personal memoirs-1-第21节

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

it　for　a　mile　and　a　half；　but　found　neither　bridge　nor　culvert。　　I

then　learned　that　there　was　no　bridge　of　any　importance　except　the

one　at　Baldwin；　nine　miles　farther　down；　but　as　I　was　aware；　from

information　recently　received；　that　it　was　defended　by　three

regiments　and　a　battery；　I　concluded　that　I　could　best　accomplish　the

purpose　for　which　I　had　been　detachedcrippling　the　roadby　tearing

up　the　track；　bending　the　rails；　and　burning　the　cross…ties。　　This

was　begun　with　alacrity　at　four　different　points；　officers　and　men

vieing　with　one　another　in　the　laborious　work　of　destruction。　　We　had

but　few　tools；　and　as　the　difficulties　to　overcome　were　serious；　our

progress　was　slow；　until　some　genius　conceived　the　idea　that　the

track；　rails　and　ties；　might　be　lifted　from　its　bed　bodily；　turned

over；　and　subjected　to　a　high　heat；　a　convenient　supply　of　dry　fence…

rails　would　furnish　ample　fuel　to　render　the　rails　useless。　　In　this

way　a　good　deal　of　the　track　was　effectively　broken　up；　and

communication　by　rail　from　Corinth　to　the　south　entirely　cut　off。

While　we　were　still　busy　in　wrecking　the　road；　a　dash　was　made　at　my

right　and　rear　by　a　squadron　of　Confederate　cavalry。　　This　was

handsomely　met　by　the　reserve　under　Captain　Archibald　P。　Campbell；　of

the　Second　Michigan；　who；　dismounting　a　portion　of　his　command；

received　the　enemy　with　such　a　volley　from　his　Colt's　repeating

rifles　that　the　squadron　broke　and　fled　in　all　directions。　　We　were

not　molested　further；　and　resumed　our　work；　intending　to　extend　the

break　toward　Baldwin；　but　receiving　orders　from　Elliott　to　return　to

Booneville　immediately；　the　men　were　recalled；　and　we　started　to

rejoin　the　main　command。



In　returning　to　Booneville；　I　found　the　railroad　track　above　where　I

had　struck　it　blocked　by　trains　that　we　had　thus　cut　off；　and　the

woods　and　fields　around　the　town　covered　with　several　thousand

Confederate　soldiers。　　These　were　mostly　convalescents　and

disheartened　stragglers　belonging　to　General　Beauregard's　army；　and

from　them　we　learned　that　Corinth　was　being　evacuated。　　I　spent　some

little　time　in　an　endeavor　to　get　these　demoralized　men　into　an　open

field；　with　a　view　to　some　future　disposition　of　them；　but　in　the

midst　of　the　undertaking　I　received　another　order　from　Colonel

Elliott　to　join　him　at　once。　　The　news　of　the　evacuation　had　also

reached　Elliott；　and　had　disclosed　a　phase　of　the　situation　so

different　from　that　under　which　he　had　viewed　it　when　we　arrived　at

Booneville；　that　he　had　grown　anxious　to　withdraw；　lest　we　should　be

suddenly　pounced　upon　by　an　overwhelming　force　from　some　one　of　the

columns　in　retreat。　　Under　such　circumstances　my　prisoners　would

prove　a　decided　embarrassment；　so　I　abandoned　further　attempts　to　get

them　togethernot　even　paroling　them；　which　I　thought　might　have

been　done　with　but　little　risk。



In　the　meantime　the　captured　cars　had　been　fired；　and　as　their

complete　destruction　was　assured　by　explosions　from　those　containing

ammunition；　they　needed　no　further　attention；　so　I　withdrew　my　men

and　hastened　to　join　Elliott；　taking　along　some　Confederate　officers

whom　I　had　retained　from　among　four　or　five　hundred　prisoners

captured　when　making　the　original　dash　below　the　town。



The　losses　in　my　regiment；　and；　in　fact；　those　of　the　entire　command；

were　insignificant。　　The　results　of　the　expedition　were　important；

the　railroad　being　broken　so　thoroughly　as　to　cut　off　all　rolling

stock　north　of　Booneville；　and　to　place　at　the　service　of　General

Halleck's　army　the　cars　and　locomotives　of　which　the　retreating

Confederates　were　now　so　much　in　need。　　In　addition；　we　burned

twenty…six　cars　containing　ten　thousand　stand　of　small　arms；　three

pieces　of　artillery；　a　great　quantity　of　clothing；　a　heavy　supply　of

ammunition；　and　the　personal　baggage　of　General　Leonidas　Polk。　　A

large　number　of　prisoners；　mostly　sick　and　convalescent；　also　fell

into　our　hands；　but　as　we　could　not　carry　them　with　ussuch　a　hurried

departure　was　an　immediate　necessity；　by　reason　of　our　critical

situationthe　process　of　paroling　them　was　not　completed；　and　they

doubtless　passed　back　to　active　service　in　the　Confederacy；　properly

enough　unrecognized　as　prisoners　of　war　by　their　superiors。



In　returning；　the　column　marched　back　by　another　indirect　route　to

its　old　camp　near　Farmington；　where　we　learned　that　the　whole　army

had　moved　into　and　beyond　Corinth；　in　pursuit　of　Beauregard；　on　the

13th　of　May；　the　very　day　we　had　captured　Booneville。　　Although　we

had　marched　about　one　hundred　and　eighty　miles　in　four　days；　we　were

required　to　take　part；　of　course；　in　the　pursuit　of　the　Confederate

army。　　So；　resting　but　one　night　in　our　old　camp；　we　were　early　in

the　saddle　again　on　the　morning　of　the　2d　of　June。　　Marching　south

through　Corinth；　we　passed　on　the　4th　of　June　the　scene　of　our　late

raid；　viewing　with　much　satisfaction；　as　we　took　the　road　toward

Blackland；　the　still　smoldering　embers　of　the　burned　trains。



On　the　4th　of　June　I　was　ordered　to　proceed　with　my　regiment　along

the　Blackland　road　to　determine　the　strength　of　the　enemy　in　that

direction；　as　it　was　thought　possible　we　might　capture；　by　a

concerted　movement　which　General　John　Pope　had　suggested　to　General

Halleck；　a　portion　of　Beauregard's　rear　guard。　　Pushing　the

Confederate　scouts　rapidly　in　with　a　running　fire　for　a　mile　or　more；

while　we　were　approaching　a　little　stream；　I　hoped　to　gobble　the　main

body　of　the　enemy's　pickets。　　I　therefore　directed　the　sabre

battalion　of　the　regiment；　followed　by　that　portion　of　it　armed　with

revolving　rifles；　to　dash　forward　in　column；　cut　off　these　videttes

before　they　could　cross　the　stream；　and　then　gather　them　in。　　The

pickets　fled　hastily；　however；　and　a　pell…mell　pursuit　carried　us

over　the　stream　at　their　heels　by　a　little　bridge；　with　no　thought　of

halting　till　we　gained　a　hill　on　the　other　side；　and　suddenly　found

ourselves　almost　in　the　camp　of　a　strong　body　of　artillery　and

infantry。　　Captain　Campbell　being　in　advance；　hurriedly　dismounted

his　battalion　for　a　further　forward　movement　on　foot；　but　it　was

readily　seen　that　the　enemy　was　present　in　such　heavy　force　as　almost

to　ensure　our　destruction；　and　I　gave　orders　for　a　hasty　withdrawal。

We　withdrew　without　loss　under　cover　of　thick　woods；　aided　much；

however；　by　the　consternation　of　the　Confederates；　who　had　hardly

recovered　from　their　surprise　at　our　sudden　appearance　in　their　camp

before　we　had　again　placed　the　stream　between　them　and　us　by

recrossing　the　bridge。　　The　reconnoissance　was　a　success　in　one　way

that　is；　in　finding　out　that　the　enemy　was　at　the　point　supposed　by；

General　Pope；　but　it　also　had　a　tendency　to　accelerate　Beauregard's

retreat；　for　in　a　day　or　two　his　whole　line　fell　back　as　far　south　as

Guntown；　thus　rendering　abortive　the　plans　for　bagging　a　large

portion　of　his　army。



General　Beauregard's　evacuation　of　Corinth　and　retreat　southward　were

accomplished　in　the　face　of　a　largely　superior　force　of　Union　troops；

and　he　reached　the　point　where　he　intended　to　halt　for　reorganization

without　other　loss　than　that　sustained　in　the　destruction　of　the　cars

and　supplies　at　Booneville；　and　the　capture　of　some　stragglers　and

deserters　that　fell　into　our　hands　while　we　were　pressing　his　rear

from　General　Pope's　flank。　　The　number　of　these　was　quite　large；　and

indicated　that　the　enemy　was　considerably　demoralized。　　Under　such

circumstances；　an　energetic　and　skillfully　directed　pursuit　might　not

have　made　certain　the　enemy's　destruction；　but　it　would　largely　have

aided　in　disintegrating　his　forces；　and　I　never　could　quite

understand　why　it　was　not　ordered。　　The　desultory　affairs　between

rear　and　advance　guards　seemed　as　a　general；　thing　to　have　no

particular　purpose　in　view　beyond　finding　out　where　the　enemy　was；

and　when　he　was　found；　since　no　supporting　colums　were　at　hand　and　no

one　in　supreme　control　was　present　to　give　directions；　our

skirmishing　was　of　little　avail　and　brought　but　small　reward。



A　short　time　subsequent　to　these　occurrences；　Colonel　Elliott　was

made　a　brigadier…general；　and　as　General　Pope　appointed　him　his

Chief…of…Staff；　I；　on　the　11th　of　June；　1862；　fell　in　command　of　the

brigade　by　seniority。　　For　the　rest　of　the　month　but　little　of　moment

occurred；　and　we　settled　down　into　camp　at　Booneville　on　the　26th　of

June；　in　a　position　which　my　brigade　had　been　ordered　to　take　up　some

twenty　miles；　in　advance　of　the　main　army　for　the　purpose　of　covering

its　front。　　Although　but　a　few　days　had　elapsed　from　the　date　of　my

appointment　as　colonel　of　the　Second　Michigan　to　that　of　my

succeeding　to　the　command　of　the　brigade；　I　believe　I　can　say　with

propriety　that　I　had　firmly　established　myself　in　the　confidence　of

the　officers　and　men　of　the　regiment；　and　won　their　regard　by

thoughtful　care。　　I　had　striv