The Sword of Antietam: A Story of the Nation's Crisis Part 11

"You have! What did you see?"

"A mile or two back I pa.s.sed a line of Southern hors.e.m.e.n, just as wet and bedraggled as ours."

"Might they not have been our own men? It would be hard to tell blue and gray apart on such a night."

"One could make such a mistake, but in this case it was not possible.

I saw my own cousin, Harry Kenton, riding with them. I recognized them perfectly."

"Then that settles it. The Confederate scouts and cavalry are abroad to-night also, and on our side of the river. But they must be few who dare to ride in such a storm."

"That's surely true, sir."

But both d.i.c.k and his commanding officer were mistaken. They still underrated the daring and resolution of the Confederate leaders, the extraordinary group of men who were the very bloom and flower of Virginia's military glory, the equal of whom--two at least being in the very first rank in the world's history--no other country with so small a population has produced in so short a time.

Earlier in the day Stuart, full of enterprise, and almost insensible to fatigue, had crossed the Rappahannock much higher up and at the head of a formidable body of his hors.e.m.e.n, unseen by scouts and spies, was riding around the Union right. They galloped into Warrenton where the people, red hot as usual for the South, crowded around them cheering and laughing and many of the women crying with joy. It was like Jackson and Stuart to drop from the clouds this way and to tell them, although the land had been occupied by the enemy, that their brave soldiers would come in time.

News, where a Northern force could not have obtained a word, was poured out for the South. They told Stuart that none of the Northern cavalry was about, and that Pope's vast supply train was gathered at a little point only ten miles to the southeast. Stuart shook his plumed head until his long golden hair flew about his neck. Then he laughed aloud and calling to his equally fiery young officers, told them of the great spoil that waited upon quickness and daring.

The whole force galloped away for the supply train, but before it reached it the storm fell in all its violence upon Stuart and his men.

Despite rain and darkness Stuart pushed on. He said afterward that it was the darkest night he had ever seen. A captured negro guided them on the final stage of the gallop and just when d.i.c.k was riding back to camp behind Colonel Winchester, Stuart fell like a thunderbolt upon the supply train and its guard.

Stuart could not drive wholly away the Northern guard, which though surprised, fought with great courage, but he burned the supply train, then galloped off with prisoners, and Pope's own uniform, horses, treasure chest and dispatch book. He found in the dispatch book minute information about the movements of all the Union troops, and Pope's belief that he ought to retreat from the river on Was.h.i.+ngton. Doubtless the Confederate horseman shook his head again and again and laughed aloud, when he put this book, more precious than jewels, inside his gold braided tunic, to be taken to Lee and Jackson.

But these things were all hidden from the little group of weary men who rode into Pope's camp. Colonel Winchester carried the news of the crossing--Early had made it--to the commander, and the rest sought the best shelter to be found. d.i.c.k was lucky enough to be taken into a tent that was thoroughly dry, and the sergeant who had followed him managed to obtain a supply of dry clothing which would be ready for him when he awoke.

d.i.c.k did not revive as usual. He threw all of his clothing aside and water flew where it fell, put on dry undergarments and crept between warm blankets. Nevertheless he still felt cold, and he was amazed at his own lack of interest in everything. He might have perished out there in the stream, but what did it matter? He would probably be killed in some battle anyway. Besides, their information about the crossing of the rebels was of no importance either. The rebels might stay on their side of the Rappahannock, or they might go back. It was all the same either way. All things seemed, for the moment, useless to him.

He began to s.h.i.+ver, but after a while he became so hot that he wanted to throw off all the cover. But he retained enough knowledge and will not to do so, and he sank soon into a feverish doze from which he was awakened by the light of a lantern s.h.i.+ning in his face.

He saw Colonel Winchester and another man, a stranger, who held a small leather case in his hand. But d.i.c.k was in such a dull and apathetic state that he had no curiosity about them and he shut his eyes to keep out the light of the lantern.

"What is it, doctor?" he heard Colonel Winchester asking.

"Chill and a little fever, brought on by exposure and exhaustion. But he's a hardy youth. Look what a chest and shoulders! With the aid of these little white pills of mine he'll be all right in the morning.

Colonel, Napoleon said that an army fights on its stomach, which I suppose is true, but in our heavily watered and but partly settled country, it must fight sometimes on a stomach charged with quinine."

"I was afraid it might be worse. A dose or two then will bring him around?"

"Wish I could be so sure of a quick cure in every case. Here, my lad, take two of these. A big start is often a good one."

d.i.c.k raised his head obediently and took the two quinine pills. Soon he sank into a condition which was as near stupor as sleep. But before he pa.s.sed into unconsciousness he heard the doctor say:

"Wake him soon enough in the morning, Colonel, to take two more. What a wonderful thing for our armies that we can get all the quinine we want!

The rebel supply, I know, is exhausted. With General Quinine on our side we're bound to win."

"But that isn't the only reason, doctor. Now--" Their voices trailed away as d.i.c.k sank into oblivion. He had a dim memory of being awakened the next morning and of swallowing two more pills, but in a minute or two he sank back into a sleep which was neither feverish nor troubled.

When he awoke the dark had come a second time. The fever was wholly gone, and his head had ceased to ache.

d.i.c.k felt weak, but angry at himself for having broken down at such a time, he sat up and began to put on the dry uniform that lay in the tent. Then he was astonished to find how great his weakness really was, but he persevered, and as he slipped on the tunic Warner came into the tent.

"You've been asleep a long time," he said, looking at d.i.c.k critically.

"I know it. I suppose I slept all through the night as well as the day."

"And the great battle was fought without you."

d.i.c.k started, and looked at his comrade, but Warner's eyes were twinkling.

"There's been no battle, and you know it," d.i.c.k said.

"No, there hasn't been any; there won't be any for several days at least. That whopping big rain last night did us a service after all. It was Early who crossed the river, and now he is in a way cut off from the rest of the Southern army. We hear that he'll go back to the other side.

But Stuart has curved about us, raided our supply train and destroyed it. And he's done more than that. He's captured General Pope's important papers."

"What does it mean for us?"

"A delay, but I don't know anything more. I suppose that whatever is going to happen will happen in its own good time. You feel like a man again, don't you d.i.c.k? And you can have the consolation of knowing that nothing has happened all day long when you slept."

d.i.c.k finished his dressing, rejoined his regiment and ate supper with the other officers around a fine camp fire. He found that he had a good appet.i.te, and as he ate strength flowed rapidly back into his veins. He gathered from the talk of the older officers that they were still hoping for a junction with McClellan before Lee and Jackson could attack. They expected at the very least to have one hundred and fifty thousand men in line, most of them veterans.

But d.i.c.k saw Shepard again that evening. He had come from a long journey and he reported great activity in the Southern camp. When d.i.c.k said that Lee and Jackson would have to fight both Pope and McClellan the spy merely replied:

"Yes, if Pope and McClellan hurry."

But d.i.c.k learned that night that Pope was not discouraged. He had an army full of fighting power, and eager to meet its enemy. He began the next day to move up the river in order that he might face Lee's whole force as it attempted to cross at the upper fords. Their spirits increased as they learned that Early, through fear of being cut off, was going back to join the main Southern army.

The ground had now dried up after the great storm, but the refreshed earth took on a greener tinge, and the air was full of sparkle and life.

d.i.c.k had not seen such elasticity among the troops in a long time. As they marched they spoke confidently of victory. One regiment took up a song which had appeared in print just after the fall of Sumter:

"Men of the North and West, Wake in your might.

Prepare as the rebels have done For the fight.

You cannot shrink from the test; Rise! Men of the North and West."

Another regiment took up the song, and soon many thousands were singing it; those who did not know the words following the others. d.i.c.k felt his heart beat and his courage mount high, as he sang with Warner and Pennington the last verse:

"Not with words; they laugh them to scorn, And tears they despise.

But with swords in your hands And death in your eyes!

Strike home! Leave to G.o.d all the rest; Strike! Men of the North and West!"

The song sung by so many men rolled off across the fields, and the woods and the hills gave back the echo.

"We will strike home!" exclaimed d.i.c.k, putting great emphasis on the "will." "Our time for victory is at hand."

"The other side may think they're striking home; too," said Warner, speaking according to the directness of his dry mathematical mind. "Then I suppose it will be a case of victory for the one that strikes the harder for home."