memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第87部分

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　strongest　mark；　to　detect　the　weak　point　of　an　enemy's　line；　to　break　through　with　vehemence　and　thus　lead　to　victory；　or　to　discover　some　key…point　and　hold　it　with　tenacity；　or　to　do　some　other　distinct　act　which　is　afterward　recognized　as　the　real　cause　of　success。　　These　all　become　matters　that　are　never　forgotten。　Other　great　difficulties；　experienced　by　every　general；　are　to　measure　truly　the　thousand…and…one　reports　that　come　to　him　in　the　midst　of　conflict；　to　preserve　a　clear　and　well…defined　purpose　at　every　instant　of　time；　and　to　cause　all　efforts　to　converge　to　that　end。

To　do　these　things　he　must　know　perfectly　the　strength　and　quality　of　each　part　of　his　own　army；　as　well　as　that　of　his　opponent；　and　must　be　where　he　can　personally　see　and　observe　with　his　own　eyes；　and　judge　with　his　own　mind。　　No　man　can　properly　command　an　army　from　the　rear；　he　must　be　〃at　its　front；〃　and　when　a　detachment　is　made；　the　commander　thereof　should　be　informed　of　the　object　to　be　accomplished；　and　left　as　free　as　possible　to　execute　it　in　his　own　way；　and　when　an　army　is　divided　up　into　several　parts；　the　superior　should　always　attend　that　one　which　he　regards　as　most　important。　　Some　men　think　that　modern　armies　may　be　so　regulated　that　a　general　can　sit　in　an　office　and　play　on　his　several　columns　as　on　the　keys　of　a　piano；　this　is　a　fearful　mistake。　　The　directing　mind　must　be　at　the　very　head　of　the　armymust　be　seen　there；　and　the　effect　of　his　mind　and　personal　energy　must　be　felt　by　every　officer　and　man　present　with　it；　to　secure　the　best　results。　　Every　attempt　to　make　war　easy　and　safe　will　result　in　humiliation　and　disaster。

Lastly；　mail　facilities　should　be　kept　up　with　an　army　if　possible；　that　officers　and　men　may　receive　and　send　letters　to　their　friends；　thus　maintaining　the　home　influence　of　infinite　assistance　to　discipline。　　Newspaper　correspondents　with　an　army；　as　a　rule；　are　mischievous。　　They　are　the　world's　gossips；　pick　up　and　retail　the　camp　scandal；　and　gradually　drift　to　the　headquarters　of　some　general；　who　finds　it　easier　to　make　reputation　at　home　than　with　his　own　corps　or　division。　　They　are　also　tempted　to　prophesy　events　and　state　facts　which；　to　an　enemy；　reveal　a　purpose　in　time　to　guard　against　it。　　Moreover；　they　are　always　bound　to　see　facts　colored　by　the　partisan　or　political　character　of　their　own　patrons；　and　thus　bring　army　officers　into　the　political　controversies　of　the　day；　which　are　always　mischievons　and　wrong。　Yet；　so　greedy　are　the　people　at　large　for　war　news；　that　it　is　doubtful　whether　any　army　commander　can　exclude　all　reporters；　without　bringing　down　on　himself　a　clamor　that　may　imperil　his　own　safety。　　Time　and　moderation　must　bring　a　just　solution　to　this　modern　difficulty。





CHAPTER　XXVI。

AFTER　THE　WAR

In　the　foregoing　pages　I　have　endeavored　to　describe　the　public　events　in　which　I　was　an　actor　or　spectator　before　and　during　the　civil　war　of　1861…'65；　and　it　now　only　remains　for　me　to　treat　of　similar　matters　of　general　interest　subsequent　to　the　civil　war。　Within　a　few　days　of　the　grand　review　of　May　24；　1865；　I　took　leave　of　the　army　at　Washington；　and　with　my　family　went　to　Chicago　to　attend　a　fair　held　in　the　interest　of　the　families　of　soldiers　impoverished　by　the　war。　　I　remained　there　about　two　weeks；　on　the　22d　of　June　was　at　South　Bend；　Indiana；　where　two　of　my　children　were　at　school；　and　reached　my　native　place；　Lancaster；　Ohio；　on　the　24th。　　On　the　4th　of　July　I　visited　at　Louisville；　Kentucky；　the　Fourteenth；　Fifteenth；　Sixteenth；　and　Seventeenth　Army　Corps；　which　had　come　from　Washington；　under　the　command　of　General　John　A。　Logan；　for　〃muster　out；〃　or　〃further　orders。〃　　I　then　made　a　short　visit　to　General　George　H。　Thomas　at　Nashville；　and　returned　to　Lancaster；　where　I　remained　with　the　family　till　the　receipt　of　General　Orders　No。　118　of　June　27；　1865；　which　divided　the　whole　territory　of　the　United　States　into　nineteen　departments　and　five　military　divisions；　the　second　of　which　was　the　military　division　of　the　〃Mississippi；〃　afterward　changed　to　〃Missouri；〃　Major…　General　W。　T。　Sherman　to　command；　with；　headquarters　at　St。　Louis；　to　embrace　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　Missouri；　and　Arkansas。

This　territorial　command　included　the　States　north　of　the　Ohio　River；　and　the　States　and　Territories　north　of　Texas；　as　far　west　as　the　Rocky　Mountains；　including　Montana；　Utah；　and　New　Mexico；　but　the　part　east　of　the　Mississippi　was　soon　transferred　to　another　division。　　The　department　commanders　were　General　E。　O。　C。　Ord；　at　Detroit；　General　John　Pope；　at　Fort　Leavenworth；　and　General　J。　J。　Reynolds；　at　Little　Rock；　but　these　also　were　soon　changed。　　I　at　once　assumed　command；　and　ordered　my　staff　and　headquarters　from　Washington　to　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　going　there　in　person　on　the　16th　of　July。

My　thoughts　and　feelings　at　once　reverted　to　the　construction　of　the　great　Pacific　Railway；　which　had　been　chartered　by　Congress　in　the　midst　of　war；　and　was　then　in　progress。　　I　put　myself　in　communication　with　the　parties　engaged　in　the　work；　visiting　them　in　person；　and　assured　them　that　I　would　afford　them　all　possible　assistance　and　encouragement。　　Dr。　Durant；　the　leading　man　of　the　Union　Pacific；　seemed　to　me　a　person　of　ardent　nature；　of　great　ability　and　energy；　enthusiastic　in　his　undertaking；　and　determined　to　build　the　road　from　Omaha　to　San　Francisco。　　He　had　an　able　corps　of　assistants；　collecting　materials；　letting　out　contracts　for　ties；　grading；　etc。；　and　I　attended　the　celebration　of　the　first　completed　division　of　sixteen　and　a　half　miles；　from　Omaha　to　Papillon。　　When　the　orators　spoke　so　confidently　of　the　determination　to　build　two　thousand　miles　of　railway　across　the　plains；　mountains；　and　desert；　devoid　of　timber；　with　no　population；　but　on　the　contrary　raided　by　the　bold　and　bloody　Sioux　and　Cheyennes；　who　had　almost　successfully　defied　our　power　for　half　a　century；　I　was　disposed　to　treat　it　jocularly；　because　I　could　not　help　recall　our　California　experience　of　1855…'56；　when　we　celebrated　the　completion　of　twenty…two　and　a　half　miles　of　the　same　road　eastward　of　Sacramento；　on　which　occasion　Edward　Baker　had　electrified　us　by　his　unequalled　oratory；　painting　the　glorious　things　which　would　result　from　uniting　the　Western　coast　with　the　East　by　bands　of　iron。　　Baker　then；　with　a　poet's　imagination；　saw　the　vision　of　the　mighty　future；　but　not　the　gulf　which　meantime　was　destined　to　swallow　up　half　a　million　of　the　brightest　and　best　youth　of　our　land；　and　that　he　himself　would　be　one　of　the　first　victims　far　away　on　the　banks　of　the　Potomac　（he　was　killed　in　battle　at　Balls　Bluff；　October　21；　1861）。

The　Kansas　Pacific　was　designed　to　unite　with　the　main　branch　about　the　100　deg。　meridian；　near　Fort　Kearney。　　Mr。　Shoemaker　was　its　general　superintendent　and　building　contractor；　and　this　branch　in　1865　was　finished　about　forty　miles　to　a　point　near　Lawrence；　Kansas。　　I　may　not　be　able　to　refer　to　these　roads　again　except　incidentally；　and　will；　therefore；　record　here　that　the　location　of　this　branch　afterward　was　changed　from　the　Republican　to　the　Smoky　Hill　Fork　of　the　Kansas　River；　and　is　now　the　main　line　to　Denver。　The　Union　and　Central　Railroads　from　the　beginning　were　pushed　with　a　skill；　vigor；　and　courage　which　always　commanded　my　admiration；　the　two　meeting　at　Promontory　Point；　Utah；　July　15；　1869；　and　in　my　judgment　constitute　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　beneficent　achievements　of　man　on　earth。

The　construction　of　the　Union　Pacific　Railroad　was　deemed　so　important　that　the　President；　at　my　suggestion；　constituted　on　the　5th　of　March；　1866；　the　new　Department　of　the　Platte；　General　P。　St。　George　Cooke　commanding；　succeeded　by　General　C。　C。　Augur；　headquarters　at　Omaha；　with　orders　to　give　ample　protection　to　the　working…parties；　and　to　afford　every　possible　assistance　in　the　construction　of　the　road；　and　subsequently　in　like　manner　the　Department　of　Dakota　was　constituted；　General　A。　H。　Terry　commanding；　with　headquarters　at　St。　Paul；　to　give　similar　protection　and　encouragement　to　the　Northern　Pacific　Railroad。　These　departments；　with　changed　commanders；　have　continued　up　to　the　present　day；　and　have　fulfilled　perfectly　the　uses　for　which　they　were　designed。

During　the　years　1865　and　1866　the　great　plains　remained　almost　in　a　state　of　nature；　being　the　pasture…fields　of　about　ten　million　buffalo；　deer；　elk；　and　antelope；　and　were　in　full　possession　of　the　Sioux；　Cheyennes；　Arapahoes；　and　Kiowas；　a　race　of　bold　Indians；　who　saw　plainly　that　the　construction　of　two　parallel　railroads　right　through　their　country　would　prove　destructive　to　the　game　on　which　they　subsisted；　and　consequently　fatal　to　themselves。

The　troops　were　posted　to　the　best　advantage　to　protect　the　parties　engaged　in　building　these　roads；　and　in　person　I　reconnoitred　well　to　the　front；　traversing　the　buffalo　regions　from　south　to　north；　and　from　east　to　west；　often　with　a　very　small　escort；　mingling　with　the　Indians　whenever　safe；　and　thereby　gained　personal　knowledge　of　matters　which　enabled　me　to　use　the　troops　to　the　best　advantage。　　I　am　sure　that　without　the　courage　and　activity　of　the　department　commanders　with　the　small　bodies　of　regular　troops　on　the　plains　during　the　years　1866'69；　the　Pacific　Railroads　could　not　have　been　built；　but　once　built　and　in　full　operation　the　fate　of　the　buffalo　and　Indian　was　settled　for　all　time　to　come。

At　the　close　of　the　civil　war　there　were　one　million　five　hundred　and　sixteen　names　on　the　muster…rolls；　of　which　seven　hundred　and　ninetyseven　thousand　eight　hundred　and　seven　were　present；　and　two　hundred　and　two　thousand　seven　hundred　and　nine　absent；　of　which　twenty…two　thousand　nine　hundred　and　twenty…nine　were　regulars；　the　others　were　volunteers；　colored　troops；　and　veteran　reserves。　　The　regulars　consisted　of　six　regiments　of　cavalry；　five　of　artillery；　and　nineteen　of　infantry。　　By　the　act　of　July　28；　1866；　the　peace　establishment　was　fixed　at　one　general　（Grant）；　one　lieutenant…　general　（Sherman）；　five　major…generals　（Halleck；　Meade；　Sheridan；　Thomas；　and　Hancock）；　ten　brigadiers　（McDowell；　Cooke；　Pope；　Hooker；　Schofield；　Howard；　Terry；　Ord；　Canby；　and　Rousseau）；　ten　regiments　of　cavalry；　five