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personal memoirs-1-第35章

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activity had permitted scant opportunity for the development of such

a system。  It was at this time that I received my appointment as a

major…general of Volunteers。  My promotion had been recommended by

General Rosecrans immediately after the battle of Stone River; but

for some reason it was delayed until April; and though a long time

elapsed between the promise and the performance; my gratification was

extreme。



My scout; Card; was exceedingly useful while encamped near

Murfreesboro; making several trips to East Tennessee within the

enemy's lines to collect information as to the condition of the loyal

people there; and to encourage them with the hope of early

liberation。  He also brought back from each trip very accurate

statements as to the strength and doings of the Confederate army;

fixing almost with certainty its numbers and the locations of its

different divisions; and enabling my engineer…officerMajor

Morhardtto construct good maps of the country in our front。  On

these dangerous excursions Card was always accompanied by one of his

brothers; the other remaining with me to be ready for duty if any

accident occurred to those who had gone out; or in case I wanted to

communicate with them。  In this way we kept well posted; although the

intelligence these men brought was almost always secured at the risk

of their lives。



Early in the spring; before the Tullahoma campaign began; I thought

it would be practicable; by sending out a small secret expedition of

but three or four men; to break the Nashville and Chattanooga

railroad between Chattanooga and the enemy's position at Tullahoma by

burning the bridges in Crow Creek valley from its head to Stevenson;

Alabama; and then the great bridge across the Tennessee River at

Bridgeport。  Feeling confident that I could persuade Card to

undertake the perilous duty; I broached the contemplated project to

him; and he at once jumped at the opportunity of thus distinguishing

himself; saying that with one of his brothers and three other loyal

East Tennesseeans; whose services he knew could be enlisted; he felt

sure of carrying out the idea; so I gave him authority to choose his

own assistants。  In a few days his men appeared at my headquarters;

and when supplied with money in notes of the State Bank of Tennessee;

current everywhere as gold in those days; the party; composed of

Card; the second brother; and the three East Tennesseeans; started on

their precarious enterprise; their course being directed first toward

the Cumberland Mountains; intending to strike the Nashville and

Chattanooga railroad somewhere above Anderson's station。  They

expected to get back in about fifteen days; but I looked for some

knowledge of the progress of their adventure before the expiration of

that period; hoping to hear through Confederate sources prisoners and

the like…of the destruction of the bridges。  I waited in patience for

such news; but none came; and as the time Card had allotted himself

passed by; I watched anxiously for his return; for; as there was

scarcely a doubt that the expedition had proved a failure; the fate

of the party became a matter of deep concern to Card's remaining

brother and to me。  Finally this brother volunteered to go to his

father's house in East Tennessee to get tidings of the party; and I

consented; for the probabilities were that some of them had made

their way to that point; or at least that some information had

reached there about them。  As day after day went by; the time fixed

for this brother's return came round; yet he also remained out; but

some days after the lad was due Card himself turned up accompanied by

the brother he had taken with him; soon explained his delay in

getting back; and gave me the story of his adventures while absent。



After leaving my camp; his party had followed various byways across

the Cumberland Mountains to Crow Creek Valley; as instructed; but

when nearing the railroad above Anderson's Station; they were

captured by some guerrillas prowling about that vicinity; and being

suspected of disloyalty to the Confederacy; were carried to

Chattanooga and imprisoned as Yankee spies。  Their prospects now were

decidedly discouraging; for death stared them in the face。

Fortunately; however; some delays occurred relative to the

disposition that should be made of them; and they; meanwhile;

effected their escape from their jailors by way of one of the prison

windows; from which they managed to displace a bar; and by a skiff;

in the darkness of night; crossed the Tennessee River a little below

Chattanooga。  From this point the party made their way back to my

camp; traveling only at night; hiding in the woods by day; and for

food depending on loyal citizens that Card had become acquainted with

when preaching and pedling。



Card's first inquiry after relating his story was for the youngest

brother; whom he had left with me。  I told him what I had done; in my

anxiety about himself; and that more than sufficient time had elapsed

for his brother's return。  His reply was: 〃They have caught him。  The

poor fellow is dead。〃  His surmise proved correct; for news soon came

that the poor boy had been captured at his father's house; and

hanged。  The blow to Card was a severe one; and so hardened his heart

against the guerrillas in the neighborhood of his father's homefor

he knew they were guilty of his brother's murderthat it was with

difficulty I could persuade him to continue in the employment of the

Government; so determined was he to avenge his brother's death at the

first opportunity。  Finally; however; I succeeded in quieting the

almost uncontrollable rage that seemed to possess him; and he

remained with me during the Tullahoma and Chickamauga campaigns; but

when we reached Knoxville the next winter; he took his departure;

informing me that he was going for the bushwhackers who had killed

his brother。  A short time after he left me; I saw him at the head of

about thirty well…armed East Tennesseeansrefugees。  They were

determined…looking men; seeking revenge for the wrongs and sufferings

that had been put upon them in the last two years; and no doubt

wreaked their vengeance right and left on all who had been in any way

instrumental in persecuting them。



The feeding of our army from the base at Louisville was attended with

a great many difficulties; as the enemy's cavalry was constantly

breaking the railroad and intercepting our communications on the

Cumberland River at different points that were easily accessible to

his then superior force of troopers。  The accumulation of reserve

stores was therefore not an easy task; and to get forage ahead a few

days was well…nigh impossible; unless that brought from the North was

supplemented by what we could gather from the country。  Corn was

abundant in the region to the south and southwest of Murfreesboro';

so to make good our deficiences in this respect; I employed a brigade

about once a week in the duty of collecting and bringing in forage;

sending out sometimes as many as a hundred and fifty wagons to haul

the grain which my scouts had previously located。  In nearly every

one of these expeditions the enemy was encountered; and the wagons

were usually loaded while the skirmishers kept up a running fire;

Often there would occur a respectable brush; with the loss on each

side of a number of killed and wounded。  The officer in direct

command always reported to me personally whatever had happened during

the time he was outthe result of his reconnoissance; so to speak;

for that war the real nature of these excursionsand on one occasion

the colonel in command; Colonel Conrad; of the Fifteenth Missouri;

informed me that he got through without much difficulty; in fact;

that everything had gone all right and been eminently satisfactory;

except that in returning he had been mortified greatly by the conduct

of the two females belonging to the detachment and division train at

my headquarters。  These women; he said; had given much annoyance by

getting drunk; and to some extent demoralizing his men。  To say that

I was astonished at his statement would be a mild way of putting it;

and had I not known him to be a most upright man and of sound sense;

I should have doubted not only his veracity; but his sanity。

Inquiring who they were and for further details; I was informed that

there certainly were in the command two females; that in some

mysterious manner had attached themselves to the service as soldiers;

that one; an East Tennessee woman; was a teamster in the division

wagon…train and the other a private soldier in a cavalry company

temporarily attached to my headquarters for escort duty。  While out

on the foraging expedition these Amazons had secured a supply of

〃apple…jack〃 by some means; got very drunk; and on the return had

fallen into Stone River and been nearly drowned。  After they had been

fished from; the water; in the process of 
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