登陆注册
14723800000050

第50章 LEE AND JACKSON: 1862-3(7)

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 Iwas 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 Washington--no 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 bridge--TO RICHMOND 4 1/2 MILES--and 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 Confederates--though checked and roughly handled--converged under Lee's own eye; and an inferno of shot and shell loosened and shook the steadfast Federal defense. Lee and Jackson, though far apart, gave the word for the final charge at almost the same moment. As Jackson's army suddenly burst into view and swept forward to the assault the joyful news was shouted down the ranks: "The Valley men are here!" Thereupon Lee's men took up the double-quick with "Stonewall Jackson! Jackson!

Jackson!" as their battle cry. The Federals fought right valiantly till their key-point suddenly gave way, smashed in by weight of numbers; for Lee had brought into action half as many again as Porter had, even with his reinforcements. On the gallantly defended hill the long blue lines rocked, reeled, and broke to right and left all but the steadfast regulars, whose infantry fell back in perfect order, whose cavalry made a desperate though futile attempt to stay the rout by charging one against twenty, and whose four magnificent batteries, splendidly served to the very last round, retired unbroken with the loss of only two guns. Then the Confederate colors waved in triumph on the hard-won crest against the crimson of the setting sun.

同类推荐
  • 七女观经

    七女观经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 异苑

    异苑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Moon of Israel

    Moon of Israel

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Roughing It

    Roughing It

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Mohammed Ali and His House

    Mohammed Ali and His House

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 一时元素

    一时元素

    混沌中,一个神秘大神拿在一把神器,劈开混沌成了一个元素世界,而种种元因出现了,金木水火土,风花(毒)雪(冰)月(…)光明,黑暗。这世界每个人名字都古怪,就只有一个名字。每个人生下来都只具备一个元素,但也有些是两个绝对不多,而一个少年被压力所困,而他却可以修炼每个元素,是因什么而会?又到最后元素和一起变成什么……神秘的BOSS,神秘的青年,又有神秘的诡计~!怎么样才能结束一切。
  • 独断

    独断

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 晶之恋

    晶之恋

    命运会眷顾他们吗,让他们的愿望如愿以偿吗?一切都是一个谜,前面的路也许布满了荆棘,但他们依然坚守!三个女孩三与三个美男,总在不禁意间相遇,难道这就是缘分?相遇不知是福还是祸,但他们一直坚持从不放弃。
  • 不败狂神

    不败狂神

    这是一个废弃的开头,请大家看肥勒新书——九界神帝
  • 世间冷莫社会无情笑着流泪

    世间冷莫社会无情笑着流泪

    我很“内向,也很孤僻”导致现实自我保护机制我谁也不愿意诉说,就好像有个故事却只能与自己分享久而久之“抑郁症、孤寂、冷淡、孤单”,纷纷找上了门仿佛注定无法与普通人一样度过每日,看着过往人群只有伤心与回忆,“心中唯有落寞”。此书是本人内心中压抑了许久“有太多想说的;‘想倾诉的,想发泄的’”。静静感受一颗沉沦的内心。
  • 踏灵寻仙

    踏灵寻仙

    万年之前,倘若我们的祖先们选择的文明进化之路不是物理而是灵理,使用的力量不是物理力量而是灵力,那么,这个世界会变成什么样子?
  • 张积中传

    张积中传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 妖孽出没绝世狂凤战天下

    妖孽出没绝世狂凤战天下

    重活一世,我决定我的命不由天,妖孽出没,狂凤傲天,随心所欲。佛阻杀佛,天阻逆天。当妖孽遇到知道更加妖孽的人时,又会上演怎样的一世光景
  • 轰战天下

    轰战天下

    一手擒天,亦能一手遮天,一脚立地,亦能一脚破地,修罗本为神,因情生罪业,降为地狱佛罗。二十一世纪的青年诸葛希文穿越到异界,被寄托寻回轮回大道重新为神。君往归来不立天,而后寻归战上天,杀上九重上天轮,不破轮回终为神!
  • 红楼之公主画风不对

    红楼之公主画风不对

    女尊国将军王一朝穿越成宛若病西子一般娇弱公主,却把“力拔山河气盖世”的天赋也带来了。可叹她的长兄,当今圣上,却是个爱妹成痴脑补帝……所以画风不对什么的,真不是作者的错,对吧?红楼众人:嘴唇抖索,一脸恍惚……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】