north america-2-第26部分

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！


t　now　given　up　to　cavalry　horses　and　Parrott　guns。　　But　Benton　Barracks　are　outside　the　fair…green。　　Here　on　an　open　space；　some　half　mile　in　length；　two　long　rows　of　wooden　sheds　have　been　built；　opposite　to　each　other；　and　behind　them　are　other　sheds　used　for　stabling　and　cooking　places。　　Those　in　front　are　divided；　not　into　separate　huts；　but　into　chambers　capable　of　containing　nearly　two　hundred　men　each。　　They　were　surrounded　on　the　inside　by　great　wooden　trays；　in　three　tiersand　on　each　tray　four　men　were　supposed　to　sleep。　　I　went　into　one　or　two　while　the　crowd　of　soldiers　was　in　them；　but　found　it　inexpedient　to　stay　there　long。　　The　stench　of　those　places　was　foul　beyond　description。　Never　in　my　life　before　had　I　been　in　a　place　so　horrid　to　the　eyes　and　nose　as　Benton　Barracks。　　The　path　along　the　front　outside　was　deep　in　mud。　　The　whole　space　between　the　two　rows　of　sheds　was　one　field　of　mud；　so　slippery　that　the　foot　could　not　stand。　　Inside　and　outside　every　spot　was　deep　in　mud。　　The　soldiers　were　mud…stained　from　foot　to　sole。　　These　volunteer　soldiers　are　in　their　nature　dirty；　as　must　be　all　men　brought　together　in　numerous　bodies　without　special　appliances　for　cleanliness；　or　control　and　discipline　as　to　their　personal　habits。　　But　the　dirt　of　the　men　in　the　Benton　Barracks　surpassed　any　dirt　that　I　had　hitherto　seen。　Nor　could　it　have　been　otherwise　with　them。　　They　were　surrounded　by　a　sea　of　mud；　and　the　foul　hovels　in　which　they　were　made　to　sleep　and　live　were　fetid　with　stench　and　reeking　with　filth。　　I　had　at　this　time　been　joined　by　another　Englishman；　and　we　went　through　this　place　together。　　When　we　inquired　as　to　the　health　of　the　men；　we　heard　the　saddest　talesof　three　hundred　men　gone　out　of　one　regiment；　of　whole　companies　that　had　perished；　of　hospitals　crowded　with　fevered　patients。　　Measles　had　been　the　great　scourge　of　the　soldiers　hereas　it　had　also　been　in　the　army　of　the　Potomac。　　I　shall　not　soon　forget　my　visits　to　Benton　Barracks。　　It　may　be　that　our　own　soldiers　were　as　badly　treated　in　the　Crimea；　or　that　French　soldiers　were　treated　worse　in　their　march　into　Russia。　　It　may　be　that　dirt　and　wretchedness；　disease　and　listless　idleness；　a　descent　from　manhood　to　habits　lower　than　those　of　the　beasts；　are　necessary　in　warfare。　　I　have　sometimes　thought　that　it　is　so；　but　I　am　no　military　critic；　and　will　not　say。　　This　I　saythat　the　degradation　of　men　to　the　state　in　which　I　saw　the　American　soldiers　in　Benton　Barracks　is　disgraceful　to　humanity。　General　Halleck　was　at　this　time　commanding　in　Missouri；　and　was　himself　stationed　at　St。　Louis；　but　his　active　measures　against　the　rebels　were　going　on　to　the　right　and　to　the　left。　　On　the　left　shore　of　the　Mississippi；　at　Cairo；　in　Illinois；　a　fleet　of　gun…　boats　was　being　prepared　to　go　down　the　river；　and　on　the　right　an　army　was　advancing　against　Springfield；　in　the　southwestern　district　of　Missouri；　with　the　object　of　dislodging　Price；　the　rebel　guerrilla　leader　there；　and；　if　possible；　of　catching　him。　　Price　had　been　the　opponent　of　poor　General　Lyons；　who　was　killed　at　Wilson's　Creek；　near　Springfield；　and　of　General　Fremont；　who　during　his　hundred　days　had　failed　to　drive　him　out　of　the　State。　　This　duty　had　now　been　intrusted　to　General　Curtis；　who　had　for　some　time　been　holding　his　headquarters　at　Rolla；　half　way　between　St。　Louis　and　Springfield。　　Fremont　had　built　a　fort　at　Rolla；　and　it　had　become　a　military　station。　　Over　10；000　men　had　been　there　at　one　time；　and　now　General　Curtis　was　to　advance　from　Rolla　against　Price　with　something　above　that　number　of　men。　　Many　of　them；　however；　had　already　gone　on；　and　others　were　daily　being　sent　up　from　St。　Louis。　Under　these　circumstances　my　friend　and　I；　fortified　with　a　letter　of　introduction　to　General　Curtis；　resolved　to　go　and　see　the　army　at　Rolla。　On　our　way　down　by　the　railway　we　encountered　a　young　German　officer；　an　aide…de…camp　of　the　Federals；　and　under　his　auspices　we　saw　Rolla　to　advantage。　　Our　companions　in　the　railway　were　chiefly　soldiers　and　teamsters。　　The　car　was　crowded；　and　filled　with　tobacco　smoke；　apple　peel；　and　foul　air。　　In　these　cars　during　the　winter　there　is　always　a　large　lighted　stove；　a　stove　that　might　cook　all　the　dinners　for　a　French　hotel；　and　no　window　is　ever　opened。　　Among　our　fellow…travelers　there　was　here　and　there　a　west…　country　Missouri　farmer　going　down；　under　the　protection　of　the　advancing　army；　to　look　after　the　remains　of　his　chattelswild；　dark；　uncouth；　savage…looking　men。　　One　such　hero　I　specially　remember；　as　to　whom　the　only　natural　remark　would　be　that　one　would　not　like　to　meet　him　alone　on　a　dark　night。　　He　was　burly　and　big；　unwashed　and　rough；　with　a　black　beard；　shorn　some　two　months　since。　He　had　sharp；　angry　eyes；　and　sat　silent；　picking　his　teeth　with　a　bowie　knife。　　I　met　him　afterward　at　the　Rolla　Hotel；　and　found　that　he　was　a　gentleman　of　property　near　Springfield。　　He　was　mild　and　meek　as　a　sucking　dove；　asked　my　advice　as　to　the　state　of　his　affairs；　and　merely　guessed　that　things　had　been　pretty　rough　with　him。　　Things　had　been　pretty　rough　with　him。　　The　rebels　had　come　upon　his　land。　　House；　fences；　stock；　and　crop　were　all　gone。　　His　homestead　had　been　made　a　ruin；　and　his　farm　had　been　turned　into　a　wilderness。　　Everything　was　gone。　　He　had　carried　his　wife　and　children　off　to　Illinois；　and　had　now　returned；　hoping　that　he　might　get　on　in　the　wake　of　the　army　till　he　could　see　the　debris　of　his　property。　　But　even　he　did　not　seem　disturbed。　　He　did　not　bemoan　himself　or　curse　his　fate。　　〃Things　were　pretty　rough；〃　he　said；　and　that　was　all　that　he　did　say。　It　was　dark　when　we　got　into　Rolla。　　Everything　had　been　covered　with　snow；　and　everywhere　the　snow　was　frozen。　　We　had　heard　that　there　was　a　hotel；　and　that　possibly　we　might　get　a　bed…room　there。　We　were　first　taken　to　a　wooden　building；　which　we　were　told　was　the　headquarters　of　the　army；　and　in　one　room　we　found　a　colonel　with　a　lot　of　soldiers　loafing　about；　and　in　another　a　provost　martial　attended　by　a　newspaper　correspondent。　　We　were　received　with　open　arms；　and　a　suggestion　was　at　once　made　that　we　were　no　doubt　picking　up　news　for　European　newspapers。　　〃Air　you　a　son　of　the　Mrs。　Trollope？〃　said　the　correspondent。　　〃Then；　sir；　you　are　an　accession　to　Rolla。〃　　Upon　which　I　was　made　to　sit　down；　and　invited　to　〃loaf　about〃　at　the　headquarters　as　long　as　I　might　remain　at　Rolla。　Shortly；　however；　there　came　on　a　violent　discussion　about　wagons。　A　general　had　come　in　and　wanted　all　the　colonel's　wagons；　but　the　colonel　swore　that　he　had　none；　declared　how　bitterly　he　was　impeded　with　sick　men；　and　became　indignant　and　reproachful。　　It　was　Brutus　and　Cassius　again；　and　as　we　felt　ourselves　in　the　way；　and　anxious　moreover　to　ascertain　what　might　be　the　nature　of　the　Rolla　hotel；　we　took　up　our　heavy　portmanteausfor　they　were　heavyand　with　a　guide　to　show　us　the　way；　started　off　through　the　dark　and　over　the　hill　up　to　our　inn。　　I　shall　never　forget　that　walk。　　It　was　up　hill　and　down　hill；　with　an　occasional　half…frozen　stream　across　it。　　My　friend　was　impeded　with　an　enormous　cloak　lined　with　fur；　which　in　itself　was　a　burden　for　a　coalheaver。　　Our　guide；　who　was　a　clerk　out　of　the　colonel's　office；　carried　an　umbrella　and　a　small　dressing…bag；　but　we　ourselves　manfully　shouldered　our　portmanteaus。　Sydney　Smith　declared　that　an　Englishman　only　wasted　his　time　in　training　himself　for　gymnastic　aptitudes；　seeing　that　for　a　shilling　he　could　always　hire　a　porter。　　Had　Sydney　Smith　ever　been　at　Rolla　he　would　have　written　differently。　　I　could　tell　at　great　length　how　I　fell　on　my　face　in　the　icy　snow；　how　my　friend　stuck　in　the　frozen　mud　when　he　essayed　to　jump　the　stream；　and　how　our　guide　walked　on　easily　in　advance；　encouraging　us　with　his　voice　from　a　distance。　Why　is　it　that　a　stout　Englishman　bordering　on　fifty　finds　himself　in　such　a　predicament　as　that？　　No　Frenchman；　no　Italian；　no　German　would　so　place　himself；　unless　under　the　stress　of　insurmountable　circumstances。　　No　American　would　do　so　under　any　circumstances。　　As　I　slipped　about　on　the　ice　and　groaned　with　that　terrible　fardle　on　my　back；　burdened　with　a　dozen　shirts；　and　a　suit　of　dress　clothes；　and　three　pair　of　boots；　and　four　or　five　thick　volumes；　and　a　set　of　maps；　and　a　box　of　cigars；　and　a　washing　tub；　I　confessed　to　myself　that　I　was　a　fool。　　What　was　I　doing　in　such　a　galley　as　that？　　Why　had　I　brought　all　that　useless　lumber　down　to　Rolla？　　Why　had　I　come　to　Rolla；　with　no　certain　hope　even　of　shelter　for　a　night？　　But　we　did　reach　the　hotel；　we　did　get　a　room　between　us　with　two　bedsteads。　　And　pondering　over　the　matter　in　my　mind；　since　that　evening；　I　have　been　inclined　to　think　that　the　stout　Englishman　is　in　the　right　of　it。　　No　American　of　my　age　and　weight　will　ever　go　through　what　I　went　through　then；　but　I　am　not　sure　that　he　does　not　in　his　accustomed　career　go　through　worse　things　even　than　that。　　However；　if　I　go　to　Rolla　again　during　the　war；　I　will　at　any　rate　leave　the　books　behind　me。　What　a　night　we　spent　in　that　inn！　　They　who　know　America　will　be　aware　that　in　all　hotels　there　is　a　free　admixture　of　different　classes。　　The　traveler　in　Europe　may　sit　down　to　din