"Miss Marian," resumed Blauvelt, "the scenes I am now about todescribe are terrible in the extreme, even in their baldest statement.I cannot portray what actually took place; I doubt whether any onecould; I can only give impressions of what I saw and heard whennearly all of us were almost insane from excitement. There aremen who are cool in battle,--our colonel was, outwardly,--but thegreat majority of men must be not only veterans, but also gifted withunusual temperaments, to be able to remain calm and well balancedin the uproar of a bloody battle.
"In a sense, our men were veterans, and were steady enough to aimcarefully as the enemy advanced up the steep hill. Our shots toldon them more fatally than theirs on us. The greater number of usshared Strahan's impatience, and we longed for the wild, forwarddash, which is a relief to the tremendous nervous strain at such atime. After a moment or two, that seemed ages, the colonel quietlynodded to Strahan, who waved his sword, pointed towards the enemy,and shouted, 'Charge!'
"You know him well enough to be sure that this was not an orderfor the men to fulfil while he looked on. In a second his powerfulbay sprung through the centre of our line, and to keep up with himwe had to follow on a run. There was no hesitation or flagging.Faces that had been pale were flushed now. As I turned my eyesfrom moment to moment back to my company, the terrible expressionof the men's eyes impressed me even then. The colonel watched ourimpetuous rush with proud satisfaction, and then spurred his horseto the very midst of our advance. The lieutenant-colonel, undauntedby a former wound, never flinched a second, but wisely fought onfoot.
"The first battle-line of the enemy seemed utterly unable to standbefore our fierce onset. Those who were not shot fled.
"Again I saw Strahan waving his sword and shouting; 'Victory!Forward, men! forward!'
"He was in the very van, leading us all. At this moment the secondrebel line fired a volley, and the bullets swept by like an autumngust through a tree from which the leaves, thinned by former gales,are almost stripped. It seemed at the moment as if every other manwent down. Wonder of wonders, as the smoke lifted a little, I sawto the right the tall form of our colonel still on his gray horse,pointing with his sword to the second rebel line, and shouting,'Forward, my men! forward!'
"As the order left his lips, his sword fell, point-downward, and,with a headlong curve, he went over his horse upon the rocks below.Even in his death he went towards the enemy. His horse galloped inthe same direction, but soon fell. I thought that Strahan was gonealso, for he was hidden by smoke. A second later I heard his voice:'Forward! Charge!'
"The men seemed infuriated by the loss of the colonel, and by nomeans daunted. Our next mad rush broke the second line of the enemy.
"The scene now defies all my powers of description. The littlehandful of men that was left of my company were almost beyondcontrol. Each soldier was acting under the savage impulse to followand kill some rebel before him. I shared the feeling, yet remainedsane enough to thank God when I saw Strahan leap lightly down fromhis staggering horse, yet ever crying, 'Forward!' A second laterthe poor animal fell dead.
"Our own cannons were bellowing above us; the shells of the enemywere shrieking over our heads. There was a continuous crash ofmusketry that sounded like a fierce, devouring flame passing throughdry thorns, yet above all this babel of horrid sounds could be heardthe shouts and yells of the combatants and the shrieks and groansof wounded and dying men. Then remember that I saw but a littlesection, a few yards in width, of a battle extending for miles.
"In our mad excitement we did not consider the odds against us. Thetwo remaining lines of battle were advancing swiftly through thefugitives, and we struck the first with such headlong impetuositythat it was repulsed and gave back; but the fourth and last linepassing through, and being reinforced by the other broken lines,came unfaltering, and swept us back from sheer weight of numbers.We were now reduced to a mere skirmish line. It was at this momentthat I saw Strahan fall, and it seemed but a second later that theenemy's advance passed over the spot. It was impossible then torescue him, for the lieutenant-colonel had given orders for allto fall back and rally behind the guns that it was our duty toprotect. Indeed, the difficult thing, now, was to get back. TheUnion regiment, on our right, had given way, after a gallant fight,earlier than we had, and the rebels were on our flank and rear. Anumber of our men going to the ridge, from which they had charged,ran into the enemy and were captured. There were desperate hand-to-handencounters, hair-breadth escapes, and strange episodes.
"One occurs to me which I saw with my own eyes. It happened alittle earlier in the fight. We were so close to the enemy that aman in my company had not time to withdraw his ramrod, and, in hisinstinctive haste to shoot first at a rebel just before him, sentramrod and all through the Confederate's body, pinning him to theground. The poor fellow stretched out his hands and cried for mercy.My man not only wished to recover his rod, but was, I believe,actuated by a kindly impulse, for he ran to the 'Johnny," pulledout the rod, jerked the man to his feet, and started him on a runto our rear as prisoner.
"When at last what was left of the regiment reached its originalposition it numbered no more than a full company. Scarcely a hundredwere in line. Over one hundred of our men and the majority of theofficers were either killed or wounded. While the lieutenant-colonelwas rallying us near the battery, a shell struck a gun-carriage,hurling it against him, and he was home senseless from the field.The command now devolved on the senior captain left unwounded.
"One of my men now said to me, 'Captain, why don't you go to therear? Your face is so covered with blood that you must be badlyhurt.'
"It was only at that moment that I became conscious of my wound. Inmy intense anxiety about Strahan, in the effort to get my men backin something like order, and in the shock of seeing the lieutenant-colonelstruck down, my mind seemed almost unaware of the existence ofthe body. In the retreat I had felt something sting my hand likea nettle, and now found one of the fingers of my left hand badlyshattered. With this hand I had been wiping my brow, for it wasintensely hot. I therefore was the most sanguineous-looking man ofour number.
"Of course I did not go to the rear because of a wound of so slighta nature, and my earnest hope was that reinforcements would enableus to drive the enemy back so that I could go to the spot where Ihad seen Strahan fall.
"What I have vainly attempted to describe occurred in less timethan I have taken in telling about it. I think it would have beenmuch better if we had never left the line which we now occupied,and which we still held in spite of the overwhelming superiority,in numbers, of the enemy. If, instead of wasting the morning hours,we had fortified this line, we never could have been driven fromit.
"Our immediate foes, in front of us did not at that time advancemuch farther than the point of our repulse, and, like ourselves,sought cover from which to fire. We now had a chance to recovera little from our wild excitement, and to realize, in a slightdegree, what was taking place around us. Information came thatour corps-commander had been seriously wounded. Our own colonellay, with other dead officers, a little in our rear, yet in plainsight. We could only give them a mournful glance, for the battlewas still at its height, and was raging in our front and for milesto the right. The thunder of three hundred or more guns made thevery earth tremble, while the shrieking and bursting of the shellsabove us filled the air with a din that was infernal.
"But we had little chance to observe or think of anything exceptthe enemy just below us. With wolfish eyes they were watching everychance to pick off our men. Many of our killed and wounded on thebloody declivity were in plain view, and one poor fellow, desperatelyhurt, would often raise his hand and wave it to us.
"Our men acted like heroes, and took deliberate aim before theyfired. When a poor fellow dropped, one of our officers picked upthe rifle and fired in his place."
"Did you do that?" Marian asked.
"Yes; my sword was of no service, and my handful of men needed noorders. Anything at such a time is better than inaction, and we al
lfelt that the line must be held. Every bullet counted, you know.
"Some of our boys did very brave things at this time. For instance:rifles, that had become so clogged or hot as to be unserviceable,were dropped, and the men would say to their immediate companions,'Be careful how you fire,' and then rush down the slope, pick upthe guns of dead or wounded comrades, and with these continue thefight.
"At last the enemy's fire slackened a little, and I went to takemy farewell look at our colonel and others of our officers whosebodies had been recovered. These were then carried to the rear,and I never saw their familiar faces again.
"The horses now came up at a gallop to take away the battery nearus, and I saw a thing which touched me deeply. As the horses wereturning that a gun might be limbered up, a shot, with a clean cut,carried away a leg from one of the poor animals. The faithful,well-trained beast, tried to hobble around into his place on threelegs. He seemed to have caught the spirit which animated the entirearmy that day.
"As I turned toward the regiment, the cry went up, 'They are flankingus!'
"The brief slackening of the enemy's fire had only indicatedpreparations for a general forward movement. An aid now gallopedto us with orders to fall back instantly. A few of my men had beenplaced, for the sake of cover, in the woods on the right, and Ihastened over to them to give the order. By the time I had collectedthem, the enemy had occupied our old position and we barely escapedcapture. When we caught up with the regiment, our brigade-commanderhad halted it and was addressing it in strong words of eulogy;adding, however, that he still expected almost impossible thingsof his troops.
"It was pleasant to know that our efforts had been recognized andappreciated, but our hearts were heavy with the thoughts of thosewe had lost. We were now sent to a piece of woods about a mile tothe rear, as a part of the reserve, and it so happened that we werenot again called into the fight, which ended, you know, the nextday.
"I had bound up my fingers as well as I could, and now, in reactionand from loss of blood, felt sick and faint. I did not wish to goto our field hospital, for I knew the scenes there were so horriblethat I should not be equal to witnessing them. Our surgeon cameand dressed my finger for me, and said that it would have to comeoff in the morning, and I now found that my shoulder also had beenslightly cut with a bullet. These injuries on that day, however,were the merest trifles.
"Our supper was the dreariest meal I ever took. The men spoke insubdued tones, and every now and then a rough fellow would draw hissleeve across his eyes, as so many things brought to mind those whohad breakfasted with us. We were like a household that had returnedfrom burying the greater part of its number. Yes, worse than this,for many, suffering from terrible wounds, were in the hands of theenemy.
"Of course I grieved for the loss of men and officers, but I hadcome to feel like a brother towards Strahan, and, fatigued as Iwas, solicitude on his account kept me awake for hours. The battlewas still raging on our extreme right, and I fell asleep beforethe ominous sounds ceased.
"Waking with the dawn, I felt so much better and stronger that Itook a hasty cup of coffee, and then started toward the spot whereI had seen Strahan fall, in the hope of reaching it. The surgeon hadordered that I should be relieved from duty, and told me to keepquiet. This was impossible with my friend's fate in such uncertainty.I soon found that the enemy occupied the ground on which we hadfought, and that to go beyond a certain point would be death orcaptivity. Therefore I returned, the surgeon amputated my finger,and then I rested with the regiment several hours. With the dawn,heavy fighting began again on the extreme right, but we knew atthe time little of its character or object.
"After an early dinner I became restless and went to our corps-hospitalsto look after such of the wounded of my company as had been carriedthither. It was situated in a grove not far away. I will not describethe scenes witnessed there, for it would only give you useless pain.The surgeons had been at work all the night and morning around theamputation tables, and our doctor and chaplain had done about allthat could be accomplished for our poor fellows. There were hundredsof men lying on the ground, many of whom were in the agonies ofdeath even as I passed.
"I again went back to see if there had been any change in our frontwhich would enable me to reach Strahan. This still being impossible,I continued along our lines to the right at a slow pace, that Imight gain some idea of our position and prospects. My hope now ofreaching Strahan lay in our defeating Lee and gaining the field.Therefore I had a double motive to be intensely interested in allI saw. Since nine in the morning a strange silence had settled onthe field, but after yesterday's experience it raised no delusivehopes. With the aid of a small field-glass that I carried, I couldsee the enemy's batteries, and catch glimpses of their half-concealedinfantry, which were moving about in a way that indicated activepreparation for something. Our officers had also made the most ofthis respite, and there had been a continuous shifting of troops,strengthening of lines, and placing of artillery in position sincethe dawn. Now, however, the quiet was wonderful, in view of thevast bodies of men which were hi deadly array. Even the spitefulpicket-firing had ceased.
"I had barely reached a high point, a little in the rear of theSecond Corps, commanded by General Hancock, when I saw evidencesof excitement and interest around me. Eyes and field-glasses weredirected towards the enemy's lines nearly opposite. Springing ona rock near me, I turned my glass in the same direction, and sawthat Lee was massing his artillery along the edge of the woods onthe ridge opposite. The post of observation was a good one, and Idetermined to maintain it. The rock promised shelter when the irontempest should begin.
"Battery after battery came into position, until, with my glass,I could count nearly a hundred guns. On our side batteries weremassing also, both to the right and the left of where I stood.Experience had so taught me what these preparations meant that Ifairly trembled with excitement and awe. It appeared as if I wereabout to witness one of the most terrific combats of the world,and while I might well doubt whether anything could survivethe concentrated fire of these rebel guns, I could not resist thedesire to see out what I felt must be the final and supreme effortof both armies. Therefore I stuck to my rock and swept with my glassthe salient points of interest. I dreaded the effect of the awfulcannonade upon our lines of infantry that lay upon the ground belowme, behind such slight shelter as they could find. Our position atthis point was commanding, but many of the troops were fearfullyexposed, while our artillerymen had to stand in plain view. Overall this scene, so awfully significant and unnaturally quiet,the scorching July sun sent down its rays like fiery darts, whicheverywhere on the field scintillated as if they were kindlinginnumerable fires.
"At last the enemy fired a single gun. Almost instantly a flashingline of light swept along the massed Confederate batteries, I sprungdown behind my rock as a perfect storm of iron swept over and aroundme, and my heart stood almost still at the deep reverberationswhich followed. This was but the prelude to the infernal symphonythat followed. With remarkable rapidity and precision of aim theenemy continued firing, not irregularly, but in immense thunderingvolleys, all together. There would be a moment's pause, and thenwould come such a storm of iron that it seemed to me that even mysheltering rock would be cut away, and that everything exposed mustbe annihilated.
"At first I was exceedingly troubled that our guns did not reply.Could it be possible that the enemy's fire was so destructive thatour forces were paralyzed? I was learning to distinguish between themeasured cadences of the enemy's firing. After a hurtling showerflew over, I sprung out, took a survey, and was so filled withexultation and confidence, that I crept back again with hope renewed.Our men were standing at the guns, which officers were sighting inorder to get more accurate range, and the infantry had not budged.Of course there were streams of wounded going to the rear, but thisis true of every battle.
"I now had to share my slight cover with several others, and sawthat if I went out again I should lose it altogether. So I determinedto wai
t out the artillery duel quietly. I could see the effectsof the enemy's shells in the rear, if not in front, and these weredisastrous enough. In the depression behind the ridge on which wereour guns and infantry, there were ammunition-wagons, ambulances,and caissons. Among these, shells were making havoc. Soon a caissonexploded with a terrific report and a great cloud of smoke, which,clearing, revealed many prostrate forms, a few of which were ableto crawl away.
"Minutes, which seemed like ages, had passed, and the horrible dinwas then doubled by the opening of all our batteries. The groundbeneath me trembled, but as time passed and our guns kept up theirsteady fire, and the infantry evidently remained unshaken in theirlines of defence, my confidence became stronger. By degrees you growaccustomed to almost anything, and I now found leisure to observemy companions behind the rock. I instantly perceived that two ofthem were press-correspondents, young, boyish-looking fellows, whocertainly proved themselves veterans in coolness and courage. Evenin that deadly tempest they were alert and busy with their note-books.
"When the caisson exploded, each swiftly wrote a few cabalisticsymbols. There was a house to the left, as we sat feeing our rear,and I saw that they kept their eyes on that almost continually.Curious to know why, I shouted in the ear of one, asking thereason. He wrote, 'Meade's headquarters,' and then I shared theirsolicitude. That it was occupied by some general of high rank, wasevident from the number of horses tied around it, and the rapidcoming and going of aids and orderlies; but it seemed a terriblething that our commander-in-chief should be so exposed. Shells flewabout the little cottage like angry hornets about their nest, andevery few minutes one went in. The poor horses, tied and helpless,were kicking and plunging in their terror, and one after anotherwent down, killed or wounded. I was told that General Meade andstaff were soon compelled to leave the place.
"The hours of the cannonade grew monotonous and oppressive. Againand again caissons were exploded and added to the terrible listof casualties. Wagons and ambulances--such of them as were notwrecked--were driven out of range. Every moment or two the groundshook with the recoil and thunder of our batteries, while the airabove and around us seemed literally filled with shrieking, moaning,whistling projectiles of almost every size and pattern in presentuse. From them came puffs of smoke, sharp cracks, heard above thegeneral din, as they exploded and showered around us pieces ofjagged iron. When a shell bursts, its fragments strike the groundobliquely, with a forward movement; therefore our comparativesafety behind our rock, which often shook from the terrific impactof missiles on its outer side. So many had now sought its shelterthat some extended beyond its protection, and before the cannonadewas over two were killed outright, almost within reach of my arm.Many of the wounded, in going to the rear, were struck down beforereaching a place of safety. The same was true of the men bringingammunition from the caissons in the depression beneath us. Every fewminutes an officer of some rank would be carried by on a stretcher,with a man or two in attendance. I saw one of these hastily movinggroups prostrated by a shell, and none of them rose again orstruggled. I only tell you of these scenes in compliance with yourwish, Miss Marian, and because I see that you have the spirit ofa soldier. I was told that, in the thickest of the fight, the wifeof a general came on the field in search of her husband, who wasreported wounded. I believe that you could have done the same."
"I don't know," she replied, sadly,--"I don't know, for I neverrealized what war was before;" and she looked apprehensively atMerwyn, fearing to see traces of weakness. His side face, as he satin the shadow, was pale indeed, but he was rigid and motionless.She received the impression that he was bracing himself by thewhole strength of his will to listen through the dreadful story.
Again Mr. Vosburgh suggested that these details were too terrificfor his daughter's nerves, but she interrupted him almost sternly,saying: "No, papa, I intend to know just what my friends havepassed through. I feel that it is due to them, and, if I cannothear quietly, I am not worthy to be their friend. I can listen towords when Southern girls can listen to bullets. Captain Blauvelt,you are describing the battle exactly as I asked and wished. My onlyfear is that you are going beyond your strength;" and she pouredhim out a glass of light wine.
"When you come to hear all I passed through after leaving thatrock, you will know that this story-telling is not worth thinkingabout," said Blauvelt, with a slight laugh, "All my exposure waswell worth the risk, for the chance of telling it to a woman of yournerve. My hope now is that Strahan may some day learn how stanchwas our 'home support,' as we were accustomed to call you. I assureyou that many a man has been inspired to do his best because ofsuch friendship and sympathy. I am now about to tell you of thegrandest thing I ever saw or expect to see, and shall not abate onejot of praise because the heroic act was performed by the enemy."
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE GRAND ASSAULT.