memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第58章

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uth　is　lost　he　wants　Richmond　to　be　the　last　place　surrendered。　　If　he　has　such　views；　it　may　be　well　to　indulge　him　until　we　get　every　thing　else　in　our　hands。

Congratulating　you　and　the　army　again　upon　the　splendid　results　of　your　campaign；　the　like　of　which　is　not　read　of　in　past　history；　I　subscribe　myself；　more　than　ever；　if　possible；　your　friend；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。




HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　December　26；　1864。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Savannah；　Georgia。

GENERAL：　Your　very　interesting　letter　of　the　22d　inst。；　brought　by　Major　Grey　of　General　Foster's　staff；　is　fast　at　hand。　　As　the　major　starts　back　at　once；　I　can　do　no　more　at　present　than　simply　acknowledge　its　receipt。　　The　capture　of　Savannah；　with　all　its　immense　stores；　must　tell　upon　the　people　of　the　South。　　All　well　here。　Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　24；　1864。

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point；　Virginia。

GENERAL：　Your　letter　of　December　18th　is　just　received。　　I　feel　very　much　gratified　at　receiving　the　handsome　commendation　you　pay　my　army。　　I　will；　in　general　orders；　convey　to　the　officers　and　men　the　substance　of　your　note。

I　am　also　pleased　that　you　have　modified　your　former　orders；　for　I　feared　that　the　transportation　by　sea　would　very　much　disturb　the　unity　and　morale　of　my　army；　now　so　perfect。

The　occupation　of　Savannah；　which　I　have　heretofore　reported；　completes　the　first　part　of　our　game；　and　fulfills　a　great　part　of　your　instructions；　and　we　are　now　engaged　in　dismantling　the　rebel　forts　which　bear　upon　the　sea…channels；　and　transferring　the　heavy　ordnance　and　ammunition　to　Fort　Pulaski　and　Hilton　Head；　where　they　can　be　mare　easily　guarded　than　if　left　in　the　city。

The　rebel　inner　lines　are　well　adapted　to　our　purpose；　and　with　slight　modifications　can　be　held　by　a　comparatively　small　force；　and　in　about　ten　days　I　expect　to　be　ready　to　sally　forth　again。　　I　feel　no　doubt　whatever　as　to　our　future　plans。　　I　have　thought　them　over　so　long　and　well　that　they　appear　as　clear　as　daylight。　　I　left　Augusta　untouched　on　purpose；　because　the　enemy　will　be　in　doubt　as　to　my　objective　point；　after　we　cross　the　Savannah　River；　whether　it　be　Augusta　or　Charleston；　and　will　naturally　divide　his　forces。　　I　will　then　move　either　on　Branchville　or　Colombia；　by　any　curved　line　that　gives　us　the　best　supplies；　breaking　up　in　our　course　as　much　railroad　as　possible；　then；　ignoring　Charleston　and　Augusta　both；　I　would　occupy　Columbia　and　Camden；　pausing　there　long　enough　to　observe　the　effect。　　I　would　then　strike　for　the　Charleston　&　Wilmington　Railroad；　somewhere　between　the　Santee　and　Cape　Fear　Rivers；　and；　if　possible；　communicate　with　the　fleet　under　Admiral　Dahlgren　（whom　I　find　a　most　agreeable　gentleman；　accommodating　himself　to　our　wishes　and　plans）。　　Then　I　would　favor　an　attack　on　Wilmington；　in　the　belief　that　Porter　and　Butler　will　fail　in　their　present　undertaking。　　Charleston　is　now　a　mere　desolated　wreck；　and　is　hardly　worth　the　time　it　would　take　to　starve　it　out。　　Still；　I　am　aware　that；　historically　and　politically；　much　importance　is　attached　to　the　place；　and　it　may　be　that；　apart　from　its　military　importance；　both　you　and　the　Administration　may　prefer　I　should　give　it　more　attention；　and　it　would　be　well　for　you　to　give　me　some　general　idea　on　that　subject；　for　otherwise　I　would　treat　it　as　I　have　expressed；　as　a　point　of　little　importance；　after　all　its　railroads　leading　into　the　interior　have　been　destroyed　or　occupied　by　us。　　But；　on　the　hypothesis　of　ignoring　Charleston　and　taking　Wilmington；　I　would　then　favor　a　movement　direct　on　Raleigh。　　The　game　is　then　up　with　Lee；　unless　he　comes　out　of　Richmond；　avoids　you　and　fights　me；　in　which　case　I　should　reckon　on　your　being　on　his　heels。　　Now　that　Hood　is　used　up　by　Thomas；　I　feel　disposed　to　bring　the　matter　to　an　issue　as　quick　as　possible。　　I　feel　confident　that　I　can　break　up　the　whole　railroad　system　of　South　Carolina　and　North　Carolina；　and　be　on　the　Roanoke；　either　at　Raleigh　or　Weldon；　by　the　time　spring　fairly　opens；　and；　if　you　feel　confident　that　you　can　whip　Lee　outside　of　his　intrenchments；　I　feell　equally　confident　that　I　can　handle　him　in　the　open　country。

One　reason　why　I　would　ignore　Charleston　is　this：　that　I　believe　Hardee　will　reduce　the　garrison　to　a　small　force；　with　plenty　of　provisions；　I　know　that　the　neck　back　of　Charleston　can　be　made　impregnable　to　assault；　and　we　will　hardly　have　time　for　siege　operations。

I　will　have　to　leave　in　Savannah　a　garrison；　and；　if　Thomas　can　spare　them；　I　would　like　to　have　all　detachments；　convalescents；　etc。；　belonging　to　these　four　corps；　sent　forward　at　once。　　I　do　not　want　to　cripple　Thomas；　because　I　regard　his　operations　as　all…important；　and　I　have　ordered　him　to　pursue　Hood　down　into　Alabama；　trusting　to　the　country　for　supplies。

I　reviewed　one　of　my　corps　to…day；　and　shall　continue　to　review　the　whole　army。　　I　do　not　like　to　boast；　but　believe　this　army　has　a　confidence　in　itself　that　makes　it　almost　invincible。　　I　wish　you　could　run　down　and　see　us；　it　would　have　a　good　effect；　and　show　to　both　armies　that　they　are　acting　on　a　common　plan。　　The　weather　is　now　cool　and　pleasant；　and　the　general　health　very　good。　Your　true　friend；

W。　T。　SHERMAN　Major…General。


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　24；　1864。

Major…General　H。　W。　HALLECK；　Chief…of…Staff；　Washington；　D。　C。

GENERAL：　I　had　the　pleasure　of　receiving　your　two　letters　of　the　16th　and　18th　instant　to…day；　and　feel　more　than　usually　flattered　by　the　high　encomiums　you　have　passed　on　our　recent　campaign；　which　is　now　complete　by　the　occupation　of　Savannah。

I　am　also　very　glad　that　General　Grant　has　changed　his　mind　about　embarking　my　troops　for　James　River；　leaving　me　free　to　make　the　broad　swath　you　describe　through　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　still　more　gratified　at　the　news　from　Thomas；　in　Tennessee；　because　it　fulfills　my　plans；　which　contemplated　his　being　able　to　dispose　of　Hood；　in　case　he　ventured　north　of　the　Tennessee　River。　　So；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　I　can　chuckle　over　Jeff。　Davis's　disappointment　in　not　turning　my　Atlanta　campaign　into　a　〃Moscow　disaster。〃

I　have　just　finished　a　long　letter　to　General　Grant；　and　have　explained　to　him　that　we　are　engaged　in　shifting　our　base　from　the　Ogeeohee　to　the　Savannah　River；　dismantling　all　the　forts　made　by　the　enemy　to　bear　upon　the　salt…water　channels；　transferring　the　heavy　ordnance；　etc。；　to　Fort　Pulaski　and　Hilton　Head；　and　in　remodeling　the　enemy's　interior　lines　to　suit　our　future　plans　and　purposes。　　I　have　also　laid　down　the　programme　for　a　campaign　which　I　can　make　this　winter；　and　which　will　put　me　in　the　spring　on　the　Roanoke；　in　direct　communication　with　General　Grant　on　James　River。　In　general　terms；　my　plan　is　to　turn　over　to　General　Foster　the　city　of　Savannah；　to　sally　forth　with　my　army　resupplied；　cross　the　Savannah；　feign　on　Charleston　and　Augusta；　but　strike　between；　breaking　en　route　the　Charleston　&　Augusta　Railroad；　also　a　large　part　of　that　from　Branchville　and　Camden　toward　North　Carolina；　and　then　rapidly　to　move　for　some　point　of　the　railroad　from　Charleston　to　Wilmington；　between　the　Santee　and　Cape　Fear　Rivers；　then；　communicating　with　the　fleet　in　the　neighborhood　of　Georgetown；　I　would　turn　upon　Wilmington　or　Charleston；　according　to　the　importance　of　either。　　I　rather　prefer　Wilmington；　as　a　live　place；　over　Charleston；　which　is　dead　and　unimportant　when　its　railroad　communications　are　broken。　　I　take　it　for　granted　that　the　present　movement　on　Wilmington　will　fail。　　If　I　should　determine　to　take　Charleston；　I　would　turn　across　the　country　（which　I　have　hunted　over　many　a　time）　from　Santee　to　Mount　Pleasant；　throwing　one　wing　on　the　peninsula　between　the　Ashley　and　Cooper。　　After　accomplishing　one　or　other　of　these　ends；　I　would　make　a　bee…line　for　Raleigh　or　Weldon；　when　Lee　world　be　forced　to　come　out　of　Richmond；　or　acknowledge　himself　beaten。　He　would；　I　think；　by　the　use　of　the　Danville　Railroad；　throw　himself　rapidly　between　m