THE GATHERING OF A NEW COMMAND
The guerillas were disposed of, and it did not appear that there was
any other enemy in the vicinity. Major Lyon marched his squadron back
to the road where he had left his wagons. Captain Woodbine, at the
invitation of Colonel Hickman, visited the mansion, and required Deck
to go with him. As they rode up the hill the lieutenant gave the
details of his escape from the Beech Grove breastworks, the drowning of
the four fugitives, and the defence of the mansion of the planter.
Colonel Hickman rode with them, and listened to the narrative, and
stated that the young lieutenant had conducted the defence, and that
all the gang who gained admission to the house, with the exception of
one or two, had been killed or wounded. On their arrival at the mansion
the party visited every room. Those on the lower floor exhibited the
havoc made by the ruffians in their search for the planter's money.
Deck pointed to the safe in the hall, and explained in what manner
Sergeant Fronklyn had covered the staircase; and the body of the first
man who had attempted the descent lay where it had fallen. Then they
went up-stairs. The same havoc appeared in all the apartments. The
bodies of two men who had been instantly killed at the windows, and
several other wounded ruffians, lay on the beds.
"The assault was skilfully and safely managed," said the staff-officer,
patting the lieutenant on the back.
"Lieutenant Lyon has been the hero of the day on my premises, and he
has placed me under ever-lasting obligations to him," added the
colonel. "With a very insignificant force we had cleaned out the
ruffians from the house when the approach of the main body of the gang
was announced by my servants, who had been scouting beyond the hills.
The coming of the cavalry has probably saved my mansion and my life. As
the villains supposed, I have a considerable sum of money concealed;
for I could not trust it in any bank in the present condition of the
State. I should like to reward the lieutenant"--
"I would not accept any reward for simply doing my duty," interposed
Deck.
"But I hope it will be in my power to serve you, young man."
"I am too happy to have served you, Colonel Hickman, to need anything
more than the approval of my own conscience," replied Deck, moving off.
"I am not without influential friends, Lieutenant Lyon, and you may
hear from me when you least expect it," continued Colonel Hickman, as
he followed the young officer, and grasped him by the hand.
"I do not ask for any influence in my favor. I am a second lieutenant
at eighteen, and I ask for no promotion to which my services do not
entitle me," replied Deck proudly. "I have sent the horse you were kind
enough to loan me back to your stable; and now I am at your service,
Captain Woodbine."
Both of the officers mounted their steeds, and the planter showered
benedictions upon them as they rode off. Deck had had some conversation
with the three sons of the Colonel, and they had been as hearty in
their commendations of the young officer as their father. The
staff-officer then informed his companion that the Riverlawn squadron
had been sent out on a reconnoissance down the river, and that the
battalion was subject to his orders.
"Then you wish to go to the river?" suggested Deck.
"I do; as soon as possible," replied the captain.
"Then we will take the avenue, which is the nearest road;" and Deck led
the way into the grove, and they soon reached the great bend of the
stream where he and Fronklyn had effected their landing, and near
Cuffy's ferry.
At this point Captain Woodbine took his field-glass from its case, and
carefully examined the country on the other side of the river. Deck had
no idea what he was looking for, and he said nothing. As he had come
with the Riverlawns, it was evident that he had a mission to carry out;
but so far he had kept his own counsel. Possibly he did not yet know
what he should do. The Confederate army, or the greater portion of it,
had effected its escape across the river in the steamer the fugitives
had seen where they took the boat, and in other craft gathered there.
General Crittenden had abandoned a vast quantity of arms and munitions
for which he had not sufficient transportation, and the Union army had
taken possession of them in the morning. The cavalry had attempted to
swim their horses over the swift-flowing river, but a great number of
them had been drowned. The shore for a considerable distance below the
breastworks was covered with dead horses, and with the bodies of men
who had run the risk of riding their steeds through the angry stream.
"It will be impossible for the army of the enemy to remain in the
fortifications they have erected at Mill Springs," said Captain
Woodbine, as he closed the field-glass, and returned it to the case.
"They were in a starving condition on this side of the river, and they
must be worse off on the other side. We will ride up the stream, and
see what there is to be seen."
The staff-officer led the way, and Deck followed him in silence. He
wondered what the captain was driving at, but he asked no questions. At
Cuffy's ferry the captain found the ferryman, and halted to write a
note in his memorandum-book, which he tore out, and directed the negro
to deliver it to the commanding officer of the squadron when the force
arrived.
"It is only an order for your father to wait till we return," said the
captain; and then he rode on. "Do you know your way along the river,
Lieutenant?" he asked a little later.
"No, sir; Fronklyn and I came down to this bend in a boat, of which the
ferryman has taken possession, as I told him to do, for he had lost his
own. But you will soon come to a swollen stream that flows into the
river; and you cannot get across that, for the banks are very high and
steep," replied Deck.
The captain continued on his way at a slow walk, for the horses mired
in the soft soil, keeping his gaze fixed on the opposite shore. At the
end of half an hour they came to a little hill, at the foot of which
the tributary stream discharged itself into the Cumberland. The
staff-officer directed his glass to the other shore, and there was
nothing to obstruct his vision.
"As I supposed," said he, turning his horse, and starting on the return
to the ferry.
"It is pleasant to have your supposition confirmed," Deck ventured to
remark.
"My supposition was that the Confederate army would march to the south
at once, and I have seen the column moving in that direction on the
road that leads to Oak Forest," said Captain Woodbine, revealing his
object for the first time, though he said nothing about his purpose in
marching the Riverlawns to the river.
Deck asked no questions, but when they had gone half-way to the ferry
the sound of several bugles was heard ahead of them.
"Our squadron appears to have arrived," said he.
"Perhaps it has," replied the captain with a smile.
"That is an artillery call!" exclaimed the lieutenant, as he recognized
the sounds; and he was not a little astonished.
"I should judge that it was," added the captain.
His companion was not communicative; and Deck said no more, for ten
minutes would explain the mystery that bothered him. In less time than
he thought he obtained a view of the ground near the ferry; and the
first thing that confronted him was a battery of four guns. In the
field were plainly to be seen two companies of cavalry, dressed in
United States uniform; but they were not the Riverlawn Squadron.
"That is not our battalion, Captain Woodbine," said he, amazed at the
appearance of this strange force.
"It certainly is not," answered the staff-officer.
"Two more companies of cavalry comin' down de road, Mars'r," Cuffy
volunteered to inform them.
"Those must be the Riverlawns, as you call them, Lieutenant."
The two companies of cavalry near the river and the battery were taking
their rations from their haversacks, and Captain Woodbine did not
disturb them. By this time Major Lyon's command had halted in the road,
the head of the column near Cuffy's house. A trooper, running his
horse, was approaching; and Deck saw that it was his brother Artie, who
rode up to the staff-officer, saluted him, and reported the arrival of
the squadron by order of his father.
As soon as he had delivered his message, he grasped the hand of the
lieutenant; for they had not yet come together in the hurry of the
events of the afternoon. The meeting was such as two loving brothers
could not help making it. Artie congratulated Deck on his escape and
his present safety; for the story of his adventure with Fronklyn had
been circulated through both companies, and there was no occasion for
the lieutenant to repeat it.
"I say, Deck! what is going on here? What is that battery of light
artillery and the two companies of cavalry doing here?" inquired Artie
very earnestly.
"They seem to be taking a late dinner out of their haversacks," replied
Deck, who was not a whit wiser than his brother.
"I could see that for myself," added Artie, laughing.
"That is all I know about it; and if you want to know anything more,
you must ask Captain Woodbine, for I fancy he is the only person on the
ground who understands the matter."
"I should as soon think of asking General Thomas, if he were here; for
I suppose he knows all about it wherever he is."
"No doubt of it; and the captain is his only mouthpiece about this
region. But if we wait a while I have no doubt we shall know all about
the situation, though I do not expect to be supplied with a copy of the
staff-officer's orders."
"Of course not."
"Orderly!" called the officer mentioned.
Artie, who answered to this designation near his father, rode up to the
captain, and saluted him with even more than usual deference; for just
now he seemed to be a sort of mysterious personage, in whom all power
in this locality resided.
"If you have finished your interview with your brother, for I do not
wish to hurry you, as we are in no special haste while the three
companies are eating their dinner, you will deliver this order to Major
Lyon."
"We have finished, Captain," replied Artie, surprised at the kindness
of the staff-officer, who had been writing in his memorandum-book, and
had torn out the leaf, which he tendered to the orderly.
Artie took the folded paper, and galloped back to the head of the
Riverlawn column. Though he was a boy of eighteen, like his brother,
but really only his cousin, he was not tempted to read the order he was
carrying, greatly as his curiosity was stimulated; for it was a matter
of honor with both of the young men to "mind their own business," and
especially not to meddle with that of others; and either of them would
have been a model postmaster, in whose keeping even postal-cards would
have been sacred.
The three companies nearest to the river finished their dinner, and
Deck looked the men over as they prepared to resume their places in the
ranks. The horses had all been supplied with a feed of oats, poured
upon the cleanest spots to be found on the grass, which had been
somewhat kicked up by the tramp of horses. The men went to their
steeds, and the lieutenant thought they were fine-looking men; and some
few of them were as tall and bony as Life Knox. The members of the
battery "hitched up" their animals again, and then took their seats on
their horses and the gun-carriages and caissons.
Major Lyon, evidently in obedience to the order he had just received,
had given his commands to the captains of the two companies, and they
were marching them into the field behind the ferry-house; and in a few
minutes they had formed in double ranks on the west side of the ground,
north and south. Then the two other companies of cavalry formed in the
same manner on the north side of the field, east and west. The battery
came into line on the south side, and the whole made the three sides of
the square.
The formation of the square was completed; and Deck, who had been
instructed to accompany Captain Woodbine, was directed to summon the
two majors in command of the squadrons into his presence. He shook
hands with both of them, calling them by name. Then the order was given
by the captains to present arms. The staff-officer raised his cap, and
bowed.
"I will now cause my commission to be read to you," he continued,
handing the document to Lieutenant Lyon, and directing him to read it,
which he did in a voice loud and clear enough to be heard by all on the
field.