personal memoirs-2-第50节

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we　set　out　the　following　forenoon；　taking　with　us　a　small　escort　of

infantry；　transported　in　two　light　wagons；　a　couple　of　Mandans　and

the　post　interpreter　going　along　as　mounted　guides。



To　reach　water　we　had　to　march　the　first　day　to　a　small　lake　forty

miles　off；　and　the　oppressive　heat；　together　with　the　long　distance

traveled；　used　up　one　of　the　teams　so　much　that；　when　about　to　start

out　the　second　morning；　we　found　the　animals　unable　to　go　on　with　any

prospect　of　finishing　the　trip；　so　I　ordered　them　to　be　rested　forty…

eight　hours　longer；　and　then　taken　back　to　Stevenson。　　This

diminished　the　escort　by　one…half；　yet　by　keeping　the　Indians　and

interpreter　on　the　lookout；　and　seeing　that　our　ambulance　was　kept

closed　up　on　the　wagon　carrying　the　rest　of　the　detachment；　we　could；

I　thought；　stand　off　any　ordinary　party　of　hostile　Indians。



About　noon　I　observed　that　the　scouts　in　advance　had　left　the　trail

and　begun　to　reconnoitre　a　low　ridge　to　their　right；　the　sequel　of

which　was　that　in　a　few　minutes　they　returned　to　the　wagons　on　a　dead

run　and　reported　Sioux　just　ahead。　　Looking　in　the　direction

indicated；　I　could　dimly　see　five　or　six　horsemen　riding　in　a　circle；

as　Indians　do　when　giving　warning　to　their　camp；　but　as　our　halt

disclosed　that　we　were　aware　of　their　proximity；　they　darted　back

again　behind　the　crest　of　the　ridge。　　Anticipating　from　this　move　an

immediate　attack；　we　hastily　prepared　for　it　by　unhooking　the　mules

from　the　wagon　and　ambulance；　so　that　we　could　use　the　vehicles　as　a

barricade。　　This　done；　I　told　the　interpreter　to　take　the　Mandan

scouts　and　go　over　toward　the　ridge　and　reconnoitre　again。　　As　the

scouts　neared　the　crest　two　of　them　dismounted；　and；　crawling　slowly

on　their　bellies　to　the　summit；　took　a　hasty　look　and　returned　at

once　to　their　horses；　coming　back　with　word　that　in　the　valley　beyond

was　a　camp　of　at　least　a　hundred　Sioux　lodges；　and　that　the　Indians

were　hurriedly　getting　ready　to　attack　us。　　The　news　was　anything　but

cheering；　for　with　a　village　of　that　size　the　warriors　would　number

two　or　three　hundred；　and　could　assail　us　from　every　side。



Still；　nothing　could　be　done；　but　stand　and　take　what　was　to　come；

for　there　was　no　chance　of　escapeit　being　supreme　folly　to

undertake　in　wagons　a　race　with　Indians　to　Fort　Stevenson；　sixty

miles　away。　　To　make　the　best　of　the　situation；　we　unloaded　the

baggage；　distributing　and　adjusting　the　trunks；　rolls　of　bedding；

crackerboxes；　and　everything　else　that　would　stop　a　bullet；　in　such

manner　as　to　form　a　square　barricade；　two　sides　of　which　were　the

wagons；　with　the　mules　haltered　to　the　wheels。　　Every　man　then

supplied　himself　with　all　the　ammunition　he　could　carry；　and　the

Mandan　scouts　setting　up　the　depressing　wail　of　the　Indian　death…

song；　we　all　awaited　the　attack　with　the　courage　of　despair。



But　no　attack　came；　and　time　slipping　by；　and　we　still　unmolested；

the　interpreter　and　scouts　were　sent　out　to　make　another

reconnoissance。　　Going　through　just　such　precautions　as　before　in

approaching　the　ridge；　their　slow　progress　kept　us　in　painful

suspense；　but　when　they　got　to　the　crest　the　strain　on　our　herves　was

relieved　by　seeing　them　first　stand　up　boldly　at　full　height；　and

then　descend　beyond。　　Quickly　returning；　they　brought　welcome　word

that　the　whole　thing　was　a　mistake；　and　no　Sioux　were　there　at　all。

What　had　been　taken　for　a　hundred　Indian　lodges　turned　out　to　be　the

camp　of　a　Government　train　on　its　way　to　Fort　Stevenson；　and　the

officer　in　charge　seeing　the　scouts　before　they　discovered　him；　and

believing　them　to　be　Sioux；　had　sent　out　to　bring　his　herds　in。　　It

would　be　hard　to　exaggerate　the　relief　that　this　discovery　gave　us；

and　we　all　breathed　much　easier。　　The　scare　was　a　bad　one；　and　I　have

no　hesitation　in　saying　that；　had　we　been　mounted；　it　is　more　than

likely　that；　instead　of　showing　fight；　we　would　have　taken　up　a

lively　pace　for　Fort　Stevenson。



After　reciprocal　explanations　with　the　officer　in　charge　of　the

train；　the　march　was　resumed；　and　at　the　close　of　that　day　we　camped

near　a　small　lake　about　twenty　miles　from　Fort　Totten。　　From　Totten

we　journeyed　on　to　Fort　Abercrombie。　　The　country　between　the　two

posts　is　low　and　flat；　and　I　verily　believe　was　then　the　favorite

abiding…place　of　the　mosquito；　no　matter　where　he　most　loves　to　dwell

now；　for　myriads　of　the　pests　rose　up　out　of　the　tall　rank　grass

more　than　I　ever　saw　before　or　sinceand　viciously　attacked　both　men

and　animals。　　We　ourselves　were　somewhat　protected　by　gloves　and

head…nets；　provided　us　before　leaving　Totten；　but　notwithstanding

these　our　sufferings　were　well…nigh　intolerable；　the　annoyance　that

the　poor　mules　experienced　must；　therefore；　have　been　extreme；

indeed；　they　were　so　terribly　stung　that　the　blood　fairly　trickled

down　their　sides。　　Unluckily；　we　had　to　camp　for　one　night　in　this

region；　but　we　partly　evaded　the　ravenous　things　by　banking　up　our

tent　walls　with　earth；　and　then；　before　turning　in；　sweeping　and

smoking　out　such　as　had　got　inside。　　Yet　with　all　this　there　seemed

hundreds　left　to　sing　and　sting　throughout　the　night。　　The　mules

being　without　protection；　we　tried　hard　to　save　them　from　the　vicious

insects　by　creating　a　dense　smoke　from　a　circle　of　smothered　fires；

within　which　chain　the　grateful　brutes　gladly　stood；　but　this　relief

was　only　partial；　so　the　moment　there　was　light　enough　to　enable　us

to　hook　up　we　pulled　out　for　Abercrombie　in　hot　haste。



》From　Abercrombie　we　drove　on　to　Saint　Cloud；　the　terminus　of　the

railroad；　where；　considerably　the　worse　for　our　hurried　trip　and

truly　wretched　experience　with　the　mosquitoes；　we　boarded　the　welcome

cars。　　Two　days　later　we　arrived　in　Chicago；　and　having　meanwhile

received　word　from　General　Sherman　that　there　would　be　no　objection

to　my　going　to　Europe；　I　began　making　arrangements　to　leave；　securing

passage　by　the　steamship　Scotia。



President　Grant　invited　me　to　come　to　see　him　at　Long　Branch　before　I

should　sail；　and　during　my　brief　visit　there　he　asked　which　army　I

wished　to　accompany；　the　German　or　the　French。　　I　told　him　the

German；　for　the　reason　that　I　thought　more　could　be　seen　with　the

successful　side；　and　that　the　indications　pointed　to　the　defeat　of

the　French。　　My　choice　evidently　pleased　him　greatly；　as　he　had　the

utmost　contempt　for　Louis　Napoleon；　and　had　always　denounced　him　as　a

usurper　and　a　charlatan。　　Before　we　separated；　the　President　gave　me

the　following　letter　to　the　representatives　of　our　Government　abroad；

and　with　it　I　not　only　had　no　trouble　in　obtaining　permission　to　go

with　the　Germans；　but　was　specially　favored　by　being　invited　to

accompany　the　headquarters　of　the　King　of　Prussia：



〃LONG　BRANCH；　N。　J。；　July　25；　1870。



〃Lieutenant…General　P。　H。　Sheridan；　of　the　United　State　Army；　is

authorized　to　visit　Europe；　to　return　at　his　own　pleasure；　unless

otherwise　ordered。　　He　is　commended　to　the　good　offices　of　all

representatives　of　this　Government　whom　he　may　meet　abroad。



〃To　citizens　and　representatives　of　other　Governments　I　introduce

General　Sheridan　as　one　of　the　most　skillful；　brave　and　deserving

soldiers　developed　by　the　great　struggle　through　which　the　United

States　Government　has　just　passed。　　Attention　paid　him　will　be　duly

appreciated　by　the　country　he　has　served　so　faithfully　and

efficiently。



〃U。　S。　GRANT。〃





Word　of　my　intended　trip　was　cabled　to　Europe　in　the　ordinary　press

despatches；　and　our　Minister　to　France；　Mr。　Elihu　B。　Washburn；　being

an　intimate　friend　of　mine；　and　thinking　that　I　might　wish　to　attach

myself　to　the　French　army；　did　me　the　favor　to　take　preliminary　steps

for　securing　the　necessary　authority。　　He　went　so　far　as　to　broach

the　subject　to　the　French　Minister　of　War；　but　in　view　of　the

informality　of　the　request；　and　an　unmistakable　unwillingness　to

grant　it　being　manifested；　Mr。　Washburn　pursued　the　matter　no

further。　　I　did　not　learn　of　this　kindly　interest　in　my　behalf　till

after　the　capitulation　of　Paris；　when　Mr。　Washburn　told　me　what　he

had　done　of　his　own　motion。　　Of　course　I　thanked　him　gratefully；　but

even　had　he　succeeded　in　getting　the　permission　he　sought　I　should

not　have　accompanied　the　French　army。



I　sailed　from　New　York　July　27；　one　of　my　aides…de…camp；　General

James　W。　Forsyth；　going　with　me。　　We　reached　Liverpool　August　6；　and

the　next　day　visited　the　American　Legation　in　London；　where　we　saw

all　the　officials　except　our　Minister；　Mr。　Motley；　who；　being　absent；

was　represented　by　Mr。　Moran；　the　Secretary　of　the　Legation。　　We　left

London　August　9　for　Brussels；　where　we　were　kindly　cared　for　by　the

American　Minister；　Mr。　Russell　Jones　who　the　same　evening　saw　us　off

for　Germany。　　Because　of　the　war　we　secured　transportation　only　as

far　as　Vera；　and　here　we　received　information　that　the　Prussian

Minister　of　War　had　telegraphed　to　the　Military　Inspector　of

Ra