memoirs of general william t. sherman-1- 第57部分

General　Sherman　explained　forcibly　how　largely　the　difficulties　of　suppressing　the　rebellion　would　be　enhanced；　if　the　rebels　should　be　allowed　to　plant　themselves　firmly；　with　strong　fortifications；　at　commanding　points　on　the　Ohio　River。　　It　would　be　facile　for　them　to　carry　the　war　thence　into　the　loyal　States　north　of　the　river。

To　resist　an　advance　of　the　rebels；　General　Sherman　stated　that　he　did　not　have　at　that　time　in　Kentucky　more　than　some　twelve　to　fourteen　thousand　effective　men。　　The　bulk　of　this　force　was　posted　at　camp　Nolin；　on　the　Louisville　&　Nashville　Railway；　fifty　miles　south　of　Louisville。　　A　part　of　it　was　in　Eastern　Kentucky；　under　General　George　H。　Thomas；　and　a　very　small　force　was　in　the　lower　valley　of　Green　River。

This　disposition　of　the　force　had　been　made　for　the　double　purpose　of　watching　and　checking　the　rebels；　and　protecting　the　raising　and　organization　of　troops　among　the　Union　men　of　Kentucky。

Having　explained　the　situation　from　the　defensive　point　of　view；　General　Sherman　proceeded　to　consider　it　from　the　offensive　stand…point。　　The　Government　had　undertaken　to　suppress　the　rebellion；　the　onus　faciendi；　therefore；　rested　on　the　Government。　The　rebellion　could　never　be　put　down；　the　authority　of　the　paramount　Government　asserted；　and　the　union　of　the　States　declared　perpetual；　by　force　of　arms；　by　maintaining　the　defensive；　to　accomplish　these　grand　desiderata；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　the　Government　should　adopt；　and　maintain　until　the　rebellion　was　crushed；　the　offensive。

For　the　purpose　of　expelling　the　rebels　from　Kentucky；　General　Sherman　said　that　at　least　sixty　thousand　soldiers　were　necessary。　Considering　that　the　means　of　accomplishment　must　always　be　proportioned　to　the　end　to　be　achieved；　and　bearing　in　mind　the　array　of　rebel　force　then　in　Kentucky；　every　sensible　man　must　admit　that　the　estimate　of　the　force　given　by　General　Sherman；　for　driving　the　rebels　out　of　the　State；　and　reestablishing　and　maintaining　the　authority　of　the　Government；　was　a　very　low　one。　The　truth　is　that；　before　the　rebels　were　driven　from　Kentucky；　many　more　than　sixty　thousand　soldiers　were　sent　into　the　State。

Ascending　from　the　consideration　of　the　narrow　question　of　the　political　and　military　situation　in　Kentucky；　and　the　extent　of　force　necessary　to　redeem　the　State　from　rebel　thraldom；　forecasting　in　his　sagacious　intellect　the　grand　and　daring　operations　which；　three　years　afterward；　he　realized　in　a　campaign；　taken　in　its　entirety；　without　a　parallel　in　modern　times；　General　Sherman　expressed　the　opinion　that；　to　carry　the　war　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　and　destroy　all　armed　opposition　to　the　Goverment；　in　the　entire　Mississippi　Valley；　at　least　two　hundred　thousand　troops　were　absolutely　requisite。

So　soon　as　General　Sherman　had　concluded　the　expression　of　his　views；　Mr。　Cameron　asked；　with　much　warmth　and　apparent　irritation；　〃Where　do　you　suppose；　General　Sherman；　all　this　force　is　to　come　from。〃　　General　Sherman　replied　that　he　did　not　know；　that　it　was　not　his　duty　to　raise；　organize；　and　put　the　necessary　military　force　into　the　field；　that　duty　pertained　to　the　War　Department。　His　duty　was　to　organize　campaigns　and　command　the　troops　after　they　had　been　put　into　the　field。

At　this　point　of　the　proceedings；　General　Sherman　suggested　that　it　might　be　agreeable　to　the　Secretary　to　hear　the　views　of　Mr。　Guthrie。　　Thus　appealed　to；　Mr。　Guthrie　said　he　did　not　consider　himself；　being　a　civilian；　competent　to　give　an　opinion　as　to　the　extent　of　force　necessary　to　parry　the　war　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　but；　being　well　informed　of　the　condition　of　things　in　Kentucky；　he　indorsed　fully　General　Sherman'e　opinion　of　the　force　required　to　drive　the　rebels　out　of　the　State。

The　foregoing　is　a　circumstantial　account　of　the　deliberations　of　the　council　that　were　of　any　importance。

A　good　deal　of　desultory　conversation　followed；　on　immaterial　matters；　and　some　orders　were　issued　by　telegraph；　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　for　some　small　reenforcements　to　be　sent　to　Kentucky　immediately；　from　Pennsylvania　and　Indiana。

A　short　time　after　the　council　was　heldthe　exact　time　is　not　now　remembered　by　the　writeran　imperfect　narrative　of　it　appeared　in　the　Now　York　Tribune。　　This　account　announced　to　the　public　the　conclusions　uttered　by　General　Sherman　in　the　council；　without　giving　the　reasons　on　which　his　conclusions　were　based。　　The　unfairness　of　this　course　to　General　Sherman　needs　no　comment。　　All　military　men　were　shocked　by　the　gross　breach　of　faith　which　had　been　committed

TH。　J。　WOOD；　Major…General　Volunteeers

Vicksburg；　Mississippi；　August　24；　1886。


Brigadier…General　Don　Carlos　Buell　arrived　at　Louisville　about　the　middle　of　November；　with　orders　to　relieve　me；　and　I　was　transferred　for　duty　to　the　Department　of　the　Missouri；　and　ordered　to　report　in　person　to　Major…General　H。　W。　Halleck　at　St。　Louis。　　I　accompanied　General　Buell　to　the　camp　at　Nolin；　where　he　reviewed　and　inspected　the　camp　and　troops　under　the　command　of　General　A。　McD。　McCook；　and　on　our　way　back　General　Buell　inspected　the　regiment　of　Hazzard　at　Elizabethtown。　　I　then　turned　over　my　command　to　him；　and　took　my　departure　for　St。　Louis。

At　the　time　I　was　so　relieved　I　thought；　of　course；　it　was　done　in　fulfillment　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　promise　to　me；　and　as　a　necessary　result　of　my　repeated　demand　for　the　fulfillment　of　that　promise；　but　I　saw　and　felt；　and　was　of　course　deeply　moved　to　observe；　the　manifest　belief　that　there　was　more　or　less　of　truth　in　the　rumor　that　the　cares；　perplexities；　and　anxiety　of　the　situation　had　unbalanced　my　judgment　and　mind。　　It　was；　doubtless；　an　incident　common　to　al1　civil　wars；　to　which　I　could　only　submit　with　the　best　grace　possible；　trusting　to　the　future　for　an　opportunity　to　redeem　my　fortune　and　good　name。　　Of　course　I　could　not　deny　the　fact；　and　had　to　submit　to　all　its　painful　consequences　for　months；　and；　moreover；　I　could　not　hide　from　myself　that　many　of　the　officers　and　soldiers　subsequently　placed　under　my　command　looked　at　me　askance　and　with　suspicion。　　Indeed；　it　was　not　until　the　following　April　that　the　battle　of　Shiloh　gave　me　personally　the　chance　to　redeem　my　good　name。

On　reaching　St。　Louis　and　reporting　to　General　Halleck；　I　was　received　kindly；　and　was　shortly　afterward　（viz。；　November　23d）　sent　up　to　Sedalia　to　inspect　the　camp　there；　and　the　troops　located　along　the　road　back　to　Jefferson　City；　and　I　was　ordered　to　assume　command　in　a　certain　contingency。　　I　found　General　Steels　at　Sedalia　with　his　regiments　scattered　about　loosely；　and　General　Pope　at　Otterville；　twenty　miles　back；　with　no　concert　between　them。　　The　rebel　general；　Sterling　Price；　had　his　forces　down　about　Osceola　and　Warsaw。　　I　advised　General　Halleck　to　collect　the　whole　of　his　men　into　one　camp　on　the　La　Mine　River；　near　Georgetown；　to　put　them　into　brigades　and　divisions；　so　as　to　be　ready　to　be　handled；　and　I　gave　some　preliminary　orders　looking　to　that　end。　But　the　newspapers　kept　harping　on　my　insanity　and　paralyzed　my　efforts。　　In　spite　of　myself；　they　tortured　from　me　some　words　and　acts　of　imprudence。　　General　Halleck　telegraphed　me　on　November　26th：　〃Unless　telegraph…lines　are　interrupted；　make　no　movement　of　troops　without　orders；〃　and　on　November　29th：　〃No　forward　movement　of　troops　on　Osceola　will　be　made；　only　strong　reconnoitring…parties　will　be　sent　out　in　the　supposed　direction　of　the　enemy；　the　balk　of　the　troops　being　held　in　position　till　more　reliable　information　is　obtained。〃

About　the　same　time　I　received　the　following　dispatch：

HEADQUARTERS；　ST。　LOUIS；　MISSOURI　November　28；　1881。　　Brigadier

General　SHERMAN；　Sedalia：

Mrs。　Sherman　is　here。　　General　Halleck　is　satisfied；　from　reports　of　scouts　received　here；　that　no　attack　on　Sedalia　is　intended。　You　will　therefore　return　to　this　city；　and　report　your　observations　on　the　condition　of　the　troops　you　have　examined。　Please　telegraph　when　you　will　leave。

SCHUYLER　HAMILTON；　Brigadier…General　and　Aide…de…Camp。


I　accordingly　returned　to　St。　Louis；　where　I　found　Mrs。　Sherman；　naturally　and　properly　distressed　at　the　continued　and　reiterated　reports　of　the　newspapers　of　my　insanity；　and　she　had　come　from　Lancaster　to　see　me。　　This　recall　from　Sedalia　simply　swelled　the　cry。　　It　was　alleged　that　I　was　recalled　by　reason　of　something　foolish　I　had　done　at　Sedalia；　though　in　fact　I　had　done　absolutely　nothing；　except　to　recommend　what　was　done　immediately　thereafter　on　the　advice　of　Colonel　McPherson；　on　a　subsequent　inspection。　Seeing　and　realizing　that　my　efforts　were　useless；　I　concluded　to　ask　for　a　twenty　days'　leave　of　absence；　to　accompany　Mrs。　Sherman　to　our　home　in　Lancaster；　and　to　allow　the　storm　to　blow　over　somewhat。　　It　also　happened　to　be　mid…winter；　when；　nothing　was　doing；　so　Mrs。　Sherman　and　I　returned　to　Lancaster；　where　I　was　born；　and　where　I　supposed　I　was　better　known　and　appreciated。

The　newspapers　kept　up　their　game　as　though　instigated　by　malice；　and　chief　among　them　was　the　Cincinnati　Comercial；　whose　editor；　Halsted；　was　generally　believed　to　be　an　honorable　man。　　P。　B。　Ewing；　Esq。；　being　in　Cincinnati；　saw　him　and　asked　him　why　he；　who　certainly　knew　better；　would　re