memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第77节

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you…evidently　an　old　channel　of　the　Yazoo。　　On　our　right　was　another　wide　bayou；　known　as　Old　River；　and　on　the　left　still　another；　much　narrower；　but　too　deep　to　be　forded；　known　as　Chickasaw　Bayou。　　All　the　island　was　densely　wooded；　except　Johnson's　plantation；　immediately　on　the　bank　of　the　Yazoo；　and　a　series　of　old　cotton…fields　along　Chickasaw　Bayou。　　There　was　a　road　from　Johnson's　plantation　directly　to　Vicksburg；　but　it　crossed　numerous　bayous　and　deep　swamps　by　bridges；　which　had　been　destroyed；　and　this　road　debouched　on　level　ground　at　the　foot　of　the　Vicksburg　bluff；　opposite　strong　forts；　well　prepared　and　defended　by　heavy　artillery。　　On　this　road　I　directed　General　A。　J。　Smith's　division；　not　so　much　by　way　of　a　direct　attack　as　a　diversion　and　threat。

Morgan　was　to　move　to　his　left；　to　reach　Chickasaw　Bayou；　and　to　follow　it　toward　the　bluff；　about　four　miles　above　A。　J。　Smith。　Steele　was　on　Morgan's　left；　across　Chickasaw　Bayou；　and　M。　L。　Smith　on　Morgan's　right。　　We　met　light　resistance　at　all　points；　but　skirmished；　on　the　27th；　up　to　the　main　bayou；　that　separated　our　position　from　the　bluffs　of　Vicksburg；　which　were　found　to　be　strong　by　nature　and　by　art；　and　seemingly　well　defended。　　On　reconnoitring　the　front　in　person；　during　the　27th　and　28th；　I　became　satisfied　that　General　A。　J。　Smith　could　not　cross　the　intervening　obstacles　under　the　heavy　fire　of　the　forts　immediately　in　his　front；　and　that　the　main　bayou　was　impassable；　except　at　two　pointsone　near　the　head　of　Chickasaw　Bayou；　in　front　of　Morgan；　and　the　other　about　a　mile　lower　down；　in　front　of　M。　L。　Smith's　division。

During　the　general　reconnoissance　of　the　28th　General　Morgan　L。　Smith　received　a　severe　and　dangerous　wound　in　his　hip；　which　completely　disabled　him　and　compelled　him　to　go　to　his　steamboat；　leaving　the　command　of　his　division　to　Brigadier。　　General　D。　Stuart；　but　I　drew　a　part　of　General　A。　J。　Smith's　division；　and　that　general　himself；　to　the　point　selected　for　passing　the　bayou；　and　committed　that　special　task　to　his　management。

General　Steele　reported　that　it　was　physically　impossible　to　reach　the　bluffs　from　his　position；　so　I　ordered　him　to　leave　but　a　show　of　force　there；　and　to　return　to　the　west　side　of　Chickasaw　Bayou　in　support　of　General　Morgan's　left。　　He　had　to　countermarch　and　use　the　steamboats　in　the　Yazoo　to　get　on　the　firm　ground　on　our　side　of　the　Chickasaw。

On　the　morning　of　December　29th　all　the　troops　were　ready　and　in　position。　　The　first　step　was　to　make　a　lodgment　on　the　foot…hills　and　bluffs　abreast　of　our　position；　while　diversions　were　made　by　the　navy　toward　Haines's　Bluff；　and　by　the　first　division　directly　toward　Vicksburg。　　I　estimated　the　enemy's　forces；　then　strung　from　Vicksburg　to　Haines's　Bluff；　at　fifteen　thousand　men；　commanded　by　the　rebel　Generals　Martin　Luther　Smith　and　Stephen　D。　Lee。　　Aiming　to　reach　firm　ground　beyond　this　bayou；　and　to　leave　as　little　time　for　our　enemy　to　reenforce　as　possible；　I　determined　to　make　a　show　of　attack　along　the　whole　front；　but　to　break　across　the　bayou　at　the　two　points　named；　and　gave　general　orders　accordingly。　　I　pointed　out　to　General　Morgan　the　place　where　he　could　pass　the　bayou；　and　he　answered；　〃General；　in　ten　minutes　after　you　give　the　signal　I'll　be　on　those　hills。〃　　He　was　to　lead　his　division　in　person；　and　was　to　be　supported　by　Steele's　division。　　The　front　was　very　narrow；　and　immediately　opposite；　at　the　base　of　the　hills　about　three　hundred　yards　from　the　bayou；　was　a　rebel　battery；　supported　by　an　infantry　force　posted　on　the　spurs　of　the　hill　behind。　　To　draw　attention　from　this；　the　real　point　of　attack；　I　gave　instructions　to　commence　the　attack　at　the　flanks。

I　went　in　person　about　a　mile　to　the　right　rear　of　Morgan's　position；　at　a　place　convenient　to　receive　reports　from　all　other　parts　of　the　line；　and　about　noon　of　December　29th　gave　the　orders　and　signal　for　the　main　attack。　　A　heavy　artillery…fire　opened　along　our　whole　line；　and　was　replied　to　by　the　rebel　batteries；　and　soon　the　infantry…fire　opened　heavily；　especially　on　A。　J。　Smith's　front；　and　in　front　of　General　George　W。　Morgan。　　One　brigade　（DeCourcey's）　of　Morgan's　troops　crossed　the　bayou　safely；　but　took　to　cover　behind　the　bank；　and　could　not　be　moved　forward。　Frank　Blairs　brigade；　of　Steele's　division；　in　support；　also　crossed　the　bayou；　passed　over　the　space　of　level　ground　to　the　foot　of　the　hills；　but；　being　unsupported　by　Morgan；　and　meeting　a　very　severe　cross…fire　of　artillery；　was　staggered　and　gradually　fell　back；　leaving　about　five　hundred　men　behind；　wounded　and　prisoners；　among　them　Colonel　Thomas　Fletcher；　afterward　Governor　of　Missouri。　　Part　of　Thayer's　brigade　took　a　wrong　direction；　and　did　not　cross　the　bayou　at　all；　nor　did　General　Morgan　cross　in　person。　　This　attack　failed；　and　I　have　always　felt　that　it　was　due　to　the　failure　of　General　G。　W。　Morgan　to　obey　his　orders；　or　to　fulfill　his　promise　made　in　person。　　Had　he　used　with　skill　and　boldness　one　of　his　brigades；　in　addition　to　that　of　Blair's；　he　could　have　made　a　lodgment　on　the　bluff；　which　would　have　opened　the　door　for　our　whole　force　to　follow。　　Meantime　the　Sixth　Missouri　Infantry；　at　heavy　loss；　had　also　crossed　the　bayou　at　the　narrow　passage　lower　down；　but　could　not　ascend　the　steep　bank；　right　over　their　heads　was　a　rebel　battery；　whose　fire　was　in　a　measure　kept　down　by　our　sharp…shooters　（Thirteenth　United　States　Infantry）　posted　behind　logs；　stumps；　and　trees；　on　our　side　of　the　bayou。

The　men　of　the　Sixth　Missouri　actually　scooped　out　with　their　hands　caves　in　the　bank；　which　sheltered　them　against　the　fire　of　the　enemy；　who；　right　over　their　heads；　held　their　muskets　outside　the　parapet　vertically；　and　fired　down　So　critical　was　the　position；　that　we　could　not　recall　the　men　till　after　dark；　and　then　one　at　a　time。　　Our　loss　had　been　pretty　heavy；　and　we　had　accomplished　nothing；　and　had　inflicted　little　loss　on　our　enemy。　　At　first　I　intended　to　renew　the　assault；　but　soon　became　satisfied　that；　the　enemy's　attention　having　been　drawn　to　the　only　two　practicable　points；　it　would　prove　too　costly；　and　accordingly　resolved　to　look　elsewhere　for　a　point　below　Haines's　Bluff；　or　Blake's　plantation。　That　night　I　conferred　with　Admiral　Porter；　who　undertook　to　cover　the　landing；　and　the　next　day　（December　30th）　the　boats　were　all　selected；　but　so　alarmed　were　the　captains　and　pilots；　that　we　had　to　place　sentinels　with　loaded　muskets　to　insure　their　remaining　at　their　posts。　　Under　cover　of　night；　Steele's　division；　and　one　brigade　of　Stuart's；　were　drawn　out　of　line；　and　quietly　embarked　on　steamboats　in　the　Yazoo　River。　　The　night　of　December　30th　was　appointed　for　this　force；　under　the　command　of　General　Fred　Steele；　to　proceed　up　the　Yazoo　just　below　Haines's　Bluff；　there　to　disembark　about　daylight；　and　make　a　dash　for　the　hills。　　Meantime　we　had　strengthened　our　positions　near　Chickasaw　Bayou；　had　all　our　guns　in　good　position　with　parapets；　and　had　every　thing　ready　to　renew　our　attack　as　soon　as　we　heard　the　sound　of　battle　above。

At　midnight　I　left　Admiral　Porter　on　his　gunboat；　he　had　his　fleet　ready　and　the　night　was　propitious。　　I　rode　back　to　camp　and　gave　orders　for　all　to　be　ready　by　daybreak；　but　when　daylight　came　I　received　a　note　from　General　Steele　reporting　that；　before　his　boats　had　got　up　steam；　the　fog　had　settled　down　on　the　river　so　thick　and　impenetrable；　that　it　was　simply　impossible　to　move；　so　the　attempt　had　to　be　abandoned。　　The　rain；　too；　began　to　fall；　and　the　trees　bore　water…marks　ten　feet　above　our　heads；　so　that　I　became　convinced　that　the　part　of　wisdom　was　to　withdraw。　　I　ordered　the　stores　which　had　been　landed　to　be　reembarked　on　the　boats；　and　preparations　made　for　all　the　troops　to　regain　their　proper　boats　during　the　night　of　the　1st　of　January；　1863。　　From　our　camps　at　Chickasaw　we　could　hear；　the　whistles　of　the　trains　arriving　in　Vicksburg；　could　see　battalions　of　men　marching　up　toward　Haines's　Bluff；　and　taking　post　at　all　points　in　our　front。　I　was　more　than　convinced　that　heavy　reenforcements　were　coming　to　Vicksburg；　whether　from　Pemberton　at　Grenada；　Bragg　in　Tennessee；　or　from　other　sources；　I　could　not　tell；　but　at　no　point　did　the　enemy　assume　the　offensive；　and　when　we　drew　off　our　rear…guard；　on　the　morning　of　the　2d；　they　simply　followed　up　the　movement；　timidly。　　Up　to　that　moment　I　had　not　heard　a　word　from　General　Grant　since　leaving　Memphis；　and　most　assuredly　I　had　listened　for　days　for　the　sound　of　his　guns　in　the　direction　of　Yazoo　City。　　On　the　morning　of　January　2d；　all　my　command　were　again　afloat　in　their　proper　steamboats；　when　Admiral　Porter　told　me　that　General　McClernand　had　arrived　at　the　mouth　of　the　Yazoo　in　the　steamboat　Tigress；　and　that　it　was　rumored　he　had　come　down　to　supersede　me。　Leaving　my　whole　force　where　it　was；　I　ran　down　to　the　month　of　the　Yazoo　in　a　small　tug　boat；　and　there　found　General　McClernand；　with　orders　from　the　War　Department　to　command　the　expeditionary　force　on　the　Mississippi　River。　　I　explained　what　had　been　done；　and　what　was　the　actual　state　of　facts；　that　the　heavy　reenforcements　pouring　into　Vicksburg　must　be　Pemberton's　army；　and　that　General　Grant　mu