This made Si more reconciled to being left behind, and he mentally resolved that, though he might not be with his beloved regiment, he would manage to do his full share in the impending battle for Shelbyville.
The "Second Lieutenant and Aid-de-Camp" came up. It was noticed in the distance that he was suffering from the same causes as the others, but as soon as he came into the immediate presence of the men his official dignity a.s.serted itself, he refrained from nervous pursuit of his verminiferous a.s.sailants, and walking stiffly up to the Colonel, saluted, and said:
"Colonel, I came to report the conduct of a couple of your men who came under my command night before last, and who, while doing very well in some respects, were so grossly disrespectful to me that they should be given a sharp lesson. Unless this is done, it will tend to impair discipline and diminish the respect which men should show officers."
The Colonel looked straight at the young officer, and noticed an unusually large insect emerge from his collar and walk deliberately up his neck onto his cheek. It must have been intensely annoying, but dignity triumphed, and the Lieutenant stood stiffly as a ramrod.
"I"m very sorry to hear that any of my men should seem wanting in respect to their officers," said the Colonel quietly, as he "attended to" a wicked flea which was breakfasting off his wrist. "I can hardly believe it. I have the most obedient and respectful men in the whole army. I"m afraid you did something that provoked, if it did not justify, disrespectful conduct."
The Lieutenant would have been different from the rest of the army if he had not been very short of temper that morning. The pangs that he was compelled to endure without the relief of scratch ing made him still more irritable, and he forgot him self sufficiently to answer:
"I beg your pardon, sir, but you are in error when you represent your men to be respectful and subordinate. On the contrary, they are the most lacking in that of any men in the army. I am constantly yelled at by them as I pa.s.s, and they say very insulting things to me. I"m determined to put a stop to it, and I want you to begin with those two men. If you don"t I shall make a strong report on the subject to the General, which may lead to your being placed under arrest."
"Young man," said the Colonel severely, as he calmly exterminated another one of his tormentors, "you are so infested with vermin that I can see them crawling out from your clothes. It is an insult to me to have you appear before me in such a condition. Get out of here at once, and never approach me again in such a condition, or I shall be compelled to deal with you as you deserve."
The Lieutenant marched away, holding himself more stiffly than ever, and the Colonel walked to ward the other flank of the regiment, looking so cross that no one dared give the laugh he was bursting with until he had mounted his horse and shout ed the command, "Forward!"
The rain actually ceased, and the sun came out for the first time in 10 long days; from miles to the right and left came sounds of infantry and artillery firing, gradually swelling in volume. Under these exciting influences, aided, perhaps, by a really fine article of whisky, which the Surgeon had left, Shorty rapidly recovered, picked up his gun, threw his blanket-roll over his shoulders, and announced his eagerness to move forward. The sore-footed men began to feel that their feet were not really as sore as they had thought, and they also hobbled forward. The road by which they had camped led straight to Shelbyville, and they felt that by following it they would have the best chance of getting into the fight. The road was filled with cavalry, and Si and his squad worked their way through the woods to the right to get up nearer the front and find an infantry line.
"What in the world are they doin" with all these cavalry here?" said Shorty fretfully. "They can"t do nothin" agin the mud forts and big guns and miles o" breastworks and abatis and felled timber that the rebels "ve bin puttin" out in front of Shelbyville for the last six months.
Horses are only in the way for sich work. They must "v"e put the cavalry back here to be safe, while the infantry does the work. We"ll git in ahead o" the "critter-companies" somewhere and find the dough-boys."
At last they came out on a hill which commanded a view of the country, and halted, with an exclamation of delight at the magnificant sight spread out before hem. The sun was now half-way up in the sky, and shining with a brightness which seemed divine after the long period of drenching showers. Its light was reflected in brilliance from thousands of sabers and accouterments and the waving of flags of the cavalry divisions which filled the country as far as the eye could reach.
Ascending the slope at the farther side of the valley was a skirmish-line, two miles long, of dismounted cavalry men, from which rose wreathes of smoke as it pressed steadily forward up the hill against the rebels ensconced there. In the green fields on either side of the road, and in the road itself, were regiments and brigades of hors.e.m.e.n, ma.s.sed up solidly, impatiently waiting for the progress of the skirmishers to bring about the moment when they could be hurled against the enemy in a mighty avalanche of war. Bugles were sounding, flags flying, and all was intense, high-wrought, exciting animation.
The boys gave a cheer of exultation at the sight. Suddenly two little regiments separated themselves from the rest, drew sabers, and, with bugles sounding the charge and the men yelling, rode straight at the infantry and the batteries defending the crest of the hill. The rebels broke before the cavalry could reach them, and began a wild flight, with infantry, cavalry and artillery mixed in wild confusion, and our hors.e.m.e.n swooping down on them, capturing horses, men and cannon.
On everybody swept until the crest was gained which commanded a view of Shelbyville and its famous intrenchments. From these cannon thundered out, and long lines of infantry could be seen hurrying into the works to repel the audacious hors.e.m.e.n. Si and Shorty held their breaths, for it seemed that nothing but destruction awaited the cavalry in those awfully-planned defenses. But the cavalry thundered on with a headlong speed. Artillery galloped up on our side, to answer that in the works, and the boys lost speech in amazement at seeing the hors.e.m.e.n tear through the wide abatis and jump the high breastworks, while the defenders streamed back in rout into Shelbyville, pursued every step with yell and blow by the furious cavalry. Then came the noise of terrible fighting in the streets of Shelbyville. Jo Wheeler was ma.s.sing every cannon that could be brought up to him in a desperate effort to hold the town, at least, until Forrest could come to his help, or he could make an orderly retreat across Duck River. But, bitterly as he fought, the Union troopers fought still more savagely. They simply would not allow the thought of successful resistance, and wave after wave of fierce charges followed so rapidly that Wheeler"s men broke and fled for safety into and across the river.
The boys yelled themselves hoa.r.s.e as they saw the stream of rebel fugitives pour across the river and seek safety in the country beyond.
"Well, Shelbyville is ours at last, after all this waiting and marching and manuvering," said Si, in a tone of intense exultation. "And the cavalry took it. Wish it had been the 200th Injianny Volunteers. I"ve always looked down on the cavalry, but I won"t do so any more. I wish the 200th Injianny was mounted. My gracious, wasn"t it grand the way those fellers just galloped over everything in sight breastworks, forts, batteries, felled timber, and lines of infantry."
"Yes," a.s.sented Shorty. "I wouldn"t "ve missed the sight for the best farm in the Wabash bottoms. It was worth marching 10 days in the mud and rain to see."
"Here, Corporal," said a Cavalry Lieutenant, riding up, "I want you to take charge of these prisoners with your squad, so we can go back and get some more. The woods are full of them. I"ll make out a receipt for you to sign. I think there"s just 100 of them. Count them over for yourself."
"Sure," said Si, springing forward.
CHAPTER VII. THE EXCITING ADVANCE TULLAHOMA
THE GREAT BATTLE THAT DID NOT COME OFF.
"DON"T yo"uns crow too much over gittin" Shelbyville," the prisoners said to Si. "Yo"uns couldn"t never "ve got hit in the world if Jinerul Bragg hadn"t a"wanted yo"uns to."
"O, come off," said Shorty. "You tried your best to keep us from gittin"
in. You put up a very pretty little fight, but our cavalry jest rode over you."
"Thar wuz n.o.body thar but Jo Wheeler and his critter company," persisted the prisoners, "and they"d fout for anything. They"d fout yo"uns for a chaw of terbacker, and then gin the chaw back. Ole Bragg wuz jist a-foolin" with yo"uns. He wuz drawin" yo"uns on. He made up his mind that Shelbyville wuzn"t the best place for a fout, and he"d lay for yo"uns at Tullyhomy. He"s got his whole army together down thar, and he"ll wollop yo"uns till your hides won"t hold shucks. Ole Bragg"s smarter"n ary Yankee that ever lived, and he"s fixed up a dead-fall for yo"uns at Tullyhomy that"ll mash yo"uns flatter"n a pancack."
"Let him go ahead with his mashin" flat," answered Shorty; "we"re some on the mash ourselves, as you fellers found out at Stone River."
"We"uns "d "a" welted the life outen yo"uns at Stone River, if we"uns "d had jest a few more men; ez hit wuz we"uns run yo"uns all over them "ere old cotton-fields fur two days, tuk all yo"uns"s cannon, an" more"n a million prisoners. Fust night I done thought we"uns "d tuk the whole Yankee army. We"uns done got tired pickin" up prisoners in them ceders an" sink-holes, an" concluded t" leave the rest thar fur seed. We"uns jest f"arly wore ourselves out lickin" yo"uns, an" then yo"uns got a whole pa.s.sel "o fresh men, an" we"uns jest pulled back t" Shelbyville t"
rest, spit on we"uns" hands an" take a fresh holt."
"How about the last day," inquired Si, "over the river on the left, when we tore you all to flinders with artillery, and run you back over the hill and took your guns?"
"O, that wuz Breckinridge"s Division," said the prisoners, negligently, as if dismissing a matter of little consequence. "They"uns desarved all they"uns got. They"uns wus sent for t" come over and help we"uns lick yo"uns the fust two days, but they"uns wouldn"t come. I"m jest glad they"uns kotched hit good an" hard ez they"uns done got hit. But we"uns "s now got heaps more men than we"uns had at Stone River, an" they"re all together over thar by Tullyhomy. Lordy, you jest orter seed "em az I did. I wuz on the top of a mounting on gyard, whar I could see for a hundred miles in every direction, an" I seed men marchin" toward Tullyhomy till my eyes ached a-lookin" at "em. Yo"uns "ll stir up a mouty sight wuss hornets" nest at Tullyhomy than yo"uns did at Murfreesboro.
"Well, we"ll knock seven kinds o" brimstone out o" your hornets" nest, big as it may be," answered Shorty. "The more o" you there is the better, for we kin finish up the job then, and be done with it, instid o" havin" to run you down an" knock you on the head one at a time.
We"ve more men, too, than we had at Stone River. There was enough of us before, but Old Abe just gethered up the men in three or four new States, and sent "em down to us to help make a clean, quick job of it.
All we want of you fellers is jest to stand up and give us a square fight. We"re no grayhounds, to run you fellers down. We came down here to fight, not to trot races with you.
"Well, yo"uns"ll git yer bellyful o" foutin" over by Tullyhomy," shouted back the prisoners as they were marched away under guard.
"It certainly does look like we"re to have a bigger scrimmage than we had at Stone River," said Si, as he and Shorty were once more alone.
"Our army is much larger, and it"s all been gathered right around here.
There"s bin great rivers of men pouring through all these gaps for days, and we"ve talked with fellers from every division and brigade in the army. There"s entirely too many men around here for the country to hold. Something"s got to bust soon, and when it does bust there"ll be an explosion like that you read about."
"Well, let her bust," answered Shorty. "The sooner the better. I want to see it right off. It"s got to come before the war kin end, and for my part I don"t want to march a step further to find it. They can"t nohow git up a worse time than we had at Stone River, and we managed to live through that; so that I guess we kin pull through another. If we don"t, this "s just as good a place to go to Heaven from as we kin find, and we"ll save a whole lot o" worry by finishin" up now."
"Well," said Si, "let"s git back to the regiment as soon"s possible.
THe battle may begin at any minute, and we musn"t be away. We"d never forgive ourselves as long"s we"d live if we wasn"t with the boys when they line up under the colors for the great tussle."
"Getting to the regiment" was tedious and hard. Shorty was still very weak from his tobacco experiment, and Si had worked almost to exhaustion in helping his sore-footed squad along. These were as eager to get back to the regiment in time for the fight, and Si had not the heart to leave any one of them behind. The roads were filled with teams being pushed forward with ammunition and rations, and every road and path crowded with men hurrying to the "front." They were on the distant flank of their corps when they started out in the morning, and did not succeed in reaching the rear of their own division until nightfall. Though worn out by the day"s painful tramping and winding around through the baffling paths between regiments, brigades and divisions, sometimes halting and some times moving off suddenly and unexpectedly, they nerved themselves for one more effort to reach the 200th Ind. before they lay down for the night. But the night was far harder than the day. The whole country was full of campfires, around which were men" cooking their supper, standing in groups, pipe in mouth, anxiously discussing the coming momentous battle, and the part their regiments would likely play in it, or sitting writing what they felt might be their last letters home. All were unutterably tired, and all earnestly thoughtful over the impending conflict. None felt ordinarily jovial, communicative and sympathetic with foot-sore stragglers trying to find their regiments. Even when they were, the movements and changes during the day had been so bewildering that their best-intentioned directions were more likely to be wrong than right.
"The 200th Ind.," they would say; "yes, we saw the 200th Ind. about the middle of the afternoon, right over there on that hillside, where you see that old tree blazing up. They were acting as if they were going into camp, and I expect that"s their campfires you see there."
Si, Shorty and the rest would make their weary way to the point indicated, about a half-mile distant, only to find that their regiment had been sighted at another point a mile away in a different direction.
The morning of July 1, 1863, was almost ready to break when they at last came up with their regiment, and flung themselves down on the ground in absolute exhaustion. Worn out as they were, their soldierly ears could not be deaf to the stirring reveille which quickly followed the early daybreak of that Summer morning, and summoned the regiment for the final, decisive move upon the rebel stronghold of Tullahoma.
Though every bone and muscle seemed to cry out against it, Si, Shorty and their companions rose up promptly and joined the regiment.
Everybody seemed sobered by the nearness of the terrible battle.
n.o.body laughed, n.o.body swore, n.o.body joked, n.o.body played the usual light-hearted reveille tricks. The Orderly-Sergeant did not call the roll with his usual glibness and rasp. He seemed to linger a little over each name, as if thinking whether it would be answered to again, or he be there to call it. The officers gave the commands quietly, even gently. The men executed promptly, carefully, and silently, as one sees things done at a funeral or in church. A hasty breakfast was eaten in silence; the men fell into ranks again, and there was a low buzz as the cartridge-boxes were carefully inspected and each man supplied with his full quota of ammunition.
The Colonel mounted his horse, and gave the order, "Forward march," so quietly that only the leading company heard it. It moved promptly, and the others followed.
The same strange soberness ruled the other regiments they pa.s.sed on their way to take the advance. There was for once no quip or jest from the men standing by the roadside, leaning thoughtfully on their muskets, and awaiting their turn to march. They merely watched them file by, with steady, grave eyes and an occasional calm nod or quiet greeting to an acquaintance.
The hurrah, the swagger, the noisy effervescence of a few months ago had disappeared from men who had learned to know what battle was.
The dripping clouds cleared away as the 200th Ind. drew out into the muddy road, and let the sun suddenly beam forth in full Midsummer power.
In an instant everybody was reeking with perspiration, panting for breath, and scorching inwardly and outwardly.