captains of the civil war- 第3部分

At　nightfall　Sumter　ceased　fire　while　the　Confederates　kept　on　slowly　till　daylight。　Next　morning　the　officers'　quarters　were　set　on　fire　by　red…hot　shot。　Immediately　the　Confederates　redoubled　their　efforts。　Inside　Sumter　the　fire　was　creeping　towards　the　magazine；　the　door　of　which　was　shut　only　just　in　time。　Then　the　flagstaff　was　shot　down。　Anderson　ran　his　colors　up　again；　but　the　situation　was　rapidly　becoming　impossible。　Most　of　the　worn…out　men　were　fighting　the　flames　while　a　few　were　firing　at　long　intervals　to　show　they　would　not　yet　give　in。　This　excited　the　generous　admiration　of　the　enemy；　who　cheered　the　gallantry　of　Sumter　while　sneering　at　the　caution　of　the　Union　fleet　outside。　The　fact　was；　however；　that　this　so…called　fleet　was　a　mere　assemblage　of　vessels　quite　unable　to　fight　the　Charleston　batteries　and　without　the　slightest　chance　of　saving　Sumter。

Having　done　his　best　for　the　honor　of　the　flag；　though　not　a　man　was　killed　within　the　walls；　Anderson　surrendered　in　the　afternoon。　Charleston　went　wild　with　joy；　but　applauded　the　generosity　of　Beauregard's　chivalrous　terms。　Next　day；　Sunday　the　fourteenth；　Anderson's　little　garrison　saluted　the　Stars　and　Stripes　with　fifty　guns；　and　then；　with　colors　flying；　marched　down　on　board　a　transport　to　the　strains　of　Yankee　Doodle。

Strange　to　say；　after　being　four　years　in　Confederate　hands；　Sumter　was　recaptured　by　the　Union　forces　on　the　anniversary　of　its　surrender。　It　was　often　bombarded；　though　never　taken；　in　the　meantime。

The　fall　of　Sumter　not　only　fired　all　Union　loyalty　but　made　Confederates　eager　for　the　fray。　The　very　next　day　Lincoln　called　for　75；000　three…month　volunteers。　Two　days　later　Confederate　letters　of　marque　were　issued　to　any　privateers　that　would　prey　on　Union　shipping。　Two　days　later　again　Lincoln　declared　a　blockade　of　every　port　from　South　Carolina　round　to　Texas。　Eight　days　afterwards　he　extended　it　to　North　Carolina　and　Virginia。

But　in　the　meantime　Lincoln　had　been　himself　marooned　in　Washington。　On　the　nineteenth　of　April；　the　day　he　declared　his　first　blockade；　the　Sixth　Massachusetts　were　attacked　by　a　mob　in　Baltimore；　through　which　the　direct　rails　ran　from　North　to　South。　Baltimore　was　full　of　secession；　and　the　bloodshed　roused　its　fury。　Maryland　was　a　border　slave　State　out　of　which　the　District　of　Columbia　was　carved。　Virginia　had　just　seceded。　So　when　the　would…be　Confederates　of　Maryland；　led　by　the　Mayor　of　Baltimore；　began　tearing　up　rails；　burning　bridges；　and　cutting　the　wires；　the　Union　Government　found　itself　enisled　in　a　hostile　sea。　Its　own　forces　abandoned　the　Arsenal　at　Harper's　Ferry　and　the　Navy　Yard　at　Norfolk。　The　work　of　demolition　at　Harper's　Ferry　had　to　be　bungled　off　in　haste；　owing　to　shortness　of　time　and　lack　of　means。　The　demolition　of　Norfolk　was　better　done；　and　the　ships　were　sunk　at　anchor。　But　many　valuable　stores　fell　into　enemy　hands　at　both　these　Virginian　outposts　of　the　Federal　forces。　Through　six　long　days　of　dire　suspense　not　a　ship；　not　a　train；　came　into　Washington。　At　last；　on　the　twentyfifth；　the　Seventh　New　York　got　through；　having　come　south　by　boat　with　the　Eighth　Massachusetts；　landed　at　Annapolis；　and　commandeered　a　train　to　run　over　relaid　rails。　With　them　came　the　news　that　all　the　loyal　North　was　up；　that　the　Seventh　had　marched　through　miles　of　cheering　patriots　in　New　York；　and　that　these　two　fine　regiments　were　only　the　vanguard　of　a　host。

But　just　a　week　before　Lincoln　experienced　this　inexpressible　relief　he　lost；　and　his　enemy　won；　a　single　officer；　who；　according　to　Winfield　Scott；　was　alone　worth　more　than　fifty　thousand　veteran　men。　On　the　seventeenth　of　April　Virginia　voted　for　secession。　On　the　eighteenth　Lee　had　a　long　confidential　interview　with　his　old　chief；　Winfield　Scott。　On　the　twentieth　he　resigned；　writing　privately　to　Scott　at　the　same　time：　〃My　resignation　would　have　been　presented　at　once　but　for　the　struggle　it　has　cost　me　to　separate　myself　from　a　service　to　which　I　have　devoted　the　best　years　of　my　life。　During　the　whole　of　that　time　I　have　experienced　nothing　but　kindness　from　my　superiors　and　a　most　cordial　friendship　from　my　comrades。　I　shall　carry　to　the　grave　the　most　grateful　recollections　of　your　kind　consideration；　and　your　name　and　fame　shall　always　be　dear　to　me。　Save　in　the　defense　of　my　native　State　I　never　desire　again　to　draw　my　sword。〃

The　three　great　motives　which　finally　determined　his　momentous　course　of　action　were：　first；　his　aversion　from　taking　any　part　in　coercing　the　home　folks　of　Virginia；　secondly；　his　belief　in　State　rights；　tempered　though　it　was　by　admiration　for　the　Union；　and　thirdly；　his　clear　perception　that　war　was　now　inevitable；　and　that　defeat　for　the　South　would　inevitably　mean　a　violent　change　of　all　the　ways　of　Southern　life；　above　all；　a　change　imposed　by　force　from　outside；　instead　of　the　gradual　change　he　wished　to　see　effected　from　within。　He　was　opposed　to　slavery；　and　both　his　own　and　his　wife's　slaves　had　long　been　free。　Like　his　famous　lieutenant；　Stonewall　Jackson；　he　was　particularly　kind　to　the　blacks；　none　of　whom　ever　wanted　to　leave；　once　they　had　been　domiciled　at　Arlington；　the　estate　that　came　to　him　through　his　wife；　Mary　Custis；　great…granddaughter　of　Martha　Washington。　But；　like　Lincoln　before　the　war；　he　wished　emancipation　to　come　from　the　slave　States　themselves；　as　in　time　it　must　have　come；　with　due　regard　for　compensation。

On　the　twenty…third　of　this　eventful　April　Lee　was　given　the　chief　command　of　all　Virginia's　forces。　Three　days　later　〃Joe〃　Johnston　took　command　of　the　Virginians　at　Richmond。　One　day　later　again　〃Stonewall〃　Jackson　took　command　at　Harper's　Ferry。　Johnston　played　a　great　and　noble　part　throughout　the　war；　and　we　shall　meet　him　again　and　again；　down　to　the　very　end。　But　Jackson　claims　our　first　attention　here。

Like　all　the　great　leaders　on　both　sides　Jackson　had　been　an　officer　of　regulars。　He　was；　however；　in　many　ways　unlike　the　army　type。　He　disliked　society　amusements；　was　awkward；　shy；　reserved；　and　apparently　recluse。　Moderately　tall；　with　large　hands　and　feet；　stiff　in　his　movements；　ungainly　in　the　saddle；　he　was　a　mere　nobody　in　public　estimation　when　the　war　broke　out。　A　few　brother…officers　had　seen　his　consummate　skill　and　bravery　as　a　subaltern　in　Mexico；　and　still　fewer　close　acquaintances　had　seen　his　sterling　qualities　at　Lexington；　where；　for　ten　years；　he　had　been　a　professor　at　the　Virginia　Military　Institute。　But　these　few　were　the　only　ones　who　were　not　surprised　when　this　recluse　of　peace　suddenly　became　a　very　thunderbolt　of　warPuritan　in　soul；　Cavalier　in　daring：　a　Cromwell　come　to　life　again。

Harper's　Ferry　was　a　strategic　point　in　northern　Virginia。　It　was　the　gate　to　the　Shenandoah　Valley　as　well　as　the　point　where　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　Railroad　crossed　the　Potomac　some　sixty　miles　northwest　of　Washington。　Harper's　Ferry　was　known　by　name　to　North　and　South　through　John　Brown's　raid　two　years　before。　It　was　now　coveted　by　Virginia　for　its　Arsenal　as　well　as　for　its　command　of　road；　rail；　and　water　routes。　The　plan　to　raid　it　was　arranged　at　Richmond　on　the　sixteenth　of　April。　But　when　the　raiders　reached　it　on　the　eighteenth　they　found　it　abandoned　and　its　Arsenal　in　flames。　The　machine　shops；　however；　were　saved；　as　well　as　the　metal　parts　of　twenty　thousand　stand　of　arms。　Then　the　Virginia　militiamen　and　volunteers　streamed　in；　to　the　number　of　over　four　thousand。　They　were　a　mere　conglomeration　of　semi…independent　units；　mostly　composed　of　raw　recruits　under　officers　who　themselves　knew　next　to　nothing。　As　usual　with　such　fledgling　troops　there　was　no　end　to　the　fuss　and　feathers　among　the　members　of　the　busybody　staffs；　who　were　numerous　enough　to　manage　an　army　but　clumsy　enough　to　spoil　a　platoon。　It　was　said；　and　not　without　good　reason；　that　there　was　as　much　gold　lace　at　Harper's　Ferry；　when　the　sun　was　shining；　as　at　a　grand　review　in　Paris。

Into　this　gaudy　assemblage　rode　Thomas　Jonathan　Jackson；　mounted　on　Little　Sorrel；　a　horse　as　unpretentious　as　himself；　and　dressed　in　his　faded　old　blue　professor's　uniform　without　one　gleam　of　gold。　He　had　only　two　staff　officers；　both　dressed　as　plainly　as　himself。　He　was　not　a　major…general；　nor　even　a　brigadier；　just　a　colonel。　He　held　no　trumpeting　reviews。　He　made　no　flowery　speeches。　He　didn't　even　swear。　The　armed　mob　at　Harper's　Ferry　felt　that　they　would　lose　caste　on　Sunday　afternoons　under　a　commandant　like　this。　Their　feelings　were　still　more　outraged　when　they　heard　that　every　officer　above　the　rank　of　captain　was　to　lose　his　higher　rank；　and　that　all　new　reappointments　were　to　be　made　on　military　merit　and　direct　from　Richmond。　Companies　accustomed　to　elect　their　officers　according　to　the　whim　of　the　moment　eagerly　joined　the　higher　officers　in　passing　adverse　resolutions。　But　authorities　who　were　unanimous　for　Lee　were　not　to　be　shaken　by　such　absurdities　in　face　of　a　serious　war。　And　when　the　froth　had　been　blown　off　the　top；　and　the　dregs　drained　out　of　the　bottom；　the　solid　mass　between；　who　really　were　sound　patriots；　settled　down　to　work。

There　was　seven　hours'　drill　every　day　except　Sunday；　no　light　task　for　a　mere　armed　mob　groping　its　ignorant　w