The Guns of Shiloh

e Union cause in the west, and he found him the plainest and simplest of men, under forty, short in stature, and careless in at

of Mill Spring," he said.

r me," replied

t la

said, "and I fancy that others who try to

n, sir," said Dic

oops and the situation in Eastern Kentucky, and

eneral Thomas, knowing that his own campaign was over, sent them north to Cincinnati and they have come d

ant Whitley would be with him. Once more they would be reunited, reunited for battle. He could not doubt that th

of troops encamped in tents along the shores of both the Ohio and Mississippi. Heavy cannon were drawn up on the wharves, and ammunition and supplies were being transferred from hundreds of wago

his active scene, a small steamer, coming down the Ohio, drew in to a wharf, an

ck?" asked Colo

rade, Lieutenant George Warner of Vermont, and not far away is Sergeant Whitley, late

cour

ted Colonel Newcomb, who gra

th his detachment and joined us at Carrollton at the mouth of that river, told us of your mi

hand of the Vermont boy and was receiv

t in favor of your getting through to Buell. And if you did get through to Buell I knew that at least ninety per cent of the circumstances would represent your desire a

an iron grasp, "and I knew that when we lost you we'd be pretty glad to see you again. Here

Warner. "We hear that this man Grant is a restless sort of a person wh

is old comrades. The Pennsylvania regiment had been much cut down through the necessity of leaving detachments as guards at various places a

her officers slept that night in a small building in the outskirts of Cairo. He knew that a great movement was at

many other vessels which were not used for carrying soldiers. He saw broad, low boats, with flat bottoms, their sides sheathed in iron plates. They were floating batteries moved by powerf

eral McClernand and General Smith, commanded the army aboard the transports. On the transport next to them Dick saw the Pennsylvanians and he waved his hand to his friends who s

as thick as buffaloes in a herd. The soldiers, like all the others whom he saw, were mostly boys. The average could not be over twenty, and some were not over sixteen. But the

ide at the yellow torrent

r. You don't see them as dee

anned brown, but his eyes were blue and his natural complexion was fair. He was clad completely in deerskin, mocassins on his feet and a raccoon skin ca

hen he saw Dick's

My name is Frank Pennington. I was born about forty miles north of Pendleton, but when I was six months old my parents went out on the plains, where I've hunted buffalo, an

k, offering his hand. "You belong with us,

issippi behind them. But the Ohio here for a distance is apparently the mightier stream, and they gazed with interest and a certain awe at the vast yellow sheet enclosed by shores, somber in the gray garb of winter. It was the beginning of

and the river, but were gone in an instant. The skies were an unbroken sheet of gray. The scene so lonely and desolate contained a majesty tha

lains on which I've hunted wi

ger game than bu

likely to turn

es

ow where w

I'm sure that we'll turn into the mouth of that river at Paducah. I infer that we're to attack F

o you know much

low, marshy ground facing the Tennessee, and that it contains sevente

nnington. "I've been in battle only once-at Columbus

the forts are in Tennessee, but as the two rivers run parallel here in the western parts of the

se it's like the horse feeling through the bit the temper of his rider. President Lincoln has stationed General Halleck at St. Louis with general command here in the West. General Halleck thinks that Genera

eyes gl

ill push this campaign home, and that he'll soon be

ree," said Pennington slowly, a

sat on the deck with him, looking out over the fleet, the transports, the floating batteries, the mortar boats, and the iron-clads. He saw that the North, besides being vastly superior in numbers and resources, was

ime, and he was extremely sensitive to impressions. His mind would register them with instant truth. As he looked now upon this floating army he felt t

Henry from a single gunboat in the Tennessee, managed everything with alertness and skill. Th

ing the flakes of snow came again, and the bitter wind blew once more from the Illinois prairies. All the troops who were not under shelter were wrapped in blankets or overcoats. Di

each the Tenness

the morning to find yourself

r seen the

it, could go up it hundreds of miles. Why, Dick, these boats can go clear down into Alabama, into the very heart of the C

some time ago," said Dic

s with us, and wi

ouds that the gray seemed to melt into the brown. The low banks slipped back into the dark. They saw only the near surface of the river, the dark hulls of t

entucky from Mill Spring, and passed so near Pendleton it must

. I was at our home about midnight for nearly

should blame you had you not stopped for those few moments. A nob

but he could not see his fa

in case of need," he replied, "but that means physical help against

lad, we'll get our supper. This nipping air makes me hung

e river, but Dick, standing on the deck, heard the heavy throb of many engines, and he knew that a

boys, wrapped in their blankets and overcoats. He saw his friend, the young hunte

hree or four others, and slept soundly until he was aroused for breakfast. He had not undressed, and, bathing his face, he went out at once

hio, but it was broad, nevertheless, and it had the aspect of great depth. But here, as on the Ohio, they seemed to be steaming through the wilder

adjacent, was almost solidly for the South. They would not find here that division of sentiment, with the majority inclined to the North, that prevail

and he had no doubt that every vessel had long since been counted and that ev

e lads would gladly have gone ashore for a few moments, risking possible sharpshooters in the woods, but not one was allowed to leave the vessels. But Dick's steamer lay so close to the one c

on, who lived for a little while

ied the young hunter,

the pioneers against the Indians. I remember being in one fight with him against the Siou

I can't jump over a section of the Te

ough Dick's earnest solicitation young Pennington was taken out of the ranks and attached to the staff of Colonel Winche

banks. The scenery became romantic and beautiful, but always wild. The river, deep at any time, was now swol

nd lonely as the first. There was a yellow river again, and hills covered with a bare forest. Heavy gray c

putter of rifle shots. Dick sat up in a daze and heard a bullet hum by his ear. Then he heard a powerful voice shouting: "Down! Down, all of you! It's only some skirmishers in the wo

Has an army

e the fort an

ot off me, yo

rect and assisted the senior officers in compelling the others to lie flat upon the decks. He saw several flashes of fire in the undergrowth, bu

oldiers had been hurt and they but lightly. All rolled themse

sheeted and silent white forms lying motionless upon the deck. Snow was falling swiftly out of a dark sky, and the fleet was moving slowly. In the darkness

e them that he yawned once or twice and went to sleep again. When he awoke it was mornin

t before and, since little damage had been done, they appreciated the small spice of danger. The wildnes

w what you're coming to; maybe a blizzard, maybe a buffalo herd, and maybe a band of Indians, and yo

to the center and east, but anyway, our work is to be done in Tenne

you think we'

ow, I s

g, but not of a serious nature. Now and then small bands of Confederate skirmishers sent rifle shots fro

he whole fleet stopped in the middle of the river. A thrill of excitement ran through the army when the news filter

th, and the chill gray sky still gave a uniform somber, gray tint to everything. Bugles blew in the boats, and every soldier began to

derates possessed armored ships to meet them, the landing of a great army under fir

and his comrades perspired all the morning over their labors and were covered with mud when the camp was finally constructed at some distance back of the Tennessee, on the high ground beyond the overflow

and Colonel Newcomb and his staff messed with Colonel Winchester and his officers. There was

d thirty per cent of it will be fighting the rebels in Fort Henry. I hear that we're not to attack until tom

knowing that we won't die of thirst. You could

the camp, they did not care where they slept. When their work was over

hrough which its course must lead. Colonel Winchester, who knew the country better than any other high officer, was sent ahead on horseback with a small detachment to examine the way. He na

my that was pulling itself along slowly through the mud. The fort itself was only about three miles away,

er before they came within the sight of the fort, and then Dick's watch told him that it was nearly noon, the time for the concerted atta

the main Confederate force was gathered on a height outside, connected with the fort

ean?" he asked Co

may be caught in a trap. We know his troops are merely raw militia, and he has put them where t

d Colonel Newcomb. "It will be impossible fo

t I'm not so sure that you're right about t

e fleet, advancing to make the attack alone. Foote is a daring and energet

ut he paid no more attention to his comrades because all his interest was ab

er lent Dick his glasses for a moment, and the boy plainly saw the great, yawning mouths of the mortars. Then he passed the glas

imed, and a fountain of water spurted up where it struck. The other guns replied rapidly, and the fleet, with a terrific roar, replied. It seemed to Dick that the

ne. "By George, the fleet is coming closer. Not a boat has been sunk! What a tremendo

ts, and offered a fair target to their great guns. Both fort and fleet were now enveloped in a great cloud of smoke, but it was repeatedly rent asunder by the flashing of the

, curving shells. The smoke floated far up and down the river, and the Southern troops on the height adjoining

ort, only sixty in number, made the most heroic resistance. The armor clad boats wer

Some of the guns were exploded and others dismounted by this terrible shower, but they did not yet give up. As fast

agnificently it is handled, and it converges closer and closer. A forti

ng and wounding twenty-nine men. Nevertheless, the fire of the boats increased rather

shot. Most of the devoted band were wounded and scarcely a gun could be worked. Tilghman,

flag go up over Fort Henry, and then the cannonade ceased, like