with lee in virginia-第75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！



numbers；　many　of　the　Confederates　had　left　their　posts；　and

Breckenridge　was　in　vain　trying　to　rally　them　when　Gracie's

brigade　came　up。　　The　position　was　reoccupied　and　the　battle

continued。



At　noon　Burnside　with　his　corps　arrived　and　joined　the　assailants；

while　Butler；　discovering　at　last　that　the　troops　in　front　of　him

were　withdrawn；　moved　out　and　barred　the　road　against

reinforcements　from　Richmond。　　Nevertheless　the　Confederates

held　their　ground　all　the　afternoon　and　until　eleven　o'clock　at

night；　when　the　assault　ceased。



At　midnight　Beauregard　withdrew　his　troops　from　the　defenses

that　they　were　too　few　to　hold；　and　set　them　to　work　to　throw　up

fresh　intrenchments　on　a　shorter　line　behind。　　All　night　the　men

worked　with　their　bayonets；　canteens；　and　any　tools　that　came　to

hand。



It　was　well　for　them　that　the　enemy　were　so　exhausted　that　it　was

noon　before　they　were　ready　to　advance　again；　for　by　this　time

help　was　at　hand。　　Anderson；　who　had　succeeded　to　the　command

of　Long　street's　corps；　and　was　leading　the　van　of　Lee's　army；

forced　his　way　through　Butler's　troops　and　drove　him　back　into　the

Bermuda　Hundred；　and　leaving　one　brigade　to　watch　him　marched

with　another　into　Petersburg　just　as　the　attack　was　recommenced。

Thus　reinforced　Beauregard　successfully　defeated　all　the　assaults

of　the　enemy　until　night　fell。　　Another　Federal　army　corps　came　up

before　morning；　and　the　assault　was　again　renewed；　but　the

defenders；　who　had　strengthened　their　defenses　during　the　night；

drove　their　assailants　back　with　terrible　loss。　　The　whole　of　Lee's

army　now　arrived；　and　the　rest　of　Grant's　army　also　came　up；　and

that　general　found　that　after　all　his　movements　his　way　to

Richmond　was　barred　as　before。　　He　was　indeed　in　a　far　worse

position　than　when　he　had　crossed　the　Rapidan；　for　the　morale　of

his　army　was　much　injured　by　the　repeated　repulses　and　terrible

losses　it　had　sustained。　The　new　recruits　that　had　been　sent　to　fill

up　the　gaps　were　far　inferior　troops　to　those　with　which　he　had

commenced　the　campaign。　　To　send　forward　such　men　against　the

fortifications　of　Petersburg　manned　by　Lee's　veteran　troops　was　to

court　defeat；　and　he　therefore　began　to　throw　up　works　for　a

regular　siege。



Fighting　went　on　incessantly　between　the　outposts；　but　only　one

great　attempt　was　made　during　the　early　months　of　the　siege　to

capture　the　Confederate　position。　　The　miners　drove　a　gallery

under　the　works；　and　then　drove　other　galleries　right　and　left　under

them。　　These　were　charged　with　eight　thousand　pounds　of　powder。　

When　all　was　ready；　masses　of　troops　were　brought　up　to　take

advantage　of　the　confusion　which　would　be　caused　by　the

explosion；　and　a　division　of　black　troops　were　to　lead　the　assault。　

At　a　quarter　to　five　in　the　morning　of　the　30th　of　July　the　great

mine　was　exploded；　blowing　two　guns；　a　battery；　and　its　defenders

into　the　air；　and　forming　a　huge　pit　two　hundred　feet　long　and　sixty

feet　wide。　　Lee　and　Beauregard　hurried　to　the　scene；　checked　the

panic　that　prevailed；　brought　up　troops；　and　before　the　great

Federal　columns　approached　the　breach　the　Confederates　were

ready　to　receive　them。　　The　assault　was　made　with　little　vigor；　the

approaches　to　the　breach　were　obstructed　by　abattis；　and　instead　of

rushing　forward　in　a　solid　mass　they　occupied　the　great　pit；　and

contented　themselves　with　firing　over　the　edge　of　the　crater；　where

regiments　and　divisions　were　huddled　together。　　But　the

Confederate　batteries　were　now　manned；　and　from　the　works　on

either　side　of　the　breach；　and　from　behind；　they　swept　the

approaches；　and　threw　shell　among　the　crowded　mass。　　The　black

division　was　now　brought　up；　and　entered　the　crater；　but　only

added　to　the　confusion；　　There　was　no　officer　of　sufficient

authority　among　the　crowded　mass　there　to　assume　the　supreme

command。　　No　assistance　could　be　sent　to　them；　for　the　arrival　of

fresh　troops　would　but　have　added　to　the　confusion。　　All　day　the

conflict　went　on；　the　Federals　lining　the　edge　of　the　crater；　and　

exchanging　a　heavy　musketry　fire　with　the　Confederate　infantry；

while　the　mass　below　suffered　terribly　from　the　artillery　fire。　

When　night　closed　the　survivors　of　the　great　column　that　had

marched　forward　in　the　morning；　confident　that　victory　was

assured　to　them；　and　that　the　explosion　would　lay　Petersburg　open

to　capture；　made　their　retreat；　the　Confederates；　however；　taking　a

considerable　number　of　prisoners。　　The　Federal　loss　in　killed；

wounded　and　captured　was　admitted　by　them　to　be　4；000；　the

Confederate　accounts　put　it　down　at　6；000。



After　this　terrible　repulse　it　was　a　long　time　before　Grant　again

renewed　active　operations；　hut　during　the　months　that　ensued　his

troops　suffered　very　heavily　from　the　effects　of　fever；　heightened

by　the　discouragement　they　felt　at　their　want　of　success；　and　at　the

tremendous　losses　they　had　suffered　since　they　entered　Virginia　on

their　forward　march　to　Richmond。



CHAPTER　VIII。　A　PERILOUS　UNDERTAKING。



VINCENT　WINGFIELD　had　had　an　arduous　time　of　it　with　his

squadron　of　cavalry。　　He　had　taken　part　in　the　desperate　charge

that　checked　the　advance　of　Sheridan's　great　column　of　cavalry

which　approached　within　three　miles　of　Richmond；　the　charge　that

had　cost　the　gallant　Stuart　his　life；　and　the　death　of　his　beloved

general　had　been　a　heavy　blow　for　him。　　Jackson　and　Stuart；　two　of

the　bravest　and　noblest　spirits　of　the　Confederate　army；　were　gone。　

Both　had　been　personally　dear　to　Vincent；　and　he　felt　how

grievous　was　their　loss　to　the　cause　for　which　he　was　fighting；　but

he　had　little　time　for　grief。　　The　enemy；　after　the　tremendous

battles　of　the　Wilderness；　swung　their　army　round　to　Cold　Harbor；

and　Vincent's　squadron　was　called　up　to　aid　Lee　in　his　struggle

there。　　Then　they　were　engaged　night　and　day　in　harassing　the

enemy　as　they　marched　down　to　take　up　their　new　base　at

Petersburg；　and　finally　received　orders　to　ride　round　at　full　speed

to　aid　in　the　defense　of　that　place。



They　had　arrived　in　the　middle　of　the　second　day's　fighting；　and

dismounting　his　men　Vincent　had　aided　the　hard…pressed

Confederates　in　holding　their　lines　till　Long…street's　division

arrived　to　their　assistance。　　A　short　time　before　the　terrible　disaster

that　befell　the　Federals　in　the　mine　they　exploded　under　the

Confederate　works；　he　was　with　General　Wade　Hampton；　who　had

succeeded　General　Stuart　in　the　command　of　the　cavalry；　when

General　Lee　rode　up。



〃They　are　erecting　siege　works　in　earnest；〃　General　Lee　said。　　〃I　do

not　think　that　we　shall　have　any　more　attacks　for　the　present。　　I

wish　I　knew　exactly　where　they　are　intending　to　place　their　heavy

batteries。　　If　I　did　we　should　know　where　to　strengthen　our

defenses；　and　plant　our　counter　batteries。　　It　is　very　important　to

find　this　out；　but　now　that　their　whole　army　has　settled　down　in

front　of　us；　and　Sheridan's　cavalry　are　scouring　the　woods；　we　shall

get　no　news；　for　the　farmers　will　no　longer　be　able　to　get　through

to　tell　us　what　is　going　on。



〃I　will　try　and　ride　round；　if　you　like；　general；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃By

making　a　long　detour　one　could　get　into　the　rear　of　their　lines　and

pass　as　a　farmer　going　into　camp　to　sell　his　goods。〃



〃It　would　be　a　very　dangerous　service；　sir；〃　General　Lee　said。　

〃You　know　what　the　consequence　would　be　if　you　were　caught？〃



〃I　know　the　consequence；〃　Vincent　said；　〃but　I　do　not　think；　sir；

that　the　risk　is　greater　than　one　runs　every　time　one　goes　into

battle。〃



〃Perhaps　not；〃　General　Lee　replied；　〃but　in　one　case　one　dies

fighting　for　one's　country　by　an　honorable　death；　in　the　other…〃　and

he　stopped。



〃In　the　other　one　is　shot　in　cold　blood；〃　Vincent　said　quietly。　　〃One

dies　for　one's　country　in　either　case；　sir；　and　it　does　not　much

matter；　so　far　as　I　can　see；　whether　cue　is　killed　in　battle　or　shot　in

cold　blood。　　As　long　as　one　is　doing　one's　duty；　one　death　is　surel