memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第76章

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ere　also　supplied　liberally　with　lime…juice；　sauerkraut；　and　pickles；　as　an　antidote　to　scurvy；　and　I　now　recall　the　extreme　anxiety　of　my　medical　director；　Dr。Kittoe；　about　the　scurvy；　which　he　reported　at　one　time　as　spreading　and　imperiling　the　army。　　This　occurred　at　a　crisis　about　Kenesaw；　when　the　railroad　was　taxed　to　its　utmost　capacity　to　provide　the　necessary　ammunition；　food；　and　forage；　and　could　not　possibly　bring　us　an　adequate　supply　of　potatoes　and　cabbage；　the　usual　anti…scorbutics；　when　providentially　the　black　berries　ripened　and　proved　an　admirable　antidote；　and　I　have　known　the　skirmish…line；　without　orders；　to　fight　a　respectable　battle　for　the　possession　of　some　old　fields　that　were　full　of　blackberries。　　Soon；　thereafter；　the　green　corn　or　roasting…ear　came　into　season；　and　I　heard　no　more　of　the　scurvy。　　Our　country　abounds　with　plants　which　can　be　utilized　for　a　prevention　to　the　scurvy；　besides　the　above　are　the　persimmon；　the　sassafras　root　and　bud；　the　wild…mustard；　the　〃agave；〃　turnip　tops；　the　dandelion　cooked　as　greens；　and　a　decoction　of　the　ordinary　pine…leaf。

For　the　more　delicate　and　costly　articles　of　food　for　the　sick　we　relied　mostly　on　the　agents　of　the　Sanitary　Commission。　　I　do　not　wish　to　doubt　the　value　of　these　organizations；　which　gained　so　much　applause　during　our　civil　war；　for　no　one　can　question　the　motives　of　these　charitable　and　generous　people；　but　to　be　honest　I　must　record　an　opinion　that　the　Sanitary　Commission　should　limit　its　operations　to　the　hospitals　at　the　rear；　and　should　never　appear　at　the　front。　　They　were　generally　local　in　feeling；　aimed　to　furnish　their　personal　friends　and　neighbors　with　a　better　class　of　food　than　the　Government　supplied；　and　the　consequence　was；　that　one　regiment　of　a　brigade　would　receive　potatoes　and　fruit　which　would　be　denied　another　regiment　close　by：　Jealousy　would　be　the　inevitable　result；　and　in　an　army　all　parts　should　be　equal；　there　should　be　no　〃partiality；　favor；　or　affection。〃　　The　Government　should　supply　all　essential　wants；　and　in　the　hospitals　to　the　rear　will　be　found　abundant　opportunities　for　the　exercise　of　all　possible　charity　and　generosity。　　During　the　war　I　several　times　gained　the　ill…will　of　the　agents　of　the　Sanitary　Commission　because　I　forbade　their　coming　to　the　front　unless　they　would　consent　to　distribute　their　stores　equally　among　all；　regardless　of　the　parties　who　had　contributed　them。

The　sick；　wounded；　and　dead　of　an　army　are　the　subjects　of　the　greatest　possible　anxiety；　and　add　an　immense　amount　of　labor　to　the　well　men。　　Each　regiment　in　an　active　campaign　should　have　a　surgeon　and　two　assistants　always　close　at　hand；　and　each　brigade　and　division　should　have　an　experienced　surgeon　as　a　medical　director。　　The　great　majority　of　wounds　and　of　sickness　should　be　treated　by　the　regimental　surgeon；　on　the　ground；　under　the　eye　of　the　colonel。　　As　few　should　be　sent　to　the　brigade　or　division　hospital　as　possible；　for　the　men　always　receive　better　care　with　their　own　regiment　than　with　strangers；　and　as　a　rule　the　cure　is　more　certain；　but　when　men　receive　disabling　wounds；　or　have　sickness　likely　to　become　permanent；　the　sooner　they　go　far　to　the　rear　the　better　for　all。　　The　tent　or　the　shelter　of　a　tree　is　a　better　hospital　than　a　house；　whose　walls　absorb　fetid　and　poisonous　emanations；　and　then　give　them　back　to　the　atmosphere。　To　men　accustomed　to　the　open　air；　who　live　on　the　plainest　food；　wounds　seem　to　give　less　pain；　and　are　attended　with　less　danger　to　life　than　to　ordinary　soldiers　in　barracks。


Wounds　which；　in　1861；　world　have　sent　a　man　to　the　hospital　for　months；　in　1865　were　regarded　as　mere　scratches；　rather　the　subject　of　a　joke　than　of　sorrow。　　To　new　soldiers　the　sight　of　blood　and　death　always　has　a　sickening　effect；　but　soon　men　become　accustomed　to　it；　and　I　have　heard　them　exclaim　on　seeing　a　dead　comrade　borne　to　the　rear；　〃Well；　Bill　has　turned　up　his　toes　to　the　daisies。〃　Of　course；　during　a　skirmish　or　battle；　armed　men　should　never　leave　their　ranks　to　attend　a　dead　or　wounded　comradethis　should　be　seen　to　in　advance　by　the　colonel；　who　should　designate　his　musicians　or　company　cooks　as　hospital　attendants；　with　a　white　rag　on　their　arm　to　indicate　their　office。　　A　wounded　man　should　go　himself　（if　able）　to　the　surgeon　near　at　hand；　or；　if　he　need　help；　he　should　receive　it　from　one　of　the　attendants　and　not　a　comrade。　It　is　wonderful　how　soon　the　men　accustom　themselves　to　these　simple　rules。　　In　great　battles　these　matters　call　for　a　more　enlarged　attention；　and　then　it　becomes　the　duty　of　the　division　general　to　see　that　proper　stretchers　and　field　hospitals　are　ready　for　the　wounded；　and　trenches　are　dug　for　the　dead。　　There　should　be　no　real　neglect　of　the　dead；　because　it　has　a　bad　effect　on　the　living；　for　each　soldier　values　himself　and　comrade　as　highly　as　though　he　were　living　in　a　good　house　at　home。

The　regimental　chaplain；　if　any；　usually　attends　the　burials　from　the　hospital；　should　make　notes　and　communicate　details　to　the　captain　of　the　company；　and　to　the　family　at　home。　　Of　course　it　is　usually　impossible　to　mark　the　grave　with　names；　dates；　etc。；　and　consequently　the　names　of　the　〃unknown〃　in　our　national　cemeteries　equal　about　one…half　of　all　the　dead。

Very　few　of　the　battles　in　which　I　have　participated　were　fought　as　described　in　European　text…books；　viz。；　in　great　masses；　in　perfect　order；　manoeuvring　by　corps；　divisions；　and　brigades。　　We　were　generally　in　a　wooded　country；　and；　though　our　lines　were　deployed　according　to　tactics；　the　men　generally　fought　in　strong　skirmish…lines；　taking　advantage　of　the　shape　of　ground；　and　of　every　cover。　　We　were　generally　the　assailants；　and　in　wooded　and　broken　countries　the　〃defensive〃　had　a　positive　advantage　over　us；　for　they　were　always　ready；　had　cover；　and　always　knew　the　ground　to　their　immediate　front；　whereas　we；　their　assailants；　had　to　grope　our　way　over　unknown　ground；　and　generally　found　a　cleared　field　or　prepared　entanglements　that　held　us　for　a　time　under　a　close　and　withering　fire。　　Rarely　did　the　opposing　lines　in　compact　order　come　into　actual　contact；　but　when；　as　at　Peach…Tree　Creek　and　Atlanta；　the　lines　did　become　commingled；　the　men　fought　individually　in　every　possible　style；　more　frequently　with　the　musket　clubbed　than　with　the　bayonet；　and　in　some　instances　the　men　clinched　like　wrestlers；　and　went　to　the　ground　together。　Europeans　frequently　criticised　our　war；　because　we　did　not　always　take　full　advantage　of　a　victory；　the　true　reason　was；　that　habitually　the　woods　served　as　a　screen；　and　we　often　did　not　realize　the　fact　that　our　enemy　had　retreated　till　he　was　already　miles　away　and　was　again　intrenched；　having　left　a　mere　shirmish…line　to　cover　the　movement；　in　turn　to　fall　back　to　the　new　position。

Our　war　was　fought　with　the　muzzle…loading　rifle。　　Toward　the　close　I　had　one　brigade（Walcutt's）armed　with　breech…loading　〃Spencer's；〃　the　cavalry　generally　had　breach…loading　carbines；　〃Spencer's〃　and　〃Sharp's；〃　both　of　which　were　good　arms。

The　only　change　that　breech…loading　arms　will　probably　make　in　the　art　and　practice　of　war　will　be　to　increase　the　amount　of　ammunition　to　be　expended；　and　necessarily　to　be　carried　along；　to　still　further　〃thin　out〃　the　lines　of　attack；　and　to　reduce　battles　to　short；　quick；　decisive　conflicts。　　It　does　not　in　the　least　affect　the　grand　strategy；　or　the　necessity　for　perfect　organization；　drill；　and　discipline。　　The；　companies　and　battalions　will　be　more　dispersed；　and　the　men　will　be　less　under　the　immediate　eye　of　their　officers；　and　therefore　a　higher　order　of　intelligence　and　courage　on　the　part　of　the　individual　soldier　will　be　an　element　of　strength。

When　a　regiment　is　deployed　as　skirmishers；　and　crosses　an　open　field　or　woods；　under　heavy　fire；　if　each　man　runs　forward　from　tree　to　tree；　or　stump　to　stump；　and　yet　preserves　a　good　general　alignment；　it　gives　great　confidence　to　the　men　themselves；　for　they　always　keep　their　eyes　well　to　the　right　and　left；　and　watch　their　comrades；　but　when　some　few　hold　back；　stick　too　close　or　too　long　to　a　comfortable　log；　it　often　stops　the　line　and　defeats　the　whole　object。　　Therefore；　the　more　we　improve　the　fire…arm　the　more　will　be　the　necessity　for　good　organization；　good　discipline　and　intelligence　on　the　part　of　the　individual　soldier　and　officer。　There　is；　of　course；　such　a　thing　as　individual　courage；　which　has　a　value　in　war；　but　familiarity　with　danger；　experience　in　war　and　its　common　attendants；　and　personal　habit；　are　equally　valuable　traits；　and　these　are　the　qualities　with　which　we　usually　have　to　deal　in　war。　　All　men　naturally　shrink　from　pain　and　danger；　and　only　incur　their　risk　from　some　higher　motive；　or　from　habit；　so　that　I　would　define　true　courage　to　be　a　perfect　sensibility　of　the　measure　of　danger；　and　a　mental　willingness　to　incur　it；　rather　than　that　insensibility　to　danger　of　which　I　have　heard　far　more　than　I　have　seen。　　The　most　courageous　men　are　generally　unconscious　of　possessing　the　quality；　therefore；　when　one　professes　it　too　openly；　by　words　or　bearing；　there　is　reason　to　mistrust　it。　　I　would　further　illustrate　my　meaning　by　describing　a　man　of　true　courage　to　be　one　who　possesses　all　his　faculties　and　senses　perfectly　when　serious　danger　is　actually　present。

Modern　wars　have　not　materially　changed　the　relative　values　or　proportions　of　the　several　arms　of　service：　infantry；　artillery；　cavalry；　and　engineers。　　If　any　thing；　the　infantry　has　been　increased　in　value。　　The　danger　of　cavalry　attempting　to　charge　infantry　armed　with　breech…loading　rifles　was　fully　illustrated　at　Sedan；　and　with　us　very　frequently。　　So　improbable　has　such　a　thing　become　that　we　have　omitted　the　infantry…square　from　our　recent　tactics。　　Still；　cavalry　against　cavalry；　and　as　auxiliary　to　infantry；　will　always　be　valuable；　while　all　great　wars　will；　as　heretofore；　depend　chiefly　on　the　infantry。　　Artillery　is　more　valuable　with　new　and　inexperienced　troops　than　with　veterans。　　In　the　early　stages　of　the　war　the　field…guns　often　bore　the　proportion　of　six　to　a　thousand　men；　but　toward　the　close　of　the　war　one　gun；　or　at　most　two；　to　a　thousand　men；　was　deemed　enough。　Sieges；　such　as　characterized　the　wars　of　the　last　century；　are　too　slow　for　this　period　of　the　world；　and　the　Prussians　recently　almost　ignored　them　altogether；　penetrated　France　between　the　forts；　and　left　a　superior　force　〃in　observation；〃　to　watch　the　garrison　and　accept　its　surrender　when　the　greater　events　of　the　war　ahead　made　further　resistance　useless；　but　earth…forts；　and　especially　field…works；　will　hereafter　play　an　important　part　in　war；　because　they　enable　a　minor　force　to　hold　a　superior　one　in　check　for　a　time；　and　time　is　a　most　valuable　element　in　all　wars。　It　was　one　of　Prof。　Mahan's　maxims　that　the　spade　was　as　useful　in　war　as　the　musket；　and　to　this　I　will　add　the　axe。　　The　habit　of　intrenching　certainly　does　have　the　effect　of　making　new　troops　timid。　　When　a　line　of　battle　is　once　covered　by　a　good　parapet；　made　by　the　engineers　or　by　the　labor　of　the　men　themselves；　it　does　require　an　effort　to　make　them　leave　it　in　the　face　of　danger；　but　when　the　enemy　is　intrenched；　it　becomes　absolutely　ne