memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第112节

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uctions。

By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN

L。　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。


NOTE。…That　same　evening　I　started　in　a　steamboat　for　Vicksburg。　W。　T。　S。　St。　Louis；　1885。





HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　MEMPHIS；　January　27；　1864

Brigadier…General　W。　S。　SMITH；　commanding　Cavalry；　etc。；　present。

DEAR　GENERAL：　By　an　order　issued　this　day　I　have　placed　all　the　cavalry　of　this　department　subject　to　your　command。　　I　estimate　you　can　make　a　force　of　full　seven　thousand　men；　which　I　believe　to　be　superior　and　better　in　all　respects　than　the　combined　cavalry　which　the　enemy　has　in　all　the　State　of　Mississippi。　　I　will　in　person　start　for　Vicksburg　to…day；　and　with　four　divisions　of　infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry　move　out　for　Jackson；　Brandon；　and　Meridian；　aiming　to　reach　the　latter　place　by　February　10th。　　General　Banks　will　feign　on　Pascagoula　and　General　Logan　on　Rome。　　I　want　you　with　your　cavalry　to　move　from　Colliersville　on　Pontotoc　and　Okolona；　thence　sweeping　down　near　the　Mobile　&　Ohio　Railroad；　disable　that　road　as　much　as　possible；　consume　or　destroy　the　resources　of　the　enemy　along　that　road；　break　up　the　connection　with　Columbus；　Mississippi；　and　finally　reach　me　at　or　near　Meridian　as　near　the　date　I　have　mentioned　as　possible。　　This　will　call　for　great　energy　of　action　on　your　part；　but　I　believe　you　are　equal　to　it；　and　you　have　the　best　and　most　experienced　troops　in　the　service；　and　they　will　do　anything　that　is　possible。　　General　Grierson　is　with　you；　and　is　familiar　with　the　whole　country。　　I　will　send　up　from　Haines's　Bluff　an　expedition　of　gunboats　and　transports　combined；　to　feel　up　the　Yazoo　as　far　as　the　present　water　will　permit。　　This　will　disconcert　the　enemy。　　My　movement　on　Jackson　will　also　divide　the　enemy；　so　that　by　no　combination　can　he　reach　you　with　but　a　part　of　his　force。　　I　wish　you　to　attack　any　force　of　cavalry　you　meet　and　follow　them　southward；　but　in　no　event　be　drawn　into　the　forks　of　the　streams　that　make　up　the　Yazoo　nor　over　into　Alabama。　　Do　not　let　the　enemy　draw　you　into　minor　affairs；　but　look　solely　to　the　greater　object　to　destroy　his　communication　from　Okolona　to　Meridian；　and　thence　eastward　to　Selma。　　From　Okolona　south　you　will　find　abundance　of　forage　collected　along　the　railroad；　and　the　farmers　have　corn　standing　in　the　fields。　　Take　liberally　of　all　these；　as　well　as　horses；　mules；　cattle；　etc。　　As　a　rule；　respect　dwellings　and　families　as　something　too　sacred　to　be　disturbed　by　soldiers；　but　mills；　barns；　sheds；　stables；　and　such　like　things　use　for　the　benefit　or　convenience　of　your　command。　　If　convenient；　send　into　Columbus；　Mississippi；　and　destroy　all　machinery　there；　and　the　bridge　across　the　Tombigbee；　which　enables　the　enemy　to　draw　the　resources　of　the　east　side　of　the　valley；　but　this　is　not　of　sufficient　importance　to　delay　your　movement。　　Try　and　communicate　with　me　by　scouts　and　spies　from　the　time　you　reach　Pontotoc。　　Avoid　any　large　force　of　infantry；　leaving　them　to　me。　　We　have　talked　over　this　matter　so　much　that　the　above　covers　all　points　not　provided　for　in　my　published　orders　of　to…day。　　I　am；　etc。；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Mayor…General；　commanding。




MEMPHIS；　TENNESSEE；　January　27；　1864。

Brigadier…General　J。　P。　HATCH；　in　charge　of　Cavalry　Bureau；　St。　Louis；　Missouri。

SIR：　Your　favor　of　the　21st　inst。　is　just　received。　　Up　to　the　present　time　eight　hundred　and　eighteen　horses　have　arrived　here　since　Captain　Hudson's　visit　to　St。　Louis。　　I　wrote　you　upon　his　return　several　days　ago　that　it　would　not　be　necessary　to　divert　shipments　to　this　point　which　could　not　reach　us　before　February　1st。　We　shall　certainly　get　off　on　our　contemplated　expedition　before　that　time。　　The　number　of　horses　estimated　for　in　this　department　by　its　chief　quartermaster　was　two　thousand；　and　this　number；　including　those　already　sent；　will；　I　think；　completely　mount　all　the　dismounted　cavalry　of　this　department。　　Recruits　for　cavalry　regiments　are　arriving　freely；　and　this　will　swell　our　requisitions　for　a　couple　of　months　to　come。　　I　will　as　far　as　possible　procure　horses　from　the　regions　of　country　traversed　by　our　cavalry。

Yours　truly；　　　W。　SOOY　SMITH；　Brigadier…General；

Chief　of　Cavalry；　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。





MEMPHIS；　TENNESSEE；　January　28；　1864

Brigadier…General　GEORGE　CROOK；　commanding　Second　Cavalry　Division；　Huntsville；　Alabama。

I　start　in　about　three　days　with　seven；　thousand　men　to　Meridian　via　Pontotoc。　　Demonstrate　on　Decatur；　to　hold　Roddy。

W。　SOOY　SMITH；　Brigadier…General；　Chief　of　Cavalry；　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。




MAYWOOD；　ILLINOIS；　July　9；1875　General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Commander…in；…Chief；　United　；States　Army。

SIR：　Your　letter　of　July　7th　is　just　received。

Your　entire　statement　in　the　〃Memoirs〃　concerning　my　part　in　the　Meridian　campaign　is　incorrect。

You　overstate　my　strength；　placing　it　at　seven　thousand　effective；　when　it　was　but　six。　　The　nominal　strength　of　my　command　was　seven　thousand。

You　understate　the　strength　of　my　enemy；　putting　Forrest's　force　at　four　thousand。　　On　our　return　to　Nashville；　you　stated　it；　in　General　Grant's　presence；　to　have　been　but　twenty…five　hundred。　Before　and　during　my　movement　I　positively　knew　Forrest's　strength　to　be　full　six　thousand；　and　he　has　since　told　me　so　himself。

Instead　of　delaying　from　the　1st　to　the　11th　of　February　for　〃some　regiment　that　was　ice…bound　near　Columbus；　Kentucky；〃　it　was　an　entire　brigade；　Colonel　Waring's；　without　which　your　orders　to　me　were　peremptory　not　to　move。　　I　asked　you　if　I　should　wait　its　arrival；　and　you　answered：　〃Certainly；　if　you　go　without　it；　you　will　be；　too　weak；　and　I　want　you　strong　enough　to　go　where　you　please。〃

The　time　set　for　our　arrival　at　Meridian；　the　10th　of　February；　had　arrived　before　it　was　possible　for　me；　under　your　orders；　to　move　from　Memphis；　and　I　would　have　been　entirely　justifiable　if　I　had　not　started　at　all。　　But　I　was　at　that　time；　and　at　all　times　during　the　war；　as　earnest　and　anxious　to　carry　out　my　orders；　and　do　my　fall　duty　as　you　or　any　other　officer　could　be；　and　I　set　out　to　make　a　march　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　into　the　Confederacy；　having　to　drive　back　a　rebel　force　equal　to　my　own。　After　the　time　had　arrived　for　the　fall　completion　of　my　movement；　I　drove　this　force　before　me；　and　penetrated　one　hundred　and　sixty　miles　into　the　Confederacydid　more　hard　fighting；　and　killed；　wounded；　and　captured　more　of　the　enemy　than　you　did　during　the　campaigndid　my　work　most　thoroughly；　as　far　as　I　could　go　without　encountering　the　rebel　cavalry　set　loose　by　your　return　from　Meridian；　and　brought　off　my　command；　with　all　the　captured　property　and　rescued　negroes；　with　very　small　loss；　considering　that　inflicted　on　the　enemy；　and　the　long…continued　and　very　severe　fighting。　　If　I　had　disobeyed　your　orders；　and　started　without　Waring's　brigade；　I　would　have　been　〃too　weak；〃　would　probably　have　been　defeated；　and　would　　have　been　subjected　to　just　censure。　Having　awaited　its　arrival；　as　I　was　positively　and　distinctly　ordered　to　do；　it　only　remained　for　me　to　start　upon　its　arrival；　and　accomplish　all　that　I　could　of　the　work　allotted　to　me。　　To　have　attempted　to　penetrate　farther　into　the　enemy's　country；　with　the　cavalry　of　Polk's　army　coming　up　to　rernforce　Forrest；　would　have　insured　the　destruction　of　my　entire　command；　situated　as　it　was。　　I　cannot　now　go　into　all　the　particulars；　though　I　assure　you　that　they　make　the　proof　of　the　correctness　of　my　conduct　as　conclusive　as　I　could　desire　it　to　be。　　I　was　not　headed　off　and　defeated　by　an　inferior　force　near　West　Point。　　We　had　the　fighting　all　our　own　way　near　West　Point；　and　at　all　other　points　except　at　Okalona；　on　our　return；　when　we　had　the　worst　of　it　for　a　little　while；　but　finally　checked　the　enemy　handsomely；　and　continued　our　return　march；　fighting　at　the　rear　and　on　both　flanks；　repulsing　all　attacks　and　moving　in　perfect　order。　　And　so　my　movement　was　not　a　failure；　except　that　I　did　not　reach　Meridian　as　intended；　for　the　reason　stated；　and　for　many　more　which　it　is　not　necessary　for　me　to　detail　here。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　was　a　very　decided　success；　inflicting　a　terrible　destruction　of　supplies　of　every　kind；　and　a　heavy　loss　of　men　upon　the　enemy。　　You　should　have　so　reported　it　in　the　beginning。　　You　should　so　amend　your　report；　and　〃Memoirs〃　now。　　This；　and　no　less　than　this；　is　due　from　one　soldier　to　another。　　It　is　due　to　the　exalted　position　which　you　occupy；　and；　above　all；　it　is　due　to　that　truthfulness　in　history　which　you　claim　to　revere。　　If　you　desire　it；　I　will　endeavor　to　visit　you；　and　in　a　friendly　manner　〃fight　our　battles　o'er　again；〃　and　endeavor　to　convince　you　that　you　have　always　been　mistaken　as　to　the　manner　in　which　my　part　in　the　〃Meridian　campaign〃　was　performed。　　But　I　will　never　rest　until　the　wrong　statements　regarding　it　are　fully　and　fairly　corrected。　　Yours　truly；

WILLIAM　SOOY　SMITH




HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　July　11；　1875。

General　J。　D。　WEBSTER；　Chicago；　Illinois

DEAR　GENERAL：　General　W。　Sooy　Smith　feels　aggrieved　and　wronged　by　my　account　of　his　part　in　the　Meridian　campaign；　in　my　〃Memoi