with lee in virginia-第23章

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〃I　have　my　own　boy；　colonel；　who　looks　after　the　ten　of　us

stationed　at　Elmside；　and　I　fancy　that　in　the　matter　of　cold　rations

he　gives　me　an　undue　preference。　　He　always　hands　me　my

haversack　when　I　mount　with　a　grin；　and　I　quite　understand　that　it

is　better　I　should　ask　no　questions　as　to　its　contents。〃



〃Yen　are　a　lucky　fellow；〃　Stuart　said。　　〃My　own　servant　is　a　good

man；　and　would　do　anything　for　me；　but　my　irregular　hours　are　too

much　for　him。　　He　never　knows　when　to　expect　me；　and　as　he

often　finds　that　when　I　do　return　I　have　made　a　meal　an　hour

before　at　one　of　the　outposts；　and　do　not　want　the　food　he　has　for

hours　been　carefully　keeping　hot　for　me；　it　drives　him　almost　to

despair；　and　I　have　sometimes　been　obliged　to　eat　rather　than

disappoint　him。　　But　he　certainly　has　not　a　genius　for　cooking；　and

were　it　not　that　this　riding　gives　one　the　appetite　of　a　hunter；　I

should　often　have　a　good　deal　of　difficulty　in　devouring　the　meat

he　puts　into　my　haversack。〃



But　the　enemy　were　now　really　advancing；　and　on　the　12th　of　June

a　trooper　rode　in　from　the　extreme　left；　and　handed　to　Vincent　a

despatch　from　Colonel　Stuart。



〃My　orders　were；〃　he　said；　〃that；　if　you　were　here；　you　were　to

carry　this　on　at　all　speed　to　General　Johnston。　　If　not；　some　one

else　was　to　take　it　on。〃



〃Any　news？〃　Vincent　asked；　as　aided　by　Dan　he　rapidly　saddled

Wildfire。



〃Yes；〃　the　soldier　said；　〃2；000　of　the　enemy　have　advanced　up　the

Western　side　and　have　occupied　Romney；　and　they　say　that　all

Patterson's　force　is　on　the　move。〃



〃So　much　the　better；〃　Vincent　replied；　as　he　jumped　into　the

saddle。　　〃　We　have　been　doing　nothing　long　enough；　and　the

sooner　it　comes　the　better。〃



It　was　a　fifty…mile　ride；　but　it　was　done　in　five　hours；　and　at　the

end　of　that　time　Vincent　dismounted　in　front　of　General　Johnston's

quarters。





〃Is　the　general　in？〃　he　asked　the　sentry　at　the　door。





〃No；　he　is　not　in；　but　here　he　comes；〃　the　soldier　replied；　and　two

minutes　later　the　general；　accompanied　by　three　or　four　officers；

rode　up。



Vincent　saluted；　and　handed　him　the　despatch。　　The　general

opened　it　and　glanced　at　the　contents。



〃The　storm　is　going　to　burst　at　last；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　to　the

officers。　　〃Stuart　writes　me　that　2；000　men；　supposed　to　be　the

advance　of　McClellan's　army；　are　at　Romney；　and　that　he　hears

Patterson　is　also　advancing　from　Chambersburg　on　Williamsport。　

His　despatch　is　dated　this　morning　at　nine　o'clock。　　He　writes　from

near　Cumberland。　　No　time　has　been　lost；　for　that　is　eighty　miles

away；　and　it　is　but　five　o'clock　now。　　How　far　have　you　brought

this　despatch；　sir？〃



〃I　have　brought　it　from　Elmside；　general；　twenty　miles　on　the　other

side　of　Bath。　　A　trooper　brought　it　in　just　at　midday；　with　orders

for　me　to　carry　it　on　at　once。〃



〃That　is　good　work；〃　the　general　said。　　〃You　have　ridden　over　fifty

miles　in　five　hours。　　You　must　be　well　mounted；　sir。〃



〃I　do　not　think　there　is　a　better　horse　in　the　State；〃　Vincent　said；

patting　Wildfire's　neck。



The　general　called　an　orderly。



〃Let　this　man　picket　his　horse　with　those　of　the　staff；〃　he　said；　〃and

see　that　it　has　forage　at　once。　　Take　the　man　to　the　orderly's

quarters；　and　see　that　he　is　well　cared　for。〃



Vincent　saluted；　and；　leading　Wildfire；　followed　the　orderly。　

When　he　had　had　a　meal；　he　strolled　out　to　see　what　was　going　on。　

Evidently　some　movement　was　in　contemplation。　　Officers　were

riding　up　or　dashing　off　from　the　general's　headquarters。　　Two　or

three　regiments　were　seen　marching　down　from　the　plateau　on

which　they　were　encamped　into　the　town。　　Bells　rang　and　drums

beat；　and　presently　long　trains　of　railway　wagons；　heavily　laden；

began　to　make　their　way　across　the　bridge。　　Until　next　morning　the

movement　continued　unceasingly；　by　that　time　all　the　military

stores　and　public　property；　together　with　as　much　private　property

belonging　to　inhabitants　who　had　decided　to　forsake　their　homes

for　a　time　rather　than　to　remain　there　when　the　town　was　occupied

by　the　enemy；　as　could　be　carried　on　in　the　available　wagons；　had

been　taken　across　the　bridge。　　A　party　of　engineers；　who　had　been

all　night　hard　at　work；　then　set　fire　both　to　the　railway　bridge

across　the　river　and　the　public　buildings　in　the　town。　　The　main

body　of　troops　had　moved　across　in　the　evening。　　The　rear…guard

passed　when　all　was　in　readiness　for　the　destruction　of　the　bridge。



General　Johnston　had　been　preparing　for　the　movement　for　some

time；　he　had　foreseen　that　the　position　must　he　evacuated　as　soon

as　the　enemy　began　to　advance　upon　either　of　his　flanks；　and　a

considerable　portion　of　his　baggage　and　military　stores　had　some

time　previously　been　sent　into　the　interior　of　Virginia。　　The　troops；

formed　up　on　the　high　grounds　South　of　the　river；　looked　in　silence

at　the　dense　volumes　of　smoke　rising。　　This　was　the　reality　of　war。　

Hitherto　their　military　work　had　been　no　more　than　that　to　which

many　of　them　were　accustomed　when　called　out　with　the　militia　of

their　State；　but　the　scene　of　destruction　on　which　they　now　gazed

brought　home　to　them　that　the　struggle　was　a　serious　one…that　it

was　war　in　its　stern　reality　which　had　now　begun。



The　troops　at　once　set　off　on　their　march；　and　at　night　bivouacked

in　the　woods　around　Charlestown。　　The　next　day　they　pushed

across　the　country　and　took　up　a　position　covering　Winchester；　and

then　the　enemy；　finding　that　Johnston's　army　was　in　front　of　them

ready　to　dispute　their　advance；　recrossed　the　river；　and　Johnston

concentrated　his　force　round　Winchester。



Vincent　joined　his　corps　on　the　same　afternoon　that　the　infantry

marched　out　from　Harper's　Ferry；　the　general　sending　him　forward

with　despatches　as　soon　as　the　troops　had　got　into　motion。



〃You　will　find　Colonel　Stuart　in　front　of　the　enemy；　but　more　than

that　I　cannot　tell　you。〃



This　was　quite　enough　for　Vincent；　who　found　the　cavalry　scouting

close　to　Patterson's　force；　prepared　to　attack　the　enemy's　cavalry

should　it　advance　to　reconnoiter　the　country；　and　to　blow　up

bridges　across　streams；　fell　trees；　and　take　every　possible　measure

to　delay　the　advance　of　Patterson's　army；　in　its　attempt　to　push　on

toward　Winchester　before　the　arrival　of　General　Johnston's　force

upon　the　scene。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　hack；　Wingfield；〃　Major　Ashley　said；　as　lie

rode　up。　　〃The　colonel　tells　me　that　in　the　despatch　he　got　last

night　from　Johnston　the　general　said　that　Stuart's　information　had

reached　in　a　remarkably　short　time；　having　been　carried　with　great

speed　by　the　orderly　in　charge　of　the　duty。　　We　have　scarcely　been

out　of　our　saddles　since　you　left。　　However；　I　think　we　have　been

of　use；　for　we　have　been　busy　all　round　the　enemy　since　we　arrived

here　in　the　afternoon；　and　I　fancy　he　must　think　us　a　good　deal

stronger　than　we　are。　　At　any　rate；　he　has　not　pushed　his　cavalry

forward　at　all；　and；　as　you　say　Johnston　will　be　up　to…morrow

afternoon；　Winchester　is　safe　anyhow。〃



After　the　Federals　had　recrossed　the　river；　and　Johnston　had　taken

up　his　position　round　Winchester；　the　cavalry　returned　to　their　old

work　of　scouting　along　the　Potomac。



On　the　20th　of　June　movements　of　considerable　bodies　of　the

enemy　were　noticed；　and　Johnston　at　once　despatched　Jackson

with　his　brigade　to　Martinsburg；　with　orders　to　send　as　much　of　the

rolling…stock　of　the　railroad　as　could　be　removed　to　Winchester；　to

destroy　the　rest；　and　to　support　Stuart's　cavalry　when　they

advanced。　　A　number　of　locomotives　were　sent　to　Winchester

along　the　highroad；　drawn　by　teams　of　horses。　　Forty　engines　and

300　cars　were　burned　or　destroyed；　and　Jackson　then　advanced　and

took　up　his　position　on　the　road　to　Williamsport；　the　cavalry　camp

being　a　little　in　advance　of　him。　　This　was　pleasant　for　Vincent；　as

when　off　duty　he　spent　his　time　with　his　friends　and　schoolfellows

in　Jackson's　brigade。