memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第85节

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ed　to　McClernand's　corps；　taking　part　with　it　in　the　battle　of　Champion　Hills；　but　on　the　17th　it　was　ordered　by　General　Grant　across　to　Bridgeport；　to　join　me　there。

Just　beyond　Bolton　there　was　a　small　hewn…log　house；　standing　back　in　a　yard；　in　which　was　a　well；　at　this　some　of　our　soldiers　were　drawing　water。　　I　rode　in　to　get　a　drink；　and；　seeing　a　book　on　the　ground；　asked　some　soldier　to　hand　it　to　me。　　It　was　a　volume　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　on　the　title…page　was　written　the　name　of　Jefferson　Davis。　　On　inquiry　of　a　negro；　I　learned　that　the　place　belonged　to　the　then　President　of　the　Southern　Confederation。　　His　brother　Joe　Davis's　plantation　was　not　far　off；　one　of　my　staff…officers　went　there；　with　a　few　soldiers；　and　took　a　pair　of　carriage…horses；　without　my　knowledge　at　the　time。　　He　found　Joe　Davis　at　home；　an　old　man；　attended　by　a　young　and　affectionate　niece；　but　they　were　overwhelmed　with　grief　to　see　their　country　overran　and　swarming　with　Federal　troops。

We　pushed　on；　and　reached　the　Big　Black　early；　Blair's　troops　having　preceded　us　by　an　hour　or　so。　　I　found　General　Blair　in　person；　and　he　reported　that　there　was　no　bridge　across　the　Big　Black；　that　it　was　swimming…deep；　and　that　there　was　a　rebel　force　on　the　opposite　side；　intrenched。　　He　had　ordered　a　detachment　of　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars；　under　Captain　Charles　Ewing；　to　strip　some　artillery…horses；　mount　the　men；　and　swim　the　river　above　the　ferry；　to　attack　and　drive　away　the　party　on　the　opposite　bank。　　I　did　not　approve　of　this　risky　attempt；　but　crept　down　close　to　the　brink　of　the　river…　bank；　behind　a　corn…crib　belonging　to　a　plantation　house　near　by；　and　saw　the　parapet　on　the　opposite　bank。　　Ordering　a　section　of　guns　to　be　brought　forward　by　hand　behind　this　corn…crib；　a　few　well…directed　shells　brought　out　of　their　holes　the　little　party　that　was　covering　the　crossing；　viz。；　a　lieutenant　and　ten　men；　who　came　down　to　the　river…bank　and　surrendered。　　Blair's　pon…　toon…train　was　brought　up；　consisting　of　India…rubber　boats；　one　of　which　was　inflated；　used　as　a　boat；　and　brought　over　the　prisoners。　　A　pontoon…bridge　was　at　once　begun；　finished　by　night；　and　the　troops　began　the　passage。　　After　dark；　the　whole　scene　was　lit　up　with　fires　of　pitch…pine。　　General　Grant　joined　me　there；　and　we　sat　on　a　log；　looking　at　the　passage　of　the　troops　by　the　light　of　those　fires；　the　bridge　swayed　to　and　fro　under　the　passing　feet；　and　made　a　fine　war…picture。　　At　daybreak　we　moved　on；　ascending　the　ridge；　and　by　10　a。m。　the　head　of　my　column；　long　drawn　out；　reached　the　Benton　road；　and　gave　us　command　of　the　peninsula　between　the　Yazoo　and　Big　Black。　　I　dispatched　Colonel　Swan；　of　the　Fourth　Iowa　Cavalry；　to　Haines's　Bluff；　to　capture　that　battery　from　the　rear；　and　he　afterward　reported　that　he　found　it　abandoned；　its　garrison　having　hastily　retreated　into　Vicksburg；　leaving　their　guns　partially　disabled；　a　magazine　full　of　ammunition；　and　a　hospital　full　of　wounded　and　sick　men。　　Colonel　Swan　saw　one　of　our　gunboats　lying　about　two　miles　below　in　the　Yazoo；　to　which　he　signaled。　　She　steamed　up；　and　to　its　commander　the　cavalry　turned　over　the　battery　at　Haines's　Bluff；　and　rejoined　me　in　front　of　Vicksburg。　　Allowing　a　couple　of　hours　for　rest　and　to　close　up　the　column；　I　resumed　the　march　straight　on　Vicksburg。　About　two　miles　before　reaching　the　forts；　the　road　forked；　the　left　was　the　main　Jackson　road；　and　the　right　was　the　〃graveyard〃　road；　which　entered　Vicksburg　near　a　large　cemetery。　　General　Grant　in　person　directed　me　to　take　the　right…hand　road；　but；　as　McPherson　had　not　yet　got　up　from　the　direction　of　the　railroad…bridge　at　Big　Black；　I　sent　the　Eighth　Missouri　on　the　main　Jackson　road；　to　push　the　rebel　skirmishers　into　town；　and　to　remain　until　relieved　by　McPherson's　advance；　which　happened　late　that　evening；　May　18th。　　The　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars；　commanded　by　Captain　Washington；　was　at　the　head　of　the　column　on　the　right…hand　road；　and　pushed　the　rebels　close　behind　their　parapets；　one　of　my　staff；　Captain　Pitzman；　receiving　a　dangerous　wound　in　the　hip；　which　apparently　disabled　him　for　life。　　By　night　Blair's　whole　division　had　closed　up　against　the　defenses　of　Vicksburg；　which　were　found　to　be　strong　and　well　manned；　and；　on　General　Steele's　head　of　column　arriving；　I　turned　it　still　more　to　the　right；　with　orders　to　work　its　way　down　the　bluff；　so　as　to　make　connection　with　our　fleet　in　the　Mississippi　River。　　There　was　a　good　deal　of　desultory　fighting　that　evening；　and　a　man　was　killed　by　the　aide　of　General　Grant　and　myself；　as　we　sat　by　the　road…side　looking　at　Steele's　division　passing　to　the　right。　　General　Steele's　men　reached　the　road　which　led　from　Vicksburg　up　to　Haines's　Bluff；　which　road　lay　at　the　foot　of　the　hills；　and　intercepted　some　prisoners　and　wagons　which　were　coming　down　from　Haines's　Bluff。

All　that　night　McPherson's　troops　were　arriving　by　the　main　Jackson　road；　and　McClernand'a　by　another　near　the　railroad；　deploying　forward　as　fast　as　they　struck　the　rebel　works。　　My　corps　（the　Fifteenth）　had　the　right　of　the　line　of　investment；　McPherson's　（the　Seventeenth）　the　centre；　and　McClernand's　（the　Thirteenth）　the　left；　reaching　from　the　river　above　to　the　railroad　below。　　Our　lines　connected；　and　invested　about　three…quarters　of　the　land…front　of　the　fortifications　of　Vicksburg。　　On　the　supposition　that　the　garrison　of　Vicksburg　was　demoralized　by　the　defeats　at　Champion　Hills　and　at　the　railroad　crossing　of　the　Big　Black；　General　Grant　ordered　an　assault　at　our　respective　fronts　on　the　19th。　　My　troops　reached　the　top　of　the　parapet；　but　could　not　cross　over。　　The　rebel　parapets　were　strongly　manned；　and　the　enemy　fought　hard　and　well。　　My　loss　was　pretty　heavy；　falling　chiefly　on　the　Thirteenth　Regulars；　whose　commanding　officer；　Captain　Washington；　was　killed；　and　several　other　regiments　were　pretty　badly　cut　up。　　We；　however；　held　the　ground　up　to　the　ditch　till　night；　and　then　drew　back　only　a　short　distance；　and　began　to　counter…trench。　　On　the　graveyard　road；　our　parapet　was　within　less　than　fifty　yards　of　the　rebel　ditch。

On　the　20th　of　May；　General　Grant　called　the　three　corps　commanders　together；　viz。；　McClernand；　McPherson；　and　Sherman。　　We　compared　notes；　and　agreed　that　the　assault　of　the　day　before　had　failed；　by　reason　of　the　natural　strength　of　the　position；　and　because　we　were　forced　by　the　nature　of　the　ground　to　limit　our　attacks　to　the　strongest　parts　of　the　enemy's　line；　viz。；　where　the　three　principal　roads　entered　the　city。

It　was　not　a　council　of　war；　but　a　mere　consultation；　resulting　in　orders　from　General　Grant　for　us　to　make　all　possible　preparations　for　a　renewed　assault　on　the　22d；　simultaneously；　at　10　a。m。　　I　reconnoitred　my　front　thoroughly　in　person；　from　right　to　left；　and　concluded　to　make　my　real　attack　at　the　right　flank　of　the　bastion；　where　the　graveyard　road　entered　the　enemy's　intrenchments；　and　at　another　point　in　the　curtain　about　a　hundred　yards　to　its　right　（our　left）；　also　to　make　a　strong　demonstration　by　Steele's　division；　about　a　mile　to　our　right；　toward　the　river。　　All　our　field　batteries　were　put　in　position；　and　were　covered　by　good　epaulements；　the　troops　were　brought　forward；　in　easy　support；　concealed　by　the　shape　of　the　ground；　and　to　the：　minute；　　viz。；　10　a。m。　of　May　22d；　the　troops　sprang　to　the　assault。　　A　small　party；　that　might　be　called　a　forlorn　hope；　provided　with　plank　to　cross　the　ditch；　advanced　at　a　run；　up　to　the　very　ditch；　the　lines　of　infantry　sprang　from　cover；　and　advanced　rapidly　in　line　of　battle。　　I　took　a　position　within　two　hundred　yards　of　the　rebel　parapet；　on　the　off　slope　of　a　spur　of　ground；　where　by　advancing　two　or　three　steps　I　could　see　every　thing。　　The　rebel　line；　concealed　by　the　parapet；　showed　no　sign　of　unusual　activity；　but　as　our　troops　came　in　fair　view；　the　enemy　rose　behind　their　parapet　and　poured　a　furious　fire　upon　our　lines；　and；　for　about　two　hours；　we　had　a　severe　and　bloody　battle；　but　at　every　point　we　were　repulsed。　　In　the　very　midst　of　this；　when　shell　and　shot　fell　furious　and　fast；　occurred　that　little　episode　which　has　been　celebrated　in　song　and　story；　of　the　boy　Orion　P。　Howe；　badly　wounded；　bearing　me　a　message　for　cartridges；　calibre　54；　described　in　my　letter　to　the　Hon。　E。　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War。　This　boy　was　afterward　appointed　a　cadet　to　the　United　States　Naval　Academy；　at　Annapolis；　but　he　could　not　graduate；　and　I　do　not　now　know　what　has　become　of　him。

After　our　men　had　been　fairly　beaten　back　from　off　the　parapet；　and　had　got　cover　behind　the　spurs　of　ground　close　up　to　the　rebel　works；　General　Grant　came　to　where　I　was；　on　foot；　having　left　his　horse　some　distance　to　the　rear。　　I　pointed　out　to　him　the　rebel　works；　admitted　that　my　assault　had　failed；　and　he　said　the　result　with　McPherson　and　McClernand　was　about　the　name。　　While　he　was　with　me；　an　orderly　or　staff…officer　came　and　handed　him　a　piece　of　paper；　which　he　read　and　handed　to　me。　　I　think　the　writing　was　in　pencil；　on　a　loose　piece　of　paper；　and　was　in　General　McClernand's　handwriting；　to　the　effect　that　〃his　troops　had　captured　the　rebel　parapet