with lee in virginia-第38章

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Antictam　river。　Here　upon　the　fellowing　day　another　terrible　battle

was　fought；　the　Confederates；　though　but　39；000　strong；　repulsing

every　attack　by　the　Federals；　and　driving　them　with　terrible

slaughter　back　across　the　river。



Their　own　loss；　however；　had　been　very　heavy；　and　Lee；　knowing

that　he　could　expect　no　assistance；　while　the　enemy　were

constantly　receiving　reinforcements；　waited　for　a　day　to　collect　his

wounded；　bury　his　dead；　and　send　his　stores　and　artillery　to　the

rear；　and　then　retired　unpursued　across　the　Rappahannock。　　Thus

the　hard…fought　campaign　came　to　an　end。



Vincent　Wingfield　was　not　with　the　army　that　retired　across　the

Rappahannock。　　A　portion　of　the　cavalry　had　followed　the　broken

Federals　to　the　very　edge　of　the　stream；　and　just　as　they　reined　in

their　horses　a　round　shot　from　one　of　the　Federal　batteries　carried

away　his　cap；　and　he　fell　as　if　dead　from　his　horse。　　During　the

night　some　of　the　Northerners　crossed　the　stream　to　collect　and

bring　back　their　own　wounded　who　had　fallen　near　it；　and　coming

across　Vincent；　and　finding　that　he　still　breathed；　and　was

apparently　without　a　wound；　they　carried　him　back　with　them

across　the　river　as　a　prisoner。



Vincent　had　indeed　escaped　without　a　wound；　having　been　only

stunned　by　the　passage　of　the　shot　that　had　carried　away　his　cap；

and　missed　him　but　by　the　fraction　of　an　inch。　　He　had　begun　to

recover　consciousness　just　as　his　captors　caine　up；　and　the　action

of　carrying　him　completely　restored　him。　　That　he　had　fallen　into

the　hands　of　the　Northerners　he　was　well　aware；　but　he　was　unable

to　imagine　how　this；　had　happened。　　He　remembered　that　the

Confederates　had　been；　up　to　the　moment　when　he　fell；　completely

successful；　and　he　could　only　imagine　that　in　a　subsequent　attack

the　Federals　had　turned　the　tables　upon　them。



How　he　himself　had　fallen；　or　what　had　happened　to　him；　he　had

no　idea。　　Beyond　a　strange　feeling　of　numbness　in　the　head　he　was

conscious　of　no　injury；　and　he　could　only　imagine　that　his　horse

had　been　shot　under　him；　and　that　he　must　have　fallen　upon　his

head。　　The　thought　that　his　favorite　horse　was　killed　afflicted　him

almost　as　much　as　his　own　capture。　　As　soon　as　his　captors

perceived　that　their　prisoner's　consciousness　had　returned　they　at

once　reported　that　an　officer　of　Stuart's　cavalry　had　been　taken；

and　at　daybreak　next　morning　General　McClellan　on　rising　was

acquainted　with　the　fact；　and　Vincent　was　conducted　to　his　tent。



〃You　are　unwounded；　sir？〃　the　general　said　in　some　surprise。



〃I　am；　general；〃　Vincent　replied。　　〃I　do　not　know　how　it　happened；

but　I　believe　that　my　horse　must　have　been　shot　under　me；　and　that

I　must　have　been　thrown　and　stunned；　however；　I　remember

nothing　from　the　moment　when　I　heard　the　word　halt；　just　as　we

reached　the　side　of　the　stream；　to　that　when　I　found　myself　being

carried　here。〃



〃You　belong　to　the　cavalry？〃



Yes；　sir。〃



Was　Lee's　force　all　engaged　yesterday？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃I　only　came　up　with　Jackson's

division　from　Harper's　Ferry　the　evening　before。〃



〃I　need　not　have　questioned　you；〃　McClellan　said。　　〃I　know　that

Lee's　whole　army；　100；000　strong；　opposed　me　yesterday。〃



Vincent　was　silent。　　He　was　glad　to　see　that　the　Federal　general；　as

usual；　enormously　overrated　the　strength　of　the　force　opposed　to

him。



〃I　hear　that　the　whole　of　the　garrison　of　Harper's　Ferry　were

released　on　parole　not　to　serve　again　during　the　war。　　If　you　are

ready　to　give　me　your　promise　to　the　same　effect　I　will　allow　you

to　return　to　your　friends；　if　not；　you　must　remain　a　prisoner　until

you　are　regularly　exchanged。〃



〃I　must　do　so；　then；　general；〃　Vincent　said　quietly。　　〃I　could　not

return　home　and　remain　inactive　while　every　man　in　the　South　is

fighting　for　the　defense　of　his　country；　so　I　will　take　my　chance　of

being　exchanged。〃



〃I　am　sorry　you　choose　that　alternative；〃　McClellan　said。　　〃I　hate　to

see　brave　men　imprisoned　if　only　for　a　day；　and　braver　men　than

those　across　yonder　stream　are　not　to　be　found。　　My　officers　and

men　are　astonished。　They　seem　so　thin　and　worn　as　to　be　scarce

able　to　lift　a　musket；　their　clothes　are　fit　only　for　a　scarecrow；　they

are　indeed　pitiful　objects　to　look　at；　but　the　way　in　which　they

fight　is　wonderful。　　I　could　not　have　believed　had　I　not　seen　it；　that

men　could　have　charged　as　they　did　again　and　again　across　ground

swept　by　a　tremendous　artillery　and　musketry　fire；　it　was

wonderful！　　I　can　tell　you；　young　sir；　that　even　though　you　beat　us

we　are　proud　of　you　as　our　countrymen；　and　I　believe　that　if　your

General　Jackson　were　to　ride　through　our　camp　he　would　be

cheered　as　lustily　and　heartily　by　our　men　as　he　is　by　his　own。〃



Some　fifty　or　sixty　other　prisoners　had　been　taken；　they　had　been

captured　in　the　hand…to…hand　struggle　that　had　taken　place　on　some

parts　of　the　field；　having　got　separated　from　their　corps　and　mixed

up　with　the　enemy；　and　carried　off　the　field　with　them　as　they

retired。　　These　for　the　most　part　accepted　the　offered　parole；　but

some　fifteen；　like　Vincent；　preferred　a　Northern　prison　to

promising　to　abstain　from　fighting　in　defense　of　their　country；　and

in　the　middle　of　the　day　they　were　placed　together　in　a　tent　under　a

guard　at　the　rear　of　the　camp。



The　next　morning　came　the　news　that　Lee　had　fallen　back。　　There

was　exultation　among　the　Federals；　not　unmingled　with　a　strong

sense　of　relief；　for　the　heavy　losses　inflicted　in　the　previous

fighting　had　taken　all　the　ardor　of　attack　out　of　McClellan's　army；

and　they　were　glad　indeed　that　they　were　not　to　be　called　upon　to

make　another　attempt　to　drive　the　Confederates　from　their

position。　　Vincent　was　no　less　pleased　at　the　news。　　He　knew　how

thin　were　the　ranks　of　the　Confederate　fighting　men；　and　how

greatly　they　were　worn　and　exhausted　by　fatigue　and　want　of　food；

and　that；　although　they　had　the　day　before　repulsed　the　attacks　of

the　masses　of　well…fed　Northerners；　such　tremendous　exertions

could　not　often　be　repeated；　and　a　defeat；　with　the　river　in　their

rear；　approachable　only　by　one　rough　and　narrow　road；　would　have

meant　a　total　destruction　of　the　army。



The　next　morning　Vincent　and　his　companions　were　put　into　the

train　and　sent　to　Alexandria。　　They　had　no　reason　to　complain　of

their　treatment　upon　the　way。　　They　were　well　fed；　and　after　their

starvation　diet　for　the　last　six　weeks　their　rations　seemed　to　them

actually　luxurious。　The　Federal　troops　in　Alexandria；　who　were　for

the　most　part　young　recruits　who　had　just　arrived　from　the　north

and　west；　looked　with　astonishment　upon　these　thin　and　ragged

men；　several　of　whom　were　barefooted。　　Was　it　possible　that　such

scarecrows　as　these　could　in　every　battle　have　driven　back　the

well…fed　and　cared…for　Northern　soldiers！



〃Are　they　all　like　this？〃　one　burly　young　soldier　from　a　western

state　asked　their　guard。



That's　them；　sir；〃　the　sergeant　in　charge　of　the　party　replied。　　〃Not

much　to　look　at；　are　they？　　But；　by　gosh；　you　should　see　them

fight！　　You　wouldn't　think　of　their　looks　then。〃



〃If　that's　soldiering；〃　the　young　farmer　said　solemnly；　〃the　sooner　I

am　back　home　again　the　better。　　But　it　don't　seem　to　me　altogether

strange　as　they　should　fight　so　hard；　because　I　should　say　they

must　look　upon　it　as　a　comfort　to　be　killed　rather　than　to　live　like

that。〃



A　shout　of　laughter　from　the　prisoners　showed　the　young　rustic

that　the　objects　of　his　pity　did　not　consider　life　to　be　altogether

intolerable　even　under　such　circumstances；　and　he　moved　away

meditating　on　the　discomforts　of　war；　and　upon　the　remarks　that

would　be　made　were　he　to　return　home　in　so　sorrowful　a　plight　as

that　of　these　Confederate　prisoners。



〃I　bargained　to　fight；〃　be　said；　〃and　though　I　don't　expect　I　shall

＇ike　it；　I　sha'n't　draw　back　when　the　time　comes；　but　as　to　being

starved　till　you　are　nigh　a　skeleto