captains of the civil war-第33章
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come back from his enterprise against Jackson； and 75；000 south of it。 What could the 65；000 Confederates do； except hold fast to their lines？ TO RICHMOND 4 1/2 MILES： so read the sign…post at the Mechanicsville bridge； and there stood the nearest Federal picket。 Johnston and Lee knew； however； that McClellan's alarmist detectives swore to a Confederate army three times its actual strength at this time； and there was reason to hope that the consequent moral ascendancy would help the shock of an attack suddenly made on one of McClellan's two wings while the flooded Chickahominy flowed between them and its oozy swamps bewildered his staff。
Hearing that McDowell need not be feared； Johnston attacked at daylight on the thirty…first of May。 The battle of Seven Pines （known also as Fair Oaks） was not unlike Shiloh。 The Federals were taken by surprise on the first day and only succeeded in holding their own by hard fighting and with a good deal of loss。 A mistake was made by the Confederate division told off for the attack on the key to the Federal front （an attack which； if completely successful； would have split the Federals in two） and the main bodies were engaged before this fatal error could be rectified。 So the surprised Federals gradually recovered from the first shock and began to feel and use their hitherto unrealized strength。 On the second day （the first of June） Johnston； who had been severely wounded； was plainly defeated and compelled to fall back on Richmond again。
On the morrow of this defeat Lee was appointed to 〃the immediate command of the armies in eastern Virginia and North Carolina。〃 Davis was not war statesman enough to make him Commander…in…Chief till '65four years too late。 Johnston did not reappear till he tried to relieve Vicksburg from the determined attacks of Grant in '63。
The twelfth of June will be remembered forever in the annals of cavalry for Stuart's first great ride round McClellan's host。 With twelve hundred troopers and two horse artillery guns he stole out beyond the western flank of the Federals and reached Taylorsville that evening； twenty…two miles north of Richmond。 Next day he rode right in among the Federal posts in rear； discovering that McClellan's right stretched little north of the Chickahominy； that it was not fortified； and that it did not rest on any strong natural feature； such as a swampy stream。 This was exactly the information Lee required。 So far； so good。 The Federals met with up to this time had simply been ridden down。 But now the whole country was alarmed and McClellan had forces out to cut Stuart off on his return； while General Cooke （Stuart's father…inlaw） began to pursue him from Hanover Court House。
Then Stuart took the boldest step of all； deciding to go clear round the rest of the Federal army。 At Tunstall's Station on the York River Railroad he routed the guard； tore up the track； destroyed the stores and wagons； cut the wires； burnt the bridge； and replenished his supplies。 Thence southeast； by the Williamsburg road； his column marched under a full summer moon； the people running out of doors； wild with joy at his daring。 At sunrise he reached the Chickahominy； only to find it flooded； full of timber； and spanned by nothing better than a broken bridge。 But； using the materials of a warehouse to make a footway； the troopers crossed in single file； leading their chargers； which swam。 Waving his hand to the Federals； who had just arrived too late； Stuart pushed on the remaining thirty…five miles to Richmond； rounding the Federal flank within range of Federal gunboats on the James。
This magnificent raid not only procured in three days information that McClellan's civilian detectives could not have procured in three years but raised Confederate morale and depressed the Federals correspondingly。 Moreover； it drove the first nail into McClellan's coffin。 For in October； just after another Stuart raid； the following curious incident occurred on board the Martha Washington when Lincoln was returning from an Alexandria review which had cheered him up considerably； coming； as it did； after Lee had failed in Maryland。 By way of answering the very pertinent question〃Mr。 President； how about McClellan？〃… …Lincoln simply drew a ring on the deck； quietly adding： 〃When I was a boy we used to play a game called 'Three times round and out。' Stuart has been round McClellan twice。 The third time McClellan will be out。〃
Stuart rode ahead of his troopers； straight to Lee； who immediately wrote to Jackson suggesting that the Army of the Valley； while keeping the Federals alarmed to the last about an attack on the line of the Potomac； might secretly slip away and join a combined attack on McClellan。 Jackson； who had of course foreseen this； was ready with every blind known to the art of war。 Even his staff and generals knew nothing of their destination。 The first move was so secret that the enemy never suspected anything till it was too late； while friends thought there was to be another surprise in the Valley。 The second move led various people to suspect a march on Washingtonno bad news to leak out； and nothing but misleading items did leak out。 The Army of the Valley moved within a charmed circle of cavalry which prevented any one from going forward； ahead of the advance； and swept before it all stragglers through whom the news might leak out by the rear。 On the twenty…third of June； only eight days after Stuart had reported his raid to Lee； Jackson attended Lee's conference at the same place； Richmond。 The Valley Army was then on its thirty…mile march from Frederick's Hall to Ashland； where it arrived on the twenty…fifth； fifteen miles north。
McClellan had over a hundred thousand men。 Lee had less than ninety thousand； even after Jackson had joined him。 To attack McClellan's strongly fortified front； with its almost impregnable flanks； would have been suicide。 But McClellan's farther right； commanded by that excellent officer； FitzJohn Porter； lay north of the Chickahominy； with its own right open for junction with McDowell。 So Lee； knowing McClellan and the state of this Federal right； decided on the twenty…fourth to attack Porter and threaten McClellan's communications not only with McDowell to the north but with White House； the Federal base twenty miles northeast。 This was an exceedingly bold move； first； because McClellan had plenty of men to take Richmond during Lee's march north；
secondly； because it meant the convergence of separate forces on the field of battle （Jackson being at Ashland； fifteen miles from Richmond） and； thirdly； because the Confederates were inferior in armament and in supplies of all kinds as well as in actual numbers。 Magruder； who had held the Yorktown lines so cleverly with such inferior forces； was to hold Richmond （on both sides of the James） with thirty…five thousand men against McClellan's seventy…five thousand； while Lee and Jackson converged on Porter's twenty…five thousand with over fifty thousand。
Then followed the famous Seven Days； beginning on the twenty…sixth of June near the signpost at the Mechanicsville bridgeTO RICHMOND 4 1/2 MILESand ending at Harrison's Landing on the second of July。 On the twenty…sixth the attack was made with consummate strategic skill。 But it was marred by bad staff work； by the great obstructions in Jackson's path； and by A。P。 Hill's premature attack with ten thousand men against Porter's admirable front at Beaver Dam Creek。 Hill's men moved down their own side of the little valley in dense masses till every gun and rifle on Porter's side was suddenly unmasked。 No scythe could have mowed the leading Confederates better。 Two thousand went down in the first few minutes； and the rest at once retreated。
Porter fell back on Gaines's Mill； where； after being reinforced； he took up a strong position on the twentyseventh。 Again there was failure in combining the attack。 Jackson found obstructions that even he could not overcome quickly enough。 Hill attacked again with the utmost gallantry； wave after wave of Confederates rushing forward only to melt away before the concentrated fire of Porter's reinforced command。
But at last the Confederatesthough checked and roughly handledconverged under Lee's ow
