captains of the civil war- 第8部分

But　on　its　reverse　slope　lay　Jackson's　Shenandoahs；　three　thousand　strong；　and　by　far　the　best　drilled　and　disciplined　brigade　that　either　side　had　yet　produced　apart；　of　course；　from　regulars。　Jackson　had　ridden　up　and　down　before　them；　calm　as　they　had　ever　seen　him　on　parade；　quietly　saying；　〃Steady；　men；　steady！　All's　well。〃　In　this　way　he　had　held　them　straining　at　the　leash　for　hours。　Now；　at　last；　their　time　had　come。　Riding　out　to　the　center　of　his　line　he　gave　his　final　orders：　〃Reserve　your　fire　till　they　come　within　fifty　yards。　Then　fire　and　give　them　the　bayonet；　and　yell　like　furies　when　you　charge！〃　Five　minutes　later；　as　the　triumphant　Federals　topped　the　crest；　the　long　gray　line　rose　up；　stood　fast；　fired　one　crashing　point…blank　volley；　and　immediately　charged　home　with　the　first　of　those　wild；　high　rebel　yells　that　rang　throughout　the　war。　The　stricken　and　astounded　Federal　front　caved　in；　turned　round；　and　fled。　At　the　same　instant　the　last　of　the　ShenandoahsKirby　Smith's　brigade；　detrained　just　in　the　nick　of　timecharged　the　wavering　flank。　Then；　like　the　first　quiver　of　an　avalanche；　a　tremor　shook　the　whole　massed　Federals　one　moment　on　that　fatal　hill：　the　next；　like　a　loosened　cliff；　they　began　the　landslide　down。

There；　in　the　valley；　along　Young's　Branch；　McDowell　established　his　last　line　of　battle；　based　on　the　firm　rock　of　the　regulars。　But　by　this　time　the　Confederates　had　brought　up　troops　from　the　whole　length　of　their　line；　the　balance　of　numbers　was　at　last　in　their　favor；　and　nothing　could　stay　the　Federal　recoil。　Lack　of　drill　and　discipline　soon　changed　this　recoil　into　a　disorderly　retreat。　There　was　no　panic；　but　most　of　the　military　units　〃dissolved　into　a　mere　mob　whose　heart　was　set　on　getting　back　to　Washington　in　any　way　left　'''Open。　The　regulars　and　a　few　formed　bodies　in　reserve　did　their　best　to　stem　the　stream。　But　all　in　vain。

One　mile　short　of　Centreville　there　was　a　sudden　upset　and　consequent　block　on　the　bridge　across　Cub　Run。　Then　the　stream　of　men　retreating；　mixed　with　clogging　masses　of　panic…struck　civilians；　became　a　torrent。


Bull　Run　was　only　a　special…constable　affair　on　a　gigantic　scale。　The　losses　were　comparatively　small3553　killed　and　wounded　on　both　sides　put　together：　not　ten　per　cent　of　the　less　than　forty　thousand　who　actually　fought。　Moreover；　the　side　that　won　the　battle　lost　the　war。　And　yet　Bull　Run　had　many　points　of　very　great　importance。　In　spite　of　all　shortcomings　it　showed　the　good　quality　of　the　troops　engaged：　if　not　as　soldiers；　at　all　events　as　men。　It　proved　that　the　war；　unlike　the　battle；　would　not　be　fought　by　special　constables；　some　of　whom　first　fired　their　rifles　when　their　target　was　firing　back　at　them。　It　brought　one　great　leaderStonewall　Jacksoninto　fame。　Above　all；　it　profoundly　affected　the　popular　points　of　view；　both　North　and　South。　In　the　South　there　was　undue　elation；　followed　by　the　absurd　belief　that　one　Southerner　could　beat　two　Northerners　any　day　and　that　the　North　would　now　back　down　en　masse；　as　its　army　had　from　the　Henry　Hill。　A　dangerous　slackening　of　military　preparation　was　the　unavoidable　result。　In　the　North；　on　the　other　hand；　a　good　many　people　began　to　see　the　difference　between　armed　mobs　and　armies；　and　the　thorough　Unionists；　led　by　the　wise　and　steadfast　Lincoln；　braced　themselves　for　real　war。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　COMBATANTS

No　map　can　show　the　exact　dividing　line　between　the　actual　combatants　of　North　and　South。　Eleven　States　seceded：　Virginia；　the　Carolinas；　Georgia；　Florida；　Alabama；　Mississippi；　Tennessee；　Louisiana；　Texas；　and　Arkansas。　But　the　mountain　folk　of　western　Virginia　and　eastern　Tennessee　were　strong　Unionists；　and　West　Virginia　became　a　State　while　the　war　was　being　fought。　On　the　other　hand；　the　four　border　States；　though　officially　Federal　under　stress　of　circumstances；　were　divided　against　themselves。　In　Maryland；　Kentucky；　Missouri；　and　Kansas；　many　citizens　took　the　Southern　side。　Maryland　would　have　gone　with　the　South　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　presence　of　overwhelming　Northern　sea…power　and　the　absence　of　any　good　land　frontier　of　her　own。　Kentucky　remained　neutral　for　several　months。　Missouri　was　saved　for　the　Union　by　those　two　resourceful　and　determined　men；　Lyon　and　Blair。　Kansas；　though　preponderantly　Unionist；　had　many　Confederates　along　its　southern　boundary。　On　the　whole　the　Union　gained　greatly　throughout　the　borderlands　as　the　war　went　on；　and　the　remaining　Confederate　hold　on　the　border　people　was　more　than　counterbalanced　by　the　Federal　hold　on　those　in　the　western　parts　of　old　Virginia　and　the　eastern　parts　of　Tennessee。　Among　the　small　seafaring　population　along　the　Southern　coast　there　were　also　some　strongly　Union　men。

Counting　out　Northern　Confederates　and　Southern　Federals　as　canceling　each　other；　so　far　as　effective　fighting　was　concerned　a　comparison　made　between　the　North　and　South　along　the　line　of　actual　secession　reveals　the　one　real　advantage　the　South　enjoyed　all　throughan　overwhelming　party　in　favor　of　the　war。　When　once　the　die　was　cast　there　was　certainly　not　a　tenth　of　the　Southern　whites　who　did　not　belong　to　the　war　party；　and　the　peace　party　always　had　to　hold　its　tongue。　The　Southerners　formed　simpler　and　far　more　homogeneous　communities　of　the　old　long…settled　stock；　and　were　more　inclined　to　act　together　when　once　their　feelings　were　profoundly　stirred。

The　Northern　communities；　on　the　other　hand；　being　far　more　complex　and　far　less　homogeneous；　were　plagued　with　peace　parties　that　grew　like　human　weeds；　clogging　the　springs　of　action　everywhere。　There　were　immigrants　new　to　the　country　and　therefore　not　inclined　to　take　risks　for　a　cause　they　had　not　learned　to　make　their　own。　There　were　also　naturalized；　and　even　American…born；　aliens；　aliens　in　speech；　race；　thought；　and　every　way　of　life。　Then　there　were　the　oppositionists　of　different　kinds；　who　would　not　support　any　war　government；　however　like　a　perfect　coalition　it　might　be。　Among　these　were　some　Northerners　who　did　business　with　the　South；　especially　the　men　who　financed　the　cotton　and　tobacco　crops。　Others；　again；　were　those　loose…tongued　folk　who　think　any　vexed　question　can　be　settled　by　unlimited　talk。　Next　came　those　〃defeatist〃　cranks　who　always　think　their　own　side　must　be　wrong；　and　who　are　of　no　more　practical　use　than　the　out…and…out　〃pacifists〃　who　think　everybody　wrong　except　themselves。　Finally；　there　were　those　slippery　folk　who　try　to　evade　all　public　duty；　especially　when　it　smacks　of　danger。　These　skulkers　flourish　best　in　large　and　complex　populations；　where　they　may　even　masquerade　as　patriots　of　the　kind　so　well　described　by　Lincoln　when　he　said　how　often　he　had　noticed　that　the　men　who　were　loudest　in　proclaiming　their　readiness　to　shed　their　last　drop　of　blood　were　generally　the　most　careful　not　to　shed　the　first。

Many　of　these　fustian　heroes　formed　the　mushroom　secret　societies　that　played　their　vile　extravaganza　right　under　the　shadow　of　the　real　tragedy　of　war。　Worse　still；　not　content　with　the　abracadabra　of　their　silly　oaths；　the　busybody　members　made　all　the　mischief　they　could　during　Lincoln's　last　election。　Worst　of　all；　they　not　only　tried　their　hands　at　political　assassination　in　the　North　but　they　lured　many　a　gallant　Confederate　to　his　death　by　promising　to　rise　in　their　might　for　a　〃Free　Northwest〃　the　moment　the　Southern　troopers　should　appear。　Needless　to　say；　not　a　single　one　of　the　whole　bombastic　band　of　cowards　stirred　a　finger　to　help　the　Confederate　troopers　who　rode　to　their　doom　on　Morgan's　Raid　through　Indiana　and　Ohio。　The　peace　party　wore　a　copper　as　a　badge；　and　so　came　to　be　known　as　〃Copperheads；〃　much　to　the　disgust　of　its　more　inflated　members；　who　called　themselves　the　Sons　of　Liberty。　The　war　party；　with　a　better　appreciation　of　how　names　and　things　should　be　connected；　used　their　own　descriptive　〃Copperhead〃　in　its　appropriate　meaning　of　a　poisonous　snake　in　the　grass　behind。

The　Indians　would　have　preferred　neutrality　between　the　two　kinds　of　inevitably　dispossessing　whites。　But　neutrality　was　impossible　in　what　was　then　the　Far　West。　Not　ten　thousand　Indians　fought　for　both　sides　put　together。　On　the　whole　they　fought　well　as　skirmishers；　though　they　rarely　withstood　shell　fire；　even　when　their　cover　was　good　and　their　casualties　small。

The　ten　times　more　numerous　negroes　were　naturally　a　much　more　serious　factor。　The　North　encouraged　the　employment　of　colored　labor　corps　and　even　colored　soldiers；　especially　after　Emancipation。　But　the　vast　majority　of　negroes；　whether　slave　or　free；　either　preferred　or　put　up　with　their　Southern　masters；　whom　they　generally　served　faithfully　enough　either　in　military　labor　corps　or　on　the　old　plantations。　As　the　colored　population　of　the　South　was　three　and　a　half　millions　this　general　fidelity　was　of　great　importance　to　the　forces　in　the　field。

The　total　population　of　the　United　States　in　1861　was　about　thirty…one　and　a　half　millions。　Of　this　total　twenty…two　and　a　half　belonged　to　the　North　and　nine　to　the　South。　The　grand　total　odds　were　therefore　five　against　two。　The　odds　against　the　South　rise　to　four　against　one　if　the　blacks　are　left　out。　There　were　twenty…two