captains of the civil war-第2节

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me　as　superintendent；　the　moment　the　State　determines　to　secede；　for　on　no　earthly　account　will　I　do　any　act　or　think　any　thought　hostile　to；　or　in　defiance　of；　the　old　Government　of　the　United　States。〃

Then；　to　the　lasting　credit　of　all　concerned；　the　future　political　enemies　parted　as　the　best　of　personal　friends。　Sherman　left　everything　in　perfect　order；　accounted　for　every　cent　of　the　funds；　and　received　the　heartiest　thanks　and　best　wishes　of　all　the　governing　officials；　who　embodied　the　following　sentence　in　their　final　resolution　of　April　1；　1861：　〃They　cannot　fail　to　appreciate　the　manliness　of　character　which　has　always　marked　the　actions　of　Colonel　Sherman。〃　Long　before　this　Louisiana　had　seceded；　and　Sherman　had　gone　north　to　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where　he　arrived　about　the　time　of　Lincoln's　inauguration。

Meanwhile；　on　the　eighteenth　of　February；　the　greatest　of　all　surrenders　had　taken　place　in　Texas；　where　nineteen　army　posts　were　handed　over　to　the　State　by　General　Twiggs。　San　Antonio　was　swarming　with　Secessionist　rangers。　Unionist　companies　were　marching　up　and　down。　The　Federal　garrison　was　leaving　the　town　on　parole；　with　the　band　playing　Union　airs　and　Union　colors　flying。　The　whole　place　was　at　sixes　and　sevens；　and　anything　might　have　happened。

In　the　midst　of　this　confusion　the　colonel　commanding　the　Second　Regiment　of　United　States　Cavalry　arrived　from　Fort　Mason。　He　was　on　his　way　to　Washington；　where　Winfield　Scott；　the　veteran　General…in…Chief；　was　anxiously　waiting　to　see　him；　for　this　colonel　was　no　ordinary　man。　He　had　been　Scott's　Chief　of　Staff　in　Mexico；　where　he　had　twice　won　promotion　for　service　in　the　field。　He　had　been　a　model　Superintendent　at　West　Point　and　an　exceedingly　good　officer　of　engineers　before　he　left　them；　on　promotion；　for　the　cavalry。　Very　tall　and　handsome；　magnificently　fit　in　body　and　in　mind；　genial　but　of　commanding　presence；　this　flower　of　Southern　chivalry　was　not　only　every　inch　a　soldier　but　a　leader　born　and　bred。　Though　still　unknown　to　public　fame　he　was　the　one　man　to　whom　the　most　insightful　leaders　of　both　sides　turned；　and　rightly　turned；　for　this　was　Robert　Lee；　Lee　of　Virginia；　soon　to　become　one　of　the　very　few　really　great　commanders　of　the　world。

As　Lee　came　up　to　the　hotel　at　San　Antonio　he　was　warmly　greeted　by　Mrs。　Barrow；　the　anxious　wife　of　the　confidential　clerk　to　Major　Vinton；　the　staunch　Union　officer　in　charge　of　the　pay　and　quartermaster　services。　〃Who　are　those　men？〃　he　asked；　pointing　to　the　rangers；　who　wore　red　flannel　shoulder　straps。　〃They　are　McCulloch's；〃　she　answered；　〃General　Twiggs　surrendered　everything；　to　the　State　this　morning。〃　Years　after；　when　she　and　her　husband　and　Vinton　had　suffered　for　one　side　and　Lee　had　suffered　for　the　other；　she　wrote　her　recollection　of　that　memorable　day　in　these　few；　telling　words：　〃I　shall　never　forget　his　look　of　astonishment；　as；　with　his　lips　trembling　and　his　eyes　full　of　tears；　he　exclaimed；　'Has　it　come　so　soon　as　this？'　In　a　short　time　I　saw　him　crossing　the　plaza　on　his　way　to　headquarters　and　noticed　particularly　that　he　was　in　citizen's　dress。　He　returned　at　night　and　shut　himself　into　his　room；　which　was　over　mine；　and　I　heard　his　footsteps　through　the　night；　and　sometimes　the　murmur　of　his　voice；　as　if　he　was　praying。　He　remained　at　the　hotel　a　week　and　in　conversations　declared　that　the　position　he　held　was　a　neutral　one。〃

Three　other　Union　witnesses　show　how　Lee　agonized　over　the　fateful　decision　he　was　being　forced　to　make。　Captain　R。　M。　Potter　says：　〃I　have　seldom　seen　a　more　distressed　man。　He　said；　'When　I　get　to　Virginia　I　think　the　world　will　have　one　soldier　less。　I　shall　resign　and　go　to　planting　corn。'〃　Colonel　Albert　G。　Brackett　says：　〃Lee　was　filled　with　sorrow　at　the　condition　of　affairs；　and；　in　a　letter　to　me；　deploring　the　war　in　which　we　were　about　to　engage；　made　use　of　these　words：　'I　fear　the　liberties　of　our　country　will　be　buried　in　the　tomb　of　a　great　nation。'〃　Colonel　Charles　Anderson；　quoting　Lee's　final　words　in　Texas；　carries　us　to　the　point　of　parting：　〃I　still　think　my　loyalty　to　Virginia　ought　to　take　precedence　over　that　which　is　due　to　the　Federal　Government；　and　I　shall　so　report　myself　in　Washington。　If　Virginia　stands　by　the　old　Union；　so　will　I。　But　if　she　secedes　（though　I　do　not　believe　in　secession　as　a　constitutional　right；　nor　that　there　is　sufficient　cause　for　revolution）　then　I　will　still　follow　my　native　State　with　my　sword；　and；　if　need　be；　with　my　life。　I　know　you　think　and　feel　very　differently。　But　I　can't　help　it。　These　are　my　principles；　and　I　must　follow　them。〃

Lee　reached　Washington　on　the　first　of　March。　Lincoln；　delivering　his　Inaugural　on　the　fourth；　brought　the　country　one　step　nearer　war　by　showing　the　neutrals　how　impossible　it　was　to　reconcile　his；　principles　as　President　of　the　whole　United　States　with　those　of　Jefferson　Davis　as　President　of　the　seceding　parts。　〃The　power　confided　to　me　will　be　used　to　hold；　occupy；　and　possess　the　property　and　places　belonging　to　the　government。〃　Three　days　later　the　provisional　Confederate　Congress　at　Montgomery　in　Alabama　passed　an　Army　Act　authorizing　the　enlistment　of　one　hundred　thousand　men　for　one　year's　service。　Nine　days　later　again；　having　adopted　a　Constitution　in　the　meantime；　this　Congress　passed　a　Navy　Act；　authorizing　the　purchase　or　construction　of　ten　little　gunboats。

In　April　the　main　storm　center　went　whirling　back　to　Charleston；　where　Sherman's　old　friend　Beauregard　commanded　the　forces　that　encircled　Sumter。　Sumter；　still　unfinished；　had　been　designed　for　a　garrison　of　six　hundred　and　fifty　combatant　men。　It　now　contained　exactly　sixty…five。　It　was　to　have　been　provisioned　for　six　months。　The　actual　supplies　could　not　be　made　to　last　beyond　two　weeks。　Both　sides　knew　that　Anderson's　gallant　little　garrison　must　be　starved　out　by　the　fifteenth。　But　the　excited　Carolinians　would　not　wait；　because　they　feared　that　the　arrival　of　reinforcements　might　balk　them　of　their　easy　prey。　On　the　eleventh　Beauregard；　acting　under　orders　from　the　Confederate　Government；　sent　in　a　summons　to　surrender。　Anderson　refused。　At　a　quarter　to　one　the　next　morning　the　summons　was　repeated；　as　pilots　had　meanwhile　reported　a　Federal　vessel　approaching　the　harbor。　Anderson　again　refused　and　again　admitted　that　he　would　be　starved　out　on　the　fifteenth。　Thereupon　Beauregard's　aides　declared　immediate　surrender　the　only　possible　alternative　to　a　bombardment　and　signed　a　note　at　3：20　A。M。　giving　Anderson　formal　warning　that　fire　would　be　opened　in　an　hour。

Fort　Sumter　stood　about　half　a　mile　inside　the　harbor　mouth；　fully　exposed　to　the　converging　fire　of　four　relatively　powerful　batteries；　three　about　a　mile　away；　the　fourth　nearly　twice　as　far。　At　the　northern　side　of　the　harbor　mouth　stood　Fort　Moultrie；　at　the　southern　stood　the　batteries　on　Cummings　Point；　and　almost　due　west　of　Sumter　stood　Fort　Johnson。　Near　Moultrie　was　a　four…gun　floating　battery　with　an　iron　shield。　A　mile　northwest　of　Moultrie；　farther　up　the　harbor；　stood　the　Mount　Pleasant　battery；　nearly　two　miles　off　from　Sumter。　At　half…past　four；　in　the　first　faint　light　of　a　gray　morning；　a　sudden　spurt　of　flame　shot　out　from　Fort　Johnson；　the　dull　roar　of　a　mortar　floated　through　the　misty　air；　and　the　big　shellthe　first　shot　of　the　real　warsoared　up　at　a　steep　angle；　its　course　distinctly　marked　by　its　burning　fuse；　and　then　plunged　down　on　Sumter。　It　was　a　capital　shot；　right　on　the　center　of　the　target；　and　was　followed　by　an　admirable　burst。　Then　all　the　converging　batteries　opened　full；　while　the　whole　population　of　perfervid　Charleston　rushed　out　of　doors　to　throng　their　beautiful　East　Battery；　a　flagstone　marine　parade　three　miles　in　from　Sumter；　of　which　and　of　the　attacking　batteries　it　had　a　perfect　view。

But　Sumter　remained　as　silent　as　the　grave。　Anderson　decided　not　to　return　the　fire　till　it　was　broad　daylight。　In　the　meantime　all　ranks　went　to　breakfast；　which　consisted　entirely　of　water　and　salt　pork。　Then　the　gun　crews　went　to　action　stations　and　fired　back　steadily　with　solid　shot。　The　ironclad　battery　was　an　exasperating　target；　for　the　shot　bounced　off　it　like　dried　peas。　Moultrie　seemed　more　vulnerable。　But　appearances　were　deceptive；　for　it　was　thoroughly　quilted　with　bales　of　cotton；　which　the　solid　shot　simply　rammed　into　an　impenetrable　mass。　Wishing　to　save　his　men；　in　which　he　was　quite　successful；　Anderson　had　forbidden　the　use　of　the　shell…guns；　which　were　mounted　on　the　upper　works　and　therefore　more　exposed。　Shell　fire　would　have　burst　the　bales　and　set　the　cotton　flaming。　This　was　so　evident　that　Sergeant　Carmody；　unable　to　stand　such　futile　practice　any　longer；　quietly　stole　up　to　the　loaded　guns　and　fired　them　in　succession。　The　aim　lacked　final　correction；　and　the　result　was　small；　except　that　Moultrie；　thinking　itself　in　danger；　concentrated　all　its　efforts　on　silencing　these　guns。　The　silencing　seemed　most　effective；　for　Carmody　could　not　reload　alone；　and　so　his　first　shots　were　his　last。

At　nightfall　Sumter　ceased　fire　while　the　Confederates　kept　on　slowly　till　daylight。　Next　morning　the　officers'　quarters　were　set　on　fire　by　red…hot　shot。　Immediately　the　Confederates　redoubled