hero tales from american history- 第18部分

Down　upon　us　heavily　runs；　　Silent　and　sullen；　the　floating　fort；　Then　comes　a　puff　of　smoke　from　her　guns；　　And　leaps　the　terrible　death；　With　fiery　breath；　From　her　open　port。

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Ho！　brave　hearts；　that　went　down　in　the　seas！　　Ye　are　at　peace　in　the　troubled　stream；　Ho！　brave　land！　with　hearts　like　these；　　Thy　flag；　that　is　rent　in　twain；　　Shall　be　one　again；　And　without　a　seam！　　　　　　　　　　　Longfellow


HAMPTON　ROADS

The　naval　battles　of　the　Civil　War　possess　an　immense　importance；　because　they　mark　the　line　of　cleavage　between　naval　warfare　under　the　old；　and　naval　warfare　under　the　new；　conditions。　The　ships　with　which　Hull　and　Decatur　and　McDonough　won　glory　in　the　war　of　1812　were　essentially　like　those　with　which　Drake　and　Hawkins　and　Frobisher　had　harried　the　Spanish　armadas　two　centuries　and　a　half　earlier。　They　were　wooden　sailing…vessels；　carrying　many　guns　mounted　in　broadside；　like　those　of　De　Ruyter　and　Tromp；　of　Blake　and　Nelson。　Throughout　this　period　all　the　great　admirals；　all　the　famous　single…ship　fighters；whose　skill　reached　its　highest　expression　in　our　own　navy　during　the　war　of　1812；commanded　craft　built　and　armed　in　a　substantially　similar　manner；　and　fought　with　the　same　weapons　and　under　much　the　same　conditions。　But　in　the　Civil　War　weapons　and　methods　were　introduced　which　caused　a　revolution　greater　even　than　that　which　divided　the　sailingship　from　the　galley。　The　use　of　steam；　the　casing　of　ships　in　iron　armor；　and　the　employment　of　the　torpedo；　the　ram；　and　the　gun　of　high　power；　produced　such　radically　new　types　that　the　old　ships　of　the　line　became　at　one　stroke　as　antiquated　as　the　galleys　of　Hamilcar　or　Alcibiades。　Some　of　these　new　engines　of　destruction　were　invented；　and　all　were　for　the　first　time　tried　in　actual　combat；　during　our　own　Civil　War。　The　first　occasion　on　which　any　of　the　new　methods　were　thoroughly　tested　was　attended　by　incidents　which　made　it　one　of　the　most　striking　of　naval　battles。


In　Chesapeake　Bay；　near　Hampton　Roads；　the　United　States　had　collected　a　fleet　of　wooden　ships；　some　of　them　old…style　sailing…vessels；　others　steamers。　The　Confederates　were　known　to　be　building　a　great　iron…clad　ram；　and　the　wooden　vessels　were　eagerly　watching　for　her　appearance　when　she　should　come　out　of　Gosport　Harbor。　Her　powers　and　capacity　were　utterly　unknown。　She　was　made　out　of　the　former　United　States　steamfrigate　Merrimac；　cut　down　so　as　to　make　her　fore　and　aft　decks　nearly　flat；　and　not　much　above　the　water；　while　the　guns　were　mounted　in　a　covered　central　battery；　with　sloping　flanks。　Her　sides；　deck；　and　battery　were　coated　with　iron；　and　she　was　armed　with　formidable　rifle…guns；　and；　most　important　of　all；　with　a　steel　ram　thrust　out　under　water　forward　from　her　bow。　She　was　commanded　by　a　gallant　and　efficient　officer；　Captain　Buchanan。

It　was　March　8；　1862；　when　the　ram　at　last　made　her　appearance　within　sight　of　the　Union　fleet。　The　day　was　calm　and　very　clear；　so　that　the　throngs　of　spectators　on　shore　could　see　every　feature　of　the　battle。　With　the　great　ram　came　three　light　gunboats；　all　of　which　took　part　in　the　action；　haraising　the　vessels　which　she　assailed；　but　they　were　not　factors　of　importance　in　the　fight。　On　the　Union　side　the　vessels　nearest　were　the　sailing…ships　Cumberland　and　Congress；　and　the　steam…frigate　Minnesota。　The　Congress　and　Cumberland　were　anchored　not　far　from　each　other；　the　Minnesota　got　aground；　and　was　some　distance　off。　Owing　to　the　currents　and　shoals　and　the　lack　of　wind；　no　other　vessel　was　able　to　get　up　in　time　to　take　a　part　in　the　fight。

As　soon　as　the　ram　appeared；　out　of　the　harbor；　she　turned　and　steamed　toward　the　Congress　and　the　Cumberland；　the　black　smoke　rising　from　her　funnels；　and　the　great　ripples　running　from　each　side　of　her　iron　prow　as　she　drove　steadily　through　the　still　waters。　On　board　of　the　Congress　and　Cumberland　there　was　eager　anticipation；　but　not　a　particle　of　fear。　The　officers　in　command；　Captain　Smith　and　Lieutenant　Morris；　were　two　of　the　most　gallant　men　in　a　service　where　gallantry　has　always　been　too　common　to　need　special　comment。　The　crews　were　composed　of　veterans；　well　trained；　self…confident；　and　proud　beyond　measure　of　the　flag　whose　honor　they　upheld。　The　guns　were　run　out；　and　the　men　stood　at　quarters；　while　the　officers　eagerly　conned　the　approaching　ironclad。　The　Congress　was　the　first　to　open　fire；　and；　as　her　volleys　flew；　the　men　on　the　Cumberland　were　astounded　to　see　the　cannon…shot　bound　off　the　sloping　sides　of　the　ram　as　hailstones　bound　from　a　windowpane。　The　ram　answered；　and　her　rifle…shells　tore　the　sides　of　the　Congress；　but　for　her　first　victim　she　aimed　at　the　Cumberland；　and；　firing　her　bow　guns；　came　straight　as　an　arrow　at　the　little　sloop…of…war；　which　lay　broadside　to　her。

It　was　an　absolutely　hopeless　struggle。　The　Cumberland　was　a　sailing…ship；　at　anchor；　with　wooden　sides；　and　a　battery　of　light　guns。　Against　the　formidable　steam　ironclad；　with　her　heavy　rifles　and　steel　ram；　she　was　as　powerless　as　if　she　had　been　a　rowboat；　and　from　the　moment　the　men　saw　the　cannon…shot　bound　from　the　ram's　sides　they　knew　they　were　doomed。　But　none　of　them　flinched。　Once　and　again　they　fired　their　guns　full　against　the　approaching　ram；　and　in　response　received　a　few　shells　from　the　great　bow…rifles　of　the　latter。　Then；　forging　ahead；　the　Merrimac　struck　her　antagonist　with　her　steel　prow；　and　the　sloop…of…war　reeled　and　shuddered；　and　through　the　great　rent　in　her　side　the　black　water　rushed。　She　foundered　in　a　few　minutes；　but　her　crew　fought　her　to　the　last；　cheering　as　they　ran　out　the　guns；　and　sending　shot　after　shot　against　the　ram　as　the　latter　backed　off　after　delivering　her　blow。　The　rush　of　the　water　soon　swamped　the　lower　decks；　but　the　men　above　continued　to　serve　their　guns　until　the　upper　deck　also　was　awash；　and　the　vessel　had　not　ten　seconds　of　life　left。　Then；　with　her　flags　flying；　her　men　cheering；　and　her　guns　firing；　the　Cumberland　sank。　It　was　shallow　where　she　settled　down；　so　that　her　masts　remained　above　the　water。　The　glorious　flag　for　which　the　brave　men　aboard　her　had　died　flew　proudly　in　the　wind　all　that　day；　while　the　fight　went　on；　and　throughout　the　night；　and　next　morning　it　was　still　streaming　over　the　beautiful　bay；　to　mark　the　resting…place　of　as　gallant　a　vessel　as　ever　sailed　or　fought　on　the　high　seas。

After　the　Cumberland　sank；　the　ram　turned　her　attention　to　the　Congress。　Finding　it　difficult　to　get　to　her　in　the　shoal　water；　she　began　to　knock　her　to　pieces　with　her　great　rifle…guns。　The　unequal　fight　between　the　ironclad　and　the　wooden　ship　lasted　for　perhaps　half　an　hour。　By　that　time　the　commander　of　the　Congress　had　been　killed；　and　her　decks　looked　like　a　slaughterhouse。　She　was　utterly　unable　to　make　any　impression　on　her　foe；　and　finally　she　took　fire　and　blew　up。　The　Minnesota　was　the　third　victim　marked　for　destruction；　and　the　Merrimac　began　the　attack　upon　her　at　once；　but　it　was　getting　very　late；　and　as　the　water　was　shoal　and　she　could　not　get　close；　the　rain　finally　drew　back　to　her　anchorage；　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　th