captains of the civil war- 第23部分

Trust　begot　trust；　and　some　months　later　Grant　showed　war　statesmanship　of　the　same　magnificent　kind。　McClellan　had　become　the　Democratic　candidate　for　President；　to　the　wellfounded　alarm　of　all　who　put　the　Union　first。　In　June；　when　Grant　and　Lee　were　at　grips　round　Richmond；　Lincoin　was　invited　to　a　public　meeting　got　up　in　honor　of　Grant　with　only　a　flimsy　disguise　of　the　ominous　fact　that　Grant；　and　not　Lincoln；　might　be　the　Union　choice。　Lincoln　sagaciously　wrote　back：　〃It　is　impossible　for　me　to　attend。　I　approve　nevertheless　of　whatever　may　tend　to　strengthen　and　sustain　General　Grant　and　the　noble　armies　now　under　his　command。　He　and　his　brave　soldiers　are　now　in　the　midst　of　their　great　trial；　and　I　trust　that　at　your　meeting　you　will　so　shape　your　good　words　that　they　may　turn　to　men　and　guns；　moving　to　his　and　their　support。〃　The　danger　to　the　Union　of　taking　Grant　away　from　the　front　moved　Lincoln　deeply　all　through　that　anxious　summer　of　'64；　though　he　never　thought　Grant　would　leave　the　front　with　his　work　half　done。　In　August　an　officious　editor　told　Lincoln　that　he　ought　to　take　a　good　long　rest。　Lincoln；　however；　was　determined　to　stand　by　his　own　post　of　duty　and　find　out　from　Grant；　through　their　common　friend；　John　Eaton；　what　Grant's　own　views　of　such　ideas　were。　This　is　Eaton's　account　of　how　Grant　took　it：

〃We　had　been　talking　very　quietly。　But　Grant's　reply　came　in　an　instant　and　with　a　violence　for　which　I　was　not　prepared。　He　brought　his　clenched　fists　down　hard　on　the　strap　arms　of　his　camp　chair。　'They　can't　do　it。　They　can't　compel　me　to　do　it。'　Emphatic　gesture　was　not　a　strong　point　with　Grant。　'Have　you　said　this　to　the　President？'　'No；'　said　Grant；　'I　have　not　thought　it　worth　while　to　assure　the　President　of　my　opinion。　I　consider　it　as　important　for　the　cause　that　he　should　be　elected　as　that　the　army　should　be　successful　in　the　field。'〃

When　Eaton　brought　back　his　report　Lincoln　simply　said；　〃I　told　you　they　could　not　get　him　to　run　till　he　had　closed　out　the　rebellion。〃

On　the　twenty…third　of　this　same　gloomy　August；　lightened　only　by　the　taking　of　Mobile；　Lincoln　asked　his　Cabinet　if　they　would　endorse　a　memorandum　without　reading　it。　They　all　immediately　signed。　After　his　reelection　in　November　he　read　it　out：　〃This　morning；　as　for　some　days　past；　it　seems　exceedingly　probable　that　this　Administration　will　not　be　reelected。　Then　it　will　be　my　duty　to　so　cooperate　with　the　President…elect　as　to　save　the　Union　between　the　election　and　the　inauguration；　as　he　will　have　secured　his　election　on　such　ground　that　he　cannot　possibly　save　it　afterwards。〃　He　added　that　he　would　have　asked　McClellan　to　throw　his　whole　influence　into　getting　enough　recruits　to　finish　the　war　before　the　fourth　of　March。　〃And　McClellan；〃　was　Seward's　comment；　〃would　have　said　'Yes；　yes；'　and　then　done　nothing。〃

Lincoln's　reelection　was　helped　by　Farragut's　victory　in　August；　Sherman's　in　September；　and　Sheridan's　raid　through　the　Shenandoah　Valley　in　October。　But　it　was　also　helped　by　that　strange；　vivifying　touch　which　passes；　no　one　knows　how；　from　the　man　who　best　embodies　a　supremely　patriotic　cause　to　the　masses　of　his　fellow　patriots；　and　then；　at　some　great　crisis；　when　they　scale　heights　which　he　has　long　since　trod；　comes　back　in　flood　and　carries　him　to　power。

Lincoln　stories　were　abroad；　the　true　were　eclipsing　the　false；　and　all　the　true　ones　gained　him　increasing　credit。　Naval　reformers；　and　many　others　too；　enjoyed　the　homely　wit　with　which　he　closed　the　first　conference　about　such　a　startlingly　novel　craft　as　the　plans　for　the　Monitor　promised：　〃Well；　Gentlemen；　all　I　have　to　say　is　what　the　girl　said　when　she　put　her　foot　into　the　stocking：　'It　strikes　me　there's　something　in　it。'〃　The　army　enjoyed　the　joke　against　the　three…month　captain　whom　Sherman　threatened　to　shoot　if　he　went　home　without　leave。　The　same　day　Lincoln；　visiting　the　camp；　was　harangued　by　this　prospective　deserter　in　presence　of　many　another　man　disheartened　by　Bull　Run。　〃Mr。　President：　this　morning　I　spoke　to　Colonel　Sherman　and　he　threatened　to　shoot　me；　Sir！〃　Lincoln　looked　the　two　men　over；　and　then；　in　a　stage　whisper　every　listener　could　hear；　said：　〃Well；　if　I　were　you；　and　he　threatened　to　shoot　me；　I　wouldn't　trust　him；　for　I'm　sure　he'd　do　it。〃　Both　Services　were　not　only　pleased　with　the　〃rise〃　Lincoln　took　out　of　a　too　inquisitive　politician　but　were　much　reassured　by　its　model　discretion。　This　importunate　politician　so　badgered　Lincoln　about　the　real　destination　of　McClellan's　transports　that　Lincoln　at　last　promised　to　tell　everything　he　could　if　the　politician　would　promise　not　to　repeat　it。　Then；　after　swearing　the　utmost　secrecy；　the　politician　got　the　news：　〃They　are　going　to　sea。〃

The　whole　home　front　as　well　as　the　Services　were　touched　to　the　heart　by　tales　of　Lincoln's　kindness　in　his　many　interviews　with　the　warbereaved；　and　letters　like　these　spoke　for　themselves　to　every　patriot　in　the　land：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Executive　Mansion；　November　21；　1864。

Mrs。　Bixby；　Boston；　Massachusetts。

Dear　Madam：　I　have　been　shown　in　the　files　of　the　War　Department　a　statement　of　the　Adjutant…General　of　Massachusetts　that　you　are　the　mother　of　five　sons　who　have　died　gloriously　on　the　field　of　battle。　I　feel　how　weak　and　fruitless　must　be　any　words　of　mine　which　should　attempt　to　beguile　you　from　the　grief　of　a　loss　so　overwhelming。　But　I　cannot　refrain　from　tendering　to　you　the　consolation　that　may　be　found　in　the　thanks　of　the　Republic　they　died　to　save。　I　pray　that　our　heavenly　Father　may　assuage　the　anguish　of　your　bereavement；　and　leave　you　only　the　cherished　memory　of　the　loved　and　lost；　and　the　solemn　pride　that　must　be　yours　to　have　laid　so　costly　a　sacrifice　upon　the　altar　of　freedom。

　　　　　　　　　Yours　very　sincerely　and　respectfully；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Abraham　Lincoln。


Nor　did　the　Lincoln　touch　stop　there。　It　even　began　to　make　its　quietly　persuasive　way　among　the　finer　spirits　of　the　South　from　the　very　day　on　which　the　Second　Inaugural　closed　with　words　which　were　the　noblest　consummation　of　the　prophecy　made　in　the　First。　This　was　the　prophecy：　〃The　mystic　chords　of　memory；　stretching　from　every　battlefield　and　patriot　grave　to　every　living　heart　and　hearthstone；　all　over　this　broad　land；　will　yet　swell　the　chorus　of　the　Union；　when　again　touched；　as　surely　they　will　be；　by　the　better　angels　of　our　nature。〃　And　this　the　consummation　〃With　malice　toward　none；　with　charity　for　all；　with　firmness　in　the　right；　as　God　gives　us　to　see　the　right；　let　us　strive　on　to　finish　the　work　we　are　in；　to　bind　up　the　nation's　wounds；　to　care　for　him　who　shall　have　borne　the　battle　and　for　his　widow　and　his　orphanto　do　all　which　may　achieve　and　cherish　a　just　and　lasting　peace　among　ourselves　and　with　all　nations。〃



CHAPTER　VI。　LEE　AND　JACKSON：　1862…3

Most　Southerners　remained　spellbound　by　the　glamour　of　Bull　Run　till　the　hard；　sharp　truths　of　'62　began　to　rouse　them　from　their　flattering　dream。　They　fondly　hoped；　and　even　half　believed；　that　if　another　Northern　army　dared　to　invade　Virginia　it　would　certainly　fail　against　their　entrenchments　at　Bull　Run。　If；　so　ran　the　argument；　the　North　failed　in　the　open　field　it　must　fail　still　worse　against　a　fortified　position。

The　Southern　generals　vainly　urged　their　Government　to　put　forth　its　utmost　strength　at　once；　before　the　more　complex　and　less　united　North　had　time　to　recover　and　begin　anew。　They　asked　for　sixty　thousand　men　at　Bull　Run；　to　be　used　for　a　vigorous　counterstroke　at　Washington。　They　pointed　out　the　absurdity　of　misusing　the　Bull　Run　（or　Manassas）　position　as　a　mere　shield；　fixed　to　one　spot；　instead　of　making　it　the　hilt　of　a　sword　thrust　straight　at　the　heart　of　the　North。　Robert　E。　Lee；　now　a　full　general　in　the　Confederate　Army　and　adviser　to　the　President；　grasped　the　whole　situation　from　the　first　and　urged　the　right　solution　in　the　official　way。　Stonewall　Jackson；　still　a　junior　general；　was　in　full　accord　with　Lee；　as　we　know　from　the　confidential　interview　（at　the　end　of　October；　'61）　between　him　and　his　divisional　commander；　General　G。　W。　Smith；　who　made　it　public　many　years　later。　The　gist　of　Jackson's　argument　was　this：　〃McClellan　won't　come　out　this　year　with　his　army　of　recruits。　We　ought　to　invade　now；　not　wait　to　be　invaded　later　on。　If　Davis　would　concentrate　every　man　who　can　be　spared　from　all　other　points　and　let　us　invade　before　winter　sets　in；　then　McClellan's　recruits　couldn't　stand　against　us　in　the　field。Let　us　cross　the　upper　Potomac；　occupy　Baltimore；　and；　holding　Maryland；　cut　the　communications　of　Washington；　force　the　Federal　Government　out　of　it；　beat　McClellan　if　he　attacks；　destroy　industrial　plants　liable　to　be　turned　to　warlike　ends；　cut　the　big　commercial　lines　of　communication；　close　the　coal　mines；　seize　the　neck　of　land　between　Pittsburg　and　Lake　Erie；　live　on　the　country　by　requisition；　and　show　the　North　what　it　would　cost　to　conquer　the　South。〃　On　asking　Smith　if　he　agreed；　Smith　answered：　〃I　will　tell　you　a　secret；　for　I　am　sure　it　won't　be　divulged。　These　views　were　rejected　by　the　Government　during　the　conference　at　Fairfax　Court　House　at　the　beginning　of　the　month。〃　Jackson　thereupon　shook　Smith's　hand；　saying；　〃I　am　sorry；　very　sorry；〃　and；　mounting　Little　Sorrel　without　another　word；　rode　sadly　away。

Jefferson　Davis　probably；　and　some　of　his　Cabinet　possibly；　understood　what　Lee；　〃Joe〃　Johnston；　Beauregard；　Smith；　and　Jackson　so　strongly　urged。　But　they　feared　the　outcry　that　would　assuredly　be　raised　by　people　in　districts　denuded　of　troops　for　the　grand　concentration　elsewhere。　So　they　remained　passive　when　they　should　have　been　active；　and；　trying　to　strengthen　each　separate　part；　fatally　weakened　the　whole。

Meanwhile　the　North　was　collecting　the　different　elements　of　warlike　force　and　changing　its　Secretary　of　War。　Cameron　was　superseded　by　Stanton　on　the　fifteenth　of　January。　Twelve　days　later　Lincoln　issued　the　first　of　those　military　orders　which；　as　we　have　just　seen；　he　afterwards　told　Grant　that　the　impatience　of　the　loyal　North　compelled　him　to　issue；　though　he　knew　some　were　certainly；　and　all　were　possibly；　wrong。　This　first　order　was　one　of　the　certainly