captains of the civil war-第27节

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stant；　to　march　all　night　and　join　me　in　the　morning。　I　swept　the　posts　in　rear　of　almost　all　their　guards；　hurrying　them　forward　by　forced　marches；　to　be　with　me　at　daylight。〃　Banks；　now　on　his　way　to　Washington；　halted　in　alarm　at　Harper's　Ferry。　McClellan；　perceiving　that　Jackson's　little　force　was　more　than　a　mere　corps　of　observation；　approved　Banks　and　added：　〃As　soon　as　you　are　strong　enough　push　Jackson　hard　and　drive　him　well　beyond　Strasburg；〃　that　is；　west　of　the　Massanuttons；　where　Fremont　could　close　in　and　finish　him。　Lincoln　had　already　been　thinking　of　transferring　nine　thousand　men　from　McClellan　to　Fremont。　Kernstown　decided　it；　so　off　they　went　to　West　Virginia。　Still　fearing　an　attack　on　Washington；　Lincoln　halted　McDowell's　army　corps；　thirty…seven　thousand　strong；　on　the　march　overland　to　join　McClellan　on　the　Peninsula；　and　kept　them　stuck　fast　round　Centreville；　near　Bull　Run。　And　so　McClellan's　Peninsular　force　was　suddenly　reduced　by　forty…six　thousand　men。

April　was　a　month　of　maneuvers　and　suspense。　By　the　end　of　it　McClellan；　based　on　Fortress　Monroe；　had　accumulated　a　hundred　and　ten　thousand　men。　The　Confederates　on　the　Peninsula；　holding　Yorktown；　numbered　fifty　thousand。　McClellan　sadly　missed　McDowell；　whose　corps　was　to　have　taken　the　fort　at　Gloucester　Point　that　prevented　the　Federal　gunboats　from　turning　the　enemy's　lines　at　Yorktown。　McDowell　moved　south　to　Fredericksburg；　leaving　a　small　force　near　Manassas　Junction　to　connect　him　with　the　garrison　of　Washington。　The　Confederates　could　spare　only　twelve　thousand　men　to　watch　him。　Meanwhile　Banks　occupied　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　having　twenty　thousand　men　at　Harrisonburg　and　smaller　forces　at　several　points　all　round；　from　southwest　to　northeast；　each　designed　to　form　part　of　the　net　that　was　soon　to　catch　Jackson。　Beyond　Banks　stood　Fremont's　force　in　West　Virginia；　also　ready　to　close　in。　Jackson's　complete　grand　total　was　less　than　that　of　Banks's　own　main　body。　Yet；　with　one　eye　on　Richmond；　he　lay　in　wait　at　Swift　Run　Gap；　crouching　for　a　tiger…spring　at　Banks。　Virginia　was　semicircled　by　superior　forces。　But　everywhere　inside　the　semicircle　the　Confederate　parts　all　formed　one　strategic　whole；　while　the　Federal　parts　outside　did　not。　Moreover；　the　South　had　already　decided　to　call　up　every　available　man；　thus　forestalling　the　North　by　more　than　ten　months　on　the　vital　issue　of　conscription。

In　May　the　preliminary　clash　of　arms　began　on　the　Peninsula。　The　Confederates　evacuated　the　Yorktown　lines　on　the　third。　On　the　fifth　McClellan's　advanced　guard　fought　its　way　past　Williamsburg。　On　the　seventh　he　began　changing　his　base　from　Fortress　Monroe　to　White　House　on　the　Pamunkey。　Here　on　the　sixteenth　he　was　within　twenty　miles　of　Richmond；　while　all　the　seaways　behind　him　were　safe　in　Union　hands。　The　fate　not　only　of　Richmond　but　of　the　whole　South　seemed　trembling　in　the　scales。　The　Northern　armies　had　cleared　the　Mississippi　down　to　Memphis。　The　Northern　navy　had　taken　New　Orleans；　the　greatest　Southern　port。　And　now　the　Northern　hosts　were　striking　at　the　Southern　capital。　McClellan　with　double　numbers　from　the　east；　McDowell　with　treble　numbers　from　the　north；　and　the　Union　navy；　with　more　than　fourfold　strength　on　all　the　navigable　waters；　were　closing　in。　The　Confederate　Government　had　even　decided　to　take　the　extreme　step　of　evacuating　Richmond；　hoping　to　prolong　the　struggle　elsewhere。　The　official　records　had　been　packed。　Davis　had　made　all　arrangements　for　the　flight　of　his　family。　And　from　Drewry's　Bluff；　eight　miles　south　of　Richmond；　the　masts　of　the　foremost　Federal　vessels　could　be　seen　coming　up　the　James；　where；　on　the　eleventh；　the　Merrimac；　having　grounded；　had　been　destroyed　by　her　own　commander。

But　the　General　Assembly　of　Virginia；　passionately　seconded　by　the　City　Council；　petitioned　the　Government　to　stand　its　ground　〃till　not　a　stone　was　left　upon　another。〃　Every　man　in　Richmond　who　could　do　a　hand's　turn　and　who　was　not　already　in　arms　marched　out　to　complete　the　defenses　of　the　James　at　Drewry's　Bluff。　Senators；　bankers；　bondmen　and　free；　merchants；　laborers；　and　ministers　of　all　religions；　dug　earthworks；　hauled　cannon；　piled　ammunition；　or　worked；　wet　to　the　waist；　at　the　big　boom　that　was　to　stop　the　ships　and　hold　them　under　fire。　The　Government　had　changed　its　mind。　Richmond　was　to　be　held　to　the　last　extremity。　And　the　Southern　women　were　as　willing　as　the　men。

In　the　midst　of　all　this　turmoil　Lee　calmly　reviewed　the　situation。　He　saw　that　the　Federal　gunboats　coming　up　the　James　were　acting　alone；　as　the　disconnected　vanguard　of　what　should　have　been　a　joint　advance；　and　that　no　army　was　yet　moving　to　support　them。　He　knew　McClellan　and　Banks　and　read　them　like　a　book。　He　also　knew　Jackson；　and　decided　to　use　him　again　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley　as　a　menace　to　Washington。　Writing　to　him　on　the　sixteenth　of　May；　the　very　day　McClellan　reached　White　House；　only　twenty　miles　from　Richmond；　he　said：　〃Whatever　movement　you　make　against　Banks；　do　it　speedily；　and；　if　successful；　drive　him　back　towards　the　Potomac；　and　create　the　impression；　as　far　as　possible；　that　you　design　threatening　that　line。〃　Moreover；　out　of　his　own　scanty　forces；　he　sent　Jackson　two　excellent　brigades。　Thus；　while　the　great　Federal　civilians　who　knew　nothing　practical　of　war　were　all　agog　about　Richmond；　a　single　point　at　one　end　of　the　semicircle；　the　great　Confederate　strategist　was　forging　a　thunderbolt　to　relieve　the　pressure　on　it　by　striking　the　Federal　center　so　as　to　threaten　Washington。　The　fundamental　idea　was　a　Fabian　defensive　at　Richmond；　a　vigorous　offensive　in　the　Valley；　to　produce　Federal　dispersion　between　these　points　and　Washington；　then　rapid　concentration　against　McClellan　on　the　Chickahominy。

The　unsupported　Federal　gunboats　were　stopped　and　turned　back　at　the　boom　near　Drewry's　Bluff。　McClellan；　bent　on　besieging　Richmond　in　due　form；　crawled　cautiously　about　the　intervening　swamps　of　the　oozy　Chickahominy。　McDowell；　who　could　not　advance　alone；　remained　at　Fredericksburg。　Shields　stood　behind　him；　near　Catlett's　Station；　to　keep　another　eye　on　nervous　Washington。


In　the　meantime　Stonewall　Jackson；　still　in　the　Shenandoah；　had　fought　no　battles　since　his　tactical　defeat　at　Kernstown　on　the　twenty…third　of　March　had　proved　such　a　pregnant　strategic　victory　elsewhere。　But　late　in　April　he　had　a　letter　from　Lee；　telling　of　the　general　situation　and　suggesting　an　attack　on　Banks。　Banks；　however；　still　had　twenty　thousand　men　at　Harrisonburg；　with　twenty…five　thousand　more　in　or　within　call　of　the　Valley。　Jackson's　complete　grand　total　was　less　than　eighteen　thousand。　The　odds　against　him　therefore　exceeded　five　against　two；　and　direct　attack　was　out　of　the　question。　But　he　now　began　his　maneuvers　anew　and　on　a　bolder　scale　than　ever。　He　had　upset　the　Federal　strategy　at　Kernstown；　when　there　were　less　than　eight　thousand　Confederates　in　the　Valley。　What　might　he　not　do　with　ten　thousand　more？　His　wonderful　Valley　Campaign；　famous　forever　in　the　history　of　war；　gives　us　the　answer。

He　had　five　advantages　over　Banks。　First；　his　own　expert　knowledge　and　genius　for　war；　backed　by　a　dauntless　character。　Banks　was　a　very　able　man　who　had　worked　his　way　up　from　factory　hand　to　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives　and　Governor　of　Massachusetts。　But　he　had　neither　the　knowledge；　genius；　nor　character　required　for　high　command；　and　he　owed　his　present　position　more　to　his　ardor　as　a　politician　than　to　his　ability　as　a　general。　Jackson's　second　advantage　was　his　own　and　his　army's　knowledge　of　the　country　for　which　they　naturally　fought　with　a　loving　zeal　which　no　invaders　could　equal。　The　third　advantage　was　in　having　Turner　Ashby's　cavalry。　These　were　horsemen　born　and　bred；　who　could　make　their　way　across　country　as　easily　as　the　〃footy〃　Federals　could　along　the　road。　In　answer　to　a　peremptory　order　a　Federal　cavalry　commander　could　only　explain：　〃I　can't　catch　them。　They　leap　fences　and　walls　like　deer。　Neither　our　men　nor　our　horses　are　so　trained。〃　The　fourth　advantage　was　in　discipline。　Jackson　habitually　spared　his　men　more　than　his　officers；　and　his　officers　more　than　himself；　whenever　indulgence　was　possible。　But　when　discipline　had　to　be　sternly　maintained　he；　maintained　it　sternly；　throughout　all　ranks；　knowing　that　the　flower　of　discipline　is　selfsacrifice；　from　the　senior　general　down；　and　that　the　root　is　due　subordination；　from　the　junior　private　up。　After　the　Conscription　Act　had　come　into　force　a　few　companies；　who　were　time…expired　as　volunteers；　threw　down　their　arms　and　told　their　colonel　they　wouldn't　serve　another　day。　On　hearing　this　officially　Jackson　asked：　〃Why　does　Colonel　Grigsby　refer　to　me　to　learn　how　to　deal　with　mutineers？　He　should　shoot　them　where　they　stand。〃　The　rest　of　the　regiment　was　then　paraded　with　loaded　arms；　facing　the　mutineers；　who　were　given　the　choice　of　complete　submission　or　instant　death。　They　chose　submission。　That　was　the　last　mutiny　under　Stonewall　Jackson。　Both　sides　suffered　from　straggling；　the　Confederates　as　much　as　the　Federals。　But　Confederate　stragglers　rejoined　the　better　of　the　two；　and　in　downright　desertion　the　Federals　were　the　worse；　simply　be