memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第86部分

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re　the　condition　of　their　men。

A　recent　message　（July　18；　1874）　made　to　the　French　Assembly　by　Marshal　MacMahon；　President　of　the　French　Republic；　submits　a　projet　de　loi；　with　a　report　prepared　by　a　board　of　French　generals　on　〃army　administration；〃　which　is　full　of　information；　and　is　as　applicable　to　us　as　to　the　French。　　I　quote　from　its　very　beginning：　〃The　misfortunes　of　the　campaign　of　1870　have　demonstrated　the　inferiority　of　our　system。。。。　　Two　separate　organizations　existed　with　parallel　functionsthe　'general'　more　occupied　in　giving　direction　to　his　troops　than　in　providing　for　their　material　wants；　which　he　regarded　as　the　special　province　of　the　staff；　and　the　'intendant'　（staff）　often　working　at　random；　taking　on　his　shoulders　a　crushing　burden　of　functions　and　duties；　exhausting　himself　with　useless　efforts；　and　aiming　to　accomplish　an　insufficient　service；　to　the　disappointment　of　everybody。　　This　separation　of　the　administration　and　command；　this　coexistence　of　two　wills；　each　independent　of　the　other；　which　paralyzed　both　and　annulled　the　dualism；　was　condemned。　　It　was　decided　by　the　board　that　this　error　should　be　〃proscribed　〃　in　the　new　military　system。　The　report　then　goes　on　at　great　length　discussing　the　provisions。　of　the　〃new　law；〃　which　is　described　to　be　a　radical　change　from　the　old　one　on　the　same　subject。　　While　conceding　to　the　Minister　of　War　in　Paris　the　general　control　and　supervision　of　the　entire　military　establishment　primarily；　especially　of　the　annual　estimates　or　budget；　and　the　great　depots　of　supply；　it　distributes　to　the　commanders　of　the　corps　d'armee　in　time　of　peace；　and　to　all　army　commanders　generally　in　time　of　war；　the　absolute　command　of　the　money；　provisions；　and　stores；　with　the　necessary　staff…　officers　to　receive；　issue；　and　account　for　them。　　I　quote　further：　〃The　object　of　this　law　is　to　confer　on　the　commander　of　troops　whatever　liberty　of　action　the　case　demands。　　He　has　the　power　even　to　go　beyond　the　regulations；　in　circumstances　of　urgency　and　pressing　necessity。　　The　extraordinary　measures　he　may　take　on　these　occasions　may　require　their　execution　without　delay。　　The　staff…officer　has　but　one　duty　before　obeying；　and　that　is　to　submit　his　observations　to　the　general；　and　to　ask　his　orders　in　writing。

With　this　formality　his　responsibility　ceases；　and　the　responsibility　for　the　extraordinary　act　falls　solely　on　the　general　who　gives　the　order。　　The　officers　and　agents　charged　with　supplies　are　placed　under　the　orders　of　the　general　in　command　of　the　troops；　that　is；　they　are　obliged　both　in　war　and　peace　to　obey；　with　the　single　qualification　above　named；　of　first　making　their　observations　and　securing　the　written　order　of　the　general。〃

With　us；　to…day；　the　law　and　regulations　are　that；　no　matter　what　may　be　the　emergency；　the　commanding　general　in　Texas；　New　Mexico；　and　the　remote　frontiers；　cannot　draw　from　the　arsenals　a　pistol…　cartridge；　or　any　sort　of　ordnance…stores；　without　first　procuring　an　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War　in　Washington。　　The　commanding　generalthough　intrusted　with　the　lives　of　his　soldiers　and　with　the　safety　of　a　frontier　in　a　condition　of　chronic　warcannot　touch　or　be　trusted　with　ordnance…stores　or　property；　and　that　is　declared　to　be　the　law！　　Every　officer　of　the　old　army　remembers　how；　in　1861；　we　were　hampered　with　the　old　blue　army　regulations；　which　　tied　our　hands；　and　that　to　do　any　thing　positive　and　necessary　we　had　to　tear　it　all　to　piecescut　the　red…tape；　as　it　was　called；　a　dangerous　thing　for　an　army　to　do；　for　it　was　calculated　to　bring　the　law　and　authority　into　contempt；　but　war　was　upon　us；　and　overwhelming　necessity　overrides　all　law。

This　French　report　is　well　worth　the　study　of　our　army…officers；　of　all　grades　and　classes；　and　I　will　only　refer　again；　casually；　to　another　part；　wherein　it　discusses　the　subject　of　military　correspondence：　whether　the　staff…officer　should　correspond　directly　with　his　chief　in　Paris；　submitting　to　his　general　copies；　or　whether　he　should　be　required　to　carry　on　his　correspondence　through　his　general；　so　that　the　latter　could　promptly　forward　the　communication；　indorsed　with　his　own　remarks　and　opinions。　　The　latter　is　declared　by　the　board　to　be　the　only　safe　role；　because　〃the　general　should　never　be　ignorant　of　any　thing　that　is　transpiring　that　concerns　his　command。〃

In　this　country；　as　in　France；　Congress　controls　the　great　questions　of　war　and　peace；　makes　all　laws　for　the　creation　and　government　of　armies；　and　votes　the　necessary　supplies；　leaving　to　the　President　to　execute　and　apply　these　laws；　especially　the　harder　task　of　limiting　the　expenditure　of　public　money　to　the　amount　of　the　annual　appropriations。　　The　executive　power　is　further　subdivided　into　the　seven　great　departments；　and　to　the　Secretary　of　War　is　confided　the　general　care　of　the　military　establishment；　and　his　powers　are　further　subdivided　into　ten　distinct　and　separate　bureaus。

The　chiefs　of　these　bureaus　are　under　the　immediate　orders　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　who；　through　them；　in　fact　commands　the　army　from　〃his　office；〃　but　cannot　do　so　〃in　the　field〃an　absurdity　in　military　if　not　civil　law。

The　subordinates　of　these　staff…corps　and　departments　are　selected　and　chosen　from　the　army　itself；　or　fresh　from　West　Point；　and　too　commonly　construe　themselves　into　the　elite；　as　made　of　better　clay　than　the　common　soldier。　　Thus　they　separate　themselves　more　and　more　from　their　comrades　of　the　line；　and　in　process　of　time　realize　the　condition　of　that　old　officer　of　artillery　who　thought　the　army　would　be　a　delightful　place　for　a　gentleman　if　it　were　not　for　the　d…d　soldier；　or；　better　still；　the　conclusion　of　the　young　lord　in　〃Henry　IV。；〃　who　told　Harry　Percy　（Hotspur）　that　〃but　for　these　vile　guns　he　would　himself　have　been　a　soldier。〃　　This　is　all　wrong；　utterly　at　variance　with　our　democratic　form　of　government　and　of　universal　experience；　and　now　that　the　French；　from　whom　we　had　copied　the　system；　have　utterly　〃proscribed〃　it；　I　hope　that　our　Congress　will　follow　suit。　　I　admit；　in　its　fullest　force；　the　strength　of　the　maxim　that　the　civil　law　should　be　superior　to　the　military　in　time　of　peace；　that　the　army　should　be　at　all　times　subject　to　the　direct　control　of　Congress；　and　I　assert　that；　from　the　formation　of　our　Government　to　the　present　day；　the　Regular　Army　has　set　the　highest　example　of　obedience　to　law　and　authority；　but；　for　the　very　reason　that　our　army　is　comparatively　so　very　small；　I　hold　that　it　should　be　the　best　possible；　organized　and　governed　on　true　military　principles；　and　that　in　time　of　peace　we　should　preserve　the　〃habits　and　usages　of　war；〃　so　that；　when　war　does　come；　we　may　not　again　be　compelled　to　suffer　the　disgrace；　confusion；　and　disorder　of　1861。

The　commanding　officers　of　divisions；　departments；　and　posts；　should　have　the　amplest　powers；　not　only　to　command　their　troops；　but　all　the　stores　designed　for　their　use；　and　the　officers　of　the　staff　necessary　to　administer　them；　within　the　area　of　their　command；　and　then　with　fairness　they　could　be　held　to　the　most　perfect　responsibility。　　The　President　and　Secretary　of　War　can　command　the　army　quite　as　well　through　these　generals　as　through　the　subordinate　staff…officers。　　Of　course；　the　Secretary　would；　as　now；　distribute　the　funds　according　to　the　appropriation　bills；　and　reserve　to　himself　the　absolute　control　and　supervision　of　the　larger　arsenals　and　depots　of　supply。　　The　error　lies　in　the　law；　or　in　the　judicial　interpretation　thereof；　and　no　code　of　army　regulations　can　be　made　that　meets　the　case；　until　Congress；　like　the　French　Corps　Legislatif；　utterly　annihilates　and　〃proscribes〃　the　old　law　and　the　system　which　has　grown　up　under　it。

It　is　related　of　Napoleon　that　his　last　words　were；　〃Tete　d'armee！〃　Doubtless；　as　the　shadow　of　death　obscured　his　memory；　the　last　thought　that　remained　for　speech　was　of　some　event　when　he　was　directing　an　important　〃head　of　column。〃　　I　believe　that　every　general　who　has　handled　armies　in　battle　most　recall　from　his　own　experience　the　intensity　of　thought　on　some　similar　occasion；　when　by　a　single　command　he　had　given　the　finishing　stroke　to　some　complicated　action；　but　to　me　recurs　another　thought　that　is　worthy　of　record；　and　may　encourage　others　who　are　to　follow　us　in　our　profession。　　I　never　saw　the　rear　of　an　army　engaged　in　battle　but　I　feared　that　some　calamity　had　happened　at　the　front　the　apparent　confusion；　broken　wagons；　crippled　horses；　men　lying　about　dead　and　maimed；　parties　hastening　to　and　fro　in　seeming　disorder；　and　a　general　apprehension　of　something　dreadful　about　to　ensue；　all　these　signs；　however；　lessened　as　I　neared　the　front；　and　there　the　contrast　was　completeperfect　order；　men　and　horsesfull　of　confidence；　and　it　was　not　unusual　for　general　hilarity；　laughing；　and　cheering。　　Although　cannon　might　be　firing；　the　musketry　clattering；　and　the　enemy's　shot　hitting　close；　there　reigned　a　general　feeling　of　strength　and　security　that　bore　a　marked　contrast　to　the　bloody　signs　that　had　drifted　rapidly　to　the　rear；　therefore；　for　comfort　and　safety；　I　surely　would　rather　be　at　the　front　than　the　rear　line　of　battle。　　So　also　on　the　march；　the　head　of　a　column　moves　on　steadily；　while　the　rear　is　alternately　halting　and　then　rushing　forward　to　close　up　the　gap；　and　all　sorts　of　rumors；　especially　the　worst；　float　back　to　the　rear。　　Old　troops　invariably　deem　it　a　special　privilege　to　be　in　the　front…　…to　be　at　the　〃head　of　column〃because　experience　has　taught　them　that　it　is　the　easiest　and　most　comfortable　place；　and　danger　only　adds　zest　and　stimulus　to　this　fact。

The　hardest　task　in　war　is　to　lie　in　support　of　some　position　or　battery；　under　fire　without　the　privilege　of　returning　it；　or　to　guard　some　train　left　in　the　rear；　within　hearing　but　out　of　danger；　or　to　provide　for　the　wounded　and　dead　of　some　corps　which　is　too　busy　ahead　to　care　for　its　own。

To　be　at　the　head　of　a　strong　column　of　troops；　in　the　execution　of　some　task　that　requires　brain；　is　the　highest　pleasure　of　wara　grim　one　and　terrible；　but　which　leaves　on　the　mind　and　memory　the　strongest　mark；　to　detect　the　weak　point　of　an　enemy's　line；　to　break　through　with　vehemence　and　th