hero tales from american history-第1章

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Hero　Tales　From　American　History

by　Henry　Cabot　Lodge　and　Theodore　Roosevelt





Hence　it　is　that　the　fathers　of　these　men　and　ours　also；　and　they　themselves　likewise；　being　nurtured　in　all　freedom　and　well　born；　have　shown　before　all　men　many　and　glorious　deeds　in　public　and　private；　deeming　it　their　duty　to　fight　for　the　cause　of　liberty　and　the　Greeks；　even　against　Greeks；　and　against　Barbarians　for　all　the　Greeks。〃　　PLATO：　〃Menexenus。〃


TO　E。　Y。　R。

To　you　we　owe　the　suggestion　of　writing　this　book。　Its　purpose；　as　you　know　better　than　any　one　else；　is　to　tell　in　simple　fashion　the　story　of　some　Americans　who　showed　that　they　knew　how　to　live　and　how　to　die；　who　proved　their　truth　by　their　endeavor；　and　who　joined　to　the　stern　and　manly　qualities　which　are　essential　to　the　well…being　of　a　masterful　race　the　virtues　of　gentleness；　of　patriotism；　and　of　lofty　adherence　to　an　ideal。

It　is　a　good　thing　for　all　Americans；　and　it　is　an　especially　good　thing　for　young　Americans；　to　remember　the　men　who　have　given　their　lives　in　war　and　peace　to　the　service　of　their　fellow…countrymen；　and　to　keep　in　mind　the　feats　of　daring　and　personal　prowess　done　in　time　past　by　some　of　the　many　champions　of　the　nation　in　the　various　crises　of　her　history。　Thrift；　industry；　obedience　to　law；　and　intellectual　culvation　are　essential　qualities　in　the　makeup　of　any　successful　people；　but　no　people　can　be　really　great　unless　they　possess　also　the　heroic　virtues　which　are　as　needful　in　time　of　peace　as　in　time　of　war；　and　as　important　in　civil　as　in　military　life。　As　a　civilized　people　we　desire　peace；　but　the　only　peace　worth　having　is　obtained　by　instant　readiness　to　fight　when　wrongednot　by　unwillingness　or　inability　to　fight　at　all。　Intelligent　foresight　in　preparation　and　known　capacity　to　stand　well　in　battle　are　the　surest　safeguards　against　war。　America　will　cease　to　be　a　great　nation　whenever　her　young　men　cease　to　possess　energy；　daring；　and　endurance；　as　well　as　the　wish　and　the　power　to　fight　the　nation's　foes。　No　citizen　of　a　free　state　should　wrong　any　man；　but　it　is　not　enough　merely　to　refrain　from　infringing　on　the　rights　of　others；　he　must　also　be　able　and　willing　to　stand　up　for　his　own　rights　and　those　of　his　country　against　all　comers；　and　he　must　be　ready　at　any　time　to　do　his　full　share　in　resisting　either　malice　domestic　or　foreign　levy。

HENRY　CABOT　LODGE。　THEODORE　ROOSEVELT。

WASHINGTON；　April　19；　1895。



CONTENTS

GEORGE　WASHINGTONH。　C。　Lodge。

DANIEL　BOONE　AND　THE　FOUNDING　OF　KENTUCKYTheodore　Roosevelt。

GEORGE　ROGERS　CLARK　AND　THE　CONQUEST　OF　THE　NORTHWESTTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　BATTLE　OF　TRENTONH。　C。　Lodge。

BENNINGTONH。　C。　Lodge。

KING'S　MOUNTAINTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　STORMING　OF　STONY　POINTTheodore　Roosevelt。

GOUVERNEUR　MORRISH。　C。　Lodge。

THE　BURNING　OF　THE　〃PHILADELPHIA〃H。　C。　Lodge。

THE　CRUISE　OF　THE　〃WASP〃Theodore　Roosevelt。

THE　〃GENERAL　ARMSTRONG〃　PRIVATEERTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　BATTLE　OF　NEW　ORLEANSTheodore　Roosevelt。

JOHN　QUINCY　ADAMS　AND　THE　RIGHT　OF　PETITIONH。　C。　Lodge。

FRANCIS　PARKMANH。　C。　Lodge。

〃REMEMBER　THE　ALAMO〃Theodore　Roosevelt。

HAMPTON　ROADSTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　FLAG…BEARERTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　DEATH　OF　STONEWALL　JACKTheodore　Roosevelt。

THE　CHARGE　AT　GETTYSBURGTheodore　Roosevelt。

GENERAL　GRANT　AND　THE　VICKSBURG　CAMPAIGNH。　C。　Lodge。

ROBERT　GOULD　SHAWH。　C。　Lodge。

CHARLES　RUSSELL　LOWELLH。　C。　Lodge。

SHERIDAN　AT　CEDAR　CREEKH。　C。　Lodge。

LIEUTENANT　CUSHING　AND　THE　RAM　〃ALBEMARLE〃Theodore　Roosevelt。

FARRAGUT　AT　MOBILE　BAYTheodore　Roosevelt。

ABRAHAM　LINCOLNH。　C。　Lodge。



〃Hor。　I　saw　him　once；　he　was　a　goodly　king。　Ham。　He　was　a　man；　take　him　for　all　in　all　I　shall　not　look　upon　his　like　again。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hamlet



HERO　TALES　FROM　AMERICAN　HISTORY



WASHINGTON

The　brilliant　historian　of　the　English　people*　has　written　of　Washington；　that　〃no　nobler　figure　ever　stood　in　the　fore…front　of　a　nation's　life。〃　In　any　book　which　undertakes　to　tell；　no　matter　how　slightly；　the　story　of　some　of　the　heroic　deeds　of　American　history；　that　noble　figre　must　always　stand　in　the　fore…front。　But　to　sketch　the　life　of　Washington　even　in　the　barest　outline　is　to　write　the　history　of　the　events　which　made　the　United　States　independent　and　gave　birth　to　the　American　nation。　Even　to　give　alist　of　what　he　did；　to　name　his　battles　and　recount　his　acts　as　president；　would　be　beyond　the　limit　and　the　scope　of　this　book。　Yet　it　is　always　possible　to　recall　the　man　and　to　consider　what　he　was　and　what　he　meant　for　us　and　for　mankind　He　is　worthy　the　study　and　the　remembrance　of　all　men；　and　to　Americans　he　is　at　once　a　great　glory　of　their　past　and　an　inspiration　and　an　assurance　of　their　future。

*John　Richard　Green。


To　understand　Washington　at　all　we　must　first　strip　off　all　the　myths　which　have　gathered　about　him。　We　must　cast　aside　into　the　dust…heaps　all　the　wretched　inventions　of　the　cherry…tree　variety；　which　were　fastened　upon　him　nearly　seventy　years　after　his　birth。　We　must　look　at　him　as　he　looked　at　life　and　the　facts　about　him；　without　any　illusion　or　deception；　and　no　man　in　history　can　better　stand　such　a　scrutiny。

Born　of　a　distinguished　family　in　the　days　when　the　American　colonies　were　still　ruled　by　an　aristocracy；　Washington　started　with　all　that　good　birth　and　tradition　could　give。　Beyond　this；　however；　he　had　little。　His　family　was　poor；　his　mother　was　left　early　a　widow；　and　he　was　forced　after　a　very　limited　education　to　go　out　into　the　world　to　fight　for　himself　He　had　strong　within　him　the　adventurous　spirit　of　his　race。　He　became　a　surveyor；　and　in　the　pursuit　of　this　profession　plunged　into　the　wilderness；　where　he　soon　grew　to　be　an　expert　hunter　and　backwoodsman。　Even　as　a　boy　the　gravity　of　his　character　and　his　mental　and　physical　vigor　commended　him　to　those　about　him；　and　responsibility　and　military　command　were　put　in　his　hands　at　an　age　when　most　young　men　are　just　leaving　college。　As　the　times　grew　threatening　on　the　frontier；　he　was　sent　on　a　perilous　mission　to　the　Indians；　in　which；　after　passing　through　many　hardships　and　dangers；　he　achieved　success。　When　the　troubles　came　with　France　it　was　by　the　soldiers　under　his　command　that　the　first　shots　were　fired　in　the　war　which　was　to　determine　whether　the　North　American　continent　should　be　French　or　English。　In　his　earliest　expedition　he　was　defeated　by　the　enemy。　Later　he　was　with　Braddock；　and　it　was　he　who　tried；　to　rally　the　broken　English　army　on　the　stricken　field　near　Fort　Duquesne。　On　that　day　of　surprise　and　slaughter　he　displayed　not　only　cool　courage　but　the　reckless　daring　which　was　one　of　his　chief　characteristics。　He　so　exposed　himself　that　bullets　passed　through　his　coat　and　hat；　and　the　Indians　and　the　French　who　tried　to　bring　him　down　thought　he　bore　a　charmed　life。　He　afterwards　served　with　distinction　all　through　the　French　war；　and　when　peace　came　he　went　back　to　the　estate　which　he　had　inherited　from　his　brother；　the　most　admired　man　in　Virginia。

At　that　time　he　married；　and　during　the　ensuing　years　he　lived　the　life　of　a　Virginia　planter；　successful　in　his　private　affairs　and　serving　the　public　effectively　but　quietly　as　a　member　of　the　House　of　Burgesses。　When　the　troubles　with　the　mother　country　began　to　thicken　he　was　slow　to　take　extreme　ground；　but　he　never　wavered　in　his　belief　that　all　attempts　to　oppress　the　colonies　should　be　resisted；　and　when　he　once　took　up　his　position　there　was　no　shadow　of　turning。　He　was　one　of　Virginia's　delegates　to　the　first　Continental　Congress；　and；　although　he　said　but　little；　he　was　regarded　by　all　the　representatives　from　the　other　colonies　as　the　strongest　man　among　them。　There　was　something　about　him　even　then　which　commanded　the　respect　and　the　confidence　of　every　one　who　came　in　contact　with　him。

It　was　from　New　England；　far　removed　from　his　own　State；　that　the　demand　came　for　his　appointment　as　commander…in…chief　of　the　American　army。　Silently　he　accepted　the　duty；　and；　leaving　Philadelphia；　took　command　of　the　army　at　Cambridge。　There　is　no　need　to　trace　him　through　the　events　that　followed。　From　the　time　when　he　drew　his　sword　u