washington and his comrades in arms-第31节

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and　sometimes　rebuked　his　impulsiveness　in　that　spirit。　He　studied　the　problem　in　America　with　the　insight　of　a　trained　leader。　Before　he　left　France　he　made　the　pregnant　comment　on　the　outlook：　〃Nothing　without　naval　supremacy。〃　About　the　same　time　Washington　was　writing　to　La　Fayette　that　a　decisive　naval　supremacy　was　a　fundamental　need。

A　gallant　company　it　was　which　gathered　at　Brest。　Probably　no　other　land　than　France　could　have　sent　forth　on　a　crusade　for　democratic　liberty　a　band　of　aristocrats　who　had　little　thought　of　applying　to　their　own　land　the　principles　for　which　they　were　ready　to　fight　in　America。　Over　some　of　them　hung　the　shadow　of　the　guillotine；　others　were　to　ride　the　storm　of　the　French　Revolution　and　to　attain　fame　which　should　surpass　their　sanguine　dreams。　Rochambeau　himself；　though　he　narrowly　escaped　during　the　Reign　of　Terror；　lived　to　extreme　old　age　and　died　a　Marshal　of　France。　Berthier；　one　of　his　officers；　became　one　of　Napoleon's　marshals　and　died　just　when　Napoleon；　whom　he　had　deserted；　returned　from　Elba。　Dumas　became　another　of　Napoleon's　generals。　He　nearly　perished　in　the　retreat　from　Moscow　but　lived；　like　Rochambeau；　to　extreme　old　age。　One　of　the　gayest　of　the　company　was　the　Duc　de　Lauzun；　a　noted　libertine　in　France　but；　as　far　as　the　record　goes；　a　man　of　blameless　propriety　in　America。　He　died　on　the　scaffold　during　the　French　Revolution。　So；　too；　did　his　companion；　the　Prince　de　Broglie；　in　spite　of　the　protest　of　his　last　words　that　he　was　faithful　to　the　principles　of　the　Revolution；　some　of　which　he　had　learned　in　America。　Another　companion　was　the　Swedish　Count　Fersen；　later　the　devoted　friend　of　the　unfortunate　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；　the　driver　of　the　carriage　in　which　the　royal　family　made　the　famous　flight　to　Varennes　in　1791；　and　himself　destined　to　be　trampled　to　death　by　a　Swedish　mob　in　1810。　Other　old　and　famous　names　there　were：　Laval…Montmorency；　Mirabeau；　Talleyrand；　Saint…Simon。　It　has　been　said　that　the　names　of　the　French　officers　in　America　read　like　a　list　of　medieval　heroes　in　the　Chronicles　of　Froissart。

Only　half　of　the　expected　ships　were　ready　at　Brest　and　only　five　thousand　five　hundred　men　could　embark。　The　vessels　were；　of　course；　very　crowded。　Rochambeau　cut　down　the　space　allowed　for　personal　effects。　He　took　no　horse　for　himself　and　would　allow　none　to　go；　but　he　permitted　a　few　dogs。　Forty…five　ships　set　sail；　〃a　truly　imposing　sight；〃　said　one　of　those　on　board。　We　have　reports　of　their　ennui　on　the　long　voyage　of　seventy　days；　of　their　amusements　and　their　devotions；　for　twice　daily　were　prayers　read　on　deck。　They　sailed　into　Newport　on　the　11th　of　July　and　the　inhabitants　of　that　still　primitive　spot　illuminated　their　houses　as　best　they　could。　Then　the　army　settled　down　at　Newport　and　there　it　remained　for　many　weary　months。　Reinforcements　never　came；　partly　through　mismanagement　in　France；　partly　through　the　vigilance　of　the　British　fleet；　which　was　on　guard　before　Brest。　The　French　had　been　for　generations　the　deadly　enemies　of　the　English　Colonies　and　some　of　the　French　officers　noted　the　reserve　with　which　they　were　received。　The　ice　was；　however；　soon　broken。　They　brought　with　them　gold；　and　the　New　England　merchants　liked　this　relief　from　the　debased　continental　currency。　Some　of　the　New　England　ladies　were　beautiful；　and　the　experienced　Lauzun　expresses　glowing　admiration　for　a　prim　Quakeress　whose　simple　dress　he　thought　more　attractive　than　the　elaborate　modes　of　Paris。

The　French　dazzled　the　ragged　American　army　by　their　display　of　waving　plumes　and　of　uniforms　in　striking　colors。　They　wondered　at　the　quantities　of　tea　drunk　by　their　friends　and　so　do　we　when　we　remember　the　political　hatred　for　tea。　They　made　the　blunder　common　in　Europe　of　thinking　that　there　were　no　social　distinctions　in　America。　Washington　could　have　told　him　a　different　story。　Intercourse　was　at　first　difficult；　for　few　of　the　Americans　spoke　French　and　fewer　still　of　the　French　spoke　English。　Sometimes　the　talk　was　in　Latin；　pronounced　by　an　American　scholar　as　not　too　bad。　A　French　officer　writing　in　Latin　to　an　American　friend　announces　his　intention　to　learn　English：　〃Inglicam　linguam　noscere　conabor。〃　He　made　the　effort　and　he　and　his　fellow　officers　learned　a　quaint　English　speech。　When　Rochambeau　and　Washington　first　met　they　conversed　through　La　Fayette；　as　interpreter；　but　in　time　the　older　man　did　very　well　in　the　language　of　his　American　comrade　in　arms。

For　a　long　time　the　French　army　effected　nothing。　Washington　longed　to　attack　New　York　and　urged　the　effort；　but　the　wise　and　experienced　Rochambeau　applied　his　principle；　〃nothing　without　naval　supremacy；〃　and　insisted　that　in　such　an　attack　a　powerful　fleet　should　act　with　a　powerful　army；　and；　for　the　moment；　the　French　had　no　powerful　fleet　available。　The　British　were　blockading　in　Narragansett　Bay　the　French　fleet　which　lay　there。　Had　the　French　army　moved　away　from　Newport　their　fleet　would　almost　certainly　have　become　a　prey　to　the　British。　For　the　moment　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　to　wait。　The　French　preserved　an　admirable　discipline。　Against　their　army　there　are　no　records　of　outrage　and　plunder　such　as　we　have　against　the　German　allies　of　the　British。　We　must　remember；　however；　that　the　French　were　serving　in　the　country　of　their　friends；　with　every　restraint　of　good　feeling　which　this　involved。　Rochambeau　told　his　men　that　they　must　not　be　the　theft　of　a　bit　of　wood；　or　of　any　vegetables；　or　of　even　a　sheaf　of　straw。　He　threatened　the　vice　which　he　called　〃sonorous　drunkenness；〃　and　even　lack　of　cleanliness；　with　sharp　punishment。　The　result　was　that　a　month　after　landing　he　could　say　that　not　a　cabbage　had　been　stolen。　Our　credulity　is　strained　when　we　are　told　that　apple　trees　with　their　fruit　overhung　the　tents　of　his　soldiers　and　remained　untouched。　Thousands　flocked　to　see　the　French　camp。　The　bands　played　and　Puritan　maidens　of　all　grades　of　society　danced　with　the　young　French　officers　and　we　are　told；　whether　we　believe　it　or　not；　that　there　was　the　simple　innocence　of　the　Garden　of　Eden。　The　zeal　of　the　French　officers　and　the　friendly　disposition　of　the　men　never　failed。　There　had　been　bitter　quarrels　in　1778　and　1779　and　now　the　French　were　careful　to　be　on　their　good　behavior　in　America。　Rochambeau　had　been　instructed　to　place　himself　under　the　command　of　Washington；　to　whom　were　given　the　honors　of　a　Marshal　of　France。　The　French　admiral；　had；　however；　been　given　no　such　instructions　and　Washington　had　no　authority　over　the　fleet。


Meanwhile　events　were　happening　which　might　have　brought　a　British　triumph。　On　September　14；　1780；　there　arrived　and　anchored　at　Sandy　Hook；　New　York；　fourteen　British　ships　of　the　line　under　Rodney；　the　doughtiest　of　the　British　admirals　afloat。　Washington；　with　his　army　headquarters　at　West　Point；　on　guard　to　keep　the　British　from　advancing　up　the　Hudson；　was　looking　for　the　arrival；　not　of　a　British　fleet；　but　of　a　French　fleet；　from　the　West　Indies。　For　him　these　were　very　dark　days。　The　recent　defeat　at　Camden　was　a　crushing　blow。　Congress　was　inept　and　had　in　it　men；　as　the　patient　General　Greene　said；　〃without　principles；　honor　or　modesty。〃　The　coming　of　the　British　fleet　was　a　new　and　overwhelming　discouragement；　and；　on　the　18th　of　September；　Washington　left　West　Point　for　a　long　ride　to　Hartford　in　Connecticut；　half　way　between　the　two　headquarters；　there　to　take　counsel　with　the　French　general。　Rochambeau；　it　was　said；　had　been　purposely　created　to　understand　Washington；　but　as　yet　the　two　leaders　had　not　met。　It　is　the　simple　truth　that　Washington　had　to　go　to　the　French　as　a　beggar。　Rochambeau　said　later　that　Washington　was　afraid　to　reveal　the　extent　of　his　distress。　He　had　to　ask　for　men　and　for　ships；　but　he　had　also　to　ask　for　what　a　proud　man　dislikes　to　ask；　for　money　from　the　stranger　who　had　come　to　help　him。

The　Hudson　had　long　been　the　chief　object　of　Washington's　anxiety　and　now　it　looked　as　if　the　British　intended　some　new　movement　up　the　river；　as　indeed　they　did。　Clinton　had　not　expected　Rodney's　squadron；　but　it　arrived　opportunely　and；　when　it　sailed　up　to　New　York　from　Sandy　Hook；　on　the　16th　of　September；　he　began　at　once　to　embark　his　army；　taking　pains　at　the　same　time　to　send　out　reports　that　he　was　going　to　the　Chesapeake。　Washington　concluded　that　the　opposite　was　true　and　that　he　was　likely　to　be　going　northward。　At　West　Point；　where　the　Hudson　flows　through　a　mountainous　gap；　Washington　had　strong　defenses　on　both　shores　of　the　river。　His　batteries　commanded　its　whole　width；　but　shore　batteries　were　ineffective　against　moving　ships。　The　embarking　of　Clinton's　army　meant　that　he　planned　operations　on　land。　He　might　be　going　to　Rhode　Island　or　to　Boston　but　he　might　also　dash　up　the　Hudson。　It　was　an　anxious　leader　who；　with　La　Fayette　and　Alexander　Hamilton；　rode　away　from　headquarters　to　Hartford。

The　officer　in　command　at　West　Point　was　Benedict　Arnold。　No　general　on　the　American　side　had　a　more　brilliant　record　or　could　show　more　scars　of　battle。　We　have　seen　him　leading　an　army　through　the　wilderness　to　Quebec；　and　incurring　hardships　almost　incredible。　Later　he　is　found　on　Lake　Champlain；　fighti