memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第14部分

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n　one　of　the　market…boats。

Accordingly；　I　was　up　bright　and　early；　down　at　the　wharf；　found　a　boat；　and　went　off　to　the　Columbus　to　see　Commodore　Biddle。　　On　reaching　the　ship　and　stating　to　the　officer　of　the　deck　my　business；　I　was　shown　into　the　commodore's　cabin；　and　soon　made　known　to　him　my　object。　　Biddle　was　a　small…sized　man；　but　vivacious　in　the　extreme。　　He　had　a　perfect　contempt　for　all　humbug；　and　at　once　entered　into　the　business　with　extreme　alacrity。　　I　was　somewhat　amused　at　the　importance　he　attached　to　the　step。　　He　had　a　chaplain；　and　a　private　secretary；　in　a　small　room　latticed　off　from　his　cabin；　and　he　first　called　on　them　to　go　out；　and；　when　we　were　alone；　he　enlarged　on　the　folly　of　Sloat's　proclamation；　giving　the　people　the　right　to　elect　their　own　officers；　and　commended　Kearney　and　Mason　for　nipping　that　idea　in　the　bud；　and　keeping　the　power　in　their　own　hands。　　He　then　sent　for　the　first　lieutenant　（Drayton）；　and　inquired　if　there　were　among　the　officers　on　board　any　who　had　ever　been　in　the　Upper　Bay；　and　learning　that　there　was　a　midshipman　（Whittaker）　he　was　sent　for。　　It　so　happened　that　this　midshipman　had　been　on　a　frolic　on　shore　a　few　nights　before；　and　was　accordingly　much　frightened　when　summoned　into　the　commodore's　presence；　but　as　soon　as　he　was　questioned　as　to　his　knowledge　of　the　bay；　he　was　sensibly　relieved；　and　professed　to　know　every　thing　about　it。

Accordingly；　the　long　boat　was　ordered　with　this　midshipman　and　eight　sailors；　prepared　with　water　and　provisions　for　several　days　absence。　　Biddle　then　asked　me　if　I　knew　any　of　his　own　officers；　and　which　one　of　them　I　would　prefer　to　accompany　me。　　I　knew　most　of　them；　and　we　settled　down　on　Louis　McLane。　　He　was　sent　for；　and　it　was　settled　that　McLane　and　I　were　to　conduct　this　important　mission；　and　the　commodore　enjoined　on　us　complete　secrecy；　so　as　to　insure　success；　and　he　especially　cautioned　us　against　being　pumped　by　his　ward…room　officers；　Chapman；　Lewis；　Wise；　etc。；　while　on　board　his　ship。　　With　this　injunction　I　was　dismissed　to　the　wardroom；　where　I　found　Chapman；　Lewis；　and　Wise；　dreadfully　exercised　at　our　profound　secrecy。　　The　fact　that　McLane　and　I　had　been　closeted　with　the　commodore　for　an　hour；　that　orders　for　the　boat　and　stores　had　been　made；　that　the　chaplain　and　clerk　had　been　sent　out　of　the　cabin；　etc。；　etc。；　all　excited　their　curiosity；　but　McLane　and　I　kept　our　secret　well。　　The　general　impression　was；　that　we　had　some　knowledge　about　the　fate　of　Captain　Montgomery's　two　sons　and　the　crew　that　had　been　lost　the　year　before。　　In　1846　Captain　Montgomery　commanded　at　Yerba　Buena；　on　board　the　St。　Mary　sloop…of…war；　and　he　had　a　detachment　of　men　stationed　up　at　Sonoma。　　Occasionally　a　boat　was　sent　up　with　provisions　or　intelligence　to　them。　　Montgomery　had　two　sons　on　board　his　ship；　one　a　midshipman；　the　other　his　secretary。　　Having　occasion　to　send　some　money　up　to　Sonoma；　he　sent　his　two　sons　with　a　good　boat　and　crew。　　The　boat　started　with　a　strong　breeze　and　a　very　large　sail；　was　watched　from　the　deck　until　she　was　out　of　sight；　and　has　never　been　heard　of　since。　　There　was；　of　coarse；　much　speculation　as　to　their　fate；　some　contending　that　the　boat　must　have　been　capsized　in　San　Pablo　Bay；　and　that　all　were　lost；　others　contending　that　the　crew　had　murdered　the　officers　for　the　money；　and　then　escaped；　but；　so　far　as　I　know；　not　a　man　of　that　crew　has　ever　been　seen　or　heard　of　since。　　When　at　last　the　boat　was　ready　for　us；　we　started；　leaving　all　hands；　save　the　commodore；　impressed　with　the　belief　that　we　were　going　on　some　errand　connected　with　the　loss　of　the　missing　boat　and　crew　of　the　St。　Mary。　　We　sailed　directly　north；　up　the　bay　and　across　San　Pablo；　reached　the　month　of　Sonoma　Creek　about　dark；　and　during　the　night　worked　up　the　creek　some　twelve　miles　by　means　of　the　tide；　to　a　landing　called　the　Embarcadero。　　To　maintain　the　secrecy　which　the　commodore　had　enjoined　on　us；　McLane　and　I　agreed　to　keep　up　the　delusion　by　pretending　to　be　on　a　marketing　expedition　to　pick　up　chickens；　pigs；　etc。；　for　the　mess　of　the　Columbus；　soon　to　depart　for　home。

Leaving　the　midshipman　and　four　sailors　to　guard　the　boat；　we　started　on　foot　with　the　other　four　for　Sonoma　Town；　which　we　soon　reached。　　It　was　a　simple　open　square；　around　which　were　some　adobe…houses；　that　of　General　Vallejo　occupying　one　side。　　On　another　was　an　unfinished　two…story　adobe　building；　occupied　as　a　barrack　by　Bracken's　company。　　We　soon　found　Captain　Brackett；　and　I　told　him　that　I　intended　to　take　Nash　a　prisoner　and　convey　him　back　to　Monterey　to　answer　for　his　mutinous　behavior。　　I　got　an　old　sergeant　of　his　company；　whom　I　had　known　in　the　Third　Artillery；　quietly　to　ascertain　the　whereabouts　of　Nash；　who　was　a　bachelor；　stopping　with　the　family　of　a　lawyer　named　Green。　　The　sergeant　soon　returned；　saying　that　Nash　had　gone　over　to　Napa；　but　would　be　back　that　evening；　so　McLane　and　I　went　up　to　a　farm　of　some　pretensions；　occupied　by　one　Andreas　Hoepner；　with　a　pretty　Sitka　wife；　who　lived　a　couple　of　miles　above　Sonoma；　and　we　bought　of　him　some　chickens；　pigs；　etc。　　We　then　visited　Governor　Boggs's　family　and　that　of　General　Vallejo；　who　was　then；　as　now；　one　of　the　most　prominent　and　influential　natives　of　California。　　About　dark　I　learned　that　Nash　had　come　back；　and　then；　giving　Brackett　orders　to　have　a　cart　ready　at　the　corner　of　the　plaza；　McLane　and　I　went　to　the　house　of　Green。　　Posting　an　armed　sailor　on　each　side　of　the　house；　we　knocked　at　the　door　and　walked　in。　　We　found　Green；　Nash；　and　two　women；　at　supper。　　I　inquired　if　Nash　were　in；　and　was　first　answered　〃No；〃　but　one　of　the　women　soon　pointed　to　him；　and　he　rose。　　We　were　armed　with　pistols；　and　the　family　was　evidently　alarmed。　　I　walked　up　to　him　and　took　his　arm；　and　told　him　to　come　along　with　me。　　He　asked　me；　〃Where？〃　and　I　said；　〃Monterey。〃　　　〃Why？〃　I　would　explain　that　more　at　leisure。　　Green　put　himself　between　me　and　the　door；　and　demanded；　in　theatrical　style；　why　I　dared　arrest　a　peaceable　citizen　in　his　house。　　I　simply　pointed　to　my　pistol；　and　told　him　to　get　out　of　the　way；　which　he　did。　　Nash　asked　to　get　some　clothing；　but　I　told　him　he　should　want　for　nothing。　　We　passed　out；　Green　following　us　with　loud　words；　which　brought　the　four　sailors　to　the　front…door；　when　I　told　him　to　hush　up　or　I　would　take　him　prisoner　also。　　About　that　time　one　of　the　sailors；　handling　his　pistol　carelessly；　discharged　it；　and　Green　disappeared　very　suddenly。　　We　took　Nash　to　the　cart；　put　him　in；　and　proceeded　back　to　our　boat。　　The　next　morning　we　were　gone。

Nash　being　out　of　the　way；　Boggs　entered　on　his　office；　and　the　right　to　appoint　or　remove　from　civil　office　was　never　again　questioned　in　California　during　the　military　regime。　　Nash　was　an　old　man；　and　was　very　much　alarmed　for　his　personal　safety。　　He　had　come　across　the　Plains；　and　had　never　yet　seen　the　sea。　　While　on　our　way　down　the　bay；　I　explained　fully　to　him　the　state　of　things　in　California；　and　he　admitted　he　had　never　looked　on　it　in　that　light　before；　and　professed　a　willingness　to　surrender　his　office；　but；　having　gone　so　far；　I　thought　it　best　to　take　him　to　Monterey。　On　our　way　down　the　bay　the　wind　was　so　strong；　as　we　approached　the　Columbus；　that　we　had　to　take　refuge　behind　Yerba　Buena　Island；　then　called　Goat　Island；　where　we　landed；　and　I　killed　a　gray　seal。　The　next　morning；　the　wind　being　comparatively　light；　we　got　out　and　worked　our　way　up　to　the　Columbus；　where　I　left　my　prisoner　on　board；　and　went　on　shore　to　find　Commodore　Biddle；　who　had　gone　to　dine　with　Frank　Ward。　　I　found　him　there；　and　committed　Nash　to　his　charge；　with　the　request　that　he　would　send　him　down　to　Monterey；　which　he　did　in　the　sloop…of…war　Dale；　Captain　Selfridge　commanding。　　I　then　returned　to　Monterey　by　land；　and；　when　the　Dale　arrived；　Colonel　Mason　and　I　went　on　board；　found　poor　old　Mr。　Nash　half　dead　with　sea…sickness　and　fear；　lest　Colonel　Mason　would　treat　him　with　extreme　military　rigor。　　But；　on　the　contrary；　the　colonel　spoke　to　him　kindly；　released　him　as　a　prisoner　on　his　promise　to　go　back　to　Sonoma。　　surrender　his　office　to　Boggs；　and　account　to　him　for　his　acts　while　in　office。　　He　afterward　came　on　shore；　was　provided　with　clothing　and　a　horse；　returned　to　Sonoma；　and　I　never　have　seen　him　since。

Matters　and　things　settled　down　in　Upper　California；　and　all　moved　along　with　peace　and　harmony。　　The　war　still　continued　in　Mexico；　and　the　navy　authorities　resolved　to　employ　their　time　with　the　capture　of　Mazatlan　and　Guaymas。　　Lower　California　had　already　been　occupied　by　two　companies　of　Stevenson's　regiment；　under　Lieutenant…Colonel　Burton；　who　had　taken　post　at　La　Paz；　and　a　small　party　of　sailors　was　on　shore　at　San　Josef；　near　Cape　San　Lucas；　detached　from　the　Lexington；　Lieutenant…Commander　Bailey。　The　orders　for　this　occupation　were　made　by　General　Kearney　before　he　left；　in　pursuance　of　instructions　from　the　War　Department；　merely　to　subserve　a　political　end；　for　there　were　few　or　no　people　in　Lower　California；　which　is　a　miserable；　wretched；　dried…up　peninsula。　　I　remember　the　proclamation　made　by　Burton　and　Captain　Bailey；　in　taking　possession；　which　was　in