captains of the civil war-第13部分

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　passed　many　a　weary　week　of　dull　monotony　without　the　chance　of　swooping　on　a　chase。　〃Smoke　ho！〃　would　be　called　from　the　main…topgallant　cross…tree。　〃Where　away？〃　would　be　called　back　from　the　deck。　〃Up　the　river；　Sir！〃and　there　it　would　stay；　the　very　mark　of　hope　deferred。　Occasionally　a　cotton　ship　would　make　a　dash；　with　lights　out　on　a　dark　night；　or　through　a　dense　fog；　when　her　smoke　might　sometimes　be　conned　from　the　tops。　Occasionally；　too；　a　foreigner　would　try　to　run　in；　and　not　seldom　succeed；　because　only　the　fastest　vessels　tried　to　run　the　blockade　after　the　first　few　months。　But　the　general　experience　was　one　of　utter　boredom　rarely　relieved　by　a　stroke　of　good　luck。

The　South　could　not　break　the　blockade。　But　the　North　could　tighten　it；　and　did　so　repeatedly；　not　only　at　sea　but　by　establishing　strong　strategic　centers　of　its　own　along　the　Southern　coast。　We　have　seen　already　how　Hatteras　Island　was　taken　in　'61；　five　weeks　after　Bull　Run。　Within　another　three　weeks　Ship　Island　was　also　taken；　to　the　great　disadvantage　of　the　Gulf　ports　and　the　corresponding　advantage　of　the　Federal　fleet　blockading　them；　for　Ship　Island　commanded　the　coastwise　channels　between　Mobile　and　New　Orleans；　the　two　great　scenes　of　Farragut's　success。　Then；　on　the　seventh　of　November；　the　day　that　Grant　began　his　triumphant　career　by　dealing　the　Confederates　a　shrewd　strategic　blow　at　Belmont　in　Missouri；　South　Carolina　suffered　a　worse　defeat　at　Port　Royal　（where　she　lost　Forts　Beauregard　and　Walker）　than　North　Carolina　had　suffered　at　Hatteras　Island。　Admiral　S。　F。　Du　Pont　managed　the　naval　part　of　the　Port　Royal　expedition　with　consummate　skill；　especially　the　fine　fleet　action　off　Hilton　Head　against　the　Southern　ships　and　forts。　He　was　ably　seconded　by　General　Thomas　West　Sherman；　commanding　the　troops。

North　Carolina's　turn　soon　came　again；　when　she　lost　Roanoke　Island　（and　with　it　the　command　of　Albemarle　Sound）　on　February　8；　1862；　and　when　she　also　had　Pamlico　Sound　shut　against　her　by　a　joint　expedition　that　struck　down　her　defenses　as　far　inland　as　Newbern　on　the　fourteenth　of　March。　Then　came　the　turn　of　Georgia；　where　Fort　Pulaski；　the　outpost　of　Savannah；　fell　to　the　Federals　on　the　eleventh　of　April。　Within　another　month　Florida　was　even　more　hardly　hit　when　the　pressure　of　the　Union　fleet　and　army　on　Virginia　compelled　the　South　to　use。　as　reinforcements　the　garrison　that　had　held　Pensacola　since　the　beginning　of　the　war。

These　were　all　severe　blows　to　the　Southern　cause。　But　they　were　nothing　to　the　one　which　immediately　followed。

The　idea　of　an　attack　on　New　Orleans　had　been　conceived　in　June；　'61；　by　Commander　（afterwards　Admiral）　D。D。　Porter；　of　the　U。S。S。　Powhatan；　when　he　was　helping　to　blockade　the　Mississippi。　The　Navy　Department　had　begun　thinking　over　the　same　idea　in　September　and　had　worked　out　a　definite　scheme。　New　Orleans　was　of　immense　strategic　importance；　as　being　the　link　between　the　sea　and　river　systems　of　the　war。　The　mass　of　people　and　their　politicians；　on　both　sides；　absurdly　thought　of　New　Orleans　as　the　objective　of　a　land　invasion　from　the　north。　Happily　for　the　Union　cause；　Gustavus　Fox；　Assistant　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　knew　better　and　persuaded　his　civilian　chief；　Gideon　Welles；　that　this　was　work　for　a　joint　expedition；　with　the　navy　first；　the　army　second。　The　navy　could　take　New　Orleans。　The　army　would　have　to　hold　it。

The　squadron　destined　for　this　enterprise　was　commanded　by　David　Glasgow　Farragut；　who　arrived　at　Ship　Island　on　February　20；　1862；　in　the　Hartford；　the　famous　man…of…war　that　carried　his　flag　in　triumph　to　the　end。　Unlike　Lee　and　Jackson；　Grant　and　Sherman；　the　other　four　great　leaders　in　the　Civil　War；　Farragut　was　not　an　American　whose　ancestors　on　both　sides　had　come　from　the　British　Isles。　Like　Lee；　however；　he　was　of　very　ancient　lineage；　one　of　his　ancestors；　Don　Pedro　Farragut；　having　held　a　high　command　under　the　King　of　Aragon　in　the　Moorish　wars　of　the　thirteenth　century。　Farragut's　father　was　a　pure…blooded　Spaniard；　born　under　the　British　flag　in　Minorca　in　1755。　Half　Spanish；　half　Southern　by　descent；　Farragut　was　wholly　Southern　by　family　environment。　His　mother；　Elizabeth　Shine；　was　a　native　of　North　Carolina。　He　spent　his　early　boyhood　in　New　Orleans。　Both　his　first　and　second　wives　came　from　Virginia；　and　he　made　his　home　at　Norfolk。　On　the　outbreak　of　the　war；　however；　he　immediately　went　North　and　applied　for　employment　with　the　Union　fleet。

Farragut　was　the　oldest　of　the　five　great　leaders；　being　now　sixty　years　of　age；　while　Lee　was　fifty…five；　Sherman　forty…two；　Grant　forty；　and　Jackson　thirty…eight。　He　was；　however；　fit　as　an　athlete　in　training；　able　to　turn　a　handspring　on　his　birthday　and　to　hold　his　own　in　swordsmanship　against　any　of　his　officers。　Of　middle　height；　strong　build；　and　rather　plain　features；　he　did　not　attract　attention　in　a　crowd。　But　his　alert　and　upright　carriage；　keenly　interested　look；　and　genial　smile　impressed　all　who　ever　knew　him　with　a　sense　of　native　kindliness　and　power。　Though　far　too　great　a　master　of　the　art　of　war　to　interfere　with　his　subordinates　he　always　took　care　to　understand　their　duties　from　their　own　points　of　view　so　that　he　could　control　every　part　of　the　complex　naval　instruments　of　warhuman　and　material　alikewith　a　sure　and　inspiring　touch。　His　one　weakness　as　a　leader　was　his　generous　inclination　to　give　subordinates　the　chance　of　distinguishing　themselves　when　they　could　have　done　more　useful　service　in　a　less　conspicuous　position。

Farragut's　base　at　Ship　Island　was　about　a　hundred　miles　east　from　the　Confederate　Forts　Jackson　and　St。　Philip。　These　forts　guarded　the　entrance　to　the　Mississippi。　Ninety　miles　above　them　stood　New　Orleans；　to　which　they　gave　protection　and　from　which　they　drew　all　their　supplies。　The　result　of　a　conference　at　Washington　was　an　order　from　Welles　to　〃reduce　the　defenses　which　guard　the　approaches　to　New　Orleans。〃　But　Farragut's　own　infinitely　better　plan　was　to　run　past　the　forts　and　take　New　Orleans　first。　By　doing　this　he　would　save　the　extra　loss　required　for　reducing　the　forts　and　would　take　the　weak　defenses　of　New　Orleans　entirely　by　surprise。　Then；　when　New　Orleans　fell；　the　forts；　cut　off　from　all　supplies；　would　have　to　surrender　without　the　firing　of　another　shot。　Everything　depended　on　whether　Farragut　could　run　past　without　too　much　loss。　Profoundly　versed　in　all　the　factors　of　the　problem；　he　foresaw　that　his　solution　would　prove　right；　while　Washington's　would　as　certainly　be　wrong。　So；　taking　the　utmost　advantage　of　all　the　freedom　that　his　general　instructions　allowed；　he　followed　a　course　in　which　anything　short　of　complete　success　would　mean　the　ruin　of　his　whole　career。

The　forts　were　strong；　had　ninety　guns　that　would　bear　once　fleet；　and　were　well　placed；　one　on　each　side　of　the　river。　But　they　suffered　from　all　the　disadvantages　of　fixed　defenses　opposed　by　a　mobile　enemy；　and　their　own　mobile　auxiliaries　were　far　from　being　satisfactory。　The　best　of　the　〃River　Defense　Fleet；〃　including　several　rams；　had　been　ordered　up　to　Memphis；　so　sure　was　the　Confederate　Government　that　the　attack　would　come　from　the　north。　Two　home…made　ironclads　were　failures。　The　Louisiana's　engines　were　not　ready　in　time；　and　her　captain　refused　to　be　towed　into　the　position　near　the　boom　where　he　could　do　the　enemy　most　harm。　The　Mississippi；　a　mere　floating　house；　built　by　ordinary　carpenters；　never　reached　the　forts　at　all　and　was　burnt　by　her　own　men　at　New　Orleans。

Farragut　felt　sure　of　his　fleet。　He　had　four　splendid　new　men…of…war　that　formed　a　homogeneous　squadron；　four　other　sizable　warships；　and　nine　new　gunboats。　All　spars　and　rigging　that　could　be　dispensed　with　were　taken　down；　all　hulls　camouflaged　with　Mississippi　mud；　and　all　decks　whitened　for　handiness　at　night。　A　weak　point；　however；　was　the　presence　of　mortar…boats　that　would　have　been　better　out　of　the　way　altogether。　These　boats　had　been　sent　to　bombard　the　forts；which；　according　to　the　plan　preferred　by　the　Government；　were　to　be　taken　before　New　Orleans　was　attacked。　In　other　words；　the　Government　wished　to　cut　off　the　branches　first；　while　Farragut　wished　to　cut　down　the　tree　itself；　knowing　the　branches　must　fall　with　the　trunk。

On　the　eighteenth　of　April　the　mortar…boats　began　heaving　shells　at　the　forts。　But；　after　six　days　of　bombardment；　the　forts　were　nowhere　near　the　point　of　surrendering；　and　the　supply　of　shells　had　begun　to　run　low。

Meanwhile　the　squadron　had　been　busy　preparing　for　the　great　ordeal。　The　first　task　was　to　break　the　boom　across　the　river。　This　boom　was　placed　so　as　to　hold　the　ships　under　the　fire　of　the　forts；　and　the　four…knot　spring　current　was　so　strong　that　the　eight…knot　ships　could　not　make　way　enough　against　it　to　cut　clear　through　with　certainty。　Moreover；　the　middle　of　the　boom　was　filled　in　by　eight　big　schooners；　chained　together；　with　their　masts　and　rigging　dragging　astern　so　as　to　form　a　most　awkward　entanglement。　Farragut's　fleet　captain；　Henry　H。　Bell；　taking　two　gunboats；　Itasca　and　Pinola；　under　Lieutenants　Caldwell　and　Crosby；　slipped　the　chains　of　one　schooner；　whereupon　this　schooner　and　the　Itasca　swung　back　and　grounded　under