with lee in virginia-第65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！



loaded　with　the　stores　and　ammunition　captured　in　Pennsylvania。



But　little　attempt　was　made　by　the　Northerners　to　interfere　with

their　retreat。　　On　reaching　the　Potomac　they　found　that　a　sudden

rise　had　rendered　the　fords　impassable。　　Intrenchments　and

batteries　were　thrown　up；　and　for　a　week　the　Confederate　army

held　the　lines；　expecting　an　attack　from　the　enemy；　who　had

approached　within　two　miles；　but　the　Federal　generals　were　too

well　satisfied　with　having　gained　a　success　when　acting　on　the

defensive　in　a　strong　position　to　risk　a　defeat　in　attacking　the

position　of　the　Confederates；　and　their　forces　remained　impassive

until　pontoon　bridges　were　thrown　across　the　river；　and　the

Confederate　army；　with　their　vast　baggage　train；　bad　again　crossed

into　Virginia。　　The　campaign　had　cost　the　Northern　army　23；000

men　in　killed；　wounded；　and　prisoners；　besides　a　considerable

number　of　guns。　　The　Confederates　lost　only　two　guns；　left　behind

in　the　mud；　and　1；500　prisoners；　but　their　loss　in　killed　and

wounded　at　Gettysburg　exceeded　10；000　men。　　Even　the　most

Sanguine　among　the　ranks　of　the　Confederacy　were　now

con…scions　that　the　position　was　a　desperate　one。　　The　Federal

armies　seemed　to　spring　from　the　ground。　　Strict　discipline　bad

taken　the　place。　of　the　disorder　and　insubordination　that　had　first

prevailed　in　their　ranks。　　The　armies　were　splendidly　equipped。　

They　were　able　to　obtain　any　amount　of　the　finest　guns；　rifles；　and

ammunition　of　war　from　the　workshops　of　Europe；　while　the

Confederates；　cut　off　from　the　world；　had　to　rely　solely　upon　the

makeshift　factories　they　had　set　up；　and　upon　the　guns　and　stores

they　captured　from　the　enemy。



The　Northerners　had　now；　as　a　blow　to　the　power　of　the　South；

abolished　slavery；　and　were　raising　regiments　of　negroes　from

among　the　free　blacks　of　the　North；　and　from　the　slaves　they　took

from　their　owners　wherever　their　armies　penetrated　the　Southern

States。　　Most　of　the　Confederate　ports　had　been　either　captured　or

were　so　strictly　blockaded　that　it　was　next　to　impossible　for　the

blockade…runner　to　get　in　or　out；　while　the　capture　of　the　forts　on

the　Mississippi　enabled　them　to　use　the　Federal　flotillas　of

gunboats　to　the　greatest　advantage；　and　to　carry　their　armies　into

the　center　of　the　Confederacy。



Still；　there　was　no　talk　whatever　of　surrender　on　the　part　of　the

South；　and；　indeed；　the　decree　abolishing　slavery；　and　still　more

the　action　of　the　North　in　raising　black　regiments；　excited　the

bitterest　feeling　of　animosity　and　hatred。　　The　determination　to

fight　to　the　last；　whatever　came　of　it；　animated　every　white　man　in

the　Southern　States；　and；　although　deeply　disappointed　with　the

failure　of　Lee's　invasion　of　the　North；　the　only　result　was　to　incite

them　to　greater　exertions　and　sacrifices。　　In　the　North　an　act

authorizing　conscription　was　passed　in　1863；　but　the　attempt　to

carry　it　into　force　caused　a　serious　riot　in　New　York；　which　was

only　suppressed　after　many　lives　had　been　lost　and　the　city　placed

under　martial　law。



While　the　guns　of　Gettysburg　were　still　thundering；　a　Federal　army

of　18；000　men　under　General　Gillmore；　assisted　by　the　fleet；　had

laid　siege　to　Charleston。　　It　was　obstinately　attacked　and　defended。　

The　siege　continued　until　the　5th　of　September；　when　Fort　Wagner

was　captured；　but　all　attempts　to　take　Fort　Sumter　and　the　town　of

Charleston　itself　failed；　although　the　city　suffered　greatly　from　the

bombardment。　　In　Tennessee　there　was　severe　fighting　in　the

autumn；　and　two　desperate　battles　were　fought　at　Chickamauga　on

the　19th　and　20th　of　September；　General　Bragg；　who　commanded

the　Confederate　army　there；　being　reinforced　by　Longstreet's

veterans　from　the　army　of　Virginia。　　After　desperate　fighting　the

Federals　were　defeated；　and　thirty…six　guns　and　vast　quantities　of

arms　captured　by　the　Confederates。　　The　fruits　of　the　victory；

however；　were　very　slight；　as　General　Bragg　refused　to　allow

Longstreet　to　pursue；　and　so　to　convert　the　Federal　retreat　into　a

rout；　and　the　consequence　was　that　this　victory　was　more　than

balanced　by　a　heavy　defeat　inflicted　upon　them　in　November　at

Chattanooga　by　Sherman　and　Grant。　　At　this　battle　General

Longstreet's　division　was　not　present。



The　army　of　Virginia　had　a　long　rest　after　their　return　from

Gettysburg；　and　it　was　not　until　November　that　the　campaign　was

renewed。　　Meade　advanced；　a　few　minor　skirmishes　took　place；

and　then；　when　he　reached　the　Wilderness；　the　scene　of　Hooker's

defeat；　where　Lee　was　prepared　to　give　battle；　he　fell　back　again

across　the　Rappahannock。



The　year　had　been　an　unfortunate　one　for　the　Confederates。　　They

had　lost　Vicksburg；'　and　the　defeat　at　Chattanooga　had　led　to　the

whole　State　of　Tennessee　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　Federals；

while　against　these　losses　there　was　no　counterbalancing　success

to　be　reckoned。



In　the　spring　of　1864　both　parties　prepared　to　the　utmost　for　the

struggle。　　General　Grant；　an　officer　who　had　shown　in　the

campaign　in　the　West　that　he　possessed　considerable　military

ability；　united　with　immense　firmness　and　determination　of

purpose；　was　chosen　as　the　new　commander…in…chief　of　the　whole

military　force　of　the　North。　　It　was　a　mighty　army；　vast　in　numbers；

lavishly　provided　with　all　materials　of　war。　　The　official

documents　show　that　on　the　1st　of　May　the　total　military　forces　of

the　North　amounted　to　662；000　men。　　Of　these　the　force　available

for　the　advance　against　Richmond　numbered　284；630　men。　This

included　the　army　of　the　Potomac；　that　of　the　James　River；　and　the

army　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley…the　whole　of　whom　were　in

readiness　to　move　forward　against　Richmond　at　the　orders　of

Grant。



To　oppose　these　General　Lee　had　less　than　53；000　men；　including

the　garrison　of　Richmond　and　the　troops　in　North　Carolina。　　Those

stationed　in　the　seaport　towns　numbered　in　all　another　20；000；　so

that　if　every　available　soldier　had　been　brought　up　Lee　could　have

opposed　a　total　of　but　83；000　men　against　the　284；000　invaders。



In　the　West　the　numbers　were　more　equally　balanced。　General

Sherman；　who　commanded　the　army　of　invasion　there；　had　under

his　orders　230；000　men；　but　as　more　than　half　this　force　was

required　to　protect　the　long　lines　of　communication　and　to　keep

down　the　conquered　States；　he　was　able　to　bring　into　the　field　for

offensive　operations　99；000　men；　who　were　faced　by　the

Confederate　army　under　Johnston　of　58；000　men。　　Grant's　scheme

was；　that　while　the　armies　of　the　North　were；　under　his　own

command；　to　march　against　Richmond；　the　army　of　the　West　was

to　invade　Georgia　and　march　upon　Atlanta。



His　plan　of　action　was　simple；　and　was　afterward　stated　by　himself

to　be　as　follows：　〃I　determined　first　to　use　the　greatest　number　of

troops　practicable　against　the　main　force　of　the　enemy；　preventing

him　from　using　the　same　force　at　different　seasons　against　first　one

and　then　another　of　our　armies；　and　the　possibility　of　repose　for

refitting　and　producing　necessary　supplies　for　carrying　on

resistance。　Second；　to　hammer　continuously　against　the　armed

force　of　the　enemy　and　his　resources　until；　by　mere　attrition　if　in

no　other　way；　there　should　be　nothing　left　to　him　but　submission。〃



This　was　a　terrible　programme；　and　involved　an　expenditure　of　life

far　beyond　anything　that　had　taken　place。　Grant's　plan；　in　fact；　was

to　fight　and　to　keep　on　fighting；　regardless　of　his　own　losses；　until

at　last　the　Confederate　army；　whose　losses　could　not　be　replaced；

melted　away。　　It　was　a　strategy　that　few　generals　have　dared　to

practice；　fewer　still　to　acknowledge。



On　the　4th　of　May　the　great　army　of　the　Potomac　crossed　the

Rapidan　and　advanced　toward　Chancellorsville。　Lee　moved　two

divisions　of　his　army　to　oppose　them。　Next　morning　the　battle

began　at　daybreak　on　the　old　ground　where　Lee　had　defeated

Hooker　the　year　before。　All　day　long　tho　division　of　Ewell

supported　the　attack　of　the　army　corps　of　Sedgwick　and　Hancock。

Along　a　front　of　six　miles；　in　the　midst　of　the　thick　forest；　the

battle　raged　the　whole　of　the　day。　　The　Confederates；　in　spite　of

the　utmost　efforts　of　the　Northerners；　although　reinforced　in　the

afternoon　by　the　army　corps　of　General　Burnside；　held　their

position；　and　when　night　put　an　end　to　the　conflict　the　invaders

had　not　gained　a　foot　of　ground。



As　soon　as　the　first　gleam　of　light　appeared　in　the　morning　the

battle　recommenced。　　The　Federal　generals；　Sedgwick；　Warren；

and　Hancock；　with　Burnside　in　reserve；　fell　upon　Hill　and　Ewell。　

Both　sides　had　thrown　up　earthworks　and　felled　trees　as　a

protection　during　the　night。　　At　first　the　Confederates　gained　the

advantage；　but　a　portion　of　Burnside's　corps　was　brought　up　and

restored　the　battle；　while　on　the　left　flank　of　the　Federals　Hancock

had　attacked　with　such　vigor　that　the　Confederates　opposed　to　him

were　driven　back。



At　the　crisis　of　the　battle；　L