memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第4节

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here　they　were　fed　with　mangrove…leaves；　and　our　cooks　had　at　all　times　an　ample　supply　of　the　best　of　green　turtles。　　They　were　so　cheap　and　common　that　the　soldiers　regarded　it　as　an　imposition　when　compelled　to　eat　green　turtle　steaks；　instead　of　poor　Florida　beef；　or　the　usual　barrelled　mess…pork。　　I　do　not　recall　in　my　whole　experience　a　spot　on　earth　where　fish；　oysters；　and　green　turtles　so　abound　as　at　Fort　Pierce；　Florida。

In　November；　Major　Childs　arrived　with　Lieutenant　Van　Vliet　and　a　detachment　of　recruits　to　fill　our　two　companies；　and　preparations　were　at　once　begun　for　active　operations　in　the　field。　　At　that　time　the　Indians　in　the　Peninsula　of　Florida　were　scattered；　and　the　war　consisted　in　hunting　up　and　securing　the　small　fragments；　to　be　sent　to　join　the　others　of　their　tribe　of　Seminoles　already　established　in　the　Indian　Territory　west　of　Arkansas。　　Our　expeditions　were　mostly　made　in　boats　in　the　lagoons　extending　from　the　〃Haul…over；〃　near　two　hundred　miles　above　the　fort；　down　to　Jupiter　Inlet；　about　fifty　miles　below；　and　in　the　many　streams　which　emptied　therein。　　Many　such　expeditions　were　made　during　that　winter；　with　more　or　less　success；　in　which　we　succeeded　in　picking　up　small　parties　of　men；　women；　and　children。　　On　one　occasion；　near　the　〃Haul…over；〃　when　I　was　not　present；　the　expedition　was　more　successful。　　It　struck　a　party　of　nearly　fifty　Indians；　killed　several　warriors；　and　captured　others。　　In　this　expedition　my　classmate；　lieutenant　Van　Vliet；　who　was　an　excellent　shot；　killed　a　warrior　who　was　running　at　full　speed　among　trees；　and　one　of　the　sergeants　of　our　company　（Broderick）　was　said　to　have　dispatched　three　warriors；　and　it　was　reported　that　he　took　the　scalp　of　one　and　brought　it　in　to　the　fort　as　a　trophy。　　Broderick　was　so　elated　that；　on　reaching　the　post；　he　had　to　celebrate　his　victory　by　a　big　drunk。

There　was　at　the　time　a　poor；　weakly　soldier　of　our　company　whose　wife　cooked　for　our　mess。　　She　was　somewhat　of　a　flirt；　and　rather　fond　of　admiration。　　Sergeant　Broderick　was　attracted　to　her；　and　hung　around　the　mess…house　more　than　the　husband　fancied；　so　he　reported　the　matter　to　Lieutenant　Taylor；　who　reproved　Broderick　for　his　behavior。　　A　few　days　afterward　the　husband　again　appealed　to　his　commanding　officer　（Taylor）；　who　exclaimed：　〃Haven't　you　got　a　musket？　　Can't　you　defend　your　own　family？〃　　Very　soon　after　a　shot　was　heard　down　by　the　mess…house；　and　it　transpired　that　the　husband　had　actually　shot　Broderick；　inflicting　a　wound　which　proved　mortal。　　The　law　and　army　regulations　required　that　the　man　should　be　sent　to　the　nearest　civil　court；　which　was　at　St。　Augustine；　accordingly；　the　prisoner　and　necessary　witnesses　were　sent　up　by　the　next　monthly　steamer。　　Among　the　latter　were　lieutenant　Taylor　and　the　pilot　Ashlock。

After　they　had　been　gone　about　a　month；　the　sentinel　on　the　roof…　top　of　our　quarters　reported　the　smoke　of　a　steamer　approaching　the　bar；　and；　as　I　was　acting　quartermaster；　I　took　a　boat　and　pulled　down　to　get　the　mail。　　I　reached　the　log…but　in　which　the　pilots　lived；　and　saw　them　start　with　their　boat　across　the　bar；　board　the　steamer；　and　then　return。　　Aahlock　was　at　his　old　post　at　the　steering…oar；　with　two　ladies；　who　soon　came　to　the　landing；　having　passed　through　a　very　heavy　surf；　and　I　was　presented　to　one　as　Mrs。　Ashlock；　and　the　other　as　her　sister；　a　very　pretty　little　Minorcan　girl　of　about　fourteen　years　of　age。　　Mrs。　Ashlock　herself　was　probably　eighteen　or　twenty　years　old；　and　a　very　handsome　woman。　　I　was　hurriedly　informed　that　the　murder　trial　was　in　progress　at　St。　Augustine；　that　Ashlock　had　given　his　testimony；　and　had　availed　himself　of　the　chance　to　take　a　wife　to　share　with　him　the　solitude　of　his　desolate　hut　on　the　beach　at　Indian　River。　He　had　brought　ashore　his　wife；　her　sister；　and　their　chests；　with　the　mail；　and　had　orders　to　return　immediately　to　the　steamer　（Gaston　or　Harney）　to　bring　ashore　some　soldiers　belonging　to　another　company；　E　（Braggs）；　which　had　been　ordered　from　St。　Augustine　to　Fort　Pierce。　　Ashlock　left　his　wife　and　her　sister　standing　on　the　beach　near　the　pilot…hut；　and　started　back　with　his　whale…boat　across　the　bar。　　I　also　took　the　mail　and　started　up　to　the　fort；　and　had　hardly　reached　the　wharf　when　I　observed　another　boat　following　me。　　As　soon　as　this　reached　the　wharf　the　men　reported　that　Ashlock　and　all　his　crew；　with　the　exception　of　one　man；　had　been　drowned　a　few　minutes　after　I　had　left　the　beach。　They　said　his　surf…boat　had　reached　the　steamer；　had　taken　on　board　a　load　of　soldiers；　some　eight　or　ten；　and　had　started　back　through　the　surf；　when　on　the　bar　a　heavy　breaker　upset　the　boat；　and　all　were　lost　except　the　boy　who　pulled　the　bow…oar；　who　clung　to　the　rope　or　painter；　hauled　himself　to　the　upset　boat；　held　on；　drifted　with　it　outside　the　breakers；　and　was　finally　beached　near　a　mile　down　the　coaSt。　They　reported　also　that　the　steamer　had　got　up　anchor；　run　in　as　close　to　the　bar　as　she　could；　paused　awhile；　and　then　had　started　down　the　coast。

I　instantly　took　a　fresh　crew　of　soldiers　and　returned　to　the　bar；　there　sat　poor　Mrs。　Ashlock　on　her　chest　of　clothes；　a　weeping　widow；　who　had　seen　her　husband　perish　amid　sharks　and　waves；　she　clung　to　the　hope　that　the　steamer　had　picked　him　up；　but；　strange　to　say；　he　could　not　swim；　although　he　had　been　employed　on　the　water　all　his　life。

Her　sister　was　more　demonstrative；　and　wailed　as　one　lost　to　all　hope　and　life。　　She　appealed　to　us　all　to　do　miracles　to　save　the　struggling　men　in　the　waves；　though　two　hours　had　already　passed；　and　to　have　gone　out　then　among　those　heavy　breakers；　with　an　inexperienced　crew；　would　have　been　worse　than　suicide。　　All　I　could　do　was　to　reorganize　the　guard　at　the　beach；　take　the　two　desolate　females　up　to　the　fort；　and　give　them　the　use　of　my　own　quarters。　　Very　soon　their　anguish　was　quieted；　and　they　began　to　look；　for　the　return　of　their　steamer　with　Ashlock　and　his　rescued　crew。　　The　next　day　I　went　again　to　the　beach　with　Lieutenant　Ord；　and　we　found　that　one　or　two　bodies　had　been　washed　ashore；　torn　all　to　pieces　by　the　sharks；　which　literally　swarmed　the　inlet　at　every　new　tide。　　In　a　few　days　the　weather　moderated；　and　the　steamer　returned　from　the　south；　but　the　surf　was　so　high　that　she　anchored　a　mile　off。　　I　went　out　myself；　in　the　whale　or　surf　boat；　over　that　terrible　bar　with　a　crew　of；　soldiers；　boarded　the　steamer；　and　learned　that　none　other　of　Ashlock's　crew　except　the　one　before　mentioned　had　been　saved；　but；　on　the　contrary；　the　captain　of　the　steamer　had　sent　one　of　his　own　boats　to　their　rescue；　which　was　likewise　upset　in　the　surf；　and；　out　of　the　three　men　in　her；　one　had　drifted　back　outside　the　breakers；　clinging　to　the　upturned　boat；　and　was　picked　up。　　This　sad　and　fatal　catastrophe　made　us　all　afraid　of　that　bar；　and　in　returning　to　the　shore　I　adopted　the　more　prudent　course　of　beaching　the　boat　below　the　inlet；　which　insured　us　a　good　ducking；　but　was　attended　with　less　risk　to　life。

I　had　to　return　to　the　fort　and　bear　to　Mrs。　Ashlock　the　absolute　truth；　that　her　husband　was　lost　forever。

Meantime　her　sister　had　entirely　recovered　her　equilibrium；　and　being　the　guest　of　the　officers；　who　were　extremely　courteous　to　her；　she　did　not　lament　so　loudly　the　calamity　that　saved　them　a　long　life　of　banishment　on　the　beach　of　Indian　River。　　By　the　first　opportunity　they　were　sent　back　to　St。　Augustine；　the　possessors　of　all　of　Ashlock's　worldly　goods　and　effects；　consisting　of　a　good　rifle；　several　cast…nets；　hand…lines；　etc。；　etc。；　besides　some　three　hundred　dollars　in　money；　which　was　due　him　by　the　quartermaster　for　his　services　as　pilot。　　I　afterward　saw　these　ladies　at　St。　Augustine；　and　years　afterward　the　younger　one　came　to　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　the　wife　of　the　somewhat　famous　Captain　Thistle；　agent　for　the　United　States　for　live…oak　in　Florida；　who　was　noted　as　the　first　of　the　troublesome　class　of　inventors　of　modern　artillery。　　He　was　the　inventor　of　a　gun　that　〃did　not　recoil　at　all；〃　or　〃if　anything　it　recoiled　a　little　forward。〃

One　day；　in　the　summer　of　1841；　the　sentinel　on　the　housetop　at　Fort　Pierce　called　out；　〃Indians！　　Indians！〃　Everybody　sprang　to　his　gun；　the　companies　formed　promptly　on　the　parade…ground；　and　soon　were　reported　as　approaching　the　post；　from　the　pine…woods　in　rear；　four　Indians　on　horseback。　　They　rode　straight　up　to　the　gateway；　dismounted；　and　came　in。　　They　were　conducted　by　the　officer　of　the　day　to　the　commanding　officer；　Major　Childs；　who　sat　on　the　porch　in　front　of　his　own　room。　　After　the　usual　pause；　one　of　them；　a　black　man　named　Joe；　who　spoke　English；　said　they　had　been　sent　in　by　Coacoochee　（Wild　Cat）；　one　of　the　most　noted　of　the　Seminole　chiefs；　to　see　the　big　chief　of　the　post。　　He　gradually　unwrapped　a　piece　of　paper；　which　was　passed　over　to　Major　Childs；　who　read　it；　and　it　was　in　the　nature　of　a　〃Safe　Guard〃　for　〃Wild　Cat〃to　come　into　Fort　Pierce　to　receive　provisions　and　assistance　while　collecting　his　tribe；　with　the　purpose　of　emigrating　to　their　reservation　west　of　Arkansas。　　The　paper　was　signed　by　General　Worth；　who　had　succeeded　General　Taylor；　at　Tampa　Bay；　in　command　of　all　t