by John McElroy
CHAPTER VI. BATTLE OF STONE RIVER
THE 200TH IND. IS PRAISED FOR BRAVERY.
THE fagged-out 200th Ind. was put in reserve to the brigade, which layin the line-of-battle. After having got the train safely into camp, theregiment felt that it was incapable of moving another foot.
While their coffee was boiling Si and Shorty broke off a few cedarbranches to lay under them, and keep out the mud. The rain stilldrizzled, cold, searching and depressing, but they were too utterlytired to do anything more than spread their over coats on the branches,lay their blankets and ponchos over, and crawl in between.
In the few minutes which they allowed to elapse between getting intocamp and going to sleep they saw and heard something of the preparationsgoing on around them for the mighty battle, but body and brain were tooweary to properly "sense" these. They hardly cared what might happento-morrow. Rest for to-day was everything. They were too weary to worryabout anything in the future.
"It certainly looks, Shorty," said Si, as he crawled in, "like as ifthe circus was in town, and the big show'd come off to-morrow, withoutregard to the{68} weather."
"Let it come and be blamed to it," snorted Shorty. "They can't git upnothin' wuss'n we've bin havin' to-day, let them try their durndest. ButI tell you, Mr. Si Klegg, I want you to lay mighty still to-night. Ifyou git to rollin' around in your usual animated style and tanglin'up the bedclothes, I'll kick you out into the rain, and make you staythere. Do you hear me?"
"You bet I'll lay quiet," said Si, as together they gave the skillfullittle kick only known to veteran campaigners by which they broughtthe blankets snugly up around their feet. "You could sooner wake up afence-rail than me. I want to tell you, too, not to git to dreamin' ofpryin' wagons out of the mud, and chasin' rebel cavalry. I won't haveit."
The reveille the next morning would have promptly awakened even moretired sleepers than Si and Shorty. Even before the dull, damp drumsbegan rolling and the fifes shrieking the air of enforced gaiety alongthe sinuous line of blue which stretched for miles through red, muddycottonfields and cedar tangles wet as bath-room sponges, there came fromfar away on the extreme right a deepening roll of musketry, punctuatedwith angry cannon-shots and the faint echo of yells and answeringcheers.
"That's McCook opening the battle," said the officers, answering theanxious looks of the men. "He's to hold the rebels out there, whileCrittenden sweeps around on the left, captures Murfreesboro, and takesthem in the rear."
Miles away to the left came the sound of musketry and cannons, as if toconfirm this. But the firing there died down, while that to the rightincreased{69} with regular, crashing volleys from muskets and artillery.
The 200th Ind. was in that exceedingly trying position for soldiers,where they can hear everything but see nothing. The cedar thicket inwhich they stood shut off the view in every direction. The Colonel keptofficers and men standing strictly in place, ready for any contingency.Si and Shorty leaned on their muskets and anxiously watched theregimental commander as he sat rigidly in his saddle, with his fixedgaze bent in the direction of the awful tumult. The Adjutant had riddenforward a little ways to where he could get a better view. The otherofficers stood stiffly in their places, with the points of their drawnswords resting on the ground, and their hands clasped on the hilts, andwatched the Colonel intently. Sometimes they would whisper a few wordsto those standing near them. The Captain of Co. Q drew geometric figuresin the mud with the point of his sword.
Constantly the deafening crash came nearer, and crept around farther tothe right.
Si gave a swift glance at Shorty. His partner's teeth were set, his facedrawn and bloodless, his eyes fixed immovably on the Colonel.
"Awful fightin' goin' on out there, Shorty," said Si, in hushed voice."I'm afraid they're lickin' our fellers."
"Confound it!" snorted Shorty, "why in thunder don't they move us out,and give us something to do? This is hell standin' here listenin'."
A teamster, hatless and coatless, with his hair{70} standing up, cametearing through the brush, mounted on his saddle-mule.
A chorus of yells and curses greeted his appearance. It was immenserelief for the men to have something to swear at.
A FRIGHTENED TEAMSTER 70]
"Run, you egg-sucking hound. "Run, you scald-headed dominie.{71}
"Somebody busted a cap in your neighborhood, old white-liver."
"Seen the ghost of a dead rebel, Pilgarlic?"
"Pull back your eyes, you infernal mulewhacker. A limb'll brush 'emoff."
"Look at his hair standin' up stiffer'n bristles on a boar's back."
"Your mules got more sand 'n you. They're standing where you left 'em."
"Of course, you're whipped and all cut to pieces. You was that when youheard the first gun crack."
"Get out of the way, and let him run himself to death. That's all he'sfit for."
"You've no business in men's clothes. Put on petticoats."
"Go it, rabbit; go it, cotton-tail you've heard a dog bark."
"Chickee chickee skip for the barn. Hawk's in the air."
"Let him alone. He's in a hurry to get back and pay his sutler's bill."
The teamster gasped out:
"You'd better all git out o' here as fast as the Lord'll let you.Johnson's Division's cut all to pieces and runnin'. There'll be amillion rebels on top o' you in another minnit."
"Capt. McGillicuddy," said the Colonel sternly, but without turning hishead, "either bayonet that cowardly rascal or gag him and tie him to atree."
The Captain turned to give the order to Corp'l Klegg, but the teamsterstruck his mule with his whip, and went tearing on through the brushbefore the order could be given.{72}
Some severely-wounded men came slowly pushing their way through thechaparral.
"It's awful hot out there," they said. "The rebels got the start of us,and caught our battery horses off to water. They outflanked us bad, butthe boys are standin' up to 'em and they're gettin' help, an 'll lickthe stuffin' out of 'em yet."
The regiment gave the plucky fellows a cheer.
A riderless horse, frantic from his wounds and the terrific noise, torethrough the brush, and threatened to dash over Co. Q. Si and Shortysaw the danger, and before the Captain could give an order they sprangforward, and, at considerable risk, succeeded in getting hold of thereins and partially calming the poor brute. The eagles on the saddlecloth showed that he belonged to a Colonel. He was led to the rear, andsecurely haltered to a young cedar. The incident served a purpose indistracting for awhile the attention of the regiment.
The noise in front and to the right swept farther away for a littlewhile, and the men's hearts rose with a cheer.
"Now the reinforcements are getting in. Why in the world don't they sendus forward?" they said.
The Colonel still sat rigidly, with his face straight to the front.
Then the noise began to roll nearer again, and the men's hearts to sink.
The wounded men coming back became a continuous procession. They spokeless confidently, and were anxious to know what was taking place onother parts of the line.
"The whole infernal Southern Confederacy's out{73} there," said one boy,who was holding his shattered right hand in his left, with histhumb pressed hard on the artery, to stanch the blood, "in threelines-of-battle, stretching from daybreak to sunset. The boys have beenstanding them off bully, though, but I don't know how long they can keepit up. Thomas and Crittenden ought to be walking right over every thing,for there can't be anybody in front of them. They're all out there."
Two musicians came laboring through, carrying a stretcher on which wasan officer with part of his face shot away. Si felt himself growingwhite around the mouth and sick at the stomach, but he looked the otherway, and drew in a long, full breath.
The storm now seemed to be rolling toward them at railroad speed.Suddenly the woods became alive with men running back, some with theirguns in their hands, many without. Some were white with fear, andsilent; some were
in a delirium of rage, and yelling curses. Officers,bareheaded, and wildly excited, were waving their swords, and callingregiments and companies by name to halt and rally.
The Adjutant came galloping back, his horse knocking the fugitives rightand left. He shouted, to make himself heard in the din:
"The whole division is broken and going back. Our brigade is trying tohold the rebels. They need us at once."
The Colonel turned calmly in his saddle, and his voice rang out clear,distinct, and measured, as if on parade:
"Attention, 200th Indiana!"
"Load at will LOAD!"
A windrow of bright ramrods flashed and weaved in the air. A wave ofsharp, metallic clicks ran from one end of the line to the other.
"Shoulder ARMS!"
"Right FACE!"
"Forward MARCH!"
What happened immediately after emerging from the cedars Si could neverafterward distinctly recall. He could only vaguely remember as one doesthe impression of a delirium seeing, as the regiment swung from columninto line, a surging sea of brown men dashing forward against a bank ofblue running along a rail fence, and from which rose incessant flashesof fire and clouds of white smoke. The 200th Ind. rushed down to thefence, to the right of the others; the fierce flashes flared along itsfront; the white smoke curled upward from it. He did not rememberany order to begin firing; did not remember when he began. He onlyremembered presently feeling his gun-barrel so hot that it burned hishand, but this made him go on firing more rapidly than before. He wasdimly conscious of his comrades dropping around him, but this did notaffect him. He also remembered catching sight of Shorty's face, andnoticing that it was as black as that of a negro, but this did not seemstrange.
He felt nothing, except a consuming rage to shoot into and destroy thosebillows of brown fiends surging incessantly toward him. Consciousnessonly came back to him after the billows had surged back ward into thewoods, leaving the red mud of the field splotched with brown lumps whichhad lately been men.{75}
As his mind cleared his hand flinched from the hot gun-barrel, and helooked down curiously to see the rain-drops turn into steam as theystruck it. His throat was afire from the terrible powder thirst. Helifted his canteen to his lips and almost drained it. He drew a longbreath, and looked around to see what had happened since they left thecedars. Shorty was by his side, and unhurt. He now under stood why hisface was so black. He could feel the thick incrustation of powder andsweat on his own. Several of Co. Q were groaning on the ground, and theCaptain was detailing men to carry them back to where the Surgeon hadestablished himself. Two were past all surgery, staring with soullesseyes into the lowering clouds.
"Poor Bill and Ebe," said Si, gazing sorrowfully at the bodies. "Co. Qwill miss them. What good boys they--"
"Were" stuck in his throat. That those strong, active, ever-readycomrades of a few minutes before now merely "were" was unspeakable.
His thoughts were distracted by a rebel battery on the hill sendinga volley of shells at the fence. Some went over, and tore gaps in thecedars beyond. One struck the corner of the fence near him, and set therails to flying.
"I like fence-rails in their place as well as any man," said Shorty, asthey dodged around; "but a fence-rail's got no business sailin' 'roundin the air like a bird."
An Aid rode up to the Colonel.
"The General's compliments, Colonel. He directs me to express to youhis highest compliments on the{76} splendid manner in which you havedefended your position. You and your men have done nobly. But we areoutflanked, and it will be necessary to retire to a new position about ahalf-mile to the rear. You will withdraw your regiment by companies, soas to attract as little attention from the enemy as possible. As soonas they are under cover of the cedars you will move rapidly to the newposition."
"Very well," said the Colonel, saluting. "You will be good enough to sayto the General that my men and myself appreciate highly his praise. Weare proud to receive it, and shall try to deserve it in the future. Hisorders shall be immediately obeyed."
"They call this a civil war," said Shorty, as an other volley of shellstore around. "Seems to me sometimes that it's too durned civil. If we'regoin' to git out of here, we might save compliments for a quieter time."
One by one the companies filed back into the cedars, Co. Q being last.Just as they started the rebels on the opposite hill discovered themovement, raised a yell, and started across the field.
"Halt Front!" commanded the Captain. "Those fellows are too tumultuousand premature. We must check them up a little. Wait till they come tothat little branch, then everybody pick his man and let him have it. Aimbelow the belt."
The frenzy of the first struggle was now gone from Si's mind; insteadhad come a deadly determination to make every shot tell.
"I'm goin' to fetch that mounted officer on their right," he said toShorty and those around him.
"Very well," said Shorty. "I'll take that Captain{77} near him who'swavin' his sword and yellin'. The rest o' you fellers pick out differentmen."
The rebel line was in the weeds which bordered the branch when theCaptain gave the order to fire.
When the smoke arose the mounted officer and the yelling Captain weredown.
"If somebody else didn't get them, we did," said Shorty, as they turnedand rushed back into the cedars.
The rebels were only checked momentarily. They soon came swarming on,and as Co. Q crashed through the cedars the rebels were yelling close behind. Fortunately, they could not do any effective firing, on accountof the brush. But when they came to the edge of the thicket there wasa long run across a furrowed, muddy cottonfield, to reach the knollon which the brigade was re-forming. The battery was already in actionthere, throwing shells over the heads of Co. Q at the rebels swarmingout of the cedars in pursuit.
Si and Shorty threw away overcoats, blankets, haversacks and canteenseverything which would impede their running, except their guns andcartridge-boxes. Their caps were gone, and Si had lost one shoe in themud. They all sat down on the ground for a minute and panted to gettheir breath.
The rebels were checked, but only temporarily. They were throngingout in countless multitudes, lining up into regiments and brigades,preparatory to a rush across the field upon the brigade. Away to theright of the brigade rebel batteries had been concentrated, which wereshelling it and the ground to the rear, to prevent any assistance beingsent it.{78}
"Captain," said the Colonel, riding up to Co. Q, "the General says thatwe have got to stay here and hold those fellows back until the new linecan be formed along the pike. We haven't ammunition enough for anotherfight. You'll have to send a Corporal and a squad back to the pike tobring up some more. Pick out men that'll be sure to come back, and in ahurry."
"Corp'l Klegg," said the Captain, without an instant's hesitation, "youhear what's to be done. Take five men and go."
Si looked around to see if there was someone he could borrow a shoefrom. But that was hardly a time when men were likely to lend shoes. Hepicked Shorty and four others. They flung down their guns and started ona run for the pike.
The batteries were sweeping the fields with shells, but they were sointent on their errand that they paid no attention to the demoniacshrieks of the hurtling pieces of iron.
They gained the other side of the field, but as they entered the welcomeshelter of the woods they encountered an officer with a drawn sword,commanding a line of men.
"Stop there, you infernal, cowardly rascals," he yelled. "Pick up thoseguns there, and get into line, or I'll shoot you. You, Corporal, oughtto be ashamed of yourself."
"We're after ammunition for the 200th Ind.," gasped Si. "We must have itright away. Where's the division ammunition train?"
"That ammunition story's played. Can't work it on me. Where's yourregiment? Where's your{79} caps? Where's your shoes? Where's your guns?You're rattled out of your senses. Stop here and cool off. Pick up gunsthere and fall into line."
"Name o' God, Lieutenant," said Shorty excitedly. "This's no
timefor any foolishness. Our regiment's out there on the hill without anyammunition. The rebels are gittin' ready to jump it, four or five toone. Don't fool, for heaven's sake. There's not a minute to waste.Come with us and help us git the ammunition. That's a blame sight moreimportant than stoppin' these here runaways, who're no good when theyare stopped. Come along, for God's sake."
His earnestness impressed the Lieutenant.
"Lieut. Evans," he called out, "take command of the line while I go backwith these men to the ammunition-train. I can get it quicker for themthan they can. Your Colonel should have sent a commissioned officer withyou."
"The Colonel needs all the officers he has left with him," pantedShorty, running ahead of the rest. "Everybody back there's got all hecan attend to, and we couldn't really be spared."
There was a crowd of similar men surging around the ammunition wagons,each eager to get his load and rush back. The covers of the wagonshad been torn off, and a man stood in each, pitching the boxes to theclamoring details. All were excited and reckless. The pitching would bewild, or the catching bad, and occasionally a box would strike a man onthe head or body and knock him down. He would scarcely stop to swear,but snatch up his precious box and rush off toward his regiment.{80}
"Open out here, let us in," commanded the Lieutenant, striking rightand left with the flat of his sword. It was not a moment for gentlecourtesies. The crowd opened up, and Si and Shorty pushed in near thewheels.
"Now give us six boxes in a hurry," commanded the Lieutenant.
Si caught the first box, Shorty the second, and before the Lieutenantwas hardly done speaking the rest had theirs, and started back on therun, accompanied by the Lieutenant. The boxes were very heavy and themud was deep, but they went faster than they had ever done, even whenrunning from the rebels.
"I'm awfully afraid you'll have a time getting across the field there,"said the Lieutenant, as they came to the edge, and he surveyed theground in front doubtfully. "Lieut. Evans says they've moved a batteryup closer, and are sweeping the field with canister."
"We don't care what they're shootn'," said Si resolutely. "We're goin'back to the regiment with these boxes, or die a-tryin'."
"Go on, then, and God help you," said the Lieutenant. "I'd go with youif I could do any good."
Si arranged his box for a desperate rush. A blast of canister sweptthrough, cutting down shrubs, splattering the mud, and shriekingviciously.
"Let's get as far as we can before they fire again," he shouted, andplunged forward. Half-way across the field his foot caught in a devil'sshoe-string, and down he went in the mud, with the heavy box drivinghim deeper.{81}
Just then another blast of canister hurtled across the field.
A LUCKY FALL 81]
"Golly, it was lucky, after all, that I was tripped," said Si,rising, stunned and dripping. "That load of canister was meant for mepersonally."
Two minutes later he flung the box down before the company, and sankpanting on the ground. The others came up after. Some had teen grazed bycanister, but none seriously wounded. They arrived just in the nick oftime, for the regiment had expended its last cartridge in repulsing thelast assault, and was now desperately fixing bayonets to meet the nextwith cold steel. The lids of the boxes were pried off with bayonets,and the Sergeants ran along the companies distributing the packages.The assault was met with a stream of fire, given with steady deadliness,which sent the rebels back to their covert.
An Aid dashed across the field to the brigade commander.
"The line is now formed," he said. "Retire your command to it."
That night, after the battle had ceased, Si and Shorty were seated on arail by the Nashville pike munching rations which they had luckily foundin a thrown-away haversack. They were allowed no fires, they had noblankets nor overcoats, and it was bitter cold.
"Shorty, you said last night you was sure that they couldn't git upnothin' to-day that'd be as bad as what we had yesterday," said Si. "Ibel'eve that I'd rather guard wagon-trains and fight cavalry than havesuch another day as this."
"I think the lake of brimstone'd be a pleasant change from this,"snorted Shorty.
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