captains of the civil war-第41节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Lee and Meade maneuvered over the old Virginian scenes of action； each trying to outflank the other； and each being hampered by having to send reinforcements to their friends in Tennessee； where； as we have seen already； Bragg and Rosecrans were now maneuvering in front of Chattanooga。 In October （after the Confederate victory of Chickamauga） Meade foiled Lee's attempt to bring on a Third Manassas。 The campaign closed at Mine Run； where Lee repulsed Meade's attempted surprise in a three…day action； which began on the twenty…sixth of November； the morrow of Grant's three days at Chattanooga。
From this time forward the South was like a beleaguered city； certain to fall if not relieved； unless； indeed； the hearts of those who swayed the Northern vote should fail them at the next election。
CHAPTER IX。 FARRAGUT AND THE NAVY： 1863…4
The Navy's task in '63 was complicated by the many foreign vessels that ran only between two neutral ports but broke bulk into blockade…runners at their own port of destination。 For instance； a neutral vessel； with neutral crew and cargo； would leave a port in Europe for a neutral port in America； say； Nassau in the Bahamas or Matamoras on the Rio Grande。 She could not be touched of course at either port or anywhere inside the three…mile limit。 But international law accepted the doctrine of continuous voyage； by which contraband could be taken anywhere on the high seas； provided； of course； that the blockader could prove his case。 If； for example； there were ten times as many goods going into Matamoras as could possibly be used through that port by Mexico； then the presumption was that nine…tenths were contraband。 Presumption becoming proof by further evidence； the doctrine of continuous voyage could be used in favor of the blockaders who stopped the contraband at sea between the neutral ports。 The blockade therefore required a double line of operation： one； the old line along' the Southern coast； the other； the new line out at sea； and preferably just beyond the three…mile limit outside the original port of departure； so as to kill the evil at its source。 Nassau and Matamoras gave the coast blockade plenty of harassing work； Nassau because it was 〃handy to〃 the Atlantic ports； Matamoras because it was at the mouth of the Rio Grande； over the shoals of which the Union warships could not go to prevent contraband crossing into Texas； thence up to the Red River； down to the Mississippi （between the Confederate strongholds of Vicksburg and Port Hudson） and on to any other part of the South。 But what may be called the highseas blockade was no less harassing； complicated as it was by the work of Confederate raiders。
The coast blockade of '63 was marked by two notable ship duels and three fights round Charleston； then； as always； a great storm center of the wax。 At the end of January two Confederate gunboats under Commodore Ingraham attacked the blockading flotilla of Charleston； forced the Mercedita to surrender； badly mauled the Keystone State； and damaged the Quaker City。 But； though some foreign consuls and all Charleston thought the blockade had been raised for the time being； it was only bent； not broken。
At the end of February the Union monitor Montauk destroyed the Confederate privateer Nashville near Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River in Georgia。 In April nine Union monitors steamed in to test the strength of Charleston； but； as they got back more than they could give； Admiral Du Pont wisely decided not to try the fight…to…a…finish he had meant to make next morning。 Wassaw Sound in Georgia was the scene of a desperate duel on the seventeenth of June； when the Union monitor Weehawken captured the old blockade…runner Fingal； which had been converted into the new Confederate ram Atlanta。 The third week in August witnessed another bombardment of Charleston； this time on a larger scale； for a longer time； and by military as well as naval means。 But Charleston remained defiant and unconquered both this year and the next。
Confederate raiders were at work along the trade routes of the world in '63； doing much harm by capture and destruction； and even more by shaking the security of the American mercantile marine。 American crews were hard to get when so many hands were wanted for other war work； and American vessels were increasingly apt to seek the safety of a neutral flag。
Slowly； and with much perverse interference to overcome in the course of its harassing duties； the Union navy was getting the strangle…hold that killed the sea…girt South。 By '64 the North had secured this strangle…hold； and nothing but foreign intervention or the political death of the Northern War Party could possibly shake it off。 The South was feeling its practical enislement as never before。 The strong right arm of the Union navy held it fast at every point but threeWilmington； Charleston； and Mobile； and round these three the stern blockaders grew stronger every day。 The Sabine Pass and Galveston also remained in Southern hands； and the border town of Matamoras still imported contraband。 But these other three points were closely watched； and the greatly lessened contraband that did get through them now only served the western South； which had been completely severed from the eastern South by the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson。 The left arm of the Union navy now held the whole line of the Mississippi； while the gripping hand held all the tributary streamsOhio； Cumberland； and Tennesseefrom which the Union armies were to invade； divide； and devastate the eastern South this year。
Several Southern raiders were still at large in '64。 But the most famous or notorious three have each their own year of glory。 The Florida belongs to '63； the Shenandoah to '65。 So the one great raiding story we have now to tell is that of the Alabama； the greatest of them all。
The Alabama was a beautiful thousand…ton wooden barkentine； built by the Lairds at Birkenhead in '62； with standing rigging of wire； a single screw driven by two horizontal three…hundred horse power engines； coal room for three hundred and fifty tons； eight good guns； the heaviest a hundred…pound rifle； and a maximum crew of one hundred and forty…nineall ranks and ratingsunder Captain Raphael Semmes； late U。S。N。 Semmes was not only a very able officer but an accomplished lawyer； well posted on belligerent and neutral rights at sea。
For nearly two years the Alabama roved the oceans of the Old World and the New； taking sixty…six Union vessels valued at seven million dollars； spreading the terror of her name among all the merchantmen that flew the Stars and Stripes； and infuriating the Navy by the wonderful way in which she contrived to escape every trap it set for her。 She was designed for speed rather than for fighting； and； with her great spread of canvas； could sometimes work large areas under sail。 But； even so； her runs； captures； and escapes formed a series of adventures that no mere luck could have possibly performed with a fluctuating foreign crew commanded by ex…officers of the Navy。 Her wanderings took her through nearly a hundred degrees of latitude； from the coast of Scotland to St。 Paul Island； south of the Indian Ocean； also through more than two hundred degrees of longitude； from the Gulf of Mexico to the China Sea。 She captured 〃Yankees〃 within one day's steaming of the New York Navy Yard as well as in the Straits of Sunda。 West of the Azores and off the coast of Brazil her captures came so thick and fast that they might have almost been a flock of 。sheep run down there by a wolf。 Finally； to fill the cup of wrath against her； she had sunk a blockader off the coast of Texas； given the slip to a Union manof…war at the Cape of Good Hope； and kept the Navy guessing her unanswered riddles for two whole years。
Imagine； then； the keen elation with which all hands aboard the U。S。S。 Kearsarge heard at their berth off Flushing that the Alabama was in port at Cherbourg on the Channel coast of France； only one day's sail southwest！ And there she was when the Kearsarge came to anchor； and every Northern eye was turned to see the ship of which the world had heard so much。 The Kearsarges hardly dared to hope that there would be a fight； for they had the stronger vessel； and now the faster one as well。 The Alabama had been built for speed； but she had knocked about so much without a proper overhaul that her copper sheathing was in rags； while she was more or less strained。 in nearly every other part。 The Kearsarge； on the other hand； was in good order； with mantlets of chain cable protecting her vitals； with one…third greater horse power； with fourteen more men in her crew； and with two big pivot guns throwing eleven inch shells with great force at short ranges。 Moreover； the Kearsarge； with her superior speed and stronger hull； could choose the range and risk close quarters；。 The Alabamas were also keen to estimate respective strengths。 But the French authorities naturally kept the two ships pretty far apart； so the Alabamas never saw the chain mantlets which the Kearsarges had cleverly hidden under a covering of wood that appeared to be flush with the hull。
The Kearsarges had a second and still more elating surprise when they heard the Alabama was
