memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第77章

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make　them　leave　it　in　the　face　of　danger；　but　when　the　enemy　is　intrenched；　it　becomes　absolutely　necessary　to　permit　each　brigade　and　division　of　the　troops　immediately　opposed　to　throw　up　a　corresponding　trench　for　their　own　protection　in　case　of　a　sudden　sally。　　We　invariably　did　this　in　all　our　recent　campaigns；　and　it　had　no　ill　effect；　though　sometimes　our　troops　were　a　little　too　slow　in　leaving　their　well…covered　lines　to　assail　the　enemy　in　position　or　on　retreat。　　Even　our　skirmishers　were　in　the　habit　of　rolling　logs　together；　or　of　making　a　lunette　of　rails；　with　dirt　in　front；　to　cover　their　bodies；　and；　though　it　revealed　their　position；　I　cannot　say　that　it　worked　a　bad　effect；　so　that；　as　a　rule；　it　may　safely　be　left　to　the　men　themselves：　On　the　〃defensive；〃　there　is　no　doubt　of　the　propriety　of　fortifying；　but　in　the　assailing　army　the　general　must　watch　closely　to　see　that　his　men　do　not　neglect　an　opportunity　to　drop　his　precautionary　defenses；　and　act　promptly　on　the　〃offensive〃　at　every　chance。

I　have　many　a　time　crept　forward　to　the　skirmish…line　to　avail　myself　of　the　cover　of　the　pickets　〃little　fort；〃　to　observe　more　closely　some　expected　result；　and　always　talked　familiarly　with　the　men；　and　was　astonished　to　see　how　well　they　comprehended　the　general　object；　and　how　accurately　they　were　informed　of　the　sate　of　facts　existing　miles　away　from　their　particular　corps。　　Soldiers　are　very　quick　to　catch　the　general　drift　and　purpose　of　a　campaign；　and　are　always　sensible　when　they　are　well　commanded　or　well　cared　for。　　Once　impressed　with　this　fact；　and　that　they　are　making　progress；　they　bear　cheerfully　any　amount　of　labor　and　privation。

In　camp；　and　especially　in　the　presence　of　an　active　enemy；　it　is　much　easier　to　maintain　discipline　than　in　barracks　in　time　of　peace。　　Crime　and　breaches　of　discipline　are　much　less　frequent；　and　the　necessity　for　courts…martial　far　less。　　The　captain　can　usually　inflict　all　the　punishment　necessary；　and　the　colonel　should　always。　　The　field…officers'　court　is　the　best　form　for　war；　viz。；　one　of　the　field…officers…the　lieutenant…colonel　or　major…　…can　examine　the　case　and　report　his　verdict；　and　the　colonel　should　execute　it。　　Of　course；　there　are　statutory　offenses　which　demand　a　general　court…martial；　and　these　must　be　ordered　by　the　division　or　corps　commander；　but；　the　presence　of　one　of　our　regular　civilian　judge…advocates　in　an　army　in　the　field　would　be　a　first…class　nuisance；　for　technical　courts　always　work　mischief。　Too　many　courts…martial　in　any　command　are　evidence　of　poor　diacipline　and　inefficient　officers。

For　the　rapid　transmission　of　orders　in　an　army　covering　a　large　space　of　ground；　the　magnetic　telegraph　is　by　far　the　best；　though　habitually　the　paper　and　pencil；　with　good　mounted　orderlies；　answer　every　purpose。　　I　have　little　faith　in　the　signal…service　by　flags　and　torches；　though　we　always　used　them；　because；　almost　invariably　when　they　were　most　needed；　the　view　was　cut　off　by　intervening　trees；　or　by　mists　and　fogs。　　There　was　one　notable　instance　in　my　experience；　when　the　signal…flags　carried　a　message。　of　vital　importance　over　the　heads　of　Hood's　army；　which　had　interposed　between　me　and　Allatoona；　and　had　broken　the　telegraph…wiresas　recorded　in　Chapter　XIX。；　but　the　value　of　the　magnetic　telegraph　in　war　cannot　be　exaggerated；　as　was　illustrated　by　the　perfect　concert　of　action　between　the　armies　in　Virginia　and　Georgia　during　1864。　　Hardly　a　day　intervened　when　General　Grant　did　not　know　the　exact　state　of　facts　with　me；　more　than　fifteen　hundred　miles　away　as　the　wires　ran。　　So　on　the　field　a　thin　insulated　wire　may　be　run　on　improvised　stakes　or　from　tree　to　tree　for　six　or　more　miles　in　a　couple　of　hours；　and　I　have　seen　operators　so　skillful；　that　by　cutting　the　wire　they　would　receive　a　message　with　their　tongues　from　a　distant　station。　　As　a　matter　of　course；　the　ordinary　commercial　wires　along　the　railways　form　the　usual　telegraph…lines　for　an　army；　and　these　are　easily　repaired　and　extended　as　the　army　advances；　but　each　army　and　wing　should　have　a　small　party　of　skilled　men　to　put　up　the　field…wire；　and　take　it　down　when　done。　　This　is　far　better　than　the　signal…flags　and　torches。　　Our　commercial　telegraph…lines　will　always　supply　for　war　enough　skillful　operators。

The　value　of　railways　is　also　fully　recognized　in　war　quite　as　much　as；　if　not　more　so　than；　in　peace。　　The　Atlanta　campaign　would　simply　have　beep　impossible　without　the　use　of　the　railroads　from　Louisville　to　Nashville…one　hundred　and　eighty…five　milesfrom　Nashville　to　Chattanooga…one　hundred　and　fifty…one　milesand　from　Chattanooga　to　Atlanta…one　hundred　and　thirty…seven　miles。　　Every　mile　of　this　〃single　track〃　was　so　delicate；　that　one　man　could　in　a　minute　have　broken　or　moved　a　rail；　but　our　trains　usually　carried　along　the　tools　and　means　to　repair　such　a　break。　　We　had；　however；　to　maintain　strong　guards　and　garrisons　at　each　important　bridge　or　trestlethe　destruction　of　which　would　have　necessitated　time　for　rebuilding。　　For　the　protection　of　a　bridge；　one　or　two　log　block　houses；　two　stories　high；　with　a　piece　of　ordnance　and　a　small　infantry　guard；　usually　sufficed。　　The　block…house　had　a　small　parapet　and　ditch　about　it；　and　the　roof　was　made　shot　proof　by　earth　piled　on。　　These　points　could　usually　be　reached　only　by　a　dash　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　many　of　these　block　houses　successfully　resisted　serious　attacks　by　both　cavalry　and　artillery。　The　only　block…house　that　was　actually　captured　on　the　main　was　the　one　described　near　Allatoona。　　Our　trains　from　Nashville　forward　were　operated　under　military　rules；　and　ran　about　ten　miles　an　hour　in　gangs　of　four　trains　of　ten　cars　each。　　Four　such　groups　of　trains　daily　made　one　hundred　and　sixty　cars；　of　ten　tons　each；　carrying　sixteen　hundred　tons；　which　exceeded　the　absolute　necessity　of　the　army；　and　allowed　for　the　accidents　that　were　common　and　inevitable。　　But；　as　I　have　recorded；　that　single　stem　of　railroad；　four　hundred　and　seventy…three　miles　long；　supplied　an　army　of　one　hundred　thousand　men　and　thirty…five　thousand　animals　for　the　period　of　one　hundred　and　ninety…six　days；　viz。；　from　May　1　to　November　12；　1864。　　To　have　delivered　regularly　that　amount　。of　food　and　forage　by　ordinary　wagons　would　have　required　thirty…six　thousand　eight　hundred　wagons　of　six　mules　each；　allowing　each　wagon　to　have　hauled　two　tons　twenty　miles　each　day；　a　simple　impossibility　in　roads　such　as　then　existed　in　that　region　of　country。　　Therefore；　I　reiterate　that　the　Atlanta　campaign　was　an　impossibility　without　these　railroads；　and　only　then；　because　we　had　the　men　and　means　to　maintain　and　defend　them；　in　addition　to　what　were　necessary　to　overcome　the　enemy。　Habitually；　a　passenger…car　will　carry　fifty　men　with　their　necessary　baggage。　　Box…cars；　and　even　platform…cars；　answer　the　purpose　well　enough；　but　they；　should　always　have　rough　board…seats。　　For　sick　and　wounded　men；　box…cars　filled　with　straw　or　bushes　were　usually　employed。　　Personally；　I　saw　but　little　of　the　practical　working　of　the　railroads；　for　I　only　turned　back　once　as　far　as　Resaca；　but　I　had　daily　reports　from　the　engineer　in　charge；　and　officers　who　came　from　the　rear　often　explained　to　me　the　whole　thing；　with　a　description　of　the　wrecked　trains　all　the　way　from　Nashville　to　Atlanta。　　I　am　convinced　that　the　risk　to　life　to　the　engineers　and　men　on　that　railroad　fully　equaled　that　on　the　skirmish…line；　called　for　as　high　an　order　of　courage；　and　fully　equaled　it　in　importance。　　Still；　I　doubt　if　there　be　any　necessity　in　time　of　peace　to　organize　a　corps　specially　to　work　the　military　railroads　in　time　of　war；　because　in　peace　these　same　men　gain　all　the　necessary　experience；　possess　all　the　daring　and　courage　of　soldiers；　and　only　need　the　occasional　protection　and　assistance　of　the　necessary　train…guard；　which　may　be　composed　of　the　furloughed　men　coming　and　going；　or　of　details　made　from　the　local　garrisons　to　the　rear。

For　the　transfer　of　large　armies　by　rail；　from　one　theatre　of　action　to　another　by　the　rearthe　cases　of　the　transfer　of　the　Eleventh　and　Twelfth　Corps…General　Hooker；　twenty…three　thousand　menfrom　the　East　to　Chattanooga；　eleven　hundred　and　ninety…two　miles　in　seven　days；　in　the　fall　of　1863；　and　that　of　the　Army　of　the　OhioGeneral　Schofield；　fifteen　thousand　menfrom　the　valley　of　the　Tennessee　to　Washington；　fourteen　hundred　miles　in　eleven　days；　en　route　to　North　Carolina　in　January；　1865；　are　the　best　examples　of　which　I　have　any　knowledge；　and　reference　to　these　is　made　in　the　report　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Stanton；　dated　November　22；　1865。

Engineer　troops　attached　to　an　army　are　habitually　employed　in　supervising　the　construction　of　forts　or　field　works　of　a　nature　more　permanent　than　the　lines　need　by　the　troops　in　motion；　and　in　repairing　roads　and　making　bridges。　　I　had　several　regiments　of　this　kind　that　were　most　useful；　but　as　a　rule　we　used　the　infantry；　or　employed　parties　of　freedmen；　who　worked　on　the　trenches　at　night　while　the　soldiers　slept；　and　these　in　turn　rested　by　day。　　Habitually　the　repair　of　the　railroad　and　its　bridges　was　committed　to　hired　laborers；　like　the　English　navvies；　under　the　supervision　of　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　a　railroad…engineer；　who　was　in　the　military　service　at　the　time；　and　his　successful　labors　were　frequently　referred　tc　in　the　official　reports　of　the　campaign。

For　the　passage　of　rivers；　each　army　corps　had　a　pontoon…train　with　a　detachment　of　engineers；　and；　on　reaching　a　river；　the　leading　infantry　division　was　charged　with　the　labor　of　putting　it　down。　Generally　the　single　pontoon…train　could　provide　for　nine　hundred　feet　of　bridge；　which　sufficed；　but　when　the　rivers　were　very　wide　two　such　trains　would　be　brought　together；　or　the　single　train　was　supplemented　by　a　trestle…bridge；　or　bridges　made　on　crib…work；　out　of　timber　found　near　the　place。　　The　pontoons　in　general　use　were　skeleton　frames；　made　with　a　hinge；　so　as　to　fold　back　and　constitute　a　wagon…body。　　In　this　same　wagon　were　carried　the　cotton　canvas　cover；　the　anchor　and　chains；　and　a　due　proportion　of　the　balks；　cheeses；　and　lashings。　　All　the　troops　became　very　familiar　with　their　mechanism　and　use；　and　we　were　rarely　delayed　by　reason　of　a　river；　however　broad。　　I　saw；　recently；　in　Aldershot；　England；　a　very　complete　pontoon…train；　the　boats　were　sheathed　with　wood　and　felt；　made　very　light；　but　I　think　these　were　more　liable　to　chafing　and　damage　in　rough　handling　than　were　our　less　expensive　and　rougher　boats。　　On　the　whole；　I　would　prefer　the　skeleton　frame　and　canvas　cover　to　any　style　of　pontoon　that　I　have　ever　seen。

In　relation　to　guards；　pickets；　and　vedettes；　I　doubt　if　any　discoveries　or　improvements　were　made　during　our　war；　or　in　any　of　the　modern　wars　in　Europe。　　These　precautions　vary　with　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　situation　of　each　army。　　When　advancing　or　retreating　in　line　of　battle；　the　usual　skirmish…line　constitutes　the　picket…line；　and　may　have　〃reserves；〃　but　usually　the　main　line　of　battle　constitutes　the　reserve；　and　in　this　connection　I　will　state　that　the　recent　innovation　introduced　into　the　new　infantry　tactics　by　General　Upton　is　admirable；　for　by　it　each　regiment；