memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第6章

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tedly　until　the　last　day　or　two　that　it　will　be　impossible　to　move；　however；　before　the　27th；　even　if　no　more　should　fall　in　the　meantime。　　I　think　Saturday；　the　30th；　will　probably　be　the　day　for　our　general　move。

Colonel　Comstock；　who　will　take　this；　can　spend　a　day　with　you；　and　fill　up　many　little　gaps　of　information　not　given　in　any　of　my　letters。

What　I　now　want　more　particularly　to　say　is；　that　if　the　two　main　attacks；　yours　and　the　one　from　here；　should　promise　great　success；　the　enemy　may；　in　a　fit　of　desperation；　abandon　one　part　of　their　line　of　defense；　and　throw　their　whole　strength　upon　the　other；　believing　a　single　defeat　without　any　victory　to　sustain　them　better　than　a　defeat　all　along　their　line；　and　hoping　too；　at　the　same　time；　that　the　army；　meeting　with　no　resistance；　will　rest　perfectly　satisfied　with　their　laurels；　having　penetrated　to　a　given　point　south；　thereby　enabling　them　to　throw　their　force　first　upon　one　and　then　on　the　other。

With　the　majority　of　military　commanders　they　might　do　this。

But　you　have　had　too　much　experience　in　traveling　light；　and　subsisting　upon　the　country；　to　be　caught　by　any　such　ruse。　　I　hope　my　experience　has　not　been　thrown　away。　　My　directions；　then；　would　be；　if　the　enemy　in　your　front　show　signs　of　joining　Lee；　follow　him　up　to　the　full　extent　of　your　ability。　　I　will　prevent　the　concentration　of　Lee　upon　your　front；　if　it　is　in　the　power　of　this　army　to　do　it。

The　Army　of　the　Potomac　looks　well；　and；　so　far　as　I　can　judge；　officers　and　men　feel　well。　　Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　NASHVILLE；　TENNESSEE；　April　24；　1864

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Commander…in…Chief；　Culpepper；　Virginia

GENERAL：　I　now　have；　at　the　hands　of　Colonel　Comstock；　of　your　staff；　the　letter　of　April　19th；　and　am　as　far　prepared　to　assume　the　offensive　as　possible。　　I　only　ask　as　much　time　as　you　think　proper；　to　enable　me　to　get　up　McPherson's　two　divisions　from　Cairo。　　Their　furloughs　will　expire　about　this　time；　and　some　of　them　should　now　be　in　motion　for　Clifton；　whence　they　will　march　to　Decatur；　to　join　General　Dodge。

McPherson　is　ordered　to　assemble　the　Fifteenth　Corps　near　Larkin's；　and　to　get　the　Sixteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps　（Dodge　and　Blair）　at　Decatur　at　the　earliest　possible　moment。　　From　these　two　points　he　will　direct　his　forces　on　Lebanon；　Summerville；　and　Lafayette；　where　he　will　act　against　Johnston；　if　he　accept　battle　at　Dalton；　or　move　in　the　direction　of　Rome；　if　the　enemy　give　up　Dalton；　and　fall　behind　the　Oostenaula　or　Etowah。　　I　see　that　there　is　some　risk　in　dividing　our　forces；　but　Thomas　and　Schofield　will　have　strength　enough　to　cover　all　the　valleys　as　far　as　Dalton；　and；　should　Johnston　turn　his　whole　force　against　McPherson；　the　latter　will　have　his　bridge　at　Larkin's；　and　the　route　to　Chattanooga　via　Willa's　Valley　and　the　Chattanooga　Creek；　open　for　retreat；　and　if　Johnston　attempt　to　leave　Dalton；　Thomas　will　have　force　enough　to　push　on　through　Dalton　to　Kingston；　which　will　checkmate　him。　　My　own　opinion　is　that　Johnston　will　be　compelled　to　hang　to　his　railroad；　the　only　possible　avenue　of　supply　to　his　army；　estimated　at　from　forty…five　to　sixty　thousand　men。

At　Lafayette　all　our　armies　will　be　together；　and　if　Johnston　stands　at　Dalton　we　must　attack　him　in　position。　　Thomas　feels　certain　that　he　has　no　material　increase　of　force；　and　that　he　has　not　sent　away　Hardee；　or　any　part　of　his　army。　　Supplies　are　the　great　question。　　I　have　materially　increased　the　number　of　cars　daily。　　When　I　got　here；　the　average　was　from　sixty…five　to　eighty　per　day。　　Yesterday　the　report　was　one　hundred　and　ninety…three；　to…day；　one　hundred　and　thirty…four；　and　my　estimate　is　that　one　hundred　and　forty…five　cars　per　day　will　give　us　a　day's　supply　and　a　day's　accumulation。

McPherson　is　ordered　to　carry　in　wagons　twenty　day's　rations；　and　to　rely　on　the　depot　at　Ringgold　for　the　renewal　of　his　bread。　Beeves　are　now　being　driven　on　the　hoof　to　the　front；　and　the　commissary；　Colonel　Beckwith；　seems　fully　alive　to　the　importance　of　the　whole　matter。

Our　weakest　point　will　be　from　the　direction　of　Decatur；　and　I　will　be　forced　to　risk　something　from　that　quarter；　depending　on　the　fact　that　the　enemy　has　no　force　available　with　which　to　threaten　our　communications　from　that　direction。

Colonel　Comstock　will　explain　to　you　personally　much　that　I　cannot　commit　to　paper。　　I　am；　with　great　respect；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。


On　the　28th　of　April　I　removed　my　headquarters　to　Chattanooga；　and　prepared　for　taking　the　field　in　person。　　General　Grant　had　first　indicated　the　30th　of　April　as　the　day　for　the　simultaneous　advance；　but　subsequently　changed　the　day　to　May　5th。　　McPhersons　troops　were　brought　forward　rapidly　to　Chattanooga；　partly　by　rail　and　partly　by　marching。　　Thomas's　troops　were　already　in　position　（his　advance　being　out　as　far　as　Ringgold…eighteen　miles）；　and　Schofield　was　marching　down　by　Cleveland　to　Red　Clay　and　Catoosa　Springs。　　On　the　4th　of　May；　Thomas　was　in　person　at　Ringgold；　his　left　at　Catoosa；　and　his　right　at　Leet's　Tan…yard。　　Schofield　was　at　Red　Clay；　closing　upon　Thomas's　left；　and　McPherson　was　moving　rapidly　into　Chattanooga；　and　out　toward　Gordon's　Mill。

On　the　5th　I　rode　out　to　Ringgold；　and　on　the　very　day　appointed　by　General　Grant　from　his　headquarters　in　Virginia　the　great　campaign　was　begun。　　To　give　all　the　minute　details　will　involve　more　than　is　contemplated；　and　I　will　endeavor　only　to　trace　the　principal　events；　or　rather　to　record　such　as　weighed　heaviest　on　my　own　mind　at　the　time；　and　which　now　remain　best　fixed　in　my　memory。

My　general　headquarters　and　official　records　remained　back　at　Nashville；　and　I　had　near　me　only　my　personal　staff　and　inspectors…general；　with　about　half　a　dozen　wagons；　and　a　single　company　of　Ohio　sharp…shooters　（commanded　by　Lieutenant　McCrory）　as　headquarters　or　camp　guard。　　I　also　had　a　small　company　of　irregular　Alabama　cavalry　（commanded　by　Lieutenant　Snelling）；　used　mostly　as　orderlies　and　couriers。　　No　wall…tents　were　allowed；　only　the　flies。　　Our　mess　establishment　was　less　in　bulk　than　that　of　any　of　the　brigade　commanders；　nor　was　this　from　an　indifference　to　the　ordinary　comforts　of　life；　but　because　I　wanted　to　set　the　example；　and　gradually　to　convert　all　parts　of　that　army　into　a　mobile　machine；　willing　and　able　to　start　at　a　minute's　notice；　and　to　subsist　on　the　scantiest　food。　　To　reap　absolute　succees　might　involve　the　necessity　even　of　dropping　all　wagons；　and　to　subsist　on　the　chance　food　which　the　country　was　known　to　contain。　　I　had　obtained　not　only　the　United　States　census…tables　of　1860；　but　a　compilation　made　by　the　Controller　of　the　State　of　Georgia　for　the　purpose　of　taxation；　containing　in　considerable　detail　the　〃population　and　statistics〃　of　every　county　in　Georgia。　　One　of　my　aides　（Captain　Dayton）　acted　as　assistant　adjutant　general；　with　an　order…book；　letter…book；　and　writing…paper；　that　filled　a　small　chest　not　much　larger　than　an　ordinary　candle…boa。　　The　only　reports　and　returns　called　for　were　the　ordinary　tri…monthly　returns　of　〃effective　strength。〃　　As　these　accumulated　they　were　sent　back　to　Nashville；　and　afterward　were　embraced　in　the　archives　of　the　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；　changed　in　1865　to　the　Military　Division　of　the　Missouri；　and　I　suppose　they　were　burned　in　the　Chicago　fire　of　1870。　　Still；　duplicates　remain　of　all　essential　papers　in　the　archives　of　the　War　Department。

The　6th　of　May　was　given　to　Schofield　and　McPherson　to　get　into　position；　and　on　the　7th　General　Thomas　moved　in　force　against　Tunnel　Hill；　driving　off　a　mere　picket…guard　of　the　enemy；　and　I　was　agreeably　surprised　to　find　that　no　damage　had　been　done　to　the　tunnel　or　the　railroad。　　From　Tunnel　Hill　I　could　look　into　the　gorge　by　which　the　railroad　passed　through　a　straight　and　well…defined　range　of　mountains；　presenting　sharp　palisade　faces；　and　known　as　〃Rocky　Face。〃　　The　gorge　itself　was　called　the　〃Buzzard　Roost。〃　　We　could　plainly　see　the　enemy　in　this　gorge　and　behind　it；　and　Mill　Creek　which　formed　the　gorge；　flowing　toward　Dalton；　had　been　dammed　up；