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personal memoirs-2-第27部分

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commander was now; for the first time; overmatched; for against all

his devicesthe products of a mind fertile in defenseGeneral Grant

brought to bear not only the wealth of expedient which had hitherto

distinguished him; but also an imperturbable tenacity; particularly

in the Wilderness and on the march to the James; without which the

almost insurmountable obstacles of that campaign could not have been

overcome。  During it and in the siege of Petersburg he met with many

disappointmentson several occasions the shortcomings of generals;

when at the point of success; leading to wretched failures。  But so

far as he was concerned; the only apparent effect of these

discomfitures was to make him all the more determined to discharge

successfully the stupendous trust committed to his care; and to bring

into play the manifold resources of his well ordered military mind。

He guided every subordinate then; and in the last days of the

rebellion; with a fund of common sense and superiority of intellect;

which have left an impress so distinct as to exhibit his great

personality。  When his military history is analyzed after the lapse

of years; it will show; even more clearly than now; that during these

as well as in his previous campaigns he was the steadfast Centre

about and on which everything else turned。









CHAPTER IX。



ORDERED TO GREENSBORO'; N。 C。MARCH TO THE DAN RIVERASSIGNED TO

THE COMMAND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPILEAVING WASHINGTONFLIGHT OF

GENERAL EARLYMAXIMILIANMAKING DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE UPPER RIO

GRANDECONFEDERATES JOIN MAXIMILIANTHE FRENCH INVASION OF MEXICO

AND ITS RELATIONS TO THE REBELLIONASSISTING THE LIBERALS

RESTORATION OF THE REPUBLIC。



The surrender at Appomattox put a stop to all military operations on

the part of General Grant's forces; and the morning of April 10 my

cavalry began its march to Petersburg; the men anticipating that they

would soon be mustered out and returned to their homes。  At Nottoway

Court House I heard of the assassination of the President。  The first

news came to us the night after the dastardly deed; the telegraph

operator having taken it from the wires while in transmission to

General Meade。  The despatch ran that Mr。 Lincoln had been; shot at

10 o'clock that morning at Willard's Hotel; but as I could conceive

of nothing to take the President there I set the story down as a

canard; and went to bed without giving it further thought。  Next

morning; however; an official telegram confirmed the fact of the

assassination; though eliminating the distorted circumstances that

had been communicated the night before。



When we reached Petersburg my column was halted; and instructions

given me to march the cavalry and the Sixth Corps to Greensboro';

North Carolina; for the purpose of aiding General Sherman (the

surrender of General Johnston having not yet been effected); so I

made the necessary preparations and moved on the 24th of April;

arriving at South Boston; on the Dan River; the 28th; the Sixth Corps

having reached Danville meanwhile。  At South Boston I received a

despatch from General Halleck; who immediately after Lee's surrender

had been assigned to command at Richmond; informing me that General

Johnston had been brought to terms。  The necessity for going farther

south being thus obviated we retraced our steps to Petersburg; from

which place I proceeded by steamer to Washington; leaving; the

cavalry to be marched thither by easy stages。



The day after my arrival in Washington an important order was sent

me; accompanied by the following letter of instructions; transferring

me to a new field of operations:





〃HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES。

〃Washington; D。  C。; May 17; 1865。



〃GENERAL : Under the orders relieving you from the command of the

Middle Military Division and assigning you to command west of the

Mississippi; you will proceed without delay to the West to arrange

all preliminaries for your new field of duties。



〃Your duty is to restore Texas; and that part of Louisiana held by

the enemy; to the Union in the shortest practicable time; in a way

most effectual for securing permanent peace。



〃To do this; you will be given all the troops that can be spared

by Major…General Canby; probably twenty…five thousand men of

all arms; the troops with Major…General J。 J。 Reynolds; in Arkansas;

say twelve thousand; Reynolds to command; the Fourth

Army Corps; now at Nashville; Tennessee; awaiting orders; and

the Twenty…Fifth Army Corps; now at City Point; Virginia; ready

to embark。



〃I do not wish to trammel you with instructions; I will state;

however; that if Smith holds out; without even an ostensible

government to receive orders from or to report to; he and his men are

not entitled to the considerations due to an acknowledged

belligerent。  Theirs are the conditions of outlaws; making war

against the only Government having an existence over the territory

where war is now being waged。



〃You may notify the rebel commander west of the Mississippiholding

intercourse with him in person; or through such officers of the rank

of major…general as you may selectthat he will be allowed to

surrender all his forces on the same terms as were accorded to Lee

and Johnston。  If he accedes; proceed to garrison the Red River as

high up as Shreveport; the seaboard at Galveston; Malagorda Bay;

Corpus Christi; and mouth of the Rio Grande。



〃Place a strong force on the Rio Grande; holding it at least to a

point opposite Camargo; and above that if supplies can be procured。



〃In case of an active campaign (a hostile one) I think a heavy force

should be put on the Rio Grande as a first preliminary。  Troops for

this might be started at once。  The Twenty…Fifth Corps is now

available; and to it should be added a force of white troops; say

those now under Major…General Steele。



〃To be clear on this last point; I think the Rio Grande should be

strongly held; whether the forces in Texas surrender or not; and that

no time should be lost in getting troops there。  If war is to be

made; they will be in the right place; if Kirby Smith surrenders;

they will be on the line which is to be strongly garrisoned。



〃Should any force be necessary other than those designated; they can

be had by calling for them on Army Headquarters。



〃U。 S。 GRANT;

〃Lieutenant…General。



〃To MAJOR…GENERAL P。 H。 SHERIDAN;

〃United States Army。〃





On receipt of these instructions I called at once on General Grant;

to see if they were to be considered so pressing as to preclude my

remaining in Washington till after the Grand Review; which was fixed

for the 23d and 24th of May; for naturally I had a strong desire to

head my command on that great occasion。  But the General told me that

it was absolutely necessary to go at once to force the surrender of

the Confederates under Kirby Smith。  He also told me that the States

lately in rebellion would be embraced in two or three military

departments; the commanders of which would control civil affairs

until Congress took action about restoring them to the Union; since

that course would not only be economical and simple; but would give

the Southern people confidence; and encourage them to go to work;

instead of distracting them with politics。



At this same interview he informed me that there was an additional

motive in sending me to the new command; a motive not explained by

the instructions themselves; and went on to say that; as a matter of

fact; he looked upon the invasion of Mexico by Maximilian as a part

of the rebellion itself; because of the encouragement that invasion

had received from the Confederacy; and that our success in putting

down secession would never be complete till the French and Austrian

invaders were compelled to quit the territory of our sister republic。

With regard to this matter; though; he said it would be necessary for

me to act with great circumspection; since the Secretary of State;

Mr。 Seward; was much opposed to the use of our troops along the

border in any active way that would be likely to involve us in a war

with European powers。



Under the circumstances; my disappointment at not being permitted to

participate in the review had to be submitted to; and I left

Washington without an opportunity of seeing again in a body the men

who; while under my command; had gone through so many trials and

unremittingly pursued and; assailed the enemy; from the beginning of

the campaign of 1864 till the white flag came into their hands at

Appomattox Court House。



I went first to St。  Louis; and there took the steamboat for New

Orleans; and when near the mouth of the Red River received word from

General Canby that Kirby Smith had surrendered under terms similar to

those accorded Lee and Johnston。  But the surrender was not carried

out in good faith; particularly by the Texas troops; though this I

did not learn till some li
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