by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VII
THE BATTLE AT THE BREEDINGS FORT
Dr. McNairy was introduced to Lieutenant Logan, and the surgeon beganhis work at once. Both of the professional gentlemen had theirinstruments with them, for they had performed an operation thatforenoon. Life remained but a moment after he had done his errand, andhastened to a point where he could obtain a better view of theapproaching cavalry force. His supposition that it was the firstplatoon of the first company proved to be correct, and he awaited itsarrival.
The column was moving leisurely, for there was no occasion for haste;and it appeared later that the men had not been idle during theforenoon. Captain Gordon and Lieutenant Belthorpe were riding at thehead of the platoon, and as they came to a turn in the road the sceneof the late action came into view; and both of the officers weregreatly surprised, for neither of them had supposed that Deck wouldhave anything to do but guard and hurry on the baggage-wagons.
"What does all that mean?" asked the captain, as he opened his eyesvery wide to take in the gathering in the road and the fields beside itof men and horses.
"It looks as though Lieutenant Lyon had been doing something there; butI will warrant that Deck has done his duty like a man, whatever he hasbeen at," replied Tom Belthorpe, who had an abundant admiration for theyoung officer.
"I hope he has not been reckless, as I am afraid he is inclined to bewhen things get warm around him," returned the captain.
"There comes Sergeant Knox; and things must be quiet in the camp, or hewould not have left Deck for a moment," added the lieutenant.
Life had ridden forward to inform the captain what had transpired inthe road and at the mansion of Mr. Halliburn; for he believed theofficers would be anxious to solve what was now a mystery to them.
"What's going on here, Sergeant?" demanded the captain as soon as Lifecame within speaking-distance of him.
"We uns have had a bit of a scrimmage here with Confed'rit cavalry,"replied the sergeant as he reined in his steed, and saluted thecaptain.
"A skirmish?" said the captain.
"Well, yes; and it was a rayther lively bout till the enemysurrendered."
"Did they surrender?" asked the commander of the company; for it wasnot the habit of the Southern troopers to yield, and he had beenfighting with a portion of the same company that forenoon.
"They couldn't help theirselves; we outnumbered 'em, and they had togive in or be cut to pieces."
"How is Lieutenant Lyon?" inquired the captain with no little anxietyin his tones and his expression.
"I reckon he's got a sword-cut on the arm; but he's right side up, anddon't say nothin' about it."
"What were the losses?"
"We had two killed and four wounded."
"Who were the killed?"
"Orly Lyon and Barron."
"Both new recruits, and one of them is the nephew of Major Lyon."
"The enemy lost six killed, and nine wounded; and the captain incommand was in the fust lot, brought down by Leftenant Lyon in ahand-to-hand squabble at the side of the road. Deck fit like a madrooster. His hoss stood up straight, and gin his rider a chance to gitin the cut that finished the officer."
"Lieutenant Lyon was reckless, wasn't he, Sergeant?" asked the captain.
"Not a bit on't! He was as cool as a frozen cowcumber; but he hit hardwhen his hoss stood up endways," replied Life. "We cleaned out a gangof gorillas afore we had this scrimmage in the road."
"Another affair? Did you have a hard fight with them?"
"No fight at all," answered the tall Kentuckian, with a slight chuckle."Deck bagged 'em like a flock of wild turkeys in a trap-pen."
"We will hear about that another time," said Captain Gordon as the headof the column arrived at the scene of the fight. "Who are those over onour right?"
"The fust ones is the Confed'rits burin' their dead. The next lot isthe doctor fixin' up the enemy's wounded. The surgeon is a Secesh, andwe picked up two on 'em as they come across lots from an operation onsome woman. T'other is over with our men, and he's a Union man."
"Where is Lieutenant Lyon?"
"I left him over by the baggage-wagons, lookin' out for the wounded. Weshall git there in a minute or two."
"What are those men on our left, in the field?" asked the captain asthey came to a point where the prisoners could be seen, still in chargeof Corporal Tilford.
"Them's the prisoners tooken over at the mansion of Mr. Halliburn, halfa mile from here," replied Life, as they approached the location of thewounded Union soldiers.
Dr. Barlow had informed Deck of the coming of the first platoon, and hehad mounted his horse to go out and meet them. He was ready to comeinto the presence of the captain of the company; for he felt that hehad done his duty faithfully, and also that he had conducted himselfwith prudence and discretion.
"What in the world have you been doing over here, Lieutenant Lyon?"asked Captain Gordon, as he rode forward, and grasped the hand of theyoung officer. "You seem to have been busy here from what Sergeant Knoxhas told me."
"We haven't had any time to spare, Captain; for in half an hour afterwe parted events began to thicken upon us, and we have been kept busyever since," replied Deck.
"I will hear your report later, for my men are tired, and need theirdinner. It seems to be all quiet about here now, and we must take arest here."
"I have ordered our cooks to make coffee, and it will be ready to serveout very soon," replied Deck, as he pointed to the fires in the fieldbehind the temporary hospital; and near them the horses of the troopersand the mules that drew the wagons were eating their oats off thegrass. "We shall feed our men on herring and hardtack with the coffee."
Lieutenant Belthorpe ordered his men to picket their horses and feedthem; and in another hour the soldiers and their beasts had all beenfed. Seated on the grass with his two lieutenants, the captain listenedto the report of Deck on the events of the forenoon. When he came tohis encounter with Captain Letcher, both of his auditors were intenselyinterested, though he told his story very modestly.
"I suppose you caused Ceph to stand up on end when you found yourselfin a tight place?" suggested Tom Belthorpe.
"I did not," answered Deck very emphatically. "Ceph knows more thansome men; but he became restive and uneasy after the captain and I hadpegged away at each other for some time, and he stood up of his ownaccord. I had to hold on with all my might with my left hand; but myhorse did not try to leap over the other animal, for he was even tallerthan Ceph. When I saw the captain's head below mine, I used theopportunity, and made the cut that finished the affair. I was notreckless, as I was once accused of being, but wrongly, Captain Gordon.I have made it a business of mine to-day to keep cool, and not let myimpulses run away with me; and I think I succeeded very well."
"Life thinks so too," added the captain.
"I have not said a word to him about it. I have kept my affairs closelyin my own head."
"You managed the guerillas admirably, and bagged them very skilfully,"said his superior approvingly.
"I think it was largely a matter of luck and chance that I gatheredthem in without losing a man, or even having a fight," added Deck. "Theruffians were all busy ransacking the mansion in search of the money;and if they had found it, I learned from Mr. Milton that it would havegiven them over two hundred dollars apiece. I got in withoutdisturbing them, and they did not suspect the presence of my platoontill the bugler sounded the call for my men. Then they were surrounded,and the carbines were pointed at every window, with half a dozen aimedup the staircase. It was easy enough then to bring the affair to aconclusion."
"What are you going to do with your prisoners, Lieutenant?" askedCaptain Gordon.
"I turn them over to my superior officer, of course; for I have ceasedto be in command now. Mr. Milton informed me that there is a Union HomeGuard at Millersville that might take charge of the guerillas," repliedDeck, glad to be rid of this responsibility.
"Who is this Mr. Milton?" asked the commander
; and Deck told him all heknew about him, and especially that he had been very useful to him as aguide.
"Where is he now?" inquired the captain, as they continued to eat thedinner of hardtack and herring, washed down with hot coffee.
"There he is near the hospital; he has just sat down to lunch with thesergeants," replied Deck, pointing to the group.
"Ask him to join us, Lieutenant," said the captain.
Deck obeyed; and Milton immediately responded to the summons. Thelieutenant apologized to him for his want of attention, for he had beenvery busy every moment of the time. He was introduced to the commanderand Lieutenant Belthorpe; and the former thanked him warmly for theservice he had rendered, and invited him to join them in the simplerepast before them. He freely answered all the questions put to him. Hedeclared that Millersville contained a majority of loyal people, manyof whom had enlisted in the Kentucky regiments, while others had formeda Union Home Guard, and were ready to fight to keep the State in theUnion.
"I judge that your time has not been wasted this forenoon," said Deck.
"It has not, indeed," replied the commander of the company; and heproceeded to detail his experience with the enemy at Breedings.
He found on his arrival at that place that the marauders were aforaging-party of regular Confederate cavalry, and not guerillas. Itconsisted of at least a platoon, or half a company. They were comingacross the field from the Millersville Road. As soon as they discoveredthe Riverlawn force, the enemy retreated, as the captain understood it;but they were only hastening to a small fortification of earthworksthrown up by the Confederate Home Guards of the place, who were in themajority in that locality, although there were several rich planters inthe district who were Union men.
The fort had been armed with two rusty iron cannons, which had beenused for salutes in the time when the Fourth of July had been generallycelebrated. But it was not large enough to hold all the cavalrymen, andthe second platoon of twenty-five men had been sent to a hill on theother side of the road. The commander sent Lieutenant Belthorpe toattack them there, while he gave his attention to the enemy in thefort.
The two guns, loaded with home-made grape-shot, were discharged; butthe gunners were utterly ignorant of the art of handling the pieces,and the scattering bullets all went over the heads of the loyalcavalrymen. The captain did not give them time to repeat theexperiment, for he ordered his lieutenant to charge over the earthworkbefore they had time to load again. The fort had been constructed in avery rude manner, without the help of an engineer; and it was only asort of windrow of earth, as hay is raked up in a field, and themounted men had no difficulty in riding over it.
The Confederates had dismounted, turning their horses into a field.This was a fatal mistake on the part of their officer. His men werehuddled together with the Home Guards in the small space; and thoughthey fought bravely, they were soon ridden down, and totally defeated.Many of them had been killed or disabled, and the Home Guards had runaway as soon as the horses began to ride them down. The officer calledfor quarter, and surrendered. He and his men were paroled at once.
At the hill Lieutenant Belthorpe had vigorously attacked the secondplatoon, and soon drove them from their ground. When the victory waswon at the fort, Captain Gordon re-enforced Belthorpe with twenty menwhile the paroling was in process; and the enemy seeing that they wereoutnumbered more than before, when they were driven from the hill, gaveup the fight, and fled at the best speed of their horses by the waythey had come. The lieutenant in command pursued them as far as theroad, when the recall was sounded near the fort, and they returned tothe little village. Captain Letcher was in command of the platoon, andhe had continued to retreat, believing that his pursuers were stillfollowing him.