by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXXIV
THE GATHERING OF A NEW COMMAND
The guerillas were disposed of, and it did not appear that there wasany other enemy in the vicinity. Major Lyon marched his squadron backto the road where he had left his wagons. Captain Woodbine, at theinvitation of Colonel Hickman, visited the mansion, and required Deckto go with him. As they rode up the hill the lieutenant gave thedetails of his escape from the Beech Grove breastworks, the drowning ofthe four fugitives, and the defence of the mansion of the planter.
Colonel Hickman rode with them, and listened to the narrative, andstated that the young lieutenant had conducted the defence, and thatall the gang who gained admission to the house, with the exception ofone or two, had been killed or wounded. On their arrival at the mansionthe party visited every room. Those on the lower floor exhibited thehavoc made by the ruffians in their search for the planter's money.
Deck pointed to the safe in the hall, and explained in what mannerSergeant Fronklyn had covered the staircase; and the body of the firstman who had attempted the descent lay where it had fallen. Then theywent up-stairs. The same havoc appeared in all the apartments. Thebodies of two men who had been instantly killed at the windows, andseveral other wounded ruffians, lay on the beds.
"The assault was skilfully and safely managed," said the staff-officer,patting the lieutenant on the back.
"Lieutenant Lyon has been the hero of the day on my premises, and hehas placed me under ever-lasting obligations to him," added thecolonel. "With a very insignificant force we had cleaned out theruffians from the house when the approach of the main body of the gangwas announced by my servants, who had been scouting beyond the hills.The coming of the cavalry has probably saved my mansion and my life. Asthe villains supposed, I have a considerable sum of money concealed;for I could not trust it in any bank in the present condition of theState. I should like to reward the lieutenant"--
"I would not accept any reward for simply doing my duty," interposedDeck.
"But I hope it will be in my power to serve you, young man."
"I am too happy to have served you, Colonel Hickman, to need anythingmore than the approval of my own conscience," replied Deck, moving off.
"I am not without influential friends, Lieutenant Lyon, and you mayhear from me when you least expect it," continued Colonel Hickman, ashe followed the young officer, and grasped him by the hand.
"I do not ask for any influence in my favor. I am a second lieutenantat eighteen, and I ask for no promotion to which my services do notentitle me," replied Deck proudly. "I have sent the horse you were kindenough to loan me back to your stable; and now I am at your service,Captain Woodbine."
Both of the officers mounted their steeds, and the planter showeredbenedictions upon them as they rode off. Deck had had some conversationwith the three sons of the Colonel, and they had been as hearty intheir commendations of the young officer as their father. Thestaff-officer then informed his companion that the Riverlawn squadronhad been sent out on a reconnoissance down the river, and that thebattalion was subject to his orders.
"Then you wish to go to the river?" suggested Deck.
"I do; as soon as possible," replied the captain.
"Then we will take the avenue, which is the nearest road;" and Deck ledthe way into the grove, and they soon reached the great bend of thestream where he and Fronklyn had effected their landing, and nearCuffy's ferry.
At this point Captain Woodbine took his field-glass from its case, andcarefully examined the country on the other side of the river. Deck hadno idea what he was looking for, and he said nothing. As he had comewith the Riverlawns, it was evident that he had a mission to carry out;but so far he had kept his own counsel. Possibly he did not yet knowwhat he should do. The Confederate army, or the greater portion of it,had effected its escape across the river in the steamer the fugitiveshad seen where they took the boat, and in other craft gathered there.
General Crittenden had abandoned a vast quantity of arms and munitionsfor which he had not sufficient transportation, and the Union army hadtaken possession of them in the morning. The cavalry had attempted toswim their horses over the swift-flowing river, but a great number ofthem had been drowned. The shore for a considerable distance below thebreastworks was covered with dead horses, and with the bodies of menwho had run the risk of riding their steeds through the angry stream.
"It will be impossible for the army of the enemy to remain in thefortifications they have erected at Mill Springs," said CaptainWoodbine, as he closed the field-glass, and returned it to the case."They were in a starving condition on this side of the river, and theymust be worse off on the other side. We will ride up the stream, andsee what there is to be seen."
The staff-officer led the way, and Deck followed him in silence. Hewondered what the captain was driving at, but he asked no questions. AtCuffy's ferry the captain found the ferryman, and halted to write anote in his memorandum-book, which he tore out, and directed the negroto deliver it to the commanding officer of the squadron when the forcearrived.
"It is only an order for your father to wait till we return," said thecaptain; and then he rode on. "Do you know your way along the river,Lieutenant?" he asked a little later.
"No, sir; Fronklyn and I came down to this bend in a boat, of which theferryman has taken possession, as I told him to do, for he had lost hisown. But you will soon come to a swollen stream that flows into theriver; and you cannot get across that, for the banks are very high andsteep," replied Deck.
The captain continued on his way at a slow walk, for the horses miredin the soft soil, keeping his gaze fixed on the opposite shore. At theend of half an hour they came to a little hill, at the foot of whichthe tributary stream discharged itself into the Cumberland. Thestaff-officer directed his glass to the other shore, and there wasnothing to obstruct his vision.
"As I supposed," said he, turning his horse, and starting on the returnto the ferry.
"It is pleasant to have your supposition confirmed," Deck ventured toremark.
"My supposition was that the Confederate army would march to the southat once, and I have seen the column moving in that direction on theroad that leads to Oak Forest," said Captain Woodbine, revealing hisobject for the first time, though he said nothing about his purpose inmarching the Riverlawns to the river.
Deck asked no questions, but when they had gone half-way to the ferrythe sound of several bugles was heard ahead of them.
"Our squadron appears to have arrived," said he.
"Perhaps it has," replied the captain with a smile.
"That is an artillery call!" exclaimed the lieutenant, as he recognizedthe sounds; and he was not a little astonished.
"I should judge that it was," added the captain.
His companion was not communicative; and Deck said no more, for tenminutes would explain the mystery that bothered him. In less time thanhe thought he obtained a view of the ground near the ferry; and thefirst thing that confronted him was a battery of four guns. In thefield were plainly to be seen two companies of cavalry, dressed inUnited States uniform; but they were not the Riverlawn Squadron.
"That is not our battalion, Captain Woodbine," said he, amazed at theappearance of this strange force.
"It certainly is not," answered the staff-officer.
"Two more companies of cavalry comin' down de road, Mars'r," Cuffyvolunteered to inform them.
"Those must be the Riverlawns, as you call them, Lieutenant."
The two companies of cavalry near the river and the battery were takingtheir rations from their haversacks, and Captain Woodbine did notdisturb them. By this time Major Lyon's command had halted in the road,the head of the column near Cuffy's house. A trooper, running hishorse, was approaching; and Deck saw that it was his brother Artie, whorode up to the staff-officer, saluted him, and reported the arrival ofthe squadron by order of his father.
As soon as he had delivered his message, he grasped the hand of thelieutenant; for they had not yet come tog
ether in the hurry of theevents of the afternoon. The meeting was such as two loving brotherscould not help making it. Artie congratulated Deck on his escape andhis present safety; for the story of his adventure with Fronklyn hadbeen circulated through both companies, and there was no occasion forthe lieutenant to repeat it.
"I say, Deck! what is going on here? What is that battery of lightartillery and the two companies of cavalry doing here?" inquired Artievery earnestly.
"They seem to be taking a late dinner out of their haversacks," repliedDeck, who was not a whit wiser than his brother.
"I could see that for myself," added Artie, laughing.
"That is all I know about it; and if you want to know anything more,you must ask Captain Woodbine, for I fancy he is the only person on theground who understands the matter."
"I should as soon think of asking General Thomas, if he were here; forI suppose he knows all about it wherever he is."
"No doubt of it; and the captain is his only mouthpiece about thisregion. But if we wait a while I have no doubt we shall know all aboutthe situation, though I do not expect to be supplied with a copy of thestaff-officer's orders."
"Of course not."
"Orderly!" called the officer mentioned.
Artie, who answered to this designation near his father, rode up to thecaptain, and saluted him with even more than usual deference; for justnow he seemed to be a sort of mysterious personage, in whom all powerin this locality resided.
"If you have finished your interview with your brother, for I do notwish to hurry you, as we are in no special haste while the threecompanies are eating their dinner, you will deliver this order to MajorLyon."
"We have finished, Captain," replied Artie, surprised at the kindnessof the staff-officer, who had been writing in his memorandum-book, andhad torn out the leaf, which he tendered to the orderly.
Artie took the folded paper, and galloped back to the head of theRiverlawn column. Though he was a boy of eighteen, like his brother,but really only his cousin, he was not tempted to read the order he wascarrying, greatly as his curiosity was stimulated; for it was a matterof honor with both of the young men to "mind their own business," andespecially not to meddle with that of others; and either of them wouldhave been a model postmaster, in whose keeping even postal-cards wouldhave been sacred.
The three companies nearest to the river finished their dinner, andDeck looked the men over as they prepared to resume their places in theranks. The horses had all been supplied with a feed of oats, pouredupon the cleanest spots to be found on the grass, which had beensomewhat kicked up by the tramp of horses. The men went to theirsteeds, and the lieutenant thought they were fine-looking men; and somefew of them were as tall and bony as Life Knox. The members of thebattery "hitched up" their animals again, and then took their seats ontheir horses and the gun-carriages and caissons.
Major Lyon, evidently in obedience to the order he had just received,had given his commands to the captains of the two companies, and theywere marching them into the field behind the ferry-house; and in a fewminutes they had formed in double ranks on the west side of the ground,north and south. Then the two other companies of cavalry formed in thesame manner on the north side of the field, east and west. The batterycame into line on the south side, and the whole made the three sides ofthe square.
The formation of the square was completed; and Deck, who had beeninstructed to accompany Captain Woodbine, was directed to summon thetwo majors in command of the squadrons into his presence. He shookhands with both of them, calling them by name. Then the order was givenby the captains to present arms. The staff-officer raised his cap, andbowed.
"I will now cause my commission to be read to you," he continued,handing the document to Lieutenant Lyon, and directing him to read it,which he did in a voice loud and clear enough to be heard by all on thefield.