memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第113节

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General　J。　D。　WEBSTER；　Chicago；　Illinois

DEAR　GENERAL：　General　W。　Sooy　Smith　feels　aggrieved　and　wronged　by　my　account　of　his　part　in　the　Meridian　campaign；　in　my　〃Memoirs；〃　pages　394；　395；　and　properly　appeals　to　me　for　correction。　　I　have　offered　to　modify　any　words　or　form　of　expression　that　he　may　point　out；　but　he　asks　me　to　completely　change　the　whole　that　concerns　him。　　This；　of　course；　I　will　not　do；　as　his　part　was　material　to　the　whole；　and　cannot　be　omitted　or　materially　altered　without　changing　the　remainder；　for　his　failure　to　reach　Meridian　by　February　10th　was　the　reason　for　other　movements　distant　from　him。　I　now　offer　him；　what　seems　to　me　fair　and　liberal；　that　we　submit　the　points　at　issue　to　you　as　arbitrator。　　You　are　familiar　with　the　ground；　the　coincident　history；　and　most；　if　not　all；　the　parties。

I　propose　to　supply　you　with

1。　　Copy　of　my　orders　placing　all　the　cavalry　under　General　Smith's　orders　（with　returns）。

2。　　My　letter　of　instructions　to　him　of　January　27th。

3。　　My　official　report　of　the　campaign；　dated　Vicksburg；　March　7；　1864。

4。　　General　W。　Sooy　Smith's　report　of　his　operations；　dated　Nashville；　Tennessee；　March　4；　1864。

After　reading　these；　I　further　propose　that　you　address　us　questions　which　we　will　answer　in　writing；　when　you　are　to　make　us　a　concise；　written　decision；　which　I　will　have　published　in　close　connection　with　the　subject　in　controversy。　　If　General　Smith　will　show　you　my　letter　to　him　of　this　date；　and　also　deliver　this　with　his　written　assent；　I　will　promptly　furnish　yon　the　above　documents；　and　also　procure　from　the　official　files　a　return　of　the　cavalry　force　available　at　and　near　Memphis　on　the　date　of　my　orders；　viz。；　January　27；　1864。

With　great　respect；　your　friend　and　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。

NOTE：General　Smith　never　submitted　his　case　to　the　arbitration　offered。　　The　whole　will　be　made　clear　by　the　publication　of　the　official　records；　which　are　already　in　print；　though　not　yet　issued。　　His　orders　were　in　writing；　and　I　have　no　recollection　of　the　〃peremptory〃　verbal　orders　to　which　he　refers；　and　quotes　as　from　me。

ST。　Louis；　Missouri；　1895。　　　　W。　T。　S。




MAYWOOD；　ILLINOIS；　July　14；　1875。

General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Commander…in…Chief；　etc。

DEAR　GENERAL　：　Your　letter　of　the　11th　of　July　reaches　me　just　as　I　am　starting　to　spend　the　first　vacation　I　have　ever　allowed　myself…　…in　the　Territories；　with　my　wife　and　son。

It　indicates　a　spirit　of　fairness　from　which　we　have　better　things　than　an　arbitration　to　hope　for。　　Though；　if　we　should　reach　such　a　necessity；　there　is　no　one　living　to　whom　our　differences　might　more　properly　be　referred　than　to　General　Webster。　　I　make　no　objection　to　your　writing　your　〃Memoirs；〃　and；　as　long　as　they　refer　to　your　own　conduct；　you　are　at　liberty　to　write　them　as　you　like；　but；　when　they　refer　to　mine；　and　deal　unjustly　with　my　reputation；　I；　of　right；　object。

Neither　do　I　wish　to　write　my　〃Memoirs；〃　unless　compelled　to　do　so　to　vindicate　my　good　name。　　There　were　certain　commands　which　were　to　make　up　mine。　　These；　Waring's　brigade　included；　were　spoken　of　by　us　in　the　long　conversation　to　which　you　refer。　　This　brigade　we　knew　was　having　a　hard　time　of　it　in　its　movement　from　Columbus　to　Memphis。　　I　asked　you　if　I　should　move　without　it　if　it　did　not　arrive；　and　you　answered　me　as　stated　in　my　last　letter　to　you。　Those　who　immediately　surrounded　me　during　the　painful　delay　that　occurred　will　inform　you　how　sorely　I　chafed　under　the　restraint　of　that　peremptory　order。

In　the　conversation　that　occurred　between　us　at　Nashville；　while　all　the　orders；　written　and　verbal；　were　still　fresh　in　your　memory；　you　did　not　censure　me　for　waiting　for　Waring；　but　for　allowing　myself　to　be　encumbered　with　fugitive　negroes　to　such　an　extent　that　my　command　was　measurably　unfit　for　active　movement　or　easy　handling；　and　for　turning　bank　from　West　Point；　instead　of　pressing　on　toward　Meridian。　　Invitations　had　been　industriously　circulated；　by　printed　circulars　and　otherwise；　to　the　negroes　to　come　into　our　lines；　and　to　seek　our　protection　wherever　they　could　find　it；　and　I　considered　ourselves　pledged　to　receive　and　protect　them。　　Your　censure　for　so　doing；　and　your　remarks　on　that　subject　to　me　in　Nashville；　are　still　fresh　in　my　memory；　and　of　a　character　which　you　would　now　doubtless　gladly　disavow。

But　we　must　meet　and　talk　the　whole　matter　over；　and　I　will　be　at　any　trouble　to　see　you　when　I　return。

Meantime　I　will　not　let　go　the　hope　that　I　will　convince　you　absolutely　of　your　error；　for　the　facts　are　entirely　on　my　side。　Yours　truly；

WILLIAM　SOOY　SMITH





End　of　Volume　One