memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第48章

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It　provided　fully　for　the　enlistment　of　colored　troops；　and　gave　the　freedmen　certain　possessory　rights　to　land；　which　afterward　became　matters　of　judicial　inquiry　and　decision。　　Of　course；　the　military　authorities　at　that　day；　when　war　prevailed；　had　a　perfect　right　to　grant　the　possession　of　any　vacant　land　to　which　they　could　extend　military　protection；　but　we　did　not　undertake　to　give　a　fee…simple　title；　and　all　that　was　designed　by　these　special　field　orders　was　to　make　temporary　provisions　for　the　freedmen　and　their　families　during　the　rest　of　the　war；　or　until　Congress　should　take　action　in　the　premises。　　All　that　I　now　propose　to　assert　is；　that　Mr。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　saw　these　orders　in　the　rough；　and　approved　every　paragraph　thereof；　before　they　were　made　public：

＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　15。＇

HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　January　16；　1865。

1。　　The　islands　from　Charleston　south；　the　abandoned　rice…fields　along　the　rivers　for　thirty　miles　back　from　the　sea；　and　the　country　bordering　the　St。　John's　River；　Florida；　are　reserved　and　set　apart　for　the　settlement　of　the　negroes　now　made　free　by　the　acts　of　war　and　the　proclamation　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。

2。　　At　Beaufort；　Hilton　Head；　Savannab；　Fernandina；　St。　Augustine；　and　Jacksonville；　the　blacks　may　remain　in　their　chosen　or　accustomed　vocations；　but　on　the　islands；　and　in　the　settlements　hereafter　to　be　established；　no　white　person　whatever；　unless　military　officers　and　soldiers　detailed　for　duty；　will　be　permitted　to　reside；　and　the　sole　and　exclusive　management　of　affairs　will　be　left　to　the　freed　people　themselves；　subject　only　to　the　United　States　military　authority；　and　the　acts　of　Congress。　　By　the　laws　of　war；　and　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　the　negro　is　free；　and　must　be　dealt　with　as　such。　　He　cannot　be　subjected　to　conscription；　or　forced　military　service；　save　by　the　written　orders　of　the　highest　military　authority　of　the　department；　under　such　regulations　as　the　President　or　Congress　may　prescribe。　Domestic　servants；　blacksmiths；　carpenters；　and　other　mechanics；　will　be　free　to　select　their　own　work　and　residence；　but　the　young　and　able…bodied　negroes　must　be　encouraged　to　enlist　as　soldiery　in　the　service　of　the　United　States；　to　contribute　their　share　toward　maintaining　their　own　freedom；　and　securing　their　rights　as　citizens　of　the　United　States。

Negroes　so　enlisted　will　be　organized　into　companies；　battalions；　and　regiments；　under　the　orders　of　the　United　States　military　authorities；　and　will　be　paid；　fed；　and　clothed；　according　to　law。　The　bounties　paid　on　enlistment　may；　with　the　consent　of　the　recruit；　go　to　assist　his　family　and　settlement　in　procuring　agricultural　implements；　seed；　tools；　boots；　clothing；　and　other　articles　necessary　for　their　livelihood。

8。　　Whenever　three　respectable　negroes；　heads　of　families；　shall　desire　to　settle　on　land；　and　shall　have　selected　for　that　purpose　an　island　or　a　locality　clearly　defined　within　the　limits　above　designated；　the　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations　will　himself；　or；　by　such　subordinate　officer　as　he　may　appoint；　give　them　a　license　to　settle　such　island　or　district；　and　afford　them　such　assistance　as　he　can　to　enable　them　to　establish　a　peaceable　agricultural　settlement。　　The　three　parties　named　will　subdivide　the　land；　under　the　supervision　of　the　inspector；　among　themselves；　and　such　others　as　may　choose　to　settle　near　them；　so　that　each　family　shall　have　a　plot　of　not　more　than　forty　acres　of　tillable　ground；　and；　when　it　borders　on　some　water…channel；　with　not　more　than　eight　hundred　feet　water…front；　in　the　possession　of　which　land　the　military　authorities　will　afford　them　protection　until　such　time　as　they　can　protect　themselves；　or　until　Congress　shall　regulate　their　title。　　The　quartermaster　may；　on　the　requisition　of　the　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　place　at　the　disposal　of　the　inspector　one　or　more　of　the　captured　steamers　to　ply　between　the　settlements　and　one　or　more　of　the　commercial　points　heretofore　named；　in　order　to　afford　the　settlers　the　opportunity　to　supply　their　necessary　wants；　and　to　sell　the　products　of　their　land　and　labor。

4。　　Whenever　a　negro　has　enlisted　in　the　military　service　of　the　United　States；　be　may　locate　his　family　in　any　one　of　the　settlements　at　pleasure；　and　acquire　a　homestead；　and　all　other　rights　and　privileges　of　a　settler；　as　though　present　in　person。　In　like　manner；　negroes　may　settle　their　families　and　engage　on　board　the　gunboats；　or　in　fishing；　or　in　the　navigation　of　the　inland　waters；　without　losing　any　claim　to　land　or　other　advantages　derived　from　this　system。　　But　no　one；　unless　an　actual　settler　as　above　defined；　or　unless　absent　on　Government　service；　will　be　entitled　to　claim　any　right　to　land　or　property　in　any　settlement　by　virtue　of　these　orders。

5。　　In　order　to　carry　out　this　system　of　settlement；　a　general　officer　will　be　detailed　as　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　whose　duty　it　shall　be　to　visit　the　settlements；　to　regulate　their　police　and　general　arrangement；　and　who　will　furnish　personally　to　each　head　of　a　family；　subject　to　the　approval　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　a　possessory　title　in　writing；　giving　as　near　as　possible　the　description　of　boundaries；　and　who　shall　adjust　all　claims　or　conflicts　that　may　arise　under　the　same；　subject　to　the　like　approval；　treating　such　titles　altogether　as　possessory。　　The　same　general　offcer　will　also　be　charged　with　the　enlistment　and　organization　of　the　negro　recruits；　and　protecting　their　interests　while　absent　from　their　settlements；　and　will　be　governed　by　the　rules　and　regulations　prescribed　by　the　War　Department　for　such　purposes。

6。　　Brigadier…General　R。　　Saxton　is　hereby　appointed　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　and　will　at　once　enter　on　the　performance　of　his　duties。　　No　change　is　intended　or　desired　in　the　settlement　now　on　Beaufort　Island；　nor　will　any　rights　to　property　heretofore　acquired　be　affected　thereby。

By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。


I　saw　a　good　deal　of　the　secretary　socially；　during　the　time　of　his　visit　to　Savannah。　　He　kept　his　quarters　on　the　revenue…cutter　with　Simeon　Draper；　Esq。；　which　cutter　lay　at　a　wharf　in　the　river；　but　he　came　very　often　to　my　quarters　at　Mr。　Green's　house。　　Though　appearing　robust　and　strong；　he　complained　a　good　deal　of　internal　pains；　which　he　said　threatened　his　life；　and　would　compel　him　soon　to　quit　public　office。　　He　professed　to　have　come　from　Washington　purposely　for　rest　and　recreation；　and　he　spoke　unreservedly　of　the　bickerings　and　jealousies　at　the　national　capital；　of　the　interminable　quarrels　of　the　State　Governors　about　their　quotas；　and　more　particularly　of　the　financial　troubles　that　threatened　the　very　existence　of　the　Government　itself。　　He　said　that　the　price　of　every　thing　had　so　risen　in　comparison　with　the　depreciated　money；　that　there　was　danger　of　national　bankruptcy；　and　he　appealed　to　me；　as　a　soldier　and　patriot；　to　hurry　up　matters　so　as　to　bring　the　war　to　a　close。

He　left　for　Port　Royal　about　the　15th　of　January；　and　promised　to　go　North　without　delay；　so　as　to　hurry　back　to　me　the　supplies　I　had　called　for；　as　indispensable　for　the　prosecution　of　the　next　stage　of　the　campaign。　　I　was　quite　impatient　to　get　off　myself；　for　a　city…life　had　become　dull　and　tame；　and　we　were　all　anxious　to　get　into　the　pine…woods　again；　free　from　the　importunities　of　rebel　women　asking　for　protection；　and　of　the　civilians　from　the　North　who　were　coming　to　Savannah　for　cotton　and　all　sorts　of　profit。

On　the　18th　of　January　General　Slocum　was　ordered　to　turn　over　the　city　of　Savannah　to　General　J。　G。　Foster；　commanding　the　Department　of　the　South；　who　proposed　to　retain　his　own　headquarters　at　Hilton　Head；　and　to　occupy　Savannah　by　General　Grovers　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps；　just　arrived　from　James　River；　and　on　the　next　day；　viz。；　January　19th；　I　made　the　first　general　orders　for　the　move。

These　were　substantially　to　group　the　right　wing　of　the　army　at　Pocotaligo；　already　held　by　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　and　the　left　wing　and　cavalry　at　or　near　Robertsville；　in　South　Carolina。　　The　army　remained　substantially　the　same　as　during　the　march　from　Atlanta；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　changes　in　the　commanders　of　brigades　and　divisions；　the　addition　of　some　men　who　had　joined　from　furlough；　and　the　loss　of　others　from　the　expiration　of　their　term　of　service。　　My　own　personal　staff　remained　the　same；　with　the　exception　that　General　W。　F。　Barry　had　rejoined　us　at　Savannah；　perfectly　recovered　from　his　attack　of　erysipelas；　and　continued　with　us　to　the　end　of　the　war。　　Generals　Easton　and　Beckwith　remained　at　Savannah；　in　charge　of　their　respective　depots；　with　orders　to　follow　and　meet　us　by　sea　with　supplies　when　we　should　reach　the　coast　at　Wilmington　or　Newbern；　North　Carolina。

Of　course；　I　gave　out　with　some　ostentation；　especially　among　the　rebels；　that　we　were　going　to　Charleston　or　Augusta；　but　I　had　long　before　made　up　my　mind　to　waste　no　time　on　either；　further　than　to　play　off　on　their　fears；　thus　to　retain　for　their　protection　a　force　of　the　enemy　which　would　otherwise　concentrate　in　our　front；　and　make　the　passage　of　some　of　the　great　rivers　that　crossed　our　route　more　difficult　and　bloody。

Having　accomplished　all　that　seemed　necessary；　on　the　21st　of　January；　with　my　entire　headquarters；　officers；　clerks；　orderlies；　etc。；　with　wagons　and　horses；　I　embarked　in　a　steamer　for　Beaufort；　South　Carolina；　touching　at　Hilton　Head；　to　see　General　Foster。　The　weather　was　rainy　and　bad；　but　we　reached　Beaufort　safely　on　the　23d；　and　found　some　of　General　Blair's　troops　there。　　The　pink　of　his　corps　（Seventeenth）　was；　however；　up　on　the　railroad　about　Pocotaligo；　near　the　head　of　Broad　River；　to　which　their　supplies　were　carried　from　Hilton　Head　by　steamboats。　　General　Hatch's　division　（of　General　Foster's　command）　was　still　at　Coosawhatchie　or　Tullafinny；　where　the　Charleston　&　Savannah　Railroad　crosses　the　river　of　that　name。　　All　the　country　between　Beaufort　and　Pocotaligo　was　low　alluvial　land；　cut　up　by　an　infinite　number　of　salt…water　sloughs　and　freshwater　creeks；　easily　susceptible　of　defense　by　a　small　force；　and　why　the　enemy　had　allowed　us　to　make　a　lodgment　at　Pocotaligo　so　easily　I　did　not　understand；　unless　it　resulted　from　fear　or　ignorance。　　It　seemed　to　me　then　that　the　terrible　energy　they　had　displayed　in　the　earlier　stages　of　the　war　was　beginning　to　yield　to　the　slower　but　more　certain　industry　and　discipline　of　our　Northern　men。　　It　was　to　me　manifest　that　the　soldiers　and　people　of　the　South　entertained　an　undue　fear　of　our　Western　men；　and；　like　children；　they　had　invented　such　ghostlike　stories　of　our　prowess　in　Georgia；　that　they　were　scared　by　their　own　inventions。　　Still；　this　was　a　power；　and　I　intended　to　utilize　it。　　Somehow；　our　men　had　got　the　idea　that　South　Carolina　was　the　cause　of　all　our　troubles；　her　people　were　the　first　to　fire　on　Fort　Sumter；　had　been　in　a　great　hurry　to　precipitate　the　country　into　civil　war；　and　therefore　on　them　should　fall　the　scourge　of　war　in　i