A REMARKABLE1 RESOLUTION
Lieutenant2 Coleman, although stunned3 by the news conveyed by the seven words of the message, as soon as he could reopen communication with the other mountain, telegraphed back to Lieutenant Swann, in command of the tenth station:
"Is there no mistake in flagging General Sherman's death?"
It was late in the afternoon when the return message came, which read as follows:
"None. I have taken the same precaution to telegraph back to the station at Chattanooga.
"LIEUTENANT JAMES SWANN, U.S.A."
After this, and the terrible strain of waiting, Lieutenant Coleman and Corporal Bromley walked away in different directions on the mountain-top; and poor Philip, left alone, sat down on the ground and burst into tears over the death of his favorite general. He saw nothing but gloom and disaster in the future. What would the old army do without its brilliant leader?
"POOR PHILIP, LEFT ALONE, BURST INTO TEARS."
"POOR PHILIP, LEFT ALONE, BURST INTO TEARS."
And, sure enough, on the following morning came the news that the heretofore victorious4 army was falling back across the Chattahoochee; and another despatch5 confirmed the death of General Sherman, who had been riding along his lines with a single orderly when he was shot through the heart by a sharp-shooter of the enemy.
Every morning after that the three soldiers went up to the station at the appointed hour, expecting only bad news, and, without fail, only bad news came. They learned that the baffled army in and about Marietta was being reorganized by General Thomas; but the ray of hope was quenched6 in their hearts a few days later, when the news came that General Grant had met with overwhelming disaster before Richmond, and, like McClellan before him, was fighting his way back to his base of supplies at City Point.
One day—it was August 6—there came a message from the chief signal-office at Chattanooga directing them to remain at their posts, at all hazards, until further orders; and, close upon this, a report that General Grant's army was rapidly concentrating on Washington by way of the Potomac River.
They had no doubt that the swift columns of Lee were already in motion overland toward the National capital, and they were not likely to be many days behind the Federal army in concentrating at that point. Rumors7 of foreign intervention8 followed quick on the heels of this disheartening news, and on August 10 came a despatch which, being interpreted, read: "Yesterday, after a forced march of incredible rapidity, Longstreet's corps10 crossed the Upper Potomac near the Chain Bridge, and captured two forts to the north of Rock Creek12 Church. At daylight on August 9, after tearing up a section of the Baltimore and Ohio's tracks, a column of cavalry13 under Fitzhugh Lee captured a train-load of the government archives, bound for Philadelphia."
Thus on the very day when General Sherman was bombarding the city of Atlanta, and when everything was going well with the National cause elsewhere, these misguided young men were brought to the verge14 of despair by some mysterious agency which was cunningly falsifying the daily despatches. Nothing more melancholy15 can be conceived than the entries made at this time by Lieutenant Coleman in the station diary.
Returning to the entry of July 26, which was the day following that on which they had received information of the death of General Sherman, the unhappy officer writes:
"My men are intensely patriotic16, and the despatch came to each of us like a personal blow. Its effect on my two men was an interesting study of character. Corporal Bromley is a Harvard man, having executive ability as well as education far above his humble17 rank, who entered the service of his country at the first call to arms without a thought for his personal advantage. He is a man of high courage, and if he has a fault, it is a too outspoken18 intolerance of the failures of his superiors. Private Welton is of a naturally refined and sensitive nature, and at first he seemed wholly cowed and broken in spirit. Bromley, on the other hand, as he strode away from the station, showed a countenance19 livid with rage.
"After supper, for we take our meals apart, I invited the men to my tent, and we sat out in the moonlight to discuss the probable situation. We talked of the overwhelming news until late in the evening, and then sat for a time in silence in the shadow of the chestnut20-trees, looking out at the dazzling whiteness of the mountain-top before retiring, each to his individual sorrow."
In the entry for August 6, after commenting somewhat bitterly on the report of the defeat of the Army of the Potomac, Lieutenant Coleman says, with reference to the despatch from the chief signal-officer of the same date:
"The situation at this station is such, owing to our ignorance of the sentiment of the mountaineers and the hazard of visiting them in uniform, that I find a grave difficulty confronting me, which must be provided for at once. Our guide to this point has returned to Tennessee with the cavalry escort, and I have now reason deeply to regret that he was not required to put us in communication with some trustworthy union men. The issue of commissary stores is reduced from this date to half-rations, and we shall begin at once to eke21 out our daily portion by such edibles22 as we can find on the mountain. Huckleberries are abundant in the field above the bridge, and the men are already counting on the wild mandrakes.
"August 8. Nothing cheering to brighten the gloom of continued defeat and disaster. The necessity of procuring23 everything edible9 within our reach keeps my men busy and affords them something to think of besides the disasters to the National armies. Welton discovered to-day four fresh-laid eggs, snugly24 hidden in a nest of leaves, under a clump25 of chestnut sprouts26, interwoven with dry grasses, three of which he brought in."
These entries referring to trivial things are interesting as showing the temper of the men, and how they employed their time at this critical period.
On August 18 came a despatch that the Army of Northern Virginia was entering Washington without material opposition27. Lieutenant Coleman, in a portion of his diary for this date, says:
"After a prolonged state of anger, during which he has commented bitterly on the conduct of affairs at Washington, Corporal Bromley has settled into a morose28 and irritable29 mood, in which no additional disaster disturbs him in the slightest degree. With his fine perceptions and well-trained mind, the natural result of a liberal education, I have found him heretofore a most interesting companion in hours off duty. My situation is made doubly intolerable by his present condition."
At 9:30 A.M. of August 20, 1864, came the last despatches that were received by the three soldiers on Whiteside Mountain.
"Hold on for immediate30 relief. Peace declared. Confederate States are to retain Washington."
The effect of this last message upon the young men who received it is fully31 set forth32 in the diary of the following day, and no later account could afford so vivid a picture of the remarkable events recorded by Lieutenant Coleman:
"August 21, 1864. The messages of yesterday were flagged with the usual precision, and we have no reason to doubt their accuracy. Indeed, what has happened was expected by us so confidently that the despatches as translated by me were received in silence by my men and without any evidence of excitement or surprise. I myself felt a sense of relief that the inevitable33 and disgraceful end had come.
*******
"Last evening was a memorable34 occasion to the three men on this mountain. We are no longer separated by any difference in rank, having mutually agreed to waive35 all such conditions. In presence of such agreement, I, Frederick Henry Coleman, Second Lieutenant in the 12th Regiment36 of Cavalry of the military forces of the United States (formerly so called), have this day, August 21, 1864, written my resignation and sealed and addressed it to the Adjutant-General, wherever he may be. I am fully aware that, until the document is forwarded to its destination, only some power outside myself can terminate my official connection with the army, and that my personal act operates only to divest37 me of rank in the estimation of my companions in exile.
"After our supper last night we walked across the field in front of our quarters and around to the point where the northern end of the plateau joins the rocky face of the mountain. The sun had already set behind the opposite ridge11, and the gathering38 shadows among the rocks and under the trees added a further color of melancholy to our gloomy and foreboding thoughts.
"I am forced to admit that I have not been the dominant39 spirit in the resolution at which we have arrived. George Bromley had several times asserted that he would never return to a disgraced and divided country. At the time I had regarded his words as only the irresponsible expression of excitement and passion.
"As we stood together on the hill last night, Bromley reverted40 to this subject, speaking with unusual calmness and deliberation. 'For my part,' said he, pausing to give force to his decision, 'I never desire to set foot in the United States again. I suppose I am as well equipped for the life of a hermit41 as any other man; and I am sure that my temper is not favorable to meeting my countrymen, who are my countrymen no longer, and facing the humiliation42 and disgrace of this defeat. I have no near relatives and no personal attachments43 to compensate44 for what I regard as the sacrifice of a return and a tacit acceptance of the new order of things. I came into the army fresh from a college course which marked the close of my youth; and shall I return in disgrace, without a profession or ambition, to begin a new career in the shadow of this overwhelming disaster? I bind45 no one to my resolution,' he continued in clear, cold tones; 'all I ask is that you leave me the old flag, and I will set up a country of my own on this mountain-top, whose natural defenses will enable me to keep away all disturbers of my isolation46.'
"I was deeply impressed with his words, and the more so because of the absence of all passion in his manner. I had respected him for his attainments47; I now felt that I loved the man for his unselfish, consuming love of country. Strange to say, I, too, was without ties of kindred. My best friends in the old army had fallen in battle for the cause that was lost. On the night when we sat together exulting48 over the double victory of the capture of Kenesaw Mountain and the sinking of the 'Alabama,' I had expressed a determination to renounce49 my chosen profession in a certain event. That event had taken place. Under the magnetic influence of Bromley, what had only been a threat before became a bitter impulse and then a fierce resolve.
"Taking his hand and looking steadily50 into his calm eyes, I said: 'I am an officer of the United States army, but I will promise you this: until I am ordered to do so, I will never leave this place.'
"Philip Welton had been a silent listener to this strange conversation. His more sentimental51 nature was melted to tears, and in a few words he signified his resolution to join his fate with ours.
"We walked back across the mountain-top in the white light of the full moon, silently as we had come. After the resolve we had made, I began already to experience a sense of relief from the shame I felt at the failure of our numerous armies. The old government had fallen from its proud position among the nations of the earth. The flag we loved had been trampled52 under foot and despoiled53 of its stars—of how many we knew not. Our path lay through the plantation54 of young corn, whose broad, glistening55 leaves brushed our faces and filled the air with the sweet fragrance56 of the juicy stalks. The planting seemed to have been an inspiration which alone would make it possible for us to survive the first winter."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
stunned
|
|
| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
victorious
|
|
| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
despatch
|
|
| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
quenched
|
|
| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
rumors
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
intervention
|
|
| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
edible
|
|
| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
corps
|
|
| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
creek
|
|
| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
cavalry
|
|
| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
verge
|
|
| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
patriotic
|
|
| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
outspoken
|
|
| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
countenance
|
|
| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
chestnut
|
|
| n.栗树，栗子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
eke
|
|
| v.勉强度日，节约使用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
edibles
|
|
| 可以吃的，可食用的( edible的名词复数 )； 食物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
procuring
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
snugly
|
|
| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
clump
|
|
| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
sprouts
|
|
| n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
opposition
|
|
| n.反对，敌对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
morose
|
|
| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
irritable
|
|
| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
inevitable
|
|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
memorable
|
|
| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
waive
|
|
| vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
regiment
|
|
| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
divest
|
|
| v.脱去，剥除 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
dominant
|
|
| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
reverted
|
|
| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hermit
|
|
| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
humiliation
|
|
| n.羞辱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
attachments
|
|
| n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
compensate
|
|
| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
bind
|
|
| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
isolation
|
|
| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
attainments
|
|
| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
exulting
|
|
| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
renounce
|
|
| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
sentimental
|
|
| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
trampled
|
|
| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
despoiled
|
|
| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
plantation
|
|
| n.种植园，大农场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
glistening
|
|
| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
fragrance
|
|
| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |