University of Virginia Library

38. CHAPTER XXXVIII.

While these arrangements were in progress,
scouts were hourly arriving. The country being
altogether friendly, they were readily provided with
fresh horses; and, before the enemy were half way
from Lynchburg, we were fully apprised of their
number, equipments, and order of march. First
came a squadron of dragoons; then a light company;
then Trevor's regiment, about five hundred strong;
then a company of artillery; then one battalion of
Mason's regiment, consisting of something more
than two hundred men; the whole followed by a few
light troops, by way of rear-guard. The whole might
amount to a thousand men, well appointed and prepared
at all points for efficient action.

On the morning of the fifth of November, the men
were ordered to betake themselves to their allotted
posts; and Douglas, having visited each, and seen

that all was right, and rightly understood, addressed
himself to his particular command. Where every
man is an officer, each must be told individually
beforehand what is expected from him. Panic apart,
they will be apt to fulfil such instructions, and will
fight with the terrible efficiency of individual animosity.
Hence the formidable character of partisan
warfare.

At length the enemy made their appearance.
Clinging to the idea of surprising Douglas, Col.
Trevor sent forward no advance, but determined to
bring the whole strength of his corps to bear upon
him at once. If he employed any scouts, they were
either unfaithful, or were not permitted to approach
near enough to learn any thing of the position or
movements of Douglas. The consequence was, that
Col. Trevor received the first intimation of his presence
from a sharp firing in front, which sent his
horse to the right-about and back to the rear. Pressing
forward, he immediately ordered his sharp-shooters
to disperse and take positions to gall us,
while he pushed on his solid column of heavy
infantry. The reception prepared for them was such
as he had not dreamed of. His men fell like leaves
in autumn; and, as fast as one platoon of the mountaineers
discharged their pieces, another was on the
same ground to pour in again that terrible fire, of
which the martinets of the regular service have so
inadequate an idea. Instead of the deep-mouthed

peal of muskets, discharged simultaneously, there is
the sharp, short crack of rifle after rifle, fired by men
no one of whom touches the trigger until he sees
precisely where his ball is to go. The effect was
suitable to the cause; but yet the steady infantry
pressed on,
to form an unbroken front, in order to charge with
the bayonet.

Suddenly the firing ceased, and, behold, their
enemy seemed to have fled from the expected
charge. The fact was, that my last platoon, having
fired, had withdrawn like their predecessors, and
were running at full speed after their companions,
down the hill and across the river. At the water's
edge, I stopped and joined Schwartz in his ambush.
It had been arranged that I should do this; because,
in case we should be so fortunate as to seize the
cannon, my skill as an artillerist might be of great
use. Meantime, my men having crossed over, dispersed
themselves along the bank, the face of the
hills, and across the road, to cover the retreat of
those who remained.

The regulars had necessarily spent a few moments
in repairing the wreck of their shattered column
before they advanced. They then moved forward;
but, before they turned the angle of the road, most of
my men were across the river. At the same time, the
column under the immediate command of Douglas

was seen drawn up in the road, near the foot of the
hill, with the rear resting on the water's edge. As
the enemy advanced the front platoon fired, faced to
the right, and filing along the flank of the column,
entered the river and crossed just below the ford.
They next filed to the left in the same way, and
crossed above the ford. In this manner the whole
column disappeared, one platoon after another, while
their fire was answered by a roar of musketry,
which, being discharged from the higher ground, did
more harm to those on the farther bank of the river
than to the nearer enemy. At length the last platoon
was withdrawn, and the regulars rushed down toward
the river for the purpose of annoying them in
crossing. In this attempt they were again checked
and driven back by the terrible fire of my men, who,
having already crossed, were drawn up, as I have
said, on the other bank.

Col. Trevor now saw the necessity of advancing
his artillery, which was accordingly hurried down to
the water's edge to clear a passage for the infantry.
By the time the cannon were untimbered, not a man
of the mountaineers was to be seen. As soon as
their companions had crossed, they dispersed with
every appearance of confusion and alarm; some
scampering along the road, and some clambering up
the hills on both sides of it.

The way was now open, and the infantry advanced
to cross the river. At this moment Colonel

Mason, riding up to Colonel Trevor, pointed out the
advantageous position of the artillery as a cover to
his rear, if he should be forced to retreat. “Give
me leave to suggest,” said he, “that it may be well
to leave the cannon where they are. The cavalry,
too, cannot act with effect among those hills, and the
two together, should the fortune of the day be unpropitious,
may be of more use here than on the
other side.”

“You say true,” said Trevor. “It shall be as
you advise, and you, Colonel, will remain in command
of this reserve.”

“I earnestly beg, sir,” said Mason, “that you will
not deny me a share in the work of the day. The
Captains of artillery and dragoons are all-sufficient to
the command of their respective corps.”

“Pardon me, sir,” said Trevor. “None can be so
proper to execute your prudent and cautious device
as you, its author. You will be pleased, therefore,
to repair to the rear, rally the dragoons, and bring
them down to the water's edge. Let them be ready
to cross at a moment's warning, to assist in the pursuit
as soon as I have driven the enemy into the
plain.”

Saying this, Colonel Trevor turned off, and giving
the word to march, dashed into the river. Poor Mason,
insulted and mortified, nevertheless patiently addressed
himself to the duty assigned him. Thus was
this able and brave man denied all participation in an

affair which his arrogant and sanguine commander
believed to be an abounding source of honor to all
who might be engaged it.

I have omitted to mention that, as soon as the
plan of endeavoring to surprise the artillery had been
adopted, Schwartz had requested me to draw the
outline of a piece of mounted ordnance in the sand,
and to mark the proper positions of the artillerists
employed about it. While I did this, some ten or
fifteen of our best marksmen stood by, looking on
attentively. When my sketch was done, he turned
to one of them, and pointing to one of the marks
made to stand for an artillerist, said coolly: “Now,
this is your man;” and to another, “this is yours.”
Thus he went on till he had doomed every victim.

While we are supplying this omission in our
narrative, the reader will please to suppose that Col.
Trevor's regiment have forded the river, and have
passed up the road and out of sight. It will be remembered
that the hills on both sides of the defile
had been lined with concealed marksmen, and that
the greater part of the advance had, on recrossing
the river, thrown themselves into the same places of
concealment. But the idea that they had done so
for any purpose but that of safety, entered not into
Col. Trevor's mind. Indeed, if he had had any
doubt, it must have been removed when he found,
that as his column wound through the deep defile,
not a shot molested their march. At the first angle

of the road he halted and let the column march past
him. He could see, from this point, both the head
of it, as it advanced, and the rear as it came up. As
the latter passed the spot where he stood, the leading
platoon was in the act of turning the next angle
of the road. At that moment he heard the startling
report of a volley of rifles. He set spurs to his horse
to gallop to the front, when every rock and every
tree of the surrounding hills burst into flame, and
the deep ravine echoed to the report of a hundred
rifles. A shot struck his horse, and another piercing
his hat, grazed the top of his head deep enough to
lay bare the skull, and stun him, as he fell under his
slaughtered horse. He was thus placed hors du
combat, owing the preservation of his life to the insignia
of his rank which had endangered it.

The sound of this firing was the signal for us.
Each of the selected marksmen fixed his aim
on his appropriate victim; and, at a word from
Schwartz, the artillerymen at the guns fell as if
swept away by the breath of a tempest. Rushing
from our hiding-place, the cannon were instantly in
our possession. The company of artillery were not
slow to disappear behind the angle of the rock, and
one or two who peeped out, being instantly picked
off, we saw no more of them.

Presently we heard the heavy tramp of the squadron
slowly descending the hill, accompanied with
the peculiar sound of dragoons, dressing the front in

preparation for a sudden and overwhelming charge.
While this was passing, our guns were all reloaded.
“Mind, boys,” said Schwartz; “all of number
one.” The word was understood, and every alternate
man stood ready, with rifle cocked and trigger set,
to receive the enemy. The charge was sounded, and
the leading horsemen, wheeling around the rock,
were rushing on at full speed, when horses and
riders were seen to go down in one promiscuous
heap. The greater number of the squadron were still
out of sight; and, had the way been open, might
have followed to share the fate of their companions,
and finally to ride us down when our guns should
have been all discharged. But the work had been
done too effectually. The dead and wounded (both
horse and rider) nearly filled the road; and for
dragoons to pick their way among such appalling
obstacles, in the face of fifty loaded rifles, at a
distance of twenty paces, was out of the question.
A few who made the attempt found this to their cost.
The charge was not renewed, and some of our men
advancing to the angle of the rock, and occupying
inaccessible but commanding points on the hills,
soon made them draw off to a safe distance.

While this was doing, I, with the few men
selected for the service of the artillery, gave my
attention to that. Glancing my eye along both
pieces, I saw that both had been accurately pointed
into the road on the other side. I had nothing,

therefore, to do but to apply the port-fire, which was
still burning in the clenched hand of a dead artillerist.
By this time the column had fallen back,
and the road below the first angle was fast filling
with the retreating mass. I had never before witnessed
the effusion of blood; and, heated as mine
now was, it ran cold as I applied the match. As
the smoke cleared off, I saw the enemy throwing
away their arms, and stretching out their hands,
some toward me, and some aloft to the unseen foe
that galled them from the hills. The fire instantly
slackened, and cravats and handkerchiefs being
raised on the points of swords and bayonets, it
ceased altogether. The mountaineers now poured
down from the hills into the ravine, securing the
arms of the enemy, mixing among them and hemming
them in on every side. Douglas, whose place,
since he had recrossed the river, had been among
these concealed marksmen, was one of the first to
approach the enemy. Advancing to those whose
rank was most conspicuous, he made known his
authority, and received their swords.

Meantime Col. Trevor had recovered his senses,
and found himself fastened to the ground by the
weight of his horse, which lay upon his leg. He
was presently discovered, relieved, and helped to
rise. At this moment he caught the eye of Douglas,
who hastened to him, less from impatience to demand
his sword, than to offer assistance to one who

seemed to be an officer of high rank, and badly
wounded. In the figure before him, all smeared
with blood and dirt, he saw nothing by which he
could recognize his brother. To the Colonel, the
disguise of Douglas was hardly less complete. He
had seen him receiving the surrender of others, and
stood prepared to go through the same humiliating
ceremony. He felt that his own disgrace was complete,
and the form of surrender was thought of with
indifference. He had already reached the lowest
depth of abasement.

“But in that lowest depth a lower deep” seemed
to open, when, as he extended his hand to deliver
his sword to the victor, he discovered that the hand
put forth to receive it was that of Douglas. He
flung down his sword, stamping with rage, and immediately
after called to his men to resume their
arms. The voice struck the ear of Douglas, though
dissonant with passion. The figure, too, confirmed
his suspicion of the truth; and he immediately rushed
to screen his brother with his own body from the
rifles pointed against him. Calling for aid to those
around, he presently succeeded in securing the
Colonel, and after one or two fruitless attempts to
soothe him, ordered him away to the house of Mr.
Gordon. To that gentleman he spoke aside, and
explaining in confidence the strange scene that he
had just witnessed, besought him to take command
of the escort, and to pay all imaginable attention to

the health, comfort, and feelings of the Colonel. He
was accordingly led away, raging and foaming at
the mouth like a spoiled child who has been deprived
of his toy, or baulked in his amusement. The mortification
of Douglas was extreme; but he had the
satisfaction to find that Arthur was not present;
and to no other person but Schwartz and myself did
the name of Colonel Trevor afford a hint of the
connexion.