washington and his comrades in arms-第2章

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　hill；　only　a　second　time　to　be　repulsed。　The　third　time　they　were　more　cautious。　They　began　to　work　round　to　the　weaker　defenses　of　the　American　left；　where　were　no　redoubts　and　entrenchments　like　those　on　the　right。　By　this　time　British　ships　were　throwing　shells　among　the　Americans。　Charlestown　was　burning。　The　great　column　of　black　smoke；　the　incessant　roar　of　cannon；　and　the　dreadful　scenes　of　carnage　had　affected　the　defenders。　They　wavered；　and　on　the　third　British　charge；　having　exhausted　their　ammunition；　they　fled　from　the　hill　in　confusion　back　to　the　narrow　neck　of　land　half　a　mile　away；　swept　now　by　a　British　floating　battery。　General　Burgoyne　wrote　that；　in　the　third　attack；　the　discipline　and　courage　of　the　British　private　soldiers　also　broke　down　and　that　when　the　redoubt　was　carried　the　officers　of　some　corps　were　almost　alone。　The　British　stood　victorious　at　Bunker　Hill。　It　was；　however；　a　costly　victory。　More　than　a　thousand　men；　nearly　half　of　the　attacking　force；　had　fallen；　with　an　undue　proportion　of　officers。


Philadelphia；　far　away；　did　not　know　what　was　happening　when；　two　days　before　the　battle　of　Bunker　Hill；　the　Continental　Congress　settled　the　question　of　a　leader　for　a　national　army。　On　the　15th　of　June　John　Adams　of　Massachusetts　rose　and　moved　that　the　Congress　should　adopt　as　its　own　the　army　before　Boston　and　that　it　should　name　Washington　as　Commander…in…Chief。　Adams　had　deeply　pondered　the　problem。　He　was　certain　that　New　England　would　remain　united　and　decided　in　the　struggle；　but　he　was　not　so　sure　of　the　other　colonies。　To　have　a　leader　from　beyond　New　England　would　make　for　continental　unity。　Virginia；　next　to　Massachusetts；　had　stood　in　the　forefront　of　the　movement；　and　Virginia　was　fortunate　in　having　in　the　Congress　one　whose　fame　as　a　soldier　ran　through　all　the　colonies。　There　was　something　to　be　said　for　choosing　a　commander　from　the　colony　which　began　the　struggle　and　Adams　knew　that　his　colleague　from　Massachusetts；　John　Hancock；　a　man　of　wealth　and　importance；　desired　the　post。　He　was　conspicuous　enough　to　be　President　of　the　Congress。　Adams　says　that　when　he　made　his　motion；　naming　a　Virginian；　he　saw　in　Hancock's　face　〃mortification　and　resentment。〃　He　saw；　too；　that　Washington　hurriedly　left　the　room　when　his　name　was　mentioned。

There　could　be　no　doubt　as　to　what　the　Congress　would　do。　Unquestionably　Washington　was　the　fittest　man　for　the　post。　Twenty　years　earlier　he　had　seen　important　service　in　the　war　with　France。　His　position　and　character　commanded　universal　aspect。　The　Congress　adopted　unanimously　the　motion　of　Adams　and　it　only　remained　to　be　seen　Whether　Washington　would　accept。　On　the　next　day　he　came　to　the　sitting　with　his　mind　made　up。　The　members；　he　said；　would　bear　witness　to　his　declaration　that　he　thought　himself　unfit　for　the　task。　Since；　however；　they　called　him；　he　would　try　to　do　his　duty。　He　would　take　the　command　but　he　would　accept　no　pay　beyond　his　expenses。　Thus　it　was　that　Washington　became　a　great　national　figure。　The　man　who　had　long　worn　the　King's　uniform　was　now　his　deadliest　enemy；　and　it　is　probably　true　that　after　this　step　nothing　could　have　restored　the　old　relations　and　reunited　the　British　Empire。　The　broken　vessel　could　not　be　made　whole。

Washington　spent　only　a　few　days　in　getting　ready　to　take　over　his　new　command。　On　the　21st　of　June；　four　days　after　Bunker　Hill；　he　set　out　from　Philadelphia。　The　colonies　were　in　truth　very　remote　from　each　other。　The　journey　to　Boston　was　tedious。　In　the　previous　year　John　Adams　had　traveled　in　the　other　direction　to　the　Congress　at　Philadelphia　and；　in　his　journal；　he　notes；　as　if　he　were　traveling　in　foreign　lands；　the　strange　manners　and　customs　of　the　other　colonies。　The　journey；　so　momentous　to　Adams；　was　not　new　to　Washington。　Some　twenty　years　earlier　the　young　Virginian　officer　had　traveled　as　far　as　Boston　in　the　service　of　King　George　II。　Now　he　was　leader　in　the　war　against　King　George　III。　In　New　Jersey；　New　York；　and　Connecticut　he　was　received　impressively。　In　the　warm　summer　weather　the　roads　were　good　enough　but　many　of　the　rivers　were　not　bridged　and　could　be　crossed　only　by　ferries　or　at　fords。　It　took　nearly　a　fortnight　to　reach　Boston。

Washington　had　ridden　only　twenty　miles　on　his　long　journey　when　the　news　reached　him　of　the　fight　at　Bunker　Hill。　The　question　which　he　asked　anxiously　shows　what　was　in　his　mind：　〃Did　the　militia　fight？〃　When　the　answer　was　〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　relief；　〃The　liberties　of　the　country　are　safe。〃　He　reached　Cambridge　on　the　2d　of　July　and　on　the　following　day　was　the　chief　figure　in　a　striking　ceremony。　In　the　presence　of　a　vast　crowd　and　of　the　motley　army　of　volunteers；　which　was　now　to　be　called　the　American　army；　Washington　assumed　the　command。　He　sat　on　horseback　under　an　elm　tree　and　an　observer　noted　that　his　appearance　was　〃truly　noble　and　majestic。〃　This　was　milder　praise　than　that　given　a　little　later　by　a　London　paper　which　said：　〃There　is　not　a　king　in　Europe　but　would　look　like　a　valet　de　chambre　by　his　side。〃　New　England　having　seen　him　was　henceforth　wholly　on　his　side。　His　traditions　were　not　those　of　the　Puritans；　of　the　Ephraims　and　the　Abijahs　of　the　volunteer　army；　men　whose　Old　Testament　names　tell　something　of　the　rigor　of　the　Puritan　view　of　life。　Washington；　a　sharer　in　the　free　and　often　careless　hospitality　of　his　native　Virginia；　had　a　different　outlook。　In　his　personal　discipline；　however；　he　was　not　less　Puritan　than　the　strictest　of　New　Englanders。　The　coming　years　were　to　show　that　a　great　leader　had　taken　his　fitting　place。


Washington；　born　in　1732；　had　been　trained　in　self…reliance；　for　he　had　been　fatherless　from　childhood。　At　the　age　of　sixteen　he　was　working　at　the　profession；　largely　self…taught；　of　a　surveyor　of　land。　At　the　age　of　twenty…seven　he　married　Martha　Custis；　a　rich　widow　with　children；　though　her　marriage　with　Washington　was　childless。　His　estate　on　the　Potomac　River；　three　hundred　miles　from　the　open　sea；　recently　named　Mount　Vernon；　had　been　in　the　family　for　nearly　a　hundred　years。　There　were　twenty…five　hundred　acres　at　Mount　Vernon　with　ten　miles　of　frontage　on　the　tidal　river。　The　Virginia　planters　were　a　landowning　gentry；　when　Washington　died　he　had　more　than　sixty　thousand　acres。　The　growing　of　tobacco；　the　one　vital　industry　of　the　Virginia　of　the　time；　with　its　half　million　people；　was　connected　with　the　ownership　of　land。　On　their　great　estates　the　planters　lived　remote；　with　a　mail　perhaps　every　fortnight。　There　were　no　large　towns；　no　great　factories。　Nearly　half　of　the　population　consisted　of　negro　slaves。　It　is　one　of　the　ironies　of　history　that　the　chief　leader　in　a　war　marked　by　a　passion　for　liberty　was　a　member　of　a　society　in　which；　as　another　of　its　members；　Jefferson；　the　author　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　said；　there　was　on　the　one　hand　the　most　insulting　despotism　and　on　the　other　the　most　degrading　submission。　The　Virginian　landowners　were　more　absolute　masters　than　the　proudest　lords　of　medieval　England。　These　feudal　lords　had　serfs　on　their　land。　The　serfs　were　attached　to　the　soil　and　were　sold　to　a　new　master　with　the　soil。　They　were　not；　however；　property；　without　human　rights。　On　the　other　hand；　the　slaves　of　the　Virginian　master　were　property　like　his　horses。　They　could　not　even　call　wife　and　children　their　own；　for　these　might　be　sold　at　will。　It　arouses　a　strange　emotion　now　when　we　find　Washington　offering　to　exchange　a　negro　for　hogsheads　of　molasses　and　rum　and　writing　that　the　man　would　bring　a　good　price；　〃if　kept　clean　and　trim'd　up　a　little　when　offered　for　sale。〃

In　early　life　Washington　had　had　very　little　of　formal　education。　He　knew　no　language　but　English。　When　he　became　world　famous　and　his　friend　La　Fayette　urged　him　to　visit　France　he　refused　because　he　would　seem　uncouth　if　unable　to　speak　the　French　tongue。　Like　another　great　soldier；　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　he　was　always　careful　about　his　dress。　There　was　in　him　a　silent　pride　which　would　brook　nothing　derogatory　to　his　dignity。　No　one　could　be　more　methodical。　He　kept　his　accounts　rigorously；　entering　even　the　cost　of　repairing　a　hairpin　for　a　ward。　He　was　a　keen　farmer；　and