The Guns of Shiloh

of Red Blaze, who with his own unconfined hand grasped the bridles of the three horses, which had served them so well. Petty had received a reward t

ud to have knowed you an' the sergeant, an' to

we should h

t are goin' down thar in them Kentucky mountains. They're mighty wild, winter's here an' the marchin' will be about as bad as it could be. Them's mostly Pennsylvania men with

erful prophet

do. I was jest statin' the other side of the proposition, tellin' what would happen to keerless people, but Colonel Ne

d Blaze. I tr

t in the train. Colonel Newcomb and Major Hertford sat near the head of it, and Warner was just sitting down not far

ck with you the message of President Lincoln? But I heard what our red friend said to you at the car-step. There's a powerful lot in knowing the way,

u are right

s not disturbed. His had been a task, taxing to the utmost both body and mind, and, despite

der it necessary here. These lads, so lately from the schools and farms, had won a victory and they had received the thanks of the President. T

window with his head against the wall slept so soundly. All the afternoon Dick slept on, his breathing regular and

was not awakened. Nature had not yet finished her task of repairing. There was worn ti

ng, when the train stopped at a tiny station in the hills. There was no snow here, but the sun, just rising, threw no heat, and i

d forces of our men, the principal one led by a Virginian named Thomas, are endeavoring to deal with Zollicoffer. The Secretary of War regrets the division of the regiment, but he thinks it necessary, as all our detached forces must be strengthened. I go on with the main body of the regiment to

" said Major Hertford, "an

ut a word, but Dick cast an ap

Hertford. You are to do so. So is your friend, Lieutenant Warner, and, Major Hertford, I also lend to you

eved would come more quickly with Major Hertford's column. A little later, w

that our plans here in Eastern Kentucky will prove successful, and that before long you will be able

othed, and they had supplies loaded in several wagons, purchased hastily in the village. A dozen of the strong mountaineers volunteered to be drivers

he little column, although eager for their new task, watched its departure with a certain sadness at parting with their comrades.

is staff, practically its only members, in fact. "It looks odd to hunt through t

n the others, they dismounted and walked over the frozen ground. The greatest tasks were with the wagons containing the ammunition and supplies. The mountain roads were little more than trails, sometimes half blocked with ice or snow and then again deep in mud. The winter was se

a Virginian, a member of the old regular army, a valiant, able, and cautious man, who chose to abide by the Union. Many other Virginians, some destined to be as famous as h

ike other border states. General Crittenden's father was a member of the Federal Congress at Washington, and one of his brothers was a general also, but on the other side. But he was to see such cases over and over again, and he was to s

ess uncertain manner. Sometimes they were sent on false trails, but their loyal mountaineers brought them back again. They also found volunteers, and Major Hertford's little force swell

ds, and also their great friendship for Sergeant Whitley. It seemed fitting to him that the three should be nearly always t

t higher than the others, they verified the truth of the statement. Before them lay the coziest nook they had yet seen in the mountains, and in the center of it rose a warm curl of smoke from

they reined in their ponies and listened. Some one was singing. On the thi

ain, ling'ring fall

untain breaks t

endor, where the warm

tender, speak th

Ask thy soul i

ta! Lean tho

e wonderful because they heard it there in those lone mountains. The ridges t

lls of the valley, but they felt that here was no common man. No common mind, or at least no common heart, could infus

g, moons like these

aming prove thy

lenting, for thy

onsenting to a

! Let me linge

! Be thou my o

re I started to the war, but I never heard anything that sounds finer than this. Maybe time a

and we'll soon find our

ge, mending a fence, helped by a boy of heavy build and powerful arms. The man glanced up, saw the blue uniforms worn by the three horsemen, and went p

who helped him seemed almost his equal in strength, but he neither sang nor spoke

erior type," said Dick. "Maybe we ca

ow," said the shrewd and experienced sergeant, "but we can certainly do no harm by s

fence-menders, stopping their work, saluted in th

ard to join the Union army under General Thomas," s

If I knew where that army is it would be easy for me to tell you, but if I didn't know I couldn't.

ze was perfectly frank and open and his eyes twinkled as he spoke. The b

l we know you better," s

to tell you, young stranger, that since this war began and the Yankees and the Johnnies have taken a notion to shoot up one another, people who would never have

stonishment. "Of course you can't do i

in Kentucky called Pendleton. You've been serving with the Yanks in the East, an' you've a cousin, named Harry Kento

him in deepen

e replied. "You know. Every

nton, killed in the big battle at Bull Run? I've been tremenjeou

e, but I have definite news now that

ephew Ike breathed d

hink I'll like you about as well. It don't matter to me that you're on different sid

rth did yo

here ain't danger of anybody taking your hosses, 'cause you can hitch 'em right at the front door

and the sergeant, dismounting and leading their horses, walked toward the house with

me no more,

r, thy spiri

ne, alas! l

med in the sum

ever more

thy winning

ng time comes

wers are scattere

in a singular manner. All at once the war with its passions and carnage floated away. Here was a little valley fenced in from the batt

us. There is nothing to fight about here. But come into the house. This i

rocking chair beside the chimney, beside which a fire glowed and bla

great Henry Ware that you used to know was here last spring, and

e stood up. Fire came into the old, o

s, but brave, and the greatest scholar. I should have known that when Henry Ware's great-grandson

aight, her face close to his. She was a tall woman, above the

and the nose are the same. This house is yours while you choose to remain, a

of the Virginians and Marylanders who emigrated to Kentucky in t

s. Everything about her seemed to float away. Doubtless her thoughts ran on those dim early days, when t

ccurred. Harry Kenton must have passed there, and as they went into the

as a wonderful thing to see, and it made me feel just a little bit creepy for a second or two. Mebbe you an' your cousin, Harry Kenton, are Henry Ware an' Paul Cotter, their very selves come back to earth. It looks curious that both of you should wander to this little place hid deep in the mountains. But it's happened all the sam

r named Garfield had defeated the Southern forces under Humphrey Marshall in a smart little battle at a place called Middle Creek. Dick knew this Humphrey Marshall well. He lived at Louisville and was a great fr

Cumberland River about Mill Spring and that they had ten thousand men. Thomas with a strong Northern force, co

come along an' ask me to tell what I know I tell it to 'em, be they Yank or Reb. Now,

and when they saw that he would take no pay, they did not insist, knowing that it would offend him. Dick said

ho have his blood in your veins are good, too. I c

s, dreaming of the far day when the great borderers saved her and others like her from

d to join Thomas, whom they could now locate without much difficulty. Jarvis and Ike had resumed their fence-mending,

away when th

orm was ro

him down in

ght of an

lashed, and the

with its f

r passed on th

o'er the ro

s no fool,

at he calls a lunkhead. Did you notice, Mr. Mason, that the boy never spoke a word

e third day thereafter they entered a strong Union camp, commanded by a ma