washington and his comrades in arms-第4节
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he tone of that leader。 Probably it was in these days that Washington first brooded over the contrasts between the Englishman and the Virginian。 With obstinate complacency Braddock had disregarded Washington's counsels of prudence。 He showed arrogant confidence in his veteran troops and contempt for the amateur soldiers of whom Washington was one。 In a wild country where rapid movement was the condition of success Braddock would halt； as Washington said； 〃to level every mole hill and to erect bridges over every brook。〃 His transport was poor and Washington； a lover of horses； chafed at what he called 〃vile management〃 of the horses by the British soldier。 When anything went wrong Braddock blamed； not the ineffective work of his own men； but the supineness of Virginia。 〃He looks upon the country；〃 Washington wrote in wrath； 〃I believe； as void of honour and honesty。〃 The hour of trial came in the fight of July； 1755； when Braddock was defeated and killed on the march to the Ohio。 Washington told his mother that in the fight the Virginian troops stood their ground and were nearly all killed but the boasted regulars 〃were struck with such a panic that they behaved with more cowardice than it is possible to conceive。〃 In the anger and resentment of this comment is found the spirit which made Washington a champion of the colonial cause from the first hour of disagreement。
That was a fatal day in March； 1765； when the British Parliament voted that it was just and necessary that a revenue be raised in America。 Washington was uncompromising。 After the tax on tea he derided 〃our lordly masters in Great Britain。〃 No man； he said； should scruple for a moment to take up arms against the threatened tyranny。 He and his neighbors of Fairfax County； Virginia； took the trouble to tell the world by formal resolution on July 18； 1774； that they were descended not from a conquered but from a conquering people； that they claimed full equality with the people of Great Britain； and like them would make their own laws and impose their own taxes。 They were not democrats； they had no theories of equality； but as 〃gentlemen and men of fortune〃 they would show to others the right path in the crisis which had arisen。 In this resolution spoke the proud spirit of Washington； and； as he brooded over what was happening； anger fortified his pride。 Of the Tories in Boston； some of them highly educated men； who with sorrow were walking in what was to them the hard path of duty； Washington could say later that 〃there never existed a more miserable set of beings than these wretched creatures。〃
The age of Washington was one of bitter vehemence in political thought。 In England the good Whig was taught that to deny Whig doctrine was blasphemy； that there was no truth or honesty on the other side； and that no one should trust a Tory； and usually the good Whig was true to the teaching he had received。 In America there had hitherto been no national politics。 Issues had been local and passions thus confined exploded all the more fiercely。 Franklin spoke of George III as drinking long draughts of American blood and of the British people as so depraved and barbarous as to be the wickedest nation upon earth； inspired by bloody and insatiable malice and wickedness。 To Washington George III was a tyrant； his ministers were scoundrels； and the British people were lost to every sense of virtue。 The evil of it is that； for a posterity which listened to no other comment on the issues of the Revolution； such utterances； instead of being understood as passing expressions of party bitterness； were taken as the calm judgments of men held in reverence and awe。 Posterity has agreed that there is nothing to be said for the coercing of the colonies so resolutely pressed by George III and his ministers。 Posterity can also； however； understand that the struggle was not between undiluted virtue on the one side and undiluted vice on the other。 Some eighty years after the American Revolution the Republic created by the Revolution endured the horrors of civil war rather than accept its own disruption。 In 1776 even the most liberal Englishmen felt a similar passion for the continued unity of the British Empire。 Time has reconciled all schools of thought to the unity lost in the case of the Empire and to the unity preserved in the case of the Republic； but on the losing side in each case good men fought with deep conviction。
CHAPTER II。 BOSTON AND QUEBEC
Washington was not a professional soldier； though he had seen the realities of war and had moved in military society。 Perhaps it was an advantage that he had not received the rigid training of a regular； for he faced conditions which required an elastic mind。 The force besieging Boston consisted at first chiefly of New England militia； with companies of minute…men； so called because of their supposed readiness to fight at a minute's notice。 Washington had been told that he should find 20；000 men under his command； he found； in fact； a nominal army of 17；000； with probably not more than 14；000 effective； and the number tended to decline as the men went away to their homes after the first vivid interest gave way to the humdrum of military life。
The extensive camp before Boston； as Washington now saw it； expressed the varied character of his strange command。 Cambridge； the seat of Harvard College； was still only a village with a few large houses and park…like grounds set among fields of grain； now trodden down by the soldiers。 Here was placed in haphazard style the motley housing of a military camp。 The occupants had followed their own taste in building。 One could see structures covered with turf； looking like lumps of mother earth； tents made of sail cloth； huts of bare boards； huts of brick and stone； some having doors and windows of wattled basketwork。 There were not enough huts to house the army nor camp…kettles for cooking。 Blankets were so few that many of the men were without covering at night。 In the warm summer weather this did not much matter but bleak autumn and harsh winter would bring bitter privation。 The sick in particular suffered severely； for the hospitals were badly equipped。
A deep conviction inspired many of the volunteers。 They regarded as brutal tyranny the tax on tea； considered in England as a mild expedient for raising needed revenue for defense in the colonies。 The men of Suffolk County； Massachusetts； meeting in September； 1774； had declared in high…flown terms that the proposed tax came from a parricide who held a dagger at their bosoms and that those who resisted him would earn praises to eternity。 From nearly every colony came similar utterances； and flaming resentment at injustice filled the volunteer army。 Many a soldier would not touch a cup of tea because tea had been the ruin of his country。 Some wore pinned to their hats or coats the words 〃Liberty or Death〃 and talked of resisting tyranny until 〃time shall be no more。〃 It was a dark day for the motherland when so many of her sons believed that she was the enemy of liberty。 The iron of this conviction entered into the soul of the American nation； at Gettysburg； nearly a century later； Abraham Lincoln； in a noble utterance which touched the heart of humanity； could appeal to the days of the Revolution； when 〃our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation； conceived in liberty。〃 The colonists believed that they were fighting for something of import to all mankind； and the nation which they created believes it still。
An age of war furnishes； however； occasion for the exercise of baser impulses。 The New Englander was a trader by instinct。 An army had come suddenly together and there was golden promise of contracts for supplies at fat profits。 The leader from Virginia； untutored in such things； was astounded at the greedy scramble。 Before the year 1775 ended Washington wrote to his friend Lee that he prayed God he might never again have to witness such lack of public spirit； such jobbing and self…seeking； such 〃fertility in all the low arts；〃 as now he found at Cambridge。 He declared that if he could have foreseen all this nothing would have induced him to take the command。 Later； the young La Fayette； who had left behind him in France wealth and luxury in order to fight a hard fight in America； was shocked at the slackness and indifference among the supposed patriots for whose cause he was making sacrifices so heavy。 In the backward parts of the colonies the population was densely ignorant and had little grasp of the deeper meaning of the patriot cause。
The army was； as Washington himself said； 〃a mixed multitude。〃 There was every variety of dress。 Old uniforms； treasured from the days of the last French wars； had been dug out。 A military coat or a cocked hat was the only semblance of uniform possessed by some of the officers。 Rank was often indicated by ribbons of different colors tied on the arm。 Lads from the farms had come in their usual dress； a good many of these were hunters from the frontier wearing the buckskin of the deer they had slain。 Sometimes there was clothing of grimmer material。 Later in the war in American officer recorded that his men had skinned two dead Indians 〃from their hips down； for bootlegs； one pair for the Majo
