Killer Angels, The - Michael Shaara [47]
He moved forward to the rise ahead, across a small creek.
Taylor said, "This must be Willoughby Run." Lee halted at the crest. Now he could see; the land lay before him wreathed in smoky ridges. Half a mile away lay the town, white board buildings, dirt roads. Beyond it was a high hill that rose above a series of ridges running off to the east.
Blue troops were pouring back through the town, moving up the sides of the hill. The couriers were right: they were retreating. Victory. Lee put his glasses to his eyes, felt his hands tremble, focused, saw: Union artillery forming on the high hill, men digging. The fight was not over. Must not let those men occupy the high ground. Lee turned. To Taylor he said, "Find Hill's chief of artillery, tell him I want fire placed on that hill. I don't want it occupied. What word do you have from Ewell? And send General Hill to me."
Taylor moved off. Lee was thinking: we must continue the assault. The blue troops are on the move; now we must keep them moving. But Heth is down. He looked for Pender's courier, informed him to tell General Pender to continue the assault. But Early and Rodes were closer, on the left. If they only kept moving. The guns on the high hill were beginning to fire.
Here was Powell Hill, looking worse. He said, "The men have done all they can do. Heth's division is exhausted.
Pender says he has had the hardest fighting of the war."
Lee studied him, looked away, back to the hill above Gettysburg. Hill may be sick but Pender was trustworthy. If Pender had doubts...
Taylor arrived. "General Ewell is with General Early, sir.
We are in communication."
"Good," Lee said. "Deliver this message in person.
Tell General Ewell the Federal troops are retreating in confusion. It is only necessary to push those people to get possession of those heights. Of course, I do not know his situation, and I do not want him to engage a superior force, but I do want him to take that hill, if he thinks practicable, as soon as possible. Remind him that Longstreet is not yet up."
Taylor repeated the message, rode off. Beyond that hill Lee could begin to feel the weight of the Union Army, the massive blue force pouring his way.
What kind of soldier would Meade turn out to be? We must not give him the high ground. Lee looked southeast, saw two rounded hills. We might swing around that way. They have marched quicker than I expected. Thank the Lord for Longstreet's spy.
He heard more cheering, to the rear, looked, saw Longstreet. Moving forward slowly, calmly, like a black rock, grinning hungrily through the black beard.
Lee flushed with pleasure. Longstreet dismounted, extended a hand.
"Congratulations, General. Wish I could have been here."
Lee took the hand warmly. "Come here, I want you to see this." He waved toward the field ahead, the hill beyond Gettysburg.
An officer near him said, "General Lee, it's Second Manassas all over again!"
"Not quite," Lee said cheerily, "not quite." He was delighted to have Longstreet here. Now through the streets Johnson's Division was moving, Longstreet's people could not be far behind. With every step of a soldier, with every tick of the clock, the army was gaining safety, closer to victory, closer to the dream of independence.
Longstreet studied the field. After a moment he said, "We were lucky."
"It couldn't have worked better if we had planned it."
Longstreet nodded. Lee explained the position that Ewell had orders to move to the left and take that hill. Longstreet studied the hill* while Lee spoke.
After a moment he said, "Fine. But this is fine. This is almost perfect." He turned to Lee. "They're right where we want them. All we have to do is swing around that way-" he pointed toward Washington-"and get between them and Lincoln and find some good high ground, and they'll have to hit us, they'll have to, and we'll have them. General, we'll have them!"
His eyes were flashing; he was as excited as Lee had ever seen him. Lee said, amazed, "You mean you want me to disengage?"
"Of course." Longstreet seemed