by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXV
"HOLD THE HILL FOR TEN MINUTES, AT ANY COST!"
The first great movement of the Confederate commander having failed ofsuccess, he now tried another, which was to hurl his united forces uponCrittenden, who was approaching him from the direction of Chattanooga.He knew Crittenden's troops were divided by woods and mountains, andwrote to one of his generals, Polk: "This presents a fine opportunity ofstriking Crittenden in detail, and I hope you will avail yourself of itto-morrow. This division crushed, and the others are yours." He referredto the first division sent in the direction of Ringgold, not knowingthat other troops had been sent after it. Wheeler's cavalry--or a largeportion of it--was sent to cover Polk's right. But again there was adelay, Polk stating the enemy was too strong for him. Bragg, much putout, took Buckner's command and went to the front, only to learn a fewhours later that Crittenden had reunited his forces and taken a standon the other side of Chickamauga Creek.
So far there had been many movements and many forced marches, but nobattle had resulted. There were still many changes, but in a work ofthis sort, written primarily to show the movements of the RiverlawnCavalry, the details of these movements can hardly find a place. Abattle seemed "in the air," and as day after day went by, both sidesgrew more anxious to fight, and each waited only for some slightadvantage over the other.
General Rosecrans now made preparations to hold all the roads leading toChattanooga east of the mountains. Van Cleve went to Crawfish Springs,Palmer to Gowan's Ford, McCook with several divisions took a mountainroad to Stevens' Gap, to join Thomas, Sheridan marched down LookoutValley to Johnson's Creek, and the cavalry went to Dougherty's Gap andMcLemore's Cove. Thus were the three columns, right, centre, and left,once more within supporting distance of each other, "a matter of lifeand death," as General Rosecrans states in a report on the subject.
General Bragg now felt that he must do something. Two splendid chancesfor striking the Union forces had been allowed to slip by through thefailure of his officers to carry out his instructions on time; he feltthere must be no further failure. He would concentrate his whole armyinto one grand effort to crush General Rosecrans and all under him. Hisefforts were spirited and daring, and worthy of a far better cause thanthat of trying to split our glorious Union into fragments.
The first movement was to concentrate his army along the east bank ofChickamauga Creek, and here he awaited reenforcements under Longstreetfrom Virginia, in the meantime sending out orders as to how eachdivision of his command should take part when the general movementbegan. All was in readiness by the 17th of September, and the order wasgiven to move across the stream at six o'clock the next morning; aportion of his command to go across at Alexandria Bridge, another atReed's Bridge, a third at Ledford's Ford, and others to try what couldbe done at Lee and Gordon's Mill, or Dalton's Ford. The plan looked tothe destruction of the left wing of our army and the retaking of theroads leading to Chattanooga. It brought on the battle of Chickamauga,which lasted for two days, Saturday and Sunday, September 19th and20th,--a nerve-trying contest neither the wearers of the blue nor thewearers of the gray were ever liable to forget.
While the Army of the Cumberland was concentrating on one side of theChickamauga and the Army of Tennessee on the other, with several outsideforces to aid, if possible, on one side or the other, the cavalry wasemployed along the river banks to report all movements of theenemy,--Minty being on the Union side and Forrest on the Confederateside. To the Union forces were added the Riverlawns, although theyoperated largely as an independent body.
The cavalry were stationed at both Reed's and the Alexandria Bridges,and beyond them, and in the afternoon of the day before the greatbattle, Colonel Lyon received hurried orders to proceed across Reed'sBridge in the direction of Pea Vine Creek, three miles eastward, tosupport some of Minty's cavalry who had encountered the Confederateforces under General Johnson. The colonel lost no time in obeying thiscommand, and in less than three minutes after it was delivered theRiverlawns were galloping along the uneven pike, every company with fullranks and every man ready to do his duty.
Johnson had left Ringgold early in the morning, his instructions beingto cross the Chickamauga at Reed's Bridge, and then to sweep onwardtoward Lee and Gordon's Mill. The way was hard, the roads covered withdust, and by two o'clock it was reported to him that the Union cavalryunder Minty was in front, at Pea Vine Creek, ready to dispute hispassage to the Chickamauga. His column consisted of four divisions ofinfantry, a portion of Forrest's cavalry, several batteries and eightpieces of reserve artillery.
"If Minty's cavalry is in front, so much the worse for Minty," were theConfederate's words. "Forward, and let every man do his best for thegallant stars and bars!"
The wearers of the gray responded with that battle-cry which has sincebecome so well known; and the first division was hurled at Minty just ashe appeared at a turn in the road not far from the little creek.
The shock was heavy but the cavalry stood up to it, and a rapid fire onboth sides resulted. Seeing there were more Union cavalrymen in reserve,Johnson sent additional troops to the front, and Minty was graduallyforced backward. It was then that the Riverlawns were called intoaction.
"You are wanted, Colonel Lyon!" cried the dashing Union commander, whosat astride of a steed covered with foam. "They are on us inoverwhelming numbers, yet my orders are to hold this road and thebridge."
"I will help you all I can, Colonel," answered Colonel Lyon. "I'll gowherever you think is best."
"Then take that road to our right. I have sent some of my own troops tothe left. Johnson may have so many men with him that he will try to cutoff my rear."
"I will follow your directions, Colonel," said the commander of theRiverlawns; and, turning in the saddle, he issued the necessary orders;and away went the twelve companies across a small open field a shortdistance above Pea Vine Creek.
Minty had guessed correctly; Johnson was calculating to surround him,and a division of his troops was already hurrying to the right of theUnion cavalry. There was a slight rise of ground, and it was theintention of the Confederate commander to have his left wing sneakaround this. Once in the rear of Minty, the Union cavalry would becaught in a trap and either wiped out or compelled to surrender.
The Riverlawns were sweeping directly up the hill at full speed, withDeck in advance of the first battalion. His father was beside him, andboth reached the top together, field-glasses in hand.
"There they are!" cried Deck, pointing with his hand. "We are none toosoon!"
"You are right, my son," answered the colonel; and he motionedLieutenant-Colonel Gordon to his side.
A plan of action was soon established; and by the time the Confederateforce was within firing distance, the Riverlawns were drawn up along thebrow of the hill in battalion ranks, each battalion resting within twohundred feet of that next to it.
"First company take aim--fire!" came the command; and the first blazedaway, followed by the fifth, and the ninth,--the leaders of the secondand third battalions. The smoke had not yet cleared away when thesecond, sixth, and tenth companies came to the front and dischargedtheir carbines, and the companies behind these soon after followed suit.
The first volley did not halt the Confederates, but the second did,while the third and fourth rounds caused the leading companies to fallback, a score of men having been killed and wounded. But their leaderurged them on, and they left the road and charged straight up the littlehill.
Before the charge was made, Colonel Lyon saw that to combat with such aforce with a single regiment of cavalry would be folly. Accordingly hedespatched his orderly post-haste to Colonel Minty, with the followingmessage:--
"Force operating on the right too heavy for me. Think it is half adivision, or more. Will hold the top of the hill as long as I can."
The messenger had scarcely gone when the fight on the hillside began.The Confederates crowded forward in large numbers, and it looked as ifthe Riverlawns would be completely engulfed. But Col
onel Lyon kept thewhole three battalions up to the firing line, with the exception of thetwelfth company, which was sent to the rear, to watch that they shouldnot be cut off from concentration with Minty.
Two charges had been made, when the orderly came back.
"Hold the hill for ten minutes, at any cost!" was the message sent back.Minty was retreating, there being nothing else to do, and if the hillwas lost, the Confederates would surround him before Alexandria Bridgecould be gained.
"I will hold the hill," said Colonel Lyon, and waving his sabre, he cameup directly to the front. "Men, we are asked to hold this hill for tenminutes. It means life or death to the cavalry on the Pea Vine Creekroad. Will you help me to hold it?"
"We will!" came in a stirring cry. "We will!"
"I knew you would do it! This is our stand, and here we must remain! Donot budge an inch!"
"We'll stand like rocks!" shouted a heavy-set Kentuckian. "Hurrah forColonel Lyon!"
There was a cheer, and a volley from the companies at the front. Thesmoke was now becoming thick, and in the midst of this the enemy swarmedup the hillside.
"First battalion--charge!" came the order, and away went the fourcompanies, with Deck in the lead, to break down a column which wasadvancing on the left, the most vulnerable point on the rise of ground.There was a crash of musketry and a cracking of pistols, and then theclash of sabres, striking fire, as the two forces closed in.
The young major found himself in a trying position. The enemy countedthree times more men than were in his own ranks, consisting of abattalion and a half of cavalry and an equal number of infantry. On themoment, he planned to charge the cavalry first and draw them away fromthe foot-soldiers. The plan succeeded, and then the contest became alittle more equal.
Colonel Lyon watched the scene with bated breath, for Deck was far toodaring, to his mind; but the moment the enemy's cavalry and infantryseparated, he smiled to himself. Calling Major Belthorpe, he ordered himforward to engage the separated infantry, and in a minute more twobattles were on instead of one on the hillside.
In the meantime Minty was falling back, slowly, but surely, doing allthe damage possible as he retreated. It had not been presumed by GeneralRosecrans that Minty could overcome the forces under Johnson, but theUnion commander wished to subject Bragg to delays in concentrating histroops, knowing that such delays usually worked to the Confederate'sultimate defeat.
Fearing that Minty could not hold the force against him back longenough, the general in command sent Wilder after him, to operate as theRiverlawns were operating. They came up in the midst of the contest, andaided materially in the retreat; but of their coming Colonel Lyon knewnothing.
Five minutes had gone by, and the Riverlawns were being pressed back.One company had been disorganized,--the fifth, Captain Gadbury beingwounded, and the first lieutenant, Grand, being shot dead. Under theseconditions, Second Lieutenant Sandy Lyon assumed command. The fifthcompany was the first of the second battalion, and Sandy now foundhimself charging the Confederate infantry just mentioned. He went inwith vigor, and no one acted with greater heroism that day than did thisyoung Kentuckian who had once marched under the stars and bars, but whohad recognized the error of his ways, and was now fighting under theglorious stars and stripes.
"He's all there--Sandy is!" murmured old Titus Lyon, and there wassomething like a tear in his eye. "God bless him and preserve him forhis mother's sake and for mine!" It did the old man's heart good to seehis boy at the head of that dashing company of cavalrymen.
Exasperated at the stubborn resistance on the hill, Johnson sent forwardanother regiment of infantry to support the infantry and cavalry alreadyin the field. What to do was now a question to Colonel Lyon. He lookedat his watch. The Riverlawns had held the hill for exactly sixteenminutes. Should he fall back? If he remained he might be annihilated; ifhe fell back Minty might be lost.
A shout from the rear reached his ear. A staff-officer was ridingtoward him at breakneck speed. "Fall back--the retreat has beensufficiently covered!" came the order, and much relieved, Colonel Lyonordered his battalions to retreat to the creek road, where they came upside by side with the front of the regular cavalry column. Minty had metJohnson at noon. It was now after three o'clock, and the Confederateadvance had been delayed three hours. It could not be delayed longer,however, and Minty, Wilder, and the Riverlawns continued to fall back.Johnson reached Reed's Bridge shortly after three o'clock, and marchedfor Jay's Mill, arriving there an hour later. The Riverlawns went intocamp not far from the Chickamauga, and awaited further orders.