hero tales from american history- 第26部分

The　following　winter　he　was　ordered　to　Boston；　to　recruit　a　regiment　of　cavalry；　of　which　he　was　appointed　colonel。　While　the　recruiting　was　going　on；　a　serious　mutiny　broke　out；　but　the　man　who；　like　Cromwell's　soldiers；　〃rejoiced　greatly〃　in　the　day　of　battle　was　entirely　capable　of　meeting　this　different　trial。　He　shot　the　ringleader　dead；　and　by　the　force　of　his　own　strong　will　quelled　the　outbreak　completely　and　at　once。

In　May；　he　went　to　Virginia　with　his　regiment；　where　he　was　engaged　in　resisting　and　following　Mosby；　and　the　following　summer　he　was　opposed　to　General　Early　in　the　neighborhood　of　Washington。　On　July　14；　when　on　a　reconnoissance　his　advance　guard　was　surprised；　and　he　met　them　retreating　in　wild　confusion；　with　the　enemy　at　their　heels。　Riding　into　the　midst　of　the　fugitives；　Lowell　shouted；　〃Dismount！〃　The　sharp　word　of　command；　the　presence　of　the　man　himself；　and　the　magic　of　discipline　prevailed。　The　men　sprang　down；　drew　up　in　line；　received　the　enemy；　with　a　heavy　fire；　and　as　the　assailants　wavered；　Lowell　advanced　at　once；　and　saved　the　day。

In　July；　he　was　put　in　command　of　the　〃Provisional　Brigade；〃　and　joined　the　army　of　the　Shenandoah；　of　which　in　August　General　Sheridan　took　command。　He　was　so　struck　with　Lowell's　work　during　the　next　month　that　in　September　he　put　him　in　command　of　the　〃Reserved　Brigade；〃　a　very　fine　body　of　cavalry　and　artillery。　In　the　fierce　and　continuous　fighting　that　ensued　Lowell　was　everywhere　conspicuous；　and　in　thirteen　weeks　he　had　as　many　horses　shot　under　him。　But　he　now　had　scope　to　show　more　than　the　dashing　gallantry　which　distinguished　him　always　and　everywhere。　His　genuine　military　ability；　which　surely　would　have　led　him　to　the　front　rank　of　soldiers　had　his　life　been　spared；　his　knowledge；　vigilance；　and　nerve　all　now　became　apparent。　One　brilliant　action　succeeded　another；　but　the　end　was　drawing　near。　It　came　at　last　on　the　famous　day　of　Cedar　Creek；　when　Sheridan　rode　down　from　Winchester　and　saved　the　battle。　Lowell　had　advanced　early　in　the　morning　on　the　right；　and　his　attack　prevented　the　disaster　on　that　wing　which　fell　upon　the　surprised　army。　He　then　moved　to　cover　the　retreat；　and　around　to　the　extreme　left；　where　he　held　his　position　near　Middletown　against　repeated　assaults。　Early　in　the　day　his　last　horse　was　shot　under　him；　and　a　little　later；　in　a　charge　at　one　o'clock；　he　was　struck　in　the　right　breast　by　a　spent　ball；　which　embedded　itself　in　the　muscles　of　the　chest。　Voice　and　strength　left　him。　〃It　is　only　my　poor　lung；〃　he　announced；　as　they　urged　him　to　go　to　the　rear；　〃you　would　not　have　me　leave　the　field　without　having　shed　blood。〃　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　〃poor〃　lung　had　collapsed；　and　there　was　an　internal　hemorrhage。　He　lay　thus；　under　a　rude　shelter；　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　then　came　the　order　to　advance　along　the　whole　line；　the　victorious　advance　of　Sheridan　and　the　rallied　army。　Lowell　was　helped　to　his　saddle。　〃I　feel　well　now；〃　he　whispered；　and；　giving　his　orders　through　one　of　his　staff；　had　his　brigade　ready　first。　Leading　the　great　charge；　he　dashed　forward；　and；　just　when　the　fight　was　hottest；　a　sudden　cry　went　up：　〃The　colonel　is　hit！〃　He　fell　from　the　saddle；　struck　in　the　neck　by　a　ball　which　severed　the　spine；　and　was　borne　by　his　officers　to　a　house　in　the　village；　where；　clear　in　mind　and　calm　in　spirit；　he　died　a　few　hours　afterward。

〃I　do　not　think　there　was　a　quality；〃　said　General　Sheridan；　〃which　I　could　have　added　to　Lowell。　He　was　the　perfection　of　a　man　and　a　soldier。〃　On　October　19；　the　very　day　on　which　he　fell；　his　commission　was　signed　to　be　a　brigadier…general。

This　was　a　noble　life　and　a　noble　death；　worthy　of　much　thought　and　admiration　from　all　men。　Yet　this　is　not　all。　It　is　well　for　us　to　see　how　such　a　man　looked　upon　what　he　was　doing；　and　what　it　meant　to　him。　Lowell　was　one　of　the　silent　heroes　so　much　commended　by　Carlyle。　He　never　wrote　of　himself　or　his　own　exploits。　As　some　one　well　said；　he　had　〃the　impersonality　of　genius。〃　But　in　a　few　remarkable　passages　in　his　private　letters；　we　can　see　how　the　meaning　of　life　and　of　that　great　time　unrolled　itself　before　his　inner　eyes。　In　June；　1861；　he　wrote：

I　cannot　say　I　take　any　great　pleasure　in　the　contemplation　of　the　future。　I　fancy　you　feel　much　as　I　do　about　the　profitableness　of　a　soldier's　life；　and　would　not　think　of　trying　it；　were　it　not　for　a　muddled　and　twisted　idea　that　somehow　or　other　this　fight　was　going　to　be　one　in　which　decent　men　ought　to　engage　for　the　sake　of　humanity；I　use　the　word　in　its　ordinary　sense。　It　seems　to　me　that　within　a　year　the　slavery　question　will　again　take　a　prominent　place；　and　that　many　cases　will　arise　in　which　we　may　get　fearfully　in　the　wrong　if　we　put　our　cause　wholly　in　the　hands　of　fighting　men　and　foreign　legions。

In　June；　1863；　he　wrote：

I　wonder　whether　my　theories　about　self…culture；　etc。；　would　ever　have　been　modified　so　much；　whether　I　should　ever　have　seen　what　a　necessary　failure　they　lead　to；　had　it　not　been　for　this　war。　Now　I　feel　every　day；　more　and　more；　that　a　man　has　no　right　to　himself　at　all；　that；　indeed；　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