爱华网参考译文：
南方又赢得了一场胜利
却损失了斯通威尔.杰克逊将军
在1863年的最初几周，美国内战出现了一个新的政治动向，亚伯拉罕.林肯总统签署了《奴隶解放宣言》。这项政策旨在解放南方叛乱各州的奴隶，尽管人们对林肯的话置若罔闻，但美国内战已经不再只是为了挽救国家的统一，它已经演变成了为人类自由而战。同时，参加战争的军队中也发生了一个变化，林肯总统任命了新的波托马可军团的指挥官。波托马可军团试图再次向南方首都维吉尼亚的雷切蒙德发起进攻。本周，我们向你讲述1863年春的故事。
波托马可军团新的指挥官是乔.胡克（JoeHooker）将军，他接替了安布罗斯.伯恩赛德（AmbroseBurnside）将军，当时，伯恩赛德将军在维吉尼亚州的弗雷德里克斯堡（Fredericksburg）遭到惨重的失败。而伯恩赛德是在麦克莱伦将军拒绝接受林肯总统命令后接替他为波托马可军团的指挥官。胡克将军率领的这支波托马可军有13万人，这支军队训练有素，装备精良。与他对阵的南方军团是罗伯特.李将军率领的部队，大约只有6万人，而且他们还没有良好的武器装备，他们的补给水平也很低，但他们的斗志旺盛，他们此前已经多次击败北方军，他们确信能够再次击败北方军。
李将军的部队仍然坚守在的防御阵地上，他的阵地沿弗雷德里克斯堡南面高地部署，这里几乎就是南北方首都华盛顿和雷切蒙德的中间。胡克将军不想再犯伯恩赛德在弗雷德里克斯堡所犯的错误。伯恩赛德命令他的部队先后六次向李的防御阵地发起进攻，但每一次，南方军都能轻易地将北方军击退。在某一天的战斗中，北方军伤亡达到12000多人。胡克将军重建了他的部队，现在他准备实施他针对李将军的进攻计划。胡克留下一半部队驻守弗雷德里克斯堡，正面与李将军的部队对阵，然后他自己带领另一半部队绕行到李将军防线的后面，如果李将军转身对他的话，那么他在弗雷德里克斯堡的军队就会向李将军发起攻击，这样南方军就会受到两支强大部队的夹击，如此，李将军所率领的南方军要么撤退，要么就失败。
胡克绕行来到了李将军防线的后面，然后他转过身准备从李将军防线的后面发起攻击。这一段路行军非常困难，道路被茂密的森林、起伏不平的山丘和山谷所阻隔，这里非常荒凉，因而被称之为荒野。在1863年4月的最后一天，北方军队来到了切斯劳维尔（Chancellorsville）。切斯劳维尔是这片荒野的十字路口。第二天，北方军队驻扎在这片开阔的荒野，在这里胡克将军要充分利用好他的军队。胡克非常高兴，一切都如他的计划所愿。他对他的军官们说：“我一手抓住李的部队，一手掌握着雷切蒙德。”第二天，北方军队离开切斯劳维尔和这片荒野，但他们并没有走得多远，因为他们遇到了数千南方军队，李将军让这些军队来延缓北方军队的进攻。
这支南方军队的力量很弱，胡克将军的手下相信他们能够轻松地击溃这支南方军队。然而他们没有得到这样的机会，胡克给他们下达了新的命令：撤出战斗，退回切斯劳维尔，防御阵地。对此，胡克的手下感到震惊，他们提出抗议，但胡克将军非常固执，他说：“李必须在我的阵地上与我交战。”罗伯特.李将军不明白北方军为什么会撤回到切斯劳维尔，但他很高兴地看到这一点，现在，他的部队已经做好战斗的准备。
当晚，李将军与他的高级指挥官斯通威尔.杰克逊将军会面协商，他们讨论进攻北方军的最佳路线。北方军中部防线是最坚固的，而他们的右路防线则不然。杰克逊确信他能够绕行到北方军防线的后面。李将军问杰克逊，他要带多少人马？杰克逊回答说：“他所率领的所有的人马，那就是28000人。”这意味着李将军只能率领14000人面对胡克的部队。如果北方军在斯通威尔.杰克逊将军进入阵地前向他发起进攻的话，那么李所率领的这14000人则难以抵挡。李将军必须冒一个巨大的风险，他思考了好一会儿，随后，他让杰克逊出发了。
第二天早晨，杰克逊的人马出发了。北方军看到杰克逊的人马出发。胡克将军认为李正在撤退。杰克逊花了半天时间来到了北方军的后面，他只用了一两个小时就让他的部队进入阵地，随后，他发起了进攻。此时是傍晚六点，北方军右路防线根本就没有做好战斗准备，当北方士兵看到南方军从他们后面的茂密森林中冲出来时，他们简直都不相信自己的眼睛。很多北方士兵被杀或受伤，数以千计的士兵逃跑。太阳落山了，但战斗在月光下仍在继续。南方军队继续向前推进，北方军不断地向后退。有一位北方士兵后来写到：“黑暗笼罩着我们，杰克逊笼罩着我们，恐惧笼罩着我们。”
杰克逊似乎无处不在，他骑着马奔驰在他的队伍中间，敦促他们不断向前，他不想让北方军逃走。
当杰克逊和他的指挥官们骑马进入森林中的一片空旷区时，子弹向他们射来，这些子弹是来自南方士兵的枪管里的，南方士兵还认为他们正在向北方军队射击呢。杰克逊从马上掉下来，两颗子弹打中他的左臂，另一颗子弹击中他的右手。他迅速地退回到自己的阵地，医生迅速砍掉他的左臂，并止住流血。杰克逊似乎好了一些。随后他患上了肺炎，他绝大部分时间处于昏迷姿态，他似乎梦见打战，梦见自己正向他的指挥官们下命令。一会，他平静了下来，他睁开眼睛，说到：“让我们的部队渡河，到那边的树阴下休息。”随后，这位南方军著名的将领――斯通威尔.杰克逊将军去逝了。
当杰克逊倒下时，切斯劳维尔的战斗仍在继续。罗伯特.李率领的南方军与胡克所率领的军队相比显得很弱，但五天来，李将军始终让他的部队处于切斯劳维尔和弗雷德里克斯堡之间，每当北方军向他发起进攻时，李将军都能够迅速调整部队巩固防线，北方军始终没有击溃南方军的防线。这场战斗发生在拉帕汉诺克（Rappahannock）河南岸，北方军的补给线位于河的北岸。春天的雨季，使得河水上涨，胡克将军不想在没有食物和军火的情况下战斗，所以，他命令他的部队撤回到河的北岸。
南方军赢得了切斯劳维尔战役。罗伯特.李将军确信他们赢了，他再一次击退了波托马可军团。但北方军的损失并不严重，新来的士兵很快就补充了战斗中的损失。然而，李将军却很难找到士兵来补充他的军队。南方的人力资源已经用尽了，每一支南方军队都需要人，越多越好，然而越来越多南方的年轻人不愿意当兵。事实上，在南北双方都存在反战运动，有大量的人抗议军事行动，有些抗议演变成了暴力。在北方，出现了一个新的政党，这个新政党反对内战，这个新政党的领导人被人称之为铜头蛇（Copperheads），这是因为他们戴了一件象征印第安人头型的铜币头饰。
欲知后事如何，请看下周分解。
简评：
斯通威尔.杰克逊真不愧是一位杰出的军事家，他勇敢、坚定又有谋略！他身先士卒，他总能以少胜多，他总能战无不胜，将其称之为战神，也许并不为过！
向斯通威尔.杰克逊致敬!
向石墙一样的杰克逊默哀！
南方军最终失败，在于兵源的枯竭！而兵源的枯竭，源于此次战争的正义性，即为人类的自由而战。从这点来看，南方所做的努力是倒行逆施的。因此，南方的失败又是必然的，尽管有罗伯特.李和斯通威尔.杰克逊这样杰出的军事指挥家，也无法改变这一事实。
The South Wins a Battle, but Loses StonewallJackson
In theearly weeks of eighteen sixty-three, the American Civil War took anew political direction. President Abraham Lincoln had announcedthe Emancipation Proclamation. That measure freed the slaves in therebel states of the South, though Lincoln's words fell on deafears. Yet no longer was the Civil War a struggle just to savethe Union. It had become a struggle for human freedom. There was achange on the military side of the war, too. President Lincolnnamed a new commander for the Union's Army of thePotomac.This was the force that would try againto capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. This weekin our series, we describe events during the spring of eighteensixty-three.
General Joe Hooker |
General Joe Hooker was the newcommander of the Army of the Potomac. He replaced General AmbroseBurnside, when Burnside suffered a terrible defeat atFredericksburg, Virginia, at the end of eighteen sixty-two.Burnside had replaced General George McClellan, when McClellan keptrefusing to obey President Lincoln's orders. Hooker had one hundredthirty thousand men. They were well-trained and well-supplied. TheConfederate force opposing Hooker's was under the command ofGeneral Robert E. Lee. Lee had only about sixty thousand men. Theydid not have good equipment. And their supplies were low. But theirfighting spirit was high. They had defeated the Union army before.They were sure they could do it again.
Lee's army still held strongdefensive positions along high ground south of Fredericksburg. Thiswas almost halfway between the capitals of the opposing sides:Washington and Richmond. General Hooker did not plan to make thesame mistake which General Burnside made at Fredericksburg.Burnside had thrown his army against Lee's defensive positions sixtimes. Each time, the Confederates pushed them back easily. In oneday of fighting, more than twelve thousand Union soldiers werekilled or wounded. General Hooker had rebuilt the Army of thePotomac. Now he was ready to carry out his plan against GeneralLee. Hooker left half his men at Fredericksburg, in front of Lee'sarmy. He would move the other half into position behind Lee's army.If Lee turned to meet him, the troops at Fredericksburg wouldattack. The Confederate army would be caught between two powerfulforces. Lee would have to withdraw, or lose his army.
Hooker moved around past the end ofLee's line. Then he turned and started marching back behind it. Itwas a hard march through thick woods, and across rough hills andvalleys. The country was so wild that it was called the wilderness.On the last day of April, eighteen sixty-three, the Union forcereached Chancellorsville. Chancellorsville was a crossroads nearthe edge of the wilderness. The next day, the soldiers would be inopen country. There, General Hooker could make the best use of hismen. Hooker was extremely pleased.Everything wasgoing as he had planned. He told his officers: "I have Lee in onehand and Richmond in the other." The next day,Union soldiers began moving out of Chancellorsville and thewilderness. They did not get far. They ran into several thousandConfederate soldiers. Lee had sent them to slow the Union force.
The Confederate force was weak.General Hooker's officers believed they could smash through itwithout difficulty. They did not get a chance to try. Hooker sentnew orders: break off the fight. Return to Chancellorsville. Put updefensive positions. Hooker's officers were shocked. Theyprotested. Hooker stood firm. He said, "Lee must fight me on my ownground." Robert E. Lee could not understand whythe Union force had returned to Chancellorsville. But he was happyit did. Now he had time to prepare his men for battle.
The last meeting of Robert E. Leeand Stonewall Jackson |
Lee met that night with his topgeneral, Stonewall Jackson. They discussed the best way to attackthe Union force. The center of the Union line was strong. The rightside was not. Jackson was sure he could get around behind it. Leeasked Jackson how many men he would take. "All of them," Jacksonanswered. "Twenty-eight thousand." This meant Leewould have only fourteen thousand men to face General Hooker. Ifthe Union force attacked before Stonewall Jackson got intoposition, Lee could not possibly hold it back. Lee was taking ahuge chance. He thought about it for a moment. Then he told Jacksonto get started.
Jackson's men began to leave thenext morning. Union soldiers watched as they marched away. GeneralHooker thought Lee was withdrawing. It took Jackson only half a dayto get behind the Union force. He spent a few more hours puttinghis troops into position. Then he attacked. It was six o'clock inthe evening. The right end of the Union force was not prepared foran attack. The soldiers could not believe their eyes when they sawConfederate troops running out of the woods behind them. Many Unionsoldiers were killed or wounded. Thousands fled. The sun went down.The fighting continued under a bright moon. The Confederate troopskept moving forward. The Union troops kept falling back. Onenorthern soldier wrote later: "Darkness was upon us. Jackson wasupon us. And fear was upon us."
Jackson seemed to be everywhere. Herode his horse among his men, urging them forward. He would not letthe Union force escape.
The Battle ofChancellorsville |
As Jackson and some of his officersrode into a cleared area of the woods, shots rang out. The bulletscame from Confederate guns. The Confederate soldiers thought theywere firing on Union officers. Jackson fell from his horse. Twobullets had smashed his left arm. Another bullet had hit his righthand. He was hurried to the back of the line. A doctor quickly cutoff his left arm and stopped the heavy bleeding. Jackson seemed toget better. Then he developed pneumonia. He was unconscious most ofthe time. He seemed to dream of battle, and shouted commands to hisofficers. Then he grew quiet. He opened his eyes and said, "Let uspass over the river and rest in the shade of thetrees." The great Confederate General, StonewallJackson, was dead.
While Jackson lay dying, the battleof Chancellorsville continued. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army wasmuch smaller than Joe Hooker's Union army. But for five days, Leekept part of his army moving between Chancellorsville andFredericksburg. Wherever the Union army attacked, Lee quickly addedmore men to his lines. The Union army could not break through. Thefighting was taking place on the south side of the RappahannockRiver. The Union army's supply lines were on the north side. Springrains were beginning to make the Rappahannock rise. General Hookerdid not want to get trapped without food and ammunition. So heordered his men back across the river.
The South had won the battle ofChancellorsville. Robert E. Lee was sure of that. Once again, hehad forced back the Army of the Potomac. But the Union army was nothurt seriously. New soldiers would soon take the place of thoselost in battle. Lee, however, would find it more difficult toreplace his soldiers. The South was running out of manpower. EveryConfederate army needed men -- more and more men. Yet fewer andfewer southern boys were willing to become soldiers. Anti-warmovements were, in fact, active in both the North and South. Therewere a number of protests against the military draft. Some turnedviolent. In the North, a political party was created to oppose theCivil War. Leaders of this peace party were called Copperheads.They got the name because they wore a copper penny showing thehead of an Indian.
That will be our story in our nextprogram on the Civil War.
http://www.21voa.com/path.asp?url=/200910/se-nat-106-15oct09_0.Mp3
