AND GETS PROMOTED.
"SEEMS to me it's 'bout time ter be gitt' into a fite!" said Si Klegg to
Shorty one night as they sat around the fire after supper, with
their shoes and stockings off, comparing the size and number of their
respective blisters. Neither of them had much of the skin they started
out with left on their feet. "I always s'posed," he continued, "that
bein' a sojer meant fitin' somebody; and here we are roaming over the
country like a lot of tramps. I can't see no good in it, nohow."
"Don't be in a hurry. Si," replied Shorty; "I reckon we'll ketch it soon
'nuff. From what I've hearn the old soldiers tell a battle ain't such
a funny thing as a feller thinks who don't know anything about it, like
you'n me. The boys is always hungry at first for shootin' and bein' shot
at, but I've an idee that it sorter takes away their appetite when they
gits one square meal of it. They don't hanker after it no more. It's
likely we'll git filled full one o' these days. I'm willin' to wait!"
"Wall," said Si, "I sh'd think we might have a little skirmish, anyway.
I'd like to have a chance to try my gun and to hear what kind of a noise
bullets make. Of course, I'd ruther they'd hit some other feller besides
me, but I'm ready to take the chances on that. I don't b'lieve I'd be
afeard."
Si was ambitious, and full of the martial ardor that blazed in the
breast of every young volunteer. He was really glad when the Orderly
came around presently and told them that the 200th Ind. would have the
advance next day, and Co. Q would be on the skirmish-line. He told the
boys to see that their cartridge-boxes were all full and their guns in
good order, as they would be very like to run foul of the rebels.
This was just before the battle of Perryville. The rebels were very
saucy, and there seemed to be a fair prospect that the curiosity of
the members of the 200th Ind. to "see the elephant" would be at least
measurably gratified.
Before Si went to bed he cleaned up his gun and made sure that it would
"go off" whenever he wanted it to. Then he and Shorty crawled under the
blankets, and as they lay "spoon fashion," thinking about what might
happen the next day. Si said he hoped they would both have "lots of
sand."
All night Si dreamed about awful scenes of slaughter. Before morning he
had destroyed a large part of the Confederate army.
It was yet dark when the reveille sounded through the camp. Si and
Shorty kicked off the blankets at first blast of bugle, and were
promptly in their places for roll-call. Then, almost in a moment, a
hundred fires were gleaming, and the soldiers gathered around them to
prepare their hasty breakfast.
Before the sun was up the bugles rang out again upon the morning air.
In quick succession came the "general," the "assembly," and "to the
colors." The 200th marched out upon the pike, but soon filed off into
a cornfield to take its assigned place in the line, for the advance
division was to move in order of battle, brigade front, that day.
In obedience to orders, Co. Q moved briskly out and deployed as
skirmishers, covering the regimental front. As the line advanced through
field and thicket Si Klegg's heart was not the only one that thumped
against the blouse that covered it.
It was not long till a squad of cavalrymen came galloping back, yelling
that the rebels were just ahead. The line was halted for a few minutes;
while the Generals swept the surrounding country with their field
glasses and took in the situation.
The skirmishers, for fear of accidents, took advantage of such cover as
they could find. Si and Shorty found themselves to leeward of a large
stump.
"D'ye reckon a bullet 'd go through this 'ere stump?" said Si.
Before Shorty could answer something else happened that absorbed their
entire attention. For the time they didn't think of anything else.
'Boom-m-m-m!'
"Great Scott! d'ye hear that?" said Si through his chattering teeth.
"Yes, and there's somethin' comin' over this way," replied Shorty.
A shell came screaming and swishing through the air. The young Hoosiers
curled around the roots of that stump and flattened themselves out like
a pair of griddle-cakes. If it was Si that the rebel gunners were after,
they timed the shell to a second, for it burst with a loud bang just
over them. The fragments flew all around, one striking the stump and
others tearing up the dirt on every side.
[Illustration: IT BURST WITH A LOUD "BANG." 145 ]
To say that for the moment those two soldiers were demoralized would be
drawing it very mildly. They showed symptoms of a panic. It seemed as
though they would be hopelessly stampeded. Their tongues were paralyzed,
and they could only look silently into each other's white faces.
Si was the first to recover himself, although it could hardly be
expected that he could get over his scare all at once.
"D-d-did it hit ye, Sh-Shorty?" he said.
"N-no, I guess not; b-b-but ain't it aw-awful. Si? You look so bad I
th-thought you was k-k-killed!"
"Who's afeard?" said Si. "I was only skeered of you. Shorty. Brace up,
now same's I do!"
"Skirmishers--Forward!" was heard along the line. "Come on, Shorty!"
said Si, and they plunged bravely ahead.
Emerging suddenly from a thick wood, they came upon the rebel
skirmishers in full view, posted on the opposite side of the field.
Crack! Crack!--Zip! Zip!
"Guess there's a bee-tree somewhere around here, from the way the bees
are buzzin'," said Si.
"'Taint no bees," replied Shorty; "it's a mighty sight worse'n that.
Them's bullets, Si Don't ye see the dumed galoots over yonder a-shootin'
at us?"
Si was no coward, and he was determined to show that he wasn't. The
shell a little while before had taken the starch out of him for a few
minutes, but that was nothing to his discredit. Many a seasoned veteran
found himself exceedingly limber under such circumstances.
"Let's give the rascals a dose," said he; "the best we've got in stock!"
Suiting the action to the word, Si crept up to a fence, thrust his gun
between the rails, took good aim and fired.
[Illustration: SI TAKES A CRACK AT A REB 147 ]
A bullet from one of the other fellows made the splinters fly from a
rail a foot or two from Si's head; but he was getting excited now,
and he didn't mind it any more than if it had been a paper wad from a
pea-shooter.
It makes a great difference with a soldier under fire whether he can
take a hand in the game himself, or whether he must lie idle and let the
enemy "play it alone."
"Did ye hear him squeal?" said Si, as he dropped upon the ground and
began to reload with all his might. "I hit that son-of-a-gun, sure. Give
'em H--Hail Columbia, Shorty. We'll show 'em that the 200th Ind. is in
front to-day!"
"Forward, men!" shouted the officers. "Go right for 'em!"
The skirmishers sprang over the fence and swept across the field at a
"double-quick" in the face of a sputtering fire that did little damage.
None of them reached the other side any sooner than Si did. The rebels
seemed to have found out that the 200th boys were coming, for they
were already on the run, and some of them had started early. Pell-mell
through the brush they went, and the blue-blouses after them.
"Halt, there, or I'll blow ye into the middle o' next week!" yelled Si,
as he closed up on a ragged specimen of the Southern Confederacy whose
wind had given out. Si thought it would be a tall feather in his hat if
he could take a prisoner and march him back.
[Illustration: SI CAPTURES A JOHNNY 149 ]
The "Johnny" gave one glance at his pursuer, hesitated, and was lost. He
saw that Si meant business, and surrendered at discretion.
"Come 'long with me!" said Si, his eyes glistening with pleasure and
pride. Si marched him back and delivered him to the Colonel.
"Well done, my brave fellow!" said the Colonel.
"This is a glorious day for the 200th Ind., and you've taken its first
prisoner. What's your name my boy?"
"Josiah Klegg, sir!" said Si, blushing to the very roots of his hair.
"What company do you belong to?"
"Company Q, sir!" and Si saluted the officer as nicely as he knew how.
"I'll see your Captain to-night, Mr. Klegg, and you shall be rewarded
for your good conduct. You may now return to your company."
It was the proudest moment of Si's life up to date. He stammered out
his thanks to the Colonel, and then, throwing his gun up to a right
shoulder-shift, he started off on a canter to rejoin the skirmishers.
That night Si Klegg was the subject of a short conversation between
his Captain and the Colonel. They agreed that Si had behaved very
handsomely, and deserved to be promoted.
"Are there any vacancies in your non-commissioned officers?" asked the
Colonel.
"No," was the reply, "but there ought to be. One of my Corporals skulked
back to the rear this morning and crawled into a wagon. I think we had
better reduce him to the ranks and appoint Mr. Klegg."
"Do so at once," said the Colonel.
Next morning when the 200th was drawn up in line an order was read by
the Adjutant reducing the skulker and promoting Si to the full rank of
Corporal, with a few words commending the gallantry of the latter.
These orders announcing rewards and punishments were supposed to have
a salutary effect in stimulating the men to deeds of glory, and as a
warning to those who were a little short of "sand."
[Illustration: CORPORAL SI KLEGG 151 ]
The boys of Co. Q showered their congratulations upon Si in the usual
way. They made it very lively for him that day. In the evening: Si
hunted up some white cloth, borrowed a needle and thread, went off back
of the tent, rammed his bayonet into the ground, stuck a candle in the
socket, and sewed chevrons on the sleeves of his blouse. Then he wrote a
short letter:
"Deer Annie: I once more take my pen in hand to tell you
there's grate news. I'm an ossifer. We had an awful fite
yisterdy. I don't know how menny rebbles I kild, but I guess
thare was enuff to start a good sized graveyard. I tuk a
prizner, too, and the Kurnal says to me bully fer you,
Mister Klegg, or sumthin to that effeck. This mornin they
made me a Corporil, and red it out before the hull rijiment
I guess youd been prowd if you could have seen me. To-night
the boys is hollerin hurraw fer Corporal Klegg all over
camp. I ain't as big is the Ginrals and gum of the other
ossifers, but thars no tellin how hi I'll get in three
years.
"Rownd is the ring that haint no end,
So is my luv to you my friend.
"Yours, same as before,
"Corporal Si Klegg."