by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVI
THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA
"Phew, but that was a hot time while it lasted!" observed Captain ArtieLyon, when the regiment was once more in a safe position and at ease."Those fellows can fight if they set out for it."
"We were very fortunate, having lost no officers and but four men,"answered Deck, to whom he was speaking. "The second battalion fared agood deal worse with that infantry. Captain Gadbury is so severelywounded he has been sent to the rear, and Lieutenant Grand is dead."
"Then Sandy will become captain of that company!" cried Artie. "Well, hedeserves such a position, to my way of thinking."
"I am sorry for Captain Gadbury," resumed Deck, and he wondered whatMargie Belthorpe would say when she heard that the gallant captain waswounded. As will be remembered, the relationship between MargieBelthorpe and Captain Gadbury was even more advanced than was thetender feeling between Deck and Kate Belthorpe.
Shortly after the conversation, Deck received permission to go to therear and visit the injured captain. He found Gadbury suffering from awound in the hip. It was not a dangerous shot, but one which would laythe dashing fellow up for some time. Deck saw to it that the captain wasgiven every attention, and wrote to Margie telling her of what hadhappened. Later on, Captain Gadbury was removed to Lyndhall, where theBelthorpe sisters did all in their power to render his convalescentstate pleasant in the extreme.
Matters had to move quickly, and as soon as the thing could be arranged,Sandy Lyon was made acting captain of the fifth company, with rank offirst lieutenant. He assumed control with quiet dignity, and soon madehimself fully as popular as Gadbury had been.
It was felt that General Bragg had one advantage--he could see withoutbeing seen. His scouts were on the top of Pigeon Mountain, and theywatched every movement of the Union troops, while the Confederates layconcealed behind the thick growth of timber along the Chickamauga. Themost Rosecrans could do was to keep his cavalry in motion, reportingevery movement the instant it was developed in front of the Army of theCumberland.
Bragg had concentrated his forces, and now he planned to strike onetremendous blow at a flank of the Union forces, and gain Rosecrans' rearand his line of communication with his depot of supplies. For thispurpose the Confederate leader divided his forces into two corps, oneunder Polk and the other under Longstreet, Hood commanding the lattertemporarily. The troops advanced in the darkness, and by midnight heldall the fords of the Chickamauga from Lee and Gordon's Mill well towardMissionary Ridge.
But meanwhile, the Army of the Cumberland was not idle. Crittenden wason the left, and Bragg was going to strike him. By a forced march alongthe Dry Valley road during the night, Thomas with his entire corps, andfollowed by a portion of McCook's corps, reached a position facing theReed and Alexandria bridges, now burned,--thus making the left wing ofour army virtually the right wing. And not only did Thomas do this, butwithout waiting for Bragg to attack, or recover from his surprise, heforced the battle by trying to capture a Confederate brigade said tohave become isolated from the balance of its command. This was theopening of the great battle.
To go into the details of this contest would require volumes. Accountswithout number have been written, yet the tale is far from complete. Ofthe fighting, let it be said briefly that it covered miles of territorythickly overgrown with timber and crossed and recrossed by numerouscreeks and brooks, with here and there a rocky elevation or a stretch ofmarsh land. In these thickets whole divisions became separated fromtheir comrades in arms, and often a single regiment on one side would befound fighting a regiment on the other side, totally ignorant of whatwas going on around them. It was almost impossible to move the artilleryaround, and when pieces were captured they were generally found to be"white elephants" upon the victor's hands.
As has been said, Thomas opened the fight. He had been told by McCook ofthe isolated Confederate brigade, McCook stating that the bridge behindthe brigade had been burned, so the Confederates could not retreat. Tocapture this brigade Thomas sent Brennan forward, with the result thatthe Union forces soon encountered, not one brigade, but three, underForrest, which were protecting Bragg's right flank. The fighting openedfiercely, and it was found necessary to send Baird to the support, alongwith an extra Ohio regiment. But more of the Confederate forcesappeared, under Liddell, and two brigades of Union troops were hurledback, with the loss of ten pieces of artillery.
This was the first round of the great contest, but ere the enemy hadbeen given time to take breath, the Union troops pressed forward oncemore, and now, by a gallant charge of the Ninth Ohio one of thebatteries lost was regained.
Thomas was now reenforced by a portion of Crittenden's command and sometroops of McCook's, while Cheatham reenforced the Confederate front. Thelatter came forward in two columns, and as they separated Bragg placedSteward in the opening. The Confederates came on with terrific yells andin turn sent back first Palmer and then Van Cleve in great disorder.For a moment it looked as if the enemy would sweep all before them.
But Davis's division was now on the ground, and he advanced, supportedby Wood, and the Union forces came to a halt and were reformed, whenthey drove almost all the Confederate forces back to their originalpositions. Sheridan's troops also took part in this movement, and alarge number of the Confederates in Longstreet's corps were madeprisoners.
It was now past noon, and after several charges in his divisionpositions, Bragg began another assault, on the right of the Army of theCumberland. The assault was led by Hood, who fell furiously uponReynolds and Van Cleve. For a quarter of an hour it looked as if thisfierce onset would prove successful, and it must be admitted that theConfederate valor was never greater than at this period.
"Down with the Yanks! We'll drive 'em into the Mississippi!" was thecry. "Hurrah for the stars and bars!"
Reynolds and Van Cleve were struck and driven back, but still theybattled for every inch of the ground. In the meantime, portions of sixbatteries were hurried into position, and then a raking fire of canisterwas poured into the Confederate lines. But still on they came, until thetumult drew close to the Widow Glenn's house, where Rosecrans had hisheadquarters. The enemy occupied the Lafayette road, and our right wasshattered,--and the day looked black. But now up came Negley's divisionon the double-quick, supported by Brennan, and, with a rousingbattle-cry, went at Hood and Johnson, "tooth and nail," fighting sodoggedly and taking such terrible punishment undauntedly, that theConfederates had at last, about sunset, to give way before them, anddarkness ended the day's contest, with final victory still of theuncertain to-morrow. Still later, there was another outbreak, short andsharp, but with no positive results.
During this long day's fighting the cavalry operated principally alongthe upper fords of the Chickamauga, although occasionally calledelsewhere, to save the artillery and to fill up breaks in the lineswhich, owing to the roughness of the ground, the infantry could notaccomplish. The Riverlawns went into action at ten o'clock, half a milefrom the creek proper, along the bank of a stream locally known asDuff's Claim. Here the growth of trees was heavy, but there was verylittle underbrush.
It was thought that a portion of the enemy's cavalry was moving uponDuff's Claim, with the intention of following the course of the streamand getting behind the Union lines half a mile to the northeast. A fewisolated riders had been seen, and at first only the first battalion ofthe Riverlawns advanced to investigate. The route was uneven, and thefour companies went ahead almost as separate commands, Deck riding withthe fourth company and beside his brother Artie.
"The battle is on for certain, now," remarked Captain Artie, as theheavy roar of artillery reached their ears. "I think this day will bringforth some decided results."
"Yes, the two armies can't play hide-and-seek much longer," answered theyoung major. "Listen! That was artillery below this creek. I shouldn'twonder if we catch it all along the line."
"Those troops will try to come across here,--I don't doubt it for amoment. But we--What is it, Life
?" he asked abruptly, as the tallcaptain of the seventh company dashed up from the timber on the left.
"We've spotted several companies of the enemy over in this direction,"Life jerked his thumb toward the point to which Deck was marching."Major Belthorpe thought I had best give you the tip."
"Are they moving?" asked Deck, much interested.
"No,--looks to me as if they were retreating--but it may be a blind."
"How is it you are here?"
"The colonel sent my company after your battalion, and Major Belthorpeis just coming up."
"What of Major Truman's command?"
"Two of the companies are over yonder, and the others are in the rear. Ithought--Creation! Get to cover, quick!"
Life drew his own horse back, and the others followed suit. A dozenriflemen had opened upon them, putting a bullet through the mane ofDeck's horse. The first volley was followed immediately by another, andArtie Lyon suffered the ruin of one of his shoulder straps. Before theConfederates could fire again, all were safely out of range.
"We've developed 'em," was Life's dry comment. "Reckon I had best getback to my command."
"Ask Major Belthorpe to request the colonel to send you over here withpart of your men, if he can spare you. I am half of a mind those menover there are sharpshooters."
"I will do it, Major," answered the tall Kentuckian, and dashed away.
By this time the first three companies of the first battalion had fallenback to a safe position, and here all of the companies were joined, inten minutes, by Life Knox, with half of his own company and half ofCaptain Ripley's best marksmen. A cautious advance was now ordered, andthe sharpshooters advanced on their hands and knees in a hugesemicircle. To learn the true condition of affairs, Deck went with Life,the two taking a course which soon brought them to where there was alittle cove. Beyond this cove the creek split in two for the distance ofthirty rods, forming a long island in the centre, one hundred and fiftyfeet wide at the middle, and heavily wooded.
"Some of the enemy are on that island, that's certain," whispered Life,as he came to a halt at the base of a sharp rock some four feet high."Don't expose yourself, Deck."
"I don't intend to, Life. But what can those sharpshooters be doinghere? They didn't know we were coming this way."
"That's true, Major."
"And they wouldn't be here just as an advance guard for some cavalry."
"Right again."
"Then why are they here?"
"I give it up."
"Well, I don't."
"What do you intend to do?"
"Find out why they are here."
"But that may be impossible, without an open fight."
"I wouldn't like to force an open fight until I know how those marksmenare backed up."
"That's just the trouble. I agree that the Johnnies are there on theisland. To get to the island you have got to cross that stream. If youshow yourself in the water, you're a dead man--that goes without saying.Now what are you going to do?" demanded the tall Kentuckian, with half asmile, feeling certain he had cornered Deck.
"Going over on the island."
"But you'll be shot!"
"I sincerely trust not."
"But you will be! It's suicide to wade that stream!"
"I shan't wade the stream."
"You can't jump it, for it is fifteen or eighteen feet wide, and a jumpwouldn't be quick enough--to my way of looking at it. You'd land, anddrop, sure pop."
"I shan't wade across, neither will I attempt to jump across," smiledthe young major.
"Then how in thunder do you expect to get over to the island?" demandedLife, earnestly.
"Wait and see, Life; and in the meantime keep that spot well covered,"answered Deck; and he pointed up the stream a distance of twenty yards.
"What has that spot got to do with your getting over there?"
"Everything."
"The stream is wider there by five feet than it is down below."
"Perhaps you had better not ask any more questions, Life. But don't failto keep that point covered," concluded Deck; and in a moment more he hadglided off through the brush bordering the stream.