ANTIETAM***


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THE YOUNG SHARPSHOOTER AT ANTIETAM

by

EVERETT T. TOMLINSON







Boston and New York
Houghton Mifflin Company
The Riverside Press Cambridge
1914

Copyright, 1914, by Everett T. Tomlinson
All Rights Reserved

Published September 1914




[Illustration: THEY WERE FALLING BY SCORES]




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.




CONTENTS


        I. THE IRISHMAN AND HIS PIG                        1

       II. THE SUTLER'S GOODS                             13

      III. INTERCEPTED                                    27

       IV. THE V IN THE FENCE                             38

        V. THE PLAN OF GENERAL LEE                        47

       VI. LONG JOHN                                      54

      VII. CAUGHT                                         63

     VIII. UNDER GUARD                                    72

       IX. THE PLOT                                       83

        X. INTO THE STORM                                 93

       XI. NICK                                          102

      XII. THE GIANT                                     113

     XIII. FRIENDS OF THE UNION                          124

      XIV. THE SUTLER AS A GUIDE                         135

       XV. WARLIKE BEES                                  146

      XVI. A HELPER                                      154

     XVII. THE GUEST ROOM                                166

    XVIII. THE FIRE                                      177

      XIX. AT THE FORK                                   188

       XX. THE STACK OF STRAW                            198

      XXI. THE CARPET-BAG                                207

     XXII. A MYSTERY                                     217

    XXIII. THE GUARD-HOUSE                               227

     XXIV. A FRUITLESS INTERVIEW                         236

      XXV. THE EXECUTION                                 248

     XXVI. THE TEST                                      260

    XXVII. THE SHARPSHOOTERS                             270

   XXVIII. THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION                        280

     XXIX. THE BATTLE                                    290

      XXX. THE FOLLOWING DAY                             302

     XXXI. ANTIETAM                                      311

    XXXII. CONCLUSION                                    323




ILLUSTRATIONS



THEY WERE FALLING BY SCORES (PAGE 303)               _Frontispiece_

"DEY SAY YO' HAB HAWNS"                                   58

NOEL HEARD THE BULLET AS IT WHISTLED PAST                152

"WHO'S IN THERE?"                                        200


_From drawings by George Avison_




THE YOUNG SHARPSHOOTER AT ANTIETAM




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 shifted
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
rushing 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 massa run, ha! ha!
      De <DW54>s 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 <DW64>s
now joined the group to watch the passing 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 <DW52> 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 <DW65>s," 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 <DW64>s at this time assembled to watch the passing 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 cockles abound, increased the weird
expression with which she beamed upon the approaching boys.

All of the <DW64>s 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 <DW64> 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 assemblage 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 <DW64>s 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
<DW64>s, 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 <DW64>s, 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!"

"Bress ye, honey! We hab bin waitin' fo' yeahs fo' yo' to come! We's
been prayin' all de time and when I hear yo' singin' about 'Ole massa
run, ha! ha!' and 'De <DW54>s stay, ho! ho!' den I des know de kingdom
was come shore 'nuff and de yeah of Jubilo was right yere!"

Too angry to respond, Dennis waited until Noel had relieved him of his
gun and the pig, and then with one violent effort freed himself from the
grasp of the excited black woman.

When she made as if she was about to approach him once more and renew
her expression of delight over the coming of the boys in blue, Dennis
suddenly seized the little pig that Noel was holding and swinging it
with all his strength struck the woman with it upon the side of her
face.

The effect of his effort, however, was plainly not more than to cause
the huge mass of flesh to stop a moment, but not to abandon the efforts
in which the negress was engaged. Again Dennis drew back the little pig
and again struck at his tormentor. His second effort, however, like his
first, was unable to check the fervor of the powerful woman. The
remaining <DW64>s now were almost upon the struggling pair. The fear in
Noel's heart that some harm might come to Dennis or to himself became
real.

"Stand back there!" he shouted. "Don't come any nearer!"

At his word the crowd halted and, quickly taking advantage of the
interval, Noel said, "This woman says you have been praying for four
years for us to come."

"Yas, suh! Yas, suh! We shore has! Dis yere is de Jubilo, shore 'nuff!
Shore 'nuff! Ole massa goin' to run, and de <DW54>s goin' to stay!"

"Do you know that song?" inquired Noel.

"We shore does! Yas, suh! Yas, suh! We knows it!"

"Then I want