87
In the meanwhile Washington had appeared before Boston. An army chaplain has left us the following characteristic picture of the American camp: “It is very diverting to walk among the camps. They are as different in their forms as the owners are in their dress; and every tent is a portraiture5 of the temper and taste of the persons who encamp in it. Some are made of boards and some are made of sailcloth; some are partly of one and partly of the other. Again, others are made of stone and turf, brick and brush. Some are thrown up in a hurry, others curiously6 wrought7 with wreaths and withes.” To his discomfiture8, Washington did not find what he had hoped for. The American army consisted of sixteen thousand men instead of twenty thousand, as he had been told, and of these only fourteen thousand were fit for military service. He found brave men, but not a homogeneous army; instead, large and small bands of men, armed in promiscuous10 fashion, under leaders who were totally independent of each other. There was no artillery11 and even the most rudimentary military organization was lacking. To make a military unit of this heterogeneous12 mass was the first task which lay before him. It was to be expected that the solution of this problem would be attended with extraordinary difficulties. He had to deal with sons of the forest who, though brave, were, owing to their unrestrained and independent lives, unused to military discipline. Such a task was not to be accomplished13 in a few days or weeks, but needed a long time. Inside the city a picked body of eleven thousand men was quartered, splendidly armed and well equipped with all that was necessary to carry on the war.
88
Thus Washington found more than enough work awaiting him from the first day of his arrival at headquarters. He was now repaid for the careful training of his youth and his habit of conscientiously14 carrying out whatever he undertook, of seizing upon the essentials of a matter, and of persevering15, with strict attention and diligence, to the end. What industry, strength, firmness, and patience were necessary to call forth16 that spirit, without which harmony in action would be lacking and enduring success could not be attained17! Under the existing circumstances there was at first no other course open to him than to imitate the method of Fabius, the delayer. Thus the year passed and nothing had been done by either side. At the end of December a part of the American troops who had only enlisted18 for the current year demanded to be mustered19 out. It was their right and Washington let them go. There were about ten thousand men left in the camp before Boston, while the enemy inside had in the meanwhile been strengthened by reinforcements from England.
89
The patriots20 of the country had no idea of the difficulties with which Washington had to struggle. Many had expected to read in the newspapers of battles and victories during the first days of Washington’s command and now a year had passed and nothing had been done. Two of Washington’s letters of that time, both of them to Colonel Reed, give sufficient explanation of the situation. The first letter says: “Search the vast volumes of history through and I much question whether a case similar to ours is to be found; to wit, to maintain a post against the flower of the British troops for six months together, without powder, and at the end of them to have one army disbanded and another to raise, within the same distance of a reinforced enemy. It is too much to attempt—what may be the final issue of the last man?uvre, time only can tell. I wish this month were well over our heads!” The second letter is dated in February of the next year (1776), in which he says: “I know the unhappy predicament I stand in. I know that much is expected of me. I know that without men, without arms, without ammunition21, without anything fit for the accommodation of a soldier, that little is to be done, and, which is mortifying22, I know that I cannot stand justified23 to the world, without exposing my own weakness and injuring the cause by declaring my wants, which I am determined24 not to do, further than unavoidable necessity brings every man acquainted with. My own situation feels so irksome to me at times that if I did not consult the publick good more than my own tranquillity25 I should long ere this have put everything to the cast of a die. So far from my having an army of twenty thousand men, well armed, etc., I have been here with less than one-half of it, including sick, furloughed, and on command; and those neither armed or clothed as they should be. In short, my situation has been such that I have been obliged to use art to conceal26 it from my own officers.”
90
Washington worked tirelessly over the reorganization of the army. He paid heed27, not only to outward conditions, accoutrements, maintenance, etc., but he aimed to infuse a new spirit into the whole mass. Among his troops there were not a few wild fellows who led disgraceful lives. Washington issued an order, which read as follows: “At this time of public distress28, men may find enough to do in the service of God and their country without abandoning themselves to vice9 and immorality29. It is a noble cause we are engaged in. It is the cause of virtue30 and mankind. Every advantage and comfort to us and our posterity31 depend upon the vigor32 of our exertions33; in short, freedom or slavery must be the result of our conduct. There can, therefore, be no greater inducement to men to behave well. But it may not be amiss to the troops to know that, if any man in action shall presume to skulk34, hide himself, or retreat from the enemy without the order of his commanding officer, he will be instantly shot down as an example of cowardice35; cowards having too frequently disconcerted the best-formed troops by their dastardly behavior.”
91
In camp this order of the day was attributed to a determination on the General’s part to risk striking a blow. And it was so. It was his intention to occupy Dorchester Heights, overlooking the city. On the night of the third to fourth of March, while he heavily bombarded the city to distract the attention of the enemy, the Heights were occupied and immediately fortified36. This work was carried on with such zeal37 and success that the next morning at daybreak, when General Howe gazed up at the Heights, he could not conceal his amazement38 and broke out with the words: “The rebels have done more work in one night than my whole army would have done in one month.” Washington was prepared for a furious onslaught from the enemy, for Dorchester Heights commanded the town and therefore a repetition of the bloody39 fight at Bunker Hill was to be expected. Heavy rains for the next two days, however, prevented the British from advancing to the attack, while the Americans continued their work on the fortifications industriously40. When the storm had subsided41 and Howe again inspected the works on the Heights, he decided42 that he dare not risk an attack. There was nothing left for him but the bitter alternative of evacuating43 the city and taking to the ships with his whole army. Immediately afterward44 Washington entered Boston.
92
The news of this event aroused the greatest joy all over the country. Congress determined to cause a gold medal, bearing the relief of Washington, to be coined in commemoration of the liberation of Boston. With a humble45 heart the General thanked God for the victory that had been won. He was happy in the conviction that this event would strengthen the confidence of the patriots. He would have been glad to dispense46 with the honor, which was to be paid him, for he foresaw full well that the road to complete success in the establishment of independence was to be a long and arduous47 one.
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1
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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2
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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3
incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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4
justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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5
portraiture
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| n.肖像画法 | |
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6
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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7
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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8
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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10
promiscuous
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| adj.杂乱的，随便的 | |
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11
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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12
heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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13
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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14
conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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15
persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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16
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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17
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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18
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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19
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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20
patriots
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| 爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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21
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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22
mortifying
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| adj.抑制的，苦修的v.使受辱( mortify的现在分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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23
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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24
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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25
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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26
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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27
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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28
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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29
immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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30
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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31
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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32
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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33
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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34
skulk
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| v.藏匿；潜行 | |
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35
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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36
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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37
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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38
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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39
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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40
industriously
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41
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
evacuating
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| 撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空 | |
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44
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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45
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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46
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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47
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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