memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第36章

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them　march　in　close　order　along　the　road；　so　as　to　explode　their　own　torpedoes；　or　to　discover　and　dig　them　up。　They　begged　hard；　but　I　reiterated　the　order；　and　could　hardly　help　laughing　at　their　stepping　so　gingerly　along　the　road；　where　it　was　supposed　sunken　torpedoes　might　explode　at　each　step；　but　they　found　no　other　torpedoes　till　near　Fort　McAllister。　　That　night　we　reached　Pooler's　Station；　eight　miles　from　Savannah；　and　during　the　next　two　days；　December　9th　and　10th；　the　several　corps　reached　the　defenses　of　Savannahthe　Fourteenth　Corps　on　the　left；　touching　the　river；　the　Twentieth　Corps　next；　then　the　Seventeenth；　and　the　Fifteenth　on　the　extreme　right；　thus　completely　investing　the　city。　Wishing　to　reconnoitre　the　place　in　person；　I　rode　forward　by　the　Louisville　road；　into　a　dense　wood　of　oak；　pine；　and　cypress；　left　the　horses；　and　walked　down　to　the　railroad…track；　at　a　place　where　there　was　a　side…track；　and　a　cut　about　four　feet　deep。　　From　that　point　the　railroad　was　straight；　leading　into　Savannah；　and　about　eight　hundred　yards　off　were　a　rebel　parapet　and　battery。　　I　could　see　the　cannoneers　preparing　to　fire；　and　cautioned　the　officers　near　me　to　scatter；　as　we　would　likely　attract　a　shot。　　Very　soon　I　saw　the　white　puff　of　smoke；　and；　watching　close；　caught　sight　of　the　ball　as　it　rose　in　its　flight；　and；　finding　it　coming　pretty　straight；　I　stepped　a　short　distance　to　one　side；　but　noticed　a　negro　very　near　me　in　the　act　of　crossing　the　track　at　right　angles。　　Some　one　called　to　him　to　look　out；　but；　before　the　poor　fellow　understood　his　danger；　the　ball　（a　thirty…two…pound　round　shot）　struck　the　ground；　and　rose　in　its　first　ricochet；　caught　the　negro　under　the　right　jaw；　and　literally　carried　away　his　head；　scattering　blood　and　brains　about。　　A　soldier　close　by　spread　an　overcoat　over　the　body；　and　we　all　concluded　to　get　out　of　that　railroad…cut。　　Meantime；　General　Mower's　division　of　the　Seven…　teenth　Corps　had　crossed　the　canal　to　the　right　of　the　Louisville　road；　and　had　found　the　line　of　parapet　continuous；　so　at　Savannah　we　had　again　run　up　against　the　old　familiar　parapet；　with　its　deep　ditches；　canals；　and　bayous；　full　of　water；　and　it　looked　as　though　another　siege　was　inevitable。　　I　accordingly　made　a　camp　or　bivouac　near　the　Louisville　road；　about　five　miles　from　Savannah；　and　proceeded　to　invest　the　place　closely；　pushing　forward　reconnoissances　at　every　available　point。

As　soon　as　it　was　demonstrated　that　Savannah　was　well　fortified；　with　a　good　garrison；　commanded　by　General　William　J。　Hardee；　a　competent　soldier；　I　saw　that　the　first　step　was　to　open　communication　with　our　fleet；　supposed　to　be　waiting　for　us　with　supplies　and　clothing　in　Ossabaw　Sound。

General　Howard　had；　some　nights　previously；　sent　one　of　his　best　scouts；　Captain　Duncan；　with　two　men；　in　a　canoe；　to　drift　past　Fort　McAllister；　and　to　convey　to　the　fleet　a　knowledge　of　our　approach。　　General　Kilpatrick's　cavalry　had　also　been　transferred　to　the　south　bank　of　the　Ogeechee；　with　orders　to　open　communication　with　the　fleet。　　Leaving　orders　with　General　Slocum　to　press　the　siege；　I　instructed　General　Howard　to　send　a　division　with　all　his　engineers　to　Grog's　Bridge；　fourteen　and　a　half　miles　southwest　from　Savannah；　to　rebuild　it。　　On　the　evening　of　the　12th　I　rode　over　myself；　and　spent　the　night　at　Mr。　King's　house；　where　I　found　General　Howard；　with　General　Hazen's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps。　　His　engineers　were　hard　at　work　on　the　bridge；　which　they　finished　that　night；　and　at　sunrise　Hazen's　division　passed　over。　　I　gave　General　Hazen；　in　person；　his　orders　to　march　rapidly　down　the　right　bank　of　the　Ogeechee；　and　without　hesitation　to　assault　and　carry　Fort　McAllister　by　storm。　　I　knew　it　to　be　strong　in　heavy　artillery；　as　against　an　approach　from　the　sea；　but　believed　it　open　and　weak　to　the　rear。　　I　explained　to　General　Hazen；　fully；　that　on　his　action　depended　the　safety　of　the　whole　army；　and　the　success　of　the　campaign。　　Kilpatrick　had　already　felt　the　fort；　and　had　gone　farther　down　the　coast　to　Kilkenny　Bluff；　or　St。　Catharine's　Sound；　where；　on　the　same　day；　he　had　communication　with　a　vessel　belonging　to　the　blockading　fleet；　but；　at　the　time；　I　was　not　aware　of　this　fact；　and　trusted　entirely　to　General　Hazen　and　his　division　of　infantry；　the　Second　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　the　same　old　division　which　I　had　commanded　at　Shiloh　and　Vicksburg；　in　which　I　felt　a　special　pride　and　confidence。

Having　seen　General　Hazen　fairly　off；　accompanied　by　General　Howard；　I　rode　with　my　staff　down　the　left　bank　of　the　Ogeechee；　ten　miles　to　the　rice…plantation　of　a　Mr。　Cheevea；　where　General　Howard　had　established　a　signal…station　to　overlook　the　lower　river；　and　to　watch　for　any　vessel　of　the　blockading　squadron；　which　the　negroes　reported　to　be　expecting　us；　because　they　nightly　sent　up　rockets；　and　daily　dispatched　a　steamboat　up　the　Ogeechee　as　near　to　Fort　McAllister　as　it　was　safe。

On　reaching　the　rice…mill　at　Cheevea's；　I　found　a　guard　and　a　couple　of　twenty…pound　Parrott　gone；　of　De　Gres's　battery；　which　fired　an　occasional　shot　toward　Fort　McAllister；　plainly　seen　over　the　salt…marsh；　about　three　miles　distant。　　Fort　McAllister　had　the　rebel　flag　flying；　and　occasionally　sent　a　heavy　shot　back　across　the　marsh　to　where　we　were；　but　otherwise　every　thing　about　the　place　looked　as　peaceable　and　quiet　as　on　the　Sabbath。

The　signal…officer　had　built　a　platform　on　the　ridge…pole　of

the　rice…mill。　　Leaving　our　horses　behind　the　stacks　of　rice…straw；　we　all　got　on　the　roof　of　a　shed　attached　to　the　mill；　wherefrom　I　could　communicate　with　the　signal…officer　above；　and　at　the　same　time　look　out　toward　Ossabaw　Sound；　and　across　the　Ogeechee　River　at　Fort　McAllister。　　About　2　p。m。　　we　observed　signs　of　commotion　in　the　fort；　and　noticed　one　or　two　guns　fired　inland；　and　some　musket…skirmishing　in　the　woods　close　by。

This　betokened　the　approach　of　Hazen's　division；　which　had　been　anxiously　expected；　and　soon　thereafter　the　signal…officer　discovered　about　three　miles　above　the　fort　a　signal…flag；　with　which　he　conversed；　and　found　it　to　belong　to　General　Hazen；　who　was　preparing　to　assault　the　fort；　and　wanted　to　know　if　I　were　there。　　On　being　assured　of　this　fact；　and　that　I　expected　the　fort　to　be　carried　before　night；　I　received　by　signal　the　assurance　of　General　Hazen　that　he　was　making　his　preparations；　and　would　soon　attempt　the　assault。　　The　sun　was　rapidly　declining；　and　I　was　dreadfully　impatient。　　At　that　very　moment　some　one　discovered　a　faint　cloud　of　smoke；　and　an　object　gliding；　as　it　were；　along　the　horizon　above　the　tops　of　the　sedge　toward　the　sea；　which　little　by　little　grew　till　it　was　pronounced　to　be　the　smoke…stack　of　a　steamer　coming　up　the　river。　　〃It　must　be　one　of　our　squadron！〃　Soon　the　flag　of　the　United　States　was　plainly　visible；　and　our　attention　was　divided　between　this　approaching　steamer　and　the　expected　assault。　　When　the　sun　was　about　an　hour　high；　another　signal…message　came　from　General　Hazen　that　he　was　all　ready；　and　I　replied　to　go　ahead；　as　a　friendly　steamer　was　approaching　from　below。　　Soon　we　made　out　a　group　of　officers　on　the　deck　of　this　vessel；　signaling　with　a　flag；　〃Who　are　you！〃　　The　answer　went　back　promptly；　〃General　Sherman。〃　　Then　followed　the　question；　〃Is　Fort　McAllister　taken？〃　　〃Not　yet；　but　it　will　be　in　a　minute！〃　　Almost　at　that　instant　of　time；　we　saw　Hazen's　troops　come　out　of　the　dark　fringe　of　woods　that　encompassed　the　fort；　the　lines　dressed　as　on　parade；　with　colors　flying；　and　moving　forward　with　a　quick；　steady　pace。　　Fort　McAllister　was　then　all　alive；　its　big　guns　belching　forth　dense　clouds　of　smoke；　which　soon　enveloped　our　assaulting　lines。　　One　color　went　down；　but　was　up　in　a　moment。　　On　the　lines　advanced；　faintly　seen　in　the　white；　sulphurous　smoke；　there　was　a　pause；　a　cessation　of　fire；　the　smoke　cleared　away；　and　the　parapets　were　blue　with　our　men；　who　fired　their　muskets　in　the　air；　and　shouted　so　that　we　actually　heard　them；　or　felt　that　we　did。　　Fort　McAllister　was　taken；　and　the　good　news　was　instantly　sent　by　the　signal…officer　to　our　navy　friends　on　the　approaching　gunboat；　for　a　point　of　timber　had　shut　out　Fort　McAllister　from　their　view；　and　they　had　not　seen　the　action　at　all；　but　must　have　heard　the　cannonading。

During　the　progress　of　the　assault；　our　little　group　on　Cheeves's　mill　hardly　breathed；　but　no　sooner　did　we　see　our　flags　on　the　parapet　than　I　exclaimed；　in　the　language　of　the　poor　negro　at　Cobb's　plantation；　〃This　nigger　will　have　no　sleep　this　night！〃

I　was　resolved　to　communicate　with　our　fleet　that　night；　which　happened　to　be　a　beautiful　moonlight　one。　　At　the　wharf　belonging　to　Cheeves's　mill　was　a　small　skiff；　that　had　been　used　by　our　men　in　fishing　or　in　gathering　oysters。　　I　was　there　in　a　minute；　called　for　a　volunteer　crew；　when　several　young　officers；　Nichols　and　Merritt　among　the　number；　said　they　were　good　oarsmen；　and　volunteered　to　pull　the　boat　down　to　Fort　McAllister。　　General　Howard　asked　to　accompany　me；　so　we　took　seats　in　the　stern　of　the　boat；　and　our　crew　of　officers　pulled　out　with　a　will。　　The　tide　was　setting　in　strong；　and　they　had　a　hard　pull；　for；　though　the　distance　was　but　three　miles　in　an　air…line；　the　river　was　so　crooked　that　the　actual　distance　was　fully　six　miles。　　On　the　way　down　we　passed　the　wreck　of　a　steamer　which　had　been　sunk　some　years　before；　during　a　naval　attack　on　Fort　McAllister。

Night　had　fairly　set　in　when　we　discovered　a　soldier　on　the　beach。　I　hailed　him；　and　inquired　if　he　knew　where　General　Hazen　was。　　He　answered　that　the　general　was　at　the　house　of　the　overseer　of　the　plantation　（McAllister's）；　and　that　he　could　guide　me　to　it。　　We　accordingly　landed；　tied　our　boat　to　a　driftlog；　and　followed　our　guide　through　bushes　to　a　frame…house；　standing　in　a　grove　of　live…oaks；　near　a　row　of　negro　quarters。

General　Hazen　was　there　with　his　staff；　in　the　act　of　getting　supper；　he　invited　us　to　join　them；　which　we　accepted　promptly；　for　we　were　really　very　hungry。　　Of　course；　I　congratulated　Hazen　most　heartily　on　his　brilliant　success；　and　praised　its　execution　very　highly；　as　it　deserved；　and　he　explained　to　me　more　in　detail　the　exact　results。　　The　fort　was　an　inclosed　work；　and　its　land…front　was　in　the　nature　of　a　bastion　and　curtains；　with　good　parapet；　ditch；　fraise；　and　chevaux…de…frise；　made　out　of　the　large　branches　of　live…oaks。　　Luckily；　the　rebels　had　left　the　larger　and　unwieldy　trunks　on　the　ground；　which　served　as　a　good　cover　for　the　skirmish…line；　which　crept　behind　these　logs；　and　from　them　kept　the　artillerists　from　loading　and　firing　their　guns　accurately。

The　assault　had　been　made　by　three　parties　in　line；　one　from　below；　one　from　above　the　fort；　and　the　third　directly　in　rear；　along　the　capital。　　All　were　simultaneous；　and　had　to　pass　a　good　abatis　and　line　of　torpedoes；　which　actually　killed　more　of　the　assailants　than　the　heavy　guns　of　the　fort；　which　generally　overshot　the　mark。　Hazen's　entire　loss　was　reported；　killed　and　wounded；　ninety…two。　Each　party　reached　the　parapet　about　the　same　time；　and　the　garrison　inside；　of　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　men　（about　fifty　of　them　killed　or　wounded）；　were　in　his　power。　　The　command