The Sword of Antietam

powerful glasses. The other two dismounted and waited patiently. All three were thin and their faces were darkened by sun and wind. But they were s

who leaned easily against his horse, wi

the August heat shimmering o

just now my Nebraska prairie would be better for us. We could at least

beautiful, and neither heat nor cold could take away its picturesqueness. He saw valleys in which the grass grew thick and strong, clusters of

he see man. He knew the reason, but he had become so used to his trade that at the moment, he felt no sadness. All this region had been swept by great arm

rs of eyes are better than none. George, you take the

er's mind showed in every emergency. He swept the glasses back and forth in a regular curve, not looking here and now there, but takin

tion?" asked Dick as Warner passed

y equal the result I draw, which is nothing.

ination. The blood in his veins fl

g to be asked, "and I'm disappointed. I had a hope, Dick, t

m, how would you kn

eard so much of him that it just s

he tales we've heard about his whiskers,

ns of our generals. You know, I've got a cousin, Harry Kenton, with him. I had a letter from him a week ago-passing through the lines, and coming in a rou

he green hills of Vermont for a long time yet, because I mean to pay a v

uble. A man I know at home says he's kept out of a lot of trouble by 'never writin' nothin' t

ck man riding a long, thick horse and he-the man, not the horse-bears a startling r

y, "and I'm glad he's joining us. Do you know, boys, I often thi

re, sergeant! Here are your friends! Come up and make the

t under his thatch of hair, and a warm heart within his strong body. The boys, although lieutenan

e's Army of Virginia, which was to hold the valley and also protect Washington. Grant's success at Shiloh had been offset by McClellan's failure before Richmond, and the Presid

up the slope, and joined the lads

ndred eyes of Argus b

. "I don't know any such m

ghty useful if we had him here. If even a single one of his hundred

is head and looked r

time for joki

newall Jackson is advancing. Advancing where, from what and when? There is no Argus to tell. The country supports a fairly numerous population, but i

ain't any friends of mine. Then I came through a little place of not more'n five houses. No men there, just women an' children, but when I looked back I saw them women an' children, too, grin

Dick, startled. "Why, when we last heard of Jackso

I come east that they've won the name fair an' true. See them woods off to the south there. See the black line they make ag

a burning star across the sky, but for the first time there was apprehension in his soul. He had seen but little of the new general, Pope, but he had read his proclamations and h

n the west the Union troops had felt the strong hand over them, and confidence had flowed int

sailing everyone. Dick never doubted that the Union would win. He never doubted it then and he never doubted

aled to the eye, and yet the horizon, looking so peaceful in the distance, was barbed with spears. Jackson was there! The sergeant's theory had become conviction with them. Distance

, he had leaped to the conclusion that Lee and Jackson meant to trap the Union army, the hammer beating it out on the anv

onet or a polished rifle barrel. And then as he looked he saw the fla

of that far hill to the south and

ass across a bit of open land. They're Confedera

rne was unknown to him. He merely felt that this was the vanguard of Jackson riding forward to set the t

n what we were afr

oop of horse coming up another road, too. By George, they're advancing at a trot! W

said Harry, "and report what we've seen. As

led their errand, but he had his doubts how their news would be received. The Northern generals in the east did not seem to him t

st. The force in the west was the nearer of the two. Not only was Sherburne there, but Harry Kenton was with him, and besides thei

their horsemen," said Sergeant Whitley, whose face was very

ht Jackson was sw

t he's swifter than I thought. Them feet cavalry of his don't have to

s of infantry, men in gray pressing forward at full speed. They saw also batter

as right," said Pennington.

t of the hills. It was now about the middle of the morning and the day was burning hot and breathless. Their

many bayonets and rifle barrels along its lowest slope. Another heavy column of infantry

Often on the plains, when we had to divide our little force into detachmen

e among the blue horsemen, giving the hasty news of Jackson's advance. Other scouts and staff officers arrived a little late

er Colonel Arthur Winchester. The colonel was thin, bronzed and strong, and he, too, l

med. "Is it a mere scouting force of

coming up. They were pressing forward, too, as if

on Cedar Run, but Banks, who is in immediate command, has been stung deeply by his defeats

ace, and the Union troops on Cedar Run were but seven thousand. The famous Confederate leader must have at least three times that number. Were

luding his own regiment, was forming in line of battle but his colonel had not yet called upon him for any duty. Warner and Pennington w

It sounds like the popping of corn at home

n't mind firing into the smoke and the crowd, but I'd hate to sit down behind a stu

! The sergeant was right. We're going to have a battle to-day and a b

armies, and behind the flash of the Southern firing he saw heavy masses of infantry emerging from the woods. A deep thrill ran through him. Jackson, the famous, the redoubtable, the unbeatable, was at

dy of war to see that they were in a strong position. Before them flowed the creek. On their flank and partly in their front was a great field of Indian corn. A quarter of a mile aw

if Jackson passes over this place he w

ll make quite a halt before passing.

aiting the attack. Dick was no longer compelled to use the glasses. He saw with unaided eye the great Southern columns marching forward wi

ad eye enough to see that the Southern force was much greater than their own, and, led by such a man, how could they fail to win another triu

the Northern batteries poured a stream of m

e lads in blue. Stonewall Jackson with all his skill and fame was before them, but they meant to stop him. Numbers were

ranks. But the regiments, the new and the old, stood firm. Those that had been beaten before by Jackson were resolved not to be beat

me up. We shall now have nine thousand with which to withstand the attack, and I don't believe they can drive us

dispatches from "Headquarters in the Saddle," to the anxious Lincoln at Washington, had strung his numerous forces along in detachments, just as the

crash. The smoke rose and hung in clouds over the hills, the valley and the cornfield. The hot air, surcharged with dust, smoke and burned gunpowder, wa

an orderly who led them to the rear. Horses would not be needed fo

er ordered his regiment to kneel and open fire, being held hitherto in reserve. Dick snatched up a rifle from a sold

there were many tiny spurts of dust in the road, where other bullets fell. Then he saw beyond the dark masses of the Southern infantry. It seemed t

ars, then for an instant or two a vast cloud of smoke hid the advancing gray mass. When it was lifted a moment later the men in gray w

houted Pennington,

," said Warner, a deep flu

battle which raged fiercely on either flank, they heard the notes of a trumpet rising, loud, clear, and distinc

It's old Stonewall himself! There o

everal hundred yards away a thickset man on a sorrel horse. He was bearded an

hid the man and the hillock. But Dick had not the slightest doubt that it was the great Southern leader, and he was ri

d they marched off to one flank, where a field of wheat lately cut, and a wood on the extreme end, lay before them. Behind them they heard the battle swelling anew, but Dick kn

own in the wheat-fie

. "See them running forward, hiding b

now began to search the wheat field. A shell struck squarely in the center of one of the shocks behind which three Northern skirmishers were kneeling. Dick saw the straw fly int

their right flank was a numerous body of cavalry. Officers were

olonel Winchester. "Ah, there are our g

to be silenced. Some of them were dismounted and the gunners about them were killed, but the oth

rumpets rang a shrill note of defiance along the whole line. Banks, remembering his bitter

reeling beneath his feet, but he knew that they were advancing and that the enemy was giving way again. Stonewall Jackson and his generals felt a certain hardening of the Northern resistance that day. The recruits in blu

idable body of men issuing from the Northern side of the wood charged with the bayonet, pushing the charge home with a courage and a recklessness of de

blue from the wood and Colonel Winchester's regiment joined, their shout

They were proving to him that he could not win always. His joy was warranted. No such confusion had eve

o stop the retreat. The valiant Winder was mortally wounded and died upon the field, and Jackson, with his wonderful ability to

e from the men in blue as th

in!" cried Pe

shouted Warner,

en back by the fierce and irresistible charge, and, as their flight became swifter, the shells and grape from the Northern batteries plunged

ry red mist, and a confused and terrible noise of shouting and firing. But they were winning! They were beating Stonewall Jackson himself. His pulses throbbed so ha

They had reckoned ill, because they had not reckoned upon all the resources of Stonewall Jackson's mind. He had stemmed the rout in person and now he was pushing forward the Stonewall Brigade, five regimen

ement and wonder how the halt could have happened. Dick shared in the terrible surprise. The fire in front of him deepened suddenly. Men were struck down al

. It seemed to Dick that the earth slipped under their feet. A tremendous excitement seized him at the thought of victory lost just when it seemed won. He ran up and down the lines, shouting to t

head had been creased by a bullet, but so much dust and burned gunpowd

e after all?"

r his own voice amid such a roar of cannon and rifles. But it was

ason, but we've got to fight

equal in numbers, they saw the victory wrenched from their grasp. Jackson now had his forces in the hollow of his hand. He saw everything that was p

Winchester, Warner and Pennington in the smoke and the dreadful

and, forced to abandon all hope of victory, they fought now to escape. Two small squadrons of cavalry, scarce two hundred in number, sent forward from a wood, charged the whole Southern army under a sto

onger golden but red, cast a sinister light over the trampled wheat field, the slopes and the woods torn by cannon balls. The dead and the wounded lay in thousands, and Banks,

with the relaxation came a clearer view. He saw the sinking red sun through the banks of smoke, and in fancy he already felt the cool darkness

ly unaware of the fact. The colonel, by shout and by gesture, was gathering around him the remains of his regiment. Other regiments on either side were trying to do the same, and eventually they fo

s. But this knowledge was little compensation to the Northern troops. They knew that behind them was a great army, that Pope might have been present with

n had boasted that they were a match for those of Jackson, and they were, if they could only have traded gener

ybody fight better than our men did, an' that charge of the little troop of cavalry was never beat anyw

a bitterness that Dick had ne

of Virginia. Give Jackson, say, fifteen thousand men. We have fifty thousand, but we divide them into five armies of ten thousand apiece. Jackson fights them in detail, which is five battl

killed," said P

half a century to put the pieces back together again a

returning cheerfulness. "Other countries

kness along their front. Dick saw the pink flashes along the edges of the woods and the wheat field, but his mind, deadened for the time, took no further impressions. Skirm

ral Banks, returned presently and told them

s will gain his rear and that we shall be surrounded. He ought to know. He has had enough

to begin the retreat. But though the muscles were tired the spirit was not unwilling. All the omens were sinister, pointing to the need of withdrawal. The vicious

A full moon threw a silvery light over the marching troops, who strode on in silence, the

e are going?" Dick a

six or seven miles away. I suppose we'll get there in the morning

ithout borrowing of the night. Hear that big gun over there on our

ways on their flanks. The impression of Jackson's skill and power which Dick had gained so quickly was deepening already. He did not have the slightest doubt now that the Southern leader was pressing

officers who were his good comrades talked toge

id Pennington. "What'll we do when

court house as marching away fr

ck again," said

k through the trees there on our

ine of horsemen in gray on their fla