north america-2-第40章

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were　the　families。　　The　women　were　in　their　houses；　and　the　children　playing　at　their　doors；　and　the　men；　with　whom　I　sometimes　spoke；　would　stand　around　with　their　hands　in　their　pockets。　　They　knew　that　they　were　ruined；　they　expected　no　redress。　In　nine　cases　out　of　ten　they　were　inimical　in　spirit　to　the　soldiers　around　them。　　And　yet　it　seemed　that　their　equanimity　was　never　disturbed。　　In　a　former　chapter　I　have　spoken　of　a　certain　generalnot　a　fighting　general　of　the　army；　but　a　local　farming　generalwho　spoke　loudly；　and　with　many　curses；　of　the　injury　inflicted　on　him　by　the　secessionists。　　With　that　exception　I　heard　no　loud　complaint　of　personal　suffering。　　These　Virginian　farmers　must　have　been　deprived　of　everythingof　the　very　means　of　earning　bread。　　They　still　hold　by　their　houses；　though　they　were　in　the　very　thick　of　the　war；　because　there　they　had　shelter　for　their　families；　and　elsewhere　they　might　seek　it　in　vain。　　A　man　cannot　move　his　wife　and　children　if　he　have　no　place　to　which　to　move　them；　even　though　his　house　be　in　the　midst　of　disease；　of　pestilence；　or　of　battle。　　So　it　was　with　them　then；　but　it　seemed　as　though　they　were　already　used　to　it。　But　there　was　a　class　of　inhabitants　in　that　same　country　to　whom　fate　had　been　even　more　unkind　than　to　those　whom　I　saw。　　The　lines　of　the　Northern　army　extended　perhaps　seven　or　eight　miles　from　the　Potomac；　and　the　lines　of　the　Confederate　army　were　distant　some　four　miles　from　those　of　their　enemies。　　There　was；　therefore；　an　intervening　space　or　strip　of　ground；　about　four　miles　broad；　which　might　be　said　to　be　no　man's　land。　　It　was　no　man's　land　as　to　military　possession；　but　it　was　still　occupied　by　many　of　its　old　inhabitants。　　These　people　were　not　allowed　to　pass　the　lines　either　of　one　army　or　of　the　other；　or　if　they　did　so　pass；　they　were　not　allowed　to　return　to　their　homes。　　To　these　homes　they　were　forced　to　cling；　and　there　they　remained。　　They　had　no　market；　no　shops　at　which　to　make　purchases；　even　if　they　had　money　to　buy；　no　customers　with　whom　to　deal；　even　if　they　had　produce　to　sell。　　They　had　their　cows；　if　they　could　keep　them　from　the　Confederate　soldiers；　their　pigs　and　their　poultry；　and　on　them　they　were　livinga　most　forlorn　life。　　Any　advance　made　by　either　party　must　be　over　their　homesteads。　　In　the　event　of　battle；　they　would　be　in　the　midst　of　it；　and　in　the　mean　time　they　could　see　no　one；　hear　of　nothing；　go　nowhither　beyond　the　limits　of　that　miserable　strip　of　ground！　The　earth　was　hard　with　frost　when　I　paid　my　visit　to　the　camp；　and　the　general　appearance　of　things　around　my　friend's　quarters　was　on　that　account　cheerful　enough。　　It　was　the　mud　which　made　things　sad　and　wretched。　　When　the　frost　came　it　seemed　as　though　the　army　had　overcome　one　of　its　worst　enemies。　　Unfortunately　cold　weather　did　not　last　long。　　I　have　been　told　in　Washington　that　they　rarely　have　had　so　open　a　season。　　Soon　after　my　departure　that　terrible　enemy　the　mud　came　back　upon　them；　but　during　my　stay　the　ground　was　hard　and　the　weather　very　sharp。　　I　slept　in　a　tent；　and　managed　to　keep　my　body　warm　by　an　enormous　overstructure　of　blankets　and　coats；　but　I　could　not　keep　my　head　warm。　　Throughout　the　night　I　had　to　go　down　like　a　fish　beneath　the　water　for　protection；　and　come　up　for　air　at　intervals；　half　smothered。　　I　had　a　stove　in　my　tent；　but　the　heat　of　that；　when　lighted；　was　more　terrible　than　the　severity　of　the　frost。　The　tents　of　the　brigade　with　which　I　was　staying　had　been　pitched　not　without　an　eye　to　appearances。　　They　were　placed　in　streets　as　it　were；　each　street　having　its　name；　and　between　them　screens　had　been　erected　of　fir　poles　and　fir　branches；　so　as　to　keep　off　the　wind。　　The　outside　boundaries　of　the　nearest　regiment　were　ornamented　with　arches；　crosses；　and　columns；　constructed　in　the　same　way；　so　that　the　quarters　of　the　men　were　reached；　as　it　were；　through　gateways。　　The　whole　thing　was　pretty　enough；　and　while　the　ground　was　hard　the　camp　was　picturesque；　and　a　visit　to　it　was　not　unpleasant。　　But　unfortunately　the　ground　was　in　its　nature　soft　and　deep；　composed　of　red　clay；　and　as　the　frost　went　and　the　wet　weather　came；　mud　became　omnipotent　and　destroyed　all　prettiness。　And　I　found　that　the　cold　weather；　let　it　be　ever　so　cold；　was　not　severe　upon　the　men。　　It　was　wet　which　they　feared　and　had　cause　to　fear；　both　for　themselves　and　for　their　horses。　　As　to　the　horses；　but　few　of　them　were　protected　by　any　shelter　or　covering　whatsoever。　　Through　both　frost　and　wet　they　remained　out；　tied　to　the　wheel　of　a　wagon　or　to　some　temporary　rack　at　which　they　were　fed。　　In　England　we　should　imagine　that　any　horse　so　treated　must　perish；　but　here　the　animal　seemed　to　stand　it。　　Many　of　them　were　miserable　enough　in　appearance；　but　nevertheless　they　did　the　work　required　of　them。　　I　have　observed　that　horses　throughout　the　States　are　treated　in　a　hardier　manner　than　is　usually　the　case　with　us。　At　the　period　of　which　I　am　speakingJanuary；　1862the　health　of　the　army　of　the　Potomac　was　not　as　good　as　it　had　been；　and　was　beginning　to　give　way　under　the　effects　of　the　winter。　　Measles　had　become　very　prevalent；　and　also　small…pox；　though　not　of　a　virulent　description；　and　men；　in　many　instances；　were　sinking　under　fatigue。　I　was　informed　by　various　officers　that　the　Irish　regiments　were　on　the　whole　the　most　satisfactory。　　Not　that　they　made　the　best　soldiers；　for　it　was　asserted　that　they　were　worse；　as　soldiers；　than　the　Americans　or　Germans；　not　that　they　became　more　easily　subject　to　rule；　for　it　was　asserted　that　they　were　unruly；　but　because　they　were　rarely　ill。　　Diseases　which　seized　the　American　troops　on　all　sides　seemed　to　spare　them。　　The　mortality　was　not　excessive；　but　the　men　became　sick　and　ailing；　and　fell　under　the　doctor's　hands。　Mr。　Olmstead；　whose　name　is　well　known　in　England　as　a　writer　on　the　Southern　States；　was　at　this　time　secretary　to　a　sanitary　commission　on　the　army；　and　published　an　abstract　of　the　results　of　the　inquiries　made；　on　which　I　believe　perfect　reliance　may　be　placed。　This　inquiry　was　extended　to　two　hundred　regiments；　which　were　presumed　to　be　included　in　the　army　of　the　Potomac；　but　these　regiments　were　not　all　located　on　the　Virginian　side　of　the　river；　and　must　not　therefore　be　taken　as　belonging　exclusively　to　the　divisions　of　which　I　have　been　speaking。　　Mr。　Olmstead　says：　〃The　health　of　our　armies　is　evidently　not　above　the　average　of　armies　in　the　field。　　The　mortality　of　the　army　of　the　Potomac　during　the　summer　months　averaged　3　1/2　per　cent。；　and　for　the　whole　army　it　is　stated　at　5　per　cent。〃　　〃Of　the　camps　inspected；　5　per　cent。；〃　he　says；　〃were　in　admirable　order；　44　per　cent。　fairly　clean　and　well　policed。　　The　condition　of　26　per　cent。　was　negligent　and　slovenly；　and　of　24　per　cent。　decidedly　bad；　filthy；　and　dangerous。〃　　Thus　50　per　cent。　were　either　negligent　and　slovenly；　or　filthy　and　dangerous。　　I　wonder　what　the　report　would　have　been　had　Camp　Benton；　at　St。　Louis；　been　surveyed！　　〃In　about　80　per　cent。　of　the　regiments　the　officers　claimed　to　give　systematic　attention　to　the　cleanliness　of　the　men；　but　it　is　remarked　that　they　rarely　enforced　the　washing　of　the　feet；　and　not　always　of　the　head　and　neck。〃　　I　wish　Mr。　Olmstead　had　added　that　they　never　enforced　the　cutting　of　the　hair。　　No　single　trait　has　been　so　decidedly　disadvantageous　to　the　appearance　of　the　American　army　as　the　long；　uncombed；　rough　locks　of　hair　which　the　men　have　appeared　so　loath　to　abandon。　　In　reading　the　above　one　cannot　but　think　of　the　condition　of　those　other　twenty　regiments！　According　to　Mr。　Olmstead　two…thirds　of　the　men　were　native　born；　and　one…third　was　composed　of　foreigners。　　These　foreigners　are　either　Irish　or　German。　　Had　a　similar　report　been　made　of　the　armies　in　the　West；　I　think　it　would　have　been　seen　that　the　proportion　of　foreigners　was　still　greater。　　The　average　age　of　the　privates　was　something　under　twenty…five；　and　that　of　the　officers　thirty…four。　　I　may　here　add；　from　my　own　observation；　that　an　officer's　rank　could　in　no　degree　be　predicated　from　his　age。　Generals；　colonels；　majors；　captains；　and　lieutenants　had　been　all　appointed　at　the　same　time；　and　wit