Si Klegg, Book 4

by John McElroy

  CHAPTER X. AFTER BRAGG AGAIN

  RESTFUL SUMMER DAYS END--THE UNION PEOPLE OF EAST TENNESSEE.

  THOUGH every man in the Army of the Cumberland felt completely worn outat the end of the Tullahoma campaign, it needed but a few days' rest inpleasant camps on the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains, with plentyof rations and supplies of clothing, to beget a restlessness for anotheradvance.

  They felt envious of their comrades of the Army of the Tennessee,who had cornered their enemy in Vicksburg and forced him to completesurrender.

  On the other hand, their enemy had evaded battle when they offered itto him on the place he had himself chosen, had eluded their vigorouspursuit, and now had his army in full possession of the great objectiveupon which the eyes of the Army of the Cumberland had been fixed for twoyears Chattanooga.

  It was to Chattanooga that Gen. Scott ultimately looked when hebegan the organization of forces north of the Ohio River. It was toChattanooga that Gens. Anderson, Sherman and Buell looked when they werebuilding up the Army of the Ohio. It was nearly to Chattanooga that Gen.Mitchel made his memorable dash after the fall of Nashville, when hetook Huntsville, Bridgeport, Stevenson and other outlying places. It wasfor Chattanooga that the "Engine Thieves" made their thrilling venture,that cost eight of their lives. It was to Chattanooga that Buell wasordered with the Army of the Ohio, after the "siege of Corinth," andfrom which he was run back by Bragg's flank movement into Kentucky. Itwas again toward Chattanooga that Rosecrans had started the Army of theCumberland from Nashville, in December, 1862, and the battle of StoneRiver and the Tullahoma campaign were but stages in the journey.

  President Lincoln wanted Chattanooga to relieve the sorely persecutedUnionists of East Tennessee. Military men wanted Chattanooga for itsimmense strategic importance, second only to that of Vicksburg.

  The men of the Army of the Cumberland wanted Chattanooga, as those ofthe Army of the Potomac wanted Richmond, and those of the Army of theTennessee had wanted Vicksburg, as the victor's guerdon which wouldcrown all their marches, skirmishes and battles.

  But between them and Chattanooga still lay three great rangesof mountains and a broad, navigable river. Where amid all thesefortifications of appalling strength would Bragg offer them battle forthe Confederacy's vitals?

  "I don't care what Bragg's got over there," said Si, looking up at thelofty mountain peaks, as he and Shorty discussed the probabilities. "Hecan't git nothing worse than the works at War Trace and Shelbyville,that he took six months to build, and was just goin' to slaughter uswith. And if we go ahead now he won't have the rain on his side. Itlooks as if it has set in for a long dry spell; the country 'll be sowe kin git around in it without trouble. If the walkin' only stays goodwe'll find a way to make Mr. Bragg hump out of Chattanooga, or stay inthere and git captured."

  "Yes," assented Shorty, knocking the ashes out of his brierwood pipe,and beginning to shave down a plug of bright navy to refill it, "andI'll put old Rosey's brains and git-there agin all the mountains andrivers and forts, and breastworks and thingama-jigs that Bragg kingit up. Old Rosecrans is smarter any day in the week than Bragg is onSunday. He kin give the rebels cards and spades and run 'em out beforethe fourth round is played. Only I hope he won't study about it as longas he did after Stone River. I want to finish up the job in warm, dryweather, and git home."

  And his eyes took on a far-away look, which Si had no difficultyinterpreting that "home" meant a place with a queer name in distantWisconsin.

  "Well," said Si reflectively, "old Rosecrans didn't study long afterhe took command of us at Nashville, before plunking us squarely at theJohnnies on Stone River. I think he's out for a fight now, and bound togit it in short meter."

  But the impatient boys had to wait a long Summer month, until therailroads to the rear could be repaired to bring up supplies, and forthe corn to ripen so as to furnish forage for the cavalry.

  But when, on the 16th of August, 1863, Rosecrans began his campaign ofmagnificant strategy for the possession of Chattanooga, the 200thInd. had the supreme satisfaction of leading the advance up into themountains of living green to find the enemy and bring him to bay.

  A few days' march brought them up onto the Cumberland Plateau. They hadnow left the country of big plantations with cottonfields, and come uponone of small farms and poor people. Si, with a squad, had been marchingfar ahead all day as an advance-guard. They had seen no rebels, but allthe same kept a constant and vigilant outlook for the enemy. They wereapproaching a log house of rather better class than any they had seensince ascending the mountain. As they raised the crest of a hill theyheard a horn at the house give a signal, which set them keenly alert,and they pushed forward rapidly, with their guns ready. Then they sawa tall, slender young woman, scarcely more than a girl, dart out of thehouse and attempt to cross the road and open ground to the dense woods.Si sprang forward in pursuit. She ran like a young deer, but Si wasswift of foot, and had taken the correct angle to cut her off. He caughther flying skirts and then grasped her wrist.

  SHE RAN LIKE A DEER, BUT SI CUT HER OFF 123]

  "Where are you goin', and what for?" he asked sternly, as he held herfast and looked into her frightened eyes, while her breast heaved withexertion and fear.

  "I ain't goin' nowhar, an' for nothin'," she an swered sullenly.

  "Yes you was, you young rebel," said Si. "You were goin' to tell somesneakin' rebels about us. Where are they?"

  "Wa'n't gwine to do nothin' o' the kind," she answered between gasps forbreath. "I don't know whar thar's no rebels. Thought they'uns had alldone gone away down the mounting till I seed yo'uns."

  "Come, girl, talk sense," said Si roughly. "Tell me where those rebelsare that you was goin' to, and do it quick. Boys, look sharp."

  A tall, very venerable man, with long, snowy-white hair and whiskerscame hobbling up, assisting his steps with a long staff with a handle ofa curled and twisted ram's horn.

  "Gentlemen," he said, with a quavering voice, "I beg yo'uns won't harmmy granddaughter. She hain't done nothin' wrong, I'll sw'ar it, t'yo'uns. We'uns 's for the Union, but that hain't no reason why we'unsshould be molested. We'uns 's peaceable, law-abidin' folks, an' ain'tnever done nothin' agin the Southern Confederacy. All our neighborsknows that. Ax any o' they'uns. If yo'uns must punish someone, takeme. I'm the one that's responsible for their Unionism. I've learned 'emnothin' else sense they'uns wuz born. I'm a very old man, an' hain'tlong t' live, nohow. Yo'uns kin do with me what yo'uns please, but formy sake spare my innocent granddaughter, who hain't done nothin'."

  Si looked at him in amazement. It was no uncommon thing for people toprotest Unionism, but sincerity was written in every line of the oldman's face.

  "You say you're Union," he said. "If that's so, you've nothin' to fearfrom us. We're Union soldiers. But what was that signal with the horn,and where was this girl goin'?"

  "She blowed the horn at my orders, to inform my neighbors, and she wuzgwine on an arrant for me. Whatever she done I ordered her to do. Yo'unskin visit hit all on my head. But hit wa'n't nothin' agin yo'uns or theSouthern Confederacy."

  "I tell you we're Union soldiers," repeated Si. "Can't you tell that byour clothes?"

  The old man's face brightened a little, but then a reminder of sorrowfulexperience clouded it again.

  "I've never seed no Union soldiers," said he. "The rebels come aroundhere dressed all sorts o' ways, and sometimes they pretend to be Union,jest to lay a snare for we'uns. They'uns all know I'm Union, but I'mtoo old t' do 'em harm. Hit's my neighbors they'uns is arter. But, thankGod, they'uns 's never kotched any o' them through me."

  "I tell you we're genuine, true-blue Union soldiers from Injianny,belong to Rosecrans's army, and are down here to drive the rebels out o'the country. There, you kin see our flag comin' up the mountain."

  The old man shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked earnestly at thelong line of men winding up the mountain-side.

  "I kin see nothin' but a blue flag," said he, "much the sam
e as some o'Bragg's rijimints tote."

  Si looked again, and noticed that only the blue regimental flag wasdisplayed.

  "Wait a minnit, I'll convince him," said Shorty, and running down themountain he took the marker from the right guide of the regiment, andpresently came back waving it proudly in the sunshine.

  The old man's face brightened like a May day, and then his faded eyesfilled with joyful tears as he exclaimed:

  "Yes, thank Almighty God, that's hit. That's the real flag o' mycountry. That's the flag I fit under with ole Jackson at New Orleans. Ibless God that I've lived to see the day that hit's come back."

  He took the flag in his hands, fondly surveyed its bright folds, andthen fervently kissed it. Then he said to his granddaughter:

  "Nance, call the boys in, that they'uns's may see thar friends 've comeat last."

  Nance seemed to need no second bidding. She sped back to the porch,seized the long tin horn and sent mellow, joyful notes floating far overthe billowy hills, until they were caught up by the cliffs and echoedback in subdued melody.

  "Don't be surprised, gentlemen, at what yo'uns 'll see," said the oldman.

  Even while the bugle-like notes were still ringing on the warm air, menbegan appearing from the most unexpected places. They were all of thesame type, differing only in age from mere boys to middle-aged men. Theywere tall, raw-boned and stoop-shouldered, with long, black hair, andtired, sad eyes, which lighted up as they saw the flag and the menaround it. They were attired in rude, home spun clothes, mostly raggedand soiled, and each man carried a gun of some description.

  They came in such numbers that Si was startled. He drew his mentogether, and looked anxiously back to see how near the regiment hadcome.

  "I done tole yo'uns not t' be surprised," said the old man reassuringly;"they'uns 's all right every one of 'em a true Union man, ready andwillin' t' die for his country. The half o' they'uns hain't got in yit,but they'll all come in."

  "Yes, indeed," said one of the first of them to come in, apleasant-faced, shapely youth, with the soft down of his first beardscantily fringing his face, and to whom Nancy had sidled up in anunmistakable way. "We'uns 've bin a-layin' out in the woods for weeks,dodgin' ole Bragg's conscripters and a-waitin' for yo'uns. We'uns 'vebin watchin' yo'uns all day yisterday, an' all this mornin', tryin't' make out who yo'uns rayly wuz. Sometimes we'uns thought yo'uns wuzYankees, an' then agin that yo'uns wuz the tail-end o' Bragg's army. Allwe'uns 's a-gwine t' jine all yo'uns, an' fout for the Union."

  "Bully boys right sentiments," said Shorty enthusiastically. "There'sroom for a lot o' you in this very regiment, and it's the best regimentin the army. Co. Q's the best company in the regiment, and it needs 15or 20 fine young fellers like you to fill up the holes made by StoneRiver and Tennessee rain and mud."

  "I'll go 'long with you, Mister Ossifer, if you'll take me," said theyouth, very shyly and softly to Si, whose appearance seemed to attracthim.

  "Certainly we'll take you," said Si, "if the Surgeon 'll accept you, andI'll see that you're sworn in on the spot."

  "Nancy," said the youth diffidently to the girl, who had stood by hisside holding his hand during the whole conversation, "yo' done promisedyo'd marry me as soon's the Yankee soldiers done come for sure, andthey'uns 've done come, millions of 'em. Looky thar millions of 'em."

  He pointed to the distant hills, every road over which was swarming withlegions of blue.

  "Yes, Nate," said the girl, reddening, chewing her bonnet-strings tohide her confusion, and stir ring up the ground with the toe of hershoe, "I reckon I did promise yo' I'd marry yo' when the Yankee soldiersdone come for sure, and thar does seem t' be a right smart passel of 'emdone come already, with a heapin' more on the way. But yo' ain't gwinet' insist on me keepin' my promise right off, air yo'?"

  And she took a bigger bite at her bonnet-strings and dug a deeper holewith the toe of her shoe.

  "Yes, indeedy right off jest the minnit I kin find a preacher," repliedNate, growing bolder and more insistent as he felt his happinessapproaching. "I'm a-gwine off t' the war with this gentleman's company(indicating Si with a wave of his disengaged hand), and we must bespliced before I start. Say, Mister Ossifer (to Si), kin yo' tell mewhar I kin find a preacher?"

  Si and Shorty and the rest were taking a deep interest in the affair. Itwas so fresh, so genuine, so unconventional that it went straight toall their hearts, and, besides, made a novel incident in their campaign.They were all on the side of the would-be bridegroom at once, andanxious for his success. The Adjutant had come up with the order thatthey should stop where they were, for the regiment would go into campjust below for the day. So they had full leisure to attend to thematter. The Tennesseeans took only a modified interest, for the presenceof the Union army was a much more engrossing subject, and they preferredto stand and gaze open-eyed and open-mouthed at the astonishing swarmsof blue-clad men rather than to pay attention to a commonplace mountainwooing.

  "We have a preacher he's the Chaplain of the regiment," suggested Si.

  "Any sort of a preacher'll do for me," said Nate sanguinely, "so long's he's a preacher Hard Shell, Free Will, Campbellite, Winebrennarian,Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian and kind, so long 's he's aregularly-ordained preacher, 'll do for me. Won't hit for you, honey?"

  "Granddad's a Presbyterian," she said, blushing, "and I'd rather he'd bea Presbyterian. Better ax granddad."

  Nate hurried over to the grandfather, who was so deeply engrossed intalking politics, the war, and the persecutions the East Tennesseeanshad endured at the hands of the rebels with the officers and soldiersgathered around that he did not want to be bothered with such acomparatively unimportant matter as the marriage of a granddaughter.

  "Yes, marry her any way you like, so long as you marry her honest andstraight," said he impatiently to Nate. Then, as Nate turned away, heexplained to those about him: "That's the 45th grandchild that I've hadmarried, and I'm kind o' gittin used t' hit, so t' speak. Nate and her've bin keepin' company and courtin' ever sense they wuz weaned, an'bin pesterin' the life out o' me for years t' let 'em git jined. Soonerhit's done the better. As I wuz sayin', we'uns give 80,000 majority inTennessee agin Secession, but ole Isham Harris" etc.

  "I'll speak to the Adjutant about it," said Si, when Nate came backglowing with gladness.

  The young Adjutant warmly approved the enlistment proposition, and waselectrified by the idea of the marriage.

  "I'll go and talk to the Colonel and the Chaplain about it. Why, it'llbe no end of fun. We'll fix up a wedding-supper for them, have the bandserenade them, and send an account of it home to the papers. You go andget them ready, and I'll attend to the rest. Say, I think we'd betterhave him enlisted, and then married afterward. That'll make it aregimental affair. You take him down to Capt. McGillicuddy, that he maytake him before the Surgeon and have him examined. Then we'll regularlyenlist him, and he'll be one of us, and in the bonds of the UnitedStates before he is in the bonds of matrimony. It'll be the firstmarriage in the regiment, but not the first one that is ardentlydesired, by a long shot."

  The Adjutant gave a little sigh, which Si could not help echoing, andShorty joined in.

  "Well, our turns will come, too, boys," said the Adjutant with a laugh,"when this cruel war is over." And he whistled "The Girl I Left BehindMe" as he rode back to camp.

  The Surgeon found Nathan Hartburn physically sound, the oath wasduly administered to the young recruit, and he made his mark on theenlistment papers, and was pronounced a soldier of the United States,belonging to Co. Q, 200th Ind. He had been followed through all thesesteps by a crowd of his friends, curious to see just what was the methodof "jinin' the Union army," and when Co. Q received its new member withcheers and friendly congratulations the others expressed their eagernessto follow his example.

  Co. Q was in a ferment over the wedding, with everybody eager to dosomething to help make it a grand success, and to fill the hearts of theother companies with envy. The first and greatest problem was top
rovide the bridegroom with a uniform in which to be married. TheQuartermaster's wagons were no one knew exactly where, but certainly aday or more back on the road, and no one had started out on the campaignwith any extra clothing. Shorty, who considered himself directlyresponsible for the success of the affair, was for awhile in despair. Hewas only deterred from stealing a pair of the Colonel's trousers bythe timely thought that it would, after all, be highly improper for aprivate to be wearing a pair of pantaloons with a gold cord. Then heresolved to make a sacrifice of himself. He was the nearest Nate'sproportions of any man in the company, and he had drawn a new pair oftrousers just before starting on the march. They had as yet gotten veryslightly soiled. He went to the spring and laboriously washed them untilthey were as bright as new, and, after they were dried, insisted on Natetrading pantaloons with him. A new blouse was more readily found, andas readily contributed by its owner. Si freely gave up his sole extrashirt, and another donated a pair of reserve shoes. The Adjutant came inwith a McClellan cap. When the company barber cut Nate's long hair, andshaved him, he was arrayed in his wedding uniform, and as Si had givenhim a little drill in holding him self erect, he was as presentable asoldier as could be found in the regiment, and quite as proud of himselfas the boys of Co. Q were of him. Then an other despairing thoughtstruck Shorty:

  "'Tain't right," he communed with Si and the rest, "that the bridegroomshould have all the good clothes. The bride should have the boss togso' the two. If we was only back near Nashville she should have a layoutthat'd out-rag the Queen o' Sheby, if it took every cent there was inthe company. But I don't suppose you could buy a yard o' kaliker or astitch o' finery within 50 miles o' this clayknob."

  "What we might do," said Si reflectively, "would be to give her hertrowso futuriously, so to speak. We've just bin paid off, and hain't hadno chance to spend our money, so that all the boys has some. Every oneo' 'em 'll be glad to give a dollar, which you kin hand her in a littlespeech, tellin' her that we intended to present her with her trowso,but circumstances over which we had no control, mainly the distance to amilliner shop, prevented, but we would hereby present her with the meansto git it whenever convenient, and she could satisfy herself much betterby picking it out her ownself. You want to recollect that word trowso.It's the elegant thing for a woman's wedding finery, and if you use ityou'll save yourself from mentioning things that you don't know nothin'about, and probably oughtn't to mention. My sisters learned it to me. Agirl who'd bin at boarding-school learned them."

  "Good idee," said Shorty, slapping his leg. "I'll go right out andcollect a dollar from each of the boys. Say that word over agin, till Igit it sure."

  Shorty came back in a little while with his hands full of greenbacks"Every boy ponied right up the moment I spoke to him," he said. "And theCaptain and Adjutant each gave $5. She's got money enough to buy out thebest milliner shop in this part o' Tennessee."

  Next came thoughts of a wedding-supper for the bride's friends. TheColonel took the view that the large number of recruits which heexpected to gain justified him in ordering the Commissary to issue aliberal quantity of rations. Two large iron wash-kettles were scouredout one used to make coffee in and the other to boil meat, while therewas sugar and hardtack in abundance. The mountains were covered withroyal blooms of rhododendron, and at the Adjutant's suggestion enoughof these were cut to fill every nook and corner of the main room of thehouse, hiding the rough logs and dark corners with masses of splendidcolor, much to the astonish ment of the bride, who had never beforethought of rhododendrons as a feature of house adornment.

  Then, just before 6 o'clock roll-call, Co. Q, with every man in itcleaned up as for dress-parade, with Nathan Hartburn at the head,supported on either side by Si and Shorty, and flanked by the Adjutantand Chaplain, marched up the hill to the house, led by the fifers anddrummers, playing the reveille, "When the Cruel War is Over," "YankeeDoodle," and everything else in their limited repertory which they couldthink as at all appropriate to the occasion. The rest of the regiment,with most of the officers, followed after.

  The Chaplain took his place in front of the rhododendron-filledfireplace. The bride and groom stood before him, with Si and Shorty insupport. All of Co. Q crowded into the room, and the rest looked throughthe windows and doors. The Chaplain spoke the words which made theyoung couple man and wife, and handed them a certificate to that effect.Shorty then advanced, with his hand full of greenbacks, and said:

  "Missis Hartburn: Co. Q of the 200th Ind., of which you are now a brevetmember, has appointed me to present their congratulations. We extend toyou the right hand of fellership of as fine a crowd o' soldiers as everbusted caps on any field of battle. We're very glad to have your younghusband with us. We'll take care of him, treat him right, and bring himback to you crowned with the laurels of victory. You just bet your lifewe will. That's our way o' doin' things. Madam, Co. Q very much wishedto present you with a trou-- trou-- tro-- what is that blamed word, Si?"

  "Trowso," whispered Si--

  "with a trowso," continued Shorty, "but circumstances and about 150 mileo' mud road over which we have no control prevented. To show, though,that we really meant business, and ain't givin' you no wind, we havecollected the skads for a regular 24-carat trow-- trous-- trows-- trou--tro-- (blamed the dinged word, what is it, Si?)"

  "Trowso," prompted Si

  "for a regler 24-carat trowso which I have the pleasure o' putting inyour lily-white hands, at the same time wishin' for the company, for youand your husband, all happiness and joy in your married 'life. No more,from yours truly."

  Shorty's brow was beaded with perspiration as he concluded thisintellectual effort and handed the bride the money, which she accepted,as she had done everything else on that eventful day, as some thing thatshe was expected to do. The company applauded as if it had been a speechby Daniel Webster, and then the supper-table was attacked.

  Then came pipes, and presently the brigade band came over and serenaded.A fiddle was produced from somewhere, and a dance started. Suddenly camethe notes of a drum in camp.

  "Early for tattoo, ain't it?" said they, looking inquiringly at oneanother.

  "That's no 'tattoo," said Shorty; "that's the long roll. Break for camp,everybody."