hero tales from american history-第24部分

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；　he　can　do　nothing　useful　unless　he　recognizes　this　clearly。　Here　again；　on　July　3；　is　a　sentence　which　it　is　well　to　take　to　heart；　and　for　all　men　to　remember　when　their　ears　are　deafened　with　the　cry　that　war；　no　matter　what　the　cause；　is　the　worst　thing　possible；　because　it　interferes　with　comfort；　trade；　and　money…making：　〃Wars　are　bad；〃　Lowell　writes；　〃but　there　are　many　things　far　worse。　Anything　immediately　comfortable　in　our　affairs　I　don't　see；　but　comfortable　times　are　not　the　ones　t　hat　make　a　nation　great。〃　On　July　24；　he　says：

Many　nations　fail；　that　one　may　become　great；　ours　will　fail；　unless　we　gird　up　our　loins　and　do　humble　and　honest　days'　work；　without　trying　to　do　the　thing　by　the　job；　or　to　get　a　great　nation　made　by　a　patent　process。　It　is　not　safe　to　say　that　we　shall　not　have　victories　till　we　are　ready　for　them。　We　shall　have　victories；　and　whether　or　no　we　are　ready　for　them　depends　upon　ourselves；　if　we　are　not　ready；　we　shall　fail；voila　tout。　If　you　ask；　what　if　we　do　fail？　I　have　nothing　to　say；　I　shouldn't　cry　over　a　nation　or　two；　more　or　less；　gone　under。

Finally；　on　September　10；　a　little　more　than　a　month　before　his　death；　he　wrote　to　a　disabled　officer：

I　hope　that　you　are　going　to　live　like　a　plain　republican；　mindful　of　the　beauty　and　of　the　duty　of　simplicity。　Nothing　fancy　now；　sir；　if　you　please；　it's　disreputable　to　spend　money　when　the　government　is　so　hard　up；　and　when　there　are　so　many　poor　officers。　I　hope　that　you　have　outgrown　all　foolish　ambitions；　and　are　now　content　to　become　a　〃useful　citizen。〃　Don't　grow　rich；　if　you　once　begin；　you　will　find　it　much　more　difficult　to　be　a　useful　citizen。　Don't　seek　office；　but　don't　〃disremember〃　that　the　〃useful　citizen〃　always　holds　his　time；　his　trouble；　his　money；　and　his　life　ready　at　the　hint　of　his　country。　The　useful　citizen　is　a　mighty；　unpretending　hero；　but　we　are　not　going　to　have　any　country　very　long；　unless　such　heroism　is　developed。　There；　what　a　stale　sermon　I'm　preaching。　But；　being　a　soldier；　it　does　seem　to　me　that　I　should　like　nothing　so　well　as　being　a　useful　citizen。　Well；　trying　to　be　one；　I　mean。　I　shall　stay　in　the　service；　of　course；　till　the　war　is　over；　or　till　I'm　disabled；　but　then　I　look　forward　to　a　pleasanter　career。

I　believe　I　have　lost　all　my　ambitions。　I　don't　think　I　would　turn　my　hand　to　be　a　distinguished　chemist　or　a　famous　mathematician。　All　I　now　care　about　is　to　be　a　useful　citizen；　with　money　enough　to　buy　bread　and　firewood；　and　to　teach　my　children　to　ride　on　horseback；　and　look　strangers　in　the　face；　especially　Southern　strangers。

There　are　profound　and　lofty　lessons　of　patriotism　and　conduct　in　these　passages；　and　a　very　noble　philosophy　of　life　and　duty　both　as　a　man　and　as　a　citizen　of　a　great　republic。　They　throw　a　flood　of　light　on　the　great　underlying　forces　which　enabled　the　American　people　to　save　themselves　in　that　time　of　storm　and　stress。　They　are　the　utterances　of　a　very　young　man；　not　thirty　years　old　when　he　died　in　battle；　but　much　beyond　thirty　in　head　and　heart；　tried　and　taught　as　he　had　been　in　a　great　war。　What　precisely　such　young　men　thought　they　were　fighting　for　is　put　strikingly　by　Lowell's　younger　brother　James；　who　was　killed　at　Glendale；　July　4；　1862。　In　1861；　James　Lowell　wrote　to　his　classmates；　who　had　given　him　a　sword：

Those　who　died　for　the　cause；　not　of　the　Constitution　and　the　laws；a　superficial　cause；　the　rebels　have　now　the　same；but　of　civilization　and　law；　and　the　self…restrained　freedom　which　is　their　result。　As　the　Greeks　at　Marathon　and　Salamis；　Charles　Martel　and　the　Franks　at　Tours；　and　the　Germans　at　the　Danube；　saved　Europe　from　Asiatic　barbarism；　so　we；　at　places　to　be　famous　in　future　times；　shall　have　saved　America　from　a　similar　tide　of　barbarism；　and　we　may　hope　to　be　purified　and　strengthened　ourselves　by　the　struggle。

This　is　a　remarkable　passage　and　a　deep　thought。　Coming　from　a　young　fellow　of　twenty…four；　it　is　amazing。　But　the　fiery　trial　of　the　times　taught　fiercely　and　fast；　and　James　Lowell；　just　out　of　college；　could　see　in　the　red　light　around　him　that　not　merely　the　freedom　of　a　race　and　the　saving　of　a　nation　were　at　stake；　but　that　behind　all　this　was　the　forward　movement　of　civilization；　brought　once　again　to　the　arbitrament　of　the　sword。　Slavery　was　barbarous　and　barbarizing。　It　had　dragged　down　the　civilization　of　the　South　to　a　level　from　which　it　would　take　generations　to　rise　up　again。　Was　this　barbarous　force　now　to　prevail　in　the　United　States　in　the　nineteenth　century？　Was　it　to　destroy　a　great　nation；　and　fetter　human　progress　in　the　New　World？　That　was　the　great　question　back　of；　beyond　and　above　all。　Should　this　force　of　barbarism　sweep　conquering　over　the　land；　wrecking　an　empire　in　its　onward　march；　or　should　it　be　flung　back　as　Miltiades　flung　back　Asia　at　Marathon；　and　Charles　Martel　stayed　the　coming　of　Islam　at　Tours？　The　brilliant　career；　the　shining　courage；　best　seen　always　where　the　dead　were　lying　thickest；　the　heroic　death　of　Charles　Lowell；　are　good　for　us　all　to　know　and　to　remember。　Yet　this　imperfect　story　of　his　life　has　not　been　placed　here　for　these　things　alone。　Many　thousand　others；　officers　and　soldiers　alike；　in　the　great　Civil　War　gave　their　lives　as　freely　as　he；　and　brought　to　the　service　of　their　country　the　best　that　was　in　them。　He　was　a　fine　example　of　many　who；　like　him；　offered　up　all　they　had　for　their　country。　But　Lowell　was　also　something　more　than　this。　He　was　a　high　type　of　a　class；　and　a　proof　of　certain　very　important　things；　and　this　is　a　point　worthy　of　much　consideration。

The　name　of　John　Hampden　stands　out　in　the　history　of　the　English…speaking　people；　admired　and　unquestioned。　He　was　neither　a　great　statesman；　nor　a　great　soldier；　he　was　not　a　brilliant　orator；　nor　a　famous　writer。　He　fell　bravely　in　an　unimportant　skirmish　at　Chalgrove　Field；　fighting　for　freedom　and　what　he　believed　to　be　right。　Yet　he　fills　a　great　place　in　the　past；　both　for　what　he　did　and　what　he　was；　and　the　reason　for　this　is　of　high　importance。　John　Hampden　was　a　gentleman；　with　all　the　advantages　that　the　accidents　of　birth　could　give。　He　was　rich；　educated；　well　born；　of　high　traditions。　English　civilization　of　that　day　could　produce　nothing　better。　The　memorable　fact　is　that；　when　the　time　came　for　the　test；　he　did　not　fail。　He　was　a　type　of　what　was　best　among　the　English　people；　and　when　the　call　sounded；　he　was　ready。　He　was　brave；　honest；　high…minded；　and　he　gave　all；　even　his　life；　to　his　country。　In　the　hour　of　need；　the　representative　of　what　was　best　and　most　fortunate　in　England　was　put　to　the　touch；　and　proved　to　be　current　gold。　All　men　knew　what　that　meant；　and　Hampden's　memory　is　one　of　the　glories　of　the　English…speaking　people。

Charles　Lowell　has　the　same　meaning　for　us　when　rightly　understood。　He　had　all　that　birth；　breeding；　education；　and　tradition　could　give。　The　resources　of　our　American　life　and　civilization　could　produce　nothing　better。　How　would　he　and　such　men　as　he　stand　the　great　ordeal　when　it　came？　If　wealth；　education；　and　breeding　were　to　result　in　a　class　who　could　only　carp　and　criticize；　accumulate　money；　give　way　to　self…indulgence；　and　cherish　low　foreign　ideals；　then　would　it　have　appeared　that　there　was　a　radical　unsoundness　in　our　society；　refinement　would　have　been　proved　to　be　weakness；　and　the　highest　education　would　have　been　shown　to　be　a　curse；　rather　than　a　blessing。　But　Charles　Lowell；　and　hundreds　of　others　like　him；　in　greater　or　less　degree；　all　over　the　land；　met　the　great　test　and　emerged　triumphant。　The　Harvard　men　may　be　taken　as　fairly　representing　the　colleges　and　universities　of　America。　Harvard　had；　in　1860；　4157　living　graduates；　and　823　students；　presumably　over　eighteen　years　old。　Probably　3000　of　her　students　and　graduates　were　of　military　age；　and　not　physically　disqualified　for　military　service。　Of　this　number；　1230　entered　the　Union　army　or　navy。　One　hundred　and　fifty…six　died　in　service；　and　67　were　killed　in　action。　Many　did　not　go　who　might　have　gone；　unquestionably；　but　the　record　is　a　noble　one。　Nearly　one　man　of　every　two　Harvard　men　came　forward　to　serve　his　country　when　war　was　at　our　gates；　and　this　proportion　holds　true；　no　doubt；　of　the　other　universities　of　the　North。　It　is　well　for　the　country；　well　for　learning；　well　for　our　civilization；　that　such　a　record　was　made　at　such　a　time。　Charles　Lowell；　and　those　like　him；　showed；　once　for　all；　that　the　men　to　whom　fortune　had　been　kindest　were　capable　of　the　noblest　patriotism；　and　shrank　from　no　sacrifices。　They　taught　the　lesson　which　can　never　be　heard　too　oftenthat　the　man　to　whom　the　accidents　of　birth　and　fortune　have　given　most　is　the　man　who　owes　most　to　his　country。　If　patriotism　should　exist　anywhere；　it　should　be　strongest　with　such　men　as　these；　and　their　service　should　be　ever　ready。　How　nobly　Charles　Lowell　in　this　spirit　answered　the　great　question；　his　life　and　death；　alike　victorious；　show　to　all　men。



SHERIDAN　AT　CEDAR　CREEK

Inspired　repulsed　battalions　to　engage；　And　taught　the　doubtful　battle　where　to　rage。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Addison。


　SHERIDAN　AT　CEDAR　CREEK

General　Sheridan　took　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Shenandoah　in　August；　1864。　His　coming　was　the　signal　for　aggressive　fighting；　and　for　a　series　of　brilliant　victories　over　the　rebel　army。　He　defeated　Early　at　Winchester　and　again　at　Fisher's　Hill；　while　General　Torbert　whipped　Rosser　in　a　subsequent　action；　where　the　rout　of　the　rebels　was　so　complete　that　the　fight　was　known　as　the　〃Woodstock　races。〃　Sheridan's　plan　after　this　was　to　terminate　his　campaign　north　of　Staunton；　and；　returning　thence；　to　desolate　the　Valley；　so　as　to　make　it　untenable　for　the　Confederates；　as　well　as　useless　as　a　granary　or　storehouse；　and　then　move　the　bulk　of　his　armythrough　Washington；　and　unite　them　with　General　Grant　in　front　of　Petersburg。　Grant；　however；　and　the　authorities　at　Washington；　were　in　favor　of　Sheridan's　driving　Early　into　Eastern　Virginia；　and　following　up　that　line；　which　Sheri　dan　himself　believed　to　be　a　false　move。　This　important　matter　was　in　debate　until　October　16；　when　Sheridan；　having　left　the　main　body　of　his　army　at　Cedar　Creek　under　General　Wright；　determined　t