The Brigade Commander
Page 5
sudden diminution of the firing; and looking upwardthey saw the men of the Fourteenth running confusedly toward the summit.Without a word the brigade commander struck spurs into his horse anddashed up the long slope at a run, closely followed by his enemy andaid. What they saw when they overtook the straggling, running, panting,screaming pellmell of the Fourteenth was victory!
The entire right wing of the Confederates, attacked on three sides atonce, placed at enormous disadvantage, completely outgeneraled, hadgiven way in confusion, was retreating, breaking, and flying. Therewere lines yet of dirty gray or butternut; but they were few, meagre,fluctuating, and recoiling, and there were scattered and scurrying menin hundreds. Three veteran and gallant regiments had gone all to wreckunder the shock of three similar regiments far more intelligentlydirected. A strong position had been lost because the heroes who held itcould not perform the impossible feat of forming successively two freshfronts under a concentric fire of musketry. The inferior brain power hadconfessed the superiority of the stronger one.
On the victorious side there was wild, clamorous, fierce exultation. Thehurrying, shouting, firing soldiers, who noted their commander ridingamong them, swung their rifles or their tattered hats at him, andscreamed "Hurrah!" No one thought of the Confederate dead underfoot, norof the Union dead who dotted the slope behind. "What are you herefor, Colonel?" shouted rough old Gildersleeve, one leg of his trousersdripping blood. "We can do it alone."
"It is a battle won," laughed Fitz Hugh, almost worshiping the man whomhe had come to slay.
"It is a battle won, but not used," answered Waldron. "We haven't a gunyet, nor a flag. Where is the cavalry? Why isn't Stilton here? He musthave got afoul of the enemy's horse, and been obliged to beat it off.Can anybody hear anything of Stilton?"
"Let him go," roared Old Grumps. "The infantry don't want any help."
"Your regiment has suffered, Colonel," answered Waldron, glancing at thescattered files of the Fourteenth. "Halt it and reorganize it, andlet it fall in with the right of the First when Peck comes up. I shallreplace you with the Fifth. Send your Adjutant back to Colburn and tellhim to hurry along. Those fellows are making a new front over there,"he added, pointing to the centre of the hill. "I want the Fifth, Seventhand Tenth in _echelon_ as quickly as possible. And I want that cavalry.Lieutenant," turning to one of his staff, "ride off to the left and findColonel Stilton. Tell him that I need a charge in ten minutes."
Presently cannon opened from that part of the ridge still held by theConfederates, the shell tearing through or over the dissolving groupsof their right wing, and cracking viciously above the heads of thevictorious Unionists. The explosions followed each other with stunningrapidity, and the shrill whirring of the splinters was ominous. Menbegan to fall again in the ranks or to drop out of them wounded. Of allthis Waldron took no further note than to ride hastily to the brow ofthe ridge and look for his own artillery.
"See how he attinds to iverything himself," said Major Gahogan, whohad cantered up to the side of Fitz Hugh. "It's just a matther of plainbusiness, an' he looks after it loike a business man. Did ye see us,though, Captin, whin we come in on their right flank? By George, wemurthered urn. There's more'n a hundred lyin' in hapes back there. Asfor old Stilton, I just caught sight of um behind that wood to our left,an' he's makin' for the enemy's right rair. He'll have lots o' prisonersin half an hour."
When Waldron returned to the group he was told of his cavalry'swhereabouts, and responded to the information with a smile ofsatisfaction.
"Bradley is hurrying up," he said, "and Taylor is pushing their leftsmartly. They will make one more tussle to recover their line ofretreat; but we shall smash them from end to end and take every gun."
He galloped now to his infantry, and gave the word "Forward!" The threeregiments which composed the _echelon_ were the Fifth on the right, theSeventh fifty yards to the rear and left of the Fifth, the Tenth tothe rear and left of the Seventh. It was behind the Fifth, that is, theforemost battalion, that the brigade commander posted himself.
"Do _you_ mean to stay here, Colonel?" asked Fitz Hugh, in surprise andanxiety.
"It is a certain victory now," answered Wal-dron, with a singular glanceupward. "My life is no longer important. I prefer to do my duty to theutmost in the sight of all men."
"I shall follow you and do mine, sir," said the Captain, much moved, hecould scarcely say by what emotions, they were so many and conflicting.
"I want you otherwheres. Ride to Colonel Taylor at once, and hurry himup the hill. Tell him the enemy have greatly weakened their left. Tellhim to push up everything, infantry, and cavalry, and artillery, and todo it in haste."
"Colonel, this is saving my life against my will," remonstrated FitzHugh.
"Go!" ordered Waldron, imperiously. "Time is precious."
Fitz Hugh dashed down the slope to the right at a gallop. The brigadecommander turned tranquilly, and followed the march of his _echelon_.The second and decisive crisis of the little battle was approaching,and to understand it we must glance at the ground on which it was tobe fought. Two hostile lines were marching toward each other alongthe broad, gently rounded crest of the hill and at right angles to itsgeneral course. Between these lines, but much the nearest to the Uniontroops, a spacious road came up out of the forest in front, crossed theridge, swept down the smooth decline in rear, and led to a single woodenbridge over a narrow but deep rivulet. On either hand the road washedged in by a close board fence, four feet or so in height. It was forthe possession of this highway that the approaching lines were aboutto shed their blood. If the Confederates failed to win it all theirartillery would be lost, and their army captured or dispersed.
The two parties came on without firing. The soldiers on both sides wereveterans, cool, obedient to orders, intelligent through long service,and able to reserve all their resources for a short-range and finalstruggle. Moreover, the fences as yet partially hid them from eachother, and would have rendered all aim for the present vague anduncertain.
"Forward, Fifth!" shouted Waldron. "Steady. Reserve your fire." Then, asthe regiment came up to the fence, he added, "Halt; right dress. Steady,men."
Meantime he watched the advancing array with an eager gaze. It was anoble sight, full of moral sublimity, and worthy of all admiration. Thelong, lean, sunburned, weather-beaten soldiers, in ragged gray steppedforward, superbly, their ranks loose, but swift and firm, the menleaning forward in their haste, their tattered slouch hats pushedbackward, their whole aspect business-like and virile. Their line wasthree battalions strong, far outflanking the Fifth, and at least equalto the entire _echelon_. When within thirty or forty yards of thefurther fence they increased their pace to nearly a double-quick, manyof them stooping low in hunter fashion, and a few firing. Then Waldronrose in his stirrups and yelled, "Battalion! ready--aim--aim low. Fire!"
There was a stunning roar of three hundred and fifty rifles, and adeadly screech of bullets. But the smoke rolled out, the haste to reloadwas intense, and none could mark what execution was done. Whatever theConfederates may have suffered, they bore up under the volley, andthey came on. In another minute each of those fences, not more thantwenty-five yards apart, was lined by the shattered fragment of aregiment, each firing as fast as possible into the face of the other.
The Fifth bled fearfully: it had five of its ten company commanders shotdead in three minutes; and its loss in other officers and in men fellscarcely short of this terrible ratio. On its left the Seventh and theTenth were up, pouring in musketry, and receiving it in a fashion hardlyless sanguinary. No one present had ever seen, or ever afterward saw,such another close and deadly contest.
But the strangest thing in this whole wonderful fight was the conductof the brigade commander. Up and down the rear of the lacerated FifthWaldron rode thrice, spurring his plunging and wounded horse close tothe yelling and fighting file-closers, and shouting in a piercing voiceencouragement to his men. Stranger still, considering the characterwhich he had borne in the army, and considering
the evil deed for whichhe was to account on the morrow, were the words which he was distinctlyand repeatedly heard to utter. "Stand steady, men--God is with us!" wasthe extraordinary battle-cry of this backslidden clergyman, this sinnerabove many.
And it was a prophecy of victory. Bradley ran up his Napoleons on theright in the nick of time, and, although only one of them could bebrought to bear, it was enough; the grape raked the Confederate left,broke it, and the battle was over. In five minutes more their wholearray was scattered, and the entire position open to galloping cavalry,seizing guns, standards, and prisoners.
It was in the very moment of triumph, just as the stubborn Southern linereeled back from the fence in