memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第75章

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！


eenforced；　and　commanded　in　chief　by　General　Beauregard　in　place　of　Johnston；　who　had　fallen　at　Shiloh。　　But　we　were　also　reenforced　by　Buell's　and　Pope's　armies；　so　that　before　the　end　of　April　our　army　extended　from　Snake　Creek　on　the　right　to　the　Tennessee　River；　at　Hamburg；　on　the　left；　and　must　have　numbered　nearly　one　hundred　thousand　men。

Ample　supplies　of　all　kinds　reached　us　by　the　Tennessee　River；　which　had　a　good　stage　of　water；　but　our　wagon　transportation　was　limited；　and　much　confusion　occurred　in　hauling　supplies　to　the　several　camps。　　By　the　end　of　Aril；　the　several　armies　seemed　to　be　ready；　and　the　general　forward　movement　on　Corinth　began。　　My　division　was　on　the　extreme　right　of　the　right　wing；　and　marched　out　by　the　〃White　House；〃　leaving　Monterey　or　Pea　Ridge　to　the　south。　　Crossing　Lick　Creek；　we　came　into　the　main　road　about　a　mile　south　of　Monterey；　where　we　turned　square　to　the　right；　and　came　into　the　Purdy　road；　near　〃Elams。〃　　Thence　we　followed　the　Purdy　road　to　Corinth；　my　skirmishers　reaching　at　all　times　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad。　　Of　course　our　marches　were　governed　by　the　main　centre；　which　followed　the　direct　road　from　Pittsburg　Landing　to　Corinth；　and　this　movement　was　provokingly　slow。　　We　fortified　almost　every　camp　at　night；　though　we　had　encountered　no　serious　opposition；　except　from　cavalry；　which　gave　ground　easily　as　we　advanced。　　The　opposition　increased　as　we　neared　Corinth；　and　at　a　place　called　Russell's　we　had　a　sharp　affair　of　one　brigade；　under　the。　　immediate　direction　of　Brigadier…General　Morgan　L。　Smith；　assisted　by　the　brigade　of　General　Denver。　　This　affair　occurred　on　the　19th　of　May；　and　our　line　was　then　within　about　two　miles　of　the　northern　intrenchments　of　Corinth。

On　the　27th　I　received　orders　from　General　Halleck　〃to　send　a　force　the　next　day　to　drive　the　rebels　from　the　house　in　our　front；　on　the　Corinth　road；　to　drive　in　their　pickets　as　far　as　possible；　and　to　〃make　a　strong　demonstration　on　Corinth　itself；〃　authorizing　me　to　call　on　any　adjacent　division　for　assistance。

I　reconnoitred　the　ground　carefully；　and　found　that　the　main　road　led　forward　along　the　fence　of　a　large　cotton…field　to　our　right　front；　and　ascended　a　wooded　hill；　occupied　in　some　force　by　the　enemy；　on　which　was　the　farm…house　referred　to　in　General　Halleck's　orders。　　At　the　farther　end　of　the　field　was　a　double　log…house；　whose　chinking　had　been　removed；　so　that　it　formed　a　good　block　house　from　which　the　enemy　could　fire　on　any　person　approaching　from　our　quarter。

General　Hurlbut's　division　was　on　my　immediate　left；　and　General　McClernand's　reserve　on　our　right　rear。　　I　asked　of　each　the　assistance　of　a　brigade。　　The　former　sent　General　Veatch's；　and　the　latter　General　John　A。　Logan's　brigade。　　I　asked　the　former　to　support　our　left　flank；　and　the　latter　our　right　flank。　　The　next　morning　early；　Morgan　L。　Smith's　brigade　was　deployed　under　cover　on　the　left；　and　Denver's　on　the　right；　ready　to　move　forward　rapidly　at　a　signal。　　I　had　a　battery　of　four　twenty…pound　Parrott　guns；　commanded　by　Captain　Silversparre。　　Colonel　Ezra　Taylor；　chief　of　artillery；　had　two　of　these　guns　moved　up　silently　by　hand　behind　a　small　knoll；　from　the　crest　of　which　the　enemy's　block…house　and　position　could　be　distinctly　seen；　when　all　were　ready；　these　guns　were　moved　to　the　crest；　and　several　quick　rounds　were　fired　at　the　house；　followed　after　an　interval　by　a　single　gum。　　This　was　the　signal　agreed　on；　and　the　troops　responded　beautifully；　crossed　the　field　in　line　of　battle；　preceded　by　their　skirmishers　who　carried　the　position　in　good　style；　and　pursued　the　enemy　for　half　a　mile　beyond。

The　main　line　halted　on　the　crest　of　the　ridge；　from　which　we　could　look　over　the　parapets　of　the　rebel　works　at　Corinth；　and　hear　their　drum　and　bugle　calls。　　The　rebel　brigade　had　evidently　been　taken　by　surprise　in　our　attack；　it　soon　rallied　and　came　back　on　us　with　the　usual　yell；　driving　in　our　skirmishers；　but　was　quickly　checked　when　it　came　within　range　of　our　guns　and　line　of　battle。　Generals　Grant　and　Thomas　happened　to　be　with　me　during　this　affair；　and　were　well　pleased　at　the　handsome　manner　in　which　the　troops　behaved。　　That　night　we　began　the　usual　entrenchments；　and　the　next　day　brought　forward　the　artillery　and　the　rest　of　the　division；　which　then　extended　from　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad；　at　Bowie　Hill　Out；　to　the　Corinth　&　Purdy　road；　there　connecting　with　Hurlbut's　division。　　That　night；　viz。；　May　29th；　we　heard　unusual　sounds　in　Corinth；　the　constant　whistling　of　locomotives；　and　soon　after　daylight　occurred　a　aeries　of　explosions　followed　by　a　dense　smoke　rising　high　over　the　town。　　There　was　a　telegraph　line　connecting　my　headquarters　with　those　of　General　Halleck；　about　four　miles　off；　on　the　Hamburg　road。　　I　inquired　if　he　knew　the　cause　of　the　explosions　and　of　the　smoke；　and　he　answered　to　〃advance　with　my　division　and　feel　the　enemy　if　still　in　my　front〃　I　immediately　dispatched　two　regiments　from　each　of　my　three　brigades　to　feel　the　immediate　front；　and　in　a　very　short　time　advanced　with　the　whole　division。　　Each　brigade　found　the　rebel　parapets　abandoned；　and　pushed　straight　for　the　town；　which　lies　in　the　northeast　angle　of　intersection　of　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　and　Memphis　&　Charleston　Railroads。　　Many　buildings　had　been　burned　by　the　enemy　on　evacuation；　which　had　begun　the　night　before　at　6　p。m。；　and　continued　through　the　night；　the　rear…guard　burning　their　magazine　at　the　time　of　withdrawing；　about　daybreak。　　Morgan　L。　Smith's　brigade　followed　the　retreating　rear…guard　some　four　miles　to　the　Tuacumbia　Bridge；　which　was　found　burned。　　I　halted　the　other　brigades　at　the　college；　about　a　mile　to　the　southwest　of　the　town；　where　I　was　overtaken　by　General　Thomas　in　person。

The　heads　of　all　the　columns　had　entered　the　rebel　lines　about　the　same　time；　and　there　was　some　rather　foolish　clamor　for　the　first　honors；　but　in　fact　there　was　no　honor　in　the　event。　　Beauregard　had　made　a　clean　retreat　to　the　south；　and　was　only　seriously　pursued　by　cavalry　from　General　Pope's　flank。　　But　he　reached　Tupelo；　where　he　halted　for　reorganization；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　at　the　moment　there　was　much　disorganization　in　his　ranks；　for　the　woods　were　full　of　deserters　whom　we　did　not　even　take　prisoners；　but　advised　them　to　make　their　way　home　and　stay　there。　We　spent　the　day　at　and　near　the　college；　when　General　Thomas；　who　applied　for　orders　at　Halleck's　headquarters；　directed　me　to　conduct　my　division　back　to　the　camp　of　the　night　before；　where　we　had　left　our　trains　The　advance　on　Corinth　had　occupied　all　of　the　month　of　May；　the　most　beautiful　and　valuable　month　of　the　year　for　campaigning　in　this　latitude。　　There　had　been　little　fighting；　save　on　General　Pope's　left　flank　about　Farmington；　and　on　our　right。　　I　esteemed　it　a　magnificent　drill；　as　it　served　for　the　instruction　of　our　men　in　guard　and　picket　duty；　and　in　habituating　them　to　out…door　life；　and　by　the　time　we　had　reached　Corinth　I　believe　that　army　was　the　best　then　on　this　continent；　and　could　have　gone　where　it　pleased。　　The　four　subdivisions　were　well　commanded；　as　were　the　divisions　and　brigades　of　the　whole　army。　　General　Halleck　was　a　man　of　great　capacity；　of　large　acquirements；　and　at　the　time　possessed　the　confidence　of　the　country；　and　of　most　of　the　army。　I　held　him　in　high　estimation；　and　gave　him　credit　for　the　combinations　which　had　resulted　in　placing　this　magnificent　army　of　a　hundred　thousand　men；　well　equipped　and　provided；　with　a　good　base；　at　Corinth；　from　which　he　could　move　in　any　direction。

Had　he　held　his　force　as　a　unit；　he　could　have　gone　to　Mobile；　or　Vicksburg；　or　anywhere　in　that　region；　which　would　by　one　move　have　solved　the　whole　Mississippi　problem；　and；　from　what　he　then　told　me；　I　believe　he　intended　such　a　campaign；　but　was　overruled　from　Washington。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　army　had　no　sooner　settled　down　at　Corinth　before　it　was　scattered：　General　Pope　was　called　to　the　East；　and　his　army　distributed　among　the　others；　General　Thomas　was　relieved　from　the　command　of　the　right　wing；　and　reassigned　to　his　division　in　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　that　whole　army　under　General　Buell　was　turned　east