washington and his comrades in arms-第20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！
whom sixteen hundred were Germans and only three thousand five hundred fit for duty； surrendered to sixteen thousand Americans。 Burgoyne gave offense to German officers by saying in his report that he might have held out longer had all his troops been British。 This is probably true but the British met with only a just Nemesis for using soldiers who had no call of duty to serve。
The army set out on its long march of two hundred miles to Boston。 The late autumn weather was cold； the army was badly clothed and fed； and the discomfort of the weary route was increased by the bitter antagonism of the inhabitants。 They respected the regular British soldier but at the Germans they shouted insults and the Loyalists they despised as traitors。 The camp at the journey's end was on the ground at Cambridge where two years earlier Washington had trained his first army。 Every day Burgoyne expected to embark。 There was delay and； at last； he knew the reason。 Congress repudiated the terms granted by Gates。 A tangled dispute followed。 Washington probably had no sympathy with the quibbling of Congress。 But he had no desire to see this army return to Europe and release there an army to serve in America。 Burgoyne's force was never sent to England。 For nearly a year it lay at Boston。 Then it was marched to Virginia。 The men suffered great hardships and the numbers fell by desertion and escape。 When peace came in 1783 there was no army to take back to England； Burgoyne's soldiers had been merged into the American people。 It may well be； indeed； that descendants of his beaten men have played an important part in building up the United States。 The irony of history is unconquerable。
CHAPTER VII。 WASHINGTON AND HIS COMRADES AT VALLEY FORGE
Washington had met defeat in every considerable battle at which he was personally present。 His first appearance in military history； in the Ohio campaign against the French； twenty…two years before the Revolution； was marked by a defeat； the surrender of Fort Necessity。 Again in the next year； when he fought to relieve the disaster to Braddock's army； defeat was his portion。 Defeat had pursued him in the battles of the Revolution before New York； at the Brandywine； at Germantown。 The campaign against Canada； which he himself planned； had failed。 He had lost New York and Philadelphia。 But； like William III of England； who in his long struggle with France hardly won a battle and yet forced Louis XIV to accept his terms of peace； Washington； by suddenness in reprisal； by skill in resource when his plans seemed to have been shattered； grew on the hard rock of defeat the flower of victory。
There was never a time when Washington was not trusted by men of real military insight or by the masses of the people。 But a general who does not win victories in the field is open to attack。 By the winter of 1777 when Washington； with his army reduced and needy； was at Valley Forge keeping watch on Howe in Philadelphia； John Adams and others were talking of the sin of idolatry in the worship of Washington； of its flavor of the accursed spirit of monarchy； and of the punishment which 〃the God of Heaven and Earth〃 must inflict for such perversity。 Adams was all against a Fabian policy and wanted to settle issues forever by a short and strenuous war。 The idol； it was being whispered； proved after all to have feet of clay。 One general； and only one； had to his credit a really great victoryGates； to whom Burgoyne had surrendered at Saratoga； and there was a movement to replace Washington by this laureled victor。
General Conway； an Irish soldier of fortune； was one of the most troublesome in this plot。 He had served in the campaign about Philadelphia but had been blocked in his extravagant demands for promotion； so he turned for redress to Gates； the star in the north。 A malignant campaign followed in detraction of Washington。 He had； it was said； worn out his men by useless marches； with an army three times as numerous as that of Howe； he had gained no victory； there was high fighting quality in the American army if properly led； but Washington despised the militia； a Gates or a Lee or a Conway would save the cause as Washington could not； and so on。 〃Heaven has determined to save your country or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it〃； so wrote Conway to Gates and Gates allowed the letter to be seen。 The words were reported to Washington； who at once； in high dudgeon； called Conway to account。 An explosion followed。 Gates both denied that he had received a letter with the passage in question； and； at the same time； charged that there had been tampering with his private correspondence。 He could not have it both ways。 Conway was merely impudent in reply to Washington； but Gates laid the whole matter before Congress。 Washington wrote to Gates； in reply to his denials； ironical references to 〃rich treasures of knowledge and experience〃 〃guarded with penurious reserve〃 by Conway from his leaders but revealed to Gates。 There was no irony in Washington's reference to malignant detraction and mean intrigue。 At the same time he said to Gates： 〃My temper leads me to peace and harmony with all men；〃 and he deplored the internal strife which injured the great cause。 Conway soon left America。 Gates lived to command another American army and to end his career by a crowning disaster。
Washington had now been for more than two years in the chief command and knew his problems。 It was a British tradition that standing armies were a menace to liberty； and the tradition had gained strength in crossing the sea。 Washington would have wished a national army recruited by Congress alone and bound to serve for the duration of the war。 There was much talk at the time of a 〃new model army〃 similar in type to the wonderful creation of Oliver Cromwell。 The Thirteen Colonies became； however； thirteen nations。 Each reserved the right to raise its own levies in its own way。 To induce men to enlist Congress was twice handicapped。 First； it had no power of taxation and could only ask the States to provide what it needed。 The second handicap was even greater。 When Congress offered bounties to those who enlisted in the Continental army； some of the States offered higher bounties for their own levies of militia； and one authority was bidding against the other。 This encouraged short…term enlistments。 If a man could re…enlist and again secure a bounty； he would gain more than if he enlisted at once for the duration of the war。
An army is an intricate mechanism needing the same variety of agencies that is required for the well…being of a community。 The chief aim is； of course； to defeat the enemy； and to do this an army must be prepared to move rapidly。 Means of transport； so necessary in peace； are even more urgently needed in war。 Thus Washington always needed military engineers to construct roads and bridges。 Before the Revolution the greater part of such services had been provided in America by the regular British army； now the enemy。 British officers declared that the American army was without engineers who knew the science of war； and certainly the forts on which they spent their skill in the North； those on the lower Hudson； and at Ticonderoga； at the head of Lake George； fell easily before the assailant。 Good maps were needed； and in this Washington was badly served； though the defect was often corrected by his intimate knowledge of the country。 Another service ill…equipped was what we should now call the Red Cross。 Epidemics； and especially smallpox； wrought havoc in the army。 Then； as now； shattered nerves were sometimes the result of the strain of military life。 〃The wind of a ball；〃 what we should now call shellshock； sometimes killed men whose bodies appeared to be uninjured。 To our more advanced knowledge the medical science of the time seems crude。 The physicians of New England； today perhaps the most expert body of medical men in the world； were even then highly skillful。 But the surgeons and nurses were too few。 This was true of both sides in the conflict。 Prisoners in hospitals often suffered terribly and each side brought charges of ill…treatment against the other。 The prison…ships in the harbor of New York； where American prisoners were confined； became a scandal； and much bitter invective against British brutality is found in the literature of the period。 The British leaders； no less than Washington himself； were humane men； and ignorance and inadequate equipment will explain most of the hardships； though an occasional officer on either side was undoubtedly callous in respect to the sufferings of the enemy。
Food and clothing； the first vital necessities of an army； were often deplorably scarce。 In a land of farmers there was food enough。 Its lack in the army was chiefly due to bad transport。 Clothing was another matter。 One of the things insisted upon in a well…trained army is a decent regard for appearance； and in the eyes of the French and the British officers the American army usually seemed rather unkempt。 The formalities of dress； the uniformity of pipe…clay and powdered hair； of polished steel and brass； can of course be overdone。 The British army had too much of it； but to Washington's force the danger was of having too li
