hero tales from american history-第17部分

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；　to　wait　until　next　day　before　renewing　and　completing　her　work　of　destruction。

All　that　night　there　was　the　wildest　exultation　among　the　Confederates；　while　the　gloom　and　panic　of　the　Union　men　cannot　be　described。　It　was　evident　that　the　United　States　ships…of…war　were　as　helpless　as　cockle…shells　against　their　iron…clad　foe；　and　there　was　no　question　but　that　she　could　destroy　the　whole　fleet　with　ease　and　with　absolute　impunity。　This　meant　not　only　the　breaking　of　the　blockade；　but　the　sweeping　away　at　one　blow　of　the　North's　naval　supremacy；　which　was　indispensable　to　the　success　of　the　war　for　the　Union。　It　is　small　wonder　that　during　that　night　the　wisest　and　bravest　should　have　almost　despaired。

But　in　the　hour　of　the　nation's　greatest　need　a　champion　suddenly　appeared；　in　time　to　play　the　last　scene　in　this　great　drama　of　sea　warfare。　The　North；　too；　had　been　trying　its　hand　at　building　ironclads。　The　most　successful　of　them　was　the　little　Monitor；　a　flat…decked；　low；　turreted。　ironclad；　armed　with　a　couple　of　heavy　guns。　She　was　the　first　experiment　of　her　kind；　and　her　absolutely　flat　surface；　nearly　level　with　the　water；　her　revolving　turret；　and　her　utter　unlikeness　to　any　pre…existing　naval　type；　had　made　her　an　object　of　mirth　among　most　practical　seamen；　but　her　inventor；　Ericsson；　was　not　disheartened　in　the　least　by　the　jeers。　Under　the　command　of　a　gallant　naval　officer；　Captain　Worden；　she　was　sent　South　from　New　York；　and　though　she　almost　foundered　in　a　gale　she　managed　to　weather　it；　and　reached　the　scene　of　the　battle　at　Hampton　Roads　at　the　moment　when　her　presence　was　allimportant。

Early　the　following　morning　the　Merrimac；　now　under　Captain　Jones　（for　Buchanan　had　been　wounded）；　again　steamed　forth　to　take　up　the　work　she　had　so　well　begun　and　to　destroy　the　Union　fleet。　She　steered　straight　for　the　Minnesota；　but　when　she　was　almost　there；　to　her　astonishment　a　strange…looking　little　craft　advanced　from　the　side　of　the　big　wooden　frigate　and　boldly　barred　the　Merrimac's　path。　For　a　moment　the　Confederates　could　hardly　believe　their　eyes。　The　Monitor　was　tiny；　compared　to　their　ship；　for　she　was　not　one　fifth　the　size；　and　her　queer　appearance　made　them　look　at　their　new　foe　with　contempt；　but　the　first　shock　of　battle　did　away　with　this　feeling。　The　Merrimac　turned　on　her　foe　her　rifleguns；　intending　to　blow　her　out　of　the　water；　but　the　shot　glanced　from　the　thick　iron　turret　of　the　Monitor。　Then　the　Monitors　guns　opened　fire；　and　as　the　great　balls　struck　the　sides　of　the　ram　her　plates　started　and　her　timbers　gave。　Had　the　Monitor　been　such　a　vessel　as　those　of　her　type　produced　later　in　the　war；　the　ram　would　have　been　sunk　then　and　there；　but　as　it　was　her　shot　were　not　quite　heavy　enough　to　pierce　the　iron　walls。　Around　and　around　the　two　strange　combatants　hovered；　their　guns　bellowing　without　cessation；　while　the　men　on　the　frigates　and　on　shore　watched　the　result　with　breathless　interest。　Neither　the　Merrimac　nor　the　Monitor　could　dispose　of　its　antagonist。　The　ram's　guns　could　not　damage　the　turret；　and　the　Monitor　was　able　dexterously　to　avoid　the　stroke　of　the　formidable　prow。　On　the　other　hand；　the　shot　of　the　Monitor　could　not　penetrate　the　Merrimac's　tough　sides。　Accordingly；　fierce　though　the　struggle　was；　and　much　though　there　was　that　hinged　on　it；　it　was　not　bloody　in　character。　The　Merrimac　could　neither　destroy　nor　evade　the　Monitor。　She　could　not　sink　her　when　she　tried　to；　and　when　she　abandoned　her　and　turned　to　attack　one　of　the　other　wooden　vessels；　the　little　turreted　ship　was　thrown　across　her　path；　so　that　the　fight　had　to　be　renewed。　Both　sides　grew　thoroughly　exhausted；　and　finally　the　battle　ceased　by　mutual　consent。

Nothing　more　could　be　done。　The　ram　was　badly　damaged；　and　there　was　no　help　for　her　save　to　put　back　to　the　port　whence　she　had　come。　Twice　afterward　she　came　out；　but　neither　time　did　she　come　near　enough　to　the　Monitor　to　attack　her；　and　the　latter　could　not　move　off　where　she　would　cease　to　protect　the　wooden　vessels。　The　ram　was　ultimately　blown　up　by　the　Confederates　on　the　advance　of　the　Union　army。

Tactically；　the　fight　was　a　drawn　battleneither　ship　being　able　to　damage　the　other；　and　both　ships；　being　fought　to　a　standstill；　but　the　moral　and　material　effects　were　wholly　in　favor　of　the　Monitor。　Her　victory　was　hailed　with　exultant　joy　throughout　the　whole　Union；　and　exercised　a　correspondingly　depressing　effect　in　the　Confederacy；　while　every　naval　man　throughout　the　world；　who　possessed　eyes　to　see；　saw　that　the　fight　in　Hampton　Roads　had　inaugurated　a　new　era　in　ocean　warfare；　and　that　the　Monitor　and　Merrimac；　which　had　waged　so　gallant　and　so　terrible　a　battle；　were　the　first　ships　of　the　new　era；　and　that　as　such　their　names　would　be　forever　famous。



THE　FLAG…BEARER

Mine　eyes　have　seen　the　glory　of　the　coming　of　the　Lord；　He　is　trampling　out　the　vintage　where　the　grapes　of　wrath　are　stored；　He　hath　loosed　the　fateful　lightning　of　His　terrible　swift　sword；　　　　His　truth　is　marching　on。

I　have　seen　Him　in　the　watch…fires　of　a　hundred　circling　camps；　They　have　builded　Him　an　altar　in　the　evening　dews　and　damps；　I　can　read　his　righteous　sentence　by　the　dim　and　flaring　lamps；　　　　His　day　is　marching　on。

He　has　sounded　forth　the　trumpet　that　shall　never　beat　retreat；　He　is　sifting　out　the　hearts　of　men　before　his　judgment　seat；　Oh！　be　swift；　my　soul；　to　answer　him！　be　jubilant；　my　feet！　　　　Our　God　is　marching　on。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Julia　Ward　Howe。


THE　FLAG…BEARER

In　no　war　since　the　close　of　the　great　Napoleonic　struggles　has　the　fighting　been　so　obstinate　and　bloody　as　in　the　Civil　War。　Much　has　been　said　in　song　and　story　of　the　resolute　courage　of　the　Guards　at　Inkerman；　of　the　charge　of　the　Light　Brigade；　and　of　the　terrible　fighting　and　loss　of　the　German　armies　at　Mars　La　Tour　and　Gravelotte。　The　praise　bestowed；　upon　the　British　and　Germans　for　their　valor；　and　for　the　loss　that　proved　their　valor；　was　well　deserved；　but　there　were　over　one　hundred　and　twenty　regiments；　Union　and　Confederate；　each　of　which；　in　some　one　battle　of　the　Civil　War；　suffered　a　greater　loss　than　any　English　regiment　at　Inkerman　or　at　any　other　battle　in　the　Crimea；　a　greater　loss　than　was　suffered　by　any　German　regiment　at　Gravelotte　or　at　any　other　battle　of　the　Franco…Prussian　war。　No　European　regiment　in　any　recent　struggle　has　suffered　such　losses　as　at　Gettysburg　befell　the　1st　Minnesota；　when　82　per　cent。　of　the　officers　and　men　were　killed　and　wounded；　or　the　141st　Pennsylvania；　which　lost　76　per　cent。；　or　the　26th　North　Carolina；　which　lost　72　per　cent。；　such　as　at　the　second　battle　of　Manassas　befell　the　101st　New　York；　which　lost　74　per　cent。；　and　the　21st　Georgia；　which　lost　76　per　cent。　At　Cold　Harbor　the　25th　Massachusetts　lost　70　per　cent。；　and　the　10th　Tennessee　at　Chickamauga　68　per　cent。；　while　at　Shiloh　the　9th　Illinois　lost　63　per　cent。；　and　the　6th　Mississippi　70　per　cent。；　and　at　Antietam　the　1st　Texas　lost　82　percent。　The　loss　of　the　Light　Brigade　in　killed　and　wounded　in　its　famous　charge　at　Balaklava　was　but　37　per　cent。

These　figures　show　the　terrible　punishment　endured　by　these　regiments；　chosen　at　random　from　the　head　of　the　list　which　shows　the　slaughter…roll　of　the　Civil　War。　Yet　the　shattered　remnants　of　each　regiment　preserved　their　organization；　and　many　of　the　severest　losses　were　incurred　in　the　hour　of　triumph；　and　not　of　disaster。　Thus；　the　1st　Minnesota；　at　Gettysburg；　suffered　its　appalling　loss　while　charging　a　greatly　superior　force；　which　it　drove　before　it；　and　the　little　huddle　of　wounded　and　unwounded　men　who　survived　their　victorious　charge　actually　kept　both　the　flag　they　had　captured　and　the　ground　from　which　they　had　driven　their　foes。

A　number　of　the　Continental　regiments　under　Washington；　Greene；　and　Wayne　did　valiant　fighting　and　endured　heavy　punishment。　Several　of　the　regiments　raised　on　the　northern　frontier　in　1814　showed；　under　Brown　and　Scott；　that　they　were　able　to　meet　the　best　troops　of　Britain　on　equal　terms　in　the　open；　and　even　to　overmatch　them　in　fair　fight　with　the　bayonet。　The　regiments　which；　in　the　Mexican　war；　under　the　lead　of　Taylor；　captured　Monterey；　and　beat　back　Santa　Anna　at　Buena　Vista；　or　which；　with　Scott　as　commander；　stormed　Molino　Del　Rey　and　Chapultepec；　proved　their　ability　to　bear　terrible　loss；　to　wrest　victory　from　overwhelming　numbers；　and　to　carry　by　open　assault　positions　of　formidable　strength　held　by　a　veteran　army。　But　in　none　of　these　three　wars　was　the　fighting　so　resolute　and　bloody　as　in　the　Civil　War。

Countless　deeds　of　heroism　were　performed　by　Northerner　and　by　Southerner；　by　officer　and　by　private；　in　every　year　of　the　great　struggle。　The　immense　majority　of　these　deeds　went　unrecorded；　and　were　known　to　few　beyond　the　immediate　participants。　Of　those　that　were　noticed　it　would　be　impossible　even　to　make　a　dry　catalogue　in　ten　such　volumes　as　this。　All　that　can　be　done　is　to　choose　out　two　or　three　acts　of　heroism；　not　as　exceptions；　but　as　examples　of　hundreds　of　others。　The　times　of　war　are　iron　times；　and　bring　out　all　that　is　best　as　well　as　all　that　is　basest　in　the　human　heart。　In　a　full　recital　of　the　civil　war；　as　of　every　other　great　conflict；　there　would　stand　out　in　naked　relief　feats　of　wonderful　daring　and　self…devotion；　and；　mixed　among　them；　deeds　of　cowardice；　of　treachery；　of　barbarous　brutality。　Sadder　still；　such　a　recital　would　show　strange　contrasts　in　the　careers　of　individual　men；　men　who　at　one　time　acted　well　and　nobly；　and　at　another　time　ill　and　basely。　The　ugly　truths　must　not　be　blinked；　and　the　lessons　they　teach　should　be　set　forth　by　every　historian；　and　learned　by　every　statesman　and　soldier；　but；　for　our　good　fortune；　the　lessons　best　worth　learning　in　the　nation's　past　are　lessons　of　heroism。

From　immemorial　time　the　armies　of　every　warlike　people　have　set　the　highest　value　upon　the　standards　they　bore　to　battle。　To　guard　one's　own　flag　against　capture　is　the　pride；　to　capture　the　flag　of　one's　enemy　the　ambition；　of　every　valiant　soldier。　In　consequence；　in　every　war　between　peoples　of　good　military　record；　feats　of　daring　performed　by　color…bearers　are　honorably　common。　The　Civil　War　was　full　of