personal memoirs-1-第53章

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another　by　the　wheel　team；　six　men　in　each　wagon；　and　as　they

successively　reach°d　the　other　side　of　the　channel　the　mules　were

unhitched；　the　pole　of　each　wagon　run　under　thre　hind　axle　of　the　one

just　in　front；　and　the　tailboards　used　so　as　to　span　the　slight　space

between　them。　　The　plan　worked　well　as　long　as　the　material　lasted；

but　no　other　wagons　than　my　twenty…five　coming　on　the　ground；　the

work　stopped　when　the　bridge　was　only　half　constructed。　　Informed　of

the　delay　and　its　cause；　in　sheer　desperation　I　finished　the　bridge

by　taking　from　my　own　division　all　the　wagons　needed　to　make　up　the

deficiency。



It　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　the　work　was　finished；　and　I　began

putting　over　one　of　my　brigades；　but　in　the　midst　of　its　crossing

word　came　that　Longstreet's　army　was　moving　to　attack　us；　which

caused　an　abandonment　of　the　foraging　project；　and　orders　quickly

followed　to　retire　to　Strawberry　Plains；　the　retrograde　movement　to

begin　forthwith。　　I　sent　to　headquarters　information　of　the　plight　I

was　inbaggage　and　supplies　on　the　bank　and　wagons　in　the　stream

begged　to　know　what　was　to　become　of　them　if　we　were　to　hurry　off　at

a　moment's　notice；　and　suggested　that　the　movement　be　delayed　until　I

could　recover　my　transportation。　　Receiving　in　reply　no　assurances

that　I　should　be　relieved　from　my　dilemmaand；　in　fact；　nothing

satisfactoryI　determined　to　take　upon　myself　the　responsibility　of

remaining　on　the　ground　long　enough　to　get　my　wagons　out　of　the

river；　so　I　sent　out　a　heavy　force　to　watch　for　the　enemy；　and　with

the　remainder　of　the　command　went　to　work　to　break　up　the　bridge。

Before　daylight　next　morning　I　had　recovered　everything　without

interference　by　Longstreet；　who；　it　was　afterward　ascertained；　was

preparing　to　move　east　toward　Lynchburg　instead　of　marching　to　attack

us；　the　small　demonstration　against　Dandridge；　being　made　simply　to

deceive　us　as　to　his　ultimate　object。　　I　marched　to　Strawberry　Plains

unmolested；　and　by　taking　the　route　over　Bay's　Mountain；　a　shorter

one　than　that　followed　by　the　main　body　of　our　troops；　reached　the

point　of　rendezvous　as　soon　as　the　most　of　the　army；　for　the　road　it

followed　was　not　only　longer；　but　badly　cut　up　by　trains　that　had

recently　passed　over　it。



Shortly　after　getting　into　camp；　the　beef　contractor　came　in　and

reported　that　a　detachment　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　had　captured　my

herd　of　beef　cattle。　　This　caused　me　much　chagrin　at　first；　but　the

commissary　of　my　division　soon　put　in　an　appearance；　and　assured　me

that　the　loss　would　not　be　very　disastrous　to　us　nor　of　much　benefit

to　the　enemy；　since　the　cattle　were　so　poor　and　weak　that　they　could

not　be　driven　off。　　A　reconnoissance　in　force　verified　the

Commissary's　statement。　　From　its　inability　to　travel；　the　herd；

after　all　efforts　to　carry　it　off　had　proved　ineffectual；　had　been

abandoned　by　its　captors。



After　the　troops　from　Chattanooga　arrived　in　the　vicinity　of

Knoxville　and　General　Sherman　had　returned　to　Chattanooga；　the

operations　in　East　Tennessee　constituted　a　series　of　blunders；

lasting　through　the　entire　winter；　a　state　of　affairs　doubtless　due；

in　the　main；　to　the　fact　that　the　command　of　the　troops　was　so

frequently　changed。　　Constant　shifting　of　responsibility　from　one　to

another　ensued　from　the　date　that　General　Sherman；　after　assuring

himself　that　Knoxville　was　safe；　devolved　the　command　on　Burnside。

It　had　already　been　intimated　to　Burnside　that　he　was　to　be　relieved；

and　in　consequence　he　was　inactive　and　apathetic；　confining　his

operations　to　an　aimless　expedition　whose　advance　extended　only　as

far　as　Blain's　crossroads；　whence　it　was　soon　withdrawn。　　Meanwhile

General　Foster　had　superseded　Burnside；　but　physical　disabilities

rendered　him　incapable　of　remaining　in　the　field；　and　then　the　chief

authority　devolved　on　Parke。　　By　this　time　the　transmission　of　power

seemed　almost　a　disease；　at　any　rate　it　was　catching；　so；　while　we

were　en　route　to　Dandridge；　Parke　transferred　the　command　to　Granger。

The　latter　next　unloaded　it　on　me；　and　there　is　no　telling　what　the

final　outcome　would　have　been　had　I　not　entered　a　protest　against　a

further　continuance　of　the　practice；　which　remonstrance　brought

Granger　to　the　front　at　Dandridge。



While　the　events　just　narrated　were　taking　place；　General　Grant　had

made　a　visit　to　Knoxvilleabout　the　last　of　Decemberand　arranged

to　open　the　railroad　between　there　and　Chattanooga；　with　a　view　to

supplying　the　troops　in　East　Tennessee　by　rail　in　the　future；　instead

of　through　Cumberland　Gap　by　a　tedious　line　of　wagon…trains。　　In

pursuance　of　his　plan　the　railroad　had　already　been　opened　to　Loudon；

but　here　much　delay　occurred　on　account　of　the　long　time　it　took　to

rebuild　the　bridge　over　the　Tennessee。　　Therefore　supplies　were　still

very　scarce；　and　as　our　animals　were　now　dying　in　numbers　from

starvation；　and　the　men　were　still　on　short　allowance；　it　became

necessary　that　some　of　the　troops　east　of　Knoxville　should　get　nearer

to　their　depot；　and　also　be　in　a　position　to　take　part　in　the　coming

Georgia　campaign；　or　render　assistance　to　General　Thomas；　should

General　Johnston　（who　had　succeeded　in　command　of　the　Confederate

army）　make　any　demonstration　against　Chattanooga。　　Hence　my　division

was　ordered　to　take　station　at　Loudon；　Tennessee；　and　I　must　confess

that　we　took　the　road　for　that　point　with　few　regrets；　for　a　general

disgust　prevailed　regarding　our　useless　marches　during　the　winter。



At　this　time　my　faithful　scout　Card　and　his　younger　brother　left　me；

with　the　determination；　as　I　have　heretofore　related；　to　avenge　their

brother's　death。　　No　persuasion　could　induce　Card　to　remain　longer；

for　knowing　that　my　division's　next　operation　would　be　toward

Atlanta；　and　being　ignorant　of　the　country　below　Dalton；。　　he

recognized　and　insisted　that　his　services　would　then　become

practically　valueless。



At　Loudon；　where　we　arrived　January　27；　supplies　were　more　plentiful；

and　as　our　tents　and　extra　clothing　reached　us　there　in　a　few　days；

every　one　grew　contented　and　happy。　　Here　a　number　of　my　regiments；

whose　terms　of　service　were　about　to　expire；　went　through　the　process

of　〃veteranizing；〃　and；　notwithstanding　the　trials　and　hardships　of

the　preceding　nine　months；　they　re…enlisted　almost　to　a　man。



When　everything　was　set　in　motion　toward　recuperating　and　refitting

my　troops；　I　availed　myself　of　the　opportunity　during　a　lull　that

then　existed　to　take　a　short　leave　of　absencea　privilege　I　had　not

indulged　in　since　entering　the　service　in　1853。　　This　leave　I　spent

in　the　North　with　much　benefit　to　my　physical　condition；　for　I　was

much　run　down　by　fatiguing　service；　and　not　a　little　troubled　by

intense　pain　which　I　at　times　still　suffered　from　my　experience　in

the　unfortunate　hand…car　incident　on　the　Cumberland　Mountains　the

previous　July。　　I　returned　from　leave　the　latter　part　of　March；

rejoining　my　division　with　the　expectation　that　the　campaign　in　that

section　would　begin　as　early　as　April。



On　the　12th　of　March；　1864；　General　Grant　was　assigned　to　the　command

of　the　armies　of　the　United　States；　as　general…in…chief。　　He　was

already　in　Washington；　whither　he　had　gone　to　receive　his　commission

as　lieutenant…general。　　Shortly　after　his　arrival　there；　he　commenced

to　rearrange　the　different　commands　in　the　army　to　suit　the　plans

which　he　intended　to　enter　upon　in　the　spring；　and　out　of　this　grew　a

change　in　my　career。　　Many　jealousies　and　much　ill…feeling；　the

outgrowth　of　former　campaigns；　existed　among　officers　of　high　grade

in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　the　winter　of　1864；　and　several　general

officers　were　to　be　sent　elsewhere　in　consequence。　　Among　these；

General　Alfred　Pleasonton　was　to　be　relieved　from　the　command　of　the

cavalry；　General　Grant　having　expressed　to　the　President

dissatisfaction　that　so　little　had　hitherto　been　accomplished　by　that

arm　of　the　service；　and　I　was　selected　as