Chapter 15: Sickles Leaves the Field
"Forward! Forward men, and onward!" Sickles yelled, waving his sword. The battle had gotten fierce, and it seemed to Tak that the entire Rebel army was concentrating on their position. Shells were exploding everywhere, and the sound of rifle fire was almost a constant roar as men loaded and fired. Sickles had since dismounted from his horse, and was now pacing like a madman, directing the battle.
"General Sickles!" Tak called as she walked behind him.
"What?" He asked curtly.
"Sir…" She almost had to vomit the word out. "It looks like our side is taking heavy losses. Maybe we should move back to a better position?"
"Look here, young lady…" Sickles began. "I'm not abandoning this position to the enemy, and if I want a private, and a girl at that to advise me in military strategy, I'll seek your counsel at once." Tak clenched her teeth in anger. Sickles was condescending, self righteous and arrogant, and Tak didn't like him at all. Maybe he was a good general, he was a corps commander after all, but that didn't change her opinion that he was a pompous ass to boot. Now, he was endangering not only his life, but hers as well.
"Sir, you're too exposed here. You should go to the rear." Tak said. Sickles gave her a puzzled look. "The army can't spare you, and this corps needs a leader." Sickles looked toward the enemy and grunted.
"You're right…" He growled. "Let us return to the rear." He said. He called for his horse and mounted. They began making their way away from the fighting, toward a small house in a clearing near the edge of the woods. "You watch…" He said to Tak. "I will rout the Rebels, and history will prove that I acted accordingly. To Hell with Meade's orders." An officer ran past with two dozen fresh troops behind. "Forward men, the fight is forward! Go to it!" He urged.
"Damnit Dib…" Tak whispered to herself. "Be okay…don't do anything…stupid."
"What?" Sickles asked, looking down from his horse.
"Nothing." Tak replied. "…sir."
Sickles grunted, and went back to yelling at officers and men, and brandishing his sword. Fiery death rained down from the Rebel cannons now fully concentrating on their position. A large group of soldiers came limping back to the rear with various injuries and wounds. Sickles took off his gold-trimmed blue kepi and slapped it against his thigh.
"Any of you men that can fight get to fighting!" He yelled. A few of the men gave groans of derision and kept walking to the rear. Another shell exploded in the trees nearby. An officer with two bars on the shoulder-boards of his coat ran by. "Captain!" Roared Sickles. "I want every damned man forward! All reserve forward! Get the God damned drummers up front with rifles!" The captain looked at the commander incredulously a moment, then saluted nervously.
"Yes…yes sir!" He said. He turned and ran off, hollering for a lieutenant and some sergeant.
"Damn, damn, damn." Sickles said angrily. "We'll hold this ground yet." He turned to Tak. "Young lady, you may be present at the last battle of this war!" At that moment, a shell exploded so close that Tak was thrown backwards a few feet. She hit the ground and for a moment, thought she was dead. Finally, she managed to gasp a breath. Her entire body hurt, and her head was throbbing from the concussion of the shell.
"Help…" Tak finally managed to gasp. She felt two strong hands grab her arms.
"Miss…miss, are you hurt terribly?" A gruff voice asked.
"I…don't think I am…" Tak replied. She opened her eyes. A large sergeant in a dirty blue uniform was holding her by the shoulders, looking at her with concern.
"Can you stand, miss?" The man asked. Tak nodded that she could. With the sergeant's help, she managed to get to her feet. She gently brushed the man's hands away, and shakily stood on her own. She brought a hand to her aching head.
"General Sickles…" Tak said softly. "Sergeant, where is…General Sickles?"
"The general is down, ma'am." The sergeant replied. "He's badly hurt. But this is no place for a young lady, let me help you…"
"No." Tak said. The sergeant was a kind man, and Tak smiled. "Thank you. I'm General Meade's messenger. I should be here, it's alright."
"Alright then, ma'am." The man said, nodding. "If you need anything, just holler for Sergeant Wood. I'm with the 86th New York." Tak nodded, and Sergeant Wood moved off into the bustle of men. She looked over to where she had been standing. Sickles' horse lay dead, blood pooling under the poor beast. There was a small crater in the ground, and on the other side was a cluster of men kneeling around a prostrate figure. Tak moved in closer, and pushed into the group.
Sickles was laying on his back, not moving, his left leg completely mangled from the knee down. Tak could see bone protruding from the tattered leg of his once light blue pants, now dark red from the blood that issued from the terrible wound. Tak fought the urge to smile. 'I guess it's true…' she thought to herself. 'everybody get's theirs in the end.' Her reflection was cut short by a sound worse than the battle.
"No, I'm not dead, damnit all." She heard Sickles groan. "Get me…to a hospital. Get a litter…for God's sake, get me a cigar." Four men hurried up with a stretcher. The large group hefted the general onto the canvas litter, and a soldier placed a cigar in Sickles' mouth and lit it with a match. Sickles, now feeling more like himself, despite his wound, took the cigar in his fingers, and began puffing it as his bearers hurried off, an angry look on his face. Tak shook her head. The man just wouldn't die. The battle raged on, and Tak decided it was time to get back to General Meade.
Another short chapter, but I must skip abruptly from POV to POV to show the battle in its entirety. Next up is the defense of Little Round Top, and if you the readers know your history, you know what is coming. To those who don't, it will be as a surprise. So read on, and don't forget to send me a review. I'm going to try to finish this fic before the reenacting season starts in April, as my fiancée and I will probably be doing a great deal of campaigning (traveling from battle to battle, and living entirely in the age for you non-living historians).And, I will be moving into a new house which needs a lot of work, so that will occupy what's left of my time, so I may not be writing as much in the months to come. But alas, more digression from the pertinent situation…until next chapter, cheerio.