north america-1-第42章

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　some　token　of　advance　in　education。　　When　he　questions　you　about　the　old　country　he　astonishes　you　by　the　extent　of　his　knowledge。　　I　defy　you　not　to　feel　that　he　is　superior　to　the　race　from　whence　he　has　sprung　in　England　or　in　Ireland。　　To　me　I　confess　that　the　manliness　of　such　a　man　is　very　charming。　　He　is　dirty；　and；　perhaps；　squalid。　His　children　are　sick　and　he　is　without　comforts。　　His　wife　is　pale；　and　you　think　you　see　shortness　of　life　written　in　the　faces　of　all　the　family。　　But　over　and　above　it　all　there　is　an　independence　which　sits　gracefully　on　their　shoulders；　and　teaches　you　at　the　first　glance　that　the　man　has　a　right　to　assume　himself　to　be　your　equal。　　It　is　for　this　position　that　the　laborer　works；　bearing　hard　words　and　the　indignity　of　tyranny；　suffering　also　too　often　the　dishonest　ill　usage　which　his　superior　power　enables　the　master　to　inflict。　〃I　have　lived　very　rough；〃　I　heard　a　poor　woman　say；　whose　husband　had　ill　used　and　deserted　her。　　〃I　have　known　what　it　is　to　be　hungry　and　cold；　and　to　work　hard　till　my　bones　have　ached。　　I　only　wish　that　I　might　have　the　same　chance　again。　　If　I　could　have　ten　acres　cleared　two　miles　away　from　any　living　being；　I　could　be　happy　with　my　children。　　I　find　a　kind　of　comfort　when　I　am　at　work　from　daybreak　to　sundown；　and　know　that　it　is　all　my　own。〃　　I　believe　that　life　in　the　backwoods　has　an　allurement　to　those　who　have　been　used　to　it　that　dwellers　in　cities　can　hardly　comprehend。　From　Milwaukee　we　went　across　Wisconsin；　and　reached　the　Mississippi　at　La　Crosse。　　From　hence；　according　to　agreement；　we　were　to　start　by　steamer　at　once　up　the　river。　　But　we　were　delayed　again；　as　had　happened　to　us　before　on　Lake　Michigan　at　Grand　Haven。

CHAPTER　X。　THE　UPPER　MISSISSIPPI。

It　had　been　promised　to　us　that　we　should　start　from　La　Crosse　by　the　river　steamer　immediately　on　our　arrival　there；　but；　on　reaching　La　Crosse；　we　found　that　the　vessel　destined　to　take　us　up　the　river　had　not　yet　come　down。　　She　was　bringing　a　regiment　from　Minnesota；　and；　under　such　circumstances；　some　pardon　might　be　extended　to　irregularities。　　This　plea　was　made　by　one　of　the　boat　clerks　in　a　very　humble　tone；　and　was　fully　accepted　by　us。　　The　wonder　was　that；　at　such　a　period；　all　means　of　public　conveyance　were　not　put　absolutely　out　of　gear。　　One　might　surmise　that　when　regiments　were　constantly　being　moved　for　the　purposes　of　civil　warwhen　the　whole　North　had　but　the　one　object　of　collecting　together　a　sufficient　number　of　men　to　crush　the　Southordinary　traveling　for　ordinary　purposes　would　be　difficult；　slow；　and　subject　to　sudden　stoppages。　　Such；　however；　was　not　the　case　either　in　the　Northern　or　Western　States。　　The　trains　ran　much　as　usual；　and　those　connected　with　the　boats　and　railways　were　just　as　anxious　as　ever　to　secure　passengers。　　The　boat　clerk　at　La　Crosse　apologized　amply　for　the　delay；　and　we　sat　ourselves　down　with　patience　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　second　Minnesota　Regiment　on　its　way　to　Washington。　During　the　four　hours　that　we　were　kept　waiting　we　were　harbored　on　board　a　small　steamer；　and　at　about　eleven　the　terribly　harsh　whistle　that　is　made　by　the　Mississippi　boats　informed　us　that　the　regiment　was　arriving。　　It　came　up　to　the　quay　in　two　steamers750　being　brought　in　that　which　was　to　take　us　back；　and　250　in　a　smaller　one。　　The　moon　was　very　bright；　and　great　flaming　torches　were　lit　on　the　vessel's　side；　so　that　all　the　operations　of　the　men　were　visible。　　The　two　steamers　had　run　close　up；　thrusting　us　away　from　the　quay　in　their　passage；　but　doing　it　so　gently　that　we　did　not　even　feel　the　motion。　　These　large　boatsand　their　size　may　be　understood　from　the　fact　that　one　of　them　had　just　brought　down　750　menare　moved　so　easily　and　so　gently　that　they　come　gliding　in　among　each　other　without　hesitation　and　without　pause。　On　English　waters　we　do　not　willingly　run　ships　against　each　other；　and　when　we　do　so　unwillingly；　they　bump　and　crush　and　crash　upon　each　other；　and　timbers　fly　while　men　are　swearing。　　But　here　there　was　neither　crashing　nor　swearing；　and　the　boats　noiselessly　pressed　against　each　other　as　though　they　were　cased　in　muslin　and　crinoline。　I　got　out　upon　the　quay　and　stood　close　by　the　plank；　watching　each　man　as　he　left　the　vessel　and　walked　across　toward　the　railway。　Those　whom　I　had　previously　seen　in　tents　were　not　equipped；　but　these　men　were　in　uniform；　and　each　bore　his　musket。　　Taking　them　altogether；　they　were　as　fine　a　set　of　men　as　I　ever　saw　collected。　No　man　could　doubt；　on　seeing　them；　that　they　bore　on　their　countenances　the　signs　of　higher　breeding　and　better　education　than　would　be　seen　in　a　thousand　men　enlisted　in　England。　　I　do　not　mean　to　argue　from　this　that　Americans　are　better　than　English。　　I　do　not　mean　to　argue　here　that　they　are　even　better　educated。　　My　assertion　goes　to　show　that　the　men　generally　were　taken　from　a　higher　level　in　the　community　than　that　which　fills　our　own　ranks。　It　was　a　matter　of　regret　to　me；　here　and　on　many　subsequent　occasions；　to　see　men　bound　for　three　years　to　serve　as　common　soldiers　who　were　so　manifestly　fitted　for　a　better　and　more　useful　life。　　To　me　it　is　always　a　source　of　sorrow　to　see　a　man　enlisted。　I　feel　that　the　individual　recruit　is　doing　badly　with　himself　carrying　himself；　and　the　strength　and　intelligence　which　belong　to　him；　to　a　bad　market。　　I　know　that　there　must　be　soldiers；　but　as　to　every　separate　soldier　I　regret　that　he　should　be　one　of　them。　And　the　higher　is　the　class　from　which　such　soldiers　are　drawn；　the　greater　the　intelligence　of　the　men　so　to　be　employed；　the　deeper　with　me　is　that　feeling　of　regret。　　But　this　strikes　one　much　less　in　an　old　country　than　in　a　country　that　is　new。　　In　the　old　countries　population　is　thick　and　food　sometimes　scarce。　　Men　can　be　spared；　and　any　employment　may　be　serviceable；　even　though　that　employment　be　in　itself　so　unproductive　as　that　of　fighting　battles　or　preparing　for　them。　　But　in　the　Western　States　of　America　every　arm　that　can　guide　a　plow　is　of　incalculable　value。　　Minnesota　was　admitted　as　a　State　about　three　years　before　this　time；　and　its　whole　population　is　not　much　above　150；000。　　Of　this　number　perhaps　40；000　may　be　working　men。　　And　now　this　infant　State；　with　its　huge　territory　and　scanty　population；　is　called　upon　to　send　its　heart's　blood　out　to　the　war。　And　it　has　sent　its　heart's　best　blood。　　Forth　they　camefine；　stalwart；　well…grown　fellowslooking；　to　my　eye；　as　though　they　had　as　yet　but　faintly　recognized　the　necessary　severity　of　military　discipline。　　To　them　hitherto　the　war　had　seemed　to　be　an　arena　on　which　each　might　do　something　for　his　country　which　that　country　would　recognize。　　To　themselves　as　yetand　to　me　also　they　were　a　band　of　heroes；　to　be　reduced　by　the　compressing　power　of　military　discipline　to　the　lower　level；　but　more　necessary　position；　of　a　regiment　of　soldiers。　　Ah；　me！　how　terrible　to　them　has　been　the　breaking　up　of　that　delusion！　　When　a　poor　yokel　in　England　is　enlisted　with　a　shilling　and　a　promise　of　unlimited　beer　and　glory；　one　pities；　and；　if　possible；　would　save　him。　　But　with　him　the　mode　of　life　to　which　he　goes　may　not　be　much　inferior　to　that　he　leaves。　　It　may　be　that　for　him　soldiering　is　the　best　trade　possible　in　his　circumstances。　　It　may　keep　him　from　the　hen…　roosts；　and　perhaps　from　his　neighbors'　pantries；　and　discipline　may　be　good　for　him。　　Population　is　thick　with　us；　and　there　are　many　whom　it　may　be　well　to　collect　and　make　available　under　the　strictest　surveillance。　　But　of　these　men　whom　I　saw　entering　on　their　career　upon　the　banks　of　the　Mississippi；　many　were　fathers　of　families；　many　were　owners　of　lands；　many　were　educated　men　capable　of　high　aspirationsall　were　serviceable　members　of　their　State。　　There　were　probably　there　not　three　or　four　of　whom　it　would　be　well　that　the　State　should　be　rid。　　As　soldiers；　fit　or　capable　of　being　made　fit　for　the　duties　they　had　undertaken；　I　could　find　but　one　fault　with　them。　　Their　average　age　was　too　high。　　There　were　men　among　them　with　grizzled　beards；　and　many　who　had　counted　thirty；　thirty…five；　and　forty　years。　　They　had；　I　believe；　devoted　themselves　with　a　true　spirit　of　patriotism。