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Chapter 4 The brigade was halted in the fringe of a grove. The men crouched among the trees and pointed their restless guns out at the fields. They tried to look beyond the smoke. Out of this haze they could see running men. Some shouted information and gestured as they hurried. The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly, while their tongues ran on in gossip of the battle. They mouthed rumors that had flown like birds out of the unknown. They say Perry has been driven in with big loss. Yes, Carrott went t th hospital. He said he was sick. That smart lieutenant is commanding G Company. Th boys say they wont be under Carrott no more if they all have t desert. They allus knew he was a Hannises battry is took. It aint either. I saw Hannises battry off on th left not moren fifteen minutes ago. Well Th general, he ses he is goin t take th hull cammand of th 304th when we go inteh action, an then he ses well do sech fightin as never another one regment done. They say were catchin it over on th left. They say th enemy driv our line inteh a devil of a swamp an took Hannises battry. No sech thing. Hannises battry was long here bout a minute ago. That young Hasbrouck, he makes a good offcer. He aint afraid a nothin. I met one of th 148th Maine boys an he ses his brigade fit th hull rebel army fer four hours over on th turnpike road an killed about five thousand of em. He ses one more sech fight as that an th war ll be over. Bill wasnt scared either. No, sir! It wasnt that. Bill aint a-gittin scared easy. He was jest mad, thats what he was. When that feller trod on his hand, he up an sed that he was willin t give his hand t his country, but he be dumbed if he was goin t have every dumb bushwhacker in th kentry walkin round on it. So he went t th hospital disregardless of th fight. Three fingers was crunched. Th dern doctor wanted t amputate m, an Bill, he raised a heluva row, I hear. Hes a funny feller. The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus. The youth and his fellows were frozen to silence. They could see a flag that tossed in the smoke angrily. Near it were the blurred and agitated forms of troops. There came a turbulent stream of men across the fields. A battery changing position at a frantic gallop scattered the stragglers right and left. A shell screaming like a storm banshee went over the huddled heads of the reserves. It landed in the grove, and exploding redly flung the brown earth. There was a little shower of pine needles. Bullets began to whistle among the branches and nip at the trees. Twigs and leaves came sailing down. It was as if a thousand axes, wee and invisible, were being wielded. Many of the men were constantly dodging and ducking their heads. The lieutenant of the youths company was shot in the hand. He began to swear so wondrously that a nervous laugh went along the regimental line. The officers profanity sounded conventional. It relieved the tightened senses of the new men. It was as if he had hit his fingers with a tack hammer at home. |
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