memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第139章

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rations　and　ammunition　were　given。　　Drawings　of　the　line　of　attack；　orders　for　supports；　all　and　everything　was　foreseen　and　given　in　writing；　with　personal　explanations　to　commanders　of　divisions；　brigades；　and　even　commanders　of　regiments。　　Indeed；　the　commanding　general；　always　careful　as　to　detail；　left　nothing　to　chance；　and　with　experienced　and　ordinate　officers　we　would　have　succeeded；　for　the　troops　were　good。　　The　general　plan　involved　a　feint　on　our　left　toward　Haines's　Bluff；　by　the　navy；　under　Admiral　Porter；　with　whom　we　were　in　constant　communication；　while　between　him　and　General　Sherman　perfect　harmony　existed。　　On　the　right　a　demonstration　by　A。　J。　Smith　was　to　be　made。　　The　Second　Division　（Stuart's）　was　to　cross　the　sand…bar；　and　the　Third　（General　Morgan's）　was　to　cross　on　a　small　bridge　over　the　dough　at　the　head　of　Chickasaw　Bayou；　and；　supported　by　Steele；　was　to　push　straight　for　the　Bluff　at　the　nearest　spur　where　there　was　a　battery　in　position；　and　to　effect　a　a　lodgment　there　and　in　the　earthworks。　　General　Sherman　gave　his　orders　in　person　to　Morgan　and　Steele。　　I　understood　Morgan　to　promise　that　he　would　lead　his　division　in　person；　and　be　seemed　to　expect　an　easy　victory；　and　expressed　himself　freely　to　that　effect。　　The　aides　were　sent　out；　until　I　was　left　alone　with　the　general　and　a　couple　of　orderlies。　　He　located　himself　in　a　position　easy　of　access；　and　the　most　convenient　afforded　to　the　point　of　attack。　　He　directed　me　to　see　what　I　could；　and　report　if　I　met　anything　that　he　should　know。　　I　galloped　as　fast　as　possible　to　the　right；　and　found　part　of　the　Sixth　Missouri　pushing　over　the　sand…bar　covered　by　the　Thirteenth　Regulars　with　a　heavy　fire。　　We　supposed；　if　once　across；　they　could　get　up　the　bank　and　turn　the　levee　against　the　enemy；　and　left　with　that　impression。　　Being　in　heavy　timber；　I　was　not　quite　sure　of　my　way　back　to　the　general；　his　location　being　new；　and　therefore　pushed　full　gallop　for　Morgan's　front；　catching　a　good　many　stray　shots　from　the　sharpshooters　behind　the　levee；　as　I　was　compelled　to　keep　in　sight　of　the　bayou　to　hold　direction。　　Something　over　half…way　along　Morgan's　division　front；　the　commander　of　a　Kentucky　regiment　hailed　me　and　said　he　must　have　support；　as　he　was　threatened　by　a　masked　battery；　and　the　enemy　was　in　force　in　his　front；　and　might　cross　any　moment。　　I　answered；　rather　shortly；　'How　the　devil　do　you　know　there　is　a　masked　battery？　　If　you　can't　get　over；　how　can　the　rebels　get　at　you？'　　He　insisted　on　the　battery；　and　danger。　　I　finally　told　him　the　bayou　was　utterly　impassable　there；　but；　if　he　insisted　the　enemy　could　cross；　I　would　insist　on　an　advance　on　our　side　at　that　point。　　Hurrying　on　to　make　up　lost　time；　I　soon　reached　Morgan。　　He　was　making　encouraging　speeches　in　a　general　way；　but　stopped　to　ask　me　questions　as　to　Steele's　rank；　date　of　commission；　etc。　　I　was　very　much　disturbed　at　this；　fearing　want　of　harmony；　and　rode　on　to　Steele；　whom　I　found　cursing　Morgan　so　fiercely　that　I　could　not　exactly　make　out　the　source　of　the　trouble；　or　reason　why；　but　saw　want　of　concert　clearly　enough。　　I　hastened　back　to　General　Sherman；　and　endeavored　to　impress　my　ideas　on　him　and　my　fears；　but；　while　he　admitted　the　facts；　he　could　not　be　made　to　believe　that　any　jealousy　or　personal　quarrel　could　lead　to　a　failure　to　support　each　other；　and　a　neglect　of　duty。　　The　signal　for　attack　had　already　been　given；　and　the　artillery　had　opened；　when　I　left　him　again　for　Morgan's　front。　　I　found　Morgan　where　I　left　him；　and　the　troops　advancing。　　I　had　understood　that　he　was　to　lead　his　division；　and　asked　about　it；　but；　getting　no　satisfaction；　pushed　for　the　front；　crossing　the　slough　at　the　little　bridge　at　the　head　of　the　bayou。　　I　found　the　willows　cut　off　eighteen　inches　or　two　feet　long；　with　sharp　points　above　the　mud；　making　it　slow　and　difficult　to　pass；　save　at　the　bridge。　　I　overtook　the　rear　of　the　advance　about　two　or　three　hundred　feet　up　the　gentle　slope；　and　was　astonished　to　find　how　small　a　force　was　making　the　attack。　　I　was　also　surprised　to　find　that　they　were　Steele's　men　instead　of　Morgan's。　　I　also　saw　several　regiments　across　the　bayou；　but　not　advancing；　they　were　near　the　levee。　　A　heavy　artillery　and　infantry　fire　was　going　on　all　this　time。　　While　making　my　way　along　the　column；　from　which　there　were　very　few　falling　back；　a　shell　burst　near　me；　and　the　concussion　confused　me　at　the　time　and　left　me　with　a　headache　for　several　months。　　When　I　got　my　wits　about　me　again　I　found　a　good　many　coming　back；　but　the　main　part　of　the　force　was　compact　and　keeping　up　the　fight。　　I　did　not　get　closer　to　the　woods　than　about　five　hundred　feet；　and　found　that　a　large　number　had　penetrated　into　the　enemy's　works。　　When　our　men　fell　back；　very　few　ran；　but　came　slowly　and　sullenly；　far　more　angry　than　frightened。　　I　found　General　Frank　Blair　on　foot；　and　with　him　Colonel　Sea；　of　Southwest　Missouri；　and　learned　that　Colonel　Thomas　Fletcher；　afterward　Governor　of　Missouri；　was　captured　with　many　of　his　men。　　They　both　insisted　there　on　the　spot；　with　those　around　us；　that　if　all　the　men　ordered　up　had　gone　up；　or　even　all　that　crossed　the　bayou　had　moved　forward；　we　could　have　readily　established　ourselves　in　the　enemy's　works。　　I　was　firmly　of　the　same　opinion　at　the　time　on　the　ground；　and；　an　entrance　effected；　we　could　have　brought　the　whole　force　on　dry　ground；　and　had　a　base　of　operations　against　Vicksburgthough　probably；　in　view　of　later　events；　we　would　have　had　to　stand　a　siege　from　Pemberton's　army。　　After　explanations　with　Blair；　I　rode　to　where　the　men　were；　who　had　crossed　the　bayou；　but　had　not　advanced　with　the　others。　　I　found　them　to　be　De　Courcey's　brigade；　of　Morgan's　division；　which　General　Sherman　supposed　to　be　in　advance。　　In　fact；　it　was　the　intended　support　that　made　the　attack。　　A　correspondence　and　controversy　followed　between　General　Blair　and　Colonel　De　Courcey；　most　of　which　I　have；　but　nothing　came　of　it。　　On　reaching　the　bayou；　I　found　that　Thayer's　brigade；　of　Steele's　division；　had　in　some　way　lost　its　direction　and　filed　off　to　the　right。　　Remembering　the　masked　battery；　I　suspected　that　had　something　to　do　with　the　matter；　and；　on　following　it　up；　I　learned　that　the　Kentucky　colonel　before　mentioned　had　appealed　for　aid　against　the　masked　battery　and　invisible　force　of　rebels；　and　that　a　regiment　had　been　ordered　to　him。　　This　regiment；　filing　off　into　the　timber；　had　been　followed　by　Thayer's　brigade；　supposing　it　to　be　advancing　to　the　front；　and　thus　left　a　single　brigade　to　attack　a　superior　force　of　the　enemy　in　an　intrenched　and　naturally　strong　position。　　By　the　time　the　mistake　could　be　rectified；　it　was　too　late。　　Our　loss　was　from　one　hundred　and　fifty　to　two　hundred　killed；　and　about　eleven　hundred　prisoners　and　wounded。　　During　the　afternoon　I　went　with　a　flag　of　truce；　with　reference　to　burying　the　dead。　　I　saw　between　eighty　and　one　hundred　of　our　men　dead；　all　stripped。　　There　were　others　closer　into　the　enemy's　works　than　I　was　allowed　to　go。　　On　going　later　to　where　the　Sixth　Missouri　crossed；　I　found　that　they　were　under　the　bank；　and　had　dug　in　with　their　hands　and　bayonets；