memoirs of general william t. sherman-1- 第7部分

Thus　by　a　mere　accident　I　was　enabled　to　traverse　on　horseback　the　very　ground　where　in　after…years　I　had　to　conduct　vast　armies　and　fight　great　battles。　　That　the　knowledge　thus　acquired　was　of　infinite　use　to　me；　and　consequently　to　the　Government；　I　have　always　felt　and　stated。

During　the　autumn　of　1844；　a　difficulty　arose　among　the　officers　of　Company　B；　Third　Artillery　（John　R。　Yinton's）；　garrisoning　Augusta　Arsenal；　and　I　was　sent　up　from　Fort　Moultrie　as　a　sort　of　peace…maker。　　After　staying　there　some　months；　certain　transfers　of　officers　were　made；　which　reconciled　the　difficulty；　and　I　returned　to　my　post；　Fort　Moultrie。　　During　that　winter；　1844…'45；　I　was　visiting　at　the　plantation　of　Mr。　Poyas；　on　the　east　branch　of　the　Cooper；　about　fifty　miles　from　Fort　Moultrie；　hunting　deer　with　his　son　James；　and　Lieutenant　John　F。　Reynolds；　Third　Artillery。　　We　had　taken　our　stands；　and　a　deer　came　out　of　the　swamp　near　that　of　Mr。　James　Poyas；　who　fired；　broke　the　leg　of　the　deer；　which　turned　back　into　the　swamp　and　came　out　again　above　mine。　　I　could　follow　his　course　by　the　cry　of　the　hounds；　which　were　in　close　pursuit。　Hastily　mounting　my　horse；　I　struck　across　the　pine…woods　to　head　the　deer　off；　and　when　at　full　career　my　horse　leaped　a　fallen　log　and　his　fore…foot　caught　one　of　those　hard；　unyielding　pineknots　that　brought　him　with　violence　to　the　ground。　　I　got　up　as　quick　as　possible；　and　found　my　right　arm　out　of　place　at　the　shoulder；　caused　by　the　weight　of　the　double…barrelled　gun。

Seeing　Reynolds　at　some　distance；　I　called　out　lustily　and　brought　him　to　me。　　He　soon　mended　the　bridle　and　saddle；　which　had　been　broken　by　the　fall；　helped　me　on　my　horse；　and　we　followed　the　coarse　of　the　hounds。　　At　first　my　arm　did　not　pain　me　much；　but　it　soon　began　to　ache　so　that　it　was　almost　unendurable。　　In　about　three　miles　we　came　to　a　negro　hut；　where　I　got　off　and　rested　till　Reynolds　could　overtake　Poyas　and　bring　him　back。　　They　came　at　last；　but　by　that　time　the　arm　was　so　swollen　and　painful　that　I　could　not　ride。　　They　rigged　up　an　old　gig　belonging　to　the　negro；　in　which　I　was　carried　six　miles　to　the　plantation　of　Mr。　Poyas；　Sr。　　A　neighboring　physician　was　sent　for；　who　tried　the　usual　methods　of　setting　the　arm；　but　without　success；　each　time　making　the　operation　more　painful。　　At　last　he　sent　off；　got　a　set　of　double　pulleys　and　cords；　with　which　he　succeeded　in　extending　the　muscles　and　in　getting　the　bone　into　place。　　I　then　returned　to　Fort　Moultrie；　but　being　disabled；　applied　for　a　short　leave　and　went　North。

I　started　January　25；1845；　went　to　Washington；　Baltimore；　and　Lancaster；　Ohio；　whence　I　went　to　Mansfield；　and　thence　back　by　Newark　to　Wheeling；　Cumberland；　Baltimore；　Philadelphia；　and　New　York；　whence　I　sailed　back　for　Charleston　on　the　ship　Sullivan；　reaching　Fort　Moultrie　March　9；　1845。

About　that　time　（March　1；　1845）　Congress　had；　by　a　joint　resolution；　provided　for　the　annexation　of　Texas；　then　an　independent　Republic；　subject　to　certain　conditions　requiring　the　acceptance　of　the　Republic　of　Texas　to　be　final　and　conclusive。　　We　all　expected　war　as　a　matter　of　course。　　At　that　time　General　Zachary　Taylor　had　assembled　a　couple　of　regiments　of　infantry　and　one　of　dragoons　at　Fort　Jessup；　Louisiana；　and　had　orders　to　extend　military　protection　to　Texas　against　the　Indians；　or　a　〃foreign　enemy；〃　the　moment　the　terms　of　annexation　were　accepted。　　He　received　notice　of　such　acceptance　July　7th；　and　forthwith　proceeded　to　remove　his　troops　to　Corpus　Christi；　Texas；　where；　during　the　summer　and　fall　of　1845；　was　assembled　that　force　with　which；　in　the　spring　of　1846；　was　begun　the　Mexican　War。

Some　time　during　that　summer　came　to　Fort　Moultrie　orders　for　sending　Company　E；　Third　Artillery；　Lieutenant　Bragg；　to　New　Orleans；　there　to　receive　a　battery　of　field…guns；　and　thence　to　the　camp　of　General　Taylor　at　Corpus　Christi。　　This　was　the　first　company　of　our　regiment　sent　to　the　seat　of　war；　and　it　embarked　on　the　brig　Hayne。　　This　was　the　only　company　that　left　Fort　Moultrie　till　after　I　was　detached　for　recruiting　service　on　the　1st　of　May；　1846。

Inasmuch　as　Charleston　afterward　became　famous；　as　the　spot　where　began　our　civil　war；　a　general　description　of　it；　as　it　was　in　1846；　will　not　be　out　of　place。

The　city　lies　on　a　long　peninsula　between　the　Ashley　and　Cooper　Riversa　low；　level　peninsula；　of　sand。　　Meeting　Street　is　its　Broadway；　with　King　Street；　next　west　and　parallel；　the　street　of　shops　and　small　stores。　　These　streets　are　crossed　at　right　angles　by　many　others；　of　which　Broad　Street　was　the　principal；　and　the　insersection　of　Meeting　and　Broad　was　the　heart　of　the　city；　marked　by　the　Guard…House　and　St。　Michael's　Episcopal　Church。　　The　Custom…House；　Post…Office；　etc。；　were　at　the　foot　of　Broad　Street；　near　the　wharves　of　the　Cooper　River　front。　　At　the　extremity　of　the　peninsula　was　a　drive；　open　to　the　bay；　and　faced　by　some　of　the　handsomest　houses　of　the　city；　called　the　〃Battery。〃　　Looking　down　the　bay　on　the　right；　was　James　Island；　an　irregular　triangle　of　about　seven　miles；　the　whole　island　in　cultivation　with　sea…island　cotton。　　At　the　lower　end　was　Fort　Johnson；　then　simply　the　station　of　Captain　Bowman；　United　States　Engineers；　engaged　in　building　Fort　Sumter。　　This　fort　（Sumter）　was　erected　on　an　artificial　island　nearly　in　mid…channel；　made　by　dumping　rocks；　mostly　brought　as　ballast　in　cotton…ships　from　the　North。　　As　the　rock　reached　the　surface　it　was　levelled；　and　made　the　foundation　of　Fort　Sumter。　　In　1846　this　fort　was　barely　above　the　water。　Still　farther　out　beyond　James　Island；　and　separated　from　it　by　a　wide　space　of　salt　marsh　with　crooked　channels；　was　Morris　Island；　composed　of　the　sand…dunes　thrown　up　by　the　wind　and　the　sea；　backed　with　the　salt　marsh。　　On　this　was　the　lighthouse；　but　no　people。

On　the　left；　looking　down　the　bay　from　the　Battery　of　Charleston；　was；　first；　Castle　Pinckney；　a　round　brick　fort；　of　two　tiers　of　guns；　one　in　embrasure；　the　other　in　barbette；　built　on　a　marsh　island；　which　was　not　garrisoned。　　Farther　down　the　bay　a　point　of　the　mainland　reached　the　bay；　where　there　was　a　group　of　houses；　called　Mount　Pleasant；　and　at　the　extremity　of　the　bay；　distant　six　miles；　was　Sullivan's　Island；　presenting　a　smooth　sand…beach　to　the　sea；　with　the　line　of　sand…hills　or　dunes　thrown　up　by　the　waves　and　winds；　and　the　usual　backing　of　marsh　and　crooked　salt…water　channels。

At　the　shoulder　of　this　island　was　Fort　Moultrie；　an　irregular　fort；　without　ditch　or　counterscarp；　with　a　brick　scarp　wall　about　twelve　feet　high；　which　could　be　scaled　anywhere；　and　this　was　surmounted　by　an　earth　parapet　capable　of　mounting　about　forty　twenty…four　and　thirty…two　pounder　smooth…bore　iron　guns。　　Inside　the　fort　were　three　two…story　brick　barracks；　sufficient　to　quarter　the　officers　and　men　of　two　companies　of　artillery。

At　sea　was　the　usual　〃bar；〃　changing　slightly　from　year　to　year；　but　generally　the　main　ship…channel　came　from　the　south；　parallel　to　Morris　Island；　till　it　was　well　up　to　Fort　Moultrie；　where　it　curved；　passing　close　to　Fort　Sumter　and　up　to　the　wharves　of　the　city；　which　were　built　mostly　along　the　Cooper　River　front。

Charleston　was　then　a　proud；　aristocratic　city；　and　assumed　a　leadership　in　the　public　opinion　of　the　South　far　out　of　proportion　to　her　population；　wealth；　or　commerce。　　On　more　than　one　occasion　previously；　the　inhabitants　had　almost　inaugurated　civil　war；　by　their　assertion　and　professed　belief　that　each　State　had；　in　the　original　compact　of　government；　reserved　to　itself　the　right　to　withdraw　from　the　Union　at　its　own　option；　whenever　the　people　supposed　they　had　sufficient　cause。　　We　used　to　discuss　these　things　at　our　own　mess…tables；　vehemently　and　sometimes　quite　angrily；　but　I　am　sure　that　I　never　feared　it　would　go　further　than　it　had　already　gone　in　the　winter　of　1832…'33；　when　the　attempt　at　〃nullification〃　was　promptly　suppressed　by　President　Jackson's　famous　declaration；　〃The　Union　must　and　shall　be　preserved！〃　and　by　the　judicious　management　of　General　Scott。

Still；　civil　war　was　to　be；　and；　now　that　it　has　come　and　gone；　we　can　rest　secure　in　the　knowledge　that　as　the　chief　cause；　slavery；　has　been　eradicated　forever；　it　is　not　likely　to　come　again。




CHAPTER　II。

EARLY　RECOLLECTIONS　of　CALIFORNIA。

1846…1848。


In　the　spring　of　1846　I　was　a　first　lieutenant　of　Company　C；1；　Third　Artillery；　stationed　at　Fort　Moultrie；　South　Carolina。　　The　company　was　commanded　by　Captain　Robert　Anderson；　Henry　B。　Judd　was　the　senior　first…lieutenant；　and　I　was　the　junior　first…lieutenant；　and　George　B。　Ayres　the　second…lieutenant。　　Colonel　William　Gates　commanded　the　post　and　regiment；　with　First…Lieutenant　William　Austine　as　his　adjutant。　　Two　other　companies　were　at　the　post；　viz。；　Martin　Burke's　and　E。　D。　Keyes's；　and　among　the　officers　were　T。　W。　Sherman；　Morris　Miller；　H。　B。　Field；　William　Churchill；　Joseph　Stewart；　and　Surgeon　McLaren。

The　country　now　known　as　Texas　had　been　recently　acquired；　and　war　with　Mexico　was　threatening。　　One　of　our　companies　（Bragg's）；　with　George　H。　Thomas；　John　F。　Reynolds；　and　Frank　Thomas；　had　gone　the　year　previous　and　was　at　that　time　with　Genera