ridge　overlooking　the　town；　from　which　his　field…artillery　could　reach　the　railroad…bridge　across　the　Oostenaula。　　The　enemy　made　several　attempts　to　drive　him　away；　repeating　the　sallies　several　times；　and　extending　them　into　the　night；　but　in　every　instance　he　was　repulsed　with　bloody　loss。

Hooker's　corps　had　also　some　heavy　and　handsome　fighting　that　afternoon　and　night　on　the　left；　where　the　Dalton　roan　entered　the　intrenchments；　capturing　a　four…gun　intrenched　battery；　with　its　men　and　guns；　and　generally　all　our　men　showed　the　finest　fighting　qualities。

Howard's　corps　had　followed　Johnston　down　from　Dalton；　and　was　in　line；　Stoneman'a　division　of　cavalry　had　also　got　up；　and　was　on　the　extreme　left；　beyond　the　Oostenaula。

On　the　night　of　May　15th　Johnston　got　his　army　across　the　bridges；　set　them　on　fire；　and　we　entered　Resaca　at　daylight。　　Our　loss　up　to　that　time　was　about　six　hundred　dead　and　thirty…three　hundred　and　seventy…five　woundedmostly　light　wounds　that　did　not　necessitate　sending　the　men　to　the　rear　for　treatment。　　That　Johnston　had　deliberately　designed　in　advance　to　give　up　such　strong　positions　as　Dalton　and　Resaca；　for　the　purpose　of　drawing　us　farther　south；　is　simply　absurd。　　Had　he　remained　in　Dalton　another　hour；　it　would　have　been　his　total　defeat；　and　he　only　evacuated　Resaca　because　his　safety　demanded　it。　　The　movement　by　us　through　Snake…Creek　Gap　was　a　total　surprise　to　him。　　My　army　about　doubled　his　in　size；　but　he　had　all　the　advantages　of　natural　positions；　of　artificial　forts　and　roads；　and　of　concentrated　action。　　We　were　compelled　to　grope　our　way　through　forests；　across　mountains；　with　a　large　army；　necessarily　more　or　less　dispersed。　Of　course；　I　was　disappointed　not　to　have　crippled　his；　army　more　at　that　particular　stage　of　the　game；　but；　as　it　resulted；　these　rapid　successes　gave　us　the　initiative；　and　the　usual　impulse　of　a　conquering　army。

Johnston　having　retreated　in　the　night　of　May　15th；　immediate　pursuit　was　begun。　　A　division　of　infantry　（Jeff。　C。　Davis's）　was　at　once　dispatched　down　the　valley　toward　Rome；　to　support　Garrard's　cavalry；　and　the　whole　army　was　ordered　to　pursue；　McPherson　by　Lay's　Ferry；　on　the　right；　Thomas　directly　by　the　railroad；　and　Schofield　by　the　left；　by　the　old　road　that　crossed　the　Oostenaula　above　Echota　or　Newtown。

We　hastily　repaired　the　railroad　bridge　at　Resaca；　which　had　been　partially　burned；　and　built　a　temporary　floating　bridge　out　of　timber　and　materials　found　on　the　spot；　so　that　Thomas　got　his　advance　corps　over　during　the　16th；　and　marched　as　far　as　Calhoun；　where　he　came　into　communication　with　MePherson's　troops；　which　had　crossed　the　Oostenaula　at　Lay's　Ferry　by　our　pontoon…bridges；　previously　laid。　　Inasmuch　as　the　bridge　at　Resaca　was　overtaxed；　Hooker's　Twentieth　Corps　was　also　diverted　to　cross　by　the　fords　and　ferries　above　Resaca；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Echota。

On　the　17th；　toward　evening；　the　head　of　Thomas's　column；　Newton's　division；　encountered　the　rear…guard　of　Johnston's　army　near　Adairsville。　　I　was　near　the　head　of　column　at　the　time；　trying　to　get　a　view　of　the　position　of　the　enemy　from　an　elevation　in　an　open　field。　　My　party　attracted　the　fire　of　a　battery；　a　shell　passed　through　the　group　of　staff…officers　and　burst　just　beyond；　which　scattered　us　promptly。　　The　next　morning　the　enemy　had　disappeared；　and　our　pursuit　was　continued　to　Kingston；　which　we　reached　during　Sunday　forenoon；　the　19th。

》From　Resaca　the　railroad　runs　nearly　due　south；　but　at　Kingston　it　makes　junction　with　another　railroad　from　Rome；　and　changes　direction　due　eaSt。　At　that　time　McPherson's　head　of　column　was　about　four　miles　to　the　west　of　Kingston；　at　a　country　place　called　〃Woodlawn；〃　Schofield　and　Hooker　were　on　the　direct　roads　leading　from　Newtown　to　Casaville；　diagonal　to　the　route　followed　by　Thomas。　　Thomas's　head　of　column；　which　had　followed　the　country　roads　alongside　of　the　railroad；　was　about　four　miles　east　of　Kingston；　toward　Cassville；　when　about　noon　I　got　a　message　from　him　that　he　had　found　the　enemy；　drawn　up　in　line　of　battle；　on　some　extensive；　open　ground；　about　half…way　between　Kingston　and　Cassville；　and　that　appearances　indicated　a　willingness　and　preparation　for　battle。

Hurriedly　sending　orders　to　McPherson　to　resume　the　march；　to　hasten　forward　by　roads　leading　to　the　south　of　Kingston；　so　as　to　leave　for　Thomas's　troops　and　trains　the　use　of　the　main　road；　and　to　come　up　on　his　right；　I　rode　forward　rapidly；　over　some　rough　gravel　hills；　and　about　six　miles　from　Kingston　found　General　Thomas；　with　his　troops　deployed；　but　he　reported　that　the　enemy　had　fallen　back　in　echelon　of　divisions；　steadily　and　in　superb　order；　into　Cas