memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第8章
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d six miles to the plantation of Mr。 Poyas; Sr。 A neighboring physician was sent for; who tried the usual methods of setting the arm; but without success; each time making the operation more painful。 At last he sent off; got a set of double pulleys and cords; with which he succeeded in extending the muscles and in getting the bone into place。 I then returned to Fort Moultrie; but being disabled; applied for a short leave and went North。
I started January 25;1845; went to Washington; Baltimore; and Lancaster; Ohio; whence I went to Mansfield; and thence back by Newark to Wheeling; Cumberland; Baltimore; Philadelphia; and New York; whence I sailed back for Charleston on the ship Sullivan; reaching Fort Moultrie March 9; 1845。
About that time (March 1; 1845) Congress had; by a joint resolution; provided for the annexation of Texas; then an independent Republic; subject to certain conditions requiring the acceptance of the Republic of Texas to be final and conclusive。 We all expected war as a matter of course。 At that time General Zachary Taylor had assembled a couple of regiments of infantry and one of dragoons at Fort Jessup; Louisiana; and had orders to extend military protection to Texas against the Indians; or a 〃foreign enemy;〃 the moment the terms of annexation were accepted。 He received notice of such acceptance July 7th; and forthwith proceeded to remove his troops to Corpus Christi; Texas; where; during the summer and fall of 1845; was assembled that force with which; in the spring of 1846; was begun the Mexican War。
Some time during that summer came to Fort Moultrie orders for sending Company E; Third Artillery; Lieutenant Bragg; to New Orleans; there to receive a battery of field…guns; and thence to the camp of General Taylor at Corpus Christi。 This was the first company of our regiment sent to the seat of war; and it embarked on the brig Hayne。 This was the only company that left Fort Moultrie till after I was detached for recruiting service on the 1st of May; 1846。
Inasmuch as Charleston afterward became famous; as the spot where began our civil war; a general description of it; as it was in 1846; will not be out of place。
The city lies on a long peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Riversa low; level peninsula; of sand。 Meeting Street is its Broadway; with King Street; next west and parallel; the street of shops and small stores。 These streets are crossed at right angles by many others; of which Broad Street was the principal; and the insersection of Meeting and Broad was the heart of the city; marked by the Guard…House and St。 Michael's Episcopal Church。 The Custom…House; Post…Office; etc。; were at the foot of Broad Street; near the wharves of the Cooper River front。 At the extremity of the peninsula was a drive; open to the bay; and faced by some of the handsomest houses of the city; called the 〃Battery。〃 Looking down the bay on the right; was James Island; an irregular triangle of about seven miles; the whole island in cultivation with sea…island cotton。 At the lower end was Fort Johnson; then simply the station of Captain Bowman; United States Engineers; engaged in building Fort Sumter。 This fort (Sumter) was erected on an artificial island nearly in mid…channel; made by dumping rocks; mostly brought as ballast in cotton…ships from the North。 As the rock reached the surface it was levelled; and made the foundation of Fort Sumter。 In 1846 this fort was barely above the water。 Still farther out beyond James Island; and separated from it by a wide space of salt marsh with crooked channels; was Morris Island; composed of the sand…dunes thrown up by the wind and the sea; backed with the salt marsh。 On this was the lighthouse; but no people。
On the left; looking down the bay from the Battery of Charleston; was; first; Castle Pinckney; a round brick fort; of two tiers of guns; one in embrasure; the other in barbette; built on a marsh island; which was not garrisoned。 Farther down the bay a point of the mainland reached the bay; where there was a group of houses; called Mount Pleasant; and at the extremity of the bay; distant six miles; was Sullivan's Island; presenting a smooth sand…beach to the sea; with the line of sand…hills or dunes thrown up by the waves and winds; and the usual backing of marsh and crooked salt…water channels。
At the shoulder of this island was Fort Moultrie; an irregular fort; without ditch or counterscarp; with a brick scarp wall about twelve feet high; which could be scaled anywhere; and this was surmounted by an earth parapet capable of mounting about forty twenty…four and thirty…two pounder smooth…bore iron guns。 Inside the fort were three two…story brick barracks; sufficient to quarter the officers and men of two companies of artillery。
At sea was the usual 〃bar;〃 changing slightly from year to year; but generally the main ship…channel came from the south; parallel to Morris Island; till it was well up to Fort Moultrie; where it curved; passing close to Fort Sumter and up to the wharves of the city; which were built mostly along the Cooper River front。
Charleston was then a proud; aristocratic city; and assumed a leadership in the public opinion of the South far out of proportion to her population; wealth; or commerce。 On more than one occasion previously; the inhabitants had almost inaugurated civil war; by their assertion and professed belief that each State had; in the original compact of government; reserved to itself the right to withdraw from the Union at its own option; whenever the people supposed they had sufficient cause。 We used to discuss these things at our own mess…tables; vehemently and sometimes quite angrily; but I am sure that I never feared it would go further than it had already gone in the winter of 1832…'33; when the attempt at 〃nullification〃 was promptly suppressed by President Jackson's famous declaration; 〃The Union must and shall be preserved!〃 and by the judicious management of General Scott。
Still; civil war was to be; and; now that it has come and gone; we can rest secure in the knowledge that as the chief cause; slavery; has been eradicated forever; it is not likely to come again。
CHAPTER II。
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS of CALIFORNIA。
1846…1848。
In the spring of 1846 I was a first lieutenant of Company C;1; Third Artillery; stationed at Fort Moultrie; South Carolina。 The company was commanded by Captain Robert Anderson; Henry B。 Judd was the senior first…lieutenant; and I was the junior first…lieutenant; and George B。 Ayres the second…lieutenant。 Colonel William Gates commanded the post and regiment; with First…Lieutenant William Austine as his adjutant。 Two other companies were at the post; viz。; Martin Burke's and E。 D。 Keyes's; and among the officers were T。 W。 Sherman; Morris Miller; H。 B。 Field; William Churchill; Joseph Stewart; and Surgeon McLaren。
The country now known as Texas had been recently acquired; and war with Mexico was threatening。 One of our companies (Bragg's); with George H。 Thomas; John F。 Reynolds; and Frank Thomas; had gone the year previous and was at that time with General Taylor's army at Corpus Christi; Texas。
In that year (1846) I received the regular detail for recruiting service; with orders to report to the general superintendent at Governor's Island; New York; and accordingly left Fort Moultrie in the latter part of April; and reported to the superintendent; Colonel R。 B。 Mason; First Dragoons; at New York; on the 1st day of May。 I was assigned to the Pittsburg rendezvous; whither I proceeded and relieved Lieutenant Scott。 Early in May I took up my quarters at the St。 Charles Hotel; and entered upon the discharge of my duties。 There was a regular recruiting…station already established; with a sergeant; corporal; and two or three men; with a citizen physician; Dr。 McDowell; to examine the recruits。 The threatening war with Mexico made a demand for recruits; and I received authority to open another sub…rendezvous at Zanesville; Ohio; whither I took the sergeant and established him。 This was very handy to me; as my home was at Lancaster; Ohio; only thirty…six miles off; so that I was thus enabled to visit my friends there quite often。
In the latter part o