captains of the civil war-第21节
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st。 Here the fight swayed back and forth for hours； with ghastly losses on both sides。 C。F。 Smith himself was on his deathbed at Savannah。 But he heard the roar of battle。 His excellent successor； W。H。L。 Wallace； was killed； and battalions； brigades； and even divisions； soon became inextricably mixed together。 There was now the same confusion on the Confederate side； where Johnston was wounded by a bullet from the Hornet's Nest。 It was not in itself a mortal wound。 But； knowing how vital this point was； he went on encouraging his men till； falling from the saddle； he was carried back to die。
Grant still felt confident； though he had seen the worst in the rear as well as the best at the front。 Two of his brand…new battalions； the very men who afterwards fought like heroes； when they had learned the soldier's work； now ran like hares。 〃During the day；〃 says Grant； 〃I rode back as far as the river and met General Buell； who had just arrived。 There probably were as many as four or five thousand stragglers lying under cover of the river bluff； panic…stricken。 As we left the boat Buell's attention was attracted by these men。 I saw him berating them and trying to shame them into joining their regiments。 He even threatened them with shells from the gunboats nearby。 But all to no effect。 Most of these men afterward proved themselves as gallant as any of those who saved the battle from which they had deserted。〃
By half…past five； after twelve hours' fighting； Grant at last succeeded in forming a new and shorter line； a mile behind that morning's front； but without any dangerous gaps。 There were three reorganized divisionsSherman's； McClernand's； and Hurlbut's； one fresh division under Nelson； and a strong land battery of over twenty field guns helping the two ironclad gunboats in the defense of Pittsburg Landing。 The Confederate effectives； reduced by heavy losses and by as many stragglers as the Federals； were now faced by five thousand fresh men on guard at the Landing。 Beauregard； who had succeeded Johnston； then stopped the battle for the day； with the idea of retiring next morning to Corinth。 But； before his orders reached it； his battleworn right made a desperate； fruitless； and costly attack on the immensely strengthened Landing。
That night the rain came down in torrents； and the Confederates sought shelter in the tents the Federals had abandoned。 They found little rest there； being harassed all through the bleak dark by the big shells that the gunboats threw among them。
At dawn Grant； now reinforced by twenty…five thousand fresh men under Buell and Lew Wallace； took the offensive。 Beauregard； hopelessly outnumbered and without a single fresh man； retired on Corinth； magnificently covered by Bragg's rearguard； which held the Federals back for hours near the crucial point of Shiloh Church。
Shiloh was the fiercest battle ever fought in the River War。 The losses were over ten thousand a side in killed and wounded； while a thousand Confederates and three thousand Federals were captured。 It was a Confederate failure； but hardly the kind of victory the Federals needed just then； before the consummate triumph of Farragut at New Orleans。 It brought together Federal forces that the Confederates could not possibly withstand； even on their new line east from Memphis。 But it did not raise the Federal； or depress the Confederate； morale。
Four days after the battle Halleck arrived at Pittsburg Landing and took command of the combined armies。 He was soon reinforced by Pope； whereupon he divided the whole into right and left wings； center； and reserve； each under its own commander。 Grant was made second in command of the whole。 But； as Halleck dealt directly with his other immediate subordinates； Grant simply became the fifth wheel of the Halleckian slowcoach； which； after twenty days of preparation； began； with most elaborate precautions； its crawl toward Corinth。
Grant's position became so nearly unbearable that he applied more than once for transfer to some other place。 But this was refused。 So he strove to do his impossible duty till the middle of July； when his punishment for Shiloh was completed by his promotion to command a depleted remnant of Halleck's Grand Army。 It is not by any means the least of Grant's claims to real greatness that； as a leader； he was able to survive his most searching trials： the surprise at Shiloh； the misunderstandings and arrest that followed Shiloh； the slur of being made a fifth…wheel second…in…command； the demoralizing strain of that 〃most anxious period of the war〃 when his depleted forces were thrown back on the defensive； and the eight discouraging months of Sisyphean offensive which preceded his triumph at Vicksburg。 No one who has not been in the heart of things with fighting fleets or armies can realize what it means to all ranks when there is； or even is supposed to be； 〃something wrong〃 with the living pivot on which the whole force turns。 And only those who have been behind the scenes of war's all…testing drama can understand what it means for even an imagined 〃failure〃 to 〃come back。〃
Corinth was of immense importance to both sides； as it commanded the rails not only east and west； from the Tennessee to Memphis； but north and south； from the Ohio to New Orleans and Mobile。 Though New Orleans was taken by Farragut on the twenty…fifth of April； the rails between Vicksburg and Port Hudson remained in Confederate hands till next year； while Mobile remained so till the year after that。
Beauregard collected all the troops he could at Corinth。 Yet； even with Van Dorn's and other reinforcements； he had only sixty thousand effectives against Halleck's double numbers。 Moreover； the loss of three States and many battles had so shaken the Confederate forces that they stood no chance whatever against Halleck's double numbers in the open。 All the same； Halleck burrowed slowly forward like a mole； entrenching every night as if the respective strengths and victories had been reversed。
After advancing nearly a mile a day Halleck closed in on Corinth。 He was so deeply entrenched that no one could tell from appearances which side was besieging the other。 Towards the end of May many Federal railwaymen reported that empty trains could be heard running into Corinth and full trains running out。 But； as the Confederates greeted each arriving 〃empty〃 with tremendous Cheers； Halleck felt sure that Beauregard was being greatly reinforced。 The Confederate bluff worked to admiration。 On the twenty…sixth Beauregard issued orders for complete evacuation on the twenty…ninth。 On the thirtieth Halleck drew up his whole grand army ready for a desperate defense against an enemy that had already gone a full day's march away。
In the meantime the Federal flotilla had been fighting its way down the Mississippi； under （the invalided） Foote's very capable successor； Flag…Officer Charles Henry Davis。 The Confederates had very few naval men on the river； but many of their Mississippi skippers were game to the death。 They rammed Federal vessels on the tenth of May at Fort Pillow； eighty miles above Memphis。 Eight of their fighting craft were strongly built and heavily armored； though very deficient in speed。 The Federal flotilla was very well manned by first…class naval ratings； and was reinforced early in June by seven fast new rams； commanded by their designer； Colonel Charles Ellet； a famous civil engineer。
At sunrise on the lovely sixth of June the Federal flotilla； having overcome the Confederate posts farther north and being joined by Ellet's rams； lay near Memphis。 The Confederates came upstream to the attack； expecting to ram the gunboats in the stern as they had at Fort Pillow。 But Ellet suddenly darted down on the eight Confederate ironclads； caught one of them on the broadside； sank her； and disabled two others。 The action then became general。 The overmatched Confederates kept up a losing battle for more than an hour； in full view of many thousands of ardent Southerners ashore。 The scene； at its height； was appalling。 The smoke； belching black from the funnels and white from the guns； made a suffocating pall overhead； while the dark； squat； hideous ironclad hulls seemed to have risen from a submarine inferno to stab each other with livid tongues of flameso deadly close the two flotillas fought。 When the awful hour was over the Confederates were not only defeated but destroyed； and a wail went up from the thousands of their anguished friends； as if the very shores were mourning。
For the next month Grant held the command at Memphis。 Then； on the eleventh of July； Halleck was recalled to Washington as General…in…Chief of the whole army； while Pope was transferred to Virginia。 The Federal invasion of Virginia under that 〃Young Napoleon；〃 McClellan； had not been a success against Lee and Stonewall Jackson。 Nor did it improve with Pope at the front and Halleck in the rear； as we shall presently see； though Halleck had declared that Pope's operations at Island Number Ten were destined to immortal fame； and Pope himself admitted his own greatness in sundry proclamations to the world。
The campaign now entered its second phase。 The Virginian wing （of the whole front reaching from the Mississippi to the sea）
