Never Call Retreat - Civil War 03 (2 page)

Positioned here as an outpost they had missed the battles of the previous four weeks around Washington and Baltimore
...
and he was glad of it.

As a West Pointer, class of 1861, he knew he should be of higher rank by now, but that did not bother him. He had seen enough of slaughter. Though others sought "recognition in dispatches" in order to gain promotions, that was a vainglorious game he felt to be childish. Staying alive and making sure his men stayed alive held a higher priority. Besides, Jeb Stuart trusted his judgment as a scout. That was recognition enough. Ever since Grant came east and started moving tens of thousands of troops into Harrisburg, it was his job to watch them from the other side of the river and report in with accurate assessments, and he had been doing that.

He had sent a report just yesterday that he suspected a move was about to begin on their part, and now it had indeed begun. What was surprising was the speed of it all. Carlisle was a dozen miles west of Harrisburg. Apparently, the Yankees had thrown a bridge across the river during the night and were now pushing forward with their cavalry to create a screen behind which their infantry would advance.

He ran his hand along the smooth polished brass tube of the telescope. There had been quiet evenings when he had used it to study the moon, the crescent of Venus, and now, on August mornings, before dawn, the belt of Orion.

Bring it along? It weighed a good thirty pounds.

Reluctantly he upended it, letting it tumble back down the stairwell, crashing on the floor below.

He took one last look, then slid down the ladder, boots echoing as he tromped down the stairs. Some men were running back into the building, darting into rooms, re
-
emerging carrying some souvenir or keepsake picked up over the last month
...
a banjo, a wall clock, a quilt. At the sight of this, he regretted the destruction of the telescope. After the war it would have been nice to have it back home in the valley and take it up Massanutten to watch the stars at night or gaze out across a Shenandoah peaceful once more.

He heard heavy steps coming up the stairs. It was Lieutenant Syms, the man he had assigned to their forward station at Marysville. Syms was gray-faced, wincing with each step, his right calf bleeding, boot punctured by a ball.

"Damn it, Syms. Where the hell have you been?" Phil shouted.

"Sir, I'm sorry, sir. Didn't you get our report by wire?" "Only part of it."

Phil stuck his head into the telegraphy station they had established on the second floor of the barracks.

Sergeant Billings was sitting by the key, looking at him calmly, awaiting orders.

"Read what Syms wired."

Billings picked up a scrap of paper.

'This came through at two-ten this morning. 'Pontoon bridge across river. Cavalry
...'"

Billings looked back up.

'That was it, sir."

Syms shook his head.

"Damn all. I'm sorry, sir. They slipped some troopers across. Cut the line behind us before we could get more out."

"In other words, they caught you by surprise."

Syms was always straightforward, and after only a second's hesitation he reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.

"Something like that, sir."

"So what the hell is going on?"

'They jumped us at our headquarters. Ten of us got out. I sent a few boys down to the river, and in the confusion they were able to see that one bridge was already across and infantry on it. A civilian, reliable, he's been in our pay, told one of my boys that it was Ord's Corps leading the crossing."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yes, sir. I caught a glimpse of the bridge as we pulled out."

"How did you see it in the dark?"

"It was lined with torches, sir. I could see infantry on it. A long column clear back across the river into Harrisburg."

How did the Yankees get a bridge across the Susquehanna so quickly? They must have built sections of it upstream and floated them down once it got dark. He suspected that Syms and his boys were truly asleep, from too much drink, if they let that get past them.

Duvall sighed and looked at Sergeant Billings.

"Send the following to headquarters: 'Grant started crossing Susquehanna shortly after midnight. Ord's Corps in the lead.'"

Gunfire outside interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw what was left of Sym's detachment galloping onto the parade ground: one trooper leading the horse of a wounded comrade, who was slumped over in the saddle.

" 'Believe Grant moving down this valley, heading south. Regiment or more of their cavalry about to storm Carlisle. Abandoning this post.' Now send it!"

Billings worked the key as Duvall went to the window and looked out. The Yankee cavalry were clearly visible on the main pike, deployed to either side of the road, forming a battlefront several hundred yards across. They were coming on cautiously, most likely not sure if this town was. well garrisoned or not. Mounted skirmishers were now advancing less than a quarter mile away.

Billings finished sending the message, the confirm reply clicking back seconds later.

"Smash all this equipment, then get mounted," Duvall snapped, and he walked out of the room.

He reached the ground floor and saw three troopers upending cans of coal oil onto the floor, a sergeant holding a rolled-up newspaper, already striking a match.

"What the hell are you doing there, Sergeant?"

"Well, sir, this is Yankee government property, isn't it? Figured you'd want it torched."

The sergeant was grinning. There was something about arson that seemed to excite most young men, and the wanton destruction of this fine old barracks would be quite a blaze.

Duvall looked around, the corridor lined with old prints, lithographs of the war in Mexico, a portrait of Lincoln still hanging but the glass on it smashed, a rather scatological comment penciled across his brow. The barracks were a reminder that this was the oldest military post in the United States. It dated back to the French and Indian Wars.

The newspaper flared. The sergeant looked at him expectantly.

I
grew up a little more than a hundred miles from here,
Duvall thought.
We were neighbors once, a sister even marrying a fine young man from the theological seminary down at Gettysburg.
He had not heard from her in more than a year, not since her husband was killed at Second Manassas, fighting for the Yankees.

We were neighbors once.

"Sergeant," Duvall said quietly. "Don't."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Let it be."

The sergeant looked disappointed.

"Go out and mount up."

The sergeant nodded, carrying his flaming torch, tossing it by the doorstep, where it flickered and smoked, his disappointed assistants following. Billings came running down the stairs and out the door behind them.

Duvall took one last look, walked over to the smoldering paper and crushed it out with his heel, then stepped onto the porch. His command of a hundred men was mounted, many with revolvers drawn, expecting to be ordered to turn out on to the pike and face the Yankees head-on.

Syms was kneeling over the wounded trooper, shot in the back, lying on his side, blood dripping out.

"We leave him here," Duvall said. "They'll take care of him."

"Sir, forgot to tell you," Syms said, looking up at Phil. "Your old friend is over there."

"Who?"

"George Armstrong Custer. That's his brigade dogging us. I saw him in the lead."

George, it would have to be him. No one spoke. All knew that he and George had been roommates at West Point.

An orderly led up his mount, and Duvall climbed into the saddle, turned to face his men, and pointed south. "Let's go, boys."

"We ain't fighting 'em?" Sergeant Lucas asked, coming up to Phil's side as they trotted across the parade ground, angling toward the road out of the south side of town.

Phil shook his head.

"Hell no, Sergeant. That's not a regiment out there, that's Grant and the entire Yankee army. Now let's go."

Washington, D.C.

August 22 6:00 A.M.

M
aj. Ely Parker, aide-de-camp to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, turned off Pennsylvania Avenue and approached the east gate of the White House. A crowd milled about on the sidewalks, spilling into the streets. Guards lined the iron fence facing them. There was a low hum, as copies of newspapers, which had just hit the streets minutes before, were passed back and forth. He caught snatches of conversation. "Sickles is dead." "The rebs will be here by tomorrow I tell you ..."

At his approach a detachment swung the gate open, a captain stepping forward to block Ely's approach. Ely leaned over, showing a slip of paper.

"Bearing dispatches from General Grant," he whispered. The captain examined the note, nodded, stepped back, and saluted.

"Hey, who's the Injun they're letting in?" a civilian shouted. "Injuns and niggers, Abe's got a helluva an army, don't he?"

Ely knew he shouldn't, but he was just so damn fed up and tired. Being a full-blooded Seneca in the army, he had often drawn comments, which he knew how to deal with, usually by a cold stare. But this morning he was tired, damn tired and fed up. He turned his mount and stared straight at the man who had shouted the insult.

The crowd parted back to the offender.

"Got a problem there, Major?" the man asked.

"Injuns and niggers are dying for you," Ely said quietly. "And you stand out here taunting. If you don't like us, at least have the courage to put on a gray uniform and fight us like a man. You're a coward, sir, and if you don't like that, wait out here for me after I meet the president and we can discuss it further.

"Pistols, swords"—he paused—"or tomahawks."

The man paled. A flicker of laughter greeted Ely's comments. "Bully for you," someone shouted. The loud-mouthed civilian turned and stalked off. Applause rippled through the crowd.

Angry that he had allowed himself to be baited, Ely turned back and rode the last few feet to the entry to the White House, dismounting wearily.

The captain at the gate came to his side.

"Can you tell me what's going on, Major?" he asked curiously.

Ely shook his head.

"Sorry to ask, sir," the captain pressed. "Just the city's been crazy with rumors for two days now. Word is the entire Army of the Potomac was wiped out and Lee will be here by tomorrow. That crowd has been out there all night. A lot of them are
like that fool you dealt with. I
have my men standing by with loaded rifles."

Ely said nothing, just nodded as he walked up the steps to the door, a sergeant opened it for him. An elderly black servant, waiting inside, offered to take Ely's hat.

"I'm bearing dispatches from General Grant," Ely said. "Is the president available? I'm ordered to deliver these to him personally."

"He's awake, sir. In fact, been up most of the night. Could you wait here, please?"

Ely nodded. The servant tu
rned and went up the stairs, re
turning less than a minute later.

"This way, sir."

Ely followed him, looking around with curiosity. It was his first time in the White House, in fact, the first time he would stand before a president. If not for all that he had seen the last few days, the enormity of what he was bearing with him, he knew he should be nervous, but he wasn't. If anything, he was angry, damn angry.

The servant knocked on a door and seconds later it opened. Ely was surprised to see that it was the president himself opening the door.

The man towered above him, dark eyes looking straight at Ely.

"Thank you, Jim," the president said, then extended his hand to Ely.

"Come on in, Major. I was hoping you or someone would come down from our General Grant. Are you hungry?"

Caught a bit off guard, Ely lied and said no.

"Jim, could you bring our guest a cup of coffee?"

Ely stepped into the office. One other person was in the room, shirt half open, tie off, sitting on a sofa by an open window.

"Major Parker, is it?" Lincoln asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm on General Grant's staff, sir." - "Congressman Elihu Washburne," Lincoln said, nodding toward Elihu, who stood up and offered his hand.

"So do you think you'll fight that duel with that Copperhead down on the street?" Elihu asked.

Ely looked at him with surprise, dark features flushing even darker.

Elihu chuckled and pointed toward the open window.

"I heard you're a Seneca," Elihu said. "Yes, sir."

"Noble tribe," Lincoln said with a smile. "I'm glad you're on our side "

Lincoln motioned for Ely to sit down on the sofa alongside of Elihu while he sank into an overstuffed leather chair facing them.

Even as he sat down Ely reached into the haversack at his side and drew out a sealed package and handed it to the president.

"These come directly from General Grant," Ely said. "I should add, sir, I was with General Sickles during the fight on Gunpowder River. After being separated from Sickles I recrossed the Susquehanna where a courier from General Grant met me, handed over the dispatches you now have, with orders to deliver them to you personally."

Jim came back into the room, bearing a small silver tray with several cups and a coffeepot, and placed it on a table, then filled the cups.

Lincoln placed the package on the table and motioned for Ely to take some coffee.

"So you were with Sickles during the fight?"

"Yes, sir, right up till he was wounded and taken from the field. After that, I felt it was my duty to retire and report on what I had seen."

'Tell me about it. Everything that's happened this last week. Why were you there with Sickles? What happened?"

Ely sighed and could not help but shake his head.

"Go on. I know you're tired, Major, but I want to hear it all."

"Of course, sir. No, I'm not really tired," he lied. "Well, sir, it's just the waste of it all, sir. It never should have happened.

"Sir, in brief. General Grant suspected that General Sickles was about to take the Army of the Potomac and cross the Susquehanna River to engage Lee on his own. That was specifically against Grant's orders.

"General Sickles, as you know, sir, crossed the river and fought Lee at Gunpowder River, and he was soundly defeated."

"Annihilated is more the word," Elihu interrupted.

"Sir, I was there throughout. That is why I felt I should come and report to you personally while carrying those dispatches at the same time."

He paused, taking a long sip of coffee. It was good, darn good, the best he had had in weeks. It hit his empty stomach, and for a second he felt slightly nauseous from it, suppressing a gag. He let it settle, Lincoln still staring at him.

"Take a minute, Major," Lincoln said, "then you can tell me the rest."

Lincoln had his shoes off, threadbare stocking feet stretched out, cup in his hand, sipping on it.

Where do I start?
Ely wondered.

Lincoln put his coffee cup down, reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded paring knife, opened it, and cut the cords wrapped around the dispatch, peeling off the matches attached to the wax seal, and opening the cover.

He opened a dispatch of several pages and Ely immediately recognized Grant's handwriting. Lincoln scanned the sheet, features impassive, saying nothing, and then passed it to Elihu.

He picked up a second sheet, and scanned it. As he turned it over, Lincoln's features clouded. He stood up, turning away from Ely, and forcefully thrust the note toward Elihu, who took it.

"Damn it," Elihu muttered.

Lincoln paced over to the window and looked out for a moment, shoulders back, head lowered, lips moving as if speaking to himself.

Elihu tossed the second note on to the table. Ely looked at it, and Elihu nodded for him to pick it up.

The memo was authorization by Secretary Stanton for Sickles to move independently of Grant's command, and there, scrawled on the back in Grant's distinctive handwriting, was the question "Mr. President, did you authorize this?"

The silence in the room was interrupted only by the clock sounding the half hour.

Lincoln turned and walked over to his chair and sat down, with a long glance between him and Elihu.

"Go on, Major, tell me everything. Start with why you were sent down to General Sickles."

"Sir, on the afternoon of August 19 General Grant ordered me to proceed down to the Army of the Potomac," Ely began. "The general suspected that General Sickles was about to move, contrary to orders."

"Whose orders?"

"His, sir. There had been a staff meeting several days earlier that I attended as secretary. I did not bring a copy of that transcript, since it is highly sensitive, and if I were to be captured, it would have revealed in full detail General Grant's entire plan. It can be sent to you, sir, under escort if you wish, and it is proof that General Sickles acted against orders, for he was at that meeting as well."

"I think we'd like to see that at some point," Lincoln replied. "Now please go on."

"At that meeting General Grant outlined his plan for the forthcoming campaign. General Grant was waiting for the arrival of additional remounts, artillery, enough material for two more pontoon bridges, and at least another two divisions, planning that all would be in place by September 10. He would then have General Sickles cautiously move toward Baltimore to hold General Lee in place, while the Army of the Susquehanna moved to the west to outflank and envelop General Lee. As you can see, sir, those orders were not followed."

Ely hesitated. Lincoln nodded for him to continue.

"For whatever reasons, sir, General Sickles began to move independently, crossing the Susquehanna on August 19."

"And Grant did not authorize this?" Elihu asked sharply.

"Sir, he was not even aware of it."

"So why did he send you down to Sickles?" Elihu pressed.

"Because, sir, the telegraph connections between our command and Sickles went down. General Grant became suspicious, and there were rumors afloat that Sickles was indeed moving. I was sent down, carrying a direct written order from General Grant Sickles was to reverse his march, fall back across the river, and then report directly to General Grant."

"So General Grant in no way whatsoever gave General Sickles any option to move independently?" Lincoln asked. "No, sir."

Lincoln and Elihu again exchanged glances. "Go on."

"Sir, I arrived at Havre de Grace on the morning of August 20 to discover that the Army of the Potomac was already across the river and pressing south toward Baltimore. I should add, sir, that I did a little checking at the telegraphy station there and, frankly, that was a wild goose chase."

"How so?"

"Well, sir, it was rather obvious the explanation that so-called rebel raiders had cut the lines north of Port Deposit was nothing more than a subterfuge. Those lines had been cut deliberately. I was met there by several of Sickles's staff. I told them I had to find the general at once. It was clear they had been waiting for someone from General Grant's headquarters to arrive."

Ely could not help but shake his head, the memory of that frustration apparent to Lincoln and Washburne.

"And they led you on another wild goose chase, is that it?" Elihu asked.

"Yes, sir," Ely said coldly. "I could have been up to General Sickles in two or three hours if guided correctly."

He shook his head angrily.

"I could have stopped that battle, sir," he said, voice heavy with despair. "I could have stopped it if I had gotten up to Sickles in time."

"I doubt that," Elihu replied.

"Sir?"

"Sickles was hell-bent on winning the war on his own. Major, you were outmaneuvered by one very slick general, and there was precious little you could have done to stop him, no matter what you tried."

"It took nearly the entire day of us riding back and forth," Ely continued. "I finally abandoned those damn
...
excuse me, sir
...
those staffers and headed off on my own. I could hear the sound of a battle developing and just rode straight to it. I found General Sickles at around four or so that afternoon.

"The battle was already on. I delivered General Grant's orders to disengage, but General Sickles argued that the battle had begun
and he was driving them."

"Was he?" Lincoln asked.

"Yes, sir, and frankly, sir, once something like that starts, it's kind of hard to stop it. It looked as if Sickles did have the advantage over the rebels at that moment."

"Should he have disengaged anyhow?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, sir, at that moment, I guess not. He had two corps on our side tangling with but two divisions. But the point is, sir, if not led about so deliberately, I could have gotten up there before the battle even started. I had no doubt that General Sickles had the whole thing planned out."

Lincoln nodded thoughtfully.

"And the end of the first day?"

"Well, sir
. They broke Pickett. Broke him
badly. I saw that, but they pressed in too aggressively in pursuit, then ran smack into at least two more Confederate divisions and got mauled. I think, sir, at that moment it was obvious that all of General Lee's army was coming up and the battle had turned."

"Did Sickles see that?"

"Yes, sir, but he kept ex
claiming that he now had Lee whe
re he wanted him. I tried to press him yet again to follow the commander's orders. That, come morning, he would be facing superior numbers, while acting against the orders of the commanding general as well."

"B
ut he pressed in anyhow." "Yes,
sir, he did." Ely sighed.

"He had to," Elihu interjected. "He was going for all or nothing."

"What happened then?"

"General Sickles misread Lee's intent, believing he was retreating. Sir, I would not care to second-guess a general on the field."

"Least of all General Grant," Elihu said with a bit of a smile.

"That's been my only experience up till then, sir," Ely replied. "But General Sickles had not yet fixed where Lee's new corps, under Beauregard, might be located. He pressed in anyhow and walked straight into a trap, Beauregard coming out on the right flank of the army and rolling it up.

"I was with General Sickles when he lost his leg. With that, sir, command broke down completely."

"There's a report that Sickles had his men carry him along the volley line, shouting for them to hold on," Lincoln said.

"Yes, sir. I'll give the man that. He had guts."

"Too much, I dare say," Elihu said coldly. "The ball should have taken his head off. He's already giving interviews in Philadelphia proclaiming the battle could have been a complete victory had not Grant failed to back him up as planned."

"That's a contemptible lie, sir," Ely snapped angrily. "General Grant up in Harrisburg had no idea that Sickles, a hundred miles away, was moving. It would have taken four days, at least, for Grant to come down and offer support. There was no plan. To say otherwise is a lie, a damned lie."

"I know that," Washburne said soothingly. "But there are a lot of people out there who won't."

"Sir, he directly disobeyed orders."

'Technically, no," Lincoln said quietly. Again he looked over at Elihu and then put his finger on the telegram resting on the table.

"He did have authorization from our secretary of war." There was a long moment of silence.

Lincoln lowered his head, nibbing his brow with both hands.

⁴
That does it," he finally whispered and stood up, going to the door. He stepped out of the office for a moment, Elihu watching him intently as he left

"Your trip down here?" Elihu asked, finally looking back at Ely.

"I fell back to Havre de Grace sir. Once things broke down I thought it was my duty to report back to General Grant
.
Back across the river, sir, well, it was a madhouse there—wounded, broken troops, reporters shouting questions. By luck I saw one of General Grant's staff carrying the dispatches I have just given to the president. I took over that mission, sir. I thought it best to report directly on what I had seen as well, and I had the courier carry my report back to the general."

"Right decision, Major."

Ely leaned over and picked the coffee cup back up, draining the now tepid drink. Lincoln came back into the room and looked over at Ely, who stood up, sensing that his mission was complete and it was time to retire.

Lincoln extended his hands, gesturing for Ely to sit back down.

"I think you should stay a little longer, Major." Elihu shifted, stood up, and started to button his shirt. "Sir? Perhaps we should deal with this on our own," Elihu asked.

"I believe our major should see this," Lincoln replied, even as he sat down and struggled to put his boots on. "I want him to report it to General Grant exactly as he sees it"

Ely, a bit confused, looked at the two. Obviously, given the way Elihu was putting on his tie and then his jacket, something momentous was about to happen.

Lincoln said nothing, finishing with his boots and then running his fingers through his coarse hair. He walked to the window and looked out. Elihu settled silently back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Ely felt uncomfortable, not sure why he was still there or what was about to happen. He filled another cup with coffee and drained it. He wished he could smoke, longing for the cigar in his pocket, but unsure of the proper protocol, he refrained.