The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-20
CHAPTER MI.

was swinging away southwestward. For
the sixth time in less than year the men
of the BLACK Hats" at the head OF COL
umn. had picked their way over the stone
ribbed pike, saying opprobrious things of
Virginia path masters. An impudent lot
were these fellows in the imitation kos
suths." Marvelously snappy and precise in
drill. steady on parade, enduring on the
march and reasonably respectful toward
their own officers (who were the only ones
in the division to don and habitually wear
the full-dress headgear Of the regular serV-
ice), the rank and file were blessed with
not a little soldier skeptcism as TO the
value or stability of other commands in
and out OF the brigade, and a calmly crit
ical attitude toward officers other than
those Of their selection. They had not been
overwell content with their original field
and STAFF. ard for lack of leaders of that
rank had become somewhat split up at first
Bull Run. fighting sturdily all the same by
company or squad to the flag end, and never
knowing they were whipped when finally
''herded'' off the field Now. however. they
had men at their head-colonel, lieutenant
colonel and majority whom they positive
ly swore and on whose skill and vaior they
would have banked their last cent. Yet,
with all their regard for these. their hon.
ored leaders, IL must be owned the Black
Hats gave them lots Of trouble. They would
guy the rest of the brigade and lord 1t gen.
orally over the whole division, only one
other regiment of which had as yet faced
the foe in battle. They had curious de-
feet of vision when outside" officers hap
pened along, and were forever being COM
planned of as failing to render honors.
whereat they were heard on more than one
occasion unblushingly to declare they saw,
but didn't suppose the strangers could be
officers. They were preternaturally keen
sighted as sentries toward men of other
regiments running guard or smuggling
contraband of war, and were correspond
ingly blind when the culprit was of their
own complexion. They prided themselves
on their regimental knowledge of guard
duty, and had widespread fame and
deserved malediction by the exploit of re-
lieving every mothers son of the sentries
of one of Badly Smiths pet regiments, re-
placing each in turn by a duly authenti-
Gated yet entirely unauthorized guards
man of their own choosing, who promptly
deserted post and sneaked off home, while
the luckless relief itself was headed away
through the darkness, a ship without a
rudder. a squad of twelve without a COM
mander. and left to its own devices to pitch
and founder and curse through bitches un-
til brought up standing by stone wall and
the discovery that there was no corporal
Preceding, did these Badgers, the regu-
lar relief by only five minutes, and pro-
vided with the same countersign, dress and
equipment, there was really nothing par
ticularly brilliant or hazardous in their ac-
complshment of this feat. 1t was the SUBJ
lime impudence of the thing that made 1t
remarkable They were probably the best
drilled and positively the worst-hated reg
iment in the whole division-and relished
one distinction quite much as the other
when they. were marching this third time
on Manassas, and the little West Pointer
IN saddle at their head thanked God that
at last he had them where. with work
against a common foe. there was possibil-
sly of keeping them out Of mischief.
~CenterviIle had been passed, Bull run re-
crossed. and Bristoe reached-a point be-
yond their previous explorations. Then
back had they to go to meet a threatened
raid on their railway communications, and,
that matter settled, again were they trudg-
ing through the well-remembered wood
roads when, as a turn of the way brought
their foremost company in full view of the
fine sweep of country off to the west, the
gray-bearded colonel, for the time COM
manding' the brigade, refined out to the
right for look at his men, and his tall,
born-solder of an adjutant rode alongside
the black-bearded. dark-featured, stocky
little leader of the Black Hats. pointed with
his gauntleted hand to the blue curtain of
the Bull Run range. and remarked: I'D
give good deal to know just what that
fellow Jackson's doing behind that screen
to-day"
why SOP" asked O'Connor. shortly.
shields licked him well at Kernstown.
Banks has turned his whole force back
there Blenkers big division has gone to
reinforce them. Why. we've got enough
men there to eat 'em alive-Jackson and
ALL"
First catch your rabbit" said the adju-
tant, musingly. "Old StonewaIl knows ev-
cry footpath in the valley-every path
through the mountains. He'll trick Banks
and Fremont. sures you're born. colonel.
Then we'll have a shy at him.
May the Lord grant it," was the pious
answer. as the colonel looked wistfuIly
away toward the little rift in the dark
ridge. where, ten miles distant, lay Thor
oughfare gap, the best and shortest route
10 the SnehahoOan-tne gap through which,
four months later this much-discussed and
yet little-known Jackson was, with such
fatal effect. to pour his columns on the
Union flank and rear. How little the
speaker dreamed what that day was TO
bring FORTH
1t was a moist afternoon. The sun at in
tervals streamed holly on the spongy earth.
Little wreaths OF vapor here and there
drifted slowly into space. The men in the
marching column. heavily burdened with
bulging knaPsack and double blanket and
the long Springfield over their burly shout
ders whipped off their hats and swept the
coat sleeve oser their dripping brows. peer
ing curicusly at the old colonel sitting
sturdily In saddle and watching their array.
He had but scant retinue. this acting brig
adler. and had sent his right bower ahead
TO show the Black Hats where To camp for
the night, while he studied the wearyins
regiments as they issued from the wood
The march had been long and heavy. The
men. despite much recent tramping TO and
fro were still a trihe soft from the months
of comparative inaction. He had seen fell
lows I'm better physical trim in the Mexican
war days but none that gave better prom