personal memoirs-1-第22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！



disburse　money　in　their　sections；　sent　me　out　into　the　Northwest　with

a　sort　of　roving　commission　to　purchase　horses　for　the　use　of　the

army。　　I　went　to　Madison　and　Racine；　Wis。；　at　which　places　I　bought

two　hundred　horses；　which　were　shipped　to　St。　Louis。　　At　Chicago　I

bought　two　hundred　more；　and　as　the　prices　paid　at　the　latter　point

showed　that　Illinois　was　the　cheapest　marketit　at　that　time

producing　a　surplus　over　home　demandsI　determined　to　make　Chicago

the　centre　of　my　operations。



While　occupied　in　this　way　at　Chicago　the　battle　of　Shiloh　took

place；　and　the　desire　for　active　service　with　troops　became　uppermost

in　my　thoughts；　so　I　returned　to　St。　Louis　to　see　if　I　could　not　get

into　the　field。　　General　Halleck　having　gone　down　to　the　Shiloh

battle…field；　I　reported　to　his　Assistant　Adjutant…General；　Colonel

John　C。　Kelton；　and　told　him　of　my　anxiety　to　take　a　hand　in　active

field…service；　adding　that　I　did　not　wish　to　join　my　regiment；　which

was　still　organizing　and　recruiting　at　Jefferson　Barracks；　for　I　felt

confident　I　could　be　more　useful　elsewhere。　　Kelton　knew　that　the

purchasing　duty　was　but　temporary；　and　that　on　its　completion；

probably　at　no　distant　date；　I　should　have　to　join　my　company　at　the

barracks；　so；　realizing　the　inactivity　to　which　that　situation　of

affairs　would　subject　me；　he　decided　to　assume　the　responsibility　of

sending　me　to　report　to　General　Halleck　at　Shiloh；　and　gave　me　an

order　to　that　effect。



This　I　consider　the　turning…point　in　my　military　career；　and　shall

always　feel　grateful　to　Colonel　Kelton　for　his　kindly　act　which　so

greatly　influenced　my　future。　　My　desire　to　join　the　army　at　Shiloh

had　now　taken　possession　of　me；　and　I　was　bent　on　getting　there　by

the　first　means　available。　　Learning　that　a　hospital…boat　under

charge　of　Dr。　Hough　was　preparing　to　start　for　Pittsburg　Landing；　I

obtained　the　Doctor's　consent　to　take　passage　on　it；　and　on　the

evening　of　April　15；　I　left　St。　Louis　for　the　scene　of　military

operations　in　northeastern　Mississippi。



At　Pittsburg　Landing　I　reported　to　General　Halleck；　who；　after　some

slight　delay；　assigned　me　to　duty　as　an　assistant　to　Colonel　George

Thom；　of　the　topographical　engineers。　　Colonel　Thom　put　me　at　the

work　of　getting　the　trains　up　from　the　landing；　which　involved　the

repair　of　roads　for　that　purpose　by　corduroying　the　marshy　places。

This　was　rough；　hard　work；　without　much　chance　of　reward；　but　it；　was

near　the　field　of　active　operations；　and　I　determined　to　do　the　best

I　could　at　it　till　opportunity　for　something　better　might　arise。



General　Halleck　did　not　know　much　about　taking　care　of　himself　in　the

field。　　His　camp　arrangements　were　wholly　inadequate；　and　in

consequence　he　and　all　the　officers　about　him　were　subjected　to　much

unnecessary　discomfort　and　annoyance。　　Someone　suggested　to　him　to

appoint　me　quartermaster　for　his　headquarters；　with　a　view　to

systematizing　the　establishment　and　remedying　the　defects　complained

of；　and　I　was　consequently　assigned　to　this　duty。　　Shortly　after　this

assignment　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　General　Halleck　was

delighted　with　the　improvements　made　at　headquarters；　both　in　camp

outfit　and　transportation；　and　in　administration　generally。　　My

popularity　grew　as　the　improvements　increased；　but　one　trifling

incident　came　near　marring　it。　　There　was　some　hitch　about　getting

fresh　beef　for　General　Halleck's　mess；　and　as　by　this　time　everybody

had　come　to　look　to　me　for　anything　and　everything　in　the　way　of

comfort；　Colonel　Joe　McKibben　brought　an　order　from　the　General　for

me　to　get　fresh　beef　for　the　headquarters　mess。　　I　was　not　caterer

for　this　mess；　nor　did　I　belong　to　it　even；　so　I　refused　point…blank。

McKibben；　disliking　to　report　my　disobedience；　undertook　persuasion；

and　brought　Colonel　Thom　to　see　me　to　aid　in　his　negotiations；　but　I

would　not　give　in；　so　McKibben　in　the　kindness　of　his　heart　rode

several　miles　in　order　to　procure　the　beef　himself；　and　thus　save　me

from　the　dire　results　which　be　thought　would　follow　should　Halleck

get　wind　of　such　downright　insubordination。　　The　next　day　I　was　made

Commissary　of　Subsistence　for　the　headquarters　in　addition　to　my

other　duties；　and　as　this　brought　me　into　the　line　of　fresh　beef；

General　Halleck　had　no　cause　thereafter　to　complain　of　a　scarcity　of

that　article　in　his　mess。



My　stay　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　was　exceedingly　agreeable；

and　my　personal　intercourse　with　officers　on　duty　there　was　not　only

pleasant　and　instructive；　but　offered　opportunities　for　improvement

and　advancement　for　which　hardly　any　other　post　could　have　afforded

like　chances。　　My　special　duties　did　not　occupy　all　my　time；　and

whenever　possible　I　used　to　go　over　to　General　Sherman's　division；

which　held　the　extreme　right　of　our　line　in　the　advance　on　Corinth；

to　witness　the　little　engagements　occurring　there　continuously　during

the　slow　progress　which　the　army　was　then　making；　the　enemy　being

forced　back　but　a　short　distance　each　day。　　I　knew　General　Sherman

very　well。　　We　came　from　near　the　same　section　of　country　in　Ohio；

and　his　wife　and　her　family　had　known　me　from　childhood。　　I　was

always　kindly　received　by　the　General；　and　one　day　he　asked　me　if　I

would　be　willing　to　accept　the　colonelcy　of　a　certain　Ohio　regiment

if　he　secured　the　appointment。　　I　gladly　told　him　yes；　if　General

Halleck　would　let　me　go；　but　I　was　doomed　to　disappointment；　for　in

about　a　week　or　so　afterward　General　Sherman　informed　me　that　the

Governor　of　Ohio　would　not　consent；　having　already　decided　to　appoint

some　one　else。



A　little　later　Governor　Blair；　of　Michigan；　who　was　with　the　army

temporarily　in　the　interest　of　the　troops　from　his　State；　and　who

just　at　this　time　was　looking　around　for　a　colonel　for　the　Second

Michigan　Cavalry；　and　very　anxious　to　get　a　regular　officer；　fixed

upon　me　as　the　man。　　The　regiment　was　then　somewhat　run　down　by

losses　from　sickness；　and　considerably　split　into　factions　growing

out　of　jealousies　engendered　by　local　differences　previous　to

organization；　and　the　Governor　desired　to　bridge　over　all　these

troubles　by　giving　the　regiment　a　commander　who　knew　nothing　about

them。　　I　presume　that　some　one　said　to　the　Governor　about　this　time；

〃Why　don't　you　get　Sheridan？〃　　This；　however；　is　only　conjecture。　　I

really　do　not　know　how　my　name　was　proposed　to　him；　but　I　have　often

been　told　since　that　General　Gordon　Granger；　whom　I　knew　slightly

then；　and　who　had　been　the　former　colonel　of　the　regiment；　first

suggested　the　appointment。　　At　all　events；　on　the　morning　of　May　27；

1862；　Captain　Russell　A。　Algerrecently　Governor　of　Michigan

accompanied　by　the　quartermaster　of　the　regiment；　Lieutenant　Frank

Walbridge；　arrived　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　and　delivered　to

me　this　telegram：



（By　Telegraph。）

〃MILITARY　DEPT　OF　MICHIGAN；

〃ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；

〃DETROIT；　May　25；　1862。



GENERAL　ORDERS　NO。　148。



〃Captain　Philip　H。　Sheridan；　U。　S。　Army；　is　hereby　appointed

Colonel　of　the　Second　Regiment　Michigan　Cavalry；　to　rank　from

this　date。



〃Captain　Sheridan　will　immediately　assume　command　of　the

regiment。



〃By　order　of　the　Commander…in…Chief；

〃JNO。　ROBERTSON；

〃Adjutant…General。〃





I　took　the　order　to　General　Halleck；　and　said　that　I　would　like　to

accept；　but　he　was　not　willing　I　should　do　so　until　the　consent　of

the　War　Department　could　be　obtained。　　I　returned　to　my　tent　much

disappointed；　for　in　those　days；　for　some　unaccountable　reason；　the

War　Department　did　not　favor　the　appointment　of　regular　officers　to

volunteer　regiments；　and　I　feared　a　disapproval　at　Washington。　　After

a　further　consultation　with　Captain　Alger　and　Lieutenant　Walbridge；　I

determined　to　go　to　the　General　again　and　further　present　the　case。

Enlarging　on　my　desire　for　active　service　with　troops；　and　urging　the

utter　lack　of　such　opportunity　where　I　was；　I　pleaded　my　cause　until