by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVIII
AN ADVENTURE AT CRAWFISH SPRINGS
The three battalions of the Riverlawns had been drawn up in something ofa semicircle, the first under Deck occupying the right, the second thecentre of the road, and the third the left. As the road was scarcelyeight feet wide and winding through the woods at that, all of thecompanies were practically behind more or less shelter.
The attack by the first battalion paralyzed the panic-stricken advanceguard of those in retreat, and they knew not how to turn. But when theydid realize their position, they concluded that, for the present, thegreater danger lay in front of them, and they scampered to the rear,behind the companies which still kept their formations.
The first battalion was still delivering its fire, when the second andthird opened up, aiming at the Confederate companies drawn up in properranks. This fire was returned, and several of the Riverlawns werestruck, though none fatally. Then more Confederate companies appeared,spreading out to the right and the left, in the hope of eithersurrounding the Union regiment and capturing it, or of passing around itand thus effecting an escape.
Colonel Lyon was wide awake, and never had he shown greater ability as acommander than now. As the Confederates came on, he made a rapidcalculation as to their number, and of how many were armed. Then he sentword back to Captains Knox and Ripley, to divide their forces and sendthe sharpshooters into the woods, with orders to drive the fleeing onestoward the centre,--that is, the road. Then he dashed up to Deck.
"Dexter, can you take that gun?" he asked hurriedly.
"I can try," answered the young major.
"Do so at once, and train it on the companies coming up. We can takecare of this panic-stricken horde, I feel certain."
Deck saluted and turned to his battalion. "We must take that gun, boys!And we must take it quickly. Will you do it?"
"We will!" shouted over three hundred voices in deep unison; and awaywent the four companies on the double-quick.
The captain of the battery saw them coming. He had lost his other guns,and he was determined to hold this at any cost. As rapidly as he could,he turned his gun into position.
"I'll give 'em one dose of canister, if I die for it!" he roared, andsighted the piece himself.
But Deck was on the alert, and while the gun was being sighted, he gavethe order, and the battalion moved out of range immediately. They dartedamong the trees, and only Artie Lyon's company received the shot, whichkilled one man and wounded two others. Before the cannon could be loadedagain, the first company was on the battery, and the captain went downunder a sweeping blow from Captain Abbey's sabre. Seeing their leadergone, the drivers tried to escape on the horses, but were brought downand compelled to surrender. Of the whole number but one assistantescaped.
No sooner was the gun captured, than it was turned about and reloaded.Among the Riverlawns there were a number who knew all about handlingsuch a field-piece, and in less than two minutes a most destructivefire was poured into the regularly formed Confederate companies justappearing around a bend of the forest road. The shot brought forth aloud, defiant yell, but the command slackened its pace, and presentlycame to a halt, as if the leading officer was calculating what had bestbe his next move.
Between the trees and the brush and the drifting smoke--a smoke far moredense than that emanating from the powder used to-day--but little was tobe seen of either friend or foe, and when another movement began, fiveminutes later, Colonel Lyon had to exercise great care, for fear one ofhis battalions might fire into another. Advance guards were sent outwherever practicable, and not a shot was fired until the commander knewexactly where it was going.
The Confederates had halted, but they could not do so long, for a Unionforce--some Michigan infantry--was pushing them in the rear. A chargewas made on the battery and the gallant first battalion behind it. Therush was led by a hundred cavalrymen, and twice that number of infantry,and in the midst of it there came on two hundred additional cavalrymenon foot--a detachment of Forrest's unmounted force operating near theruins of the Alexandria bridge.
The crash of the conflict was terrific, the Confederates, hedged infront and rear, fighting with a valor born of desperation. The cannonmarked the battle-ground, and around this circled friend and foe,blinded by dust and smoke, and deafened by the close discharge ofcarbines and muskets. In five minutes Deck saw that his battalion wasbeing beaten back, not rapidly, but foot by foot, toward Duff's Claim.
"Don't retreat, boys!" he shouted. "Stand up to it like men! The victoryis ours, for more Union troops are coming. Charge! and I will lead you!"and he did, with such a magnificent show of heroism that the fourcompanies seemed to become inspired, and sent the enemy on the retreat.Then the cannon was reloaded, and the Confederates received another doseof canister, just as the Michigan infantry came into view.
"Surrender!" cried Deck, and the cry was taken up from behind theConfederates. But the leader of the enemy's force did not deem that thetime to give up had yet arrived, and ordered his men into the woods.
It was a fatal blunder, for here they ran into the arms of thepanic-stricken crowd, hemmed in by Captain Ripley's sharpshooters.Before they knew what to do, the second and third battalions wereordered up, and also Life Knox's command. Three more volleys were firedby the Unionists and one by the Confederates, and then the rankingofficer of the latter, a major, held up his sabre to which he attachedhis handkerchief, as a token of surrender.
"I am Major Dudley Arkell," he said to Colonel Lyon, who received thesurrender. "I hardly know what commands I have here, as I was taken outof my own regiment, and placed here but an hour ago,--after these poorfellows' officers were shot down."
"I am Colonel Lyon, of the Riverlawn Cavalry of Kentucky."
Major Arkell extended his hand, which the colonel shook willingly.
"I am proud to know you, Colonel Lyon, and I have heard of theRiverlawns before. They were pitted against some relatives of mine atStone River,--a captain and a lieutenant, who were captured by yourforce. In behalf of these men I have surrendered to you, and who arenot my own command, I request that you will treat them withconsideration."
"I shall do the best I can for them--I do that for all prisoners,"answered Colonel Lyon, soberly. "I do not believe in making war any moreheartrending than is necessary."
"Your humanitarianism does you credit, Colonel Lyon," concluded MajorArkell, as he saluted, and rode to the rear.
With as little delay as possible, the captured troops were made to throwtheir weapons into a heap. Under a guard of one battalion--the third,they were speedily escorted to the rear and placed among otherprisoners, also captured within the hour.
The next movement was to obtain two army wagons, and into these wereplaced the stores found on the island, and the captured firearms. In themeanwhile, Captains Ripley and Knox were sent after the retreatingConfederate sharpshooters. But the pursuit was in vain, the shootershaving removed themselves to the opposite shore of the Chickamauga.
It must be confessed that the engagement, although lasting less than anhour, had been a most tiring one, and many of the cavalrymen would havebeen for taking a rest had it been allowed them. But this was a "day ofdays" in which history is made with marvellous rapidity, and hardly werethe prisoners and the captured weapons and stores disposed of, thanColonel Lyon received orders to take his first and second battalion upto a ford two miles above the present battle-ground. The Confederatecavalry, it was feared, would make a dash across the creek to CrawfishSprings, and the Riverlawns were sent to support McCook's command, whichhad been weakened by the loss of both Davis's and Johnson's divisions,both having already gone to the support of Thomas. With McCook at thistime was Negley's division of the Fourteenth corps. The field hospitalhad been established in the vicinity of Crawfish Springs, and it wasfelt that the enemy must not be permitted to come over at this point.
Crawfish Springs was a most beautiful spot, a typical scene for alandscape painter. The spring was really the outlet for a sub
terraneanriver, and flowed forth between beautiful hills covered with trees andflowering bushes. It was on the estate of a widow, Mrs. Gordon, whosefine brick mansion stood not far away. In the vicinity of the spring wasthe house of Lowry, Second Chief of the Cherokees, and it was here thatthe Army of the Cumberland had, for the time being, established itshospital.
The Confederates had tried early in the morning to cross ChickamaugaCreek, opposite Lee and Gordon's Mill, but had been repulsed. The Unioncavalry and infantry were now stretched along the bank of the stream,while the enemy was opposite, and each was watching the other as a catwatches a mouse.
"Colonel Lyon, you will take up a position in the field next to this,"said General McCook, when the commander of the Riverlawns reported withhis two battalions. "I am sorry you have but eight companies with you.How soon do you expect the remainder?"
"They will follow me as soon as they can dispose of some prisoners wesucceeded in taking."
"Then you have already been successfully engaged?"
"Yes, General; we took several hundred prisoners."
"I am glad to hear it, for we need some go-ahead men here, or ourhospital will be taken and General Rosecrans' very headquarters at theWidow Glenn's threatened. Keep a careful watch and report every movementthe Confederates make."
"I will do my best, General," answered Colonel Lyon, and saluting, hegalloped off on his steed.
There had been a lull in the firing, and now, when the Riverlawns tookthe position assigned to them, not a sight of a Confederate was to beseen. The stream at this point was lined with heavy brushwood. There wasa ford above and another below, and there were numerous spots where thebanks were high and rocky. In one place not far away there was awaterfall in the shape of a horseshoe, where the stream made a directdescent of five or six feet.
Half an hour went by, and all remained quiet. Deck had thrown himselfunder a tree and partaken of some hardtack, some rather tough beef, anda drink of black coffee. Artie was close by, and both were recountingtheir experiences in a low tone.
"They have been fighting all along the line, that's certain," saidArtie. "We'll hear of some astonishing results, to-morrow, mark mywords."
"Well, I trust we whip them, that's all," replied Deck. "My! but I amtired. I'll sleep like a rock to-night, no doubt of that."
"We'll all sleep--if the Johnnies let us," said his brother, laughingly."I think--Hark! that's pretty heavy firing, eh?" He had broken off as aheavy cannonading reached their ears. Hardly had the cannons belchedforth than the rattle of musketry followed.
The firing grew heavier, and they leaped to their feet, as if expectingthe tide of battle would come their way. Then, of a sudden, Artiepointed to a spot between themselves and the creek.
"Look! look! Deck, who is that?"
The youthful captain had detected the form of a man moving silently butswiftly through the brush and deep grass. The man was dressed in aclerical suit of black, similar to those worn by unattached chaplainsthroughout the war.
"Whoever it is, he acts suspicious-like," commented Deck. "I don't likethat."
"No more do I; let's investigate," rejoined Artie, and they made afterthe individual, who had passed in a direction leading from them.
A hundred feet were covered, before they caught sight of the man inblack again, and then he was squatting behind the rocks, as if preparingto leap into the stream. But when he saw that they had discovered him hekept away from the water, and dove into the brush again.
"I'll wager that fellow is a spy!" ejaculated Deck. "Artie, we must takehim by all means!"
"I am with you," answered the brother, readily. "Come on, before he getstoo far away!" and he started on a run, with the major beside him. Soonboth were out of sight and hearing of their commands, and in the midstof a thicket, where a short arm of the creek formed a cove surrounded byrocks and trailing vines.
"Do you see anything of him?" whispered Artie, as they came to a haltbeside a large, square rock overhanging the cove.
"No; but he can't be far off," answered Deck. "He came down here, I amalmost positive."
They stood perfectly still, looking to the right and the left, and thenbehind them. Far away boomed the cannons, and the rattle of smaller armswas incessant; but here all was as quiet as a graveyard.
"He's a sly one," went on Artie, after a long pause. "He believes inplaying a waiting game. He's a spy beyond a doubt."
"I think you had better make a short detour around the cove," said Deck."I will watch from this point, to see that he doesn't enter the waterand swim away on the sly. Are you willing to undertake it, Artie?"
"Certainly, if you think it best," answered the captain, and started offwithout delay.
He was soon out of sight, and Deck sat down on the rock, pistol in hand,to await developments. For a few minutes he sat facing the water, thenhe swung around, to ascertain, if possible, what progress his brotherwas making.
As he turned around, a form appeared from the water under the big rock.The form straightened up, and a long arm was thrust forth, directly atDeck's side. The hand grasped the major's pistol, and in an instant itwas snatched from Deck's grasp.