captains of the civil war-第50章

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The　Union　forces　at　the　front　were　about　twice　the　corresponding　forces　of　the　South：　Sherman；　who　commanded　the　river　armies　after　Grant's　transfer　to　Virginia；　says：　〃I　always　estimated　my　force　at　about　double；　and　could　afford　to　lose　two　to　one　without　disturbing　our　relative　proportion。〃　In　Virginia　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　under　Meade　and　the　new　Army　of　the　James　under　Butler；　both　under　Grant's　immediate　command；　totaled　over　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　men　against　the　ninety　thousand　under　Lee。　These　odds　of　five　to　three　remained　the　same　when　a　hundred　and　ten　thousand　Federals　went　into　winter　quarters　against　sixtysix　thousand　Confederates　at　Petersburg。　But；　when　the　naval　odds　of　more　than　ten　to　one　in　favor　of　the　North　are　added　in；　the　general　odds　of　two　to　one　are　reached　on　this　as　well　as　other　scenes　of　action。　In　reserves　the　odds　were　very　much　greater；　for　while　the　South　was　getting　down　to　its　last　available　man　the　North　began　the　following　year　with　nearly　one　million　in　the　forces　and　two　millions　on　the　registered　reserve。　Thus；　even　supposing　that　half　the　reserves　were　unfit　for　active　service；　the　man…power　odds　against　the　South　were　these：　two　to　one　in　arms　at　the　beginning　of　the　great　campaign；　five　to　one　at　the　end　of　it；　and　ten　to　one　if　the　fit　reserves　were　all　included。　The　odds　in　transportation　by　land；　and　very　much　more　so　by　water；　were　even　greater　at　corresponding　times；　while　the　odds　in　all　the　other　resources　which　could　be　turned　to　warlike　ends　were　greater　still。

The　Southern　situation；　therefore；　was　not　encouraging　from　the　naval　and　military　point　of　view。　The　border　States　had　long　been　lost；　then　the　trans…Mississippi；　and　now　the　whole　river　lea　was　held　as　a　base　by　the　North。　Only　five　States　remained　effective：　Alabama；　Georgia；　the　Carolinas；　and　Virginia。　These　formed　an　irregular　oblong　of　about　two　hundred　thousand　square　miles　between　the　Appalachians　and　the　sea。　There　were　a　good　eight　hundred　Confederate　miles　from　the　Shenandoah　Valley　to　Mobile。　But　the　three　hundred　miles　across　the　oblong；　even　in　its　widest　part；　were　everywhere　threatened　and　in　some　places　held　by　the　North。　The　whole　coast　was　more　closely　blockaded　than　ever；　and　only　three　ports　remained　with　their　defenses　still　in　Southern　hands：　Wilmington；　Charleston；　and　Mobile。　Alabama　was　threatened　by　land　and　sea　from　the　lower　Mississippi　and　the　Gulf。　Georgia；　was　threatened　by　Sherman's　main　body　in　southeastern　Tennessee。　The　Carolinas　were　in　less　immediate　danger。　But　they　were　menaced　both　from　the　mountains　and　the　sea；　and　if　the　Union　forces　conquered　Virginia　and　Georgia；　then　the　Carolinas　were　certain　to　be　ground　into　subjugation　between　Grant's　victorious　forces　on　the　north　and　Sherman's　on　the　south。

Grant　fixed　his　own　headquarters　with　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　at　Culpeper　Court　House；　north　of　the　Rapidan。　Lee's　Army　of　Northern　Virginia；　was　at　Orange　Court　House；　over　twenty　miles　south。　Grant；　taking　his　own　headquarters　as　the　center；　regarded　Butler's　Army　of　the　James　as　the　left　wing；　which　could　unite　with　the　center　round　Richmond　and　Petersburg。　The　long　right　wing　ran　through　the　whole　of　West　Virginia；　Kentucky；　and　Tennessee；　clear　away　to　Memphis；　with　its　own　headquarters　at　Chattanooga。　There　Sherman　faced　Johnston；　who　occupied　a　strong　position　at　Dalton；　over　thirty　miles　southeast。　The　great　objectives　were；　of　course；　the　two　main　Southern　armies　under　Lee　and　Johnston；　with　Richmond　and　Atlanta　as　the　chief　positions　to　be　gained。

All　other　Union　forces　were　regarded　as　attacking　the　South　from　the　rear。　Wherever　coast　garrisons　could　help　to　tighten　the　blockade　or　seriously　distract　Confederate　attention　they　were　left　to　do　so。　Wherever　they　could　not　they　were　either　depleted　for　the　front　or　sent　there　bodily。　The　principal　Union　field　force　attacking　from　the　rear　was　to　have　been　formed　by　Banks's　forty　thousand　veterans　in　conjunction　with　Farragut's　fleet　against　Mobile。　But　the　Red　River　Expedition　spoilt　that　combination　in　the　spring　and　postponed　it　till　August；　when　Farragut　did　nearly　all　the　fighting；　and　the　cooperating　army　was　far　too　late　to　produce　the　distracting　effect　that　Grant　had　originally　planned。

General　Franz　Sigel　was　sent　to　the　upper　Shenandoah　Valley；　both　to　guard　that　approach　on　Washington　and　to　destroy　the　resources　on　which　Lee's　army　so　greatly　relied。　General　George　Crook　was　given　a　mounted　column　to　operate　from　southern　West　Virginia　against　the　line　of　rails　running　toward　Tennessee　through　the　lower　end　of　the　Valley。

The　most　notable　new　general　was　Philip　H。　Sheridan；　whom　Grant　selected　for　the　cavalry　command。　Sheridan　was　thirty…three；　two　years　older　than　his　Southern　rival；　Stuart；　and；　like　him；　a　young　regular　officer　who　rose　to　well…earned　fame　the　moment　his　first　great　chance　occurred。

Sherman　we　have　met　from　the　very　beginning　of　the　war　and　followed　throughout　its　course。　He　was　continually　rising　to　more　and　more　responsible　command；　but　it　was　only　now　that　he　became　the　virtual　Commander…in…Chief　of　all　the　river　armies　and　the　chosen　cooperator　with　Grant　on　a　universal　scale。　He　was　of　the　old　original　stock；　his　first　American　ancestors　having　emigrated　from　England　in　1634。　An　old　regular；　with　special　knowledge　of　the　South；　and　in　the　fullness　of　his　powers　at　the　age　of　forty…four；　he　had　developed　with　the　war　till　there　was　no　position　which　he　could　not　fill　to　the　best　advantage　of　the　service。

Grant　fixed　the　fourth　of　May　for　the　combined　advance　of　all　the　converging　forces　of　invasion。　There　were　two　weak　points　where　the　Union　armies　failed：　one　in　the　farthest　south；　where；　as　we　have　so　often　seen；　Banks　could　not　attack　Mobile　owing　to　his　absence　at　Red　River；　the　other　in　the　farthest　north；　where　Sigel　was　badly　beaten　and　replaced　by　Hunter。　Here；　after　much　disabling　interference　at　the　hands　of　Stanton；　Hunter　was　succeeded　by　Sheridan；　whom　Grant　himself　directed　with　consummate　skill。　There　were　also　two　Confederate　thorns　in　the　Federal　side：　Forrest's　cavalry　in　Sherman's　rear；　Mosby's　cavalry　in　Grant's。　Forrest　roved　about　the　river　area；　snapping　up　small　garrisons；　cutting　communications；　and　doing　a　good　deal　of　damage　right　up　to　the　Ohio。　Mosby；　with　a　much　smaller　but　equally　efficient　force；　actually　raided　to　and　fro　in　Grant's　immediate　rear；　and　on　one　occasion　nearly　captured　Grant　himself　just　on　the　eve　of　the　opening　move。　As　Grant's　unguarded　special　train　from　Washington　pulled　up　at　Warrenton　Junction；　where　there　was　only　one　Union　official；　Mosby's　men　had　just　crossed　the　track　in　pursuit　of　some　Federal　cavalry。

But　neither　these　two　Confederate　thorns　in　the　side　nor　the　more　serious　Federal　failures　could　stop　the　general　advance。　Nor　yet　could　Butler's　lack　of　success　on　the　James。　Butler　had　seized　and　fortified。　an　exceedingly　strong　defensive　position　at　Bermuda　Hundred　on　a　peninsula；　with　navigable　water　on　both　flanks　and　in　rear；　and　a　very　narrow　neck　of　land　in　front。　The　only　trouble　was　that　it　was　as　hard　for　him　to　surmount　the　Confederate　front　across　the　same　narrow　neck　as　it　was　for　the　enemy　to　surmount　his　own。　He　was；　in　fact；　bottled　up；　with　the　cork　in　the　enemy's　hands。　He　did　send　out　cavalry　from　Suffolk　to　cut　the　rails　south　of　Petersburg。　But　no　permanent　damage　was　done　there。　Petersburg　itself；　which　at　that　time　was　almost　defenseless；　was…not　。　taken。　And　in　the　middle　of　the　month　Beauregard　attacked　Butler　so　vigorously　as　to　make　the　Army　of　the　James　rather　a　passive　than　an　active　force　till　it　was　presently；　absorbed　by　Grant　when　he　arrived　before　Richmond　in　June。

Grant　felt　perfect　confidence　only　in　four　prime　elements　of　victory：　first；　in　his　ability　to　wear　Lee　down　by　sheer　attrition　if　other　means　failed；　next；　in　his　own　magnificent　army；　then　in　Sherman's；　and　lastly　in　Sheridan's　cavalry。　His　supply　and　transport　services　were　nearly　perfect；　even　in　his　own　most　critical　eyes。　〃There　never　was　a　corps　better　organized　than　was　the　quartermaster's　corps　with　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　1864。〃　His　field　engineering　and　his　signal　service　were　also　exc