hero tales from american history-第28部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

；　and；　as　the　news　spread　the　retreating　men　in　every　direction　rallied；　and　turned　their　faces　toward　the　battle…field　they　had　left。

In　his　memoirs；　Sheridan　says；　in　speaking　of　his　ride　through　the　retreating　troops：　〃I　said　nothing；　except　to　remark；　as　I　rode　among　them　'If　I　had　been　with　you　this　morning；　this　disaster　would　not　have　happened。　We　must　face　the　other　way。　We　will　go　back　and　recover　our　camp。'〃　Thus　he　galloped　on　over　the　twenty　miles；　with　the　men　rallying　behind　him；　and　following　him　in　ever　increasing　numbers。　As　he　went　by；　the　panic　of　retreat　was　replaced　by　the　ardor　of　battle。　Sheridan　had　not　overestimate　the　power　of　enthusiasm　or　his　own　ability　to　rouse　it　to　fighting　pitch。　He　pressed　steadily　on　to　the　front；　until　at　last　he　came　up　to　Getty's　division　of　the　6th　Corps；　which；　with　the　cavalry；　were　the　only　troops　who　held　their　line　and　were　resisting　the　enemy。　Getty's　division　was　about　a　mile　north　of　Middletown　on　some　slightly　rising　ground；　and　were　skirmishing　with　the　enemy's　pickets。　Jumping　a　rail　fence；　Sheridan　rode　to　the　crest　of　the　hill；　and；　as　he　took　off　his　hat；　the　men　rose　up　from　behind　the　barricades　with　cheers　of　recognition。

It　is　impossible　to　follow　in　detail　Sheridan's　actions　from　that　moment；　but　he　first　brought　up　the　19th　Corps　and　the　two　divisions　of　Wright　to　the　front。　He　then　communicated　with　Colonel　Lowell；　who　was　fighting　near　Middletown　with　his　men　dismounted；　and　asked　him　if　he　could　hold　on　where　he　was；　to　which　Lowell　replied　in　the　affirmative。　All　this　and　many　similar　quickly…given　orders　consumed　a　great　deal　of　time；　but　still　the　men　were　getting　into　line；　and　at　last；　seeing　that　the　enemy　were　about　to　renew　the　attack；　Sheridan　rode　along　the　line　so　that　the　men　could　all　see　him。　He　was　received　with　the　wildest　enthusiasm　as　he　rode　by；　and　the　spirit　of　the　army　was　restored。　The　rebel　attack　was　made　shortly　after　noon；　and　was　repulsed　by　General　Emory。

This　done；　Sheridan　again　set　to　work　to　getting　his　line　completely　restored；　while　General　Merritt　charged　and　drove　off　an　exposed　battery　of　the　Confederates。　By　halfpast　three　Sheridan　was　ready　to　attack。　The　fugitives　of　the　morning；　whom　he　had　rallied　as　he　rode　from　Winchester；　were　again　in　their　places；　and　the　different　divisions　were　all　disposed　in　their　proper　positions。　With　the　order　to　advance；　the　whole　line　pressed　forward。　The　Confederates　at　first　resisted　stubbornly；　and　then　began　to　retreat。　On　they　went　past　Cedar　Creek；　and　there；　where　the　pike　made　a　sharp　turn　to　the　west　toward　Fisher's　Hill；　Merritt　and　Custer　fell　on　the　flank　of　the　retreating　columns；　and　the　rebel　army　fell　back；　routed　and　broken；　up　the　Valley。　The　day　had　begun　in　route　and　defeat；　it　ended　in　a　great　victory　for　the　Union　army。

How　near　we　had　been　to　a　terrible　disaster　can　be　realized　by　recalling　what　had　happened　before　the　general　galloped　down　from　Winchester。

In　Sheridan's　absence；　Early；　soon　after　dawn；　had　made　an　unexpected　attack　on　our　army　at　Cedar　Creek。　Surprised　by　the　assault；　the　national　troops　had　given　way　in　all　directions；　and　a　panic　had　set　in。　Getty's　division　with　Lowell's　cavalry　held　on　at　Middletown；　but；　with　this　exception；　the　rout　was　complete。　When　Sheridan　rode　out　of　Winchester；　he　met　an　already　beaten　army。　His　first　thought　was　the　natural　one　to　make　a　stand　at　Winchester　and　rally　his　troops　about　him　there。　His　second　thought　was　the　inspiration　of　the　great　commander。　He　believed　his　men　would　rally　as　soon　as　they　saw　him。　He　believed　that　enthusiasm　was　one　of　the　great　weapons　of　war；　and　that　this　was　the　moment　of　all　others　when　it　might　be　used　with　decisive　advantage。　With　this　thought　in　his　mind　he　abandoned　the　idea　of　forming　his　men　at　Winchester；　and　rode　bareheaded　through　the　fugitives；　swinging　his　hat；　straight　for　the　front；　and　calling　on　his　men　as　he　passed　to　follow　him。　As　the　soldiers　saw　him；　they　turned　and　rushed　after　him。　He　had　not　calculated　in　vain　upon　the　power　of　personal　enthusiasm；　but；　at　the　same　time；　he　did　not　rely　upon　any　wild　rush　to　save　the　day。　The　moment　he　reached　the　field　of　battle；　he　set　to　work　with　the　coolness　of　a　great　soldier　to　make　all　the　dispositions；　first；　to　repel　the　enemy；　and　then　to　deliver　an　attack　which　could　not　be　resisted。　One　division　after　another　was　rapidly　brought　into　line　and　placed　in　position；　the　thin　ranks　filling　fast　with　the　soldiers　who　had　recovered　from　their　panic；　and　followed　Sheridan　and　the　black　horse　all　the　way　down　from　Winchester。　He　had　been　already　two　hours　on　the　field　when；　at　noon；　he　rode　along　the　line；　again　formed　for　battle。　Most　of　the　officers　and　men　then　thought　he　had　just　come；　while　in　reality　it　was　his　own　rapid　work　which　had　put　them　in　the　line　along　which　he　was　riding。

Once　on　the　field　of　battle；　the　rush　and　hurry　of　the　desperate　ride　from　Winchester　came　to　an　end。　First　the　line　was　reformed；　then　the　enemy's　assault　was　repulsed；　and　it　was　made　impossible　for　them　to　again　take　the　offensive。　But　Sheridan；　undazzled　by　his　brilliant　success　up　to　this　point；　did　not　mar　his　work　by　overhaste。　Two　hours　more　passed　before　he　was　ready；　and　then；　when　all　was　prepared；　with　his　ranks　established　and　his　army　ranged　in　position；　he　moved　his　whole　line　forward；　and　won　one　of　the　most　brilliant　battles　of　the　war；　having；　by　his　personal　power　over　his　troops；　and　his　genius　in　action；　snatched　a　victory　from　a　day　which　began　in　surprise；　disaster；　and　defeat。



LIEUTENANT　CUSHING　AND　THE　RAM　〃ALBEMARLE〃

God　give　us　peace！　Not　such　as　lulls　to　sleep；　But　sword　on　thigh；　and　brow　with　purpose　knit！　And　let　our　Ship　of　State　to　harbor　sweep；　Her　ports　all　up；　her　battle…lanterns　lit；　And　her　leashed　thunders　gathering　for　their　leap！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lowell。


LIEUTENANT　CUSHING　AND　THE　RAM　〃ALBEMARLE〃

The　great　Civil　War　was　remarkable　in　many　ways；　but　in　no　way　more　remarkable　than　for　the　extraordinary　mixture　of　inventive　mechanical　genius　and　of　resolute　daring　shown　by　the　combatants。　After　the　first　year；　when　the　contestants　had　settled　down　to　real　fighting；　and　the　preliminary　mob　work　was　over；　the　battles　were　marked　by　their　extraordinary　obstinacy　and　heavy　loss。　In　no　European　conflict　since　the　close　of　the　Napoleonic　wars　has　the　fighting　been　anything　like　as　obstinate　and　as　bloody　as　was　the　fighting　in　our　own　Civil　War。　In　addition　to　this　fierce　and　dogged　courage；　this　splendid　fighting　capacity；　the　contest　also　brought　out　the　skilled　inventive　power　of　engineer　and　mechanician　in　a　way　that　few　other　contests　have　ever　done。

This　was　especially　true　of　the　navy。　The　fighting　under　and　against　Farragut　and　his　fellow…admirals　revolutionized　naval　warfare。　The　Civil　War　marks　the　break　between　the　old　style　and　the　new。　Terrible　encounters　took　place　when　the　terrible　new　engines　of　war　were　brought　into　action　for　the　first　time；　and　one　of　these　encounters　has　given　an　example　which；　for　heroic　daring　combined　with　cool　intelligence；　is　unsurpassed　in　all　time。

The　Confederates　showed　the　same　skill　and　energy　in　building　their　great　ironclad　rams　as　the　men　of　the　Union　did　in　building　the　monitors　which　were　so　often　pitted　against　them。　Both　sides；　but　especially　the　Confederates；　also　used　stationary　torpedoes；　and；　on　a　number　of　occasions；　torpedo…boats　likewise。　These　torpedoboats　were　sometimes　built　to　go　under　the　water。　One　such；　after　repeated　failures；　was　employed　by　the　Confederates；　with　equal　gallantry　and　success；　in　sinking　a　Union　sloop　of　war　off　Charleston　harbor；　the　torpedoboat　itself　going　down　to　the　bottom　with　its　victim；　all　on　board　being　drowned。　The　other　type　of　torpedo…boat　was　simply　a　swift；　ordinary　steam…launch；　operated　above　water。

It　was　this　last　type　of　boat　which　Lieutenant　W。　B。　Cushing　brought　down　to　Albemarle　Sound　to　use　against　the　great　Confederate　ram　Albemarle。　The　ram　had　been　built　for　the　purpose　of　destroying　the　Union　blockading　forces。　Steaming　down　river；　she　had　twice　attacked　the　Federal　gunboats；　and　in　each　case　had　sunk　or　disabled　one　or　more　of　them；　with　little　injury　to　herself。　She　had　retired　up　the　river　again　to　lie　at　her　wharf　and　refit。　The　gunboats　had　suffered　so　severely　as　to　make　it　a　certainty　that　when　she　came　out　again；　thoroughly　fitted　to　renew　the　attack；　the　wooden　vessels　would　be　destroyed；　and　while　she　was　in　existence；　the　Union　vessels　could　not　reduce　the　forts　and　coast　towns。　Just　at　this　time　Cushing　came　down　from　the　North　with　his　swift　little　torpedo…boat；　an　open　launch；　with　a　spar…rigged　out　in　front；　the　torpedo　being　placed　at　the　end。　The　crew　of　the　launch　consisted　of　fifteen　men；　Cushing　being　in　command。　He　not　only　guided　his　craft；　but　himself　handled　the　torpedo　by　means　of　two　small　ropes；　one　of　which　put　it　in　place；　while　the　other　exploded　it。　The　action　of　the　torpedo　was　complicated；　and　it　could　not　have　been　operated　in　a　time　of　tremendous　excitement　save　by　a　man　of　the　utmost　nerve　and　self…command；　but　Cushing　had　both。　He　possessed　precisely　that　combination　of　reckless　courage；　prese