captains of the civil war- 第46部分

During　it　there　had　been　two　operations　that　gave　Grant　better　satisfaction：　Sheridan's　raid　and　Sherman's　advance。　As　large　bodies　of　cavalry　could　not　maneuver　in　the　bush　Grant　had　sent　Sheridan　off　on　his　Richmond　Raid　ten　days　before。　Striking　south　near　Spotsylvania；　Sheridan's　ten　thousand　horsemen　rounded　Lee's　right；　cut　the　rails　on　either　side　of　Beaver　Dam　Station；　destroyed　this　important　depot　on　the　Virginia　Central　Railroad；　and　then　made　straight　for　Richmond。　Stuart　followed　hard；　made　an　exhausting　sweep　round　Sheridan's　flank；　and　faced　him　on　the　eleventh　at　Yellow　Tavern；　six　miles　north　of　Richmond。　Here　the　tired　and　outnumbered　Confederates　made　a　desperate　attempt　to　stem　Sheridan's　advance。　But　Stuart；　the　hero　of　his　own　men；　and　the　admiration　of　his　generous　foes；　was　mortally　wounded；　and　his　thinner　lines；　overlapped　and　outweighed；　gave　ground　and　drew　off。　Richmond　had　no　garrison　to　resist　a　determined　attack。　But　Sheridan；　knowing　he　could　not　hold　it　and　having　better　work　to　do；　pushed　on　southeast　to　Haxall's　Landing；　where　he　could　draw　much…needed　supplies　from　Butler；　just　across　the　James。　With　the　enemy　aggressive　and　alert　all　round　him；　he　built　a　bridge　under　fire　across　the　Chickahominy；　struck　north　for　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　reported　his　return　to　Grant　at　Chesterfield　Stationhalfway　back　to　Spotsylvaniaon　his　seventeenth　day　out。

In　the　course　of　this　great　raid　Sheridan　had　drawn　off　the　Confederate　cavalry；　fought　four　successful　actions；　released　hundreds　of　Union　prisoners　and　taken　as　many　himself；　cut　rails　and　wires　to　such　an　extent　that　Lee　could　only　communicate　with　Richmond　by　messenger；　destroyed　enormous　quantities　of　the　most　vitally　needed　enemy　stores；　especially　food　and　medical　supplies；　and；　by　penetrating　the　outer　defenses　of　Richmond；　raised　Federal　prestige　to　a　higher　plane　at　a　most　important　juncture。

Meanwhile　Sherman；　whose　own　main　body　included　a　hundred　thousand　men；　had　started　from　Chattanooga　at　the　same　time　as　Grant　from　Culpeper　Court　House。　In　Grant's　opinion　〃Johnston；　with　Atlanta；　was　of　less　importance　only　because　the　capture　of　Johnston　and　his　army　would　not　produce　so　immediate　and　decisive　a　result　in　closing　the　rebellion　as　would　the　possession　of　Richmond；　Lee；　and　his　army。〃　Sherman's　organization；　supply　and　transport；　engineers；　staff；　and　army　generally　were　excellent。　So　skillful；　indeed；　were　his　railway　engineers　that　a　disgusted　Confederate　raider　called　out　to　a　demolition　party：　〃Better　save　your　powder；　boys。　What's　the　good　of　blowing　up　this　one　when　Sherman　brings　duplicate　tunnels　along？〃

Sherman　had　double　Johnston's　numbers　in　the　field。　But　Johnston；　as　a　supremely　skillful　Fabian；　was　a　most　worthy　opponent　for　this　campaign；　when　the　Confederate　object　was　to　gain　time　and　sicken　the　North　of　the　war　by　falling　back　from　one　strongly　prepared　position　to　another；　inflicting　as　much　loss　as　possible　on　the　attackers；　and　forcing　them　to　stretch　their　line　of　communication　to　the　breaking　point　among　a　hostile　population。　Two　of　Sherman's　best　divisions　were　still　floundering　about　with　the　rest　of　the　Red　River　Expedition。　So　he　had　to　modify　his　original　plan；　which　would　have　taken　him　much　sooner　to　Atlanta　and　given　him　the　support　of　a　simultaneous　attack　on　Mobile　by　a　cooperating　joint　expedition。　But　he　was　ready　to　the　minute；　all　the　same。

Dalton；　Johnston's　first　stronghold；　was　cleverly　turned　by　McPherson's　right　flank　march；　where　upon　Johnston　fell　back　on　Resaca。　Here；　on　the　upon　the　fifteenth　of　May；　the　armies　fought　hard　for　some　hours。　But　Sherman　again　outflanked　the　fortified　enemy；　who　retired　to　Kingston。　Then；　after　Sherman　had　made　a　four　days'　halt　to　accumulate　supplies；　the　advance　was　resumed；　against　determined　opposition　and　with　a　good　deal　of　hard　fighting　for　a　week　in　the　neighborhood　of　New　Hope　Church。　The　result　of　the　usual　outflanking　movements　was　that　Johnston　had　to　evacuate　Allatoona　on　the　fourth　of　June。　Sherman　at　once　turned　it　into　his　advanced　field　base；　while　Johnston　fell　back　on　another　strong　and　wellprepared　position　at　Kenesaw　Mountain。

Grant；　favored　in　a　general　way　by　Sherman　and　in　a　special　way　by　Sheridan；　had　meanwhile　enjoyed　a　third　advantage；　this　time　on　his　own　immediate　front；　through　the　sickness　of　Lee；　who　could　not　take　personal　command　during　the　last　ten　days　of　May。　On　the　twenty…first　half　of　Grant's　army　marched　south　while　half　stood　threatening　Lee；　in　order　to　give　their　friends　a　start　toward　Richmond。　This　move　was　so　well　staffed　and　screened　that　perhaps　Lee　could　not　have　seen　his　chance　quite　soon　enough　in　any　case。　But　when　he　did　learn　what　had　happened　even　his　calm　self…control　gave　way　to　the　exceeding　bitter　cry：　〃We　must　strike　them！　We　must　never　let　them　pass　us　again！〃　On　the　thirtieth　he　was　horrified　at　getting　from　Beauregard　（who　was　then　between　Richmond　and　Petersburg）　a　telegram　which　showed　that　the　Confederate　Government　was　busy　with　the　circumlocution　office　in　Richmond　while　the　enemy　was　thundering　at　the　gate。　〃War　Department　must　determine　when　and　what　troops　to　order　from　here。〃　Lee　immediately　answered：　〃If　you　cannot　determine　what　troops　you　can　spare；　the　Department　cannot。　The　result　of　your　delay　will　be　disaster。　Butler's　troops　will　be　with　Grant　tomorrow。〃　Lee　also　telegraphed　direct　to　Davis　for　immediate　reinforcements；　which　arrived　only　just　in　time　for　the　terrific　battle　of　Cold　Harbor。

With　these　three　advantages；　in　addition　to　the　other　odds　in　his　favor；　Grant　seemed　to　have　found　the　tide　of　fortune　at　the　flood　in　the　latter　part　of　May。　But　he　had　many　troubles　of　his　own。　No　sooner　had　half　his　army　been　badly　defeated　on　the　eighteenth　than　news　came　that　Sigel　was　in　full　retreat　instead　of　cutting　off　supplies　from　Lee。　Then　came　news　of　Butler's　retreat　from　Drewry's　Bluff；　close　in　to　Richmond。　Nor　was　this　all；　for　it　was　only　now　that　definite　news　of　the　Red　River　Expedition　arrived　to　confirm　Grant's　worst　suspicions　and　ruin　his　second　plan　of　helping　Farragut　to　take　Mobile。　But；　as　was　his　wont；　Grant　at　once　took　steps　to　meet　the　crisis。　He　ordered　Hunter　to　replace　Sigel　and　go　southstraight　into　the　heart　of　the　Valley；　asked　the　navy　to　move　his　own　base　down　the　Rappahannock　from　Fredericksburg　to　Port　Royal；　and　then　himself　marched　on　toward　Richmond；　where　Lee　was　desperately　trying　to　concentrate　for　battle。

The　two　armies　were　now　drawing　all　available　force　together　round　the　strategic　center　of　Cold　Harbor；　only　nine　miles　east　of　Richmond。　On　the　thirty…first　Sheridan　drove　out　the　enemy　detachments　there；　and　was　himself　about　to　retire　before　much　superior　reinforcements　when　he　got　Grant's　order　to　hold　his　ground　at　any　cost。　Nightfall　prevented　a　general　assault　till　the　next　morning；　when　Sheridan　managed　to　stand　fast　till　Wright's　whole　corps　came　up　and　the　enemy　at　once　desisted。　But　elsewhere　the　Confederates　did　what　they　could　to　stave　the　Federals　off　from　advantageous　ground　on　that　day　and　the　next。　The　day　afterthe　fateful　third　of　Junethe　two　sides　closed　in　death…grips　at　Cold　Harbor。

On　this；　the　thirtieth　day　of　Grant's　campaign　of　stern　attrition　and　would…be…smashing　hammerstrokes　at　Lee；　these　were　his　orders　for　attack：　〃The　moment　it　becomes　certain　that　an　assault　cannot　succeed；　suspend　the　offensive。　But　when　one　does　succeed；　push　it　vigorously；　and；　if　necessary；　pile　in　troops　at　the　successful　point　from　wherever　they　can　be　taken。〃　The　trouble　was　that　Grant　was　two　days　late　in　carrying　on　the　battle　so　well　begun　by　Sheridan；　that　Warren's　corps　was　two　miles　off　and　entirely　disconnected；　and　that　the　three　remaining　corps　formed　three　parts　and　no　whole　when　the　stress　of　action　came。

At　dawn　Meade's　Army　of　the　Potomac　（less　Warren's　corps）　began　to　take　post　for　the　grand　attack　that　some；　more　sanguine　than　reflecting；　hoped　would　win　the　war。　When　it　was　light　the　guns　burst　out　in　furious　defiance；　each　side's　artillery　trying　to　beat　the　other's　down　before　the　crisis　of　the　infantry　assault。　There　was　no　maneuvering。　Each　one　of　Meade's　three　corps…　…Hancock's；　Wright's；　and　Smith's　（brought　over　from　Butler's　command）marched　straight　to　its　front。　This　led　them　apart；　on　diverging　lines；　and　so　exposed　their　flanks　as　well　as　their　fronts　to　enemy　fire。　But　though　each　corps　thought　its　neighbor　wrong　to　uncover　its　flanks；　and　the　true　cause　was　not　discovered　till　compass　bearings　were　afterwards　compared；　yet　each　went　on　undaunted；　gaining　momentum　with　every　step；　and　gathering　itself　together　for　the　final　charge。

Then；　surging　like　great　storm…blown　waves；　the　blue　lines　broke　against　Lee's　iron　front。　In　every　gallant　case　there　was　the　same　wild　cresting　of　the　wave；　the　same　terrific　crash；　the　same　adventurous　tongues　of　blue　that　darted　up　as　far　as　they　could　go　alive；　the　same　anguishing　recession　from　the　fatal　mark；　and　the　same　agonizing　wreckage　left　behind。　In　Hancock's　corps　the　crisis　passed　in　just　eight　minutes。　But　in　those　eight　dire　minutes　eight　colonels　died　while　leading　their　regiments　on　to　a　foredoomed　defeat。　One　of　these　eight；　James　P。　McM