memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第36节

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n　Benicia；　to　carry　down　to　San　Francisco　the　arms　and　munitions　when　the　time　came。

As　the　time　was　then　near　at　hand　for　the　arrival　of　the　evening　boats；　we　all　walked　down　to　the　wharf　together；　where　I　told　Johnson　that　he　could　not　be　too　careful；　that　I　had　not　heard　General　Wool　make　a　positive　promise　of　assistance。

Upon　this；　Johnson　called　General　Wool　to　one　side；　and　we　three　drew　together。　　Johnson　said：　〃General　Wool；　General　Sherman　is　very　particular；　and　wants　to　know　exactly　what　you　propose　to　do。〃　Wool　answered：　〃I　understand；　Governor；　that　in　the　first　place　a　writ　of　Habeas　corpus　will　be　issued　commanding　the　jailers　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　to　produce　the　body　of　some　one　of　the　prisoners　held　by　them　（which；　of　course；　will　be　refused）；　that　you　then　issue　your　proclamation　commanding　them　to　disperse；　and；　failing　this；　you　will　call　out　the　militia；　and　command　General　Sherman　with　it　to　suppress　the　Vigilance　Committee　as　an　unlawful　body；〃　to　which　the　Governor　responded；　〃Yes。〃　　〃Then；〃　said　Wool；　〃on　General　Sherman's　making　his　requisition；　approved　by　you；　I　will　order　the　issue　of　the　necessary　arms　and　ammunition。〃　　I　remember　well　that　I　said；　emphatically：　〃That　is　all　I　want。　Now；　Governor；　you　may　go　ahead。〃　　We　soon　parted；　Johnson　and　Douglas　taking　the　boat　to　Sacramento；　and　I　to　San　Francisco。

The　Chief…Justice；　Terry；　came　to　San　Francisco　the　next　day；　issued　a　writ　of　habeas　corpus　for　the　body　of　one　Maloney；　which　writ　was　resisted；　as　we　expected。　　The　Governor　then　issued　his　proclamation；　and　I　published　my　orders；　dated　June　4；　1855。　　The　Quartermaster…General　of　the　State；　General　Kibbe；　also　came　to　San　Francisco；　took　an　office　in　the　City　Hall；　engaged　several　rooms　for　armories；　and　soon　the　men　began　to　enroll　into　companies。　　In　my　general　orders　calling　out　the　militia；　I　used　the　expression；　〃When　a　sufficient　number　of　men　are　enrolled；　arms　and　ammunition　will　be　supplied。〃　　Some　of　the　best　men　of　the　〃Vigilantes〃　came　to　me　and　remonstrated；　saying　that　collision　would　surely　result；　that　it　would　be　terrible；　etc。　　All　I　could　say　in　reply　was；　that　it　was　for　them　to　get　out。　　of　the　way。〃　　Remove　your　fort；　cease　your　midnight　councils；　and　prevent　your　armed　bodies　from　patrolling　the　streets。〃　　They　inquired　where　I　was　to　get　arms；　and　I　answered　that　I　had　them　certain。　　But　personally　I　went　right　along　with　my　business　at　the　bank；　conscious　that　at　any　moment　we　might　have　trouble。　　Another　committee　of　citizens；　a　conciliatory　body；　was　formed　to　prevent　collision　if　possible；　and　the　newspapers　boiled　over　with　vehement　vituperation。　　This　second　committee　was　composed　of　such　men　as　Crockett；　Ritchie；　Thornton；　Bailey　Peyton；　Foote；　Donohue；　Kelly；　and　others；　a　class　of　the　most　intelligent　and　wealthy　men　of　the　city；　who　earnestly　and　honestly　desired　to　prevent　bloodshed。　　They　also　came　to　me；　and　I　told　them　that　our　men　were　enrolling　very　fast；　and　that；　when　I　deemed　the　right　moment　had　come；　the　Vigilance　Committee　mast　disperse；　else　bloodshed　and　destruction　of　property　would　inevitably　follow。　　They　also　had　discovered　that　the　better　men　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　itself　were　getting　tired　of　the　business；　and　thought　that　in　the　execution　of　Casey　and　Cora；　and　the　banishment　of　a　dozen　or　more　rowdies；　they　had　done　enough；　and　were　then　willing　to　stop。　　It　was　suggested　that；　if　our　Law…and…Order　party　would　not　arm；　by　a　certain　day　near　at　hand　the　committee　would　disperse；　and　some　of　their　leaders　would　submit　to　an　indictment　and　trial　by　a　jury　of　citizens；　which　they　knew　would　acquit　them　of　crime。　　One　day　in　the　bank　a　man　called　me　to　the　counter　and　said；　〃If　you　expect　to　get　arms　of　General　Wool；　you　will　be　mistaken；　for　I　was　at　Benicia　yesterday；　and　heard　him　say　he　would　not　give　them。〃　　This　person　was　known　to　me　to　be　a　man　of　truth；　and　I　immediately　wrote　to　General　Wool　a　letter　telling　him　what　I　had　heard；　and　how　any　hesitation　on　his　part　would　compromise　me　as　a　man　of　truth　and　honor；　adding　that　I　did　not　believe　we　should　ever　need　the　arms；　but　only　the　promise　of　them；　for　〃the　committee　was　letting　down；　and　would　soon　disperse　and　submit　to　the　law；〃　etc。　　I　further　asked　him　to　answer　me　categorically　that　very　night；　by　the　Stockton　boat；　which　would　pass　Benicia　on　its　way　down　about　midnight；　and　I　would　sit　up　and　wait　for　his　answer。　　I　did　wait　for　his　letter；　but　it　did　not　come；　and　the　next　day　I　got　a　telegraphic　dispatch　from　Governor　Johnson；　who；　at　Sacramento；　had　also　heard　of　General　Wool's　〃back…down；〃　asking　me　to　meet　him　again　at　Benicia　that　night。

I　went　up　in　the　evening　boat；　and　found　General　Wool's　aide…de…　camp；　Captain　Arnold；　of　the　army；　on　the　wharf；　with　a　letter　in　his　hand；　which　he　said　was　for　me。　　I　asked　for　it；　but　he　said　he　knew　its　importance；　and　preferred　we　should　go　to　General　Wool's　room　together；　and　the　general　could　hand　it　to　me　in　person。　　We　did　go　right　up　to　General　Wool's；　who　took　the　sealed　parcel　and　laid　it　aside；　saying　that　it　was　literally　a　copy　of　one　he　had　sent　to　Governor　Johnson；　who　would　doubtless　give　me　a　copy；　but　I　insisted　that　I　had　made　a　written　communication；　and　was　entitled　to　a　written　answer。

At　that　moment　several　gentlemen　of　the　〃Conciliation　party；〃　who　had　come　up　in　the　same　steamer　with　me；　asked　for　admission　and　came　in。　　I　recall　the　names　of　Crockett；　Foote；　Bailey　Peyton；　Judge　Thornton；　Donohue；　etc。；　and　the　conversation　became　general；　Wool　trying　to　explain　away　the　effect　of　our　misunderstanding；　taking　good　pains　not　to　deny　his　promise　made　to　me　personally　on　the　wharf。　　I　renewed　my　application　for　the　letter　addressed　to　me；　then　lying　on　his　table。　　On　my　statement　of　the　case；　Bailey　Peyton　said；　〃General　Wool；　I　think　General　Sherman　has　a　right　to　a　written　answer　from　you；　for　he　is　surely　compromised。〃　　Upon　this　Wool　handed　me　the　letter。　　I　opened　and　read　it；　and　it　denied　any　promise　of　arms；　but　otherwise　was　extremely　evasive　and　non…committal。　　I　had　heard　of　the　arrival　at　the　wharf　of　the　Governor　and　party；　and　was　expecting　them　at　Wool's　room；　but；　instead　of　stopping　at　the　hotel　where　we　were；　they　passed　to　another　hotel　on　the　block　above。　　I　went　up　and　found　there；　in　a　room　on　the　second　floor　over　the　bar…room；　Governor　Johnson；　Chief…Justice　Terry；　Jones；　of　Palmer；　Cooke　&　Co。；　E。　D。　Baker；　Volney　E。　Howard；　and　one　or　two　others。　　All　were　talking　furiously　against　Wool；　denouncing　him　as　a　d…d　liar；　and　not　sparing　the　severest　terms。　　I　showed　the　Governor　General　Wool's　letter　to　me；　which　he　said　was　in　effect　the　same　as　the　one　addressed　to　and　received　by　him　at　Sacramento。　　He　was　so　offended　that　he　would　not　even　call　on　General　Wool；　and　said　he　would　never　again　recognize　him　as　an　officer　or　gentleman。　　We　discussed　matters　generally；　and　Judge　Terry　said　that　the　Vigilance　Committee　were　a　set　of　d…d　pork…merchants；　that　they　were　getting　scared；　and　that　General　Wool　was　in　collusion　with　them　to　bring　the　State　into　contempt；　etc。　　I　explained　that　there　were　no　arms　in　the　State　except　what　General　Pool　had；　or　what　were　in　the　hands　of　the　Vigilance　Committee　of　San　Francisco；　and　that　the　part　of　wisdom　for　us　was　to　be　patient　and　cautious。　　About　that　time　Crockett　and　his　associates　sent　up　their　cards；　but　Terry　and　the　more　violent　of　the　Governor's　followers　denounced　them　as　no　better　than　〃Vigilantes；〃　and　wanted　the　Governor　to　refuse　even　to　receive　them。　　I　explained　that　they　were　not　〃Vigilantes；〃　that　Judge　Thornton　was　a　〃Law…and…Order〃　man；　was　one　of　the　first　to　respond　to　the　call　of　the　sheriff；　and　that　he　went　actually　to　the　jail　with　his　one　arm　the　night　we　expected　the　first　attempt　at　rescue；　etc。　　Johnson　then　sent　word　for　them　to　reduce　their　business　to　writing。　　They　simply　sent　in　a　written　request　for　an　audience；　and　they　were　then　promptly　admitted。　　After　some　general　conversation；　the　Governor　said　he　was　prepared　to　hear　them；　when　Mr。　Crockett　rose　and　made　a　prepared　speech　embracing　a　clear　and　fair　statement　of　the　condition　of　things　in　San　Francisco；　concluding　with　the　assertion　of　the　willingness　of　the　committee　to　disband　and　submit　to　trial　after　a　certain　date　not　very　remote。　　All　the　time　Crockett　was　speaking；　Terry　sat　with　his　hat　on；　drawn　over　his　eyes；　and　with　his　feet　on　a　table。　　As　soon　as　Crockett　was　through；　they　were　dismissed；　and　Johnson　began　to　prepare　a　written　answer。　　This　was　scratched；　altered；　and　amended；　to　suit　the　notions　of　his　counselors；　and　at　last　was　copied　and　sent。　　This　answer　amounted　to　little　or　nothing。　Seeing　that　we　were　powerless　for　good；　and　that　violent　counsels　would　prevail　under　the　influence　of　Terry　and　others；　I　sat　down　at　the　table；　and　wrote　my　resignation；　which　Johnson　accepted　in　a　complimentary　note　on　the　spot；　and　at　the　same　time　he　appointed　to　my　place　General　Volney　E。　Howard；　then　present；　a　lawyer　who　had　once　been　a　member　of　Congress　from　Texas；　and　who　was　expected　to　drive　the　d…d　pork…merchants　into　the　bay　at　short　notice。　　I　went　soon　after　to　General　Wool's　room；　where　I　found　　Crockett　and　the　rest　of　his　pa