memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第79部分

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ia　and　Tennessee。　　I　think　it　would　be　an　act　of　wisdom　to　open　this　State　to　trade　at　once。

I　hope　the　Government　will　make　known　its　policy　as　to　the　organs　of　State　government　without　delay。　　Affairs　must　necessarily　be　in　a　very　unsettled　state　until　that　is　done。　　The　people　are　now　in　a　mood　to　accept　almost　anything　which　promises　a　definite　settlement。　　〃What　is　to　be　done　with　the　freedmen？〃　is　the　question　of　all；　and　it　is　the　all　important　question。　　It　requires　prompt　and　wise　notion　to　prevent　the　negroes　from　becoming　a　huge　elephant　on　our　hands。　　If　I　am　to　govern　this　State；　it　is　important　for　me　to　know　it　at　once。　　If　another　is　to　be　sent　here；　it　cannot　be　done　too　soon；　for　he　probably　will　undo　the　most　that　I　shall　have　done。　　I　shall　be　glad　to　hear　from　you　fully；　when　you　have　time　to　write。　　I　will　send　your　message　to　General　Wilson　at　once。

J。　M。　SCHOFIELD；　Major…General。


I　was　utterly　without　instructions　from　any　source　on　the　points　of　General　Schofield's　inquiry；　and　under　the　existing　state　of　facts　could　not　even　advise　him；　for　by　this　time　I　was　in　possession　of　the　second　bulletin　of　Mr。　Stanton；　published　in　all　the　Northern　papers；　with　comments　that　assumed　that　I　was　a　common　traitor　and　a　public　enemy；　and　high　officials　had　even　instructed　my　own　subordinates　to　disobey　my　lawful　orders。　　General　Halleck；　who　had　so　long　been　in　Washington　as　the　chief　of　staff；　had　been　sent　on　the　21st　of　April　to　Richmond；　to　command　the　armies　of　the　Potomac　and　James；　in　place　of　General　Grant；　who　had　transferred　his　headquarters　to　the　national　capital；　and　he　（General　Halleck）　was　therefore　in　supreme　command　in　Virginia；　while　my　command　over　North　Carolina　had　never　been　revoked　or　modified。


＇Second　Bulletin。＇

WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON；　April　27　9。30　a。m。

To　Major…General　DIX：

The　department　has　received　the　following　dispatch　from　Major…　General　Halleck；　commanding　the　Military　Division　of　the　James。　Generals　Canby　and　Thomas　were　instructed　some　days　ago　that　Sherman's　arrangements　with　Johnston　were　disapproved　by　the　President；　and　they　were　ordered　to　disregard　it　and　push　the　enemy　in　every　direction。

E。　　M。　　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War。


RICHMOND；　VIRGINIA；　April　26…9。30　p。m。

HON。　E。　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War：

Generals　Meade；　Sheridan；　and　Wright；　are　acting　under　orders　to　pay　no　regard　to　any　truce　or　orders　of　General　Sherman　respecting　hostilities；　on　the　ground　that　Sherman's　agreement　could　bind　his　command　only；　and　no　other。

They　are　directed　to　push　forward；　regardless　of　orders　from　any　one　except　from　General　Grant；　and　cut　off　Johnston's　retreat。

Beauregard　has　telegraphed　to　　Danville　that　a　new　arrangement　has　been　made　with　Sherman；　and　that　the　advance　of　the　Sixth　Corps　was　to　be　suspended　until　further　orders。

I　have　telegraphed　back　to　obey　no　orders　of　Sherman；　but　to　push　forward　as　rapidly　as　possible。

The　bankers　here　have　information　to…day　that　Jeff。　Davis's　specie　is　moving　south　from　Goldsboro'；　in　wagons；　as　fast　as　possible。

I　suggest　that　orders　be　telegraphed；　through　General　Thomas；　that　Wilson　obey　no　orders　from　Sherman；　and　notifying　him　and　Canby；　and　all　commanders　on　the　Mississippi；　to　take　measures　to　intercept　the　rebel　chiefs　and　their　plunder。

The　specie　taken　with　them　is　estimated　here　at　from　six　to　thirteen　million　dollars。

H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General　commanding。


Subsequently；　before　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　in　Washington；　on　the　22d　of　May；　I　testified　fully　on　this　whole　matter；　and　will　abide　the　judgment　of　the　country　on　the　patriotism　and　wisdom　of　my　public　conduct　in　this　connection。　General　Halleck's　measures　to　capture　General　Johnston's　army；　actually　surrendered　to　me　at　the　time；　at　Greensboro'；　on　the　26th　of　April；　simply　excited　my　contempt　for　a　judgment　such　as　he　was　supposed　to　possess。　　The　assertion　that　Jeff。　Davis's　specie…　train；　of　six　to　thirteen　million　dollars；　was　reported　to　be　moving　south　from　Goldsboro'　in　wagons　as　fast　as　possible；　found　plenty　of　willing　ears；　though　my　army　of　eighty　thousand　men　had　been　at　Goldsboro'　from　March　22d　to　the　date　of　his　dispatch；　April　26th；　and　such　a　train　would　have　been　composed　of　from　fifteen　to　thirty…two　six…mule　teams　to　have　hauled　this　specie；　even　if　it　all　were　in　gold。　　I　suppose　the　exact　amount　of　treasure　which　Davis　had　with　him　is　now　known　to　a　cent；　some　of　it　was　paid　to　his　escort；　when　it　disbanded　at　and　near　Washington；　Georgia；　and　at　the　time　of　his　capture　he　had　a　small　parcel　of　gold　and　silver　coin；　not　to　exceed　ten　thousand　dollars；　which　is　now　retained　in　the　United　States　Treasury…vault　at　Washington；　and　shown　to　the　curious。

The　thirteen　millions　of　treasure；　with　which　Jeff。　Davis　was　to　corrupt　our　armies　and　buy　his　escape；　dwindled　down　to　the　contents　of　a　hand…valise！

To　say　that　I　was　merely　angry　at　the　tone　and　substance　of　these　published　bulletins　of　the　War　Department；　would　hardly　express　the　state　of　my　feelings。　　I　was　outraged　beyoud　measure；　and　was　resolved　to　resent　the　insult；　cost　what　it　might。　　I　went　to　the　Wayanda　and　showed　them　to　Mr。　Chase；　with　whom　I　had　a　long　and　frank　conversation；　during　which　he　explained　to　me　the　confusion　caused　in　Washington　by　the　assassination　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　the　sudden　accession　to　power　of　Mr。　Johnson；　who　was　then　supposed　to　be　bitter　and　vindictive　in　his　feelings　toward　the　South；　and　the　wild　pressure　of　every　class　of　politicians　to　enforce　on　the　new　President　their　pet　schemes。　　He　showed　me　a　letter　of　his　own；　which　was　in　print；　dated　Baltimore；　April　11th；　and　another　of　April　12th；　addressed　to　the　President；　urging　him　to　recognize　the　freedmen　as　equal　in　all　respects　to　the　whites。　　He　was　the　first　man；　of　any　authority　or　station；　who　ever　informed　me　that　the　Government　of　the　United　States　would　insist　on　extending　to　the　former　slaves　of　the　South　the　elective　franchise；　and　he　gave　as　a　reason　the　fact　that　the　slaves；　grateful　for　their　freedom；　for　which　they　were　indebted　to　the　armies　and　Government　of　the　North；　would；　by　their　votes；　offset　the　disaffected　and　rebel　element　of　the　white　population　of　the　South。　　At　that　time　quite　a　storm　was　prevailing　at　sea；　outside；　and　our　two　vessels　lay　snug　at　the　wharf　at　Morehead　City。　　I　saw　a　good　deal　of　Mr。　Chase；　and　several　notes　passed　between　us；　of　which　I　have　the　originals　yet。　Always　claiming　that　the　South　had　herself　freed　all　her　slaves　by　rebellion；　and　that　Mr。　Lincoln's　proclamation　of　freedom　（of　September　22；　1862）　was　binding　on　all　officers　of　the　General　Government；　I　doubted　the　wisdom　of　at　once　clothing　them　with　the　elective　franchise；　without　some　previous　preparation　and　qualification；　and　then　realized　the　national　loss　in　the　death　at　that　critical　moment　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　who　had　long　pondered　over　the　difficult　questions　involved；　who；　at　all　events；　would　have　been　honest　and　frank；　and　would　not　have　withheld　from　his　army　commanders　at　least　a　hint　that　would　have　been　to　them　a　guide。　It　was　plain　to　me；　therefore；　that　the　manner　of　his　assassination　had　stampeded　the　civil　authorities　in　Washington；　had　unnerved　them；　and　that　they　were　then　undecided　as　to　the　measures　indispensably　necessary　to　prevent　anarchy　at　the　South。

On　the　7th　of　May　the　storm　subsided；　and　we　put　to　sea；　Mr。　Chase　to　the　south；　on　his　proposed　tour　as　far　as　New　Orleans；　and　I　for　James　River。　　I　reached　Fortress　Monroe　on　the　8th；　and　thence　telegraphed　my　arrival　to　General　Grant；　asking　for　orders。　　I　found　at　Fortress　Monroe　a　dispatch　from　General　Halleck；　professing　great　friendship；　and　inviting　me　to　accept　his　hospitality　at　Richmond。　　I　answered　by　a　cipher…dispatch　that　I　had　seen　his　dispatch　to　Mr。　Stanton；　of　April　26th；　embraced　in　the　second　bulletin；　which　I　regarded　as　insulting；　declined　his　hospitality；　and　added　that　I　preferred　we　should　not　meet　as　I　passed　through　Richmond。　　I　thence　proceeded　to　City　Point　in　the　Russia；　and　on　to　Manchester；　opposite　Richmond；　via　Petersburg；　by　rail。　　I　found　that　both　wings　of　the　army　had　arrived　from　Raleigh；　and　were　in　camp　in　and　around　Manchester；　whence　I　again　telegraphed　General　Grant；　an　the　9th　of　May；　for　orders；　and　also　reported　my　arrival　to　General　Halleck　by　letter。　　I　found　that　General　Halleck　had　ordered　General　Davis's　corps　（the　Fourteenth）　for　review　by　himself。　　This　I　forbade。　　All　the　army　knew　of　the　insult　that　had　been　made　me　by　the　Secretary　of　War　and　General　Halleck；　and　watched　me　closely　to　see　if　I　would　tamely　submit。　During　the　9th　I　made　a　full　and　complete　report　of　all　these　events；　from　the　last　report　made　at　Goldsboro'　up　to　date；　and　the　next　day　received　orders　to　continue　the　march　to　Alexandria；　near　Washington。


On　the　morning　of　the　11th　we　crossed　the　pontoon…bridge　at　Richmond；　marched　through　that　city；　and　out　on　the　Han　over　CourtHouse　road；　General　Slocum's　left　wing　leading。　The　right　wing　（General　Logan）　followed　the　next　day；　viz。；　the　12th。　　Meantime；　General　O。　O。　Howard　had　been　summoned　to　Washington　to　take　charge　of　the　new　Bureau　of　Refugees；　Freedmen；　and　Abandoned　Lands；　and；　from　that　time　till　the　army　was　finally　disbanded；　General　John　A。　Logan　was　in　command　of　the　right　wing；　and　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee。　　The　left　wing　marched　through　Hanover　Court　House；　and　thence　took　roads　well　to　the　left　by　Chilesburg；　the　Fourteenth　Corps　by　New　Market　and　Culpepper；　Manassas；　etc。；　the　Twentieth　Corps　by　Spotsylvania　Court…House　and　Chancellorsville。　　The　right　wing　followed　the　more　direct　road　by　Fredericksburg。　　On　my　way　north　I　endeavored　to　see　as　much　of　the　battle…fields　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　as　I　could；　and　therefore　shifted　from　one　column　to　the　other；　visiting　en　route　Hanover　Court…House；　Spotsylvania；　Fredericksburg；　Dumfries；　etc。；　reaching　Alexandria　during　the　afternoon　of　May　19th；　and　pitched　my　camp　by　the　road　side；　about　half…way　between　Alexandria　and　the　Long　Bridge。　　During　the　same　and　next　day　the　whole　army　reached　Alexandria；　and　camped　round　about　it；　General　Meade's　Army　of　the　Potomac　had　possession　of　the　camps　above；　opposite　Washington