Camp Shiloh, Apl. 14,
1862
Dearest Ellen,
The day before yesterday I heard Halleck had arrived at the
River and upon making a short turn through the Camps I found him on board the
Continental and Grant on the Tigress. I
was there ordered again to try to destroy the Memphis and Charleston Road, a
thing I had twice tried and failed. I at
once ordered 100 4 Illinois Cavalry under Bowman to be embarked on board
[illegible phrase] and a Brigade of Infantry Fry’s1 on board the
[illegible boat name] and White Cloud,
and with two Gunboats went up the Tennessee 32 miles to Chickasaw, just at the
Corner of Alabama, then I disembarked there and sent them on their errand—Bowman
reached the Railroad and destroyed the Bridge and some 500 feet of trestles
succeeding perfectly in the undertaking which is very important as it prevents
all communication of the enemy with the East.
I tried to go up to Florence but the water would not let us pass two
shoals above so I returned & Halleck was delighted. This has been with him a chief object. When I got down this morning he handed me the
enclosed copy of one sent last night to Washington2—so at last I
Stand redeemed from the vile slanders of that Cincinati paper—I am sometimes
amused at these newspaper Reporters.
They keep shy of me as I have said the first one I catch will hang as a
Spy. I now have the lawful right to have
a Court martial, and if I catch one of those Cincinati Newspapers in my camp I
will have a Court and they will do just as I tell them. It would afford me a real pleasure to hang
one or two—I have seen a paragraph in the Cincinati Commercial about Dr. Hewit.3 He never drinks, is as moral a man and as
intelligent as ever, and all his time is working for the Sick, but because he
will not drop his work & listen & babble with a parcel of false
humorists who came here from the various [illegible phrase] of our Country he
must be stigmatized as a corrupt drunkard.
Rebellion is a sin, & of course should be punished but I feel that
in these Southerners there are such qualities of Courage, bold daring and manly
that though I know they are striving to subvert our Government and bring them
into contempt, Still I feel personal respect for them as individuals, but for
these mean contemptible slanderous and false villains who seek reputation by
abuse of others—Here called off by a visit of my Kentucky friends who express
to me unbounded confidence.
I have just got yours of the 9th my hand is not off4—it
was a buckshot by a Cavalry man who got a shot at me but was almost instantly
killed in return.—My shoulder is well and I am as good as ever.
For mercy’s sake never speak of McClellan as you write. He ought to have Sent me men & officers
in Kentucky but did not, but that he had any malice or intention of wrong I dont
believe. I committed a fearful mistake
in Kentucky and if I recover it will be a wonderful instance. I have made good progress here, and in time
can illustrate the motives that influenced me—I know McClellan to be a man of
talents & having now a well organized & disciplined army, he may by
some rapid strokes achieve a name that would enable him to Crush me—Keep your
own counsel, and let me work for myself on this Line. Halleck has told me that he had ordered the 4
Cos. Of the 13 Inf. to me as soon as a certain Battalion could be spared at New
Madrid. Charley need not be impatient[.]
The southern army was repulsed but not defeated. Their Cavalry hangs about our front now—we must
have one more terrible battle—we must attack—My Division is raw—some regts. behaved
bad but I did the best I could with what remained, and all admit I was of good
service—I noticed that when we were enveloped and death stared us all in the
face my seniors in rank leaned on me—Well I am not in search of honor or fame
and only count it for yours & childrens sake.
I think you will have some satisfaction and I know your
father will be please that I am once more restored to favor. Give him Hallecks letter & tell himI
broke the Charleston Road[.] Yrs.
W. T. Sherman
_______________
1 James B. Fry (1827-94) was Buell’s chief of
staff.
2 Henry W. Halleck to Edwin M. Stanton, April 13,
1862, OR I, 10: pt. 1, p. 98.
3 Dr. Henry S. Hewit (1825-73).
4 Sherman wash shot in the hand on April 6, 1862
during the battle of Shiloh.
SOURCE: Brooks D. Simpson, Jean V. Berlin, Editors, Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence
of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865, p. 203-5