The Courier of the Ozarks

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER XII

  THE NEWS FROM CORINTH

  All the Missourians who had enlisted in the Confederate service had beentransferred to the east of the Mississippi River, and with them theirbeloved General, Sterling Price.

  It was a bitter blow to them, for they had to leave their State overrunwith Federals, and at the mercy of what they considered an inhuman foe.

  The first months of their service in Mississippi had been tame. Thegreat Federal army which had laid siege to Corinth had been divided, theArmy of the Cumberland going east under Buell, and the Army of theTennessee, under General Grant, remaining in northern Mississippi andwestern Tennessee. For three months there had been only desultoryfighting, no great battles.

  At the Confederate camp at Baldyn, Mississippi, a group of officers ofthe Missouri regiments were gathered in a tent, discussing thesituation. In the group was Edward Middleton, the son of AlfredMiddleton; Randolph Hamilton, brother of Dorothy; and last, but notleast, Benton Shelley, a step-brother of Guilford Craig.

  Edward Middleton had become major of his regiment. He was everywhereregarded as among the bravest and most reliable officers in Price'sarmy. He was a bitter partisan, had the utmost contempt for everythingNorthern, but withal a noble and chivalric gentleman. He could neverforgive Lawrence, whom he had regarded as a brother, for going into theYankee army; yet after Lawrence had saved his life at the battle ofWilson Creek, and in so doing nearly lost his own, Edward had had akinder feeling for him.

  Randolph Hamilton was but little older than Lawrence. He was of agenerous nature, fought for the South because he believed the Southright, and not from any hatred toward the North. Before the war, he andLawrence were the closest of friends, and now, although they werefighting on different sides, neither allowed that to interfere withtheir friendship. Randolph was now captain of his company, and idolizedby his men.

  Benton Shelley was of a different nature. Brave he was, but he had ahaughty and cruel disposition, and believed himself to be made of finerclay than the soldiers under him. For this reason he was tyrannical, andwas hated by his men as much as Randolph was loved. As for the Yankees,there were no terms too contemptuous for him to apply to them. TowardLawrence he held undying hatred, and tried in every way to encompass hisdeath. Toward his step-brother, Guilford Craig, he held the same hatred.He frequently boasted how, at the battle of Pea Ridge, he had slain hisstep-brother, and he always added: "And I'll get that Lawrence Middletonyet. See if I don't. I nearly got him at Wilson Creek, and will not failthe next time."

  "It seems you did meet him again, Bent," said Randolph, with a slytwinkle in his eye; "but, like the fellow who caught the Tartar, theTartar had him--not he the Tartar."

  Benton turned white with rage. "Look here, Captain Hamilton," heexclaimed, furiously, "don't presume on our friendship too much, or Ishall demand the satisfaction of a gentleman. You have already thrownthat up to me several times. I have told you my horse was shot, and Iwas lying helpless on the ground, when that cowardly traitor attackedme, and would have murdered me if he had not been stopped by an officermore humane than he."

  Major Middleton turned like a flash; his face was set and grim. "CaptainShelley," he said, in a low, even tone, but terrible in its earnestness,"I have no love for my cousin, as you well know; but he is no coward. Heis a Middleton. As for his killing you in cold blood, that thought comesfrom your excitement of the moment and your chagrin at your overthrow.From your own account, he had every opportunity of killing you, if hehad so wished."

  "I thought I was among friends," said Benton, "but I see I am not, andwill go."

  "Hold on, gentlemen," commanded General Green, who was present; "Icannot have this--my best and bravest officers quarrelling, andthreatening to shoot each other. You, Captain Hamilton, are to blame fortaunting Captain Shelley for an unfortunate situation in which any ofyou may be placed some time. And you, Captain Shelley, are to blame fortrying to mitigate your misfortune by charging your opponent withcowardice and cruelty. There is not a drop of coward's blood in aMiddleton's body. There stands a noble example," and he pointed toEdward.

  "I can also understand," he continued, "why Captain Shelley feels sobitter against Lawrence Middleton. He believes him to have beeninstrumental in leading his step-brother astray, and thus bringing adamning disgrace on his family."

  "That's it!" cried Benton, eager to set himself right. "I can neverforget, never forgive, the disgrace."

  "That being the case," continued the General, "I trust that CaptainHamilton, even in jest, will never allude to the subject again, and thatall of you will be as good friends as ever, eager only to sheathe yourswords in the bosom of our enemy. That reminds me that I dropped in totell you the season of inactivity is over."

  "What!" they all cried, everything else forgotten. "Are we to fight atlast?"

  "It looks like it," answered Green. "You know Bragg is sweepingeverything before him in Kentucky--will be in Louisville before a week.The point is to keep Grant from rushing any of his troops to aid Buell.The Yankee troops here must be held. The orders are to make it livelyfor Rosecrans. We are to move on Iuka tomorrow."

  Then from those officers went up a cheer. They were to meet the foes oftheir country; no thought of the danger before them; no thought thatbefore many hours some of them might be lying in bloody graves.

  "Here's for old Kentucky!" cried one. "We are going to reinforce Bragg."

  "Better say we are going to thrash Rosecrans at Corinth," chimed inanother.

  That night Price with his army marched straight for Iuka, some fifteenor twenty miles east of Corinth. The place was only held by a smalldetachment, which beat a hasty retreat, leaving a large quantity ofmilitary stores to the jubilant Confederates.

  From Iuka Price could cross over into Tennessee, and pursue his waynorthward to join Bragg, or turn on Rosecrans at Corinth.

  It was decided for him: Rosecrans no sooner learned that Price hadcaptured Iuka than he set forth from Corinth to attack him.

  Portions of the two armies met two miles from Iuka, a bloody battle wasfought, the Federals being driven back a short distance, and losing abattery.

  During the night Price beat a hasty retreat, leaving the battery he hadtaken, all his dead unburied, and many of his sick and wounded.

  The Missouri brigade was not up in time to take part in this battle, andwhen they learned a retreat had been ordered, both officers and men werefurious.

  "I feel like breaking my sword!" exclaimed Major Middleton, and his jawscame together with a snap.

  "Why did General Price do it?" cried Randolph Hamilton, tears ofhumiliation running down his face.

  "You will know in time," replied Benton Shelley. He was on GeneralPrice's staff, and was the officer who had brought the orders toretreat.

  The fact was, General Price knew if he did not retreat he would besoundly whipped the next day. Then, General Price had just received acommunication from General Van Dorn that he was ready to join him, and,with the combined armies, make an attack on Corinth.

  The news that they were to attack Corinth fired the army withenthusiasm, and eagerly did they go forward to what they thought wascertain victory. The Missouri regiments marched with song and cheer, asif going to a festival. The time they had longed for had come; they wereto wipe out the disgrace of Pea Ridge; they would show the rest of thearmy what Pop Price and his boys could do.

  At noon on October third the battle opened, and now around the littlevillage of Corinth, where in the spring it was thought the great battleof the war would be fought, was waged a most desperate conflict, lastingfor two days. The hills trembled, and the very heavens seemed shatteredwith the thunder of artillery.

  Thickets were swept as with a great jagged scythe by the leaden hailwhich swept through them. Nothing could withstand the fierce rush of theConfederate troops. The Federals were swept from their outer line ofintrenchments.

  With yells of victory, the Confederates rushed on. Before them was thesecond and stronger lin
e of intrenchments. They were met with a storm ofshot and shell. The carnage was awful, and the charging columns halted,staggered, and then began to reel back. Most of the officers of theMissouri regiments had fallen, killed or wounded. Both the colonel andlieutenant-colonel of the regiment to which Edward Middleton belongedhad fallen.

  Major Middleton spurred his horse in front of his men, and, waving hissword over his head, shouted: "Forward, men! Forward, for the honor ofMissouri! I will lead you!"

  The reeling column straightened, grew firm, and with a shout sprangforward.

  Major Middleton's horse fell; but, sword in hand, he pressed forward,followed by his men. Nothing could stay them, and soon their shouts ofvictory were heard above the roar of the battle.

  The line was taken, the Federals in full retreat for their last andstrongest line of works, which ran around the edge of the littlevillage.

  Night had come, and the Confederates, flushed with victory, lay on theground they had so bravely won--to complete, in the morning, as theysupposed, the destruction of Rosecrans's army.

  When morning came, the Confederates once more rushed to the conflict.Again did Major Middleton lead his regiment. The color-bearer went down,but the flag was seized by Randolph Hamilton, and held aloft. "Followthe colors!" he shouted, as he sprang forward.

  The Federals shrank from the advancing line of steel, and fled indismay.

  As Randolph mounted the breastwork, a young Federal lieutenant, the lastto leave the works, levelled his revolver on him, but as he did so alook of surprise came over his face, and he turned his weapon and shot asoldier who had sprung on the works by Randolph's side.

  Randolph did not return the shot. The young lieutenant was Leon Laselle,the brother of Lola.

  Everywhere along the front of Green's division the wild cheers ofvictory were ringing. Not only had they swept the Federal breastworks,but forty cannon had been captured. Oh, it was good! It was glorious!But it was no time to stop and rejoice. The Yankees must be completelycrushed--Rosecrans's whole army captured; and into the village theyfollowed the fleeing but not demoralized Federals.

  Into the houses, and behind every garden fence and hedge, the retreatingFederals gathered. Every house became a flaming fort, and into theadvancing ranks of the Confederates was poured a storm of balls, whilethe loud-mouthed cannon swept away with an iron hail the front of theadvancing foe.

  The Confederates wavered, halted; then there sprang forward a line ofblue-coated soldiers, and as a great wave bears on its crest everythingbefore it, so did this line of blue bear back the Confederates. In vaindid Edward Middleton struggle before it. He was as helpless as a log ofwood borne onward by the surging tide.

  Randolph Hamilton once more seized the standard of the regiment. "Let usdie with it floating," he cried. As he cried, the hand of a Federallieutenant reached out to grasp the flag, and then both went down, andRandolph Hamilton and Leon Laselle lay side by side, the blood stainedflag between them.

  On rolled the wave of blue, catching and flinging back hundreds of thefleeing Confederates.

  The armies of Van Dorn and Price that had had no thought but victory,that had fought so bravely and won so much, now fled from the field inwild confusion, leaving behind them over a thousand of their dead,hundreds of their wounded, and nearly three thousand prisoners. They hadfought as only brave men can fight--and lost.

  Throughout the North the name of Rosecrans, before but little known, wason every tongue.[10]

  [Footnote 10: A few weeks after this battle Rosecrans was appointedCommander of the Army of the Cumberland.]

  It was the news of this battle that caused such excitement in St. Louis,for in it hundreds of Missourians had met Missourians, and as we haveseen, the first news was that the Confederate regiments of Missouri hadbeen annihilated. Excitement was at fever heat, and anxious heartsawaited authentic news. It came in a telegram from Leon Laselle,reading: "Am seriously but not dangerously wounded. Randolph Hamiltondangerously wounded, and captured. Edward Middleton safe."

  Lawrence was at the Laselle home when the telegram came. Mr. Laselle wassick at the time and unable to go to his son, if he had wished. When thetelegram was read Lola clasped her hands and cried, with tears streamingdown her face, "Leon wounded! I must go to him."

  "I am afraid that is hardly possible," said Lawrence. "I will see whatcan be done, but first let me take this telegram to my uncle and aunt.It will take a great load from their minds."

  When the telegram was read to Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, they both droppedto their knees and thanked God their son was safe. Days afterwards, whenthe news came of his bravery, and how he had been promoted to thecolonelcy of his regiment, they, in their pride, forgot the agony theyhad suffered.

  As for Lawrence, he hastened back to Mr. Laselle's.

  "I must go to Leon," Lola cried. "There is no one else to go."

  Lawrence showed her how impossible it was for her to go. "I will seeGeneral Schofield," he said. "Perhaps I can manage to get permission togo."

  "Oh! do, do," cried Lola, and the whole family echoed her wish.

  "There is Randolph," said Lawrence. "The telegram says he is dangerouslywounded."

  "In my anxiety over Leon, I forgot Randolph," said Lola. "What a pity!His mother and Dorothy both in Europe, and Mr. Hamilton somewhere east.Why not--" she stopped, and added lamely, "I am so sorry for him."

  "We are all sorry, Lola," replied Lawrence. "Randolph is a noble fellow,and believes he is doing his duty both to his God and his country infighting as he does. You may rest assured I will do all I can for him."

  Lawrence had no trouble in getting the requisite authority from GeneralSchofield to visit his friend. "I shall not be ready to take the fieldyet for some days," said the General. "So take your time."

  Lawrence went from St. Louis to Memphis by steamboat and from Memphis toCorinth by rail. Once the train was fired into by Confederate raiders.There were quite a number of soldiers on board and Lawrence, placinghimself at their head, succeeded, after a brisk little fight, in drivingthe raiding party off. But the track had been torn up and there was adelay of several hours, a delay under which Lawrence chafed, for he wasanxious to get to his friend.

  At length Corinth was reached. All signs of the battle had beenobliterated, except the shattered houses, the mangled forest andthickets and row upon row of new-made graves.

  To his joy, Lawrence found Leon improving. He had not only been shotthrough the arm, the arm he had stretched forth to seize the flag, buthad also received a scalp wound.

  Lawrence would not have known him with his head all swathed up, if hehad not been pointed out to him. The meeting between the two friends wasa joyful one.

  "How are the folks and how did they take my being wounded?" was Leon'sfirst question.

  And thus it is. The first thought of a soldier as he sinks dying orwounded on the battlefield is of home and the loved ones.

  Lawrence told him and added, "Lola was crazy to come to you, but youknow it could not be."

  "I reckon there would be another one besides me glad to see Lola," saidLeon. "Poor Randolph, he lies on the third cot, there. Don't go to him,he seems to be asleep, and he needs rest. The surgeons cut the ball fromhis thigh yesterday. It had lodged against the bone. They have hopes ofhis recovery now, if blood poisoning does not set in. He has beendelirious most of the time, and what do you think? He is continuallyraving about Lola. Seems to be living over again the time he was pursuedas a spy, and would have been captured if it had not been for her."

  Somehow it gave Lawrence a little pang to hear this, then he cast thethought out as unworthy.

  When Randolph awoke, Lawrence went to him, pressed his hand in sympathyand whispered that everything was all right, and not to talk. Randolphsmiled and, closing his eyes, went to sleep again.

  The doctor came and looked at him. "Friend of yours?" he asked ofLawrence.

  Lawrence nodded.

  "Mighty plucky fellow. Had a close call, but I think he will pullthrou
gh. Fever's most gone," exclaimed the doctor as he felt Randolph'spulse and then hurried away.

  Lawrence and Leon held a consultation that night, and it was determinedthat if they could get Randolph paroled they would take him back to St.Louis with them, for Leon had already been granted a furlough.

  The parole was easily secured, but a week passed before they consideredit safe to move Randolph. The journey back was safely made and Leon, inspite of his bandaged head and wounded arm, was nearly smothered withkisses.

  Lawrence found that Mr. Hamilton had not yet returned; in fact, he hadmet with an accident, and it would be several days before he couldtravel. What was to be done with Randolph? That was the question.

  "Bring him with me," said Leon. "I want someone to fight with while I amgetting well, and fighting with tongues is not as dangerous as withguns."

  "Where are you taking me? This is not home," exclaimed Randolph, as theambulance stopped before the Laselle residence.

  "No," replied Lawrence. "Your father has met with a slight accident, notsevere, but enough to detain him for several days. So we have broughtyou to Mr. Laselle's. Leon wants you for company. You two can fight yourbattles over while you are convalescing."

  "But--"

  "Not a word. Just think of what a nurse you will have. I almost wish Iwas in your place."

  Randolph smiled and made no more protestations.

  Lawrence could hardly help envying Randolph, who had found a haven ofrest for at least some weeks, while he must once more face the hardshipsand dangers of the tented field.

  The orders came in a couple of days and Lawrence went to say good-bye tohis friends.

  He found Leon and Randolph had been placed in one room, and there theylay, Union and Confederate, side by side, as they had lain on thebattlefield, but now no blood-stained flag lay between them.

  Lawrence watched as Lola, with gentle hands, administered to Randolph'swants. He saw how his face lighted up as she came near, and--well, hedidn't like it.

  When it came time for him to go and Lola followed him to the door, hesaid in a tone of carelessness, "Lola, as you have not only Leon, butRandolph to look after now, I suppose you do not care to hear from meany more."

  The girl looked at him in surprise and tears gathered in her eyes."Lawrence, what do you mean?" she asked in a trembling voice. "Are younot my own, my true knight-errant?"

  "There, Lola, I was only joking. Of course, I am your knight-errant,"answered Lawrence hastily, "and my Lady of Beauty must not forget me.God bless you, Lola." He raised her hand to his lips and was gone.

  Lola gazed after him with troubled eyes, and then a thought, a thoughtthat had never entered her head before, came. The color in her cheekscame and went. "He couldn't have meant that," she murmured, as shelooked at his retreating figure until it was out of sight. Then with asigh she turned and went into the house.