personal memoirs-2-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



commander　was　now；　for　the　first　time；　overmatched；　for　against　all

his　devicesthe　products　of　a　mind　fertile　in　defenseGeneral　Grant

brought　to　bear　not　only　the　wealth　of　expedient　which　had　hitherto

distinguished　him；　but　also　an　imperturbable　tenacity；　particularly

in　the　Wilderness　and　on　the　march　to　the　James；　without　which　the

almost　insurmountable　obstacles　of　that　campaign　could　not　have　been

overcome。　　During　it　and　in　the　siege　of　Petersburg　he　met　with　many

disappointmentson　several　occasions　the　shortcomings　of　generals；

when　at　the　point　of　success；　leading　to　wretched　failures。　　But　so

far　as　he　was　concerned；　the　only　apparent　effect　of　these

discomfitures　was　to　make　him　all　the　more　determined　to　discharge

successfully　the　stupendous　trust　committed　to　his　care；　and　to　bring

into　play　the　manifold　resources　of　his　well　ordered　military　mind。

He　guided　every　subordinate　then；　and　in　the　last　days　of　the

rebellion；　with　a　fund　of　common　sense　and　superiority　of　intellect；

which　have　left　an　impress　so　distinct　as　to　exhibit　his　great

personality。　　When　his　military　history　is　analyzed　after　the　lapse

of　years；　it　will　show；　even　more　clearly　than　now；　that　during　these

as　well　as　in　his　previous　campaigns　he　was　the　steadfast　Centre

about　and　on　which　everything　else　turned。









CHAPTER　IX。



ORDERED　TO　GREENSBORO'；　N。　C。MARCH　TO　THE　DAN　RIVERASSIGNED　TO

THE　COMMAND　WEST　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPILEAVING　WASHINGTONFLIGHT　OF

GENERAL　EARLYMAXIMILIANMAKING　DEMONSTRATIONS　ON　THE　UPPER　RIO

GRANDECONFEDERATES　JOIN　MAXIMILIANTHE　FRENCH　INVASION　OF　MEXICO

AND　ITS　RELATIONS　TO　THE　REBELLIONASSISTING　THE　LIBERALS

RESTORATION　OF　THE　REPUBLIC。



The　surrender　at　Appomattox　put　a　stop　to　all　military　operations　on

the　part　of　General　Grant's　forces；　and　the　morning　of　April　10　my

cavalry　began　its　march　to　Petersburg；　the　men　anticipating　that　they

would　soon　be　mustered　out　and　returned　to　their　homes。　　At　Nottoway

Court　House　I　heard　of　the　assassination　of　the　President。　　The　first

news　came　to　us　the　night　after　the　dastardly　deed；　the　telegraph

operator　having　taken　it　from　the　wires　while　in　transmission　to

General　Meade。　　The　despatch　ran　that　Mr。　Lincoln　had　been；　shot　at

10　o'clock　that　morning　at　Willard's　Hotel；　but　as　I　could　conceive

of　nothing　to　take　the　President　there　I　set　the　story　down　as　a

canard；　and　went　to　bed　without　giving　it　further　thought。　　Next

morning；　however；　an　official　telegram　confirmed　the　fact　of　the

assassination；　though　eliminating　the　distorted　circumstances　that

had　been　communicated　the　night　before。



When　we　reached　Petersburg　my　column　was　halted；　and　instructions

given　me　to　march　the　cavalry　and　the　Sixth　Corps　to　Greensboro'；

North　Carolina；　for　the　purpose　of　aiding　General　Sherman　（the

surrender　of　General　Johnston　having　not　yet　been　effected）；　so　I

made　the　necessary　preparations　and　moved　on　the　24th　of　April；

arriving　at　South　Boston；　on　the　Dan　River；　the　28th；　the　Sixth　Corps

having　reached　Danville　meanwhile。　　At　South　Boston　I　received　a

despatch　from　General　Halleck；　who　immediately　after　Lee's　surrender

had　been　assigned　to　command　at　Richmond；　informing　me　that　General

Johnston　had　been　brought　to　terms。　　The　necessity　for　going　farther

south　being　thus　obviated　we　retraced　our　steps　to　Petersburg；　from

which　place　I　proceeded　by　steamer　to　Washington；　leaving；　the

cavalry　to　be　marched　thither　by　easy　stages。



The　day　after　my　arrival　in　Washington　an　important　order　was　sent

me；　accompanied　by　the　following　letter　of　instructions；　transferring

me　to　a　new　field　of　operations：





〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES。

〃Washington；　D。　　C。；　May　17；　1865。



〃GENERAL　：　Under　the　orders　relieving　you　from　the　command　of　the

Middle　Military　Division　and　assigning　you　to　command　west　of　the

Mississippi；　you　will　proceed　without　delay　to　the　West　to　arrange

all　preliminaries　for　your　new　field　of　duties。



〃Your　duty　is　to　restore　Texas；　and　that　part　of　Louisiana　held　by

the　enemy；　to　the　Union　in　the　shortest　practicable　time；　in　a　way

most　effectual　for　securing　permanent　peace。



〃To　do　this；　you　will　be　given　all　the　troops　that　can　be　spared

by　Major…General　Canby；　probably　twenty…five　thousand　men　of

all　arms；　the　troops　with　Major…General　J。　J。　Reynolds；　in　Arkansas；

say　twelve　thousand；　Reynolds　to　command；　the　Fourth

Army　Corps；　now　at　Nashville；　Tennessee；　awaiting　orders；　and

the　Twenty…Fifth　Army　Corps；　now　at　City　Point；　Virginia；　ready

to　embark。



〃I　do　not　wish　to　trammel　you　with　instructions；　I　will　state；

however；　that　if　Smith　holds　out；　without　even　an　ostensible

government　to　receive　orders　from　or　to　report　to；　he　and　his　men　are

not　entitled　to　the　considerations　due　to　an　acknowledged

belligerent。　　Theirs　are　the　conditions　of　outlaws；　making　war

against　the　only　Government　having　an　existence　over　the　territory

where　war　is　now　being　waged。



〃You　may　notify　the　rebel　commander　west　of　the　Mississippiholding

intercourse　with　him　in　person；　or　through　such　officers　of　the　rank

of　major…general　as　you　may　selectthat　he　will　be　allowed　to

surrender　all　his　forces　on　the　same　terms　as　were　accorded　to　Lee

and　Johnston。　　If　he　accedes；　proceed　to　garrison　the　Red　River　as

high　up　as　Shreveport；　the　seaboard　at　Galveston；　Malagorda　Bay；

Corpus　Christi；　and　mouth　of　the　Rio　Grande。



〃Place　a　strong　force　on　the　Rio　Grande；　holding　it　at　least　to　a

point　opposite　Camargo；　and　above　that　if　supplies　can　be　procured。



〃In　case　of　an　active　campaign　（a　hostile　one）　I　think　a　heavy　force

should　be　put　on　the　Rio　Grande　as　a　first　preliminary。　　Troops　for

this　might　be　started　at　once。　　The　Twenty…Fifth　Corps　is　now

available；　and　to　it　should　be　added　a　force　of　white　troops；　say

those　now　under　Major…General　Steele。



〃To　be　clear　on　this　last　point；　I　think　the　Rio　Grande　should　be

strongly　held；　whether　the　forces　in　Texas　surrender　or　not；　and　that

no　time　should　be　lost　in　getting　troops　there。　　If　war　is　to　be

made；　they　will　be　in　the　right　place；　if　Kirby　Smith　surrenders；

they　will　be　on　the　line　which　is　to　be　strongly　garrisoned。



〃Should　any　force　be　necessary　other　than　those　designated；　they　can

be　had　by　calling　for　them　on　Army　Headquarters。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；

〃Lieutenant…General。



〃To　MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃United　States　Army。〃





On　receipt　of　these　instructions　I　called　at　once　on　General　Grant；

to　see　if　they　were　to　be　considered　so　pressing　as　to　preclude　my

remaining　in　Washington　till　after　the　Grand　Review；　which　was　fixed

for　the　23d　and　24th　of　May；　for　naturally　I　had　a　strong　desire　to

head　my　command　on　that　great　occasion。　　But　the　General　told　me　that

it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　go　at　once　to　force　the　surrender　of

the　Confederates　under　Kirby　Smith。　　He　also　told　me　that　the　States

lately　in　rebellion　would　be　embraced　in　two　or　three　military

departments；　the　commanders　of　which　would　control　civil　affairs

until　Congress　took　action　about　restoring　them　to　the　Union；　since

that　course　would　not　only　be　economical　and　simple；　but　would　give

the　Southern　people　confidence；　and　encourage　them　to　go　to　work；

instead　of　distracting　them　with　politics。



At　this　same　interview　he　informed　me　that　there　was　an　additional

motive　in　sending　me　to　the　new　command；　a　motive　not　explained　by

the　instructions　themselves；　and　went　on　to　say　that；　as　a　matter　of

fact；　he　looked　upon　the　invasion　of　Mexico　by　Maximilian　as　a　part

of　the　rebellion　itself；　because　of　the　encouragement　that　invasion

had　received　from　the　Confederacy；　and　that　our　success　in　putting

down　secession　would　never　be　complete　till　the　French　and　Austrian

invaders　were　compelled　to　quit　the　territory　of　our　sister　republic。

With　regard　to　this　matter；　though；　he　said　it　would　be　necessary　for

me　to　act　with　great　circumspection；　since　the　Secretary　of　State；

Mr。　Seward；　was　much　opposed　to　the　use　of　our　troops　along　the

border　in　any　active　way　that　would　be　likely　to　involve　us　in　a　war

with　European　powers。



Under　the　circumstances；　my　disappointment　at　not　being　permitted　to

participate　in　the　review　had　to　be　submitted　to；　and　I　left

Washington　without　an　opportunity　of　seeing　again　in　a　body　the　men

who；　while　under　my　command；　had　gone　through　so　many　trials　and

unremittingly　pursued　and；　assailed　the　enemy；　from　the　beginning　of

the　campaign　of　1864　till　the　white　flag　came　into　their　hands　at

Appomattox　Court　House。



I　went　first　to　St。　　Louis；　and　there　took　the　steamboat　for　New

Orleans；　and　when　near　the　mouth　of　the　Red　River　received　word　from

General　Canby　that　Kirby　Smith　had　surrendered　under　terms　similar　to

those　accorded　Lee　and　Johnston。　　But　the　surrender　was　not　carried

out　in　good　faith；　particularly　by　the　Texas　troops；　though　this　I

did　not　learn　till　some　li