personal memoirs-1-第42节

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having　received　in　the　interval；　since　we　came　back　to　Chattanooga；

considerable　reinforcement　by　the　arrival　in　his　department　of　the

Eleventh　and　Twelfth　corps；　under　General　Hooker；　from　the　Army　of

the　Potomac。　　With　this　force　Rosecrans　had　already　strengthened

certain　important　points　on　the　railroad　between　Nashville　and

Stevenson；　and　given　orders　to　Hooker　to　concentrate　at　Bridgeport

such　portions　of　his　command　as　were　available；　and　to　hold　them　in

readiness　to　advance　toward　Chattanooga。



On　the　19th　of　October；　after　turning　the　command　over　to　Thomas；

General　Rosecrans　quietly　slipped　away　from　the　army。　　He　submitted　_

uncomplainingly　to　his　removal；　and　modestly　left　us　without　fuss　or

demonstration；　ever　maintaining；　though；　that　the　battle　of

Chickamauga　was　in　effect　a　victory；　as　it　had　ensured　us；　he　said；

the　retention　of　Chattanooga。　　When　his　departure　became　known　deep

and　almost　universal　regret　was　expressed；　for　he　was

enthusiastically　esteemed　and　loved　by　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；

from　the　day　he　assumed　command　of　it　until　he　left　it；

notwithstanding　the　censure　poured　upon　him　after　the　battle　of

Chickamauga。



The　new　position　to　which　my　division　had　been　moved；　in　consequence

of　the　reorganization；　required　little　additional　labor　to　strengthen

it；　and　the　routine　of　fatigue　duty　and　drills　was　continued　as

before；　its　monotony　occasionally　broken　by　the　excitement　of　an

expected　attack；　or　by　amusements　of　various　kinds　that　were

calculated　to　keep　the　men　in　good　spirits。　　Toward　this　result　much

was　contributed　by　Mr。　James　E。　Murdock；　the　actor；　who　came　down

from　the　North　to　recover　the　body　of　his　son；　killed　at　Chickamauga；

and　was　quartered　with　me　for　the　greater　part　of　the　time　he　was

obliged　to　await　the　successful　conclusion　of　his　sad　mission。　　He

spent　days；　and　even　weeks；　going　about　through　the　division　giving

recitations　before　the　camp…fires；　and　in　improvised　chapels；　which

the　men　had　constructed　from　refuse　lumber　and　canvas。　　Suiting　his

selections　to　the　occasion；　he　never　failed　to　excite　intense

interest　in　the　breasts　of　all　present；　and　when　circumstances

finally　separated　him　from　us；　all　felt　that　a　debt　of　gratitude　was

due　him　that　could　never　be　paid。　　The　pleasure　he　gave；　and　the

confident　feeling　that　was　now　arising　from　expected　reinforcements；

was　darkened；　however；　by　one　sad　incident。　　Three　men　of　my　division

had　deserted　their　colors　at　the　beginning　of　the　siege　and　made

their　way　north。　　They　were　soon　arrested；　and　were　brought　back　to

stand　trial　for　the　worst　offense　that　can　be　committed　by　a　soldier；

convicted　of　the　crime；　and　ordered　to　be　shot。　　To　make　the　example

effective　I　paraded　the　whole　division　for　the　execution；　and　on　the

13th　of　November；　in　the　presence　of　their　former　comrades；　the

culprits　were　sent；　in　accordance　with　the　terms　of　their　sentence；

to　render　their　account　to　the　Almighty。　　It　was　the　saddest

spectacle　I　ever　witnessed；　but　there　could　be　no　evasion；　no

mitigation　of　the　full　letter　of　the　law；　its　timely　enforcement　was

but　justice　to　the　brave　spirits　who　had　yet　to　fight　the　rebellion

to　the　end。



General　Grant　arrived　at　Chattanooga　on　October　23；　and　began　at　once

to　carry　out　the　plans　that　had　been　formed　for　opening　the　shorter

or　river　road　to　Bridgeport。　　This　object　was　successfully

accomplished　by　the　moving　of　Hooker's　command　to　Rankin's　and

Brown's　ferries　in　concert　with　a　force　from　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland　which　was　directed　on　the　same　points；　so　by　the　27th　of

October　direct　communication　with　our　depots　was　established。　　The

four　weeks　which　followed　this　cheering　result　were　busy　with　the

work　of　refitting　and　preparing　for　offensive　operations　as　soon　as

General　Sherman　should　reach　us　with　his　troops　from　West　Tennessee。

During　this　period　of　activity　the　enemy　committed　the　serious　fault

of　detaching　Longstreet's　corpssending　it　to　aid　in　the　siege　of

Knoxville　in　East　Tennesseean　error　which　has　no　justification

whatever；　unless　it　be　based　on　the　presumption　that　it　was

absolutely　necessary　that　Longstreet　should　ultimately　rejoin　Lee's

army　in　Virginia　by　way　of　Knoxville　and　Lynchburg；　with　a　chance　of

picking　up　Burnside　en　route。　　Thus　depleted；　Bragg　still　held

Missionary　Ridge　in　strong　force；　but　that　part　of　his　line　which

extended　across　the　intervening　valley　to　the　northerly　point　of。

Lookout　Mountain　was　much　attenuated。



By　the　18th　of　November　General　Grant　had　issued　instructions

covering　his　intended　operations。　　They　contemplated　that　Sherman's

column；　which　was　arriving　by　the　north　bank　of　the　Tennessee；　should

cross　the　river　on　a　pontoon　bridge　just　below　the　mouth　of

Chickamauga　Creek　and　carry　the　northern　extremity　of　Missionary

Ridge　as　far　as　the　railroad　tunnel；　that　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland…

…the　centreshould　co…operate　with　Sherman；　and　that　Hooker　with　a

mixed　command　should　continue　to　hold　Lookout　Valley　and　operate　on

our　extreme　right　as　circumstances　might　warrant。　　Sherman　crossed　on

the　24th　to　perform　his　alloted　part　of　the　programme；　but　in　the

meantime　Grant　becoming　impressed　with　the　idea　that　Bragg　was

endeavoring　to　get　away；　ordered　Thomas　to　make　a　strong

demonstration　in　his　front；　to　determine　the　truth　or　falsity　of　the

information　that　had　been　received。　　This　task　fell　to　the　Fourth

Corps；　and　at　12　o'clock　on　the　23d　I　was　notified　that　Wood's

division　would　make　a　reconnoissance　to　an　elevated　point　in　its

front　called　Orchard　Knob；　and　that　I　was　to　support　it　with　my

division　and　prevent　Wood's　right　flank　from　being　turned　by　an

advance　of　the　enemy　on　Moore's　road　or　from　the　direction　of

Rossville。　　For　this　duty　I　marched　my　division　out　of　the　works

about　2　p。m。；　and　took　up　a　position　on　Bushy　Knob。　　Shortly　after　we

reached　this　point　Wood's　division　passed　my　left　flank　on　its

reconnoissance；　and　my　command；　moving　in　support　of　it；　drove　in　the

enemy's　picket…line。　　Wood's　took　possession　of　Orchard　Knob　easily；

and　mine　was　halted　on　a　low　ridge　to　the　right　of　the　Knob；　where　I

was　directed　by　General　Thomas　to　cover　my　front　by　a　strong　line　of

rifle…pits；　and　to　put　in　position　two　batteries　of　the　Fourth

regular　artillery　that　had　joined　me　from　the　Eleventh　Corps。　　After

dark　Wood　began　to　feel　uneasy　about　his　right　flank；　for　a　gap

existed　between　it　and　my　left；　so　I　moved　in　closer　to　him；　taking

up　a　line　where　I　remained　inactive　till　the　25th；　but　suffering　some

inconvenience　from　the　enemy's　shells。



On　the　24th　General　Sherman　made　an　attack　for　the　purpose　of

carrying　the　north　end　of　Missionary　Ridge。　　His　success　was　not

complete；　although　at　the　time　it　was　reported　throughout　the　army　to

be　so。　　It　had　the　effect　of　disconcerting　Bragg；　however；　and　caused

him　to　strengthen　his　right　by　withdrawing　troops　from　his　left；

which　circumstance　led　Hooker　to　advance　on　the　northerly　face　of

Lookout　Mountain。　　At　first；　with　good　glasses；　we　could　plainly　see

Hooker's　troops　driving　the　Confederates　up　the　face　of　the　mountain。

All　were　soon　lost　to　view　in　the　dense　timber；　but　emerged　again　on

the　open　ground；　across　which　the　Confederates　retreated　at　a　lively

pace；　followed　by　the　pursuing　line；　which　was　led　by　a　color…bearer；

who；　far　in　advance；　was　bravely　waving　on　his　comrades。　　The

gallantry　of　this　man　elicited　much　enthusiasm　among　us　all；　but　as

he　was　a　considerable　distance　ahead　of　his　comrades　I　expected　to

see　his　rashness　punished　at　any　moment　by　death　or　capture。　　He

finally　got　quite　near　the　retreating　Confederates；　when　suddenly

they　made　a　dash　at　him；　but　he　was　fully　alive　to　such　a　move；　and

ran　back；　apparently　uninjured；　to　his　friends。　　About　this　time　a

small　squad　of　men　reached　the　top　of　Lookout　and　planted　the　Stars

and　Stripes　on　its　very　crest。　　Just　then　a　cloud　settled　down　on　the

mountain；　and　a　heavy　bank　of　fog　obscured　its　whole　face。



After　the　view　was　lost　the　sharp　rattle　of　musketry　continued　some

time；　but　practically　the　fight　had　been　already　won　by　Hooker's　men；

the　enemy　only　holding　on　with　a　rear…guard　to　assure　his　retreat

across　Chattanooga　Valley　to　Missionary　Ridge。　　Later　we　heard　very

heavy　cannonading；　and　fearing　that　Hooker　was　in　trouble　I　sent　a

staff…officer　to　find　out　whether　he　needed　assistance；　which　I

thought　could　be　given　by　a　demonstration　toward　Rossville。　　The

officer　soon　returned　with　the　report　that　Hooker　was　all　right；　that

the　cannonading　was　only　a　part　of　a　little　rear…guard　fight；　two

sections　of　artillery　making　all　the　noise；　the　reverberations　from

point　to　point　in　the　adjacent　mountains　echoing　and　reechoing　till

it　seemed　that　at　least　fifty　guns　were　engaged。



On　the　morning　of　the　25th　of　November　Bragg's　entire　army　was

holding　only　the　line　of　Missionary　Ridge；　and　our　troops；　being　now

pr