with lee in virginia-第72章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Lee　had　early　in　the　morning　begun　to　advance　from　his　side　to　the

attack；　but　just　as　he　was　moving　forward　the　news　came　that

Sedgwick　had　recrossed　at　Fredericksburg；　captured　a　portion　of

the　Confederate　force　there；　and　was　advancing　to　join　Hooker。　

He　at　once　sent　two　of　his　three　little　divisions　to　join　the

Confederates　who　were　opposing　Sedgwick's　advance；　while　with

the　three　or　four　thousand　men　remaining　to　him；　he　all　day　made

feigned　attacks　upon　the　enemy's　position；　occupying　their

attention　there；　and　preventing　them　from　sending　reinforcements

to　the　troops　engaged　with　Stuart。　　At　night　he　himself　hurried

away；　took　the　command　of　the　troops　opposed　to　Sedgwick；

attacked　him　vigorously　at　daybreak；　and　drove　him　with　heavy

loss　back　across　the　river。　　The　next　day　he　marched　back　with　his

force　to　join　in　the　final　attack　upon　the　Federals；　but　when　the

troops　of　Stuart　and　Lee　moved　forward　they　encountered　no

opposition。　　Hooker　had　begun　to　carry　his　troops　across　the　river

on　the　night　he　was　hurled　back　out　of　Chancellorsville；　and　the

rest　of　his　troops　had　crossed　on　the　two　following　nights。



General　Hooker　issued　a　pompous　order　to　his　troop。　after　getting

across　the　river；　to　the　effect　that　the　movement　had　met　with　the

complete　success　he　had　anticipated　from　it；　but　the　truth　soon

leaked　out。　　General　Sedgwick's　force　had　lost　6；000　men；

Hooker's　own　command　fully　20；000　more；　but　splendid　as　the

success　was；　it　was　dearly　purchased　by　the　Confederates　at　the

price　of　the　life　of　Stonewall　Jackson。　　His　arm　was　amputated　the

day　after　the　battle；　he　lived　for　a　week；　and　died　not　so　much

from　the　effect　of　his　wounds　as　from　the　pneumonia；　the　result　of

his　exposure　to　the　heavy　dew　on　the　night　preceding　his　march

through　the　Wilderness。



During　the　two　days'　fighting　Vincent　Wingfield　had　discharged

his　duties　upon　General　Stuart's　staff。　　On　the　first　day　the　work

had　been　slight；　for　General　Stuart；　with　the　cannon；　remained　in

the　rear；　while　Jackson's　infantry　attacked　and　carried　the　Federal

retrenchments。　　Upon　the　second　day；　however；　when　Stuart

assumed　the　command；　Vincent's　duties　had　been　onerous　and

dangerous　in　the　extreme。　　He　was　constantly　carrying　orders　from

one　part　of　the　field　to　the　other；　amid　such　a　shower　of　shot　and

shell　that　it　seemed　marvelous　that　any　one　could　exist　within　it。　

To　his　great　grief　Wildfire　was　killed　under　him；　but　he　himself

escaped　without　a　scratch。　When　he　came　afterward　to　try　to

describe　the　battle　to　those　at　home　he　could　give　no　account　of　it。



〃To　me；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　simply　a　chaos　of　noise　and　confusion。　

Of　what　was　going　on　I　knew　nothing。　　The　din　was　appalling。　

The　roar　of　the　shells；　the　hum　of　grape　and　canister；　the　whistle　of

bullets；　the　shouts　of　the　men；　formed　a　mighty　roar　that　seemed

to　render　thinking　impossible。　　Showers　of　leaves　fell　incessantly；

great　boughs　of　trees　were　shorn　away；　and　trees　themselves

sometimes　came　crashing　down　as　a　trunk　was　struck　full　by　a

shell。　　The　undergrowth　had　caught　fire；　and　the　thick　smoke；

mingled　with　that　of　the　battle；　rendered　it　difficult　to　see　or　to

breathe。　　I　had　but　one　thought；　that　of　making　my　way　through　the

trees；　of　finding　the　corps　to　which　I　was　sent；　of　delivering　my

message；　and　finding　the　general　again。　　No；　I　don't　think　I　had

much　thought　of　danger；　the　whole　thing　was　somehow　so

tremendous　that　one　had　no　thought　whatever　for　one's　self。　　It　was

a　sort　of　terrible　dream；　in　which　one　was　possessed　of　the　single

idea　to　get　to　a　certain　place。　　It　was　not　till　at　last　we　swept　across

the　open　ground　down　to　the　house；　that　I　seemed　to　take　any

distinct　notice　of　what　was　going　on　around　me。　　Then；　for　the　first

time；　the　exulting　shouts　of　the　men；　and　the　long　lines　advancing

at　the　double；　woke　me　up　to　the　fact　that　we　had　gained　one　of　the

most　wonderful　victories　in　history；　and　had　driven　an　army　of

four　or　five　times　our　own　strength　from　a　position　that　they

believed　they　had　made　impregnable。〃



The　defeat　of　Hooker　for　a　time　put　a　stop　to　any　further　advance

against　Richmond　from　the　North。　　The　Federal　troops；　whose

term　of　service　was　up；　returned　home；　and　it　was　months　before

all　the　efforts　of　the　authorities　of　Washington　could　place　the

army　in　a　condition　to　make　a　renewed　advance。　　But　the

Confederates　had　also　suffered　heavily。　　A　third　of　the　force　with

which　Jackson　had　attacked　had　fallen；　and　their　loss　could　not　be

replaced；　as　the　Confederates　were　forced　to　send　every　one　they

could　raise　to　the　assistance　of　the　armies　in　the　West；　where

Generals　Banks　and　Grant　were　carrying　on　operations　with　great

success　against　them。　　The　important　town　of　Vicksburg；　which

commanded　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi；　was　besieged；　and

after　a　resistance　lasting　for　some　months；　surrendered；　with　its

garrison　of　25；000　men；　on　the　3d　of　July；　and　the　Federal

gunboats

were　thus　able　to　penetrate　by　the　Mississippi　and　its　confluents

into　the　heart　of　the　Confederacy。



Shortly　after　the　battle　of　Chancellorsville；　Vincent　was　appointed

to　the　command　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry　that　was　detached　from

Stuart's　force　and　sent　down　to　Richmond　to　guard　the　capital　from

any　raids　by　bodies　of　Federal　cavalry。　　It　had　been　two　or　three

times　menaced　by　flying　bodies　of　horsemen；　and　during　the

cavalry　advance　before　the　battle　of　Chancellorsville　small　parties

had　penetrated　to　within　three　miles　of　the　city；　cutting　all　the

telegraph　wires；　pulling　up　rails；　and　causing　the　greatest　terror。　

Vincent　was　not　sorry　for　the　change。　　It　took　him　away　from　the

great　theater　of　the　war；　but　after　Chancellorsville　he　felt　no　eager

desire　to　take　part　in　future　battles。　　His　duties　would　keep　him

near　his　home；　and　would　give　ample　scope　for　the　display　of

watchfulness；　dash；　and　energy。　　Consequently　he　took　no　part　in

the　campaign　that　commenced　in　the　first　week　in　June。



Tired　of　standing　always　on　the　defensive；　the　Confederate

authorities　determined　to　carry　out　the　stop　that　had　been　so

warmly　advocated　by　Jackson　earlier　in　the　war；　and　which　might

at　that　time　have　brought　it　to　a　successful　termination。　　They

decided　to　carry　the　war　into　the　enemy's　country。　　By　the　most

strenuous　efforts　Lee's　army　was　raised　to　75；000　men；　divided

into　three　great　army　corps；　commanded　by　Longstreet；　Ewell；　and

Hill。　Striking　first　into　Western　Virginia；　they　drove　the　Federals

from　Winchester；　and　chased　them　from　the　State　with　the　loss　of

nearly　4；000　prisoners　and　30　guns。　　Then　they　entered　Maryland　

and　Pennsylvania；　and　concentrating　at　Gettysburg　they　met　the

Northern　army　under　Meade；　who　had　succeeded　Hooker。　

Although　great　numbers　of　the　Confederates　had　seen　their　homes

wasted　and　their　property　wantonly　destroyed；　they　preserved　the

most　perfect　order　in　their　march　through　the　North；　and　the

Federals　themselves　testify　to　the　admirable　behavior　of　the　troops；

and　to　the　manner　in　which　they　abstained　from　plundering　or

inflicting　annoyance　upon　the　inhabitants。



At　Gettysburg　there　was　three　days'　fighting。　　In　the　first　a　portion

only　of　the　forces　were　engaged；　the　Federals　being　defeated　and

5；000　of　their　men　taken　prisoners。　Upon　the　second　the

Confederates　attacked　the　Northerners；　who　were　posted　in　an

extremely　strong　position；　but　were　repulsed　with　heavy　loss。　　The

following　day　they　renewed　the　attack；　but　after　tremendous

fighting　again　failed　to　carry　the　height。　　Both　parties　were　utterly

exhausted。　Lee　drew　up　his　troops　the　next　day；　and　invited　an

attack　from　the　Federals；　but　contented　with　the　success　they　had

gained　they　maintained　their　position；　and　the　Confederates　then

fell　back；　Stuart's　cavalry　protecting　the　immense　trains　of　wagons

loaded　with　the　stores　and　ammunition　captured　in　Pennsylvania。



But　little　attempt　was　made　by　th