memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第13部分

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what　I　want；　for　General　Thomas　is　well　intrenched　on　a　line　parallel　with　the　enemy　south　of　Kenesaw。　　I　think　that　Allatoona　and　the　line　of　the　Etowah　are　strong　enough　for　me　to　venture　on　this　move。　　The　movement　is　substantially　down　the　Sandtown　road　straight　for　Atlanta。

McPherson　drew　out　of　his　lines　during　the　night　of　July　2d；　leaving　Garrard's　cavalry；　dismounted；　occupying　his　trenches；　and　moved　to　the　rear　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　stretching　down　the　Nickajack；　but　Johnston　detected　the　movement；　and　promptly　abandoned　Marietta　and　Kenesaw。　　I　expected　as　much；　for；　by　the　earliest　dawn　of　the　3d　of　July；　I　was　up　at　a　large　spy…glass　mounted　on　a　tripod；　which　Colonel　Poe；　United　States　Engineers；　had　at　his　bivouac　close　by　our　camp。　　I　directed　the　glass　on　Kenesaw；　and　saw　some　of　our　pickets　crawling　up　the　hill　cautiously；　soon　they　stood　upon　the　very　top；　and　I　could　plainly　see　their　movements　as　they　ran　along　the　crest　just　abandoned　by　the　enemy。　　In　a　minute　I　roused　my　staff；　and　started　them　off　with　orders　in　every　direction　for　a　pursuit　by　every　possible　road；　hoping　to　catch　Johnston　in　the　confusion　of　retreat；　especially　at　the　crossing　of　the　Chattahoochee　River。

I　must　close　this　chapter　here；　so　as　to　give　the　actual　losses　during　June；　which　are　compiled　from　the　official　returns　by　months。　　These　losses；　from　June　1st　to　July　3d；　were　all　substantially　sustained　about　Kenesaw　and　Marietta；　and　it　was　really　a　continuous　battle；　lasting　from　the　10th　day　of　June　till　the　3d　of　July；　when　the　rebel　army　fell　back　from　Marietta　toward　the　Chattahoochee　River。　　Our　losses　were：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Killed　and　Missing　　　　　　Wounded　　　　　Total　Loss　in　June　Aggregate　　　　　　1；790　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5；740　　　　　　7；530


Johnston　makes　his　statement　of　losses　from　the　report　of　his　surgeon　Foard；　for　pretty　much　the　same　period；　viz。；　from　June　4th　to　July　4th　（page　576）：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Killed　　　　　　　　　　　Wounded　　　　　Total　　　　　　　　　　Total。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　468　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3；480　　　　　　3；948


In　the　tabular　statement　the　〃missing〃　embraces　the　prisoners；　and；　giving　two　thousand　as　a　fair　proportion　of　prisoners　captured　by　us　for　the　month　of　June　（twelve　thousand　nine　hundred　and　eighty…　three　in　all　the　campaign）；　makes　an　aggregate　loss　in　the　rebel　army　of　fifty…nine　hundred　and　forty…eight；　to　ours　of　seventy…five　hundred　and　thirtya　less　proportion　than　in　the　relative　strength　of　our　two　armies；　viz。；　as　six　to　ten；　thus　maintaining　our　relative　superiority；　which　the　desperate　game　of　war　justified。




CHAPTER　XVIII。

ATLANTA　CAMPAIGNBATTLES　ABOUT　ATLANTA

JULY；　1864。


As　before　explained；　on　the　3d　of　July；　by　moving　McPherson's　entire　army　from　the　extreme　left；　at　the　base　of　Kenesaw　to　the　right；　below　Olley's　Creek；　and　stretching　it　down　the　Nickajack　toward　Turner's　Ferry　of　the　Chattahoochee；　we　forced　Johnston　to　choose　between　a　direct　assault　on　Thomas's　intrenched　position；　or　to　permit　us　to　make　a　lodgment　on　his　railroad　below　Marietta；　or　even　to　cross　the　Chattahoochee。　　Of　course；　he　chose　to　let　go　Kenesaw　and　Marietta；　and　fall　back　on　an　intrenched　camp　prepared　by　his　orders　in　advance　on　the　north　and　west　bank　of　the　Chattahoochee；　covering　the　railroad…crossing　and　his　several　pontoon…bridges。　　I　confess　I　had　not　learned　beforehand　of　the　existence　of　this　strong　place；　in　the　nature　of　a　tete…du…pont；　and　had　counted　on　striking　him　an　effectual　blow　in　the　expected　confusion　of　his　crossing　the　Chattahoochee；　a　broad　and　deep　river　then　to　his　rear。　　Ordering　every　part　of　the　army　to　pursue　vigorously　on　the　morning　of　the　3d　of　July；　I　rode　into　Marietta；　just　quitted　by　the　rebel　rear…guard；　and　was　terribly　angry　at　the　cautious　pursuit　by　Garrard's　cavalry；　and　even　by　the　head　of　our　infantry　columns。　　But　Johnston　had　in　advance　cleared　and　multiplied　his　roads；　whereas　ours　had　to　cross　at　right　angles　from　the　direction　of　Powder　Springs　toward　Marrietta；　producing　delay　and　confusion。　　By　night　Thomas's　head　of　column　ran　up　against　a　strong　rear…guard　intrenched　at　Smyrna　camp…ground；　six　miles　below　Marietta；　and　there　on　the　next　day　we　celebrated　our　Fourth　of　July；　by　a　noisy　but　not　a　desperate　battle；　designed　chiefly　to　hold　the　enemy　there　till　Generals　McPherson　and　Schofield　could　get　well　into　position　below　him；　near　the　Chattahoochee　crossings。

It　was　here　that　General　Noyes；　late　Governor　of　Ohio；　lost　his　leg。　　I　came　very　near　being　shot　myself　while　reconnoitring　in　the　second　story　of　a　house　on　our　picket…line；　which　was　struck　several　times　by　cannon…shot；　and　perfectly　riddled　with　musket…balls。

During　the　night　Johnston　drew　back　all　his　army　and　trains　inside　the　tete…du…pont　at　the　Chattahoochee；　which　proved　one　of　the　strongest　pieces　of　field…fortification　I　ever　saw。　　We　closed　up　against　it；　and　were　promptly　met　by　a　heavy　and　severe　fire。　Thomas　was　on　the　main　road　in　immediate　pursuit；　next　on　his　right　was　Schofield；　and　McPherson　on　the　extreme　right；　reaching　the　Chattahoochee　River　below　Turner's　Ferry。　　Stoneman's　cavalry　was　still　farther　to　the　right；　along　down　the　Chattahoochee　River　as　far　as　opposite　Sandtown；　and　on　that　day　I　ordered　Garrard's　division　of　cavalry　up　the　river　eighteen　miles；　to　secure　possession　of　the　factories　at　Roswell；　as　well　as　to　hold　an　important　bridge　and　ford　at　that　place。

About　three　miles　out　from　the　Chattahoochee　the　main　road　forked；　the　right　branch　following　substantially　the　railroad；　and　the　left　one　leading　straight　for　Atlanta；　via　Paice's　Ferry　and　Buckhead。　We　found　the　latter　unoccupied　and　unguarded；　and　the　Fourth　Corps　（Howard's）　reached　the　river　at　Paice's　Ferry。　　The　right…hand　road　was　perfectly　covered　by　the　tete…du…pont　before　described；　where　the　resistance　was　very　severe；　and　for　some　time　deceived　me；　for　I　was　pushing　Thomas　with　orders　to　fiercely　assault　his　enemy；　supposing　that　he　was　merely　opposing　us　to　gain　time　to　get　his　trains　and　troops　across　the　Chattahoochee；　but；　on　personally　reconnoitring；　I　saw　the　abatis　and　the　strong　redoubts；　which　satisfied　me　of　the　preparations　that　had　been　made　by　Johnston　in　anticipation　of　this　very　event。　　While　I　was　with　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis；　a　poor　negro　came　out　of　the　abatis；　blanched　with　fright；　said　he　had　been　hidden　under　a　log　all　day；　with　a　perfect　storm　of　shot；　shells；　and　musket…balls；　passing　over　him；　till　a　short　lull　had　enabled　him　to　creep　out　and　make　himself　known　to　our　skirmishers；　who　in　turn　had　sent　him　back　to　where　we　were。　　This　negro　explained　that　he　with　about　a　thousand　slaves　had　been　at　work　a　month　or　more　on　these　very　lines；　which；　as　he　explained；　extended　from　the　river　about　a　mile　above　the　railroad…bridge　to　Turner's　Ferry　below；being　in　extent　from　five　to　six　miles。

Therefore；　on　the　5th　of　July　we　had　driven　our　enemy　to　cover　in　the　valley　of　the　Chattahoochee；　and　we　held　possession　of　the　river　above　for　eighteen　miles；　as　far　as　Roswell；　and　below　ten　miles　to　the　mouth　of　the　Sweetwater。　　Moreover；　we　held　the　high　ground　and　could　overlook　his　movements；　instead　of　his　looking　down　on　us；　as　was　the　case　at　Kenesaw。

》From　a　hill　just　back　of　Mining's　Station　I　could　see　the　houses　in　Atlanta；　nine　miles　distant；　and　the　whole　intervening　valley　of　the　Chattahoochee；　could　observe　the　preparations　for　our　reception　on　the　other　side；　the　camps　of　men　and　large　trains　of　covered　wagons；　and　supposed；　as　a　matter　of　course；　that　Johnston　had　passed　the　river　with　the　bulk　of　his　army；　and　that　he　had　only　left　on　our　side　a　corps　to　cover　his　bridges；　but　in　fact　he　had　only　sent　across　his　cavalry　and　trains。　　Between　Howard's　corps　at　Paice's　Ferry　and　the　rest　of　Thomas's　army　pressing　up　against　this　tete…du…pont；　was　a　space　concealed　by　dense　woods；　in　crossing　which　I　came　near　riding　into　a　detachment　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　later　in　the　same　day　Colonel　Frank　Sherman；　of　Chicago；　then　on　General　Howard's　staff；　did　actually　ride　straight　into　the　enemy's　camp；　supposing　that　our　lines　were　continuous。　He　was　carried　to　Atlanta；　and　for　some　time　the　enemy　supposed　they　were　in　possession　of　the　commander…in…chief　of　the　opposing　army。

I　knew　that　Johnston　would　not　remain　long　on　the　west　bank　of　the　Chattahoochee；　for　I　could　easily　practise　on　that　ground　to　better　advantage　our　former　tactics　of　intrenching　a　moiety　in　his　front；　and　with　the　rest　of　our　army　cross　the　river　and　threaten　either　his　rear　or　the　city　of　Atlanta　itself；　which　city　was　of　vital　importance　to　the　existence　not　only　of　his　own　army；　but　of　the　Confederacy　itself。　　In　my　dispatch　of　July　6th　to　General　Halleck；　at　Washington；　I　state　that：


Johnston　（in　his　retreat　from　Kenesaw）　has　left　two　breaks　in　the　railroadone　above　Marietta　and　one　near　Mining's　Station。　　The　former　is　already　repaired；　and　Johnston's　army　has　heard　the　sound　of　our　locomotives。　　The　telegraph　is　finished　to　Mining's　Station；　and　the　field…wire　has　just　reached　my　bivouac；　and　will　be　ready　to　convey　this　message　as　soon　as　it　is　written　and　translated　into　cipher。

I　propose　to　study　the　crossings　of　the　Chattahoochee；　and；　when　all　is