north america-2-第21章

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　one　man　must　be　full　of　danger；　but　even　that　is　better　than　anarchy。　　I　will　not　accuse　General　Halleck　of　abusing　his　power；　seeing　that　it　is　hard　to　determine　what　is　the　abuse　of　such　power　and　what　its　proper　use。　　When　we　were　at　St。　Louis　a　tax　was　being　gathered　of　100l。　a　head　from　certain　men　presumed　to　be　secessionists；　and；　as　the　money　was　not　of　course　very　readily　paid；　the　furniture　of　these　suspected　secessionists　was　being　sold　by　auction。　　No　doubt　such　a　measure　was　by　them　regarded　as　a　great　abuse。　　One　gentleman　informed　me　that；　in　addition　to　this；　certain　houses　of　his　had　been　taken　by　the　government　at　a　fixed　rent；　and　that　the　payment　of　the　rent　was　now　refused　unless　he　would　take　the　oath　of　allegiance。　　He　no　doubt　thought　that　an　abuse　of　power！　　But　the　worst　abuse　of　such　power　comes　not　at　first；　but　with　long　usage。　Up　to　the　time；　however；　at　which　I　was　at　St。　Louis；　martial　law　had　chiefly　been　used　in　closing　grog…shops　and　administering　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　suspected　secessionists。　　Something　also　had　been　done　in　the　way　of　raising　money　by　selling　the　property　of　convicted　secessionists；　and　while　I　was　there　eight　men　were　condemned　to　be　shot　for　destroying　railway　bridges。　　〃But　will　they　be　shot？〃　I　asked　of　one　of　the　officers。　　〃Oh；　yes。　　It　will　be　done　quietly；　and　no　one　will　know　anything　about　it；　we　shall　get　used　to　that　kind　of　thing　presently。〃　　And　the　inhabitants　of　Missouri　were　becoming　used　to　martial　law。　　It　is　surprising　how　quickly　a　people　can　reconcile　themselves　to　altered　circumstances；　when　the　change　comes　upon　them　without　the　necessity　of　any　expressed　opinion　on　their　own　part。　　Personal　freedom　has　been　considered　as　necessary　to　the　American　of　the　States　as　the　air　he　breathes。　　Had　any　suggestion　been　made　to　him　of　a　suspension　of　the　privilege　of　habeas　corpus；　of　a　censorship　of　the　press；　or　of　martial　law；　the　American　would　have　declared　his　willingness　to　die　on　the　floor　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　have　proclaimed　with　ten　million　voices　his　inability　to　live　under　circumstances　so　subversive　of　his　rights　as　a　man。　　And　he　would　have　thoroughly　believed　the　truth　of　his　own　assertions。　　Had　a　chance　been　given　of　an　argument　on　the　matter；　of　stump　speeches　and　caucus　meetings；　these　things　could　never　have　been　done。　　But　as　it　is；　Americans　are；　I　think；　rather　proud　of　the　suspension　of　the　habeas　corpus。　They　point　with　gratification　to　the　uniformly　loyal　tone　of　the　newspapers；　remarking　that　any　editor　who　should　dare　to　give　even　a　secession　squeak　would　immediately　find　himself　shut　up。　　And　now　nothing　but　good　is　spoken　of　martial　law。　　I　thought　it　a　nuisance　when　I　was　prevented　by　soldiers　from　trotting　my　horse　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue　in　Washington；　but　I　was　assured　by　Americans　that　such　restrictions　were　very　serviceable　in　a　community。　　At　St。　Louis　martial　law　was　quite　popular。　　Why　should　not　General　Halleck　be　as　well　able　to　say　what　was　good　for　the　people　as　any　law　or　any　lawyer？　　He　had　no　interest　in　the　injury　of　the　State；　but　every　interest　in　its　preservation。　　〃But　what；〃　I　asked；　〃would　be　the　effect　were　he　to　tell　you　to　put　all　your　fires　out　at　eight　o'clock？〃　　〃If　he　were　so　to　order；　we　should　do　it；　but　we　know　that　he　will　not。〃　　But　who　does　know　to　what　General　Halleck　or　other　generals　may　come；　or　how　soon　a　curfew…bell　may　be　ringing　in　American　towns？　　The　winning　of　liberty　is　long　and　tedious；　but　the　losing　it　is　a　down…hill；　easy　journey。　It　was　here；　in　St。　Louis；　that　General　Fremont　held　his　military　court。　　He　was　a　great　man　here　during　those　hundred　days　through　which　his　command　lasted。　　He　lived　in　a　great　house；　had　a　body…　guard；　was　inaccessible　as　a　great　man　should　be；　and　fared　sumptuously　every　day。　　He　fortified　the　cityor　rather；　he　began　to　do　so。　　He　constructed　barracks　here；　and　instituted　military　prisons。　　The　fortifications　have　been　discontinued　as　useless；　but　the　barracks　and　the　prisons　remain。　　In　the　latter　there　were　1200　secessionist　soldiers　who　had　been　taken　in　the　State　of　Missouri。　〃Why　are　they　not　exchanged？〃　I　asked。　　〃Because　they　are　not　exactly　soldiers；〃　I　was　informed。　　〃The　secessionists　do　not　acknowledge　them。〃　　〃Then　would　it　not　be　cheaper　to　let　them　go？〃　〃No；〃　said　my　informant；　〃because　in　that　case　we　would　have　to　catch　them　again。〃　　And　so　the　1200　remain　in　their　wretched　prison　thinned　from　week　to　week　and　from　day　to　day　by　prison　disease　and　prison　death。　I　went　out　twice　to　Benton　Barracks；　as　the　camp　of　wooden　huts　was　called；　which　General　Fremont　had　erected　near　the　fair…ground　of　the　city。　　This　fair…ground；　I　was　told；　had　been　a　pleasant　place。　It　had　been　constructed　for　the　recreation　of　the　city；　and　for　the　purpose　of　periodical　agricultural　exhibitions。　　There　is　still　in　it　a　pretty　ornamented　cottage；　and　in　the　little　garden　a　solitary　Cupid　stood；　dismayed　by　the　dirt　and　ruin　around　him。　　In　the　fair…　green　are　the　round　buildings　intended　for　show　cattle　and　agricultural　implements；　but　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　Europea