General Nelson's Scout 42

General Nelson's Scout 42

General Nelson saw the act, and turning to Fred, said: "I want you to

hunt that boy up, and bring him to me after the battle."

 

But the brigade paid dearly for its daring charge. A strong line, lying

down, let the frightened fugitives pass over them; then they arose and

poured a deadly volley into the very faces of the charging column.

Cannon in front and on the flank tore great gaps through the line. The

brigade halted, wavered, and then fled wildly back, leaving a third of

its number dead and wounded.

 

By three o'clock the battle was over; the Confederates were in full

retreat, and the bloody field of Shiloh won.

 

As the firing died away, Fred sat on his horse and shudderingly surveyed

the field. The muddy ground was trampled as by the feet of giants. The

forest was shattered as by ten thousand thunderbolts, while whole

thickets had been leveled, as though a huge jagged scythe had swept over

them.

 

By tree and log, in every thicket, on every hillside, dotting every

field, lay the dead and wounded. Many of the dead were crushed out of

all semblance of humanity, trampled beneath the hoof of the warhorse or

ground beneath the ponderous wheels of the artillery. Over 20,000 men

lay dead and wounded, Confederate and Federal commingled.

 

But Grant's army was saved. The fondest hopes of the Confederates had

been blasted; instead of marching triumphantly forward to Nashville, as

they hoped, they retreated sullenly back to Corinth.

 

But the battle brought the war to the hearts of the people as it had

never been brought before. From the stricken homes of the North and the

South there arose a great wail of agony--a weeping for those who would

not return.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XX.

 

"MY SON! MY SON!"

 

 

On Monday morning, just as the first scattering shots of Nelson's

skirmishers were heard, Calhoun Pennington presented himself before the

Hon. G. M. Johnson, Provisional Governor of Kentucky, on whose staff he

was. When the Confederates retreated from Bowling Green Governor Johnson

accompanied the Kentucky brigade south, and although not a soldier he

had bravely fought throughout the entire battle of the day before.

 

The Governor and General Beauregard were engaged in earnest conversation

when Calhoun came up, and both uttered an exclamation of surprise at his

forlorn appearance. He was pale and haggard, his eyes were sunken and

his garments were dripping with water, for he had just swum the

Tennessee river.

 

"Great heavens! is it you, Lieutenant?" cried Johnson, and he caught

Calhoun's hand and wrung it until he winced with pain.

 

"It is what is left of me," answered Calhoun, with a faint smile.

 

"You don't know," continued Johnson, "how glad I am to see you. I had

given you up for lost, and bitterly blamed myself for allowing you to

go on your dangerous undertaking. Where have you been? What has kept you

so long?"

 

"First," answered Calhoun, "I must speak to General Beauregard," and,

saluting, he said: "General, I bring you heavy news. Buell has joined

Grant."

 

Beauregard started and turned pale. "I feared it, I feared it, when the

Federals opened the battle this morning. I was just telling the Governor

as you came up that Grant would never have assumed the offensive if he

had not been reinforced."

 

"Oh!" said Calhoun, "if I had only been a couple of days earlier; if you

had only attacked a couple of days sooner!"

 

"That was the calculation," answered Beauregard, "but the dreadful roads

retarded us. Then we did not expect Buell for two or three days yet. Our

scouts brought us information that he was to halt at least a couple of

days at Waynesborough."

 

"So he was," answered Calhoun, bitterly; "and he would have done so if

it had not been for that renegade Kentuckian, General Nelson. He it was

who rushed through, and made it possible for Buell to be on the field

to-day."

 

"Do you know how many men Buell has?" anxiously inquired Beauregard.

 

"Three strong divisions; I should say full 20,000."

 

Beauregard groaned. All visions of victory were dissolved. "I thank you,

Lieutenant, for your information, although it is the knell of defeat.

Yesterday we fought for victory; to-day I shall have to fight to save my

army." So saying he mounted his horse and galloped rapidly to the scene

of action.

 

"This is bad news that you bring, Lieutenant," said the Governor, after

Beauregard had gone. "But tell me about yourself; you must have been in

trouble."

 

"Yes, Governor, serious trouble. At first I was very successful, and

found out that Nelson expected to be in Savannah by April 5th. I was

just starting back with this important information, information which

meant victory for our cause, when I was suddenly set upon and captured

before I had time to raise a hand. I was accused of being a spy, but

there was no proof against me, the only person who could have convicted

me being a cousin, who refused to betray me; but he managed to hold me

until my knowledge could do no good."

 

"It looks as though the hand of God were against us," solemnly responded

Johnson. "If you had not been captured, we would surely have attacked a

day or two earlier, and a glorious victory would have awaited us. But

now----" the Governor paused, choked back something like a sob, and then

continued: "There is no use of vain regrets. See, the battle is on, and

I must once more take my place in the ranks and do my duty."

 

"Must do what, Governor?" asked Calhoun in surprise.

 

"Must fight in the ranks as a private soldier, as I did yesterday,"

replied the Governor calmly.

 

"I shall go with you," replied Calhoun.

 

So side by side the Governor and his aid fought as private soldiers, and

did yeoman service. Just before the battle closed, in repelling the last

furious charge of the Federals, Governor Johnson gave a sharp cry,

staggered, and would have fallen if he had not been caught in the arms

of Calhoun. Loving hands carried him back, but the brave spirit had fled

forever. Thus died the most distinguished private soldier that fell on

the field of Shiloh.

 

One of the first acts of Fred after the battle was over was to ride in

search of Robert Marsden. He found him lying in a heap of slain at the

place where the battery had been charged. A bullet had pierced the

center of the miniature flag, and it was wet with his heart's blood.

Reverently Fred removed the flag, closed the sightless eyes, and gave

orders that the body, as soon as possible, be sent to Louisville.

 

As he was returning from this sad duty, he thought of the errand given

him by General Nelson to hunt up the boy whom they saw capture the

colors. Riding up to the regiment, he made inquiry, and to his surprise

and delight found that the hero was Hugh Raymond.

 

"Hello, Hugh! don't you remember me?" asked Fred, when the boy presented

himself.

 

"Yes, sir," replied Hugh, respectfully. "You are the young officer who

got me released when General Nelson tied me to the cannon. I have never

ceased to feel grateful towards you."

 

"Well, Hugh, General Nelson wants to see you again."

 

Hugh opened his eyes in wonder. "Don't want to tie me up again, does

he?" he asked, with a shiver.

 

"I expect so. He saw you capture that flag and he is awful mad; so come

along."

 

"General," said Fred, when he had found Nelson, "here is the brave boy

who captured the colors."

 

"That was a gallant act, my boy," kindly remarked Nelson, "and you

deserve the thanks of your general."

 

"It was nothing, General," replied Hugh. "It just made me mad to have

them shake their dirty rag in my face, and I resolved to have it."

 

This answer pleased Nelson immensely. He noticed Hugh more closely, and

then suddenly asked: "Have I not seen you somewhere before, my boy?"

 

"Yes, General," replied Hugh, trembling.

 

"Where?"

 

"On the march here, when you tied me by the wrists to a cannon for

straggling."

 

Nelson was slightly taken back by the answer; then an amused look came

into his face, and he said, in a bantering tone: "Liked it, didn't you?"

 

"Liked it! liked it!" exclaimed Hugh, with flaming eyes. "I was just

mad enough at you to kill you."

 

"There is the boy for me," said Nelson, turning to his staff. "He not

only captures flags, but he tells his general to his face what he thinks

of him." Then addressing Hugh, he continued: "I want a good orderly, and

I will detail you for the position."

 

So Hugh Raymond became an orderly to General Nelson, and learned to love

him as much as he once hated him.

 

Now occurred one of those strange psychological impressions which

science has never yet explained. A feeling came to Fred that he must

ride over the battlefield. It was as if some unseen hand was pulling

him, some power exerted that he could not resist. He mounted his horse

and rode away, the course he took leading him to the place where

Trabue's Kentucky brigade made its last desperate stand.

 

Suddenly the prostrate figure of a Confederate officer, apparently dead,

attracted Fred's attention. As he looked a great fear clutched at his

heart, causing it to stand still. Springing from his horse, he bent over

the death-like form; then with a cry of anguish sank on his knees beside it. He had looked into the face of his father.