Si Klegg, Book 4
Page 1
Produced by David Widger
SI KLEGG
EXPERIENCES OF SI AND SHORTY ON THE GREAT TULLAHOMA CAMPAIGN.
By John McElroy
Book Four
Published By
The National Tribune Co.,
Washington, D. C.
Second Edition
Copyright 1910
Contents:
CHAPTER I. THE TULLAHOMA CAMPAIGN ON TO DUCK RIVERCHAPTER II. THE BALKY MULESCHAPTER III. THIRD DAY OF THE DELUGECHAPTER IV. THE FOURTH DAY OF THE TULLAHOMA CAMPAIGNCHAPTER V. AFLOAT ON A LOGCHAPTER VI. DISTRESSING ENEMIESCHAPTER VII. THE EXCITING ADVANCE TULLAHOMACHAPTER VIII. THE GLORIOUS FOURTH INDEPENDENCE DAY FUNCHAPTER IX. A LITTLE EPISODE OVER LOVE LETTERSCHAPTER X. AFTER BRAGG AGAINCHAPTER XI. THE MOUNTAIN FOLKCHAPTER XII. SI AND SHORTY IN LUCKCHAPTER XIII. MANY HAPPY EVENTSCHAPTER XIV. THE FRISKY YOUNGSTERSCHAPTER XV. KEYED UP FOR ACTIONCHAPTER XVI. THE TERRIFIC STRUGGLECHAPTER XVII. IN THE HOSPITALCHAPTER XVIII. A DISTURBING MESSAGECHAPTER XIX. TEDIOUS CONVALESCENCECHAPTER XX. STEWED CHICKEN
PREFACE
"Si Klegg, of the 200th Ind., and Shorty, his Partner," were born yearsago in the brain of John McElroy, Editor of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
These sketches are the original ones published in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE,revised and enlarged some what by the author. How true they are tonature every veteran can abundantly testify from his own service.Really, only the name of the regiment was invented. There is no doubtthat there were several men of the name of Josiah Klegg in the UnionArmy, and who did valiant service for the Govern ment. They hadexperiences akin to, if not identical with, those narrated here, andsubstantially every man who faithfully and bravely carried a musket indefense of the best Government on earth had some times, if not often,experiences of which those of Si Klegg are a strong reminder.
THE PUBLISHERS.
THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
TO THE RANK AND FILE
OF THE GRANDEST ARMY EVER MUSTERED FOR WAR.
SI KLEGG
CHAPTER I. THE TULLAHOMA CAMPAIGN ON TO DUCK RIVER
"ONLY 25 MILES TO SHELBYVILLE."
JUNE 23, 1863, ended the Army of the Cumberland's six months ofwearisome inaction around Murfreesboro its half-year of tiresomefort-building, drilling, picketing and scouting.
Then its 60,000 eager, impatient men swept forward in combinations ofmasterful strategy, and in a brief, wonderfully brilliant campaign ofnine days of drenching rain drove Bragg out of his strong fortificationsin the rugged hills of Duck River, and compelled him to seek refuge inthe fastnesses of the Cumberland Mountains, beyond the Tennessee River.
"Now," said Shorty, as they stood in line, waiting the order to move,"as Old Rosy has clearly waked up to business, I hope to gracious thatMr. Bragg will be found at home ready for callers. We've wasted sixmonths waiting for him to get good and ready, and he certainly ought tobe in trim to transact any little business we may have with him."
"I think you needn't trouble yourself about that, Shorty," said Capt.McGillicuddy. "All the news is that Bragg is down there in Shelbyvillein force, and with blood in his eye. Somebody is going to be terriblywhipped before the end of the week, and I'm pretty sure it won't be theArmy of the Cumberland."
"Well, let's have it over and done with," said Si. "It's got to befought out some time, and the sooner the better. I wish the whole thingcould be fought to a finish to-morrow. Then I'd know at once whether I'mto live through this war."
"I don't think you'll be kept long in suspense," replied Capt.McGillicuddy. "Shelbyville is only 25 miles away. We can't go forwardmany hours with out forcing a collision as to the right of way. If wecan whip Bragg behind the works he has been building for the last sixmonths, we'll settle the whole business for the Southern Confederacy inthe West. Grant will take Vicksburg, and then we'll have peace."
"Only 25 miles," repeated Shorty. "We ought to be squarely up againstthem not later than to-morrow night and one or two days' lively poundingought to make Mr. Bragg holler enough."
"Rosenbaum is as certain as he is of his life," said Si to the Captainand the rest, "that Bragg has the bulk of his army at Shelbyville,which, as you say, is but 25 miles from here, and that he will drawthe rest in and fight us behind the awfully big forts that he hasbeen building for the last six months from Shelbyville to War Trace.Rosenbaum says that he knows it for a fact that 3,000 negroes have beenworked on the forts ever since Bragg retreated there last January."
"Well, 25 miles isn't far to go for a fight," returned Shorty. "All thatI ask is that the 200th Ind. be given the advance. We'll makeschedule time to ward Shelbyville, and bring on the fight before earlycandle-lightin' to-morrow evening."
"I guess you'll have your wish, Shorty," returned Capt. McGillicuddy."We lead the brigade to-day, anyway, and we'll try to keep the leadclear through."
Then the rain poured down so violently that all the conversation wassuspended, except more or less profane interjections upon the luck ofthe Army of the Cumberland in never failing to bring on a deluge when itstarted to march.
In the midst of this the bugles sounded "For ward!" and the 200th Ind.swung out on the Shelby ville Pike, and set its face sternly southward.After it trailed the rest of the brigade, then the ambulances andwagons, and then the rest of the division.
At times the rain was actually blinding, but the men plodded on doggedlyand silently. They had ex austed their epithets at the start, and nowsettled down to stolid endurance.
"We've only got to go 25 miles, boys," Si would occasionally say, byway of encouragement. "This rain can't last forever at this rate. It'llprobably clear up bright just as we reach Shelbyville to-morrow, andgive us sunshine to do our work in."
But when the column halted briefly at noon, for dinner for the men andmules, it was raining harder and steadier than ever. It was difficult tostart fires with the soaked rails and chunks, all were wet to the skin,and rivulets of water ran from them as they stood or walked. The horsesof the officers seemed shrunken and drawn-up, and the mud was gettingdeeper every minute.
"Lucky we had the advance," said the optimistic Si. "We have churnedthe roads into a mortar-bed, and them that comes after us will have hardpullin'. I wonder how many miles we've made of them 25?"
"I feel that we've already gone full 25," said Shorty. "But Tennesseemiles's made o' injy-rubber, and stretch awfully."
They were too ill-humored to talk much, but stood around and sippedtheir hot coffee and munched sodden crackers and fried pork in silence.Pork fried in the morning in a half-canteen, and carried for hours in adripping haversack, which reduced the crackers to a tasteless mush, isnot an appetizing viand; but the hunger of hard exercise in the open airmakes it "go."
Again the bugles sounded "Forward," and they plodded on more stolidlythan ever.
Increasing evidences of the enemy's presence be gan to stimulate them.Through the sheets of rain they saw a squad of rebel cavalry close tothem. There was much snapping of damp gun-caps on both sides, a fewunavailing shots were actually fired, and they caught glimpses betweenthe rain-gusts of the rebel horsemen galloping up the muddy road to wardthe rising hills.
They pushed forward with more spirit now. They came to insignificantbrooks which were now raging torrents, through which they waded waistdeep, first placing their treasured ammunition on their shoul ders orheads.
As they were crossing one of these, Si unluckily stepped into a deephole, which took him in over his head. His foot struck a stone, whichrolled, and down he went. Shorty saw him disappear, made a franticclutch for him, and went down himself. For a brief tumultuous instantthey bobbed around against the legs of the other boys, who went downlike tenpins. Nearly the whole of Co. Q wa
s at once floundering in themuddy torrent, with the Captain, who had succeeded in crossing, lookingback in dis may at the disaster. The Orderly-Sergeant and a few othersat the head of the company rushed in and pulled out by the collars suchof the boys as they could grab. Si and Shorty came to the bank a littleways down, blowing and sputtering, and both very angry.
DURING THE HALT FOR DINNER. 20]
"All your infernal clumsiness," shouted Shorty. "You never will lookwhere you're goin'. No more sense than a blind hoss."
"Shut up," said Si, wrathfully. "Don't you talk about clumsiness. It wasthem splay feet o' your'n that tripped me, and then you downed the resto' the boys. Every mite of our grub and ammunition's gone."
How far the quarrel would have gone cannot be told, for at that instanta regiment of rebels, which had been pushed out in advance, tried toopen a fire upon the 200th Ind. from behind a rail fence at the bottomof the hill. Only enough of their wet guns could be gotten off toannounce their presence. The Colonel of the 200th Ind. yelled:
"Companies left into line!"
The soggy men promptly swung around.
"Fix bayonets! Forward, double-quick!" shouted the Colonel.
It was a sorry "double-quick," through the pelting rain, the entanglingweeds and briars, and over the rushing streams which flooded the field,but it was enough to discourage the rebels, who at once went back in aheavy-footed run to the works on the hill, and the rebel cannon boomedout to cover their retreat.
"Lie down!" shouted the Colonel, as they reached the fence, and a shellstruck a little in advance, filling the air with mud and moist fragmentsof vegetation.
As they lay there and recovered their breath there was much splashingand splattering of mud, much running to and fro, much galloping of Aidsin their rear. The 200th Ind. was ordered to hold its place, and beready for a charge upon the hill when it received orders. The brigade'sbattery was rushed up to a hill in the rear, and opened a fire on therebel guns. The other regiments were deployed to the right and left tooutflank the rebel position.
Si and Shorty and the rest of Co. Q put in the time trying to get theirguns dry and borrowing ammunition from the men of the other companies.Both were jobs of difficulty and doubtful success. There could be noproper drying of guns in that incessant drench, and nobody wanted toopen up his stock of cartridges in such a rain.
In the intervals between the heavier showers glimpses could be had ofthe "Kankakee Suckers" and the "Maumee Muskrats" working their way asfast as they could around toward the rebel flanks. The rebel artillery,seeing most danger from them, began throwing shells in their directionas they could be caught sight of through the rain and the opening in thetrees.
"Why don't they order us forward with the bayonets?" fretted Si. "Wecan scatter them. Their guns ain't in no better shape than ours. If theyhold us here, the Illinoy and Ohio fellers 'll git all the credit."
"The Colonel's orders are explicit," said the Adjutant, who happened tobe near, "not to move until the head of one of the other regiments canbe seen on the hills to the right or left. Then we're all to go forwardtogether."
"Yes," grumbled Shorty, "and we'll jest git there in time to seethem Illinoy Suckers hog everything. You kin see 'em limberin' up andpreparing to git. Just our dumbed luck."
It turned out just as Shorty had predicted. The rebel commander had kepta wary eye on the other regiments, and as he saw them gain the point ofvantage in the open, where they could make a rush upon him, he ordereda quick retreat. The other regiments raised a yell and charged straighthome. By the time the 200th Ind. could reach the gap the other regimentswere in full possession, and the rebels out of musket-shot in the valleybeyond.
"I told you so," snorted the irate Shorty. "Now we've lost the advance.To-morrow we'll have to take them other fellers' mud, and pry theirteams out o' the holes."
"I wonder how many o' them 25 miles toward Shelbyville we've madeto-day?" asked Si.
"I heard the Adjutant say," said one of his comrades, "that we'd comejust six miles."
"Jewhillikins," said Shorty sorrowfully.
Thus ended the first day of the Tullahoma campaign.