The Star of Gettysburg

own father the great general had stood in that place to him. He had received from him so many marks of approval, and, riding as a trusted member

hat his general had died in vain. He had but to ride a little distance and see the enemy across the Ra

tached from the battle to guard against a possible flank attack upon Richmond. Oh, if Longstreet and his twenty thousand veterans had been at Chancellorsville! And if Jackson had not fallen just at the moment when he was about to complete the destruction of Hooker's right wing!

hinking of the distant years and what they might bring. Both he and Dalton felt joy when General Lee sent for them and told them that, having been valued mem

st the same affection and hero-worship for Lee that he had felt for Jackson. And as the clos

y, and all the surrounding country were turning a deep green, and the waters of the Rappahannock often flashed in gold or silver as the sun blazed or grew dim. Pleasant relations between the sentries on the two sid

rds from the left shore. It contained a half dozen men, and he recognized one of

! Oh, I say,

oat rowed a little nearer. Harry had his own moved forward a litt

ure when I heard your voice and recognized your face. I a

changing compliments when I say that I re

he great flank movement of Jackson and I understood its nature. I was on my way to General Hooker with all speed to warn him,

ck General Jackson will co

hey were fired

olina company in the darkn

I told you long ago that the forces of the Union could never be beaten in the long run, and I repeated it to you another ti

wing very tired. There's no nation

of our generals coming out on the bluffs with thei

, but we've many a good man yet. I think o

held different views upon an important point, and n

men, most of them veterans, and a cry for invasion came from the South. What was the use of victories like Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, if they merely left matter

enemy. When their victorious brigades threatened Philadelphia and New York, the two great commercial centers of the North, then th

ants. Longstreet and A. P. Hill were there often, and one day Harry saw riding toward headquarters a man who had only one leg and who was strapped to his saddle. But a strong

two unknowing, and then crying "Gene

allen wounded so terribly at the Second Manassas. After nine months of suffering, here he was again, as resolute and indom

Virginia's ancient capital, Williamsburg. There he had lived in a large house, surrounded by a vast park, all his own. Even as the man, maimed i

ly. Ewell turned his piercing eyes upon

ff. I remember you in the Valley now. We've lost

e fashion of the country gentleman of that time, b

the second," said Ewell, "and if you're not

y with great sincerity, "but General Lee ha

he fool that I was and get your leg shot off. If anything has to go, let it be an arm. Look at me. I could ride with any man in

ning back, met St. Clair and Langdo

it?" as

olonel St. Hilaire are at it aga

has ha

advantage in position, and they've stopped playing to argue about it. From the way they act you'd think they were Yankee generals

lonels, who were talking with great earnestness, ea

ce. It is not so much a question of the relative value of these pi

u on that point, and for that reason I

intelligence, but in this case you seem to

and while I am too polite to name h

le the issue still hangs in doubt. Progres

still bent over the board, the best of friends ag

, but he was a host and more, and when Lee said that he had lost his right arm, he spoke the truth, as he was soon to find. Yet the Southern power was a

in plan would be. Young as he was he knew that no passage could be forced across the Rappahannock in the face of the Army of the Potomac, which was now as numerous as ever, and which could sweep the river

s the only great man he had ever seen who looked all his greatness. Tall, strongly built, with thick gray hair, a short gray beard, clipped closely, ruddy complexion and blue eyes, h

eferred tents to houses, and now Harry saw nearly all the famous Southern generals in the east passing through that door. The

as to be his; Old Jubal Early, as he was familiarly called, bald, bearded, rheumatic, profane, but brave and able; Hood, tall, yellow-haired; Pender, the North Carolinian, not yet thirty, religious like Jackson, and doomed like him to fall soon in battle; Tieth, Edward Johnson, Anderson, Trimble, St

it was into the North, and they began to discuss the nature of the country they would find there. Harry took the message to the Invincibles to pack and march. Colonel Talbot and Lieutenant

y of the Shenandoah valley. The Northern troops had been raiding in the great valley and again had retaken Winchester, the pleasan

and, was watching on the heights across the river, and there were the captive balloons hovering again in

f the great and decisive Gettysburg campaign. They were better clothed and in better trim than they had been in a long time. They walked with an easy, springy gait, and the big gun

for the spirit as well. It made the blood flow more freely and the brain grow more acti

a column of dust rise and move toward the northwest. Their experienced eyes told them that such a cloud must be made by marching troops, and the men

t man, able and thorough, but without genius. Then came Reynolds, modest and quiet, who many in the army claimed would have shown the genius that Meade lacked had it not been for his early death, for he too, like Pender, would soon be riding to a soldier's grave. And then were Doubleday and Newton and Hancock, a great soldier, a man of mag

e enemy. He was bringing it to them. Apprehension spread through the North, but it was prepared for the supreme effort. The Army of the P

eper Court House, but Lee himself, although most of his troops were now gone, did not yet move. Hill's corps had been held to cover any

horse, Traveler, gazing through his glasses toward a division of the Army of the Potomac

P. Hill on the heights would hold them and would be a screen between Hooker's army and his own

with the sun moving slowly toward the zenith. Lee at le

ntlemen,

n the journey that was to lead him to Gettysburg. He and Dalton from a high crest looked back toward the vast

vain and with such awful losses. And beyond, far down under the horizon, was the tragic Wilderness in which they had won Chanc

r Court House. Meanwhile Hooker was undecided whether to follow Lee or move on Richmond. But the shrewd Lincoln telegraphed him that Lee was his "true objective." At that moment the man in the White

influence upon him, creating for him new standards of energy and conduct. In after years when he thought of Lee and Jackson, which was nearly every day,

nning, planning all the time, and he knew, too, what a tremendous task it was to bring all the scattered divisions of an army to one central point in the face of an active enemy. This task was ev

it "The Valley of Humiliation," but Jackson was gone, and Milroy, whom he had defeated once, was there again, holding and ruling the little city of Winchester. Harry's blood grew hot, bec

lpeper rejoiced yet again. The women and children-the men were but few, gone to the war-were never too tired to seek glimpses of the famous generals, whom they regarded as their champions. Stuart, in his brilliant uniform, at the head of his great cavalry command, appealed most to the

they slept under the stars. Harry seldom cared for a roof now on a dry, warm night. He had become so much used to hardships and unlimited spaces that he preferre

g by Dalton, who pulled him by

d Dalton, "and get your breakfast as soon

ur conquering army, and millions of Yankees were pointing at me, all saying with one voice: 'That's the fellow

intend to have a little splendor. The commander-in-chief is going to review J

'em I'm coming and tha

hance. He was going not only to parade, but to have a mock battle as well. As the sun rose higher, making the June day brilliant, General Lee and

r. His cavalry cape swung from his shoulders, but not low enough to hide the splendid sword at his belt. His face

ook their modest places in the rear of the group of staff officers, just behind Lee, and looked expectantly over the plain. They saw at the far edge a long li

its note coming low, but mellow. Other bugles along the line sang the same tune, and then came rolling thunder, as ten thous

nd horses beat in unison. Every man held aloft his sabre, and the sun struck upon their blades and glanced off in a myriad brilliant beams. Harry glanc

n shake. Back and forth the mimic battle rolled, charge and repulse, and the smoke of the firing drifted over the plain. But the wild horsemen wheeled

and his staff rode back to their quarters, the young officers filled with pride at the spectacl

n, yet they plainly heard the sounds of a heavy cannonade, and it was a matter into which they must look. They had disregarded sharp firing too often before and they were growing wary. But with that wariness also came a daring which the Union lead

valry and thirty guns on a bare eminence called Fleetwood Hill. The base of the hill was surrounded by forest, and not far away was a little place called Brandy

e. Sherburne, after the parade and sham battle, had cleaned the dust

him his blankets. You'll need the blankets to-night, Harry, because you bunk with us in the Inn of

ter in summer time, provided

hing with it. A lot of Virginia scouts under Jones are watching the fords, and we've got with us such leaders as Fitz Lee, Robertson, Hampton and the command

are a lot better than they used to be. Most of us were born in the saddle, but th

ander-in-chief that he alone can move us from this position. Listen to that stamping of hoofs! Among ten thousand horses a l

General Lee in the morning, and tell him that I left ten thousand cavalrymen lying la

said one of the young o

ever le

's left of a box that we picked up near the Chancellor House. It may have b

Meanwhile the noises of the camp sank, and presently Harry, taking his blan