Antebellum BK 1
Page 43
“Who’s that?”
“Major Wadsworth, of General McDowell’s staff, and two aides.”
Sherman waited, then returned the major’s salute.
“General McDowell sends his compliments, sir,” Wadsworth said. “You are ordered to leave the roadway by the left flank and attack the enemy.”
Sherman opened his mouth to refuse but Quincy stopped him. “I’ll take the order to the Wisconsin Second, sir.” Quincy rode out onto the road, stopped to ask where he might find the commanding officer and was shot off his horse.
~
Johnny was less than a hundred yards away from Quincy and saw him go down. His instinct was to ride to his cousin’s aid, but his duty was to press the Confederate advantage. “On me, men.” He raised his sword in the air. “One more push and they’ll all be running.” He rode forward with the infantry until the Union line broke, then he trotted his horse back up to the hilltop where another battle was in full pitch. The brigade of Confederate General Barnard Bee had been driven back until they linked with Jackson’s fresh troops, and together now they were making a valiant stand.
On the opposite hill, the 33rd Virginia, wearing blue uniforms, were mistaken for a Union force. That permitted them to capture Griffin’s guns with hardly a shot being fired.
Stuart waved to get Johnny’s attention and then pointed. “Whose guidon is that?”
“The Eleventh New York,” Johnny replied.
“Their flank is exposed. I suggest we go roll them up.”
“Lead on,” Johnny shouted.
With a whoop of pure joy, Stuart signaled his cavalry to charge.
Jackson watched Stuart’s charge until he was sure it would be successful, then he sent two regiments against Ricketts’s guns. After a long, bloody fight, the cannons were eventually captured by the Confederates and McDowell ordered a general retreat.
End of Book One
Notes about historical accuracy:
This is a work of fiction set during a well-documented historical period. Conversations between actual historical figures are either fictional or have been taken from historical documents and newspaper accounts. Direct quotations of historical characters that were derived from written documents for use as dialog in these novels may have been minimally edited to flow conversationally.
Some fictional characters, particularly in battle settings, have been substituted for the historical characters so that the story can remain true to facts.
The issue of free versus slave states was very complicated, and the laws, territorial borders and names of the territories within the Louisiana Purchase and land ceded by Mexico after the Mexican War changed with every shift of political power. To simplify the story for the reader and avoid confusion, the commonly known territorial names may have been used such as New Mexico, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, before those names were official.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was not signed into law until 1854, but it had been proposed in spirit for over a decade before it was passed. The story line in Antebellum has moved the date forward in order to mix the events of Bleeding Kansas with similar slavery/anti-slavery movements and events, such as the Underground Railroad.
Malaria was known by a variety of names, including Mexican Fever and Swamp Fever, until after the Civil War. Malaria has been used in the text to avoid confusing the modern reader.
When several historical accounts of an event contradict each other the author has chosen the prevalent version.
The sale of Van Buskirk Point to J.D. Rockefeller actually occurred after the Civil War. The graveyard was later moved to Long Island and was still being maintained by Exxon Corporation at the time of this writing.