In popular view, both Bragg and Beauregard were on probation2 as yet; and it was thought that upon the management of their respective operations depended their status in the regular army. All was activity, drill and practice in this camp; and if the army of Pensacola was not a perfectly3-disciplined one, the fault certainly was not with its general.
The day we reached camp the President and Secretary of the Navy came down from Montgomery on a special train for an inspection4. They were accompanied only by one or two officers, and had a long and earnest conference with General Bragg at his headquarters. After that there was a review of the army; and the then novel sight was made peculiarly effective by surroundings.
On the level, white beach, glistening5 in the afternoon sun, were drawn6 up the best volunteer organizations of the South—line upon line, as far as the eye could reach—their bright uniforms, glancing muskets7 and waving banners giving color to the view. Far in the rear the fringed woods made dim background; while between, regular rows of white tents—laid out in regiments9 and company streets—dotted the plain.
Out in the foreground stretched the blue waters of Pensacola harbor—the sun lighting10 up the occasional foam-crests into evanescent diamonds—the grim fortress11 frowning darkly on the rebellious12 display, while a full band on the parapet played the "Star Spangled Banner." Over to the left, half hidden under the rolling sand hills, stood Pensacola, with the navy yard and hospitals; and yellow little Fort McRea, saucy13 and rebellious, balanced it on the extreme right.
As the President, with the general and his staff, galloped14 down the line, the band of each regiment8 struck up; and the wildest huzzas—not even restrained by the presence of their "incarnate15 discipline"—told how firm a hold Mr. Davis had taken upon the hearts of the army.
By the time the review was over twilight16 had fallen; and a thousand camp-fires sprang up among the tents, with flickering17, uncertain light. In it sat groups preparing their suppers and discussing what the visit and review might mean. Some said it was for the secretary to inspect the navy yard; some to examine into the defenses of the fort; and some said that it meant scaling ladders and a midnight assault.
That night we had a jolly time of it in an Alabama captain's tent—with songs, cards and whisky punch, such as only "Mac" could brew18. Even "the colonel" confessed himself beaten at his great trick; and in compliment drank tumbler after tumbler. As we walked over to our tent in the early mist before dawn, he said:
"Egad! there's mischief19 brewing—mischief, sir! The seat of war's to be removed to Virginia and the capital to Richmond!"
I stopped and looked at the colonel. Was it the punch?
"That's what the council this evening meant?"
"Just so. Bragg remains20, but part of his garrison21 goes to Beauregard, in Virginia. Trains to Montgomery will be jammed now, so we'd better be off. And, egad, sir! I'm to get ready for the field. Yes, sir, for the field!"
Next morning the information that had filtered to me through the colonel's punch was announced in orders, and enthusiastic cheers greeted the news that some of the troops were to go to a field promising22 active service and speedily at that.
The routine of camp life had already begun to pall23 upon the better class of men, and all were equally anxious to go where they could prove more clearly how ready they were to do their devoir.
Some Alabamians, two Georgia regiments, the Chasseurs-à-pied, the "Tigers" and the Zouaves were to go to Virginia; and through the courtesy of the officers of the latter corps24, we got seats to Montgomery in their car; two days later.
Meantime, all was hum and bustle25 through the whole camp, and as the limited rolling stock on the still unfinished railroad could only accommodate a regiment at a time, they left at all hours of the day, or night, that the trains arrived. Constantly at midnight the dull tramp of marching men and the slow tap of the drum, passing our quarters, roused us from sleep; and whatever the hour, the departing troops were escorted to the station by crowds of half-envious comrades, who "were left out in the cold." And as the trains started—box cars, flats and tenders all crowded, inside and out—yell after yell went up in stentorian26 chorus, echoing through the still woods, in place of
"That sweet old word, good-bye!"
One gray dawn, six hundred Zouaves filed out of the pines and got aboard our train. They were a splendid set of animals; medium sized, sunburnt, muscular and wiry as Arabs; and a long, swingy gait told of drill and endurance. But the faces were dull and brutish, generally; and some of them would vie, for cunning villainy, with the features of the prettiest Turcos that Algeria could produce.
The uniform was very picturesque27 and very—dirty. Full, baggy28, scarlet29 trowsers, confined round the waist by the broad, blue band or sash, bearing the bowie-knife and meeting, at mid-leg, the white gaiter; blue shirt cut very low and exhibiting the brawny30, sunburnt throat; jacket heavily braided and embroidered31, flying loosely off the shoulders, and the jaunty32 fez, surmounting33 the whole, made a bright ensemble34 that contrasted prettily35 with the gray and silver of the South Carolinians, or the rusty36 brown of the Georgians, who came in crowds to see them off.
But the use of these uniforms about the grease and dust of Pensacola camp-fires had left marks that these soldiers considered badges of honor, not to be removed.
Nor were they purer morally. Graduates of the slums of New Orleans, their education in villainy was naturally perfect. They had the vaguest ideas of meum and tuum; and small personal difficulties were usually settled by the convincing argument of a bowie-knife, or brass37 knuckle38.
Yet they had been brought to a very perfect state of drill and efficiency. All commands were given in French—the native tongue of nearly all the officers and most of the men; and, in cases of insubordination, the former had no hesitancy in a free use of the revolver. A wonderful peacemaker is your six-shooter.
They might be splendid fellows for a charge on the "Pet Lambs," or on a—pocket; but, on the whole, were hardly the men one would choose for partners in any business but a garroting firm, or would desire to have sleep in the company bedroom.
Their officers we found of a class entirely39 above them; active, bright, enthusiastic Frenchmen, with a frank courtesy and soldierly bearing that were very taking. They occupied the rear car of the train, while the men filled the forward ones, making the woods ring with their wild yells, and the roaring chorus of the song of the Zou-Zou.
We had crossed the gap at Garland, where the road was yet unfinished, and were soon at the breakfast house, where we mounted the hill in a body; leaving our car perfectly empty, save a couple of buglers who stood on the platform. As I looked back, the elder musician was a most perfect picture of the Turco. He had served in Algiers, and after the war in Italy brought a bullet in his leg to New Orleans. He was long past fifty—spare, broad-shouldered and hard as a log of oak. His sharp features were bronzed to the richest mahogany color, and garnished42 with a moustache and peak of grizzled hair "a cubit and a span"—or nearly—in length. And the short, grizzled hair had been shaved far back from his prominent temples, giving a sinister43 and grotesque44 effect to his naturally hard face. Turc was a favorite with the officers, and his dress was rather cleaner than that of the others; a difference that was hardly an improvement.
We were just seated at breakfast—and having a special train we took our time—when a wild scream of the whistle, succeeded immediately by the heavy rumble45 of cars, came up the hill. We rushed to the windows, just in time to see a column of smoke disappearing round the curve and the officers' car standing46 solitary47 and empty on the road.
The Zouaves had run away with the train!
The language the officers used, as we surrounded the "sole survivors"—the two buglers—was, at least, strong; and short, hard words not in the church service dropped frequently from their lips.
It was no use; the train had gone and the men with it, and the best we could do was to speculate on the intention of the runaways48, while we waited the result of the telegrams sent to both ends of the line for another engine. At last it came puffing49 up, and we whirled at its full speed into Montgomery.
Meanwhile the Zou-Zous had several hours' start. Led by one ardent50 spirit—whose motto had been similia similibus, until he lost his balance of mind—they had uncoupled the officers' car and forced the engineers to take them on. On arriving at Montgomery, they wandered over the town, "going through" drinking houses until they became wild with liquor; then bursting open the groceries to get whisky, threatening the citizens and even entering private houses. The alarm became so great, as the Zouaves became more maddened, that the first Georgia regiment was ordered out and stationed by platoons, with loaded muskets and fixed51 bayonets, across the streets where the rioters were. Serious trouble was beginning, when the car with their officers dashed into the depot52.
The charge of the Light Brigade was surpassed by those irate53 Creoles. With the cars still in rapid motion, they leaped off, revolver in hand; and charged into the quarter where their drunken men were still engaged in every sort of excess. The old bugler41 still trotted54 at their head, his black eyes gleaming at the prospect55 of a row, and his bugle40 occasionally raised to sound the "rally." Into the midst of the drunken and yelling crowd dashed the officers; crackling French oaths rolling over their tongues with a snapping intonation56, and their pistols whirling right and left like slung-shot, and dropping a mutineer at every blow. Habit and the rough usage overcame even the drunken frenzy57 of the men, and they dropped the plunder58 from their arms, snatched muskets from the corners they had been whirled into, and rapidly dressed into line in the street.
I saw one beardless boy, slight and small, rush to a huge sergeant59 and order him into ranks. The soldier, a perfect giant, hesitated to drop the handful of shoes he had seized, only for a second. But that was enough. The youth had to jump from the ground to seize his throat; but, at the same moment, the stock of the heavy revolver crashed over his temple, and he fell like a stricken ox.
"Roll that carrion60 into the street!" said the lieutenant61 to another soldier near; and before his order was obeyed the store was empty.
In a half hour from the officers' arrival the battalion62 was mustered63 on Main street, and only nine absentees were reported at roll-call; but many a fez was drawn far down over a bleeding forehead, and many a villainous countenance64 was lighted by one eye, while the other was closed and swollen65.
The colonel and I had jumped from the car and run on with our French friends; but the colonel was not the son of Atalanta, and by reason of a soup?on of gout his feet were not beautiful upon Zion or any other place. Neither could he make them "swift to shed blood."
As we entered the street where the rioters were, I turned and saw him, perfectly breathless, bear his two hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois against a door. It was not closed, but had only been slammed by the score of Zou-Zous enjoying the whisky within; and as I looked I saw a dignified66 colonel in the C.S. army turn a complete somersault into a group of red-legged devils, who immediately closed around him.
Gabriel Ravel, though a lighter67 man, never made a cleaner leap through the third story in the side-scene; but there was no time to waste and I went back at speed. I had scarcely turned when I saw the colonel's huge form tower among the red-legs. By the time I reached the door my apparition68, revolver in hand, completed what he had begun; and they slipped by and vanished.
Luckily the bar of the door had fallen with him, and the old gymnastics of other days coming back like a flash, he had seized it, made two rapid blows and laid as many of his assailants at his feet; roaring, meanwhile, oaths as thunderous as they were unintelligible69.
"Sacré-é nom!" he shouted as he saw me; "shoot 'em, me boy! Poltrons, egad! Laugh at me! D——n their eyes! Can-n-naille!"
There was a wicked light in my fat friend's eye, and he had recovered his second wind; so we sallied out, the colonel still clinging to his weapon of chance.
"Good enough for these dogs!" he roared, wrathfully shaking the bar. "Saves the pistol."
That night at "the Ranche," as later about many a camp-fire, our French visitors declared that the colonel's bar had done more effective service than their revolvers; and, as it stood dented70 and blood-smeared in the corner of that vine-clad porch, it did not belie71 their praise.
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1
rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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2
probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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3
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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4
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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6
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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7
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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8
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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10
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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12
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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13
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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14
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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15
incarnate
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| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
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16
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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17
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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18
brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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19
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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20
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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22
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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23
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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24
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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25
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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26
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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27
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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28
baggy
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| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
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29
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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30
brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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31
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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32
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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33
surmounting
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| 战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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34
ensemble
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| n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果 | |
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35
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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36
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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37
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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38
knuckle
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| n.指节；vi.开始努力工作；屈服，认输 | |
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39
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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40
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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41
bugler
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| 喇叭手； 号兵； 吹鼓手； 司号员 | |
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42
garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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44
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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45
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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46
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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47
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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48
runaways
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| （轻而易举的）胜利( runaway的名词复数 ) | |
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49
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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50
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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51
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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52
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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53
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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54
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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55
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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56
intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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57
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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58
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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59
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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60
carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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61
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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62
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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63
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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64
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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65
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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66
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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67
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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68
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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69
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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70
dented
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| v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等） | |
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belie
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| v.掩饰，证明为假 | |
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