Buford's Cavalry

by CAVALRYMAN1863

"No you won't they will attack you in the morning, and they will come booming, with Skirmisher's three deep, you will have to fight like the devil to hold your own until supports arrive. The enemy must know the importance of this position and will strain every nerve to secure it, and if we are able to hold it, we will do well." General John Buford to Colonel Thomas Devin

1. Prelude

It was late June of 1863, the men of the 1st Cavalry Division of the Union Cavalry Corps under Brigadier General John Buford, was riding through Pennsylvania, screening and counter-screening Jeb Stuart's Cavalry and the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E Lee. The Vanguard of the Union Army, the 1st and 11th Corps was not far behind Gen Buford's Cavalrymen, one trooper was Sergeant-Major Reynolds of the United States 2nd Cavalry, his company was attached to the 8th New York Regiment in the 1st Brigade under Colonel William Gamble, while the rest of the 2nd Cavalry and the 3rd Brigade of the Division made up of all the United State Army's Regular Cavalry under Brigadier General Wesley Merritt was in Maryland watching the fords across the Potomac and conducting patrols around Washington. General Lee's army was on the move north for the second time in the entire war, and General Joseph 'Fighting Joe' Hooker had been replaced by General George G Meade and the Union Army were hot on the heels of Lee's Army.

After Gen Stoneman's Raid into Virginia, which incorporated the battle of Tennessee Ridge, the Sergeant-Major had fought in the battles of Brandy Station, Aldie, and Upperville with the 1st Cavalry Division, all while in the pursuit of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. Now the men were in Southern Pennsylvania riding North, the men had been riding all day and they were exhausted, and so were the horses. Since the battle of Chancellorsville, the Army of Northern Virginia had been on the move North, with the Army of the Potomac right behind. It was believed by all that they were heading for Harrisburg, the State Capital where much needed supplies could be procured by the Rebel Army. It was also believed that it was to draw the Army out of Virginia and defeat it on northern soil to get Britain and France on the side of the South. The young 19 year old Sergeant-Major looked up at the sky, and thought for a moment, that the war was far away and he was riding in the Pennsylvania countryside, he breathed in the air and admired the countryside. Then he remembered he was in a column of an entire Cavalry Division chasing 'Johnny Reb' he then jolted when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Sergeant-Major." He turned to his Company commander, who had replaced the last one since the death of Capt McCord after the Battle of Tennessee Ridge. He was an older man, probably in his mid forties with a long curly grey mustache, wearing a kepi with an officers shell jacket with golden shoulder boards with captain's bars. "Yes sir?" Replied the Sergeant-Major turned to his new commanding officer. "I want you to take a squad of men into that town, make sure you can establish some order and get the civilians off the streets." The Sergeant-Major saluted and the Captain returned it, the Sergeant-Major then pulled out his silver lined Colt 1860 Revolver he was given after 1st Bull Run for, 'Gallantry and Bravery under fire' and remembered his father's face that day, Matthew Brady took a picture of them that he kept close by as a memory of his late father. He was getting tear in his eye which he quickly wiped away. He took the second squad and they fell out of the ranks and galloped quickly into the small town. He could see the white board houses with the rail fences, a small white church and it's steeple as well as the seminary with the white cupola that appeared to have a commanding view of the town. The men got the civilians indoors and saw the battle flags of a Confederate Regiment, or perhaps it was a Brigade, some of the men, including him had reached for their carbines, but there was no shooting, no nothing.

Meanwhile

The Division continued to gallop on until they reached the outskirts of a small Pennsylvania town, at the head of the column was General John Buford and his Staff, with two of his Brigade commanders, Colonel William Gamble, and Colonel Thomas Casimer Devin. They had winded their way through hills and mountain gaps, the same way the Confederates had come. From where they were they could see the small town and a seminary to the west of it. To the south, there were two hills, one full of trees with the summer color of green, the other flat with what appeared to be a cemetery. The General had halted the column from where he was, by a stone wall in that cemetery, and from the road below was Col Gamble's Brigade. He had ridden up to Gen Buford and his staff, they pulled out their field glasses and looked through them to see a large body of men marching into the town, at first it appeared to be a Confederate Raiding Party, but there was too many of them, there was power behind it, troops far back up the road toward the hills.

"That's Infantry alright, at least a full Brigade." Stated the Colonel, the General smoked his pipe and looked through his binoculars to see what Gamble was seeing. The general looked for any other movement, and saw one squad of his own men enter the town, he saw that they had their carbines handy, but there was no shooting, none whatsoever. "Any sign of Cavalry?" asked General Buford, Col Gamble looked left and right, but saw no men in gray on horseback, and shook his head and wheezed. "No sir, it's very strange, Infantry moving in enemy country blind, it's very strange sir." The General put the field glasses back in their brown leather case and held his pipe, still being smoked. "He's heading this way." His officers looked at him. "Lee's turned that's the main body." Col Gamble looked through his binoculars again. "You think so, I could have sworn he was heading for Harrisburg." The General nodded. "Well he was, but that's too many troops to be a raiding party" He took his pipe out of his mouth and spoke up again. "There's power behind it." The Colonel turned to face his superior. "Sir, if you want to fight here, this is lovely ground, it's the best damn ground I've seen all day." Buford nodded, it was indeed lovely ground. "It is that." He looked through his binoculars again and looked at the town. "We'll move both Brigades into town, that'll make the good citizens happy." he looked again at his Brigade commander. "Let's go down there and have a look." The Colonel nodded. "Sir." The staff rejoined at the front of the column and they moved into the small town, called Gettysburg.

General John Buford was a Kentucky born Union man, West Point class of 1848, he had fought in the Indian wars out west and was old style cavalry. He was careful and not a risk taker, warmonger, or glory hound. He merely wanted to focus on the task at hand, but he could sense what would happen here, Lee had turned and was heading right for the brunt of the Union Army.

He rode at the head of the column through the town, with the rest of his Division in tow, the streets were deserted, no people, no dogs, not even a mouse. White faces were in the windows, and the curtains of houses fluttered with the civilians peaking out as the men passed through Gettysburg. As the men passed through, the squad that entered the town fell in with their company and continued on through the town. There was nothing, no chickens, no cattle, not even a plow horse, the Rebels had foraged the land bare and didn't leave much to the civilian populace. As the trotted through on their horses, they could see the Rebel column moving away from them, towards the western blue sky and the hills. Just then a shot was fired and the General's staff officers ducked at the sound, but he ignored it, he kept thinking that the Rebs would be back in the morning, and how Lee's army would move towards the town and being to concentrate his forces. He turned too look back at the high ground to the south, that morning the Confederates would be there and General Meade and the army would not be there, nor would General Reynolds and the 1st Corps. His two deputy commanders rode up, Col Gamble gave the General a salute, and Col Devin gave a grin as they approached. "I wonder where their cavalry is?" The General sat up in the saddle. "The way Stuart rides, he's probably having dinner in Philadelphia." The General didn't listen to what Devin said, and even if he did, he wouldn't find it funny. "Get your patrols out, scout this bunch in front of us, but also scout up north, they'll be coming that way from Carlisle. I think Lee's turned the whole army, trying to get around us, between Meade and Washington. If I'm right there'll be a lot of troops up this road, and that northern road too so hop to it." Col Gamble saluted. "Sir." He then wheeled his horse and trotted down the line to assign men to scout west.

As the Colonel went, General Buford and his staff moved through the town with the rest of the Division and got on top of a small ridge, close to a small farm owned by some named Mcpherson. He passed one of the Regiment's under Gamble's command as they calmly waited for orders. The General stopped a few feet from a rail fence supported by rocks and dismounted his horse. He secured his saber and walked towards the fence, with Col Devin by his side. He had a boyish grin on him with sandy yellow hair and a thick mustache, who seemed to have more courage to go into battle, than the wisdom to find a way to win it. "You know what's gonna happen here in the morning?" Col Devin turned to look at his superior. "Sir?" The General looked out to the hills to the west. "The whole damn Reb army's gonna be here, they'll move through this town, occupy those hills, Lee will have the high ground and it'll be the DEVIL to pay. The High Ground! Meade will come in slowly, cautiously, new to command, they'll be on his back from Washington, the wires hot with messages, 'ATTACK, ATTACK!' So he will set up a ring around these hills..." He pointed to the high ground to the south. "...and when Lee's army is nice and entrenched behind fat rocks on the high ground, Meade will finally attack, if he can coordinate the army. Straight up the hillside, out in the open, in that gorgeous field of fire. We will charge valiantly, and be butchered valiantly. Then men will bump their chests and saw what a brave charge it was." The General took off his hat passed it through his dark brown hair. "Devin, I've lived a soldier's life, and I've never seen anything a brutally clear as this, it's as if I can see the blue troops in one long bloody moment. Going up the long slope to the stony top, already done, already a memory." He put his hat back on. "An odd, set, stony quality to it, It's as if tomorrow's already happening and there's nothing you can do about it. The way you sometimes wonder before considering attack, knowing it will fail. But you cannot stop it, you must even take part, help it fail." Col Devin looked at his Commanding officer. "Sir." The General looked at the ground, and the hills to the west. "No orders yet, tell your men to dismount and eat, and rest, get some rest." General Buford mounted his horse and rode off a little ways to inspect the ground. He wasn't sure if he should make a stand or not, but he knew John Reynolds, he was a good man, but would he get there in time. Would he understand the urgency, would he hurry, the General could not be sure. Then he wondered if he could hold against Lee's whole army, he had two good Brigades at his disposal, but what if they were sacrificed and Reynolds was late. There were only twenty-five hundred of them, all armed with Sharps Carbines and Colt Revolvers, and if dug could hold, but how long would they have to? He had time yet, he was Cavalry and had horses, and if necessary, could get out in a hurry.

Meanwhile

The young Sergeant-Major was sitting in his saddle looking over his pistol, he made sure it was loaded and that it was clean, he then saw Col Gamble ride up to Capt Buckston and mumbled something to him. The Captain looked back and then back at the Colonel, he saluted his superior who saluted back. The Colonel then wheeled his horse and rode to the front of the Brigade as the Captain rode towards the Sergeant-Major. "What's going on sir?" The Captain took off his kepi and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The Colonel wants me to send a few men as scouts to see how far the Confederate positions are from the town, and us." Were they going to stay and hold against Lee, if it was Lee. From what he saw from the town, he could say it was a Brigade, too big for a raiding party, too small to do much else against the Army of the Potomac, or a small Cavalry Division. "Who do I take sir?" asked the Sergeant-Major, the Captain placed his kepi back on his head. "Take five men of your choice, volunteers." The Sergeant-Major nodded and saluted his commanding officer, the Captain returned the saluted and rode down the line to find his second in command. The Sergeant-Major fell out of the line and began to call out names. "MULCAHY, QUINCANNON, O'RYAN, THOMAS, MILLER!" The five men turned their heads towards the voice who called them. "YOU FIVE JUST VOLUNTEERED FOR SCOUTING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE REB PICKETTS!" The men groaned, and fell out of the column. Mulcahy, O'Ryan and Quincannon were Line Sergeants and old friends of the Sergeant-Major's late father who had fallen at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

The five galloped north and then west in the direction where the Confederate Brigade had come from and then retreated from the sight of the Division, they moved across a small run that was easily fordable. They continued to trot on their horses and moved through the open fields and farmland right next to the Chambersburg Pike and cut across an open field. They continued through and got back on the road, they moved their horses at a walk, they soon came across a line of trees and stopped, they had gone about four miles from Gettysburg and had seen or heard nothing from the Confederates. The Sergeant-Major took out a pair of Binoculars he 'requisitioned' from the Company Quartermaster Sergeant.

He looked through the binoculars and saw something that was of interest to him, he saw a man with a rifle, it could have been a Confederate or it was a farmer that thought they were Confederates. He then saw the man raise his rifle, he quickly put the binoculars back in his saddle bag and, he had just closed the flap when the crack of a rifle was heard from where they were followed by a thump on the ground. Sgt O'Ryan had fallen off his horse, the others had begun to laugh, but Sgt-Major Nathan Carter Reynolds was in no mood for laughter. "Are you alright O'Ryan?" The Sergeant looked up at the Sergeant-Major and nodded. "Sorry Nathan, that gunshot scared me and well, made me fall off my horse." The men began to laugh again when another gunshot sounded through the air. The Sergeant-Major grabbed the binoculars out of his saddle bags again and saw other men with rifles, he counted how many there were and counted ten. "We'll make it look like we fell back, then see if we can identify who they are." O'Ryan got back on his horse and the men moved northeast, making it appear as if they were moving back, but they outflanked the picketts and proceeded further.

They continued on through fields, avoiding the main road to see an encampment of troops, the regiments belong to a Brigade under General Archer of Mississippi, who was in General Heth's Division, who belonged to General AP Hill's Corps. "Those men belong to Archer's Brigade, which means Heth's Division, which means Hill's Corps." The scouts then saw another Brigade brought up by Regiment, it was several Texas Regiments. "Texas Regiments, Hood?" asked Sgt Nulcahy in awe, the men nodded. "Without any doubt." replied Sgt Quincannon, the Sergeant-Major pulled off the binoculars and turned to face the others. "If that's Hood's Texans the rest of his Division behind that, that says James Longstreet is not far behind with his own Corps." The men just sat there before deciding they had enough information. "Let's get back, we need to report this."

The men were back in the town as soon as they left, they were as lucky as they could be since no enemy picketts spotted them riding back. The men still sat in the saddle, waiting for orders, they saw Col Gamble near Capt Buckston and they were talking, the Sergeant-Major told the men to get back in the column with the other men as he went to make the report. The Captain and Colonel saw him approach on his dark brown horse, he saluted the two officers. "Well Sergeant-Major, did you find out anything?" The Colonel also seemed to be interested. "We sited enemy picketts four miles from our position sir,then we saw elements of Mississippi Regiments, those mean Hill's Corps, then we noticed elements of Longstreet's Corps behind them." Colonel Gamble looked at the Sergeant-Major with a vigorous interest. "Are you sure Sergeant?" The young Sergeant-Major nodded. "Positive sir, they look to me there gonna concentrate here in the morning, seeing how many men we saw and all." The Colonel nodded and then turned to the Captain. "Captain, you better come with me." The Captain nodded and turned to the Sergeant-Major. "Sergeant, tell Lt Carr he's in command until I return." The two officers galloped off towards the front of the column. The Sergeant-Major didn't like Lt Carr, he was a Marylander who didn't like the President, who's family had ties with the south, and only wore the uniform to find glory. Even though he didn't want to wish death upon anyone, he hoped that a bullet would find Lt Carr.

A few Minutes Later

General Buford went over the ground, and saw that Devin's Brigade must have headed north to cover the approach from Carlisle, he saw the Colonel ride up the road with the same boyish grin. "My Brigade is dismounted sir, any orders." The Colonel dismounted and waited for a reply, the General had been thinking long and hard about whether to make a stand or to get the hell out. He then remembered the Horse Artillery under Lt John Calef, he had twenty-five hundred men, and a battery of 3-inch ordnance rifles at his disposal. "Is Calef's battery up yet?" The Colonel turned to look at his commanding officer. "Sir, his six guns are deploying forward now, but they will take a while to get set up since they're at the rear of the column with the ordnance wagons." The General nodded. "Have the bugler sound officer's call." He then turned to his staff officers. "HOW FAR BACK IS REYNOLDS WITH THE MAIN FORCE?" One his officers looked back and responded. "About ten miles sir, not much more." Just then hoof beats from two horses could be heard on the road. Through the air, the bugler played the tune 'Officers Call' as two riders pulled in through an opening in the rail fence next to the road, it was Col Gamble and a Captain. "Sir!" The Colonel dismounted his horse and a trooper quickly went to hold it so it wouldn't run off. "Your right, my scouts report the Reb army's coming this way and that's for sure, they're all concentrating in this direction." The staff officer's gathered around after 'Officers Call' was sounded, the General looked back at the field in front of him. "We're gonna hold here in the morning, long enough for Reynolds and the Infantry to arrive. We hang onto the high ground we have a good chance to win this fight that's coming. Understood?" The officers nodded. "Yes sir." They shouted in unison. "Post the cannon along this road, the Chambersburg Pike, the Rebs will hit us at dawn but I think we can hold them, at least two hours." Colonel Devin looked up at his superior "Hell General, we can hold them all the damn live long day." The other officers agreed with Col Devin, but the General shook his head. "No you won't, you'll have to fight like the devil to hold your own." The Brigade commander looked straight at the General "But sir, at Thoroughfare Gap you held against Longstreet, you held for six hours." Col Gamble then turned to Col Devin to say something. "And reinforcements never came, we held for nothing." The officers held their heads, they remembered how the General sent request after request for reinforcements, but never came. The General turned to look at the long ridge on the farmland outside of the town. "The Rebs will hit us just about first light, Keep a Clear Eye! I want the picketts to give us a good warning." He turned back to his officers. "Alright gentlemen, let's get posted."

The officers mounted their horses again and saw as Col Gamble's Brigade moved down the road and moved off the road to take cover and dig in. Regimental commanders such as Lieutenant-Colonels and Majors move their Regiments into line in the fields and behind the rail fence supported by stone and Junior officers such as Captains and Lieutenants moved their companies, one next to another. Three men to dismount, every forth man to fall back holding the horses, the General and his Staff sat on their horses as they watched the Brigade dismount and dig in. The men galloping into the field and dismounting, setting up and sending out videttes and more scouts to see who would be coming down the road. General Buford knew his men, he knew they would do their job, good boys he thought, he and his staff then turned their horses east and headed back towards the Seminary.

Meanwhile

The Sergeant-Major waited with the others, and saw movement in front of them, the Brigade was moving at the gallop, they then saw the Captain ride down to them almost at lightening speed. Lt Carr was at the front of the company, freshly polished boots and kepi with gold braid on the crown of the kepi, he saluted the Captain who returned it, then spoke to the Sergeant-Major. "Sergeant-Major, get the men moving, we're dismounting and digging in on and around the Chambersburg Pike, we'll be holding in the morning." The Sergeant-Major smiled, they would hold their position, although outnumbered, they would be given the chance to hold. "Yes sir."He turned to the other men behind him, veterans of battle, from First Bull Run to Chancellorsville, Regular soldiers of the professional army. "B TROOP, FORWARD HO!" The men began to gallop down the road with Carbines drawn, taking position with the 8th New York Cavalry behind the rail fence, dismounting and taking positions behind the fence, one platoon heading out further, beyond the fence to act as forward skirmishers along with others in the the 8th New York and in Col Gamble's Brigade. When Nathan gave his horse to Trooper Miller, he saw that General Buford and his Staff were watching them prepare, he personally knew that the General was a good man, and would do his duty to the best of his ability, like his men. He saw Lt Carr walk up to him and he stood at attention. "Sergeant-Major, the Captain needs you to take this report to Gen Buford personally." He took the paper, saluted his superior and went off to get his horse. He looked at the paper quickly and saw that it was a report of what they had as arms and munitions they were armed with and how much more ammunition was needed. But it was for the entire 8th New York, not just the Company. He got his horse and galloped up towards the Seminary when he was stopped by a sentry. "HALT, advance and be recognized." The Sergeant-Major moved up slowly. "Sergeant-Major Reynolds, Second Cavalry, B Company, attached to the 8th New York." The sentry looked him over from the distance they were at. "Give the countersign." The Sergeant-Major shouted the reply the trooper asked for "Antietam." The sentry allowed the Sergeant-Major to approach, he then got off his horse and a corporal held it, he walked up to the officers when one approached him. "What's your name trooper?" The Sergeant-Major quickly brought up his right hand and saluted the officer. "Sergeant-Major Nathan Reynolds sir, carrying papers for Gen Buford." The Officer nodded and led him to the General who was writing something on a piece of paper. The General didn't have his coat with his shoulder boards on, nor his black curved brimmed hat smoking his pipe. The General looked up at the officer approaching him and the Sergeant-Major following him.

General Buford sipped a cup of Coffee as he wrote a courier message to Gen Reynolds when he was approached by Col Devin in the dark. The Colonel took off his kepi and spoke to the General. "The last of the scouts have come in, confirming everything, it's Hill to the west and the majority think it's Ewell to the North sir." The General nodded. "Very well Devin, you better get back to your men and get some rest." As the Colonel saluted, and walked off, he saw a young Lieutenant walk up with a Sergeant-Major "What is it Lieutenant?" The officer stood at attention and saluted the General. "Sir, this is Sgt-Major Reynolds of the Second Cavalry, his company is attached with a Regiment in Col Gamble's Brigade. He brought a list of ordnance that the 8th New York, including his company would need." The General looked over at the Sergeant-Major, and he merely stood at attention, the General looked him over, he appeared no older than nineteen, possibly twenty, but he had dust from riding on his uniform, and a look on his face that he could tell made him an experienced cavalryman "Your a regular son?" Nathan looked at the General and nodded. "Yes sir, when I heard about the firing on Fort Sumter, I enlisted in the Regulars, to fight with experienced troops of the plains." The General nodded, he then looked at the Lieutenant. "Your dismissed Lieutenant." He asked the Sergeant-Major to sit down, and he sat down right in front of the General. "Have you eaten yet soldier?" Nathan shook his head, the General turned to one of his Sergeant's. "Sergeant, get this man a plate of dried beef and some coffee." The Line Sergeant saluted and went to get the food." "Thank you General." The General shot a quick smile before returning to the paper he was writing on. "Well Sergeant, us professional soldiers have to stay together, I was a Captain in the Second before the war actually." The two professional soldiers talked as they both ate and drank. But the Sergeant-Major saw that the General was writing a courier message to send to General Reynolds.

General Reynolds,

My troops are deployed on good ground west of Gettysburg on the Chambersburg Pike.
I've sent reconnaissance parties out in every direction from which the enemy might attack,
I'm satisfied that AP Hill's Corps, is massed just west of here back at Cashtown, enemy picketts
four miles of my position, rumor says Ewell is coming over the mountains from Carlisle. If true
two Confederate Corps will converge on us in the morning, one from the west and one from the
north, do you want me to hold this position if attacked, confirmation requested.

J. Buford

The Sergeant-Major spoke up when he saw what the General was writing on the paper. "Sir, do you think General Reynolds will get here tomorrow morning in time?" The General looked at him and sighed. "General Reynolds is a good man, but I don't know, hopefully the message will go up to General Meade, then up to Washington." The General stopped speaking for a moment. "But the telegraph lines might not be repaired yet, and those Politicians in Washington must be screaming their heads off, damned Halleck." The Sergeant-Major nodded, he didn't approve of General Halleck, he had a personal reason for his hatred for the General. If Halleck had brought the Pontoons on scheduled to Fredericksburg, then his father might have not been killed there. He then noticed he was done eating and his cup of coffee was empty, and realized he had better get back to his Company. "If we stack them up along that narrow it'll take them a while to get on track, to get into position, what do you think?" The Sergeant-Major turned to respond. "It's a sound move sir, we've got decent ground, we can fire our cannons down on them and almost triple their rate of fire with our Carbines." The General nodded, he was not a hard man, the Sergeant was right, he was a man who simply wanted to get the job done and nothing more. He then pulled out his watch and noted the time, Lt Carr would have his hide if he were any later than he already is. "Thank you for everything sir, but I best be getting back now." The General shock hands with him and shot a quick smile. "Be careful tomorrow, but don't get to confident." The Sergeant-Major cracked a smile and saluted the General before mounting his horse and going back to McPherson's Ridge. The General had made headquarters at the Seminary, and he would have a nice view from the Cupola for the fight tomorrow morning.

He galloped back to the ridge and gave his horse to Miller again, Lt Carr was the first to approach him, and he didn't look happy. He approached the senior Non-Commissioned Officer with a scowl on his face. "SERGEANT-MAJOR WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" He was about to explain when he was cut off again by the Lieutenant. "You've been assigned pickett duty tonight, you will be with the forward skirmishers if a battle does come tomorrow morning. You'll go down the road and find Trooper Ward just off the pike." Nathan Reynolds knew better to argue with Lt Carr, he merely saluted the Lieutenant and carried on. He again got his horse from Miller and road a few miles and found the post where Ward was camped. "Who goes there?" The Sergeant-Major went through the brush and waved at Ward who put down his gun. "Good to see you Sergeant." Nathan tied his horse to the tree where Ward had tied his and unsaddled him. "Sarge, will there be a fight tomorrow?" The Sergeant-Major put down his saddle and grabbed his bedroll and was about to roll it out he gave Ward an answer. "Probably, and we'll have to hold for a while, but we'll do it." He laid his head on the ground and looked up for a moment, again he thought the war was far away, but not that far, was the entire Army of Northern Virginia. Twenty-five hundred men against thousands of the enemy, but they would stand their ground, or he at least he would. "Now ain't we glad we joined the Cavalry." The Sergeant-Major brought up his head. "What do you mean?" Ward looked over at him and gave a bit of a chuckling grin. "We can get the hell out of here if Johnny Reb gets real close." That placed a smile on the face of Nathan Reynolds, and the two started to laugh, but it would be the last bit of laughing they did in a long while.