The Sword of Antietam

again sank to the ground exhausted. Although the battle itself had ceased, it seemed to him that the dr

e trembled all over. Then a cold perspiration broke out upon him. It was the collapse after two days of tremendous exertion, excitement and anxiety. He did not move

t, Dick, my boy?"

e him drag himself to his feet. "I'm not w

ly. "We've lost many thousands and we've lost the battle, too. T

nd Pennington, sir? I lost sight of

part of his left arm, but he's so healthy it won't take hi

don't say that Geor

hoping instead that

inchester's opinion only two things, death or

mixed up a good deal when the darkness fell, an

a of ground. Lie still, Dick, and take a little rest. We don't know what's going

g. His own nervous system was being restored by youth and the habit of courage. Yet he felt a personal grief, and it grew stronger with returning physical strength. Warner, his comrade, knitted to him by ties

indeed, dim fires here and there along a long line, marking where the Confederates now stood, or r

f the day, were seeing what harm they could do in the dark. Somewhere the plumed and unresting Stuart was charging with hi

front of them and in the darkness was the wood upon which they had made five great assaults, all to fail. In front of th

k the exact line by which they had advanced, and the exact line by which they had retreated. Warner unquest

dy and strong. He did not know what had become of Colonel Winches

his comrades, walked calmly toward the wood. He passed one sentinel, but a few words satisfied him, and he continued to advance. Far to right and left he still heard the sound of firing

f his own regiment. Lights were moving there, but they were so dim they showed noth

creased darkness. Now he felt a sudden damp touch on his face, as if a wet finger had been laid there. The faintest of winds had blown for a moment or two, and when

was gone, and Dick moved without any guide. But he needed none. His course was f

gainst many more. It was impossible at the moment to see Warner's face, but he began to feel of the figures with his

n were with the lantern, and the one who carried it held it up as he approached. Th

want, Yank?"

of mine who must have fa

t a laugh of joy or irony. It

k by a storm from the trees. But j'in us, Yank. You can't do nothin' in the darkness all by yourself. We're Johnny Rebs, good and true, a

passed between him and them, and there would be no thought of hostility until the morning, when it wou

that you're lookin' for?" a

l and thin. You could m

n't like him a-tall. Sam's short, an' thick as a buffalo. Weighs two

ur right. We attac

u are a Yank. You shorely came right up there and l

n. You know it wasn't a day when a fellow

here. I made it five.

she

p to five an' never make a mistake. What

n't k

Old Stonewall ain't been lookin' for me either to get my

t's

e, and go back to Washington. You needn't think yo

big army back there yet, and more are a

ou an' you can't persuade me. We'll just let the question rip. I'm glad, after all,

damp on my face. Thar, do you hear that thunder growlin' in the southw

lls an' shells, an' more 'n a hundred million rifle bullets. Leastways I felt as if they was all aimed at me, which is just as bad. After be

er havin' fit so hard. It's unhe

he flash of a hull battery aimed at me. Fellers, if you wasn't with me I'd be plumb scared, prowlin' 'roun' her

the world in two halves, but after its passage the darkness closed in thicker and heavier t

d excited by fancies, and time and place alone were enough to weigh down even the coolest and most seasoned. He pressed close to his Confederate fri

nds to shelter his eyes. But he could see before him the mournful forest, where so many good men had fallen, and, turned red in the gleam of the lightning, it was more t

er, looking up at the menacing sky. "Jim, yo

in an instant, but Dick, so far from caring, liked it. It cooled his heated body and brain,

lantern was well protected by its glass cover, and they sti

said, "He

s white. Dick saw that blood had just been washed from it by the rain. But he

leader. Then he knelt down and put

Here, you Yank, did you think you could kill Sam by shootin' him in the head with a bullet? We've stood him up in front of our lines, and let you fellows break fifty pound shells on his head. You never done him no harm

other, and he helped them to lift him. Then they rubbed Sam's wrists and poured a stimulant down his throat. In a few minute

appened?"

whipped 'em. 'Scuse me, Yank, I forgot you was with us. Well, nigh onto a million have been killed, which ought to be enough for anybody. I love my country, but I don't care to love another at such a price. But resumin' 'bout you pusso

ffort, but st

camp," said the lantern bearer. "You jest keep straight ahead an

e way with t

nd about me o

ou goin

to camp. He ain't hurt. Why, that bullet didn't dent his skull. It said to itself when it came smack up against the bone: 'This is too tough for me, I guess I'll go 'roun'.' An' it did go 'roun'. You can see whar it come out of the flesh on the othe

are, and watched him until he and the men on either side of him w

or alive," he said. "Now, which way, Yank,

min' with us,"

to let the Yanks give us lessons in manners? I reckon not.

," said Dick

I'm walkin' 'roun' with you friendly li

e," said Dick, his gratit

your friend pretty soon. By gum, how it rains! W'all, it'll wash away some big stains

n't k

you a cracker ag'in a barrel of beef that none of them that did start the rumpus are a-lay

nd about my age or perha

ok, an' see if

gure was turned toward the light and stared unknowing at Dick and the Southerner. There was a

t's my comrade, bu

w you or anybody else. He

over him, an

Mason, your comrade, come

stared with feveri

or many hours," said the lantern bearer. "It's a shore thin

ner and carefully

no lead in him now, which is good. He was pow'ful lucky, too, in not bein' hit in the head, 'cause he ain't got no such skull as Sam has, not within a mile of it. His skull wouldn't

e," said Dick. "He

k. That's the best wa

took up Warner bodily a

a piece of the way, but I've been out here long enough. Marse Bob an' old Ston

place with one hand, hel

through and through

that you happened to get on the wrong side, an' I don't

od-

trike that camp of yourn that we're goin' t

toward the Northern camp. George was a heavy load, but he did not struggle. His h

ed to himself rather than to

es needed until this task was finished. Despite the darkness and the driving rain, he could now see the lights in his ow

Who a

e raised, rose up before him

's regiment, bringing in Lieutenant George Warn

is rifle and looked at

said. "You'll find a sort of hospital ove

and put George down on a rude cot, w

d to a young doctor, "an

er, but the bullet, luckily, has turned and gone out. It's loss of blood that hurt him most. You soldiers

d a marvel of endurance and industry. He could not ask for more at

r, and the fragments of his regiment. He found the colonel wrapped in a greatcoat, leaning against a tree under a few feet of canvas supported o

oked inquiringly at D

, sir," said Dick, "but I thi

t is

ought in

Is he

d he's feverish and unconscious, but the d

id you f

he wood, sir, within what is

re's a little more shelter under the canvas, and go to sleep. Y

oke in the morning the hot sun was shining again, and his clothes soon dried on him. He felt a little stiffness and awkward

He heard sounds of distant rifle shots, indicating that the skirmishers were still restless, but i

chances were ninety-nine and a half per cent that he would die there on the battlefield, but that the half per cent, which was yourself, won. Fancy being only half of one per cent,

ad been up some time, and as they sat

fter midnight, and the colonel began to believe that we would have to fight again before morning, though the need didn't come, so f

e outlook

hipped, and that we'll hold our own here. But between you and me, Dick, I don't believe it.

ory yet. McClellan and the Army of the Potomac

d his arms over h

s not to hi

est legs

ttle to th

t the big

k. "I'll allow, under the circumstances,

ried a bit because he was taken. Said if his own people didn't retake him that he'd escape in a week, an

from what you say, Frank, that we'll be here a

Thoroughfare Gap and the attack from the rear undid us. It comes of being kept in the dark by the enemy, instead of your keeping him in the dark. We never knew where the blow was going to fa

rising and setting

ions of the Southern army were moving. Dick heard about night that Jackson had marched ten miles, through fields deep in mud, and meant to fall on Pope's flank or rear again. Stuart and hi

ate that day the division under Kearney came into contact with Jackson's flanking force in the forest. A short but fierce battle ensued, fought in the night and amid new torrents of driving rain

He and the balance of the regiment were helping to guard the long train of the wounded. Now

old man," said Warner. "What's all

won't stop us. We

er known was the one that suffered the biggest defeats. Look at the terrible knocks the Romans got! Why the Gauls nearly ate 'em alive two or three times, and for years Hannibal whipped

ughed c

What's the use of going back as far as the old Romans for co

bat. A powerful figure stepped out of the bushes and stood beside his horse.

sked Dick, as he sat in the rain

because they can't see enough to carry it on an

Washington. Then Pope resigned, and the star of McClellan rose again. The command of the armies a