memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第91节

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e　use　of　your　persevering？　It　is　simply　impossible　to　subdue　eight　millions　of　people；〃　asserting　that　〃the　feeling　in　the　South　had　become　so　embittered　that　a　reconciliation　was　impossible。〃　　I　answered　that；　〃sitting　as　we　then　were；　we　appeared　very　comfortable；　and　surely　there　was　no　trouble　in　our　becoming　friends。〃　　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃that　is　very　true　of　us；　but　we　are　gentlemen　of　education；　and　can　easily　adapt　ourselves　to　any　condition　of　things；　but　this　would　not　apply　equally　well　to　the　common　people；　or　to　the　common　soldiers。〃　　I　took　him　out　to　the　camp…fires　behind　the　tent；　and　there　were　the　men　of　his　escort　and　mine　mingled　together；　drinking　their　coffee；　and　happy　as　soldiers　always　seem。　　I　asked　B。。。。　　what　he　thought　of　that；　and　he　admitted　that　I　had　the　best　of　the　argument。　　Before　I　dismissed　this　flag　of　truce；　his　companion　consulted　me　confidentially　as　to　what　disposition　he　ought　to　make　of　his　family；　then　in　Mobile；　and　I　frankly　gave　him　the　best　advice　I　could。

While　we　were　thus　lying　idle　in　camp　on　the　big　Black；　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　under　General　Rosecrans；　was　moving　against　Bragg　at　Chattanooga；　and　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　General　Burnside；　was　marching　toward　East　Tennessee。　　General　Rosecrans　was　so　confident　of　success　that　he　somewhat　scattered　his　command；　seemingly　to　surround　and　capture　Bragg　in　Chattanooga；　but　the　latter；　reenforced　from　Virginia；　drew　out　of　Chattanooga；　concentrated　his　army　at　Lafayette；　and　at　Chickamauga　fell　on　Rosecrans；　defeated　him；　and　drove　him　into　Chattanooga。　　The　whole　country　seemed　paralyzed　by　this　unhappy　event；　and　the　authorities　in　Washington　were　thoroughly　stampeded。　　From　the　East　the　Eleventh　Corps　（Slocum）；　and　the　Twelfth　Corps　（Howard）；　were　sent　by　rail　to　Nashville；　and　forward　under　command　of　General　Hooker；　orders　were　also　sent　to　General　Grant；　by　Halleck；　to　send　what　reenforcements　he　could　spare　immediately　toward　Chattanooga。

Bragg　had　completely　driven　Rosecrans's　army　into　Chattanooga；　the　latter　was　in　actual　danger　of　starvation；　and　the　railroad　to　his　rear　seemed　inadequate　to　his　supply。　　The　first　intimation　which　I　got　of　this　disaster　was　on　the　22d　of　September；　by　an　order　from　General　Grant　to　dispatch　one　of　my　divisions　immediately　into　Vicksburg；　to　go　toward　Chattanooga；　and　I　designated　the　First；　General　OsterhausSteele　meantime　having　been　appointed　to　the　command　of　the　Department　of　Arkansas；　and　had　gone　to　Little　Rock。　General　Osterhaus　marched　the　same　day；　and　on　the　23d　I　was　summoned　to　Vicksburg　in　person；　where　General　Grant　showed　me　the　alarming　dispatches　from　General　Halleck；　which　had　been　sent　from　Memphis　by　General　Hurlbut；　and　said；　on　further　thought；　that　he　would　send　me　and　my　whole　corps。　　But；　inasmuch　as　one　division　of　McPherson's　corps　（John　E。　Smith's）　had　already　started；　he　instructed　me　to　leave　one　of　my　divisions　on　the　Big　Black；　and　to　get　the　other　two　ready　to　follow　at　once。　　I　designated　the　Second；　then　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Giles　A。　Smith；　and　the　Fourth；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Corse。

On　the　25th　I　returned　to　my　camp　on　Big　Black；　gave　all　the　necessary　orders　for　these　divisions　to　move；　and　for　the　Third　（Tittle's）　to　remain；　and　went　into　Vicksburg　with　my　family。　　The　last　of　my　corps　designed　for　this　expedition　started　from　camp　on　the　27th；　reached　Vicksburg　the　28th；　and　were　embarked　on　boats　provided　for　them。　　General　Halleck's　dispatches　dwelt　upon　the　fact　that　General　Rosecrans's　routes　of　supply　were　overtaxed；　and　that　we　should　move　from　Memphis　eastward；　repairing　railroads　as　we　progressed；　as　far　as　Athens；　Alabama；　whence　I　was　to　report　to　General　Rosecrans；　at　Chattanooga；　by　letter。

I　took　passage　for　myself　and　family　in　the　steamer　Atlantic；　Captain　Henry　McDougall。　　When　the　boat　was　ready　to　start；　Willie　was　missing。　　Mrs。　Sherman　supposed　him　to　have　been　with　me；　whereas　I　supposed　he　was　with　her。　　An　officer　of　the　Thirteenth　went　up　to　General　McPherson's　house　for　him；　and　soon　returned；　with　Captain　Clift　leading　him；　carrying　in　his　hands　a　small　double…barreled　shot　gun；　and　I　joked　him　about　carrying　away　captured　property。　　In　a　short　time　we　got　off。　　As　we　all　stood　on　the　guards　to　look　at　our　old　camps　at　Young's　Point；　I　remarked　that　Willie　was　not　well；　and　he　admitted　that　he　was　sick。　　His　mother　put　him　to　bed；　and　consulted　Dr。　Roler；　of　the　Fifty…fifth　Illinois；　who　found　symptoms　of　typhoid　fever。　　The　river　was　low；　we　made　slow　progress　till　above　Helena；　and；　as　we　approached　Memphis；　Dr。　Roler　told　me　that　Willie's　life　was　in　danger；　and　he　was　extremely　anxious　to　reach　Memphis　for　certain　medicines　and　for　consultation。　　We　arrived　at　Memphis　on　the　2d　of　October；　carried　Willie　up　to　the　Gayoso　Hotel；　and　got　the　most　experienced　physician　there；　who　acted　with　Dr。　Roler；　but　he　sank　rapidly；　and　died　the　evening　of　the　3d　of　October。　　The　blow　was　a　terrible　one　to　us　all；　so　sudden　and　so　unexpected；　that　I　could　not　help　reproaching　myself　for　having　consented　to　his　visit　in　that　sickly　region　in　the　summer…time。　　Of　all　my　children；　he　seemed　the　most　precious。　　Born　in　San　Francisco；　I　had　watched　with　intense　interest　his　development；　and　he　seemed　more　than　any　of　the　children　to　take　an　interest　in　my　special　profession。　　Mrs。　Sherman；　Minnie；　Lizzie；　and　Tom；　were　with　him　at　the　time；　and　we　all；　helpless　and　overwhelmed；　saw　him　die。　　Being　in　the　very　midst　of　an　important　military　enterprise；　I　had　hardly　time　to　pause　and　think　of　my　personal　loss。　　We　procured　a　metallic　casket；　and　had　a　military　funeral；　the　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars　acting　as　escort　from　the　Gayoso　Hotel　to　the　steamboat　Grey　Eagle；　which　conveyed　him　and　my　family　up　to　Cairo；　whence　they　proceeded　to　our　home　at　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where　he　was　buried。　　I　here　give　my　letter　to　Captain　C。　C。　Smith；　who　commanded　the　battalion　at　the　time；　as　exhibiting　our　intense　feelings：

GAYOSO　HOUSE；　MEMPHIS；　TENNESSEE　October　4；　1863；　Midnight

Captain　C。　C。　SMITH；　commanding　Battalion　Thirteenth　United　States　Regulars。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　cannot　sleep　to…night　till　I　record　an　expression　of　the　deep　feelings　of　my　heart　to　you；　and　to　the　officers　and　soldiers　of　the　battalion；　for　their　kind　behavior　to　my　poor　child。　　I　realize　that　you　all　feel　for　my　family　the　attachment　of　kindred；　and　I　assure　you　of　full　reciprocity。　　Consistent　with　a　sense　of　duty　to　my　profession　and　office；　I　could　not　leave　my　post；　and　sent　for　the　family　to　come　to　me　in　that　fatal　climate；　and　in　that　sickly　period　of　the　year；　and　behold　the　result！　　The　child　that　bore　my　name；　and　in　whose　future　I　reposed　with　more　confidence　than　I　did　in　my　own　plan　of　life；　now　floats　a　mere　corpse；　seeking　a　grave　in　a　distant　land；　with　a　weeping　mother；　brother；　and　sisters；　clustered　about　him。　　For　myself；　I　ask　no　sympathy。　　On；　on　I　must　go；　to　meet　a　soldier's　fate；　or　live　to　see　our　country　rise　superior　to　all　factions；　till　its　flag　is　adored　and　respected　by　ourselves　and　by　all　the　powers　of　the　earth。

But　Willie　was；　or　thought　he　was；　a　sergeant　in　the　Thirteenth。　　I　have　seen　his　eye　brighten；　his　heart　beat；　as　he　beheld　the　battalion　under　arms；　and　asked　me　if　they　were　not　real　soldiers。　Child　as　he　was；　he　had　the　enthusiasm；　the　pure　love　of　truth；　honor；　and　love　of　country；　which　should　animate　all　soldiers。

God　only　knows　why　he　should　die　thus　young。　　He　is　dead；　but　will　not　be　forgotten　till　those　who　knew　him　in　life　have　followed　him　to　that　same　mysterious　end。

Please　convey　to　the　battalion　my　heart…felt　thanks；　and　assure　each　and　all　that　if　in　after…years　they　call　on　me　or　mine；　and　mention　that　they　were　of　the　Thirteenth　Regulars　when　Willie　was　a　sergeant；　they　will　have　a　key　to　the　affections　of　my　family　that　will　open　all　it　has；　that　we　will　share　with　them　our　last　blanket；　our　last　crust！　　Your　friend；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…general。


Long　afterward；　in　the　spring　of　1867；　we　had　his　body　disinterred　and　brought　to　St。　Louis；　where　he　is　now　buried　in　a　beautiful　spot；　in　Calvary　Cemetery；　by　the　side　of　another　child；　〃Charles；〃　who　was　born　at　Lancaster；　in　the　summer　of　1864；　died　early；　and　was　buried　at　Notre　Dame；　Indiana。　　His　body　was　transferred　at　the　same　time　to　the　same　spot。　　Over　Willie's　grave　is　erected　a　beautiful　marble　monument；　designed　and　executed　by　the　officers　and　soldiers；　of　that　battalion　which　claimed　him　as　a　sergeant　and　comrade。

During　the　summer　and　fall　of　1863　Major…General　S。　A。　Hurlbut　was　in　command　at　Memphis。　　He　supplied　me　copies　of　all　dispatches　from　Washington；　and　all　the　information　he　possessed　of　the　events　about　Chattanooga。　　Two　of　these　dispatches　cover　all　essential　points：

WASHINGTON　CITY；　September　15；　18635　p。m。

Major…General　S。　A。　HURLBUT；　Memphis：

All　the　troops　that　can　possibly　be　spared　in　West　Tennessee　and　on　the　Mississippi　River　should　be　sent　without　delay　to　assist　General　Rosecrans　on　the　Tennessee　River。

Urge　Sherman　to　act　with　all　possible　promptness。

If　you　have　boats；　send　them　down　to　bring　up　his　troops。

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