washington and his comrades in arms-第32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！


d　some　mourned。　Men　do　not　change　lightly　their　political　allegiance。　Probably　Boston　was　the　most　completely　revolutionary　of　American　towns。　Yet　even　in　Boston　there　had　been　a　sad　procession　of　exiles　who　would　not　turn　against　the　King。　The　South　had　been　more　evenly　divided。　Now　the　Loyalists　took　heart　and　began　to　assert　themselves。

When　the　British　seemed　secure　in　Georgia　bands　of　Loyalists　marched　into　the　British　camp　in　furious　joy　that　now　their　day　was　come；　and　gave　no　gentle　advice　as　to　the　crushing　of　rebellion。　Many　a　patriot　farmhouse　was　now　destroyed　and　the　hapless　owner　either　killed　or　driven　to　the　mountains　to　live　as　best　he　could　by　hunting。　Sometimes　even　the　children　were　shot　down。　It　so　happened　that　a　company　of　militia　captured　a　large　band　of　Loyalists　marching　to　Augusta　to　support　the　British　cause。　Here　was　the　occasion　for　the　republican　patriots　to　assert　their　principles。　To　them　these　Loyalists　were　guilty　of　treason。　Accordingly　seventy　of　the　prisoners　were　tried　before　a　civil　court　and　five　of　them　were　hanged。　For　this　hanging　of　prisoners　the　Loyalists；　of　course；　retaliated　in　kind。　Both　the　British　and　American　regular　officers　tried　to　restrain　these　fierce　passions　but　the　spirit　of　the　war　in　the　South　was　ruthless。　To　this　day　many　a　tale　of　horror　is　repeated　and；　since　Loyalist　opinion　was　finally　destroyed；　no　one　survived　to　apportion　blame　to　their　enemies。　It　is　probable　that　each　side　matched　the　other　in　barbarity。

The　British　hoped　to　sweep　rapidly　through　the　South；　to　master　it　up　to　the　borders　of　Virginia；　and　then　to　conquer　that　breeding　ground　of　revolution。　In　the　spring　of　1779　General　Prevost　marched　from　Georgia　into　South　Carolina。　On　the　12th　of　May　he　was　before　Charleston　demanding　surrender。　We　are　astonished　now　to　read　that；　in　response　to　Prevost's　demand；　a　proposal　was　made　that　South　Carolina　should　be　allowed　to　remain　neutral　and　that　at　the　end　of　the　war　it　should　join　the　victorious　side。　This　certainly　indicates　a　large　body　of　opinion　which　was　not　irreconcilable　with　Great　Britain　and　seems　to　justify　the　hope　of　the　British　that　the　beginnings　of　military　success　might　rally　the　mass　of　the　people　to　their　side。　For　the　moment；　however；　Charleston　did　not　surrender。　The　resistance　was　so　stiff　that　Prevost　had　to　raise　the　siege　and　go　back　to　Savannah。

Suddenly；　early　in　September；　1779；　the　French　fleet　under　d'Estaing　appeared　before　Savannah。　It　had　come　from　the　West　Indies；　partly　to　avoid　the　dreaded　hurricane　season　of　the　autumn　in　those　waters。　The　British；　practically　without　any　naval　defense；　were　confronted　at　once　by　twenty…two　French　ships　of　the　line；　eleven　frigates；　and　many　transports　carrying　an　army。　The　great　flotilla　easily　got　rid　of　the　few　British　ships　lying　at　Savannah。　An　American　army；　under　General　Lincoln；　marched　to　join　d'Estaing。　The　French　landed　some　three　thousand　men；　and　the　combined　army　numbered　about　six　thousand。　A　siege　began　which；　it　seemed；　could　end　in　only　one　way。　Prevost；　however；　with　three　thousand　seven　hundred　men；　nearly　half　of　them　sick；　was　defiant；　and　on　the　9th　of　October　the　combined　French　and　American　armies　made　a　great　assault。　They　met　with　disaster。　D'Estaing　was　severely　wounded。　With　losses　of　some　nine　hundred　killed　and　wounded　in　the　bitter　fighting　the　assailants　drew　off　and　soon　raised　the　siege。　The　British　losses　were　only　fifty…four。　In　the　previous　year　French　and　Americans　fighting　together　had　utterly　failed。　Now　they　had　failed　again　and　there　was　bitter　recrimination　between　the　defeated　allies。　D'Estaing　sailed　away　and　soon　lost　some　of　his　ships　in　a　violent　storm。　Ill…fortune　pursued　him　to　the　end。　He　served　no　more　in　the　war　and　in　the　Reign　of　Terror　in　Paris；　in　1794；　he　perished　on　the　scaffold。

At　Charleston　the　American　General　Lincoln　was　in　command　with　about　six　thousand　men。　The　place；　named　after　King　Charles　II；　had　been　a　center　of　British　influence　before　the　war。　That　critical　traveler；　Lord　Adam　Gordon；　thought　its　people　clever　in　business；　courteous；　and　hospitable。　Most　of　them；　he　says；　made　a　visit　to　England　at　some　time　during　life　and　it　was　the　fashion　to　send　there　the　children　to　be　educated。　Obviously　Charleston　was　fitted　to　be　a　British　rallying　center　in　the　South；　yet　it　had　remained　in　American　hands　since　the　opening　of　the　war。　In　1776　Sir　Henry　Clinton；　the　British　Commander；　had　woefully　failed　in　his　assault　on　Charleston。　Now　in　December；　1779；　he　sailed　from　New　York　to　make　a　renewed　effort。　With　him　were　three　of　his　best　officerCornwallis；　Simcoe；　and　Tarleton；　the　last　two　skillful　leaders　of　irregulars；　recruited　in　America　and　used　chiefly　for　raids。　The　wintry　voyage　was　rough；　one　of　the　vessels　laden　with　cannon　foundered　and　sank；　and　all　the　horses　died。　But　Clinton　reached　Charleston　and　was　able　to　surround　it　on　the　landward　side　with　an　army　at　least　ten　thousand　strong。　Tarleton's　irregulars　rode　through　the　country。　It　is　on　record　that　he　marched　sixty…four　miles　in　twenty…three　hours　and　a　hundred　and　five　miles　in　fifty…four　hours。　Such　mobility　was　irresistible。　On　the　12th　of　April；　after　a　ride　of　thirty　miles；　Tarleton　surprised；　in　the　night；　three　regiments　of　American　cavalry　regulars　at　a　place　called　Biggin's　Bridge；　routed　them　completely　and；　according　to　his　own　account；　with　the　loss　of　three　men　wounded；　carried　off　a　hundred　prisoners；　four　hundred　horses；　and　also　stores　and　ammunition。　There　is　no　doubt　that　Tarleton's　dragoons　behaved　with　great　brutality　and　it　would　perhaps　have　taught　a　needed　lesson　if；　as　was　indeed　threatened　by　a　British　officer；　Major　Ferguson；　a　few　of　them　had　been　shot　on　the　spot　for　these　outrages。　Tarleton's　dashing　attacks　isolated　Charleston　and　there　was　nothing　for　Lincoln　to　do　but　to　surrender。　This　he　did　on　the　12th　of　May。　Burgoyne　seemed　to　have　been　avenged。　The　most　important　city　in　the　South　had　fallen。　〃We　look　on　America　as　at　our　feet；〃　wrote　Horace　Walpole。　The　British　advanced　boldly　into　the　interior。　On　the　29th　of　May　Tarleton　attacked　an　American　force　under　Colonel　Buford；　killed　over　a　hundred　men；　carried　off　two　hundred　prisoners；　and　had　only　twenty…one　casualties。　It　is　such　scenes　that　reveal　the　true　character　of　the　war　in　the　South。　Above　all　it　was　a　war　of　hard　riding；　often　in　the　night；　of　sudden　attack；　and　terrible　bloodshed。

After　the　fall　of　Charleston　only　a　few　American　irregulars　were　to　be　found　in　South　Carolina。　It　and　Georgia　seemed　safe　in　British　control。　With　British　successes　came　the　problem　of　governing　the　South。　On　the　royalist　theory；　the　recovered　land　had　been　in　a　state　of　rebellion　and　was　now　restored　to　its　true　allegiance。　Every　one　who　had　taken　up　arms　against　the　King　was　guilty　of　treason　with　death　as　the　penalty。　Clinton　had　no　intention　of　applying　this　hard　theory；　but　he　was　returning　to　New　York　and　he　had　to　establish　a　government　on　some　legal　basis。　During　the　first　years　of　the　war；　Loyalists　who　would　not　accept　the　new　order　had　been　punished　with　great　severity。　Their　day　had　now　come。　Clinton　said　that　〃every　good　man〃　must　be　ready　to　join　in　arms　the　King's　troops　in　order　〃to　reestablish　peace　and　good　government。〃　〃Wicked　and　desperate　men〃　who　still　opposed　the　King　should　be　punished　with　rigor　and　have　their　property　confiscated。　He　offered　pardon　for　past　offenses；　except　to　those　who　had　taken　part　in　killing　Loyalists　〃under　the　mock　forms　of　justice。〃　No　one　was　henceforth　to　be　exempted　from　the　active　duty　of　supporting　the　King's　authority。

Clinton's　proclamation　was　very　disturbing　to　the　large　element　in　South　Carolina　which　did　not　desire　to　fight　on　either　side。　Every　one　must　now　be　for　or　against　the　King；　and　many　were　in　their　secret　hearts　resolved　to　be　against　him。　There　followed　an　orgy　of　bloodshed　which　discredits　human　nature。　The　patriots　fled　to　the　mountains　rather　than　yield　and；　in　their　turn；　waylaid　and　murdered　straggling　Loyalists。　Under　pressure　some　republicans　would　give　outward　compliance　to　royal　government；　but　they　could　not　be　coerced　into　a　real　loyalty。　It　required　only　a　reverse　to　the　King's　forc