A SOLDIER.
He was a soldier in camp, wearing a blue uniform, sleeping in a tent,
wrapped in a blanket, with a knapsack for a pillow. He had voluntarily
given up the freedom of home, and was ready to yield obedience to
military rule. He could not pass the guard without a permit. When the
drum beat, he must spring to his feet. He was obliged to wear a
knapsack, a cartridge-box, a canteen, and a bayonet scabbard, and carry
a gun, not always as he would like to carry it, but as ordered by the
officer in command. He was obliged to march hour after hour, and if he
came to a brook or a muddy place, instead of turning aside and passing
over on stepping-stones or upon a fallen tree, he must go through
without breaking the ranks. His companions were not altogether such as
he liked to associate with. Some were very profane, and used indecent
language. There was one great, over-grown Dutchman, Gottlieb von Dunk,
who smoked nearly all the time when awake, and who snored terribly when
asleep. But he was a good-hearted fellow for all that, and had a great
many pleasant stories to tell.
It was inspiring to hear the drum and fife, the blast of the bugle, and
the playing of the band. It was glorious to look upon the star-spangled
banner, waving in the breeze; but the excitement soon wore away. There
were rainy days, comfortless and cheerless. Sometimes the rations were
not fit to be eaten, and there was grumbling in the camp. There were
days of homesickness, when the soldiers longed to break away from the
restraints of camp life, and be free once more.
The regiment in which Paul enlisted was ordered to Cairo, in Illinois,
where it joined several others. When the men were enlisted, they
expected to march at once upon the Rebels, but week after week passed
by, spring became summer, and summer lengthened into autumn, and there
was no movement of the troops. The ardor of their patriotism died out.
It was a monotonous life, waking early in the morning to answer
roll-call, to eat breakfast of salt pork and hard-tack, drilling by
squads, by companies, by battalion, marching and countermarching, going
through the same manoeuvres every day, shouldering, ordering, and
presenting arms, making believe load and fire, standing on guard,
putting out their lights at nine o'clock at night,--doing all this, week
after week, with the Rebels at Columbus, only twenty miles down the
river. It was very irksome. Sometimes Paul's heart went back to New
Hope, as the dear old times came crowding upon him; but he had learned
to be patient. He knew that it was necessary for soldiers to become
disciplined. He had enlisted for the war, he gave his whole attention to
doing his duty, and received his reward by being made a sergeant. He
kept his gun clean, his equipments in good order, and he was always in
his place. So prompt was he, that his commander nicknamed him Sergeant
Ready. He was as ready to play a game of football, or to run a race, as
he was to appear in the ranks at drill. When off duty, instead of idling
away his time, he was studying the tactics, learning not only his duty
as a sergeant, but what it would be if he were a lieutenant or a
captain.
The camp of his regiment was near the town, on the bank of the
Mississippi, where he saw the great steamboats pass down the Mississippi
from St. Louis, and down the Ohio from Louisville and Cincinnati, with
thousands of troops on board, with the flags and banners streaming, the
bands playing, and the soldiers cheering. It was pleasant to stand upon
the levee, and behold the stirring scenes,--the gunboats commanded by
the brave and good Admiral Foote, the great eleven-inch guns peeping
from the portholes,--but Paul longed for active life. He rejoiced when
he heard that his regiment was ordered to leave the Ohio River and go
down toward Columbus on a reconnoitring expedition. The soldiers were so
happy that they threw up their caps and gave a loud hurrah.
With their haversacks full of hard-tack and cold boiled beef, carrying
their tin cups and plates, their cartridge-boxes full of cartridges,
they embarked on one of the great steamboats, and floated down the
river. They were exhilarated with the thought that they were to have new
and untried experiences,--that perhaps there would be a battle. They
paced the deck of the steamboat nervously, and looked carefully into the
woods along the river-bank to see if there were any Rebel scouts lurking
behind the trees.
Six miles below Cairo is a place called Old Fort Jefferson, where many
years ago the white settlers built a fort, and where they had a battle
with the Indians. The Essex gunboat, Captain Porter, was lying there,
swinging at her anchors in the stream. A sailor paced the deck in a
short blue jacket, who had a spy-glass in his hand, and kept a sharp
lookout down the river, for there were two Rebel gunboats below in the
bend.
The regiment landed on the Kentucky side, where a narrow creek comes
down from the hills through a wild ravine. Suddenly there was a cry of
"There they come! the Rebel gunboats." Paul looked down the river, and
saw two dark-colored boats.
"Heave anchor! Put on steam. Light up the magazines. Pipe all hand to
quarters! Lively!" were the orders on board the Essex.
The boatswain blew his whistle, the drummer beat the long roll, and the
sailors, who had been dozing about the decks, were instantly astir,
weighing the anchors, running out the great guns, bringing up shot and
shell from the hold, and clearing the deck for action. The great wheels
turned, and the Essex swung out into the stream, and prepared to meet
her antagonists. What an exciting moment! Paul felt the blood rush
through his veins as he never felt it before. One of the approaching
gunboats was suddenly enveloped in white smoke. He heard a screaming in
the air, coming nearer and nearer, and growing louder and louder and
more terrifying. He felt a cold chill creep over him. He held his
breath. He was in doubt whether it would be better to get behind a tree,
or lie down, or take to his heels. He could see nothing in the air, but
he knew that a shot was coming. Perhaps it might hit him. He thought of
home, his mother, Azalia, and all the old friends. He lived years in a
second. "I won't run," he said to himself, as the iron bolt came on.
Crash! it went through a great oak-tree, shivering it to splinters, and
flying on into the woods, cutting off branches, and falling to the
ground at last with a heavy _thug!_ ploughing a deep furrow and burying
itself out of sight. There was a roar of thunder rolling along the
river-banks, echoing from woodland to woodland. Then the heavy
eleven-inch gun of the Essex jumped up from the deck, took a leap
backwards, almost jerking the great iron ringbolts from the sides of the
ship, coming down with a jar which made her quiver from stem to stern,
sending a shell, smoking and hissing, down stream, towards the Rebel
gunboat, and striking it amidships, throwing the planks into the water.
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted the crew of the Essex. "Hurrah! Hurrah!"
answered the soldiers on shore, dancing about and cheering. Another shot
came screeching towards them as loud as the first; but it was not half
so terrifying. Paul thought it was not worth while to be frightened till
he was hurt, and so he stood his ground, and watched the firing till the
Rebel gunboats turned towards Columbus and disappeared behind the
distant headland, followed by Captain Porter, who kept his great guns
booming till he was almost within range of the Rebel batteries at
Columbus. He was a brave man, short and stout, with a heavy beard. His
father commanded the United States ship Essex in 1812, and had a long,
hard fight with two British ships in the harbor of Valparaiso, fighting
against great odds, till his decks were slippery with blood, till nearly
all of his guns were dismounted, when he was obliged to surrender.
"The son is a chip of the old block," said Admiral Foote the next day to
Captain Porter, commending his watchfulness and promptness to meet the
enemy. Paul saw how necessary it was in military operations to be always
on the watch, and he felt that it was also necessary to be calm and
self-possessed when on the battle-field.
The regiment took up its line of march, for a reconnoissance towards
Columbus, along a winding path through the woods, passing log
farm-houses, crossing creeks on log bridges. Paul noticed all the
windings of the road, the hills, houses, and other objects, keeping
count of his steps from one place to another, jotting it down on a slip
of paper when the regiment came to a halt. They could not kindle a fire,
for they were in the enemy's country, and each man ate his supper of
hard-tack and cold beef, and washed it down with water from the creek.
Paul was sitting on a log eating his supper, and looking about for a
place to spread his blanket for the night, when the Colonel of the
regiment came to him and said: "Sergeant Parker, it is very important
that a reconnoissance be made to-night towards the enemy's lines. I hear
that you are a good, faithful, and trustworthy soldier. Are you willing
to take it?"
"I have no desire to shirk any responsibility. If you wish me to go, I
am ready," said Paul.
"Very well; gain all the information you can, and report at daybreak,"
said the Colonel.
He went out alone in the darkness, past the pickets. And now that he was
alone, and moving towards the enemy, he felt that he was engaged in a
hazardous undertaking. He walked softly, crouching down, listening to
every sound;--on through deep and gloomy ravines, through the dense
forests, past farm-houses, where dogs were howling,--noticing all the
objects, and picturing them in memory.
"Halt! Who comes there?" shouted a voice. He heard the click of a
gun-lock. It was a very dark night; stooping close to the ground, he
could see an object by the roadside, immediately before him. He held his
breath. What should he do? "Keep cool," said a monitor within. His heart
had leaped into his throat, but it went back to its proper place. "Who
comes there?" said the sentinel again.
Instead of answering, he moved backward so softly and noiselessly that
he could not hear his own footsteps.
"What is the row?" he heard a Rebel officer ask of the sentinel.
"There is a Yankee prowling about, I reckon," said the sentinel in a
whisper, and added, "There he is."
"Shoot him!" said the officer.
There was a flash which blinded Paul. He heard the Minie bullet sing
above him. He could see the dark forms of the two men. He had a revolver
in his hand, and could have shot them, but he was there to gain
information, and not to bring on a fight.
"It is nothing but a stump, after all," said the officer.
The report of the gun re-echoed far and near. The night was still, and
he could hear other pickets talking out in the field on his right hand
and on his left. How fortunate! He knew where they were, and now could
avoid them. But ought he not to turn back? He resolved not to be
frightened from his object. After lying still awhile, he went back along
the road, then turned aside, walked softly from tree to tree, careful
not to crackle a twig beneath his feet, crept on his hands and knees
through the thick underbrush, and gained the road in the rear of the
picket. Being inside of the enemy's lines, he knew that he could move
more freely, for if any of the sentinels heard him they would think it
one of their own number. He walked on, but suddenly found himself
standing face to face with a dozen soldiers.
"Well, Jim, are there any Yankees down there?" one asked.
"The sentinel thought he saw a Yankee, but I reckon he fired at a
stump," said Paul, passing boldly by them to their rear.
He now saw that he was in a Rebel camp. There were smouldering fires,
tents, a cannon, baggage-wagons, and horses which were munching their
grain. What should he do? He felt that he was in a critical situation.
If taken, he would be hung as a spy. He stood still and reflected a
moment, to calm his nerves. He had blundered in, perhaps he might get
out. He would try; but as he was there, ought he not to improve the
opportunity to find out all about the camp, how large it was, how many
men there were? He counted the baggage-wagons and the tents. He almost
stumbled over a man who was wrapped in his blanket. It was an officer
sound asleep, with his sword by his side. He was sleeping so deeply that
Paul ventured to take the sword, for he thought, unless he carried
something back as evidence, his report would not be believed. And then
he crept back past the grand guard, and past the sentinels, sometimes
crawling an inch at a time, then stepping as noiselessly as a cat in
search of her prey, till he was past them all. He was surprised to find
how cool and self-possessed he was, how clear his brain, and how wide
awake were all his faculties. He was as light-hearted as a bird in
spring-time, for even in the darkness, while he was dimly discerning
what was around him, he saw Azalia, as he last beheld her in the
gravelled walk before her home, waving him on! At daybreak he reached
the lines once more. The Colonel heard his story, and was in doubt about
its truth; but when he saw how accurate a map Paul drew, and that the
sword was marked C. S. A., for the Confederate States of America,--when
he saw how modest and straightforward Paul was in all that he did,--he
said, "Sergeant Parker, I shall inform General Grant that you have done
your duty faithfully."