captains of the civil war-第6节

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tired　to　Winchester。　On　the　twentieth　Jackson's　brigade　marched　on　Martinsburg　to　destroy　the　workshops　of　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　Railway　and　to　support　the　three　hundred　troopers　under　J。　E。　B。　Stuart；　who　was　so　soon　to　be　the　greatest　of　cavalry　commanders　on　the　Confederate　side。　Unknown　at　twenty…nine；　killed　at　thirty…one；　〃Jeb〃　Stuart　was　a　Virginian　ex…officer　of　United　States　Dragoons；　trained　in　frontier　fighting；　and　the　perfect　type　of　what　a　cavalry　commander　should　be：　tall；　handsome；　splendidly　supple　and　strong；　hawk…eyed　and　lion…hearted；　quick；　bold；　determined；　and　inspiring；　yet　always　full　of　knowledge　and　precaution　too；　indefatigable　at　all　times；　and　so　persistent　in　carrying　out　a　plan　that　the　enemy　could　no　more　shake　him　off　than　they　could　escape　their　shadows。

On　the　second　of　July　the　first　brush　took　place　at　Falling　Waters；　five　miles　south　of　the　Potomac；　where　Jackson　came　into　touch　with　Patterson's　advanced　guard。　As　Jackson　withdrew　his　handful　of　Virginian　infantry　the　Federal　cavalry　came　clattering　down　the　turnpike　and　were　met　by　a　single　shot　from　a　Confederate　gun　that　smashed　the　head　of　their　column　and　sent　the　others　flying。　Meanwhile　Stuart；　who　had　been　reconnoitering；　came　upon　a　company　of　Federal　infantry　resting　in　a　field。　Galloping　among　them　suddenly　he　shouted；　〃Throw　down　your　arms　or　you　are　all　dead　men！〃　Whereupon　they　all　threw　down　their　arms；　and　his　troopers　led　them　off。　Patterson；　badly　served　by　his　very　raw　staff；　reported　Jackson's　little　vanguard　as　being　precisely　ten　times　stronger　than　it　was。　He　pushed　out　cautiously　to　right　and　left；　and　when　he　tried　to　engage　again　he　found　that　Jackson　had　withdrawn。　Falling　Waters　was　microscopically　small　as　a　fight。　But　it　served　to　raise　Confederate　morale　and　depress　the　Federals　correspondingly。

Patterson　occupied　Martinsburg；while　Johnston；　drawn　up　in　line　of　battle；　awaited　his　further　advance　four　days　before　retiring。　Then；　with　his　fourteen　thousand；　Patterson　advanced　again；　stood　irresolute　under　distracting　orders　from　the　Government　in　Washington；　and　finally　went　to　Charlestown　on　the　seventeenth　of　Julyalmost　back　to　Harper's　Ferry。　Johnston；　with　his　eleven　thousand；　now　stood　fast　at　Winchester；　fifteen　miles　southwest；　while　Stuart；　like　a　living　screen；　moved　to　and　fro　between　them。

Meanwhile　McDowell's　thirty…six　thousand　had　marched　past　the　President　with　bands　playing　and　colors　flying　amid　a　scene　of　great　enthusiasm。　The　press　campaign　was　at　its　height；　so　was　the　speechifying；　and　ninety…nine　people　out　of。　every　hundred　thought　Beauregard's　twenty…two　thousand　at　Bull　Run　would　be　defeated　in　a　way　that　would　be　sure　to　make　the　South　give　in。　McDowell　had　between　two　and　three　thousand　regulars：　viz。；　seven　troops　of　cavalry；　nine　batteries　of　artillery；　eight　companies　of　infantry；　and　a　little　battalion　of　marines。　Then　there　was　the　immense　paper　army　voted　on　the　Glorious　Fourth。　And　here；　for　the　general　public　to　admire；　was　a　collection　of　armed　and　uniformed　men　that　members　of　Congress　and　writers　in　the　press　united　in　calling　one　of　the　best　armies　the　world　had　ever　seen。　Moreover；　the　publicity　campaign　was　kept　up　unflaggingly　till　the　very　clash　of　arms　began。　Reporters　marched　along　and　sent　off　reams　of　copy。　Congressmen；　and　even　ladies；　graced　the　occasion　in　every　way　they　could。　〃The　various　regiments　were　brilliantly　uniformed　according　to　the　aesthetic　taste　of　peace；〃　wrote　General　Fry；　then　an　officer　on　McDowell's　staff；　and　〃during　the　nineteenth　and　twentieth　the　bivouacs　at　Centreville；　almost　within　cannon　range　of　the　enemy；　were　thronged　with　visitors；　official　and　unofficial；　who　came　in　carriages　from　Washington；　were　under　no　military　restraint；　and　passed　to　and　fro　among　the　troops　as　they　pleased；　giving　the　scene　the　appearance　of　a　monster　military　picnic。〃

Had　McDowell　been　able　to　attack　on　either　of　these　two　days　he　must　have　won。　But　previous　Governments　had　never　given　the　army　the　means　of　making　proper　surveys；　so　here；　within　a　day's　march　of　the　Federal　capital；　the　maps　were　worthless　for　military　use。　Information　had　to　be　gleaned　by　reconnaissance；　and　reconnaissance　takes　time；　especially　without　trustworthy　guides；　sufficient　cavalry；　and　a　proper　staff。　Moreover；　the　army　was　all　parts　and　no　whole；　through　no　fault　of　McDowell's　or　of　his　military　chiefs。　The　three…month　volunteers；　whose　term　of　service　was　nearly　over；　had　not　learned　their　drill　as　individuals　before　being　herded　into　companies；　battalions；　and　brigades；　of　course　becoming　more　and　more　inefficient　as　the　units　grew　more　and　more　complex。　Of　the　still　more　essential　discipline　they　naturally　knew　still　less。　There　was　no　lack　of　courage；　for　these　were　the　same　breed　of　men　as　those　with　whom　Washington　had　won　immortal　fame；　the　same　as　those　with　whom　both　Grant　and　Lee　were　yet　to　win　it。　But；　as　Napoleon　used　to　say；　mere　men　are　not　the　same　as　soldiers。　Nor　are　armed　mobs　the　same　as　armies。

The　short　march　to　the　front　was　both　confused　and　demoralizing。　No　American　officer　had　ever　had　the　chance　even　of　seeing；　much　less　handling；　thirty…six　thousand　men　under　arms。　This　force　was　followed　by　an　immense　and　unwieldy　train　of　supplies；　manned　by　wholly　undisciplined　civilian　drivers；　while　other；　and　quite　superfluous；　civilians　clogged　every　movement　and　made　confusion　worse　confounded。　〃The　march；〃　says　Sherman；　who　commanded　a　brigade；　〃demonstrated　little　save　the　general　laxity　of　discipline；　for；　with　all　my　personal　efforts；　I　could　not　prevent　the　men　from　straggling　for　water；　blackberries；　or　anything　on　the　way　they　fancied。〃　In　the　whole　of　the　first　long　summer's　day；　the　sixteenth　of　July；　the　army　only　marched　six　miles；　and　it　took　the　better　part　of　the　seventeenth　to　herd　its　stragglers　back　again。　〃I　wished　them；　〃　says　McDowell；　〃to　go　to　Centreville　the　second　day　＇only　another　six　miles　out＇　but　the　men　were　footweary；　not　so　much　by　the　distance　marched　as　by　the　time　they　had　been　on　foot。〃　That　observant　private；　Warren　Lee　Goss；　has　told　us　how　hard　it　is　to　soldier　suddenly。　〃My　canteen　banged　against　my　bayonet；　both　tin　cup　and　bayonet　badly　interfered　with　the　butt　of　my　musket；　while　my　cartridge…box　and　haversack　were　constantly　flopping　up　and　downthe　whole　jangling　like　loose　harness　and　chains　on　a　runaway　horse。〃　The　weather　was　hot。　The　roads　were　dusty。　And　many　a　man　threw　away　parts　of　his　kit　for　which　he　suffered　later　on。　There　was　food　in　superabundance。　But；　with　that　unwieldy　and　grossly　undisciplined　supply…and…transport　service；　the　men　and　their　food　never　came　together　at　the　proper　time。

Early　on　the　eighteenth　McDowell；　whose　own　work　was　excellent　all　through；　pushed　forward　a　brigade　against　Blackburn's　Ford；　toward　the　Confederate　right；　in　order　to　distract　attention　from　the　real　objective；　which　was　to　be　the　turning　of　the　left。　The　Confederate　outposts　fell　back　beyond　the　ford。　The　Federal　brigade　followed　on；　when　suddenly　sharp　volleys　took　it　in　front　and　flank。　The　opposing　brigade；　under　Longstreet　（of　whom　we　shall　often　hear　again）；　had　lain　concealed　and　sprung　its　trap　quite　neatly。　Most　of　the　Federals　behaved　extremely　well　under　these　untoward　circumstances。　But　one　whole　battery　and　another　whole　battalion；　whose　term　of　service　expired　that　afternoon；　were　officially　reported　as　having　〃moved　to　the　rear　to　the　sound　of　the　enemy's　cannon。〃　Thereafter；　as　military　units；　they　simply　ceased　to　exist。

At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　this　same　day　Johnston　received　a　telegram　at　Winchester；　from　Richmond；　warning　him　that　McDowell　was　advancing　on　Bull　Run；　with　the　evident　intention　of　seizing　Manassas　Junction；　which　would　cut　the　Confederate　rail　communication　with　the　Shenandoah　Valley　and　so　prevent　all　chance　of　immediate　concentration　at　Bull　Run。　Johnston　saw　that　the　hour　had　come。　It　could　not　have　come　before；　as　Lee　and　the　rest　had　foreseen；　because　an　earlier　concentration　at　Bull　Run　would　have　drawn　the　two　superior　Federal　forces　together　on　the　selfsame　spot。　There　was　still　some　risk　about　giving　Patterson　the　slip。　True；　his　three…month　special…constable　array　was　semi…mutinous　already；　and　its　term　of　service　had　only　a　few　more　days　to　run。　True；　also；　that　the　men　had　cause　for　grievance。　They　were　all　without　pay；　and　some　of　them　were　reported　as　being　still　〃without　pants。〃　But；　despite　such　drawbacks；　a　resolute　attack　by　Patterson's　fourteen　thousand　could　have　at　least　held　fast　Johnston's　eleven　thousand；　who　were　mostly　little　better　off　in　military　ways。　Patterson；　however；　suffered　from　distracting　orders；　and　that　was　his　undoing。　Johnston；　admirably　screened　by　Stuart；　drew　quietly　away；　leaving　his　sick　at　Winchester　and　raising　the　spirits　of　his　whole　command　by　telling　them　that　Beauregard　was　in　danger　and　that　they　were　to　〃make　a　forced　march　to　save　the　country。〃

Straining　every　nerve　they　stepped　out　gallantly　and　covered　mile　after　mile　till　they　reached　the　Shenandoah；　forded　it；　and　crossed　the　Blue　Ridge　at　Ashby's　Gap。　But　lack　of　training　and　march　discipline　told　increasingly　against　them。　〃The　discouragement　of　t