personal memoirs-1-第20节

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systematizing　the　establishment　and　remedying　the　defects　complained

of；　and　I　was　consequently　assigned　to　this　duty。　　Shortly　after　this

assignment　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　General　Halleck　was

delighted　with　the　improvements　made　at　headquarters；　both　in　camp

outfit　and　transportation；　and　in　administration　generally。　　My

popularity　grew　as　the　improvements　increased；　but　one　trifling

incident　came　near　marring　it。　　There　was　some　hitch　about　getting

fresh　beef　for　General　Halleck's　mess；　and　as　by　this　time　everybody

had　come　to　look　to　me　for　anything　and　everything　in　the　way　of

comfort；　Colonel　Joe　McKibben　brought　an　order　from　the　General　for

me　to　get　fresh　beef　for　the　headquarters　mess。　　I　was　not　caterer

for　this　mess；　nor　did　I　belong　to　it　even；　so　I　refused　point…blank。

McKibben；　disliking　to　report　my　disobedience；　undertook　persuasion；

and　brought　Colonel　Thom　to　see　me　to　aid　in　his　negotiations；　but　I

would　not　give　in；　so　McKibben　in　the　kindness　of　his　heart　rode

several　miles　in　order　to　procure　the　beef　himself；　and　thus　save　me

from　the　dire　results　which　be　thought　would　follow　should　Halleck

get　wind　of　such　downright　insubordination。　　The　next　day　I　was　made

Commissary　of　Subsistence　for　the　headquarters　in　addition　to　my

other　duties；　and　as　this　brought　me　into　the　line　of　fresh　beef；

General　Halleck　had　no　cause　thereafter　to　complain　of　a　scarcity　of

that　article　in　his　mess。



My　stay　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　was　exceedingly　agreeable；

and　my　personal　intercourse　with　officers　on　duty　there　was　not　only

pleasant　and　instructive；　but　offered　opportunities　for　improvement

and　advancement　for　which　hardly　any　other　post　could　have　afforded

like　chances。　　My　special　duties　did　not　occupy　all　my　time；　and

whenever　possible　I　used　to　go　over　to　General　Sherman's　division；

which　held　the　extreme　right　of　our　line　in　the　advance　on　Corinth；

to　witness　the　little　engagements　occurring　there　continuously　during

the　slow　progress　which　the　army　was　then　making；　the　enemy　being

forced　back　but　a　short　distance　each　day。　　I　knew　General　Sherman

very　well。　　We　came　from　near　the　same　section　of　country　in　Ohio；

and　his　wife　and　her　family　had　known　me　from　childhood。　　I　was

always　kindly　received　by　the　General；　and　one　day　he　asked　me　if　I

would　be　willing　to　accept　the　colonelcy　of　a　certain　Ohio　regiment

if　he　secured　the　appointment。　　I　gladly　told　him　yes；　if　General

Halleck　would　let　me　go；　but　I　was　doomed　to　disappointment；　for　in

about　a　week　or　so　afterward　General　Sherman　informed　me　that　the

Governor　of　Ohio　would　not　consent；　having　already　decided　to　appoint

some　one　else。



A　little　later　Governor　Blair；　of　Michigan；　who　was　with　the　army

temporarily　in　the　interest　of　the　troops　from　his　State；　and　who

just　at　this　time　was　looking　around　for　a　colonel　for　the　Second

Michigan　Cavalry；　and　very　anxious　to　get　a　regular　officer；　fixed

upon　me　as　the　man。　　The　regiment　was　then　somewhat　run　down　by

losses　from　sickness；　and　considerably　split　into　factions　growing

out　of　jealousies　engendered　by　local　differences　previous　to

organization；　and　the　Governor　desired　to　bridge　over　all　these

troubles　by　giving　the　regiment　a　commander　who　knew　nothing　about

them。　　I　presume　that　some　one　said　to　the　Governor　about　this　time；

〃Why　don't　you　get　Sheridan？〃　　This；　however；　is　only　conjecture。　　I

really　do　not　know　how　my　name　was　proposed　to　him；　but　I　have　often

been　told　since　that　General　Gordon　Granger；　whom　I　knew　slightly

then；　and　who　had　been　the　former　colonel　of　the　regiment；　first

suggested　the　appointment。　　At　all　events；　on　the　morning　of　May　27；

1862；　Captain　Russell　A。　Algerrecently　Governor　of　Michigan

accompanied　by　the　quartermaster　of　the　regiment；　Lieutenant　Frank

Walbridge；　arrived　at　General　Halleck's　headquarters　and　delivered　to

me　this　telegram：



（By　Telegraph。）

〃MILITARY　DEPT　OF　MICHIGAN；

〃ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；

〃DETROIT；　May　25；　1862。



GENERAL　ORDERS　NO。　148。



〃Captain　Philip　H。　Sheridan；　U。　S。　Army；　is　hereby　appointed

Colonel　of　the　Second　Regiment　Michigan　Cavalry；　to　rank　from

this　date。



〃Captain　Sheridan　will　immediately　assume　command　of　the

regiment。



〃By　order　of　the　Commander…in…Chief；

〃JNO。　ROBERTSON；

〃Adjutant…General。〃





I　took　the　order　to　General　Halleck；　and　said　that　I　would　like　to

accept；　but　he　was　not　willing　I　should　do　so　until　the　consent　of

the　War　Department　could　be　obtained。　　I　returned　to　my　tent　much

disappointed；　for　in　those　days；　for　some　unaccountable　reason；　the

War　Department　did　not　favor　the　appointment　of　regular　officers　to

volunteer　regiments；　and　I　feared　a　disapproval　at　Washington。　　After

a　further　consultation　with　Captain　Alger　and　Lieutenant　Walbridge；　I

determined　to　go　to　the　General　again　and　further　present　the　case。

Enlarging　on　my　desire　for　active　service　with　troops；　and　urging　the

utter　lack　of　such　opportunity　where　I　was；　I　pleaded　my　cause　until

General　Halleck　finally　resolved　to　take　the　responsibility　of

letting　me　go　without　consulting　the　War　Department。　　When　I　had

thanked　him　for　the　kindness；　he　said　that　inasmuch　as　I　was　to　leave

him；　he　would　inform　me　that　the　regiment　to　which　I　had　just　been

appointed　was　ordered　out　as　part　of　a　column　directed　to　make　a　raid

to　the　south　of　the　enemy；　then　occupying　Corinth；　and　that　if　I

could　turn　over　my　property；　it　would　probably　be　well　for　me　to　join

my　command　immediately；　so　that　I　could　go　with　the　expedition。　　I

returned　to　my　tent；　where　Alger　and　Walbridge　were　still　waiting；

and　told　them　of　the　success　of　my　interview；　at　the　same　time

notifying　them　that　I　would　join　the　regiment　in　season　to　accompany

the　expedition　of　which　Halleck　had　spoken。



In　the　course　of　the　afternoon　I　turned　over　all　my　property　to　my

successor；　and　about　8　o'clock　that　evening　made　my　appearance　at　the

camp　of　the　Second　Michigan　Cavalry；　near　Farmington；　Mississippi。

The　regiment　was　in　a　hubbub　of　excitement　making　preparations　for

the　raid；　and　I　had　barely　time　to　meet　the　officers　of　my　command；

and　no　opportunity　at　all　to　see　the　men；　when　the　trumpet　sounded　to

horse。　　Dressed　in　a　coat　and　trousers　of　a　captain　of　infantry；　but

recast　as　a　colonel　of　cavalry　by　a　pair　of　well…worn　eagles　that

General　Granger　had　kindly　given　me；　I　hurriedly　placed　on　my　saddle

a　haversack；　containing　some　coffee；　sugar；　bacon；　and　hard　bread；

which　had　been　prepared；　and　mounting　my　horse；　I　reported　my

regiment　to　the　brigade　commander　as　ready　for　duty。









CHAPTER　IX。



EXPEDITION　TO　BOONEVILLEDESTROYING　SUPPLIESCONFEDERATE

STRAGGLERSSUCCESS　OF　THE　EXPEDITIONA　RECONNOISSANCETHE

IMPORTANCE　OF　BODILY　SUSTENANCETHE　BATTLE　OF　BOONEVILLE

RECOMMENDED　FOR　APPOINTMENT　AS　A　BRIGADIER…GENERAL。



The　expedition　referred　to　by　General　Halleck　in　his　parting

conversation　was　composed　of　the　Second　Michigan　and　Second　Iowa

regiments　of　cavalry；　formed　into　a　brigade　under　command　of　Colonel

Washington　L。　Elliott；　of　the　Second　Iowa。　　It　was　to　start　on　the

night　of　the　27th　of　May　at　12　o'clock；　and　proceed　by　a　circuitous

route　through　Iuka；　Miss。；　to　Booneville；　a　station　on　the　Mobile　and

Ohio　Railroad；　about　twenty…two　miles　below　Corinth；　and　accomplish

all　it　could　in　the　way　of　destroying　the　enemy's　supplies　and

cutting　his　railroad　communications。



The　weather　in　that　climate　was　already　warm；　guides　unobtainable；

and　both　men　and　horses　suffered　much　discomfort　from　the　heat；　and

fatigue　from　the　many　delays　growing　out　of　the　fact　that　we　were　in

almost　total　ignorance　of　the　roads　leading　to　the　point　that　we

desired　to　reach。　　In　order　that　we　might　go　light　we　carried　only

sugar；　coffee；　and　salt；　depending　on　the　country　for　meat　and　bread。

Both　these　articles　were　scarce；　but　I　think　we　got　all　there　was；

for　our　advent　was　so　unexpected　by　the　people　of　the　region　through

which　we　passed　that；　supposing　us　to　be　Confederate　cavalry；　they

often　gave　us　all　they　had；　the　women　and　servants　contributing　most

freely　from　their；　reserve　stores。



Before　reaching　Booneville　I　had　the　advance；　but　just　as　we　arrived

on　the　outskirts　of　the　town　the　brigade　was　formed　with　the　Second

Iowa　on　my　right；　and　the　whole　force　moved　forward；　right　in　front；

preceded　by　skirmishers。　　Here　we　encountered　the　enemy；　but　forced

him　back　with　little　resistance。　　When　we　had　gained　possession　of

the　station；　Colonel　Elliott　directed　me　to　take　the　left　wing　of　my

regiment；　pass　to　the　south；　and　destroy　a　bridge　or　culvert　supposed

to　be　at　a　little　distance　below　the　town　on　the　Mobile　and　Ohio

Railroad。　　The　right　wing；　or　other　half　of　the　regiment；　was　to　be

held　in　reserve　for　my　support　if　necessary。　　I　moved　rapidly　in　the

designated　direction　till　I　reached　the　railroad；　and　then　rode　down

it　for　a　mile