memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第81节

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so　learned　that　General　Wilson's　cavalry　corps　was　〃smashing　things〃　down　about　Selma　and　Montgomery；　Alabama；　and　was　pushing　for　Columbus　and　Macon；　Georgia；　and　I　also　had　reason　to　expect　that　General　Sheridan　would　come　down　from　Appomattox　to　join　us　at　Raleigh　with　his　superb　cavalry　corps。　　I　needed　more　cavalry　to　check　Johnston's　retreat；　so　that　I　could　come　up　to　him　with　my　infantry；　and　therefore　had　good　reason　to　delay。　　I　ordered　the　railroad　to　be　finished　up　to　Raleigh；　so　that　I　could　operate　from　it　as　a　base；　and　then　made：


＇special　Field　Orders；　No。　　55＇


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　14；　1865。

The　next　movement　will　be　on　Ashboro'；　to　tern　the　position　of　the　enemy　at　the　〃Company's　Shops〃　in　rear　of　Haw　River　Bridge；　and　at　Greensboro'；　and　to　cut　off　his　only　available　line　of　retreat　by　Salisbury　and　Charlotte：

1。　　General　Kilpatrick　will　keep　up　a　show　of　pursuit　in　the　direction　of　Hillsboro'　and　Graham；　but　be　ready　to　cross　Haw　River　on　General　Howard's　bridge；　near　Pittsboro'；　and　thence　will　operate　toward　Greensboro'；　on　the　right　front　of　the　right　wing。

2。　　The　right　wing；　Major…General　Howard　commanding；　will　move　out　on　the　Chapel　Hill　road；　and　send　a　light　division　up　in　the　direction　of　Chapel　Hill　University　to　act　in　connection　with　the　cavalry；　but　the　main　columns　and　trains　will　move　via　Hackney's　Cross…Roads；　and　Trader's　Hill；　Pittsboro'；　St。　Lawrence；　etc。；　to　be　followed　by　the　cavalry　and　light　division；　as　soon　as　the　bridge　is　laid　over　Haw　River。

8。　　The　centre；　Major…General　Schofield　commanding；　will　move　via　Holly　Springs；　New　Hill；　Haywood；　and　Moffitt's　Mills。

4。　　The　left　wing；　Major…General　Slocum　commanding；　will　move　rapidly　by　the　Aven's　Ferry　road；　Carthage；　Caledonia；　and　Cox's　Mills。

5。　　All　the　troops　will　draw　well　out　on　the　roads　designated　during　today　and　to…morrow；　and　on　the　following　day　will　move　with　all　possible　rapidity　for　Ashboro'。　　No　further　destruction　of　railroads；　mills；　cotton；　and　produce；　will　be　made　without　the　specific　orders　of　an　army　commander；　and　the　inhabitants　will　be　dealt　with　kindly；　looking　to　an　early　reconciliation。　　The　troops　will　be　permitted；　however；　to　gather　forage　and　provisions　as　heretofore；　only　more　care　should　be　taken　not　to　strip　the　poorer　classes　too　closely。

By　order　of　General　W。　T。　Sherman；

L。　M。　DAYTON；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。


Thus　matters　stood；　when　on　the　morning　of　the　14th　General　Kilpatrick　reported　from　Durham's　Station；　twenty…six　miles　up　the　railroad　toward　Hillsboro'；　that　a　flag　of　truce　had　come　in　from　the　enemy　with　a　package　from　General　Johnston　addressed　to　me。　Taking　it　for　granted　that　this　was　preliminary　to　a　surrender；　I　ordered　the　message　to　be　sent　me　at　Raleigh；　and　on　the　14th　received　from　General　Johnston　a　letter　dated　April　13；　1865；　in　these　words：


The　results　of　the　recent　campaign　in　Virginia　have　changed　the　relative　military　condition　of　the　belligerents。　　I　am；　therefore；　induced　to　address　you　in　this　form　the　inquiry　whether；　to　stop　the　farther　effusion　of　blood　and　devastation　of　property；　you　are　willing　to　make　a　temporary　suspension　of　active　operations；　and　to　commnnicate　to　Lieutenant…General　Grant；　commanding　the　armies　of

the　United　States；　the　request　that　he　will　take　like　action　in　regard　to　other　armies；　the　object　being　to　permit　the　civil　authorities　to　enter　into　the　needful　arrangements　to　terminate　the　existing　war。


To　which　I　replied　as　follows：

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　RALEIGH；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　14；　1865。

General　J。　E。　JOHNSTON；　commanding　Confederate　Army。

GENERAL：　I　have　this　moment　received　your　communication　of　this　date。　　I　am　fully　empowered　to　arrange　with　you　any　terms　for　the　suspension　of　farther　hostilities　between　the　armies　commanded　by　you　and　those　commanded　by　myself；　and　will　be　willing　to　confer　with　you　to　that　end。　　I　will　limit　the　advance　of　my　main　column；　to…morrow；　to　Morrisville；　and　the　cavalry　to　the　university；　and　expect　that　you　will　also　maintain　the　present　position　of　your　forces　until　each　has　notice　of　a　failure　to　agree。

That　a　basis　of　action　may　be　had；　I　undertake　to　abide　by　the　same　terms　and　conditions　as　were　made　by　Generals　Grant　and　Lee　at　Appomattox　Court…House；　on　the　9th　instant；　relative　to　our　two　armies；　and；　furthermore；　to　obtain　from　General　Grant　an　order　to　suspend　the　movements　of　any　troops　from　the　direction　of　Virginia。　General　Stoneman　is　under　my　command；　and　my　order　will　suspend　any　devastation　or　destruction　contemplated　by　him。　　I　will　add　that　I　really　desire　to　save　the　people　of　North　Carolina　the　damage　they　would　sustain　by　the　march　of　this　army　through　the　central　or　western　parts　of　the　State。

I　am；　with　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。


I　sent　my　aide…de…camp；　Colonel　McCoy；　up　to　Durham's　Station　with　this　letter；　with　instructions　to　receive　the　answer；　to　telegraph　its　contents　back　to　me　at　Raleigh；　and　to　arrange　for　an　interview。　　On　the　16th　I　received　a　reply　from　General　Johnston；　agreeing　to　meet　me　the　next　day　at　a　point　midway　between　our　advance　at　Durham　and　his　rear　at　Hillsboro'。　　I　ordered　a　car　and　locomotive　to　be　prepared　to　convey　me　up　to　Durham's　at　eight　o'clock　of　the　morning　of　April　17th。　　Just　as　we　were　entering　the　car；　the　telegraph…operator；　whose　office　was　up…stairs　in　the　depot…building；　ran　down　to　me　and　said　that　he　was　at　that　instant　of　time　receiving　a　most　important　dispatch　in　cipher　from　Morehead　City；　which　I　ought　to　see。　　I　held　the　train　for　nearly　half　an　hour；　when　he　returned　with　the　message　translated　and　written　out。　It　was　from　Mr。　Stanton；　announcing　the　assassination　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　the　attempt　on　the　life　of　　Mr。　Seward　and　son；　and　a　suspicion　that　a　like　fate　was　designed　for　General　Grant　and　all　the　principal　officers　of　the　Government。　　Dreading　the　effect　of　such　a　message　at　that　critical　instant　of　time；　I　asked　the　operator　if　any　one　besides　himself　had　seen　it；　he　answered　No！　I　then　bade　him　not　to　reveal　the　contents　by　word　or　look　till　I　came　back；　which　I　proposed　to　do　the　same　afternoon。　　The　train　then　started；　and；　as　we　passed　Morris's　Station；　General　Logan；　commanding　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　came　into　my　car；　and　I　told　him　I　wanted　to　see　him　on　my　return；　as　I　had　something　very　important　to　communicate。　　He　knew　I　was　going　to　meet　General　Johnston；　and　volunteered　to　say　that　he　hoped　I　would　succeed　in　obtaining　his　surrender；　as　the　whole　army　dreaded　the　long　march　to　Charlotte　（one　hundred　and　seventy…five　miles）；　already　begun；　but　which　had　been　interrupted　by　the　receipt　of　General　Johnston's　letter　of　the　13th。　　We　reached　Durham's；　twenty…six　miles；　about　10　a。m。；　where　General　Kilpatrick　had　a　squadron　of　cavalry　drawn　up　to　receive　me。　　We　passed　into　the　house　in　which　he　had　his　headquarters；　and　soon　after　mounted　some　led　horses；　which　he　had　prepared　for　myself　and　staff。　　General　Kilpatrick　sent　a　man　ahead　with　a　white　flag；　followed　by　a　small　platoon；　behind　which　we　rode；　and　were　followed　by　the　rest　of　the　escort。　　We　rode　up　the　Hillsboro'　road　for　about　five　miles；　when　our　flag　bearer　discovered　another　coming　to　meet　him：　They　met；　and　word　was　passed　back　to　us　that　General　Johnston　was　near　at　hand；　when　we　rode　forward　and　met　General　Johnston　on　horseback；　riding　side　by　side　with　General　Wade　Hampton。　　We　shook　hands；　and　introduced　our　respective　attendants。　　I　asked　if　there　was　a　place　convenient　where　we　could　be　private；　and　General　Johnston　said　he　had　passed　a　small　farmhouse　a　short　distance　back；　when　we　rode　back　to　it　together　side　by　side；　our　staff…officers　and　escorts　following。　　We　had　never　met　before；　though　we　had　been　in　the　regular　army　together　for　thirteen　years；　but　it　so　happened　that　we　had　never　before　come　together。　　He　was　some　twelve　or　more　years　my　senior；　but　we　knew　enough　of　each　other　to　be　well　acquainted　at　once。　　We　soon　reached　the　house　of　a　Mr。　Bennett；　dismounted；　and　left　our　horses　with　orderlies　in　the　road。　　Our　officers；　on　foot；　passed　into　the　yard；　and　General　Johnston　and　I　entered　the　small　frame…house。　　We　asked　the　farmer　if　we　could　have　the　use　of　his　house　for　a　few　minutes；　and　he　and　his　wife　withdrew　into　a　smaller　log…house；　which　stood　close　by。

As　soon　as　we　were　alone　together　I　showed　him　the　dispatch　announcing　Mr。　Lincoln's　assassination；　and　watched　him　closely。　The　perspiration　came　out　in　large　drops　on　his　forehead；　and　he　did　not　attempt　to　conceal　his　distress。　　He　denounced　the　act　as　a　disgrace　to　the　age；　and　hoped　I　did　not　charge　it　to　the　Confederate　Government。　　I　told　him　I　could　not　believe　that　he　or　General　Lee；　or　the　officers　of　the　Confederate　army；　could　possibly　be　privy　to　acts　of　assassination；　but　I　would　not　say　as　much　for　Jeff。　Davis；　George　Sanders；　and　men　of　that　stripe。　　We　talked　about　the　effect　of　this　act　on　the　country　at　large　and　on　the　armies；　and　he　realized　that　it　made　my　situation　extremely　delicate。　　I　explained　to　him　that　I　had　not　yet　reveal