personal memoirs-1-第48节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



previous　July。　　I　returned　from　leave　the　latter　part　of　March；

rejoining　my　division　with　the　expectation　that　the　campaign　in　that

section　would　begin　as　early　as　April。



On　the　12th　of　March；　1864；　General　Grant　was　assigned　to　the　command

of　the　armies　of　the　United　States；　as　general…in…chief。　　He　was

already　in　Washington；　whither　he　had　gone　to　receive　his　commission

as　lieutenant…general。　　Shortly　after　his　arrival　there；　he　commenced

to　rearrange　the　different　commands　in　the　army　to　suit　the　plans

which　he　intended　to　enter　upon　in　the　spring；　and　out　of　this　grew　a

change　in　my　career。　　Many　jealousies　and　much　ill…feeling；　the

outgrowth　of　former　campaigns；　existed　among　officers　of　high　grade

in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　the　winter　of　1864；　and　several　general

officers　were　to　be　sent　elsewhere　in　consequence。　　Among　these；

General　Alfred　Pleasonton　was　to　be　relieved　from　the　command　of　the

cavalry；　General　Grant　having　expressed　to　the　President

dissatisfaction　that　so　little　had　hitherto　been　accomplished　by　that

arm　of　the　service；　and　I　was　selected　as　chief　of　the　cavalry　corps

of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　receiving　on　the　night　of　the　23d　of

March　from　General　Thomas　at　Chattanooga　the　following　telegram：



〃MARCH　23；　1864。

〃MAJOR…GENERAL　THOMAS；　Chattanooga



〃Lieutenant…General　Grant　directs　that　Major…General　Sheridan

immediately　repair　to　Washington　and　report　to　the　Adjutant…General

of　the　Army。



〃　H。　W。　HALLECK；

Major…General；　Chief…of…Staff。〃





I　was　not　informed　of　the　purpose　for　which　I　was　to　proceed　to

Washington；　but　I　conjectured　that　it　meant　a　severing　of　my

relations　with　the　Second　Division；　Fourth　Army　Corps。　　I　at　once　set

about　obeying　the　order；　and　as　but　little　preparation　was　necessary；

I　started　for　Chattanooga　the　next　day；　without　taking　any　formal

leave　of　the　troops　I　had　so　long　commanded。　　I　could　not　do　it；　the

bond　existing　between　them　and　me　had　grown　to　such　depth　of

attachment　that　I　feared　to　trust　my　emotions　in　any　formal　parting

from　a　body　of　soldiers　who；　from　our　mutual　devotion；　had　long

before　lost　their　official　designation；　and　by　general　consent　within

and　without　the　command　were　called　〃Sheridan's　Division。〃　　When　I

took　the　train　at　the　station　the　whole　command　was　collected　on　the

hill…sides　around　to　see　me　off。　　They　had　assembled　spontaneously；

officers　and　men；　and　as　the　cars　moved　out　for　Chattanooga　they

waved　me　farewell　with　demonstrations　of　affection。



A　parting　from　such　friends　was　indeed　to　be　regretted。　　They　had

never　given　me　any　trouble；　nor　done　anything　that　could　bring　aught

but　honor　to　themselves。　　I　had　confidence　in　them；　and　I　believe

they　had　in　me。　　They　were　ever　steady；　whether　in　victory　or　in

misfortune；　and　as　I　tried　always　to　be　with　them；　to　put　them　into

the　hottest　fire　if　good　could　be　gained；　or　save　them　from

unnecessary　loss；　as　occasion　required；　they　amply　repaid　all　my　care

and　anxiety；　courageously　and　readily　meeting　all　demands　in　every

emergency　that　arose。



In　Kentucky；　nearly　two　years　before；　my　lot　had　been　cast　with　about

half　of　the　twenty…five　regiments　of　infantry　that　I　was　just

leaving；　the　rest　joining　me　after　Chickamauga。　　It　was　practically　a

new　arm　of　the　service　to　me；　for　although　I　was　an　infantry　officer；

yet　the　only　large　command　which　up　to　that　time　I　had　controlled　was

composed　of　cavalry；　and　most　of　my　experience　had　been　gained　in

this　arm　of　the　service。　　I　had　to　study　hard　to　be　able　to　master

all　the　needs　of　such　a　force；　to　feed　and　clothe　it　and　guard　all

its　interests。　　When　undertaking　these　responsibilities　I　felt　that

if　I　met　them　faithfully；　recompense　would　surely　come　through　the

hearty　response　that　soldiers　always　make　to　conscientious　exertion

on　the　part　of　their　superiors；　and　not　only　that　more　could　be

gained　in　that　way　than　from　the　use　of　any　species　of　influence；　but

that　the　reward　would　be　quicker。　　Therefore　I　always　tried　to　look

after　their　comfort　personally；　selected　their　camps；　and　provided

abundantly　for　their　subsistence；　and　the　road　they　opened　for　me

shows　that　my　work　was　not　in　vain。　　I　regretted　deeply　to　have　to

leave　such　soldiers；　and　felt　that　they　were　sorry　I　was　going；　and

even　now　I　could　not；　if　I　would；　retain　other　than　the　warmest

sentiments　of　esteem　and　the　tenderest　affection　for　the　officers　and

men　of　〃Sheridan's　Division；〃　Army　of　the　Cumberland。



On　reaching　Chattanooga　I　learned　from　General　Thomas　the　purpose　for

which　I　had　been　ordered　to　Washington。　　I　was　to　be　assigned　to　the

command　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac。　　The

information　staggered　me　at　first；　for　I　knew　well　the　great

responsibilities　of　such　a　position；　moreover；　I　was　but　slightly

acquainted　with　military　operations　in　Virginia；　and　then；　too；　the

higher　officers　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　were　little　known　to　me；

so　at　the　moment　I　felt　loth　to　undergo　the　trials　of　the　new

position。　　Indeed；　I　knew　not　a　soul　in　Washington　except　General

Grant　and　General　Halleck；　and　them　but　slightly；　and　no　one　in

General　Meade's　army；　from　the　commanding　general　down；　except　a　few

officers　in　the　lower　grades；　hardly　any　of　whom　I　had　seen　since

graduating　at　the　Military　Academy。



Thus　it　is　not　much　to　be　wondered　at　that　General　Thomas's

communication　momentarily　upset　me。　　But　there　was　no　help　for　it；　so

after　reflecting　on　the　matter　a　little　I　concluded　to　make　the　best

of　the　situation。　　As　in　Virginia　I　should　be　operating　in　a　field

with　which　I　was　wholly　unfamiliar；　and　among　so　many　who　were

strangers；　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　be　advisable　to　have；　as　a

chief　staff…officer；　one　who　had　had　service　in　the　East；　if　an

available　man　could　be　found。　　In　weighing　all　these　considerations

in　my　mind；　I　fixed　upon　Captain　James　W。　Forsyth；　of　the　Eighteenth

Infantry；　then　in　the　regular　brigade　at　Chattanoogaa　dear　friend

of　mine；　who　had　served　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　in　the　Peninsula

and　Antietam　campaigns。　　He　at　once　expressed　a　desire　to　accept　a

position　on　my　staff；　and　having　obtained　by　the　next　day　the

necessary　authority；　he　and　I　started　for　Washington；　accompanied　by

Lieutenant　T。　W。　C。　Moore；　one　of　my　aides；　leaving　behind　Lieutenant

M。　V。　Sheridan；　my　other　aide；　to　forward　our　horses　as　soon　as　they

should　be　sent　down　to　Chattanooga　from　Loudon；　after　which　he　was　to

join　me。









CHAPTER　XVIII。




AT　WASHINGTONMEETING　SECRETARY　STANTONINTERVIEW　WITH　PRESIDENT

LINCOLNMADE　COMMANDER　OF　THE　CAVALRY　CORPS　OF　THE　ARMY　OF　THE

POTOMACITS　OFFICERSGENERAL　MEADE's　METHOD　OF　USING　CAVALRY

OPENING　OF　THE　CAMPAIGNSPOTTSYLVANIA　C。　H。A　DIFFERENCE　WITH

GENERAL　MEADEPREPARING　TO　FIGHT　STUART'S　CAVALRY。



Accompanied　by　Captain　Forsyth　and　Lieutenant　Moore；　I　arrived　in

Washington　on　the　morning　of　April；　4；　1864；　and　stopped　at　Willard's

Hotel；　where；　staying　temporarily；　were　many　officers　of　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　en　route　to　their　commands　from　leave　at　the　North。

Among　all　these；　however；　I　was　an　entire　stranger；　and　I　cannot　now

recall　that　I　met　a　single　individual　whom　I　had　ever　before　known。



With　very　little　delay　after　reaching　my　hotel　I　made　my　way　to

General　Halleck's　headquarters　and　reported　to　that　officer；　having

learned　in　the　meantime　that　General　Grant　was　absent　from　the　city。

General　Halleck　talked　to　me　for　a　few　minutes；　outlining　briefly　the

nature　and　duties　of　my　new　command；　and　the　general　military

situation　in　Virginia。　　When　he　had　finished　all　he　had　to　say　about

these　matters；　he　took　me　to　the　office　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　to

present　me　to　Mr。　Stanton。　　During　the　ceremony　of　introduction；　I

could　feel　that　Mr。　Stanton　was　eying　me　closely　and　searchingly；

endeavoring　to　form　some　estimate　of　one　about　whom　he　knew

absolutely　nothing；　and　whose　career　probably　had　never　been　called

to　his　attention　until　General　Grant　decided　to　order　me　East；　after

my　name　had　been　suggested　by　General　Halleck　in　an　interview　the　two

generals　had　with　Mr。　Lincoln。　　I　was　rather　young　in　appearance

looking　even　under　than　over　thirty…three　yearsbut　five　feet　five

inches　in　height；　and　thin　almost　to　emaciation；　weighing　only　one

hundred　and　fifteen　pounds。　　If　I　had　ever　possessed　any　self…

assertion　in　manner　or　speech；　it　certainly　vanished　in　the　presence

of　the　imperious　Secretary；　whose　name　at　the　time　was　the　synonym　of

all　that　was　cold　and　formal。　　I　never　learned　what　Mr。　Stanton's

first　impressions　of　me　were；　and　his　guarded　and　rather　calculating

manner　gave　at　this　time　no　intimation　that　they　were　either

favorable　or　unfavorable；　but　his　frequent　commendation　in　after

years　indicated　that　I　gained　his　goodwill　before　the　close　of　the

war；　if　not　when　I　first　came　to　his　notice；　and　a　more　intimate

association　convinced　me　that　the　cold　and　cr