the day of the confederacy-第14部分

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the　defensive　lines　〃refugeeing〃　became　a　feature　of　Southern
life。　From　the　districts　over　which　the　waves　of　war　rolled　back
and　forth　helpless　familieswomen；　children；　slavesfound
precarious　safety　together　with　great　hardship　by　withdrawing　to
remote　places　which　invasion　was　little　likely　to　reach。　An
Odyssey　of　hard　travel；　often　by　night　and　half　secret；　is　part
of　the　war　tradition　of　thousands　of　Southern　families。　And　here；
as　always；　the　heroic　women；　smiling；　indomitable；　are　the　center
of　the　picture。　Their　flight　to　preserve　the　children　was　no
small　test　of　courage。　Almost　invariably　they　had　to　traverse
desolate　country；　with　few　attendants；　through　forests；　and
across　rivers；　where　the　arm　of　the　law　was　now　powerless　to
protect　them。　Outlaws；　defiant　of　the　authorities　both　civil　and
military；ruthless　men　of　whom　we　shall　hear　again；roved　those
great　unoccupied　spaces　so　characteristic　of　the　Southern
countryside。　Many　a　family　legend　preserves　still　the　sense　of
breathless　caution；　of　pilgrimage　in　the　night…time　intently
silent　for　fear　of　these　masterless　men。　When　the　remote
rendezvous　had　been　reached；　there　a　colony　of　refugees　drew
together　in　a　steadfast　despair；　unprotected　by　their　own
fighting　men。　What　strange　sad　pages　in　the　history　of　American
valor　were　filled　by　these　women　outwardly　calm；　their　children
romping　after　butterflies　in　a　glory　of　sunshine；　while　horrid
tales　drifted　in　of　deeds　done　by　the　masterless　men　in　the
forest　just　beyond　the　horizon；　and　far　off　on　the　soul's
horizon　fathers；　husbands；　brothers；　held　grimly　the　lines　of
last　defense！



Chapter　VII。　The　Turning　Of　The　Tide

The　buoyancy　of　the　Southern　temper　withstood　the　shock　of
Gettysburg　and　was　not　overcome　by　the　fall　of　Vicksburg。　Of　the
far…reaching　significance　of　the　latter　catastrophe　in　particular
there　was　little　immediate　recognition。　Even　Seddon；　the
Secretary　of　War；　in　November；　reported　that　〃the　communication
with　the　Trans…Mississippi；　while　rendered　somewhat　precarious
and　insecure；　is　found　by　no　means　cut　off　or　even　seriously
endangered。〃　His　report　was　the　same　sort　of　thing　as　those
announcements　of　〃strategic　retreats〃　with　which　the　world　has
since　become　familiar。　He　even　went　so　far　as　to　argue　that　on
the　whole　the　South　had　gained　rather　than　lost；　that　the　control
of　the　river　was　of　no　real　value　to　the　North；　that　the　loss　of
Vicksburg　〃has　on　our　side　liberated　for　general　operations　in
the　field　a　large　army；　while　it　requires　the　enemy　to　maintain
cooped　up；　inactive；　in　positions　insalubrious　to　their　soldiers；
considerable　detachments　of　their　forces。〃

Seddon　attempted　to　reverse　the　facts；　to　show　that　the
importance　of　the　Mississippi　in　commerce　was　a　Northern　not　a
Southern　concern。　He　threw　light　upon　the　tactics　of　the　time　by
his　description　of　the　future　action　of　Confederate　sharpshooters
who　were　to　terrorize　such　commercial　crews　as　might　attempt　to
navigate　the　river；　he　also　told　how　light　batteries　might　move
swiftly　along　the　banks　and；　at　points　commanding　the　channel；
rain　on　the　passing　steamer　unheralded　destruction。　He　was　silent
upon　the　really　serious　matter；　the　patrol　of　the　river　by
Federal　gunboats　which　rendered　commerce　with　the
Trans…Mississippi　all　but　impossible。

This　report；　dated　the　26th　of　November；　gives　a　roseate　view　of
the　war　in　Tennessee　and　enlarges　upon　that　dreadful　battle　of
Chickamauga　which　〃ranks　as　one　of　the　grandest　victories　of　the
war。〃　But　even　as　the　report　was　signed；　Bragg　was　in　full
retreat　after　his　great　disaster　at　Chattanooga。　On　the　30th　of
November　the　Administration　at　Richmond　received　from　him　a
dispatch　that　closed　with　these　words：　〃I　deem　it　due　to　the
cause　and　to　myself　to　ask　for　relief　from　command　and　an
investigation　into　the　causes　of　the　defeat。〃　In　the　middle　of
December；　Joseph　E。　Johnston　was　appointed　to　succeed　him。

Whatever　had　been　the　illusions　of　the　Government；　they　were　now
at　an　end。　There　was　no　denying　that　the　war　had　entered　a　new
stage　and　that　the　odds　were　grimly　against　the　South。　Davis
recognized　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　and　in　his　message　to
Congress　in　December；　1863；　he　admitted　that　the
Trans…Mississippi　was　practically　isolated。　This　was　indeed　a
great　catastrophe；　for　hereafter　neither　men　nor　supplies　could
be　drawn　from　the　far　Southwest。　Furthermore；　the　Confederacy　had
now　lost　its　former　precious　advantage　of　using　Mexico　as　a　means
of　secret　trade　with　Europe。

These　distressing　events　of　the　four　months　between　Vicksburg　and
Chattanooga　established　also　the　semi…isolation　of　the　middle
region　of　the　lower　South。　The　two　States　of　Mississippi　and
Alabama　entered　upon　the　most　desperate　chapter　of　their　history。
Neither　in　nor　out　of　the　Confederacy；　neither　protected　by　the
Confederate　lines　nor　policed　by　the　enemy；　they　were　subject　at
once　to　the　full　rigor　of　the　financial　and　military　demands　of
the　Administration　of　Richmond　and　to　the　full　ruthlessness　of
plundering　raids　from　the　North。　Nowhere　can　the　contrast　between
the　warfare　of　that　day　and　the　best　methods　of　our　own　time　be
observed　more　clearly　than　in　this　unhappy　region。　At　the　opening
of　1864　the　effective　Confederate　lines　drew　an　irregular　zigzag
across　the　map　from　a　point　in　northern　Georgia　not　far　below
Chattanooga　to　Mobile。　Though　small　Confederate　commands　still
operated　bravely　west　of　this　line；　the　whole　of　Mississippi　and
a　large　part　of　Alabama　were　beyond　aid　from　Richmond。　But　the
average　man　did　not　grasp　the　situation。　When　a　region　is
dominated　by　mobile　armies　the　appearance　of　things　to　the
civilian　is　deceptive。　Because　the　powerful　Federal　armies　of　the
Southwest；　at　the　opening　of　1864；　were　massed　at　strategic
points　from　Tennessee　to　the　Gulf；　and　were　not　extended　along　an
obvious　trench　line；　every　brave　civilian　would　still　keep　up　his
hope　and　would　still　insist　that　the　middle　Gulf　country　was　far
from　subjugation；　that　its　defense　against　the　invader　had　not
become　hopeless。

Under　such　conditions；　when　the　Government　at　Richmond　called
upon　the　men　of　the　Southwest　to　regard　themselves　as　mere
sources　of　supply；　human　and　otherwise；　mere　feeders　to　a　theater
of　war　that　did　not　include　their　homes；　it　was　altogether
natural　that　they　should　resent　the　demand。　All　the　tragic
confusion　that　was　destined　in　the　course　of　the　fateful　year
1864　to　paralyze　the　Government　at　Richmond　was　already　apparent
in　the　middle　Gulf　country　when　the　year　began。　Chief　among　these
was　the　inability　of　the　State　and　Confederate　Governments　to
cooperate　adequately　in　the　business　of　conscription。　The　two
powers　were　determined　rivals　struggling　each　to　seize　the　major
part　of　the　manhood　of　the　community。　While　Richmond；　looking　on
the　situation　with　the　eye　of　pure　strategy；　wished　to　draw
together　the　full　man…power　of　the　South　in　one　great　unit；　the
local　authorities　were　bent　on　retaining　a　large　part　of　it　for
home　defense。

In　the　Alabama　newspapers　of　the　latter　half　of　1863　strange
incidents　are　to　be　found　throwing　light　on　the　administrative
duel。　The　writ　of　habeas　corpus；　as　was　so　often　the　case　in
Confederate　history；　was　the　bone　of　contention。　We　have　seen
that　the　second　statute　empowering　the　President　to　proclaim
martial　law　and　to　suspend　the　operation　of　the　writ　had　expired
by　limitation　in　February；　1863。　The　Alabama　courts　were
theoretically　in　full　operation；　but　while　the　law　was　in　force
the　military　authorities　had　acquired　a　habit　of　arbitrary
control。　Though　warned　from　Richmond　in　general　orders　that　they
must　not　take　unto　themselves　a　power　vested　in　the　President
alone；　they　continued　their　previous　course　of　action。　It
thereupon　became　necessary　to　issue　further　general　orders
annulling　〃all　proclamations　of　martial　law　by　general　officers
and　others〃　not　invested　by　law　with　adequate　authority。

Neither　general　orders　nor　the　expiration　of　the　statute；
however；　seemed　able　to　put　an　end　to　the　interference　with　the
local　courts　on　the　part　of　local　commanders。　The　evil　apparently
grew　during　1863。　A　picturesque　instance　is　recorded　with　extreme
fullness　by　the　Southern　Advertiser　in　the　autumn　of　the　year。　In
the　minutely　circumstantial　account；　we　catch　glimpses　of　one
Rhodes　moving　heaven　and　earth　to　prove　himself　exempt　from
military　service。　After　Rhodes　is　enrolled　by　the　officers　of　the
local　military　rendezvous；　the　sheriff　attempts　to　turn　the
tables　by　arresting　the　Colonel　in　command。　The　soldiers　rush　to
defend　their　Colonel；　who　is　ill　in　bed　at　a　house　some　distance
away。　The　judge　who　had　issued　the　writ　is　hot　with　anger　at　this
military　interference　in　civil　affairs。　Thereupon　the　soldiers
seize　him；　but　later；　recognizing　for　some　unexplained　reason　the
majesty　of　the　civil　law；　they　release　him。　And　the　hot…tempered
incident　closes　with　the　Colonel's　determination　to　carry　the
case　to　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　State。

The　much　harassed　people　of　Alabama　had　still　other　causes　of
complaint　during　this　same　year。　Again　the　newspapers　illumine
the　situation。　In　the　troubled　autumn；　Joseph　Wheeler　swept
across　the　northern　counties　of　Alabama　and　in　a　daring　ride；
with　Federal　cavalry　hot　on　his　trail；　reached　safety　beyond　the
Tennessee　River。　Here　his　pursuers　turned　back　and；　as　their
horses　had　been　broken　by　the　swiftness　of　the　pursuit；　returning
slowly；　they　〃gleaned　the　country〃　to　replace　their　supplies。
Incidentally　they　pounced　upon　the　town　of　Huntsville。　〃Their
appearance　here；〃　writes　a　local　correspondent；　〃was　so　sudden
and。。。the　contradictory　reports　of　their　whereabouts〃　had
been　so　baffling　that　the　townspeople　had　found　no　time　to
secrete　things。　The　whole　neighborhood　was　swept　clean　of　cattle
and　almost　clean　of　provision。　〃We　have　not　enough　left；〃　the
report　continues；　〃to　haul　and　plow　with。。。and　milch　cows　are
non　est。〃　Including　〃Stanley's　big　raid　in　July；〃　this　was　the
twenty…first　raid　which　Huntsville　had　endured　that　year。　The
report　closes　with　a　bitter　denunciation　of　the　people　of
southern　Alabama　who　as　yet　do　not　know　what　war　means；