Chapter 4: The Battle Begins
Well, after 3 chapters, the battle finally begins. All events and historical figures in this fic have been researched thoroughly, and I want to not only tell a story, but present everything herein as it really happened, moment by moment, and portray the people as they were in life
General Buford watched the ranks of men in grey marching in formation along the Pike in the light drizzle of rain toward his position. He lowered his field glasses, and turned to where his field commanders were mounted, awaiting orders. Dib and Tak stood anxiously watching the scene unfold.
"Colonel Gamble," Buford said, "Set your men up along Willoughby Run creek. I want a thousand yard line from the rail bed, south across the Chambersburg Pike. Devin, you and your 2nd brigade set up north of the rail cut, and anchor your flank at the base of that hill."
"Yes sir!" The men saluted.
"Is Calef's battery up yet, lieutenant?" Buford asked an orderly.
"He's got his guns in position, and he's almost on line, sir."
"Good. Good." Buford said, looking out toward the approaching enemy. "I want several companies of each brigade held in reserve. Maybe mask our numbers and confuse the enemy. Men, to your posts. There's a fight comin', and we're gonna fight like the Devil. We have good ground here, and we're gonna hold it." The officers rode off to their positions. Buford looked to Dib and Tak. Tak had borrowed a rubber poncho and a grey wide brimmed slouch hat to keep the rain off of her, and no one would protest keeping a young girl dry. "You kids stay near to me. There's not gonna be many safe places around here soon." Buford said
"Okay, General Buford, sure." Dib said nervously. Tak stood calmly, as if she were watching a movie unfold. "Aren't you scared at all?" Dib asked. "There's about to be a big battle, you know." Tak raised an eyebrow.
"And this concerns me…how?" She scoffed. "I've seen battles a lot worse than this one could ever be. And if I were in charge of this brigade, I'd beat the enemy into submission in five minutes."
The enemy came within 100 yards, still marching down the lane. Dib could see the silvery barrels of some of their rifles. He looked nervously at Buford, whose eyes were locked on the line of approaching men.
"Hold." He grumbled. Dib watched them get closer…closer. They were now within 75 yards. "Fire." Buford growled.
"Fire!" The line officers began yelling. The long line of dismounted cavalrymen fired a volley. The enemy returned a volley, and a couple of Buford's men fell dead. Dib yelped, and fell to the ground fearfully. Tak still stood, staring at the enemy. 'Just like Buford'. Dib thought. 'Not afraid at all. A true soldier.' Another volley from each side met with even deadlier results than the first. Now cannons thundered, splintering the fence along the pike, and sending handfuls of men into the air, to rain down broken and bloody. Dib felt sick. He had never seen anything so brutal, so terrible. The men on both sides now fired at will, and the air was thick with gunshots, smoke, and flying rounds.
"You kids come with me, and stay low to the ground. Buford said, walking past Dib and Tak toward the large brick building behind them, which the general had called "The Seminary". The two followed him, Dib cringing with every exploding shell and bullet striking near, but Tak walking calmly beside Buford. Two officers took up stride beside the general. The group entered the building, and climbed a long set of stairs to the round observation dome on the roof of the building. Buford looked out over the battle raging on the landscape below, then looked with anxiety back toward town.
"What is it, General Buford?" Tak asked.
"General Reynolds." Buford replied, lowering his binoculars. "If he doesn't come up soon, I don't know if my boys can hold out. The rebs come into this town and occupy the high ground, there'll be the devil to pay. They take the high ground, and when Meade orders an attack, as I know he probably will, and our entire army'll be butchered in the charge."
"You have a good position." Tak said. "And you're on high ground. I think you can hold."
"It is good ground." Buford replied. "It is that." He looked to one of the officers. "I'm goin' down." The young lieutenant opened the hatch, and Buford climbed down the stairs.
"Come on, Dib." Tak said.
"I think I'll…stay here for a while, you know…" Dib answered.
"I said come on!" She repeated, and grabbed the sleeve of his coat, half dragging him down the stairs. "You said this is the greatest battle in the history of this country unfolding, and I'm not gonna miss it." The three exited the Seminary as a captain rode up.
"General!" He called. "Colonel Gamble reports, sir. The enemy came up. Colonel Gamble put half his reserve forward. We drove 'em back sir, but they've reinforced and reformed and they're coming at us again. Colonel Gamble wants to know how many of his men to put into the fight, sir."
"Tell Gamble I want all reserve forward." Buford ordered. "To Devin and Gamble: all men to the front."
"Yes sir!" The captain said, saluting. He wheeled his horse around and galloped off. Buford looked through his binoculars again. A shell exploded a few yards away. Dib yelped and fell to the ground again.
"You kids get somewhere safe!" Buford barked.
"I'm not afraid." Tak said calmly. "I've seen war before." Buford looked sternly at her, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, a few miles away, Zim sat on a light grey horse amid the staff of General Heath watching the officers conduct war. Spending a night at HQ with the officers of the Corp, Zim had learned why the armies were fighting, and what they were fighting for.
"We are fighting for our homes," A brigade commander named Archer had said. "Our homes and our way of life." He had looked at Zim as he spoke. "The Yankees, they just don't understand. The land they invade, the towns they attack…It's our families, our livelihoods, our history they're destroying. It's all just land and power to them."
Zim had listened (some would say "for once") as the confederates spoke of friends and relatives that had fallen in this war. As they had sat around a campfire, sharing stories, hopes, and fears, Zim somewhat sympathized with the Confederates, fighting the tyrannical rule of what they considered a foreign power. Zim had known many warriors, but none who ever fought for such a…noble cause, none who despite being effective soldiers also had a very compassionate side. He'd had to shake off these human feelings and turn his mind back to his original plan. If he played his cards right, he could easily work himself into the new Confederate States of America, and come to rule the new nation, he mused.
Suddenly from behind the group of commanders, there was a trumpeting, and a loud murmur. Zim turned to see an elderly man with a white beard riding toward Heath and his staff. He wore a grey uniform and a light grey, wide brimmed hat. The older man stopped beside General Heath.
"Mr. Heath." The man said. "We must ride." Heath nodded, and the two began to walk their horses beside each other, Zim riding close behind with the staff.
"Mr. Heath, I thought I ordered all commanders to not engage the enemy." The older man said sternly.
"General Lee, sir…" Heath began.
"My orders were to avoid all contact with the enemy." Lee interrupted. " Is it possible you misunderstood these orders, sir?"
"No sir." Heath replied. "My men entered town this morning, and scouts reported what looked to be no more than 150 local militia. I sent in a regiment, and it turned out to be dismounted cavalry. Well, they reinforced and pushed us out, so I reformed and hit them again. But this time, they'd brought up reinforcements. Now, it's like half the damned Army of the Potomac's up there." Heath looked to be on the verge of panic. Zim wondered if it was due to having his army ambushed so badly, or having his superior officer chastise him.
"General Heath," Lee said calmly. "This is war, and things of this nature can and will happen, sir." Zim had never seen a leader like this Lee before. He commanded such respect from his subordinates, and yet he never seemed to yell or bark orders. With a calm and almost fatherly demeanor, he seemed to be able to control men. Loud thuds echoed in the distance. "What guns are those?" Lee asked. "Are those our cannon there?"
"I do not know sir." Heath replied. "But I will find out immediately, sir. Captain!" He called. One of the staff officers, a younger blonde man, rode forward.
"Sir?" He asked.
"Ride down the line. Find out whose guns those are, and report back with all possible speed. Do you understand?"
"Yessir!" The captain saluted. He spurred his horse and rode off at a breakneck speed.
"I have not heard from General Stuart for days, General Heath." Lee said. "I have no knowledge of enemy forces or positions."
"Sir!" A tired looking officer yelled, riding up hard. "Scouts report a large body of federal soldiers coming toward town. Looks like they're going to get reinforced…sir!" He saluted. Lee and Heath saluted half-heartedly, and the officer rode off in the direction he came. General Hill rode up next, and joined the cavalcade.
"Sir," Hill said, saluting Lee. "My men are starting to push the Yankees back. We must press on if we are to gain possession of the town and the high ground beyond."
"God's will." Lee said. "General Hill, sir. My orders to all commanders: attack. Attack at once."