andersonville-第93章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


charge；　of　issuing　the　rations　and　of　a　barrel　of　milk　punch　which　the
Sanitary　Commission　had　sent　down　to　be　dealt　out　on　the　voyage　to　such
as　needed　it。　　I　went　to　work　and　arranged　the　boys　in　the　best　way　I
could；　and　returned　to　the　deck　to　view　the　scenery。

Wilmington　is　thirty…four　miles　from　the　sea；　and　the　river　for　that
distance　is　a　calm；　broad　estuary。　　At　this　time　the　resources　of　Rebel
engineering　were　exhausted　in　defense　against　its　passage　by　a　hostile
fleet；　and　undoubtedly　the　best　work　of　the　kind　in　the　Southern
Confederacy　was　done　upon　it。　　At　its　mouth　were　Forts　Fisher　and
Caswell；　the　strongest　sea　coast　forts　in　the　Confederacy。　　Fort　Caswell
was　an　old　United　States　fort；　much　enlarged　and　strengthened。　　Fort
Fisher　was　a　new　work；　begun　immediately　after　the　beginning　of　the　war；
and　labored　at　incessantly　until　captured。　　Behind　these　every　one　of　the
thirty…four　miles　to　Wilmington　was　covered　with　the　fire　of　the　best
guns　the　English　arsenals　could　produce；　mounted　on　forts　built　at　every
advantageous　spot。　　Lines　of　piles　running　out　into　the　water；　forced
incoming　vessels　to　wind　back　and　forth　across　the　stream　under　the
point…blank　range　of　massive　Armstrong　rifles。　　As　if　this　were　not
sufficient；　the　channel　was　thickly　studded　with　torpedoes　that　would
explode　at　the　touch　of　the　keel　of　a　passing　vessel。　　These　abundant
precautions；　and　the　telegram　from　General　Lee；　found　in　Fort　Fisher；
stating　that　unless　that　stronghold　and　Fort　Caswell　were　held　he　could
not　hold　Richmond；　give　some　idea　of　the　importance　of　the　place　to　the
Rebels。

We　passed　groups　of　hundreds　of　sailors　fishing　for　torpedos；　and　saw
many　of　these　dangerous　monsters；　which　they　had　hauled　up　out　of　the
water。　　We　caught　up　with　the　〃Thorn；〃　when　about　half　way　to　the　sea；
passed　her；　to　our　great　delight；　and　soon　left　a　gap　between　us　of
nearly　half…a…mile。　　We　ran　through　an　opening　in　the　piling；　holding　up
close　to　the　left　side；　and　she　apparently　followed　our　course　exactly。
Suddenly　there　was　a　dull　roar；　a　column　of　water；　bearing　with　it
fragments　of　timbers；　planking　and　human　bodies；　rose　up　through　one　side
of　the　vessel；　and；　as　it　fell；　she　lurched　forward　and　sank。　　She　had
struck　a　torpedo。　　I　never　learned　the　number　lost；　but　it　must　have　been
very　great。

Some　little　time　after　this　happened　we　approached　Fort　Anderson；　the
most　powerful　of　the　works　between　Wilmington　and　the　forts　at　the　mouth
of　the　sea。　　It　was　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　little　Town　of　Brunswick；
destroyed　by　Cornwallis　during　the　Revolutionary　War。　　We　saw　a　monitor
lying　near　it；　and　sought　good　positions　to　view　this　specimen　of　the
redoubtable　ironclads　of　which　we　had　heard　and　read　so　much。　　It　looked
precisely　as　it　did　in　pictures；　as　black；　as　grim；　and　as　uncompromising
as　the　impregnable　floating　fortress　which　had　brought　the　〃Merrimac〃　to
terms。

But　as　we　approached　closely　we　noticed　a　limpness　about　the　smoke　stack
that　seemed　very　inconsistent　with　the　customary　rigidity　of　cylindrical
iron。　　Then　the　escape　pipe　seemed　scarcely　able　to　maintain　itself
upright。　　A　few　minutes　later　we　discovered　that　our　terrible　Cyclops　of
the　sea　was　a　flimsy　humbug；　a　theatrical　imitation；　made　by　stretching
blackened　canvas　over　a　wooden　frame。

One　of　the　officers　on　board　told　us　its　story。　　After　the　fall　of　Fort
Fisher　the　Rebels　retired　to　Fort　Anderson；　and　offered　a　desperate
resistance　to　our　army　and　fleet。　　Owing　to　the　shallowness　of　the　water
the　latter　could　not　come　into　close　enough　range　to　do　effective　work。
Then　the　happy　idea　of　this　sham　monitor　suggested　itself　to　some　one。
It　was　prepared；　and　one　morning　before　daybreak　it　was　sent　floating　in
on　the　tide。　　The　other　monitors　opened　up　a　heavy　fire　from　their
position。　　The　Rebels　manned　their　guns　and　replied　vigorously；　by
concentrating　a　terrible　cannonade　on　the　sham　monitor；　which　sailed
grandly　on；　undisturbed　by　the　heavy　rifled　bolts　tearing　through　her
canvas　turret。　　Almost　frantic　with　apprehension　of　the　result　if　she
could　not　be　checked；　every　gun　that　would　bear　was　turned　upon　her；　and
torpedos　were　exploded　in　her　pathway　by　electricity。　　All　these　she
treated　with　the　silent　contempt　they　merited　from　so　invulnerable　a
monster。　　At　length；　as　she　reached　a　good　easy　range　of　the　fort；　her
bow　struck　something；　and　she　swung　around　as　if　to　open　fire。　　That　was
enough　for　the　Rebels。　　With　Schofield's　army　reaching　out　to　cut　off
their　retreat；　and　this　dreadful　thing　about　to　tear　the　insides　out　of
their　fort　with　four…hundred…pound　shot　at　quarter…mile　range；　there　was
nothing　for　them　to　do　but　consult　their　own　safety；　which　they　did　with
such　haste　that　they　did　not　spike　a　gun；　or　destroy　a　pound　of　stores。




CHAPTER　LXXX

VISIT　TO　FORT　FISHER；　AND　INSPECTION　OF　THAT　STRONGHOLDTHE　WAY　IT　WAS
CAPTUREDOUT　ON　THE　OCEAN　SAILINGTERRIBLY　SEASICKRAPID　RECOVERY
ARRIVAL　AT　ANNAPOLISWASHED；　CLOTHED　AND　FEDUNBOUNDED　LUXURY；　AND　DAYS
OF　UNADULTERATED　HAPPINESS。

When　we　reached　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River　the　wind　was　blowing　so　hard
that　our　Captain　did　not　think　it　best　to　venture　out；　so　he　cast　anchor。
The　cabin　of　the　vessel　was　filled　with　officers　who　had　been　released
from　prison　about　the　same　time　we　were。　　I　was　also　given　a　berth　in　the
cabin；　in　consideration　of　my　being　the　non…commissioned　officer　in
charge　of　the　men；　and　I　found　the　associations　quite　pleasant。　　A　party
was　made　up；　which　included　me；　to　visit　Fort　Fisher；　and　we　spent　the
larger　part　of　a　day　very　agreeably　in　wandering　over　that　great
stronghold。　　We　found　it　wonderful　in　its　strength；　and　were　prepared　to
accept　the　statement　of　those　who　had　seen　foreign　defensive　works；　that
it　was　much　more　powerful　than　the　famous　Malakoff；　which　so　long　defied
the　besiegers　of　Sebastopol。

The　situation　of　the　fort　was　on　a　narrow　and　low　spit　of　ground　between
Cape　Fear　River　and　the　ocean。　　On　this　the　Rebels　had　erected；　with
prodigious　labor；　an　embankment　over　a　mile　in　length；　twenty…five　feet
thick　and　twenty　feet　high。　　About　two…thirds　of　this　bank　faced　the　sea；
the　other　third　ran　across　the　spit　of　land　to　protect　the　fort　against
an　attack　from　the　land　side。　　Still　stronger　than　the　bank　forming　the
front　of　the　fort　were　the　traverses；　which　prevented　an　enfilading　fire
These　were　regular　hills；　twenty…five　to　forty　feet　high；　and　broad　and
long　in　proportion。　　There　were　fifteen　or　twenty　of　them　along　the　face
of　the　fort。　　Inside　of　them　were　capacious　bomb　proofs；　sufficiently
large　to　shelter　the　whole　garrison。　　It　seemed　as　if　a　whole　Township
had　been　dug　up；　carted　down　there　and　set　on　edge。　　In　front　of　the
works　was　a　strong　palisade。　　Between　each　pair　of　traverses　were　one　or
two　enormous　guns；　none　less　than　one…hundred…and…fifty　pounders。　　Among
these　we　saw　a　great　Armstrong　gun；　which　had　been　presented　to　the
Southern　Confederacy　by　its　manufacturer；　Sir　William　Armstrong；　who；
like　the　majority　of　the　English　nobility；　was　a　warm　admirer　of　the
Jeff。　Davis　crowd。　　It　was　the　finest　piece　of　ordnance　ever　seen　in　this
country。　　The　carriage　was　rosewood；　and　the　mountings　gilt　brass。　　The
breech　of　the　gun　had　five　reinforcements。

To　attack　this　place　our　Government　assembled　the　most　powerful　fleet
ever　sent　on　such　an　expedition。　　Over　seventy…five　men…of…war；　including
six　monitors；　and　carrying　six　hundred　guns；　assailed　it　with　a　storm　of
shot　and　shell　that　averaged　four　projectiles　per　second　for　several
hours；　the　parapet　was　battered；　and　the　large　guns　crushed　as　one
smashes　a　bottle　with　a　stone。　　The　garrison　fled　into　the　bomb…proofs
for　protection。　　The　troops；　who　had　landed　above　the　fort；　moved　up　to
assail　the　land　face；　while　a　brigade　of　sailors　and　marines　attacked　the
sea　face。

As　the　fleet　had　to　cease　firing　to　allow　the　charge；　the　Rebels　ran　out
of　their　casemates　and；　manning　the　parapet；　opened　such　a　fire　of
musketry　that　the　brigade　from　the　fleet　was　driven　back；　but　the
soldiers　made　a　lodgment　on　the　land　face。　　Then　began　some　beautiful
cooperative　tactics　between　the　Army　and　Navy；　communication　being　kept
up　with　signal　flags。　　Our　men　were　on　one　side　of　the　parapets　and　the
Rebels　on　the　other；　with　the　fighting　almost　hand…to…hand。　　The　vessels
ranged　out　to　where　their　guns　would　rake　the　Rebel　line；　and　as　their
shot　tore　down　its　length；　the　Rebels　gave　way；　and　falling　back　to　the
next　traverse；　renewed　the　conflict　there。　　Guided　by　the　signals　our
vessels　changed　their　positions；　so　as　to　rake　this　line　also；　and　so　the
fight　went　on　until　twelve　traverses　had　been　carried；　one　after　the
other；　when　the　rebels　surrendered。

The　next　day　the　Rebels　abandoned　Fort　Caswell　and　other　fortifications
in　the　immediate　neighborhood；　surrendered　two　gunboats；　and　fell　back　to
the　lines　at　Fort　Anderson。　　After　Fort　Fisher　fell；　several　blockade…
runners　were　lured　inside　and　captured。

Never　before　had　there　been　such　a　demonstration　of　the　power　of　heavy
artillery。　　Huge　cannon　were　pounded　into　fragments；　hills　of　sand　ripped
open；　deep　crevasses　blown　in　the　ground　by　exploding　shells；　wooden
buildings　reduced　to　kindling…wood；　etc。　　The　ground　was　literally　paved
with　fragments　of　shot　and　shell；　which；　now　red　with　rust　from　the
corroding　salt　air；　made　the　interior　of　the　fort　resemble　what　one　of
our　party　likened　it　to　〃an　old　brickyard。〃

Whichever　way　we　looked　along　the　shores　we　saw　abundant　evidence　of　the
greatness　of　the　business　which　gave　the　place　its　importance。　　In　all
directions；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　the　beach　was　dotted　with　the
bleaching　skeletons　of　blockade…runnerssome　run　ashore　by　their
mistaking　the　channel；　more　beached　to　escape　the　hot　pursuit　of　our
blockaders。

Directly　in　front　of　the　sea　face　of　the　fort；　and　not　four　hundred　yards
from　the　savage　mouths　of　the　huge　guns；　the　blackened　timbers　of　a
burned　blockade…runner　showed　above　the　water　at　low　tide。　　Coming　in
from　Nassau　with　a　cargo　of　priceless　value　to　the　gasping　Confederacy；
she　was　observed　and　chased　by　one　of　our　vessels；　a　swifter　sailer；
even；　than　herself。　　The　war　ship　closed　rapidly　upon　her。　　She　sought
the　protection　of　the　guns　of　Fort　Fisher；　which　opened　venomously　on　the
chaser。　　They　did　not　stop　her；　though　they　were　less　than　half　a　mile
away。　　In　another　minute　she　would　have　sent　the　Rebel　vessel　to　the
bottom　of　the　sea；　by　a　broadside　from　her　heavy　guns；　but　the　Captain　of
the　latter　turned　her　suddenly；　and　ran　her　high　up　on　the　beach；
wrecking　his　vessel；　but　saving　the　much　more　valuable　cargo。　　Our　vessel
then　hauled　off；　and　as　night　fell；　quiet　was　restored。　　At　midnight　two
boat…loads　of　determined　men；　rowing　with　muffled　oars　moved　silently　out
from　the　blockader　towards　the　beached　vessel。　　In　their　boats　they　had
some　cans　of　turpentine；　and　several　large　shells。　　When　they　reached　the
blockade…runner　they　found　all　her　crew　gone　ashore；　save　one　watchman；
whom　they　overpowered　before　he　could　give　the　alarm。　　They　cautiously
felt　their　way　around；　with　the　aid　of　a　dark　lantern；　sec