The Fight in the Woods.
On the next day they arrived at Cypress Bend, where they found three
"tin-clads" anchored, paying no attention to the perfect storm of
bullets which the concealed rebels rained upon their decks from behind
the levee. As soon as the Ticonderoga came within range, the guerrillas
directed a volley against her; but, although her decks were crowded with
men, the fire was without effect. The boatswain's whistle, and the
order, "All hands under cover," rang sharply through the ship, and the
decks were instantly deserted. The second division--the one which Frank
commanded--was at once called to quarters, and as soon as the gun could
be cast loose and pointed, an eleven-inch shell went shrieking into the
woods. It burst far beyond the levee. The rebels sent back a taunting
laugh, and their bullets fell faster than ever.
The levee which lines both banks of the Mississippi forms a most
excellent breastwork; and behind this, a party of determined men can
easily hold twice their number at bay, unless a position can be obtained
where they can be brought under a cross-fire. The formation of the river
rendered it impossible for such a position to be taken, and it was
evident that to anchor before the levee and attempt to dislodge them
with big guns, was worse than useless; neither could they be beaten back
with their own weapons, for the rebels were very expert in
"bushwhacking," exposing but a very small portion of their persons, and
the best marksman would stand but a poor chance of hitting one of them.
Some more decisive steps must be taken.
So thought the captain of the Ticonderoga, as he paced up and down the
turret, while Frank, divested of his coat, was issuing his commands with
his usual coolness, now and then catching hold of a rope and giving a
pull at the gun, all the while sending the shells into the levee, making
the dirt fly in every direction.
"Cease firing, Mr. Nelson," said the captain, at length. "It is useless
to think of driving them off in this manner."
"Cease firing, sir," repeated Frank, showing that he understood the
order. "Run the gun in, lads, and close those ports."
The captain then ordered his vessel to be run alongside of the Rover,
(one of the tin-clads,) and, after a few moments' consultation with her
commander, some plan seemed to have been determined upon, for Frank was
again ordered to open a hot fire on the levee. Under cover of this,
signal was made for the other two vessels to get under way, and proceed
down the river.
"Mr. Nelson," said the captain, as soon as he had seen the signal
obeyed, "give the command of your division to the executive officer, and
come down into the cabin for orders."
As soon as the executive could be found, Frank gave up the command to
him, and as he entered the cabin, the captain said to him:
"I have ordered the tin-clads to go down the river and land as many men
as they can spare, to get around in the rear of those rebels, and get
them out from behind that levee. They must be got out of that, if
possible, for navigation is virtually closed as long as they remain
there. I shall also send our two howitzers and forty men, of which you
will take command. I need not tell you to do your best."
The captain then went on deck, selected the men, and Frank succeeded in
getting them and the howitzers safely on board the Rover, which still
lay alongside. The smoke from the gun of the Ticonderoga completely
concealed their movements, and the rebels were entirely ignorant of what
was going on. As soon as the men were all on board, the Rover steamed
down the river and joined the other vessels, which were waiting for her
to come up.
About five miles below was a point which completely concealed them from
the view of the rebels, and behind this point the vessels landed; the
crews disembarked, and commenced marching through the woods toward the
place where the rebels were posted. They numbered two hundred and fifty
men, and were commanded by the captain of the Rover, who, although a
very brave man and an excellent sailor, knew nothing of infantry
tactics. The second in command was Mr. Howe, an ensign belonging to the
same vessel. He had never been in a fight; and when he first entered
the navy he knew no more about a vessel than he did about the moon. His
appointment had been obtained through some influential friends at home.
He had served in a company of state militia, however, before the
breaking out of the war, and considered himself quite a military genius.
The sailors marched in line of battle--with skirmishers in front and on
each flank, and Frank, with his battery, was in the center. In this
manner they marched for about an hour, and then a halt was ordered, and
the captain, with several of his officers, went forward to reconnoiter,
while Mr. Howe, who was left in command, ordered the men to "stack
arms." Frank was astounded when he heard this command, and, approaching
the officer, saluted him, and said:
"I object to this, Mr. Howe. I think it would be much better, sir, to
keep the men under arms; for it is by no means certain that all the
rebels we shall be obliged to fight, are in front of us."
"I believe you were put in command of that battery, sir," replied Mr.
Howe, haughtily, "while I was left in charge of these men. I would
thank you, then, to attend to your own business, and to let me alone."
"Very good, sir," answered Frank. "I did not intend to give any offense,
sir, but merely to offer a suggestion. But if I command that battery, I
intend to have it in readiness for any emergency. Cut loose those guns,
lads, and stand to your quarters!"
The reports of muskets in their front proved that the rebels were yet
keeping a hot fire directed against the Ticonderoga. But still Frank was
not deceived; he knew that all the fighting would not be done at the
front. Scarcely had these thoughts passed through his mind, when there
was a rapid discharge of fire-arms in their rear, and two of the men
fell. As Frank had expected, the rebels had been informed of what was
going on, and had sent part of their force to cut the sailors off from
the river. For a moment the greatest confusion prevailed. The men, who
had been lying about in the shade of the trees, made a general rush for
their weapons, and after delivering a straggling and ineffectual fire,
hastily retreated, with the exception of Frank's men, and a few of the
more courageous of the infantry. The latter concealed themselves behind
trees and logs, and deliberately returned the fire of the rebels, while
the former, who were old seamen, and had long been accustomed to the
discipline of the service, stood at their guns awaiting orders. Mr.
Howe, for a moment, stood pale and trembling, and then, without waiting
to give any orders, disappeared in the bushes. Frank, who was left alone
with but sixty men, was astounded when he witnessed this cowardly
conduct of his superior, and he had hardly time to recover from his
surprise, when the rebels, after firing another volley, broke from their
concealments, with loud yells, and charged toward the guns. This brought
Frank to his senses. With the handful of men he had left, he could at
least cover the retreat of his timid support.
"Steady there, lads!" he shouted. "Aim low--fire!"
The howitzers belched forth their contents, and, as Frank had taken the
precaution to have them loaded with canister, the slaughter was awful.
The muskets had also done considerable execution, and the rebels
recoiled when they witnessed the havoc made in their ranks. Frank, who
was always ready to take advantage of such an opportunity, immediately
ordered a counter-charge. The sailors sprang at the word, with a yell,
and, led by Frank, who fixed his bayonet as he ran, threw themselves
upon the rebels, who at once fled precipitately, leaving their dead and
wounded on the field.
"Back to your guns, lads," shouted Frank, "and give 'em a shot before
they get out of range."
The men worked with a yell, sending the shells rapidly in the direction
in which the rebels had retreated, until a loud roar of musketry at the
front told them that they had other enemies with which to deal.
While this fight at the rear had been going on, the sailors who had
retreated had been met by the captain and his officers, who were
returning from their reconnoissance, and, as soon as order could be
restored, an attack had been made on the rebels who were still posted
behind the levee. In a few moments Mr. Howe came running up, and
addressing himself to Frank, exclaimed:
"What are you doing here, sir--shooting into the woods where there are
no rebels? Why are you not at the front, where you belong? If you are
afraid to go there, you had better give up the command of that battery."
Frank thought this was a nice way for Mr. Howe to talk, after the manner
in which he had behaved a few moments before, but, without stopping to
reply, he ordered the guns to be secured, and the men, catching up the
trail-ropes, commenced dragging the battery toward the place where the
fight was raging, while Mr. Howe again suddenly disappeared.
When Frank arrived at the front, he found the rebels were still behind
the levee, where they were exposed to a galling fire from the sailors
who were concealed among the trees, evidently preferring to run the risk
of being driven out by the musketry than to brave the shells from the
Ticonderoga, which now began to fall into the woods just behind them,
and bursting, threw dirt and branches in every direction. Without
waiting for orders, Frank immediately took up a sheltered position, and
straightway opened upon the rebels a hot fire of canister. By the
exertions of the officers, the stragglers were all collected, and, while
the line was being formed for a charge, Frank was ordered to move his
battery out of the woods, into the open field. The young officer's blood
ran cold when he heard this command, for the rebels, who greatly
outnumbered the sailors, and who were deterred from making a charge and
overpowering them only through fear of the shells from the Ticonderoga,
were sending a perfect shower of bullets into the bushes where the
howitzers were stationed. Even in his present protected position, Frank
had lost five of his men, and when he thought what a slaughter there
would be when he should move out of his concealment, it made him
shudder. But he had always been taught that the success of the navy was
owing to "strict discipline;" and once, when he had been reported to the
captain for disobeying an order which he had considered as unjust, that
gentleman had told him--"Always obey whatever orders you may receive
from your superiors, and, if you are aggrieved, you can seek redress
afterward." In the present instance, this seemed very poor policy; for
what good would it do to make objections to the order after his men had
been sacrificed? He had no alternative, however, but to obey. The men,
too, were well aware of the danger they were about to incur, but
hesitated not a moment when Frank repeated the order to advance. They at
once pushed the guns out into the open ground, and the effect was as
they had expected. The whole fire of the rebels was directed against
them, and every volley left Frank with less men to handle his battery.
In fact, it soon became impossible to load the guns; for, as fast as the
men picked up a rammer or sponge, they were shot down. It was evident
that they could not remain there.
"Jack," said Frank at length, turning to the old boatswain's mate, "go
and ask the captain if I can't be allowed to move back to my old
position. I can do more execution there. Besides, we'll all be dead men
in less than five minutes, if we remain here."
The man bounded off to execute the order, and just then the captain of
one of the guns was killed. Frank immediately seized the priming-wire
which had fallen from his hand, and worked with the rest. His fear had
given place to a reckless determination to do his duty, for, let the
consequences be what they might, no blame could be attached to him.
Impatiently, however, he waited for the return of the mate, and his
impatience increased when word was brought him that the ammunition was
failing. At length, after a delay which seemed extraordinary, a charge
was ordered.
The rebels seemed to have an idea of what was going on, for, a few
moments before the order was given, their fire slackened considerably;
but, as soon as the sailors, in obedience to the command, issued from
the woods, they were met with a terrific fire, which threw them into
confusion. In vain their officers urged and commanded; the men refused
to advance, but remained standing in full view of the rebels, while
every moment their comrades were falling around them. At length the
enemy made a counter-charge, and the sailors, without waiting to resist,
broke and fled in every direction. Frank and his men remained at their
posts until the last moment; but they soon found themselves completely
deserted, and were obliged to fall back into the woods.
By the exertions of the officers, a few of the men were rallied in the
edge of the timber, and, bravely standing their ground, the rebels were
met with a murderous fire, and the shells from the Ticonderoga, which
now began to burst in their very midst, completed their confusion, and
they, in turn, were compelled to retreat.
In an instant, Frank and several of his men sprang out and attempted to
recover the howitzers, which had been left between the lines, but the
rebels were on the watch, and, after the loss of three of his men, he
was obliged to order a retreat. For two hours a severe a fight was
maintained, the rebels making several charges, which were easily
repulsed by the sailors; and each time Frank made unsuccessful attempts
to recover his battery, but was as often compelled to retreat, leaving
some of his men dead on the field, or prisoners in the hands of the
enemy.
The left of the line rested on the bank of the river, where a full view
of the Ticonderoga could be obtained. After the fight had raged nearly
three hours, without any advantage being gained on either side, one of
the men reported that the ship was making signals. The commander of the
expedition hurried along the line, calling out--
"Mr. Howe! Where's the signal officer, Mr. Howe?" But he received no
answer. No one had seen Mr. Howe since he had so ingloriously retreated
at the commencement of the fight.
"Pass the word along the line for Mr. Howe!" shouted the captain.
The order was obeyed, and finally a faint voice, some distance in the
rear, replied, "Here, sir."
"What are you doing there, sir?" demanded the captain, in a voice of
thunder. "Why are you not at your post? Get out there with your flag,
and answer the Ticonderoga's signals." And the captain began to consult
his signal-book.
Mr. Howe looked first at the rebels, then at the captain, then down at
the flag which he held in his hand, but he did not move. It was a
dangerous undertaking; for, in answering the signals, he would be
obliged to stand on the bank of the river, where there was nothing but
bushes to protect him, and where the rebels would be certain to see him;
but the rattling of the musketry, the sharp whistle of the bullets as
they flew thickly about among the trees, and the roar of the
Ticonderoga's guns--sounds which he had never before heard--so worked
upon the imagination of the terrified man, that the danger seemed
tenfold worse than it really was.
In a few moments the captain had made out the signal, which was, "How do
you succeed?" and exclaimed:
"Mr. Howe, make the answer that we don't succeed at all--no advantage on
either side; that our ammunition is getting scarce; and that----. Why
don't you start, sir?" he shouted, seeing that Mr. Howe did not move.
"Captain," faltered the man, in a scarcely audible voice, "I should be
very happy, sir; very glad, indeed, sir; but--, but--"
"No remarks, sir, but do as you are ordered, instantly."
"Really, captain, I--, I--"
The man could go no further, but stood trembling like a leaf, with the
utmost terror depicted in every feature.
"You're a coward, sir!" shouted the captain, in a terrible rage--"a
mean, contemptible coward."
"I know it, sir," replied the man, so terrified that he scarcely knew
what he was saying; "but the fact is"----
[Illustration]
"Go to rear!" shouted the captain, "and stay there. Here, sir," he
continued, turning to Frank, who happened to be the nearest officer,
"can you make those signals?"
"Yes, sir," answered Frank, promptly. His face was very pale, for,
accustomed as he was to the noise and confusion of battle, he well knew
there was danger in the step he was about to take. But his features
expressed determination instead of betraying terror. His duty must be
done, whatever the consequences might be; and hastily picking up the
flag which Mr. Howe, in his fright, had dropped, he sprang out in view
of the Ticonderoga, made the required signals, and retreated in safety.
The rebels had seen the flag waving above the bushes, and had directed a
hot fire against it, but, although his frail protection was riddled with
bullets, Frank escaped unhurt.
In a quarter of an hour, during which time the fire was warmly sustained
by both parties, the Ticonderoga again made signals, ordering the
captain of the expedition to make the best of his way back to his
vessels. Frank answered the signal, and again retreated in safety.
The word had already been passed along the line to fall back slowly,
when Frank, approaching the captain, said:
"I do not wish to go back to the ship without my battery, sir. Will you
give me men enough to recover it?"
"No, sir; I can't send any one out there to be shot at. It is certain
death, sir."
Frank, who thought that the captain had suddenly grown very careful of
his men, made no reply, but hastened back to the spot where he had left
his battery. To his joy and surprise he found one of the howitzers safe
in the hands of his men; and, as he came up, a shell went crashing
toward the rebel line, followed by a triumphant shout from the sailors.
The boatswain's mate, who had managed to secure the gun, by throwing a
rope around the trail-wheel, was endeavoring, in the same manner, to
obtain possession of the other. After a few ineffectual attempts, he
succeeded, and the gun was pulled back safely into the bushes. When they
had secured the remainder of the ammunition, the men caught up the
trail-ropes, and, without delay, Frank took his old position in the
center of the retreating line. The rebels followed them so closely that
the sailors were frequently compelled to halt and drive them back.
During one of these halts, the captain of the expedition was killed. As
if by magic, Mr. Howe appeared on the scene, and, without waiting to
recover the body of his officer, gave the command to fall back more
rapidly. At length, just before they reached the bank where they had
disembarked, the ammunition for the howitzers being exhausted, Frank
requested permission to retreat still more rapidly, and get his guns on
board the nearest vessel.
"That request is in perfect keeping with your conduct during the fight,"
returned Mr. Howe, sneeringly. "The plea of saving your battery is a
very handy one; but if you are afraid to remain here with us, you may
run as fast as you wish. I'd be ashamed to hold up my head after this,
if I were in your place."
"I am not afraid to remain here, sir," answered Frank, with a good deal
of spirit; "and if you say that I have acted the part of a coward during
this fight, I defy you to prove the charge. The idea that I am afraid,
because I wish to retreat in order to save my battery, is absurd. Run
those guns along lively, lads."
Frank succeeded in getting his howitzers on board one of the tin-clads,
which still lay alongside of the bank, without the loss of another man.
A moment afterward the sailors came pouring down the bank. As soon as
they were all on board, the vessels moved out into the stream, and
commenced shelling the woods. While thus engaged, the Ticonderoga came
down the river, and, after dropping her anchor, signaled for the officer
in command of the expedition to repair on board. Mr. Howe at once put
off in a boat to obey the order, while the vessel in which Frank had
taken refuge ran alongside of the Ticonderoga, and as soon as the
battery had been taken off, the men, covered with dust and blood, and
their faces begrimed with powder, stood silently around the guns, while
the remainder of the crew gathered on the opposite side of the deck, and
regarded their comrades with sorrow depicted in every feature of their
sun-burnt faces. Frank knew that the fight had been a most desperate
one, and that he had lost many of his men; but he could scarcely believe
his eyes, when he found that out of the forty brave fellows who had
started out with him in the morning, but _fifteen remained_--more than
half had been left dead on the field, or prisoners in the hands of the
rebels.
In a scarcely audible voice he called the roll, and his emotion
increased when, at almost every third name, some one answered:
"Not here, sir."
In a few moments the captain appeared on deck. The report of the
commander of the expedition had, of course, been unfavorable, and the
captain's face wore a look of trouble. Hastily running his eye over the
line of dusty, bleeding men that stood before him, he said, in a low
voice, as if talking to himself:
"Only fifteen left. I could ill afford to lose so many men. You may go
below, lads. Doctor, see that the very best care is taken of the
wounded."
After delivering this order, the captain, who was evidently ill at ease,
turned and walked down into his cabin.