THE MAKING OF A NATION - The American Civil War: Victory Is

THE MAKING OF A NATION - The American Civil War: Victory Is Close for the Union
By Frank Beardsley

Broadcast: Thursday, May 26, 2005

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VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English.

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I'm Harry¹ Monroe. Today, Kay Gallant² and I continue the story of America's Civil War.

VOICE TWO:

 
Abraham Lincoln
On March fourth, eighteen sixty-five, Abraham Lincoln was sworn-in as President for a second term. The election had taken place in the Union of northern states. It still followed the American Constitution. The Confederacy of southern states had left the Union. It had its own Constitution.

On the evening of Inauguration³ Day, the White House was opened to the public. Thousands of people went to see President Lincoln. Near midnight, the party ended. The doors of the White House were closed.

VOICE ONE:

Lincoln was glad the celebrations were over. Now he could get back to the urgent problems that faced him. He hoped that during his second four-year term he could end the Civil War. He hoped he could ease the bitterness and hatred⁴ the war had brought.

Lincoln hoped for an easy peace. He wanted no hangings or other brutal⁵ acts against the losers. He wanted to see Confederate soldiers go back to their homes to become peaceful citizens of a united country.

Lincoln wanted the nation to grow together again.

VOICE TWO:

The war could not last much longer. The south already was defeated. But Confederate leaders refused to accept defeat.

 
Robert E. Lee
General Robert E. Lee's army still held the area around Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Confederate capital. Lee did not believe, however, that he could hold the city much longer.

His once mighty⁶ army now had less than fifty thousand men. These men were tired and hungry. And they had to defend a line almost sixty kilometers long, from Richmond to the city of Petersburg.

There just were not enough Confederate soldiers left to fight.

VOICE ONE:

Lee decided⁷ that his only hope was to give up the two cities. He would march south and join General Joe Johnston's army in North Carolina. Perhaps the two armies could defeat Union forces moving up through the state. Then they could turn to meet the army of General Ulysses Grant.

This plan had little chance of success. But it would keep the Confederate armies active for a few more weeks or months.

Lee soon discovered that it would not be easy to break out of the trap that Richmond and Petersburg had become. Grant's army seemed to be everywhere.

Lee put eleven thousand of his men into position near Grant's line. They waited for the enemy to attack.

At first, the Confederates received some help from the weather. Heavy rains fell for more than a day. Many roads and fields were flooded. The Union army could not move forward. When it did, the Confederates were ready. They pushed back the attackers.

VOICE TWO:

The victory did not last long. There were five times more Union soldiers than Confederate soldiers. The Confederates fought hard, but could not stop them. They were forced to withdraw.

The Confederates moved slowly, then more quickly as Union troops chased them. They began to flee wildly. About half of them were captured.

Grant ordered an immediate⁸ attack all along Lee's line. He was sure the line was weak. He was sure he could break it.

A Union army doctor watched the battle from a distance. He said he could see the flash of light from Confederate guns along a line a kilometer long.

After a while, part of the line went dark. Then another part. And another. Flashes of gunfire became fewer. Finally, all of the line was dark. The doctor said he knew then that the Confederate line had fallen.

VOICE ONE:

General Grant had been trying to break General Lee's line for almost a year. Now he had done it.

His troops raced forward to seize the railroad. Lee no longer had a way to supply his troops in Petersburg. He no longer had a quick way to move his army south. He would have to move west first, then turn south. This meant he would have to give up Richmond.

The government of the Confederacy would have to go with him or be captured. Confederate President Jefferson Davis gave the order to go.

VOICE TWO:

Southern soldiers began to burn military supplies they could not take from Richmond. Huge amounts of shells and gunpowder⁹ were exploded. The fires got out of control. Many buildings burned to the ground. The streets were filled with refugees¹⁰ trying to escape the burning city. Mobs¹¹ broke into stores looking for food.

Union troops quickly moved into Richmond. Then they raised the United States flag over the once proud capital of the Confederacy.

VOICE ONE:

President Lincoln visited Richmond on April fourth. He visited the Confederate state house where the rebel Congress had met. He had lunch in the Confederate White House where Confederate President Jefferson Davis had lived.

Everywhere Lincoln went, hundreds of people crowded around him. Blacks, especially, wanted to get near him. They wanted to touch the man who had made them free. At no time was any kind of hostile act made against the president.

VOICE TWO:

In the next few days, Lincoln followed carefully Grant's campaign against Lee's withdrawing army. By telegraph and messenger, he was informed of every move.

Lee's men marched without food. They did not have time to search for it. They could not stop. The Union army was only a day behind them.

On and on they marched. Many of them -- weak from hunger and tired beyond belief -- could go no farther. They left the road to sleep. Most never got back. Others continued to March. But many threw down their guns and equipment.

Union forces attacked the moving line when they could. There were battles at such places as Amelia Court House, Sayler's Creek¹², High Bridge, and Farmville. Lee's army fought off each attack. But it was slowly bleeding and starving to death.

VOICE ONE:

Lee asked one of his officers to report on the situation. "There is no situation," the officer said. "Nothing remains¹³, General Lee, but to put your poor soldiers on their poor horses and send them home in time to plant the spring crops."

Lee answered: "What would the country think of me, if I did that."

"Country." the officer cried. "There is no country. You are the country to these men. They have fought for you. Without pay or food. There are still thousands of us who will die for you."

VOICE TWO:

On April seventh, General Grant sent a message to General Lee. He said it was hopeless to continue the struggle. He asked for the surrender of Lee's army.

Lee did not agree that the situation was hopeless. He believed there was still one small chance to escape. He wanted to reach a place called Appomattox Station. There his men could get food. Then they could march to Lynchburg where a railroad would carry them south to safety.

But the Union Army reached Appomattox Station first.

Lee and his officers decided to make a final effort to break out of the circle of Union forces. If their plan failed, Lee would have no other choice. He would have to surrender.

VOICE ONE:

Lee rose early on the appointed day. He put on a new grey coat and a bright red sash. He looked as if he were going to a parade. His officers wondered. Then Lee explained: "I probably will be General Grant's prisoner. I thought I should look my best."

At sunrise, Lee arrived on a hill outside the town of Appomattox Court House. He looked down on what was to be his final battlefield.

His men fought hard and well. But they could not break through the Union line. Finally, Lee said: "There is nothing left me but to go see General Grant. And I would rather die a thousand deaths."

Lee was sure Grant would not demand unconditional¹⁴ surrender. He said: "Grant will give us good terms -- as good as we have the right to demand. I can surrender this army on the condition that its members will never fight again."

Lee turned his horse toward the enemy lines behind his army. He sent a message to General Grant. It said: "I now request to meet with you at such time and place as you may name to discuss the terms of the surrender of this army."

VOICE TWO:

The place would be a home in a town called Appomattox Court House. That will be our story next week.

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You have been listening to the Special English program, THE MAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Harry Monroe and Kay Gallant. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley.

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1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 gallant   

adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的

参考例句：

• Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
• These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。

3 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

4 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

5 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

6 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 gunpowder   

n.火药

参考例句：

• Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
• This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。

10 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

11 mobs   

v.聚众包围( mob的第三人称单数 )；聚众闹事

参考例句：

• There was a raid on a bank by armed mobs yesterday. 昨天发生了一起武装暴徒抢劫银行的事件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The following day mobs seized the Parliament building. 第二天暴徒占领了议会大厦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。