The Guns of Shiloh

ess enclosed everything. He still felt the sensations of one who had been at a great height and who had seen afar. That rim of Southern

ad now reached great numbers, with a magnificent equipment, and, with four t

his friend, George Warner. Sergeant Whitley was there, too, showing some young recruits how

balloon," said Warner.

ave it for the next sixty or seventy years. It was a wonderful sight, George, and not the least w

ed and non-commissioned officers in either army. "Little Mac may be a great organizer, as they sa

tical formula. Delay is always a minus quantity which may be represented by y. Achievement is represented by x, and, consequently,

hing about x and y, but I guess you an' me, George, come to the same place

ys by their first names. But they took it as a matter of course, in view of the fact

s sayin' about a cousin of yours from the same town

and heroes the country down there ever knew, Henry Ware, who afterwards became one of the early governors of the State. And I'm descended from Henry Ware's famous friend, Paul Cotter, who, in his time, was the greatest scholar in all the West. Henry Ware and Paul

usiasm as he spoke of the cous

ard so," said Warner. "Now, Dick, if you were to meet your cousin face to

m at a square foot of air about thirty

o destroy the Union. You have come out armed to save that Union, consequently you must

anishing point. If I can borrow from you, George, x equals Harry's percentage, which is nothing, y equals the value of my hypothetical opportunity, which is nothing, then x plus y equals

tend to the bigger one. I'd never shoot anybody that was a heap to me just because he was one of three or four hundred thousand who was on the other side. I've never thought much of that old

k to shoot in the air when he meets his cousin in the height of battle, but it is a difficult task to establish

eft eyelid droop slightly. A faint twinkle a

hoots high in the air

tation. He was hopeful that all this writing portended something, but more days passed, and despite the impatience of both army and public, there

he promise of winter soon to come. The leaves fell faster and sharp winds blew, bringing with them chill rains. Little Mac, or the Young Napoleon, as many of his friends loved to call him, continued hi

forty thousand. The Northern commander issued statements that the enemy was before him with one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. He

nt into retirement. McClellan, now in sole command, still lingered and delayed, while the South, mak

nd his mathematical Vermont friend that time was fairly wasting

ening in late October before a big blaze. Both were tanned deeply by wind, sun and rain, and they had grown uncommonly hardy, but the wind that

had come that morning, and it was the only one that had reached him since his departure from Kentu

ry, the Northerners were hopeful of victory yet to come. Colonel Kenton was with the Southern force under General Buckner, gathered at Bowling Green in that state, but his son, her nephew Harry, was still in the east with Beauregard. She had heard that the troops of the west and northwest we

e pocket of his coat. Then he looked for a while thoughtfully into the blaze and the great bed of coals that had formed beneath. As far as one could see to right and left like fires burned, but the night

e southern part of our state, and that fighting is sure to occur soon between that town and the Mississippi. An officer named Grant has come down from

hitley sho

e army after the Mexican War. There was so little to do then, and so little chance of promot

look at our army here! Bull Run was fought the middle of summer. Now it's nearly winter, and nothin

ng with you,

" said th

that direction," continued Dick. "He's a war-horse,

on sowing them? The fact that you are from this western battle ground will give more weight to what you say. You do this

a mathematical certainty?" asked Di

ery fellow to influence Colonel Newcomb's mind. I'm a mathematician and I work with

and words!" sa

cing the interruption. "Keep it before him all the time. Hint that ther

be sent to the relief of the struggling Northern forces there, and he contrived also that these petitions should reach the President. One day the order came to go, but not to St. Louis, where Halleck, now in command, was. Instead they were to enter the mountains of West Virginia and Kentucky, and help the m

g in his tent bending over maps

"and I thought you might know something a

ry different both in its own character and that of its people. But I have be

hat young Vermont friend of yours, Warner, is to be on my staff also, a

Whitley with us someti

've noticed that man, and I've a faint suspicion that he

d, a man of much intelligence and good humor, who, previous to the war, had been a lawye

t we are to start for Washington early in the morning and take a train there for the north. It will be the duty of

nt Whitley for advice or instruction. At the first spear of dawn the regiment marched away in splendid order f

ere to sleep on the seats, and their arms and supplies were heaped in the aisles. It was a cold, drizzling day of closing autumn, and the capital looked sodden and gloomy. Cameron, the Secretary o

me seat. It was only forty miles to Baltimore, but their slow train would be perhaps three hours in arriving. So they had ample opportunity to see the country, which they examined with the curious eyes of youth. But t

lidly upon mathematical calculations. He knew that while it might be rai

Most all the border cities are Southern in sympathy, and they're swarming with people who will send to the Southern leaders news of every movement we make. I state, and moreover I assert it in the face o

e time when we invade the South. We've got to win this war, George, by hard

at least one hundred per cent of pro

as twenty-five. Most of them were nineteen or twenty, and it was the same in the other coaches. After the first depression their spirits rose. The temper

utside. Food was served at noon and afterward many slept in the cramped seats. Dick, despite his stiff position, fell asleep too. By the mi

were now among the mountains, whirling around precipices so sharply that often the sleeping boys were thrown from the seats of the coac

but he could see only a few yards. The pitchy darkness closed in ahead, hiding everything, even the peaks and ridges. The heart of that engineer, and he was a brave man, as brave as any soldier on the battlefield

ears. The engineer was not alone in his anxiety this night. Colonel Newcomb rose from an uneasy doze and he went with Major Hertford into the engineer's cab. They were now going at the rate of not more than five or six miles an hour, the long train winding like a snake around the edges of prec

ad, Canby?" said Colonel

to steam into danger with our eyes shut. This is a wild country. The mountaineers in the main are for us, but w

Southern sympathizers. Stop the train, Canby, when we come to t

aution. At that moment he, more than Colonel Newcomb, was responsible for the lives of the seven hu

awakened by the shock, sat up and rubbed their eyes. Then they left the train at once to join

to discover the nature of the country about them. The colonel nodded when they arrived, and gave them an ap

the train would cross the stream about a mile further on. It was still raining and the cold wind whistled down from the mountains. Dick could see the somber ridges showing dimly through the loom of darkness and rain. He was in

olonel Newcomb, "and have every light put out immediately.

ut when they left the last coach and returned to the officers near the engine, the train was in total darkness, and no sound came from it. Colonel Newcomb again gave them an approving nod. Dick noticed that the fires in the e

oughly hidden now, Ca

vance information. I don't see how they could find u

k there!" exclaimed Major Hertford, pointing

eady, vivid light. The effect was weird and powerful. The mountain beneath it was invisible, and it seemed to burn there like a real eye, wrathful and menacing.

at least a minute, began to move slow

bt it is the Southerners. Whatever they're saying th

answering!" exclai

w invisible, seemed to swing in the heavens. Dick, standing there in the darkness and rain, and knowing that imminent and mortal danger was on either side, felt a frightful chill creepi

e sky, seeming to Dick to leave blacker spots on the darkness in t

is?" asked Colonel New

ally certain that they were warned in some

lling their knowledge to each other. It seems likely to me that they will wa

intercept us. I would say at a guess that it is Turner As

Confederate horseman was sprea

side, and shut down the trap upon us. Doubtless they are in superior force, and know the country much better

omb. "But it is obvious that we must not give them time to

ewcomb, the miner colonel, was a man of big and open mind. A successful business man, he had the qualities which made him a good general by the

in this emergency what would y

t saluted r

take the train forward slowly, while the troops marched on either side of it, but at a sufficient distance to be hidden in the darkness. Then, si

so nodded approval. "Your plan is excellent and we will adopt it. Get the troops o

e forming in lines on either side, arms ready. There were many whisperings among these boys, but none loud enough to be hea

er the close heat of the train. They did not know why they had disembarked, but they s

t was bound to rumble and rattle when it started, but he was surprised at the enormous amount of noise it made, when the wheels really began to turn. It seemed to him that in the silence of the night it could be heard three or four

to speak and their footsteps made no noise in the wet grass and low bushes. Dick and Warner kept their eyes on the mountains

cover the same distance. They marched a full half hour and then Dick suppressed a cry. The light, burning as intensely red as before, appeared again on the mountain to the right, but further toward the west, seeming to have moved parallel

e officers did. He now knew, too, that they would not pass out of the valley without a combat. The Southern forces, beyond

eed in order that he might reach the western mouth of the valley before the Southern force had a chance to tear up t

at which lay against the mountains on either side. He was hopeful that they might yet reach it before the Southern force could close down upo

!" shouted Colonel Newcomb. "We'll cover i

e beat of horses' feet grew to thunder. Colonel Newcomb with great presence of mind drew the two parallel lines of his men close together, and ordered them to lie down

orches!" s

, and he knew that they were carried by horsemen, but he could not see either men or horses beneath. Then

Whitley. "They'r