A FIRST LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN
The reading of the commission was an unusual proceeding; but the
recipient of it appeared to consider it advisable, especially as
several changes in the organization were to be announced. The document
was dated back over two months, and made him who had been known as
Captain Woodbine on the staff a brigadier-general. A chorus of cheers
resounded all along the lines as Deck finished the reading of the
commission, especially from the Riverlawn Cavalry.
General Woodbine acknowledged the compliment with dignity. He explained
that his commission had been in his keeping since the date appended to
it; but he had preferred to retain his position on the staff of General
Thomas, who had insisted that morning that he should assume the rank to
which he was entitled; for the services of one so well acquainted with
the country, both in Kentucky and Tennessee, were needed at this time.
He had been permitted to select the force to form his brigade, and he
had chosen those that he regarded as best fitted for the duty to which
he expected to be assigned. Major Lyon would retain the command of the
Riverlawn Cavalry, and Major Richland that of the other squadron of
Kentucky cavalry, while Captain Batterson would remain at the head of
the battery on the field, attached to the brigade.
"Lieutenant Lyon, of the first company of the Riverlawn Squadron,"
continued the general, "is promoted from the rank of second to that of
first lieutenant; and I have the pleasure of presenting to him his
commission;" and he handed to him the important document.
A spontaneous volley of cheers burst from the ranks of both companies
of the Riverlawns, for Deck was as popular in one company as in the
other; and it was continued till the general stopped it with a wave of
his hand.
"First Lieutenant Lyon is appointed to serve on the staff of the
general in command," added the commander of the brigade. "Second
Lieutenant Herndon is also promoted to the rank of first lieutenant,
and he will come forward to receive his commission. He is also
appointed to serve on my staff."
An outburst of cheers followed from the Marion Cavalry, as they had
chosen to call themselves, in which both the Riverlawns and the battery
joined. Lieutenant Herndon rode forward to the position of the general;
and Deck observed him with the most intense interest, for he was likely
to be his most intimate companion in future campaigns. He was a young
man of not more than twenty-one, but he was six feet in height, well
built, and quite muscular. He had a decidedly handsome face, with a
very pleasant expression; and Deck was sure that he was popular with
the ladies. The general presented his commission to him, which he
received with a graceful bow.
"Lieutenant Lyon, let me introduce to you Lieutenant Herndon; and as
you are now members of my military family, I hope you will be good
friends," said General Woodbine; and the two young men grasped each
other's hands, and the meeting was as cordial as it was promising for
the future.
"The major, in consultation with the captains of the companies in which
the vacancies occur, will fill them by appointing acting second
lieutenants; and, if practicable, I will thank them to send me the
names of those selected at once," continued the general, as he fell
into conversation with his newly appointed staff-officers.
In less than five minutes a messenger came from each of the battalions
bearing the names of the appointees; and in both cases they were the
orderly sergeants of the companies.
"Eliphalet Knox is appointed acting second lieutenant of the first
company of Riverlawn Cavalry, and Thomas Jefferson to the same position
in the first company of Marion Cavalry; and they will be obeyed and
respected as such," said the general, as he read the names from the
papers.
This announcement was received with cheers, as the others had been, and
the business of the occasion was finished. The parade was dismissed.
The baggage-wagons, each drawn by eight mules on account of the
condition of the roads and fields, an abundant supply of which had been
collected on the field of battle, and taken from the breastworks at
Beech Grove, were in the road.
Deck and Life were heartily congratulated by officers and soldiers; and
Captain Gordon expressed his regret at the loss of such a useful
lieutenant as the appointee on the staff of the general had been.
The general then gave the order for the brigade to form for a march
though it was six o'clock in the afternoon; and the new aids performed
their first duty as such in carrying the order to the commanders of the
three bodies of troops. It was ascertained that the commission of Major
Lyon antedated that of Major Richland, and the right of the column was
given to the Riverlawns. Of course there was no end of conjecture as to
where the brigade was to march; but the general did not whisper a word
in regard to his destination to any one.
The brigade marched but about five miles, and it was after dark when it
halted and went into camp. The general had been unusually taciturn on
the way, and it was evident to his aids that he was troubled about
something. The tents were pitched, and the horses picketed. In his
marquee the commander of the expedition placed his maps on the table,
and began to study them with an intensity which prevented the other
members of his family from saying anything, even between themselves,
though he had required them to remain near him.
"Neither of you officers, I believe, has ever been on staff-duty," said
he, suddenly whirling about on his stool, and facing them.
Neither of them had ever served except as the officer of a platoon.
"Then you must learn in the beginning that absolute secrecy is required
in my family, in regard to all orders and military movements," added
the general.
"I have already learned that lesson," replied Deck.
"I have learned it now; and my lips will hereafter be like the shell of
an oyster," added Lieutenant Herndon, who was such a pleasant fellow
that he had already excited the admiration of his associate on the
staff.
"I am exceedingly anxious to learn upon what point the enemy on the
other side of the river are moving," continued General Woodbine,
speaking in a very low tone so that the sentinel outside the tent could
not hear him. "I satisfied myself this morning that they are moving to
the southward; but they would be obliged to follow the road to Oak
Forest if Crittenden intended to recross the Cumberland, and make a
raid into Kentucky to obtain supplies; therefore I am entirely in the
dark."
"I should say that it would not be a difficult matter to obtain the
information you need, General," suggested Deck.
"How?" demanded the commander, fixing an earnest gaze upon the face of
the lieutenant.
"The Confederate army is so crippled for the want of horses and mules
that it can move only at a snail's pace," answered Deck. "A company
could be sent over"--
"Quite impossible!" exclaimed the general. "We have no boats, though
they might be obtained farther down the stream."
"A couple of scouts, then," added the lieutenant.
"Whom could I send on such an errand?" asked the commander with a
smile.
"Me for one; and I should be willing to go alone if I knew the
country," replied Deck very promptly. "My horse Ceph would take me over
the river."
"Have you forgotten the dead horses that strewed the shores of the
stream, and the four men who were drowned in trying to cross in a
boat?"
"Those men were no boatmen, and I have had some experience in that
line. I am willing to take my chances of getting over, sir."
The subject was discussed for a full hour longer, and Deck carried his
point; but he concluded that he was unwilling to risk the loss of Ceph,
and would go over in Cuffy's boat, and find a horse on the other side.
It was decided that he must have some one with him who was acquainted
with the region they were to visit, even to a considerable distance
into the State of Tennessee. Life Knox was sent for; and he informed
the general that he had travelled all over the country mentioned
several times when he was buying horses for a trader, though it was
many years before. He was willing to go anywhere and do anything with
Deck.
"I suppose you know very well, both of you, that if you were caught,
and your mission understood, you would be hung or shot without benefit
of clergy," said General Woodbine impressively.
"We shall come back, and with the information you want, in forty-eight
hours," replied Deck confidently.
"Do you intend to go over in the full uniform of a staff-officer?"
inquired the general.
"I think not, sir. If you will leave the matter to Life and me, we will
manage all the details."
"Very well; you will perhaps find my command at Burkesville when you
return," added the general, rising from his seat at the table; and
taking the hands of the scouts, he wished them a safe return, and they
left the tent.
They walked back to the shanty of Cuffy, and found him seated in his
kitchen. Not a word was said to Major Lyon about the enterprise of his
son; and Deck could not bid good-by to his father, his brother, or to
the many friends he had in the squadron. Both of them were in uniform,
and they had no difficulty in passing the guards.
Cuffy was not only a ferryman, but a river-driver. He made a business
of picking up whatever floated down the stream, not excepting the dead
bodies of men and horses, the former for their clothing and whatever
their pockets contained, and the latter for the saddles and bridles on
them. He buried the bodies of the men in a pit he had made for the
purpose, drying and storing in his house portions of their clothing.
It required a good deal of talking and a handsome reward to induce the
ferryman to exhibit his stock of clothing; but from it the scouts took
what they needed; and were soon clothed in rusty and damaged
Confederate uniforms of privates. They bargained for the use for two
days of Cuffy's boat, and embarked about midnight on their mission. The
Cumberland was still in a turbulent condition; but Deck had seen enough
of the stream to enable him to avoid the dangerous places. At the point
where Deck and Fronklyn had landed, they had a hard battle with the
raging current; but the skill of the lieutenant and the strength of
Life carried them safely through the peril.
At daylight in the morning, they discovered a creek flowing into the
river from the south side. They pulled up this stream five or six miles
till the shallow water interrupted their further progress. They
concealed the boat very carefully, and then proceeded on foot up the
stream till they came to a house, more elaborate than most of the
dwellings in this region. They found a negro cutting up wood near the
house. He told them that it was the home of Colonel Bickford, who had
been very badly wounded in the battle on the other side of the river,
and had reached his residence the night before.
"We want some breakfast," said Deck.
"Can't hab it, Mars'r. Missus won't feed no more runaway sodjers,"
replied the servant.
"Perhaps she will," added Life, as he led the way to the house, and
entered the kitchen without an invitation.
He could see in the next room that a table was set, and the cook was
putting the food on the table. Without asking any questions, Life
entered the room, and seated himself at the table. The cook protested,
and then screamed with all her might, which brought the lady of the
house to the apartment. Another black woman went to the door, and
called to the man they had seen at the woodpile.
"I am sorry to trouble you, madam," said Deck, as politely as the
landlord of a summer hotel. "We have been travelling all night, and we
are very hungry."
"I can't help that; I won't feed any more runaways. Leave the house
this minute, or I will call my servants to eject you!" stormed the
lady.
"Call 'em, marm," replied Life, taking one of the pair of revolvers he
carried from his pocket, and placing it at the side of his plate, Deck
following his example.
[Illustration: "THE UNWELCOME VISITORS POINTED THEIR WEAPONS." _Page
461._]
The lady deemed it prudent to retire; but four stout negroes appeared
at the door. The unwelcome visitors pointed their weapons at them, and
they fled at the sight of them. The two black women became very
tractable, and the wanderers ate their fill of ham and eggs,
supplemented with waffles. Deck left his thanks and two dollars for the
lady of the house, and they retired. They went to the stable next,
where they found four horses. They took from the harness-room a couple
of plain saddles and bridles, with which they prepared the two best
horses for their own use. Mounting them, they hastened up the road on
the bank of the creek.