memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第75节

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OXFORD；　December　8；　1862。

Major…General　H。　W。　HALLECK；　Washington；　D。　C。：

General　Sherman　will　command　the　expedition　down　the　Mississippi。　He　will　have　a　force　of　about　forty　thousand　men；　will　land　above　Vicksbnrg　（up　the　Yazoo；　if　practicable）；　and　out　the　Mississippi　Central　road　and　the　road　running　east　from　Vicksburg；　where　they　cross　Black　River。　　I　will　cooperate　from　here；　my　movements　depending　on　those　of　the　enemy。　　With　the　large　cavalry　force　now　at　my　command；　I　will　be　able　to　have　them　show　themselves　at　different　points　on　the　Tallahatchie　and　Yalabusha；　and；　when　an　opportunity　occurs；　make　a　real　attack。　　After　cutting　the　two　roads；　General　Sherman's　movements　to　secure　the　end　desired　will　necessarily　be　left　to　his　judgment。

I　will　occupy　this　road　to　Coffeeville。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


I　was　shown　this　dispatch　before　it　was　sent；　and　afterward　the　general　drew　up　for　me　the　following　letter　of　instructions　in　his　own　handwriting；　which　I　now　possess：

HEADQUARTERS　THIRTEENTH　ARMY　CORPS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE；　OXFORD；　Mississippi；　December　8；　1862。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Right　Wing　Army　In　the　Field；　present。

GENERAL：　You　will　proceed　with　as　little　delay　as　practicable　to　Memphis；　Tennessee；　taking　with　you　one　division　of　your　present　command。　　On　your　arrival　at　Memphis　you　will　assume　command　of　all　the　troops　there；　and　that　portion　of　General　Curtis's　forces　at　present　east　of　the　Mississippi　River；　and　organize　them　into　brigades　and　divisions　in　your　own　way。

As　soon　as　possible　move　with　them　down　the　river　to　the　vicinity　of　Vicksburg；　and；　with　the　cooperation　of　the　gunboat　fleet　under　command　of　Flag…Officer　Porter；　proceed　to　the　reduction　of　that　place　in　such　manner　as　circumstances　and　your　own　judgment　may　dictate。

The　amount　of　rations；　forage；　land　transportation；　etc。；　necessary　to　take；　will　be　left　entirely　to　yourself。

The　quartermaster　in　St。　Louis　will　be　instructed　to　send　you　transportation　for　thirty　thousand　men。　　Should　you　still　find　yourself　deficient；　your　quartermaster　will　be　authorized　to　make　up　the　deficiency　from　such　transports　as　may　come　into　the　port　of　Memphis。

On　arriving　in　Memphis　put　yourself　in　communication　with　Admiral　Porter；　and　arrange　with　him　for　his　cooperation。

Inform　me　at　the　earliest　practicable　day　of　the　time　when　you　will　embark；　and　such　plans　as　may　then　be　matured。　　I　will　hold　the　forces　here　in　readiness　to　cobperate　with　you　in　such　manner　as　the　movements　of　the　enemy　may　make　necessary。

Leave　the　District　of　Memphis　in　the　command　of　an　efficient　officer　and　with　a　garrison　of　four　regiments　of　infantry；　the　siege…guns；　and　what　　ever　cavalry　force　may　be　there。

One　regiment　of　infantry　and　at　least　a　section　of　artillery　will　also　be　left　at　Friar's　Point　or　Delta；　to　protect　the　stores　of　the　cavalry　post　that　will　be　left　there。　　Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


I　also　insert　here　another　letter；　dated　the　14th　instant；　sent　afterward　to　me　at　Memphis；　which　completes　all　instructions　received　by　me　governing　the　first　movement　against　Vicksburg　：

HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　OXFORD；　MISSISSIPPI；　December　14；　1862

Major…General　SHERMAN；　commanding；　etc。；　Memphis；　Tennessee

I　have　not　had　one　word　from　Grierson　since　he　left；　and　am　getting　uneasy　about　him。　　I　hope　General　Gorman　will　give　you　no　difficulty　about　retaining　the　troops　on　this　side　the　river；　and　Steele　to　command　them。　　The　twenty…one　thousand　men　you　have；　with　the　twelve　thousand　from　Helena；　will　make　a　good　force。　　The　enemy　are　as　yet　on　the　Yalabusha。　　I　am　pushing　down　on　them　slowly；　but　so　as　to　keep　up　the　impression　of　a　continuous　move。　　I　feel　particularly　anxious　to　have　the　Helena　cavalry　on　this　side　of　the　river；　if　not　now；　at　least　after　you　start。　　If　Gorman　will　send　them；　instruct　them　where　to　go　and　how　to　communicate　with　me。　　My　headquarters　will　probably　be　in　Coffeeville　one　week　hence。。。。　　In　the　mean　time　I　will　order　transportation；　etc。。。。　It　would　be　well　if　you　could　have　two　or　three　small　boats　suitable　for　navigating　the　Yazoo。　　It　may　become　necessary　for　me　to　look　to　that　base　for　supplies　before　we　get　through。。。。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


When　we　rode　to　Oxford　from　College　Hill；　there　happened　a　little　circumstance　which　seems　worthy　of　record。　　While　General　Van　Dorn　had　his　headquarters　in　Holly　Springs；　viz。；　in　October；　1862；　he　was　very　short　of　the　comforts　and　luxuries　of　life；　and　resorted　to　every　possible　device　to　draw　from　the　abundant　supplies　in　Memphis。　　He　had　no　difficulty　whatever　in　getting　spies　into　the　town　for　information；　but　he　had　trouble　in　getting　bulky　supplies　out　through　our　guards；　though　sometimes　I　connived　at　his　supplies　of　cigars；　liquors；　boots；　gloves；　etc。；　for　his　individual　use；　but　medicines　and　large　supplies　of　all　kinds　were　confiscated；　if　attempted　to　be　passed　out。　　As　we　rode　that　morning　toward　Oxford；　I　observed　in　a　farmer's　barn…yard　a　wagon　that　looked　like　a　city　furniture…wagon　with　springs。　　We　were　always　short　of　wagons；　so　I　called　the　attention　of　the　quartermaster；　Colonel　J。　Condit　Smith；　saying；　〃There　is　a　good　wagon；　go　for　it。〃　　He　dropped　out　of　the　retinue　with　an　orderly；　and　after　we　had　ridden　a　mile　or　so　he　overtook　us；　and　I　asked　him；　〃What　luck？〃　　He　answered；　〃All　right；　I　have　secured　that　wagon；　and　I　also　got　another；〃　and　explained　that　he　had　gone　to　the　farmer's　house　to　inquire　about　the　furniture…wagon；　when　the　farmer　said　it　did　not　belong　to　him；　but　to　some　party　in　Memphis；　adding　that　in　his　barn　was　another　belonging　to　the　same　party。　　They　went　to　the　barn；　and　there　found　a　handsome　city　hearse；　with　pall　and　plumes。　　The　farmer　said　they　had　had　a　big　funeral　out　of　Memphis；　but　when　it　reached　his　house；　the　coffin　was　found　to　contain　a　fine　assortment　of　medicines　for　the　use　of　Van　Dorn's　army。　　Thus　under　the　pretense　of　a　first…class　funeral；　they　had　carried　through　our　guards　the　very　things　we　had　tried　to　prevent。　　It　was　a　good　trick；　but　diminished　our　respect　for　such　pageants　afterward。

As　soon　as　I　was　in　possession　of　General　Grant's　instructions　of　December　8th；　with　a　further　request　that　I　should　dispatch　Colonel　Grierson；　with　his　cavalry；　across　by　land　to　Helena；　to　notify　General　Steele　of　the　general　plan；　I　returned　to　College　Hill；　selected　the　division　of　Brigadier…General　Morgan　L。　Smith　to　return　with　me　to　Memphis；　started　Grierson　on　his　errand　to　Helena；　and　ordered　Generals　Denver　and　Lauman　to　report　to　General　Grant　for　further　orders。　　We　started　back　by　the　most　direct　route；　reached　Memphis　by　noon　of　December　12th；　and　began　immediately　the　preparations　for　the　Vicksburg　movement。　　There　I　found　two　irregular　divisions　which　had　arrived　at　Memphis　in　my　absence；　commanded　respectively　by　Brigadier…General　A。　J。　Smith　and　Brigadier…General　George　W。　Morgan。　　These　were　designated　the　First　and　Third　Divisions；　leaving　the　Second　Division　of　Morgan　Z。　Smith　to　retain　its　original　name　and　number。

I　also　sent　orders；　in　the　name　of　General　Grant；　to　General　Gorman；　who　meantime　had　replaced　General　Steele　in　command　of　Helena；　in　lieu　of　the　troops　which　had　been　east　of　the　Mississippi　and　had　returned；　to　make　up　a　strong　division　to　report　to　me　on　my　way　down。　　This　division　was　accordingly　organized；　and　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Frederick　Steele；　constituting　my　Fourth　Division。

Meantime　a　large　fleet　of　steamboats　was　assembling　from　St。　Louis　and　Cairo；　and　Admiral　Porter　dropped　down　to　Memphis　with　his　whole　gunboat　fleet；　ready　to　cooperate　in　the　movement。　　The　preparations　were　necessarily　hasty　in　the　extreme；　but　this　was　the　essence　of　the　whole　plan；　viz。；　to　reach　Vicksburg　as　it　were　by　surprise；　while　General　Grant　held　in　check　Pemberton's　army　about　Grenada；　leaving　me　to　contend　only　with　the　smaller　garrison　of　Vicksburg　and　its　well…known　strong　batteries　and　defenses。　　On　the　19th　the　Memphis　troops　were　embarked；　and　steamed　down　to　Helena；　where　on　the　21st　General　Steele's　division　was　also　embarked；　and　on　the　22d　we　were　all　rendezvoused　at　Friar's　Point；　in　the　following　order；　viz。：

Steamer　Forest　Queen；　general　headquarters；　and　battalion　Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry。

First　Division；　Brigadier…General　A。　J。　SMITH。…　Steamers　Des　Arc；　division　headquarters　and　escort；　Metropolitan；　Sixth　Indiana；　J。　H。　Dickey；　Twenty…third　Wisconsin；　J。　C。　Snow；　Sixteenth　Indiana；　Hiawatha；　Ninety…sixth　Ohio；　J。　S。　Pringle；　Sixty…seventh　Indiana；　J。　W。　Cheeseman；　Ninth　Kentucky；　R。　Campbell；　Ninety…seventh　Indiana；　Duke　of　Argyle；　Seventy…seventh　Illinois；　City　of　Alton；　One　Hundred　and　Eighth　and　Forty…eighth　Ohio；　City　of　Louisiana；　Mercantile　Battery；　Ohio　Belle；　Seventeenth　Ohio　Battery；　Citizen；　Eighty…third　Ohio；　Champion；　commissary…boat；　General　Anderson；　Ordnance。

Second　Division；；　Brigadier…General　M。　L。　SMITH。…Steamers　Chancellor；　headquarters；　and　Thielman's　cavalry；　Planet；　One　Hundred　and　Sixteenth　Illinois；　City　of　Memphis；　Batteries　A　and　B　（Missouri　Artillery）；　Eighth　Missouri；　and　section　of　Parrott　guns；　Omaha；　Fift