memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第76部分

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At　the　same　time　I　wrote　another　short　note　to　General　Johnston；　of　the　same　date：

I　have　replies　from　Washington　to　my　communications　of　April　18th。　I　am　instructed　to　limit　my　operations　to　your　immediate　command；　and　not　to　attempt　civil　negotiations。　　I　therefore　demand　the　surrender　of　your　army　on　the　same　terms　as　were　given　to　General　Lee　at　Appomattox；　April　9th　instant；　purely　and　simply。

Of　course；　both　these　papers　were　shown　to　General　Grant　at　the　time；　before　they　were　sent；　and　he　approved　of　them。

At　the　same　time　orders　were　sent　to　all　parts　of　the　army　to　be　ready　to　resume　the　pursuit　of　the　enemy　on　the　expiration　of　the　forty…eight　hours'　truce；　and　messages　were　sent　to　General　Gillmore　（at　Hilton　Head）　to　the　same　effect；　with　instructions　to　get　a　similar　message　through　to　General　Wilson；　at　Macon；　by　some　means。

General　Grant　had　brought　with　him；　from　Washington；　written　answers　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　of　himself；　to　my　communications　of　the　18th；　which　I　still　possess；　and　here　give　the　originals。　　They　embrace　the　copy　of　a　dispatch　made　by　Mr。　Stanton　to　General　Grant；　when　he　was　pressing　Lee　at　Appomattox；　which　dispatch；　if　sent　me　at　the　same　time　（as　should　have　been　done）；　would　have　saved　a　world　of　trouble。　　I　did　not　understand　that　General　Grant　had　come　down　to　supersede　me　in　command；　nor　did　he　intimate　it；　nor　did　I　receive　these　communications　as　a　serious　reproof；　but　promptly　acted　on　them；　as　is　already　shown；　and　in　this　connection　I　give　my　answer　made　to　General　Grant；　at　Raleigh；　before　I　had　received　any　answer　from　General　Johnston　to　the　demand　far　the　surrender　of　his　own　army；　as　well　as　my　answer　to　Mr。　Stanton's　letter；　of　the　same　date；　both　written　on　the　supposition　that　I　might　have　to　start　suddenly　in　pursuit　of　Johnston；　and　have　no　other　chance　to　explain。


WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　April　21；　1865。

Lieutenant…General　GRANT。

GENERAL：　The　memorandum　or　basis　agreed　upon　between　General　Sherman　and　General　Johnston　having　been　submitted　to　the　President；　they　are　disapproved。　　You　will　give　notice　of　the　disapproval　to　General　Sherman；　and　direct　him　to　resume　hostilities　at　the　earliest　moment。

The　instructions　given　to　you　by　the　late　President；　Abraham　Lincoln；　on　the　3d　of　March；　by　my　telegraph　of　that　date；　addressed　to　you；　express　substantially　the　views　of　President　Andrew　Johnson；　and　will　be　observed　by　General　Sherman。　　A　copy　is　herewith　appended。

The　President　desires　that　you　proceed　immediately　to　the　headquarters　of　Major…General　Sherman；　and　direct　operations　against　the　enemy。

Yours　truly；

EDWIN　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。


The　following　telegram　was　received　2　p。m。；　City　Point；　March　4；　1865　（from　Washington；　12　M。；　March　3；1865）

＇CIPHER＇

OFFICE　UNITED　STATES　MILITARY　TELEGRAPH；　HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES

Lieutenant…General　GRANT：

The　President　directs　me　to　say　to　you　that　he　wishes　you　to　have　no　conference　with　General　Lee；　unless　it　be　for　the　capitulation　of　Lee's　army　or　on　solely　minor　and　purely　military　matters。

He　instructs　me　to　say　that　you　are　not　to　decide；　discuss；　or　confer　upon　any　political　question；　such　questions　the　President　holds　in　his　own　hands；　and　will　submit　them　to　no　military　conferences　or　conventions。

Meantime　you　are　to　press　to　the　utmost　your　military　advantages。

EDWIN　M。　　STANTON；　；Secretary　of　War。


HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　WASHINGTON；　D。C。　　April　21；　1865。

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

GENERAL：　The　basis　of　agreement　entered　into　between　yourself　and　General　J。　E。　Johnston；　for　the　disbandment　of　the　Southern　army；　and　the　extension　of　the　authority　of　the　General　Government　over　all　the　territory　belonging　to　it；　sent　for　the　approval　of　the　President；　is　received。

I　read　it　carefully　myself　before　submitting　it　to　the　President　and　Secretary　of　War；　and　felt　satisfied　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　approved。　　My　reason　for　these　views　I　will　give　you　at　another　time；　in　a　more　extended　letter。

Your　agreement　touches　upon　questions　of　such　vital　importance　that；　as　soon　as　read；　I　addressed　a　note　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　notifying　him　of　their　receipt；　and　the　importance　of　immediate　action　by　the　President；　and　suggested；　in　view　of　their　importance；　that　the　entire　Cabinet　be　called　together；　that　all　might　give　an　expression　of　their　opinions　upon　the　matter。　　The　result　was　a　disapproval　by　the　President　of　the　basis　laid　down；　a　disapproval　of　the　negotiations　altogether　except　for　the　surrender　of　the　army　commanded　by　General　Johnston；　and　directions　to　me　to　notify　you　of　this　decision。　　I　cannot　do　no　better　than　by　sending　you　the　inclosed　copy　of　a　dispatch　（penned　by　the　late　President；　though　signed　by　the　Secretary　of　War）　in　answer　to　me；　on　sending　a　letter　received　from　General　Lee；　proposing　to　meet　me　for　the　purpose　of　submitting　the　question　of　peace　to　a　convention　of　officers。

Please　notify　General　Johnston；；　immediately　on　receipt　of　this；　of　the　termination　of　the　truce；　and　resume　hostilities　against　his　army　at　the　earliest　moment　you　can；　acting　in　good　faith。

Very　respectfully　your　obedient　servant；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　25；　1865。

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　present。

GENERAL：　I　had　the　honor　to　receive　your　letter　of　April　21st；　with　inclosures；　yesterday；　and　was　well　pleased　that　you　came　along；　as　you　must　have　observed　that　I　held　the　military　control　so　as　to　adapt　it　to　any　phase　the　case　might　assume。

It　is　but　just　I　should　record　the　fact　that　I　made　my　terms　with　General　Johnston　under　the　influence　of　the　liberal　terms　you　extended　to　the　army　of　General　Lee　at　Appomattox　Court…House　on　the　9th；　and　the　seeming　policy　of　our　Government；　as　evinced　by　the　call　of　the　Virginia　Legislature　and　Governor　back　to　Richmond；　under　yours　and　President　Lincoln's　very　eyes。

It　now　appears　this　last　act　was　done　without　any　consultation　with　you　or　any　knowledge　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　but　rather　in　opposition　to　a　previous　policy　well　considered。

I　have　not　the　least　desire　to　interfere　in　the　civil　policy　of　our　Government；　but　would　shun　it　as　something　not　to　my　liking；　but　occasions　do　arise　when　a　prompt　seizure　of　results　is　forced　on　military　commanders　not　in　immediate　communication　with　the　proper　authority。　　It　is　probable　that　the　terms　signed　by　General　Johnston　and　myself　were　not　clear　enough　on　the　point；　well　understood　between　us；　that　our　negotiations　did　not　apply　to　any　parties　outside　the　officers　and　men　of　the　Confederate　armies；　which　could　easily　have　been　remedied。

No　surrender　of　any　army　not　actually　at　the　mercy　of　an　antagonist　was　ever　made　without　〃terms；〃　and　these　always　define　the　military　status　of　the　surrendered。　　Thus　you　stipulated　that　the　officers　and　men　of　Lee's　army　should　not　be　molested　at　their　homes　so　long　as　they　obeyed　the　laws　at　the　place　of　their　residence。

I　do　not　wish　to　discuss　these　points　involved　in　our　recognition　of　the　State　governments　in　actual　existence；　but　will　merely　state　my　conclusions；　to　await　the　solution　of　the　future。

Such　action　on　our　part　in　no　manner　recognizes　for　a　moment　the　so…called　Confederate　Government；　or　makes　us　liable　for　its　debts　or　acts。

The　laws　and　acts　done　by　the　several　States　during　the　period　of　rebellion　are　void；　because　done　without　the　oath　prescribed　by　our　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　is　a　〃condition　precedent。〃

We　have　a　right　to；　use　any　sort　of　machinery　to　produce　military　results；　and　it　is　the　commonest　thing　for　military　commanders　to　use　the　civil　governments　in　actual　existence　as　a　means　to　an　end。　I　do　believe　we　could　and　can　use　the　present　State　governments　lawfully；　constitutionally；　and　as　the　very　best　possible　means　to　produce　the　object　desired；　viz。；　entire　and　complete　submission　to　the　lawful　authority　of　the　United　States。

As　to　punishment　for　past　crimes；　that　is　for　the　judiciary；　and　can　in　no　manner　of　way　be　disturbed　by　our　acts；　and；　so　far　as　I　can；　I　will　use　my　influence　that　rebels　shall　suffer　all　the　personal　punishment　prescribed　by　law；　as　also　the　civil　liabilities　arising　from　their　past　acts。

What　we　now　want　is　the　new　form　of　law　by　which　common　men　may　regain　the　positions　of　industry；　so　long　disturbed　by　the　war。

I　now　apprehend　that　the　rebel　armies　will　disperse；　and；　instead　of　dealing　with　six　or　seven　States；　we　will　have　to　deal　with　numberless　bands　of　desperadoes；　headed　by　such　men　as　Mosby；　Forrest；　Red　Jackson；　and　others；　who　know　not　and　care　not　for　danger　and　its　consequences。

I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　25；　1865。

Hon。　E。　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington。

DEAR　SIR：　I　have　been　furnished　a　copy　of　your　letter　of　April　21st　to　General　Grant；　signifying　your　disapproval　of　the　terms　on　which　General　Johnston　proposed　to　disarm　and　disperse　the　insurgents；　on　condition　of　amnesty；　etc。　　I　admit　my　folly　in　embracing　in　a　military　convention　any　civil　matters；　but；　unfortunately；　such　is　the　nature　of　our　situation　that　they　seem　inextricably　united；　and　I　understood　from　you　at　Savannah　that　the　financial　state　of　the　country　demanded　military　success；　and　would　warrant　a　little　bending　to　policy。

When　I　had　my　conference　with　General　Johnston　I　had　the　public　examples　before　me　of　General　Grant's　terms　to　Lee's　army；　and　General　Weitzel's　invitation　to　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　assemble　at　Richmond。

I　still　believe　the　General　Government　of　the　United　States　has　made　a　mistake；　but　that　is　none　of　my　businessmine　is　a　different　task；　and　I　had　flattered　myself　that；　by　four　years　of　patient；　unremitting；　and　successful　labor；　I　deserved　no　reminder　such　as　is　contained　in　the　last　paragraph　of　your　letter　to　General　Grant。　　You　may　assure　the　President　that　I　heed　his　suggestion。　　I　am　truly；　etc。；

W。　T。