hero tales from american history-第27章

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usand　men　under　his　command。　His　lines　were　soon　made　so　strong　that　it　was　impossible　for　the　defenders　of　Vicksburg　to　break　through　them；　and　although　Johnston　had　gathered　troops　again　to　the　eastward；　an　assault　from　that　quarter　on　the　National　army；　now　so　largely　reinforced；　was　practically　out　of　the　question。　Tighter　and　tighter　Grant　drew　his　lines　about　the　city；　where；　every　day；　the　suffering　became　more　intense。　It　is　not　necessary　to　give　the　details　of　the　siege。　On　July　4；　1863；　Vicksburg　surrendered；　the　Mississippi　was　in　control　of　the　National　forces　from　its　source　to　its　mouth；　and　the　Confederacy　was　rent　in　twain。　On　the　same　day　Lee　was　beaten　at　Gettysburg；　and　these　two　great　victories　really　crushed　the　Rebellion；　although　much　hard　fighting　remained　to　be　done　before　the　end　was　reached。

Grant's　campaign　against　Vicksburg　deserves　to　be　compared　with　that　of　Napoleon　which　resulted　in　the　fall　of　Ulm。　It　was　the　most　brilliant　single　campaign　of　the　war。　With　an　inferior　force；　and　abandoning　his　lines　of　communication；　moving　with　a　marvelous　rapidity　through　a　difficult　country；　Grant　struck　the　superior　forces　of　the　enemy　on　the　line　from　Jackson　to　Vicksburg。　He　crushed　Johnston　before　Pemberton　could　get　to　him；　and　he　flung　Pemberton　back　into　Vicksburg　before　Johnston　could　rally　from　the　defeat　which　had　been　inflicted。　With　an　inferior　force；　Grant　was　superior　at　every　point　of　contest；　and　he　won　every　fight。　Measured　by　the　skill　displayed　and　the　result　achieved；　there　is　no　campaign　in　our　history　which　better　deserves　study　and　admiration。



ROBERT　GOULD　SHAW

Brave；　good；　and　true；　I　see　him　stand　before　me　now；　And　read　again　on　that　young　brow；　Where　every　hope　was　new；　HOW　SWEET　WERE　LIFE！　Yet；　by　the　mouth　firm…set；　And　look　made　up　for　Duty's　utmost　debt；　I　could　divine　he　knew　That　death　within　the　sulphurous　hostile　lines；　In　the　mere　wreck　of　nobly…pitched　designs；　Plucks　hearts…ease；　and　not　rue。

Right　in　the　van；　On　the　red　ramparts　slippery　swell；　With　heart　that　beat　a　charge；　he　fell；　Foeward；　as　fits　a　man；　But　the　high　soul　burns　on　to　light　men's　feet　Where　death　for　noble　ends　makes　dying　sweet；　His　life　her　crescent's　span　Orbs　full　with　share　in　their　undarkening　days　Who　ever　climbed　the　battailous　steeps　of　praise　Since　valor's　praise　began。

We　bide　our　chance；　Unhappy；　and　make　terms　with　Fate　A　little　more　to　let　us　wait；　He　leads　for　aye　the　advance；　Hope's　forlorn…hopes　that　plant　the　desperate　good　For　nobler　Earths　and　days　of　manlier　mood；　Our　wall　of　circumstance　Cleared　at　a　bound；　he　flashes　o'er　the　fight；　A　saintly　shape　of　fame；　to　cheer　the　right　And　steel　each　wavering　glance。

I　write　of　one；　While　with　dim　eyes　I　think　of　three；　Who　weeps　not　others　fair　and　brave　as　he？　Ah；　when　the　fight　is　won；　Dear　Land；　whom　triflers　now　make　bold　to　scorn　（Thee　from　whose　forehead　Earth　awaits　her　morn）；　How　nobler　shall　the　sun　Flame　in　thy　sky；　how　braver　breathe　thy　air；　That　thou　bred'st　children　who　for　thee　could　dare　And　die　as　thine　have　done。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lowell。


ROBERT　GOULD　SHAW

Robert　Gould　Shaw　was　born　in　Boston　on　October　10；　1837；　the　son　of　Francis　and　Sarah　Sturgis　Shaw。　When　he　was　about　nine　years　old；　his　parents　moved　to　Staten　Island；　and　he　was　educated　there；　and　at　school　in　the　neighborhood　of　New　York；　until　he　went　to　Europein　1853；　where　he　remained　traveling　and　studying　for　the　next　three　years。　He　entered　Harvard　College　in　1856；　and　left　at　the　end　of　his　third　year；　in　order　to　accept　an　advantageous　business　offer　in　New　York。

Even　as　a　boy　he　took　much　interest　in　politics；　and　especially　in　the　question　of　slavery。　He　voted　for　Lincoln　in　1860；　and　at　that　time　enlisted　as　a　private　in　the　New　York　7th　Regiment；　feeling　that　there　was　likelihood　of　trouble；　and　that　there　would　be　a　demand　for　soldiers　to　defend　the　country。　His　foresight　was　justified　only　too　soon；　and　on　April　19；　1861；　he　marched　with　his　regiment　to　Washington。　The　call　for　the　7th　Regiment　was　only　for　thirty　days；　and　at　the　expiration　of　that　service　he　applied　for　and　obtained　a　commission　as　second　lieutenant　in　the　2d　Massachusetts；　and　left　with　that　regiment　for　Virginia　in　July；　1861。　He　threw　himself　eagerly　into　his　new　duties；　and　soon　gained　a　good　position　in　the　regiment。　At　Cedar　Mountain　he　was　an　aid　on　General　Gordon's　staff；　and　was　greatly　exposed　in　the　performance　of　his　duties　during　the　action。　He　was　also　with　his　regiment　at　Antietam；　and　was　in　the　midst　of　the　heavy　fighting　of　that　great　battle。

Early　in　1863；　the　Government　determined　to　form　negro　regiments；　and　Governor　Andrew　offered　Shaw；　who　had　now　risen　to　the　rank　of　captain；　the　colonelcy　of　one　to　be　raised　in　Massachusetts；　the　first　black　regiment　recruited　under　State　authority。　It　was　a　great　compliment　to　receive　this　offer；　but　Shaw　hesitated　as　to　his　capacity　for　such　a　responsible　post。　He　first　wrote　a　letter　declining；　on　the　ground　that　he　did　not　feel　that　he　had　ability　enough　for　the　undertaking；　and　then　changed　his　mind；　and　telegraphed　Governor　Andrew　that　he　would　accept。　It　is　not　easy　to　realize　it　now；　but　his　action　then　in　accepting　this　command　required　high　moral　courage；　of　a　kind　quite　different　from　that　which　he　had　displayed　already　on　the　field　of　battle。　The　prejudice　against　the　blacks　was　still　strong　even　in　the　North。　There　was　a　great　deal　of　feeling　among　certain　classes　against　enlisting　black　regiments　at　all；　and　the　officers　who　undertook　to　recruit　and　lead　negroes　were。　exposed　to　much　attack　and　criticism。　Shaw　felt；however；　that　this　very　opposition　made　it　all　the　more　incumbent　on　him　to　undertake　the　duty。　He　wrote　on　February　8：

After　I　have　undertaken　this　work；　I　shall　feel　that　what　I　have　to　do　is　to　prove　that　the　negro　can　be　made　a　good　soldier。　。　。　。　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　undertaking　will　not　meet　with　so　much　opposition　as　was　at　first　supposed。　All　sensible　men　in　the　army；　of　all　parties；　after　a　little　thought；　say　that　it　is　the　best　thing　that　can　be　done；　and　surely　those　at　home　who　are　not　brave　or　patriotic　enough　to　enlist　should　not　ridicule　or　throw　obstacles　in　the　way　of　men　who　are　going　to　fight　for　them。　There　is　a　great　prejudice　against　it；　but　now　that　it　has　become　a　government　matter；　that　will　probably　wear　away。　At　any　rate　I　sha'n't　be　frightened　out　of　it　by　its　unpopularity。　I　feel　convinced　I　shall　never　regret　having　taken　this　step；　as　far　as　I　myself　am　concerned；　for　while　I　was　undecided；　I　felt　ashamed　of　myself　as　if　I　were　cowardly。


Colonel　Shaw　went　at　once　to　Boston；　after　accepting　his　new　duty；　and　began　the　work　of　raising　and　drilling　the　54th　Regiment。　He　met　with　great　success；　for　he　and　his　officers　labored　heart　and　soul；　and　the　regiment　repaid　their　efforts。　On　March　30；　he　wrote：　〃The　mustering　officer　who　was　here　to…day　is　a　Virginian；　and　has　always　thought　it　was　a　great　joke　to　try　to　make　soldiers　of　'niggers；'　but　he　tells　me　now　that　he　has　never　mustered　in　so　fine　a　set　of　men；　though　about　twenty　thousand　had　passed　through　his　hands　since　September。〃　On　May　28；　Colonel　Shaw　left　Boston；　and　his　march　through　the　city　was　a　triumph。　The　appearance　of　his　regiment　made　a　profound　impression；　and　was　one　of　the　events　of　the　war　which　those　who　saw　it　never　forgot。

The　regiment　was　ordered　to　South　Carolina；　and　when　they　were　off　Cape　Hatteras；　Colonel　Shaw　wrote：

The　more　I　think　of　the　passage　of　the　54th　through　Boston；　the　more　wonderful　it　seems　to　me。　just　remember　our　own　doubts　and　fears；　and　other　people's　sneering　and　pitying　remarks　when　we　began　last　winter；　and　then　look　at　the　perfect　triumph　of　last　Thursday。　We　have　gone　quietly　along；　forming　the　first　regiment；　and　at　last　left　Boston　amidst　greater　enthusiasm　than　has　been　seen　since　the　first　three　months'　troops　left　for　the　war。　Truly；　I　ought　to　be　thankful　for　all　my　happiness　and　my　success　in　life　so　far；　and　if　the　raising　of　colored　troops　prove　such　a　benefit　to　the　country　and　to　the　blacks　as　many　people　think　it　will；　I　shall　thank　God　a　thousand　times　that　I　was　led　to　take　my　share　in　it。


He　h