Mohun; Or, the Last Days of Lee and His Paladins.

by John Esten Cooke

  They presented a handsome spectacle in the gay autumn sunshine; but wedid not attack them. Stuart's orders were to protect the march of Ewellfrom observation; and this he accomplished by simply holding the Federalcavalry at arm's-length. So a demonstration only was made. Skirmishersadvanced, and engaged the enemy. The whole day thus passed in apparentfailure to drive the Federals.

  A single incident marked the day. Stuart had taken his position, withhis staff and couriers, on a hill. Here, with his battle-flag floating,he watched the skirmishers,--and then gradually, the whole party,stretched on the grass, began to doze.

  They were to have a rude waking. I was lying, holding my bridle, halfasleep, when an earthquake seemed to open beneath me. A crash likethunder accompanied it. I rose quickly, covered with dust. A glanceexplained the whole. The enemy had directed a gun upon the temptinggroup over which the flag rose, and the percussion-shell had fallen andburst in our midst.

  Strangest of all, no one was hurt.

  Stuart laughed, and mounted his horse.

  "A good shot!" he said, "look at Surry's hat!" which, on examination, Ifound covered half an inch deep with earth.

  In fact, the shell had burst within three feet of my head--was a "lineshot," and with a little more elevation, would have just reached me.Then, exit Surry! in a most unmilitary manner, by the bursting of apercussion-shell.

  At nightfall the enemy was still in position, and Stuart had notadvanced.

  We spent the night at a farm-house, and were in the saddle again atdawn.

  The hills opposite were deserted. The enemy had retreated. Stuartpushed on their track down the Sperryville road, passed the villageof Griffinsburg, and near Stonehouse Mountain came on, and pushed themrapidly back on Culpeper Court-House.

  All at once quick firing was heard on our right.

  "What is that?" Stuart asked.

  "An infantry regiment, general!" said Weller, one of our couriers,galloping quickly up.

  The words acted upon Stuart like the blow of a sword. A wild excitementseemed to seize him.

  "Bring up a squadron!" he shouted--for we were riding ahead withoutsupport; "bring up the cavalry! I am going to charge! Bring me asquadron!"

  And drawing his sword, Stuart rushed at full gallop, alone andunattended, toward the Federal infantry, whose gun-barrels were seenglittering in the woods.

  Never had I seen him more excited. He was plainly on fire with the ideaof capturing the whole party.

  The staff scattered to summon the cavalry, and soon a company came on atfull gallop. It was the "Jefferson Company," under that brave officer,Captain George Baylor.

  "Charge, and cut them down!" shouted Stuart, his drawn sword flashingas he forced his horse over fallen trees and the debris of the greatdeserted camp.

  A fine spectacle followed. As the Federal infantry double-quicked up aslope, Baylor charged.

  As his men darted upon them, they suddenly halted, came to a front-face,and the long line of gun-barrels fell, as though they were parts of someglittering war-machine.

  The muzzles spouted flame, and the cavalry received the fire at thirtyyards.

  It seemed to check them, but it did not. They had come to an impassableditch. In another moment, the infantry broke, every man for himself, andmaking a detour, the cavalry pursued, and captured large numbers.

  For the second time Stuart had charged infantry and broken them. Pushingon now through the great deserted camps of Stonehouse Mountain, hedescended upon Culpeper.

  The enemy's cavalry retreated, made a stand on the hills beyond, withtheir artillery; and seemed to have resolved to retreat no farther.

  Suddenly the thunder of artillery came up from the Rapidan. Iwas sitting my horse near Stuart and Gordon. They were bothlaughing--indeed, Stuart seemed laughing throughout the campaign.

  "That is Fitz Lee!" he said; "he has crossed and driven them."

  And turning round,--

  "I wish you would go to General Lee, Surry--you will find him towardGriffinsburg--and tell him we are driving the enemy, and Fitz Lee seemsto be coming up."

  I saluted, and left the two generals laughing as before.

  In half an hour I had found General Lee. He was in camp on theSperryville road, and was talking to Ewell.

  It was a singular contrast. Lee, robust, ruddy, erect, with his largefrank eye--Ewell, slight, emaciated, pale, with small piercing eyes, andlimping on his crutch.

  "Thank you, colonel," General Lee said, with his grave but charmingcourtesy; "tell General Stuart to continue to press them back toward theriver."

  And turning to Ewell:--

  "You had better move on with your command, general," he said, in hismeasured voice.

  Ewell bowed and turned to obey--I returned to Stuart.

  He was pushing the Federal cavalry "from pillar to post." Drivenback from the hill, where they had planted their artillery, they hadretreated on Brandy; Stuart had followed like a fate; Gordon, sent roundto the left, struck their right flank with his old sabreurs; Fitz Lee,coming up on the right, thundered down on their left--and in the woodsaround Brandy took place one of those cavalry combats which, as myfriends, the novelists say, "must be seen to be appreciated!" If thereader will imagine, in the dusk of evening, a grand hurly-burly madeup of smoke, dust, blood, yells, clashing swords, banging carbines,thundering cannon, and wild cheers, he will have a faint idea of that"little affair" at Brandy.

  A queer circumstance made this fight irresistibly comic.

  Fitz Lee had repulsed Buford on the Rapidan; followed him on hisretreat, harassing him at every step--when, just as Buford reachedBrandy, with Fitz Lee at his heels, Kilpatrick descended on Fitz Lee'srear by the Sperryville road, and Stuart thundered down on _his_!

  Thus Fitz Lee was pursuing Buford; Kilpatrick, Fitz Lee; and Stuart,Kilpatrick! It was a grand and comic jumble--except that it came verynear being any thing but comic to that joyous cavalier, "GeneralFitz," as we called him--caught as he was between Generals Buford andKilpatrick!

  General Fitz was the man for a "tight place," however--and "his people,"as he called his cavalry, soon cut through to Stuart.

  It was a tough and heavy fight.

  "Old Jeb cut off more than he could _chaw_, that time!" said a veteranafterward, in describing the fight. And at one time it seemed that theenemy were going to hold their ground.

  Fleetwood, beyond, was lined with bayonets, and every knoll was crownedwith cannon: when night fell, however, the whole force had retreated andcrossed the Rappahannock, leaving the ground strewed with their dead andwounded.

  In the dusky woods near Brandy, Stuart sat his horse, looking toward theRappahannock, and laughing still. He was talking with brave Fitz Lee,whose stout figure, flowing beard, and eyes twinkling with humor, wereplain in the starlight. I shall show you that gallant figure more thanonce in this volume, reader. You had but to look at him to see that hewas the bravest of soldiers, and the best of comrades.

  So night fell on a victory. Stuart had driven the enemy at every step.He had charged their infantry, cavalry, and artillery, routing all,--andhe was once more in sight of Fleetwood Hill, where he had defeated themin the preceding June.

  Singular current of war! It used to bear us onward; but be taken witha sudden fancy to flow back to the old spots! See Manassas,Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Chancellorsville!

  Fleetwood takes its place with them--twice bloody and memorable. Insight of it took place two of Stuart's hardest combats--and both werevictories.

  VI.

  THE RUSE.

  By sunrise Stuart was pushing rapidly up the bank of the Rappahannocktoward Warrenton Springs.

  Meade had retreated from Culpeper, and was falling back rapidly. Lee waspressing on to cut him off in the vicinity of Auburn.

  A hot fight took place at Jeffersonton, a little village beyond HazelRiver; and here the enemy fought from house to house, but finallyretreated.

  Stuart followed, and came up with their rear retreating over the bridgeat Warrento
n Springs.

  On the northern bank the Federal sharp-shooters were posted in doubleline.

  Stuart turned, and saw, not far from him, the Jefferson Company who hadcharged so gallantly at Stonehouse Mountain. A movement of his hand, andthey were charging over the bridge.

  Suddenly they recoiled. The head files had stopped,--the horses rearing.The flooring in the centre of the bridge had been torn up--it wasimpossible to cross.

  The men wheeled and came back under a hot fire of sharp-shooters.Stuart's face was fiery.

  "To the ford!" he shouted.

  And placing himself in front of the men, sword in hand, he led themthrough the ford, in face of a heavy fire, charged up the oppositeslope, and the Federal skirmishers scattered in wild flight.

  The Twelfth Virginia Cavalry followed them, and they were cut down orcaptured.

  As the column moved on, Stuart galloped along the line toward the front.

  He had just faced death with these men, and at sight of him they raiseda cheer.

  "Hurrah for old Jeb!" rose in a shout from the column.

  Stuart turned: his face glowed: rising in his stirrups, he took off hishat and exclaimed:---

  "Bully for the old Twelfth!"

  The words were unclassic, it may be, reader, but they raised a storm.

  "I felt like I could die for old Jeb after that," one of the men said tome.

  Stuart disappeared, followed by tumultuous cheers, and his columncontinued to advance upon Warrenton ahead of the army. He had ridden onfor a quarter of an hour, when he turned to me, and said:--

  "I am getting uneasy about things at Culpeper. I wish you would rideback to Rosser, who is there with two hundred men, and tell him to callon Young, if he is pushed." I turned my horse.

  "You know where Young is?"

  "On the Sperryville road."

  "Exactly--Rosser can count on him. I am going on toward Warrenton."

  And the general and myself parted, riding in opposite directions.

  I returned toward Hazel River; passed that stream, and the long rows ofarmy wagons; and as the sun was sinking, drew near Culpeper.

  As I pressed on, I heard the long thunder of cannon coming up from thedirection of Brandy.

  What could that sound mean? Had the enemy again advanced and assailedthe small force of cavalry there?

  Going on now at full speed, I heard the cannon steadily approachingCulpeper Court-House. All at once, as I drew near the village, I heard atremendous clatter in the streets; a column of cavalry was advancing tothe front--soon the crack of carbines was heard beyond the town.

  A short ride brought me to the field, and all was explained. ColonelRosser had been attacked by a whole corps of Federal infantry, and twodivisions of cavalry--while his own force was about two hundred men, anda single gun.

  He had offered an obstinate resistance, however, fallen back slowly, andwhen about to be driven into the town, Young had come to his aid.

  Then followed one of the gayest comedies of the war. Young was theauthor of it. You laugh sometimes still, do you not, old comrade, at thetrick you played our friends on that October evening?

  Young threw himself into the fight with the true cavalry elan.Dismounting his whole brigade, he opened a rapid fire on the advancingenemy; and this obstinate resistance evidently produced a marked effectupon their imaginations. They had been advancing--they now paused. Theyhad been full of audacity, and now seemed fearful of some trap. Itwas evident that they suspected the presence of a heavy force ofinfantry--and night having descended, they halted.

  This was the signal for the fifth act of the comedy. Young kindledcamp-fires along two miles of front; brought up his brass band andplayed "The Bonnie Blue Flag," and "Dixie." It was obvious to the enemythat at least a corps of Lee's infantry was there in their front, readyto renew the action at dawn!

  The finale was comic--I shared the blankets of the gallant Georgian thatnight--when we rose the enemy's whole force had disappeared.

  Such had been the result of the ruse, and I always regarded the affairas one of the gayest incidents of the war.

  When I left the brave Young, he was laughing in triumph.

  If your eye meets this page, old comrade, it may give you anotherlaugh--and laughter is something in this dull epoch, is it not?

  But whether you laugh or sigh, and wherever you may be, health andhappiness attend you!

  In the afternoon, I was at Warrenton.

  VII.

  STUART CAUGHT IN THE TRAP.

  I found the general moving toward Auburn, on a reconnoissance.

  Meade had been delayed much by uncertainty as to his adversary'sdesigns--had scarcely advanced beyond the Rappahannock--and the objectof Stuart was to discover his position and intentions.

  That was the work always assigned to the "Eyes and Ears" of the armyStuart's cavalry; and the stout cavalier, now at the head of his column,was on for the railroad, along which the enemy must retreat.

  Another comedy was to follow--which came near being a tragedy.

  Stuart steadily advanced, and about sunset had passed Auburn, when, ashe was riding at the head of his column, a messenger rode up hastilyfrom Gordon, holding the rear.

  "Well!" said Stuart.

  "The enemy are in your rear, general!"

  "Impossible!"

  "General Gordon sent me to say so."

  Stuart turned and galloped back. Gordon came to meet him.

  "The Yankee army are in our rear, general," said Gordon. "Come, and Iwill show you."

  And riding to an eminence he pointed out across the fields, in thegathering gloom, long lines of infantry and artillery moving towardManassas.

  Stuart gazed at them keenly. As he sat looking toward them, a staffofficer from the front came up rapidly.

  "Well, captain!"

  "The enemy are in front, general."

  "Infantry?"

  "Yes, with artillery."

  Stuart looked at Gordon.

  "A real trap," he said coolly, knitting his brows.

  "Have they seen you, Gordon?" he asked.

  "I think not, general."

  "Well, so far all is well. There is nothing to do but to lay low, andtake the chances of getting out."

  Stuart's voice was never cooler. He looked quietly at the huge columncutting off his retreat.

  "A splendid chance to attack them!" he all at once exclaimed.

  And tearing a leaf out of his dispatch-book, he wrote a hasty note toGeneral Lee. I afterward knew what it contained. Stuart described hissituation, and proposed that Rodes, then near Warrenton, shouldattack at dawn--when he would open with his artillery, charge with hishorsemen, and cut his way out.

  "A good man in blue uniform now, Gordon."

  Gordon sent off an aid, and the man soon appeared. From top to toe hewas of irreproachable blue; and he listened keenly to his instructions.

  Five minutes afterward he had dismounted, given his horse to a comrade,and was stealing on foot through the thicket toward the Federal column.A moment afterward he had mingled with their column and disappeared.

  Other messengers, also in Federal uniform, were dispatched: the wholeforce of cavalry was massed, and concealed in the woods: then darknessdescended; and the long night of anxiety began.

  The situation was not agreeable. Stuart was caught in a veritable trap.On both sides--in his rear and his front--were passing heavy corps ofFederal infantry; their numerous artillery; and their long-drawn columnsof cavalry. Discovery was destruction; the only hope was that the enemywould not suspect our proximity. If we were once known to be lurkingthere, good-bye to Stuart and his men!

  So the long night commenced. The hours passed on, and still we were notdiscovered. It seemed miraculous that some noise did not betray Stuart'shiding-place; but an Unseen Eye seemed to watch over him, and an UnseenHand to guard him.

  More than once the neigh of a horse rang out on the air of night;and two or three times the discordant bray of a mule attached to theartillery star
tled the silence of the woods. But these sounds wereunheeded. They evidently attracted no attention from the enemy.

  Leaning down in their saddles, the men, half overcome by sleep, butafraid of a rough waking, passed sleepless hours, looking for the dawn.

  Stuart was never cooler. On his horse, at the head of his men, hebetrayed no emotion. You would not have known, except for his subduedtones when speaking to some one, that he and his command were in averitable "tight place." Cool and resolute, he was equal to any event.Certain capture or destruction of his whole force was imminent.

  Thus the night glided away. We had not been discovered. Over the treeswas seen the yellow streak of dawn.

  I looked round. The men's faces were haggard from want of sleep. Butthey evidently felt perfect confidence in Stuart.

  He hastened to justify it.

  No sooner had light come than he placed his artillery in position. As itgrew and broadened, the enemy were seen just on a hill in front of us,busily cooking their breakfasts.

  Suddenly a single cannon sent its long thunder, dull and reverberating,through the woods, from the direction of Warrenton.

  Stuart rose erect in his saddle, and looked in the direction of thesound, his eyes glowing.

  Another followed; then another; then a long, continuous bellow ofartillery, making the hills echo.

  There was no longer any doubt about the fate of the messengers. Leehad received the dispatches; Rodes had opened on the Federal columns,attacking as that good soldier knew how to attack.