memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第82部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　each。

These　companies　should　habitually　be　about　a　hundred　one　men　strong；　giving　twelve　hundred　to　a　regiment；　which　in　practice　would　settle　down　to　about　one　thousand　men。

Three　such　regiments　would　compose　a　brigade；　three　brigades　a　division；　and　three　divisions　a　corps。　　Then；　by　allowing　to　an　infantry　corps　a　brigade　of　cavalry　and　six　batteries　of　field…artillery；　we　would　have　an　efficient　　corps　d'armee　of　thirty　thousand　men；　whose　organization　would　be　simple　and　most　efficient；　and　whose　strength　should　never　be　allowed　to　fall　below　twenty…five　thousand　men。

The　corps　is　the　true　unit　for　grand　campaigns　and　battle；　should　have　a　full　and　perfect　staff；　and　every　thing　requisite　for　separate　action；　ready　at　all　times　to　be　detached　and　sent　off　for　any　nature　of　service。　　The　general　in　command　should　have　the　rank　of　lieutenant…general；　and　should　be；　by　experience　and　education；　equal　to　any　thing　in　war。　　Habitually　with　us　he　was　a　major…　general；　specially　selected　and　assigned　to　the　command　by　an　order　of　the　President；　constituting；　in　fact；　a　separate　grade。


The　division　is　the　unit　of　administration；　and　is　the　legitimate　command　of　a　major　general。

The　brigade　is　the　next　subdivision；　and　is　commanded　by　a　brigadier…general。

The　regiment　is　the　family。　　The　colonel；　as　the　father；　should　have　a　personal　acquaintance　with　every　officer　and　man；　and　should　instill　a　feeling　of　pride　and　affection　for　himself；　so　that　his　officers　and　men　would　naturally　look　to　him　for　personal　advice　and　instruction。　　In　war　the　regiment　should　never　be　subdivided；　but　should　always　be　maintained　entire。　　In　peace　this　is　impossible。

The　company　is　the　true　unit　of　discipline；　and　the　captain　is　the　company。　　A　good　captain　makes　a　good　company；　and　he　should　have　the　power　to　reward　as　well　as　punish。　　The　fact　that　soldiers　world　naturally　like　to　have　a　good　fellow　for　their　captain　is　the　best　reason　why　he　should　be　appointed　by　the　colonel；　or　by　some　superior　authority；　instead　of　being　elected　by　the　men。

In　the　United　States　the　people　are　the　〃sovereign；〃　all　power　originally　proceeds　from　them；　and　therefore　the　election　of　officers　by　the　men　is　the　common　rule。　　This　is　wrong；　because　an　army　is　not　a　popular　organization；　but　an　animated　machine；　an

instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　Executive　for　enforcing　the　law；　and　maintaining　the　honor　and　dignity　of　the　nation；　and　the　President；　as　the　constitutional　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　and　navy；　should　exercise　the　power　of　appointment　（subject　to　the　confirmation　of　the　Senate）　of　the　officers　of　〃volunteers；〃　as　well　as　of　〃regulars。〃

No　army　can　be　efficient　unless　it　be　a　unit　for　action；　and　the　power　must　come　from　above；　not　from　below：　the　President　usually　delegates　his　power　to　the　commander…in…chief；　and　he　to　the　next；　and　so　on　down　to　the　lowest　actual　commander　of　troops；　however　small　the　detachment。　　No　matter　how　troops　come　together；　when　once　united；　the　highest　officer　in　rank　is　held　responsible；　and　should　be　consequently　armed　with　the　fullest　power　of　the　Executive；　subject　only　to　law　and　existing　orders。　　The　more　simple　the　principle；　the　greater　the　likelihood　of　determined　action；　and　the　less　a　commanding　officer　is　circumscribed　by　bounds　or　by　precedent；　the　greater　is　the　probability　that　he　will　make　the　best　use　of　his　command　and　achieve　the　best　results。

The　Regular　Army　and　the　Military　Academy　at　West　Point　have　in　the　past　provided；　and　doubtless　will　in　the　future　provide　an　ample　supply　of　good　officers　for　future　wars；　but；　should　their　numbers　be　insufficient；　we　can　always　safely　rely　on　the　great　number　of　young　men　of　education　and　force　of　character　throughout　the　country；　to　supplement　them。　　At　the　close　of　our　civil　war；　lasting　four　years；　some　of　our　best　corps　and　division　generals；　as　well　as　staff…officers；　were　from　civil　life；　but　I　cannot　recall　any　of　the　most　successful　who　did　not　express　a　regret　that　he　had　not　received　in　early　life　instruction　in　the　elementary　principles　of　the　art　of　war；　instead　of　being　forced　to　acquire　this　knowledge　in　the　dangerous　and　expensive　school　of　actual　war。

But　the　vital　difficulty　was；　and　will　be　again；　to　obtain　an　adequate　number　of　good　soldiers。　　We　tried　almost　every　system　known　to　modern　nations；　all　with　more　or　less　successvoluntary　enlistments；　the　draft；　and　bought　substitutes…and　I　think　that　all　officers　of　experience　will　confirm　my　assertion　that　the　men　who　voluntarily　enlisted　at　the　outbreak　of　the　war　were　the　best；　better　than　the　conscript；　and　far　better　than　the　bought　substitute。　　When　a　regiment　is　once　organized　in　a　State；　and　mustered　into　the　service　of　the　United　States；　the　officers　and　men　become　subject　to　the　same　laws　of　discipline　and　government　as　the　regular　troops。　　They　are　in　no　sense　〃militia；〃　but　compose　apart　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States；　only　retain　their　State　title　for　convenience；　and　yet　may　be　principally　recruited　from　the　neighborhood　of　their　original　organization：　Once。　　organized；　the　regiment　should　be　kept　full　by　recruits；　and　when　it　becomes　difficult　to　obtain　more　recruits　the　pay　should　be　raised　by　Congress；　instead　of　tempting　new　men　by　exaggerated　bounties。　　I　believe　it　would　have　been　more　economical　to　have　raised　the　pay　of　the　soldier　to　thirty　or　even　fifty　dollars　a　month　than　to　have　held　out　the　promise　of　three　hundred　and　even　six　hundred　dollars　in　the　form　of　bounty。　　Toward　the　close　of　the　war；　I　have　often　heard　the　soldiers　complain　that　the　〃stay　at…home〃　men　got　better　pay；　bounties；　and　food；　than　they　who　were　exposed　to　all　the　dangers　and　vicissitudes　of　the　battles　and　marches　at　the　front。　The　feeling　of　the　soldier　should　be　that；　in　every　event；　the　sympathy　and　preference　of　his　government　is　for　him　who　fights；　rather　than　for　him　who　is　on　provost　or　guard　duty　to　the　rear；　and；　like　most　men；　he　measures　this　by　the　amount　of　pay。　　Of　course；　the　soldier　must　be　trained　to　obedience；　and　should　be　〃content　with　his　wages；〃　but　whoever　has　commanded　an　army　in　the　field　knows　the　difference　between　a　willing；　contented　mass　of　men；　and　one　that　feels　a　cause　of　grievance。　　There　is　a　soul　to　an　army　as　well　as　to　the　individual　man；　and　no　general　can　accomplish　the　full　work　of　his　army　unless　he　commands　the　soul　of　his　men；　as　well　as　their　bodies　and　legs。

The　greatest　mistake　made　in　our　civil　war　was　in　the　mode　of　recruitment　and　promotion。　　When　a　regiment　became　reduced　by　the　necessary　wear　and　tear　of　service；　instead　of　being　filled　up　at　the　bottom；　and　the　vacancies　among　the　officers　filled　from　the　best　noncommissioned　officers　and　men；　the　habit　was　to　raise　new　regiments；　with　new　colonels；　captains；　and　men；　leaving　the　old　and　experienced　battalions　to　dwindle　away　into　mere　skeleton　organizations。　　I　believe　with　the　volunteers　this　matter　was　left　to　the　States　exclusively；　and　I　remember　that　Wisconsin　kept　her　regiments　filled　with　recruits；　whereas　other　States　generally　filled　their　quotas　by　new　regiments；　and　the　result　was　that　we　estimated　a　Wisconsin　regiment　equal　to　an　ordinary　brigade。　　I　believe　that　five　hundred　new　men　added　to　an　old　and　experienced　regiment　were　more　valuable　than　a　thousand　men　in　the　form　of　a　new　regiment；　for　the　former　by　association　with　good；　experienced　captains；　lieutenants；　and　non…commissioned　officers；　soon　became　veterans；　whereas　the　latter　were　generally　unavailable　for　a　year。　The　German　method　of　recruitment　is　simply　perfect；　and　there　is　no　good　reason　why　we　should　not　follow　it　substantially。

On　a　road；　marching　by　the　flank；　it　would　be　considered　〃good　order〃　to　have　five　thousand　men　to　a　mile；　so　that　a　full　corps　of　thirty　thousand　men　would　extend　six　miles；　but　with　the　average　trains　and　batteries　of　artillery　the　probabilities　are　that　it　would　draw　out　to　ten　miles。　　On　a　long　and　regular　march　the　divisions　and　brigades　should　alternate　in　the　lead；　the　leading　division　should　be　on　the　road　by　the　earliest　dawn；　and　march　at　the　rate　of　about　two　miles；　or；　at　most；　two　and　a　half　miles　an　hour；　so　as　to　reach　camp　by　noon。　　Even　then　the　rear　divisions　and　trains　will　hardly　reach　camp　much　before　night。　Theoretically；　a　marching　column　should　preserve　such　order　that　by　simply　halting　and　facing　to　the　right　or　left；　it　would　be　in　line　of　battle；　but　this　is　rarely　the　case；　and　generally　deployments　are　made　〃forward；〃　by　conducting　each　brigade　by　the　flank　obliquely　to　the　right　or　left　to　its　approximate　position　in　line　of　battle；　and　there　deployed。　　In　such　a　line　of　battle；　a　brigade　of　three　thousand　infantry　would　oconpy　a　mile　of　〃front；〃　but　for　a　strong　line　of　battle　five…thousand　men　with　two　batteries　should　be　allowed　to　each　mile；　or　a　division　would　habitually　constitute　a　double　line　with　skirmishers　and　a　reserve　on　a　mile　of　〃front。〃

The　〃feeding〃　of　an　army　is　a　matter　of　the　most　vital　importance；　and　demands　the　earliest　attention　of　the　general　intrusted　with　a　campaign。　　To　be　strong；　healthy；　and　capable　of　the　largest　measure　of　physical　effort；　the　soldier　needs　about　three　pounds　gross　of　food　per　day；　and　the　horse　or　mule　about　twenty　pounds。　When　a　general　first　estimates　the　quantity　of　food　and　forage　needed　for　an　army　of　fifty　or　one　hundred　thousand　men；　he　is　apt　to　be　dismayed；　and　here　a　good　staff　is　indispensable；　though　the　general　cannot　throw　off　on　them　the　responsibility。　　He　must　give　the　subject　his　personal　attention；　for　the　army　reposes　in　him　alone；　and　should　never　doubt　the　fact　that　their　existence　overrides　in　importance　all　other　considerations。　　Once　satisfied　of　this；　and　that　all　has　been　done　that　can　be；　the　soldiers　are　always　willing　to　bear　the　largest　measure　of　privation。　　Probably　no　army　ever　had　a　more　varied　experience　in　this　regard　than　the　one　I　commanded　in　1864'65。

Our　base　of　supply　was　at　Nashville；　supplied　by　railways　and　the　Cumberland　River；　thence　by　rail　to　Chattanooga；　a　〃secondary　base；〃　and　thence　forward　a　single…track　railroad。　　The　stores　came　forward　daily；　but　I　endeavored　to　have　on　hand　a　full　supply　for　twenty　days　in　advance。　　Thes