第29章

ThemostimportantofthesewasaflamingproclamationbyGovernorJoeBrown,settingforththatGeneralShermanwasnowtraversingtheState,committingallsortsofdepredations;thathehadpreparedthewayforhisowndestruction,andtheGovernorcalleduponallgoodcitizenstoriseenmasse,andassistincrushingtheaudaciousinvader。Bridgesmustbeburnedbeforeandbehindhim,roadsobstructed,andeveryinchofsoilresolutelydisputed。

Weenjoyedthis。ItshowedthattheRebelswereterriblyalarmed,andwebegantofeelsomeofthatconfidencethat"Shermanwillcomeoutallright,"whichsomarvelouslyanimatedallunderhiscommand。

CHAPTERLXVII。

OFFTOCHARLESTON——PASSINGTHROUGHTHERICESWAMPS——TWOEXTREMESOF

SOCIETY——ENTRYINTOCHARLESTON——LEISURELYWARFARE——SHELLINGTHECITYAT

REGULARINTERVALS——WECAMPINAMASSOFRUINS——DEPARTUREFORFLORENCE。

ThetrainstartedinafewminutesafterthecloseoftheconversationwiththeoldGeorgian,andwesooncametoandcrossedtheSavannahRiverintoSouthCarolina。Theriverwaswideandapparentlydeep;thetidewassettingbackinaswift,muddycurrent;thecrazyoldbridgecreakedandshook,andthegrindingaxlesshriekedinthedryjournals,aswepulledacross。Itlookedverymuchattimesasifweweretoallcrashdownintotheturbidflood——andwedidnotcareverymuchifwedid,ifwewerenotgoingtobeexchanged。

TheroadlaythroughthetideswampregionofSouthCarolina,apeculiarandinterestingcountry。Thoughswampsandfensstretchedinalldirectionsasfarastheeyecouldreach,thelandscapewasmoregratefultotheeyethanthefamine—stricken,pine—barrensofGeorgia,whichhadbecomewearisometothesight。Thesoilwhereitappeared,wasrich,vegetationwasluxuriant;greatclumpsoflaurelshowedglossyrichnessinthegreennessofitsverdure,thatremindedusofthefreshcolorofthevegetationofourNorthernhomes,sodifferentfromtheparchedandimpoverishedlookofGeorgianfoliage。Immenseflocksofwildfowlflutteredaroundus;theGeorgianwoodswerealmostdestituteoflivingcreatures;theevergreenlive—oak,withitsqueerfestoonsofSpanishmoss,andtheuglyanduselesspalmettosgavenoveltyandinteresttotheview。

ThericeswampsthroughwhichwewerepassingweretheprincelypossessionsofthefewnabobswhobeforethewarstoodattheheadofSouthCarolinaaristocracy——theywereSouthCarolina,infact,asabsolutelyasLouisXIV。wasFrance。Intheirhands——butafewscoreinnumber——wasconcentratedaboutalltherewasofSouthCarolinaeducation,wealth,culture,andbreeding。TheyrepresentedapinchbeckimitationofthatregimeinFrancewhichwashappilysweptoutofexistencebytheRevolution,andthedestructionofwhichmorethancompensatedforeverydropofbloodshedinthoseterribledays。Liketheprovincial\'grandesseigneurs\'ofLouisXVI\'sreign,theyweregay,dissipatedandturbulent;

"accomplished"inthesuperficialacquirementsthatmadethe"gentleman"

onehundredyearsago,butaregrotesquelyoutofplaceinthissensible,solidage,whichdemandsthatamanshallbeofuse,andnotmerelyforshow。Theyranhorsesandfoughtcocks,dawdledthroughsocietywhenyoung,andintriguedinpoliticstherestoftheirlives,withfrequentspice—workofduels。Esteemingpersonalcourageasasupremehumanvirtue,andneverwearyingofpratingtheirdevotiontothehigheststandardofintrepidity,theyneverproducedaGeneralwhowasevenmediocre;nordidanyoneeverhearofaSouthCarolinaregimentgainingdistinction。Regardingpoliticsandtheartofgovernmentas,equallywitharms,theirnaturalvocations,theyhavenevergiventheNationastatesman,andtheirgreatestpoliticiansachievedeminencebyadvocatingideaswhichonlyattractedattentionbytheirbalefulness。

StillfurtherresemblingtheFrench\'grandesseigneurs\'oftheeighteenthcentury,theyrolledinwealthwrungfromthelaborerbyreducingtherewardsofhistoiltothelastfractionthatwouldsupporthislifeandstrength。Thericeculturewasimmenselyprofitable,becausetheyhadfoundthesecretforraisingitmorecheaplythaneventhepauperlaboreroftheofworldcould。Theirlandshadcostthemnothingoriginally,theimprovementsofdikesandditcheswerecomparatively,inexpensive,thetaxeswerenominal,andtheirslaveswerenotsoexpensivetokeepasgoodhorsesintheNorth。

ThousandsoftheacresalongtheroadbelongedtotheRhetts,thousandstotheHeywards,thousandstotheManigaulttheLowndes,theMiddletons,theHugers,theBarnwells,andtheElliots——allnamestoowellknowninthehistoryofourcountry\'ssorrows。Occasionallyoneoftheirstatelymansionscouldbeseenonsomedistantelevation,surroundedbynobleoldtrees,andsuperbgrounds。Heretheylivedduringthehealthypartoftheyear,butfledthencetosummerresortinthehighlandsasthemiasmaticseasonapproached。

Thepeoplewesawatthestationsalongourrouteweremelancholyillustrationsoftheevilsoftheruleofsuchanoligarchy。Therewasnomiddleclassvisibleanywhere——nothingbutthetwoextremes。Amanwaseithera"gentleman,"andworewhiteshirtandcity—madeclothes,orhewasaloutishhind,cladinmereapologiesforgarments。WethoughtwehadfoundintheGeorgia"cracker"thelowestsubstratumofhumansociety,buthewasbrightintelligencecomparedtotheSouthCarolina"clay—eater"and"sand—hiller。"The"cracker"alwaysgavehopestoonethatifhehadtheadvantageofcommonschools,andcouldbemadetounderstandthatlazinesswasdishonorable,hemightdevelopintosomething。TherewaslittlefoundationforsuchhopeintheaveragelowSouthCarolinian。Hismindwasashakingquagmire,whichdidnotadmitoftheerectionofanysuperstructureofeducationuponit。TheSouthCarolinaguardsaboutusdidnotknowthenameofthenexttown,thoughtheyhadbeenraisedinthatsection。Theydidnotknowhowfaritwasthere,ortoanyplaceelse,andtheydidnotcaretolearn。Theyhadnoconceptionofwhatthewarwasbeingwagedfor,anddidnotwanttofindout;theydidnotknowwheretheirregimentwasgoing,anddidnotrememberwhereithadbeen;theycouldnottellhowlongtheyhadbeeninservice,northetimetheyhadenlistedfor。Theyonlyrememberedthatsometimestheyhadhad"sortergoodtimes,"andsometimes"theyhadbeenpowerfulbad,"andtheyhopedtherewouldbeplentytoeatwherevertheywent,andnottoomuchhardmarching。Thentheywondered"wharafeller\'dbelikelytomakearaiseofacanteenofgoodwhisky？"

Badasthewhiteswere,thericeplantationnegroswereevenworse,ifthatwerepossible。Broughttothecountrycenturiesago,asbrutalsavagesfromAfrica,theyhadlearnednothingofChristiancivilization,exceptthatitmeantendlesstoil,inmalariousswamps,underthelashofthetaskmaster。Theywore,possibly,alittlemoreclothingthantheirSenegambianancestorsdid;theyatecornmeal,yamsandrice,insteadofbananas,yamsandrice,astheirforefathersdid,andtheyhadlearnedabastard,almostunintelligible,English。ThesewerethesoleblessingsacquiredbyatransferfromalifeoffreedominthejunglesoftheGoldCoast,tooneofslaveryintheswampsoftheCombahee。

Icouldnotthen,norcanInow,regretthedownfallofasystemofsocietywhichboresuchfruits。

Towardsnightadistressinglycoldbreeze,ladenwithapenetratingmist,setinfromthesea,andputanendtofutureobservationsbymakingustoouncomfortabletocareforsceneryorsocialconditions。Wewantedmosttodeviseawaytokeepwarm。AndrewsandIpulledourovercoatandblanketcloselyaboutus,snuggledtogethersoastomakeeachone\'smeagerbodyaffordtheotherasmuchheataspossible——andendured。

Webecamefearfullyhungry。Itwillberecollectedthatweatethewholeofthetwodays\'rationsissuedtousatBlackshearatonce,andwehadreceivednothingsince。Wereachedthesullen,faintingstageofgreathunger,andforhoursnothingwassaidbyanyone,exceptanoccasionalbitterexecrationonRebelsandRebelpractices。

ItwaslateatnightwhenwereachedCharleston。ThelightsoftheCity,andtheapparentwarmthandcomforttherecheeredusupsomewhatwiththehopesthatwemighthavesomeshareinthem。Leavingthetrain,weweremarchedsomedistancethroughwell—lightedstreets,inwhichwereplentyofpeoplewalkingtoandfro。Thereweremanystores,apparentlystockedwithgoods,andthecitizensseemedtobegoingabouttheirbusinessverymuchaswasthecustomupNorth。

Atlengthourheadofcolumnmadea"rightturn,"andwemarchedawayfromthelightedportionoftheCity,toapartwhichIcouldseethroughtheshadowswasfilledwithruins。Analmostinsupportableodorofgas,escapingIsupposefromtherupturedpipes,mingledwiththecold,raspingairfromthesea,tomakeeverybreathintenselydisagreeable。

AsIsawtheruins,itflasheduponmethatthiswastheburntdistrictofthecity,andtheywereputtingusunderthefireofourownguns。

AtfirstIfeltmuchalarmed。LittlerelishasIhadongeneralprinciples,forbeingshotIhadmuchlessforbeingkilledbyourownmen。ThenIreflectedthatiftheyputmethere——andkeptme——aguardwouldhavetobeplacedaroundus,whowouldnecessarilybeinasmuchclangeraswewere,andIknewIcouldstandanyfirethataRebelcould。

Wewerehaltedinavacantlot,andsatdown,onlytojumpupthenextinstant,assomeoneshouted:

"Therecomesoneof\'em！"

ItwasagreatshellfromtheSwampAngelBattery。Startingfromapointmilesaway,where,seemingly,theskycamedowntothesea,wasa,narrowribbonoffire,whichslowlyunrolleditselfagainstthestar—litvau

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