memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第94部分

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nst　General　A。　B。　Dyer；　Chief　of　Ordnance。　　He　occupied　the　room　of　the　second　floor　in　the　building　on　the　corner　of　H　and　Fifteenth　Streets；　since　become　Wormley's　Hotel。　　I　at　the　time　was　staying　with　my　brother；　Senator　Sherman；　at　his　residence；　1321　K　Street；　and　it　was　my　habit　each　morning　to　stop　at　Thomas's　room　on　my　way　to　the　office　in　the　War　Department　to　tell　him　the　military　news；　and　to　talk　over　matters　of　common　interest。　　We　had　been　intimately　associated　as　〃man　and　boy〃　for　thirty…odd　years；　and　I　profess　to　have　had　better　opportunities　to　know　him　than　any　man　then　living。　His　fame　as　the　〃Rock　of　Chickamauga〃　was　perfect；　and　by　the　world　at　large　he　was　considered　an　the　embodiment　of　strength；　calmness；　and　imperturbability。　　Yet　of　all　my　acquaintances　Thomas　worried　and　fretted　over　what　he　construed　neglects　or　acts　of　favoritism　more　than　any　other。

At　that　time　he　was　much　worried　by　what　he　supposed　was　injustice　in　the　promotion　of　General　Sheridan；　and　still　more　that　General　Meade　should　have　an　Eastern　station；　which　compelled　him　to　remain　at　Nashville　or　go　to　the　Pacific。　　General　Thomas　claimed　that　all　his　life　he　had　been　stationed　in　the　South　or　remote　West；　and　had　not　had　a　fair　share　of　Eastern　posts；　whereas　that　General　Meade　had　always　been　there。　　I　tried　to　get　him　to　go　with　me　to　see　President　Grant　and　talk　the　matter　over　frankly；　but　he　would　not；　and　I　had　to　act　as　a　friendly　mediator。　　General　Grant　assured　me　at　the　time　that　he　not　only　admired　and　respected　General　Thomas；　but　actually　loved　him　as　a　man；　and　he　authorized　me　in　making　up　commands　for　the　general　officers　to　do　anything　and　everything　to　favor　him；　only　he　could　not　recede　from　his　former　action　in　respect　to　Generals　Sheridan　and　Meade。

Prior　to　General　Grant's　inauguration　the　army　register　showed　as　major…generals　Halleck；　Meade；　Sheridan；　Thomas；　and　Hancock。　Therefore；　the　promotion　of　General　Sheridan　to　be　lieutenant…　general　did　not　〃overslaugh〃　Thomas；　but　it　did　Meade　and　Halleck。　The　latter　did　not　expect　promotion；　General　Meade　did；　but　was　partially；　not　wholly；　reconciled　by　being　stationed　at　Philadelphia；　the　home　of　his　family；　and　President　Grant　assured　me　that　he　knew　of　his　own　knowledge　that　General　Sheridan　had　been　nominated　major…general　before　General　Meade；　but　had　waived　dates　out　of　respect　for　his　age　and　longer　service；　and　that　he　had　nominated　him　as　lieutenant…general　by　reason　of　his　special　fitness　to　command　the　Military　Division　of　the　Missouri；　embracing　all　the　wild　Indians；　at　that　very　moment　in　a　state　of　hostility。　I　gave　General　Thomas　the　choice　of　every　other　command　in　the　army；　and　of　his　own　choice　he　went　to　San　Francisco；　California；　where　he　died；　March　28；　1870。　　The　truth　is；　Congress　should　have　provided　by　law　for　three　lieutenant…generals　for　these　three　pre…eminent　soldiers；　and　should　have　dated　their　commissions　with　〃Gettysburg；〃　〃Winchester；〃　and　〃Nashville。〃　　It　would　have　been　a　graceful　act；　and　might　have　prolonged　the　lives　of　two　most　popular　officers；　who　died　soon　after；　feeling　that　they　had　experienced　ingratitude　and　neglect。

Soon　after　General　Grant's　inauguration　as　President；　and；　as　I　supposed；　in　fulfilment　of　his　plan　divulged　in　Chicago　the　previous　December；　were　made　the　following：


HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY；　WASHINGTON；　March　8；　1869。

General　Orders　No。　11：

The　following　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　are　published　for　the　information　and　government　of　all　concerned

WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　March　5；　1869。

By　direction　of　the　President；　General　William　T。　Sherman　will　assume　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States。

The　chiefs　of　staff　corps；　departments；　and　bureaus　will　report　to　and　act　under　the　immediate　orders　of　the　general　commanding　the　army。

Any　official　business　which　by　law　or　regulation　requires　the　action　of　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　will　be　submitted　by　the　General　of　the　Army　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　in　general　all　orders　from　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　to　any　portion　of　the　army；　line　or　staff；　will　be　transmitted　through　the　General　of　the　Army。

J。　M。　SCHOFIELD；　Secretary　of　War。

By　command　of　the　General　of　the　Army。

E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。


On　the　same　day　I　issued　my　General　Orders　No。　12；　assuming　command　and　naming　all　the　heads　of　staff　departments　and　bureaus　as　members　of　my　staff；　adding　to　my　then　three　aides；　Colonels　McCoy；　Dayton；　and　Audenried；　the　names　of　Colonels　Comstock；　Horace　Porter；　and　Dent；　agreeing　with　President　Grant　that　the　two　latter　could　remain　with　him　till　I　should　need　their　personal　services　or　ask　their　resignations。

I　was　soon　made　aware　that　the　heads　of　several　of　the　staff　corps　were　restive　under　this　new　order　of　things；　for　by　long　usage　they　had　grown　to　believe　themselves　not　officers　of　the　army　in　a　technical　sense；　but　a　part　of　the　War　Department；　the　civil　branch　of　the　Government　which　connects　the　army　with　the　President　and　Congress。

In　a　short　time　General　John　A。　Rawlins；　General　Grant's　former　chief　of　staff；　was　nominated　and　confirmed　as　Secretary　of　War；　and　soon　appeared　this　order：

HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY；

ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；　WASHINGTON；　March　27；　1869。

General　Orders　No。　　28：

The　following　orders　received　for　the　War　Department　are　published　for　the　government　of　all　concerned：

WAR　DEPARTMENT；

WASHINGTON　CITY；　March　26；　1869。

By　direction　of　the　President；　the　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　dated　War　Department；　March　5；　1869；　and　published　in　General　Orders　No。　11；　headquarters　of　the　army；　Adjutant…General's　Office；　dated　March　8；　1869；　except　so　much　as　directs　General　W。　T。　Sherman　to　assume　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States；　is　hereby　rescinded。

All　official　business　which　by　law　or　regulations　requires　the　action　of　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　will　be　submitted　by　the　chiefs　of　staff　corps；　departments；　and　bureaus　to　the　Secretary　of　War。

All　orders　and　instructions　relating　to　military　operations　issued　by　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　will　be　issued　through　the　General　of　the　Army。

JOHN　A。　　RAWLINS；　Secretary　of　War。

By　command　of　General　SHERMAN：

E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。


Thus　we　were　thrown　back　on　the　old　method　in　having　a　doubleif　not　a　treble…headed　machine。　　Each　head　of　a　bureau　in　daily　consultation　with　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　the　general　to　command　without　an　adjutant；　quartermaster；　commissary；　or　any　staff　except　his　own　aides；　often　reading　in　the　newspapers　of　military　events　and　orders　before　he　could　be　consulted　or　informed。　　This　was　the　very　reverse　of　what　General　Grant；　after　four　years'　experience　in　Washington　as　general…in…chief；　seemed　to　want；　different　from　what　he　had　explained　to　me　in　Chicago；　and　totally　different　from　the　demand　he　had　made　on　Secretary　of　War　Stanton　in　his　complete　letter　of　January　29；　1866。　　I　went　to　him　to　know　the　cause：　He　said　he　had　been　informed　by　members　of　Congress　that　his　action；　as　defined　by　his　order　of　March　5th；　was　regarded　as　a　violation　of　laws　making　provision　for　the　bureaus　of　the　War　Department；　that　he　had　repealed　his　own　orders；　but　not　mine；　and　that　he　had　no　doubt　that　General　Rawlins　and　I　could　draw　the　line　of　separation　satisfactorily　to　us　both。　　General　Rawlins　was　very　conscientious；　but　a　very　sick　man　when　appointed　Secretary　of　War。　Several　times　he　made　orders　through　the　adjutant…general　to　individuals　of　the　army　without　notifying　me；　but　always　when　his　attention　was　called　to　it　he　apologized；　and　repeatedly　said　to　me　that　he　understood　from　his　experience　on　General　Grant's　staff　how　almost　insulting　it　was　for　orders　to　go　to　individuals　of　a　regiment；　brigade；　division；　or　an　army　of　any　kind　without　the　commanding　officer　being　consulted　or　even　advised。　　This　habit　is　more　common　at　Washington　than　any　place　on　earth；　unless　it　be　in　London；　where　nearly　the　same　condition　of　facts　exists。　　Members　of　Congress　daily　appeal　to　the　Secretary　of　War　for　the　discharge　of　some　soldier　on　the　application　of　a　mother；　or　some　young　officer　has　to　be　dry…nursed；　withdrawn　from　his　company　on　the　plains　to　be　stationed　near　home。　　The　Secretary　of　War；　sometimes　moved　by　private　reasons；　or　more　likely　to　oblige　the　member　of　Congress；　grants　the　order；　of　which　the　commanding　general　knows　nothing　till　he　reads　it　in　the　newspapers。　　Also；　an　Indian　tribe；　goaded　by　the　pressure　of　white　neighbors；　breaks　out　in　revolt。　The　general…in…chief　must　reenforce　the　local　garrisons　not　only　with　men；　but　horses；　wagons；　ammunition；　and　food。　　All　the　necessary　information　is　in　the　staff　bureaus　in　Washington；　but　the　general　has　no　right　to　call　for　it；　and　generally　finds　it　more　practicable　to　ask　by　telegraph　of　the　distant　division　or　department　commanders　for　the　information　before　making　the　formal　orders。　　The　general　in　actual　command　of　the　army　should　have　a　full　staff；　subject　to　his　own　command。　　If　not；　he　cannot　be　held　responsible　for　results。

General　Rawlins　sank　away　visibly；　rapidly；　and　died　in　Washington；　September　6；1869；　and　I　was　appointed　to　perform　the　duties　of　his　office　till　a　successor　could　be　selected。　　I　realized　how　much　easier　and　better　it　was　to　have　both　offices　conjoined。

The　army　then　had　one　constitutional　commander…in…chief　of　both　army　and　navy；　and　one　actual　commanding　general；　bringing　all　parts　into　real　harmony。　　An　army　to　be　useful　must　be　a　unit；　and　out　of　this　has　grown　the　saying；　attributed　to　Napoleon；　but　doubtless　spoken　before　the　days　of　Alexander；　that　an　army　with　an　inefficient　commander　was　better　than　one　with　two　able　heads。　　Our　political　system　and　methods；　however；　demanded　a　separate　Secretary　of　War；　and　in　October　President　Grant　asked　me　to　scan　the　list　of　the　volunteer　generals　of　good　record　who　had　served　in　the　civil　war；　preferably　from　the　〃West。〃　　I　did　so；　and　submitted　to　him　in　writing　the　names　of　W。　W。　Belknap；　of　Iowa；　G。　　M。　Dodge；　the　Chief　Engineer　of　the　Union　Pacific　Railroad；　and　Lucius　Fairchild；　of　Madison；　Wisconsin。　　I　also　named　General　John　W。　Sprague；