Military success and military success alone could save the administration at Washington. George B. McClellan, the most popular general of the union army, was already slated7 to oppose Lincoln on a platform demanding peace.
If the South could hold her own until the first Monday in November, the opposition to the war in the North would crush the administration and peace would be had at the price of Southern independence.
No man in America understood the tense situation more clearly than Jefferson Davis. His agents in the North kept him personally informed of every movement of the political chess board. Personally he had never believed in the possibility of the South winning in a conflict of arms since the death of Jackson had been given its full significance in the battle of Gettysburg. He had however believed in the possibility of the party of the North which stood for the old Constitution winning an election on the issue of a bloody8 and unsuccessful war and, on their winning, that he could open negotiations9 for peace and gain every point for which the war had been fought. It all depended on the battles of the coming spring and summer.
Grant, the new Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the union, had been given a free hand with unlimited10 resources of men and money. He was now directing the movements of nearly a million soldiers in blue.
Sherman was drilling under his orders an army of a hundred thousand with which to march into Georgia—while Grant himself would direct the movement of a quarter of a million men in his invasion of Virginia.
The Confederate President saw at once that Lee's army must be raised to its highest point of efficiency and that it was of equal importance that Joseph E. Johnston should be given as many or more men with which to oppose Sherman.
To allow for Johnston's feeble strategy, Davis sent him 68,000 soldiers to Dalton, Georgia, to meet Sherman's 100,000 and gave Lee 64,000 with which to oppose Grant's 150,000 threatening to cross the Rapidan and move directly on Richmond.
Socola had informed the War Department at Washington that the Confederate Capital had been stripped of any semblance11 of an effective garrison12 to fill the ranks of Lee and Johnston.
General Judson Kilpatrick was authorized13 to select three thousand picked cavalry14, dash suddenly on Richmond, capture it and release the 15,000 union prisoners confined in its walls and stockades15.
These prisoners Grant steadily16 refused to receive in exchange. In vain Davis besought17 the Federal Government to take them home in return for an equal number of Confederate prisoners who were freezing and dying in the North.
Grant's logic18 was inexorable. Every Confederate prisoner exchanged and sent back home meant a recruit to Lee's army. It was cruel to leave his men to languish19 in beleaguered20 Richmond whose citizens were rioting in the streets for bread, but he figured these prisoners as soldiers dying in battle. The Confederate Government had no medicine for them. The blockade was drawn21 so tight scarcely an ounce of medicine could be obtained for the Confederate army. Davis offered the Washington Government to let their own surgeons come to Richmond and carry medicine and food to their prisoners. His request was refused.
The only thing Grant conceded was his consent to Kilpatrick's attempt to free and arm these 15,000 prisoners and loose them with fire and sword in the streets of the Confederate Capital.
Little did the men, women and children of Richmond dream that they were lying down each night to sleep on the thin crust of a volcano.
Captain Welford in the pursuit of Socola and Miss Van Lew had found that the woman on Church Hill persisted in her visits to the prisons. Libby, which contained a number of union officers of rank, was her favorite.
On the last day of February his patient watch was rewarded. He had placed a spy in Libby disguised as a captive union soldier.
This man had sent the Captain an urgent message to communicate with him at once. Within thirty minutes Welford confronted him in the guardroom of the prison.
The Captain spoke23 in sharp nervous tones:
"Well?"
"I've something big—"
He paused and glanced about the room.
"Go on!"
"There's a plot on foot inside to escape—"
"Of course. They're always plotting to escape—we've no real prison system—no discipline. Hundreds have escaped already. It's nothing new—"
"This is new," the spy went on eagerly, "They let me into their councils last night. There's going to be a big raid on Richmond—the men inside are going to fight their way out, arm themselves and burn the city. When they get the signal from the outside they'll batter24 down the walls and rush through—"
"Batter down the walls?"
"Yes, sir—"
"How?"
"They've loosed two big rafters and have them ready to use as battering25 rams—"
"You're sure of this?"
"Sure's God's in heaven. Go in and see for yourself—"
Captain Welford gave a low whistle.
"This is big news. There are enough prisoners in Richmond to make an army corps—eleven hundred in here—twenty-five hundred at Crew and Pemberton's—at Belle26 Isle27 and the other stockades at least fifteen thousand in all. They are guarded by a handful of men. If they realize their power, they can batter their way out in five minutes and sweep the city with blood and fire—"
He stopped suddenly, drew a deep breath and turned again to the man.
"That'll do for you here. Take a little rest. You'd as well go back into a lion's den1 when they find out that I know. They'd spot you sure and tear you limb from limb."
The spy saluted28.
"Report to me a week from to-day at the office. You've earned a vacation."
The man saluted again and passed quickly out.
Captain Welford asked the Superintendent29 to call his prisoners together.
"I have something to say to them."
A thousand silent men in blue were gathered in the assembly room of the old warehouse30.
Captain Welford boldly entered the place carrying a box in his hand. He placed it on the floor, sprang on it and lifted his hand over the crowd:
"I've an announcement to make, gentlemen," he began quietly amid a silence that was death like. "The Department which I represent has learned that you are planning to batter down the walls and join a force of raiders who are on the way to capture Richmond—"
He paused and a murmur31 of smothered32 despair, inarticulate, bitter, crept through the crowd.
"To forestall33 this little scheme, I have planted a thousand pounds of powder under this building. I have mined every other prison. The first one of you that lifts his finger to escape gives the signal that will blow you into Eternity—"
Dick stepped from the box and made his way out without another word. He could feel the wild heart beat of baffled hope as they followed him to the door with despairing eyes.
A murmur of sickening rage swept the prison. An ominous34 silence fell where hope had beat high.
The same strategic announcement was made in every prison in Richmond. No mines had been laid. But the story served its purpose. Fifteen thousand men were bound hand and foot by fear. Three hundred soldiers guarded them successfully. Not a finger was lifted to help their bold rescuers who were already dashing toward the city.
Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was crossing the James above Richmond to strike from the south side, while General Kilpatrick led the attack direct from the north, Dahlgren crossed the river at Ely's Ford22, passed in the rear of Lee's army, captured a Confederate court martial35 in session, but missed a park of sixty-eight pieces of artillery36 which had been left unguarded.
When they again reached the James at Davis' Mill, where a ford was supposed to be, none could be found. Stanton had sent from Washington a negro guide. They accused the negro of treachery and hung him from the nearest limb without the formality of a drumhead court martial.
At dawn on March first, Bradley Johnson's cavalry, guarding Lee's flank, struck one of Kilpatrick's parties and drove them in on the main body. They pursued Kilpatrick's men through Ashland and down to the outer defenses of Richmond.
Hero the raiders dismounted their twenty-five hundred men and prepared to attack the entrenchments. Wade38 Hampton immediately moved out to meet him. Bradley Johnson's Marylanders drew up in Kilpatrick's rear at the same moment, and captured five men bearing dispatches from Dahlgren. He would attack on the rear at sunset. He asked Kilpatrick to strike at the same moment.
Johnson boldly charged Kilpatrick's rear with his handful of men and drove him headlong down the Peninsula to the York River. The Confederate leader had but seventy-five men and two pieces of artillery but he hung on Kilpatrick's division of twenty-five hundred and captured a hundred and forty prisoners.
Dahlgren at night with but four hundred men boldly attacked the defenses on the north side of the city. He was met by a company of Richmond boys under eighteen years of age. The youngsters gave such good account of themselves that he withdrew from the field, leaving forty of his men dead and wounded.
In his retreat down the Peninsula, he failed to find Kilpatrick's division. His command was cut to pieces and captured and Dahlgren himself killed.
The part which Socola had played in this raid was successfully accomplished39 without a hitch40. He was compelled to answer the drum which called every clerk of his Department to arms for the defense37 of the city. In the darkness he succeeded in pressing into Dahlgren's lines and on his retreat made his way back to his place in the ranks of the Confederates.
It was a little thing which betrayed him after the real danger was past and brought him face to face with Jennie Barton.
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1
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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2
reviled
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| v.辱骂，痛斥( revile的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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encompass
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| vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成 | |
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slated
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| 用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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10
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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11
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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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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13
authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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15
stockades
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| n.（防御用的）栅栏，围桩( stockade的名词复数 ) | |
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16
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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17
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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19
languish
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| vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎 | |
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20
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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21
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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22
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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23
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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24
batter
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| v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员 | |
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25
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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26
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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28
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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29
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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30
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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31
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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32
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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33
forestall
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| vt.抢在…之前采取行动；预先阻止 | |
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34
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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35
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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36
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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37
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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38
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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39
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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40
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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