Of course his interest in the war and in the regiment8 was unbounded; he did not take to drill with especial readiness, but he was insatiable of it, and grudged10 every moment of relaxation11. Indeed, he never had any such moments; his mind was at work all the time, even when he was singing hymns12, of which he had endless store. He was not, however, one of our leading religionists, but his moral code was solid and reliable, like his mental processes. Ignorant as he was, the "years that bring the philosophic13 mind" had yet been his, and most of my young officers seemed boys beside him. He was a Florida man, and had been chiefly employed in lumbering14 and piloting on the St. Mary's River, which divides Florida from Georgia. Down this stream he had escaped in a "dug-out," and after thus finding the way, had returned (as had not a few of my men in other cases) to bring away wife and child. "I wouldn't have left my child, Cunnel," he said, with an emphasis that sounded the depths of his strong nature. And up this same river he was always imploring16 to be allowed to guide an expedition.
Many other men had rival propositions to urge, for they gained self-confidence from drill and guard-duty, and were growing impatient of inaction. "Ought to go to work, Sa,—don't believe in we lyin' in camp eatin' up de perwisions." Such were the quaint18 complaints, which I heard with joy. Looking over my note-books of that period, I find them filled with topographical memoranda19, jotted20 down by a flickering21 candle, from the evening talk of the men,—notes of vulnerable points along the coast, charts of rivers, locations of pickets23. I prized these conversations not more for what I thus learned of the country than for what I learned of the men. One could thus measure their various degrees of accuracy and their average military instinct; and I must say that in every respect, save the accurate estimate of distances, they stood the test well. But no project took my fancy so much, after all, as that of the delegate from the St. Mary's River.
The best peg24 on which to hang an expedition in the Department of the South, in those days, was the promise of lumber15. Dwelling25 in the very land of Southern pine, the Department authorities had to send North for it, at a vast expense. There was reported to be plenty in the enemy's country, but somehow the colored soldiers were the only ones who had been lucky enough to obtain any, thus far, and the supply brought in by our men, after flooring the tents of the white regiments26 and our own, was running low. An expedition of white troops, four companies, with two steamers and two schooners27, had lately returned empty-handed, after a week's foraging28; and now it was our turn. They said the mills were all burned; but should we go up the St. Mary's, Corporal Sutton was prepared to offer more lumber than we had transportation to carry. This made the crowning charm of his suggestion. But there is never any danger of erring29 on the side of secrecy30, in a military department; and I resolved to avoid all undue31 publicity32 for our plans, by not finally deciding on any until we should get outside the bar. This was happily approved by my superior officers, Major-General Hunter and Brigadier-General Saxton; and I was accordingly permitted to take three steamers, with four hundred and sixty-two officers and men, and two or three invited guests, and go down the coast on my own responsibility. We were, in short, to win our spurs; and if, as among the Araucanians, our spurs were made of lumber, so much the better. The whole history of the Department of the South had been defined as "a military picnic," and now we were to take our share of the entertainment.
It seemed a pleasant share, when, after the usual vexations and delays, we found ourselves (January 23, 1863) gliding33 down the full waters of Beaufort River, the three vessels34 having sailed at different hours, with orders to rendezvous36 at St. Simon's Island, on the coast of Georgia. Until then, the flagship, so to speak, was to be the "Ben De Ford37," Captain Hallet,—this being by far the largest vessel35, and carrying most of the men. Major Strong was in command upon the "John Adams," an army gunboat, carrying a thirty-pound Parrott gun, two ten-pound Parrotts, and an eight-inch howitzer. Captain Trowbridge (since promoted Lieutenant38-Colonel of the regiment) had charge of the famous "Planter," brought away from the Rebels by Robert Small; she carried a ten-pound Parrott gun, and two howitzers. The John Adams was our main reliance. She was an old East Boston ferry-boat, a "double-ender," admirable for river-work, but unfit for sea-service. She drew seven feet of water; the Planter drew only four; but the latter was very slow, and being obliged to go to St. Simon's by an inner passage, would delay us from the beginning. She delayed us so much, before the end, that we virtually parted company, and her career was almost entirely39 separated from our own.
From boyhood I have had a fancy for boats, and have seldom been without a share, usually more or less fractional, in a rather indeterminate number of punts and wherries. But when, for the first time, I found myself at sea as Commodore of a fleet of armed steamers,—for even the Ben De Ford boasted a six-pounder or so,—it seemed rather an unexpected promotion40. But it is a characteristic of army life, that one adapts one's self, as coolly as in a dream, to the most novel responsibilities. One sits on court-martial, for instance, and decides on the life of a fellow-creature, without being asked any inconvenient41 questions as to previous knowledge of Blackstone; and after such an experience, shall one shrink from wrecking42 a steamer or two in the cause of the nation? So I placidly43 accepted my naval44 establishment, as if it were a new form of boat-club, and looked over the charts, balancing between one river and another, as if deciding whether to pull up or down Lake Quinsigamond. If military life ever contemplated45 the exercise of the virtue46 of humility47 under any circumstances this would perhaps have been a good opportunity to begin its practice. But as the "Regulations" clearly contemplated nothing of the kind, and as I had never met with any precedent48 which looked in that direction, I had learned to check promptly49 all such weak proclivities50.
Captain Hallett proved the most frank and manly51 of sailors, and did everything for our comfort. He was soon warm in his praises of the demeanor52 of our men, which was very pleasant to hear, as this was the first time that colored soldiers in any number had been conveyed on board a transport, and I know of no place where a white volunteer appears to so much disadvantage. His mind craves53 occupation, his body is intensely uncomfortable, the daily emergency is not great enough to call out his heroic qualities, and he is apt to be surly, discontented, and impatient even of sanitary55 rules. The Southern black soldier, on the other hand, is seldom sea-sick (at least, such is my experience), and, if properly managed, is equally contented54, whether idle or busy; he is, moreover, so docile57 that all needful rules are executed with cheerful acquiescence58, and the quarters can therefore be kept clean and wholesome59. Very forlorn faces were soon visible among the officers in the cabin, but I rarely saw such among the men.
Pleasant still seemed our enterprise, as we anchored at early morning in the quiet waters of St. Simon's Sound, and saw the light fall softly on the beach and the low bluffs60, on the picturesque62 plantation63-houses which nestled there, and the graceful64 naval vessels that lay at anchor before us. When we afterwards landed the air had that peculiar65 Mediterranean66 translucency67 which Southern islands wear; and the plantation we visited had the loveliest tropical garden, though tangled68 and desolate69, which I have ever seen in the South. The deserted70 house was embowered In great blossoming shrubs71, and filled with hyacinthine odors, among which predominated that of the little Chickasaw roses which everywhere bloomed and trailed around. There were fig-trees and date-palms, crape-myrtles and wax-myrtles, Mexican agaves and English ivies72, japonicas, bananas, oranges, lemons, oleanders, jonquils, great cactuses, and wild Florida lilies. This was not the plantation which Mrs. Kemble has since made historic, although that was on the same island; and I could not waste much sentiment over it, for it had belonged to a Northern renegade, Thomas Butler King. Yet I felt then, as I have felt a hundred times since, an emotion of heart-sickness at this desecration73 of a homestead,—and especially when, looking from a bare upper window of the empty house upon a range of broad, flat, sunny roofs, such as children love to play on, I thought how that place might have been loved by yet Innocent hearts, and I mourned anew the sacrilege of war.
I had visited the flag-ship Wabash ere we left Port Royal Harbor, and had obtained a very kind letter of introduction from Admiral Dupont, that stately and courtly potentate74, elegant as one's ideal French marquis; and under these credentials75 I received polite attention from the naval officers at St. Simon's,—Acting76 Volunteer Lieutenant Budd, of the gunboat Potomska, and Acting Master Moses, of the barque Fernandina. They made valuable suggestions in regard to the different rivers along the coast, and gave vivid descriptions of the last previous trip up the St. Mary's undertaken by Captain Stevens, U.S.N., in the gunboat Ottawa, when he had to fight his way past batteries at every bluff61 in descending77 the narrow and rapid stream. I was warned that no resistance would be offered to the ascent78, but only to our return; and was further cautioned against the mistake, then common, of underrating the courage of the Rebels. "It proved impossible to dislodge those fellows from the banks," my informant said; "they had dug rifle-pits, and swarmed79 like hornets, and when fairly silenced in one direction they were sure to open upon us from another." All this sounded alarming, but it was nine months since the event had happened; and although nothing had gone up the river meanwhile, I counted on less resistance now. And something must be risked anywhere.
We were delayed all that day in waiting for our consort80, and improved our time by verifying certain rumors82 about a quantity of new railroad-iron which was said to be concealed83 in the abandoned Rebel forts on St. Simon's and Jekyll Islands, and which would have much value at Port Royal, if we could unearth84 it. Some of our men had worked upon these very batteries, so that they could easily guide us; and by the additional discovery of a large flat-boat we were enabled to go to work in earnest upon the removal of the treasure. These iron bars, surmounted85 by a dozen feet of sand, formed an invulnerable roof for the magazines and bomb-proofs of the fort, and the men enjoyed demolishing86 them far more than they had relished87 their construction. Though the day was the 24th of January, 1863, the sun was very oppressive upon the sands; but all were in the highest spirits, and worked with the greatest zeal88. The men seemed to regard these massive bars as their first trophies89; and if the rails had been wreathed with roses, they could not have been got out in more holiday style. Nearly a hundred were obtained that day, besides a quantity of five-inch plank90 with which to barricade91 the very conspicuous92 pilot-houses of the John Adams. Still another day we were delayed, and could still keep at this work, not neglecting some foraging on the island from which horses, cattle, and agricultural implements93 were to be removed, and the few remaining colored families transferred to Fernandina. I had now become quite anxious about the missing steamboat, as the inner passage, by which alone she could arrive, was exposed at certain points to fire from Rebel batteries, and it would have been unpleasant to begin with a disaster. I remember that, as I stood on deck, in the still and misty94 evening, listening with strained senses for some sound of approach, I heard a low continuous noise from the distance, more wild and desolate than anything in my memory can parallel. It came from within the vast girdle of mist, and seemed like the cry of a myriad95 of lost souls upon the horizon's verge96; it was Dante become audible: and yet it was but the accumulated cries of innumerable seafowl at the entrance of the outer bay.
Late that night the Planter arrived. We left St. Simon's on the following morning, reached Fort Clinch97 by four o'clock, and there transferring two hundred men to the very scanty98 quarters of the John Adams, allowed the larger transport to go into Fernandina, while the two other vessels were to ascend99 the St. Mary's River, unless (as proved inevitable100 in the end) the defects in the boiler101 of the Planter should oblige her to remain behind. That night I proposed to make a sort of trial-trip up stream, as far as Township landing, some fifteen miles, there to pay our respects to Captain Clark's company of cavalry102, whose camp was reported to lie near by. This was included in Corporal Sutton's programme, and seemed to me more inviting103, and far more useful to the men, than any amount of mere104 foraging. The thing really desirable appeared to be to get them under fire as soon as possible, and to teach them, by a few small successes, the application of what they had learned in camp-.
I had ascertained106 that the camp of this company lay five miles from the landing, and was accessible by two roads, one of which was a lumber-path, not commonly used, but which Corporal Sutton had helped to construct, and along which he could easily guide us. The plan was to go by night, surround the house and negro cabins at the landing (to prevent an alarm from being given), then to take the side path, and if all went well, to surprise the camp; but if they got notice of our approach, through their pickets, we should, at worst, have a fight, in which the best man must win.
The moon was bright, and the river swift, but easy of navigation thus far. Just below Township I landed a small advance force, to surround the houses silently. With them went Corporal Sutton; and when, after rounding the point, I went on shore with a larger body of men, he met me with a silent chuckle107 of delight, and with the information that there was a negro in a neighboring cabin who had just come from the Rebel camp, and could give the latest information. While he hunted up this valuable auxiliary108, I mustered109 my detachment, winnowing111 out the men who had coughs (not a few), and sending them ignominiously112 on board again: a process I had regularly to perform, during this first season of catarrh, on all occasions where quiet was needed. The only exception tolerated at this time was in the case of one man who offered a solemn pledge, that, if unable to restrain his cough, he would lie down on the ground, scrape a little hole, and cough into it unheard. The ingenuity113 of this proposition was irresistible114, and the eager patient was allowed to pass muster110.
It was after midnight when we set off upon our excursion. I had about a hundred men, marching by the flank, with a small advanced guard, and also a few flankers, where the ground permitted. I put my Florida company at the head of the column, and had by my side Captain Metcalf, an excellent officer, and Sergeant Mclntyre, his first sergeant. We plunged115 presently in pine woods, whose resinous116 smell I can still remember. Corporal Sutton marched near me, with his captured negro guide, whose first fear and sullenness117 had yielded to the magic news of the President's Proclamation, then just issued, of which Governor Andrew had sent me a large printed supply;—we seldom found men who could read it, but they all seemed to feel more secure when they held it in their hands. We marched on through the woods, with no sound but the peeping of the frogs in a neighboring marsh118, and the occasional yelping119 of a dog, as we passed the hut of some "cracker121." This yelping always made Corporal Sutton uneasy; dogs are the detective officers of Slavery's police.
We had halted once or twice to close up the ranks, and had marched some two miles, seeing and hearing nothing more. I had got all I could out of our new guide, and was striding on, rapt in pleasing contemplation. All had gone so smoothly122 that I had merely to fancy the rest as being equally smooth. Already I fancied our little detachment bursting out of the woods, in swift surprise, upon the Rebel quarters,—already the opposing commander, after hastily firing a charge or two from his revolver (of course above my head), had yielded at discretion123, and was gracefully124 tendering, in a stage attitude, his unavailing sword,—when suddenly—
There was a trampling126 of feet among the advanced guard as they came confusedly to a halt, and almost at the same instant a more ominous127 sound, as of galloping128 horses in the path before us. The moonlight outside the woods gave that dimness of atmosphere within which is more bewildering than darkness, because the eyes cannot adapt themselves to it so well. Yet I fancied, and others aver7, that they saw the leader of an approaching party mounted on a white horse and reining129 up in the pathway; others, again, declare that he drew a pistol from the holster and took aim; others heard the words, "Charge in upon them! Surround them!" But all this was confused by the opening rifle-shots of our advanced guard, and, as clear observation was impossible, I made the men fix their bayonets and kneel in the cover on each side the pathway, and I saw with delight the brave fellows, with Sergeant Mclntyre at their head, settling down in the grass as coolly and warily130 as if wild turkeys were the only game. Perhaps at the first shot a man fell at my elbow. I felt it no more than if a tree had fallen,—I was so busy watching my own men and the enemy, and planning what to do next. Some of our soldiers, misunderstanding the order, "Fix bayonets," were actually charging with them, dashing off into the dim woods, with nothing to charge at but the vanishing tail of an imaginary horse,—for we could really see nothing. This zeal I noted131 with pleasure, and also with anxiety, as our greatest danger was from confusion and scattering133; and for infantry134 to pursue cavalry would be a novel enterprise. Captain Metcalf stood by me well in keeping the men steady, as did Assistant Surgeon Minor135, and Lieutenant, now Captain, Jackson. How the men in the rear were behaving I could not tell,—not so coolly, I afterwards found, because they were more entirely bewildered, supposing, until the shots came, that the column had simply halted for a moment's rest, as had been done once or twice before. They did not know who or where their assailants might be, and the fall of the man beside me created a hasty rumor81 that I was killed, so that it was on the whole an alarming experience for them. They kept together very tolerably, however, while our assailants, dividing, rode along on each side through the open pine-barren, firing into our ranks, but mostly over the heads of the men. My soldiers in turn fired rapidly,—too rapidly, being yet beginners,—and it was evident that, dim as it was, both sides had opportunity to do some execution.
I could hardly tell whether the fight had lasted ten minutes or an hour, when, as the enemy's fire had evidently ceased or slackened, I gave the order to cease firing. But it was very difficult at first to make them desist: the taste of gunpowder136 was too intoxicating137. One of them was heard to mutter, indignantly, "Why de Cunnel order Cease firing, when de Secesh blazin' away at de rate ob ten dollar a day?" Every incidental occurrence seemed somehow to engrave138 itself upon my perceptions, without interrupting the main course of thought. Thus I know, that, in one of the pauses of the affair, there came wailing139 through the woods a cracked female voice, as if calling back some stray husband who had run out to join in the affray, "John, John, are you going to leave me, John? Are you going to let me and the children be killed, John?" I suppose the poor thing's fears of gunpowder were very genuine; but it was such a wailing squeak140, and so infinitely141 ludicrous, and John was probably ensconced so very safely in some hollow tree, that I could see some of the men showing all their white teeth in the very midst of the fight. But soon this sound, with all others, had ceased, and left us in peaceful possession of the field.
I have made the more of this little affair because it was the first stand-up fight in which my men had been engaged, though they had been under fire, in an irregular way, in their small early expeditions. To me personally the event was of the greatest value: it had given us all an opportunity to test each other, and our abstract surmises142 were changed into positive knowledge. Hereafter it was of small importance what nonsense might be talked or written about colored troops; so long as mine did not flinch143, it made no difference to me. My brave young officers, themselves mostly new to danger, viewed the matter much as I did; and yet we were under bonds of life and death to form a correct opinion, which was more than could be said of the Northern editors, and our verdict was proportionately of greater value.
I was convinced from appearances that we had been victorious144, so far, though I could not suppose that this would be the last of it. We knew neither the numbers of the enemy, nor their plans, nor their present condition: whether they had surprised us or whether we had surprised them was all a mystery. Corporal Sutton was urgent to go on and complete the enterprise. All my impulses said the same thing; but then I had the most explicit145 injunctions from General Saxton to risk as little as possible in this first enterprise, because of the fatal effect on public sentiment of even an honorable defeat. We had now an honorable victory, so far as it went; the officers and men around me were in good spirits, but the rest of the column might be nervous; and it seemed so important to make the first fight an entire success, that I thought it wiser to let well alone; nor have I ever changed this opinion. For one's self, Montrose's verse may be well applied146, "To win or lose it all." But one has no right to deal thus lightly with the fortunes of a race, and that was the weight which I always felt as resting on our action. If my raw infantry force had stood unflinchingly a night-surprise from "de boss cavalry," as they reverentially termed them, I felt that a good beginning had been made. All hope of surprising the enemy's camp was now at an end; I was willing and ready to fight the cavalry over again, but it seemed wiser that we, not they, should select the ground.
Attending to the wounded, therefore, and making as we best could stretchers for those who were to be carried, including the remains149 of the man killed at the first discharge (Private William Parsons of Company G), and others who seemed at the point of death, we marched through the woods to the landing,—expecting at every moment to be involved in another fight. This not occurring, I was more than ever satisfied that we had won a victory; for it was obvious that a mounted force would not allow a detachment of infantry to march two miles through open woods by night without renewing the fight, unless they themselves had suffered a good deal. On arrival at the landing, seeing that there was to be no immediate150 affray, I sent most of the men on board, and called for volunteers to remain on shore with me and hold the plantation-house till morning. They eagerly offered; and I was glad to see them, when posted as sentinels by Lieutenants151 Hyde and Jackson, who stayed with me, pace their beats as steadily152 and challenge as coolly as veterans, though of course there was some powder wasted on imaginary foes153. Greatly to my surprise, however, we had no other enemies to encounter. We did not yet know that we had killed the first lieutenant of the cavalry, and that our opponents had retreated to the woods in dismay, without daring to return to their camp. This at least was the account we heard from prisoners afterwards, and was evidently the tale current in the neighborhood, though the statements published in Southern newspapers did not correspond. Admitting the death of Lieutenant Jones, the Tallahassee Floridian of February 14th stated that "Captain Clark, finding the enemy in strong force, fell back with his command to camp, and removed his ordnance154 and commissary and other stores, with twelve negroes on their way to the enemy, captured on that day."
In the morning, my invaluable155 surgeon, Dr. Rogers, sent me his report of killed and wounded; and I have been since permitted to make the following extracts from his notes: "One man killed instantly by ball through the heart, and seven wounded, one of whom will die. Braver men never lived. One man with two bullet-holes through the large muscles of the shoulders and neck brought off from the scene of action, two miles distant, two muskets156; and not a murmur157 has escaped his lips. Another, Robert Sutton, with three wounds,—one of which, being on the skull158, may cost him his life,—would not report himself till compelled to do so by his officers. While dressing159 his wounds, he quietly talked of what they had done, and of what they yet could do. To-day I have had the Colonel order him to obey me. He is perfectly160 quiet and cool, but takes this whole affair with the religious bearing of a man who realizes that freedom is sweeter than life. Yet another soldier did not report himself at all, but remained all night on guard, and possibly I should not have known of his having had a buck-shot in his shoulder, if some duty requiring a sound shoulder had not been required of him to-day." This last, it may be added, had persuaded a comrade to dig out the buck-shot, for fear of being ordered on the sick-list. And one of those who were carried to the vessel—a man wounded through the lungs—asked only if I were safe, the contrary having been reported. An officer may be pardoned some enthusiasm for such men as these.
The anxious night having passed away without an attack, another problem opened with the morning. For the first time, my officers and men found themselves in possession of an enemy's abode161; and though there was but little temptation to plunder162, I knew that I must here begin to draw the line. I had long since resolved to prohibit absolutely all indiscriminate pilfering163 and wanton outrage164, and to allow nothing to be taken or destroyed but by proper authority. The men, to my great satisfaction, entered into this view at once, and so did (perhaps a shade less readily, in some cases) the officers. The greatest trouble was with the steamboat hands, and I resolved to let them go ashore165 as little as possible. Most articles of furniture were already, however, before our visit, gone from the plantation-house, which was now used only as a picket22-station. The only valuable article was a pianoforte, for which a regular packing-box lay invitingly166 ready outside. I had made up my mind, in accordance with the orders given to naval commanders in that department,* to burn all picket-stations, and all villages from which I should be covertly167 attacked, and nothing else; and as this house was destined168 to the flames, I should have left the piano in it, but for the seductions of that box. With such a receptacle all ready, even to the cover, it would have seemed like flying in the face of Providence169 not to put the piano in. I ordered it removed, therefore, and afterwards presented it to the school for colored children at Fernandina. This I mention because it was the only article of property I ever took, or knowingly suffered to be taken, in the enemy's country, save for legitimate170 military uses, from first to last; nor would I have taken this, but for the thought of the school, and, as aforesaid, the temptation of the box. If any other officer has been more rigid171, with equal opportunities, let him cast the first stone.
* "It is my desire to avoid the destruction of private property, unless used for picket or guard-stations, or for other military purposes, by the enemy.... Of course, if fired upon from any place, it is your duty, if possible, to destroy it." Letter of ADMIRAL DUPONT, commanding South Atlantic Squadron, to LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER HUGHES of United States Gunboat Mohawk, Fernandina Harbor.
I think the zest173 with which the men finally set fire to the house at my order was enhanced by this previous abstemiousness174; but there is a fearful fascination175 in the use of fire, which every child knows in the abstract, and which I found to hold true in the practice. On our way down river we had opportunity to test this again.
The ruined town of St. Mary's had at that time a bad reputation, among both naval and military men. Lying but a short distance above Fernandina, on the Georgia side, it was occasionally visited by our gunboats. I was informed that the only residents of the town were three old women, who were apparently176 kept there as spies,—that, on our approach, the aged56 crones would come out and wave white handkerchiefs,—that they would receive us hospitably177, profess178 to be profoundly loyal, and exhibit a portrait of Washington,—that they would solemnly assure us that no Rebel pickets had been there for many weeks,—but that in the adjoining yard we should find fresh horse-tracks, and that we should be fired upon by guerillas the moment we left the wharf179. My officers had been much excited by these tales; and I had assured them that, if this programme were literally180 carried out, we would straightway return and burn the town, or what was left of it, for our share. It was essential to show my officers and men that, while rigid against irregular outrage, we could still be inexorable against the enemy.
We had previously181 planned to stop at this town, on our way down river, for some valuable lumber which we had espied182 on a wharf; and gliding down the swift current, shelling a few bluffs as we passed, we soon reached it. Punctual as the figures in a panorama183 appeared the old ladies with their white handkerchiefs. Taking possession of the town, much of which had previously been destroyed by the gunboats, and stationing the color-guard, to their infinite delight, in the cupola of the most conspicuous house, I deployed184 skirmishers along the exposed suburb, and set a detail of men at work on the lumber. After a stately and decorous interview with the queens of society of St. Mary's,—is it Scott who says that nothing improves the manners like piracy185?—I peacefully withdrew the men when the work was done. There were faces of disappointment among the officers,—for all felt a spirit of mischief186 after the last night's adventure,—when, just as we had fairly swung out into the stream and were under way, there came, like the sudden burst of a tropical tornado187, a regular little hail-storm of bullets into the open end of the boat, driving every gunner in an instant from his post, and surprising even those who were looking to be surprised. The shock was but for a second; and though the bullets had pattered precisely188 like the sound of hail upon the iron cannon189, yet nobody was hurt. With very respectable promptness, order was restored, our own shells were flying into the woods from which the attack proceeded, and we were steaming up to the wharf again, according to promise.
Who shall describe the theatrical190 attitudes assumed by the old ladies as they reappeared at the front-door,—being luckily out of direct range,—and set the handkerchiefs in wilder motion than ever? They brandished191 them, they twirled them after the manner of the domestic mop, they clasped their hands, handkerchiefs included. Meanwhile their friends in the wood popped away steadily at us, with small effect; and occasionally an invisible field-piece thundered feebly from another quarter, with equally invisible results. Reaching the wharf, one company, under Lieutenant (now Captain) Danil-son, was promptly deployed in search of our assailants, who soon grew silent. Not so the old ladies, when I announced to them my purpose, and added, with extreme regret, that, as the wind was high, I should burn only that half of the town which lay to leeward192 of their house, which did not, after all, amount to much. Between gratitude193 for this degree of mercy, and imploring appeals for greater, the treacherous194 old ladies manoeuvred with clasped hands and demonstrative handkerchiefs around me, impairing195 the effect of their eloquence196 by constantly addressing me as "Mr. Captain"; for I have observed, that, while the sternest officer is greatly propitiated197 by attributing to him a rank a little higher than his own, yet no one is ever mollified by an error in the opposite direction. I tried, however, to disregard such low considerations, and to strike the correct mean between the sublime199 patriot200 and the unsanctified incendiary, while I could find no refuge from weak contrition201 save in greater and greater depths of courtesy; and so melodramatic became our interview that some of the soldiers still maintain that "dem dar ole Secesh women been a-gwine for kiss de Cunnel," before we ended. But of this monstrous202 accusation203 I wish to register an explicit denial, once for all.
Dropping down to Fernandina unmolested after this affair, we were kindly205 received by the military and naval commanders,—Colonel Hawley, of the Seventh Connecticut (now Brigadier-General Hawley), and Lieutenant-Commander Hughes, of the gunboat Mohawk. It turned out very opportunely206 that both of these officers had special errands to suggest still farther up the St. Mary's, and precisely in the region where I wished to go. Colonel Hawley showed me a letter from the War Department, requesting him to ascertain105 the possibility of obtaining a supply of brick for Fort Clinch from the brickyard which had furnished the original materials, but which had not been visited since the perilous207 river-trip of the Ottawa. Lieutenant Hughes wished to obtain information for the Admiral respecting a Rebel steamer,—the Berosa,—said to be lying somewhere up the river, and awaiting her chance to run the blockade. I jumped at the opportunity. Berosa and brickyard,—both were near Wood-stock, the former home of Corporal Sutton; he was ready and eager to pilot us up the river; the moon would be just right that evening, setting at 3h. 19m. A.M.; and our boat was precisely the one to undertake the expedition. Its double-headed shape was just what was needed in that swift and crooked209 stream; the exposed pilot-houses had been tolerably barricaded210 with the thick planks211 from St. Simon's; and we further obtained some sand-bags from Fort Clinch, through the aid of Captain Sears, the officer in charge, who had originally suggested the expedition after brick. In return for this aid, the Planter was sent back to the wharf at St. Mary's, to bring away a considerable supply of the same precious article, which we had observed near the wharf. Meanwhile the John Adams was coaling from naval supplies, through the kindness of Lieutenant Hughes; and the Ben De Ford was taking in the lumber which we had yesterday brought down. It was a great disappointment to be unable to take the latter vessel up the river; but I was unwillingly212 convinced that, though the depth of water might be sufficient, yet her length would be unmanageable in the swift current and sharp turns. The Planter must also be sent on a separate cruise, as her weak and disabled machinery213 made her useless for my purpose. Two hundred men were therefore transferred, as before, to the narrow hold of the John Adams, in addition to the company permanently214 stationed on board to work the guns. At seven o'clock on the evening of January 29th, beneath a lovely moon, we steamed up the river.
Never shall I forget the mystery and excitement of that night. I know nothing in life more fascinating than the nocturnal ascent of an unknown river, leading far into an enemy's country, where one glides215 in the dim moonlight between dark hills and meadows, each turn of the channel making it seem like an inland lake, and cutting you off as by a barrier from all behind,—with no sign of human life, but an occasional picket-fire left glimmering216 beneath the bank, or the yelp120 of a dog from some low-lying plantation. On such occasions every nerve is strained to its utmost tension; all dreams of romance appear to promise immediate fulfilment; all lights on board the vessel are obscured, loud voices are hushed; you fancy a thousand men on shore, and yet see nothing; the lonely river, unaccustomed to furrowing217 keels, lapses218 by the vessel with a treacherous sound; and all the senses are merged219 in a sort of anxious trance. Three tunes148 I have had in full perfection this fascinating experience; but that night was the first, and its zest was the keenest. It will come back to me in dreams, if I live a thousand years.
I feared no attack during our ascent,—that danger was for our return; but I feared the intricate navigation of the river, though I did not fully125 know, till the actual experience, how dangerous it was. We passed without trouble far above the scene of our first fight,—the Battle of the Hundred Pines, as my officers had baptized it; and ever, as we ascended220, the banks grew steeper, the current swifter, the channel more tortuous221 and more encumbered222 with projecting branches and drifting wood. No piloting less skilful223 than that of Corporal Sutton and his mate, James Bezzard, could have carried us through, I thought; and no side-wheel steamer less strong than a ferry-boat could have borne the crash and force with which we struck the wooded banks of the river. But the powerful paddles, built to break the Northern ice, could crush the Southern pine as well; and we came safely out of entanglements224 that at first seemed formidable. We had the tide with us, which makes steering225 far more difficult; and, in the sharp angles of the river, there was often no resource but to run the bow boldly on shore, let the stern swing round, and then reverse the motion. As the reversing machinery was generally out of order, the engineer stupid or frightened, and the captain excited, this involved moments of tolerably concentrated anxiety. Eight times we grounded in the upper waters, and once lay aground for half an hour; but at last we dropped anchor before the little town of Woodstock, after moonset and an hour before daybreak, just as I had planned, and so quietly that scarcely a dog barked, and not a soul in the town, as we afterwards found, knew of our arrival.
As silently as possible, the great flat-boat which we had brought from St. Simon's was filled with men. Major Strong was sent on shore with two companies,—those of Captain James and Captain Metcalf,—with instructions to surround the town quietly, allow no one to leave it, molest204 no one, and hold as temporary prisoners every man whom he found. I watched them push off into the darkness, got the remaining force ready to land, and then paced the deck for an hour in silent watchfulness226, waiting for rifle-shots. Not a sound came from the shore, save the barking of dogs and the morning crow of cocks; the time seemed interminable; but when daylight came, I landed, and found a pair of scarlet227 trousers pacing on their beat before every house in the village, and a small squad172 of prisoners, stunted228 and forlorn as Falstaff's ragged229 regiment, already hi hand. I observed with delight the good demeanor of my men towards these forlorn Anglo-Saxons, and towards the more tumultuous women. Even one soldier, who threatened to throw an old termagant into the river, took care to append the courteous230 epithet231 "Madam."
I took a survey of the premises232. The chief house, a pretty one with picturesque outbuildings, was that of Mrs. A., who owned the mills and lumber-wharves233 adjoining. The wealth of these wharves had not been exaggerated. There was lumber enough to freight half a dozen steamers, and I half regretted that I had agreed to take down a freight of bricks instead. Further researches made me grateful that I had already explained to my men the difference between public foraging and private plunder. Along the river-bank I found building after building crowded with costly234 furniture, all neatly235 packed, just as it was sent up from St. Mary's when that town was abandoned. Pianos were a drug; china, glass-ware, mahogany, pictures, all were here. And here were my men, who knew that their own labor236 had earned for their masters these luxuries, or such as these; their own wives and children were still sleeping on the floor, perhaps, at Beaufort or Fernandina; and yet they submitted, almost without a murmur, to the enforced abstinence. Bed and bedding for our hospitals they might take from those store-rooms,—such as the surgeon selected,—also an old flag which we found in a corner, and an old field-piece (which the regiment still possesses),—but after this the doors were closed and left unmolested. It cost a struggle to some of the men, whose wives were destitute237, I know; but their pride was very easily touched, and when this abstinence was once recognized as a rule, they claimed it as an honor, in this and all succeeding expeditions. I flatter myself that, if they had once been set upon wholesale238 plundering239, they would have done it as thoroughly240 as their betters; but I have always been infinitely grateful, both for the credit and for the discipline of the regiment,—as well as for the men's subsequent lives,—that the opposite method was adopted.
When the morning was a little advanced, I called on Mrs. A., who received me in quite a stately way at her own door with "To what am I indebted for the honor of this visit, Sir?" The foreign name of the family, and the tropical look of the buildings, made it seem (as, indeed, did all the rest of the adventure) like a chapter out of "Amyas Leigh"; but as I had happened to hear that the lady herself was a Philadelphian, and her deceased husband a New-Yorker, I could not feel even that modicum241 of reverence242 due to sincere Southerners. However, I wished to present my credentials; so, calling up my companion, I said that I believed she had been previously acquainted with Corporal Robert Sutton? I never saw a finer bit of unutterable indignation than came over the face of my hostess, as she slowly recognized him. She drew herself up, and dropped out the monosyllables of her answer as if they were so many drops of nitric acid. "Ah," quoth my lady, "we called him Bob!"
It was a group for a painter. The whole drama of the war seemed to reverse itself in an instant, and my tall, well-dressed, imposing243, philosophic Corporal dropped down the immeasurable depth into a mere plantation "Bob" again. So at least in my imagination; not to that person himself. Too essentially244 dignified245 in his nature to be moved by words where substantial realities were in question, he simply turned from the lady, touched his hat to me, and asked if I would wish to see the slave-jail, as he had the keys in his possession.
If he fancied that I was in danger of being overcome by blandishments, and needed to be recalled to realities, it was a master-stroke.
I must say that, when the door of that villanous edifice246 was thrown open before me, I felt glad that my main interview with its lady proprietor247 had passed before I saw it. It was a small building, like a Northern corn-barn, and seemed to have as prominent and as legitimate a place among the outbuildings of the establishment. In the middle of the door was a large staple248 with a rusty249 chain, like an ox-chain, for fastening a victim down. When the door had been opened after the death of the late proprietor, my informant said, a man was found padlocked in that chain. We found also three pairs of stocks of various construction, two of which had smaller as well as larger holes, evidently for the feet of women or children. In a building near by we found something far more complicated, which was perfectly unintelligible250 till the men explained all its parts: a machine so contrived251 that a person once imprisoned252 in it could neither sit, stand, nor lie, but must support the body half raised, in a position scarcely endurable. I have since bitterly reproached myself for leaving this piece of ingenuity behind; but it would have cost much labor to remove it, and to bring away the other trophies seemed then enough. I remember the unutterable loathing253 with which I leaned against the door of that prison-house; I had thought myself seasoned to any conceivable horrors of Slavery, but it seemed as if the visible presence of that den17 of sin would choke me. Of course it would have been burned to the ground by us, but that this would have involved the sacrifice of every other building and all the piles of lumber, and for the moment it seemed as if the sacrifice would be righteous. But I forbore, and only took as trophies the instruments of torture and the keys of the jail.
We found but few colored people in this vicinity; some we brought away with us, and an old man and woman preferred to remain. All the white males whom we found I took as hostages, in order to shield us, if possible, from attack on our way down river, explaining to them that they would be put on shore when the dangerous points were passed. I knew that their wives could easily send notice of this fact to the Rebel forces along the river. My hostages were a forlorn-looking set of "crackers," far inferior to our soldiers in physique, and yet quite equal, the latter declared, to the average material of the Southern armies. None were in uniform, but this proved nothing as to their being soldiers. One of them, a mere boy, was captured at his own door, with gun in hand. It was a fowling-piece, which he used only, as his mother plaintively254 assured me, "to shoot little birds with." As the guileless youth had for this purpose loaded the gun with eighteen buck-shot, we thought it justifiable255 to confiscate256 both the weapon and the owner, in mercy to the birds.
We took from this place, for the use of the army, a flock of some thirty sheep, forty bushels of rice, some other provisions, tools, oars257, and a little lumber, leaving all possible space for the bricks which we expected to obtain just below. I should have gone farther up the river, but for a dangerous boom which kept back a great number of logs in a large brook258 that here fell into the St. Mary's; the stream ran with force, and if the Rebels had wit enough to do it, they might in ten minutes so choke the river with drift-wood as infinitely to enhance our troubles. So we dropped down stream a mile or two, found the very brickyard from which Fort Clinch had been constructed,—still stored with bricks, and seemingly unprotected. Here Sergeant Rivers again planted his standard, and the men toiled259 eagerly, for several hours, in loading our boat to the utmost with the bricks. Meanwhile we questioned black and white witnesses, and learned for the first tune147 that the Rebels admitted a repulse260 at Township Landing, and that Lieutenant Jones and ten of their number were killed,—though this I fancy to have been an exaggeration. They also declared that the mysterious steamer Berosa was lying at the head of the river, but was a broken-down and worthless affair, and would never get to sea. The result has since proved this; for the vessel subsequently ran the blockade and foundered261 near shore, the crew barely escaping with their lives. I had the pleasure, as it happened, of being the first person to forward this information to Admiral Dupont, when it came through the pickets, many months after,—thus concluding my report on the Berosa.
Before the work at the yard was over the pickets reported mounted men in the woods near by, as had previously been the report at Woodstock. This admonished262 us to lose no time; and as we left the wharf, immediate arrangements were made to have the gun crews all in readiness, and to keep the rest of the men below, since their musketry would be of little use now, and I did not propose to risk a life unnecessarily. The chief obstacle to this was their own eagerness; penned down on one side, they popped up on the other; their officers, too, were eager to see what was going on, and were almost as hard to cork263 down as the men. Add to this, that the vessel was now very crowded, and that I had to be chiefly on the hurricane-deck with the pilots. Captain Clifton, master of the vessel, was brave to excess, and as much excited as the men; he could no more be kept in the little pilot-house than they below; and when we had passed one or two bluffs, with no sign of an enemy, he grew more and more irrepressible, and exposed himself conspicuously264 on the upper deck. Perhaps we all were a little lulled265 by apparent safety; for myself, I lay down for a moment on a settee in a state-room, having been on my feet, almost without cessation, for twenty-four hours.
Suddenly there swept down from a bluff above us, on the Georgia side, a mingling266 of shout and roar and rattle267 as of a tornado let loose; and as a storm of bullets came pelting268 against the sides of the vessel, and through a window, there went up a shrill269 answering shout from our own men. It took but an instant for me to reach the gun-deck. After all my efforts the men had swarmed once more from below, and already, crowding at both ends of the boat, were loading and firing with inconceivable rapidity, shouting to each other, "Nebber gib it up!" and of course having no steady aim, as the vessel glided270 and whirled in the swift current. Meanwhile the officers in charge of the large guns had their crews in order, and our shells began to fly over the bluffs, which, as we now saw, should have been shelled in advance, only that we had to economize271 ammunition272. The other soldiers I drove below, almost by main force, with the aid of their officers, who behaved exceedingly well, giving the men leave to fire from the open port-holes which lined the lower deck, almost at the water's level. In the very midst of the melee273 Major Strong came from the upper deck, with a face of horror, and whispered to me, "Captain Clifton was killed at the first shot by my side."
If he had said that the vessel was on fire the shock would hardly have been greater. Of course, the military commander on board a steamer is almost as helpless as an unarmed man, so far as the risks of water go. A seaman274 must command there. In the hazardous275 voyage of last night, I had learned, though unjustly, to distrust every official on board the steamboat except this excitable, brave, warm-hearted sailor; and now, among these added dangers, to lose him! The responsibility for his life also thrilled me; he was not among my soldiers, and yet he was killed. I thought of his wife and children, of whom he had spoken; but one learns to think rapidly in war, and, cautioning the Major to silence, I went up to the hurricane-deck and drew in the helpless body, that it should be safe from further desecration, and then looked to see where we were.
We were now gliding past a safe reach of marsh, while our assailants were riding by cross-paths to attack us at the next bluff. It was Reed's Bluff where we were first attacked, and Scrubby Bluff, I think, was next. They were shelled in advance, but swarmed manfully to the banks again as we swept round one of the sharp angles of the stream beneath their fire. My men were now pretty well imprisoned below in the hot and crowded hold, and actually fought each other, the officers afterwards said, for places at the open port-holes, from which to aim. Others implored276 to be landed, exclaiming that they "supposed de Cunnel knew best," but it was "mighty277 mean" to be shut up down below, when they might be "fightin' de Secesh in de clar field." This clear field, and no favor, was what they thenceforward sighed for. But in such difficult navigation it would have been madness to think of landing, although one daring Rebel actually sprang upon the large boat which we towed astern, where he was shot down by one of our sergeants278. This boat was soon after swamped and abandoned, then taken and repaired by the Rebels at a later date, and finally, by a piece of dramatic completeness, was seized by a party of fugitive279 slaves, who escaped in it to our lines, and some of whom enlisted280 in my own regiment.
It has always been rather a mystery to me why the Rebels did not fell a few trees across the stream at some of the many sharp angles where we might so easily have been thus imprisoned. This, however, they did not attempt, and with the skilful pilotage of our trusty Corporal,—philosophic as Socrates through all the din9, and occasionally relieving his mind by taking a shot with his rifle through the high portholes of the pilot-house,—we glided safely on. The steamer did not ground once on the descent, and the mate in command, Mr. Smith, did his duty very well. The plank sheathing281 of the pilot-house was penetrated282 by few bullets, though struck by so many outside that it was visited as a curiosity after our return; and even among the gun-crews, though they had no protection, not a man was hurt. As we approached some wooded bluff, usually on the Georgia side, we could see galloping along the hillside what seemed a regiment of mounted riflemen, and could see our shell scatter132 them ere we approached. Shelling did not, however, prevent a rather fierce fusilade from our old friends of Captain dark's company at Waterman's Bluff, near Township Landing; but even this did no serious damage, and this was the last.
It was of course impossible, while thus running the gauntlet, to put our hostages ashore, and I could only explain to them that they must thank their own friends for their inevitable detention283. I was by no means proud of their forlorn appearance, and besought284 Colonel Hawley to take them off my hands; but he was sending no flags of truce285 at that time, and liked their looks no better than I did. So I took them to Port Royal, where they were afterwards sent safely across the lines. Our men were pleased at taking them back with us, as they had already said, regretfully, "S'pose we leave dem Secesh at Fernandina, General Saxby won't see 'em,"—as if they were some new natural curiosity, which indeed they were. One soldier further suggested the expediency286 of keeping them permanently in camp, to be used as marks for the guns of the relieved guard every morning. But this was rather an ebullition of fancy than a sober proposition.
Against these levities287 I must put a piece of more tragic288 eloquence, which I took down by night on the steamer's deck from the thrilling harangue289 of Corporal Adam Allston, one of our most gifted prophets, whose influence over the men was unbounded. "When I heard," he said, "de bombshell a-screamin' troo de woods like de Judgment290 Day, I said to myself, 'If my head was took off to-night, dey couldn't put my soul in de torments291, perceps [except] God was my enemy!' And when de rifle-bullets came whizzin' across de deck, I cried aloud, 'God help my congregation! Boys, load and fire!'"
I must pass briefly292 over the few remaining days of our cruise. At Fernandina we met the Planter, which had been successful on her separate expedition, and had destroyed extensive salt-works at Crooked River, under charge of the energetic Captain Trowbridge, efficiently293 aided by Captain Rogers. Our commodities being in part delivered at Fernandina, our decks being full, coal nearly out, and time up, we called once more at St. Simon's Sound, bringing away the remainder of our railroad-iron, with some which the naval officers had previously disinterred, and then steamed back to Beaufort. Arriving there at sunrise (February 2, 1863), I made my way with Dr. Rogers to General Saxton's bedroom, and laid before him the keys and shackles294 of the slave-prison, with my report of the good conduct of the men,—as Dr. Rogers remarked, a message from heaven and another from hell.
Slight as this expedition now seems among the vast events of the war, the future student of the newspapers of that day will find that it occupied no little space in their columns, so intense was the interest which then attached to the novel experiment of employing black troops. So obvious, too, was the value, during this raid, of their local knowledge and their enthusiasm, that it was impossible not to find in its successes new suggestions for the war. Certainly I would not have consented to repeat the enterprise with the bravest white troops, leaving Corporal Sutton and his mates behind, for I should have expected to fail. For a year after our raid the Upper St. Mary's remained unvisited, till in 1864 the large force with which we held Florida secured peace upon its banks; then Mrs. A. took the oath of allegiance, the Government bought her remaining lumber, and the John Adams again ascended with a detachment of my men under Lieutenant Parker, and brought a portion of it to Fernandina. By a strange turn of fortune, Corporal Sutton (now Sergeant) was at this time in jail at Hilton Head, under sentence of court-martial for an alleged295 act of mutiny,—an affair in which the general voice of our officers sustained him and condemned296 his accusers, so that he soon received a full pardon, and was restored in honor to his place in the regiment, which he has ever since held.
Nothing can ever exaggerate the fascinations297 of war, whether on the largest or smallest scale. When we settled down into camp-life again, it seemed like a butterfly's folding its wings to re-enter the chrysalis. None of us could listen to the crack of a gun without recalling instantly the sharp shots that spilled down from the bluffs of the St. Mary's, or hear a sudden trampling of horsemen by night without recalling the sounds which startled us on the Field of the Hundred Pines. The memory of our raid was preserved in the camp by many legends of adventure, growing vaster and more incredible as time wore on,—and by the morning appeals to the surgeon of some veteran invalids298, who could now cut off all reproofs299 and suspicions with "Doctor, I's been a sickly pusson eber since de expeditious300." But to me the most vivid remembrancer was the flock of sheep which we had "lifted." The Post Quartermaster discreetly301 gave us the charge of them, and they rilled a gap in the landscape and in the larder,—which last had before presented one unvaried round of impenetrable beef. Mr. Obabiah Oldbuck, when he decided302 to adopt a pastoral life, and assumed the provisional name of Thyrsis, never looked upon his flocks and herds303 with more unalloyed contentment than I upon that fleecy family. I had been familiar, in Kansas, with the metaphor304 by which the sentiments of an owner were credited to his property, and had heard of a proslavery colt and an antislavery cow. The fact that these sheep were but recently converted from "Se-cesh" sentiments was their crowning charm. Methought they frisked and fattened305 in the joy of their deliverance from the shadow of Mrs. A.'s slave-jail, and gladly contemplated translation into mutton-broth for sick or wounded soldiers. The very slaves who once, perchance, were sold at auction306 with yon aged patriarch of the flock, had now asserted their humanity, and would devour307 him as hospital rations198. Meanwhile our shepherd bore a sharp bayonet without a crook208, and I felt myself a peer of Ulysses and Rob Roy,—those sheep-stealers of less elevated aims,—when I met in my daily rides these wandering trophies of our wider wanderings.
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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aver
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| v.极力声明；断言；确证 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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grudged
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| 怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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lumbering
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| n.采伐林木 | |
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lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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quaint
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memoranda
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| n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式 | |
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jotted
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| v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
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flickering
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picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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23
pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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24
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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25
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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26
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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27
schooners
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| n.（有两个以上桅杆的）纵帆船( schooner的名词复数 ) | |
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28
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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29
erring
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| 做错事的，错误的 | |
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30
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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31
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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32
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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33
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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34
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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35
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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36
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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37
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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38
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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39
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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40
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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41
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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42
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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43
placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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44
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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45
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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46
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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47
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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48
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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49
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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50
proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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51
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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52
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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53
craves
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| 渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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54
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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55
sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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56
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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57
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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58
acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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59
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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60
bluffs
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| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
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61
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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62
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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63
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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64
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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65
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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66
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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67
translucency
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| 半透明，半透明物； 半透澈度 | |
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68
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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69
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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70
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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71
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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72
ivies
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| 常春藤( ivy的名词复数 ) | |
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73
desecration
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| n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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74
potentate
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| n.统治者；君主 | |
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75
credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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76
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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77
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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78
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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79
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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80
consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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81
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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82
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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83
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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84
unearth
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| v.发掘，掘出，从洞中赶出 | |
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85
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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86
demolishing
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| v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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87
relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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88
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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89
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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90
plank
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|
| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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91
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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92
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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93
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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94
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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95
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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96
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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97
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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98
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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99
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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100
inevitable
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|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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101
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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102
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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103
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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104
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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105
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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106
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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107
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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108
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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109
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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110
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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111
winnowing
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| v.扬( winnow的现在分词 )；辨别；选择；除去 | |
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112
ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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113
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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114
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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115
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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116
resinous
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| adj.树脂的，树脂质的，树脂制的 | |
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117
sullenness
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| n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉 | |
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118
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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119
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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120
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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121
cracker
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| n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干 | |
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122
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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123
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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124
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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125
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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126
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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127
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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128
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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129
reining
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的现在分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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130
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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131
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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132
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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133
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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134
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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135
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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136
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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137
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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138
engrave
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| vt.（在...上）雕刻，使铭记，使牢记 | |
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139
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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140
squeak
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|
| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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141
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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142
surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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143
flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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144
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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145
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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146
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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147
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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148
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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149
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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150
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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151
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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152
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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153
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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154
ordnance
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| n.大炮，军械 | |
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155
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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156
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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157
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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158
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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159
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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160
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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161
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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162
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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163
pilfering
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| v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸） | |
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164
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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165
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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166
invitingly
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| adv. 动人地 | |
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167
covertly
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| adv.偷偷摸摸地 | |
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168
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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169
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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170
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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171
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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172
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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173
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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174
abstemiousness
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| n.适中，有节制 | |
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175
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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176
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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177
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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178
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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179
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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180
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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181
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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182
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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183
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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184
deployed
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| （尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用 | |
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185
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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186
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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187
tornado
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| n.飓风，龙卷风 | |
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188
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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189
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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190
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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191
brandished
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| v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀 | |
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192
leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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193
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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194
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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195
impairing
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| v.损害，削弱( impair的现在分词 ) | |
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196
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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197
propitiated
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| v.劝解，抚慰，使息怒( propitiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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198
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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199
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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200
patriot
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| n.爱国者，爱国主义者 | |
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201
contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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202
monstrous
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|
| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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203
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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204
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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205
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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206
opportunely
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| adv.恰好地，适时地 | |
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207
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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208
crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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209
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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210
barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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211
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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212
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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213
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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214
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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215
glides
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| n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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216
glimmering
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|
| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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217
furrowing
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的现在分词 ) | |
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218
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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219
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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220
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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221
tortuous
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|
| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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222
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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223
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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224
entanglements
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| n.瓜葛( entanglement的名词复数 )；牵连；纠缠；缠住 | |
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225
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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226
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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227
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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228
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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229
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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230
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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231
epithet
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| n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语 | |
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232
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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233
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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234
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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235
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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236
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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237
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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238
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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239
plundering
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 ) | |
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240
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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241
modicum
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| n.少量，一小份 | |
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242
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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243
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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244
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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245
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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246
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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247
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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248
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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249
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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250
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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251
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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252
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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253
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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254
plaintively
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| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
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255
justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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256
confiscate
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| v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公 | |
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257
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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258
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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259
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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260
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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261
foundered
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| v.创始人( founder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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262
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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263
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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264
conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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265
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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266
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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267
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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268
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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269
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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270
glided
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|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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271
economize
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| v.节约，节省 | |
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272
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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273
melee
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| n.混战；混战的人群 | |
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274
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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276
implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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277
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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278
sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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279
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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280
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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281
sheathing
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| n.覆盖物，罩子v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的现在分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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282
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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283
detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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284
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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285
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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286
expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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287
levities
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| n.欠考虑( levity的名词复数 )；不慎重；轻率；轻浮 | |
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288
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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289
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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290
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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291
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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292
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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293
efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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294
shackles
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| 手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊 | |
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295
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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296
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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297
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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298
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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299
reproofs
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| n.责备，责难，指责( reproof的名词复数 ) | |
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300
expeditious
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| adj.迅速的，敏捷的 | |
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301
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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302
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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303
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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304
metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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305
fattened
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| v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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306
auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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307
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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