Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara [231]
“Yes, General, I am. We will push them back, and clear that hill. That is the objective, isn’t it, sir?”
Stuart nodded, yes, of course. The infantry must move against the hill, push on up. He thought of the cavalry, the plan . . . go around, ride in quick and surprise them from the rear, but this was not cavalry, and he had no one to send except the foot soldiers. He was beginning to appreciate the infantry commanders. There was nowhere else to go but right there, straight ahead.
“Colonel, prepare your men to move! I will give you that hill!”
Stuart turned the horse, rode along the small road, followed the sounds of the muskets. Now there was a new sound, high and loud, and he saw men all around him, yelling, some beginning to run. He stopped, saw a long bare pile of dirt, and men flowing across, down into the trenches beyond. They had reached the first entrenchments, had pushed the Federal soldiers out and away, and many of his men were still going, pushing forward, disappearing into the smoke.
He rode behind them, felt the ground rising, knew they were on the big hill, and he stopped, tried to hear. There were more muskets farther to the left, some back behind, and he had a sudden burst of cold in his gut, thought, We are not together, there are no lines. The fight is . . . everywhere. He turned now, rode along the base of the hill, suddenly saw a clearing and a line of blue troops, firing into the brush beyond. He jerked the horse, rode farther to the rear. He saw lines of his own men now, moving toward the Federal troops, and they were not watching him now, did not focus on the men on horses, were driving forward, staring in one direction. Men were stopping, firing, and others falling, dropping down in solid heaps or flying back, arms wild, heads back. He pulled the horse again, fought more vines, more brush, and now he was in the clear and back on the turnpike.
The shelling was coming from the north now, and from the east, from Chancellorsville. The trenches dug by the Federal troops the night before were behind them, and he could see ahead, to the next line of trenches. His men were moving that way, shrouded by the smoke.
Colston’s lines were advancing past the first entrenchments now, and they moved by him. Many hats went up and they began to yell. Stuart sat still, beside the road, suddenly stood in the stirrups and waved his hat in a wide circle, began to yell himself. They felt it, began to run, pushed through the woods in a new wave. Now, in front of them, where the muskets met across small spaces, and men stared into the faces of their enemy, the gray wall pressed and pressed. The men in blue pulled out, left the second entrenchments, swallowed by the screaming wave of gray.
It was no longer the stampede of raw panic, and the gray wave began to slow. There were more muskets in front of them now, heavier, solid blue lines. He rode into a small clearing, saw his men moving out beyond the second trenches, and now straight in front the trees exploded with one mighty flame, and canister tore through the brush and through the lines of his men. He stared, could see nothing through the new wall of white smoke, turned, and the horse would not run, was suddenly limping. He looked down, saw a flow of red, thought, No, not here, I must get to the road. The horse began to move, stepping awkwardly. He guided the animal past mangled bodies, heaps of men, reached the road and dismounted. It was a bright gash, a deep and deadly wound. The horse dropped its head, one knee buckled, and he patted the soft neck, stepped back, took off his hat, pulled out his pistol and ended it.
Men were running back along the road now, the wave had turned, and the shells began to fly past, heavy shot and the hot whistle of canister. He ran down into the trees, began to yell, “Stop . . . turn and fight!” He could not see, did not know what was happening, but could not move on the road. It was the one clear line of sight for the Federal gunners, and they were sweeping the road with steady firing.
He moved back, reached the first line of