with lee in virginia-第1章

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With　Lee　in　Virginia

A　Story　Of　The　American　Civil　War



by　G。A。　Henty









PREFACE。



My　Dear　Lads：



The　Great　War　between　the　Northern　and　Southern　States　of

America　possesses　a　peculiar　interest　for　us；　not　only　because　it

was　a　struggle　between　two　sections　of　a　people　akin　to　us　in　race

and　language；　but　because　of　the　heroic　courage　with　which　the

weaker　party；　with　ill…fed；　ill…clad；　ill…equipped　regiments；　for　four

years　sustained　the　contest　with　an　adversary　not　only　possessed　of

immense　numerical　superiority；　but　having　the　command　of　the

sea；　and　being　able　to　draw　its　arms　and　munitions　of　war　from　all

the　manufactories　of　Europe。　Authorities　still　differ　as　to　the　rights

of　the　case。　The　Confederates　firmly　believed　that　the　States

having　voluntarily　united；　retained　the　right　of　withdrawing　from

the　Union　when　they　considered　it　for　their　advantage　to　do　so。

The　Northerners　took　the　opposite　point　of　view；　and　an　appeal　to

arms　became　inevitable。　During　the　first　two　years　of　the　war　the

struggle　was　conducted　without　inflicting　unnecessary　hardship

upon　the　general　population。　But　later　on　the　character　of　the　war

changed；　and　the　Federal　armies　carried　wide…spread　destruction

wherever　they　marched。　Upon　the　other　hand；　the　moment　the

struggle　was　over　the　conduct　of　the　conquerors　was　marked　by　a

clemency　and　generosity　altogether　unexampled　in　history；　a

complete　amnesty　being　granted；　and　none；　whether　soldiers　or

civilians；　being　made　to　suffer　for　their　share　in　the　rebellion。　The

credit　of　this　magnanimous　conduct　was　to　a　great　extent　due　to

Generals　Grant　and　Sherman；　the　former　of　whom　took　upon

himself　the　responsibility　of　granting　terms　which；　although　they

were　finally　ratified　by　his　government；　were　at　the　time　received

with　anger　and　indignation　in　the　North。　It　was　impossible；　in　the

course　of　a　single　volume；　to　give　even　a　sketch　of　the　numerous

and　complicated　operations　of　the　war；　and　I　have　therefore

confined　myself　to　the　central　point　of　the　great　strugglethe

attempts　of　the　Northern　armies　to　force　their　way　to　Richmond；

the　capital　of　Virginia　and　the　heart　of　the　Confederacy。　Even　in

recounting　the　leading　events　in　these　campaigns；　I　have　burdened

my　story　with　as　few　details　as　possible；　it　being　my　object　now；　as

always；　to　amuse　as　well　as　to　give　instruction　in　the　facts　of

history。



G。　A。　HENTY。









Contents



Chapter　1。　　A　Virginian　Plantation。

Chapter　2。　　Buying　a　Slave。

Chapter　3。　　Aiding　a　Runaway。

Chapter　4。　　Safely　Back。

Chapter　5。　　Secession。

Chapter　6。　　Bull　Run。

Chapter　7。　　The　Merrimac　and　the　Monitor。

Chapter　8。　　McClellan's　Advance。

Chapter　9。　　A　Prisoner。

Chapter　10。　　The　Escape。

Chapter　11。　　Fugitives。

Chapter　12。　　The　Bush…Wackers。

Chapter　13。　　Laid　Up。

Chapter　14。　　Across　the　Border。

Chapter　15。　　Fredericksburg。

Chapter　16。　　The　Search　for　Dinah。

Chapter　17。　　Chancellorsville。

Chapter　18。　　A　Perilous　Undertaking。

Chapter　19。　　Free。

Chapter　20。　　The　End　of　the　Struggle。









WITH　LEE　IN　VIRGINIA：

A　STORY　OF　THE　AMERICAN　CIVIL　WAR





CHAPTER　I。　A　VIRGINIAN　PLANTATION。



〃I　WON'T　have　it；　Pearson；　so　it's　no　use　your　talking。　If　I　had　my

way　you　shouldn't　touch　any　of　the　field　hands。　　And　when　I　get

my　way…that　won't　be　so　very　long…I　will　take　good　care　you　sha'n't。　

But　you　sha'n't　hit　Dan。〃



〃He　is　not　one　of　the　regular　house　hands；〃　was　the　reply；　〃and　I

shall　appeal　to　Mrs。　Wingfield　as　to　whether　I　am　to　be　interfered

with　in　the　discharge　of　my　duties。〃



〃You　may　appeal　to　my　mother　if　you　like；　but　I　don't　think　that

you　will　get　much　by　it。　　I　tell　you　you　are　a　deal　too　fond　of　that

whip；　Pearson。　　It　never　was　heard　of　on　the　estate　during　my

father's　time；　and　it　sha'n't　be　again　when　it　comes　to　be　mine；　I

can　tell　you。　　Come　along；　Dan；　I　want　you　at　the　stables。〃



So　saying；　Vincent　Wingfield　turned　on　his　heel；　and　followed　by

Dan；　a　negro　lad　of　some　eighteen　years　old；　be　walked　off　toward

the　house；　leaving　Jonas　Pearson；　the　overseer　of　the　Orangery

estate；　looking　after　him　with　an　evil　expression　of　face。



Vincent　Wingfield　was　the　son　of　an　English　officer；　who；　making

a　tour　in　the　States；　had　fallen　in　love　with　and　won　the　hand　of

Winifred　Cornish；　a　rich　Virginian　heiress；　and　one　of　the　belles　of

Richmond。　　After　the　marriage　he　had　taken　her　home　to　visit　his

family　in　England；　but　she　had　not　been　there　many　weeks　before

the　news　arrived　of　the　sudden　death　of　her　father。　　A　month　later

she　and　her　husband　returned　to　Virginia；　as　her　presence　was

required　there　in　reference　to　business　matters　connected　with　the

estate；　of　which　she　was　now　the　mistress。



The　Orangery；　so　called　from　a　large　conservatory　built　by　Mrs。

Wingfield's　grandfather；　was　the　family　seat；　and　the　broad　lands

around　it　were　tilled　by　upward　of　two　hundred　slaves。　　There　were

in　addition　three　other　properties　lying　in　different　parts　of　the

State。　　Here　Vincent；　with　two　sisters；　one　older　and　one　younger

than　himself；　had　been　born。　　When　he　was　eight　years　old　Major

and　Mrs。　Wingfield　had　gone　over　with　their　children　to　England；

and　had　left　Vincent　there　for　four　years　at　school；　his　holidays

being　spent　at　the　house　of　his　father's　brother；　a　　country

gentleman　in　Sussex。　　Then　he　had　been　sent　for　unexpectedly；　his

father　saying　that　his　health　was　not　good；　and　that　he　should　like

his　son　to　be　with　him。　　A　year　later　his　father　died。



Vincent　was　now　nearly　sixteen　years　old；　and　would　upon　coming

of　age　assume　the　reins　of　power　at　the　Orangery；　of　which　his

mother；　however；　would　be　the　actual　mistress　as　long　as　she　lived。　

The　four　years　Vincent　had　passed　in　the　English　school　had　done

much　to　render　the　institution　of　slavery　repugnant　to　him；　and　his

father　had　had　many　serious　talks　with　him　during　the　last　year　of

his　life；　and　had　shown　him　that　there　was　a　good　deal　to　be　said

upon　both　sides　of　the　subject。



〃There　are　good　plantations　and　bad　plantations；　Vincent；　and

there　are　many　more　good　ones　than　bad　ones。　There　are　brutes　to

be　found　everywhere。　　There　are　bad　masters　in　the　Southern

States　just　as　there　are　had　landlords　in　every　European　country。

'But　even　from　self…interest　alone；　a　planter　has　greater　reason　for

caring　for　the　health　and　comfort　of　his　slaves　than　an　English

farmer　has　in　caring　for　the　comfort　of　his　laborers。　　Slaves　are

valuable　property；　and　if　they　are　overworked　or　badly　cared　for

they　decrease　in　value。　　Whereas　if　the　laborer　falls　sick　or　is

unable　to　do　his　work　the　farmer　has　simply　to　hire　another　hand。　

It　is　as　much　the　interest　of　a　planter　to　keep　his　slaves　in　good

health　and　spirits　as　it　is　for　a　farmer　to　feed　and　attend　to　his

horses　properly。



〃Of　the　two；　I　consider　that　the　slave　with　a　fairly　kind　master　is　to

the　full　as　happy　as　the　ordinary　English　laborer。　　He　certainly　does

not　work　so　hard；　if　he　is　ill　he　is　carefully　attended　to；　he　is　well

fed；　he　has　no　cares　or　anxieties　whatever；　and　when　old　and　past

work　he　has　no　fear　of　the　workhouse　staring　him　in　the　face。　　At

the　same　time　I　am　quite　ready　to　grant　that　there　are　horrible

abuses　possible　under　the　laws　connected　with　slavery。



〃The　selling　of　slaves；　that　is　to　say；　the　breaking　up　of　families

and　selling　them　separately；　is　horrible　and　abominable。　　If　an

estate　were　sold　together　with　all　the　slaves　upon　it；　there　would　be

no　more　hardship　in　the　matter　than　there　is　when　an　estate

changes　hands　in　England；　and　the　laborers　upon　it　work　for　the

new　master　instead　of　the　old。　　Were　I　to　liberate　all　the　slaves　on

this　estate　to…morrow　and　to　send　them　North；　I　do　not　think　that

they　would　be　in　any　way　benefited　by　the　change。　　They　would

still　have　to　work　for　their　living　as　they　do　now；　and　being

naturally　indolent　and　shiftless　would　probably　fare　much　worse。　

But　against　the　selling　of　families　separately　and　the　use　of　the

lash　I　set　my　face　strongly。



〃At　the　same　time；　my　boy；　whatever　your　sentiments　may　be　on

this　subject；　you　must　keep　your　mouth　closed　as　to　them。　　Owing

to　the　attempts　of　Northern　Abolitionists；　who　have　come　down

here　stirring　up　the　slaves　to　discontent；　it　is　not　advisable；　indeed

it　is　absolutely　dangerous；　to　speak　against　slavery　in　the　Southern

States。　The　institution　is　here；　and　we　must　make　the　best　we　can

of　it。　　People　here　are　very　sore　at　the　foul　slanders　that　have　been

published　by　Northern　writers。　　There　have　been　many　atrocities

perpetrated　undoubtedly；　by　brutes　who　would　have　been　brutes

whenever　they　bad　been　born；　but　to　collect　a　series　of　such

atrocities；　to　string　them　together　into　a　story；　and　to　hold　them　up；

as　Mrs。　Beecher　Stowe　has；　as　a　picture　of　slave…life　in　the

Southern　States；　is　as　gross　a　libel　as　if　any　one　were　to　make　a

collection　of　all　the　wife…beatings　and　assaults　of　drunken　English

ruffians；　and　to　publish　them　as　a　picture　of　the　average　life　of

English　people。



〃Such　libels　as　these　have　done　more　to　embitter　the　two　sections

of　America　against　each　other　than　anything　else。　　Therefore；

Vincent；　my　advice　to　you　is；　be　always　kind　to　your　slaves…not

over…indulgent；　because　they　are　very　like　children　and　indulgence

spoils　them…but　be　at　the　same　time　firm　and　kind　to　them；　and

with　other　people　avoid　entering　into　any　discussions　or　

expressing　any　opinion　with　regard　to　slavery。　　You　can　do　no

good　and　you　can　do　much　harm。　Take　things　as　you　find　them　and

make　the　best　of　them。　　I　trust　that　the　time　may　come　when

slavery　will　be　abolished；　but　I　hope；　for　the　sake　of　the　slaves

themselves；　that　when　this　is　done　it　will　be　done　gradually　and

thoughtfully；　for　otherwise　it　would　inflict　terrible　hardship　and

suffering　upon　them　as　well　as　upon　their　masters。〃



There　were　many　such　conversations　between　father　and　son；　for

feeling　on　the　subject　ran　very　high　in　the　Southern　States；　and　the

former　felt　that　it　was　of　the　utmost　importance　to　his　son　that　he

should　avoid　taking　any　strong　line　in　the　matter。　　Among　the　old

families　of　Virginia　there　was　indeed　far　less　feeling　on　this

subject　than　in　some　of　the　other　States。　　Knowing　the　good　feeling

that　almost　universally　existed　between　themselves　aid　their

slaves；　the　gentry　of　Virginia　regarded　with　contempt　the

calumnies　of　which　they　were　the　subject。　　Secure　in　the　affection

of　their　slaves；　an　affection　which　was　after…ward　abundantly

proved　during　the　course　of　the　war；　they　scarcely　saw　the　ugly

side　of　the　question。　　The　worst　masters　were　the　smallest　ones；

the　man　who　owned　six　slaves　was　far　more　apt　to　extort　the

utmost　possible　work　from　them　than　the　planter　who　owned　three

or　four　hundred。　　And　the　worst　masters　of　all　were　those　who；

hav