Si Klegg, Book 1

by John McElroy

  CHAPTER XV. UNDER FIRE--SI HAS A FIGHT, CAPTURES A PRISONER

  AND GETS PROMOTED.

  "SEEMS to me it's 'bout time ter be gitt' into a fite!" said Si Klegg toShorty one night as they sat around the fire after supper, withtheir shoes and stockings off, comparing the size and number of theirrespective blisters. Neither of them had much of the skin they startedout with left on their feet. "I always s'posed," he continued, "thatbein' a sojer meant fitin' somebody; and here we are roaming over thecountry like a lot of tramps. I can't see no good in it, nohow."

  "Don't be in a hurry. Si," replied Shorty; "I reckon we'll ketch it soon'nuff. From what I've hearn the old soldiers tell a battle ain't sucha funny thing as a feller thinks who don't know anything about it, likeyou'n me. The boys is always hungry at first for shootin' and bein' shotat, but I've an idee that it sorter takes away their appetite when theygits one square meal of it. They don't hanker after it no more. It'slikely we'll git filled full one o' these days. I'm willin' to wait!"

  "Wall," said Si, "I sh'd think we might have a little skirmish, anyway.I'd like to have a chance to try my gun and to hear what kind of a noisebullets make. Of course, I'd ruther they'd hit some other feller besidesme, but I'm ready to take the chances on that. I don't b'lieve I'd beafeard."

  Si was ambitious, and full of the martial ardor that blazed in thebreast of every young volunteer. He was really glad when the Orderlycame around presently and told them that the 200th Ind. would have theadvance next day, and Co. Q would be on the skirmish-line. He told theboys to see that their cartridge-boxes were all full and their guns ingood order, as they would be very like to run foul of the rebels.

  This was just before the battle of Perryville. The rebels were verysaucy, and there seemed to be a fair prospect that the curiosity ofthe members of the 200th Ind. to "see the elephant" would be at leastmeasurably gratified.

  Before Si went to bed he cleaned up his gun and made sure that it would"go off" whenever he wanted it to. Then he and Shorty crawled under theblankets, and as they lay "spoon fashion," thinking about what mighthappen the next day. Si said he hoped they would both have "lots ofsand."

  All night Si dreamed about awful scenes of slaughter. Before morning hehad destroyed a large part of the Confederate army.

  It was yet dark when the reveille sounded through the camp. Si andShorty kicked off the blankets at first blast of bugle, and werepromptly in their places for roll-call. Then, almost in a moment, ahundred fires were gleaming, and the soldiers gathered around them toprepare their hasty breakfast.

  Before the sun was up the bugles rang out again upon the morning air.In quick succession came the "general," the "assembly," and "to thecolors." The 200th marched out upon the pike, but soon filed off intoa cornfield to take its assigned place in the line, for the advancedivision was to move in order of battle, brigade front, that day.

  In obedience to orders, Co. Q moved briskly out and deployed asskirmishers, covering the regimental front. As the line advanced throughfield and thicket Si Klegg's heart was not the only one that thumpedagainst the blouse that covered it.

  It was not long till a squad of cavalrymen came galloping back, yellingthat the rebels were just ahead. The line was halted for a few minutes;while the Generals swept the surrounding country with their fieldglasses and took in the situation.

  The skirmishers, for fear of accidents, took advantage of such cover asthey could find. Si and Shorty found themselves to leeward of a largestump.

  "D'ye reckon a bullet 'd go through this 'ere stump?" said Si.

  Before Shorty could answer something else happened that absorbed theirentire attention. For the time they didn't think of anything else.

  'Boom-m-m-m!'

  "Great Scott! d'ye hear that?" said Si through his chattering teeth.

  "Yes, and there's somethin' comin' over this way," replied Shorty.

  A shell came screaming and swishing through the air. The young Hoosierscurled around the roots of that stump and flattened themselves out likea pair of griddle-cakes. If it was Si that the rebel gunners were after,they timed the shell to a second, for it burst with a loud bang justover them. The fragments flew all around, one striking the stump andothers tearing up the dirt on every side.

  IT BURST WITH A LOUD "BANG." 145 ]

  To say that for the moment those two soldiers were demoralized would bedrawing it very mildly. They showed symptoms of a panic. It seemed asthough they would be hopelessly stampeded. Their tongues were paralyzed,and they could only look silently into each other's white faces.

  Si was the first to recover himself, although it could hardly beexpected that he could get over his scare all at once.

  "D-d-did it hit ye, Sh-Shorty?" he said.

  "N-no, I guess not; b-b-but ain't it aw-awful. Si? You look so bad Ith-thought you was k-k-killed!"

  "Who's afeard?" said Si. "I was only skeered of you. Shorty. Brace up,now same's I do!"

  "Skirmishers--Forward!" was heard along the line. "Come on, Shorty!"said Si, and they plunged bravely ahead.

  Emerging suddenly from a thick wood, they came upon the rebelskirmishers in full view, posted on the opposite side of the field.

  Crack! Crack!--Zip! Zip!

  "Guess there's a bee-tree somewhere around here, from the way the beesare buzzin'," said Si.

  "'Taint no bees," replied Shorty; "it's a mighty sight worse'n that.Them's bullets, Si Don't ye see the dumed galoots over yonder a-shootin'at us?"

  Si was no coward, and he was determined to show that he wasn't. Theshell a little while before had taken the starch out of him for a fewminutes, but that was nothing to his discredit. Many a seasoned veteranfound himself exceedingly limber under such circumstances.

  "Let's give the rascals a dose," said he; "the best we've got in stock!"

  Suiting the action to the word, Si crept up to a fence, thrust his gunbetween the rails, took good aim and fired.

  SI TAKES A CRACK AT A REB 147 ]

  A bullet from one of the other fellows made the splinters fly from arail a foot or two from Si's head; but he was getting excited now,and he didn't mind it any more than if it had been a paper wad from apea-shooter.

  It makes a great difference with a soldier under fire whether he cantake a hand in the game himself, or whether he must lie idle and let theenemy "play it alone."

  "Did ye hear him squeal?" said Si, as he dropped upon the ground andbegan to reload with all his might. "I hit that son-of-a-gun, sure. Give'em H--Hail Columbia, Shorty. We'll show 'em that the 200th Ind. is infront to-day!"

  "Forward, men!" shouted the officers. "Go right for 'em!"

  The skirmishers sprang over the fence and swept across the field at a"double-quick" in the face of a sputtering fire that did little damage.None of them reached the other side any sooner than Si did. The rebelsseemed to have found out that the 200th boys were coming, for theywere already on the run, and some of them had started early. Pell-mellthrough the brush they went, and the blue-blouses after them.

  "Halt, there, or I'll blow ye into the middle o' next week!" yelled Si,as he closed up on a ragged specimen of the Southern Confederacy whosewind had given out. Si thought it would be a tall feather in his hat ifhe could take a prisoner and march him back.

  SI CAPTURES A JOHNNY 149 ]

  The "Johnny" gave one glance at his pursuer, hesitated, and was lost. Hesaw that Si meant business, and surrendered at discretion.

  "Come 'long with me!" said Si, his eyes glistening with pleasure andpride. Si marched him back and delivered him to the Colonel.

  "Well done, my brave fellow!" said the Colonel.

  "This is a glorious day for the 200th Ind., and you've taken its firstprisoner. What's your name my boy?"

  "Josiah Klegg, sir!" said Si, blushing to the very roots of his hair.

  "What company do you belong to?"

  "Company Q, sir!" and Si saluted the officer as nicely as he knew how.

  "I'll see your Captain to-night, Mr. Klegg, and you shall be reward
edfor your good conduct. You may now return to your company."

  It was the proudest moment of Si's life up to date. He stammered outhis thanks to the Colonel, and then, throwing his gun up to a rightshoulder-shift, he started off on a canter to rejoin the skirmishers.

  That night Si Klegg was the subject of a short conversation betweenhis Captain and the Colonel. They agreed that Si had behaved veryhandsomely, and deserved to be promoted.

  "Are there any vacancies in your non-commissioned officers?" asked theColonel.

  "No," was the reply, "but there ought to be. One of my Corporals skulkedback to the rear this morning and crawled into a wagon. I think we hadbetter reduce him to the ranks and appoint Mr. Klegg."

  "Do so at once," said the Colonel.

  Next morning when the 200th was drawn up in line an order was read bythe Adjutant reducing the skulker and promoting Si to the full rank ofCorporal, with a few words commending the gallantry of the latter.These orders announcing rewards and punishments were supposed to havea salutary effect in stimulating the men to deeds of glory, and as awarning to those who were a little short of "sand."

  CORPORAL SI KLEGG 151 ]

  The boys of Co. Q showered their congratulations upon Si in the usualway. They made it very lively for him that day. In the evening: Sihunted up some white cloth, borrowed a needle and thread, went off backof the tent, rammed his bayonet into the ground, stuck a candle in thesocket, and sewed chevrons on the sleeves of his blouse. Then he wrote ashort letter:

  "Deer Annie: I once more take my pen in hand to tell you there's grate news. I'm an ossifer. We had an awful fite yisterdy. I don't know how menny rebbles I kild, but I guess thare was enuff to start a good sized graveyard. I tuk a prizner, too, and the Kurnal says to me bully fer you, Mister Klegg, or sumthin to that effeck. This mornin they made me a Corporil, and red it out before the hull rijiment I guess youd been prowd if you could have seen me. To-night the boys is hollerin hurraw fer Corporal Klegg all over camp. I ain't as big is the Ginrals and gum of the other ossifers, but thars no tellin how hi I'll get in three years.

  "Rownd is the ring that haint no end, So is my luv to you my friend.

  "Yours, same as before,

  "Corporal Si Klegg."