personal memoirs-1-第35节

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activity　had　permitted　scant　opportunity　for　the　development　of　such

a　system。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　I　received　my　appointment　as　a

major…general　of　Volunteers。　　My　promotion　had　been　recommended　by

General　Rosecrans　immediately　after　the　battle　of　Stone　River；　but

for　some　reason　it　was　delayed　until　April；　and　though　a　long　time

elapsed　between　the　promise　and　the　performance；　my　gratification　was

extreme。



My　scout；　Card；　was　exceedingly　useful　while　encamped　near

Murfreesboro；　making　several　trips　to　East　Tennessee　within　the

enemy's　lines　to　collect　information　as　to　the　condition　of　the　loyal

people　there；　and　to　encourage　them　with　the　hope　of　early

liberation。　　He　also　brought　back　from　each　trip　very　accurate

statements　as　to　the　strength　and　doings　of　the　Confederate　army；

fixing　almost　with　certainty　its　numbers　and　the　locations　of　its

different　divisions；　and　enabling　my　engineer…officerMajor

Morhardtto　construct　good　maps　of　the　country　in　our　front。　　On

these　dangerous　excursions　Card　was　always　accompanied　by　one　of　his

brothers；　the　other　remaining　with　me　to　be　ready　for　duty　if　any

accident　occurred　to　those　who　had　gone　out；　or　in　case　I　wanted　to

communicate　with　them。　　In　this　way　we　kept　well　posted；　although　the

intelligence　these　men　brought　was　almost　always　secured　at　the　risk

of　their　lives。



Early　in　the　spring；　before　the　Tullahoma　campaign　began；　I　thought

it　would　be　practicable；　by　sending　out　a　small　secret　expedition　of

but　three　or　four　men；　to　break　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga

railroad　between　Chattanooga　and　the　enemy's　position　at　Tullahoma　by

burning　the　bridges　in　Crow　Creek　valley　from　its　head　to　Stevenson；

Alabama；　and　then　the　great　bridge　across　the　Tennessee　River　at

Bridgeport。　　Feeling　confident　that　I　could　persuade　Card　to

undertake　the　perilous　duty；　I　broached　the　contemplated　project　to

him；　and　he　at　once　jumped　at　the　opportunity　of　thus　distinguishing

himself；　saying　that　with　one　of　his　brothers　and　three　other　loyal

East　Tennesseeans；　whose　services　he　knew　could　be　enlisted；　he　felt

sure　of　carrying　out　the　idea；　so　I　gave　him　authority　to　choose　his

own　assistants。　　In　a　few　days　his　men　appeared　at　my　headquarters；

and　when　supplied　with　money　in　notes　of　the　State　Bank　of　Tennessee；

current　everywhere　as　gold　in　those　days；　the　party；　composed　of

Card；　the　second　brother；　and　the　three　East　Tennesseeans；　started　on

their　precarious　enterprise；　their　course　being　directed　first　toward

the　Cumberland　Mountains；　intending　to　strike　the　Nashville　and

Chattanooga　railroad　somewhere　above　Anderson's　station。　　They

expected　to　get　back　in　about　fifteen　days；　but　I　looked　for　some

knowledge　of　the　progress　of　their　adventure　before　the　expiration　of

that　period；　hoping　to　hear　through　Confederate　sources　prisoners　and

the　like…of　the　destruction　of　the　bridges。　　I　waited　in　patience　for

such　news；　but　none　came；　and　as　the　time　Card　had　allotted　himself

passed　by；　I　watched　anxiously　for　his　return；　for；　as　there　was

scarcely　a　doubt　that　the　expedition　had　proved　a　failure；　the　fate

of　the　party　became　a　matter　of　deep　concern　to　Card's　remaining

brother　and　to　me。　　Finally　this　brother　volunteered　to　go　to　his

father's　house　in　East　Tennessee　to　get　tidings　of　the　party；　and　I

consented；　for　the　probabilities　were　that　some　of　them　had　made

their　way　to　that　point；　or　at　least　that　some　information　had

reached　there　about　them。　　As　day　after　day　went　by；　the　time　fixed

for　this　brother's　return　came　round；　yet　he　also　remained　out；　but

some　days　after　the　lad　was　due　Card　himself　turned　up　accompanied　by

the　brother　he　had　taken　with　him；　soon　explained　his　delay　in

getting　back；　and　gave　me　the　story　of　his　adventures　while　absent。



After　leaving　my　camp；　his　party　had　followed　various　byways　across

the　Cumberland　Mountains　to　Crow　Creek　Valley；　as　instructed；　but

when　nearing　the　railroad　above　Anderson's　Station；　they　were

captured　by　some　guerrillas　prowling　about　that　vicinity；　and　being

suspected　of　disloyalty　to　the　Confederacy；　were　carried　to

Chattanooga　and　imprisoned　as　Yankee　spies。　　Their　prospects　now　were

decidedly　discouraging；　for　death　stared　them　in　the　face。

Fortunately；　however；　some　delays　occurred　relative　to　the

disposition　that　should　be　made　of　them；　and　they；　meanwhile；

effected　their　escape　from　their　jailors　by　way　of　one　of　the　prison

windows；　from　which　they　managed　to　displace　a　bar；　and　by　a　skiff；

in　the　darkness　of　night；　crossed　the　Tennessee　River　a　little　below

Chattanooga。　　From　this　point　the　party　made　their　way　back　to　my

camp；　traveling　only　at　night；　hiding　in　the　woods　by　day；　and　for

food　depending　on　loyal　citizens　that　Card　had　become　acquainted　with

when　preaching　and　pedling。



Card's　first　inquiry　after　relating　his　story　was　for　the　youngest

brother；　whom　he　had　left　with　me。　　I　told　him　what　I　had　done；　in　my

anxiety　about　himself；　and　that　more　than　sufficient　time　had　elapsed

for　his　brother's　return。　　His　reply　was：　〃They　have　caught　him。　　The

poor　fellow　is　dead。〃　　His　surmise　proved　correct；　for　news　soon　came

that　the　poor　boy　had　been　captured　at　his　father's　house；　and

hanged。　　The　blow　to　Card　was　a　severe　one；　and　so　hardened　his　heart

against　the　guerrillas　in　the　neighborhood　of　his　father's　homefor

he　knew　they　were　guilty　of　his　brother's　murderthat　it　was　with

difficulty　I　could　persuade　him　to　continue　in　the　employment　of　the

Government；　so　determined　was　he　to　avenge　his　brother's　death　at　the

first　opportunity。　　Finally；　however；　I　succeeded　in　quieting　the

almost　uncontrollable　rage　that　seemed　to　possess　him；　and　he

remained　with　me　during　the　Tullahoma　and　Chickamauga　campaigns；　but

when　we　reached　Knoxville　the　next　winter；　he　took　his　departure；

informing　me　that　he　was　going　for　the　bushwhackers　who　had　killed

his　brother。　　A　short　time　after　he　left　me；　I　saw　him　at　the　head　of

about　thirty　well…armed　East　Tennesseeansrefugees。　　They　were

determined…looking　men；　seeking　revenge　for　the　wrongs　and　sufferings

that　had　been　put　upon　them　in　the　last　two　years；　and　no　doubt

wreaked　their　vengeance　right　and　left　on　all　who　had　been　in　any　way

instrumental　in　persecuting　them。



The　feeding　of　our　army　from　the　base　at　Louisville　was　attended　with

a　great　many　difficulties；　as　the　enemy's　cavalry　was　constantly

breaking　the　railroad　and　intercepting　our　communications　on　the

Cumberland　River　at　different　points　that　were　easily　accessible　to

his　then　superior　force　of　troopers。　　The　accumulation　of　reserve

stores　was　therefore　not　an　easy　task；　and　to　get　forage　ahead　a　few

days　was　well…nigh　impossible；　unless　that　brought　from　the　North　was

supplemented　by　what　we　could　gather　from　the　country。　　Corn　was

abundant　in　the　region　to　the　south　and　southwest　of　Murfreesboro'；

so　to　make　good　our　deficiences　in　this　respect；　I　employed　a　brigade

about　once　a　week　in　the　duty　of　collecting　and　bringing　in　forage；

sending　out　sometimes　as　many　as　a　hundred　and　fifty　wagons　to　haul

the　grain　which　my　scouts　had　previously　located。　　In　nearly　every

one　of　these　expeditions　the　enemy　was　encountered；　and　the　wagons

were　usually　loaded　while　the　skirmishers　kept　up　a　running　fire；

Often　there　would　occur　a　respectable　brush；　with　the　loss　on　each

side　of　a　number　of　killed　and　wounded。　　The　officer　in　direct

command　always　reported　to　me　personally　whatever　had　happened　during

the　time　he　was　outthe　result　of　his　reconnoissance；　so　to　speak；

for　that　war　the　real　nature　of　these　excursionsand　on　one　occasion

the　colonel　in　command；　Colonel　Conrad；　of　the　Fifteenth　Missouri；

informed　me　that　he　got　through　without　much　difficulty；　in　fact；

that　everything　had　gone　all　right　and　been　eminently　satisfactory；

except　that　in　returning　he　had　been　mortified　greatly　by　the　conduct

of　the　two　females　belonging　to　the　detachment　and　division　train　at

my　headquarters。　　These　women；　he　said；　had　given　much　annoyance　by

getting　drunk；　and　to　some　extent　demoralizing　his　men。　　To　say　that

I　was　astonished　at　his　statement　would　be　a　mild　way　of　putting　it；

and　had　I　not　known　him　to　be　a　most　upright　man　and　of　sound　sense；

I　should　have　doubted　not　only　his　veracity；　but　his　sanity。

Inquiring　who　they　were　and　for　further　details；　I　was　informed　that

there　certainly　were　in　the　command　two　females；　that　in　some

mysterious　manner　had　attached　themselves　to　the　service　as　soldiers；

that　one；　an　East　Tennessee　woman；　was　a　teamster　in　the　division

wagon…train　and　the　other　a　private　soldier　in　a　cavalry　company

temporarily　attached　to　my　headquarters　for　escort　duty。　　While　out

on　the　foraging　expedition　these　Amazons　had　secured　a　supply　of

〃apple…jack〃　by　some　means；　got　very　drunk；　and　on　the　return　had

fallen　into　Stone　River　and　been　nearly　drowned。　　After　they　had　been

fished　from；　the　water；　in　the　process　of