The Sword of Antietam

ere prepared for the higher officers, but the men stacked arms in the open ground all about. As well as they could judge

in the uncertain shadows, and he understood the agony of spirit that the br

forward a little, touch

gathered together, an' the storm is about to bust. See, sir, how

rbed in watching those men that I thank you for reminding me. We'

no particular pains now to deaden their footsteps, since the Souther

le heavens. The wind ceased to moan and the air was heavy with apprehension. Deep and sullen thunder began to mutter on the so

ew moments he was blinded by the electric glare. He h

y of yo

o death. When a drought breaks up I wish it wouldn't break up wi

. Despite himself Dick shrank again. The first bolt had struck a tree which had fal

out of the southwest. The close, dense heat was swept away, and the first blasts of the rain were as cold as ice. Th

to one another lest they lose touch in the blackness. Dick heard Warner on his right, and he followed the sound of his voice. But before

to the left side of his head, and felt there a big bump and a sharp ache. His weapons were still in his belt and he knew that his injuries

could either see or hear it, had gone on without missing him. They might also

rowing deep toward the little ravine in which they had hitched their horses. All were gone, including his own mo

er his friends leaving nor any foes approaching. The storm was of uncommon fury. He had never seen one fiercer, and knowing that he had li

to the banks of the Rappahannock, and if he persisted he would surely come in time to Pope's army. The rain did not abate. Both armies were flooded that ni

vy Southern force was across the Rappahannock. Others might get there first with the fact, but o

pped to the waist in swollen brooks. Then the wind shifted and drove the sheets of rain, sprinkled with hail, directly in his face. He was compelled to stop a while and take refuge behind a big oak. While he shivered in the shelter of t

It had probably been raining much earlier in the mountains along the headwaters and the flood was already pouring down. The river swished high aga

n miles further on or it might be only two. Then he found himself sliding down a muddy and slippery bank. He grasped at we

n the bank. But he had lost everything. His belt had broken in his struggles, and pistols, small sword and ammunition were gone. He woul

of dim figures riding slowly by. At first his heart leaped up with the belief that they were Colonel Winchester and his own p

ging loose on their horses' necks. They were wrapped in cloaks, but cloaks and u

youths, and Dick's heart fairly leaped when he saw the last of the three. He could not mistake the figure, and a turning of the head caused him to catch a faint glimpse of the fac

ss-but the temptation was gone in an instant. His way lay in another direction. What they wished he did not wish, and while they f

n of the Southern army was across it must be a minor portion, and certainly the major part c

iver, for fear he should lose his direction. The yellow torrent of the Rappahannock was now his only sure guide and he stuck to it. He wondered

f his will and it was triumphant over his body. He trudged on on feet that were unconscious o

of horsemen, but now they were going in the direction of Pope's army. Dick recognized these figures. Shapeless as he might appea

wind and rain. Colonel Winchester recognized the voice, but the light was so dim that he did not r

"it is I, Richard Mason

eant Whitley, keener

out as Dick came forward, t

missed you and your horse and hoped that you were somewhere ahead. Your horse must have b

d. He had not realized that he was walking on his spirit and courage and that

a second effort Dick landed astride the horse behind the rider. Then

lder, "you come as near being a wreck as anything th

. But I had made up my mind to reach General Pope's camp, with th

hat a night! Not many men can be abroa

have,

! What di

line of Southern horsemen, just

men? It would be hard to tell bl

t was not possible. I saw my own cousin, Harry Ken

y are abroad to-night also, and on our side of the river

surely t

s, the extraordinary group of men who were the very bloom and flower of Virginia's military glory, the equal of whom-two at least

ts 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 c

d 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 fle

n 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 o

es, 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 Washing

sing-Early had made it-to the commander, and the rest sought the best shelter to be found. Dick was lucky enough to be taken into a tent that

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 crossin

he cover. But he retained enough knowledge and will not to do so, and he sank soon into

case in his hand. But Dick was in such a dull and apathetic state that he had no

?" he heard Colonel

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

worse. A dose or two the

in every case. Here, my lad, take two o

oon he sank into a condition which was as near stupor as sleep. B

ul thing for our armies that we can get all the quinine we want! The rebel supp

g 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

to put on the dry uniform that lay in the tent. Then he was astonished to find how great his w

ong time," he said, loo

slept all through the ni

battle was foug

at his comrade, but War

battle, and you k

rly 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 S

s it mean

ll happen in its own good time. You feel like a man again, don't you Dick? And you can

nd 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

he reported great activity in the Southern camp. When Dick said that Lee an

pe and McCl

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.

full of sparkle and life. Dick had not seen such elasticity among the troops in a long time. As they marched they

he North

n your

the rebel

the

shrink fr

f the North

se who did not know the words following the others. Dick felt his heart beat an

s; they laugh

rs they

swords in

th in y

Leave to God

of the Nor

off across the fields, and the woo

, putting great emphasis on the "will

g according to the directness of his dry mathematical mind. "Then I suppose

of yours. Don't you ev

ut I must reckon everything with care

. Arithmetic, Mr. Algebra, Mr.

, Dick. It would be a noble thing to be the g

e are back at those cottages in which I saw the Southern officers shelt

d, but I don't know that I care about resting

s, and lay down in peace that night. But the storm cloud, the

would divide his army. Jackson, so well called "the striking arm," would pass far around through the maze of hills an

ovements, had begun already. Jackson was on his horse, Little Sorrel, his old slouch hat drawn down over his eyes

young Sherburne at the head of his troop of cavalry, and in the first brigade was the regiment of the Invincibles led by Colonel Leonidas Talbot and Lieutenant Colon

ay in Pope's rear. Longstreet, one of the heaviest hitters of the South, meanwhile was to worry Pope incessantly along th

before or since. Perhaps it was not given to the actors in the drama to know it then, but the retrospect shows it now. The North had not attained its full fightin

But Jackson, under cover of the darkness, had slipped away and the division of Longstreet had taken its

degree, but Jackson, the mainspring in this organism, never doubted that he could carry it out. His division soon left the res

e dawn they were in line again marching over the hills and across the mountains. There were skirmishers in advance on either side, but they met no Union scouts. The march of Jackson's great fighting column was still unseen an

s the river, and that those of Pope were replying. The men looked at one another. There was a deep feeling of excitement and suspense among them. They did not know

rew fainter and fainter until it faded away. Where were they going? Was it a raid on Washington? W

ing heat, but there was no complaint among Jackson's men. They knew now that they were on one of his great turning mo

army within. At the close of the day they were still marching, and when the sun was setting Jackson stood by the dusty roadside and watched his men as they passed. For the first time in that long march they broke through restrai

win battles with

did not know where they were going. But he lay down and gratefully, like the others, took the rest that was allowed to him. But a few hours only and they were march

Rappahannock that they were going to strike. A deep murmur of joy ran through the ranks, and the men who had now been

rrowed now and stretched out in a longer line. This was a deep gorge, pines and bushes lining the summits and

ng the summit on either side were like long, green ribbons, and he half feared to see men in blue appear there and open fire o

idence in Jackson. He might be going to any of a number of places, but the place to which he was going was sure to be the right place. Now

ction which many of them had seen before in the fire and smoke of the war's first terrible day. Here were the fields and hills over which they had

the August sun. He wondered why there was no attack, nor even any alarm. The cloud of dust that so many thousands of marching men made could be seen for miles. He did not know that Sherburne and the fastest of the rough riders were n

fternoon the march continued, and at night Jackson fell upon Pope's vast store of supplies, surprising and r

of Pope. The trap had been shut down, and it was to be