memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第58节

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ing；　Esq。；　being　in　Cincinnati；　saw　him　and　asked　him　why　he；　who　certainly　knew　better；　would　reiterate　such　a　damaging　slander。　　He　answered；　quite　cavalierly；　that　it　was　one　of　the　news…items　of　the　day；　and　he　had　to　keep　up　with　the　tine；　but　he　would　be　most　happy　to　publish　any　correction　I　might　make；　as　though　I　could　deny　such　a　malicious　piece　of　scandal　affecting　myself。　　On　the　12th　of　November　I　had　occasion　to　write　to　General　Halleck；　and　I　have　a　copy　of　his　letter　in　answer：


ST。　Louis；　December　18；　1881。　Brigadier…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Lancaster；　Ohio。

My　DEAR　GENERAL：　Yours　of　the　12th　was　received　a　day　or　two　ago；　but　was　mislaid　for　the　moment　among　private　papers；　or　I　should　have　answered　it　sooner。　　The　newspaper　attacks　are　certainly　shameless　and　scandalous；　but　I　cannot　agree　with　you；　that　they　have　us　in　their　power　〃to　destroy　us　as　they　please。〃　　I　certainly　get　my　share　of　abuse；　but　it　will　not　disturb　me。

Your　movement　of　the　troops　was　not　countermanded　by　me　because　I　thought　it　an　unwise　one　in　itself；　but　because　I　was　not　then　ready　for　it。　　I　had　better　information　of　Price's　movements　than　you　had；　and　I　had　no　apprehension　of　an　attack。　　I　intended　to　concentrate　the　forces　on　that　line；　but　I　wished　the　movement　delayed　until　I　could　determine　on　a　better　position。

After　receiving　Lieutenant…Colonel　McPherson's　report；　I　made　precisely　the　location　you　had　ordered。　　I　was　desirous　at　the　time　not　to　prevent　the　advance　of　Price　by　any　movement　on　our　part；　hoping　that　he　would　move　on　Lexington；　but　finding　that　he　had　determined　to　remain　at　Osceola　for　some　time　at　least；　I　made　the　movement　you　proposed。　　As　you　could　not　know　my　plans；　you　and　others　may　have　misconstrued　the　reason　of　my　countermanding　your　orders。。。。

I　hope　to　see　you　well　enough　for　duty　soon。　　Our　organization　goes　on　slowly；　but　we　will　effect　it　in　time。　　Yours　truly；

H。　W。　HALLECK。


And　subsequently；　in　a　letter　to　Hon。　Thomas　Ewing；　in　answer　to　some　inquiries　involving　the　same　general　subject；　General　Halleck　wrote　as　follows：

Hon。　THOMAS　　EWING；　Lancaster；　Ohio。

DEAR　SIR：　Your　note　of　the　13th；　and　one　of　this　date；　from　Mr。　Sherman；　in　relation　to　Brigadier…General　Sherman's　having　being　relieved　from　command　in　Sedalia；　in　November　last；　are　just　received。　　General　Sherman　was　not　put　in　command　at　Sedalia；　he　was　authorized　to　assume　it；　and　did　so　for　a　day　or　two。　　He　did　not　know　my　plans；　and　his　movement　of　troops　did　not　accord　with　them。　　I　therefore　directed　him　to　leave　them　as　they　were；　and　report　here　the　result　of　his　inspection；　for　which　purpose　be　had　been　ordered　there。

No　telegram　or　dispatch　of　any　kind　was　sent　by　me；　or　by　any　one　with　my　knowledge　or　authority；　in　relation　to　it。　　After　his　return　here；　I　gave　him　a　leave　of　absence　of　twenty　days；　for　the　benefit　of　his　health。　　As　I　was　then　pressing　General　McClellan　for　more　officers；　I　deemed　it　necessary　to　explain　why　I　did　so。　I　used　these　words：　〃I　am　satisfied　that　General　Sherman's　physical　and　mental　system　is　so　completely　broken　by　labor　and　care　as　to　render　him；　for　the　present；　unfit　for　duty；　perhaps　a　few　weeks'　rest　may　restore　him。〃　　This　was　the　only　communication　I　made　on　the　subject。　　On　no　occasion　have　I　ever　expressed　an　opinion　that　his　mind　was　affected　otherwise　than　by　over…exertion；　to　have　said　so　would　have　done　him　the　greatest　injustice。

After　General　Sherman　returned　from　his　short　leave；　I　found　that　his　health　was　nearly　restored；　and　I　placed　him　temporarily　in　command　of　the　camp　of　instruction；　numbering　over　fifteen　thousand　men。　　I　then　wrote　to　General　McClellan　that　he　would　soon　be　able　to　again　take　the　field。　　I　gave　General　Sherman　a　copy　of　my　letter。　　This　is　the　total　of　my　correspondence　on　the　subject。　　As　evidence　that　I　have　every　confidence　in　General　Sherman；　I　have　placed　him　in　command　of　Western　Kentuckya　command　only　second　in　importance　in　this　department。　　As　soon　as　divisions　and　columns　can　be　organized；　I　propose　to　send　him　into　the　field　where　he　can　render　most　efficient　service。　　I　have　seen　newspaper　squibs；　charging　him　with　being　〃crazy；〃　etc。　　This　is　the　grossest　injustice；　I　do　not；　however；　consider　such　attacks　worthy　of　notice。　　The　best　answer　is　General　Sherman's　present　position；　and　the　valuable　services　he　is　rendering　to　the　country。　　I　have　the　fullest　confidence　in　him。

Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General。


On　returning　to　St。　Louis；　on　the　expiration　of　my　leave　of　absence；　I　found　that　General　Halleck　was　beginning　to　move　his　troops：　one　part；　under　General　U。　S。　Grant；　up　the　Tennessee　River；　and　another　part；　under　General　S。　R。　Curtis；　in　the　direction　of　Springfield；　Missouri。　　General　Grant　was　then　at　Paducah；　and　General　Curtis　was　under　orders　for　Rolls。　　I　was　ordered　to　take　Curtis's　place　in　command　of　the　camp　of　instruction；　at　Benton　Barracks；　on　the　ground　back　of　North　St。　Louis；　now　used　as　the　Fair　Grounds；　by　the　following　order：


＇Special　Order　No。　87＇。

HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　MISSOURI　St。　Louis；　December　23；　1861

＇EXTRACT。＇

Brigadier…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　United　States　Volunteers；　is　hereby　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　camp　of　instruction　and　post　of　Benton　Barracks。　　He　will　have　every　armed　regiment　and　company　in　his　command　ready　for　service　at　a　moment's　warning；　and　will　notify　all　concerned　that；　when　marching　orders　are　received；　it　is　expected　that　they　will　be　instantly　obeyed；　no　excuses　for　delay　will　be　admitted。　　General　Sherman　will　immediately　report　to　these　headquarters　what　regiments　and　companies；　at　Benton　Barracks；　are　ready　for　the　field。

By　order　of　Major…General　Halleck；

J。　C。　KELTEN；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。


I　immediately　assumed　command；　and　found；　in　the　building　constructed　for　the　commanding　officer；　Brigadier…General　Strong；　and　the　family　of　a　captain　of　Iowa　cavalry；　with　whom　we　boarded。　Major　Curtis；　son　of　General　Curtis；　was　the　adjutant…general；　but　was　soon　relieved　by　Captain　J。　H。　Hammond；　who　was　appointed　assistant　adjutant…general；　and　assigned　to　duty　with　me。

Brigadier…General　Hurlbut　was　also　there；　and　about　a　dozen　regiments　of　infantry　and　cavalry。　　I　at　once　gave　all　matters　pertaining　to　the　post　my　personal　attention；　got　the　regiments　in　as　good　order　as　possible；　kept　up　communication　with　General　Halleck's　headquarters　by　telegraph；　and；　when　orders　came　for　the　movement　of　any　regiment　or　detachment；　it　moved　instantly。　　The　winter　was　very　wet；　and　the　ground　badly　drained。　　The　quarters　had　been　erected　by　General　Fremont；　under　contract；　they　were　mere　shells；　but　well　arranged　for　a　camp；　embracing　the　Fair　Grounds；　and　some　forty　acres　of　flat　ground　west　of　it。　　I　instituted　drills；　and　was　specially　ordered　by　General　Halleck　to　watch　Generals　Hurlbut　and　Strong；　and　report　as　to　their　fitness　for　their　commissions　as　brigadier…generals。　　I　had　known　Hurlbut　as　a　young　lawyer；　in　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　before　the　Mexican　War；　at　which　time　he　took　a　special　interest　in　military　matters；　and　I　found　him　far　above　the　average　in　the　knowledge　of　regimental　and　brigade　drill；　and　so　reported。　　General　Strong　had　been　a　merchant；　and　he　told　me　that　he　never　professed　to　be　a　soldier；　but　had　been　urged　on　the　Secretary　of　War　for　the　commission　of　a　brigadier…general；　with　the　expectation　of　be　coming　quartermaster　or　commissary…general。　　He　was　a　good；　kind…hearted　gentleman；　boiling　over　with　patriotism　and　zeal。　　I　advised　him　what　to　read　and　study；　was　considerably　amused　at　his　receiving　instruction　from　a　young　lieutenant　who　knew　the　company　and　battalion　drill；　and　could　hear　him　practise　in　his　room　the　words　of　command；　and　tone　of　voice；　〃Break　from　the　right；　to　march　to　the　left！〃　　〃Battalion；　halt！〃　　〃For　ward　into　line！〃　etc。　Of　course　I　made　a　favorable　report　in　his　case。　　Among　the　infantry　and　cavalry　colonels　were　some　who　afterward　rose　to　distinctionDavid　Stuart；　Gordon　Granger；　Bussey；　etc。；　etc。

Though　it　was　mid…winter；　General　Halleck　was　pushing　his　preparations　most　vigorously；　and　surely　he　brought　order　out　of　chaos　in　St。　Louis　with　commendable　energy。　　I　remember；　one　night；　sitting　in　his　room；　on　the　second　floor　of　the　Planters'　House；　with　him　and　General　Cullum；　his　chief　of　staff；　talking　of　things　generally；　and　the　subject　then　was　of　the　much…talked…of　〃advance；〃　as　soon　as　the　season　would　permit。　　Most　people　urged　the　movement　down　the　Mississippi　River；　but　Generals　Polk　and　Pillow　had　a　large　rebel　force；　with　heavy　guns　in　a　very　strong　position；　at　Columbus；　Kentucky；　about　eighteen　miles　below　Cairo。　Commodore　Foote　had　his　gunboat　fleet　at　Cairo；　and　General　U。　S。　Grant；　who　commanded　the　district；　was　collecting　a　large　force　at　Paducah；　Cairo；　and　Bird's　Point。　　General　Halleck　had　a　map　on　his　table；　with　a　large　pencil　in　his　hand；　and　asked；　〃where　is　the　rebel　line？〃　　Cullum　drew　the　pencil　through　Bowling　Green；　Forts　Donelson　and　Henry；　and　Columbus；　Kentucky。　　〃That　is　their　line；〃　said　Halleck；。　　〃Now；　where　is　the　proper　place　to　break　it？〃　　And　either　Cullum　or　I　said；　〃Natural