the day of the confederacy-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


commerce　in　the　main　went　seaward；　and　thence　to　New　England　or
to　Europe。　Hitherto　the　railway　lines　had　seen　no　reason　for
merging　their　local　character　in　extensive　combinations。　Owners
of　short　lines　were　inclined　by　tradition　to　resist　even　the
imperative　necessities　of　war　and　their　stubborn　conservatism　was
frequently　encouraged　by　the　shortsighted　parochialism　of　the
towns。　The　same　pitiful　narrowness　that　led　the　peasant　farmer　to
threaten　rebellion　against　the　tax　in　kind　led　his　counterpart　in
the　towns　to　oppose　the　War　Department　in　its　efforts　to
establish　through　railroad　lines　because　they　threatened　to
impair　local　business　interests。　A　striking　instance　of　this
disinclination　towards　cooperation　is　the　action　of　Petersburg。
Two　railroads　terminated　at　this　point　but　did　not　connect；　and
it　was　an　ardent　desire　of　the　military　authorities　to　link　the
two　and　convert　them　into　one。　The　town；　however；　unable　to　see
beyond　its　boundaries　and　resolute　in　its　determination　to　save
its　transfer　business；　successfully　obstructed　the　needs　of　the
army。*

*　See　an　article　on　〃The　Confederate　Government　and　the
Railroads〃　in　the　〃American　Historical　Review；〃　July；　1917；　by
Charles　W。　Ramsdell。


As　a　result　of　this　lack　of　efficient　organization　an　immense
congestion　resulted　all　along　the　railroads。　Whether　this；　rather
than　a　failure　in　supply；　explains　the　approach　of　famine　in　the
latter　part　of　the　war；　it　is　today　very　difficult　to　determine。
In　numerous　state　papers　of　the　time；　the　assertion　was
reiterated　that　the　yield　of　food　was　abundant　and　that　the
scarcity　of　food　at　many　places；　including　the　cities　and　the
battle　fronts；　was　due　to　defects　in　transportation。　Certain　it
is　that　the　progress　of　supplies　from　one　point　to　another　was
intolerably　slow。

All　this　want　of　coordination　facilitated　speculation。　We　shall
see　hereafter　how　merciless　this　speculation　became　and　we　shall
even　hear　of　profits　on　food　rising　to　more　than　four　hundred　per
cent。　However；　the　oft…quoted　prices　of　the　later　yearswhen；
for　instance；　a　pair　of　shoes　cost　a　hundred　dollarssignify
little；　for　they　rested　on　an　inflated　currency。　None　the　less
they　inspired　the　witticism　that　one　should　take　money　to　market
in　a　basket　and　bring　provisions　home　in　one's　pocketbook。
Endless　stories　could　be　told　of　speculators　hoarding　food　and
watching　unmoved　the　sufferings　of　a　famished　people。　Said　Bishop
Pierce；　in　a　sermon　before　the　General　Assembly　of　Georgia；　on
Fast　Day；　in　March；　1863：　〃Restlessness　and　discontent
prevail。。。。　
Extortion；　pitiless　extortion　is　making　havoc　in　the　land。
We　are　devouring　each　other。　Avarice　with　full　barns　puts　the
bounties　of　Providence　under　bolts　and　bars；　waiting　with　eager
longings　for　higher　prices。。。。　The　greed　of　gain。。。stalks
among　us　unabashed　by　the　heroic　sacrifice　of　our　women　or　the
gallant　deeds　of　our　soldiers。　Speculation　in　salt　and　bread　and
meat　runs　riot　in　defiance　of　the　thunders　of　the　pulpit；　and
executive　interference　and　the　horrors　of　threatened　famine。〃　In
1864；　the　Government　found　that　quantities　of　grain　paid　in　under
the　tax　as　new…grown　were　mildewed。　It　was　grain　of　the　previous
year　which　speculators　had　held　too　long　and　now　palmed　off　on
the　Government　to　supply　the　army。

Amid　these　desperate　conditions　the　fate　of　soldiers'　families
became　everywhere；　a　tragedy。　Unless　the　soldier　was　a　land…owner
his　family　was　all　but　helpless。　With　a　depreciated　currency　and
exaggerated　prices；　his　pay；　whatever　his　rank；　was　too　little　to
count　in　providing　for　his　dependents。　Local　charity；　dealt　out
by　state　and　county　boards；　by　relief　associations；　and　by　the
generosity　of　neighbors；　formed　the　barrier　between　his　family
and　starvation。　The　landless　soldier；　with　a　family　at　home　in
desperate　straits；　is　too　often　overlooked　when　unimaginative
people　heap　up　the　statistics　of　〃desertion〃　in　the　latter　half
of　the　war。

It　was　in　this　period；　too；　that　amid　the　terrible　shrinkage　of
the　defensive　lines　〃refugeeing〃　became　a　feature　of　Southern
life。　From　the　districts　over　which　the　waves　of　war　rolled　back
and　forth　helpless　familieswomen；　children；　slavesfound
precarious　safety　together　with　great　hardship　by　withdrawing　to
remote　places　which　invasion　was　little　likely　to　reach。　An
Odyssey　of　hard　travel；　often　by　night　and　half　secret；　is　part
of　the　war　tradition　of　thousands　of　Southern　families。　And　here；
as　always；　the　heroic　women；　smiling；　indomitable；　are　the　center
of　the　picture。　Their　flight　to　preserve　the　children　was　no
small　test　of　courage。　Almost　invariably　they　had　to　traverse
desolate　country；　with　few　attendants；　through　forests；　and
across　rivers；　where　the　arm　of　the　law　was　now　powerless　to
protect　them。　Outlaws；　defiant　of　the　authorities　both　civil　and
military；ruthless　men　of　whom　we　shall　hear　again；roved　those
great　unoccupied　spaces　so　characteristic　of　the　Southern
countryside。　Many　a　family　legend　preserves　still　the　sense　of
breathless　caution；　of　pilgrimage　in　the　night…time　intently
silent　for　fear　of　these　masterless　men。　When　the　remote
rendezvous　had　been　reached；　there　a　colony　of　refugees　drew
together　in　a　steadfast　despair；　unprotected　by　their　own
fighting　men。　What　strange　sad　pages　in　the　history　of　American
valor　were　filled　by　these　women　outwardly　calm；　their　children
romping　after　butterflies　in　a　glory　of　sunshine；　while　horrid
tales　drifted　in　of　deeds　done　by　the　masterless　men　in　the
forest　just　beyond　the　horizon；　and　far　off　on　the　soul's
horizon　fathers；　husbands；　brothers；　held　grimly　the　lines　of
last　defense！



Chapter　VII。　The　Turning　Of　The　Tide

The　buoyancy　of　the　Southern　temper　withstood　the　shock　of
Gettysburg　and　was　not　overcome　by　the　fall　of　Vicksburg。　Of　the
far…reaching　significance　of　the　latter　catastrophe　in　particular
there　was　little　immediate　recognition。　Even　Seddon；　the
Secretary　of　War；　in　November；　reported　that　〃the　communication
with　the　Trans…Mississippi；　while　rendered　somewhat　precarious
and　insecure；　is　found　by　no　means　cut　off　or　even　seriously
endangered。〃　His　report　was　the　same　sort　of　thing　as　those
announcements　of　〃strategic　retreats〃　with　which　the　world　has
since　become　familiar。　He　even　went　so　far　as　to　argue　that　on
the　whole　the　South　had　gained　rather　than　lost；　that　the　control
of　the　river　was　of　no　real　value　to　the　North；　that　the　loss　of
Vicksburg　〃has　on　our　side　liberated　for　general　operations　in
the　field　a　large　army；　while　it　requires　the　enemy　to　maintain
cooped　up；　inactive；　in　positions　insalubrious　to　their　soldiers；
considerable　detachments　of　their　forces。〃

Seddon　attempted　to　reverse　the　facts；　to　show　that　the
importance　of　the　Mississippi　in　commerce　was　a　Northern　not　a
Southern　concern。　He　threw　light　upon　the　tactics　of　the　time　by
his　description　of　the　future　action　of　Confederate　sharpshooters
who　were　to　terrorize　such　commercial　crews　as　might　attempt　to
navigate　the　river；　he　also　told　how　light　batteries　might　move
swiftly　along　the　banks　and；　at　points　commanding　the　channel；
rain　on　the　passing　steamer　unheralded　destruction。　He　was　silent
upon　the　really　serious　matter；　the　patrol　of　the　river　by
Federal　gunboats　which　rendered　commerce　with　the
Trans…Mississippi　all　but　impossible。

This　report；　dated　the　26th　of　November；　gives　a　roseate　view　of
the　war　in　Tennessee　and　enlarges　upon　that　dreadful　battle　of
Chickamauga　which　〃ranks　as　one　of　the　grandest　victories　of　the
war。〃　But　even　as　the　report　was　signed；　Bragg　was　in　full
retreat　after　his　great　disaster　at　Chattanooga。　On　the　30th　of
November　the　Administration　at　Richmond　received　from　him　a
dispatch　that　closed　with　these　words：　〃I　deem　it　due　to　the
cause　and　to　myself　to　ask　for　relief　from　command　and　an
investigation　into　the　causes　of　the　defeat。〃　In　the　middle　of
December；　Joseph　E。　Johnston　was　appointed　to　succeed　him。

Whatever　had　been　the　illusions　of　the　Government；　they　were　now
at　an　end。　There　was　no　denying　that　the　war　had　entered　a　new
stage　and　that　the　odds　were　grimly　against　the　South。　Davis
recognized　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　and　in　his　message　to
Congress　in　December；　1863；　he　admitted　that　the
Trans…Mississippi　was　practically　isolated。　This　was　indeed　a
great　catastrophe；　for　hereafter　neither　men　nor　supplies　could
be　drawn　from　the　far　Southwest。　Furthermore；　the　Confederacy　had
now　lost　its　former　precious　advantage　of　using　Mexico　as　a　means
of　secret　trade　with　Europe。

These　distressing　events　of　the　four　months　between　Vicksburg　and
Chattanooga　established　also　the　semi…isolation　of　the　middle
region　of　the　lower　South。　The　two　States　of　Mississippi　and
Alabama　entered　upon　the　most　desperate　chapter　of　their　history。
Neither　in　nor　out　of　the　Confederacy；　neither　protected　by　the
Confederate　lines　nor　policed　by　the　enemy；　they　were　subject　at
once　to　the　full　rigor　of　the　financial　and　military　demands　of
the　Administration　of　Richmond　and　to　the　full　ruthlessness　of
plundering　raids　from　the　North。　Nowhere　can　the　contrast　between
the　warfare　of　that　day　and　the　best　methods　of　our