memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第38章

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d　iron…clad　gunboats　in　the　river；　I　did　not　deem　it　prudent；　because　the　same　result　could　be　better　accomplished　from　General　Fosters　position　at　Broad　River。

Fort　McAllister　was　captured　as　described；　late　in　the　evening　of　December　13th；　and　by　the　16th　many　steamboats　had　passed　up　as　high　as　King's　Bridge；　among　them　one　which　General　Grant　had　dispatched　with　the　mails　for　the　army；　which　had　accumulated　since　our　departure　from　Atlanta；　under　charge　of　Colonel　A。　H。　Markland。　These　mails　were　most　welcome　to　all　the　officers　and　soldiers　of　the　army；　which　had　been　cut　off　from　friends　and　the　world　for　two　months；　and　this　prompt　receipt　of　letters　from　home　had　an　excellent　effect；　making　us　feel　that　home　was　near。　　By　this　vessel　also　came　Lieutenant　Dune；　aide…de…camp；　with　the　following　letter　of　December　3d；　from　General　Grant；　and　on　the　next　day　Colonel　Babcock　；　United　States　Engineers；　arrived　with　the　letter　of　December　6th；　both　of　which　are　in　General　Grant's　own　handwriting；　and　are　given　entire：



HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　　December　3；　1864。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Armies　near　Savannah；　Georgia。

GENERAL：　The　little　information　gleaned　from　the　Southern　press　indicating　no　great　obstacle　to　your　progress；　I　have　directed　your　mails　（which　had　been　previously　collected　in　Baltimore　by　Colonel　Markland；　special…agent　of　the　Post…Office　Department）　to　be　sent　as　far　as　the　blockading　squadron　off　Savannah；　to　be　forwarded　to　you　as　soon　as　heard　from　on　the　coast。

Not　liking　to　rejoice　before　the　victory　is　assured；　I　abstain　from　congratulating　you　and　those　under　your　command；　until　bottom　has　been　struck。　　I　have　never　had　a　fear；　however；　for　the　result。

Since　you　left　Atlanta　no　very　great　progress　has　been　made　here。　The　enemy　has　been　closely　watched；　though；　and　prevented　from　detaching　against　you。　　I　think　not　one　man　has　gone　from　here；　except　some　twelve　or　fifteen　hundred　dismounted　cavalry。　　Bragg　has　gone　from　Wilmington。　　I　am　trying　to　take　advantage　of　his　absence　to　get　possession　of　that　place。　　Owing　to　some　preparations　Admiral　Porter　and　General　Butler　are　making　to　blow　up　Fort　Fisher　（which；　while　hoping　for　the　best；　I　do　not　believe　a　particle　in）；　there　is　a　delay　in　getting　this　expedition　off。　　I　hope　they　will　be　ready　to　start　by　the　7th；　and　that　Bragg　will　not　have　started　back　by　that　time。

In　this　letter　I　do　not　intend　to　give　you　any　thing　like　directions　for　future　action；　but　will　state　a　general　idea　I　have；　and　will　get　your　views　after　you　have　established　yourself　on　the　sea…coaSt。　With　your　veteran　army　I　hope　to　get　control　of　the　only　two　through　routes　from　east　to　west　possessed　by　the　enemy　before　the　fall　of　Atlanta。　　The　condition　will　be　filled　by　holding　Savannah　and　Augusta；　or　by　holding　any　other　port　to　the　east　of　Savannah　and　Branchville。　　If　Wilmington　falls；　a　force　from　there　can　cooperate　with　you。

Thomas　has　got　back　into　the　defenses　of　Nashville；　with　Hood　close　upon　him。　　Decatur　has　been　abandoned；　and　so　have　all　the　roads；　except　the　main　one　leading　to　Chattanooga　Part　of　this　falling　back　was　undoubtedly　necessary；　and　all　of　it　may　have　been。　　It　did　not　look　so；　however；　to　me。　　In　my　opinion；　Thomas　far　outnumbers　Hood　in　infantry。　　In　cavalry　Hood　has　the　advantage　in　morale　and　numbers。　　I　hope　yet　that　Hood　will　be　badly　crippled；　if　not　destroyed。　　The　general　news　you　will　learn　from　the　papers　better　than　I　can　give　it。

After　all　becomes　quiet；　and　roads　become　so　bad　up　here　that　there　is　likely　to　be　a　week　or　two　when　nothing　can　be　done；　I　will　run　down　the　coast　to　see　you。　　If　you　desire　it；　I　will　ask　Mrs。　Sherman　to　go　with　me。　Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。



HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES。　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　December　6；　1864。

Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi

GENERAL：　On　reflection　since　sending　my　letter　by　the　hands　of　Lieutenant　Dunn；　I　have　concluded　that　the　most　important　operation　toward　closing　out　the　rebellion　will　be　to　close　out　Lee　and　his　army。

You　have　now　destroyed　the　roads　of　the　South　so　that　it　will　probably　take　them　three　months　without　interruption　to　reestablish　a　through　line　from　east　to　weSt。　In　that　time　I　think　the　job　here　will　be　effectually　completed。

My　idea　now　is　that　you　establish　a　base　on　the　sea…coast；　fortify　and　leave　in　it　all　your　artillery　and　cavalry；　and　enough　infantry　to　protect　them；　and　at　the　same　time　so　threaten　the　interior　that　the　militia　of　the　South　will　have　to　be　kept　at　home。　　With　the　balance　of　your　command　come　here　by　water　with　all　dispatch。　Select　yourself　the　officer　to　leave　in　command；　but　you　I　want　in　person。　　Unless　you　see　objections　to　this　plan　which　I　cannot　see；　use　every　vessel　going　to　you　for　purposes　of　transportation。

Hood　has　Thomas　close　in　Nashville。　　I　have　said　all　I　can　to　force　him　to　attack；　without　giving　the　positive　order　until　to…day。　To…day；　however；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　gave　the　order　without　any　reserve。　　I　think　the　battle　will　take　place　to…morrow。　The　result　will　probably　be　known　in　New　York　before　Colonel　Babcock　（the　bearer　of　this）　will　leave　it。　　Colonel　Babcock　will　give　you　full　information　of　all　operations　now　in　progress。　Very　respectfully　your　obedient　servant；

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。


The　contents　of　these　letters　gave　me　great　uneasiness；　for　I　had　set　my　heart　on　the　capture　of　Savannah；　which　I　believed　to　be　practicable；　and　to　be　near；　for　me　to　embark　for　Virginia　by　sea　was　so　complete　a　change　from　what　I　had　supposed　would　be　the　course　of　events　that　I　was　very　much　concerned。　　I　supposed；　as　a　matter　of　course；　that　a　fleet　of　vessels　would　soon　pour　in；　ready　to　convey　the　army　to　Virginia；　and　as　General　Grant's　orders　contemplated　my　leaving　the　cavalry；　trains；　and　artillery；　behind；　I　judged　Fort　McAllister　to　be　the　best　place　for　the　purpose；　and　sent　my　chief…engineer；　Colonel　Poe；　to　that　fort；　to　reconnoitre　the　ground；　and　to　prepare　it　so　as　to　make　a　fortified　camp　large　enough　to　accommodate　the　vast　herd　of　mules　and　horses　that　would　thus　be　left　behind。　　And　as　some　time　might　be　required　to　collect　the　necessary　shipping；　which　I　estimated　at　little　less　than　a　hundred　steamers　and　sailing…vessels；　I　determined　to　push　operations；　in　hopes　to　secure　the　city；　of　Savannah　before　the　necessary　fleet　could　be　available。　　All　these　ideas　are　given　in　my　answer　to　General　Grant's　letters　（dated　December　16；　1864）　herewith；　which　is　a　little　more　full　than　the　one　printed　in　the　report　of　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　because　in　that　copy　I　omitted　the　matter　concerning　General　Thomas；　which　now　need　no　longer　be　withheld：


HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　December　16；　1864。

Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Commander…in…Chief；　City　Point；　Virginia。

GENERAL　：　I　received；　day　before　yesterday；　at　the　hands　of　Lieutenant　Dunn；　your　letter　of　December　8d；　and　last　night；　at　the　hands　of　Colonel　Babcock；　that　of　December　6th。　　I　had　previously　made　you　a　hasty　scrawl　from　the　tugboat　Dandelion；　in　Ogeechee　River；　advising　you　that　the　army　had　reached　the　sea…coast；　destroying　all　the　railroads　across　the　State　of　Georgia；　investing　closely　the　city　of　Savannah；　and　had　made　connection　with　the　fleet。

Since　writing　that　note；　I　have　in　person　met　and　conferred　with　General　Foster　and　Admiral　Dahlgren；　and　made　all　the　arrangements　which　were　deemed　essential　for　reducing　the　city　of　Savannah　to　our　possession。　　But；　since　the　receipt　of　yours　of　the　6th；　I　have　initiated　measures　looking　principally　to　coming　to　you　with　fifty　or　Sixty　thousand　infantry；　and　incidentally　to　capture　Savannah；　if　time　will　allow。

At　the　time　we　carried　Fort　McAllister　by　assault　so　handsomely；　with　its　twenty…two　guns　and　entire　garrison；　I　was　hardly　aware。　of　its　importance；　but；　since　passing　down　the　river　with　General　Foster　and　up　with　Admiral　Dahlgren；　I　realize　how　admirably　adapted　are　Ossabaw　Sound　and　Ogeechee　River　to　supply　an　army　operating　against　Savannah。　　Seagoing　vessels　can　easily　come　to　King's　Bridge；　a　point　on　Ogeechee　River；　fourteen　and　a　half　miles　due　west　of　Savannah；　from　which　point　we　have　roads　leading　to　all　our　camps。　　The　country　is　low　and　sandy；　and　cut　up　with　marshes；　which　in　wet　weather　will　be　very　bad；　but　we　have　been　so　favored　with　weather　that　they　are　all　now　comparatively　good；　and　heavy　details　are　constantly　employed　in　double…corduroying　the　marshes；　so　that　I　have　no　fears　even　of　bad　weather。　　Fortunately；　also；　by　liberal　and　judicious　foraging；　we　reached　the　sea…coast　abundantly　supplied　with　forage　and　provisions；　needing　nothing　on　arrival　except　bread。　　Of　this　we　started　from　Atlanta；　with　from　eight　to　twenty　days'　supply　per　corps　and　some　of　the　troops　only　had　one　day's　issue　of　bread　during　the　trip　of　thirty　days；　yet　they　did　not　want；　for　sweet…potatoes　were　very　abundant；　as　well　as　corn…meal；　and　our　soldiers　took　to　them　naturally。　　We　started　with　about　five　thousand　head　of　cattle；　and　arrived　with　over　ten　thousand；　of　course　consuming　mostly　turkeys；　chickens；　sheep；　hogs；　and　the　cattle　of　the　country。　　As　to　our　mules　and　horses；　we　left　Atlanta　with　about　twenty…five　hundred　wagons；　many　of　which　were　drawn　by　mules　which　had　not　recovered　from　the　Chattanooga　starvation；　all　of　which　were　replaced；　the　poor　mules　shot；　and　our　transportation　is　now　in　superb　condition。　　I　have　no　doubt　the　State　of　Georgia　has　lost；　by　our　operations；　fifteen　thousand　first…rate　mules。　　As　to　horses；　Kilpatrick　collected　all　his　remounts；　and　it　looks　to　me；　in　riding　along　our　columns；　as　though　every　officer　had　three　or　four　led　horses；　and　each　regiment　seems　to　be　followed　by　at　least　fifty　negroes　and　foot…sore　soldiers；　riding　on　horses　and　mules。　　The　custom　was　for　each　brigade　to　send　out　daily　a　foraging…party　of　about　fifty　men；　on　foot；　who　invariably　returned　mounted；　with　several　wagons　loaded　with　poultry；　potatoes；　etc。；　and　as　the　army　is　composed　of　about　forty　brigades；　you　can　estimate　approximately　the　number　of　horses　collected。　　Great　numbers　of　these　were　shot　by　my　order；　because　of　the　disorganizing　effect　on　our　infantry　of　having　too　many　idlers　mounted。　　General　Euston　is　now　engaged　in　collecting　statistics　on　this　subject；　but　I　know　the　Government　will　never　rceive　fall　accounts　of　our　captures；　although　the　result　aimed　at　was　fully　attained；　viz。；　to　deprive　our　enemy　of　them。　　All　these　animals　I　will　have　sent　to　Port　Royal；　or　collected　behind　Fort　McAllister；　to　be　used　by　General　Saxton　in　his　farming　operations；　or　by　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　after　they　are　systematically　accounted　for。　　While　General　Easton　is　collecting　transportation　for　my　troops　to　James　River；　I　will　throw　to　Port　Royal　Island　all　our　means　of　transportation　I　can；　and　collect　the　rest　near　Fort　McAllister；　covered　by　the　Ogeeehee　River　and　intrenchments　to　be　erected；　and　for　which　Captain　Poe；　my　chief…engineer；　is　now　reconnoitring　the　ground；　but　in　the　mean　time