memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第79部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　rebellion　will　have　died　out　for　want　of　food　on　which　to　live；　and　the　very　course　Grant；　Sherman；　and　others　pursued；　in　granting　liberal　terms　to　the　defeated　rebels；　will　be　applauded。　The　fact　is；　they　met　an　old　beggar　in　the　road；　whose　crutches　had　broken　from　under　him：　they　let　him　have　only　the　broken　crutches　to　get　home　with！

I　sent　General　Sherman　back　to　Newbern；　North　Carolina；　in　the　steamer　Bat。

While　he　was　absent　from　his　command　he　was　losing　no　time；　for　be　was　getting　his　army　fully　equipped　with　stores　and　clothing；　and；　when　he　returned；　he　had　a　rested　and　regenerated　army；　ready　to　swallow　up　Jos。　Johnston　and　all　his　ragamuffins。

Johnston　was　cornered；　could　not　move　without　leaving　every　thing　behind　him；　and　could　not　go　to　Richmond　without　bringing　on　a　famine　in　that　destitute　city。

I　was　with　Mr。　Lincoln　all　the　time　he　was　at　City　Point；　and　until　be　left　for　Washington。　　He　was　more　than　delighted　with　the　surrender　of　Lee；　and　with　the　terms　Grant　gave　the　rebel　general；　and　would　have　given　Jos。　Johnston　twice　as　much；　had　the　latter　asked　for　it；　and　could　be　have　been　certain　that　the　rebel　world　have　surrendered　without　a　fight。　　I　again　repeat　that；　had　Mr。　Lincoln　lived；　he　would　have　shouldered　all　the　responsibility。

One　thing　is　certain：　had　Jos。　Johnston　escaped　and　got　into　Richmond；　and　caused　a　larger　list　of　killed　and　wounded　than　we　had；　General　Sherman　would　have　been　blamed。　　Then　why　not　give　him　the　full　credit　of　capturing　on　the　best　terms　the　enemy's　last　important　army　and　its　best　general；　and　putting　an　end　to　the　rebellion

It　was　a　finale　worthy　of　Sherman's　great　march　through　the　swamps　and　deserts　of　the　South；　a　march　not　excelled　by　any　thing　we　read　of　in　modern　military　history。

D。　D。　PORTER；　Vice…Admiral。

（Written　by　the　admiral　in　1866；　at　the　United　States　Naval　Academy　at　Annapolis；　Md。；　and　mailed　to　General　Sherman　at　St。　Louis；　Mo。）


As　soon　as　possible；　I　arranged　with　General　Grant　for　certain　changes　in　the　organization　of　my　army；　and　the　general　also　undertook　to　send　to　North　Carolina　some　tug…boat　and　barges　to　carry　stores　from　Newbern　up　as　far　as　Kinston；　whence　they　could　be　hauled　in　wagons　to　our　camps；　thus　relieving　our　railroads　to　that　extent。　　I　undertook　to　be　ready　to　march　north　by　April　10th；　and　then　embarked　on　the　steamer　Bat；　Captain　Barnes；　for　North　Carolina。　　We　steamed　down　James　River；　and　at　Old　Point　Comfort　took　on　board　my　brother；　Senator　Sherman；　and　Mr。　Edwin　Stanton；　son　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　proceeded　at　once　to　our　destination。　　On　our　way　down　the　river；　Captain　Barnes　expressed　himself　extremely　obliged　to　me　for　taking　his　vessel；　as　it　had　relieved　him　of　a　most　painful　dilemma。　　He　explained　that　he　had　been　detailed　by　Admiral　Porter　to　escort　the　President's　unarmed　boat；　the　River　Queen；　in　which　capacity　it　became　his　special　duty　to　look　after　Mrs。　Lincoln。　　The　day　before　my　arrival　at　City　Point；　there　had　been　a　grand　review　of　a　part　of　the　Army　of　the　James；　then　commanded　by　General　Ord。　　The　President　rode　out　from　City　Point　with　General　Grant　on　horseback；　accompanied　by　a　numerous　staff；　including　Captain　Barnes　and　Mrs。　Ord；　but　Mrs。　Lincoln　and　Mrs。　Grant　had　followed　in　a　carriage。

The　cavalcade　reached　the　review…ground　some　five　or　six　miles　out　from　City　Point；　found　the　troops　all　ready；　drawn　up　in　line；　and　after　the　usual　presentation　of　arms；　the　President　and　party；　followed　by　Mrs。　Ord　and　Captain　Barnes　on　horseback；　rode　the　lines；　and　returned　to　the　reviewing　stand；　which　meantime　had　been　reached　by　Mrs。　Lincoln　and　Mrs。　Grant　in　their　carriage；　which　had　been　delayed　by　the　driver　taking　a　wrong　road。　　Mrs。　Lincoln；　seeing　Mrs。　Ord　and　Captain　Barnes　riding　with　the　retinue；　and　supposing　that　Mrs。　Ord　had　personated　her；　turned　on　Captain　Barnes　and　gave　him　a　fearful　scolding；　and　even　indulged　in　some　pretty　sharp　upbraidings　to　Mrs。　Ord。

This　made　Barne's　position　very　unpleasant；　so　that　he　felt　much　relieved　when　he　was　sent　with　me　to　North　Carolina。　　The　Bat　was　very　fast；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　29th　we　were　near　Cape　Hatteras；　Captain　Barnes；　noticing　a　propeller　coming　out　of　Hatteras　Inlet；　made　her　turn　back　and　pilot　us　in。　　We　entered　safely；　steamed　up　Pamlico　Sound　into　Neuse　River；　and　the　next　morning；by　reason　of　some　derangement　of　machinery；　we　anchored　about　seven　miles　below　Newbern；　whence　we　went　up　in　Captain　Barnes's　barge。　　As　soon　as　we　arrived　at　Newbern；　I　telegraphed　up　to　General　Schofield　at　Goldsboro'　the　fact　of　my　return；　and　that　I　had　arranged　with　General　Grant　for　the　changes　made　necessary　in　the　reorganization　of　the　army；　and　for　the　boats　necessary　to　carry　up　the　provisions　and　stores　we　needed；　prior　to　the　renewal　of　our　march　northward。

These　changes　amounted　to　constituting　the　left　wing　a　distinct　army；　under　the　title　of　〃the　Army　of　Georgia；〃　under　command　of　General　Slocum；　with　his　two　corps　commanded　by　General　Jeff。　C。　Davis　and　General　Joseph　A。　Mower；　the　Tenth　and　Twenty…third　Corps　already　constituted　another　army；　〃of　the　Ohio；〃　under　the　command　of　Major…General　Schofield；　and　his　two　corps　were　commanded　by　Generals　J。　D。　Cox　and　A。　H。　Terry。　　These　changes　were　necessary；　because　army　commanders　only　could　order　courts…martial；　grant　discharges；　and　perform　many　other　matters　of　discipline　and　administration　which　were　indispensable；　but　my　chief　purpose　was　to　prepare　the　whole　army　for　what　seemed　among　the　probabilities　of　the　timeto　fight　both　Lee's　and　Johnston's　armies　combined；　in　case　their　junction　could　be　formed　before　General　Grant　could　possibly　follow　Lee　to　North　Carolina。

General　George　H。　Thomas；　who　still　remained　at　Nashville；　was　not　pleased　with　these　changes；　for　the　two　corps　with　General　Slocum；　viz。；　the　Fourteenth　and　Twentieth；　up　to　that　time；　had　remained　technically　a　part　of　his　〃Army　of　the　Cumberland；　〃　but　he　was　so　far　away；　that　I　had　to　act　to　the　best　advantage　with　the　troops　and　general　officers　actually　present。　　I　had　specially　asked　for　General　Mower　to　command　the　Twentieth　Corps；　because　I　regarded　him　as　one　of　the　boldest　and　best　fighting　generals　in　the　whole　army。　　His　predecessor；　General　A。　S。　Williams；　the　senior　division　commander　present；　had　commanded　the　corps　well　from　Atlanta　to　Goldsboro'；　and　it　may　have　seemed　unjust　to　replace　him　at　that　precise　moment；　but　I　was　resolved　to　be　prepared　for　a　most　desperate　and；　as　then　expected；　a　final　battle；　should　it　fall　on　me。

I　returned　to　Goldsboro'　from　Newbern　by　rail　the　evening　of　March　30th；　and　at　once　addressed　myself　to　the　task　of　reorganization　and　replenishment　of　stores；　so　as　to　be　ready　to　march　by　April　10th；　the　day　agreed　on　with　General　Grant。

The　army　was　divided　into　the　usual　three　parts；　right　and　left　wings；　and　centre。　　The　tabular　statements　herewith　will　give　the　exact　composition　of　these　separate　armies；　which　by　the　10th　of　April　gave　the　following　effective　strength：


　　　　　　　　Infantry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　80；968　　　　　　　　　Artillery　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　2；448　　　　　　　　　Cavalry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　5；587

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aggregate　。。。。。。。。。。。。　88；948　　　　　　　　　Total　number　of　guns；　91


The　railroads　to　our　rear　had　also　been　repaired；　so　that　stores　were　arriving　very　fast；　both　from　Morehead　City　and　Wilmington。　The　country　was　so　level　that　a　single　locomotive　could　haul　twenty…five　and　thirty　cars　to　a　train；　instead　of　only　ten；　as　was　the　case　in　Tennessee　and　Upper　Georgia。

By　the　5th　of　April　such　progress　had　been　made；　that　I　issued　the　following　Special　Field　Orders；　No。　48；　prescribing　the　time　and　manner　of　the　next　march


＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　48。1

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　GOLDSBORO'；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　April　5；　1865。

Confidential　to　Army　Commanders；　Corps　Commanders；　and　Chiefs　of　Staff　Departments：

The　next　grand　objective　is　to　place　this　army　（with　its　full　equipment）　north　of　Roanoke　River；　facing　west；　with　a　base　for　supplies　at　Norfolk；　and　at　Winton　or　Murfreesboro'　on　the　Chowan；　and　in　full　communication　with　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　about　Petersburg；　and　also　to　do　the　enemy　as　much　harm　as　possible　en　route：

1。　　To　accomplish　this　result　the　following　general　plan　will　be　followed；　or　modified　only　by　written　orders　from　these　headquarters；　should　events　require　a　change：

（1。）　On　Monday；　the　10th　of　April；　all　preparations　are　presumed　to　be　complete；　and　the　outlying　detachments　will　be　called　in；　or　given　directions　to　meet　on　the　next　march。　　All　preparations　will　also　be　complete　to　place　the　railroad…stock　back　of　Kinston　on　the　one　road；　and　below　the　Northeast　Branch　on　the　other。

（2。）　On　Tuesday；　the　11th；　the　columns　will　draw　out　on　their　lines　of　march；　say；　about　seven　miles；　and　close　up。

（3。）　On　Wednesday　the　march　will　begin　in　earnest；　and　will　be　kept　up　at　the　rate；　say；　of　about　twelve　miles　a　day；　or　according　to　the　amount　of　resistance。　　All　the　columns　will　dress　to　the　left　（which　is　the　exposed　flank）；　and　commanders　will　study　always　to　find　roads　by　which　they　can；　if　necessary；　perform　a　general　left　wheel；　the