north america-2-第32章

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comfort　is　very　great。　　The　white　servants　are　noisy；　dirty；　forgetful；　indifferent；　and　sometimes　impudent。　　The　negroes　are　the　very　reverse　of　all　this；　you　cannot　hurry　them；　but　in　all　other　respectsand　perhaps　even　in　that　respect　alsothey　are　good　servants。　　This　is　the　work　for　which　they　seem　to　have　been　intended。　　But　nevertheless　where　they　are；　life　and　energy　seem　to　languish；　and　prosperity　cannot　make　any　true　advance。　　They　are　symbols　of　the　luxury　of　the　white　men　who　employ　them；　and　as　such　are　signs　of　decay　and　emblems　of　decreasing　power。　　They　are　good　laborers　themselves；　but　their　very　presence　makes　labor　dishonorable。　　That　Kentucky　will　speedily　rid　herself　of　the　institution；　I　believe　firmly。　　When　she　has　so　done；　the　commercial　city　of　that　State　may　perhaps　go　ahead　again　like　her　sisters。　At　this　very　time　the　Federal　army　was　commencing　that　series　of　active　movements　in　Kentucky；　and　through　Tennessee；　which　led　to　such　important　results；　and　gave　to　the　North　the　first　solid　victories　which　they　had　gained　since　the　contest　began。　　On　the　nineteenth　of　January；　one　wing　of　General　Buell's　army；　under　General　Thomas；　had　defeated　the　secessionists　near　Somerset；　in　the　southeastern　district　of　Kentucky；　under　General　Zollicoffer；　who　was　there　killed。　　But　in　that　action　the　attack　was　made　by　Zollicoffer　and　the　secessionists。　　When　we　were　at　Louisville　we　heard　of　the　success　of　that　gun…boat　expedition　up　the　Tennessee　river　by　which　Fort　Henry　was　taken。　　Fort　Henry　had　been　built　by　the　Confederates　on　the　Tennessee；　exactly　on　the　confines　of　the　States　of　Tennessee　and　Kentucky。　　They　had　also　another　fort；　Fort　Donelson；　on　the　Cumberland　River；　which　at　that　point　runs　parallel　to　the　Tennessee；　and　is　there　distant　from　it　but　a　very　few　miles。　Both　these　rivers　run　into　the　Ohio。　　Nashville；　which　is　the　capital　of　Tennessee；　is　higher　up　on　the　Cumberland；　and　it　was　now　intended　to　send　the　gun…boats　down　the　Tennessee　back　into　the　Ohio；　and　thence　up　the　Cumberland；　there　to　attack　Fort　Donelson；　and　afterward　to　assist　General　Buell's　army　in　making　its　way　down　to　Nashville。　　The　gun…boats　were　attached　to　General　Halleck's　army；　and　received　their　directions　from　St。　Louis。　　General　Buell's　headquarters　were　at　Louisville；　and　his　advanced　position　was　on　the　Green　River；　on　the　line　of　the　railway　from　Louisville　to　Nashville。　　The　secessionists　had　destroyed　the　railway　bridge　over　the　Green　River；　and　were　now　lying　at　Bowling　Green；　between　the　Green　River　and　Nashville。　　This　place　it　was　understood　that　they　had　fortified。　Matters　were　in　this　position　when　we　got　a　military　pass　to　go　down　by　the　railway　to　the　army　on　the　Green　River；　for　the　railway　was　open　to　no　one　without　a　military　pass；　and　we　started；　trusting　that　Providence　would　supply　us　with　rations　and　quarters。　　An　officer　attached　to　General　Buell's　staff；　with　whom　however　our　acquaintance　was　of　the　very　slightest；　had　telegraphed　down　to　say　that　we　were　coming。　　I　cannot　say　that　I　expected　much　from　the　message；　seeing　that　it　simply　amounted　to　a　very　thin　introduction　to　a　general　officer　to　whom　we　were　strangers　even　by　name；　from　a　gentleman　to　whom　we　had　brought　a　note　from　another　gentleman　whose　acquaintance　we　had　chanced　to　pick　up　on　the　road。　　We　manifestly　had　no　right　to　expect　much；　but　to　us；　expecting　very　little；　very　much　was　given。　　General　Johnson　was　the　officer　to　whose　care　we　were　confided；　he　being　a　brigadier　under　General　McCook；　who　commanded　the　advance。　　We　were　met　by　an　aid…de…camp　and　saddle…　horses；　and　soon　found　ourselves　in　the　general's　tent；　or　rather　in　a　shanty　formed　of　solid　upright　wooden　logs；　driven　into　the　ground　with　the　bark　still　on；　and　having　the　interstices　filled　in　with　clay。　　This　was　roofed　with　canvas；　and　altogether　made　a　very　eligible　military　residence。　　The　general　slept　in　a　big　box；　about　nine　feet　long　and　four　broad；　which　occupied　one　end　of　the　shanty；　and　he　seemed　in　all　his　fixings　to　be　as　comfortably　put　up　as　any　gentleman　might　be　when　out　on　such　a　picnic　as　this。　　We　arrived　in　time　for　dinner；　which　was　brought　in；　table　and　all；　by　two　negroes。　　The　party　was　made　up　by　a　doctor；　who　carved；　and　two　of　the　staff；　and　a　very　nice　dinner　we　had。　　In　half　an　hour　we　were　intimate　with　the　whole　party；　and　as　familiar　with　the　things　around　us　as　though　we　had　been　living　in　tents　all　our　lives。　Indeed；　I　had　by　this　time　been　so　often　in　the　tents　of　the　Northern　army；　that　I　almost　felt　entitled　to　make　myself　at　home。　It　has　seemed　to　me　that　an　Englishman　has　always　been　made　welcome　in　these　camps。　　There　has　been　and　is　at　this　moment　a　terribly　bitter　feeling　among　Americans　against　England；　and　I　have　heard　this　expressed　quite　as　loudly　by　men　in　the　army　as　by　civilians；　but　I　think　I　may　say　that　this　has　never　been　brought　to　bear　upon　individual　intercourse。　　Certainly　we　have　said　some　very　sharp　things　of　themwords　which；　whether　true　or　false；　whether　deserved　or　undeserved；　must　have　been　offensive　to　them。　　I　have　known　this　feeling　of　offense　to　amount　almost　to　an　agony　of　anger。　　But　nevertheless　I　have　never　seen　any　falling　off　in　the　hospitality　and　courtesy　generally　shown　by　a　civilized　people　to　passing　visitors；　I　have　argued　the　matter　of　England's　course　throughout　the　war；　till　I　have　been　hoarse　with　asseverating　the　rectitude　of　her　conduct　and　her　national　unselfishness。　　I　have　met　very　strong　opponents　on　the　subject；　and　have　been　coerced　into　loud　strains　of　voice；　but　I　never　yet　met　one　American　who　was　personally　uncivil　to　me　as　an　Englishman；　or　who　seemed　to　be　made　personally　angry　by　my　remarks。　　I　found　no　coldness　in　that　hospitality　to　which　as　a　stranger　I　was　entitled；　because　of　the　national　ill　feeling　which　circumstances　have　engendered。　　And　while　on　this　subject　I　will　remark　that；　when　traveling；　I　have　found　it　expedient　to　let　those　with　whom　I　might　chance　to　talk　know　at　once　that　I　was　an　Englishman。　　In　fault　of　such　knowledge　things　would　be　said　which　could　not　but　be　disagreeable　to　me；　but　not　even　from　any　rough　Western　enthusiast　in　a　railway　carriage　have　I　ever　heard　a　word　spoken　insolently　to　England；　after　I　had　made　my　nationality　known。　I　have　learned　that　Wellington　was　beaten　at　Waterloo；　that　Lord　Palmerston　was　so　unpopular　that　he　could　not　walk　alone　in　the　streets；　that　the　House　of　Commons　was　an　acknowledged　failure；　that　starvation　was　the　normal　condition　of　the　British　people；　and　that　the　queen　was　a　blood…thirsty　tyrant。　　But　these　assertions　were　not　made　with　the　intention　that　they　should　be　heard　by　an　Englishman。　To　us　as　a　nation　they　are　at　the　present　moment　unjust　almost　beyond　belief；　but　I　do　not　think　that　the　feeling　has　ever　taken　the　guise　of　personal　discourtesy。　We　spent　two　days　in　the　camp　close　upon　the　Green　River；　and　I　do　not　know　that　I　enjoyed　any　days　of　my　trip　more　thoroughly　than　I　did　these。　　In　truth；　for　the　last　month　since　I　had　left　Washington；　my　life　had　not　been　one　of　enjoyment。　　I　had　been　rolling　in　mud　and　had　been　damp　with　filth。　　Camp　Wood；　as　they　called　this　military　settlement　on　the　Green　River；　was　also　muddy；　but　we　were　excellently　well　mounted；　the　weather　was　very　cold；　but　peculiarly　fine；　and　the　soldiers　around　us；　as　far　as　we　could　judge；　seemed　to　be　better　off　in　all　respects　than　those　we　had　visited　at　St。　Louis；　at　Rolla；　or　at　Cairo。　　They　were　all　in　tents；　and　seemed　to　be　light…spirited　and　happy。　　Their　rations　were　excellent；　but　so　much　may；　I　think；　be　said　of　the　whole　Northern　army；　from　Alexandria　on　the　Potomac　to　Springfield　in　the　west　of　Missouri。　　There　was　very　little　illness　at　that　time　in　the　camp　in　Kentucky；　and　the　reports　made　to　us　led　us　to　think　that　on　the　whole　this　had　been　the　most　healthy　division　of　the　army。　　The　men；　moreover；　were　less　muddy　than　their　brethren　either　east　or　west　of　themat　any　rate　this　may　be　said　of　them　as　regards　the　infantry。　But　perhaps　the　greatest　charm　of　the　place　to　me　was　the　beauty　of　the　scenery。　　The　Green　River　at　this　spot　is　as　picturesque　a　stream　as　I　ever　remember　to　have　seen　in　such　a　country。　　It　lies　low　down　between　high　banks；　and　curves　hither　and　thither；　never　keeping　a　straight　line。　　Its　banks　are　wooded；　but　not；　as　is　so　common　in　America；　by　continuous；　stunted；　uninteresting　forest；　but　by　large　single　trees　standing　on　small　patches　of　meadow　by　the　water　side；　with　the　high　banks　rising　over　them；　with　glades　through　them　open　for　the　horseman。　　The　rides　here　in　summer　must　be　very　lovely。　　Even　in　winter　they　were　so；　and　made　me　in　love　with　the　place　in　spite　of　that　brown；　dull；　barren　aspect　which　the　presence　of　an　army　always　creates。　　I　have　said　that　the　railway　bridge　which　crossed　the　Green　River　at　this　spot　had　been　destroyed　by　the　secessionists。　　This　had　been　done　effectually　as　regarded　the　passage　of　trains；　but　only　in　part　as　regarded　the　absolute　fabric　of　the　bridge。　　It　had　been；　and　still　was　when　I　saw　it；　a　beautifully　light　construction；　made　of　iron　and　supported　over　a　valley；　rather　than　over　a　river；　on　tall　stone　piers。　　One　of　these　piers　had　been　blow