贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > personal memoirs-1 >

第3章

personal memoirs-1-第3章

小说: personal memoirs-1 字数: 每页4000字

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!




it was hardly as much as I deserved for such an outrageous breach of

discipline。



There was no question as to Terrill's irritating tone; but in giving

me the order he was prompted by the duty of his position as a file

closer; and I was not the one to remedy the wrong which I conceived

had been done me; and clearly not justifiable in assuming to correct

him with my own hands。  In 1862; when General Buell's army was

assembling at Louisville; Terrill was with it as a brigadier…general

(for; although a Virginian; he had remained loyal); and I then took

the initiative toward a renewal of our acquaintance。  Our renewed

friendship was not destined to be of long duration; I am sorry to

say; for a few days later; in the battle of Perryville; while

gallantly fighting for his country; poor Terrill was killed。



My suspension necessitated my leaving the Academy; and I returned

home in the fall of 1851; much crestfallen。  Fortunately; my good

friend Henry Dittoe again gave me employment in keeping the books of

his establishment; and this occupation of my time made the nine

months which were to elapse before I could go back to West Point pass

much more agreeably than they would have done had I been idle。  In

August; 1852; I joined the first class at the Academy in accordance

with the order of the War Department; taking my place at the foot of

the class and graduating with it the succeeding June; number thirty…

four in a membership of fifty…two。  At the head of this class

graduated James B。 McPherson; who was killed in the Atlanta campaign

while commanding the Army of the Tennessee。  It also contained such

men as John M。 Schofield; who commanded the Army of the Ohio; Joshua

W。 Sill; killed as a brigadier in the battle of Stone River; and many

others who; in the war of the rebellion; on one side or the other;

rose to prominence; General John B。 Hood being the most distinguished

member of the class among the Confederates。



At the close of the final examination I made no formal application

for assignment to any particular arm of the service; for I knew that

my standing would not entitle me to one of the existing vacancies;

and that I should be obliged to take a place among the brevet second

lieutenants。  When the appointments were made I therefore found

myself attached to the First Infantry; well pleased that I had

surmounted all the difficulties that confront the student at our

national school; and looking forward with pleasant anticipation to

the life before me。









CHAPTER II。



ORDERED TO FORT DUNCAN; TEXAS〃NORTHERS〃SCOUTING DUTYHUNTING

NEARLY CAUGHT BY THE INDIANSA PRIMITIVE HABITATIONA BRAVE

DRUMMERBOYS DEATHA MEXICAN BALL。



On the 1st day of July; 1853; I was commissioned a brevet second

lieutenant in the First Regiment of United States Infantry; then

stationed in Texas。  The company to which I was attached was

quartered at Fort Duncan; a military post on the Rio Grande opposite

the little town of Piedras Negras; on the boundary line between the

United States and the Republic of Mexico。



After the usual leave of three months following graduation from the

Military Academy I was assigned to temporary duty at Newport

Barracks; a recruiting station and rendezvous for the assignment of

young officers preparatory to joining their regiments。  Here I

remained from September; 1853; to March; 1854; when I was ordered to

join my company at Fort Duncan。  To comply with this order I

proceeded by steamboat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New

Orleans; thence by steamer across the Gulf of Mexico to Indianola;

Tex。; and after landing at that place; continued in a small schooner

through what is called the inside channel on the Gulf coast to Corpus

Christi; the headquarters of Brigadier…General Persifer F。 Smith; who

was commanding the Department of Texas。  Here I met some of my old

friends from the Military Academy; among them Lieutenant Alfred

Gibbs; who in the last year of the rebellion commanded under me a

brigade of cavalry; and Lieutenant Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte; of the

Mounted Rifles; who resigned in 1854 to accept service in the French

Imperial army; but to most of those about headquarters I was an

entire stranger。  Among the latter was Captain Stewart Van Vliet; of

the Quartermaster's Department; now on the retired list。  With him I

soon came in frequent contact; and; by reason of his connection with

the Quartermaster's Department; the kindly interest he took in

forwarding my business inaugurated between usa lasting friendship。



A day or two after my arrival at Corpus Christi a train of Government

wagons; loaded with subsistence stores and quartermaster's supplies;

started for Laredo; a small town on the Rio Grande below Fort Duncan。

There being no other means of reaching my station I put my small

personal possessions; consisting of a trunk; mattress; two blankets;

and a pillow into one of the heavily loaded wagons and proceeded to

join it; sitting on the boxes or bags of coffee and sugar; as I might

choose。  The movement of the train was very slow; as the soil was

soft on the newly made and sandy roads。  We progressed but a few

miles on our first day's journey; and in the evening parked our train

at a point where there was no wood; a scant supply of waterand that

of bad qualitybut an abundance of grass。  There being no

comfortable place to sleep in any of the wagons; filled as they were

to the bows with army supplies; I spread my blankets on the ground

between the wheels of one of them; and awoke in the morning feeling

as fresh and bright as would have been possible if all the comforts

of civilization had been at my command。



It took our lumbering train many days to reach Laredo; a distance of

about one hundred and sixty miles from Corpus Christi。  Each march

was but a repetition of the first day's journey; its monotony

occasionally relieved; though; by the passage of immense flocks of

ducks and geese; and the appearance at intervals of herds of deer;

and sometimes droves of wild cattle; wild horses and mules。  The

bands of wild horses I noticed were sometimes led by mules; but

generally by stallions with long wavy manes; and flowing tails which

almost touched the ground。



We arrived at Laredo during one of those severe storms incident to

that section; which are termed 〃Northers〃 from the fact that the

north winds culminate occasionally in cold windstorms; frequently

preceded by heavy rains。  Generally the blow lasts for three days;

and the cold becomes intense and piercing。  While the sudden

depression of the temperature is most disagreeable; and often causes

great suffering; it is claimed that these 〃Northers〃 make the climate

more healthy and endurable。  They occur from October to May; and in

addition to the destruction which; through the sudden depression of

the temperature; they bring on the herds in the interior; they are

often of sufficient violence to greatly injure the harbors on the

coast。



The post near Laredo was called Fort McIntosh; and at this period the

troops stationed there consisted of eight companies of the Fifth

Infantry and two of the First; one of the First Artillery; and three

of the Mounted Rifles。  Just before the 〃Norther〃 began these troops

had completed a redoubt for the defense of the post; with the

exception of the ditches; but as the parapet was built of sandthe

only material about Laredo which could be obtained for its

constructionthe severity of the winds was too much for such a

shifting substance; and the work was entirely blown away early in the

storm。



I was pleasantly and hospitably welcomed by the officers at the post;

all of whom were living in tents; with no furniture except a cot and

trunk; and an improvised bed for a stranger; when one happened to

come along。  After I had been kindly taken in by one of the younger

officers; I reported to the commanding officer; and was informed by

him that he 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的