A Lieutenant at Eighteen

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER XXXI

  AN UNEXPECTED RE-ENFORCEMENT

  Captain Grundy's claim that he was in the Confederate service wasundoubtedly pure fiction; and he did not even pretend to have acommission of any kind, not even as a Partisan Ranger. The RiverlawnCavalry had rendered important service to the State in the suppressionof guerilla bands, acting under no authority whatever, plundering andkilling Union men. Grundy's force consisted of over thirty men. Theywere mounted, and doubtless had stolen the horses they rode from theplantations they had raided.

  They were simply brigands; they wore no uniform beyond a belt, and hadtaken no part in the battle of the day before. Their leader was anenterprising man, and seemed to be operating at the same time inseveral places. Their sole mission was to rob the planters; and theywere especially eager to obtain money, though it was a very scarcearticle in the State.

  Lieutenant Lyon had talked with Colonel Hickman about the band, and hehad gathered much information in regard to their operations in thenorthern and western counties. The planter was a fighting man, as wellas a strong Unionist. He had been aware of the approach of the gang,and while he had seven white men living on his estate he had feltabundantly able to defend his property.

  His spring-house was his arsenal; and it was well stored with arms andammunition, including two field-pieces. He was not a man to beintimidated, as many loyal citizens had been; and he had made hispreparations to give the brigands a warm reception when they paid him avisit, as he had no doubt they would.

  After the return of the colonel with his re-enforcements from theferry, Deck Lyon had not had the opportunity to examine minutely thepremises, especially outside of the immediate scene of operations. Hehad followed Captain Grundy from the mansion when he escaped from theparlor in company with Davis. The latter had fired at him; but thedensity of the grove interfered with his aim, and the ruffian hadsuddenly disappeared.

  Outside of the grove there were no trees, and the lieutenant saw on ahill the mounted gang riding at full speed towards the elevation onwhich stood the mansion. The road was a private one, and very narrow.Deck counted twenty-four riders in the distance, for they rode twoabreast. As he and his companion came out of the grove to the front ofthe mansion, the officer discovered something that looked like a moundof earth on one side of the road to the mansion.

  "What is that, Davis?" asked Deck, pointing at the work.

  "That is the governor's fortification," replied the rifleman.

  "The governor's?"

  "Not the governor of the State, but my father's."

  "What is it?" asked the lieutenant curiously; for he had not been ableto make out the use of the mound.

  "Come in a little nearer to the mansion, and you will see," repliedDavis; and he led the way across a corner of the grove.

  "It looks like a fort," added Deck as he obtained a view of the insideof the earthwork.

  "That is just what it is," said his companion. "The governor has kept asquad of the servants over on the hill you see at the farther end ofthe valley through which the road passes, as sentinels. They all havehorses; and when they discover the approach of an enemy, they gallop tothe mansion, and notify the colonel. We are as careful of our liveshere as you have been since you came."

  "What's coming now?" inquired Deck, as he heard the tramp of footstepsbehind him.

  "The governor's coming, and I think we will go and meet him," repliedthe planter's son; and he led the way through the grove towards thegreat house.

  It was quite a procession that advanced at a rapid pace from beyond thebuilding. At the head of it rode Colonel Hickman, mounted on the horsehe generally used. Next behind him came his sons Warren and Harlan.Then came Phil, leading a mule harnessed to a wagon, with all the otherservants following it. Last of all came the two field-pieces Deck hadseen on the piazza, each of them drawn by two mules. About a dozennegroes appeared in the rear and on the flanks of the column; and thelieutenant wondered where they had come from, though there was avillage of huts some distance from the stable.

  "How many of the robbers are left in the second story of the mansion?"asked Davis, as the procession approached.

  "Only two, I think, though I am not sure," replied Deck; and heproceeded to reckon up the number that had been put out of the way."Only two."

  "Enough to burn the house," added Davis.

  As he spoke he raised his rifle and fired. The lieutenant looked at thehouse, and saw one of the ruffians fall at the open window, over thepiazza. No doubt he and the other ruffian who remained in the house hadheard the commotion on the premises, and Phil had shouted loud enoughto be heard in every room. The one who had gone to the window evidentlycould not control his curiosity, and it had cost him his life.

  "Probably the other has looked out the window also, and has seen theapproach of the rest of the gang," said Davis, as he reloaded hisrifle. "He can leave now if he wants to; for there is no one left inthe house to prevent him from going. But I don't like to have anotheradded to the number of the enemy."

  The rifleman walked over to a point where he could obtain a better viewof the other window. It was open, but no one could be seen in the room.Very likely he had heard the report of the rifle which killed theother, or the noise of his fall. At any rate, he did not show himself.

  "No more game here just now," said Davis; and he and Deck walked overto the fort.

  They found the two brass guns in position for use, and Warren in chargeof them. Four of the servants, including Phil, were his assistants. Thedozen rifles Deck had seen on the piazzas, and the heavy revolvers,were leaning against the trees, or hanging from the branches. Themule-wagon was in the grove, containing the ammunition; the mulesharnessed to the fore-trucks of the gun-carriages were at a safedistance, and everything seemed to be ready to open fire upon theenemy.

  "Colonel Hickman, you are much more familiar with the situation herethan I am," said Deck when he met the planter. "You are a veteransoldier, and I am glad to resign the command, and pass it over to you."

  "I accept it, for I know the ground, as you say; but I shall be happyto have your counsel," replied the colonel.

  "I have none to offer at present. I will take a rifle, and act withyour sons, though they are better riflemen than I am."

  "All we have to do is to blaze away when the enemy begin to rise thehill, and I shall use the same weapon. Warren is the chief gunner, andhe has trained some of the servants to handle the guns," said theplanter, looking down the hill.

  "Can any of your negroes handle a rifle, Colonel?" asked Deck,recalling the time when his father's servants had been armed withmuskets, and had made good use of them at the "Battle of Riverlawn."

  "Some of them can; but I have scruples against arming them for fightingpurposes."

  "So had my father; but when it came to the question of defendinghimself and the members of his family against a mob of ruffians such asthose now approaching your mansion,--for they threatened to burn hishouse and hang him to a tree,--he did not hesitate," added Deck,recalling the stirring events of that time. "Of course there was noplace for them in the army, though the overseer has kept them intraining for the defence of the family and the plantation."

  "We have no time to discuss that question now, and the negroes areassisting Warren at the guns," replied the colonel. "But who is thatman over on the left? He seems to be running with all his might towardsthe column of the robbers."

  "That must be Captain Grundy who surrendered and then ran away,"answered Deck. "But he is too far off even for the riflemen."

  The chief of the brigands had taken a wide sweep in order to reach theapproaching force of mounted men, and was now about as far from them asfrom the colonel's fort. The face of the country was uneven, and hesoon disappeared behind a hill. Lieutenant Lyon had endeavored toobtain some information in regard to the Riverlawn Cavalry of WarrenHickman as soon as he found the time to do so. But the riflemen werequartered apart from the mounted men, and he knew very little about thesquadron. In the m
orning it was ascertained that General Crittenden'sforces had evacuated the fort, and crossed the river. Thesharpshooters, being no longer needed, had been dismissed, and theplanter's sons had gone directly to their home.

  "There comes Cuffy the ferryman, riding with all the speed he can getout of his poor horse," said Warren, as he pointed to the negro comingacross the field from the Jamestown road. "He is devoted to thegovernor; and I think he brings news of some sort, good or bad."

  Between the mansion and the road there was a hill which prevented themfrom seeing the road; but the negro soon reached the fort, which washis nearest point. He drew in his rein, and stopped his steed at oneend of the breastwork. He was out of breath, apparently from excitementrather than exertion.

  "Dar's a whole comp'ny of sodjers on hossback comin' down de road!"shouted Cuffy, as soon as he could collect breath enough to speak.

  "What are they, Cuffy?" demanded Warren.

  "Sodjers! Mars'r Warren."

  "Of course they are soldiers; but on which side do they belong?"

  "Dressed in blue, Mars'r Warren. Mus' be Union."

  "The force must be one, or both, of your companies, Lieutenant," addedWarren. "I heard something said about sending them on a reconnoissancewhen Captain Woodbine dismissed the riflemen. Where is the company now,Cuffy?"

  "Dey done halt behind dat hill, and send two men to de top ob it,"replied the ferryman, who was quite cool by this time.

  "Here comes the governor; and he will be glad to hear Cuffy's news,"added the chief of artillery. "We shall be able to drive the brigandsoff now."

  "Drive them off!" exclaimed Deck. "I hope we shall be able to dosomething better than that."

  "What better than that can we do?" asked Warren.

  "Do you want to put them in condition to raid the next plantation, andhang the owner if he won't give up his money by to-morrow?"

  Colonel Hickman came into the fort, and his son promptly gave him thewelcome news. He added that Lieutenant Lyon had some views of his ownin regard to the situation, and did not believe in simply driving theenemy away.

  "I should be glad to hear your views, Lieutenant," said the planter,turning to the young officer.

  "Of course the major or captain in command of the cavalry does not knowthe country in this vicinity, though Cuffy says men have been sent tothe top of the hill to obtain information," said Deck. "But they cansee nothing, for there is another and higher hill between them and theenemy. With your permission, Sergeant Fronklyn and myself will join ourcompany if they are in the road. Perhaps the entire squadron is there."

  "What is your plan, Lieutenant?" asked the colonel, a little impatientin his manner.

  "We ought to capture every one of that gang; and it can be easilydone."

  "How?"

  "I don't know who is in command of the force; but I should suggest tohim to send half of his command to a position under cover of the hillnearest to the road, and the other half around the north end of thesame hill," replied Deck earnestly. "We shall have them between thejaws of a vise then!"

  "Excellent, Lieutenant!" exclaimed the colonel. "The coming of thisforce is a godsend to us. You and the sergeant can go at once; but youmust both have better horses than those old stags the runaways left."

  The planter selected two of his best animals for them; and theygalloped across the field to the road. As they approached theRiverlawns they were recognized, and a hearty cheer welcomed them.