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up to this mighty armada.
But there was no enemy in sight; the American fleet movement had caught the
British by surprise. South the ships moved, through the North Channel, where
they could easily be seen fromScotland . They were indeed observed as they
passed the Mull ofKintyre , and the telegraph fromCampbeltown quickly spread
the news south. But by the time that there could be any reaction, the cargo
vessels were safe inDublinHarbor andDunLaoghaire .
The ironclads were stationed out to sea to intercept any vessels rash enough
to approach the Irish shore. The few that did come close were seen off quite
quickly. Ashore, the troops filed aboard the waiting ships while the gun
batteries approached the novel transports built specially for the coming
invasion. Iron-hulled ships that, after they docked, opened up great ports in
their sides from which, propelled by steam cylinders, slid out metal ramps.
They were ridged with wooden crosspieces so that horses could easily pull the
guns and limbers into the ships. Cavalry boarded the same way, as well as
grooms with the officers' mounts. Embarkation was completed just after dusk on
the night of May 19.
Soon after midnight, on May 20, the ships took in their lines and went to
sea. It was a straight run of less than a hundred and forty miles across
theIrish Sea to the British shore. Dawn found them inLiverpoolBay , with the
first warships already steaming up theMersey .
The attack was a complete surprise to the shockedLiverpudlians , the crashing
of heavy guns the first intimation that their country was again at war. Every
fort, gun battery, and military installation had been carefully marked on the
American charts. Years of spying had not been in vain. Each of the ironclads
had its own specific targets. The sun was still low in the eastern horizon
when the first guns fired.
High explosives smashed into the defenses, sending guns, masonry, and pieces
of men hurtling out from the maelstrom of death that was spread by the heavy
shells. A cavalryman, clutching his wounded arm, galloped his horse through
the empty streets to the central telegraph office. He hammered on the sealed
door with the pommel end of his saber until he finally broke it open. A
terrified operator soon appeared, sat down at his machine still wearing his
nightclothes, and sent word of the invasion toLondon .
For the first time in over eight hundred years,Britain was being invaded.
Shock and then horror spread through the island. The barbarians were at the
gate.
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General Sherman had set up his headquarters in the customhouse inCorkCity .
This was a handsome white stone building that stood at the very end of the
island on which the center of the city had been built. From the tall windows
he had a fine view of the river Lee. TheNorth Channel and the South Channel of
the river joined together just before his windows, blue and placid, flowing
out into CorkLough .Filled now with the varied ships of the southern invasion
fleet. The transports were close in, many of them tied up at the city's
wharves. Farther down the river, inCorkHarbor , were the ironclad ships of
war, with others on patrol farther east where the river met the sea. Enemy
warships had probed in this direction, but were driven off long before they
could observe a thing. As much as possible all ship movements had been kept
secret other than the few chance observations that could be expected. The
Americans had proclaimed publicly that they were protecting Irish shipping
from the incursions of foreign powers. The British protestations about entry
into their coastal waters were pointedly ignored.
General Grant entered the room and looked at the large MAY 20 displayed on
the calendar before he sat down across the desk from General Sherman. He ran
his fingers thoughtfully through his thick beard.
"May the twentieth," he said. "Dublintelegraphed as soon as the last ships
sailed. Barring breakdowns at sea, the city ofLiverpool will have come under
attack this morning."
"A percentage of ship losseswas allowed for in the operating orders," General
Sherman said. "So the attack will have gone ahead as planned."
"When will we know anything?"
"It will be hours yet. Only after allstrongpoints have been taken and the
first trains seized will word be carried back toDublin by the fastest vessel.
They'll know first,then will telegraph the news on to us."
Shermannodded his head toward the open door andtelegraphists working in the
room across the hall. Wires were festooned from the ceiling and ran out of the
window, connecting them to the central post office and the fleet.
"The waiting is not easy," Grant said. He took a black cheroot from his
breast pocket, struck a sulfur match, and lit it.
"It never is,"Sherman said. "But patience must be our watchword. One thing we
can be sure of is that word of the attack will be telegraphed toLondon by now.
Undoubtedly they will want to order instant mobilization. We must allow them
at least one day to find out what has happened, then to come to a decision as
to what must be done."
"That will be tomorrow, the twenty-first."
"It will indeed. And I am also allowing that one day for confusion. The
government must sit, plan, seek advice, run to the Queen, and back."
"You estimate that an entire day will pass like that before any firm actions
are taken by them?"
"I do."
Grant puffed out a cloud of smoke, looked unseeingly out of the window. "You
are a man of decision,Cumph . I would not like to be in your position and be
responsible for the progress of this war. I would have continued the invasion
at once."
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"Then again perhaps you would not, if you were in my shoes. It is a command
decision and once made it cannot be altered. InLondon , evaluations will have
to be made as well, orders written and transmitted. Their thinking will have
to change completely, which is never an easy thing to do, because they have
never been in this position before. For the first time their armies will not
be attacking but defending. Of course, there is always the possibility that
plans have been made for such an eventuality. But even if they have plans,
they will have to be unearthed, examined, modified. If anything, I think that
I am being overly conservative in allowing only a single day for confusion.
But it is too late to change all that. I am sure that tomorrow will be a quiet
day for all the enemy forces in the country. I am positive that meaningful
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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