Chapter 2

3:00 P.M

3 July 1863

As Daniel marched, he felt a swelling of pride in his chest, at last, they were on their way! Although not long after this sensation arose it was dispelled by the realization of just how many cannons and muskets were being readied to fire, at him!

Daniel broke out in a sweat, he suddenly began to doubt that he would survive this charge and the battle afterword. His hands began to tremble, and he suddenly had trouble coordinating his limbs.

The first of many cannon balls ripped past the lines of men, to high to kill any of the Virginians marching across the field. Daniel began to sweat even more, he began to have trouble walking, let along keeping in step.

Another twelve pound sphere of iron flew towards the advancing division, this ball was only three feet off the ground as it passed through the lines, only five feet from Daniel. The man two files over from Daniel had been hit directly, the remains of his torso several feet from his legs, a similar fate was shared by the man behind him.

Daniel's resolve was stiffened by the grim fate of his comrades. If he was going to die, then by God's sake, he was going to take a yankee or two with him! His hands stopped shaking, and he stayed in step. They had only covered one hundred yards, there was still the best part of a mile to go.

As the division marched on volley after volley of cannonballs ripped holes in the Confederate line, yet no ball touched Daniel, men had arms ripped of, as well as legs. Blood flowed freely. Several times Daniel witnessed the heads of one of his comrades torn free of it's neck and watched their bodies falling, limp, their blood shooting out of their necks in rapid bursts. Other men simply disintegrated as they took head on hits to their torsos. Red mist formed around those unfortunate souls.

None of this shook Daniel, he knew that he was going to die, all that was left was the dying, until then, he marched.

And marched, as more men died all around him, yet he kept on marching, he no longer cared for where he was going, he just marched with the rest of his division. Fifteen minutes or fifteen lifetimes later, they reached the fence, from there it was only three hundred yards to the enemy, now Daniel had a new purpose, get over the fence.

The first men that mounted the fence were instantly killed by a new volley of cannon fire, yet more men came, over the fence or through the newly opened holes where the cannon had hit. Some men stopped to help others over, many more men were blown apart or slain in other ghastly ways.

Then it was Daniel's turn, he leaped up the first rail, and balanced there for a second then he was thrown over the falling fence as a shot from one of the Federal cannon ahead hit one of the fence posts. He landed heavily, but instantly scrambled to his feet, he was bleeding from several small wounds but he felt none of his pain, his mind was gone.

Soon after he began to continue toward the enemy he saw one of the Generals riding past him, galloping to the head of his advancing men. Daniel watched as a cannon's shot ripped through the air and blasted him of his saddle, his horse turned and galloped away.

Many of the men were trying to reform a battle line, Daniel found himself in the first rank of men. Another General rode up and ordered the men to begin firing, after the first volley the Federal counter volley struck him from his horse.

Daniel and the rest of his regiment began to press forward, but now they were being dropped left and right by yankee muskets, yet on they pressed, all the way to the stone wall, just over it was a Federal battery of cannon. Daniel hesitated, but then saw that no one was manning the guns.

The General that had given the short speech at the beginning of the charge leaped up onto the wall and shouted, with his hat on his sword:

"Come on boys, give them the cold steel! Who will follow me?" Daniel leaped up onto the wall just as the General leaped down. Several hundred men also followed. Just as the men cleared the wall Daniel saw through the thick smoke, regiment after regiment of Yankees, all aiming at him and the General.

The Federal muskets spoke once in a deafening roar, and hundreds of bullets soared towards Daniel and all of the other men.

Daniel was knocked down, his chest opened, and as he lay upon the ground, he perceived, through dying eyes, the General hit thrice, then slump against a cannon.

Then, Daniel Sanderson died.