On Saturday the two sides parleyed while Lovell withdrew his forces. On Sunday the Foreign Legion preserved order of a sort highly displeasing1 to "a plain sailor," as Farragut, on the Hartford, called himself, and to all the plain sailors of his fleet--who by that time may have been hard to please. On Monday the "plain sailor" bade the mayor, who had once been a plain stevedore3, remove the city's women and children within forty-eight hours. But on Tuesday, in wiser mood, he sent his own blue-jackets, cutlasses, muskets4 and hand-dragged howitzers, lowered the red-and-yellow-striped flag of one star and on mint and custom-house ran up the stars and stripes. Constance and Miranda, from their distant roof, saw the emblem6 soar to the breeze, and persuaded Anna to an act which cost her as many hours as it need have taken minutes--the destruction of the diary. That was on the twenty-ninth of April.
Let us not get dates confused. "On the twenty-ninth of April," says Grant, "the troops were at Hard Times (Arkansas), and the fleet (another fleet), under Admiral Porter, made an attack upon Grand Gulf7 (Mississippi), while I reconnoitered." But that twenty-ninth was a year later, when New Orleans for three hundred and sixty-five separate soul-torturing days had been sitting in the twilight8 of her captivity9, often writhing10 and raving11 in it, starved to madness for news of Lee's and Stonewall's victories and of her boys, her ragged5, gaunt, superb, bleeding, dying, on-pressing boys, and getting only such dubious12 crumbs13 of rumor14 as could be smuggled15 in, or such tainted16 bad news as her captors delighted to offer her through the bars of a confiscated17 press. No? did the treatment she was getting merely--as Irby, with much truth, on that twenty-ninth remarked in a group about a headquarters camp-fire near Grand Gulf--did it merely seem so bad to poor New Orleans?
Oh, but!--as the dingy18, lean-faced Hilary cried, springing from the ground where he lay and jerking his pipe from his teeth--was it not enough for a world's pity that to her it seemed so? How it seemed to the Callenders in particular was a point no one dared raise where he was. To them had come conditions so peculiarly distressing19 and isolating20 that they were not sharers of the common lot around them, but of one strangely, incalculably worse. Rarely and only in guarded tones were they spoken of now in Kincaid's Battery, lately arrived here, covered with the glory of their part in Bragg's autumn and winter campaign through Tennessee and Kentucky, and with Perryville, Murfreesboro' and Stone River added to the long list on their standard. Lately arrived, yes; but bringing with them as well as meeting here a word apparently21 so authentic22 and certainly so crushing, (as to those sweet Callenders), that no one ever let himself hint toward it in the hearing even of Charlie Valcour, much less of their battle-scarred, prison-wasted, march-worn, grief-torn, yet still bright-eyed, brave-stepping, brave-riding Major. Major of Kincaid's Battalion23 he was now, whose whole twelve brass24 pieces had that morning helped the big iron batteries fight Porter's gunboats.
"Finding Grand Gulf too strong," says Grant, "I moved the army below, running the batteries there as we had done at Vicksburg. Learning here that there was a good road from Bruinsburg up to Port Gibson" (both in Mississippi), "I determined25 to cross--"
How pleasantly familiar were those names in New Orleans. Alike commercially and socially they meant parterres, walks, bowers26 in her great back-garden. From the homes of the rich planters around the towns and landings so entitled, and from others all up and down the river from Natchez to Vicksburg and the Bends, hailed many a Carondelet Street nabob and came yearly those towering steamboat-loads--those floating cliffs--of cotton-bales that filled presses, ships and bank-boxes and bought her imports--plows, shoes, bagging, spices, silks and wines: came also their dashing sons and daughters, to share and heighten the splendors27 of her carnivals28 and lure29 away her beaux and belles30 to summer outings and their logical results. In all the region there was hardly a family with which some half-dozen of the battery were not acquainted, or even related.
"Home again, home again from a foreign shore,"
sang the whole eighty-odd, every ladies' man of them, around out-of-tune pianos with girls whose brothers were all away in Georgia and Virginia, some forever at rest, some about to fight Chancellorsville. Such a chorus was singing that night within ear-shot of the headquarters group when Ned Ferry, once of the battery, but transferred to Harper's cavalry31, rode up and was led by Hilary to the commanding general to say that Grant had crossed the river. Piano and song hushed as the bugles32 rang, and by daybreak all camps had vanished and the gray columns were hurrying, horse, foot, and wheels, down every southerly road to crush the invader33.
At the head of one rode General Brodnax. Hearing Hilary among his staff he sent for him and began to speak of Mandeville, long gone to Richmond on some official matter and daily expected back; and then he mentioned "this fellow Grant," saying he had known him in Mexico. "And now," he concluded, "he's the toughest old he one they've got."
On the face of either kinsman34 there came a fine smile that really made them look alike. "We'll try our jaw-teeth on him to-morrow," laughed the nephew.
"Hilary, you weren't one of those singers last evening, were you?"
"Why, no, uncle, for once you'll be pleased--"
"Not by a dam-site!" The smile was gone. "You know, my boy, that in such a time as this if a leader--and above all such a capering35, high-kicking colt as you--begins to mope and droop36 like a cab-horse in the rain, his men will soon not be worth a--what?... Oh, blast the others, when you do so you're moping, and whether your men can stand it or not, I can't!--what?... Well, then, for God's sake don't! For there's another point, Hilary: as long as you were every night a 'ladies' man' and every day a laugher at death you could take those boys through hell-fire at any call; but if they once get the notion--which you came mighty37 near giving them yesterday--that you hold their lives cheap merely because you're tired of your own, they'll soon make you wish you'd never set eyes on a certain friend of ours, worse than you or they or I have ever wished it yet."
"I've never wished it yet, uncle. I can't. I've never believed one breath of all we've heard. It's not true. It can't be, simply because it can't be."
"Then why do you behave as if it were?" "I won't, uncle. Honor bright! You watch me." And next day, in front of Port Gibson, through all the patter, smoke, and crash, through all the charging, cheering and volleying, while the ever-thinning, shortening gray lines were being crowded back from rise to rise--back, back through field, grove38, hedge, worm-fence and farmyard, clear back to Grindstone Ford2, Bayou Pierre, and with the cavalry, Harper's, cut off and driven up eastward39 through the town--the enraged40 old brigadier watched and saw. He saw far, saw close, with blasphemous41 exultation42, how Hilary and his guns, called here, sent there, flashed, thundered, galloped43, blazed, howled and held on with furious valor44 and bleeding tenacity45 yet always with a quick-sightedness which just avoided folly46 and ruin, and at length stood rock fast, honor bright, at North Fork and held it till, except the cavalry, the last gray column was over and the bridges safely burning.
That night Ned Ferry--of the cavalry withdrawn47 to the eastward uplands to protect that great source of supplies and its New Orleans and Jackson Railroad--was made a lieutenant48, and a certain brave Charlotte, whom later he loved and won, bringing New Orleans letters to camp, brought also such news of the foe49 that before dawn, led by her, Ferry's Scouts51 rode their first ride. All day they rode, while the main armies lay with North Fork between them, the grays entrenching52, the blues53 rebridging. When at sundown she and Ned Ferry parted, and at night he bivouacked his men for a brief rest in a black solitude54 from which the camp-fires of both hosts were in full sight and the enemy's bridge-building easily heard, he sought, uncompanioned, Kincaid's Battery and found Hilary Kincaid. War is what Sherman called it, who two or three days later, at Grand Gulf (evacuated), crossed into this very strife55. Yet peace (so-called) and riches rarely bind56 men in such loving pairs as do cruel toil57, deadly perils58, common griefs, exile from woman and daily experience of one another's sweetness, valor, and strength, and it was for such things that this pair, loving so many besides, particularly loved each other.
With glad eyes Kincaid rose from a log.
"Major," began the handsome scout50, dapper from képi to spurs in contrast to the worn visage and dress of his senior, but Hilary was already speaking.
"My gentle Ned!" he cried. "Lieutenant--Ferry!"
Amid kind greetings from Captain Bartleson and others the eyes of the two--Hilary's so mettlesome59, Ferry's so placid--exchanged meanings, and the pair went and sat alone on the trail of a gun; on Roaring Betsy's knee, as it were. There Hilary heard of the strange fair guide and of news told by her which brought him to his feet with a cry of joy that drew the glad eyes of half the battery.
"The little mother saint of your flag, boys!" he explained to a knot of them later, "the little godmother of your guns!" The Callenders were out of New Orleans, banished60 as "registered enemies."
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1
displeasing
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| 不愉快的，令人发火的 | |
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2
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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3
stevedore
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| n.码头工人；v.装载货物 | |
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4
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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7
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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8
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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9
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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10
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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11
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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12
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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13
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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14
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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15
smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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16
tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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17
confiscated
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| 没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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19
distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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20
isolating
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| adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析 | |
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21
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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22
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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23
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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24
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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25
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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26
bowers
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| n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人 | |
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27
splendors
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| n.华丽( splendor的名词复数 )；壮丽；光辉；显赫 | |
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28
carnivals
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| 狂欢节( carnival的名词复数 )； 嘉年华会； 激动人心的事物的组合； 五彩缤纷的颜色组合 | |
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29
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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30
belles
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| n.美女( belle的名词复数 )；最美的美女 | |
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31
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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32
bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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33
invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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34
kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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35
capering
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| v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的现在分词 )；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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36
droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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37
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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38
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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39
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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40
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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41
blasphemous
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| adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的 | |
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42
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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43
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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44
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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45
tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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46
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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47
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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48
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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49
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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50
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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51
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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52
entrenching
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| v.用壕沟围绕或保护…( entrench的现在分词 )；牢固地确立… | |
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53
blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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54
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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55
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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56
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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57
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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58
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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59
mettlesome
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| adj.（通常指马等）精力充沛的，勇猛的 | |
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60
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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