友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第60章

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!



rendered; they've surrendered!〃 So I turned back and rang the bell at Mrs。 Dean's。  Eliza came to the door; and I explained what I had heard; but she angrily slammed the door in my face!  Evidently she was disappointed to find she was mistaken in her estimate of the rash courage of the best families。

I again turned in the direction of Camp Jackson; my boy Willie with me still。  At the head of Olive Street; abreast of Lindell's Grove; I found Frank Blair's regiment in the street; with ranks opened; and the Camp Jackson prisoners inside。  A crowd of people was gathered around; calling to the prisoners by name; some hurrahing for Jeff Davis; and others encouraging the troops。  Men; women; and children; were in the crowd。  I passed along till I found myself inside the grove; where I met Charles Ewing and John Hunter; and we stood looking at the troops on the road; heading toward the city。 A band of music was playing at the head; and the column made one or two ineffectual starts; but for some reason was halted。  The battalion of regulars was abreast of me; of which Major Rufus Saxton was in command; and I gave him an evening paper; which I had bought of the newsboy on my way out。  He was reading from it some piece of news; sitting on his horse; when the column again began to move forward; and he resumed his place at the head of his command。 At that part of the road; or street; was an embankment about eight feet high; and a drunken fellow tried to pass over it to the people opposite。

One of the regular sergeant file…closers ordered him back; but he attempted to pass through the ranks; when the sergeant barred his progress with his musket 〃a…port。〃  The drunken man seized his musket; when the sergeant threw him off with violence; and he rolled over and over down the bank。  By the time this man had picked himself up and got his hat; which had fallen off; and had again mounted the embankment; the regulars had passed; and the head of Osterhaus's regiment of Home Guards had come up。  The man had in his hand a small pistol; which he fired off; and I heard that the ball had struck the leg of one of Osterhaus's staff; the regiment stopped; there was a moment of confusion; when the soldiers of that regiment began to fire over our heads in the grove。  I heard the balls cutting the leaves above our heads; and saw several men and women running in all directions; some of whom were wounded。  Of course there was a general stampede。  Charles Ewing threw Willie on the ground and covered him with his body。  Hunter ran behind the hill; and I also threw myself on the ground。  The fire ran back from the head of the regiment toward its rear; and as I saw the men reloading their pieces; I jerked Willie up; ran back with him into a gully which covered us; lay there until I saw that the fire had ceased; and that the column was again moving on; when I took up Willie and started back for home round by way of Market Street。  A woman and child were killed outright; two or three men were also killed; and several others were wounded。  The great mass of the people on that occasion were simply curious spectators; though men were sprinkled through the crowd calling out; 〃Hurrah for Jeff Davis!〃 and others were particularly abusive of the 〃damned Dutch〃 Lyon posted a guard in charge of the vacant camp; and marched his prisoners down to the arsenal; some were paroled; and others held; till afterward they were regularly exchanged。

A very few days after this event; May 14th; I received a dispatch from my brother Charles in Washington; telling me to come on at once; that I had been appointed a colonel of the Thirteenth Regular Infantry; and that I was wanted at Washington immediately。

Of course I could no longer defer action。  I saw Mr。 Lucas; Major Turner; and other friends and parties connected with the road; who agreed that I should go on。  I left my family; because I was under the impression that I would be allowed to enlist my own regiment; which would take some time; and I expected to raise the regiment and organize it at Jefferson Barracks。  I repaired to Washington; and there found that the Government was trying to rise to a level with the occasion。  Mr。 Lincoln had; without the sanction of law; authorized the raising of ten new regiments of regulars; each infantry regiment to be composed of three battalions of eight companies each; and had called for seventy…five thousand State volunteers。  Even this call seemed to me utterly inadequate; still it was none of my business。  I took the oath of office; and was furnished with a list of officers; appointed to my regiment; which was still; incomplete。  I reported in person to General Scott; at his office on Seventeenth Street; opposite the War Department; and applied for authority to return West; and raise my regiment at Jefferson Barracks; but the general said my lieutenant…colonel; Burbank; was fully qualified to superintend the enlistment; and that he wanted me there; and he at once dictated an order for me to report to him in person for inspection duty。

Satisfied that I would not be permitted to return to St。 Louis; I instructed Mrs。 Sherman to pack up; return to Lancaster; and trust to the fate of war。

I also resigned my place as president of the Fifth Street Railroad; to take effect at the end of May; so that in fact I received pay from that road for only two months' service; and then began my new army career。




CHAPTER IX。

FROM THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN TO PADUCAH KENTUCKY AND MISSOURI

1861…1862。

And now that; in these notes; I have fairly reached the period of the civil war; which ravaged our country from 1861 to 1865an event involving a conflict of passion; of prejudice; and of arms; that has developed results which; for better or worse; have left their mark on the world's historyI feel that I tread on delicate ground。

I have again and again been invited to write a history of the war; or to record for publication my personal recollections Of it; with large offers of money therefor; all of which I have heretofore declined; because the truth is not always palatable; and should not always be told。  Many of the actors in the grand drama still live; and they and their friends are quick to controversy; which should be avoided。  The great end of peace has been attained; with little or no change in our form of government; and the duty of all good men is to allow the passions of that period to subside; that we may direct our physical and mental labor to repair the waste of war; and to engage in the greater task of continuing our hitherto wonderful national development。

What I now propose to do is merely to group some of my personal recollections about the historic persons and events of the day; prepared not with any view to their publication; but rather for preservation till I am gone; and then to be allowed to follow into oblivion the cords of similar papers; or to be used by some historian who may need them by way of illustration。

I have heretofore recorded how I again came into the military service of the United States as a colonel of the Thirteenth Regular Infantry; a regiment that had no existence at the time; and that; instead of being allowed to enlist the men and instruct the
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!