memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第81节

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Very　respectfully；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Major…General。


On　returning　to　my　camp　at　Young's　Point；　I　started　these　two　boats　up　the　Yazoo　and　Steele's　Bayou；　with　the　Eighth　Missouri　and　some　pioneers；　with　axes；　saws；　and　all　the　tools　necessary。　　I　gave　orders　for　a　part　of　Stuart's　division　to　proceed　in　the　large　boats　up　the　Mississippi　River　to　a　point　at　Gwin's　plantation；　where　a　bend　of　Steele's　Bayou　neared　the　main　river；　and　the　next　day；　with　one　or　two　stag…officers　and　orderlies；　got　a　navy…tug；　and　hurried　up　to　overtake　Admiral　Porter。　　About　sixty　miles　up　Steele's　Bayou　we　came　to　the　gunboat　Price；　Lieutenant　Woodworth；　United　States　Navy；　commanding；　and　then　turned　into　Black　Bayou；　a　narrow；　crooked　channel；　obstructed　by　overhanging　oaks；　and　filled　with　cypress　and　cotton…wood　trees。　　The　gunboats　had　forced　their　way　through；　pushing　aside　trees　a　foot　in　diameter。　　In　about　four　miles　we　overtook　the　gunboat　fleet　just　as　it　was　emerging　into　Deer　Creek。　　Along　Deer　Creek　the　alluvium　was　higher；　and　there　was　a　large　cotton…plantation　belonging　to　a　Mr。　Hill；　who　was　absent；　and　the　negroes　were　in　charge　of　the　place。　　Here　I　overtook　Admiral　Porter；　and　accompanied　him　a　couple　of　miles　up　Deer　Creek；　which　was　much　wider　and　more　free　of　trees；　with　plantations　on　both　sides　at　intervals。　　Admiral　Porter　thought　he　had　passed　the　worst；　and　that　he　would　be　able　to　reach　the　Rolling　Fork　and　Sunflower。　　He　requested　me　to　return　and　use　all　possible　means　to　clear　out　Black　Bayou。　　I　returned　to　Hill's　plantation；　which　was　soon　reached　by　Major　Coleman；　with　a　part　of　the　Eighth　Missouri；　the　bulk　of　the　regiment　and　the　pioneers　had　been　distributed　along　the　bayous；　and　set　to　work　under　the　general　supervision　of　Captain　Kosaak。　　The　Diligent　and　Silver　Wave　then　returned　to　twin's　plantation　and　brought　up　Brigadier…General　Giles　A。　Smith；　with　the　Sixth　Missouri；　and　part　of　the　One　Hundred　and　Sixteenth　Illinois。　　Admiral　Porter　was　then　working　up　Deer　Creek　with　his　iron…dads；　but　he　had　left　me　a　tug；　which　enabled　me　to　reconnoitre　the　country；　which　was　all　under　water　except　the　narrow　strip　along　Deer　Creek。　　During　the　19th　I　heard　the　heavy　navy…guns　booming　more　frequently　than　seemed　consistent　with　mere　guerrilla　operations；　and　that　night　I　got　a　message　from　Porter；　written　on　tissue…paper；　brought　me　through　the　swamp　by　a　negro；　who　had　it　concealed　in　a　piece　of　tobacco。

The　admiral　stated　that　he　had　met　a　force　of　infantry　and　artillery　which　gave　him　great　trouble　by　killing　the　men　who　had　to　expose　themselves　outside　the　iron　armor　to　shove　off　the　bows　of　the　boats；　which　had　so　little　headway　that　they　would　not　steer。　　He　begged　me　to　came　to　his　rescue　as　quickly　as　possible。　Giles　A。　Smith　had　only　about　eight　hundred　men　with　him；　but　I　ordered　him　to　start　up　Deer　Creek　at　once；　crossing　to　the　east　side　by　an　old　bridge　at　Hill's　plantation；　which　we　had　repaired　for　the　purpose；　to　work　his　way　up　to　the　gunboat；　fleet；　and　to　report　to　the　admiral　that　I　would　come；　up　with　every　man　I　could　raise　as　soon　as　possible。　　I　was　almost　alone　at　Hill's；　but　took　a　canoe；　paddled　down　Black　Bayou　to　the　gunboat　Price；　and　there；　luckily；　found　the　Silver　wave　with　a　load　of　men　just　arrived　from　twin's　plantation。　　Taking　some　of　the　parties　who　were　at　work　along　the　bayou　into　an　empty　coal…barge；　we　tugged　it　up　by　a　navy…tug；　followed　by　the　Silver　Wave；　crashing　through　the　trees；　carrying　away　pilot…house；　smoke…stacks；　and　every　thing　above…deck；　but　the　captain　（McMillan；　of　Pittsburg）　was　a　brave　fellow；　and　realized　the　necessity。　　The　night　was　absolutely　black；　and　we　could　only　make　two　and　a　half　of　the　four　miles。　　We　then　disembarked；　and　marched　through　the　canebrake；　carrying　lighted　candles　in　our　hands；　till　we　got　into　the　open　cotton…fields　at　Hill's　plantation；　where　we　lay　down　for　a　few　hours'　rest。　　These　men　were　a　part　of　Giles　A。　Smith's　brigade；　and　part　belonged　to　the　brigade　of　T。　Bilby　Smith；　the　senior　officer　present　being　Lieutenant…Colonel　Rice；　Fifty…fourth　Ohio；　an　excellent　young　officer。　　We　had　no　horses。

On　Sunday　morning；　March　21st；　as　soon　as　daylight　appeared；　we　started；　following　the　same　route　which　Giles　A。　Smith　had　taken　the　day　before；　the　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars；　Major　Chase；　in　the　lead。　　We　could　hear　Porter's　guns；　and　knew　that　moments　were　precious。　　Being　on　foot　myself；　no　man　could　complain；　and　we　generally　went　at　the　double…quick；　with　occasional　rests。　　The　road　lay　along　Deer　Creek；　passing　several　plantations；　and　occasionally；　at　the　bends；　it　crossed　the　swamp；　where　the　water　came　above　my　hips。　　The　smaller　drummer…boys　had　to　carry　their　drums　on　their　heads；　and　most　of　the　men　slang　their　cartridge…boxes　around　their　necks。　　The　soldiers　generally　were　glad　to　have　their　general　and　field　officers　afoot；　but　we　gave　them　a　fair　specimen　of　marching；　accomplishing　about　twenty…one　miles　by　noon。　　Of　course；　our　speed　was　accelerated　by　the　sounds　of　the　navy…guns；　which　became　more　and　more。　　distinct；　though　we　could　see　nothing。　　At　a　plantation　near　some　Indian　mounds　we　met　a　detachment　of　the　Eighth　Missouri；　that　had　been　up　to　the　fleet；　and　had　been　sent　down　as　a　picket　to　prevent　any　obstructions　below。　　This　picket　reported　that　Admiral　Porter　had　found　Deer　Creek　badly　obstructed；　had　turned　back；　that　there　was　a　rebel　force　beyond　the　fleet；　with　some　six…pounders；　and　nothing　between　us　and　the　fleet。　　So　I　sat　down　on　the　door…sill　of　a　cabin　to　rest；　but　had　not　been　seated　ten　minutes　when；　in　the　wood　just　ahead；　not　three　hundred　yards　off；　I　heard　quick　and　rapid　firing　of　musketry。　　Jumping　up；　I　ran　up　the　road；　and　found　Lieutenant…Colonel　Rice；　who　said　the　head　of　his　column　had　struck　a　small　force　of　rebels　with　a　working　gang　of　negroes；　provided　with　ages；　who　on　the　first　fire　had　broken　and　run　back　into　the　swamp。　　I　ordered　Rice　to　deploy　his　brigade；　his　left　on　the　road；　and　extending　as　far　into　the　swamp　as　the　ground　would　permit；　and　then　to　sweep　forward　until　he　uncovered　the　gunboats。　　The　movement　was　rapid　and　well　executed；　and　we　soon　came　to　some　large　cotton…fields　and　could　see　our　gunboats　in　Deer　Creek；　occasionally　firing　a　heavy　eight…inch　gun　across　the　cotton　field　into　the　swamp　behind。　　About　that　time　Major　Kirby；　of　the　Eighth　Missouri；　galloped　down　the　road　on　a　horse　he　had　picked　up　the　night　before；　and　met　me。　　He　explained　the　situation　of　affairs；　and　offered　me　his　horse。　　I　got　on　bareback；　and　rode　up　the　levee；　the　sailors　coming　out　of　their　iron…clads　and　cheering　most　vociferously　as　I　rode　by；　and　as　our　men　swept　forward　across　the　cotton…field　in　full　view。　　I　soon　found　Admiral　Porter；　who　was　on　the　deck　of　one　of　his　iron…clads；　with　a　shield　made　of　the　section　of　a　smoke…stack；　and　I　doubt　if　he　was　ever　more　glad　to　meet　a　friend　than　he　was　to　see　me。　　He　explained　that　he　had　almost　reached　the　Rolling　Fork；　when　the　woods　became　full　of　sharp…shooters；　who；　taking　advantage　of　trees；　stumps；　and　the　levee；　would　shoot　down　every　man　that　poked　his　nose　outside　the　protection　of　their　armor；　so　that　he　could　not　handle　his　clumsy　boats　in　the　narrow　channel。　　The　rebels　had　evidently　dispatched　a　force　from　Haines's　Bluff　up　the　Sunflower　to　the　Rolling　Fork；　had　anticipated　the　movement　of　Admiral　Porter's　fleet；　and　had　completely　obstructed　the　channel　of　the　upper　part　of　Deer　Creek　by　felling　trees　into　it；　so　that　further　progress　in　that　direction　was　simply　impossible。　　It　also　happened　that；　at　the　instant　of　my　arrival；　a　party　of　about　four　hundred　rebels；　armed　and　supplied　with　axes；　had　passed　around　the　fleet　and　had　got　below　it；　intending　in　like　manner　to　block　up　the　channel　by　the　felling　of　trees；　so　as　to　cut　off　retreat。　　This　was　the　force　we　had　struck　so　opportunely　at　the　time　before　described。　　I　inquired　of　Admiral　Porter　what　he　proposed　to　do；　and　he　said　he　wanted　to　get　out　of　that　scrape　as　quickly　as　possible。　　He　was　actually　working　back　when　I　met　him；　and；　as　we　then　had　a　sufficient　force　to　cover　his　movement　completely；　he　continued　to　back　down　Deer　Creek。　　He　informed　me　at　one　time　things　looked　so　critical　that　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　blow　up　the　gunboats；　and　to　escape　with　his　men　through　the　swamp　to　the　Mississippi　River。　　There　being　no　longer　any　sharp…shooters　to　bother　the　sailors；　they　made　good　progress；　still；　it　took　three　full　days　for　the　fleet　to　back　out　of　Deer　Creek　into　Black　Bayou；　at　Hill's　plantation；　whence　Admiral　Porter　proceeded　to　his　post　at　the　month　of　the　Yazoo；　leaving　Captain　Owen　in　command　of　the　fleet。　　I　reported　the　facts　to　General　Grant；　who　was　sadly　disappointed　at　the　failure　of　the　fleet　to　get　through　to　the　Yazoo　above　Haines's　Bluff；　and　ordered　us　all　to　resume　our　camps　at　Young's　Point。　　We　accordingly　steamed　down；　and　regained　our　camps　on　the　27th。　　As　this　expedition　up　Deer　Creek　was　but　one　of　many　efforts　to　secure　a　footing　from　which　to　operate　against　Vicksburg；　I　add　the　report　of　Brigadier…General　Giles　A。　Smith；　who　was　the　first　to　reach　the　fleet：

HEADQUARTERS　FIRST　BRI