by Unknown
Irish had already opened one barrel and was laying a trail of powder around the outside of the barrels. Trooper Smith was cutting the slow fuse and inserting into the opened barrel. “You finish up here. Keep the other pipe and I will taker the flint. Have the men keep a watch for any other sentries.”
The camp was pitch black and as silent as the grave. They had placed this dangerous ordnance as far away from their men as they could and that worked to our advantage. I reached the limbers. “Open one barrel and spread some of the powder around the limbers then put the slow fuse in the open barrel. When I give the signal then light it.”
I ran to the guns. I knew we were running out of time. All too soon all hell would break loose. “Open a barrel and spread it around the guns.” As they started to do that I saw that the guns were breech loaders. When the two men had finished I said, “Take as many of the breech blocks as you can and dump them in the stream yonder.” I cut the slow fuse and plunged one end into the open barrel. I took out the flint and waited. This was the nerve wracking time. Had Sergeant James been able to reach the horses unseen? I suppose I would have heard a commotion if they had been caught. Just then I heard the pop, pop of muskets in the distance and then a fusillade.
“Now!”
I chipped the flint. It took four goes to light the fuse and I blew on the end until it glowed and then fizzed. “Let’s get out of here!”
I ran towards the fence line. I could hear the commotion in the Union camp. I hoped that they would not have noticed us and that their attention would be drawn to my other detachment. I heard the thunder of distant hooves. The sergeant had, at least, managed to make the horses move. I was the last to reach the horses as I had the furthest to go, I was just about to mount Copper when the sky lit up and a wave of air almost knocked me from my feet as the first of the barrels exploded. The Sergeant Major’s anxious face looked down at me. “Sir! Come on. Let’s go.”
I think that any other horse but Copper would have run at the noise but I had the best horse in the regiment and he calmly waited for me to mount. As soon as I was mounted we rode back the way we had come. Sentries along the other side of the camp began to fire blindly at the sound of our hooves. It would be a disaster if we were shot by accident. We all rode low to the saddle. Suddenly there was the flash of a rifle ahead of us. I saw the lane leading to Main Street and I yelled, “Go right!”
I wheeled Copper’s head around and drew my Colt at the same time. We would have to risk Main Street. If we headed left we would only have the one guard post to deal with. I knew that Sergeant James would have headed in the opposite direction and so we would be splitting the enemy. As I had expected there were no civilians on Main Street but there soon would be. I could hear more explosions from the artillery park where the charges in the limbers were now exploding. The cannon would not be of any use to Joe Hooker.
“Draw your pistols! There’s a guard post at the end of the street.
The dark street, the grey uniforms and the confusion all helped to hide us from the sentries at the end. It was the drumming of our hooves which alerted them. “Open fire!”
I knew that we were beyond effective pistol range but buzzing balls would keep the sentries’ heads down. I saw the flash of a rifle and then heard the crack as one of the sentries tried to hit the horde of horseflesh which was hurtling towards them. There was a whizz above my head. He had aimed high. The guard post was a mobile barrier. I emptied my gun at the four huddled soldiers and then Copper sailed over the barrier. I heard the crack and pop of the pistols of those following. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw that my troopers were close behind me.
I heard a few ‘Yee Haws!’ as the younger troopers cleared the barrier. I slowed Copper a little; there was little point in exhausting our mounts.
Cecil rode next to me, his face filled with excitement. “I think we did just what the general wanted there sir.”
“I think that you are right. We had better halt the men and check for casualties.”
“Troop halt!”
I began to reload as I turned to see if there were any empty saddles. Our horses herded together; if any men had fallen we would still have their horses. There were no empty saddles. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Just then, ironically, it began to rain. Although we would have an uncomfortable ride home it would afford us some protection.
“Just three men wounded sir. Two are slight but Trooper Muldoon has taken a ball to the leg. He’s bleeding a little.”
“Form a perimeter and I will look at him. Make sure that they have all reloaded.”
The ball had struck Trooper Muldoon below the knee. It had missed all the vital bones and arteries but it was bleeding heavily. He tried to get off his horse. “No, Trooper, stay there it will be easier for me to work on it.” I took out the knife I had been given when I had been a sailor. It was razor sharp. I cut the leg of his breeches down the side. “Give me your bandana.” I took his bandana and tied a tourniquet above the wound. I took the whisky from my saddlebag and poured it down the wound. He winced. “Now take a slug yourself. Just the one to numb the pain a little.” As he did so I used a clean dressing to bind the wound and I tied a bandage around it. It was not as good as David would have done but he would live and, once in the camp I would be able to deal with it better.
“Right, Trooper Davis, you keep an eye on Trooper Muldoon. Loosen the tourniquet every time we stop and then tighten it again.”
“Yes sir. We sure whipped them tonight sir.”
I smiled, “Let’s wait until we are back in camp before we start crowing eh Trooper?”
He was unabashed, “With you leading us sir, we’ll get back.”
I shook my head; the Lucky Jack name was like an albatross around my neck. “Sergeant Major, put two good men at the rear. I don’t want any surprises.”
Cecil and I led the way home. We headed along the road and then cut across country. The rain was just getting heavier and heavier. We would all be soaked but it would discourage any pursuit. Every time we passed close to a farm or a house my heart was in my mouth. I wanted us to be invisible and just disappear. I was counting on the fact that they would not think to look north of Warrenton for us; at least not yet.
It was dawn by the time we wearily rode into the camp. “Sergeant Major, we’ll risk a fire. The boys need something hot inside them. Just use dry wood.” We had a supply of dry wood in every tent.
“Yes sir.”
“Wounded men! Come to my tent.” When the four men arrived I said to Trooper Davis. “Well done Trooper, now see to Copper for me. There is an apple in my saddlebag.” He looked nervous. “Don’t worry he won’t bite as long as you have given him an apple.” I cleaned Muldoon’s wound first. Luckily it had passed through the leg. It must have been fired at close quarters. “You have been lucky, Trooper but check your horse. The ball might have creased him too. Just clean up the wound if it has.” I then stitched his leg up.
“Thank you sir.”
“All part of the service Trooper, now go and get some rest.”
“Right after I check my horse sir.”
Every trooper knew how valuable his horse was. The other two just needed their wounds cleaning and bandaging. We had been lucky. I just hoped that Sergeant James had been as lucky. Cecil came along with some coffee and a piece of salted ham between two stale pieces of bread. It tasted as good as any food I had ever eaten.
“Divide the men into two. You and your half sleep now and I will wake you at noon.” He looked as though he was going to object. “I have my reports to write out and I am still wide awake. The wounded are excused duty.”
“Yes sir.”
I finished my coffee and began to write the report for Danny. We had learned to do this when serving with Colonel Cartwright. He was old school and he told us that it was important to record what you had seen as soon as the incident was over. Intelligence was about the little details. I spent the next two hours painstakingly writing down all
that we had seen and done. Then I took a turn around the sentries. Although we had no other non commissioned officers we were such a tight unit that I knew that none of them would slack off. They all saluted as I walked the perimeter. They had donned their slickers but, as it was still raining, I knew that they would be soaked to the skin.
“Well sir, if any Yankee manages to follow us in this then I will be a monkey’s uncle.”
“I think you are right but it makes for a miserable time in camp eh trooper?”
“You have to be alive to be miserable sir.”
With that attitude my men could do anything. I woke Cecil. “It is still raining cats and dogs, Sergeant Major. I think we will feed the men and rest them tonight and then head on over to Upperville tomorrow night.”
He looked relieved. “I know that Carlton wouldn’t be happy if the horses had two hard nights back to back.” He looked away to the south, hidden in the sheeting rain. “I wonder how they got on?”
“It will do no good to speculate. If they had had a problem he would have sent a rider back here. If they had failed Sergeant James would have brought them all back. I think it is safe to assume that no news is good news.”
“Unless, sir, they have all been captured or killed.”
That thought had been tucked away in the back of my mind. It was a possibility and I did not want to think about that. At the same time I wondered about Harry, Dago, Jed and Danny. How were they doing? They were in the same boat as I was. They were hung out behind the enemy lines where everyone and everything was a potential enemy. We had been given a monumental task and a short time to achieve results.
It was almost as though Cecil was reading my mind. “Even if we do nothing else on this patrol we have had success already sir. We hit their artillery hard and, at the very least, their horse herd was driven off.”
The Sergeant Major was a dour character but he had the ability to say the right thing at the right time. “You are probably right. Let’s get the food on the go.”
Chapter 3
We left the camp in the early afternoon. It was still raining although it had stopped briefly the day before. It was now a sort of drizzle which made it difficult to see too far ahead. It was why I had chosen the later afternoon to approach the town. We would have the weather in our favour. I intended to make a bold raid on the town; they would not expect that. If we hit it at dusk then many of the officers would still be at their desks and yet many of the other soldiers would be eating or hiding from the weather.
There was no sentry post in this town and we left the main road before the town to travel through the smaller side streets. Cecil had scouted the town the first day we had arrived and knew where the cavalry were; they were at the northern end of the settlement. We were headed for the livery stable where the officers who worked in the town would have their horses. If there were no horses within then we knew we would be leaving empty handed.
“Detail four men to watch at both ends of the street. You stay with the rest of the men. You two troopers, dismount, draw your weapons and follow me.”
It was a well organised and clean stable. There was just one man and he was sleeping in the small office. I drew my pistol and placed it between his eyes. I tapped him on the shoulder. He awoke with a start. His eyes widened as he stared down the barrel of my gun. “Not a sound my friend and you will live. Understand?” He nodded wildly. “Tie him up and gag him. Make sure he can’t move.”
I went outside, “Sergeant Major, get the men in here now.”
The troop gratefully entered the dry stable. “I want all the horses in here saddling. Hopefully we will take some Yankee officers back too but these horses will do nicely. I want five men to watch them and another three to guard the door. The rest come with me. Trooper Davis, you are in charge.”
There were now just eight of us to cause some mayhem. More would have attracted attention. When we were outside I said, “Act as though you have every right to be here. We are going to ride down Main Street and tie up outside the building with the flags. It is a headquarters of some kind. Have your pistols hidden under you slickers but if we have to fire then we have lost. Is that clear?” They all nodded. “Sergeant Major, stay close to me and follow my lead.”
The street had a few riders but they were all looking studiously at the muddy road. They took no notice of eight cavalrymen wearing the ubiquitous slicker. As we rode up I saw that there were two sentries outside the main door and both looked thoroughly miserable. We dismounted and tied out horses up. I saw the two sentries looking curiously at us. “Sergeant Major, bring those despatches and the rest of you wait here. We have to get to Warrenton after this.”
We walked up the steps. I have no idea what Cecil held in his hand but it didn’t matter. One of the sentries stepped forward. “Sir?”
“We have important despatches here.” I leaned forward. “We captured a courier.”
His face broadened into a grin and the two of them relaxed. A second later and the looks on their faces turned to ones of horror as two Army Colts were pressed into their middles. Four troopers came with ropes and, as they trussed them up, Cecil and I stepped into the building. The hallway was empty, “Get them in here now. Two of you stay outside; the rest in here.”
I held my finger to my lips and I listened. I could hear voices from the first room. There was a second door further down. I pointed to Cecil and the first door and then at Trooper Dawes and the second. I walked down to the second door and slowly opened it. I cranked it open just the slightest amount. I could see that there were two adjoining rooms and there were two doors. I opened the door and stepped inside. Trooper Dawes followed me. We both had drawn pistols. This half of the room was in darkness. The other side had four men. They were illuminated by the light whilst we were in the shadows. I gestured the trooper forwards and I walked into the light.
“Hands up, gentlemen. You are prisoners of the Confederacy!”
The sergeant, the major and the captain all complied but the young lieutenant ran for the door. He opened it and Cecil’s fist knocked him out.
“Get in here Sergeant Major and tie their hands behind their backs. Trooper Dawes, get those maps off the wall.”
I think up to that point they had been shocked but the major now blustered. “I don’t know what you think you are up to but there are armed guards all around here.”
I smiled as I grabbed all the papers from the desk and stuffed them in the leather holdall which was on the floor. I looked up and smiled. “It appears so. Sergeant Major, gag the sergeant and the lieutenant and make sure neither can leave.”
“Did you hear what I said? This is an armed town. You can’t escape.”
“Yes I heard and yes we will.”
Suddenly he went white. “You aren’t Mosby are you? The Grey Ghost?”
“No, I am afraid I am just a lowly captain in the 1st Virginia Scouts but you two gentlemen are coming with us. Dawes, get their slickers. I wouldn’t want them getting wet.” I gestured with my Colt as their slickers were draped over their shoulders and their hats placed on their heads. “Let’s go outside and, gentlemen, make it nice and quiet. You two will be the first to get shot if any ruckus starts.” They began to walk. “Sergeant Major, bring up the rear.”
We walked along the street as calmly as men taking an after dinner stroll. We saw no-one, which was just as well as we didn’t want to begin a fire fight with so few men. We reached the stables without mishap.
“Get them on their horses. I want a trooper to lead their horses and a second one to ride behind them. We don’t want these boys running.” When the two men were secured the riders leading the spare horses were ready I took out my gun. “We are going out along Main Street. We will ride slowly but if anyone starts anything then get back to the camp as soon as possible. Sergeant Major Mulrooney, you know the drill by now, bring up the rear.”
Cecil laughed, “Sure and it’s a grand place to be Captain Hogan.”
The rain had eased
a little which was disappointing. More people were likely to come out on the street. We made it half way down the soaked thoroughfare before we hit trouble. A gaggle of officers began walking along the street. One of them must have recognised the major and he shouted a greeting. The major could neither reply nor wave back and the men became suspicious. I eased my Colt out of its holster.
Suddenly one of the men saw our uniforms. “They’re Rebs! Get …”
That was as far as he got. My Colt was out and barked in the damp air. He fell backwards. The rest of my troopers who had free hands blazed away. “Ride!”
The troopers leading the captives rode past me as I fired at the officers again. They had taken cover. Other soldiers spilled out from the bars and taverns. Those with handguns began firing. I saw Cecil with two Colts laying down a firestorm. As the captured horses came alongside I yelled, “Sergeant Major, get out of there now!”
I took out a second Colt and emptied both barrels. The officers all remained behind cover. When Cecil came alongside I kicked Copper hard and we leapt into the night. We had almost made it out of the town when the trooper in front of me slumped in his saddle. I rode hard and reached him before he fell. Cecil reached the other side and we both supported him. I could see that he had been hit in the back; how seriously I could not tell.
“When we stop you take two troopers and lay a little ambush.”
“Yes sir.”
We reached the cut off into the woods and I halted the patrol there while the horses recovered a little. Cecil and two troopers rode back and I looked at the wounded trooper. He was dead. “Tie him over his horse, Trooper Dawes, and we’ll bury him later.”
We had lost a man and that was hard. The Sergeant Major came back. “No-one is following us sir.”
“Right. Back to camp.”
The joy of our success tasted bitter as we buried Trooper McRae. I had not known him well but he was a good soldier and had never let me down. We now had less the nineteen men and, as dawn broke over an empty camp I became worried that Sergeant James and the others had not returned. We were all tired now. With so few men we were all pulling far more duties than was healthy.