memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第71章

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　point　threatened。　　From　the　best　information　we　could　gather；　General　Johnston　had　about　thirty　or　forty　thousand　men。　　I　took　post　near　a　plantation　of　one　Trible；　near　Markham's；　and　frequently　reconnoitred　the　whole　line；　and　could　see　the　enemy　engaged　in　like　manner；　on　the　east　aide　of　Big　Black；　but　he　never　attempted　actually　to　cross　over；　except　with　some　cavalry；　just　above　Bear　Creek；　which　was　easily　driven　back。　　I　was　there　from　June　20th　to　the　4th　of　July。　　In　a　small　log…house　near　Markham's　was　the　family　of　Mr。　Klein；　whose　wife　was　the　daughter　of　Mrs。　Day；　of　New　Orleans；　who　in　turn　was　the　sister　of　Judge　T。　W。　Bartley；　my　brother…in…law。　　I　used　frequently　to　drop　in　and　take　a　meal　with　them；　and　Mrs。　Klein　was　generally　known　as　the　general's　cousin；　which　doubtless　saved　her　and　her　family　from　molestation；　too　common　on　the　part　of　our　men。

One　day；　as　I　was　riding　the　line　near　a　farm　known　as　Parson　Fog's；　I　heard　that　the　family　of　a　Mr。　Wilkinson；　of　New　Orleans；　was　〃refugeeing〃　at　a　house　near　by。　　I　rode　up；　inquired；　and　found　two　young　girls　of　that　name；　who　said　they　were　the　children　of　General　Wilkinson；　of　Louisiana；　and　that　their　brother　had　been　at　the　Military　School　at　Alexandria。　　Inquiring　for　their　mother；　I　was　told　she　was　spending　the　day　at　Parson　Fox's。　　As　this　house　was　on　my　route；　I　rode　there；　went　through　a　large　gate　into　the　yard；　followed　by　my　staff　and　escort；　and　found　quite　a　number　of　ladies　sitting　on　the　porch。　　I　rode　up　and　inquired　if　that　were　Parson　Fox's。　　The　parson；　a　fine…looking；　venerable　old　man；　rose；　and　said　that　he　was　Parson　Fox。　　I　then　inquired　for　Mrs。　Wilkinson；　when　an　elderly　lady　answered　that　she　was　the　person。　I　asked　her　if　she　were　from　Plaquemine　Parish；　Louisiana；　and　she　said　she　was。　　I　then　inquired　if　she　had　a　son　who　had　been　a　cadet　at　Alexandria　when　General　Sherman　was　superintendent；　and　she　answered　yes。　　I　then　announced　myself；　inquired　after　the　boy；　and　she　said　he　was　inside　of　Vicksburg；　an　artillery　lieutenant。　I　then　asked　about　her　husband；　whom　I　had　known；　when　she　burst　into　tears；　and　cried　out　in　agony；　〃You　killed　him　at　Bull　Run；　where　he　was　fighting　for　his　country！〃　　I　disclaimed　killing　anybody　at　Bull　Run；　but　all　the　women　present　（nearly　a　dozen）　burst　into　loud　lamentations；　which　made　it　most　uncomfortable　for　me；　and　I　rode　away。　　On　the　3d　of　July；　as　I　sat　at　my　bivouac　by　the　road…side　near　Trible's；　I　saw　a　poor；　miserable　horse；　carrying　a　lady；　and　led　by　a　little　negro　boy；　coming　across　a　cotton…field　toward　me；　as　they　approached　I　recognized　poor　Mrs。　Wilkinson；　and　helped　her　to　dismount。　　I　inquired　what　had　brought　her　to　me　in　that　style；　and　she　answered　that　she　knew　Vicksburg；　was　going　to　surrender；　and　she　wanted　to　go　right　away　to　see　her　boy。　　I　had　a　telegraph…wire　to　General　Grant's　headquarters；　and　had　heard　that　there　were　symptoms　of　surrender；　but　as　yet　nothing　definite。　　I　tried　to　console　and　dissuade　her；　but　she　was　resolved；　and　I　could　not　help　giving　her　a　letter　to　General　Grant；　explaining　to　him　who　she　was；　and　asking　him　to　give　her　the　earliest　opportunity　to　see　her　son。　　The　distance　was　fully　twenty　miles；　but　off　she　started；　and　I　afterward　learned　that　my　letter　had　enabled　her　to　see　her　son；　who　had　escaped　unharmed。　Later　in　the　day　I　got　by　telegraph　General　Grant's　notice　of　the　negotiations　for　surrender；　and；　by　his　directions；　gave　general　orders　to　my　troops　to　be　ready　at　a　moment's　notice　to　cross　the　Big　Black；　and　go　for　Joe　Johnston。

The　next　day　（July　4；　1863）　Vicksburg　surrendered；　and　orders　were　given　for　at　once　attacking　General　Johnston。　　The　Thirteenth　Corps　（General　Ord）　was　ordered　to　march　rapidly；　and　cross　the　Big　Black　at　the　railroad…bridge；　the　Fifteenth　by　Mesainger's；　and　the　Ninth　（General　Parker）　by　Birdsong's　Ferry…all　to　converge　on　Bolton。　　My　corps　crossed　the　Big　Black　during　the　5th　and　6th　of　July；　and　marched　for　Bolton；　where　we　came　in　with　General　Ord's　troops；　but　the　Ninth　Corps　was　delayed　in　crossing　at　Birdsong's。　　Johnston　had　received　timely　notice　of　Pemberton's　surrender；　and　was　in　full　retreat　for　Jackson。　　On　the　8th　all　our　troops　reached　the　neighborhood　of　Clinton；　the　weather　fearfully　hot；　and　water　scarce。　　Johnston　had　marched　rapidly；　and　in　retreating　had　caused　cattle；　hogs；　and　sheep；　to　be　driven　into　the　ponds　of　water；　and　there　shot　down；　so　that　we　had　to　haul　their　dead　and　stinking　carcasses　out　to　use　the　water。　　On　the　l0th　of　July　we　had　driven　the　rebel　army　into　Jackson；　where　it　turned　at　bay　behind　the　intrenchments；　which　had　been　enlarged　and　strengthened　since　our　former　visit　in　May。　　We　closed　our　lines　about　Jackson；　my　corps　（Fifteenth）　held　the　centre；　extending　from　the　Clinton　to　the　Raymond　road；　Ord's　（Thirteenth）　on　the　right；　reaching　Pearl　River　below　the　town；　and　Parker's　（Ninth）　the　left；　above　the　town。

On　the　11th　we　pressed　close　in；　and　shelled　the　town　from　every　direction。　　One　of　Ords　brigades　（Lauman's）　got　too　close；　and　was　very　roughly　handled　and　driven　back　in　disorder。　　General　Ord　accused　the　commander　（General　Lauman）　of　having　disregarded　his　orders；　and　attributed　to　him　personally　the　disaster　and　heavy　loss　of　men。　　He　requested　his　relief；　which　I　granted；　and　General　Lauman　went　to　the　rear；　and　never　regained　his　division。　　He　died　after　the　war；　in　Iowa；　much　respected；　as　before　that　time　he　had　been　universally　esteemed　a　most　gallant　and　excellent　officer。　The　weather　was　fearfully　hot；　but　we　continued　to　press　the　siege　day　and　night；　using　our　artillery　pretty　freely；　and　on　the　morning　of　July　17th　the　place　was　found　evacuated。　　General　Steele's　division　was　sent　in　pursuit　as　far　as　Brandon　（fourteen　miles）；　but　General　Johnston　had　carried　his　army　safely　off；　and　pursuit　in　that　hot　weather　would　have　been　fatal　to　my　command。

Reporting　the　fact　to　General　Grant；　he　ordered　me　to　return；　to　send　General　Parkes's　corps　to　Haines's　Bluff；　General　Ord's　back　to　Vicksburg；　and　he　consented　that　I　should　encamp　my　whole　corps　near　the　Big　Black；　pretty　much　on　the　same　ground　we　had　occupied　before　the　movement；　and　with　the　prospect　of　a　period　of　rest　for　the　remainder　of　the　summer。　　We　reached　our　camps　on　the　27th　of　July。

Meantime；　a　division　of　troops；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　W。　Sooy　Smith；　had　been　added　to　my　corps。　　General　Smith　applied　for　and　received　a　sick…leave　on　the　20th　of　July；　Brigadier…General　Hugh　Ewing　was　assigned　to　its　command；　and　from　that　time　it　constituted　the　Fourth　Division　of　the　Fifteenth　Army　Corps。

Port　Hudson　had　surrendered　to　General　Banks　on　the　8th　of　July　（a　necessary　consequence　of　the　fall　of　Vicksburg）；　and　thus　terminated　probably　the　most　important　enterprise　of　the　civil　war…　…the　recovery　of　the　complete　control　of　the　Mississippi　River；　from　its　source　to　its　mouthor；　in　the　language　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　the　Mississippi　went　〃unvexed　to　the　sea。〃

I　put　my　four　divisions　into　handsome；　clean　camps；　looking　to　health　and　comfort　alone；　and　had　my　headquarters　in　a　beautiful　grove　near　the　house　of　that　same　Parson　Fox　where　I　had　found　the　crowd　of　weeping　rebel　women　waiting　for　the　fate　of　their　friends　in　Vicksburg。

The　loss　sustained　by　the　Fifteenth　Corps　in　the　assault　of　May　19th；　at　Vicksburg；　was　mostly　confined　to　the　battalion　of　the　Thirteenth　Regulars；　whose　commanding　officer；　Captain　Washington；　was　mortally　wounded；　and　afterward　died　in　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　which　battalion　lost　seventy…seven　men　out　of　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　engaged；　the　Eighty…third　Indiana　（Colonel　Spooner）；　and　the　One　Hundred　and　Twenty　seventh　Illinois　（Lieutenant…Colonel　Eldridge）；　the　aggregate　being　about　two　hundred。

In　the　assaults　of　the　22d；　the　loss　in　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　about　six　hundred。

In　the　attack　on　Jackson；　Mississippi；　during　the　11th…16th　of　July；　General　Ord　reported　the　loss　in　the　Thirteenth　Army　Corps　seven　hundred　and　sixty…two；　of　which　five　hundred　and　thirty…three　were　confined　to　Lauman's　division；　General　Parkes　reported；　in　the　Ninth　Corps；　thirty…seven　killed；　two　hundred　and　fifty…eight　wounded；　and　thirty…three　missing：　total；　three　hundred　and　twenty…eight。　　In　the　Fifteenth　Corps　the　loss　was　less；　so　that；　in　the　aggregate；　the　loss　as　reported　by　me　at　the　time　was　less　than　a　thousand　men；　while　we　took　that　number　alone　of　prisoners。

In　General　Grant's　entire　army　before　Vicksburg；　composed　of　the　Ninth；　part　of　the　Sixteenth；　and　the　whole　of　the　Thirteenth；　Fifteenth；　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　the　aggregate　loss；　as　stated　by　Badeau；　was：

Killed：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1243　Wounded：。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　7095　Missing：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　535

Total：　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　8873


Whereas　the　Confederate　loss；　as　stated　by　the　same　author；

Surrendered　at　Vicksburg　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　32000　Captured　at　Champion　Hills。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　3000　Captured　at　Big　Black　Bridge　。。。。。。。。。。　　　2000　Captured　at　Port　Gibson。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　2000　Captured　with　Loring　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　4000　Killed　and　wounded　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　10000　Stragglers。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　3000

Total。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　56000

Besides　which；　〃a　large　amount　of　public　property；　consisting　of　railroads；　locomotives；　cars；　steamers；　cotton；　guns；　muskets；　ammunition；　etc。；　etc。；　was　captured　in　Vicksburg。〃

The　value　of　the　capture　of　Vicksburg；　however；　was　not　measured　by　the　list　of　prisoners；　guns；　and　small…arms；　but　by　the　fact　that　its　possession　secured　the　navigation　of　the　great　central　river　of　the　continent；　bisected　fatally　the　Southern　Confederacy；　and　set　the　armies　which　had　been　used　in　its　conquest　free　for　other　purposes；　and　it　so　happened　that　the　event　coincided　as　to　time　with　another　great　victory　which　crowned　our　arms　far　away；　at　Gettysburg；　Pennsylvania。　　That　was　a　defensive　battle；　whereas　ours　was　offensive　in　the　highest　acceptation　of　the　term；　and　the　two；　occurring　at　the　same　moment　of　time；　should　have　ended　the　war；　but　the　rebel　leaders　were　mad；　and　seemed　determined　that　their　people　should　drink　of　the　very　lowest　dregs　of　the　cup　of　war；　which　they　themselves　had　prepared。

The　campaign　of　Vicksburg；　in　its　conception　and　execution；　belonged　exclusively　to　General　Grant；　not　only　in　the　great　whole；　but　in　the　thousands　of　its　details。　　I　still　retain　many　of　his　letters　and　notes；　all　in　his　own　handwriting；　prescribing　the　routes　of　march　for　divisions　and　detachments；　specifying　even　the　amount　of　food　and　tools　to　be　carried　along。　　Many　persons　gave　his　adjutant　general；　Rawlins；　the　credit　for　these　things；　but　they　were　in　error；　for　no　commanding　general　of　an　army　ever　gave　more　of　his　personal　attention　to　details；　or　wrote　so　many　of　his　own　orders；　reports；　and　letters；　as　General　Grant。　　His　success　at　Vicksburg　justly　gave　him　great　fame　at　home　and　abroad。　　The　President　conferred　on　him　the　rank　of　major…general　in　the　regular　army；　the　highest　grade　then　existing　by　law；　and　General　McPherson　and　I　shared　in　his　success　by　receiving　similar　commissions　as　brigadier…generals　in　the　regular　army。

But　our　success　at　Vicksburg　produced　other　resul