Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara [120]
Lee started forward, began to run up into the trees. Behind him, his staff was moving quickly, grabbing horses, following him. He reached the tree line, and the men on the guns turned, cheered him as he moved past. He did not look at them, focused in front, trying to see. Finally, he stood at the edge of the trees, the ground dropping away in front of him, a long, shallow bowl, and he saw three lines of blue, moving from right to left, toward the railroad cut. Then he heard another sound, one he’d heard before, the sound of Jackson’s men, a high, steady, terrifying chorus. Farther to the left, behind the cut, the gray lines flooded forward, out of the trees. The field filled quickly with smoke, the sound of voices replaced by that of muskets.
“Sir!” Lee turned, saw Taylor and other staff officers. He looked back at the guns, saw the men moving, ready, and he motioned to his staff, started back to the rear. The orders came, and the guns began their deafening fire. Flashes of light and thick smoke filled the tree line. Lee watched from behind, could no longer see the great lines of troops, but knew what was now happening to them.
The Federal forces pushed hard against Jackson’s left, the troops of A. P. Hill. Once the shock of Jackson’s surprise advance had worn off, the reality was that Hill’s forces were outnumbered, and the Federals kept pushing, kept coming. Pope sent more strength into the assault, and Jackson knew that Hill was in trouble, was beginning to waver.
Lee sat again on his stump, waited anxiously. There had been little word from the fighting, and he thought, Jackson must not hesitate, he must ask for help. This time we have the troops. Behind him, Taylor stood, holding two horses, his and Lee’s, the beloved gray the general called Traveller. Lee thought, I should ride up, try to see something, and he turned, motioned to Taylor. Down to the left he saw a rider, coming hard. It was Henry Kyd Douglas, of Jackson’s staff.
Douglas dismounted, saluted hastily, said, “General Lee, General Jackson sends his compliments, and requests reinforcements, sir. He requests at least a division on his left flank, to support General Hill, sir!”
Lee looked at Taylor, said, “Major, tell General Longstreet to move. . . .”
He paused, saw another rider to his right, one of Longstreet’s staff. The man pulled up but did not dismount. “General Lee, General Longstreet is advising that he believes the time has come to advance his army into the attack, sir. He believes that the Federal Army is exposed to a counterattack from his position.”
Lee felt his heart thump, the cold chill of the moment. “Yes, tell General Longstreet to advance with all speed. Major Douglas, return to General Jackson, tell him General Longstreet is advancing in force on his right.”
Both staff officers were quickly gone, and Lee looked at Taylor, saw the young man moving around with jumpy, nervous energy, and Lee said, “Major, this could be a glorious day!”
THE EFFECT of Longstreet’s sudden push into Pope’s flank caused an immediate collapse of the Federal lines. While small pockets of blue troops fought stubbornly, the tide of the battle had turned for good, and now Jackson’s weakened lines pushed forward as well. Within a couple of hours Pope’s army was in a panicked retreat toward the Potomac.
Lee rode Traveller out through the line of trees, followed close behind Longstreet’s advancing infantry. Smoke filled the air, and he could not see the Federal troops, only the backs of his own lines. They continued the rapid advance, and the solid roar of musketry deafened him. Behind him, Taylor raced to keep up, yelling out, trying to convince Lee this was not the place to be.
He climbed up a long ridge, reached the top, and his men were moving ahead down the other side, pursuing the