The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam Part 1

The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam.

by Everett T. Tomlinson.

PREFACE

This story has been written with no desire to revive or even to keep alive the spirit of the struggle between the States.

Nevertheless the facts which have made our history and the forces which have entered into the making of the life of our country ought not to be ignored or forgotten. The effect of the conflict was too great for that.

The Civil War is now far enough away to enable us to see the heroic, dramatic, and even romantic elements that composed it; and all these, too, free from the bitterness which naturally was characteristic of the times.

To-day each side understands the other better, and with a more complete knowledge is able to see more clearly the sterling qualities of both contestants.

The appreciation of the importance of Lee's first attempt to invade the North is necessary if one is to understand the struggle which followed.

The dash, spirit, and skill of the great Southern leader, as well as the energy and the daring of his lieutenants, are seen to-day more clearly than in the times when his effort was made. What the consequence would have been if General Lee had succeeded, all can appreciate. The battle of Antietam was almost a pivot of the great Civil War.

That my young readers may gain a more complete knowledge of the daring advance of the great Southern general and the result which followed when his army was turned back into Virginia, I have written this story. My hope is that it will lead to a careful study of the conflict, and that boys, North and South alike, may be led into an increased knowledge of and interest in our common country.

EVERETT T. TOMLINSON.

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

CHAPTER I

THE IRISHMAN AND HIS PIG

"You're too noisy, Dennis."

"What's the harm?" replied Dennis O'Hara as he stopped a moment and looked all about him. "There are no Johnnies around here."

"You don't know whether there are or not," retorted Noel Curtis sharply, as he too glanced in either direction along the dusty road over which the two young soldiers were tramping that September day in 1862. Both were clad in the uniform of the Union army, and the manner in which they carried their rifles gave evidence of the fact that both young soldiers were well known in the army of General McClellan for their skill as sharpshooters.

"'Tis nothing I'm afraid of now," said Dennis gleefully, as he s.h.i.+fted from one shoulder to the other the body of a small pig which he had secured in his foraging expedition with his companions.

The day was one to stir the souls of both young men, who were thoroughly wearied by the routine of the camp life at Harper's Ferry, where they had been stationed with about eight thousand other Union soldiers. There was a haze in the distance that covered the summits of the hills and even the waters of the near-by stream seemed to be subdued as they rushed on their way to join the Potomac.

"'Tis a fine day," exclaimed Dennis; and at once he began to sing,--

"My rations are S.B., Taken from porkers three Thousand years old; And hard-tack cut and dried Long before Noah died,-- From what wars left aside Ne'er can be told."

"What do you mean by 'S.B.'?" laughed Noel.

"Sometimes 'tis said to mean 'salt bacon,' and then again maybe 'tis 'salt beef,' and sometimes we call it 'soaked beans.' Whatever it is I have had my fill of it. Shure, Noel, me boy, it's you and I that will be feasting ourselves on some roast pork before to-morrow mornin'."

"Look at those pickaninnies!" exclaimed Noel, as he pointed to a little hut from which a stream of black-faced urchins appeared, who were rus.h.i.+ng to join their companions in the road and watch the two approaching Union soldiers.

"Wait 'til I sing them a song, too," exclaimed Dennis; and once more he began to sing,--

"Ole ma.s.sa run, ha! ha!

De darkies stay, ho! ho!

It must be now dat de kingdom's comin'

And de year of Jubilo."

In addition to the crowd of dusky-faced children several older negroes now joined the group to watch the pa.s.sing Union soldiers. The boys in blue were still such a novelty to many of the slaves that their appearance usually served to summon speedily a band of the admiring dusky spectators.

Dennis, unfamiliar with the colored people and their ways, had never ceased to express his dislike of them. Many a time in the camp when the soldier boys had wanted to have a little sport they would call upon Dennis to "cuss the n.i.g.g.e.rs," by which term they described Dennis's oratorical efforts. Standing upon the head of a barrel, or mounting some box near the quarters of the sutler, with his ready tongue Dennis promptly poured forth a steady stream of almost meaningless words that were supposed to be descriptive of his feeling of antipathy toward the people for whose liberty he was fighting.

In the company of negroes at this time a.s.sembled to watch the pa.s.sing of the two young soldiers there was one woman, manifestly an old field-hand, whose size was so immense as to be impressive. The admiration with which the woman gazed upon Dennis was returned in the expression of astonishment with which the young Irish soldier stared at this huge negress.

"Shure, Noel," he exclaimed to his friend in a loud whisper, "'tis not an ounce liss than four hundred pounds she weighs."

Noel laughed and did not reply as he looked again at the strange woman.

Her cheeks hung down almost to her shoulders, and her immense lower lip, which appeared to be nearly an inch in thickness, and her hair, which in appearance was not unlike the tail of a horse after the animal has been feeding in some field where c.o.c.kles abound, increased the weird expression with which she beamed upon the approaching boys.

All of the negroes by this time were becoming more and more excited.

Their eyes seemed almost to protrude from their faces. They soon began to sing and dance, and mingled with the strange noises were the wild and weird shouts they occasionally uttered. The huge negress was the wildest of all.

Neither of the approaching soldiers looked at the spectacle with any other thought than that of curiosity. To both of them up to the time of their enlistment a negro had been a rare sight. Since they had entered the army, of course they naturally had come frequently in contact with the dusky slaves. And the contrabands also on many occasions had flocked into the camps, confidently expecting to be sent North by their soldier friends.

Suddenly the huge negress abruptly started toward the young soldiers.

Swinging her arms as she ran, she swiftly approached the boys, who had stopped abruptly when they first discovered her action.

"Bress de Lor'! Bress de Lor'! Yo's de ones we's been prayin' fo' dese fo' yeahs! Lor' bress ye, honey! I lub ye! I lub ye!" she added in her excitement, as she lunged toward Dennis, who was the particular object of her attack.

For a moment the startled young Irishman gazed in mingled disgust and fear at the huge negress, who was rapidly approaching. Then without a word of explanation Dennis O'Hara, who on the battle-field had been brave almost beyond the power of description, abruptly turned and fled from the excited negress. A wild shout from the a.s.semblage followed his unexpected departure, and even Noel was compelled to laugh when he saw the huge woman start in swift and awkward pursuit of the fleeing soldier.

Unwilling to let go his hold upon the pig, which he had secured in his foraging, Dennis was greatly hampered in his flight. With long strides the black woman gained rapidly upon him. Once Dennis emitted a loud whoop of terror or warning, Noel was unable to decide which.

The excitement of the negroes became more marked as it was seen that the efforts of Dennis to escape were unavailing. Nearer and nearer came the excited black woman, and in a brief time she flung her great arms about Dennis, who was helpless to protect himself, as he still was unwilling to let go his hold upon his prize.

"Lor' bress ye, honey!" shouted the woman as she clasped the unwilling soldier in her arm. "Bress de Lor'! Bress de Lor'! We hab bin prayin'

fo' yo' dese fo' yeahs! M--m--m--"

Her grasp evidently became more vigorous and her enthusiasm more marked as the plight of the helpless soldier became more manifest. The watching negroes, almost hilarious by this time, started toward the place where the exciting scene was being enacted.

What the outcome might be now began to trouble even Noel, who rapidly advanced to the side of his friend, and shouted to the approaching blacks, "Keep back! Keep back!"

The negroes, however, either were too excited or were unwilling at first to heed the request, and in a screaming, laughing, shouting mob they still pressed forward.

The negress, as has been said, apparently a field-hand, was possessed of great physical strength, and it was plain that Dennis was unable to protect or even release himself as long as he held to the body of the pig.

As Noel approached, Dennis shouted excitedly to him, "Take the porker, Noel, me boy! Take me gun, too! Help me out o' this!"