with lee in virginia-第59部分

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Longstreet　to　pursue；　and　so　to　convert　the　Federal　retreat　into　a

rout；　and　the　consequence　was　that　this　victory　was　more　than

balanced　by　a　heavy　defeat　inflicted　upon　them　in　November　at

Chattanooga　by　Sherman　and　Grant。　　At　this　battle　General

Longstreet's　division　was　not　present。



The　army　of　Virginia　had　a　long　rest　after　their　return　from

Gettysburg；　and　it　was　not　until　November　that　the　campaign　was

renewed。　　Meade　advanced；　a　few　minor　skirmishes　took　place；

and　then；　when　he　reached　the　Wilderness；　the　scene　of　Hooker's

defeat；　where　Lee　was　prepared　to　give　battle；　he　fell　back　again

across　the　Rappahannock。



The　year　had　been　an　unfortunate　one　for　the　Confederates。　　They

had　lost　Vicksburg；'　and　the　defeat　at　Chattanooga　had　led　to　the

whole　State　of　Tennessee　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　Federals；

while　against　these　losses　there　was　no　counterbalancing　success

to　be　reckoned。



In　the　spring　of　1864　both　parties　prepared　to　the　utmost　for　the

struggle。　　General　Grant；　an　officer　who　had　shown　in　the

campaign　in　the　West　that　he　possessed　considerable　military

ability；　united　with　immense　firmness　and　determination　of

purpose；　was　chosen　as　the　new　commander…in…chief　of　the　whole

military　force　of　the　North。　　It　was　a　mighty　army；　vast　in　numbers；

lavishly　provided　with　all　materials　of　war。　　The　official

documents　show　that　on　the　1st　of　May　the　total　military　forces　of

the　North　amounted　to　662；000　men。　　Of　these　the　force　available

for　the　advance　against　Richmond　numbered　284；630　men。　This

included　the　army　of　the　Potomac；　that　of　the　James　River；　and　the

army　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley…the　whole　of　whom　were　in

readiness　to　move　forward　against　Richmond　at　the　orders　of

Grant。



To　oppose　these　General　Lee　had　less　than　53；000　men；　including

the　garrison　of　Richmond　and　the　troops　in　North　Carolina。　　Those

stationed　in　the　seaport　towns　numbered　in　all　another　20；000；　so

that　if　every　available　soldier　had　been　brought　up　Lee　could　have

opposed　a　total　of　but　83；000　men　against　the　284；000　invaders。



In　the　West　the　numbers　were　more　equally　balanced。　General

Sherman；　who　commanded　the　army　of　invasion　there；　had　under

his　orders　230；000　men；　but　as　more　than　half　this　force　was

required　to　protect　the　long　lines　of　communication　and　to　keep

down　the　conquered　States；　he　was　able　to　bring　into　the　field　for

offensive　operations　99；000　men；　who　were　faced　by　the

Confederate　army　under　Johnston　of　58；000　men。　　Grant's　scheme

was；　that　while　the　armies　of　the　North　were；　under　his　own

command；　to　march　against　Richmond；　the　army　of　the　West　was

to　invade　Georgia　and　march　upon　Atlanta。



His　plan　of　action　was　simple；　and　was　afterward　stated　by　himself

to　be　as　follows：　〃I　determined　first　to　use　the　greatest　number　of

troops　practicable　against　the　main　force　of　the　enemy；　preventing

him　from　using　the　same　force　at　different　seasons　against　first　one

and　then　another　of　our　armies；　and　the　possibility　of　repose　for

refitting　and　producing　necessary　supplies　for　carrying　on

resistance。　Second；　to　hammer　continuously　against　the　armed

force　of　the　enemy　and　his　resources　until；　by　mere　attrition　if　in

no　other　way；　there　should　be　nothing　left　to　him　but　submission。〃



This　was　a　terrible　programme；　and　involved　an　expenditure　of　life

far　beyond　anything　that　had　taken　place。　Grant's　plan；　in　fact；　was

to　fight　and　to　keep　on　fighting；　regardless　of　his　own　losses；　until

at　last　the　Confederate　army；　whose　losses　could　not　be　replaced；

melted　away。　　It　was　a　strategy　that　few　generals　have　dared　to

practice；　fewer　still　to　acknowledge。



On　the　4th　of　May　the　great　army　of　the　Potomac　crossed　the

Rapidan　and　advanced　toward　Chancellorsville。　Lee　moved　two

divisions　of　his　army　to　oppose　them。　Next　morning　the　battle

began　at　daybreak　on　the　old　ground　where　Lee　had　defeated

Hooker　the　year　before。　All　day　long　tho　division　of　Ewell

supported　the　attack　of　the　army　corps　of　Sedgwick　and　Hancock。

Along　a　front　of　six　miles；　in　the　midst　of　the　thick　forest；　the

battle　raged　the　whole　of　the　day。　　The　Confederates；　in　spite　of

the　utmost　efforts　of　the　Northerners；　although　reinforced　in　the

afternoon　by　the　army　corps　of　General　Burnside；　held　their

position；　and　when　night　put　an　end　to　the　conflict　the　invaders

had　not　gained　a　foot　of　ground。



As　soon　as　the　first　gleam　of　light　appeared　in　the　morning　the

battle　recommenced。　　The　Federal　generals；　Sedgwick；　Warren；

and　Hancock；　with　Burnside　in　reserve；　fell　upon　Hill　and　Ewell。　

Both　sides　had　thrown　up　earthworks　and　felled　trees　as　a

protection　during　the　night。　　At　first　the　Confederates　gained　the

advantage；　but　a　portion　of　Burnside's　corps　was　brought　up　and

restored　the　battle；　while　on　the　left　flank　of　the　Federals　Hancock

had　attacked　with　such　vigor　that　the　Confederates　opposed　to　him

were　driven　back。



At　the　crisis　of　the　battle；　Longstreet；　who　had　marched　all　night；

appeared　upon　the　ground；　drove　back　Hancock's　men；　and　was　on

the　point　of　aiding　the　Confederates　in　a　decisive　attack　upon　the

enemy；　when；　riding　rapidly　forward　into　the　wood　to　reconnoiter；

he　was；　like　Jackson；　struck　down　by　the　fire　of　his　own　men。　　He

was　carried　to　the　rear　desperately；　and　it　was　feared　for　a　time

morally　wounded；　and　his　loss　paralyzed　the　movement　which　lie

had　prepared。　　Nevertheless　during　the　whole　day　the　fight　went　on

with　varying　success；　sometimes　one　side　obtaining　a　slight

advantage；　the　other　then　regaining　the　ground　they　had　lost。



Just　as　evening　was　closing　in　a　Georgia　brigade；　with　two　other

regiments；　made　a　detour；　and　fell　furiously　upon　two　brigades　of

the　enemy；　and　drove　them　back　in　headlong　rout　for　a　mile　and　a

half；　capturing　their　two　generals　and　many　prisoners。　　The

artillery；　as　on　the　previous　day；　had　been　little　used　on　either　side；

the　work　being　done　at　short　range　with　the　rifle；　the　loss　being

much　heavier　among　the　thick　masses　of　the　Northerners　than　in

the　thinner　lines　of　the　Confederates。　　Grant　had　failed　in　his

efforts　to　turn　Lee's　right　and　to　accomplish　his　direct　advance；　he

therefore　changed　his　base　and　moved　his　army　round　toward

Spotsylvania。



Lee　soon　perceived　his　object；　and　succeeded　in　carrying　his　army

to　Spotsylvania　before　the　Federals　reached　it。



On　the　afternoon　of　Monday；　the　9th；　there　was　heavy　fighting　and

on　the　10th　another　pitched　battle　took　place。　This　time　the　ground

was　more　open；　and　the　artillery　was　employed　with　terrible　effect

on　both　sides。　　It　ended；　however；　as　the　previous　battles　had　done；

by　the　Confederates　holding　their　ground。



Upon　the　next　day　there　was　but　little　fighting。　　In　the　night　the

Federals　moved　quietly　though　the　wood；　and　at　daybreak　four

divisions　fell　upon　Johnston's　division　of　Ewell's　corps；　took　them

completely　by　surprise；　and　captured　the　greater　part　of　them。



But　Lee's　veterans　soon　recovered　from　their　surprise　and

maintained　their　position　until　noon。　　Then　the　whole　Federal　army

advanced；　and　the　battle　raged　till　nightfall　terminated　the

struggle；　leaving　Lee　in　possession　of　the　whole　line　lie　had　held；

with　the　exception　of　the　ground　lost　in　the　morning。



For　the　next　six　days　the　armies　faced　each　other；　worn　out　by

incessant　fighting；　and　prevented　from　moving　by　the　heavy　rain

which　fell　incessantly。　　They　were　now　able　to　reckon　up　the

losses。　　The　Federals　found　that　they　had　lost；　in　killed；　wounded；

or　missing；　nearly　30；000　men；　while　Lee's　army　was　diminished

by　about　12；000。



While　these　mighty　battles　had　been　raging　the　Federal　cavalry

under　Sheridan　had　advanced　rapidly　forward；　and；　after　several

skirmishes　with　Stuart's　cavalry；　penetrated　within　the　outer

intrenchments　round　Richmond。　　Here　Stuart　with　two　regiments

of　cavalry　charged　them　and　drove　them　back；　but　the　gallant

Confederate　officer　received　a　wound　that　before　night　proved

fatal。　　His　loss　was　a　terrible　blow　to　the　Confederacy；　although　his

successor　in　the　command　of　the　cavalry；　General　Wade　Hampton；

was　also　an　officer　of　the　highest　merit。



In　the　meantime　General　Butler；　who　had　at　Fort　Monroe　under　his

command　two　corps　of　infantry；　4；000　cavalry；　and　a　fleet　of

gunboats　and　transports；　was　threat　cuing　Richmond　from　the　east。　

Shipping　his　men　on　board　the　transports　he　steamed　up　the　James

River；　under　convoy　of　the　fleet；　and　landed　on　a　neck　of　land

known　as　Bermuda　Hundred。　　To　oppose　him　all　the　troops　from

North　Carolina　had　been　brought　up；　the　whole　force　amounting　to

19；000　men；　under　the　command　of　General　Beauregard。　　Butler；

after　various　futile　movements；　was　driven　back　again　to　his

intrenched　camp　at　Bermuda　Hundred；　where　he　was　virtually

besieged　by　Beauregard　with　10；000　men；　the　rest　of　that　general's

force　being　sent　up　to　reinforce　Lee。



In　western　Virginia；　Breckenridge；　with　3；500　men；　was　called

upon　to　hold　in　check　Sigel；　with　15；000　men。　Advancing　to

Staunton；　Breckenridge　was　joined　by　the　pupils　of　the　military

college　at　Lexington；　250　in　number；　lads　of　from　14　to　17　years　of

age。　　He　came　upon　Sigel　on　the　line　of　march；　and　attacked　him　at

once。　　The　Federal　general　placed　a　battery　in　a　wood　and　opened

fire　with　grape。　　The　commander　of　the　Lexington　boys　ordered

them　to　charge；　and；　gallantly　rushing　in　through　the　heavy　fire；

they　charged　in　among　the　guns；　killed　the　artillerymen；　drove

back　the　infantry　supports；　and　bayoneted　their　colonel。　　The

Federals　now　retired　down　the　valley　to　Strasburg；　and

Breckenridge　was　able　to　send　a　portion　of　his　force　to　aid　Lee　in

his　great　struggle。



After　his　six　days'　pause　in　front　of　Lee's　position　at　Spotsylvania；

Grant　abandoned　his　plan　of　forcing　his　way　through　Lee's　army　to

Richmond；　and　endeavored　to　outflank　it；　but　Lee　again　divined

his　object