The Brigade Commander | Page 8

men!"
The Confederates, however, had got their range. A half minute later
four puffs of smoke dotted the ridge, and a flight of hoarse humming
shrieks tore the air. A little aureole cracked and splintered over the First,
followed by loud cries of anguish and a brief, slight confusion. The
voice of an officer rose sharply out of the flurry, "Close up, Company
A! Forward, men!" The battalion column resumed its even formation in
an instant, and tramped unitedly onward, leaving behind it two
quivering corpses and a wounded man who tottered rearward.
Then came more screeches, and a shell exploded over the highroad,
knocking a gunner lifeless from his carriage. The brigade commander
glanced anxiously along his batteries, and addressed a few words to his
chief of artillery. Presently the four Napoleons set forward at a gallop
for the wood, while the four Parrotts wheeled to the right, deployed,
and advanced across the fields, inclining toward the left of the enemy.
Next Taylor's regiment (the Eighth) halted, fronted, faced to the right,
and filed off in column of march at a double-quick until it had gained
the rear of the Parrotts, when it fronted again, and pushed on in support.

A quarter of a mile further on these guns went into battery behind the
brow of a little knoll, and opened fire. Four companies of the Eighth
spread out to the right as skirmishers, and commenced stealing toward
the ridge, from time to time measuring the distance with rifle-balls. The
remainder of the regiment lay down in line between the Parrotts and the
forest. Far away to the right, five companies of cavalry showed
themselves, manoeuvring as if they proposed to turn the left flank of
the Southerners. The attack on this side was in form and in operation.
Meantime the Confederate fire had divided. Two guns pounded away at
Taylor's feint, while two shelled the main column. The latter was struck
repeatedly; more than twenty men dropped silent or groaning out of the
hurrying files; but the survivors pushed on without faltering and
without even caring for the wounded. At last a broad belt of green
branches rose between the regiments and the ridge; and the rebel
gunners, unable to see their foe, dropped suddenly into silence.
Here it appeared that the road divided. The highway traversed the forest,
mounted the slope beyond and dissected the enemy's position, while a
branch road turned to the left and skirted the exterior of the long curve
of wooded hillocks. At the fork the battery of Napoleons had halted,
and there it was ordered to remain for the present in quiet. There, too,
the Fourteenth filed in among the dense greenery, threw out two
companies of skirmishers toward the ridge, and pushed slowly after
them into the shadows.
"Get sight of the enemy at once!" was Wal-dron's last word to
Gildersleeve. "If they move down the slope, drive them back. But don't
commence your attack under half an hour."
Next he filed the Fifth to the thickets, saying to Colburn, "I want you to
halt a hundred yards to the left and rear of Gildersleeve. Cover his flank
if he is attacked; but otherwise lie quiet. As soon as he charges, move
forward to the edge of the wood, and be ready to support him. But
make no assault yourself until further orders."
The next two regiments--the Seventh and First--he placed in échelon, in
like manner, a quarter of a mile further along. Then he galloped

forward to the cavalry, and a last word with Stilton. "You and Gahogan
must take care of yourselves. Push on four or five hundred yards, and
then face to the right. Whatever Gahogan finds let him go at it. If he
can't shake it, help him. You two must reach the top of the ridge. Only,
look out for your left flank. Keep a squadron or two in reserve on that
side."
"Currnel, if we don't raich the top of the hill, it'll be because it hasn't
got wan," answered Gahogan. Stilton only laughed and rode forward.
Waldron now returned toward the fork of the road. On the way he sent
a staff officer to the Seventh with renewed orders to attack as soon as
possible after Gildersleeve. Then another staff officer was hurried
forward to Taylor with directions to push his feint strongly, and drive
his skirmishers as far up the slope as they could get. A third staff
officer set the Parrotts in rear of Taylor to firing with all their might.
By the time that the commandant had returned to Col-burn's ambushed
ranks, no one was with him but his enemy, Fitz Hugh.
"You don't seem to trust me with duty, Colonel," said the young man.
"I shall use you only in case of