華盛頓紀念碑、培里海軍准將與福爾摩沙(四)

華盛頓紀念碑、培里海軍准將與福爾摩沙(四)

第二部分
六 

在往英軍大本營進發的途中，Adams目擊了大陸軍軍紀敗壞。他如此記述: "On the Road and at all the public Houses, We saw such Numbers of Officers and Soldiers, straggling and loytering, as gave me at least, but a poor Opinion of the Discipline of our forces and excited as much indignation as anxiety. Such thoughtless dissipation at a time so critical, was not calculated to inspire very sanguine hopes or give great Courage to Ambassadors: I was nevertheless determined that it should not dishearten me. I saw that We must and had no doubt but We should be chastised into order in time." 

對照Adams的觀察與記述，從華盛頓將軍在那段時期從大本營所發出的幾項命令，我們都看出華盛頓不斷在要求部隊提高警覺，鼓舞部隊的士氣，也不斷在整飭軍紀。 

現在就讓我們來讀在長島戰役來臨前這個緊要關頭，華盛頓將軍所發出的命令。

七 

華盛頓將軍於7/2/1776從紐約大本營發出的命令要求全軍將士在英國大軍壓境vv 國難當頭的時刻，必須服從命令，遵守紀律，更必須將士用命，奮勇殺敵，因為國家興亡與個人榮辱都在此一舉: 

"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their Houses, and Farms, are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a State of Wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army --- Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we can expect --- We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die: Our own Country's Honor, all call upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world --- Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions --- The Eyes of all our Countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the Tyranny meditated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and shew the whole world, that a Freeman contending for Liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth." 

"The General recommends to the officers great coolness in time of action, and to the soldiers a strict attention and obedience, with a becoming firmness and spirit. 

"Any officer, or soldier, or any particular Corps, distinguishing themselves by any acts of bravery, and courage, will assuredly meet with notice and rewards; and on the other hand, those who behave ill, will as certainly be exposed and punished --- The General being resolved, as well for the Honor and Safety of the Country, as Army, to shew no favour to such as refuse, or neglect their duty at so important a crisis." 

華盛頓於8/23/1776再度從大本營發出類似的命令，因為英軍已從Staten Island登陸Long Island的西南角，即Brooklyn，會戰即將展開(第一場遭遇戰於8/27/1776開打) 。 

但做為統帥，華盛頓將軍絕不會愚蠢到讓居於弱勢與劣勢的大陸軍在長島或紐約與強敵英軍決戰，所以，在短暫的遭遇戰後，華盛頓將軍決定從長島撤退到曼哈頓島，再撤退到大陸的紐約地區，再從那裡一路退到紐澤西，並越過德拉瓦河，在賓西法尼亞紮營。這一段為保全實力、為讓革命的命脈能存續的時期是美國革命的最黑暗的時代，許多獨派都以為美利堅的獨立革命已經玩完了，也就在這時，為鼓舞獨派的士氣Thomas Paine的"The American Crisis"問世，該小冊中的一段名言"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value."從此被世人傳頌，而華盛頓在大家(包括駐紮在徳拉瓦河對岸的英國守軍)過聖誕節時，親帥子弟兵，在寒夜中渡河，在幾天中取得對英國守軍兩次小規模作戰的勝利。 

八 

本文在前面提到John Adams於1776年9月初，在前往設於Staten Island英軍大本營的途中，目睹有些軍官與士兵straggling and loytering，這些人有可能是逃兵，也有可能是服役期已到、準備返鄉的民兵。 

在8/29華盛頓的大陸軍開始撤退(在英國強大的海陸軍如猛虎與餓狼環伺的情況下，大陸軍竟能在一夜之間神遁，這真是上帝製造的奇蹟)，他在9/8/1776給大陸會議主席John Hancock一份報告，稍事交待他的戰略，也說明他為保全實力必須做出撤退並轉進到大陸的困難決定。 

華盛頓以弱勝強的戰略最後被證明是正確的，這是美國得以獨立建國的最重要原因。華盛頓將軍了解他所統帥的大陸軍就等同美國獨立革命，如果我們說美國革命的成敗繫於華盛頓一人，也許是太誇張了些，不過也很接近真實，這就難怪英國歷史學者Hugh Brogan會在他的名著"The Penguin History of the United States of America"中給華盛頓這麼一段讚詞: "No greater stroke of good luck ever befell America than the availability of that remarkable man at that crucial juncture, except the availability, eighty-five years later, of Abraham Lincoln." 

九 

在本文將結束前，建州派再請台灣與台美鄉親們回到John Adams認為美國獨立紀念日應該是7月2日而不是7月4日的問題。 

我們還是要藉Hugh Brogan書中的一段來替John Adams出一口氣: "John Adams was never really reconciled to the adoption of 4 July as his country's great holiday. The actual break with Great Britain was undoubtedly effected by the resolutions of 2 July, and if that were all that counted July the Second should have vecome America's great day, as Adams at the time predicted it would. Besides, he had played a leading part in the orating and arguing which had brought Congress to the sticking-point, answering Dickinson, for instance, in a notable speech on 1 July; not to mention his valuable services at an earlier date in the murky waters of Massachusetts politics. It was hard on him that his countrymen determined to commenmorate, not an action, but a document, and one in which he had so little hand." 

雖然John Adams的美國同胞與後人選擇了七月四日做為美國的獨立紀念日這件事讓他梗梗於懷，但上帝也沒有忘記再給John Adams一點慰藉與補償，上帝決定給曾當過美國總統的他另一項榮寵 ----- 他在7/4/1826(那時的美國總統是John Adams的兒子John Quincy Adams)美國人慶祝獨立建國五十週年那一天，以90高齡，在麻州家中蒙主寵召，而在南方維吉尼亞州那一頭，他的老友(也是他過去的老政敵) Thomas Jefferson也在同一天，早五個小時，以83高齡，與世長辭。


台灣建州運動發起人周威霖 
David C. Chou 
Founder, Formosa Statehood Movement 
(an organization devoted to making Taiwan a state of the United States)