memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第17章

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fteenth　Iowa。　　These　were　promptly　appointed　brigadier…generals；　were　already　in　command　of　brigades　or　divisions；　and　I　doubt　if　eight　promotions　were　ever　made　fairer；　or　were　more　honestly　earned；　during　the　whole　war。




CHAPTER　XIX。

CAPTURE　OF　ATLANTA。

AUGUST　AND　SEPTEMBER；　1864


The　month　of　August　opened　hot　and　sultry；　but　our　position　before　Atlanta　was　healthy；　with　ample　supply　of　wood；　water；　and　provisions。　　The　troops　had　become　habituated　to　the　slow　and　steady　progress　of　the　siege；　the　skirmish…lines　were　held　close　up　to　the　enemy；　were　covered　by　rifle…trenches　or　logs；　and　kept　up　a　continuous　clatter　of　musketry。　　The　mainlines　were　held　farther　back；　adapted　to　the　shape　of　the　ground；　with　muskets　loaded　and　stacked　for　instant　use。　　The　field…batteries　were　in　select　positions；　covered　by　handsome　parapets；　and　occasional　shots　from　them　gave　life　and　animation　to　the　scene。　　The　men　loitered　about　the　trenches　carelessly；　or　busied　themselves　in　constructing　ingenious　huts　out　of　the　abundant　timber；　and　seemed　as　snug；　comfortable；　and　happy；　as　though　they　were　at　home。　　General　Schofield　was　still　on　the　extreme　left；　Thomas　in　the　centre；　and　Howard　on　the　right。　　Two　divisions　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Baird's　and　Jeff。　　C。　Davis's）　were　detached　to　the　right　rear；　and　held　in　reserve。

I　thus　awaited　the　effect　of　the　cavalry　movement　against　the　railroad　about　Jonesboro；　and　had　heard　from　General　Garrard　that　Stoneman　had　gone　on　to　Mason；　during　that　day　（August　1st）　Colonel　Brownlow；　of　a　Tennessee　cavalry　regiment；　came　in　to　Marietta　from　General　McCook；　and　reported　that　McCook's　whole　division　had　been　overwhelmed；　defeated；　and　captured　at　Newnan。　　Of　course；　I　was　disturbed　by　this　wild　report；　though　I　discredited　it；　but　made　all　possible　preparations　to　strengthen　our　guards　along　the　railroad　to　the　rear；　on　the　theory　that　the　force　of　cavalry　which　had　defeated　McCook　would　at　once　be　on　the　railroad　about　Marietta。　　Atthe　same　time　Garrard　was　ordered　to　occupy　the　trenches　on　our　left；　while　Schofield's　whole　army　moved　to　the　extreme　right；　and　extended　the　line　toward　East　Point。　　Thomas　was　also　ordered　still　further　to　thin　out　his　lines；　so　as　to　set　free　the　other　division　（Johnson's）　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Palmer's）；　which　was　moved　to　the　extreme　right　rear；　and　held　in　reserve　ready　to　make　a　bold　push　from　that　flank　to　secure　a　footing　on　the　Mason　Railroad　at　or　below　East　Point。

These　changes　were　effected　during　the　2d　and　3d　days　of　August；　when　General　McCook　came　in　and　reported　the　actual　results　of　his　cavalry　expedition。　　He　had　crossed　the　Chattahoochee　River　below　Campbellton；　by　his　pontoon…bridge；　had　then　marched　rapidly　across　to　the　Mason　Railroad　at　Lovejoy's　Station；　where　he　had　reason　to　expect　General　Stoneman；　but；　not　hearing　of　him；　he　set　to　work；　tore　up　two　miles　of　track；　burned　two　trains　of　cars；　and　cut　away　five　miles　of　telegraph…wire。　　He　also　found　the　wagon…train　belonging　to　the　rebel　army　in　Atlanta；　burned　five　hundred　wagons；　killed　eight　hundred　mules；　and　captured　seventy…two　officers　and　three　hundred　and　fifty　men。　　Finding　his　progress　eastward；　toward　McDonough；　barred　by　a　superior　force；　he　turned　back　to　Newnan；　where　he　found　himself　completely　surrounded　by　infantry　and　cavalry。　　He　had　to　drop　his　prisoners　and　fight　his　way　out；　losing　about　six　hundred　men　in　killed　and　captured；　and　then　returned　with　the　remainder　to　his　position　at　Turner's　Ferry。　This　was　bad　enough；　but　not　so　bad　as　had　been　reported　by　Colonel　Brownlow。　　Meantime；　rumors　came　that　General　Stoneman　was　down　about　Mason；　on　the　east　bank　of　the　Ocmulgee。　　On　the　4th　of　August　Colonel　Adams　got　to　Marietta　with　his　small　brigade　of　nine　hundred　men　belonging　to　Stoneman's　cavalry；　reporting；　as　usual；　all　the　rest　lost；　and　this　was　partially　confirmed　by　a　report　which　came　to　me　all　the　way　round　by　General　Grant's　headquarters　before　Richmond。　　A　few　days　afterward　Colonel　Capron　also　got　in；　with　another　small　brigade　perfectly　demoralized；　and　confirmed　the　report　that　General　Stoneman　had　covered　the　escape　of　these　two　small　brigades；　himself　standing　with　a　reserve　of　seven　hundred　men；　with　which　he　surrendered　to　a　Colonel　Iverson。　　Thus　another　of　my　cavalry　divisions　was　badly　damaged；　and　out　of　the　fragments　we　hastily　reorganized　three　small　divisions　under　Brigadier…Generals　Garrard；　McCook；　and　Kilpatrick。

Stoneman　had　not　obeyed　his　orders　to　attack　the　railroad　first　before　going　to　Macon　and　Andersonville；　but　had　crossed　the　Ocmulgee　River　high　up　near　Covington；　and　had　gone　down　that　river　on　the　east　bank。　　He　reached　Clinton；　and　sent　out　detachments　which　struck　the　railroad　leading　from　Macon　to　Savannah　at　Griswold　Station；　where　they　found　and　destroyed　seventeen　locomotives　and　over　a　hundred　cars；　then　went　on　and　burned　the　bridge　across　the　Oconee；　and　reunited　the　division　before　Macon。　Stoneman　shelled　the　town　across　the　river；　but　could　not　cross　over　by　the　bridge；　and　returned　to　Clinton；　where　he　found　his　retreat　obstructed；　as　he　supposed；　by　a　superior　force。　　There　he　became　bewildered；　and　sacrificed　himself　for　the　safety　of　his　command。　　He　occupied　the　attention　of　his　enemy　by　a　small　force　of　seven　hundred　men；　giving　Colonels　Adams　and　Capron　leave；　with　their　brigades；　to　cut　their　way　back　to　me　at　Atlanta。　　The　former　reached　us　entire；　but　the　latter　was　struck　and　scattered　at　some　place　farther　north；　and　came　in　by　detachments。　　Stoneman　surrendered；　and　remained　a　prisoner　until　he　was　exchanged　some　time　after；　late　in　September；　at　Rough　and　Ready。

I　now　became　satisfied　that　cavalry　could　not；　or　would　not；　make　a　sufficient　lodgment　on　the　railroad　below　Atlanta；　and　that　nothing　would　suffice　but　for　us　to　reach　it　with　the　main　army。　　Therefore　the　most　urgent　efforts　to　that　end　were　made；　and　to　Schofield；　on　the　right；　was　committed　the　charge　of　this　special　object。　　He　had　his　own　corps　（the　Twenty…third）；　composed　of　eleven　thousand　and　seventy…five　infantry　and　eight　hundred　and　eighty…five　artillery；　with　McCook's　broken　division　of　cavalry；　seventeen　hundred　and　fifty…four　men　and　horses。　　For　this　purpose　I　also　placed　the　Fourteenth　Corps　（Palmer）　under　his　orders。　　This　corps　numbered　at　the　time　seventeen　thousand　two　hundred　and　eighty…eight　infantry　and　eight　hundred　and　twenty…six　artillery；　but　General　Palmer　claimed　to　rank　General　Schofield　in　the　date　of　his　commission　as　major…general；　and　denied　the　latter's　right　to　exercise　command　over　him。　　General　Palmer　was　a　man　of　ability；　but　was　not　enterprising。　　His　three　divisions　were　compact　and　strong；　well　commanded；　admirable　on　the　defensive；　but　slow　to　move　or　to　act　on　the　offensive。　　His　corps　（the　Fourteenth）　had　sustained；　up　to　that　time；　fewer　hard　knocks　than　any　other　corps　in　the　whole　army；　and　I　was　anxious　to　give　it　a　chance。　　I　always　expected　to　have　a　desperate　fight　to　get　possession　of　the　Macon　road；　which　was　then　the　vital　objective　of　the　campaign。　　Its　possession　by　us　would；　in　my　judgment；　result　in　the　capture　of　Atlanta；　and　give　us　the　fruits　of　victory；　although　the　destruction　of　Hood's　army　was　the　real　object　to　be　desired。　　Yet　Atlanta　was　known　as　the　〃Gate…City　of　the　South；〃　was　full　of　founderies；　arsenals；　and　machine…shops；　and　I　knew　that　its　capture　would　be　the　death…knell　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。

On　the　4th　of　August　I　ordered　General　Schofield　to　make　a　bold　attack　on　the　railroad；　anywhere　about　East　Point；　and　ordered　General　Palmer　to　report　to　him　for　duty。　　He　at　once　denied　General　Schofield's　right　to　command　him；　but；　after　examining　the　dates　of　their　respective　commissions；　and　hearing　their　arguments；　I　wrote　to　General　Palmer。


August　4th。…10。45　p。m。

》From　the　statements　made　by　yourself　and　General　Schofield　to…day；　my　decision　is；　that　he　ranks　you　as　a　major…general；　being　of　the　same　date　of　present　commission；　by　reason　of　his　previous　superior　rank　as　brigadier…general。　　The　movements　of　to…morrow　are　so　important　that　the　orders　of　the　superior　on　that　flank　must　be　regarded　as　military　orders；　and　not　in　the　nature　of　cooperation。　I　did　hope　that　there　would　be　no　necessity　for　my　making　this　decision；　but　it　is　better　for　all　parties　interested　that　no　question　of　rank　should　occur　in　actual　battle。　　The　Sandtown　road；　and　the　railroad；　if　possible；　must　be　gained　to…morrow；　if　it　costs　half　your　command。　　I　regard　the　loss　of　time　this　afternoon　as　equal　to　the　loss　of　two　thousand　men。


I　also　communicated　the　substance　of　this　to　General　Thomas；　to　whose　army　Palmer's　corps　belonged；　who　replied　on　the　5th：


I　regret　to　hear　that　Palmer　has　taken　the　course　he　has；　and　I　know　that　he　intends　to　offer　his　resignation　as　soon　as　he　can　properly　do　so。　　I　recommend　that　his　application　be　granted。


And　on　the　5th　I　again　wrote　to　General　Palmer；　arguing　the　point　with　him；　advising　him；　as　a　friend；　not　to　resign　at　that　crisis　lest　his　motives　might　be　misconstrued；　and　because　it　might　damage　his　future　career　in　civil　life；　but；　at　the　same　time；　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　say　to　him　that　the　operations　on　that　flank；　during　the　4th　and　5th；　had　not　been　satisfactorynot　imputing　to　him；　however；　any　want　of　energy　or　skill；　but　insisting　that　〃the　events　did　not　keep　pace　with　my　desires。〃　　General　Schofield　had　reported　to　me　that　night：


I　am　compelled　to　acknowledge　that　I　have　totally　failed　to　make　any　aggressive　movement　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps。　　I　have　ordered　General　Johnson's　division　to　replace　General　Hascall's　this　evening；　and　I　propose　to…morrow　to　take　my　own　troops　（Twenty…　third　Corps）　to　the　right；　and　try　to　recover　what　has　been　lost　by　two　days'　delay。　　The　force　may　likely　be　too　small。


I　sanctioned　the　movement；　and　ordered　two　of　Palmers　divisions　Davis's　and　Baird'sto　follow　en　echelon　in　support　of　Schofield；　and　summoned　General　Palmer　to　meet　me　in　person：　He　came　on　the　6th　to　my　headquarters；　and　insisted　on　his　resignation　being　accepted；　for　which　formal　act　I　referred　him　to　General　Thomas。　He　then　rode　to　General　Thomas's　camp；　where　he　made　a　written　resignation　of　his　office　as　commander　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　and　was　granted　the　usual　leave　of　absence　to　go　to　his　home　in　Illinois；　there　to　await　further　orders。　　General　Thomas　recommended　that　the　resignation　be　accepted；　that　Johnson；　the　senior　division　commander　of　the　corps；　should　be　ordered　back　to　Nashville　as　chief　of　cavalry；　and　that　Brigadier…General　Jefferson　C。　Davis；　the　next　in　order；　should　be　promoted　major　general；　and　assigned　to　command　the　corps。　　These　changes　had　to　be　referred　to　the　President；　in　Washington；　and　were；　in　due　time；　approved　and　executed；　and　thenceforward　I　had　no　reason　to　complain　of　the　slowness　or　inactivity　of　that　splendid　corps。　It　had　been　originally　formed　by　General　George　H。　Thomas；　had　been　commanded　by　him　in　person；　and　had　imbibed　some　what　his　personal　character；　viz。；　steadiness；　good　order；　and　deliberation　nothing　hasty　or　rash；　but　always　safe；　〃slow；　and　sure。〃　　On　August　7th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck：


Have　received　to…day　the　dispatches