hero tales from american history-第22部分

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Right　in　the　van；　On　the　red　ramparts　slippery　swell；　With　heart　that　beat　a　charge；　he　fell；　Foeward；　as　fits　a　man；　But　the　high　soul　burns　on　to　light　men's　feet　Where　death　for　noble　ends　makes　dying　sweet；　His　life　her　crescent's　span　Orbs　full　with　share　in　their　undarkening　days　Who　ever　climbed　the　battailous　steeps　of　praise　Since　valor's　praise　began。

We　bide　our　chance；　Unhappy；　and　make　terms　with　Fate　A　little　more　to　let　us　wait；　He　leads　for　aye　the　advance；　Hope's　forlorn…hopes　that　plant　the　desperate　good　For　nobler　Earths　and　days　of　manlier　mood；　Our　wall　of　circumstance　Cleared　at　a　bound；　he　flashes　o'er　the　fight；　A　saintly　shape　of　fame；　to　cheer　the　right　And　steel　each　wavering　glance。

I　write　of　one；　While　with　dim　eyes　I　think　of　three；　Who　weeps　not　others　fair　and　brave　as　he？　Ah；　when　the　fight　is　won；　Dear　Land；　whom　triflers　now　make　bold　to　scorn　（Thee　from　whose　forehead　Earth　awaits　her　morn）；　How　nobler　shall　the　sun　Flame　in　thy　sky；　how　braver　breathe　thy　air；　That　thou　bred'st　children　who　for　thee　could　dare　And　die　as　thine　have　done。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lowell。


ROBERT　GOULD　SHAW

Robert　Gould　Shaw　was　born　in　Boston　on　October　10；　1837；　the　son　of　Francis　and　Sarah　Sturgis　Shaw。　When　he　was　about　nine　years　old；　his　parents　moved　to　Staten　Island；　and　he　was　educated　there；　and　at　school　in　the　neighborhood　of　New　York；　until　he　went　to　Europein　1853；　where　he　remained　traveling　and　studying　for　the　next　three　years。　He　entered　Harvard　College　in　1856；　and　left　at　the　end　of　his　third　year；　in　order　to　accept　an　advantageous　business　offer　in　New　York。

Even　as　a　boy　he　took　much　interest　in　politics；　and　especially　in　the　question　of　slavery。　He　voted　for　Lincoln　in　1860；　and　at　that　time　enlisted　as　a　private　in　the　New　York　7th　Regiment；　feeling　that　there　was　likelihood　of　trouble；　and　that　there　would　be　a　demand　for　soldiers　to　defend　the　country。　His　foresight　was　justified　only　too　soon；　and　on　April　19；　1861；　he　marched　with　his　regiment　to　Washington。　The　call　for　the　7th　Regiment　was　only　for　thirty　days；　and　at　the　expiration　of　that　service　he　applied　for　and　obtained　a　commission　as　second　lieutenant　in　the　2d　Massachusetts；　and　left　with　that　regiment　for　Virginia　in　July；　1861。　He　threw　himself　eagerly　into　his　new　duties；　and　soon　gained　a　good　position　in　the　regiment。　At　Cedar　Mountain　he　was　an　aid　on　General　Gordon's　staff；　and　was　greatly　exposed　in　the　performance　of　his　duties　during　the　action。　He　was　also　with　his　regiment　at　Antietam；　and　was　in　the　midst　of　the　heavy　fighting　of　that　great　battle。

Early　in　1863；　the　Government　determined　to　form　negro　regiments；　and　Governor　Andrew　offered　Shaw；　who　had　now　risen　to　the　rank　of　captain；　the　colonelcy　of　one　to　be　raised　in　Massachusetts；　the　first　black　regiment　recruited　under　State　authority。　It　was　a　great　compliment　to　receive　this　offer；　but　Shaw　hesitated　as　to　his　capacity　for　such　a　responsible　post。　He　first　wrote　a　letter　declining；　on　the　ground　that　he　did　not　feel　that　he　had　ability　enough　for　the　undertaking；　and　then　changed　his　mind；　and　telegraphed　Governor　Andrew　that　he　would　accept。　It　is　not　easy　to　realize　it　now；　but　his　action　then　in　accepting　this　command　required　high　moral　courage；　of　a　kind　quite　different　from　that　which　he　had　displayed　already　on　the　field　of　battle。　The　prejudice　against　the　blacks　was　still　strong　even　in　the　North。　There　was　a　great　deal　of　feeling　among　certain　classes　against　enlisting　black　regiments　at　all；　and　the　officers　who　undertook　to　recruit　and　lead　negroes　were。　exposed　to　much　attack　and　criticism。　Shaw　felt；however；　that　this　very　opposition　made　it　all　the　more　incumbent　on　him　to　undertake　the　duty。　He　wrote　on　February　8：

After　I　have　undertaken　this　work；　I　shall　feel　that　what　I　have　to　do　is　to　prove　that　the　negro　can　be　made　a　good　soldier。　。　。　。　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　undertaking　will　not　meet　with　so　much　opposition　as　was　at　first　supposed。　All　sensible　men　in　the　army；　of　all　parties；　after　a　little　thought；　say　that　it　is　the　best　thing　that　can　be　done；　and　surely　those　at　home　who　are　not　brave　or　patriotic　enough　to　enlist　should　not　ridicule　or　throw　obstacles　in　the　way　of　men　who　are　going　to　fight　for　them。　There　is　a　great　prejudice　against　it；　but　now　that　it　has　become　a　government　matter；　that　will　probably　wear　away。　At　any　rate　I　sha'n't　be　frightened　out　of　it　by　its　unpopularity。　I　feel　convinced　I　shall　never　regret　having　taken　this　step；　as　far　as　I　myself　am　concerned；　for　while　I　was　undecided；　I　felt　ashamed　of　myself　as　if　I　were　cowardly。


Colonel　Shaw　went　at　once　to　Boston；　after　accepting　his　new　duty；　and　began　the　work　of　raising　and　drilling　the　54th　Regiment。　He　met　with　great　success；　for　he　and　his　officers　labored　heart　and　soul；　and　the　regiment　repaid　their　efforts。　On　March　30；　he　wrote：　〃The　mustering　officer　who　was　here　to…day　is　a　Virginian；　and　has　always　thought　it　was　a　great　joke　to　try　to　make　soldiers　of　'niggers；'　but　he　tells　me　now　that　he　has　never　mustered　in　so　fine　a　set　of　men；　though　about　twenty　thousand　had　passed　through　his　hands　since　September。〃　On　May　28；　Colonel　Shaw　left　Boston；　and　his　march　through　the　city　was　a　triumph。　The　appearance　of　his　regiment　made　a　profound　impression；　and　was　one　of　the　events　of　the　war　which　those　who　saw　it　never　forgot。

The　regiment　was　ordered　to　South　Carolina；　and　when　they　were　off　Cape　Hatteras；　Colonel　Shaw　wrote：

The　more　I　think　of　the　passage　of　the　54th　through　Boston；　the　more　wonderful　it　seems　to　me。　just　remember　our　own　doubts　and　fears；　and　other　people's　sneering　and　pitying　remarks　when　we　began　last　winter；　and　then　look　at　the　perfect　triumph　of　last　Thursday。　We　have　gone　quietly　along；　forming　the　first　regiment；　and　at　last　left　Boston　amidst　greater　enthusiasm　than　has　been　seen　since　the　first　three　months'　troops　left　for　the　war。　Truly；　I　ought　to　be　thankful　for　all　my　happiness　and　my　success　in　life　so　far；　and　if　the　raising　of　colored　troops　prove　such　a　benefit　to　the　country　and　to　the　blacks　as　many　people　think　it　will；　I　shall　thank　God　a　thousand　times　that　I　was　led　to　take　my　share　in　it。


He　had；　indeed；　taken　his　share　in　striking　one　of　the　most　fatal　blows　to　the　barbarism　of　slavery　which　had　yet　been　struck。　The　formation　of　the　black　regiments　did　more　for　the　emancipation　of　the　negro　and　the　recognition　of　his　rights；　than　almost　anything　else。　It　was　impossible；　after　that；　to　say　that　men　who　fought　and　gave　their　lives　for　the　Union　and　for　their　own　freedom　were　not　entitled　to　be　free。　The　acceptance　of　the　command　of　a　black　regiment　by　such　men　as　Shaw　and　his　fellow…officers　was　the　great　act　which　made　all　this　possible。

After　reaching　South　Carolina；　Colonel　Shaw　was　with　his　regiment　at　Port　Royal　and　on　the　islands　of　that　coast　for　rather　more　than　a　month；　and　on　July　18　he　was　offered　the　post　of　honor　in　an　assault　upon　Fort　Wagner；　which　was　ordered　for　that　night。　He　had　proved　that　the　negroes　could　be　made　into　a　good　regiment；　and　now　the　second　great　opportunity　had　come；　to　prove　their　fighting　quality。　He　wanted　to　demonstrate　that　his　men　could　fight　side　by　side　with　white　soldiers；　and　show　to　somebody　beside　their　officers　what　stuff　they　were　made　of。　He；　therefore；　accepted　the　dangerous　duty　with　gladness。　Late　in　the　day　the　troops　were　marched　across　Folly　and　Morris　islands　and　formed　in　line　of　battle　within　six　hundred　yards　of　Fort　Wagner。　At　half…past　seven　the　order　for　the　charge　was　given；　and　the　regiment　advanced。　When　they　were　within　a　hundred　yards　of　the　fort；　the　rebel　fire　opened　with　such　effect　that　the　first　battalion　hesitated　and　wavered。　Colonel　Shaw　sprang　to　the　front；　and　waving　his　sword；　shouted：　〃Forward；　54th！〃　With　another　cheer；　the　men　rushed　through　the　ditch；　and　gained　a　parapet　on　the　right。　Colonel　Shaw　was　one　of　the　first　to　scale　the　walls。　As　he　stood　erect；　a　noble　figure；　ordering　his　men　forward　and　shouting　to　them　to　press　on；　he　was　shot　dead　and　fell　into　the　fort。　After　his　fall；　the　assault　was　repulsed。

General　Haywood；　commanding　the　rebel　forces；　said　to　a　Union　prisoner：　〃I　knew　Colonel　Shaw　before　the　war；　and　then　esteemed　him。　Had　he　been　in　command　of　white　troops；　I　should　have　given　him　an　honorable　burial。　As　it　is；　I　shall　bury　him　in　the　common　trench；　with　the　negroes　that　fell　with　him。〃　He　little　knew　that　he　was　giving　the　dead　soldier　the　most　honorable　burial　that　man　could　have　devised；　for　the　savage　words　told　unmistakably　that　Robert　Shaw's　work　had　not　been　in　vain。　The　order　to　bury　him　with　his　〃niggers；〃　which　ran　through　the　North　and　remained　fixed　in　our　history；　showed；　in　a　flash　of　light；　the　hideous　barbarism　of　a　system　which　made　such　things　and　such　feelings　possible。　It　also　showed　that　slavery　was　wounded　to　the　death；　and　that　the　brutal　phrase　was　the　angry　snarl　of　a　dying　tiger。　Such　words　rank　with　the　action　of　Charles　Stuart；　when　he　had　the　bones　of　Oliver　Cromwell　and　Robert　Blake　torn　from　their　graves　and　flung　on　dunghills　or　fixed　on　Temple　Bar。

Robert　Shaw　fell　in　battle　at　the　head　of　his　men；　giving　his　life　to　his　country；　as　did　many　another　gallant　man　during　those　four　years　of　conflict。　But　he　did　something　more　than　this。　He　faced　prejudice　and　hostility　in　the　North；　and　confronted　the　blind　and　savage　rage　of　the　South；　in　order　to　demonstrate　to　the　world　that　the　human　beings　who　were　held　in　bondage　could　vindicate　their　right　to　freedom　by　fighting　and　dying　for　it。　He　helped　mightily　in　the　great　task　of　destroying　human　slavery；　and　in　uplifting　an　oppressed　and　down…trodden　race。　He　brought　to　this　work　the　qualities　which　were　particularly　essential　for　his　success。　He　had　all　that　birth　and　wealth；　breeding；　education；　and　tradition　could　give。　He　offered　up；　in　full　measure；　all　those　things　which　make　life　most　worth　living。　He　was　handsome　and　beloved。　He　had　a　serene　and　beautiful　nature；　and　was　at　once　brave　and　simple。　Above　all　things；　he　was　fitted　for　the　task　which　he　performed　and　for　the　sacrifice　which　he　made。　The　call　of　the　country　and　of　the　time　came　to　him；　and　he　was　rea