Antebellum BK 1 (74 page)

“
Do you have a death wish, Van Buskirk?” McDowell shouted as Quincy stepped into the relative cover of the trees.

“
No, sir.” Quincy twisted his arm around to look at a small bullet wound. “I can’t find Colonel Hunter’s brigade. We were to join them.”

“
Forget that,” McDowell said. “Tell Sherman to pursue the enemy on the Sudley Springs road.”

“
Very well, sir.”

“
Oh. And tell Sherman well done. His surprise attack across that ford was what set the rebels to running.”

Quincy saluted and started back across the open field.

“
Van Buskirk,” McDowell shouted. “Take cover please.”

Quincy stopped and looked around. “Where would you suggest, sir?”

McDowell waved him on. “Never mind. Go. Just go.”

~

“
You’ve been hit,” Sherman said.

“
Several times, but they’re only scratches,” Quincy replied.

“
Didn’t your father ever teach you to duck?”

“
No, sir. My father and uncles are of the opinion that officers should remain disdainful of enemy fire in order to serve as inspiration to the men.”

“
Yeah, I was told the same thing, but I always thought it was a load of hogwash. Any orders from McDowell?”

Quincy pointed. “The enemy is falling back to the left of the road to Sudley Springs. General McDowell wants us to pursue.”

“
Officer’s call,” Sherman shouted. “Someone catch one of those riderless horses for Captain Van Buskirk.”

“
And a canteen of water, if you please,” Quincy added. “Mine has a bullet hole through it.”

Sherman gave Quincy his canteen.

“
Thank you.” Quincy sat down with his back against a shattered tree and took a long swallow.

“
How does it look from up there?”

“
Chaotic. I’m not sure which army is the most disorganized.” Quincy gave him back his canteen. “The bulk of the rebel force is falling back toward Henry House Hill. The main resistance is disorganized infantry. Stubborn farm boys with squirrel guns, hiding in the hedgerows.”

Sherman waited until his regimental commanders had gathered, then he drew a map in the dirt. “Colonel Quinby’s rifles will be our van. Behind them, the Wisconsin Second, New York Seventy-ninth, and New York Sixty-ninth. We’ll advance downhill here, and then up to this ridge. This is where we’ll engage. Any questions?”

“
We’ll be in a crossfire,” Quinby replied. “Musket ranks on one side, cannon on the other.”

“
Did you have a question?” Sherman asked.

Quinby shook his head. “No, sir.”

“
Did someone secure a horse for my Adjutant General?” Sherman bellowed.

“
Here, sir.” A sergeant led a limping horse to the clearing behind the boulders. “He’s lost a shoe but he ain’t lame yet. Just fakin’ a bit and feelin’ sorry for his-self.”

~

“
What time is it?” Jeb Stuart asked.

“
Noon,” Johnny Van Buskirk replied.

“
How do you know that without looking at your watch?”

“
The sun’s straight overhead, Beauty.”

“
Where’s Jackson?” Stuart grumbled.

“
Wade Hampton said he’s coming up the backside of the hill.” Johnny pointed over his shoulder.

Below them, a large number of Confederate soldiers were running toward them in disorganized terror. “He better get here fast or our whole blamed army’s gonna overrun him in full retreat,” Stuart said.

Johnny mounted his horse. “Why don’t you take the regiment over the hill and find Jackson while I ride down the hill and see if I can’t stop that retreat? It looks like McDowell isn’t going to press his advantage.”

“
Not yet.” Stuart swung into his saddle and pointed to another hill about three hundred yards away. “The Yankees are moving artillery into position up there. They’ll have a lovely field of fire. Once they’ve done all the damage they can, their infantry will charge.”

“
Jackson has his own cannons,” Johnny replied, shading his eyes for a better view. “They’re smooth bores but those Yankee pieces will be in range. If he gets an artillery duel started, McDowell may stall. That gives us a chance to regain the initiative.”

Stuart signaled the color bearer and turned back toward the crest, leading his cavalry in a long column.

~

“
What’s the holdup?” Sherman shouted as he reined in beside Colonel Quinby.

“
General McDowell ordered me to hold until Ricketts and Griffin’s batteries are in place.” He pointed toward the hill.

“
The rebels aren’t going to sit on their thumbs waiting for Ricketts and Griffin,” Sherman snarled. “They’re moving their own artillery into place to rake your regiment when you break cover. We’ve lost the element of surprise. They know where you are now.”

“
What do you want me to do, sir?” Quinby replied in frustration. “The commanding general told me to hold. If you countermand his order, I’ll obey.”

“
I’m countermanding it. Go.”

Quinby moved out smartly and met little resistance until he reached the ridge where the Confederates were partially dug in or in defiladed positions. Alerted by Quinby’s earlier movement, rebel artillery had been quickly moved into place and the regiments following Quinby were subjected to a fierce cannonade that sent them racing for the limited protection of the road.

~

After a brief exchange of information with Stuart and Hampton, Jackson deployed his regiments along the crest of the hill and positioned his thirteen guns on top, with orders to engage the Union artillery on the next hill. His smooth bores actually held an advantage over the Union’s rifled cannons which were sighted for a much longer range and consistently fired over the heads of the confederate gunners.

Johnny, with help from officers of Hampton’s Legion, was able to regain order over the fleeing Virginians and formed them into a triple line to defend against the pursuing regiment of Zouaves and U.S. Marines. By the third volley the Zouaves were falling back through the Marines.

~

Sherman watched as the Zouaves retreated under heavy fire, followed immediately by the Marines. “What do you think?” he asked Quincy.

“
I think we’re about to get chastised by General McDowell.” Quincy pointed toward three approaching riders.

“
Who’s that?”

“
Major Wadsworth, of General McDowell’s staff, and two aides.”

Sherman waited, then returned the major’s salute.

“
General McDowell sends his compliments, sir,” Wadsworth said. “You are ordered to leave the roadway by the left flank and attack the enemy.”

Sherman opened his mouth to refuse but Quincy stopped him. “I’ll take the order to the Wisconsin Second, sir.” Quincy rode out onto the road, stopped to ask where he might find the commanding officer and was shot off his horse.

~

Johnny was less than a hundred yards away from Quincy and saw him go down. His instinct was to ride to his cousin’s aid, but his duty was to press the Confederate advantage. “On me, men.” He raised his sword in the air. “One more push and they’ll all be running.” He rode forward with the infantry until the Union line broke, then he trotted his horse back up to the hilltop where another battle was in full pitch. The brigade of Confederate General Barnard Bee had been driven back until they linked with Jackson’s fresh troops, and together now they were making a valiant stand.

On the opposite hill, the 33
^rd
Virginia, wearing blue uniforms, were mistaken for a Union force. That permitted them to capture Griffin’s guns with hardly a shot being fired.

Stuart waved to get Johnny’s attention and then pointed. “Whose guidon is that?”

“
The Eleventh New York,” Johnny replied.

“
Their flank is exposed. I suggest we go roll them up.”

“
Lead on,” Johnny shouted.

With a whoop of pure joy, Stuart signaled his cavalry to charge.

Jackson watched Stuart’s charge until he was sure it would be successful, then he sent two regiments against Ricketts’s guns. After a long, bloody fight, the cannons were eventually captured by the Confederates and McDowell ordered a general retreat.

End of Book One

Notes about historical accuracy:

This is a work of fiction set during a well-documented historical period. Conversations between actual historical figures are either fictional or have been taken from historical documents and newspaper accounts. Direct quotations of historical characters that were derived from written documents for use as dialog in these novels may have been minimally edited to flow conversationally.

Some fictional characters, particularly in battle settings, have been substituted for the historical characters so that the story can remain true to facts.

The issue of free versus slave states was very complicated, and the laws, territorial borders and names of the territories within the Louisiana Purchase and land ceded by Mexico after the Mexican War changed with every shift of political power. To simplify the story for the reader and avoid confusion, the commonly known territorial names may have been used such as New Mexico, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, before those names were official.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was not signed into law until 1854, but it had been proposed in spirit for over a decade before it was passed. The story line in
Antebellum
has moved the date forward in order to mix the events of Bleeding Kansas with similar slavery/anti-slavery movements and events, such as the Underground Railroad.

Malaria was known by a variety of names, including Mexican Fever and Swamp Fever, until after the Civil War. Malaria has been used in the text to avoid confusing the modern reader.

When several historical accounts of an event contradict each other the author has chosen the prevalent version.

The sale of Van Buskirk Point to J.D. Rockefeller actually occurred after the Civil War. The graveyard was later moved to Long Island and was still being maintained by Exxon Corporation at the time of this writing.