personal memoirs-1-第27章

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open　fields　in　the　vicinity　gave　opportunity　for　drills　and　parades；

which　were　much　needed。　　I　turned　my　attention　to　those　disciplinary

measures　which；　on　account　of　active　work　in　the　field；　had　been

necessarily　neglected　since　the　brigade　had　arrived　at　Pittsburg

Landing；　in　April；　and　besides；　we　had　been　busy　in　collecting

information　by　scouting　parties　and　otherwise；　in　prosecution　of　the

purpose　for　which　we　were　covering　the　main　army。



I　kept　up　an　almost　daily　correspondence　with　General　Granger；

concerning　the；　information　obtained　by　scouts　and　reconnoitring

parties；　and　he　came　often　to　Rienzi　to　see　me　in　relation　to　this

and　other　matters。　　Previously　I　had　not　had　much　personal

association　with　Granger。　　While　I　was　at　Halleck's　headquarters　we

met　on　one　or　two　occasions；　and　the　day　I　joined　the　Second　Michigan

at　Farmington　I　saw　him　for　a　few　moments；　but；　with　such　slight

exception；　our　intercourse　had　been　almost　exclusively　official。　　He

had　suggested　my　name；　I　was　told；　to　Governor　Blair；　when　the

Governor　was　in　search　of　an　officer　of　the　regular　army　to　appoint

to　the　colonelcy　of　the　Second　Michigan　Cavalry；　but　his

recommendation　must　have　been　mainly　based　on　the　favorable　opinions

he　had　heard　expressed　by　General　Halleck　and　by　some　of　the　officers

of　his　staff；　rather　than　from　any　personal　knowledge　of　my　capacity。

Of　course　I　was　very　grateful　for　this；　but　some　of　his

characteristics　did　not　impress　me　favorably；　and　I　sometimes　wished

the　distance　between　our　camps　greater。　　His　most　serious　failing　was

an　uncontrollable　propensity　to　interfere　with　and　direct　the　minor

matters　relating　to　the　command；　the　details　for　which　those　under

him　were　alone　responsible。　　Ill…judged　meddling　in　this　respect

often　led　to　differences　between　us；　only　temporary　it　is　true；　but

most　harassing　to　the　subordinate；　since　I　was　compelled　by　the

circumstances　of　the　situation　not　only　invariably　to　yield　my　own

judgment；　but　many　a　time　had　to　play　peacemakersmoothing　down

ruffled　feelings；　that　I　knew　had　been　excited　by　Granger's　freaky

and　spasmodic　efforts　to　correct　personally　some　trifling　fault　that

ought　to　have　been　left　to　a　regimental　or　company　commander　to

remedy。　　Yet　with　all　these　small　blemishes　Granger　had　many　good

qualities；　and　his　big　heart　was　so　full　of　generous　impulses　and

good　motives　as　to　far　outbalance　his　short…comings；　and　not…

withstanding　the　friction　and　occasional　acerbity　of　our　official

intercourse；　we　maintained　friendly　relations　till　his　death。



In　pursuance　of　the　fatal　mistake　made　by　dispersing　Halleck's　forces

after　the　fall　of　Corinth；　General　Don　Carlos　Buell's　Army　of　the

Ohio　had　been　started　some　time　before　on　its　march　eastward　toward

Chattanooga；　and　as　this　movement　would　be　followed　of　course　by　a

manoeuvre　on　the　part　of　the　enemy；　now　at　Tupelo　under　General

Braxton　Bragg；　either　to　meet　Buell　or　frustrate　his　designs　by　some

counter…operation；　I　was　expected　to　furnish；　by　scouting　and　all

other　means　available；　information　as　to　what　was　going　on　within　the

Confederate　lines。　　To　do　the　work　required；　necessitated　an　increase

of　my　command；　and　the　Seventh　Kansas　Cavalry　was　therefore　added　to

it；　and　my　picket…line　extended　so　as　to　cover　from　Jacinto

southwesterly　to　a　point　midway　between　Rienzi　and　Booneville；　and

then　northwesterly　to　the　Hatchie　River。　　Skirmishes　between　outposts

on　this　line　were　of　frequent　occurrence；　with　small　results　to

either　side；　but　they　were　somewhat　annoying；　particularly　in　the

direction　of　Ripley；　where　the　enemy　maintained　a　considerable

outpost。　　Deciding　to　cripple　if　not　capture　this　outpost；　on　the

evening　of　July　27；　I　sent　out　an　expedition　under　Colonel　Hatch；

which　drove　the　enemy　from　the　town　of　Ripley　and　took　a　few

prisoners；　but　the　most　valuable　prize　was　in　the　shape　of　a　package

of　thirty…two　private　letters；　the　partial　reading　of　which　disclosed

to　me　the　positive　transfer　from　Mississippi　of　most　of　Bragg's　army；

for　the　purpose　of　counteracting　Buell's　operations　in　northern

Alabama　and　East　Tennessee。　　This　decisive　evidence　was　of　the　utmost

importance；　and　without　taking　time　to　read　all　the　letters；　I

forwarded　them　to　General　Granger　July　28；　in　a　despatch　which

stated：　〃I　deem　it　necessary　to　send　them　at　once；　the　enemy　is

moving　in　large　force　on　Chattanooga。〃　　Other　than　this　the　results

of　the　expedition　were　few；　and　the　enemy；　having　fled　from　Ripley

with　but　slight　resistance；　accompanied　by　almost　all　the

inhabitants；　re…occupied　the　place　next　day　after　our　people　had

quitted　it；　and　resumed　in　due　time　his　annoying　attacks　on　our

outposts；　both　sides　trying　to　achieve　something　whenever　occasion

offered。



The　prevalence　of　a　severe　drought　had　resulted　in　drying　up　many　of

the　streams　within　the　enemy's　lines；　and；　in　consequence；　he　was

obliged　to　shift　his　camps　often；　and　send　his　beef…cattle　and　mules

near　his　outposts　for　water。　　My　scouts　kept　me　well　posted　in　regard

to　the　movements　of　both　camps　and　herds；　and　a　favorable　opportunity

presenting　itself；　I　sent　an　expedition　on　August　14　to　gather　in

some　animals　located　on　Twenty…Mile　Creek；　a　stream　always　supplied

with　water　from　a　source　of　never…failing；　springs。　　Our　side　met

with　complete　success　in　this　instance；　and　when　the　expedition

returned；　we　were　all　made　happy　by　an　abundance　of　fresh　beef；　and

by　some　two　hundred　captured　mules；　that　we　thus　added　to　our　trains

at　a　time　when　draft　animals　were　much　needed。



Rations　for　the　men　were　now　supplied　in　fair　quantities；　and　the

only　thing　required　to　make　us　wholly　contented　was　plenty　of　grain

for　our　animals。　　Because　of　the　large　number　of　troops　then　in　West

Tennessee　and　about　Corinth；　the　indifferent　railroad　leading　down

from　Columbus；　Ky。；　was　taxed　to　its　utmost　capacity　to　transport

supplies。　　The　quantity　of　grain　received　at　Corinth　from　the　north

was　therefore　limited；　and　before　reaching　the　different　outposts；　by

passing　through　intermediate　depots　of　supply；　it　had　dwindled　to

insignificance。　　I　had　hopes；　however；　that　this　condition　of　things

might　be　ameliorated　before　long　by　gathering　a　good　supply　of　corn

that　was　ripening　in　the　neighborhood；　and　would　soon；　I　thought；　be

sufficiently　hard　to　feed　to　my　animals。　　Not　far　from　my

headquarters　there　was　a　particularly　fine　field；　which；　with　this

end　in　view；　I　had　carefully　protected　through　the　milky　stage；　to

the　evident　disappointment　of　both　Asboth's　men　and　mine。　　They　bore

the　prohibition　well　while　it　affected　only　themselves；　but　the　trial

was　too　great　when　it　came　to　denying　their　horses；　and　men　whose

discipline　kept　faith　with　my　guards　during　the　roasting…ear　period

now　fell　from　grace。　　Their　horses　were　growing　thin；　and　few　could

withstand　the　mute　appeals　of　their　suffering　pets；　so　at　night　the

corn；　because　of　individual　foraging；　kept　stealthily　and　steadily

vanishing；　until　the　field　was　soon　fringed　with　only　earless　stalks。

The　disappearance　was　noticed；　and　the　guard　increased；　but　still　the

quantity　of　corn　continued　to　grow　less；　the　more　honest　troopers

bemoaning　the　loss；　and　questioning　the　honor　of　those　to　whose

safekeeping　it　had　been　entrusted。　　Finally；　doubtless　under　the

apprehension　that　through　their　irregularities　the　corn　would　all

disappear　and　find　its　way　to　the　horses　in　accordance　with　the

stealthy　enterprise　of　their　owners；　a　general　raid　was　made　on　the

field　in　broad　daylight；　and　though　the　guard　drove　off　the

marauders；　I　must　admit　that　its　efforts　to　keep　them　back　were　so

unsuccessful　that　my　hopes　for　an　equal　distribution　of　the　crop　were

quickly　blasted。　　One　look　at　the　field　told　that　it　had　been　swept

clean　of　its　grain。　　Of　course　a　great　row　occurred　as　to　who　was　to

blame；　and　many　arrests　and　trials　took　place；　but　there　had　been

such　an　interchanging　of　cap　n