memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第123章

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Colonel　J。　C。　Tidball　was　assigned　to　command　the　Artillery　School　at　Fort　Monroe；　by　　virtue　of　his　commission　as　lieutenant…colonel；　Third　Artillery；　a　station　for　which　he　was　specially　qualified。

Colonel　John　E。　　Tourtelotte　was　then　entitled　to　promotion　to　major　of　the　Seventh　Cavalry；　a　rank　in　which　he　could　be　certain　of　an　honorable　command。

The　only　remaining　aide…de…camp　was　Colonel　John　M。　Bacon；　who　utterly　ignored　self　in　his　personal　attachment　to　me。　　He　was　then　a　captain　of　the　Ninth　Cavalry；　but　with　almost　a　certainty　of　promotion　to　be　major　of　the　Seventh　before　the　date　of　my　official　retirement；　which　actually　resulted。　　The　last　two　accompanied　me　to　St。　Louis；　and　remained　with　me　to　the　end。　　Having　previously　accomplished　the　removal　of　my　family　to　St。　Louis；　and　having　completed　my　last　journey　to　the　Pacific；　I　wrote　the　following　letter：

HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　UNITED　STATES；　WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　October　8；　1883。

Hon。　R。　T。　LINCOLN；　Secretary　of　War。

SIR：　By　the　act　of　Congress；　approved　June　30；　1882；　all　army…officers　are　retired　on　reaching　the　age　of　sixty…four　years。　If　living；　I　will　attain　that　age　on　the　8th　day　of　February；　1884；　but　as　that　period　of　the　year　is　not　suited　for　the　changes　necessary　on　my　retirement；　I　have　contemplated　anticipating　the　event　by　several　months；　to　enable　the　President　to　meet　these　changes　at　a　more　convenient　season　of　the　year；　and　also　to　enable　my　successor　to　be　in　office　before　the　assembling　of　the　next　Congress。

I　therefore　request　authority　to　turn　over　the　command　of　the　army　to　Lieutenant…General　Sheridan　on　the　1st　day　of　November；　1883；　and　that　I　be　ordered　to　my　home　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　there　to　await　the　date　of　my　legal　retirement；　and　inasmuch　as　for　a　long　time　I　must　have　much　correspondence　about　war　and　official　matters；　I　also　ask　the　favor　to　have　with　me　for　a　time　my　two　present　aides…de…camp；　Colonels　J。　E。　Tourtelotte　and　J。　M。　Bacon。

The　others　of　my　personal　staff；　viz。；　Colonels　O。　M。　Poe　and　J。　C。　Tidball；　have　already　been　assigned　to　appropriate　duties　in　their　own　branches　of　the　military　service；　the　engineers　and　artillery。　　All　should　retain　the　rank　and　pay　as　aides…de…camp　until　February　8；1884。　　By　or　before　the　1st　day　of　November　I　can　complete　all　official　reports；　and　believe　I　can　surrender　the　army　to　my　successor　in　good　shape　and　condition；　well　provided　in　all　respects；　and　distributed　for　the　best　interests　of　the　country。

I　am　grateful　that　my　physical　and　mental…strength　remain　unimpaired　by　years；　and　am　thankful　for　the　liberal　provision　made　by　Congress　for　my　remaining　years；　which　will　enable　me　to　respond　promptly　to　any　call　the　President　may　make　for　my　military　service　or　judgment　as　long　as　I　live。　　I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；


W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。


The　answer　was：




WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　October　10；　1888。

General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Washington；　D。　C。

GENERAL：　I　have　submitted　to　the　President　your　letter　of　the　8th　instant；　requesting　that　you　be　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　army　on　the　1st　of　November　next；　as　a　more　convenient　time　for　making　the　changes　in　military　commands　which　must　follow　your　retirement　from　active　service；　than　would　be　the　date　of　your　retirement　under　the　law。

In　signifying　his　approval　of　your　request；　the　President　directs　me　to　express　to　you　his　earnest　hope　that　there　may　be　given　you　many　years　of　health　and　happiness　in　which　to　enjoy　the　gratitude　of　your　fellow…citizens；　well　earned　by　your　most　distinguished　public　services。

It　will　give　me　pleasure　to　comply　with　your　wishes　respecting　your　aides…decamp；　and　the　necessary　orders　will　be　duly　issued。

I　have　the　honor　to　be；　General；　your　obedient　servant；

ROBERT　T。　　LINCOLN；　Secretary　of　War。


On　the　27th　day　of　October　I　submitted　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　the　Hon。　R。　T。　Lincoln；　my　last　annual　report；　embracing　among　other　valuable　matters　the　most　interesting　and　condensed　report　of　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　A。　D。　C。；　of　the　〃original　conception；　progress；　and　completion〃　of　the　four　great　transcontinental　railways；　which　have　in　my　judgment　done　more　for　the　subjugation　and　civilization　of　the　Indians　than　all　other　causes　combined；　and　have　made　possible　the　utilization　of　the　vast　area　of　pasture　lands　and　mineral　regions　which　before　were　almost　inaccessible；　for　my　agency　in　which　I　feel　as　much　pride　as　for　my　share　in　any　of　the　battles　in　which　I　took　part。

Promptly　on　the　1st　of　November　were　made　the　following　general　orders；　and　the　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States　passed　from　me　to　Lieutenant…General　P。　H。　Sheridan；　with　as　little　ceremony　as　would　attend　the　succession　of　the　lieutenant…colonel　of　a　regiment　to　his　colonel　about　to　take　a　leave　of　absence：


HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　WASHINGTON；　November　1；　1885。

General　Orders　No。　77：

By　and　with　the　consent　of　the　President；　as　contained　in　General　Orders　No。　71；　of　October　13；　1883；　the　undersigned　relinquishes　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States。

In　thus　severing　relations　which　have　hitherto　existed　between　us；　he　thanks　all　officers　and　men　for　their　fidelity　to　the　high　trust　imposed　on　them　during　his　official　life；　and　will；　in　his　retirement；　watch　with　parental　solicitude　their　progress　upward　in　the　noble　profession　to　which　they　have　devoted　their　lives。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。

Official：　R。　C。　DRUM；　Adjutant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　WASHINGTON；　November　1；　1885。

General　Orders　No。　78：

In　obedience　to　orders　of　the　President；　promulgated　in　General　Orders　No。　71；　October　13；　1883；　from　these　headquarters；　the　undersigned　hereby　assumes　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States。。。。

P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Lieutenant…General。

Official：　R。　　C。　　DRUM；　adjutant…General。


After　a　few　days　in　which　to　complete　my　social　visits；　and　after　a　short　visit　to　my　daughter；　Mrs。　A。　M。　Thackara；　at　Philadelphia；　I　quietly　departed　for　St。　Louis；　and；　as　I　hope；　for　〃good　and　all；〃　the　family　was　again　reunited　in　the　same　place　from　which　we　were　driven　by　a　cruel；　unnecessary　civil　war　initiated　in　Charleston　Harbor　in　April；　1861。

On　the　8th　day　of　February；　1884；　I　was　sixty…four　years　of　age；　and　therefore　retired　by　the　operation　of　the　act　of　Congress；　approved　June　30；　1882；　but　the　fact　was　gracefully　noticed　by　President　Arthur　in　the　following　general　orders：

WAR　DEPARTMENT；　ADJUTANT　GENERAL'S　OFFICE；　WASHINGTON；　February　8；　1984。

The　following　order　of　the　President　is　published　to　the　army：

EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　February　8；　1884。

General　William　T。　Sherman；　General　of　the　Army；　having　this　day　reached　the　age　of　sixty…four　years；　is；　in　accordance　with　the　law；　placed　upon　the　retired　list　of　the　army；　without　reduction　in　his　current　pay　and　allowances。

The　announcement　of　the　severance　from　the　command　of　the　army　of　one　who　has　been　for　so　many　years　its　distinguished　chief；　can　but　awaken　in　the　minds；　not　only　of　the　army；　but　of　the　people　of　the　United　States；　mingled　emotions　of　regret　and　gratituderegret　at　the　withdrawal　from　active　military　service　of　an　officer　whose　lofty　sense　of　duty　has　been　a　model　for　all　soldiers　since　he　first　entered　the　army　in　July；　1840；　and　gratitude；　freshly　awakened；　for　the　services　of　incalculable　value　rendered　by　him　in　the　war　for　the　Union；　which　his　great　military　genius　and　daring　did　so　much　to　end。

The　President　deems　this　a　fitting　occasion　to　give　expression；　in　this　manner；　to　the　gratitude　felt　toward　General　Sherman　by　his　fellow…citizens；　and　to　the　hope　that　Providence　may　grant　him　many　years　of　health　and　happiness　in　the　relief　from　the　active　duties　of　his　profession。

By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War：

CHESTER　A。　ARTHUR。

R。　C。　DRUM；　Adjutant…General。



To　which　I　replied：

St。　Louis；　February　9；　1884。

His　Excellency　CHESTER　A。　ARTHUR；　President　of　the　United　States。

DEAR　SIR：　Permit　me　with　a　soldier's　frankness　to　thank　you　personally　for　the　handsome　compliment　bestowed　in　general　orders　of　yesterday；　which　are　reported　in　the　journals　of　the　day。　　To　me　it　was　a　surprise　and　a　most　agreeable　one。