memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第35节

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The　best　information　there　obtained　located　Hood's　army　at　Lafayette；　near　which　place　I　hoped　to　catch　him　and　force　him　to　battle；　but；　by　the　time　we　had　got　enough　troops　across　the　mountain　at　Ship's　Gap；　Hood　had　escaped　down　the　valley　of　the　Chattooga；　and　all　we　could　do　was　to　follow　him　as　closely　as　possible。　　From　Ship's　Gap　I　dispatched　couriers　to　Chattanooga；　and　received　word　back　that　General　Schofield　was　there；　endeavoring　to　cooperate　with　me；　but　Hood　had　broken　up　the　telegraph；　and　thus　had　prevented　quick　communication。　　General　Schofield　did　not　reach　me　till　the　army　had　got　down　to　Gaylesville；　about　the　21st　of　October。

It　was　at　Ship's　Gap　that　a　courier　brought　me　the　cipher　message　from　General　Halleck　which　intimated　that　the　authorities　in　Washington　were　willing　I　should　undertake　the　march　across　Georgia　to　the　sea。　　The　translated　dispatch　named　〃Horse…i…bar　Sound〃　as　the　point　where　the　fleet　would　await　my　arrival。　　After　much　time　I　construed　it　to　mean；　〃Ossabaw　Sound；〃　below　Savannah；　which　was　correct。

On　the　16th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Thomas；　at　Nashville：

Send　me　Morgan's　and　Newton's　old　divisions。　　Reestablish　the　road；　and　I　will　follow　Hood　wherever　he　may　go。　　I　think　he　will　move　to　Blue　Mountain。　　We　can　maintain　our　men　and　animals　on　the　country。


General　Thomas's　reply　was：

NASHVILLE；　October　17；　186410。30　a。m。

Major…General　SHERMAN：

Your　dispatch　from　Ship's　Gap；　5　p。m。　of　the　16th；　just　received。　Schofield；　whom　I　placed　in　command　of　the　two　divisions　（Wagner's　and　Morgan's）；　was　to　move　up　Lookout　Valley　this　A。M。；　to　intercept　Hood；　should　he　be　marching　for　Bridgeport。　　I　will　order　him　to　join　you　with　the　two　divisions；　and　will　reconstruct　the　road　as　soon　as　possible。　　Will　also　reorganize　the　guards　for　posts　and　block…houses　。。。。　　Mower　and　Wilson　have　arrived；　and　are　on　their　way　to　join　you。　　I　hope　you　will　adopt　Grant's　idea　of　turning　Wilson　loose；　rather　than　undertake　the　plan　of　a　march　with　the　whole　force　through　Georgia　to　the　sea；　inasmuch　as　General　Grant　cannot　cooperate　with　you　as　at　first　arranged。

GEORGE　H。　　THOMAS；　Major…General。


So　it　is　clear　that　at　that　date　neither　General　Grant　nor　General　Thomas　heartily　favored　my　proposed　plan　of　campaign。　　On　the　same　day；　I　wrote　to　General　Schofield　at　Chattanooga：

Hood　is　not　at　Dear　Head　Cove。　　We　occupy　Ship's　Gap　and　Lafayette。　Hood　is　moving　south　via　Summerville；　Alpine；　and　Gadsden。　　If　he　enters　Tennessee；　it　will　be　to　the　west　of　Huntsville；　but　I　think　he　has　given　up　all　such　idea。　　I　want　the　road　repaired　to　Atlanta；　the　sick　and　wounded　men　sent　north　of　the　Tennessee；　my　army　recomposed；　and　I　will　then　make　the　interior　of　Georgia　feel　the　weight　of　war。　　It　is　folly　for　us　to　be　moving　our　armies　on　the　reports　of　scouts　and　citizens。　　We　must　maintain　the　offensive。　　Your　first　move　on　Trenton　and　Valley　Head　was　right…　…the　move　to　defend　Caperton's　Ferry　is　wrong。　　Notify　General　Thomas　of　these　my　views。　　We　must　follow　Hood　till　he　is　beyoud　the　reach　of　mischief；　and　then　resume　the　offensive。


The　correspondence　between　me　and　the　authorities　at　Washington；　as　well　as　with　the　several　army　commanders；　given　at　length　in　the　report　of　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　is　full　on　all　these　points。

After　striking　our　road　at　Dalton；　Hood　was　compelled　to　go　on　to　Chattanooga　and　Bridgeport；　or　to　pass　around　by　Decatur　and　abandon　altogether　his　attempt　to　make　us　let　go　our　hold　of　Atlanta　by　attacking　our　communications。　　It　was　clear　to　me　that　he　had　no　intention　to　meet　us　in　open　battle；　and　the　lightness　and　celerity　of　his　army　convinced　me　that　I　could　not　possibly　catch　him　on　a　stern…chase。　　We　therefore　quietly　followed　him　down　the　Chattooga　Valley　to　the　neighborhood　of　Gadsden；　but　halted　the　main　armies　near　the　Coosa　River；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Chattooga；　drawing　our　supplies　of　corn　and　meat　from　the　farms　of　that　comparatively　rich　valley　and　of　the　neighborhood。

General　Slocum；　in　Atlanta；　had　likewise　sent　out；　under　strong　escort；　large　trains　of　wagons　to　the　east；　and　brought　back　corn；　bacon；　and　all　kinds　of　provisions；　so　that　Hood's　efforts　to　cut　off　our　supplies　only　reacted　on　his　own　people。　　So　long　as　the　railroads　were　in　good　order；　our　supplies　came　full　and　regular　from　the　North；　but　when　the　enemy　broke　our　railroads　we　were　perfectly　justified　in　stripping　the　inhabitants　of　all　they　had。　I　remember　well　the　appeal　of　a　very　respectable　farmer　against　our　men　driving　away　his　fine　flock　of　sheep。　　I　explained　to　him　that　General　Hood　had　broken　our　railroad；　that　we　were　a　strong；　hungry　crowd；　and　needed　plenty　of　food；　that　Uncle　Sam　was　deeply　interested　in　our　continued　health　and　would　soon　repair　these　roads；　but　meantime　we　must　eat；　we　preferred　Illinois　beef；　but　mutton　would　have　to　answer。　　Poor　fellow！　　I　don't　believe　he　was　convinced　of　the　wisdom　or　wit　of　my　explanation。　　Very　soon　after　reaching　Lafayette　we　organized　a　line　of　supply　from　Chattanooga　to　Ringgold　by　rail；　and　thence　by　wagons　to　our　camps　about　Gaylesville。　　Meantime；　also；　Hood　had　reached　the　neighborhood　of　Gadsden；　and　drew　his　supplies　from　the　railroad　at　Blue　Mountain。

On　the　19th　of　October　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck；　at　Washington：

Hood　has　retreated　rapidly　by　all　the　roads　leading　south。　　Our　advance　columns　are　now　at　Alpine　and　Melville　Post…Office。　　I　shall　pursue　him　as　far　as　Gaylesville。　　The　enemy　will　not　venture　toward　Tennessee　except　around　by　Decatur。　　I　propose　to　send　the　Fourth　Corps　back　to　General　Thomas；　and　leave　him；　with　that　corps；　the　garrisons；　and　new　troops；　to　defend　the　line　of　the　Tennessee　River；　and　with　the　rest　I　will　push　into　the　heart　of　Georgia　and　come　out　at　Savannah；　destroying　all　the　railroads　of　the　State。　　The　break　in　our　railroad　at　Big　Shanty　is　almost　repaired；　and　that　about　Dalton　should　be　done　in　ten　days。　　We　find　abundance　of　forage　in　the　country。


On　the　same　day　I　telegraphed　to　General　L。　C。　Easton；　chief…quartermaster；　who　had　been　absent　on　a　visit　to　Missouri；　but　had　got　back　to　Chattanooga：

Go　in　person　to　superintend　the　repairs　of　the　railroad；　and　make　all　orders　in　my　name　that　will　expedite　its　completion。　　I　want　it　finished；　to　bring　back　from　Atlanta　to　Chattanooga　the　sick　and　wounded　men　and　surplus　stores。　　On　the　1st　of　November　I　want　nothing　in　front　of　Chattanooga　except　what　we　can　use　as　food　and　clothing　and　haul　in　our　wagons。　　There　is　plenty　of　corn　in　the　country；　and　we　only　want　forage　for　the　posts。　　I　allow　ten　days　for　all　this　to　be　done；　by　which　time　I　expect　to　be　at　or　near　Atlanta。


I　telegraphed　also　to　General　Amos　Beckwith；　chief…commissary　in　Atlanta；　who　was　acting　as　chief…quartermaster　during　the　absence　of　General　Easton：

Hood　will　escape　me。　　I　want　to　prepare　for　my　big　raid。　　On　the　1st　of　November　I　want　nothing　in　Atlanta　but　what　is　necessary　for　war。　　Send　all　trash　to　the　rear　at　once；　and　have　on　hand　thirty　days'　food　and　but　little　forage。　　I　propose　to　abandon　Atlanta；　and　the　railroad　back　to　Chattanooga；　to　sally　forth　to　ruin　Georgia　and　bring　up　on　the　seashore。　　Make　all　dispositions　accordingly。　　I　will　go　down　the　Coosa　until　I　am　sure　that　Hood　has　gone　to　Blue　Mountain。


On　the　21st　of　October　I　reached　Gaylesville；　had　my　bivouac　in　an　open　field　back　of　the　village；　and　remained　there　till　the　28th。　During　that　time　General　Schofield　arrived；　with　the　two　divisions　of　Generals　Wagner　（formerly　Newton's）　and　Morgan；　which　were　returned　to　their　respective　corps　（the　Fourth　and　Fourteenth）；　and　General　Schofield　resumed　his　own　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　then　on　the　Coosa　River；　near　Cedar　Bluff。　　General　Joseph　A。　Mower　also　arrived；　and　was　assigned　to　command　a　division　in　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　and　General　J。　H。　Wilson　came；　having　been　sent　from　Virginia　by　General　Grant；　for　the　purpose　of　commanding　all　my　cavalry。　　I　first　intended　to　organize　this　cavalry　into　a　corps　of　three　small　divisions；　to　be　commanded　by　General　Wilson；　but　the　horses　were　well　run　down；　and；　at　Wilson's　instance；　I　concluded　to　retain　only　one　division　of　four　thousand　five　hundred　men；　with　selected　horses；　under　General　Kilpatrick；　and　to　send　General　Wilson　back　with　all　the　rest　to　Nashville；　to　be　reorganized　and　to　act　under　General　Thomas　in　the　defense　of　Tennessee。　　Orders　to　this　effect　were　made　on　the　24th　of　October。

General　Grant；　in　designating　General　Wilson　to　command　my　cavalry；　predicted　that　he　would；　by　his　personal　activity；　increase　the　effect　of　that　arm　〃fifty　per　cent。；〃　and　he　advised　that　he　should　be　sent　south；　to　accomplish　all　that　I　had　proposed　to　do　with　the　main　army；　but　I　had　not　so　much　faith　in　cavalry　as　he　had；　and　preferred　to　adhere　to　my　original　intention　of　going　myself　with　a　competent　force。

About　this　time　I　learned　that　General　Beauregard　had　reached　Hood's　army　at　Gadsden；　that；　without　assuming　direct　command　of　that　army；　he　had　authority　from　the　Confederate　Government　to　direct　all　its　movements；　and　to　call　to　his　assistance　the　whole　strength　of　the　South。　　His　orders；　on　assuming　command；　were