memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第6节

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of　May；　Thomas　was　in　person　at　Ringgold；　his　left　at　Catoosa；　and　his　right　at　Leet's　Tan…yard。　　Schofield　was　at　Red　Clay；　closing　upon　Thomas's　left；　and　McPherson　was　moving　rapidly　into　Chattanooga；　and　out　toward　Gordon's　Mill。

On　the　5th　I　rode　out　to　Ringgold；　and　on　the　very　day　appointed　by　General　Grant　from　his　headquarters　in　Virginia　the　great　campaign　was　begun。　　To　give　all　the　minute　details　will　involve　more　than　is　contemplated；　and　I　will　endeavor　only　to　trace　the　principal　events；　or　rather　to　record　such　as　weighed　heaviest　on　my　own　mind　at　the　time；　and　which　now　remain　best　fixed　in　my　memory。

My　general　headquarters　and　official　records　remained　back　at　Nashville；　and　I　had　near　me　only　my　personal　staff　and　inspectors…general；　with　about　half　a　dozen　wagons；　and　a　single　company　of　Ohio　sharp…shooters　（commanded　by　Lieutenant　McCrory）　as　headquarters　or　camp　guard。　　I　also　had　a　small　company　of　irregular　Alabama　cavalry　（commanded　by　Lieutenant　Snelling）；　used　mostly　as　orderlies　and　couriers。　　No　wall…tents　were　allowed；　only　the　flies。　　Our　mess　establishment　was　less　in　bulk　than　that　of　any　of　the　brigade　commanders；　nor　was　this　from　an　indifference　to　the　ordinary　comforts　of　life；　but　because　I　wanted　to　set　the　example；　and　gradually　to　convert　all　parts　of　that　army　into　a　mobile　machine；　willing　and　able　to　start　at　a　minute's　notice；　and　to　subsist　on　the　scantiest　food。　　To　reap　absolute　succees　might　involve　the　necessity　even　of　dropping　all　wagons；　and　to　subsist　on　the　chance　food　which　the　country　was　known　to　contain。　　I　had　obtained　not　only　the　United　States　census…tables　of　1860；　but　a　compilation　made　by　the　Controller　of　the　State　of　Georgia　for　the　purpose　of　taxation；　containing　in　considerable　detail　the　〃population　and　statistics〃　of　every　county　in　Georgia。　　One　of　my　aides　（Captain　Dayton）　acted　as　assistant　adjutant　general；　with　an　order…book；　letter…book；　and　writing…paper；　that　filled　a　small　chest　not　much　larger　than　an　ordinary　candle…boa。　　The　only　reports　and　returns　called　for　were　the　ordinary　tri…monthly　returns　of　〃effective　strength。〃　　As　these　accumulated　they　were　sent　back　to　Nashville；　and　afterward　were　embraced　in　the　archives　of　the　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；　changed　in　1865　to　the　Military　Division　of　the　Missouri；　and　I　suppose　they　were　burned　in　the　Chicago　fire　of　1870。　　Still；　duplicates　remain　of　all　essential　papers　in　the　archives　of　the　War　Department。

The　6th　of　May　was　given　to　Schofield　and　McPherson　to　get　into　position；　and　on　the　7th　General　Thomas　moved　in　force　against　Tunnel　Hill；　driving　off　a　mere　picket…guard　of　the　enemy；　and　I　was　agreeably　surprised　to　find　that　no　damage　had　been　done　to　the　tunnel　or　the　railroad。　　From　Tunnel　Hill　I　could　look　into　the　gorge　by　which　the　railroad　passed　through　a　straight　and　well…defined　range　of　mountains；　presenting　sharp　palisade　faces；　and　known　as　〃Rocky　Face。〃　　The　gorge　itself　was　called　the　〃Buzzard　Roost。〃　　We　could　plainly　see　the　enemy　in　this　gorge　and　behind　it；　and　Mill　Creek　which　formed　the　gorge；　flowing　toward　Dalton；　had　been　dammed　up；　making　a　sort　of　irregular　lake；　filling　the　road；　thereby　obstructing　it；　and　the　enemy's　batteries　crowned　the　cliffs　on　either　side。　　The　position　was　very　strong；　and　I　knew　that　such　a　general　as　was　my　antagonist　（Jos。　Johnston）；　who　had　been　there　six　months；　had　fortified　it　to　the　maximum。　　Therefore　I　had　no　intention　to　attack　the　position　seriously　in　front；　but　depended　on　McPherson　to　capture　and　hold　the　railroad　to　its　rear；　which　would　force　Johnston　to　detach　largely　against　him；　or　rather；　as　I　expected；　to　evacuate　his　position　at　Dalton　altogether。　　My　orders　to　Generals　Thomas　and　Schofield　were　merely　to　press　strongly　at　all　points　in　front；　ready　to　rush　in　on　the　first　appearance　of　〃let　go；〃　and；　if　possible；　to　catch　our　enemy　in　the　confusion　of　retreat。

All　the　movements　of　the　7th　and　8th　were　made　exactly　as　ordered；　and　the　enemy　seemed　quiescent；　acting　purely　on　the　defensive。

I　had　constant　communication　with　all　parts　of　the　army；　and　on　the　9th　McPherson's　head　of　column　entered　and　passed　through　Snake　Creek；　perfectly　undefended；　and　accomplished　a　complete　surprise　to　the　enemy。　　At　its　farther　debouche　he　met　a　cavalry　brigade；　easily　driven；　which　retreated　hastily　north　toward　Dalton；　and　doubtless　carried　to　Johnston　the　first　serious　intimation　that　a　heavy　force　of　infantry　and　artillery　was　to　his　rear　and　within　a　few　miles　of　his　railroad。　　I　got　a　short　note　from　McPherson　that　day　（written　at　2　p。m。；　when　he　was　within　a　mile　and　a　half　of　the　railroad；　above　and　near　Resaca）；　and　we　all　felt　jubilant。　　I　renewed　orders　to　Thomas　and　Schofield　to　be　ready　for　the　instant　pursuit　of　what　I　expected　to　be　a　broken　and　disordered　army；　forced　to　retreat　by　roads　to　the　east　of　Resaca；　which　were　known　to　be　very　rough　and　impracticable。

That　night　I　received　further　notice　from　McPherson　that　he　had　found　Resaca　too　strong　for　a　surprise；　that　in　consequence　he　had　fallen　back　three　miles　to　the　month　of　Snake　Creek　Gap；　and　was　there　fortified。　　I　wrote　him　the　next　day　the　following　letters；　copies　of　which　are　in　my　letter…book；　but　his　to　me　were　mere　notes　in　pencil；　not　retained



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　TUNNEL　HILL；　GEORGIA；　May　11；　1864

Major…General　McPHERSON；　commanding　army　of　the　Tennessee；　Sugar　Valley；　Georgia。


GENERAL：　I　received　by　courier　（in　the　night）　yours　of　5　and　8。30　P。　M。　of　yesterday。

You　now　have　your　twenty…three　thousand　men；　and　General　Hooker　is　in　close　support；　so　that　you　can　hold　all　of　Jos。　Johnston's　army　in　check　should　he　abandon　Dalton。　　He　cannot　afford　to　abandon　Dalton；　for　he　has　fixed　it　up　on　purpose　to　receive　us；　and　he　observes　that　we　are　close　at　hand；　waiting　for　him　to　quit。　　He　cannot　afford　a　detachment　strong　enough　to　fight　you；　as　his　army　will　not　admit　of　it。

Strengthen　your　position；　fight　any　thing　that　comes；　and　threaten　the　safety　of　the　railroad　all　the　time。　　But；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　would　rather　the　enemy　would　stay　in　Dalton　two　more　days；　when　he　may　find　in　his　rear　a　larger　party　than　he　expects　in　an　open　field。　　At　all　events；　we　can　then　choose　our　own　ground；　and　he　will　be　forced　to　move　out　of　his　works。　　I　do　not　intend　to　put　a　column　into　Buzzard…Roost　Gap　at　present。

See　that　you　are　in　easy　communication　with　me　and　with　all　head…　quarters。　　After　to…day　the　supplies　will　be　at　Ringgold。　Yours；　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。



HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　TUNNEL　HILL；　GEORGIA；　May　11；　1864…Evening

Major…General　McPHERSON；　commanding　army　of　the　Tennessee；　Sugar　Valley；　Georgia

GENERAL：　The　indications　are　that　Johnston　is　evacuating　Dalton。　In　that　event；　Howard's　corps　and　the　cavalry　will　pursue；　all　the　rest　will　follow　your　route。　　I　will　be　down　early　in　the　morning。

Try　to　strike　him　if　possible　about　the　forks　of　the　road。

Hooker　must　be　with　you　now；　and　you　may　send　General　Garrard　by　Summerville　to　threaten　Rome　and　that　flank。　　I　will　cause　all　the　lines　to　be　felt　at　once。

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　major…general　commanding。



McPherson　had　startled　Johnston　in　his　fancied　security；　but　had　not　done　the　full　measure　of　his　work。　　He　had　in　hand　twenty…three　thousand　of　the　best　men　of　the　army；　and　could　have　walked　into　Resaca　（then　held　only　by　a　small　brigade）；　or　he　could　have　placed　his　whole　force　astride　the　railroad　above　Resaca；　and　there　have　easily　withstood　the　attack　of　all　of　Johnston's　army；　with　the　knowledge　that　Thomas　and　Schofield　were　on　his　heels。　　Had　he　done　so；　I　am　certain　that　Johnston　would　not　have　ventured　to　attack　him　in　position；　but　would　have　retreated　eastward　by　Spring　Place；　and　we　should　have　captured　half　his　army　and　all　his　artillery　and　wagons　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　campaign。

Such　an　opportunity　does　not　occur　twice　in　a　single　life；　but　at　the　critical　moment　McPherson　seems　to　have　been　a　little　cautious。　Still；　he　was　perfectly　justified　by　his　orders；　and　fell　back　and　assumed　an　unassailable　defensive　position　in　Sugar　Valley；　on　the　Resaca　side　of　Snake…Creek　Gap。　　As　soon　as　informed　of　this；　I　determined　to　pass　the　whole　army　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　and　to　move　on　Resaca　with　the　main　army。

But　during　the　10th；　the　enemy　showed　no　signs　of　evacuating　Dalton；　and　I　was　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　Garrard's　and　Stoneman's　cavalry；　known　to　be　near　at　hand；　eo　as　to　secure　the　full　advantages　of　victory；　of　which　I　felt　certain。　　Hooker's　Twentieth　Corps　was　at　once　moved　down　to　within　easy　supporting　distance　of　McPherson；　and　on　the　11th；　perceiving　signs　of　evacuation　of　Dalton；　I　gave　all　the　orders　for　the　general　movement；　leaving　the　Fourth　Corps　（Howard）　and　Stoneman's　cavalry　in　observation　in　front　of　Buzzard…Roost　Gap；　and　directing　all　the　rest　of　the　army　to　march　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　straight　on　Resaca。　　The　roads　were　only　such　as　the　country　afforded；　mere　rough　wagon…ways；　and　these　converged　to　the　single　narrow　track　through　Snake…Creek　Gap；　but　during　the　12th　and　13th　the　bul