personal memoirs-1-第73章

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the　Union　forces　along　the　upper　Potomac；　but　for　a　time　the

authorities　at　Washington　would　approve　none　of　his　propositions。

The　President　and　Secretary　Stanton　seemed　unwilling　to　adopt　his

suggestions；　and　one　measure　which　he　deemed　very　importantthe

consolidation　into　a　single　command　of　the　four　geographical

districts　into　which；　to　relieve　political　pressure　no　doubt；　the

territory　had　been　dividedmet　with　serious　opposition。　　Despite

Grant's　representations；　he　could　not　prevail　on　the　Administration

to　approve　this　measure；　but　finally　the　manoeuvres　of　Early　and　the

raid　to　Chambersburg　compelled　a　partial　compliance；　though　Grant　had

somewhat　circumvented　the　difficulty　already　by　deciding　to　appoint　a

commander　for　the　forces　in　the　field　that　were　to　operate　against

Early。



On　the　31st　of　July　General　Grant　selected　me　as　this　commander；　and

in　obedience　to　his　telegraphic　summons　I　repaired　to　his

headquarters　at　City　Point。　　In　the　interview　that　followed；　he

detailed　to　me　the　situation　of　affairs　on　the　upper　Potomac；　telling

me　that　I　was　to　command　in　the　field　the　troops　that　were　to　operate

against　Early；　but　that　General　Hunter；　who　was　at　the　head　of　the

geographical　department；　would　be　continued　in　his　position　for　the

reason　that　the　Administration　was　reluctant　to　reconstruct　or

consolidate　the　different　districts。　　After　informing　me　that　one

division　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　would　be　sent　to　my　new　command；　he

went　on　to　say　that　he　wanted　me　to　push　the　enemy　as　soon　as　this

division　arrived；　and　if　Early　retired　up　the　Shenandoah　Valley　I　was

to　pursue；　but　if　he　crossed　the　Potomac　I　was　to　put　myself　south　of

him　and　try　to　compass　his　destruction。　　The　interview　having　ended；

I　returned　to　Hancock　Station　to　prepare　for　my　departure；　and　on　the

evening　of　August　1　I　was　relieved　from　immediate　duty　with　the　Army

of　the　Potomac；　but　not　from　command　of　the　cavalry　as　a　corps

organization。



I　arrived　at　Washington　on　the　4th　of　August；　and　the　next　day

received　instructions　from　General　Halleck　to　report　to　General　Grant

at　Monocacy　Junction；　whither　he　had　gone　direct　from　City　Point；　in

consequence　of　a　characteristic　despatch　from　the　President

indicating　his　disgust　with　the　confusion；　disorder；　and　helplessness

prevailing　along　the　upper　Potomac；　and　intimating　that　Grant's

presence　there　was　necessary。



In　company　with　the　Secretary　of　War　I　called　on　the　President　before

leaving　Washington；　and　during　a　short　conversation　Mr。　Lincoln

candidly　told　me　that　Mr。　Stanton　had　objected　to　my　assignment　to

General　Hunter's　command；　because　he　thought　me　too　young；　and　that

he　himself　had　concurred　with　the　Secretary；　but　now；　since　General

Grant　had　〃ploughed　round〃　the　difficulties　of　the　situation　by

picking　me　out　to　command　the　〃boys　in　the　field；〃　he　felt　satisfied

with　what　had　been　done；　and　〃hoped　for　the　best。〃　　Mr。　Stanton

remained　silent　during　these　remarks；　never　once　indicating　whether

he；　too；　had　become　reconciled　to　my　selection　or　not；　and　although；

after　we　left　the　White　House；　he　conversed　with　me　freely　in　regard

to　the　campaign　I　was　expected　to　make；　seeking　to　impress　on　me　the

necessity　for　success　from　the　political　as　well　as　from　the　military

point　of　view；　yet　he　utterly　ignored　the　fact　that　he　had　taken　any

part　in　disapproving　the　recommendation　of　the　general…in…chief。



August　6；　I　reported　to　General　Grant　at　the　Monocacy；　and　he　there

turned　over　to　me　the　following　instructions；　which　he　had　previously

prepared　for　General　Hunter　in　the　expectation　that　general　would

continue　to　command　the　department：



〃HEADQUARTERS　IN　THE　FIELD；

〃Monocacy　Bridge；　Md。；　Aug。　　5；　1864。



〃GENERAL：　Concentrate　all　your　available　force　without　delay　in　the

vicinity　of　Harper's　Ferry；　leaving　only　such　railroad　guards　and

garrisons　for　public　property　as　may　be　necessary。



〃Use　in　this　concentration　the　railroad；　if　by　so　doing　time　can　be

saved。　　From　Harper's　Ferry；　if　it　is　found　that　the　enemy　has　moved

north　of　the　Potomac　in　large　force；　push　north；　following　and

attacking　him　wherever　found；　following　him；　if　driven　south　of　the

Potomac；　as　long　as　it　is　safe　to　do　so。　　If　it　is　ascertained　that

the　enemy　has　but　a　small　force　north　of　the　Potomac；　then　push　south

the　main　force；　detaching；　under　a　competent　commander；　a　sufficient

force　to　look　after　the　raiders　and　drive　them　to　their　homes。　　In

detaching　such　a　force；　the　brigade　of　cavalry　now　en　route　from

Washington　via　Rockville　may　be　taken　into　account。



〃There　are　now　on　the　way　to　join　you　three　other　brigades　of　the

best　of　cavalry；　numbering　at　least　five　thousand　men　and　horses。

These　will　be　instructed；　in　the　absence　of　further　orders；　to　join

you　by　the　south　side　of　the　Potomac。　　One　brigade　will　probably

start　to…morrow。



〃In　pushing　up　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　as　it　is　expected　you　will　have

to　go　first　or　last；　it　is　desirable　that　nothing　should　be　left　to

invite　the　enemy　to　return。　　Take　all　provisions；　forage；　and　stock

wanted　for　the　use　of　your　command。　　Such　as　cannot　be　consumed；

destroy。　　It　is　not　desirable　that　the　buildings　should　be　destroyed…

…they　should；　rather；　be　protected；　but　the　people　should　be　informed

that　so　long　as　an　army　can　subsist　among　them　recurrences　of　these

raids　must　be　expected；　and　we　are　determined　to　stop　them　at　all

hazards。



〃Bear　in　mind；　the　object　is　to　drive　the　enemy　south；　and　to　do　this

you　want　to　keep　him　always　in　sight。　　Be　guided　in　your　course　by

the　course　he　takes。



〃Make　your　own　arrangements　for　supplies　of　all　kinds；　giving　regular

vouchers　for　such　as　may　be　taken　from　loyal　citizens　in　the　country

through　which　you　march。



〃Very　respectfully；

〃U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieut。…General。〃



〃Major…General　D。　HUNTER；

〃Commanding　Department　of　West　Virginia。〃





When　I　had　read　the　letter　addressed　to　Hunter；　General　Grant　said　I

would　be　expected　to　report　directly　to　him；　as　Hunter　had　asked　that

day　to　be　wholly　relieved；　not　from　any　chagrin　at　my　assignment　to

the　control　of　the　active　forces　of　his　command；　but　because　he

thought　that　his　fitness　for　the　position　he　was　filling　was

distrusted　by　General　Halleck；　and　he　had　no　wish　to　cause

embarrassment　by　remaining　where　he　could　but　remove　me　one　degree

from　the　headquarters　of　the　army。　　The　next　day　Hunter's　unselfish

request　was　complied　with；　and　an　order　was　issued　by　the　President；

consolidating　the　Middle　Department；　the　Department　of　Washington；

the　Department　of　the　Susquehanna；　and　the　Department　of　West

Virginia。



Under　this　order　these　four　geographical　districts　constituted　the

Middle　Military　Division；　and　I　was　temporarily　assigned　to　command

it。　　Hunter's　men　had　been　bivouacking　for　some　days　past　in　the

vicinity　of　Monocacy　Junction　and　Frederick；　but　before　General

Grant's　instructions　were　written　out；　Hunter　had　conformed　to　them

by　directing　the　concentration　at　Halltown；　about　four　miles　in　front

of　Harper's　Ferry；　of　all　his　force　available　for　field　service。

Therefore　the　different　bodies　of　troops；　with　the　exception　of

Averell's　cavalry；　which　had　followed　McCausland　toward　Moorefield

after　the　burning　of　Chambersburg；　were　all　in　motion　toward　Halltown

on　August　6。



Affairs　at　Monocacy　kept　me　but　an　hour　or　two；　and　these　disposed

of；　I　continued　on　to　Harper's　Ferry　by　the　special　train　which　had

brought　me　from　Washington；　that　point　being　intended　as　my

headquarters　while　making　preparations　to　advance。　　The　enemy　was

occupying　Martinsburg；　Williamsport；　and　Shepherdstown　at　the　time；

sending　occasional　raiding　parties　into　Maryland　as　far　as

Hagerstown。　　The　concentration　of　my　troops　at　Halltown　being　an

indication　to　Early　that　we　intended　to　renew　the　offensive；　however；

he　immediately　began　counter　preparations　by　drawing　in　all　his

detached　columns　fr