andersonville-第71部分

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！


to　retain　my　respect　for　him。　　We　dubbed　these　daffodil　cavaliers
〃Butterflies；〃　and　the　name　stuck　to　them　like　a　poor　relation。

Still　another　distinction　that　was　always　noticeable　between　the　two
armies　was　in　the　bodily　bearing　of　the　men。　　The　Army　of　the　Potomac　was
drilled　more　rigidly　than　the　Western　men；　and　had　comparatively　few　long
marches。　　Its　members　had　something　of　the　stiffness　and　precision　of
English　and　German　soldiery；　while　the　Western　boys　had　the　long；
〃reachy〃　stride；　and　easy　swing　that　made　forty　miles　a　day　a　rather
commonplace　march　for　an　infantry　regiment。

This　was　why　we　knew　the　new　prisoners　to　be　Sherman's　boys　as　soon　as
they　came　inside；　and　we　started　for　them　to　hear　the　news。　　Inviting
them　over　to　our　lean…to；　we　told　them　our　anxiety　for　the　story　of　the
decisive　blow　that　gave　us　the　Central　Gate　of　the　Confederacy；　and　asked
them　to　give　it　to　us。




CHAPTER；　LVI。

WHAT　CAUSED　THE　FALL　OF　ATLANTAA　DISSERTATION　UPON　AN　IMPORTANT
PSYCHOLOGICAL　PROBLEMTHE　BATTLE　OF　JONESBOROWHY　IT　WAS　FOUGHT
HOW　SHERMAN　DECEIVED　HOODA　DESPERATE　BAYONET　CHARGE；　AND　THE　ONLY
SUCCESSFUL　ONE　IN　THE　ATLANTA　CAMPAIGNA　GALLANT　COLONEL　AND　HOW　HE
DIEDTHE　HEROISM　OF　SOME　ENLISTED　MENGOING　CALMLY　INTO　CERTAIN　DEATH。

An　intelligent；　quick…eyed；　sunburned　boy；　without　an　ounce　of　surplus
flesh　on　face　or　limbs；　which　had　been　reduced　to　gray…hound　condition　by
the　labors　and　anxieties　of　the　months　of　battling　between　Chattanooga
and　Atlanta；　seemed　to　be　the　accepted　talker　of　the　crowd；　since　all　the
rest　looked　at　him；　as　if　expecting　him　to　answer　for　them。　　He　did　so：

〃You　want　to　know　about　how　we　got　Atlanta　at　last；　do　you？　　Well；　if　you
don't　know；　I　should　think　you　would　want　to。　　If　I　didn't；　I'd　want
somebody　to　tell　me　all　about　it　just　as　soon　as　he　could　get　to　me；　for
it　was　one　of　the　neatest　little　bits　of　work　that　'old　Billy'　and　his
boys　ever　did；　and　it　got　away　with　Hood　so　bad　that　he　hardly　knew　what
hurt　him。

〃Well；　first；　I'll　tell　you　that　we　belong　to　the　old　Fourteenth　Ohio
Volunteers；　which；　if　you　know　anything　about　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；
you'll　remember　has　just　about　as　good　a　record　as　any　that　trains　around
old　Pap　Thomasand　he　don't　'low　no　slouches　of　any　kind　near　him；
eitheryou　can　bet　500　to　a　cent　on　that；　and　offer　to　give　back　the
cent　if　you　win。　　Ours　is　Jim　Steedman's　old　regimentyou've　all　heard
of　old　Chickamauga　Jim；　who　slashed　his　division　of　7；000　fresh　men　into
the　Rebel　flank　on　the　second　day　at　Chickamauga；　in　a　way　that　made
Longstreet　wish　he'd　staid　on　the　Rappahannock；　and　never　tried　to　get　up
any　little　sociable　with　the　Westerners。　　If　I　do　say　it　myself；　I
believe　we've　got　as　good　a　crowd　of　square；　stand…up；　trust'em…every…
minute…in…your…life　boys；　as　ever　thawed　hard…tack　and　sowbelly。　　We　got
all　the　grunters　and　weak　sisters　fanned　out　the　first　year；　and　since
then　we've　been　on　a　business　basis；　all　the　time。　　We're　in　a　mighty
good　brigade；　too。　　Most　of　the　regiments　have　been　with　us　since　we
formed　the　first　brigade　Pap　Thomas　ever　commanded；　and　waded　with　him
through　the　mud　of　Kentucky；　from　Wild　Cat　to　Mill　Springs；　where　he　gave
Zollicoffer　just　a　little　the　awfulest　thrashing　that　a　Rebel　General
ever　got。　　That；　you　know；　was　in　January；　1862；　and　was　the　first
victory　gained　by　the　Western　Army；　and　our　people　felt　so　rejoiced　over
it　that〃

〃Yes；　yes；　we've　read　all　about　that；〃　we　broke　in；　〃and　we'd　like　to
hear　it　again；　some　other　time；　but　tell　us　now　about　Atlanta。〃

〃All　right。　　Let's　see：　where　was　I？　　O；　yes；　talking　about　our　brigade。
It　is　the　Third　Brigade；　of　the　Third　Division；　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；
and　is　made　up　of　the　Fourteenth　Ohio；　Thirty…eighth　Ohio；　Tenth
Kentucky；　and　Seventy…fourth　Indiana。　　Our　old　ColonelGeorge　P。　Este
commands　it。　　We　never　liked　him　very　well　in　camp；　but　I　tell　you　he's　a
whole　team　in　a　fight；　and　he'd　do　so　well　there　that　all　would　take　to
him　again；　and　he'd　be　real　popular　for　a　while。〃

〃Now；　isn't　that　strange；〃　broke　in　Andrews；　who　was　given　to　fits　of
speculation　of　psychological　phenomena：　〃None　of　us　yearn　to　die；　but　the
surest　way　to　gain　the　affection　of　the　boys　is　to　show　zeal　in　leading
them　into　scrapes　where　the　chances　of　getting　shot　are　the　best。
Courage　in　action；　like　charity；　covers　a　multitude　of　sins。　　I　have
known　it　to　make　the　most　unpopular　man　in　the　battalion；　the　most
popular　inside　of　half　an　hour。　　Now；　M。（addressing　himself　to　me；）　you
remember　Lieutenant　H。；　of　our　battalion。　　You　know　he　was　a　very　fancy
young　fellow；　wore　as　snipish'　clothes　as　the　tailor　could　make；　had　gold
lace　on　his　jacket　wherever　the　regulations　would　allow　it；　decorated　his
shoulders　with　the　stunningest　pair　of　shoulder　knots　I　ever　saw；　and　so
on。　　Well；　he　did　not　stay　with　us　long　after　we　went　to　the　front。　　He
went　back　on　a　detail　for　a　court　martial；　and　staid　a　good　while。　　When
he　rejoined　us；　he　was　not　in　good　odor；　at　all；　and　the　boys　weren't　at
all　careful　in　saying　unpleasant　things　when　he　could　hear　them；　A　little
while　after　he　came　back　we　made　that　reconnaissance　up　on　the　Virginia
Road。　　We　stirred　up　the　Johnnies　with　our　skirmish　line；　and　while　the
firing　was　going　on　in　front　we　sat　on　our　horses　in　line；　waiting　for
the　order　to　move　forward　and　engage。　　You　know　how　solemn　such　moments
are。　　I　looked　down　the　line　and　saw　Lieutenant　H。
at　the　right　of　Company；　in　command　of　it。　　I　had　not　seen　him　since　he
came　back；　and　I　sung　out：

〃'Hello；　Lieutenant；　how　do　you　feel？'

〃The　reply　came　back；　promptly；　and　with　boyish　cheerfulness：

〃'Bully；　by　；　I'm　going　to　lead　seventy　men　of　Company　into　action
today！'

〃How　his　boys　did　cheer　him。　　When　the　bugle　sounded　…forward；　trot；'　his
company　sailed　in　as　if　they　meant　it；　and　swept　the　Johnnies　off　in
short　meter。　　You　never　heard　anybody　say　anything　against　Lieutenant
after　that。〃

〃You　know　how　it　was　with　Captain　G。；　of　our　regiment；〃　said　one　of　the
Fourteenth　to　another。　　〃He　was　promoted　from　Orderly　Sergeant　to　a
Second　Lieutenant；　and　assigned　to　Company　D。　　All　the　members　of　Company
D　went　to　headquarters　in　a　body；　and　protested　against　his　being　put　in
their　company；　and　he　was　not。　　Well；　he　behaved　so　well　at　Chickamauga
that　the　boys　saw　that　they　had　done　him　a　great　injustice；　and　all　those
that　still　lived　went　again　to　headquarters；　and　asked　to　take　all　back
that　they　had　said；　and　to　have　him　put　into　the　company。〃

〃Well；　that　was　doing　the　manly　thing；　sure；　but　go　on　about　Atlanta。〃

〃I　was　telling　about　our　brigade；〃　resumed　the　narrator。　　〃Of　course；　we
think　our　regiment's　the　best　by　long　odds　in　the　armyevery　fellow
thinks　that　of　his　regimentbut　next　to　it　come　the　other　regiments　of
our　brigade。　　There's　not　a　cent　of　discount　on　any　of　them。

〃Sherman　had　stretched　out　his　right　away　to　the　south　and　west　of
Atlanta。　　About　the　middle　of　August　our　corps；　commanded　by　Jefferson　C。
Davis；　was　lying　in　works　at　Utoy　Creek；　a　couple　of　miles　from　Atlanta。
We　could　see　the　tall　steeples　and　the　high　buildings　of　the　City　quite
plainly。　　Things　had　gone　on　dull　and　quiet　like　for　about　ten　days。
This　was　longer　by　a　good　deal　than　we　had　been　at　rest　since　we　left
Resaca　in　the　Spring。　　We　knew　that　something　was　brewing；　and　that　it
must　come　to　a　head　soon。

〃I　belong　to　Company　C。　　Our　little　messnow　reduced　to　three　by　the
loss　of　two　of　our　best　soldiers　and　cooks；　Disbrow　and　Sulier；　killed
behind　head…logs　in　front　of　Atlanta；　by　sharpshootershad　one　fellow
that　we　called　'Observer；'　because　he　had　such　a　faculty　of　picking　up
news　in　his　prowling　around　headquarters。　　He　brought　us　in　so　much　of
this；　and　it　was　generally　so　reliable　that　we　frequently　made　up　his
absence　from　duty　by　taking　his　place。　　He　was　never　away　from　a　fight；
though。　　On　the　night　of　the　25th　of　August；　'Observer'　came　in　with　the
news　that　something　was　in　the　wind。　　Sherman　was　getting　awful　restless；
and　we　had　found　out　that　this　always　meant　lots　of　trouble　to　our
friends　on　the　other　side。

〃Sure　enough；　orders　came　to　get　ready　to　move；　and　the　next　night　we　all
moved　to　the　right　and　rear；　out　of　sight　of　the　Johnnies。　　Our　well
built　works　were　left　in　charge　of　Garrard's　Cavalry；　who　concealed　their
horses　in　the　rear；　and　came　up　and　took　our　places。　　The　whole　army
except　the　Twentieth　Corps　moved　quietly　off；　and　did　it　so　nicely　that
we　were　gone　some　time　before　the　enemy　suspected　it。　　Then　the　Twentieth
Corps　pulled　out　towards　the　North；　and　fell　back　to　the　Chattahoochie；
making　quite　a　shove　of　retreat。　　The　Rebels　snapped　up　the　bait
greedily。　　They　thought　the　siege　was　being　raised；　and　they　poured　over
their　works　to　hurry　the　Twentieth　boys　off。　　The　Twentieth　fellows　let
them　know　that　there　was　lots　of　sting　in　them　yet；　and　the　Johnnies　were
not　long　in　discovering　that　it　would　have　been　money　in　their　pockets　if
they　had　let　that　'moon…and…star'　（that's　the　Twentieth's　badge；　you
know）　crowd　alone。

〃But　the　Rebs　thought　the　rest　of　us　were　gone　for　good　and　that　Atlanta
was　saved。　　Naturally　they　felt　mighty　happy　over　it；　and　resolved　to
have　a　big　celebrationa　ball；　a　meeting　of　jubilee；　etc。　　Extra　trains
were　run　in；　with　girls　and　women　from　the　surrounding　country；　and　they
just　had　a　high　old　time。

〃In　the　meantime　we　were　going　through　so　many　different　kinds　of　tactics
that　it　looked　as　if　Sherman　was　really　crazy　this　time；　sure。　　Finally
we　made　a　grand　left　wheel；　and　then　went　forward　a　long　way　in　line　of
battle。　　It　puzzled　us　a　good　deal；　but　we　knew　that　Sherman　couldn't　get
us　into　any　scrape　that　Pap　Thomas　couldn't　get　us　out　of；　and　so　it　was
all　right。

〃Along　on　the　evening　of　the　31st　our　right　wing　seemed　to　have　run
against　a　hornet's　nest；　and　we　could　hear　the　musketry　and　cannon　speak
out　real　spiteful；　but　nothing　came　down　our　way。　　We　had　struck　the
railroad　leading　south　from　Atlanta　to　Macon；　and　began　tearing　it　up。
The　jollity　at　Atlanta　was　stopped　right　in　the　middle　by　the　appalling
news　that　the　Yankees　hadn't　retreated　worth　a　cent；　b