hero tales from american history-第6部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


lessing　of　liberty　at　stake；　and　a　life　devoted；　must　be　my　excuse。〃　These　were　the　thoughts　in　his　mind　when　he　was　planning　this　masterly　campaign。　These　same　thoughts；　we　may　readily　believe；　were　with　him　when　his　boat　was　making　its　way　through　the　ice　of　the　Delaware　on　Christmas　Eve。　It　was　a　very　solemn　moment；　and　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　darkness　of　that　night　who　fully　understood　what　was　at　stake；　but　then；　as　always；　he　was　calm　and　serious；　with　a　high　courage　which　nothing　could　depress。

The　familiar　picture　of　a　later　day　depicts　Washington　crossing　the　Delaware　at　the　head　of　his　soldiers。　He　is　standing　up　in　the　boat；　looking　forward　in　the　teeth　of　the　storm。　It　matters　little　whether　the　work　of　the　painter　is　in　exact　accordance　with　the　real　scene　or　not。　The　daring　courage；　the　high　resolve；　the　stern　look　forward　and　onward；　which　the　artist　strove　to　show　in　the　great　leader；　are　all　vitally　true。　For　we　may　be　sure　that　the　man　who　led　that　well…planned　but　desperate　assault；　surrounded　by　darker　conditions　than　the　storms　of　nature　which　gathered　about　his　boat；　and　carrying　with　him　the　fortunes　of　his　country；　was　at　that　moment　one　of　the　most　heroic　figures　in　history。



BENNINGTON

We　are　but　warriors　for　the　working…day；　Our　gayness　and　our　guilt　are　all　besmirch'd　With　rainy　marching　in　the　painful　field；　There's　not　a　piece　of　feather　in　our　host　（Good　argument；　I　hope；　we　shall　not　fly）；　And　time　hath　worn　us　into　slovenry。　But；　by　the　mass；　our　hearts　are　in　the　trim；　And　my　poor　soldiers　tell　me；　yet　ere　night　They'll　be　in　fresher　robes。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Henry　V。


BENNINGTON

The　battle　of　Saratoga　is　included　by　Sir　Edward　Creasy　among　his　fifteen　decisive　battles　which　have；　by　their　result；　affected　the　history　of　the　world。　It　is　true　that　the　American　Revolution　was　saved　by　Washington　in　the　remarkable　Princeton　and　Trenton　campaign；　but　it　is　equally　true　that　the　surrender　of　Burgoyne　at　Saratoga；　in　the　following　autumn；　turned　the　scale　decisively　in　favor　of　the　colonists　by　the　impression　which　it　made　in　Europe。　It　was　the　destruction　of　Burgoyne's　army　which　determined　France　to　aid　the　Americans　against　England。　Hence　came　the　French　alliance；　the　French　troops；　and；　what　was　of　far　more　importance；　a　French　fleet　by　which　Washington　was　finally　able　to　get　control　of　the　sea；　and　in　this　way　cut　off　Cornwallis　at　Yorktown　and　bring　the　Revolution　to　a　successful　close。　That　which　led；　however；　more　directly　than　anything　else　to　the　final　surrender　at　Saratoga　was　the　fight　at　Bennington；　by　which　Burgoyne's　army　was　severely　crippled　and　weakened；　and　by　which　also；　the　hardy　militia　of　the　North　eastern　States　were　led　to　turn　out　in　large　numbers　and　join　the　army　of　Gates。

The　English　ministry　had　built　great　hopes　upon　Burgoyne's　expedition；　and　neither　expense　nor　effort　had　been　spared　to　make　it　successful。　He　was　amply　furnished　with　money　and　supplies　as　well　as　with　English　and　German　troops；　the　latter　of　whom　were　bought　from　their　wretched　little　princes　by　the　payment　of　generous　subsidies。　With　an　admirably　equipped　army　of　over　seven　thousand　men；　and　accompanied　by　a　large　force　of　Indian　allies；　Burgoyne　had　started　in　May；　1777；　from　Canada。　His　plan　was　to　make　his　way　by　the　lakes　to　the　head　waters　of　the　Hudson；　and　thence　southward　along　the　river　to　New　York；　where　he　was　to　unite　with　Sir　William　Howe　and　the　main　army；　in　this　way　cutting　the　colonies　in　two；　and　separating　New　England　from　the　rest　of　the　country。

At　first　all　went　well。　The　Americans　were　pushed　back　from　their　posts　on　the　lakes；　and　by　the　end　of　July　Burgoyne　was　at　the　head　waters　of　the　Hudson。　He　had。　already　sent　out　a　force；　under　St。　Leger；　to　take　possession　of　the　valley　of　the　Mohawkan　expedition　which　finally　resulted　in　the　defeat　of　the　British　by　Herkimer；　and　the　capture　of　Fort　Stanwix。　To　aid　St。　Leger　by　a　diversion；　and　also　to　capture　certain　magazines　which　were　reported　to　be　at　Bennington；　Burgoyne　sent　another　expedition　to　the　eastward。　This　force　consisted　of　about　five　hundred　and　fifty　white　troops；　chiefly　Hessians；　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　Indians；　all　under　the　command　of　Colonel　Baum。　They　were　within　four　miles　of　Bennington　on　August　13；　1777；　and　encamped　on　a　hill　just　within　the　boundaries　of　the　State　of　New　York。　The　news　of　the　advance　of　Burgoyne　had　already　roused　the　people　of　New　York　and　New　Hampshire；　and　the　legislature　of　the　latter　State　had　ordered　General　Stark　with　a　brigade　of　militia　to　stop　the　progress　of　the　enemy　on　the　western　frontier。　Stark　raised　his　standard　at　Charlestown　on　the　Connecticut　River；　and　the　militia　poured　into　his　camp。　Disregarding　Schuyler's　orders　to　join　the　main　American　army；　which　was　falling　back　before　Burgoyne；　Stark；　as　soon　as　he　heard　of　the　expedition　against　Bennington；　marched　at　once　to　meet　Baum。　He　was　within　a　mile　of　the　British　camp　on　August　14；　and　vainly　endeavored　to　draw　Baum　into　action。　On　the　15th　it　rained　heavily；　and　the　British　forces　occupied　the　time　in　intrenching　themselves　strongly　upon　the　hill　which　they　held。　Baum　meantime　had　already　sent　to　Burgoyne　for　reinforcements；　and　Burgoyne　had　detached　Colonel　Breymann　with　over　six　hundred　regular　troops　to　go　to　Baum's　assistance。　On　the　16th　the　weather　cleared；　and　Stark；　who　had　been　reinforced　by　militia　from　western　Massachusetts；　determined　to　attack。

Early　in　the　day　he　sent　men；　under　Nichols　and　Herrick；　to　get　into　the　rear　of　Baum's　position。　The　German　officer；　ignorant　of　the　country　and　of　the　nature　of　the　warfare　in　which　he　was　engaged；　noticed　small　bodies　of　men　in　their　shirtsleeves；　and　carrying　guns　without　bayonets；　making　their　way　to　the　rear　of　his　intrenchments。　With　singular　stupidity　he　concluded　that　they　were　Tory　inhabitants　of　the　country　who　were　coming　to　his　assistance；　and　made　no　attempt　to　stop　them。　In　this　way　Stark　was　enabled　to　mass　about　five　hundred　men　in　the　rear　of　the　enemy's　position。　Distracting　the　attention　of　the　British　by　a　feint；　Stark　also　moved　about　two　hundred　men　to　the　right；　and　having　thus　brought　his　forces　into　position　he　ordered　a　general　assault；　and　the　Americans　proceeded　to　storm　the　British　intrenchments　on　every　side。　The　fight　was　a　very　hot　one；　and　lasted　some　two　hours。　The　Indians；　at　the　beginning　of　the　action；　slipped　away　between　the　American　detachments；　but　the　British　and　German　regulars　stubbornly　stood　their　ground。　It　is　difficult　to　get　at　the　exact　numbers　of　the　American　troops；　but　Stark　seems　to　have　had　between　fifteen　hundred　and　two　thousand　militia。　He　thus　outnumbered　his　enemy　nearly　three　to　one；　but　his　men　were　merely　country　militia；　farmers　of　the　New　England　States；　very　imperfectly　disciplined；　and　armed　only　with　muskets　and　fowling…pieces；　without　bayonets　or　side…arms。　On　the　other　side　Baum　had　the　most　highly　disciplined　troops　of　England　and　Germany　under　his　command；　well　armed　and　equipped；　and　he　was　moreover　strongly　intrenched　with　artillery　well　placed　behind　the　breastworks。　The　advantage　in　the　fight　should　have　been　clearly　with　Baum　and　his　regulars；　who　merely　had　to　hold　an　intrenched　hill。

It　was　not　a　battle　in　which　either　military　strategy　or　a　scientific　management　of　troops　was　displayed。　All　that　Stark　did　was　to　place　his　men　so　that　they　could　attack　the　enemy's　position　on　every　side；　and　then　the　Americans　went　at　it；　firing　as　they　pressed　on。　The　British　and　Germans　stood　their　ground　stubbornly；　while　the　New　England　farmers　rushed　up　to　within　eight　yards　of　the　cannon；　and　picked　off　the　men　who　manned　the　guns。　Stark　himself　was　in　the　midst　of　the　fray；　fighting　with　his　soldiers；　and　came　out　of　the　conflict　so　blackened　with　powder　and　smoke　that　he　could　hardly　be　recognized。　One　desperate　assault　succeeded　another；　while　the　firing　on　both　sides　was　so　incessant　as　to　make；　in　Stark's　own　words；　a　〃continuous　roar。〃　At　the　end　of　two　hours　the　Americans　finally　swarmed　over　the　intrenchments；　beating　down　the　soldiers　with　their　clubbed　muskets。　Baum　ordered　his　infantry　with　the　bayonet　and　the　dragoons　with　their　sabers　to　force　their　way　through；　but　the　Americans　repulsed　this　final　charge；　and　Baum　himself　fell　mortally　wounded。　All　was　then　over；　and　the　British　forces　surrendered。

It　was　only　just　in　time；　for　Breymann；　who　had　taken　thirty　hours　to　march　some　twenty…four　miles；　came　up　just　after　Baum's　men　had　laid　down　their　arms。　It　seemed　for　a　moment　as　if　all　that　had　been　gained　might　be　lost。　The　Americans；　attacked　by　this　fresh　foe；　wavered；　but　Stark　rallied　his　line；　and　putting　in　Warner；　with　one　hundred　and　fifty　Vermont　men　who　had　just　come　on　the　field；　stopped　Breymann's　advance；　and　finally　forced　him　to　retreat　with　a　loss　of　nearly　one　half　his　men。　The　Americans　lost　in　killed　and　wounded　some　seventy　men；　and　the　Germans　and　British　about　twice　as　many；　but　the　Americans　took　about　seven　hundred　prisoners；　and　completely　wrecked　the　forces　of　Baum　and　Breymann。

The　blow　was　a　severe　one；　and　Burgoyne's　army　never　recovered　from　it。　Not　only　had　he　lost　nearly　a　thousand　of　his　best　troops；　besides　cannon；　arms；　and　munitions　of　war；　but　the　defeat　affected　the　spirits　of　his　army　and　destroyed　his　hold　over　his　Indian　allies；　who　began　to　desert　in　large　numbers。　Bennington；　in　fact；　was　one　of　the　most　important　fights　of　the　Revolution；　contributing　as　it　did　so　largely　to　the　final　surrender　of　Burgoyne's　whole　army　at　Saratoga；　and　the　utter　ruin　of　the　British　invasion　from　the　North。　It　is　also　interesting　as　an　extremely　gallant　bit　of　fighting。　As　has　been　said；　there　was　no　strategy　displayed；　and　there　were　no　military　operations　of　the　higher　kind。　There　stood　the　enemy　strongly　intrenched　on　a　hill；　and　Stark；　calling　his　undisciplined　levies　about　him；　went　at　them。　He　himself　was　a　man　of　the　highest　courage　and　a　reckless　fighter。　It　was　Stark　who　held　the　railfence　at　Bunker　Hill；　and　who　led　the　van　when　Sullivan's　division　poured　into　Trenton　from　the　river　road。　He　was　admirably　adapted　for　the　precise　work　which　was　necessary　at　Bennington；　and　he　and　his　men　fought　well　their　hand…to…h