It was July of 1863, the 22nd US Cavalry got orders from Gen Alexander to move out from La Grange and move towards Chattanooga, now that Vicksburg was captured by Gen Ulysses S Grant's forces, and with Lee out of Pennsylvania. Gen Rosecrans needed Gen Alexander and his men, Especially the 22nd Cavalry since he was short of mounted reconnaissance and fast striking troops.
The Regiment was marching towards Gen Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland when night started to fall, Chesterfield and Blutch were arguing again.
Sgt Chesterfield: "I STILL say you corrupted a very good horse Blutch."
Cpl Blutch: "Well, we have a corrupt commanding officer." he laughed.
Sgt Chesterfield temper was coming on, Blutch was in for a storm.
Sgt Chesterfield: "CAPT STARK IS AN EXCELLENT COMMANDING OFFICER!"
Cpl Blutch keeped his calm and gave him a smirk, even though Sgt Chesterfield really upset him sometimes.
Cpl Blutch: "Not the captain, even though he is crazy sometimes. It's Gen Alexander, the majority of his staff doesn't even think of his men, there just pushing 'units' on a map, that's all."
Sgt Chesterfield was really speechless, he knew that Gen Alexander was corrupt, but he never wanted to tell Blutch he was right. So he shut up, Blutch saw that he had proven to be right and smiled, he liked it the reaction of the Sergeant's face when he was wrong.
The Regiment soon stopped for the night, set up some tents and made camp for the night, pickets were placed around the camp to stay on alert for any Confederates trying to sneak into camp. A lot of the men were by the fire that they had built up, making coffee, singing songs. Blutch wasn't among the rest of the men though. He was sitting on a log at the outer area of the camp, thinking to himself, Sgt Chesterfield came over to him.
Sgt Chesterfield: "Hey Corporal, want some coffee?" the sergeant held out a tin cup with some black coffee, the steam from the heat rose softley.
Cpl Blutch: "Thank you Sergeant." The corporal grabbed the cup and took a sip, it was nice and warm. Then he saw the Sergeant sit next to him.
Sgt Chesterfield: "What are you thinking about Blutch?"
Cpl Blutch: "The war, the violence, I know what we're fighting for, but, it still feels wrong to kill our fellow man, especially if he might be someone's best friend, or neighbor, even a family member."
Sgt Chesterfield: "I understand what you mean, but we have to do it, I can't explain why we fight, we just do."
Cpl Blutch: "There is one thing I just don't understand Sarge."
Sgt Chesterfield: "What's that?"
Cpl Blutch: "Why do some of our officers just, throw the lives of young men away, like they were nothing."
Sgt Chesterfield: "I can't exactly answer that either, sometimes Officers do that to get promotions or medals, I wouldn't know, I'm just a Sergeant-Major." Then Sgt Chesterfield got up, and walked to the tent he shared with Blutch to get some sleep. Soon Blutch followed to get some sleep as well, the night was calm and uneventful, but it would be the calm before the storm for the next morning.
The next morning, the men were awoken by Revilie and did their duties as they always did every morning, watered and fed the horses, ate breakfast, and all the things a soldier in the US Cavalry would do in the morning. Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch were tending to their horses when they heard the bugler play Officer's Call, and Lt Danford from Company C approaching fast.
Sgt Chesterfield: "Come on Blutch, Let's see what's going on!" Sgt Chesterfield went running in the direction of Capt Starks tent, Cpl Blutch hesitated to follow, but followed none the less.
The Lieutenant went straight to the Captain's tent, but he had lost his voice and was still recovering, Sgt Chesterfield had arrived there with Cpl Blutch before Lt Danford did though.
Lt Danford: "Sir, my scouts report that an entire brigade of Rebel Infantry approaching our position, they'll be here in one hour with their current speed, what should we do."
The Captain wrote his order down on paper, and gave it to Sgt Chesterfield to read, it said 'CHAAAARGE' It would be suicide for a regiment to charge into a whole brigade of Confederate Troops. So he said something else to Lt Danford and the other officers who were also in the tent.
Sgt Chesterfield: "The captain wrote that, were are to fight a delaying action, and send a courier to the closest Infantry regiment to support us. We need to hold our position."
The officers didn't think believe it, Stark would usually order a charge, but were relieved that they didn't have to charge an Entire Brigade of Johnny Reb troops. Capt Stark looked at Sgt Chesterfield angrily, and Sgt Chesterfield mouthed.
Sgt Chesterfield: "There's no other way."
They got out of the tent and Sgt Chesterfield called over the bugler.
Sgt Chesterfield: "Bugler! Sound To Arms!"
The Bugler really started to play To Arms and the men grabbed their carbines and got to the nearest rocks and trees they could find, and spread out all along the tree line and got ready for the Rebs to advance on their position. The Rebs were superior in numbers, but the 22nd Cavalry had the Spencer Carbines had a faster rate of fire then Rifled Muskets, and they had the high ground, they also had six Napoleon 12 pound guns under the command of Lt Howard of the 12 US Artillery, the artillery had been assigned temporarily for some reason.
Sgt Chesterfield: "BLUTCH, GET OVER HERE!" The small corporal quickly came over to the sergeant who he reached at chest height.
Cpl Blutch: "Yeah Sarge?"
Sgt Chesterfield: "I want you to be the courier to the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment, about five miles away, Tell them to come as fast as possible, we won't be able to last for long." he shot the small corporal a smile and gave him a pat on the shoulder, then the sergeant left to take his place on the firing line with the rest of the Regiment.
Chesterfields POV -
The men lined up behind cover, Sgt Chesterfield waved to Blutch as he rode off to get the 81st Ohio, not five minutes after that, the Rebels were heard singing Bonnie Blue Flag.
We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far-
"Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star!"
Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
As long as the Union
Was faithful to her trust,
Like friends and like brothers
Both kind were we and just;
But now, when Northern treachery
Attempts our rights to mar,
We hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
First gallant South Carolina
Nobly made the stand,
Then came Alabama,
Who took her by the hand.
Next quickly Mississippi,
Georgia and Florida
All raised on high the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star.
Soon The men of the 22nd Cavalry opened fire with their Cannons and Carbines, the front ranks of the the Rebel Brigade fell, the marching of Johnny Reb stopped and they pointed their rifles at the union troops in the treeline and fired, luck must have been on the side of the Union troops that day, not one man was hit, they kept firing, thanks for the Spencer Rifle being a repeating rifle, they were able to give the Confederate Troops a hellish fire. Soon the Rebel Troops were on the run, the men of the 22nd Cavalry cheered, but they would reform and try again.
And the Rebs came again, and again, and again, soon, casualties began to mount among the regiment, the whole Regiment was down a quarter of it's original strength, now the Rebs were charging their position with all the men they had.
Sgt Chesterfield: "HOLD YOUR FIRE UNTIL THEY ARE IN RANGE OF CANISTER SHOT FROM THE CANNONS!"
The Rebs were within range, and they fell by the hundreds, the cavalrymen of the regiment fired one last volley before mounting their horses and charging the enemy, this time, at the sight of the mounted force, the Rebels ran, and just as Blutch and the 81st Ohio arrived to relieve them.
Blutch's POV-
Blutch rode as fast as he could down the road, he wasted no time getting to the camp of the 81st Ohio Infantry.
Sentry: "HALT! State your business?"
Cpl Blutch: "I have a message for your commanding Officer, do you know where I can find him?"
Sentry: "Sure, Col Ringold is over in the tent friend."
Cpl Blutch: "Thanks." and Blutch rode over to the tent. He tied up Polka, (His Horse) to the post next to the tent, he entered unannounced and asked for the commanding officer.
Cpl Blutch (Giving a Salute): "Sir, Corporal Blutch of the 22nd Cavalry reporting sir."
Col Ringold: "What is it Corporal, I'm busy."
Cpl Blutch: "Sir, my regiment is holding against a Rebel Brigade five miles from here, your Infantry need to help us."
Col Ringold: "Thank you Corporal, I'll have my men move out immediately."
The drummers and buglers assembled the entire regiment, and they were ready to march, they soon started out with Col Ringold at the front mounted on his horse. He soon started to move his men, his men marched towards the battle where the 22nd was holding their position, the smoke could be seen from their position, when they finally arrived, the men of the 22nd Cavalry were chasing off the Rebs with a charge.
Later that night, Capt Stark had regained his voice and asked to see Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch in his tent.
Capt Stark: "Sergeant! I wrote an order that you were supposed to give Lt Danford and the other officers, and you changed it!"
Sgt Chesterfield: "Sir, I thought that a charge would lose more men than what we lost."
Capt Stark: "Well, you were right doing that, this time Sergeant, but don't let it happen again."
The two Noncommissioned officer saluted their commanding officer and left the tent.
Cpl Blutch: "Well, at least he let us off easy."
Sgt Chesterfield: "Yeah, and I can't believe you actually did something for once." The Sergeant laughed, but Cpl Blutch punched him in the stomach.
Sgt Chesterfield: "Hitting a superior is a court-martial offence." Blutch just laughed.
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