personal memoirs-1-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



post；　from　which　I　could　see　a　long　distance　down　the　road　as　it　ran

through　the　valley　of　the　Yamhill；　and　there　I　would　watch　with

anxiety　for　his　coming；　longing　for　good　news；　for；　isolated　as　I　had

been　through　years　spent　in　the　wilderness；　my　patriotism　was

untainted　by　politics；　nor　had　it　been　disturbed　by　any　discussion　of

the　questions　out　of　which　the　war　grew；　and　I　hoped　for　the　success

of　the　Government　above　all　other　considerations。　　I　believe　I　was

also　uninfluenced　by　any　thoughts　of　the　promotion　that　might　result

to　me　from　the　conflict；　but；　out　of　a　sincere　desire　to　contribute

as　much　as　I　could　to　the　preservation　of　the　Union；　I　earnestly

wished　to　be　at　the　seat　of　war；　and　feared　it　might　end　before　I

could　get　East。　　In　no　sense　did　I　anticipate　what　was　to　happen　to

me　afterward；　nor　that　I　was　to　gain　any　distinction　from　it。　　I　was

ready　to　do　my　duty　to　the　best　of　my　ability　wherever　I　might　be

called；　and　I　was　young；　healthy；　insensible　to　fatigue；　and　desired

opportunity；　but　high　rank　was　so　distant　in　our　service　that　not　a

dream　of　its　attainment　had　flitted　through　my　brain。



During　the　period　running　from　January　to　September；　1861；　in

consequence　of　resignations　and　the　addition　of　some　new　regiments　to

the　regular　army；　I　had　passed　through　the　grade　of　first　lieutenant

and　reached　that　of　captain　in　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry；

of　which　General　W。　T。　Sherman　had　recently　been　made　the　colonel。

When　relieved　from　further　duty　at　Yamhill　by　Captain　Owen；　I　left

for　the　Atlantic　coast　to　join　my　new　regiment。　　A　two　days'　ride

brought　me　down　to　Portland；　whence　I　sailed　to　San　Franciso；　and　at

that　city　took　passage　by　steamer　for　New　York　via　the　Isthmus　of

Panama；　in　company　with　a　number　of　officers　who　were　coming　East

under　circumstances　like　my　own。



At　this　time　California　was　much　agitatedon　the　question　of

secession；　and　the　secession　element　was　so　strong　that　considerable

apprehension　was　felt　by　the　Union　people　lest　the　State　might　be

carried　into　the　Confederacy。　　As　a　consequence　great　distrust

existed　in　all　quarters；　and　the　loyal　passengers　on　the　steamer；　not

knowing　what　might　occur　during　our　voyage；　prepared　to　meet

emergencies　by　thoroughly　organizing　to　frustrate　any　attempt　that

might　possibly　be　made　to　carry　us　into　some　Southern　port　after　we

should　leave　Aspinwall。　　However；　our　fears　proved　groundless；　at　all

events；　no　such　attempt　was　made；　and　we　reached　New　York　in　safety

in　November；　1861。　　A　day　or　two　in　New　York　sufficed　to　replenish　a

most　meagre　wardrobe；　and　I　then　started　West　to　join　my　new

regiment；　stopping　a　day　and　a　night　at　the　home　of　my　parents　in

Ohio；　where　I　had　not　been　since　I　journeyed　from　Texas　for　the

Pacific　coast。　　The　headquarters　of　my　regiment　were　at　Jefferson

Barracks；　Missouri；　to　which　point　I　proceeded　with　no　further　delay

except　a　stay　in　the　city　of　St。　Louis　long　enough　to　pay　my　respects

to　General　H。　W。　Halleck。









CHAPTER　VIII。



AUDITING　ACCOUNTSCHIEF　QUARTERMASTER　AND　COMMISSARY　OF　THE　ARMY　OF

SOUTHWEST　MISSOURIPREPARING　FOR　THE　PEA　RIDGE　CAMPAIGNA

DIFFERENCE　WITH　GENERAL　CURTISORDERED　TO　THE　FRONTAPPOINTED　A

COLONEL。



Some　days　after　I　had　reached　the　headquarters　of　my　regiment　near

St。　Louis；　General　Halleck　sent　for　me；　and　when　I　reported　he

informed　me　that　there　existed　a　great　deal　of　confusion　regarding

the　accounts　of　some　of　the　disbursing　officers　in　his　department；

whose　management　of　its　fiscal　affairs　under　his　predecessor；　General

John　C。　Fremont；　had　been　very　loose；　and　as　the　chaotic　condition　of

things　could　be　relieved　only　by　auditing　these　accounts；　he

therefore　had　determined　to　create　a　board　of　officers　for　the

purpose；　and　intended　to　make　me　president　of　it。　　The　various

transactions　in　question　covered　a　wide　field；　for　the　department

embraced　the　States　of　Missouri；　Iowa；　Minnesota；　Illinois；　Arkansas；

and　all　of　Kentucky　west　of　the　Cumberland　River。



The　duty　was　not　distasteful；　and　I　felt　that　I　was　qualified　to

undertake　it；　for　the　accounts　to　be　audited　belonged　exclusively　to

the　Quartermaster　and　Subsistence　departments；　and　by　recent

experience　I　had　become　familiar　with　the　class　of　papers　that

pertained　to　those　branches　of　the　army。　　Indeed；　it　was　my

familiarity　with　such　transactions；　returns；　etc。；　that　probably

caused　my　selection　as　president　of　the　board。



I　entered　upon　the　work　forthwith；　and　continued　at　it　until　the　26th

of　December；　1861。　　At　that　date　I　was　relieved　from　the　auditing

board　and　assigned　to　duty　as　Chief　Commissary　of　the　Army　of

Southwest　Missouri；　commanded　by　General　Samuel　R。　Curtis。　　This　army

was　then　organizing　at　Rolla；　Missouri；　for　the　Pea　Ridge　campaign；

its　strength　throughout　the　campaign　being　in　the　aggregate　about

fifteen　thousand　men。



As　soon　as　I　received　information　of　my　selection　for　this　position；

I　went　to　General　Halleck　and　requested　him　to　assign　me　as　Chief

Quartermaster　also。　　He　was　reluctant　to　do　so；　saying　that　I　could

not　perform　both　duties；　but　I　soon　convinced　him　that　I　could　do

both　better　than　the　one；　for　I　reminded　him　that　as　Chief

Quartermaster　I　should　control　the　transportation；　and　thus　obviate

all　possible　chances　of　discord　between　the　two　staff　departments；　a

condition　which　I　deemed　essential　to　success；　especially　as　it　was

intended　that　Curtis's　army　should　mainly　subsist　on　the　country。

This　argument　impressed　Halleck；　and　becoming　convinced；　he　promptly

issued　the　order　making　me　Chief　Quartermaster　and　Chief　Commissary

of　Subsistence　of　the　Army　of　Southwest　Missouri；　and　I　started　for

Rolla　to　enter　upon　the　work　assigned　me。



Having　reported　to　General　Curtis；　I　quickly　learned　that　his　system

of　supply　was　very　defective；　and　the　transportation　without　proper

organization；　some　of　the　regiments　having　forty　to　fifty　wagon　each；

and　others　only　three　or　four。　　I　labored　day　and　night　to　remedy

these　and　other　defects；　and　with　the　help　of　Captain　Michael　P。

Small；　of　the　Subsistence　Department；　who　was　an　invaluable

assistant；　soon　brought　things　into　shape；　putting　the　transportation

in　good　working　order；　giving　each　regiment　its　proper　quota　of

wagons；　and　turning　the　surplus　into　the　general　supply　trains　of　the

army。　　In　accomplishing　this　I　was　several　times　on　the　verge　of

personal　conflict　with　irate　regimental　commanders；　but　Colonel　G。　M。

Dodge　so　greatly　sustained　me　with　General　Curtis　by　strong　moral

support；　and　by　such　efficient　details　from　his　regimentthe　Fourth

Iowa　Volunteer　Infantrythat　I　still　bear　him　and　it　great　affection

and　lasting　gratitude。



On　January　26；　1862；　General　Curtis's　army　began　its　march　from　Rolla

to　Springfield；　Missouri；　by　way　of　Lebanon。　　The　roads　were　deep

with　mud；　and　so　badly　cut　up　that　the　supply　trains　in　moving

labored　under　the　most　serious　difficulties；　and　were　greatly

embarrassed　by　swollen　streams。　　Under　these　circumstances　many

delays　occurred；　and　when　we　arrived　at　Lebanon　nearly　all　the

supplies　with　which　we　had　started　had　been　consumed；　and　the　work　of

feeding　the　troops　off　the　country　had　to　begin　at　that　point。　　To

get　flour；　wheat　had　to　be　taken　from　the　stacks；　threshed；　and　sent

to　the　mills　to　be　ground。　　Wheat　being　scarce　in　this　region；　corn

as　a　substitute　had　to　be　converted　into　meal　by　the　same　laborious

process。　　In　addition；　beef　cattle　had　to　be　secured　for　the　meat

ration。



By　hard　work　we　soon　accumulated　a　sufficient　quantity　of　flour　and

corn　meal　to　justify　the　resumption　of　our　march　on　Springfield；　at

or　near　which　point　the　enemy　was　believed　to　be　awaiting　us；　and　the

order　was　given　to　move　forward；　the　commanding　general　cautioning

me；　in　the　event　of　disaster；　to　let　no　salt　fall　into　General

Price's　hands。　　General　Curtis　made　a　hobby　of　this　matter　of　salt；

believing　the　ene