by Unknown
“Sergeant Ritchie, take two men and see if Rockville is safe.”
The three men trotted off and then tied their horses to some trees. They disappeared into a small stand of trees. The town looked, from the smoke of chimneys, to be on the other side of the wood.
As we waited my thoughts went back to Mary Malone. Would I ever see her again? It seemed unlikely that we would be in Hagerstown soon. General Lee was intent on driving towards Philadelphia and Washington. Perhaps she had been a dream, a tantalising picture of a good life for me. Events had transpired to put barriers in the way of my happiness since the day I was born. My men called me Lucky Jack but that name tasted bitter to me when I thought of my murdered mother and father and my sister forced to whore to earn a living. I had luck, but not in my own life. I just did not expect to be happy. I was just grateful to be alive.
The sergeant and his men led their horses back to us. “Sir, there are Union troops dug in around the town. It looks to be artillery and infantry. They are all just the other side of the trees and they are facing west. It appears like this is one of the places they are using to guard Washington sir. There is also a wagon train with over a hundred brand-new, fully loaded wagons and mule teams. They are a little further west.”
“Thank you, sergeant. Let’s get back and give the bad news to the colonel.”
The colonel and the rest of the regiment were at the lock when we arrived. “Sir, the road west is blocked at Rockville. There is a wagon train and a company of infantry as well as artillery.”
“We will have to see if the general has an alternative plan then.”
General Stuart was not depressed when we gave him the news. “Brand new wagons you say? General Lee impressed upon me the need to gather supplies. This would be perfect.”
General Hampton did not look so sure. “Are you sure General Stuart? If would slow us down. I think that General Lee would prefer us to arrive there sooner rather than later.”
“If we knew where there was general.” One of the advantages of being a scout for the general was that you tended to hear more than other officers. This was giving me an insight into how the general thought. “For all we know General Lee is heading in this direction already.” He looked wistfully to the east. “Washington is just over there boys. Why we could ride right up Pennsylvania Avenue, capture old Abe and end this right now if we had a few more men and fresher horses.”
Somehow I thought that our general was deluding himself. There would be more than a few guns defending the President of the United States of America.
“No, my mind is made up. Colonel Boswell if your regiment would lead off we will see about capturing this wagon train.”
The colonel rode next to me with the Sergeant Major just behind. “Well Jack, how do we do this?”
“The guns are facing west as is the infantry and there is a stand of trees. If we dismount then we can surprise the gunners. I can’t see the wagons being able to be hitched up quickly sir. We just have to neutralise the soldiers.”
“Good plan.” He turned to Major Murphy, “Send a rider back to the general and tell him that we will dismount and engage the guns. It will allow the general the opportunity to surround the town and capture the wagons.”
We left the horses by the stand of trees we had used earlier and, taking our carbines, made our way through the spindly trunks. Sergeant Ritchie had been correct. This was a barricade to General Lee’s advance. The men would not hold an army up for long but they would enable other troops to close. That worried me, for it meant there would be other soldiers nearby. We had to capture the town first.
Colonel Boswell led the line of troopers with Cecil on his shoulder. Despite his loyalty to me the Sergeant Major would protect the colonel with his life. Once we reached the edge of town we halted. We had four hundred yards to run to reach the guns and the infantry. It would be a hard run for men in boots and spurs.
Colonel Boswell drew his sabre and said, “Sound the charge!”
I frowned as I ran forward. I would have remained silent to gain surprise but the cat was now out of the bag and we screamed our rebel yell and raced up the road. The infantry all ran to their stacked rifles while the gunners tried to man handle their cannon to face us. It was a race that they would lose. I had spurned my carbine and I pointed my Colt at the blue coated infantry who were rapidly deploying into line. We were less than a hundred yards from them when I saw the officer raise his sword. I fired and he stumbled. It bought us a few more seconds. All of our troopers were now firing as the ragged volley erupted. These were green troops and the rifles made more smoke than anything. We crashed into them.
When Colonel Boswell cut down the major who commanded them he yelled, “Surrender!”
They were green for they all obeyed. The gunners were less obedient and I watched them, too late, as they spiked the cannon. They would be no use to us now. Our men quickly disarmed the prisoners. Our troopers took everything from them that could be of use to us. It was sad to see the corpses being robbed of boots but it was necessary in such an impoverished army as ours. General Stuart and General Hampton arrived as we had herded the prisoners together.
“Well done Colonel Boswell! Once again your men have performed wonders.” He frowned as he saw the spiked cannon, “A pity about the cannon but still a great haul.”
General Hampton pointed to the prisoners. “And what do we do with those general. The wagons and mules will slow us up somewhat but they will make it impossible to reach the general in time.”
“You are right Wade. Send the commander to me.”
The most senior officer was the artillery major. “Major, thank you for your surrender, it saved your men from unnecessary slaughter. If you give me your parole I will allow you and your men to return to Washington.”
The major looked sceptically at General Stuart, “My parole sir?”
“Yes sir. If you promise not to fight until you have reached Washington then I am satisfied.”
“In that case I will give you my word.” I think the major was anticipating a fast walk back to Washington and then a rapid return to recapture the wagons. We were only fourteen miles from the capital.
After they had left I was still looking to our wounded men along with David. General Hampton strode up. “Do you think that was wise general? They could be after us before we have got very far.”
General Stuart smiled, “When they reach Washington what will they report? They will say that Jeb Stuart and his cavalry are fourteen miles from the capital. It will cause mayhem. They will bring troops to capture me and defend the capital. That will mean that General Lee will have fewer enemies to deal with.”
Despite what was said about Stuart later on, that he was a glory hound, I believe that he did what he thought was right for the southern cause. Some of those decisions, like the one to take the wagons and the mules with us, were flawed but the sentiment behind them was sound.
We left in high spirits and began to move, for the first time, in the right direction. It seemed that the 1st Virginia Scouts were the vanguard again. Colonel Boswell loved it. This was what he had dreamed of in the early days of the war. He was with the most famous Corps in the Confederacy and it was his regiment which had the honour of leading. The road to Westminster was straight and true. We did not need to push our horses for the wagons and mules slowed us down quite dramatically.
I sent Sergeant Ritchie and ten troopers down the pike towards Frederick when we reached the crossroads. I was relieved when he returned without sighting a single Union flag. I thought that we could have taken that road to reach Frederick. It would have brought us closer to General Lee but General Stuart was keen to march north. We were in Union territory and moving further north than at any time in the war. There was an infectious air of exultation amongst the senior officers, Colonel Boswell included. It seemed that we were on the brink of success. We had not seen any force which could stand up to us.
It was late in the day when we came upon
the Union cavalry. There was no warning. They suddenly appeared from the direction of Baltimore and the woods which lined the road to our right.
“Take cover!”
I dismounted my troopers and we crouched behind the fence. Colonel Boswell suddenly yelled, “1st Virginia Scouts! Charge!”
We tried to hit as many of the troopers as we could before our men joined the fray. “Mount!”
We gathered our horses as quickly as we could but by then the Yankee cavalry were fleeing down the Baltimore road with Colonel Boswell in close pursuit. We were just about to follow them when General Fitzhugh Lee galloped up. I knew the general, General Lee’s nephew, and he smiled as he recognised me.
“Hello Captain Hogan. The general has sent me to find your colonel and see what this is about.”
“We were ambushed by some Yankee cavalry and the colonel is chasing them back to Baltimore.”
He nodded and then frowned. “The general had a task for him.” He appeared to make up his mind. “You will have to do it in his stead. The general is concerned that General Lee has no idea where we are. We are assuming that my uncle will have sent messengers to us but by the time they reach us this may be too late. Take your men and find the army. Here is a report for General Lee.” He handed me a leather document case. “Give it to General Lee only. He will give you further orders I daresay.” He pointed to the north west. “I would hazard a guess that he will probably be somewhere close to Gettysburg or possibly York. An area I know you know well.”
“Yes sir.” I paused, “Will you tell the colonel?”
He gave me a wry smile. The news of my court martial was legend. “Do not worry sir. I will personally tell him that you were acting under my orders. Good luck Jack.”
With thirty troopers I headed down the road towards a date with destiny. We were heading to Gettysburg where we would witness the battle which decided the fate of the Confederacy of the United States.
Part 3
Gettysburg-The First Day
Chapter 13
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen
I set off for Gettysburg in good heart. We were free from the shackles of the Corps and Colonel Boswell. However we were the wrong side of the Union forces as we soon discovered. Despite our small numbers I still had scouts out and they galloped back in an agitated manner. This was not like them and I immediately halted the small column.
“Sir, there is a huge Union army ahead!” Trooper Drake pointed behind him. “There are artillery on the road and cavalry in the fields guarding the flanks. It must be Corps strength at least.”
I was in a pickle. I had to get the message through but short of back tracking to Westminster I could not see how we could manage it. I examined the map. The two sergeants rode next to me to see if they could offer any advice.
I pointed to a small ridge, “This ridge runs south and it looks like there is a small trail running beside it. If we ride along the ridge then we can drop down the other side and get ahead of this army corps.”
They both nodded and Sergeant Jones said, “At least it proves we are heading in the right direction. I don’t think they would be marching this way if General Lee wasn’t ahead.”
“Right. Keep eyes and ears open. There may be scouts out. We aren’t the only cavalry who are good at hiding.”
We cut across country to begin to climb the hill which rose behind the small farm. As we rose we could see the long blue snake heading west. It was at least an army corps. I hoped that their attention was on their front and not their rear. It was with some relief that discovered the track which led along the ridge. It was not well worn but it was easier than picking our way across rough ground. When we reached the top of the ridge I dismounted and crawled to the sky line to get a better view. The lead elements of the Corps were almost at Littlestown. I glanced at the sun. I suspected they would camp nearby as we were still some way from Gettysburg. That decided me.
“Right boys, we’ll drop directly down and ride parallel with the road.” I pointed to the woods to our right. “Once we drop from the ridge then we will be hidden from view and we can move much faster than they can. I reckon that we can make Gettysburg by dark. We best ride single file.”
Trotting down the slope we felt cocooned from prying eyes. I could see the outskirts of Gettysburg in the distance. It was still some seven miles away but barring an accident we should be there by nightfall. Trooper Wilson was on point, some four hundred yards ahead of us. Suddenly he whirled and drew his pistol. Although I could not see what had made him do that I trusted his judgements. “Ambush!”
His gun cracked and he turned to ride back to us. There was a ripple of fire and he fell from his horse. “Follow me!” I headed away from the danger but still down the slope. A line of horsemen appeared. There were only ten of them and, when they saw us, they halted. They were too far away for us to guarantee hitting them and we did not want to waste ball and powder. They fired at us with their pistols but, as the range was still two hundred yards they did no damage. I could now see that they had been travelling on the road which ran parallel to the pike and they were alone.
“Wildcats! Charge!” I suddenly wheeled Copper and it took the Union horsemen completely by surprise. We covered the ground so quickly that they had no chance to react. They appeared to be disordered and the corporal with them did not take the decision that was needed. He died in the first volley. A second and a third man fell and the survivors decided that they could now retreat. My men galloped after them as I dismounted to check Trooper Wilson. He was dead. I collected his gun, valuables and horse as my men returned. The enemy patrol all lay dead but I could hear the bugles from the main column. They would soon send cavalry to investigate.
“Grab any ammunition. Sergeant Ritchie, take the rear. We are going to find it pretty hot, real soon.”
I left the troopers to retrieve the ammunition as I mounted Copper and tied Wilson’s horse to my saddle. I checked the map. We would have to head to the south of Gettysburg if we were to lose the chasing cavalry. I could now see the cavalry. They were a mile away. It was at least three companies. Whoever led them had a sound military mind for they were coming in three columns and they would cut us off if we tried to deviate from a straight line.
“Let’s go now.”
I kicked Copper on and the chase began. The ground soon levelled out as we crossed the Frederick Pike. I briefly contemplated heading along it but that would take us away from our destination. I was resolved to stick to my plan. I did spy a road which led to the south of Gettysburg and I took that. I did not intend to become trapped on the road but it would cause confusion for the three pursuing columns. I noticed that the ground was falling away quite slowly and I remembered that there was a creek which ran to the east of the town. A waterbed meant places to hide. I veered from the road at a farm entrance and we galloped through the farm sending squawking ducks and chickens flying in our wake.
I heard Sergeant Ritchie shout and the message was repeated until Sergeant Jones received it. “They are gaining sir.”
“Don’t worry sergeant. Gettysburg is just a mile or so ahead.”
“What if the Yankees are there too?”
“Then we are in an even deeper hole. Tell the boys to be ready to dismount quickly and hide their horses when I shout.”
I saw two round topped hills rising to my right. I veered closer to them. Suddenly the ground almost fell away. There were huge rocks and a mass of scrubby undergrowth. It was a perfect place to hide. We plunged, recklessly down the bank and then turned left to ride up the other side of the shallow creek we later found was called Plum Run; we came to know it well. I saw an enormous rock, seemingly planted by giants and I rode behind it. There was enough space to hide us all.
“Dismount. Horse holders.”
The designated men grabbed their horses as we all cocked our carbines. “Find somewhere to hide let’s hope that they lose our trail.”
I was trying to picture it the way that the
y would see it. They would reach the side of the hill and see nothing before them save the creek and the mass of rocks and undergrowth to their front. They would have to stop unless they were as crazy as I was. Perhaps they would assume we had headed directly for Gettysburg. We would soon find out.
I took off my hat and began to climb the rock. There were enough smaller rocks to facilitate this. When I neared the top I paused and raised my head inch by inch until I could see across to the two round topped hills. A solitary horseman appeared and halted. He waved to the others to join him and soon there were forty horsemen on the opposite side of the valley. I saw that one of them had a looking glass and was scanning our side of the valley. I remained perfectly still. Had I ducked down there was a risk he would have detected the movement.
Two of the troopers were ordered down to investigate the creek. If they went to where we had crossed then they would see the tracks and the muddied water. To my relief they went right and not left. They went to the creek and rode in opposite directions for thirty yards or so. They rode back up the slope. The looking glass kept scanning the undergrowth and then, to my relief, they left.
I slithered back down the rock and retrieved my hat. “We have lost them but let’s just wait to make sure.”
“Where are we sir?”
“As near as I can make it we are a mile and a half due south of Gettysburg. We will head east and try to find the Emmitsburg road.” As we waited I wondered about the cavalry we had seen. They could mount a search for us the next day and we still had no idea where General Lee was. I had hoped to come across some of our own scouts and it was worrying that we had found none.
I was about to lead us out when I heard a noise. I climbed back up the rock and saw, to my horror, that the cavalry had returned and were executing a more thorough search. They would find were we had crossed the creek. I slipped back down.
“We are going to try to find a way out of this warren of rocks. The last two men try to hide our tracks. The rocks will help us.”