memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第68章

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dsboro'；　in　cooperation　with　your　movements。　　From　either　point；　railroad　communications　can　be　run　out；　there　being　here　abundance　of　rolling…stock　suited　to　the　gauge　of　those　roads。

There　have　been　about　sixteen　thousand　men　sent　from　Lee's　army　south。　　Of　these；　you　will　have　fourteen　thousand　against　you；　if　Wilmington　is　not　held　by　the　enemy；　casualties　at　Fort　Fisher　having　overtaken　about　two　thousand。

All　other　troops　are　subject　to　your　orders　as　you　come　in　communication　with　them。　　They　will　be　so　instructed。　　From　about　Richmond　I　will　watch　Lee　closely；　and　if　he　detaches　many　men；　or　attempts　to　evacuate；　will　pitch　in。　　In　the　meantime；　should　you　be　brought　to　a　halt　anywhere；　I　can　send　two　corps　of　thirty　thousand　effective　men　to　your　support；　from　the　troops　about　Richmond。

To　resume：　Canby　is　ordered　to　operate　to　the　interior　from　the　Gulf。　　A。　J。　Smith　may　go　from　the　north；　but　I　think　it　doubtful。　A　force　of　twenty…eight　or　thirty　thousand　will　cooperate　with　you　from　Newbern　or　Wilmington；　or　both。　　You　can　call　for　reenforcements。

This　will　be　handed　you　by　Captain　Hudson；　of　my　ataff；　who　will　return　with　any　message　you　may　have　for　me。　　If　there　is　any　thing　I　can　do　for　you　in　the　way　of　having　supplies　on　shipboard；　at　any　point　on　the　seacoast；　ready　for　you；　let　me　know　it。

Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　POCOTALIGO；　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　January　29；　1885。

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

DEAR　GENERAL：　Captain　Hudson　has　this　moment　arrived　with　your　letter　of　January　21st；　which　I　have　read　with　interest。

The　capture　of　Fort　Fisher　has　a　most　important　bearing　on　my　campaign；　and　I　rejoice　in　it　for　many　reasons；　because　of　its　intrinsic　importance；　and　because　it　gives　me　another　point　of　security　on　the　seaboard。　　I　hope　General　Terry　will　follow　it　up　by　the　capture　of　Wilmington；　although　I　do　not　look　for　it；　from　Admiral　Porter's　dispatch　to　me。　　I　rejoice　that　Terry　was　not　a　West…Pointer；　that　he　belonged　to　your　army；　and　that　he　had　the　same　troops　with　which　Butler　feared　to　make　the　attempt。

Admiral　Dahlgren；　whose　fleet　is　reenforced　by　some　more　ironclads；　wants　to　make　an　assault　a　la　Fisher　on　Fort　Moultrie；　but　I　withhold　my　consent；　for　the　reason　that　the　capture　of　all　Sullivan's　Island　is　not　conclusive　as　to　Charleston；　the　capture　of　James　Island　would　be；　but　all　pronounce　that　impossible　at　this　time。　　Therefore；　I　am　moving　（as　hitherto　designed）　for　the　railroad　west　of　Branchville；　then　will　swing　across　to　Orangeburg；　which　will　interpose　my　army　between　Charleston　and　the　interior。　Contemporaneous　with　this；　Foster　will　demonstrate　up　the　Edisto；　and　afterward　make　a　lodgment　at　Bull's　Bay；　and　occupy　the　common　road　which　leads　from　Mount　Pleasant　toward　Georgetown。　　When　I　get　to　Columbia；　I　think　I　shall　move　straight　for　Goldsboro'；　via　Fayetteville。　　By　this　circuit　I　cut　all　roads；　and　devastate　the　land；　and　the　forces　along　the　coast；　commanded　by　Foster；　will　follow　my　movement；　taking　any　thing　the　enemy　lets　go；　or　so　occupy　his　attention　that　he　cannot　detach　all　his　forces　against　me。　　I　feel　sure　of　getting　Wilmington；　and　may　be　Charleston；　and　being　at　Goldsboro'；　with　its　railroads　finished　back　to　Morehead　City　and　Wilmington；　I　can　easily　take　Raleigh；　when　it　seems　that　Lee　must　come　out。　　If　Schofield　comes　to　Beaufort；　he　should　be　pushed　out　to　Kinston；　on　the　Neuse；　and　may　be　Goldsboro'　（or；　rather；　a　point　on　the　Wilmington　road；　south　of　Goldsboro'）。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　storm　Goldsboro'；　because　it　is　in　a　distant　region；　of　no　importance　in　itself；　and；　if　its　garrison　is　forced　to　draw　supplies　from　its　north；　it；　will　be　eating　up　the　same　stores　on　which　Lee　depends　for　his　command。

I　have　no　doubt　Hood　will　bring　his　army　to　Augusta。　　Canby　and　Thomas　should　penetrate　Alabama　as　far　as　possible；　to　keep　employed　at　least　a　part　of　Hood's　army；　or；　what　would　accomplish　the　same　thing；　Thomas　might　reoccupy　the　railroad　from　Chattanooga　forward　to　the　Etowah；　viz。；　Rome；　Kingston；　and　Allatoona；　thereby　threatening　Georgia。　　I　know　that　the　Georgia　troops　are　disaffected。　　At　Savannah　I　met　delegates　from　several　counties　of　the　southwest；　who　manifested　a　decidedly　hostile　spirit　to　the　Confederate　cause。　　I　nursed　the　feeling　as　far　as　possible；　and　instructed　Grower　to　keep　it　up。

My　left　wing　must　now　be　at　Sister's　Ferry；　crossing　the　Savannah　River　to　the　east　bank。　　Slocum　has　orders　to　be　at　Robertsville　to…morrow；　prepared　to　move　on　Barnwell。　　Howard　is　here；　all　ready　to　start　for　the　Augusta　Railroad　at　Midway。

We　find　the　enemy　on　the　east　aide　of　the　Salkiehatchie；　and　cavalry　in　our　front；　but　all　give　ground　on　our　approach；　and　seem　to　be　merely　watching　us。　　If　we　start　on　Tuesday；　in　one　week　we　shall　be　near　Orangeburg；　having　broken　up　the　Augusta　road　from　the　Edisto　westward　twenty　or　twenty…five　miles。　　I　will　be　sure　that　every　rail　is　twisted。　　Should　we　encounter　too　much　opposition　near　Orangeburg；　then　I　will　for　a　time　neglect　that　branch；　and　rapidly　move　on　Columbia；　and　fill　up　the　triangle　formed　by　the　Congaree　and　Wateree　（tributaries　of　the　Santee）；　breaking　up　that　great　centre　of　the　Carolina　roads。　　Up　to　that　point　I　feel　full　confidence；　but　from　there　may　have　to　manoeuvre　some；　and　will　be　guided　by　the　questions　of　weather　and　supplies。

You　remember　we　had　fine　weather　last　February　for　our　Meridian　trip；　and　my　memory　of　the　weather　at　Charleston　is；　that　February　is　usually　a　fine　month。　　Before　the　March　storms　come　we　should　be　within　striking　distance　of　the　coast。　The　months　of　April　and　May　will　be　the　best　for　operations　from　Goldsboro'　to　Raleigh　and　the　Roanoke。　　You　may　rest　assured　that　I　will　keep　my　troops　well　in　hand；　and；　if　I　get　worsted；　will　aim　to　make　the　enemy　pay　so　dearly　that　you　will　have　less　to　do。　　I　know　that　this　trip　is　necessary；　it　must　be　made　sooner　or　later；　I　am　on　time；　and　in　the　right　position　for　it。　　My　army　is　large　enough　for　the　purpose；　and　I　ask　no　reinforcement；　but　simply　wish　the　utmost　activity　to　be　kept　up　at　all　other　points；　so　that　concentration　against　me　may　not　be　universal。

I　suspect　that　Jeff。　Davis　will　move　heaven　and　earth　to　catch　me；　for　success　to　this　column　is　fatal　to　his　dream　of　empire。　Richmond　is　not　more　vital　to　his　cause　than　Columbia　and　the　heart　of　South　Carolina。

If　Thomas　will　not　move　on　Selma；　order　him　to　occupy　Rome；　Kingston；　and　Allatoona；　and　again　threaten　Georgia　in　the　direction　of　Athena。

I　think　the　〃poor　white　trash〃　of　the　South　are　falling　out　of　their　ranks　by　sickness；　desertion；　and　every　available　means；　but　there　is　a　large　class　of　vindictive　Southerners　who　will　fight　to　the　last。　　The　squabbles　in　Richmond；　the　howls　in　Charleston；　and　the　disintegration　elsewhere；　are　all　good　omens　for　us；　we　must　not　relax　one　iota；　but；　on　the　contrary；　pile　up　our　efforts：　I　world；　ere　this；　have　been　off；　but　we　had　terrific　rains；　which　caught　us　in　motion；　and　nearly　drowned　some　of　the　troops　in　the　rice…fields　of　the　Savannah；　swept　away　our　causeway　（which　had　been　carefully　corduroyed）；　and　made　the　swamps　hereabout　mere　lakes　of　slimy　mud。　　The　weather　is　now　good；　and　I　have　the　army　on　terra　firma。　　Supplies；　too；　came　for　a　long　time　by　daily　driblets　instead　of　in　bulk；　this　is　now　all　remedied；　and　I　hope　to　start　on　Tuesday。

I　will　issue　instructions　to　General　Foster；　based　on　the　reenforcements　of　North　Carolina；　but　if　Schofield　come；　you　had　better　relieve　Foster；　who　cannot　take　the　field；　and　needs　an　operation　on　his　leg。　　Let　Schofield　take　command；　with　his　headquarters　at　Beaufort；　North　Carolina；　and　with　orders　to　secure　Goldsboro'　（with　its　railroad　communication　back　to　Beaufort　and　Wilmington）。　　If　Lee　lets　us　get　that　position；　he　is　gone　up。

I　will　start　with　my　Atlanta　army　（sixty　thousand）；　supplied　as　before；　depending　on　the　country　for　all　food　in　excess　of　thirty　days。　　I　will　have　less　cattle　on　the　hoof；　but　I　hear　of　hogs；　cows；　and　calves；　in　Barnwell　and　the　Colombia　districts。　　Even　here　we　have　foun