The Shades of the Wilderness | Page 4

at the darkest, but dawn was not far away. Fugitive gusts of wind
drenched him once more, but he did not mind it, nor did he pay any
attention to the occasional growl of a distant gun. He was strong in the
belief that Meade would not pursue--at least not yet. A general who had
just lost nearly one-third of his own army was not in much condition to
follow his enemy.
He urged his horse to increased speed, and pressed on toward the head
of the column. The rain ceased and cool puffs of wind came out of the
east. Then the blackness there turned to gray, which soon deepened into
silver. Through the silver veil shot a bolt of red fire, and the sun came
over the hills.
Although the green world had been touched with brown by the hot sun
of July it looked fresh and beautiful to Harry. The brown in the
morning sunlight was a rosy red, and the winds of dawn were charged
with life. His horse, too, felt the change and it was easy now to force
him into a gallop toward a fire on a low hill, which Harry felt sure had
been built to cook breakfast for their great commander.
As he approached he saw Lee and his generals standing before the
blaze, some eating, and others drinking. An orderly, near by, held the
commander's famous horse, Traveller, and two or three horses
belonging to the other generals were trying to find a little grass between

the stony outcrops of the hills. Harry felt an overwhelming curiosity,
but he kept it in restraint, dismounting at a little distance, and
approaching on foot.
He could not observe much change in the general's appearance. His
handsome gray suit was as neat as ever, and the three stars, the only
marks of his rank that he wore, shone untarnished upon his collar. The
dignified and cheerful manner that marked him before Gettysburg
marked him also afterward. To Harry, so young and so thoroughly
charged with the emotions of his time and section, he was a figure to be
approached with veneration.
He saw the stalwart and bearded Longstreet and other generals whom
he knew, among them the brilliant Stuart in his brilliant plumage, but
rather quiet and subdued in manner now, since he had not come to
Gettysburg as soon as he was needed. Harry hung back a little, fearing
lest he might be regarded as thrusting himself into a company so much
his superior in rank, but Lee saw him and beckoned to him.
"I sent you back toward Gettysburg to report on our withdrawal,
Lieutenant Kenton," he said.
"Yes, sir. I returned all the way to the field. The last of our troops
should be leaving there just about now. The Northern army had made
no preparation for immediate pursuit."
"Your report agrees with all the others that I have received. How long
have you been without sleep?"
"I don't know, sir," he said at last. "I can't remember. Maybe it has been
two or three days."
Stuart, who held a cup of coffee in his hand, laughed. "The times have
been such that there are generals as well as lieutenants," he said, "who
can't remember when they've slept."
"You're exhausted, my lad," said Lee gravely and kindly, "and there's
nothing more you can do for us just now. Take some breakfast with us,

and then you must sleep in one of the wagons. An orderly will look
after your horse."
Lee handed him a cup of coffee with his own hand, and Harry, thanking
him, withdrew to the outer fringe of the little group, where he took his
breakfast, amazed to find how hungry he was, although he had not
thought of food before. Then without a word, as he saw that the
generals were engrossed in a conference, he withdrew.
"You'll find Lieutenant Dalton of the staff in the covered wagon over
there," said the orderly who had taken his horse. "The general sent him
to it more'n two hours ago."
"Then I'll be inside it in less than two minutes," said Harry.
But with rest in sight he collapsed suddenly. His head fell forward of its
own weight. His feet became lead. Everything swam before his eyes.
He felt that he must sleep or die. But he managed to drag himself to the
wagon and climbed inside. Dalton lay in the center of it so sound asleep
that he was like one dead. Harry rolled him to one side, making room
for himself, and lay down beside him. Then his eyes closed, and he, too,
slept so soundly that he also looked like one dead.
He was awakened by Dalton pulling at him. The young Virginian was
sitting up and looking