University ol t Jiiorma
 
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 FIGHTING JOE 
 
 - - ' ' 
 
 OR 
 
 THE FORTUNES OF A STAFF OFFICER 
 
 of the 
 
 BY 
 
 OT TVFR OPTIC r! e - V)iu-'*KL TA/V-. 
 ui^iviLis. ^riivx L> Afr**sJ 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE YANKEE MIDDY," "WORK AND win, 1 * 
 
 "TRY AGAIN," ETC., ETC. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 HURST & COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS
 
 I OD 
 
 OLIVER OPTIC SERIES 
 
 UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME 
 
 By OLIVER OPTIC 
 
 ALL ABOARD; or, Life on the Lake. 
 
 BOAT CLUB; or, The Bunkers of Rippleton. 
 
 BRAVE OLD SALT; or, Life on the Quarter Deck. 
 
 Do SOMETHINGS ; a Story for Little Folks. 
 
 FIGHTING JOE; or, The Fortunes of a Staff Officer. 
 
 HASTE AND WASTE; or, Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. 
 
 HOPE AND HAVE ; or, Fanny Grant Among the Indians. 
 
 IN SCHOOL AND OUT; or. The Conquest of Richard Grant. 
 
 LITTLE BY LITTLE ; or, The Cruise of the Flyaway. 
 
 LITTLE MERCHANT; a Story for Little Folks 
 
 Now OR NEVER; or, The Adventures of Bobby Bright. 
 
 OUTWARD BOUND; or, Young America Afloat 
 
 POOR AND PROUD; or, The Fortunes of Katie Redburn. 
 
 PROUD AND LAZY; a Story for Little Folks. 
 
 RICH AND HUMBLE; or, The Mission of Bertha Grant. 
 
 SAILOR BOY; or, Jack Somers in the Navy. 
 
 SOLDIER BOY; or, Tom Somers in the Army. 
 
 TRY AGAIN; or, The Trials and Triumphs of Harry West. 
 
 WATCH AND WATT; or, The Young Fugitives. 
 
 WORK AND WIN; or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise. 
 
 THE YANKEE MIDDY; or, The Adventures of a Naval 
 
 Officer. 
 YOUNG LIEUTENANT; or, The Adventures of an Army 
 
 Officer. 
 
 Price, postpaid, foe. each, or any three books 
 for $1.25 
 
 HURST & COMPANY 
 PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
 
 TO 
 
 . rmonfc 3. S. 
 
 THIS BOOK 
 
 K MfiPBCTFULLY DEDICATED 
 BY HIS FRIEND 
 
 WILLIAM T. ADAMS.
 
 PEEFACE. 
 
 THIS volume, the fifth of " THE AEMY AND NAVY 
 STORIES," is not a biography of the distinguished 
 soldier whose sobriquet in the army has been chosen 
 as its principal title, though the prominent incidents 
 of his military career are noticed in its pages. The 
 writer offers his humble tribute of admiration to 
 the energetic and devoted general who will be rec 
 ognized under the appellation given to this work ; 
 but perhaps the object of the volume may be better 
 represented by the second title. It follows Tom 
 Somers, The Soldier Boy " and " The Young 
 Lieutenant," in his brilliant and daring career as a 
 staff officer, through some of the most stormy and 
 trying scenes of the late war. 
 
 As in the volumes of the series which have pre 
 ceded it, the best sources of information upon 
 military events have been carefully consulted ; and 
 to the extent to which the book is properly histor 
 ical, it is intended to be faithful in its delineations. 
 But the work is more correctly a record of personal 
 adventure, no more complicated, daring, and romantic 
 than may be found in the experience of many, who, 
 through trial and tribulation, through victory and 
 defeat, have passed from the inception to the 
 gigantic failure of this gigantic rebellion. 
 
 More earnest than any other purpose in the pro- 
 5
 
 6 Preface. 
 
 duction of the book, it has been the object of the 
 writer to exhibit a character in his hero worthy the 
 imitation of the boy r^d the man who may read it ; 
 and if it does not inculcate a lofty patriotism, and a 
 noble and Christian morality, it will have failed of 
 the highest aim of the author. 
 
 With the still stronger expression of gratitude 
 which the increasing favor bestowed upon previous 
 efforts demands of me, I pass the fifth volume of 
 the series into the hands of my indulgent friends, 
 hoping that it will not fall short of their reasonable 
 expectations. 
 
 WILLIAM T. ADAMS. 
 
 HARBISON SQUABE, MASS., December 12, 1865.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. A Fighting Man 9 
 
 II. A Skirmish on the Road . 17 
 
 IIL Fighting Joe 26 
 
 IV. Miss Maud Hasbrouk 35 
 
 V. The Boot on One Leg 44 
 
 VI. The Boot on the Other Leg 53 
 
 VTL South Mountain 61 
 
 VIIL Before the Great Battle 70 
 
 IX. Between the Pickets 79 
 
 X. Major Riggleston 87 
 
 XL Shot in the Head 96 
 
 XII. The Council of Officers 105 
 
 XIII. The Battle of Antietam 113 
 
 XIV. The Battle on the Right 121 
 
 XV. After the Battle 129 
 
 XVI. The Mystery Explained 137 
 
 XVII. Down in Tennessee 145 
 
 XVIII. The Guerillas at Supper 153 
 
 XIX. Tippy, the Scout 162 
 
 XX. Skinley, the Texan 170 
 
 XXI. The House of the Union Man 178 
 
 7
 
 Contents. 
 
 CHAPTW 
 
 XXII. The Greenback Train ...................... 187 
 
 XXIII. The Battle in the Clouds .................. 195 
 
 XXIV. Peach-Tree Creek ......................... 303 
 
 XXV. The Monkey and the Cat's-Paw ............ 212 
 
 XXVI. Supper for Seven ........................ . 222 
 
 XXVII. The Cat'a-Paw too Sharp for the Monkey. . . 231 
 XXVIII. The Bloodhounds on the Track ............ 241 
 
 XXIX. The Pilgrimage to the Sea ................. 250 
 
 XXX. Major Somers and Friends ................. 261
 
 FIGHTING JOE; 
 
 OB, 
 
 THE FORTUNES OF A STAFF OFFICER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A FIGHTING MAN. 
 
 WELL, Alick, I don't know where I am," said 
 Captain Thomas Somers, of the staff of the major- 
 general commanding the first army corps of the 
 Army of the Potomac, then on its march to repel 
 the invasion of Maryland, which had been attempted 
 by the victorious rebels under General Lee. 
 
 " Well, massa, I'm sure I don't know," replied 
 Alick, his colored servant. "If you was down 
 'bout Petersburg, I reckon I'd know all 'bout it." 
 
 " We must find out very soon," added Captain 
 Somers, as he reined in his horse at a point where 
 two roads branched off, one to the northwest and 
 the other to the southwest. 
 
 " Day ain't no house 'bout here, massa." 
 
 " I don't want to lose my way, for I have no time 
 to spare." 
 
 " Dar's somebody comin' up behind, massa," said 
 Alick, who first heard the sounds of horses' feet 
 approaching in the direction from which they had 
 just come. 
 
 9
 
 io Fighting Joe. 
 
 Captain Somers, after receiving the agreeable in 
 telligence of his appointment on the staff of the 
 general, in whose division he had served on the 
 Peninsula, hastened to Washington to report for 
 duty. He had hardly time to visit his friends, and 
 was obliged to content himself with a short call on 
 Miss Lilian Ashford, though he had an invitation 
 to spend the evening with the family, extended for 
 the purpose of enabling the young gentleman to 
 cultivate an acquaintance with the beautiful girl's 
 grandmother ! 
 
 Lilian's father's mother was certainly a very 
 estimable old lady, and her granddaughter loved 
 and reverenced her with a fervor which was almost 
 enthusiastic. It was quite natural, therefore, that 
 she should wish Captain Somers, for whom she had 
 knit a pair of socks, which had been no small 
 portion of his inspiration in the hour of battle, and 
 for whom she had contracted a friendship, it was 
 quite natural that she should wish to have the 
 captain well acquainted with her grandmother. 
 She loved the old lady herself, and of course so 
 brave, handsome, and loyal a person as her friend 
 had proved to be, must share her reverence and 
 respect. Besides, the venerable woman remem 
 bered all about the last war with Great Britain. 
 Her husband had been one of the firemen sent out 
 with axes to cut away the bridges which connect 
 Boston with the surrounding country, when an 
 invasion of the town was expected. She could 
 tell a good story, and as Somers was a military 
 man, it was highly important that he should know 
 all about the dreaded invasion which did not take 
 place. 
 
 Captain Somers was obliged to deprive himself
 
 Fighting Joe. n 
 
 of the pleasure of listening to the old lady's history 
 of those stirring events, for more exciting ones were 
 in progress on the very day of which we write. He 
 was sorry, for he anticipated a great deal of pleas 
 ure from the visit, though whether he expected to 
 derive the whole of it from the presence of the 
 grandmother, we are not informed ; and it would be 
 wicked to pry too deeply into the secrets of the 
 young man's heart. We are not quite sure that 
 Lilian was entirely unselfish when she described 
 what a rich treat the old lady's narrative would be ; 
 but we are certain that she was entirely sincere, and 
 that it was quite proper to offer some extra induce 
 ment to secure the gallant captain's attendance. 
 
 The captain did not need any extraordinary in 
 ducements, beyond the presence of the fair Lilian 
 herself. We even believe that he would have cheer 
 fully spent the evening at No. Rutland Street, 
 if there had been no one but herself to give him a 
 welcome, and aid him in passing away the hours. 
 Nothing but a high sense of duty could have led 
 him to break the engagement. The rebel hordes, 
 victorious before Washington, and elated by the 
 signal successes they had won, were pouring into 
 Maryland, menacing Washington, Baltimore, and 
 Philadelphia. It was a time which tried the souls 
 of patriotic men a time when no man who loved 
 his country could rest in peace while there was a 
 work which his hands could do. 
 
 The young staif officer called upon the lady and 
 stated his situation. She blushed, as she always 
 did in his presence, and gave him a God-speed on 
 his patriotic mission. She hoped he would not be 
 killed, or even wounded ; that his feeble health 
 would be restored ; and that God would bless him as
 
 12 Fighting Joe. 
 
 he went forth to do battle for his treason-ridden 
 land. She was pale when he took her hand at 
 parting ; her bosom heaved with emotions, to which 
 Somers found a response in his own heart, but which 
 he could not explain. 
 
 He went to Washington ; but the gallant army, 
 still suffering from the pangs of recent defeat, but 
 yet strong in the cause they had espoused, had 
 marched to the scene of new battles. Somers had 
 already provided himself with his staff uniform, 
 and he remained in Washington only long enough 
 to purchase two horses, one of which he mounted 
 himself, while Alick rode the other, and started for 
 the advance of the army. The roads were so cum 
 bered with artillery trains and baggage wagons that 
 his progress was very slow, and the corps to which 
 he now belonged was several days in advance of 
 him. By the advice of a general officer, he had 
 made a detour from the direct road, and passed 
 through a comparatively quiet country. 
 
 The rebels were at Frederick City, and their 
 cavalry, in large and small bodies, was scattered all 
 over the region, gathering supplies for the half 
 starved, half clothed men of Lee's army. Thus 
 far Somers had met none of these marauders, nor 
 any of the guerillas, who, without a license from 
 either side, were plundering soldiers and civilians 
 who could offer no resistance. Somers had ridden 
 as rapidly as his feeble state of health would permit ; 
 but his enthusiasm had urged him forward until 
 his horse was more in danger of giving out than 
 the rider. But when he reached the cross-roads, at 
 which we find him, doubtful about the right way, 
 he had slept the preceding night at a farmhouse, 
 horse and rider were now in excellent condition.
 
 Fighting Joe. 13 
 
 ** Are your pistols ready for use, Alick ? " asked 
 Somers, as he heard the sounds of the horses' feet. 
 
 " Yes, sar ; always keep the pistols ready. But 
 what you gwine to do with pistols here ? " replied 
 the servant, as he took his weapon from his pocket. 
 
 " The country is full of rebels and guerillas ; they 
 may want our horses, and perhaps ourselves. I 
 can't spare my coat and boots very well at present." 
 
 " Guess not, massa," laughed Alick, as he exam 
 ined the lock of his pistol. 
 
 " I have never seen you in a fight, Alick. Do you 
 think you can stand up to it ? " 
 
 " Well, massa, I don't want to say much about 
 that, but I reckon I won't run away no faster'n 
 you do." 
 
 " If I get into trouble with these ruffians, I shall 
 want to know whether I can depend on you, or 
 not." 
 
 " Golly, massa ! You can depend on me till the 
 cows come home ! " exclaimed Alick. " I doesn't like 
 to say much about it, but if these yere hossmen 
 wants to fight, I'm not the chile to run away." 
 
 They don't look much like rebels or guerillas," 
 added Somers, as he obtained his first view of the 
 approaching horsemen. "But you can't tell much 
 by the looks in these times, for the villains have 
 robbed us till half of them wear our own colors. 
 Those people certainly wear the uniform of our 
 army." 
 
 "Dar's only two of 'em, massa. I reckon they 
 don't want to fight much." 
 
 " I only wish to be cautious ; very likely they are 
 loyal and true men," replied Somers, as the stran 
 gers came too near to permit any further remarks 
 in regard to their probable character.
 
 14 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Both the travelers were evideutly officers of the 
 array, though, as Somers had suggested, it was im 
 possible to tell what anybody was by the looks, or 
 even if he was seen to take the oath of allegiance. 
 As they came round a bend of the road, and dis 
 covered the captain and his servant, they reined up 
 their steeds, and seemed to be disturbed by the same 
 doubts which had troubled the first party. But 
 they advanced, after a cautious survey, and each of 
 them touched his cap, when they came within speak 
 ing distance. Somers politely returned the salute, 
 and moved his horse towards them. 
 
 " Good morning, gentlemen," said he. " Can you 
 inform me which is the road to Frederick City ? " 
 
 " The left, sir. If you are going in that direction, 
 we shall be glad of your company," replied one of 
 the officers. 
 
 " Thank you ; I shall be glad to go with you." 
 
 " I see by your uniform that you belong on the 
 staff," added the officer who had done the talking. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; " and Somers, without reserve, informed 
 him who and what he was. 
 
 " Somers I " exclaimed the stranger. " I have 
 heard of you before. Perhaps you remember one 
 Dr. Scoville, of Petersburg ? " 
 
 " Perfectly," laughed Somers. 
 
 " Well, sir, he is an uncle of mine." 
 
 "Indeed? I took you to be an officer of the 
 United States army." 
 
 " So I am ; but my father married a sister of Dr. 
 Scoville." 
 
 " Dr. Scoville is a very good sort of man, but he 
 is an awful rebel. I suppose he bears no good- will 
 towards me and my friend Major de Banyan." 
 
 " Perhaps not ; but the affair was a capital joke
 
 Fighting Joe. 15 
 
 on the doctor. And since he is a rebel, and a very 
 pestilent one too, I enjoyed it quite as much as you 
 did." 
 
 " I feel very grateful to him for what he did for 
 me. I went into his house without an invitation ; 
 he dressed my wound, and nearly cured me. When 
 the soldiers came upon us, he promised to give us 
 up at the proper time, and pledged himself for our 
 safety. We left him, one day, rather shabbily, I 
 confess ; but we had no taste for a rebel prison, for 
 the rebs don't always manage their prisons very 
 well." 
 
 " I have heard the whole story. It's rich. If you 
 please, we will move on." 
 
 " With all my heart, major," replied Somers, who 
 read his rank from his shoulder-straps. 
 
 " I am Major Riggleston, of the nd Maryland 
 Home Brigade, on detached duty, just now." 
 
 " I am glad to know you, Major Riggleston, especi 
 ally as you are a relative of my friend Dr. Scoville, 
 and on the right side." 
 
 " This is Captain Barkwood, of the regulars." 
 
 Somers saluted the quiet gentleman, who had 
 hardly spoken during the interview. Major Rig 
 gleston was dressed in an entirely new uniform, and 
 rode a splendid horse, which led Somers to believe 
 that he belonged to one of the wealthy and aristo 
 cratic families of the state which so tardily embraced 
 the cause of the Union. On the other hand, Cap 
 tain Barkwood looked as though he had seen hard 
 service ; for his uniform was rusty, and his face 
 was bronzed by exposure beneath the fervid sun of 
 the south. 
 
 The party were excellently well acquainted with 
 each other before they had ridden a mile. After the
 
 16 Fighting Joe. 
 
 topics suggested by the first meeting had been ex 
 hausted, Somers mentioned his fear of the guerillas 
 and rebel marauders, who kept a little way in ad 
 vance of the invading army. The travelers were 
 now farther north than Frederick, and some dis 
 tance from the advancing line of the Union army. 
 The road they had chosen was not one of the great 
 thoroughfares of the state ; consequently it was but 
 little frequented. 
 
 " I don't object to meeting a small party of gueril 
 las," said Major Riggleston ; " for, gentlemen, if you 
 are of the same mind that I am, we should show 
 them the quality of true Union steel." 
 
 " I hope we shall not meet any ; but if we do, I 
 am in no humor to lose my horse or my boots," re 
 plied Somers. " But we may meet so many of them 
 that it would be better to trust to our horses' heels 
 than to the quality of our steel." 
 
 " True too many would not be agreeable ; but, 
 say a dozen or twenty of them. We could whip 
 that number without difficulty. The fact is, gentle 
 men, I am a fighting man. There has been too much 
 of this looking at the enemy, and then running 
 away. I repeat, gentlemen, I am a fighting man." 
 
 a I am glad to hear it, and glad to have met you, 
 for I am told there are a good many of these small 
 plundering parties loose about this region; and I 
 would rather fight than lose my boots," laughed 
 Somers. 
 
 " Three of us can do a good thing," added the 
 major. 
 
 u Four," suggested Somers. 
 
 "Four?" 
 
 " My man can fight." 
 
 "But he is a nigger; niggers won't fight."
 
 Fighting Joe. 17 
 
 " He will. By the way, he came from your uncle's, 
 at Petersburg." 
 
 " Alick ! " exclaimed the major, glancing back at 
 the servant. 
 
 He did not seem to be well pleased to discover one 
 of his uncle's contrabands at this distance from 
 home ; for, with many other chivalrous southrons, 
 he believed it would be a good thing to preserve the 
 Union, if slavery could be preserved with it. He 
 spoke a few words to Alick, but did not seem to en 
 joy the interview. 
 
 " Yes, we can whip at least twenty of the vil 
 lains," added the major, as he resumed his place be 
 tween Somers and Captain Barkwood. "What do 
 you think ? " he continued, turning to the regular. 
 
 " I hope we shall not meet any. I am a coward 
 by nature. I would rather run than fight, any 
 time," replied the captain. " Of all things I dislike 
 these small skirmishes, these hand-to-hand fights." 
 
 u I like them ; I'm a fighting man," said the major. 
 
 " I'm afraid you will have a chance to test your 
 mettle," said Somers. " Those fellows are guerillas, 
 if I mistake not," added he, pointing to half a dozen 
 horsemen who were approaching them. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A SKIRMISH ON THIS ROAD. 
 
 THE horsemen who had attracted the attention of * 
 Captain Somers were hard-looking fellows. They 
 were dressed in a miscellaneous manner, their
 
 i8 Fighting Joe. 
 
 clothes being partly civilian and partly military. 
 Portions of their garb were new, and probably at no 
 distant period had been part of the stock in trade of 
 some industrious clothier in one of the invaded 
 towns; and portions were faded and dilapidated, 
 bearing the traces of a severe march through the 
 soft mud of Virginia. It was not easy to mistake 
 their character. 
 
 The guerillas perceived the approaching party 
 almost as soon as they were themselves perceived. 
 They adopted no uncertain tactics, but instantly 
 put spurs to their horses and galloped up to the 
 little squad of officers. They appeared to have no 
 doubts whatever in regard to the issue of the meet 
 ing, for they resorted to no cautionary movements, 
 and made no prudential halts. They had evidently 
 had everything their own way in previous encoun 
 ters of this description, and seemed to be satisfied 
 that they had only to demand an unconditional sur 
 render in order to find their way at once to the 
 pockets of the travelers, or to appropriate their 
 coats and boots to the use of the rebel army. 
 
 " Halt ! " said the nondescript gentleman at the 
 head of the guerillas. 
 
 " Your business ? " demanded Major Riggleston. 
 
 " Sorry to trouble you, gentlemen, but you are my 
 prisoners," said the chief guerilla, as blandly as 
 though he had been in a drawing-room. 
 
 "Who are you, gentlemen? " asked the major. 
 
 ** I don't like to be uncivil to a well-dressed gen 
 tleman like yourself; but I haven't learned my 
 catechism lately, and can't stop to be questioned. 
 In one word, do you surrender ? " 
 
 " Allow me a moment to consult with my friends." 
 
 " Only one moment."
 
 Fighting Joe. 19 
 
 "Don't you think we had better surrender, Cap 
 tain Somers ? " 
 
 I thought 'you were a fighting man," replied 
 Somers. 
 
 " I am when circumstances will admit of it ; but 
 they are two to our one." 
 
 " Just now you thought we were a match for at 
 least twenty of these fellows." 
 
 " Time's up, gentlemen," said the dashing guerilla. 
 
 " What do you say, Captain Somers ? " 
 
 " You can do as you please ; I don't surrender, 
 for one." 
 
 " But this is madness." 
 
 " I don't care what it is ; I am going to fight my 
 way through." 
 
 "Do you surrender?" demanded the impatient 
 chief of the horsemen. 
 
 " No ! " replied Somers, in his most decided tone. 
 
 Then you are a dead man ! " And the guerilla 
 raised his pistol. 
 
 Somers already had one of his revolvers in his 
 hand, and before the villain had fairly uttered the 
 words, he presented his weapon and fired, as quick 
 as the flash of lightning. The leader dropped from 
 his horse, and his pistol was discharged in the act, 
 but the ball went into the ground. Almost at the 
 same instant the quiet captain of the regulars fired, 
 and wounded another of the banditti. The others, 
 apparently astonished at this unexpected resistance, 
 discharged their pistols, and pressed forward, with 
 their sabers in hand, to avenge the fall of their com 
 rades. 
 
 Somers rapidly fired the other barrels of his 
 revolver, and so did Captain Barkwood, but without 
 the same decisive effect as before, though two of the
 
 2O Fighting Joe. 
 
 assailants appeared to be slightly wounded. There 
 was no further opportunity to use firearms, and the 
 officers drew their swords, as they fell back before 
 the impetuous charge of the savage guerillas. Major 
 Riggleston followed their example, and for a mo 
 ment the sparks flew from the well-tempered steel 
 of the combatants. Our officers were accomplished 
 swordsmen, but the furious rebels appeared to be 
 getting the better of them. Major Riggleston con 
 trived to wheel his horse, and was so fortunate as 
 to get out of the melee with a whole skin. 
 
 At this point, when victory seemed about to perch 
 on the rebel standard, Alick, who had thus far been 
 ignored, brought down a third guerilla with his pis 
 tol. The negro was cool, collected, and self-pos 
 sessed. He had not fired before, because the officers 
 stood between him and the assailants. Now, as he 
 had no sword, he stood off, and took deliberate aim 
 at his man. 
 
 Captain Barkwood, who was a man of immense 
 muscle, succeeded, after a desperate hand-to-hand 
 conflict, in wounding his opponent in the sword arm. 
 The fellow dropped his weapon, and turning his 
 horse, fled with the utmost precipitation. The only 
 remaining one, finding himself alone, immediately 
 followed his example. The battle was won, and the 
 coats and boots were evidently saved. 
 
 "Why don't you follow them?" cried Major 
 Riggleston, rushing madly up to the spot at this 
 decisive moment. " Hunt them down ! Tear them 
 to pieces.** 
 
 " We'll leave that for our fighting man to do," 
 replied Somers, with a smile, though he was so much 
 out of breath with the violence of his exertions that 
 he could scarcely articulate the words.
 
 Fighting Joe. 21 
 
 " Don't let them escape," added the major, furi 
 ously. " Cut them down ! Don't let them piundsr 
 the country any more." 
 
 As he spoke, he put spurs to his horse, and dashed 
 madly up the road in pursuit of the defeated gueril 
 las. 
 
 " Your hand, Captain Somers," said the regular. 
 " You are a trump." 
 
 " Thank you ; and I am happy to reciprocate the 
 compliment," replied the young staff officer, as he 
 took the proffered hand of Captain Barkwood. 
 
 " As a general rule, I don't think much of volun 
 teer officers," continued the regular ; " but you are 
 a stunning good fellow, and as plucky as a hen that 
 has lost one of her chickens." 
 
 " I am obliged to you for your good opinion, and 
 especially for your ornithological simile," laughed 
 Somers, who, we need not add, was delighted with 
 the conduct of his companion. 
 
 My what?" 
 
 " Your ornithological simile." 
 
 "My dear fellow, you must have swallowed a 
 quarto dictionary. If you had only used that ex 
 pression before the fight, the rebels would certainly 
 have run away, and declined to engage a man who 
 used words of such ominous length. No matter ; 
 you can fight." 
 
 "I can when I am obliged to do so. You re 
 marked, a little while ago, that you were a coward 
 by nature." 
 
 " So I am ; but it was safer to fight than it was 
 to run." 
 
 " You did not behave like a man who is a coward 
 by nature."
 
 22 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " But I am a coward ; and I dislike these hand-to- 
 hand encounters." 
 
 " You didn't appear to dislike them very much 
 just now," added Somers, who was filled with admi 
 ration at the gallant bearing of the regular. 
 
 " I do ; war is a science. I play at it just as I do 
 at chess. By the way, Captain Somers, do you play 
 chess ? " 
 
 Only a little." 
 
 " Well, it's a noble game ; and I may have the 
 pleasure of letting you beat me some time. War is 
 like chess ; it's a great game. I like to see a well- 
 planned battle, and even to take part in it. But 
 these little affairs, where everything depends on 
 brute force, are my particular abomination. There 
 is no science about them no strategy no chance 
 to flank, or do any other smart thing." 
 
 " Here comes the major ; he didn't catch his man," 
 said Somers, as the " fighting man " was seen gallop 
 ing towards them. 
 
 " He's a prudent man," replied the regular, hardly 
 betraying the contempt he felt for this particular 
 volunteer. 
 
 " He's a Maryland man." 
 
 " So am I," promptly returned Captain Barkwood, 
 as though he feared that something might be said 
 against the bravery of the men of his state. "I 
 was born and brought up not ten miles from the 
 spot where we now stand." 
 
 "Why didn't you follow me?" demanded the 
 major, in a reproachful tone, as he reined in his 
 panting steed. 
 
 " We had got enough of it," answered the regular. 
 
 " We might have brought them down if you had 
 joined me in the pursuit."
 
 Fighting Joe. 23 
 
 " We might, if you had stuck by us in the fight," 
 said Somers, with a gentle smile, to break the force 
 of the rebuke. 
 
 " Stood by you ? " exclaimed Major Riggleston, 
 his face flushed with anger. " Do you intend to in 
 sinuate that I did not stand by you ? " 
 
 " You did, but at a safe distance." 
 
 "Didn't I do all the talking with the villains?" 
 foamed the major. 
 
 " Certainly you did," replied the regular. 
 
 " Didn't I bear the whole brunt of the assault at 
 the beginning ? " 
 
 " Undoubtedly you did," responded Captain Bark- 
 wood, before Somers could speak a word. 
 
 Didn't I fight like a tiger, till" 
 
 " Unquestionably you did." 
 
 " Till my rein got entangled in my spur, and 
 whirled my horse round ? " 
 
 " My dear major, you behaved like a lion," said 
 Barkwood, in tones so soothing that the anger of 
 Riggleston passed away like the shadow of a sum 
 mer cloud. 
 
 " I am a fighting man." 
 
 That's so." 
 
 " And I dislike this marching and countermarch 
 ing in the face of an enemy." 
 
 " There we unfortunately disagree for the first 
 time. That is strategy, the art of war, and all 
 that makes war glorious." 
 
 " I believe in pitching into an enemy, and, when 
 he is beaten, in following him up till there is noth 
 ing left of him. I regret, gentlemen, that you did 
 not join in the pursuit of the two miscreants with 
 me. We might have annihilated them as well as 
 not."
 
 24 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Somers did not understand the humor of the 
 regular, and could not fathom his object in permit 
 ting the coward still to believe that he was a fight- 
 ting man. While the conversation was in progress, 
 Alick had removed the bodies of the two dead 
 rebels from the road, and placed the other two, who 
 were severely wounded, in a comfortable position 
 under a tree. He had filled their canteens with 
 water from the brook which ran across the road a 
 short distance from the spot, and left them to live 
 or die, as the future might determine. He had also 
 transferred a good saddle from one of the guerillas' 
 horses to his own animal, which had not before been 
 provided with one. 
 
 The party moved on again. Major Riggleston 
 talked about the fight ; for some reason or other he 
 could speak of nothing else. He still called himself 
 a fighting man, and still talked as though he had 
 fired the most effective shots and struck the hardest 
 blows which had been given. The regular agreed 
 with him in all things, except when he impugned 
 the sacred claims of strategy. 
 
 " Never cross a fool in his folly, nor ruin a man 
 in his own estimation," said Captain Barkwood, 
 when Somers, at a favorable moment, asked an ex 
 planation of his singular commendation of the 
 poltroon. 
 
 " But he is a coward." 
 
 ** Call no man a coward but yourself. There is 
 hardly an officer in the army, from the general-in- 
 chief down to the corporal of the meanest regiment 
 in the service, that has not been called a coward. 
 You don't know who are cowards, and who are 
 not." 
 
 " Perhaps you are right."
 
 Fighting Joe. 25 
 
 " I know I am. I am a coward myself, but I 
 know nothing about anybody else." 
 
 ** I differ with you." 
 
 " You don't know anything about it. The major 
 don't love you over much now for what you hinted. 
 Never make an enemy when there is no need of 
 it." 
 
 The approach of Major Riggleston put an end to 
 this conversation. Somers could not help noticing 
 that the major treated him rather cavalierly ; but 
 as he was not particularly anxious to secure the 
 esteem of such a man, the manner of his companion 
 did not disturb him. 
 
 In the afternoon the party reached Frederick, 
 which had just been abandoned by Lee's rear-guard, 
 and was now occupied by a portion of McClellan's 
 advance. 
 
 " Gentlemen, we have had a hard ride, and I 
 know you must be tired as well as myself," said 
 Major Riggleston, as they entered the city. You 
 will permit me to offer you the hospitalities of my 
 father's house." 
 
 " Thank you ; I accept, for one," replied Cap 
 tain Barkwood. "I am not tired, but I am half 
 starved." 
 
 " And you, Somers ? " added the major, with a 
 degree of cordiality in his manner which he had not 
 exhibited since the skirmish on the road. 
 
 The young captain had been in the saddle all day ; 
 his health was feeble, and he was very much 
 exhausted by the journey. He had hoped to reach 
 the headquarters of the first army corps that night ; 
 but he was still several miles distant from his desti 
 nation, and his physical condition did not admit of 
 this addition to his day's travel. With many
 
 26 Fighting Joe. 
 
 thanks he accepted the invitation, apparently so 
 cordially extended, and the little party halted, soon 
 after, in the grounds of an elegant mansion. The 
 tired horses were given into the keeping of the 
 servants, and Major Riggleston led the way into 
 the house. 
 
 They were ushered into the drawing-room, where 
 the major excused himself to inform the family 
 of their arrival. He left the door open hehind 
 him. 
 
 " They are Yankee officers ! " exclaimed a female 
 voice. " What did Fred bring them here for ? Get 
 out of sight, Ernest, as fast as you can." 
 
 A door leading from the entry closed, and the 
 visitors heard no more. The regular paid no atten 
 tion to the remark, and Somers followed his 
 example. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FIGHTING JOB. 
 
 CAPTAIN SOMERS, though he said nothing to his 
 companion about the remark to which they had 
 listened, could not help thinking about it. The 
 regular and himself had been alluded to as Yankee 
 officers. It was evident that some one was present 
 who ought not to be present ; but as a guest in the 
 house, it was not competent for him to investigate 
 the meaning of the suspicious words. 
 
 Major Riggleston presently returned to the draw-
 
 Fighting Joe. 27 
 
 ing-room, attended by an elderly gentleman, whom 
 he introduced as his father, and a beautiful but 
 majestic and haughty young lady of eighteen, whom 
 he introduced as Miss Maud Hasbrouk. When 
 Somers heard her voice, which was as musical as 
 the rippling of a mountain rill, he recognized the 
 tones of the person who had used the doubtful 
 words in the adjoining room. 
 
 The old gentleman was happy to see the visitors, 
 especially as they belonged to the Union army, 
 whose presence was welcome to him after the visit 
 of the rebels. He hoped that General McClellan 
 would be able to drive the invaders from the soil 
 conquer, capture, and exterminate them. His words 
 were certainly strong enough to vouch for his 
 loyalty ; and these, added to the fact that the major 
 was an officer in the Maryland Home Brigade, satis 
 fied Somers that he had not fallen into a nest of 
 rebels and traitors, as the obnoxious remark, not 
 intended for his ears, had almost led him to believe. 
 
 * The more true men we have here the better ; 
 for we have been completely overrun by traitors," 
 said the old gentleman, alluding to the visit of Lee's 
 army. 
 
 " You use strong words, Mr. Riggleston," added 
 the lady, whose bright eyes flashed as she spoke. 
 
 " I say what I mean," continued the host. 
 
 " Is there any doubt of the fact that the state has 
 been invaded by the rebels ? " asked Somers, with a 
 smile. 
 
 " None whatever ; but Mr. Riggleston called them 
 traitors," replied Miss Hasbrouk. 
 
 Is there any doubt of that fact ? " 
 
 ** Are men who are fighting for the dearest rights 
 of man traitors ? " demanded she, warmly.
 
 28 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Undoubtedly not. But the rebels are not fight 
 ing for any such thing." 
 
 tt l beg your pardon, Captain Somers. I think 
 they are. Permit me to add, that I am a rebel." 
 
 "I am very sorry to hear it," laughed Somers, 
 pleased with the spirit, no less than the beauty, of 
 the lady. 
 
 " I suppose you are," replied she. " The South is 
 fighting for the right of self-government for its 
 own existence. The right of secession is just as 
 evident to me as the right to live." 
 
 The question of secession was fully discussed by 
 the lady and Somers, but both of them were in the 
 best of humor. Neither contestant succeeded in 
 convincing the other on a single point ; and when 
 the party were called to supper, they had advanced 
 just about as far as the statesmen had when the 
 momentous issue was handed over to the arbitra 
 ment of arms. It was a matter to be adjusted by 
 hard fighting ; and as Miss Hasbrouk and Somers 
 did not intend to settle the question in this rude 
 manner, the subject was dropped. 
 
 The family, so far as Somers could judge, were 
 loyal people. The imperial young lady, who was a 
 fit type of the southern character, was only a visitor. 
 In spite of her proud and haughty bearing, she was 
 a very agreeable person, and the guests enjoyed her 
 society. 
 
 " I am a rebel," said she, as they sat down to sup 
 per ; " but I am, sorely against my will, I confess, a 
 non-combatant, and we are now on neutral ground. 
 We will bury our differences, then, Captain Somers, 
 and be friends." 
 
 " With all my heart," replied the gallant young 
 captain.
 
 Fighting Joe. 29 
 
 A very pleasant evening was spent in the draw 
 ing-room, during which Miss Hasbrouk affected the 
 company of Somers rather than that of the regular, 
 . who appeared to be as stoical in society as he was on 
 the road. She was lively, witty, and fascinating, and 
 seemed to be very much delighted with the society 
 of the young staff officer. He was an exceedingly 
 good-looking fellow, it is true ; but he was a Yankee, 
 and she made no secret of her aversion to Yankees 
 in general. He was an exception to the rule, and 
 she compelled him to relate the history of his brief 
 compaign at Petersburg. She laughed at the 
 chagrin of Dr. Scoville, when his invalid took to 
 himself wings and flew away ; but she took no pains 
 to conceal her sympathy with the cause of the 
 Confederacy. 
 
 At an early hour the officers retired ; and as they 
 announced their intention to depart at daylight in 
 the morning, they took leave of the ladies. Miss 
 Hasbrouk was so kind as to hope she might meet 
 the captain again; for notwithstanding his vile 
 political affinities, he was a sensible person. 
 
 Before the sun rose, Somers and the regular were 
 in the saddle. The major, whose route lay in a 
 different direction, was no longer their companion. 
 The headquarters of the first army corps were on 
 I the Monocacy ; and thither the travelers wended 
 their way through a beautiful country, which ex 
 cited the admiration even of the stoical captain of 
 the regulars, though it was no new scene to him. 
 
 The reveille was sounding in the camps of the 
 Pennsylvania Reserves as they passed through on 
 their way to the tent of the commanding general. 
 They reached their destination, and their names were 
 sent in by an orderly in attendance.
 
 3O Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Captain Somers, I am glad to see you," said the 
 general, at a later hour, when they obtained an 
 audience. 
 
 " Thank you, general ; I am very grateful for the 
 kindness and consideration you have bestowed upon 
 me," replied Somers. 
 
 " You are an aide-de-camp now ; but I ought to 
 say that I gave you the appointment because you are 
 a good fellow on a scout." 
 
 " I will do my best in whatever position you may 
 place me." 
 
 " You were rather unfortunate in your last trip, 
 but you accomplished the work I gave you to do. 
 We shall do some hard fighting in a day or two, and 
 there will be sharp work for you before that comes 
 off." 
 
 " I am ready, general. Every man is ready to 
 march or fight as long as he can stand while you are 
 in command." 
 
 " I will see you again in an hour, Somers," said the 
 general, as he turned to Captain Barkwood, who be 
 longed to the engineers, and had been assigned to a 
 position on the staff. 
 
 Somers soon made the acquaintance of the general's 
 " military family." His position and rank were de 
 fined hi the general orders, and duly promulgated. 
 From those around him he obtained all the current 
 knowledge in regard to the situation of the rebel 
 army, which was posted in the Catoctin valley, with 
 the South Mountain range in the rear, whose gaps 
 and passes it was to defend. 
 
 At the time appointed Captain Somers again stood 
 in the presence of the general, who was his beau-ideal 
 of all that was grand and heroic in the military chief 
 tain. He was a tall, straight, well-formed man, with
 
 Fighting Joe. 31 
 
 a ruddy complexion, flecked with little thready veins, 
 and a muscular frame. His eye was full of energy ; 
 he spoke with his eye as much as with his voice. 
 His military history was familiar to the nation. He 
 was a decided man, and his decision had won him his 
 first appointment in the army. He said what he 
 meant, and meant what he said. His energy of char 
 acter had made him a success from the beginning. 
 His faith in himself and his faith in the loyal army 
 were unbounded. He fought and conquered by the 
 force of his mighty will. He attempted only what 
 was possible, and triumphed through the faith of an 
 earnest soul. His military judgment was of the 
 highest order, and when he had decided what could 
 be done, he did it. His conclusions, however sud 
 denly reached, were not the offspring of impulse ; 
 they were carefully drawn from well-founded prem 
 ises. His quick eye and his solid judgment rapidly 
 collated all the facts in regard to an enemy's strength, 
 relative situation, and advantage of position ; and 
 from them he promptly deduced the conclusion 
 whether to fight or not how, when, and where to 
 fight. 
 
 The general's pet name was " Fighting Joe "; and 
 by this appellation he was known and loved in the 
 army. But he was not a rash man ; he made no 
 unconsidered movements. If the term implies rash 
 ness and blundering impetuosity, it is a misnomer ; 
 but, after Willamsburg, Glendale, Malvern, South 
 Mountain, Antietam, Lookout Mountain, who could 
 mistake its meaning ? for his battles were too uni 
 formly successful to be the issues of merely headlong 
 courage and unmatured strategy. All his operations 
 on the splendid fields where he has so gloriously dis 
 tinguished himself, exhibit a he ;d as well as an arm ;
 
 32 Fighting Joe. 
 
 carefully considered plan, as well as bold and deter 
 mined execution. 
 
 The mention of " Fighting Joe " warmed the hearts 
 of the soldiers. He was more popular than any other 
 general in the army. Our soldiers were thinking 
 men, as well as brave ones. They could not love and 
 honor a general who led them into the forefront of 
 battle to be entrapped and sacrificed. They could 
 not believe in a man whose highest recommendation 
 was brute courage. " Fighting Joe " was one of the 
 ablest strategists in the army ; and, wherever he has 
 justified his title as a fighting man, he has also dis 
 played the highest skill and judgment, and a pro 
 found knowledge and appreciation of the science of 
 war. 
 
 Somers stood before the general with a certain feel 
 ing of awe and reverence, which one experiences in 
 the presence of a truly great man. There was no 
 time to talk of the past, for the present and the 
 future were full of trials and cares were full of a 
 nation's life and hope. Fighting Joe was cool and 
 self-possessed, as he always was, even in the mad rage 
 of the hottest fight ; but he was earnest and anxious. 
 He was even now doing that work which wins battles 
 quite as much as the fiery onslaught. 
 
 Burnside was in command of the right wing of the 
 army, which occupied the vicinity of Frederick. 
 The rebels had just been driven out of Middletown, 
 and the cannon was roaring beyond Catoctin Creek ; 
 but it was evident to the general that no pitched 
 battle could take place that day. He wanted certain 
 information, which he thought Captain Somers was 
 smart enough to procure for him. A map lay on the 
 table in the tent, and in a few telling words he ex 
 plained what he wanted.
 
 Fighting Joe. 33 
 
 " Don't be rash, Somers," said he, as the aide-de 
 camp rose to depart. " Intelligent courage is what 
 we want. I shall depend upon you for skill and dis 
 cretion as well as dash and boldness." 
 
 " I will do the best I can," replied the captain, as 
 he left the tent and mounted his horse. 
 
 He dashed off towards Middletown, as the army 
 commenced its march in the same direction. He 
 reached this place before noon, and agreeably to his 
 instructions, pursued a northerly course, until he 
 reached a point beyond the active operations of 
 Pleasanton's cavalry, which was scouring the coun 
 try. Leaving his horse at a farmhouse, he advanced 
 on foot to the westward of the creek, until he dis 
 covered the outposts of the rebel army. Small 
 squads of Confederate cavalry were beating about 
 this region, and Somers was obliged to dodge them 
 several times. But he obtained his information, and 
 fully acquainted himself with the nature of the 
 country, and the situation of the rebels to the north 
 of the Cumberland road. 
 
 It was three o'clock in the afternoon when he had 
 completed his reconnaissance, and he was nearly 
 exhausted by the long walk he had taken, and the 
 excitement of his occupation. He was at least two 
 miles from the farmhouse where he had left his 
 horse. He had eaten nothing since breakfast, and 
 he was faint for the want of food. He walked one 
 mile, and stopped to rest near an elegant mansion, 
 which evidently belonged to one of the grandees 
 of Maryland. He was tempted to visit the house 
 and procure some refreshment ; but, as he was 
 alone, and knew nothing of the political status 
 of the occupants, he did not deem it prudent to do 
 so.
 
 34 Fighting Joe. 
 
 After resting a short time, he rose and continued 
 his weary walk towards the farmhouse. As LB 
 passed the door of the elegant mansion, a caaise 
 stopped at the gate, and a young officer handed a 
 lady from the vehicle. A servant led the horse 
 away. The lady paused at the gate, and appeared 
 to be observing him. Somers could think of no 
 reason why the lady should watch him, and he con 
 tinued on his course till he came within a few feet 
 of the spot where she stood. 
 
 " Captain Somers ! " exclaimed she ; " I am de 
 lighted to see you again so soon." 
 
 " Miss Hasbrouk," replied he, not a little surprised 
 to find in her his rebel friend, whom he had met in 
 Frederick the preceding evening. 
 
 " This is an unexpected pleasure," added she, ex 
 tending her hand, which the young man took. 
 
 " I should hardly have expected to meet you at 
 this distance from Frederick." 
 
 " O, I reside here ; this is my father's house. You 
 are some distance from the Yankee army." 
 
 " As you are a rebel, it is hardly proper for me to 
 inform you why I happen to be here," laughed 
 he. "I am an invalid, and am walking for my 
 health." 
 
 "It is well you are away from your army, for they 
 will all be captured in a few days." 
 
 " Perhaps not ; but I shall be with the army 
 before night." 
 
 " This is Major Riggleston," said she, turning to 
 the gentleman, who had followed the servant to the 
 stable, and had just returned. 
 
 " How do you do, again, major ? " said Somers. 
 
 "Happy to meet you, Captain Somers," replied 
 the major, not very cordially.
 
 Fighting Joe. 35 
 
 "Now you must come into the house, Captain 
 Somers. It is just dinner time with us," continued 
 the lady. 
 
 Somers was too faint and hungry to refuse. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MISS MAUD HASBBOUK. 
 
 THE lady conducted Captain Somers to the sit 
 ting-room of the house. He was followed by Major 
 Riggleston, who, judging by his looks and actions, 
 regarded the staff officer with no special favor. 
 Miss Hasbrouk did all the talking, however, and 
 seemed to do it for the purpose of keeping the major 
 in the shade, for she carefully turned aside two or 
 three observations he made, as though they were of 
 no consequence, or as though the} 7 might provoke 
 an unpleasant discussion. 
 
 " I am particularly delighted to meet you again, 
 Captain Somers," said the imperial beauty, as they 
 entered the apartment. 
 
 " Thank you," replied he ; though he could see no 
 good reason why Miss Maud Hasbrouk should be 
 particularly delighted to see him. 
 
 He was a Union man and a loyal soldier, while 
 she was a rebel, with strength of mind enough to 
 regret that her sex compelled her to be a non-com 
 batant. She was a magnificent creature, even to 
 Somers, whose knowledge of the higher order of 
 beauties that float about in the mists of fashionable 
 society was very limited. She was fascinating, and
 
 36 Fighting Joe. 
 
 he could not resist the charm of her society ; albeit 
 in the present instance he was too much exhausted 
 by ill health and over-exertion to be very brilliant 
 himself. 
 
 "This is very unexpected, considering the dis 
 tance from the place at which I met you last even 
 ing," said he. 
 
 " O, it isn't a very great distance to Frederick. 
 The major drove me over in three hours,*' replied 
 she. 
 
 " Three and a half, Maud," interposed the major, 
 apparently because he felt the necessity of saying 
 something to avoid being regarded as a mere cipher. 
 
 " How do you feel to-day, after the little brush we 
 had yesterday, major ? " added Somers, turning to 
 the gentleman. 
 
 " What brush do you refer to ? " asked Major Rig- 
 gleston, rather coldly. 
 
 " The little rub we had with the guerillas." 
 
 " Really, you have " 
 
 " Now, gentlemen, will you excuse me for a few 
 moments?" said Miss Hasbrouk, very impolitely 
 breaking in upon the major's remark. 
 
 "Certainly," replied Somers, with his politest 
 bow. " You are a fighting man, Major Riggleston ; 
 and the affair of yesterday was pretty sharp work 
 for a few minutes." 
 
 " Of course I'm a fighting man ; but 
 
 ' Major, you promised me something, you will re 
 member," said the lady, who still lingered in the 
 room ; " and now is the best time in the world to 
 redeem your promise." 
 
 "What do you mean, Maud?" demanded the 
 major. 
 
 "Why, don't you remember ? "
 
 Fighting Joe. 37 
 
 Upon my life I don't." 
 
 " Perhaps Captain Somers will excuse you for a 
 few moments, while I refresh your memory." 
 
 "Certainly; to be sure," added the polite staff 
 officer. 
 
 He moved towards the door at which the lady 
 stood. Somers saw her whisper something to him as 
 she took him familiarly by the arm. 
 
 " O, yes, I remember all about it now 1 " ex 
 claimed he, with sudden vivacity. " I will return 
 in a few moments, Captain Somers, if you will ex 
 cuse me." 
 
 " By all means ; don't let me interfere with any 
 arrangement you have made." 
 
 They retired, and the door closed behind them. 
 Somers was not a little befogged by the conduct of 
 both the lady and the gentleman. Several times 
 she had interrupted him, and the major had an as 
 tonishingly bad memory. He seemed not to re 
 member even the skirmish on the road ; and he was 
 equally unmindful of what had passed between him 
 and the lady at some period antecedent to the 
 present. 
 
 They were quite intimate ; and, slightly versed as 
 the young officer was in affairs of love and matri 
 mony, he had no difficulty in arriving at the con 
 clusion that the interesting couple who had just left 
 him were more than friends; and though he had 
 not the skill to determine what particular point in 
 tbe courtship they had reached, he ventured to be 
 lieve they were engaged. Though it was rather a 
 rash and unauthorized conclusion, it was a correct 
 one ; showing that young men know some things 
 by intuition. 
 
 Somehow Major Riggleston did not appear exactly
 
 38 Fighting Joe. 
 
 as he had appeared the preceding day. His uniform 
 did not look quite so bright ; his manner was more 
 brusque and less polished ; and he spoke with a 
 heavier and more solid tone. But men are not 
 always the same on one day that they are on anc ther ; 
 and it was quite probable that the major was suffer 
 ing for the want of his dinner, or from some vexa 
 tion not apparent to the casual observer. 
 
 Somers wanted his dinner ; not as an epicure is 
 impatient for the feast which is to tickle his palate, 
 but as a man who knows and feels that meat is 
 strength. His health was not yet sufficiently es 
 tablished to enable him to endure the hardship of 
 an empty stomach ; for his muscles seemed, in his 
 present weak state, to derive their power more 
 directly than usual from that important organ. He 
 did not, therefore, worry himself to obtain a solution 
 of what was singular in the conduct of the lady and 
 her lover. 
 
 They were absent but a few moments before the 
 major returned. If he had been gone seven years, 
 and passed through a Parisian polishing school in 
 the interim, his tone and his manner could not have 
 been more effectually changed. He looked and 
 acted more like the Major Riggleston of yesterday. 
 He was all suavity now ; and, what was vastly more 
 remarkable, his memory was as perfect as though he 
 had made mnemonics the study of a lifetime. He 
 remembered all about the skirmish on the road, and 
 even recalled incidents connected with that affair of 
 which Somers was profoundly ignorant. 
 
 ** Captain Somers, that was the hardest fight for 
 a little one I ever happened to be in," said the 
 major, after the event had been thoroughly re 
 hearsed.
 
 Fighting Joe. 39 
 
 " It was sharp for a few moments. By the way, 
 major, what is your opinion of Alick now ? " asked 
 Somers. 
 
 " Well, I was rather surprised to see him go in as 
 he did. He is a brave fellow." 
 
 " So he is ; I did not know whether he would fight 
 or not ; but I thought he would." 
 
 " O, I was sure of it." 
 
 "Were you? Before the fight you seemed to be 
 of the opinion that he was of no account." 
 
 " That was said concerning niggers in general. I 
 always had a great deal of confidence in Alick. 
 When he fired his gun I knew what the boy 
 meant." 
 
 " His pistol, you mean ; he had no gun." 
 
 " You are right ; it was a pistol," said the major, 
 with more confusion than this trifling inaccuracy 
 justified. 
 
 " In the pursuit of the guerillas " 
 
 " Yes, in the pursuit Alick was splendid," con- 
 tinued Riggleston, taking the words out of Somers's 
 mouth. 
 
 "You forget, major ; you conducted the pursuit 
 alone," mildly added the staff officer. 
 
 " O, yes ! so I did. I am mixing up this matter 
 with another affair, in which my boy Mingo chased 
 the Yankees " 
 
 "Chased the what?" interposed Somers, con 
 founded by this singular and inappropriate remark. 
 
 "The guerillas, I said," laughed the major. 
 What did you think I said ? " 
 
 " I understood you to say the Yankees." 
 
 " O, no ! Yankees ? No ; I am one myself. I 
 said guerillas." 
 
 " If you did, I misunderstood you."
 
 4O Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Of course I didn't say Yankees. That is quite 
 impossible." 
 
 Somers was disposed to be polite, even at the 
 sacrifice of the point of veracity ; therefore he did 
 not contradict his companion, though he felt en 
 tirely certain in regard to the language used. 
 
 " Of course you could not have meant Yankees, 
 whatever you said," added Somers. 
 
 "Certainly not. Do you know why I didn't 
 catch those those guerillas ? " continued the major. 
 
 " I do not," replied Somers ; but he had a strong 
 suspicion that it was because he did not want to 
 catch them ; because it would have been imprudent 
 for him to catch them ; because it would have been 
 in the highest degree dangerous for him to catch 
 them. 
 
 I'll tell you why I didn't catch them," added 
 the major, rubbing his hands as a man does when 
 he has a point to make. " It was because their 
 horses went faster than mine." 
 
 " Good ! " exclaimed Somers, who had the judg 
 ment to perceive that this answer was intended as 
 a joke, and who was politic enough to render the 
 homage due to such a tremendous effort a laugh 
 as earnest as the circumstances would permit. 
 
 " Or possibly it was because my horse went slower 
 than theirs," added the major, with the evident de 
 sign of perpetrating a joke even more stupendous 
 than the last. 
 
 We beg to suggest to our readers, young and old, 
 that a person lays himself open more by his jokes, 
 his puns, and his witticisms, than by any other 
 means of communication between one soul and an 
 other with which we are acquainted. Hear a man 
 talk about business, politics, morality, or religion,
 
 Fighting Joe. 41 
 
 And you have a very inadequate idea of his moral 
 and mental resources. Hear him jest, hear him 
 make a pun, hear him indulge in a witticism, and 
 you have his brains mapped out before you. We 
 have heard a man get off a witticism, and felt an 
 infinite contempt for him ; we have heard a man 
 get off a witticism, and felt a profound respect for 
 him. It is not the thing said ; it is not the manner 
 in which it is said ; it is not the look with which it 
 is said. It is all three combined. He who would 
 conceal himself from those around him should 
 neither get drunk nor attempt to be funny. 
 
 Major Riggleston had revealed himself to Captain 
 Somers more completely in that unguarded joke 
 than in all that had passed between them before. The 
 young staff officer was not a moral nor a mental 
 philosopher ; but that agonizing jest had given him 
 a poorer opinion of his companion than he had be 
 fore entertained. It was fortunate for the major 
 that Miss Hasbrouk returned before he had an op 
 portunity to launch another witticism upon the sea 
 of the captain's charity, or the latter might have 
 prematurely learned to despise him. 
 
 " We have not lately been honored by the volun 
 tary presence of gentlemen at dinner, Captain 
 Somers ; and you will pardon me for lingering an 
 extra moment before my glass," said the merry 
 lady. 
 
 " Happy glass ! " replied Somers. 
 
 " Thank you, captain ; that was very pretty." 
 
 " Excellent ! " added the major, who seemed to 
 be hungering and thirsting for something funny or 
 smart. 
 
 A bell rang in the hall, which Somers took to 
 be the summons for dinner ; and he was thankful,
 
 42 Fighting Joe. 
 
 and took courage accordingly ; for however much 
 be enioyed the society of the fascinating Maud, he 
 could not forget that he owed a solemn duty to 
 the outraged member of his body corporate, which 
 had been kept fasting since an early breakfast 
 
 hour. 
 
 Now gentlemen, shall I have the pleasure of 
 conducting you to the dining-room ? " continued Miss 
 Hasbrouk. 
 
 " Thank you." 
 
 "Your arm, if you please, Captain Somers, said 
 
 the brilliant lady. 
 
 Of course Somers complied with this reasonable 
 request though he had not been in the habit p 
 observing these little courtesies at the cottage . 
 Pmchbrook, nor even in some of the best regulated 
 families at the Harbor, making no little pretensions 
 to gentility. It seemed to him that it would have 
 been more proper, in the present instance, and with 
 the supposed relation between them, for the 
 to take the arm of the gentleman to whom she was 
 engaged; but he had not very recently read any 
 book on the etiquette of good society, and he was 
 utterly unable to settle the difficult question. 
 
 Thev passed through the hall and entered the 
 dining-room. The table was laid for only three; 
 and while Somers was wondering where the res 
 the family were, a tremendous knocking was hear* 
 
 at tmeTodyTs r m earnest," said Maud. He knocks 
 like a sheriff who comes with authority. Take 
 
 " Thank you Miss Hasbrouk," replied Somers, as 
 he took the appointed place. 
 
 I hope that isn't any one after me," added the
 
 Fighting Joe. 43 
 
 major, as he seated himself opposite to Somers. "I 
 don't want to lose my dinner." 
 
 " You shall not lose it, major," answered Maud, 
 as a colored servant entered the room with a salver 
 in his 1 hand, on which lay a letter. 
 
 " } ;>r Major Riggleston," said the man, as he 
 presented the salver to him. 
 
 The major took the letter and broke the seal, 
 apologizing to Somers for doing so. His eyes sud 
 denly opened wider than their natural spread, and 
 his chin dropped till mouth and eyes were both 
 eloquent with astonishment. He sprang out of his 
 chair, and assumed an attitude in the highest degree 
 dramatic. Somers almost expected him to perpe 
 trate a witticism. 
 
 " What is it, major ? " demanded Maud, who 
 seemed to be enduring the most agonizing suspense. 
 
 " I must go this instant ! " exclaimed the major, 
 still gazing at the momentous letter. 
 
 " What has happened ? " 
 
 " Don't ask me, Maud," answered he, in excited 
 tones. " I will be back before night ; perhaps in an 
 hour. You will excuse me, Captain Somers." 
 
 " Certainly," replied Somers. 
 
 The major rushed to the door, cramming the 
 letter into his pocket, or attempting to do so, as he 
 moved off. The document fell on the floor without 
 the owner's notice. 
 
 " What can it mean ? " said Maud, with a troubled 
 look. 
 
 Soraers did not know what it meant ; if he had, it 
 is doubtful whether he would have had the temerity 
 to stop to dinner.
 
 44 Fighting Joe. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE BOOT ON ONE LEG. 
 
 " WHAT can have happened ? " said Maud, appa 
 rently musing on the event which had just trans 
 pired. " The major is not often moved so deeply 
 as he appeared to be just now." 
 
 "Something of importance, evidently," said 
 Somers. " He has dropped the letter on the floor." 
 
 " So he has," said she, glancing at the document. 
 " Thus far I have resisted the propensity of Mother 
 Eve to know more than the law allows ; and I think 
 I will not yield to it now. It would hardly be 
 honorable for me to read the letter after the major 
 has declined to inform me what has occurred. But, 
 whatever it may be, we will have some dinner." 
 
 Whatever opinions Somers may have entertained 
 on some of the other points suggested by the fair 
 hostess, he had none in regard to the last proposi 
 tion. He was absolutely and heartily in favor of 
 the dinner, without regard to Mother Eve's curiosity, 
 or her favored representative then before him. The 
 dinner was a good one, though the rebels had so 
 recently gathered up all the provision which the 
 country appeared to contain. With every mouthful 
 that he ate Somers's strength seemed mysteriously 
 to return to him. 
 
 The dinner was not so formal as might have been 
 expected in the house of a Maryland grandee, and 
 did not occupy over half an hour ; but in that half
 
 Fighting Joe. 45 
 
 hour he had grown strong and vigorous again, and 
 felt equal to any emergency which might occur. 
 However agreeable the society of the fascinating 
 Maud had proved, he began to be very impatient for 
 the moment when he could, without outraging the 
 laws of propriety, break the spell which bound him. 
 He had faithfully discharged his duty to the inner 
 man, and he bethought him that he owed another and 
 higher obligation to his country; that the command 
 ing general of the first army corps was expecting to 
 hear from him, though the time given him to com 
 plete his mission had not yet expired. 
 
 While he was considering some fit excuse with 
 which to tear himself away from his interesting 
 companion, for it was not prudent to inform an 
 avowed rebel lady that he had been engaged in col 
 lecting information for the use of a Union general, 
 and must return to report the result of his mission, 
 while he was thinking what he should say to her, 
 he heard something which sounded marvelously like 
 the tramp of horses' feet on the walks which sur 
 rounded the mansion. These sounds might have 
 been sufficient to create a tempest of alarm in his 
 mind if he had not believed that he was far enough 
 from the camps of the rebels to insure the estate 
 from a visit of their cavalry. He did not know ex 
 actly where he was in relation to the line of either 
 army ; but he felt a reasonable assurance that he 
 was out of the reach of danger from the enemy. 
 
 He listened, therefore, with tolerable coolness, to 
 the clatter of the horses' feet, and finally concluded 
 that the animals belonged to the estate. This con 
 clusion, however, was soon unpleasantly disturbed 
 by other and more suspicious sounds than the tramp 
 of horses sounds like the clatter and clang of
 
 46 Fighting Joe. 
 
 cavalry equipments. More than this, Maud looked 
 anxious and excited, when there appeared to be not 
 the least reason for anxiety and excitement on her 
 part. 
 
 " Won't you take another peach, captain ? " said 
 she, glancing uneasily at the window, and then at 
 the door. 
 
 " No more, I thank you, Miss Hasbrouk," replied 
 Soiners. "You seem to be having more visitors." 
 
 ** No, I think not," answered she, with assumed 
 carelessness. 
 
 " What is the meaning of those sounds, then ? " 
 
 tt They are nothing ; perhaps some of the servants 
 leading the horses down to the meadow." 
 
 "Do your horses wear cavalry trappings, Miss 
 Hasbrouk?" 
 
 * Not that I am aware of. Do you think there is 
 any cavalry around the house ? " 
 
 " I am decidedly of that opinion ; and, with your 
 permission, I will step out and learn the occasion of 
 this visit," said he, rising from the table, and making 
 sure that the two revolvers he wore in his belt were 
 in working order. 
 
 " I beg you will not leave me, Captain Somers," 
 remonstrated Maud. 
 
 " I only wish to ascertain what the cavalry are." 
 
 "I depend upon you for protection, captain," 
 said she, as she rose from her seat at the table. 
 " Ah, here comes some one, who will explain it all 
 to you," she added, as the front door was heard to 
 open rather violently. 
 
 " I think it won't need much explanation," replied 
 Somers, as through the window he discovered two 
 gray-back cavalrymen. "It is quite evident that 
 the house is surrounded by rebel cavalry."
 
 Fighting Joe. 47 
 
 At this moment the door of the dining-room 
 opened, and Major Riggleston stalked into the 
 apartment. He looked at Somers, and then at the 
 lady. The troubled, astonished expression on his 
 face when he went away had disappeared, and he 
 wore what the staff officer could not help interpret 
 ing as a smile of triumph. 
 
 " Well, Maud, how is it now ? " asked the major, 
 as for the sixth time, at least, he glanced from 
 Somers to her. 
 
 The brilliant beauty made no reply to this indef 
 inite question. Instead of speaking as a civilized 
 lady should when addressed by her accepted lover, 
 she threw herself into a chair with an abandon 
 which would have been creditable in a first lady in 
 a first-class comedy, but which was highly discred 
 itable in a first-class lady discharging only the duties 
 of the social amenities in refined society. She threw 
 herself into a chair, and laughed as though she had 
 been suddenly seized with a fit of that playful 
 species of hysterics which manifests itself in the 
 cachinnatory tendency of the patient. 
 
 Somers was surprised. A less susceptible person 
 than himself would have been surprised to see an 
 elegant and accomplished lady laugh so violently, 
 when there was apparently nothing in the world to 
 laugh at. He could not understand it ; a wiser and 
 more experienced person than Somers could not un 
 derstand it. He knew about CEdipus, and the 
 Sphinx's riddle which he solved; but if CEdipus 
 had been there, in that mansion of a Maryland 
 grandee, Somers would have defied him to solve the 
 riddle of Miss Maud Hasbrouk's inordinate, exces 
 sive, hysterical laughter. If Major Riggleston, from 
 the great repository of unborn humor in his subtle
 
 48 Fighting Joe. 
 
 brain, had launched forth one of the most tremend 
 ous of his thunderbolts of wit, the mystery would 
 have solved itself. If the major had uttered any 
 thing but the most commonplace and easily inter 
 preted remark, Somers might have believed that he 
 had perpetrated a joke which he was not keen 
 enough to perceive. 
 
 The house was surrounded by rebel cavalry ; that 
 was no joke to him; it could be no joke to the 
 major, for he was an officer in the Maryland Home 
 Brigade, "on detached service," and what proved 
 dangerous or fatal to one must prove dangerous or 
 fatal to the other. But Riggleston did not seem in 
 the least disturbed by the circumstance that the 
 house was environed by Confederate cavalry. He 
 stood looking at his lady-love, as thouph he was 
 waiting her next move in the development of the 
 game. 
 
 " What are you laughing at, Maud ? " asked he, 
 when he had watched her until his own patience 
 was somewhat tried, and that of Somers had become 
 decidedly shaky. 
 
 "Isn't it funny?" gasped she, struggling for 
 utterance between the spasms of laughter. 
 
 " Yes, it is, very funny," replied he, obediently, 
 though it was quite plain that he did not regard 
 the scene as so excruciatingly amusing as the lady 
 did. 
 
 " Why don't you laugh, then ? " 
 
 " I would if I had time ; but I must proceed to 
 business." 
 
 "Don't spoil the scene yet," said she, with 
 difficulty. 
 
 " Hurry it up, then, Maud." 
 
 "Captain Somers," added she, repressing her
 
 Fighting Joe. 49 
 
 laughter to a more reasonable limit, " I am your 
 most obedient servant." 
 
 " Thank you, Miss Hasbrouk," replied he, begin 
 ning to apprehend, for the first time, that he was 
 individually and personally responsible for the joke 
 which had so excited the lady's risibles. " If you 
 are, you will oblige me by informing me what you 
 are laughing at." 
 
 The lady broke forth anew, and peal on peal of 
 laughter rang through the room. Somers tried to 
 think what he had said or done that was so astound- 
 ingly funny, satisfied that his humor would certainly 
 make his fortune when given a wider field of 
 operations. It was evident that it would not do for 
 him to be as funny as he could thereafter in the 
 presence of ladies, or one of them might yet die of 
 hysterics. 
 
 " Do you really wish to know what I am laugh 
 ing at, Captain Somers ? " asked she, at another brief 
 interval of apparent sanity. 
 
 " That is what I particularly desire." 
 
 " I am laughing at the situation. Do you know 
 that there is something irresistibly ludicrous in 
 situations, captain ? I delight in situations funny 
 situations I mean." 
 
 " Really, I don't see anything very amusing in 
 the present situation," replied the puzzled staff 
 officer. 
 
 " Don't you, indeed ? Well, I'm afraid you won't 
 appreciate the situation from your stand-point. 
 What a pity we haven't a photographer to give us 
 the scene, for future inspection ! " 
 
 " Well, Miss Hasbrouk, you seem to be making 
 yourself very merry at my expense. I am happy 
 to have afforded you so much amusement ; but I
 
 50 Fighting Joe. 
 
 fear I am still your debtor for the bountiful hos 
 pitality of your house." 
 
 " Don't mention it, captain ; and you won t wis 
 to mention it a few hours hence." 
 
 I assure you I shall ever gratefully remember 
 your kindness to me." 
 
 Perhaps not," laughed the maiden. 
 
 Captain Somers," interposed the major, I think 
 we have carried the joke far enough ; and we will 
 now proceed to the serious part of the business, 
 one word, you " . 
 
 Stop, Major Riggleston, if you please," inter- 
 rupted Maud. " This is my affair." 
 
 Hurry it along a little faster, then, if you will, 
 Maud. The people outside will get tired of wait- 
 
 Don't you interfere, major. You forget that 
 you are a Union officer, belonging to the Maryland 
 Home Brigade. Captain Somers insists that you 
 are ; and of course you are." 
 
 Of course I am ; I had almost forgotten that 
 little circumstance," laughed the major. 
 
 Well, Miss Hasbrouk, since you are to manage 
 the affair, I will thank you to inform me what it all 
 means," demanded Somers, with the least evidence 
 of impatience in his tones. 
 
 With the greatest pleasure ; with a pleasure 
 which you cannot yet appreciate, I will inform you 
 all about it. But, my dear Captain Somers, in 
 deference to a lady who has admired you, feted y pu, 
 dined you, you will answer a few questions which 
 I shall propose to you, before I proceed to the 
 explanation." 
 
 Be in haste, Maud," said the major. 
 
 Major Riggleston, if you hurry me, I shall
 
 Fighting Joe. 51 
 
 obliged to ask you to leave the room," answered 
 she, with a resumption of the imperial dignity she 
 had partially abandoned. 
 
 " I'm dumb, Maud." 
 
 " Keep so, then. Now, Captain Somers, you are 
 one of the heroes of the Yankee army ; a down-east 
 pink of chivalry. At Petersburg you were within 
 the Confederate lines doing duty as a spy. First 
 question : Is this so ? " 
 
 " That would be for a rebel court-martial to prove, 
 if I should happen to be captured." 
 
 " First question evaded. Taking advantage of 
 the hospitality and kindness of Dr. Scoville, who 
 had pledged his honor that you should be delivered 
 up to the proper authorities as soon as you were 
 able to be moved, you escaped from his custody. 
 Second question: Is this true?" 
 
 " I was under no pledge, and was not paroled." 
 
 " Second question evaded. You are on the staff 
 of the general of the first army corps, and you have 
 been sent out to procure information. Third ques 
 tion : Is this true ? " 
 
 " You have said it ; not I." 
 
 " Third question evaded. By your own con 
 fession, made to me yesterday, within the Federal 
 lines, you are a spy. You have resorted to certain 
 Yankee tricks to escape the penalty of your mis 
 deeds. Now fourth question : Would it not be fair 
 to capture you by resorting to a trick such as those 
 you have practised ? " 
 
 " It would depend on the trick." 
 
 " Fourth question evaded. You have abused the 
 the sacred rites of hospitality at the mansion of Dr. 
 Scoville, in Virginia. Should you regard it as any 
 thing more fifth question than diamond cut dia-
 
 52 Fighting Joe. 
 
 mond, if you should be captured in Maryland^by a 
 similar abuse of the sacred rites of hospitality ? " 
 
 That would depend on circumstances." 
 
 Fifth question evaded. All of them evaded, as 
 I supposed all of them would be ; for a Yankee can 
 no more avoid prevarication than he can avoid 
 talking through his nose." 
 
 Thank you for the handsome compliment, 
 cannot forget that I am speaking to a lady, and 
 therefore I can make no answer," replied Somers, 
 with gentle dignity, as he bowed to the tormentor. 
 
 That is more than I expected of a Yankee, ' said 
 Maud, a slight flush upon her fair cheek assuring 
 her victim that his rebuke had been felt. I am a 
 lady ; but before the lady, I am the Confederate 
 woman, having a cause dearer to my heart than 
 anything save only a woman's honor." 
 
 She spoke proudly, and her head rested with 
 imperial grandeur on her neck as she uttered her 
 impressive words. 
 
 Now, Captain Somers, you understand my posi 
 tion and you understand your own position," she 
 continued. " I invited you to dine with me for a 
 purpose. That purpose is now reached. The house 
 is surrounded by Confederate cavalry. Captain 
 Somers, you are a prisoner ! "
 
 Fighting Joe. 53 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE BOOT ON THE OTHER LEG. 
 
 LONG before the imperial, and now imperious, 
 lady announced the conclusion of the whole matter, 
 Somers realized that he was the victim of a con 
 spiracy ; that he had been invited to dinner in order 
 to procure his capture. He had listened to the 
 fallacious argument embodied in the five questions, 
 and was prepared to refute it if occasion required. 
 He had no difficulty in perceiving that he had got 
 into trouble. The house was surrounded by a 
 squad of rebel cavalry, and it would be folly to 
 attempt to fight his way through them. 
 
 Nevertheless, Somers had coolly and decisively 
 made up his mind not to be a prisoner. He had 
 been invited into the house under the guise of friend 
 ship. The lady had pretended to cherish an excel 
 lent feeling, amounting almost to admiration, to 
 wards him ; had treated him as a friend, and detained 
 him until the cavalry could be sent for. The trap 
 had been set, and he had certainly fallen into it. 
 The circumstances were not at all like those under 
 which he had entered the house of Dr. Scoville ; 
 he had not been invited there ; he had gone in as a 
 hunted fugitive, and the host had received and taken 
 care of him without any pledge, expressed or im 
 plied, on his part, or that of Captain de Banyan, who 
 accompanied him. His conscience, therefore, did 
 not reproach him for any violation of the law of 
 hospitality.
 
 54 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " You are a prisoner, Captain Somers, I repeat," 
 said Maud " my prisoner, if you please." 
 
 "Miss Hasbrouk, I have always cherished a feel 
 ing of admiration and regard for the ladies ; but I 
 regret, in the present instance, to be compelled to 
 contradict you. I am not a prisoner, if you will 
 excuse me for saying so," replied Somers, calmly. 
 
 " The house is surrounded by Confederate 
 cavalry," added she. "It only remains for me to 
 call them in and end this scene." 
 
 " Allow me to observe that the part which re 
 mains will be infinitely more difficult than the part 
 already performed." 
 
 " Am I to understand, Captain Somers, that you 
 propose to resist twenty men, who stand ready to 
 capture you ? " demanded the lady, with a trium 
 phant smile. 
 
 " Excuse me if I evade that question also for the 
 present. Perhaps you will still further pardon me, 
 if, in this delicate and difficult business, I venture 
 to ask you a few questions, which you will answer 
 or evade, as you please." 
 
 " With great pleasure I submit to be questioned, 
 Captain Somers," answered she, with a merry 
 twinkle in her eyes, which told how much she still 
 enjoyed the " situation." 
 
 " Thank you, Miss Hasbrouk. You are one of 
 those brawling rebel women who have done so much 
 to keep up the spirits of the chivalry in this iniqui 
 tous rebellion. You are one of the feminine Don 
 Quixotes who have unsexed themselves in the cause 
 of treason and slavery." 
 
 "I will not hear this, if you will, Maud. Sir !" 
 exclaimed the major, advancing towards the bold 
 and ungallant speaker, " your foul mouth "
 
 Fighting Joe. 55 
 
 * Stand where you are, Major Riggleston ! " said 
 Somers, fiercely, as he pointed a pistol at his head. 
 " If you stir a step, or open your mouth again, you 
 are a dead man ! " 
 
 The major seemed to be taken all aback by this 
 decided demonstration. He had no pistol about 
 him ; and though he was a " fighting man," Somers 
 was pretty well satisfied that he would " hold still " 
 until it was safe for him to move. Judging from 
 her looks, Maud seemed to be taking a slightly dif 
 ferent view of the situation. 
 
 " Excuse my rude words, Miss Hasbrouk," con 
 tinued the captain, with a gentle inclination of the 
 head. " As this is your affair, I will thank this gen 
 tleman not to interfere. Shall I repeat what I said 
 before?" 
 
 " It is not necessary," replied she, coldly. 
 
 "Then we will proceed. First question: Did I 
 correctly state your position ? " 
 
 "Is a woman who strengthens the hearts of those 
 who are fighting for the right to exist 
 
 u First question evaded," interposed Somers. 
 " You invited me to this house ; and, by the laws of 
 hospitality, which even the heathen respect, you were 
 impliedly pledged to treat me as a friend, and not as 
 a foe. Second question : Is this so ? " 
 
 "Did you learn to respect the law of hospitality at 
 Dr. Scoville's ? " sneered she. 
 
 " Second question evaded. Dr. Scoville made no 
 pledges to me, nor I to him. No person can blame 
 me for leaving his house when I got ready. Accept 
 ing his hospitality and his kindness did not pledge 
 me to go to a Confederate dungeon, where prisoners 
 are systematically murdered. To proceed : By your 
 own confession you invited me to dine in order to
 
 56 Fighting Joe. 
 
 make me a prisoner, and take my life by having me 
 hanged as a spy. If you sought to capture me by a 
 trick, would it not third question be equally fair 
 for me to escape by a trick ? " 
 
 " But it is utterly impossible for you to escape," 
 replied she, glancing through the window at the cav 
 alry on the lawn. 
 
 " Third question evaded. You are a lady ; and as 
 such, under ordinary circumstances, you are entitled 
 to be treated with the delicacy and consideration due 
 to your sex. But as you have ceased to be a non- 
 combatant, which you were sorely against your will, 
 and are now actively engaged in the war, conducting 
 the business of capturing a prisoner, under these 
 circumstances, would it not be entirely fair for me to 
 treat you as a combatant, precisely the same as 
 though you had not unsexed yourself, and were a 
 man ? " 
 
 " You seem to have already forgotten what is due 
 to a lady," replied she, her cheek flushed with anger. 
 
 " Fourth question evaded." 
 
 " Sir, I decline to hear any more of this coarse 
 abuse ! " exclaimed she, stamping her foot. 
 
 " Indulge me for one moment more, and I will en 
 deavor as much as possible to avoid talking through 
 my nose, and making pretensions as a hero of the 
 Yankee army, or a down-east pink of chivalry." 
 
 Perhaps the imperial beauty thought that these ex 
 pressions, borrowed from her own elegant discourse, 
 were not especially refined for a lady to use ; it may 
 be that they sounded coarse on a repetition, but she 
 made no acknowledgment to that effect. 
 
 "Your silence consents: thank you. Miss Has- 
 brouk, you speak with chivalrous contempt of what 
 you are pleased to term ' Yankee tricks ' ; at the same
 
 Fighting Joe. 57 
 
 time, you were thrown into spasms of laughter by the 
 apparent success of one of your own tricks. Now, 
 permit me to ask whether you would equally ap 
 preciate fifth question a trick quite as smart as 
 your own ? " 
 
 " You have insulted me long enough, sir ! " replied 
 she, haughtily. " Now, sir 
 
 " Fifth question evaded. I have no more to ask." 
 
 " Now, sir, I will hand you over to your masters," 
 said she, moving a step towards the door. 
 
 " Excuse me if I take the liberty to decline being 
 handed over to my masters," said Somers, stepping 
 between her and the door, and now occupying a 
 position between the lady and the discomfited major. 
 
 " Sir, what do you mean ? " demanded the lady, 
 her bosom heaving with angry emotions, as she found 
 herself confronted by the young officer, who looked 
 as firm and immovable as a mountain of granite. 
 
 " I mean all that I say, and much more," answered 
 he, with an emphasis which she could not fail to 
 understand. 
 
 " Sir, I desire to pass out at that door." 
 
 "I positively forbid your passing out at that 
 door." 
 
 " Sir ! " gasped she, almost overcome by her angry 
 passions. 
 
 " Miss Hasbrouk ! " replied he, bowing. 
 
 " You are no gentleman ! " 
 
 " When I came here I regarded you as a lady, and 
 one of the brightest ornaments of your sex. What I 
 think now I shall keep to myself." 
 
 " I shall go mad ! " 
 
 " I hope not ; though I fear you have been tending 
 in that direction for the last hour." 
 
 " Major Riggleston ! " cried she, turning to her
 
 58 Fighting Joe. 
 
 lover, " will you stand there and permit me to be 
 insulted in this manner?" 
 
 " Major Riggleston will stand there. If he moves 
 hand or foot, or opens his mouth to speak, I will 
 blow his brains out. He is a villain and a traitor, 
 and of course he is a coward ! " 
 
 The major winced under these strong words ; but 
 there was death in the sharp, snapping eye of the 
 young officer, and he dared not move hand or foot, 
 or even speak. Perhaps he thought that, as the lady 
 had insisted on managing the affair herself, it was 
 quite proper that she should be indulged to the end. 
 
 " I can endure this no longer ! " exclaimed Maud, 
 as she took another step towards the door for the 
 purpose of calling in the troopers. 
 
 " Stop, Miss Hasbrouk ! " said Somers, pointing a 
 pistol at her head with his right hand, while that in 
 his left was ready to dispose of the major. 
 
 " Is it possible that you can raise your weapon 
 against a woman ? " cried she, shrinking back from 
 the gaping muzzle of the pistol. 
 
 ** Let us understand each other, Miss Hasbrouk. 
 I am not to be captured. If you attempt to leave 
 the room, or call in the rebel soldiers, I will shoot 
 you, as gently and considerately as the deed can be 
 done ; but I will shoot you, as surely as you stand 
 there and I stand here." 
 
 He cocked the pistol. She heard the click of the 
 hammer. She stood in mortal terror of her life. 
 
 " You forget that I am a woman," said she, in 
 tones of alarm. 
 
 " I did not forget it until you had forgotten it 
 yourself," answered Somers. " You have abused 
 and insulted me. Under the guise of friendship 
 you are attempting to hand me over to death by my
 
 Fighting Joe. 59 
 
 enemies. Did you think I would be dropped gently 
 into the arms of the rebels, and be hung as a spy ? 
 If you insist on pursuing your plan to the end, it 
 will be death to you or death to me. I am not quite 
 willing to die for any rebel woman, and especially 
 not for one who is seeking my life. It would grieve 
 me to shoot one so fair and fascinating as Miss Has- 
 brouk ; I should remember it with sorrow to the end 
 of my days ; but my duty to myself and my country 
 requires the sacrifice, and I would shoot you if it 
 broke my heart." 
 
 " Are you in earnest, Captain Somers ? " asked she, 
 still struggling under the violence of her emotions. 
 
 " Maud," said the major. 
 
 " Silence, sir ! " added the captain, sternly. " Miss 
 Hasbrouk, I am in earnest. The situation has 
 changed. Would you like a photographer to pre 
 serve the scene for future inspection ? " 
 
 " You would not kill me?" 
 
 " I would, as you would kill me." 
 
 " But the soldiers are impatient outside, and they 
 may come in without my call," suggested she, glanc 
 ing at the window, while every muscle in her frame 
 shook with terror. 
 
 " If they do, it will cost you your life, unless they 
 are more reasonable than you are." 
 
 "Good Heaven ! You mean to murder me?" 
 
 " Not if I can help it. When I fire, it will be from 
 a solemn sense of duty ; for your cutthroats would 
 hang me to the nearest tree if they knew as much of 
 me as you do." 
 
 " What shall I do ? " asked she, wildly, as she 
 looked around the room. 
 
 "Now you are reasonable. Let your servant 
 bring pen, ink, and paper."
 
 60 Fighting Joe. 
 
 She ordered the man who had waited on the table 
 to bring the required articles, and Somers gave him 
 a charge to be discreet as he left the room. In a 
 few moments he returned with the writing materials, 
 and laid them on the table. The negro was even 
 more terrified than the lady, and there was no fear 
 that he would venture upon any bold enterprise. 
 
 "Now, Major Riggleston, sit down at the table," 
 said Somers. "You will remain where you are, 
 Miss Hasbrouk." 
 
 " You will write what I dictate. Did you call this 
 cavalry ? " 
 
 I did." 
 
 " Then you are a loyal Marylander with a venge 
 ance, and a worthy officer of the Maryland Home 
 Brigade ; but I will warrant there is not another 
 such a scoundrel in the organization." 
 
 " That is a personal insult, for which " 
 
 " Silence, sir. Who commands the cavalry out 
 side?" 
 
 " A sergeant." 
 
 " How many men has he ? " 
 
 " Twenty." 
 
 " Now write. ' Sergeant : The matter upon which 
 I called you was all a mistake. Your services will 
 not be required, and you will retire from the house 
 without delay.' Sign it as you please." 
 
 Somers looked over his shoulder to satisfy him 
 self that the major wrote what he said, and nothing 
 else. 
 
 " It is possible we may get through this business 
 without shooting either one of you," added the cap 
 tain, as the scribe folded up the note. " Give the 
 paper to the servant." 
 
 " Go to the front door, boy, and deliver this note
 
 Fighting Joe. 61 
 
 to the sergeant in command of the squad of cavalry," 
 continued Soiners. 
 
 " Yes, sar." 
 
 " Stop a moment. You are not to say a word to 
 him." 
 
 " No, sar." 
 
 "If one of those soldiers should come into the 
 house, it might cost your mistress her life." 
 
 " De Lo'd fosbid, massa ! " 
 
 " Do you understand me, boy ? " 
 
 " Yes, sar. Dey shan't come in, massa, no how." 
 
 He departed on his mission. Somers still stood 
 in the attitude for action, and Maud and the major 
 looked as cheap and as chapf alien as though they 
 had not another hope in the world. They waited 
 with even more impatience than the captain for the 
 departure of the cavalry, both of them fearing that 
 some unfortunate accident might bring the desperate 
 young man to the execution of his horrible threat. 
 
 The sergeant outside was, luckily, not of an in 
 quiring mind. The clatter of horses' feet and the 
 clanking of sabers were heard again, and the cavalry 
 dashed down the road to more hopeful scenes. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SOUTH MOUNTAIN. 
 
 SOMERS returned the pistols to his belt as he 
 listened to the sounds of the retreating cavalry. 
 This action on his part seemed to afford Maud and 
 the major an immense relief. Death no longer
 
 62 Fighting Joe. 
 
 stared them in the face, and both of them began to 
 grow bold again. 
 
 " Now, Major Riggleston, when you see your uncle, 
 Dr. Scoville, again, you will have a story to tell him," 
 said Somers. 
 
 I shall not be likely to tell him of it." 
 
 " I think we have obtained some new ideas con 
 cerning the Yankees, to-day," added Maud, spite 
 fully. " I had supposed their making war on women 
 and children was merely a poetic figure ; but it 
 appears to be literally true." 
 
 " Pray, am I to regard you as a woman or a child, 
 Miss Hasbrouk ? " asked Somers ; " or as both ? " 
 
 " I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you 
 hanged ! " exclaimed she, with compressed lips. 
 
 " That's the sentiment of a woman, rather than a 
 child," laughed Somers. 
 
 " How long before we shall be rid of your presence, 
 Captain Somers ? " 
 
 " How long will it take your servants to bring up 
 the horse and chaise in which I saw you arrive V " 
 
 "Not ten minutes; if that will facilitate your 
 departure, the chaise shall be brought up instantly," 
 replied she, directing the waiter present to give the 
 stable boys the necessary orders. 
 
 " Thank you, Miss Hasbrouk. May I trouble you 
 also to get ready to accompany me?" 
 
 " Accompany you, sir ! " 
 
 " I do not regard myself as entirely safe yet," re 
 plied the staff officer, taking one of the pistols from 
 his belt. " Before I am out of sight, my friend the 
 major may feel justified in calling for the cavalry 
 again." 
 
 " They are five miles off, or will be by the time 
 you have started," said the major.
 
 Fighting Joe. 63 
 
 "I think not. When I fall among people who 
 are as sharp as you are, I always use extraordinary 
 precautions. It is part of my purpose that you 
 should go with us, my dear major." 
 
 " Go where ? " demanded the traitor, intensely 
 alarmed. 
 
 " I will not trouble the lady to go any farther than 
 the farmhouse where I left my horse. In regard 
 to yourself, I shall have to insist upon your going 
 with me to headquarters." 
 
 Why so ? " 
 
 " You are a traitor of the blackest stamp, and it 
 is quite proper that you should be attended to be 
 fore you have done any more mischief." 
 
 "You are quite mistaken, Captain Somers. I 
 am" 
 
 " I will pledge myself not to prevent your escape," 
 interposed Maud, apparently unwilling that the 
 major should say too much. 
 
 " Excuse me, if, after what has happened, I decline 
 to trust you." 
 
 " This is insolent, sir." 
 
 " It is open to that construction, I admit," said 
 Somers, as he picked up tha letter which the major 
 had read with so much astonishment. 
 
 It was a blank sheet, but the direction on the out 
 side was in a lady's handwriting, evidently Maud's. 
 It was nothing but a " blind," to afford a reasonable 
 pretense for the major's sudden departure. Somers 
 put it in his pocket for future reference. 
 
 " The chaise is ready, captain," said Maud. 
 
 " So am I ; but you are not." 
 
 " My hat and shawl are in the entry," she replied, 
 sullenly. 
 
 They passed out of the house when she had robed
 
 64 Fighting Joe. 
 
 herself for the ride. Somers assisted her into the 
 vehicle. 
 
 " Where is the major ? " asked he, turning to the 
 spot where he had stood a moment before. Maud's 
 reply was a silvery laugh, which was a sufficient 
 explanation that he had taken himself off. 
 
 " So much the better," said Somers. " Good 
 afternoon, Miss Hasbrouk," he added, as he walked 
 rapidly up the road, in the direction of the farm 
 house. 
 
 She was so surprised by this sudden and un 
 expected change in the program, that she could 
 make no reply. She did not know whether the 
 movement boded good or evil ; whether the captain 
 had gone in pursuit of the major, or to the place 
 where he had left his horse. 
 
 Somers, when he discovered that the major had 
 escaped him, was afraid to trust himself in the family 
 chaise, which would too surely betray his move 
 ments to a pursuing force, if the traitor could find 
 one in the vicinity. He decided that it would be 
 safer for him to walk, and then he could avoid the 
 public road if it became necessary for him to do so. 
 Though he would have been glad to hand the treach 
 erous scoundrel over to the military authorities for 
 punishment as a deserter, or for giving aid and com 
 fort to the enemy, he would have been a great en- 
 cumbrance to him on the road. As events often 
 happen for the best, he consoled himself with the 
 belief that tae traitor's escape was not the worst 
 thing that could have occurred. 
 
 He walked rapidly till he obtained his horse. 
 Whatever bs late friends had done to secure his 
 capture, he -was not molested on the road, nor did 
 he discover *ny pursuers behind him. His horse
 
 Fighting Joe. 65 
 
 was fresh, after the long rest he had had, and Somers 
 rode at a break-neck gait till he reached the head 
 quarters of the general. On the way, after he had 
 carefully arranged in his mind the information he 
 had obtained, he could not help thinking over the 
 exciti ng events of the afternoon . Ma j or Riggleston's 
 conduct was very strange. On the preceding day 
 he had been a loyal soldier ; now he was apparently 
 in full sympathy with the rebels. It was a sudden 
 change, if it was a change at all. 
 
 But the major, like a lobster, had a lady in his 
 head, and it was quite impossible to tell what a 
 major or a lobster would do, with a lady in his head. 
 Sowers had met the beauty at the house of Mr. 
 Riggleston, in Frederick. They had ridden over to 
 her home that morning in a chaise ; and the best 
 solution which he could give of the matter was, that 
 Maud had converted him from one side to the other. 
 As this seemed to be a satisfactory explanation of 
 the singular conduct of the fighting man, he was 
 satisfied with it, and gave the subject no further 
 consideration. 
 
 His ride was not so long as it had been in the morn 
 ing, for the army had advanced some miles ; and at sun 
 set Somers reported his information to the general. 
 He also told his story about the attempt which had 
 been made to capture him, and in the course of his 
 narrative involved the loyal major of the Maryland 
 Home Brigade in trouble and dishonor. The general 
 was not a little amused at the story, and hoped 
 other officers, who were invited to dinner by fair 
 rebel ladies, and then entrapped, would resort to 
 similar strategy. But the information which Somers 
 brought was the most interesting and valuable part 
 of the proceeds of his trip, and the general was
 
 66 Fighting Joe. 
 
 soon busy in the study of his maps in the new light 
 he had obtained. 
 
 The next day was Sunday ; but it was not the 
 quiet sabbath of the soul that rests the body, and 
 renews the spirit's waning hope ; it was a day of 
 storm and battle a day of death and destruction. 
 Somers performed his first staff duty in the field on 
 this occasion. During the forenoon the artillery 
 thundered along the range of the South Mountain. 
 The enemy was posted on the steeps, and all along 
 the side of the mountain, on both sides of the Cum 
 berland road, which is the direct route to the Upper 
 Potomac. Beyond the hills were the wagon and 
 ammunition trains of the rebels, as well as the more 
 considerable portion of their army. The possession 
 of this road was necessary to their safety, as well as 
 to the success of their grand scheme of carrying on 
 a war of invasion. 
 
 The battle was opened by the corps of General 
 Reno, next to which in the line of march was the 
 first army corps. During the early part of the day, 
 the action was fought with artillery, and was an 
 attempt to dislodge the enemy from the strong 
 position they had taken. The slope of the mountain 
 was rugged, consisting of irregular ledges, and the 
 whole covered with wood, which grew out of the 
 interstices of the rocks, and on the shelves where 
 there was earth enough to give life to a tree. In 
 these woods and among these rocks the rebels were 
 located, infantry and sharpshooters, while their 
 cannon were placed in such positions that they com 
 manded all the approaches to the Gap, through 
 which the road passed. 
 
 An attack of infantry was ordered, and the gallant 
 fellows went forward with alacrity to execute the
 
 Fighting Joe. 67 
 
 command. They rushed boldly up the steeps, to a 
 stone wall behind which the main line of the enemy 
 rested, driving the skirmishers before them. Tor 
 rents of blood flowed, and moistened the soil where 
 hundreds of brave fellows gave up their lives ; but 
 they won the ground, and held it. The rebels 
 fought with desperation, and their generals rallied 
 them in vain to do what could not be done. 
 
 Partial successes and partial reverses occurred in 
 different parts of the line until noon, when the 
 artillery alone was actively engaged. The day was 
 not yet won, and hundreds more were to fall on the 
 field before the obstinate foe would yield the position. 
 
 At two o'clock in the afternoon the head of the 
 first army corps appeared, which had been ordered 
 forward by General McClellan to the support of 
 Reno's hard-pressed forces. As " Fighting Joe " 
 appeared before the lines, the utmost enthusiasm 
 was manifested by the troops. They cheered him 
 as though he had already saved the day. The 
 general was examining the ground. His quick eye 
 had already grasped the situation. He had been 
 ordered by the general commanding to make a feint 
 in favor of Burnside's forces ; but, satisfied that an 
 attack on the south side of the road would not be a 
 success, he turned his attention to that portion of 
 the rebel line at the north of the road, which had 
 been reported upon by Captain Somers. 
 
 The general proceeded, as he always did, directly 
 to the front. He seemed to know precisely what 
 he was about, and to have all his force entirely in 
 hand. Then he began to send off his orders, and 
 the members of his staff were dashing about in 
 every direction, till the line was formed. Batteries 
 were posted behind the troops, and the shot and
 
 68 Fighting Joe. 
 
 shell whizzed through the air over the soldiers 1 
 heads. The order to advance was given ; the line 
 moved up the precipitous steeps, and for half an 
 hour the battle raged with tremendous fury. 
 
 Somers found every instant of his time occupied, 
 as he dashed from one division to another ; while 
 shot, shell and bullets flew through the air like 
 hailstones. Kind Providence protected him again, 
 as it had before, and he escaped all injury. On 
 marched the victorious line, conquering every obsta 
 cle, and driving the rebels before them ; but it was 
 long after dark before the red field was entirely 
 won, and the Union troops were in possession of the 
 crests of the mountain. 
 
 " Captain Somers, you have done admirably, and 
 fully justified my selection of you for the important 
 and difficult position to which you have been 
 assigned." 
 
 Somers bowed, and felt as happy as though he 
 had commanded the successful army. 
 
 " One more task to-night, captain. You will ride 
 to the headquarters of the army, give my compli 
 ments to General McClellan, and inform him that 
 we have carried the position, and routed the 
 enemy." 
 
 Somers saluted the general, and urged forward 
 his weary horse towards Middletown. He found 
 the commander-in-chief still in the saddle, and de 
 livered his message. He was directed to bear the 
 congratulations of General McClellan to the com 
 mander of the first army corps on his success, with 
 instructions to follow up the retreating rebels, and 
 to employ General Richardson's division, which had 
 been sent forward to report to him, in this work, if 
 the condition of his own troops required it.
 
 Fighting Joe. 69 
 
 Somers made his salute, and was riding off, 
 thinking over what had just been said to him, as he 
 had learned to do when sent on an errand in his 
 childhood. He was fully absorbed in his thoughts, 
 when a voice pronounced his name. 
 
 " Captain Somers, I am glad to see you again," said 
 an officer, urging forward his horse to intercept him. 
 
 Somers looked at him, and was not a little sur 
 prised, in the darkness of the evening, to recognize 
 Major Riggleston, who appeared to be one of the 
 numerous staff of the commanding general. Perhaps 
 it was fortunate for the messenger that he had 
 already faithfully conned his errand, or the appear 
 ance of the traitor would have forever driven it 
 from his mind. 
 
 " Major Riggleston ! " exclaimed he, hardly able 
 to believe the evidence of his own senses. 
 
 It was plain, after all, that he had not been fully 
 converted to the rebel faith by the blandishments 
 of the beautiful Maud; but he was occupying a 
 worse and more disgraceful position, in Somers's 
 estimation, than to have stood square up with the 
 enemies of the country. It was most audacious in 
 the major to hail him, after what had occurred at 
 the mansion of the Maryland grandee, and Somers 
 regarded him not only as a rebel, but as the stupidest 
 rebel he had ever met. 
 
 " The same, my boy," replied the major, famili 
 arly. "Ride on, and I will go with you a short 
 distance, to hear the news. They say Reno was 
 killed." 
 
 " I am sorry to say it is true," replied Somers, 
 coldly. 
 
 " He was a brave fellow, and a splendid soldier. 
 You must have had a warm time over there."
 
 70 Fighting Joe. 
 
 "Rather." 
 
 "You are tired, arn't you, old fellow? Can't you 
 talk?" 
 
 " Not much to you," answered Somers, bluntly. 
 
 " To me ? Why, what the dickens is the matter ? " 
 demanded the major, with apparent surprise. 
 
 " The matter, indeed ! How does it happen that 
 you are here ? " 
 
 "Why shouldn't I be here, old boy?" 
 
 " After the affair of yesterday " 
 
 " What affair of yesterday ? " 
 
 The major had entirely lost his memory again. 
 He had not heard a word about the adventure at 
 the mansion of Maud's father. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BEFORE THE GREAT BATTLE. 
 
 CAPTAIN SOMEBS was as thoroughly bewildered 
 as he would have been if the mountains around him 
 had suddenly commenced dancing a hornpipe ; or if 
 the trees, horses, and men before him had turned 
 bottom upwards, and the whole order of nature had 
 been reversed. He was entirely satisfied, on reflec 
 tion, that the event of the preceding afternoon had 
 been a reality; entirely satisfied that Major Rig- 
 gleston had been a party to the infamous conspiracy 
 by which the fair Maud had sought to capture 
 him; and the unblushing impudence of his com 
 panion in denying it passed his comprehension.
 
 Fighting Joe. 71 
 
 I think you must be dreaming, Captain Somers," 
 said the major, with a light laugh. 
 
 Either I am, or you are ; I will not pretend to 
 say which," replied Somers, almost convinced by 
 the words, and especially by the easy assurance of 
 the major, that no attempt had been made to capture 
 him ; that no such person as Maud Hasbrouk had 
 an existence. 
 
 But of course the traitor would deny his guilt ; 
 that was to be expected. It was not to be supposed 
 that he would engage in such a nefarious scheme as 
 that which had been exhibited at the Hasbrouk 
 house, and then confess his participation in it. The 
 major had actually returned to the Union lines, and 
 had the temerity to take his place in the ranks of 
 the defenders of the Union, even while he was, not 
 only in heart, but openly, engaged in the service of 
 treason arid rebellion. 
 
 " Now, captain, let us be friends," continued the 
 major ; " for it really seems to me that you are dis 
 posed to provoke a quarrel with me." 
 
 " I cannot be the friend of one who is an enemy 
 to his country," replied Somers, stiffly, and with a 
 proper display of dignity. 
 
 "My dear fellow, I don't understand you." 
 
 " Don't understand me, Major Riggleston?" Somers 
 began to be stern and savage. 
 
 " Upon my word I do not," protested the major, 
 earnestly. " If you insist on picking a quarrel with 
 me, pray tell me what it is all about." 
 
 "This is all idle talk, sir." 
 
 " You have accused me of being an enemy to my 
 country." The major began to be slightly indig 
 nant. 
 
 " Most distinctly I accuse you of it."
 
 72 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " That's a grave charge." 
 
 I am aware of it ; and I speak advisedly when I 
 make it. If I had met General Lee himself within 
 our lines, I should not have been more astonished 
 than I was to see you, after what has happened." 
 
 " Will you be so kind as to tell me what has hap 
 pened ? " demanded the accused officer, manifesting 
 no little excitement. 
 
 " At no distant day I shall do so before a court- 
 martial." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 " Have you any doubt whatever in regard to rny 
 meaning ? " 
 
 " Upon my word and honor as an officer and a 
 gentleman, I have not the remotest idea what you 
 mean." 
 
 " Major Riggleston, if the nature of my mission 
 would permit, I would return to the headquarters 
 of the commanding general and denounce you as a 
 traitor." 
 
 " Captain Somers, those are words which no man 
 can use to me with impunity," replied the major, 
 indignantly. " I shall hold you personally respon 
 sible for them." 
 
 " I am willing to be held personally responsible 
 for what I say," answered Somers, coolly. " If you 
 mean violence by that remark, I shall not be off my 
 guard." 
 
 " Captain Somers, you are a brave man. You 
 have proved yourself to be a brave and true man," 
 said the major, with more calmness. " I think you 
 are too noble a fellow to vilify me without giving 
 me an opportunity to defend myself." 
 
 " Of course you will have an opportunity to de 
 fend yourself."
 
 Fighting Joe. 73 
 
 " You propose to denounce me as a traitor, you 
 say." 
 
 " I do." 
 
 " You are aware that the people of my state are 
 divided on the great question that now disturbs the 
 country ; consequently a charge, however weak and 
 unfounded, against me, would find plenty of be 
 lievers. I have enemies. All I demand is fair 
 play." 
 
 "You shall have it, major; for, deeply as you 
 have injured me, or attempted to injure me, I assure 
 you I bear no personal ill will towards you." 
 
 " Thank you for so much ; but you say I have 
 attempted to injure you. I am not conscious of any 
 such attempt." 
 
 " Major Riggleston, this is all idle talk while you 
 assume that position while you pretend to be ig 
 norant of the matter with which I charge you ; and 
 I must decline holding any further intercourse with 
 you at present. Let me add, however, that I will 
 not make charges until you are present to defend 
 yourself." 
 
 " So far your conduct is honorable ; if you would 
 go a step farther, and state distinctly with what you 
 charge me, I should be infinitely obliged to you." 
 
 " That is useless. From a gentleman I should not 
 expect such duplicity as you exhibit in pretending 
 to know nothing about the charge." 
 
 " I have pledged you my honor that I don't know 
 what you mean ; that I am not conscious of having 
 given you any offense, much less done anything which 
 can justify you in calling me a traitor." 
 
 " Do you know Miss Maud Hasbrouk ? " demanded 
 Somers. 
 
 " Of course I know her. You are perfectly aware
 
 74 Fighting Joe. 
 
 that, though she is a rebel, she is a friend of our 
 family." 
 
 " Good night, Major Riggleston," said Somers, as 
 he put spurs to his steed, and dashed down the hill, 
 leaving his companion to infer what he meant from 
 his connection with the lady, if he needed anything 
 to enable him to explain the nature of the charge. 
 
 The staff officer was excited and indignant that 
 the traitor should attempt such a bold and foolish 
 subterfuge. It was almost incredible that he should 
 have the audacity to pretend that he did not know 
 what the charge meant. There was no room for a 
 doubt or a mistake. The major had positively re 
 ceived the blank letter ; had positively gone after 
 the rebel cavalry ; had positively sustained Maud in 
 her attempt to capture him. It was not possible, 
 therefore, that he had done the culprit any injustice. 
 
 Thus assured that he had not wronged the major, 
 Captain Somers again turned his attention to the 
 message which he was to deliver to his general, and 
 urged forward his weary horse at his best speed. 
 He found the troops of " Fighting Joe " resting 
 from the hard-fought action, and engaged in pre 
 paring their simple supper of coffee and "hard 
 tack." He delivered the orders of the commanding 
 general, and the division of Richardson was accord 
 ingly sent forward to pursue the fleeing rebels. 
 
 Early on the following morning the army ad 
 vanced, and Somers found no time to think of pri 
 vate grievances. The general did much of his own 
 reconnoitring on this occasion, though the members 
 of his staff were kept constantly employed. The 
 enemy had fallen back in disorder from South 
 Mountain ; but at ten o'clock in the forenoon the 
 advance of the first corps came up with the position
 
 Fighting Joe. 75 
 
 which the rebels had taken, to dispute the farther 
 progress of the now victorious army. But the gen 
 eral had not at this time a sufficient force to make 
 an attack. Antietam Creek lay between the two 
 armies ; and the bridge over it at this point was 
 protected by the batteries which the rebels had 
 planted to defend it. 
 
 The enemy, in two lines on the west side of the 
 creek, were believed to consist of fifty thousand 
 men ; and the brave general impatiently awaited 
 the arrival of the rest of the corps. It looked like 
 an opportunity to fight a successful battle, and he 
 was determined to cross the stream at the first 
 practicable moment. 
 
 " General, the enemy are breaking into column 
 and marching towards Williamsport," said Somers, 
 as he rode up from the point at which he had been 
 surveying the movement on the other side of the 
 creek. 
 
 " They are on the retreat, then," replied the gen 
 eral. 
 
 Captain Somers and an officer of the engineers 
 were then sent to examine the creek in search of a 
 ford by which to transfer the troops to the other 
 side as soon as the force of the rebels should be 
 sufficiently reduced to justify an attack. The gen 
 eral chafed under the restraint which the circum 
 stances imposed upon him; but he was too pru 
 dent to risk an attack while the advantage was so 
 strongly against him. A ford was found near a 
 mill, farther up the creek, and the officers reported 
 the fact ; but the arrival of the commanding general 
 at this time prevented " Fighting Joe " from order 
 ing an advance. 
 
 The corps remained at this place until the after-
 
 76 Fighting Joe. 
 
 noon of the next day, when orders came to cross 
 the creek. The troops proceeded up the stream, 
 and went over by a bridge and by the fords which 
 had been examined by the staff officers. The out 
 posts of the enemy were soon discovered and driven 
 in, and the gallant corps continued to push the 
 force in front till it was too dark to proceed any 
 farther, at which time the resistance was fully equal 
 to the power of the advancing host. This was the 
 night before the great battle of Antietam. 
 
 The weary troops lay down to rest in the corn 
 fields where they had halted. The rebels were close 
 by, and the pickets of the two armies were within 
 gunshot range of each other. There was no rest 
 yet for the general and his staff ; for it was evident 
 that a great battle was to be fought on the morrow 
 a battle on which the destinies of the Union de 
 pended. If the grand army of the Potomac was 
 defeated, there would be nothing to stay the march 
 of the invaders. The fair fields and the prosperous 
 cities and towns of the North would then be open 
 to them. The great heart of the nation, beating 
 timidly as the rebel hordes advanced, sickened by 
 previous disasters, might sink into despondency, 
 and the bright hopes of a great people be forever 
 crushed. It was no time for the brain of the army 
 to slumber. 
 
 " We want information," said the general, after 
 he had sent an aide to General McClellan to an 
 nounce his intention to attack the enemy at the 
 earliest dp'vn. 
 
 The co mander of the first army corps always 
 wanted in rmation, for he never moved in the dark. 
 His brain ind his arm were twin brothers in the 
 conflict. !L mers and Barkwood volunteered to pro-
 
 Fighting Joe. 77 
 
 cure the information, and left the headquarters for 
 this purpose. It was useless to attempt to pene 
 trate the heavy picket line of the rebels in the corn 
 fields, and they descended the hill beyond a farm 
 house, till thej r came to a ravine through which 
 flowed a considerable volume of water. 
 
 " Here's our chance," said Somers, in a low tone. 
 
 "That's so; but you know I am a great coward, 
 and this looks like risky business," replied Captain 
 Barkwood. 
 
 " If you are, I think there is no need of more than 
 one of us going through." 
 
 " O, my dear fellow, I will go with you." 
 
 " I think it would be safer for us both to separate 
 here." 
 
 " I agree with you." 
 
 "Then I will take this ravine, and you may see 
 what you can find farther to the north." 
 
 " Good ! Now be scientific, my boy ; we want to 
 know the topography of the country as well as the 
 position of the enemy." 
 
 " Certainly ; I think I understand what is re 
 quired," replied Somers, as he descended the steep 
 bank of the ravine into the water. 
 
 The banks of the stream were of course occupied 
 by the pickets of the two armies, and his course led 
 him through both of them. He was just as much 
 exposed to a shot from one as from the other. 
 Somers was a man of experience in this business. 
 He had earned a reputation as a scout, and had on 
 three occasions brought in information of the ut 
 most value to the Union commanders. Indeed, his 
 skill in this particular branch had procured for him 
 his promotion and his present honorable position on 
 the staff of " Fighting Joe." He was now to under-
 
 78 Fighting Joe. 
 
 take a fearful risk more fearful, perhaps, than 
 any he had before incurred ; but the greater the 
 danger, the more valuable the service rendered j and 
 the result of to-morrow's battle might depend upon 
 the fidelity with which he discharged his difficult 
 duty. 
 
 He wore his long boots, and he continued to feel 
 his way on the verge of the stream, without going 
 in beyond his depth. The ravine was fringed with 
 a thick growth of bushes, which shielded him from 
 the observation of the pickets; but the slightest 
 sound would expose him to the fire of the men. In 
 many places the trees formed an arch over the brook, 
 and the darkness was so dense that he could hardly 
 distinguish an object six feet from him. He did not 
 walk ; he crept, putting his feet down as a cat does 
 when she is on the point of pouncing on her prey. 
 
 After advancing a short distance he heard low 
 voices on tlie banks above him. He was passing the 
 first line of pickets that of the Union army. His 
 progress was very slow, but he succeeded in his 
 purpose without drawing the fire of the sentinels. 
 He was now between the two lines, and he quick 
 ened his pace a little. 
 
 While he was thus creeping through the shallow 
 water, he discovered in the gloom a dark object be 
 fore him. He paused, and ascertained that it was a 
 human figure a man, who had also stopped ; but 
 whether friend or enemy he could not determine.
 
 Fighting Joe. 79 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 BETWEEN THE PICKETS. 
 
 THE man in the ravine stood stock-still, and 
 Somers stood stock-still. Each had apparently dis 
 covered the other at the same moment, and each 
 was disturbed by the same doubts in regard to the 
 other. It was a dead-lock, to all intents and pur 
 poses, for neither was willing to advance and betray 
 himself to the other. Somers had his pistols ; but 
 a shot, if he was compelled to shoot the stranger, 
 might call forth the fire of the pickets on both sides. 
 
 It was not a pleasant situation for either party ; 
 and they stood like black statues, each waiting for 
 a movement on the part of the other. The only 
 thing that Somers could do was to retire in the 
 direction he had come ; but this involved the failure 
 of the enterprise in which he had engaged, and pos 
 sibly endangered the result of the next day's battle. 
 He was not disposed to withdraw ; for if the worst 
 came, he could shoot his opponent, and lie down 
 under the bank of the ravine to shelter himself from 
 the fire of the pickets. He waited a reasonable 
 time for the dark stranger to say or do something ; 
 but as he seemed to be endowed with the patience 
 of Job, our scout decided to take the initiative 
 himself. 
 
 " Friend or foe ? " demanded Somers, in a low 
 tone ; for he was disposed to confine the conversa 
 tion to themselves.
 
 8o Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Friend, of course," replied the other. 
 
 " Which side do you belong to, friend ? " asked 
 Somers, deeming the answer rather indefinite. 
 
 "To the Union side, of course," replied the 
 stranger, with refreshing promptness. 
 
 There was no non-committal about him, as might 
 have been expected, half way between the lines of 
 the two armies, and Somers was pretty well satis 
 fied that he was what he claimed to be. 
 
 " Where are you going? " 
 
 " That's rather a delicate question, Captain Som 
 ers, my dear fellow," responded the stranger. " You 
 are evidently at your old tricks, captain." 
 
 u Who are you ? " demanded Somers, not a little 
 surprised and disconcerted at being recognized in 
 his present situation. 
 
 "Don't you know me?" added the stranger, 
 advancing cautiously towards the captain. 
 
 " I haven't that pleasure." 
 
 " Yes, you have ; though it is rather dark here 
 for a man to make out even his best friend. I am 
 Major Riggleston. 
 
 " Are you, indeed ? " exclaimed Somers, taken all 
 aback by the announcement. 
 
 He would rather have met Stonewall Jackson 
 under the circumstances. He could not imagine 
 what the major could possibly be doing in such a 
 place at such an hour of the night, unless he was 
 crawling into the rebel lines, to take a part with 
 the foe in the expected battle. He was tempted to 
 shoot him on the spot, and thus, while he removed 
 an obstacle in his own path, rid the country of a 
 traitor and a dangerous enemy ; but Somers never 
 had the nerve to do anything that looked like 
 deliberate murder.
 
 Fighting Joe. 81 
 
 u Major Riggleston, you are a mystery to me," 
 said he. 
 
 " So I am to all who know me," replied the major. 
 Come, captain, let us sit down and talk over the 
 matter. If we speak low, the pickets will not hear 
 us. You are a man after my own heart, and I de 
 sire to have you understand me better." 
 
 " I think I understand you very well." 
 
 " No, you don't; you just now said I was a mys 
 tery to you," chuckled the major. 
 
 "I mean that I understand your objects that 
 you are a traitor to your cause arid country." 
 
 " My dear captain, you never made a greater 
 blunder in your life." 
 
 " I don't see it." 
 
 " You shall see it, in the course of ten minutes, if 
 you will hear me." 
 
 " It is useless for me to hear you. I shall not be 
 lieve a word you say, after what passed between us 
 yesterday." 
 
 What was that ? " 
 
 " Didn't you deny all knowledge of the affair at 
 the Hasbrouk house ? " 
 
 " Ton my word I did not." 
 
 "You did not?" 
 
 No." 
 
 "You have the worst memory of any man in 
 Maryland." 
 
 That may be." 
 
 " Did you, when we met last evening " 
 
 "We didn't meet last evening," interposed the 
 major. 
 
 "You have a most astonishing memory. I de 
 nounced you as a traitor."
 
 82 Fighting Joe. 
 
 It wasn't kind of you to do that," laughed 
 Riggleston. 
 
 Perhaps not ; but it was true. You didn t know 
 what I meant; you hadn't the least knowledge of 
 the affair at the Hasbrouk house ? " 
 
 " Of course not, over there ! " 
 
 The major took off his cap and scratched his head. 
 The act seemed suddenly to vivify his memory. 
 
 O, I do remember meeting you last night," said 
 
 he. 
 
 " Very good ; I have some hope of you, at last 
 Now, can you recall the event to which I alluded? " 
 
 " Perfectly." 
 
 That you, in connection with Miss Hasbrouk, at 
 tempted to procure my capture by the rebels?" 
 
 I acknowledge the soft impeachment ; but the 
 affair is susceptible of a different construction from 
 that you put on it." 
 
 I think not." 
 
 Upon my word it is, my dear fellow. L intend 
 to prove it, and I am sure you will agree with me." 
 
 " First, will you explain to me how you happen to 
 be in this ravine, at this hour of the night, and when 
 we are on the eve of a great battle ? " asked Somers. 
 
 " I could explain it to your undoubted satisfaction, 
 my dear captain ; but you must excuse me for the 
 present." 
 
 " I can't excuse you ; and we may as well tight it 
 out now as at any other time. You are a rebel and 
 I am a Union man. In the words of Mr. Seward, 
 there is an irrepressible conflict between us. You 
 have caught me, and I have caught you. I don't 
 propose to shirk the responsibility of my position ; 
 but I suppose one of us must die, or be severely 
 wounded, to insure the safety of the other."
 
 Fighting Joe. 83 
 
 Somers cocked his pistol. He had already made 
 up his mind in regard to the presence of Major Rig- 
 gleston at this place. His theory was, that the 
 fellow was a scout, like himself, if he was not a pro 
 fessional spy ; that at the time they happened to 
 meet, the major was passing over from the Union 
 to the rebel lines, for the purpose of imparting to 
 Stonewall Jackson, who was understood to be in 
 command of the Confederate left wing, information 
 in regard to the strength and position of General 
 McClellan's forces. 
 
 "For Heaven's sake, Captain Somers, don't fire 
 upon me ! " exclaimed the major, as he heard the 
 click of the pistol. 
 
 There could be no doubt of the sincerity of the 
 fellow in the use of these words. Somers judged, 
 from what he had seen of him, that he was one of 
 those persons who were born to creep, but by some 
 blunder had walked upright, and thus deceived the 
 world in regard to their true character. Though 
 he called himself a fighting man, he was a cringing 
 coward, as Somers had twice before had occasion to 
 observe. 
 
 " I have no wish to shoot you, Major Riggleston. 
 I would much rather be spared that pain," said 
 Somers. " You have crossed my path, and you in 
 terfere with my plans." 
 
 " You are mistaken again. I propose to explain 
 everything, and then we shall understand each other 
 perfectly. You are a scout, and so am I. You are 
 obtaining information ; so am I. You are a true 
 Union man ; so am I." 
 
 " I don't believe you." 
 
 " Here is my pass ; that will convince you." 
 
 " I can't see to read it."
 
 84 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " I will light a match. It will not be seen in this 
 hole." 
 
 The major handed him a paper, and struck a 
 match against the inside of his cap. 
 
 " Now read quick." 
 
 Somers read : " The bearer, Major Riggleston, of 
 the nd Maryland Home Brigade, is a true and 
 loyal man, and as such entitled to receive protec 
 tion and assistance from all officers and soldiers of 
 the United States." The document was duly signed 
 and countersigned by high and proper authority, and 
 the date was within the current month and year. 
 The captain was astonished beyond measure, for he 
 had no doubt of the correctness of this safe-conduct. 
 It knocked his little theory all to pieces, and he 
 was forced, for the first time, to believe that he had 
 misjudged the major. 
 
 " Where are you bound now ? " asked he. 
 
 " Just where you are." 
 
 " Do you carry this paper with you ? " 
 
 " Always ; my life would not be safe a moment 
 without it." 
 
 " I should say your life would not be safe with it, 
 if it were discovered upon you within the rebel 
 lines." 
 
 " There is no danger on that score. I take good 
 care of it. Are you satisfied, Captain Somers ? " 
 
 " I am satisfied with the paper ; but I think your 
 employers do not expect you to entrap Union 
 officers, as you attempted to do at the Hasbrouk 
 house." 
 
 " My dear fellow, I did not intend to do anything 
 of the kind." 
 
 " You were certainly a party to the transaction." 
 
 " Apparently I was ; really I was not. Now that
 
 Fighting Joe. 85 
 
 you understand the first part of the story, I will 
 explain the second. You know Miss Hasbrouk ? " 
 
 " Certainly I know her." 
 
 " She is a beautiful girl isn't she ? " 
 
 " There can be no doubt on that point ; but I 
 suppose you will tell me next that she is not a rebel, 
 and that she was working for the United States 
 government when she got up that little conspiracy, 
 and attempted to have me hung." 
 
 " On the contrary, she is a rebel. Jeff Davis 
 himself is not a more thorough -going rebel, and she 
 was fully in earnest when she attempted to make 
 you a prisoner." 
 
 " But you assisted her." 
 
 " Apparently only ; if you had been handed over 
 to the cavalry, as I supposed you would be, it would 
 have been my privilege, as it would have been my 
 duty, to get you out of the scrape, which I could 
 very easily have done. Maud regards me as a 
 rebel." 
 
 Somers could not help thinking that she was 
 more than half right, but he was prudent enough 
 not to give voice to his thought on this subject. 
 
 " You helped her through with the whole thing." 
 
 " Undoubtedly I did, but with the intention that 
 you should not suffer. You are aware that she 
 planned the scheme herself ; I was dragged into it, 
 and I could not resist without impairing her con 
 fidence in me." 
 
 " You seem to value very highly the confidence 
 of a rebel woman." 
 
 "For the sake of my suffering country I do. 
 Maud is a beautiful girl; you acknowledge that. 
 Well, the rebel officers think so, too," added the 
 major, pausing as if to give his companion an
 
 86 Fighting Joe. 
 
 opportunity to comment on this remarkable par- 
 tiality ; or perhaps to note the bearing of the fact 
 on their intimate relations. 
 
 " They are gentlemen of taste," was all the com 
 ment Somers deemed it necessary to make. 
 
 " Maud is an enterprising woman. She takes a 
 deep interest in all army movements, and worms 
 out of the rebel officers much valuable information, 
 which I in turn worm out of her ; for I need hardly 
 tell you that the relations between Maud and my 
 self are of the pleasantest character." 
 
 " Lovers ? " added Somers. 
 
 " Yes, if you please." 
 
 " It seems to me that is using a very sacred rela 
 tion for a very vicious purpose," replied the captain, 
 whose fine sentiment was not a little shocked at the 
 thought of lovers mutually deceiving each other. 
 
 " We work for our country, Captain Somers." 
 
 " Go on, major." 
 
 " Don't you understand it all now ? " 
 
 " I think I do ; at least, enough of it to compre 
 hend your position." 
 
 Somers, in spite of himself, was not entirely 
 satisfied; certainly not with the character of the 
 man, if he was with the genuineness of his mission. 
 
 " Which way were you going when I met you ? " 
 asked he. 
 
 " The same way that you were," replied the 
 major, with some hesitation. "If you please, we 
 will go on together. You report to one general, 
 and I to another ; but the substance of our informa 
 tion must be the same. We will go on together, 
 and return together." 
 
 " I don't know about that." 
 
 " I am entirely safe within the rebel lines. If we
 
 Fighting Joe. 87 
 
 have passed the Yankee pickets, we have nothing 
 more to fear." 
 
 The Yankee pickets ! This was not the form of 
 expression usually adopted by loyal men; and it 
 was the second time he had detected his interesting 
 companion in using it. It seemed to be habitual 
 with him ; but perhaps it was because he had spent 
 so much of his time within the rebel lines, pursuing 
 the duties of his calling. 
 
 " I think we had better keep within the ravine." 
 " Very well ; but I have a rebel safe-conduct." 
 " Would you let me see them both, if you please." 
 " Certainly, if you desire it," replied the major, 
 but with evident reluctance. 
 
 He produced them both, with the remark that it 
 was not necessary to read the true one again ; but 
 Somers wished it, and he yielded. The major 
 lighted a match, and the captain read both the 
 documents. As he finished the match went out, 
 and they were in total darkness again. 
 
 " What's that ? " said Somers, suddenly springing 
 to his feet, with the papers in his hand. 
 
 It was a shot from the pickets; but there had 
 been one every ten minutes since they sat down. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 MAJOR RIGGLESTON. 
 
 SOMERS had thrust the papers into his pocket, 
 pretending to fear a sudden onslaught of the pickets ; 
 but the alarm passed without any consequences, 
 serious or otherwise.
 
 88 Fighting Joe. 
 
 "We are perfectly safe, captain," said Major 
 Riggleston. ** I believe you did not give me back 
 my papers." 
 
 "Here they are," replied he, handing him the 
 blank letter which had played so important a part 
 hi the attempt to capture him at the Hasbrouk 
 nouse, and which he had put in his pocket at the 
 time. " We are losing the whole night, and we had 
 better move on. I am satisfied with the prospect, 
 but I would rather not expose myself to the rebel 
 pickets." 
 
 " As you please ; we can go through this place 
 without being seen or heard. But I am well known 
 all through the rebel army, and I shall not be 
 molested when I give my name." 
 
 "Then you will be a useful friend to me." 
 
 " That's what I have been trying to prove to you. 
 Perhaps I ought to say that I actually hold a com 
 mission in the Confederate cavalry, which enables 
 me to stand square before the rebels whiie I give 
 information to our own people. You understand 
 me." 
 
 " Perfectly." 
 
 "I have told you what no other living man 
 knows ; for even the high authority that employs 
 me has no conception of the means by which I pro 
 cure my information. I have trusted you, because 
 you are a man after my own heart. What you did 
 in Virginia endears you to me. We are kindred 
 spirits, and it is proper that we should understand 
 each other." 
 
 Somers hoped they were not kindred spirits ; for 
 if the major was what he claimed to be, there could 
 be but little sympathy between them. He was a 
 coward and a brag ; and he told more lies than even
 
 Fighting Joe. 89 
 
 his dangerous profession required. He used the 
 sacred relations of life for his own purposes. But 
 Soraers was not satisfied, as we have before sug 
 gested. The major had a safe-conduct from the 
 authorities on both sides ; and whatever weight he 
 had given to the loyal one was neutralized by the 
 production of the other. It was possible that he 
 had procured it for the purpose of doing Union 
 work ; but one pass nullified the other ; and the 
 captain was still in doubt as to which side his ver 
 satile companion actually belonged so much in 
 doubt that he was fully determined not to run any 
 risks. 
 
 Major Biggleston led.the way up the ravine, both 
 of them creeping and crawling at a snail's pace, so 
 as not to attract the attention of the pickets on the 
 bank above them. Somers would not have been 
 very much surprised if the " kindred spirit " before 
 him had summoned the soldiers to make him a pris 
 oner ; but he stood prepared for such an emergency. 
 His pistol was ready for immediate use ; and if a 
 scene occurred, he trusted to the darkness of the 
 night and the friendly shelter of the ravine to pro 
 mote his escape. 
 
 Apparently the highly respectable scout in his 
 company had no intention of betraying him, for they 
 passed in safety through the line of rebel pickets, 
 and emerged from the ravine into a grove of oaks. 
 If the major had set a trap to make him a prisoner, 
 or had resorted to a scheme to save himself from a 
 personal encounter in the lonely gorge, there was 
 no longer any need that he should keep up his pre 
 tensions, for the camp fires of the rebels were to be 
 seen in every direction. Only a few rods from the
 
 96 Fighting Joe. 
 
 spot where they stood there was a body of cavalry 
 bivouacking on the ground. 
 
 Somers was a prey to the most painful doubts. 
 Uppermost in his mind was the wish to discharge 
 with fidelity the difficult and dangerous task which 
 had been imposed upon him ; and if Major Riggle- 
 ston was what he claimed, he would be an invalu 
 able assistant to him. His two passes, one from 
 each party in the great strife, proved nothing for or 
 against him. It was utterly impossible, therefore, 
 to reach a satisfactory conclusion in regard to his 
 companion. Bnt it was not prudent to place him 
 self in a situation where he could be easily captured. 
 All he could do was to permit affairs to take their 
 own course until some further developments should 
 enable him to act intelligently. As they were now 
 actually within the rebel lines, the conclusion of the 
 whole matter must soon be reached. 
 
 "This is rather dangerous business," said the 
 major, as they stepped from the bank into the oak 
 grove. 
 
 "We must proceed with the utmost caution," re 
 plied Somers, nervously, as he gazed earnestly at 
 his associate, to obtain, if he could, any clew to his 
 purpose. 
 
 " If you confide in me, Captain Somers, you will 
 be safe, unless some stupid sentinel takes it into his 
 head to fire upon us, which is really the only danger 
 we incur." 
 
 " I think we had better avoid these camps and 
 squads of soldiers as much as possible. Do you 
 know where the main line of Jackson's army is ? " 
 
 " Certainly I do ; I will show it to you in due time." 
 
 "Is he fortified?" 
 
 " You shall see in a short time." 

 
 Fighting Joe. QI 
 
 " How many men has he ? " 
 
 " About seventy thousand " 
 
 Somers knew better than this ; and the answer 
 sounded very much like a Confederate reply to a 
 Union question. 
 
 " Now follow me," said the major, " and whatever 
 happens, don't be alarmed." 
 
 Riggleston led the way through the grove ; but 
 they had advanced only a few paces before they 
 were challenged by a rebel soldier. The major 
 replied to the demand with easy self-possession, in- 
 forming the soldier who he was. It was all right, 
 and they were permitted to proceed on their way. 
 
 " You see it is all right, captain," said the major, 
 as they entered the open field beyond the grove. 
 
 " They know you very well." 
 
 " Of course they do." 
 
 "If you know all about the situation and the 
 force of the rebels, what is the use of going any 
 farther ? " 
 
 " I don't know," replied the major, rather confused 
 at the question. " But, Somers, you wear your staff 
 uniform." 
 
 I do." 
 
 " That's a mistake. It will expose yourself and 
 me," he added with some appearance of alarm. " If 
 I had seen what you had on before, I should not 
 have dared to come with you." 
 
 " I don't intend to show myself to these people." 
 
 " But we were challenged only a moment since ; 
 and if the soldiers had noticed your uniform, they 
 would have detained you." 
 
 " If I had been alone, I should not have exposed 
 myself to their gaze." 
 
 " It's a mistake, and we must correct it."
 
 92 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Half the rebel officers wear Union colors. They 
 rob our people of their coats, and don't scruple to 
 wear them." 
 
 " But a staff uniform ! " 
 
 " I think we had better separate here ; I will take 
 care of myself, and you can pursue your investiga 
 tions in your own way." 
 
 " You would be taken in less than half an hour. 
 There is a house over here, where I can get you a 
 farmer's frock, or something of that kind." 
 
 " Then, if taken, I am an officer in disguise ; and 
 it would go hard with me." 
 
 " I think it would any way." 
 
 " Perhaps it would." 
 
 " You are pretty well known by reputation. You 
 had better change your name." 
 
 t* Perhaps I will, if I have to give my name." 
 
 * Who goes there ? " demanded a squad of men, 
 as they were on the point of crossing a rough farm- 
 road. 
 
 " Friends," replied the major. 
 
 " Who are you ? " 
 
 " Major Riggleston." 
 
 " We have just caught a Yankee spy a fellow 
 crawling into our lines," replied one of the men. 
 
 There were four of them ; they had a prisoner 
 whom they were conducting up the road towards 
 the main body of Jackson's division. 
 
 " Where did you get him ? " 
 
 " Up in the cornfield beyond. He was crawling 
 on his hands and knees between the rows, and had 
 got almost through when we found him. We shall 
 do some hanging in the morning. What shall we 
 do with him, major ? " 
 
 Somers looked with interest and sympathy at the
 
 Fighting Joe. 93 
 
 poor fellow thus entrapped ; but the major was a 
 Union man, and of course he would save him from 
 his fate the moment he could consistently with the 
 duty of keeping up appearances. 
 
 " Take him up to this house," said the major, 
 pointing in the direction he was leading Somers. 
 
 The men obeyed. Their dangling sabers indicated 
 that they belonged to the cavalry ; and the obedience 
 they rendered Major Riggleston further indicated 
 that they belonged to his battalion. 
 
 " Why should these men obey you ? " asked 
 Somers, wishing to settle this point. 
 
 " They are my men. I told you I held a commis 
 sion in the cavalry for the good cause, you know." 
 
 ' I understand." 
 
 ' By the way, captain, have you seen Miss Has- 
 brouk since we met last ? " 
 
 * I have not." 
 
 ' She follows the army. " 
 
 ' Which army ? " 
 
 ' The rebel army, of course." 
 
 'What for?" 
 
 'Because she likes it, I suppose. She is very 
 useful as a nurse, they say. Of course I don't dis 
 courage her ; for I make her serviceable to the good 
 cause, you know." 
 
 The farmhouse was now in sight, and there was 
 a light in one of the front rooms. Without the 
 ceremony of knocking, the major opened the door 
 and entered, ordering the four cavalrymen to follow 
 him with their prisoner. 
 
 " Come in," said he. 
 
 "Who is in this house?" demanded Somers, 
 shrinking from the light which he saw within. 
 
 " Only women, with a few wounded men. I want
 
 94 Fighting Joe. 
 
 to see this prisoner, and find a good excuse for letting 
 him go," replied the major, in a whisper. 
 
 Somers entered the house, where the prisoner had 
 already been conducted. To his surprise and cha 
 grin he discovered that the unfortunate was Captain 
 Bark wood ; but the major did not seem to recognize 
 his companion in the skirmish on the road and at 
 the house of Mr. Riggleston in Frederick. 
 
 " Two of you hold your prisoner," said the major 
 to the soldiers, as they entered the small room. 
 
 " Now, Captain Somers," he added, when Captain 
 Barkwood had been placed in a corner with two 
 men holding him, " allow me to add, that we have 
 carried this farce quite far enough, and that you are 
 also a prisoner." 
 
 At this moment, to the astonishment of Somers, 
 Maud Hasbrouk entered the room to learn the cause 
 of the commotion, for it appeared afterwards that 
 she was here nursing a couple of officers who had 
 been wounded at South Mountain. 
 
 " Why, major, I did not expect to see you at this 
 early hour of the night," said she. 
 
 " I have brought up one of your friends," added 
 he, laughing, as he pointed at Somers. 
 
 " Captain Somers ! " exclaimed she, as a smile of 
 triumph lighted up the features of the beauty. 
 " This is an unexpected pleasure. I hope you are 
 quite well, Captain Somers." 
 
 " As well as usual, I thank you," replied he. 
 
 "We need not add that he was bewildered by the 
 new situation, and roundly condemned his own folly 
 in permitting himself to be led into such a trap. It 
 was quite evident that the treacherous major had 
 brought him to this house for the purpose of per 
 mitting Miss Maud to enjoy the triumph. He was
 
 Fighting Joe. 95 
 
 determined not to afford her much satisfaction. It 
 might prove to be a hanging affair to him, and he 
 felt himself warranted in resorting to the most 
 desperate remedies. It was better to die by a bullet 
 or a saber cut than perish by the rope. 
 
 " I have been entertaining our friend the captain 
 for the last hour with an account of my services to 
 the Yankees, all of which he has swallowed as a fish 
 does a worm, without seeing the hook within. He 
 came here like a lamb ; and as you had some spar 
 ring with him on a former occasion, when he rather 
 got the better of you, I thought you would like to 
 see him before I send him and the other enterprising 
 gentleman to the rear." 
 
 "I am delighted to see him. And the other 
 gentleman is Captain Barkwood. He belongs to 
 the regulars." 
 
 " I never saw him before," replied the major. 
 
 Somers thought he had another attack of bad 
 memory ; but the situation was too exciting to 
 permit him to dwell on minor discrepancies. When 
 the major called him a prisoner, Somers had quietly 
 fallen back into the corner of the room behind the 
 door by which he had entered. Barkwood had been 
 thrust back into another corner at his left, while 
 Maud and the major stood diagonally opposite to 
 him, and near the door by which she had entered 
 from the chamber of her patients. The two caval 
 rymen not employed were standing half way between 
 Somers and Barkwood. 
 
 " I'm sure I am delighted to see you, Captain 
 Somers," laughed Maud. " I came over here to take 
 care of two sick friends, and expected nothing but 
 a melancholy time. Your presence fills me with 
 satisfaction."
 
 96 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " I am greatly obliged to you, and thankful that 
 I am able to do something more towards discharging 
 the debt of gratitude I owe to you for your kind 
 ness on a former occasion. You are fond of situa 
 tions, and I am again the central figure in one," 
 answered Somers, without any apparent apprecia 
 tion of the difficulty and danger of his position. 
 " Would you like to ask me any questions ? " 
 
 " I cannot stop to question you now ; my patients 
 need my care. You would evade them if I did ; 
 besides, this is Major Riggleston's affair, not mine," 
 replied she, with a mocking laugh. 
 
 " And I will take care that this affair don't go 
 wrong," said the major. " Soldiers, secure your 
 prisoners." 
 
 The two men moved towards Somers in the corner. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SHOT IN THE HEAD. 
 
 THE critical moment, when everything depended 
 npon the wisdom and energy of the next move, had 
 arrived. As Major Riggleston issued his order, 
 Somers raised one of his pistols, and, taking hasty 
 but careful aim at his treacherous companion, fired. 
 While her accepted suitor was uttering his mandate, 
 Maud, as if fearing a repetition of the uncomfortable 
 proceeding at the Hasbrouk house, retreated into 
 the apartment occupied by her patients. The baV 
 struck the major in the head, and he fell, with i 
 shock that caused the rude structure to tremble.
 
 Fighting Joe. 97 
 
 A half -suppressed shriek from the sick-room 
 assured those in the front apartment that Maud 
 was aware active proceedings had commenced, 
 though she could not have known who was the first 
 victim in the encounter. The two soldiers, who 
 had been ordered to arrest the staff officer, were 
 bold enough to move upon their intended victim ; 
 but they only rushed upon the barrel of a revolver, 
 pointed by the hand of one skilled in the business, 
 and collected enough to do his work carefully and 
 effectively. 
 
 Again Somers fired, and the foremost of the two 
 soldiers fell dead upon the floor. He fired a third 
 time, and the other soldier shrank back with the 
 ball in his right shoulder. The two men in charge 
 of Captain Barkwood had been too often in the 
 midst of death and carnage to be appalled by these 
 exciting events. 
 
 " Hold this man ! " exclaimed the more decided 
 of the two, " and I will make short work of that 
 fellow." 
 
 " Shoot him," replied the other. " Do it quick." 
 
 He attempted to do it quick ; too quick, for he 
 missed his mark. He fired again, but the smoke 
 impaired his aim. At this moment Captain Bark- 
 wood, conscious that the time for a demonstration 
 in favor of his friend had come, with a sharp, 
 nervous movement, freed himself from the grasp of 
 the rebel in charge of him, and struck him a tre 
 mendous blow in the temple with his bare fist, 
 which felled him to the floor. Not satisfied with 
 this deed, he sprang upon the other soldier, who was 
 in the act of firing upon Somers for the third time. 
 Grasping him by the shoulders with both hands, he 
 brought his knee violently into the small of hia
 
 98 Fighting Joe. 
 
 back, and thus threw him down. Seizing his pistol, 
 he struck him a heavy blow on the head with the 
 weapon. 
 
 " I surrender," said the wounded man, who was 
 the only one of the four in condition to speak, as 
 Somers moved towards him. 
 
 The young captain took the saber from his belt, 
 and opening the window, tossed it out. All active 
 opposition had been conquered, but two of the men 
 were only stunned, and in a short time they would 
 probably be able to speak and act for themselves. 
 
 " Captain Somers, I would hug you if I had 
 time," said Barkwood. " What shall we do next ? " 
 
 " I hardly know," replied Somers. " If we leave 
 the house, we may fall into the hands of the first 
 squad of soldiers we meet. Besides, we have not 
 done our work yet. We must first look after the 
 lady." 
 
 Somers, stepping over the body of Major Riggle- 
 ston, which lay near the door, entered the apartment 
 occupied by the wounded officers. There was no 
 light there, and he returned to bring that in the 
 front room. He found Maud standing in the middle 
 of the room, apparently paralyzed with terror. 
 
 tt Miss Hasbrouk, here is another officer who needs 
 your care, if he is not already past it." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " asked she, in husky 
 tones. 
 
 " Major Riggleston has fallen." 
 
 She uttered a faint scream. She was so enfeebled 
 by terror that she seemed not to have the strength 
 to do anything. She was more at talking than she 
 was at acting. 
 
 What shall I do?" asked she. 
 
 " Come and see," replied he.
 
 Fighting Joe. 99 
 
 She timidly followed him 'into the adjoining 
 room, and gazed with fear and trembling upon the 
 form of the major. 
 
 " Is he is he dead ? " gasped she. 
 
 " I don't know," replied Somers, stooping down, 
 and glancing at the wound on the major's head. 
 " No, he is not dead, and probably will not die with 
 that wound." 
 
 " What shall I do ? Will you call a surgeon ? " 
 
 I think not." 
 
 " We have no time to spare, Captain Somers," 
 interposed 'the regular, with a smile at the simple 
 question of the frightened Maud. 
 
 " We will make our escape. We will go by the 
 grove to the north of the house to the north" said 
 Somers, with peculiar emphasis. 
 
 " To the north," repeated Barkwood with the 
 same emphasis, though |he did not understand the 
 strategy of his companion. 
 
 " We need not hurry ; the more haste, the less 
 speed in the business," replied Somers, as he bent 
 over the prostrate form of the major again. 
 
 This time he took from his body the large, loose 
 coat which ttie treacherous rebel had worn, and 
 picked up the felt hat, adorned with a black feather, 
 which had dropped from his head. 
 
 " He is killed," said Maud, who was beginning to 
 recover her self-possession. 
 
 " Perhaps he is ; but that is his fault, not mine," 
 replied Somers, as he led the way out of the door, 
 followed by the regular. " If either of you attempt 
 to follow us, or leave the house within half an hour, 
 it will cost you your lives," he added, addressing 
 Maud and the wounded soldier. 
 
 " May I not send for a surgeon ? " asked she,
 
 ioo Fighting Joe. 
 
 with a meekness which ill comported with her 
 former imperious manner. 
 
 " No." 
 
 " But the major will die." 
 
 I can't help it." 
 
 " I will not say anything about you, if you will 
 allow me to send for assistance." 
 
 " Half an hour will make no difference to him," 
 answered Somers, as he left the house. " Come 
 with me," added he to the regular, when they 
 reached the open air. 
 
 He led the way to the rear of the house, where 
 there were a number of sheds, and other out-build 
 ings, used for various farm purposes. One of these 
 he entered, followed by the regular, who seemed to 
 repose unlimited confidence in the tact and ability 
 of his young companion. 
 
 " What next, Somers ? " asked Barkwood, in a 
 whisper. 
 
 " Nothing just yet. There will be a tremendous 
 row round here in the course of ten minutes, or 
 at most half an hour. All we want just now is a 
 snug place to lie by in until the tempest blows 
 over." 
 
 M But you are not going to stop here are you ? " 
 demanded the regular, in a tone which sufficiently 
 expressed his astonishment at such a policy. 
 
 " This is the best place in the world for us. I 
 am not a strategist, as you are, captain ; but I have 
 a fixed principle for use in cases of this kind, and 
 that is, to stow myself away in a place where they 
 are least likely to look for me." 
 
 "Very good ; but where is that place?" 
 
 Here, in this house." 
 
 "That's cool."
 
 Fighting Joe. 101 
 
 But it is the best logic in the world. I don't 
 want to influence you in your movements, Captain 
 Barkwood ; but I don't intend to return without the 
 information which I came out to procure. If you 
 want to return to the camp, I will tell you how you 
 can manage, though I think you had better remain 
 with me." 
 
 " I am entirely of your opinion," whispered the 
 regular, with a suppressed chuckle. " You are an 
 old head at this business, and I am as green at it as 
 a two months' baby." 
 
 " As you please, captain. For my own part, I feel 
 tolerably safe now. I was a fool to trust that Rig- 
 gleston." 
 
 " He is an infernal villain." 
 
 " Hush ! " said Somers, finding his companion was 
 becoming a little too emphatic for safety. " I must 
 find a place to stow you away." 
 
 In the back room, of the house, which was only a 
 shed attached to the rear of the building, Somers 
 found a large closet, which seemed to be a kind of 
 lumber room. In this he bestowed his companion, 
 and rolled a large chopping-block up before the 
 door. While he was engaged in this operation, the 
 door leading from the kitchen into the shed opened, 
 and an old black woman rushed out, apparently 
 deeply moved by some circumstance which Somers 
 had no difficulty in understanding. She had a 
 light in her hand, which at once revealed to her the 
 presence of a stranger upon her own peculiar 
 territory. 
 
 "De Lo'd!" exclaimed she, starting back with 
 alarm. 
 
 " Silence, aunty ! Don't speak again," said Somers, 
 in a low tone.
 
 102 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Gracious ! Dat's Massa Riggleston ! " added she, 
 shrinking back. 
 
 The scout had put on the greatcoat and feathered 
 hat of the major, which seemed to explain the terror 
 of the woman. 
 
 " Where are you going, aunty ? " 
 
 " For de doctor," said she; "but if you be de 
 ghost ob Massa Riggleston, 'taint no use for de 
 doctor, for de major must be dead." 
 
 " No matter what I am, aunty. Come with me." 
 
 " De Lo'd sabe us ! " 
 
 " If you behave yourself, and don't make a noise, 
 I will not hurt you," said he, as he led the way out 
 of the shed. 
 
 "Where be I gwine, massa?" 
 
 " No matter ; keep still." 
 
 A few steps from the door was a small tool-house, 
 which Somers opened, and ordered the woman to go 
 in. She tremblingly obeyed, and he closed the door 
 upon her, with an injunction to keep entirely silent, 
 which she seemed disposed to obey. Fastening the 
 door upon her, he returned to the house, satisfied 
 that she would not further interfere with his plans. 
 
 The black woman had left the kitchen door open, 
 and Somers walked in, with the light in his hand. 
 There was a fire hi the stove, on which there were 
 several dishes of gruel, and other articles necessary 
 for the sick-room. It was evident that the farmer 
 and his family had been turned out of the house, for 
 no other persons appeared to disturb his operations. 
 His long, heavy boots were not favorable to stealthy 
 movements, and he retired to the back room to re 
 move them. After satisfying himself, by a further 
 examination, in regard to the structure of the house, 
 and the position of the doors and windows, he ex-
 
 Fighting Joe. 103 
 
 tinguished the light, and passed from the kitchen 
 to the front entry. 
 
 The door connecting with the front room, where 
 the exciting events of the evening had occurred, was 
 open. Maud, in the deepest distress, was talking to 
 the wounded soldier. He was unable or unwilling 
 to do anything, and Maud depended upon the black 
 woman for aid. Somers concealed himself under 
 the stairs, and waited for further developments. 
 
 He was not compelled to wait long ; for presently 
 he heard footsteps, which indicated the arrival of at 
 least half a dozen persons. 
 
 " It is hardly time for the return of Major Rig- 
 gleston," said one of them. 
 
 " We are rather early ; but when he comes, he 
 will bring us the fullest intelligence," added another, 
 as they entered the front room. 
 
 Then there was a commotion, which was produced 
 by the discovery of what had taken place in the 
 apartment. There was nothing but a board parti 
 tion between Somers and the interior of the room, 
 and he could distinctly hear everything that was 
 said. Maud told, in few words, what had happened 
 in the room ; that Major Riggleston had been shot 
 in the head in his attempt to capture two prisoners, 
 and that the men who had done the foul deed had 
 escaped. From what was said it was evident that 
 one of the officers was a person high in command 
 a general of division, if not Stonewall Jackson him 
 self. The others called him simply " general," and 
 Somers could not determine who he was. The 
 officers with him were probably members of his 
 staff. 
 
 The general immediately despatched one of his 
 officers to institute a strict search for the spies who
 
 104 Fighting Joe. 
 
 had done this terrible work. He regretted that it 
 had not been discovered before ; for the miscreants, 
 as he called them, in the most complimentary terms, 
 were probably a good distance from the house by 
 this time. 
 
 " I know which way they went, general," said 
 Maud, eagerly. "They went to the north of the 
 house." 
 
 "To the north, general," added the wounded 
 soldier ; for both of them had carefully treasured 
 up this information, dropped hastily from the mouths 
 of the scouts, for future use, as Somers intended 
 they should. 
 
 "Very well; pursue them towards the north, 
 colonel," resumed the general. " But don't say a 
 word about what has happened in this house till 
 morning. It will help us in the search." 
 
 The speaker proceeded to give very careful direc 
 tions for the pursuit and the search, to all of which 
 Somers listened with the deepest interest. The 
 colonel who had been charged with the duty, 
 departed. 
 
 "What do you think of him, doctor?" asked 
 Maud, revealing to the listener the fact that one of 
 the officers was a surgeon. 
 
 She was sad and depressed, and asked the ques 
 tion with trembling tones, which betrayed her 
 solicitude for the wounded major. 
 
 " I don't think he is very badly wounded. The 
 ball has passed through his head ; but worse cases 
 than this have occurred, and the patients are alive 
 and well to-day," replied the surgeon. 
 
 The wounded man was taken up and borne to a 
 bed in the chamber with Maud's other patients; 
 after which the soldiers received some attention.
 
 Fighting Joe. 105 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE COUNCIL OF OFFICERS. 
 
 SOMEES heard all that was said in the front room, 
 and judged from that, and the sounds which reached 
 him, what was taking place there. The two men 
 who were stunned came to their senses, after a while, 
 and they were sent off with the dead and the 
 wounded ones; for it appeared that the general 
 wanted the apartment for a consultation with his 
 officers. It was expected that Major Kiggleston 
 would be present at this place with fresh informa 
 tion from the Yankee lines ; and the listener con 
 gratulated himself that he had been able to disap 
 point them in this respect. 
 
 The major had chosen the ravine for his passage 
 through the pickets, and it was now evident that he 
 intended to resume his work as soon as he had dis 
 posed of his prisoner. The fellow was armed with 
 a pass, and, Somers well knew, was regarded in the 
 loyal lines as a major of the nd Maryland Home 
 Brigade, and could therefore go where he pleased, 
 even into the very councils of the general command 
 ing the army of the Potomac. 
 
 Somers believed he had made a great discovery. 
 The rebels always knew precisely when and where 
 the army of the Potomac were going to move. 
 When McClellan had actually made up his mind to 
 attack the forces fortified at Manassas, they sud 
 denly decamped. All his movements for months
 
 io6 Fighting Joe. 
 
 were mysteriously communicated to the enemy, even 
 before the general officers of the loyal army were 
 informed in regard to them. People wondered, the 
 press commented severely, and the government was 
 perplexed. 
 
 Captain Somers thought he understood all about 
 it now, and believed that he had laid out the man 
 who had done all this mischief. Much as we admire 
 the captain, our hero, we are compelled to say that 
 he was mistaken. He had really made no such dis 
 covery, and had achieved no such tremendous result 
 as the killing of the one who had done this immense 
 injury to the loyal cause, as future pages in our 
 history will show. But he believed Major Riggle- 
 ston, whom he had seen in the staff of the general 
 commanding, was the man who had conveyed all 
 this information ; he believed he had made this 
 great discovery, accomplished this big thing; and 
 he took courage accordingly. 
 
 Major Riggleston was not there to speak of what 
 the Yankees had done, and what they intended to 
 do ; but for all this, the consultation of officers pro 
 ceeded. Somers heard them discuss their own posi 
 tion and that of the enemy ; he heard them suggest 
 all manner of possibilities and probabilities, and how 
 to meet them ; but they did not speak so definitely 
 as he wished they would. They alluded to a line 
 of field-works, which the listener was unable to 
 locate. 
 
 Somers was coiled up behind a chest of drawers, 
 and did not concern himself at all about his personal 
 safety. He was too deeply interested in the labors 
 of the council to think of himself. He had a toler 
 ably good idea of the rebel plans, and wondered 
 whether the man who was called " general " was
 
 Fighting Joe. 107 
 
 really Stonewall Jackson. He could not reach a 
 satisfactory conclusion on this point, but he was 
 strongly in favor of the supposition. 
 
 " It is one o'clock, and we must get a little sleep," 
 said the mysterious general, as Somers heard the 
 rattling of chairs when they rose from the table. 
 
 " Some of us will probably make a long sleep of 
 it to-morrow," added one of the officers. 
 
 " Don't trifle with a matter so serious," continued 
 the general, solemnly. " Ah, here is the colonel," 
 he added, as the door opened, and two or three per- 
 sons entered the house. " What news do you bring ? 
 Have you captured those Yankees ? " 
 
 " I have neither captured them nor heard a word 
 of them. Not a*soul within our lines knows any 
 thing about them," replied the colonel, in tones of 
 disgust and mortification. 
 
 " That's singular. Our sentinels are sleepy ; they 
 must be stirred up. The miscreants had not been 
 gone from this house more than twenty minutes 
 when we arrived, according to the statement of the 
 lady." 
 
 " Nothing was ever more thoroughly done than 
 the search we made ; but I am positive they have 
 got through." 
 
 " Perhaps not," suggested the general. 
 
 " I have searched every house, grove, and clump 
 of trees ; every hole, ditch, and cornfield within two 
 miles of this spot. I am satisfied, but I believe there 
 are traitors within our camp. They could not have 
 got through without help from our side of the line." 
 
 " We will look into that matter at the first oppor 
 tunity," replied the general, with a long gape. 
 
 They left the house in a body, and all was silent 
 within, except the step of Maud Hasbrouk, as she
 
 io8 Fighting Joe. 
 
 attended to the wants of the sufferers in her care. 
 Somers had done all he could do in this place, and 
 he was satisfied that the search for himself and 
 Captain Barkwood had been abandoned. He crawled 
 out of the corner in which he had been coiled away 
 for over two hours, intent upon the great duty which 
 was still in a measure unperformed. He had some 
 doubts whether his friend in the closet had been 
 patient under the long delay ; and he was in haste 
 to relieve him from the suspense and discomfort of 
 his situation. 
 
 There was no one in the house but Maud and her 
 three patients. There was, therefore, nothing to 
 fear, and he crept towards the door leading from the 
 entry into the kitchen. He softly opened it, and was 
 stealthily making his way towards the shed, when 
 the door of the front room was thrown wide open, 
 and Maud, apparently in a great hurry, stepped into 
 the kitchen. She had a bowl in her hand, and was 
 intent upon the object which had brought her there, 
 so that she did not at first see Somers, who stood in 
 the middle of the floor. 
 
 When she discovered him she screamed, and 
 started back hi astonishment and terror, dropping 
 the dish ; but she still held the light which she had 
 brought from the sick-room. Somers regarded the 
 meeting as a very unfortunate occurrence, and wished 
 he had been prudent enough to go out at the front 
 door ; but it was too late to indulge in vain regrets, 
 and the situation was sufficiently perilous to induce 
 him to resort at once to decisive measures, for the 
 tongue of the woman was hardly less dangerous than 
 a squad of rebel cavalry. 
 
 " Who are you ? " asked the lady, when she had 
 recovered herself sufficiently to speak.
 
 Fighting Joe. 109 
 
 " It matters not who I am," replied Somers, dis 
 guising his voice as much as he could. 
 
 " Captain Somers ! " exclaimed she, shrinking 
 back still farther. 
 
 " I am sorry, for your sake, that you have recog 
 nized me," replied he, dropping the collar of his 
 coat, which he had drawn up over his face. " Miss 
 Hasbrouk, your discovery endangers my life ; I am 
 compelled either to shoot you, or " 
 
 " To shoot me ! " exclaimed she, with horror. 
 
 " What is the matter, Maud ? " said a voice from 
 the front room, which was followed by the appear 
 ance of Major Riggleston, whose head was tied up 
 with bandages, as the surgeon had dressed it. 
 
 "It is Captain Somers," said she, in trembling 
 tones. 
 
 "It seems that I did not fully do my work," 
 added Somers, taking a pistol from his belt. 
 
 "Don't fire, Somers, don't," said the major, in 
 tones so feeble and piteous that Somers could not 
 help being moved by them. "You have nearly 
 killed me now, and you ought to be satisfied." 
 
 " It is your life or mine, Major Riggleston, and I 
 have no time to argue the matter. In five minutes 
 more you will have the whole Confederate army at 
 my heels. I run no risks with a villain like you," 
 replied Somers. 
 
 " Don't fire ! " begged Maud ; " I will do anything 
 you desire, if you will spare me." 
 
 It was something to see a brawling rebel woman, 
 the most pestilent and inveterate enemy the govern 
 ment had in the contest, in a pleading posture. It 
 was something to expose the ridiculous pretensions 
 of one of that army of female rebels, fiercer and 
 more vindictive than the men, and to demonstrate
 
 no Fighting Joe. 
 
 that she had none of the courage of which she had 
 boasted. Maud regretted that her sex compelled 
 her to be a non-combatant ; it was doubtful whether 
 she would ever again regret it. 
 
 I wish not to take the lives of either of you ; but 
 my own safety compels me to use strong measures, 
 said Somers, as he cocked his pistol. 
 
 For mercy's sake, don't fire ! " gasped Maud. 
 
 "Don't kill me, Sorners; I will pledge you my 
 word and honor not to expose you," added the 
 
 m 3 What are your word and honor good for, after 
 what has happened this night?" sneered Somers. 
 
 I will give you all the information you require, 
 if you will spare my life." 
 
 "That would not save my life. 
 " I will give you the countersign." 
 "That's something towards it." 
 The wretch gave him the word, and while he re 
 ceived it, he despised the major more than ever 
 before. He was now a traitor to both sides; t 
 all this, and move, would he give in exchange for I 
 life Somers then questioned him m regard to t 
 position of various bodies of rebel troops, and the 
 miscreant answered him promptly, and, as r 
 afterwards shown, correctly. 
 
 "You know me now, Major Riggleston and Miss 
 Hasbrouk; and you must understand that I go about 
 with my life in my hand. I am not to be trifled 
 with. I will not take your life yet. 
 
 " I will swear never to reveal your presence 
 living soul," exclaimed the major. 
 
 "You need not; you have given me better security 
 than your oath that you will not expose me. Ill 
 am taken, I shall be taken with the countersign in
 
 Fighting Joe. in 
 
 my keeping. I had it from you. If you have given 
 me the wrong word, I shall be turned back." 
 
 " I have given you the right word," interposed the 
 major. 
 
 " If I am turned back, I shall come here first, and 
 complete my work," added Somers, sternly. 
 
 " You shall have my pass." 
 
 " I have it already. I have not yet exhausted all 
 my resources," said the scout, producing the two 
 passes, which he had neglected to return in the 
 ravine. 
 
 He opened them ; but though the wounded major 
 was surprised, he was too weak and broken in spirits 
 to ask any questions, or even to care where his late 
 companion had procured them. 
 
 " All I ask of you, Major Riggleston, and of you, 
 Miss Hasbrouk, is to keep still," continued Somers. 
 
 "I will," replied Maud, eagerly. 
 
 "And I will, Captain Somers. What I have done 
 here to save my life has ruined me. I shall never 
 be seen in the service again." 
 
 "I think you are coming to your senses, major." 
 
 " May I ask you to keep quiet in regard to what 
 I have done ? for you know the penalty of that which 
 I could not have done if I had not stood on the brink 
 of the open grave." 
 
 " That will depend on your own conduct. Return 
 to your bed ; and if you are treacherous, you will 
 suffer for it." 
 
 "I may die," groaned the major, who had sunk 
 into a chair, for he believed his wound was much 
 worse than it really was. 
 
 Perhaps some twinges of remorse had induced him 
 to aid Somers in his mission more than he otherwise 
 would, he was not a man of nerve, or a man of much
 
 H2 Fighting Joe. 
 
 nobility of purpose, and his severe wound had worked 
 a great change in his moral and mental organization. 
 The fear of death had deprived him of what little 
 manliness he possessed, and under the pressure of 
 that terror, he had sunk lower down in the scale of 
 humanity than it would have been possible for him 
 under any other circumstances. He had absolutely 
 betrayed the cause for which he professed so earnest 
 and sincere a devotion. His boasted honor was a 
 delusion. He was an exception, even in the ranks 
 of southern heroes. 
 
 Somers was satisfied with what was promised, 
 and with what had already been performed. He 
 restored his pistol to his belt, and hastened to the 
 back room, where Captain Bark wood was no doubt 
 anxiously waiting to hear from him. 
 
 " Come out, captain," said he, as he threw open 
 the door. 
 
 "Is that you, Somers?" replied the regular, as he 
 stepped from his narrow quarters. " I had given you 
 up for lost, and was just thinking of engaging in a 
 little enterprise of my own. Where have you been ? " 
 
 Soiners, as briefly as possible, explained the events 
 that had transpired during his absence, to which the 
 regular listened with wonder and admiration. It 
 was now two o'clock in the morning, and there was 
 much still to be done before they could return to 
 the camp. Somers, still wearing the coat and 
 feathered hat of Major Riggleston, left the back 
 room, followed by Barkwood, and for three hours 
 wandered about the camps of the rebels. They 
 were often challenged; but Somers gave his name as 
 Major Riggleston, and produced the pass when called 
 upon, or gave the countersign. The day was break 
 ing in the east when they finished the examination.
 
 Fighting Joe. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. 
 
 " WE have been detained a long time," said Som- 
 ers, when they reached the ravine through which it 
 was necessary to pass on their return ; for it was 
 not likely that the rebel pickets would permit even 
 the obiquitous Major Riggleston to go over to the 
 Yankees. 
 
 " Too long, too long," replied the regular, rather 
 nervously for him. "I am afraid we are too late to 
 be of much service." 
 
 " The general grinds up his information rapidly. 
 If we see him before he commences the action, we 
 shall be all right." 
 
 Slowly and carefully they worked their way 
 through the ravine, for they felt that they were 
 treasure-houses of information, which must not be 
 needlessly exposed to destruction ; and a little hurry 
 ing not only imperiled their own lives, but endan 
 gered the good cause to which both of the scouts 
 were devoted. With all the haste which the cir 
 cumstances would permit, it was broad daylight 
 when they emerged from the ravine within the 
 Union lines. 
 
 They hurried to headquarters. Though no drums 
 beat or bugles sounded, the note of preparation had 
 passed silently along the lines. The orders of the 
 general had been fully and carefully executed, and 
 brigades and divisions were in column, ready for 
 the advance. "Fighting Joe" and his staff were
 
 U4 Fighting Joe. 
 
 already in the saddle ; and half a mile off, on a 
 little eminence, Somers discovered the general on 
 his white steed. Alick had groomed his horse and 
 saddled him, though with many fears that his master 
 would never return to use him again. 
 
 As Somers approached, the faithful fellow saw 
 him, and led up the horse. He was overjoyed to 
 see him once more, and made a beautiful exhibition 
 of ivory on this interesting occasion. The young 
 staff officer, nearly exhausted after the perils and 
 labors of the night, filled his haversack with " hard 
 tack," and leaped into the saddle. There was not 
 a moment to be lost, and he dashed away towards 
 the spot where the general was busily employed in 
 making his preparation for the attack. 
 
 The excitement of the moment enabled him to 
 triumph over the bodily fatigue which had weighed 
 him down, and he urged on the noble animal he 
 rode to his utmost speed. The horse seemed to 
 participate in the interest and excitement of the 
 occasion, and galloped as though he was conscious 
 of the importance of his master's mission. As he 
 approached the spot where the general and his staff 
 stood, Somers reined in his steed, and nearly threw 
 him back upon his haunches, when he raised his 
 sword to give his commander the usual salute. It 
 was a proud, a triumphant moment for him ; and 
 the gallant steed behaved as though it was his duty 
 to make the utmost display as he introduced his 
 rider to the general. . 
 
 " Captain Somers ! " exclaimed the general. " I 
 gave you up this morning when I learned that you 
 had not been heard from." 
 
 ** I have the honor to report that I have fully 
 performed the duty intrusted to me," replied Som-
 
 Fighting Joe. 115 
 
 ers, employing rather more formality than usual in 
 his address. 
 
 The scout gave his information, the most impor 
 tant parts of which were the fact that Stonewall 
 Jackson's troops were concentrated on a fortified 
 line, and that General Lee had massed his entire 
 force behind the crest of the hill, in readiness for 
 the great battle, which was apparently to decide 
 the fate of the nation. 
 
 Then commenced that greatest and most moment 
 ous battle of the series of engagements in Maryland, 
 which checked the invasion, and drove the rebels 
 from the north to the south side of the Potomac. 
 It was a fearful strife, a most determined battle, 
 fought with a bravery, on both sides, bordering 
 upon desperation. The event was to involve a 
 mighty issue no less than the fate of a great 
 nation; for the moral effect of a victory by the 
 rebels on the soil of the North would be disastrous, 
 if not fatal, to the loyal cause, while it would open 
 to the half starved and impoverished Confederacy 
 the vast storehouses of wealth of the free North. 
 
 Those who fought on that day, from the skilful 
 generals, who directed the operations, to the hum 
 blest private, who cheerfully and zealously obeyed 
 the orders of his superiors in the midst of the ter 
 rible carnage of the battle-field, understood and 
 appreciated the issues of that day. The sons of 
 the republic will gratefully remember them all, and 
 none with a more lively sense of obligation than 
 " Fighting Joe," whose skill and judgment, no less 
 than his heroic bravery, brought victory out of the 
 stubborn fight intrusted to him, upon which, more 
 than upon the operations .of any other portion of 
 the line, the fate of the day rested. He was face to
 
 n6 Fighting Joe. 
 
 face with Stonewall Jackson, the most vigorous and 
 determined leader of the Confederacy, the pet of the 
 rebels, and the hope of the commanding general of 
 the invading hordes. He was pitted against this 
 man, who was the executive of Lee's brain, without 
 whom Lee's strategy lost its power. 
 
 The battle on the right was fought and won, but 
 not till mighty sacrifices had been made of precious 
 life. It was one of the most obstinate conflicts of 
 the war ; and for hours the issue swung back and 
 forth, and it was doubtful upon which side it would 
 rest The first corps went forward and were driven 
 back in places ; divisions were reduced to brigades, 
 and brigades to regiments, before the terrible fire 
 of the rebels ; and nothing but the indomitable will 
 and the admirable skill of the general saved the day. 
 Every weak point in the line was strengthened, every 
 advantage was used, and every disadvantage counter 
 balanced, till a splendid triumph was achieved. 
 
 Stonewall Jackson was ably and prudently sup 
 ported by General Lee ; troops from other portions 
 of the line were sent to this imperiled position, in 
 a vain attempt to save the failing fortunes of the 
 day. Fresh troops were from time to time hurled 
 against the hard-pressed brigades of the first corps, 
 which were forced back, but only to be again streng 
 thened and urged on by the masterly genius of 
 " Fighting Joe," until all that had been lost was re 
 trieved. Later in the day, when the attack was 
 made by the left and center, the rebel line had been 
 weakened by the large drafts required to meet the 
 waste on the right, and of course the resistance was 
 correspondingly diminished. With less stubborn 
 and skilful fighting than that done on the right, the 
 assaults of Burnside on the left, and of French and
 
 Fighting Joe. 117 
 
 Richardson in the center, could hardly have been 
 successful. 
 
 The noble and gallant Burnside won immortal 
 honors on tha' terrific day. He fought against every 
 disadvantage, which he bravely and skilfully over 
 came. The result of the battle was less decisive 
 than had been hoped and expected from the splendid 
 fighting and the brilliant partial results achieved. 
 The rebel army was severely handled ; its resources 
 and its prestige tremendously reduced; and the 
 object of the campaign was actually accomplished ; 
 but whether the results of the several successful 
 operations on the field were prudently agglomerated, 
 whether the greatest practicable use was made of 
 the victory, we must leave the historian to decide. 
 
 While Captain Somers was making his report, 
 Captain Barkwood arrived, and was congratulated 
 upon his safety and success. As an engineer he 
 gave his opinion, and was able to supply information 
 which Somers had not the scientific skill to deduce 
 from what he had seen. The order was given to 
 advance. The eye of the general was everywhere, 
 even while his mind was occupied with the details 
 furnished by the scouts. He sent members of his 
 staff in every direction. He held the vast and com 
 plicated mechanism of his corps at his fingers' ends. 
 He knew where every brigade and every battery of 
 his force was at that moment, and where it was to 
 be an hour hence. He moved them all about, as a 
 skilful weaver tosses the many shuttle*, each with 
 a different colored thread, through the fabric before 
 him. He was weaving history on a gigantic scale. 
 
 Somers sat upon his restless horse, eating the 
 " hard tack " he had brought, but ready to dash away 
 upon any mission on which he might be sent, when
 
 n8 Fighting Joe. 
 
 an aide from the general commanding rode up and 
 delivered an order to the commander of the corps. 
 Somers did not particularly notice him at first, but 
 as the staff officer turned, his teeth suddenly sus 
 pended their useful and interesting occupation, leav 
 ing his mouth half open, where it remained in the 
 condition to express the wonder and astonishment 
 which the presence of the officer excited. 
 
 " Major Riggleston ! " exclaimed he, almost chok 
 ing himself with the unmasticated block of " hard 
 tack " in his mouth. 
 
 " Captain Somers, good morning," replied the 
 major, with a pleasant and friendly smile. 
 
 " Is it possible ? " stammered Somers. 
 
 "What possible?" demanded Riggleston. 
 
 "That you are here," replied the bewildered 
 Somers, gazing at the major attentively, and survey 
 ing him from head to foot. 
 
 It was the same new and bright uniform which 
 the major had worn when they met on previous 
 occasions on the road ; it was not the same which 
 he had worn in the rebel lines, or at the Hasbrouk 
 mansion ; but the face was the same, the whiskers 
 and mustache were the same in cut and color ; and 
 Somers, in spite of the doubt which at first assailed 
 him, was even now ready to make oath that he was 
 the same man he had shot in the head the preced 
 ing evening. 
 
 " Why shouldn't I be here, my dear fellow ? " 
 laughed the major. " We are going to have hot 
 work about here to-day." 
 
 "How is your head, major?" demanded Somers, 
 who could think of nothing at this moment but the 
 amazing fact that he again stood in the presence of 
 Major Riggleston.
 
 Fighting Joe. 119 
 
 ** Cool and clear, I hope," replied the major. 
 
 How is your wound ? " 
 
 "What wound?" 
 
 "Didn't you receive a wound in the head last 
 evening ? " 
 
 " Upon my word I did not, that I am aware of." 
 
 " Will you excuse me, Major Riggleston, if I ask 
 you to remove your hat for a moment ? " said Somers, 
 as he moved his horse up to the side of the major's. 
 
 " Certainly ; with pleasure," replied the staff 
 officer, as he took off his hat. 
 
 There was no bandage, nor any appearance of a 
 wound. Somers was more bewildered than ever, 
 and was disposed to do what heroes in the romances 
 do when anything looks astonishingly mysterious 
 ascribe the delusion to a dream. But he was tired 
 enough from the exertions of the night to convince 
 him that all which had occurred within the rebel 
 lines was a reality. 
 
 "Will you allow me to examine your head?" 
 asked he, utterly unable to see through the dark 
 problem. 
 
 "I will do even that with pleasure, Captain 
 Somers; though I think you are a little beside 
 yourself," laughed the major. 
 
 Somers reached forward, and put his hand on the 
 part of the major's head where the pistol ball had 
 struck him; but there was not the slightest abra 
 sion of the skin ; in a word, the head was in good 
 order and condition, and it was absolutely certain 
 that no bullet had passed through his skull. 
 
 "I am satisfied, Major Riggleston," replied Som 
 ers, though he was still in a bewildered state of 
 mind. " I owe you an apology for the rude treat 
 ment to which I subjected you on a former occa-
 
 120 Fighting Joe. 
 
 sion. You are not the man I took you to be ; and I 
 hope you will pardon my rough speech and un 
 friendly manners." 
 
 " Cheerfully, Captain Somers. Here is my hand," 
 replied the major, evidently as much pleased to for 
 give as the scout was to be forgiven. 
 
 " I am satisfied now." 
 
 " But I am not," responded the major. 
 
 "Last night, about eleven o'clock, I shot you 
 through the head," said Somers, facetiously. 
 
 Me ! " 
 
 "Yes, you!" 
 
 " Well, perhaps you did ; but I did not feel it." 
 
 " I was willing, a moment ago, to give my affi 
 davit that you were the person. I was mistaken 
 this time, as I was yesterday when I accused you 
 of being a traitor. By the way, Major Riggleston," 
 added Somers, as he took from his pocket the two 
 passes he had received from the mysterious person 
 age in the ravine, and selecting the Union one, 
 handed it to his companion, "is this document 
 yours ? " 
 
 " It is," replied the major, glancing at the pass. 
 Where did you get this ?" 
 
 " Is this yours ? " continued Somers, handing him 
 the other pass. 
 
 " No ; this is a rebel pass," answered the major. 
 " I never saw it before, and have no occasion for a 
 paper of this description. Where did you get the 
 other?" 
 
 " You gave it to me last night," laughed Somers. 
 
 " I'm sure I did not." 
 
 "Captain Somers," called the general; and the 
 interview was abruptly terminated.
 
 Fighting Joe. 121 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE BATTLE OX THE RIGHT. 
 
 THE Pennsylvania Reserves, commanded by tdfen- 
 eral Meade, occupied the center of the line of the 
 first corps. They were a noble body of troops, and 
 had done some of the most splendid fighting of the 
 war on the Peninsula, and in the bloody but inde 
 cisive battles of Pope's campaign. Captain Somers, 
 as if in compliment to him for his zeal and his 
 energy, was sent to bear the order for this division 
 to advance. 
 
 The Reserves moved forward with a hearty, 
 cheerful zeal ; and presently the thunder of their 
 artillery, and the rattling volleys of musketry, pro 
 claimed the commencement of the conflict. A por 
 tion of Stonewall Jackson's command was before 
 them men who always fought with the energy of 
 desperation. They were a worthy foe, and worthily 
 were they met; but the rebels had the advantage. 
 Their renowned leader had chosen their position, and 
 the brave Pennsylvanians suffered terribly. 
 
 " Fighting Joe," on his white charger, rode up to 
 the position in the front of the battle. He was 
 calm and unmoved in the shower of bullets, and 
 the troops were gladdened and encouraged by his 
 presence. They were strong without him; they 
 were stronger with him. He gave off his orders 
 with the utmost coolness, and spoke words of fire, 
 which burned in the souls of the men. He was 
 there, the idol of the army, and there was not a
 
 122 Fighting Joe. 
 
 man who would not have been ashamed to skulk 
 with this noble example before him. The mighty 
 will of the general was communicated to the nerves 
 and the muscles of his soldiers, and he multiplied 
 himself thousands of times in the persons of his 
 devoted followers. 
 
 Still they moved on, Meade's division, supported 
 by that of Ricketts, nearer to the woods where the 
 rebels were concentrated ; and still they poured hi 
 the deadly volleys, until the resistance before them 
 was sensibly diminished. 
 
 " Forward ! " was the word that rang along the 
 line ; and the Reserves, supported by two of Rick- 
 ett's brigades, rushed on with cheers, and entered 
 the oak grove. The rebels were falling back before 
 them, and they rushed through the woods, across 
 the open field on the other side, and still onward to 
 the woods beyond the field. But here they were 
 thrown upon bodies of fresh troops, hurried up to 
 meet them. From the dark shadows of the wood 
 came showers of bullets from a sheet of flaming fire. 
 The grove was packed with rebels ; the Reserves 
 seemed to melt away like frost before the sunlight, 
 in that galling fire. They closed up their shattered 
 lines, and fell doggedly back, pouring in volley after 
 volley upon the dense masses. 
 
 The fortunes of the day seemed suddenly to have 
 been reversed ; what had been victory a moment 
 before, now became defeat. Stonewall Jackson's 
 entire line was advancing with those fiendish yells 
 which distinguish the rebel onslaught. It was a 
 critical moment in the fortunes of the day ; but the 
 genius of the man who held the reins in his hands 
 was equal to the occasion. He was not a mile in 
 the rear ; he was in the front, where he could see the
 
 Fighting Joe. 123 
 
 indications of threatening disaster ; where he could 
 promptly meet and counteract the elements of 
 defeat which had begun to manifest themselves. 
 
 " Captain Somers," said he, in his calm but 
 earnest tones. 
 
 Somers spurred forward his horse, and saluting 
 the general, stood in readiness for his commands. 
 
 " Tell General Ricketts to send me his best 
 brigade instantly." 
 
 It rained shot and shell on the hillside as Somers 
 dashed away to execute the order. Presently the 
 " best brigade," consisting of the twelfth and thir 
 teenth Massachusetts, the ninth New York, and the 
 eleventh Pennsylvania, under the command of 
 General Hartsuff, double-quicked down the hill, 
 amid the falling shot and bursting shell, which 
 crashed fearfully through the trees, and tore up the 
 earth in their mad flight. They were veteran 
 troops, commanded by a veteran soldier of skill and 
 bravery. They passed the general on their march, 
 and his eye lighted up with satisfaction as he saw 
 the spirit which they manifested. 
 
 " I think they will hold the ground," said he, as 
 General Hartsuff, passing the shattered lines of the 
 Reserves, drew up his brigade on the summit of a 
 hill between them and the exultant foe. 
 
 They fired in volleys at first, and then at will ; 
 but they did their work most heroically. None 
 flinched; none fled. The rebels pushed forward 
 their flushed troops ; but these gallant fellows 
 stormed them with bullets, and, assisted by the 
 brigades of Gibbons and Patrick, repelled the 
 assault. Jackson's line suffered severely, and a 
 large number of field officers were killed in vain 
 attempts to rally them. The rebels fell back again
 
 124 Fighting Joe. 
 
 to the woods from which they had come, and again 
 this part of the line was safe. There had been a 
 terrible loss in the gallant brigade which held t, ie 
 brow of the hill, and General Hartsuff was severely 
 wounded early in the action. 
 
 The general of the corps had saved his line in 
 this place had brought a success out of a reverse ; 
 but his brain was still active. Batteries rushed 
 like a train of meteors over the field, obedient to 
 his ready thought. Messages of varied import 
 came to him from division commanders. Ricketts 
 was hard pressed could barely hold his position ; 
 and a portion of Mansfield's corps was sent to his 
 aid. The venerable soldier went with two of his 
 brigades ; but he was mortally wounded, and was 
 borne to the rear. 
 
 " Go to that regiment on the right, Captain 
 Somers, and tell the colonel not to let his men break 
 on any account," said the general. 
 
 Somers dashed away, and stood before broken 
 fragments of a regiment, with hardly a commissoned 
 officer left in the line. They were noble and brave 
 fellows, and they were yielding only when there 
 seemed to be no one left to lead them. They were 
 giving way, and making a gap in the line, through 
 which the desperate rebels could burst, and over 
 whelm the column. 
 
 The staff officer saw at a glance the state of the 
 case. He blamed not the men ; it was the fault of 
 the cowardly officer upon whom the command had 
 devolved. He was weak and inefficient; at least he 
 was not man enough for such a trying emergency. 
 
 " The general desires to hold this line, at all 
 hazards," said Somers, saluting the officer. " Where 
 is the general of this brigade ? "
 
 Fighting Joe. 125 
 
 He has got his hands full yonder," replied the 
 captain in command of the regiment. 
 
 " You must hold this position without fail. 5 * 
 
 Can't hold it." 
 
 " Yes, you can ! " exclaimed Somers, fiercely. 
 
 " I can't hold it any longer." 
 
 " Forward, my hrave boys. The day is ours if 
 we stand up to it a little while longer ! " shouted he 
 to the hard-pressed troops, whose thin ranks were 
 rapidly becoming thinner under the fierce fire to 
 which they were subjected. " Follow me ! " he 
 added, La clarion tones, as he swung his sword in 
 the air. 
 
 A faint cheer burst from the ranks of the regi 
 ment, showing that they had not wholly lost their 
 spirit. They clutched their muskets tighter, and 
 looked sternly towards the rebel line. 
 
 " Don't spoil your record for this day, my gallant 
 fellows," continued Somers. " You have done 
 gloriously ; stick to it to the end." 
 
 " Who are you ? " said a gruff fellow in the ranks. 
 
 " Captain Somers, of the general's staff. He 
 expects you to hold this line. He sent me down to 
 you. Shall I tell him you are a pack of cowards ? 
 Or shall I tell him you have done your duty, and 
 been cut to pieces in the place where he put you ? " 
 
 " You bet ! " added the gruff fellow. " Come, 
 boys ! " 
 
 " Follow me ! " shouted Somers, as he urged his 
 foaming steed through the ranks, and waved his 
 sword over his head. 
 
 " He's the chap ! Go in, boys," cried one of the 
 men, as the ranks closed up, and they followed the 
 intrepid staff officer back to the position from which 
 they had retreated.
 
 126 Fighting Joe. 
 
 The rebels had seen the break, and were swift to 
 take advantage of it. They rushed forward, whoop 
 ing like savages; but the fragmentary regiment 
 now stood like a wall of iron, and poured a volley 
 into the advancing horde, before which they quailed, 
 and then retreated. 
 
 " Bravo ! my noble fellows. * Fighting Joe ' is 
 looking at you, and he shall know all about it." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " shouted the brave men, who had 
 gathered new life and hope from the inspiring words 
 of the young staff officer. 
 
 "You will stand firm won't you?" demanded 
 Somers. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " yelled the reorganized, revivified little 
 force, so heartily that Somers fell back from the 
 front to return to his position at the side of the 
 general. 
 
 " Captain Somers ! " said a familiar voice, almost 
 in a yell. " Somers, by all that is grand and 
 beautiful ! " 
 
 Somers turned, and saw a man approaching him 
 from the ranks of an adjoining regiment. He was 
 dressed hi the uniform of an officer, but he had a 
 musket in his hand. He was begrimed with smoke, 
 and his cheek was blackened by close contact with 
 the piece in his hand. 
 
 " Major de Banyan ! " replied Somers, as his old 
 friend rushed up to his side, and seized his hand. 
 
 " What are you doing here ? " 
 
 " I happened up here on business, and I went in 
 as a volunteer on my own hook," replied De Banyan, 
 still shaking the hand of the staff officer, though 
 the bullets were whistling, and the shot and shell 
 were roaring around him. 
 
 That's like you. Have you no position ? "
 
 Fighting Joe. 127 
 
 *I am a private, just now." 
 
 " By order of the general commanding the first 
 corps, I place you in command of this broken 
 regiment," said Somers, not doubting that he could 
 soon procure a confirmation of his deed. 
 
 " Good ! that reminds me " 
 
 "No, it don't; no what-you-call-ems," laughed 
 Somers. 
 
 " You are right, Somers. I have hardly told a 
 story since we parted." 
 
 At this moment the brigadier -general rode up, 
 and Somers referred the matter of the command to 
 him. When he learned what had happened, he 
 installed Major de Banyan in the temporary charge 
 of the regiment. Somers said a few words to the 
 boys, to reconcile them to their new commander. 
 He told them who and what De Banyan was ; the 
 major stepped in front of them, and went to work 
 with his usual skill and bravery. Somers left his 
 friend, with a promise to see him again as soon as 
 possible, and rode back to the general. 
 
 There was a certain piece of woods on the right 
 which the general regarded as the key to the position, 
 and which he had determined to take and to hold. 
 He was in the act of riding forward for the purpose 
 of examining this point in person, as he did on all 
 important occasions. Somers reported to him just 
 as he was leaving the front of the most advanced 
 line of troops. He continued his bold reconnais 
 sance till he reached the top of the hill, where he 
 dismounted, and went forward on foot. He coolly 
 and carefully surveyed the ground, returned to his 
 horse, and remounted-. 
 
 The storm of musket balls from the point of 
 woods was kept up all this time with the most
 
 128 Fighting Joe. 
 
 determined vigor. The erect, manly form of 
 " Fighting Joe " had been conspicuous on the field 
 all the morning, and the rebels had fired at him 
 individually hundreds of times ; but he seemed to 
 have a charmed life. He had been spared to com 
 plete the work he had begun, and which he had so 
 ably and successfully carried forward. 
 
 As he mounted his horse he sent Somers off on a 
 mission to the batteries of artillery planted on the 
 ridge behind him. It was in the midst of one of the 
 hottest fires of the day. Three men dropped near 
 the general. He turned and started for another 
 part of the field ; but he had hardly advanced a pace 
 before he was struck in the foot by a rifle ball. 
 
 " You are wounded, general," said Somers, return 
 ing to the spot. 
 
 " Carry the order I gave you, Captain Somers," 
 replied he, with an expression of pain on his noble 
 features. 
 
 Somers galloped off to execute his mission. 
 
 The general still sat his horse, and gave directions 
 for the capture and holding of the point he had ex 
 amined at the peril of his precious life. The surgeon 
 advised him to leave the field, but he refused to do 
 so. He swayed backward and forward, reeling from 
 faintness in his saddle. Still he looked about him, 
 to carry out the purpose which filled his mind. 
 
 " There's a regiment on the right of us. Order it 
 forward! Crawford and Gordon are coming up. 
 Tell them to take those woods, and hold them; 
 and it is our fight ! " said he, feebly, but with em 
 phasis. 
 
 He fainted, but partially recovered, and rode 
 slowly and reluctantly to the rear, after he had sent 
 vord to General Sumner that he was wounded.
 
 Fighting Joe. 129 
 
 CHAPTER. XV. 
 
 AFTER THE BATTLE. 
 
 GENERAL SUMMER was close at hand with his corps. 
 He saw the wounded commander, spoke to him, and 
 passed on to complete the work which had been so 
 far accomplished, apparently, that it only remained 
 to hold what had already been gained. 
 
 " Fighting Joe " had virtually contended with the 
 whole rebel army, for the attack on the left and in the 
 center was delayed for hours after the victory on 
 the right had been won. He had done his part in the 
 day's work nobly and successfully ; and there his 
 responsibility for the results of the battle terminated. 
 
 Somers went to the rear with his wounded general, 
 but, when assured that the injury, though very 
 severe, was not dangerous, and that he could be of no 
 service to him, returned to the field, resolved to act 
 as a volunteer. There was heavy fighting in the 
 woods, where Crawford and Gordon were executing 
 the last order of the commander of the first corps. 
 The rebels, by the delay in the Union attack on the 
 left and center, were enabled to send forward fresh 
 troops ; and the combat deepened until the woods 
 blazed with fire. 
 
 The young staff officer rushed in, and hastily re 
 ported to General Crawford as a volunteer. He was 
 cordially thanked, his services accepted, and he was 
 directed to use his own judgment. There were 
 plenty of exhausted regiments vainly struggling to
 
 130 Fighting Joe. 
 
 roll back the tide of defeat which was setting fiercely 
 against them. Hundreds of gallant officers lay dead 
 and wounded upon the ground, and there was abun 
 dance of work for any brave leader who had the nerve 
 to do it. 
 
 Somers attempted to rally the broken ranks, and 
 close up the wide gaps which had been made by the 
 fearful carnage ; but Crawford was forced back, and 
 what had been gained on the front was lost. At this 
 crisis General Franklin came up with fresh troops, 
 and the ground which had been lost was regained, 
 not to be again abandoned. 
 
 The excitement was over, and Somers began to 
 think that he had a body as well as a spirit. He was 
 thoroughly exhausted when he left the field of his 
 last labor, and rode over to the point where he had 
 left Major de Banyan. 
 
 " What's the matter, my dear boy ? " demanded 
 the major, as he rode up to the begrimed soldier. 
 " Are you wounded ? " 
 
 " No," replied Somers, languidly ; but he hardly 
 knew what did ail him. 
 
 "You are as pale as death. Are you sure you are 
 not wounded? " asked the major, tenderly and anx 
 iously. 
 
 "I don't think I am." 
 
 " Dismount, and let me overhaul you. I'm sure 
 you are in a bad condition," continued the veteran, 
 as he took the hand of the staff officer. 
 
 " I don't feel very well," added Somers. 
 
 Things began to look very shaky before him ; he 
 felt a deadly nausea ; and before he could get off his 
 horse, he sank fainting into the arms of his friend. 
 The major took him from his saddle and laid him on 
 the ground. He was alarmed, and tore open his coat
 
 Fighting Joe. 131 
 
 to examine the vital parts of his body ; but there was 
 no wound, or even a spot of blood to indicate one. 
 He procured a canteen of water, sprinkled his face, 
 and rubbed his temples with his hands. 
 
 Captain Somers had only fainted from exhaustion 
 consequent upon the severe trials of the preceding 
 night, and the excitement and fatigue he had under 
 gone during the battle. The skilful attentions of De 
 Banyan soon restored him to consciousness ; but he 
 was as weak and feeble as an infant. He had eaten 
 only one of the biscuits he had taken in the morning, 
 and had performed his trying duties on an empty 
 stomach. His health, already shattered, was not 
 equal to the fatigues he had been called upon to 
 endure. 
 
 " There is nothing further for you or me to do here. 
 We have won the field, and if the rest of the line does 
 its work we shall have the day," said De Banyan. 
 " Now we will go and have you taken care of." 
 
 " I am willing, for I can't stand this any longer," 
 replied Somers, feebly. 
 
 The major helped him on his horse again, and 
 walked by his side, as they slowly made their way 
 to the rear. Every house in the vicinity of the battle 
 field was filled with wounded soldiers, and there was 
 no spot where De Banyan could find a resting-place 
 for his patient ; but he obtained some refreshment 
 for him, which in a measure restored his strength. 
 
 " I'm afraid you are going to be sick, Somers," said 
 the major, anxiously, as he gazed upon the pale face 
 of his friend. 
 
 " I feel so myself." 
 
 " I am bound to see you in a comfortable place. 
 Do you know of one ? " 
 
 " The farther we go from this vicinity, the more
 
 132 Fighting Joe. 
 
 likely we shall be to find one. I must report myself 
 at headquarters first." 
 
 " Right ; and you will find your servant there." 
 
 They went to the place where the headquarters 
 had been located, but the wounded general had been 
 conveyed to Center ville Somers, however, reported 
 himself to the chief of staff, and found Alick. 
 
 " Major de Banyan, as sure as you was born 1 " ex 
 claimed the servant. 
 
 " I'm glad to see you, Alick," returned the major. 
 " Your master is sick, and we must look out for 
 him." 
 
 " Yes, sar," replied the faithful fellow, who pro 
 ceeded at once to saddle the extra horse. 
 
 As yet nothing had been or could be learned of 
 the result of the battle ; and the little party moved 
 off in search of accommodations for the sick officer. 
 De Banyan declared that he must get away from 
 the terrible scenes of death and mutilation in the 
 neighborhood of the battle-field. He was physician 
 enough to understand that the nerves of his patient 
 were much shattered, and that he needed absolute 
 quiet. 
 
 " I know a house which I think must be deserted," 
 said Somers ; " but it is eight or ten miles off." 
 
 ** So much the better, if you can manage to get 
 there," replied De Banyan, who was mounted on 
 Somers's spare horse, while Alick walked in the rear. 
 
 " I should not be very welcome there." 
 
 ** No matter for that. I will take possession of 
 the place in the name of the United States of 
 America. After the battle of Magenta there was a 
 quiet time, I suppose," laughed the major. " Where 
 is the place you speak of ? " 
 
 "It is the Hasbrouk mansion." And as they
 
 Fighting Joe. 133 
 
 rode slowly along, Somers told his companion of the 
 exciting events which had occurred there, and of 
 those which had followed it since his arrival in 
 Maryland. 
 
 In return De Banyan related the incidents which 
 had happened in the th Massachusetts, of which 
 Somers was still an officer ; of its march from the 
 Peninsula, and its terrible baptism of blood at 
 Groveton, where Captain Benson had fallen mortally 
 wounded ; and other red fields in which the regi 
 ment had been reduced to a mere skeleton. There 
 were a thousand things for each to tell, and Somers 
 almost forgot his weakness hi the interest he felt in 
 the history of his company and his regiment. 
 
 " But, Somers, how is that pretty young lady who 
 used to knit stockings?" asked the major. 
 
 " She is well ; I saw her the day I left Boston. I 
 have that same pair of socks on my feet now. I put 
 them on yesterday, when we went forward." 
 
 " Well, but how do you get on?" 
 
 "Get on?" 
 
 " Bah ! You know what I mean." 
 
 " I'm sure I don't," replied Somers, faintly, though 
 a soft blush colored his pale cheek. 
 
 " You are courting, of course." 
 
 " That's nonsense." 
 
 "I know it's nonsense; but young fellows like 
 you are given to such folly." 
 
 'I'm not." 
 
 'Pooh!" 
 
 ' She's my friend, and I am hers." 
 
 ' Of course you are." 
 
 ' Her father is a rich merchant, and I am nothing 
 but a poor boy. I have no idea of any such thing 
 as you speak of."
 
 134 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Haven't you, indeed ? Let me tell you, Somers, 
 if she was the daughter of the President of the 
 United States, she isn't any too good for you ; and 
 if she's offish on that score, I should like the priv 
 ilege of telling her so," added the major, with no 
 little spirit. 
 
 " That's nonsense, major." 
 
 "If Miss What's her name, Somers?'* 
 
 Lilian Ashford." 
 
 "That's an amazing pretty name, Somers. If 
 she's too good to marry a brigadier-general, and 
 such a brigadier-genera 1 as " 
 
 " I'm not a brigadier " 
 
 " But you will be before the war is over." 
 
 " I shall not ; you are absurd, major." 
 
 " Perhaps I am." 
 
 " I don't feel now as though I should be anything 
 much longer." 
 
 " Don't give it up, my boy ; you will be as good 
 as new in a week or two." 
 
 " I promised to write to Lilian." 
 
 Good ! Do it, then." 
 
 " I have no hopes in that quarter. We are only 
 friends. I like her very well, but we don't talk of 
 anything but those socks." 
 
 " I say, Somers, when you are a brigadier, and 
 have made your fortune, you will want a coat of 
 arms. Let me suggest one." 
 
 " A coat of arms ! " laughed Somers. 
 
 " Certainly ; you will want one. All great men 
 have one." 
 
 " And you would put a pair of socks on it ? " 
 
 " Certainly ; that's the idea. But where are we 
 going, Somers ? "
 
 Fighting Joe. 135 
 
 " To the Hasbrouk mansion ; and we are nearly 
 there," replied the sick man. 
 
 Somers had chosen this place on account of its 
 retired situation, and because he could think of no 
 other suitable house to be sick in. In spite of his 
 cheerful nature, he had some dismal forebodings in 
 regard to the future. Nothing but the inspiration 
 of his lively companion's presence kept him from 
 sinking under the pain and weakness which assailed 
 him. On the road, by the prudent counsels of his 
 friend, he had stopped several times to rest and 
 refresh himself. He had never felt so weak and 
 shattered before, and he feared it would be many a 
 long day before he was able again to take his place 
 on the staff of the general, or in the line of his regi 
 ment. 
 
 In the middle of the afternoon, while the guns 
 were still thundering at Antietam, the little party 
 reached the Hasbrouk mansion. Major de Banyan 
 took upon himself the whole charge of gaining ad 
 mission ; and, with his usual bold front, he entered 
 without knocking. The family, which had left the 
 house while hostilities were in progress around it, 
 had now returned. Alick took the horses, and 
 Somers followed the major into the mansion. To 
 the surprise of both they were immediately con 
 fronted by Maud, who had moved her patients to 
 her own home, when the battle commenced, early in 
 the morning. 
 
 De Banyan politely stated his business, at the 
 same time acting as though his stay was a settled 
 thing, whether the family were willing or not. 
 
 "We cannot accommodate you, sir," replied 
 Maud, as haughtily as though she had been the 
 queen of " my Maryland."
 
 136 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Sorry for it, miss ; but I shall be obliged to take 
 possession." 
 
 "We have three wounded officers here now," 
 added she. 
 
 " They are rebels." 
 
 " They are Confederate officers, sir, or they would 
 not be here." 
 
 " There will be one here who is not a Confederate 
 officer. My friend, Captain Somers, must be ac 
 commodated ; and I shall be obliged to turn out the 
 rebel officers, unless you can find room for him 
 without my doing so." 
 
 " I will not submit to this insolence ! " exclaimed 
 she, rushing out of the room. 
 
 " Good ! Now wait till I find a room for you, 
 Somers." 
 
 " I would not have come here if I had not sup 
 posed the house was deserted. I feel faint again, 
 major." 
 
 " Don't faint just yet." 
 
 De Banyan made himself entirely at home; 
 brought water, cologne, a smelling-bottle, and finally 
 set up his friend for another brief period. He then 
 went up-stairs, selected a front room, which, from 
 its contents, was evidently the apartment of Maud 
 herself. He set Alick at work in the chamber 
 making a fire, and otherwise preparing it for the 
 reception of the sick officer. 
 
 The major then conducted his patient to the com 
 fortable quarters he had secured, and put him to 
 bed. All the house could furnish he obtained, with 
 or without leave, and did all he could to improve 
 the condition of his sick friend. At night Somers 
 was in a raging fever, and the major was greatly 
 alarmed at his condition.
 
 Fighting Joe. 137 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED. 
 
 CAPTAIN SOMEBS knew very little of what took 
 place at the Hasbrouk mansion within the next 
 three weeks, being delirious during the greater por 
 tion of this time. Major De Banyan conquered a 
 peace with the family within twenty-four hours, 
 and obtained all that he required in the service of 
 the sick man without fighting for it. An old but 
 skilful physician was procured, who pronounced the 
 disease a severe case of typhoid fever, which pre 
 sented many alarming symptoms. 
 
 The major was a tender and a skilful nurse ; but 
 he felt that another presence than his own was 
 necessary in the sick-room. The sufferer needed the 
 soothing care of woman, and De Banyan sent a letter 
 to Pinchbrook, containing a full statement of the 
 alarming condition of the captain ; and at the 
 end of a week his mother came, attended by his 
 father. 
 
 The Hasbrouk family, though cold and unsym- 
 pathizing toward their unwelcome guests, afforded 
 Mrs. Somers every convenience for the discharge of 
 her motherly duty. De Banyan, when compelled 
 by the expiration of his furlough to return to his 
 regiment, distinctly informed Maud and her father, 
 if any disrespect was shown to Mrs. Somers or her 
 husband, or any hindrance thrown in their way,
 
 138 Fighting Joe. 
 
 he would cause them all to be turned out of the 
 house, and do his best to have the property imme 
 diately confiscated. The threat had the desired 
 effect, and though Mrs. Sorners could not help feel 
 ing that she was an intruder on the premises, her 
 discomfort was not increased by any misconduct on 
 the part of the host or his family. 
 
 For days Somers's life seemed to hang .only by a 
 thread. His devoted mother trembled over him 
 during the long and weary nights. She and her 
 husband, assisted by the faithful Alick, took the 
 whole care of the sufferer, rarely seeing any member 
 of the family. A separate table was set for them, 
 and their presence was avoided as though they car 
 ried the pestilence in their garments. They were 
 the " mud-sills " of the North, and there could be 
 no communication between them. 
 
 At the end of three weeks, the danger had passed 
 away, and the patient began to improve. In a short 
 time, under the skilful care of the old doctor, he 
 was able to go down-stairs ; and his father at once 
 made arrangements for removing him to his home 
 in Pinchbrook, anxious to escape as soon as possible 
 from the cold hospitality of the Hasbrouks. On 
 the day before the intended departure, a servant 
 announced that Major Riggleston wished to see 
 him, and would meet him in the parlor. Attended 
 by his mother, he went down-stairs. 
 
 " I am glad to see you, Captain Somers, but sorry 
 to find you so ill," said the major, when Mrs. Somers 
 had been duly introduced. 
 
 " Thank you, major ; I have had rather a rough 
 time of it/' 
 
 " You were fortunate in having the attention of 
 your good mother."
 
 Fighting Joe. 139 
 
 "I should have died without her," added the 
 captain, glancing affectionately at his mother. 
 
 " Well, Ave don't know about those things, 
 Thomas," said Mrs. Somers, meekly. 
 
 " I learned that you were here three weeks ago, 
 and I intended to call upon you before this time," 
 continued the major. " You know there was a little 
 affair between us that needed clearing up." 
 
 " It would done no good to come much afore now ; 
 the poor boy wan't fit to be seen. He's had an 
 awful hard time on't, and nothing but almighty 
 Power has kept him from the grave," interposed 
 Mrs. Somers, wiping away the tear that started in 
 her eye when she thought of the days in which her 
 son was trembling between life and death. " If I 
 can only once get him home, he shan't leave me 
 again. He went off afore when he was no more fit 
 to go than a baby." 
 
 " The captain is a very useful person in the army." 
 
 " Well, I suppose he is ; but there's no sense nor 
 reason in his going off when he ain't fit to go. We 
 shall get away from here to-morrow." 
 
 " My mother don't like this place very well," said 
 Somers, with a smile. " The people here are not 
 remarkably fond of me." 
 
 " Why not ? " 
 
 " I forgot that you did not know anything about 
 it. I will tell you now, Major Riggleston, and I'm 
 sure you will not blame me for the rude words I 
 spoke to you, when you understand the matter." 
 
 " You did the fair thing when you discovered 
 your mistake ; but you spoke to your general about 
 the affair, and he does not regard me with favor. I 
 came over here partly for the purpose of affording 
 you an opportunity to clear me from the imputation
 
 140 Fighting Joe. 
 
 that rests upon my honor. An explanation from 
 you will set the matter right." 
 
 " I can't explain it myself," added Somers. " I 
 only know that you are not the man who entrapped 
 me, and whom I shot in the head." 
 
 Somers then related the history of t' 9 affair in 
 the house where they were then assemble , and that 
 which occurred in the rebel lines. Major .' .' iggleston 
 listened to the narrative with deep interest, as did 
 Mrs. Somers, whose husband had gone T, th Alick 
 to examine the battle-fields of An tie tarn a.jd South 
 Mountain. 
 
 " Sakes alive ! who ever heard of such tilings ! " 
 exclaimed Mrs. Somers, when her son had finished 
 his exciting story. " It's a wonder that you wan't 
 killed, Thomas." 
 
 " I understand it all now, Captain Somers," said 
 the major, rather disconcerted. "Though I am not 
 at all to blame in the premises, the affair more 
 nearly concerns me than you may suppose." 
 
 " I exonerate you entirely, Major Riggleston," 
 continued Somers. 
 
 " There, Thomas, you mustn't talk any more now," 
 interposed the matron. 
 
 " I won't say anything more, but I must settle 
 this affair, mother." 
 
 At this moment the door opened, and Maud Has- 
 brouk was on the point of entering ; but when she 
 saw that the parlor was already occupied, she turned 
 to retire. 
 
 " These people in here ! " said she, contemptu 
 ously, but loud enough to be heard by all in the 
 room. 
 
 " No matter, Maud ; go in if Fred is there," said 
 another person, behind her.
 
 Fighting Joe. 141 
 
 "He is there ; he is a friend of Captain Somers," 
 sneered she, as she walked into the apartment as 
 though she had been a superior being. 
 
 " How is your health, Captain Somers ? " asked 
 the person who followed Maud. 
 
 He was an officer, and his head was tied up with 
 a bandage. 
 
 " Major Riggleston ! " exclaimed Somers, starting 
 from his chair. 
 
 " Goodness ! " ejaculated Mrs. Somers, fearful 
 that the excitement her son exhibited would throw 
 him into another fever. " What ails the boy ? " 
 
 " You are certainly the person at whom I fired," 
 added Somers, as he gazed at the form and features 
 of the new-comer. 
 
 "No doubt of that, Captain Somers," replied 
 the major. " And a very nice time I've had of it 
 too." 
 
 "I hope some one will serve you in the same 
 way," said Maud, spitefully. 
 
 " For massy sake ! " exclaimed Mrs. Somers, fear 
 ful in the gathering events that some one would 
 serve her darling boy in the same way. " What has 
 Thomas done ? " 
 
 " He is a" 
 
 "Not another word, Maud," said the wounded 
 major, sternly. " He did his duty, and I am not the 
 one to blame him for it." 
 
 " I hope you will do yours, major, if the circum 
 stances ever place you in the same situation." 
 
 " I should ; and Captain Somers would not blame 
 me for it." 
 
 "Certainly not," replied Somers. 
 
 " He saved your life and mine, Maud ; and we will 
 not quarrel now."
 
 142 Fighting Joe. 
 
 The proud beauty was silent and sullen, while 
 Somers gazed in wonder from one Major Riggleston 
 to the other Major Riggleston. 
 
 " You understand it now, Captain Somers ? " said 
 the loyal major. 
 
 " I do ; it is all very plain now. You must ac 
 knowledge that I made a very natural mistake." 
 
 " It is not the first time I have been taken for my 
 brother. He is two years older than I am ; but we 
 look very much alike." 
 
 When they were together, several points of differ 
 ence could be observed ; and the resemblance was 
 not now so great as it had been before the battle of 
 Antietam, for the rebel major had grown thinner 
 and paler under the suffering induced by his wound. 
 At the time Somers had met them, the similarity in 
 form and features, in voice and manner, was so 
 great, that a person of ordinary perception, meeting 
 them at different times, could not have told one 
 from the other. The rebel major had changed so 
 much during his illness that the difference was now 
 more perceptible. 
 
 "It never occurred to me that you had seen my 
 brother," said Major Fred, who was the loyal bro 
 ther. "If it had, I should have understood the 
 whole matter." 
 
 " I understood it perfectly," added Major Ernest, 
 who was the rebel brother. " I confess, too, that I 
 took advantage of the circumstance." 
 
 " But where did you get my safe-conduct ? " asked 
 Fred. 
 
 " I picked it up the night we were at home," 
 replied Ernest, rather sheepishly. 
 
 " That was hardly fair." 
 
 " All fair in war, Fred."
 
 Fighting Joe. 143 
 
 "Well, then, it is one of the disadvantages of 
 having a brother on the wrong side, Ernest." 
 
 " That name, Ernest, reminds me that I heard it 
 at your father's house, in Frederick," added Somers. 
 
 "Captain Somers," said the loyal major, very 
 seriously, " you may think I am not as patriotic as 
 I ought to be. You know that my brother was at 
 my father's house, and that I saw him there. You 
 may think I ought to have handed him over as a 
 prisoner of war." 
 
 "Thomas don't think any such thing," said Mrs. 
 Somers. 
 
 " I have nothing to say about that ; it is a family 
 affair," added Captain Somers. "I need only say 
 that I regard you, Major Fred Riggleston, as a loyal 
 man ; and I shall write the general a letter contain 
 ing a full explanation of my blunder." 
 
 " Thank you, captain," replied Fred. " That will 
 set me right." 
 
 "By the way, Captain Somers," said the rebel 
 major, " there is a matter between us also." 
 
 " What I agreed in honor and confidence to do, I 
 have done, and shall continue to do," replied Somers, 
 alluding to the matter of the rebel countersign, im 
 parted to him by the wounded major. 
 
 " There, Thomas, you mustn't say another word," 
 interposed Mrs. Somers, once more. 
 
 Maud left the room, disgusted with the proceed 
 ings, and dissatisfied with the conduct of her lover, 
 who persistently refused to revile the Yankees pres 
 ent. When she had gone, Major Ernest walked up 
 to Somers, and in a low tone, remarked that he 
 should never again serve in the rebel army. The 
 captain commended his resolution, and hoped he 
 would be able to do more and better than this, and
 
 144 Fighting Joe. 
 
 be found in the ranks of his country's defenders in 
 the hour of peril. He shook his head and made no 
 reply. 
 
 Somers was conducted to his chamber by his 
 mother, who insisted that he should lie down ; for 
 she greatly feared the effects of the excitement to 
 which he had been subjected. Late in the evening, 
 Captain Somers, senior, returned from the battle 
 fields, and his wife regaled him for an hour with 
 the adventures of their son, concerning which, Cap 
 tain Somers, junior, had up to this day preserved a 
 discreet silence. 
 
 On the following day, Somers, with his parents, 
 started for home. The feeble condition of the in 
 valid compelled them to travel very slowly, and 
 remain two or three days at each of the principal 
 cities through which they passed on the journey. 
 Consequently it was nearly a fortnight before they 
 reached Pinchbrook, where the hero was duly wel 
 comed ; and where, in a few days after his arrival, 
 he had the happiness to receive a visit from Lilian 
 Ashford. 
 
 She was as gentle and beautiful as ever, and 
 smiled so sweetly upon him, and pitied him so ten 
 derly, that he almost found it in his heart to rejoice 
 at the suffering which had procured him such a 
 blissful meeting. Lilian told him how disappointed 
 her grandmother was at not seeing him, as he had 
 promised, and that she still lived in the hope of 
 meeting him. Of course Somers proposed to keep 
 the broken engagement as soon as he was able to 
 visit the city. 
 
 Lilian was accompanied by her father, who mani 
 fested a hearty interest in the young aide-de-camp, 
 and joined warmly with his daughter in the invita-
 
 Fighting Joe. 145 
 
 tion to visit his house. This was hopeful, and 
 afforded Somers many pleasant reflections, the nature 
 of which we need hardly explain to our cunning 
 readers. The visitors departed, and the invalid's 
 suffering body contained a hopeful spirit. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DOWN IN TENNESSEE. 
 
 IT was four months before Captain Somers was 
 able to visit Boston, so severely had his constitution 
 been shattered by the fatigues of the service, and 
 by the strain of exciting events upon his nervous 
 system. Lilian Ashford and her father visited 
 Pinchbrook several times during this period, and an 
 excellent understanding was established between 
 the captain and the young lady. The visit was 
 returned in the spring, when Somers was able to 
 endure the fatigue ; and as his health gradually im 
 proved, he repeated his calls till they occurred as 
 often as once a week. 
 
 Grandmother Ashford had abundant opportunity 
 now to tell all about the " last war," and Somers 
 listened with the attention which so interesting a 
 narrative deserved. Perhaps it was fortunate for 
 the venerable lady that her eyesight was impaired, 
 or she might have been wounded to observe that her 
 patient auditor looked more at Lilian than at her 
 self. On one of these occasions the old lady was so 
 imprudent as to leave the young couple in the parlor,
 
 146 Fighting Joe. 
 
 and something passed between them which seemed 
 to make Somers very much pleased with himself 
 and with Lilian, and to make Lilian equally well 
 pleased with herself and with Somers. What this 
 was, the experienced reader may possibly be able to 
 divine ; but as our story relates mainly to the mili 
 tary history of our hero, it cannot properly be intro 
 duced. 
 
 Captain Somers was certainly improving in health, 
 but so slowly that there was no present prospect of 
 his being able to join his regiment, or report on the 
 staff of his beloved general, now commanding the 
 grand army of the Potomac. His physician posi 
 tively refused to permit him even to visit the scene 
 of active operations ; and after communicating with 
 " Fighting Joe " by letter, he decided to resign his 
 position in the th Massachusetts, for his continued 
 absence not only deprived the regiment of his serv 
 ices, but prevented some deserving officer, who per 
 formed his duties, from receiving the pay and 
 promotion to which he was justly entitled. But he 
 did not take this decisive step till he was assured 
 by the general that he could have an appointment 
 on the staff as soon as he was able to discharge the 
 duties of the position. 
 
 While Somers was absent from the army, the great 
 battle of Fredericksburg had been fought ; and the 
 brave, noble, and Christian Burnside, perplexed by 
 the treachery of seeming friends, by the over-zealous 
 movements of real ones, and by the machinations of 
 envious and jealous officers, who should have been 
 foremost to support him, was badly defeated. The 
 rank and file behaved nobly, fought well, and the 
 day ought to have been won ; but the parts of the 
 grand army were disjointed ; they did not act in
 
 Fighting Joe. 147 
 
 concert ; and portions of the force were left to be 
 mercilessly slaughtered. The devoted and unselfish 
 Burnside shouldered the responsibility, and stepped 
 down from the exalted military pinnacle to which he 
 had been raised without ambition, and against his 
 own desires. 
 
 He was succeeded by Major-General Hooker, the 
 " bravest of the brave," and one of the ablest soldiers 
 which the war had developed. He had fought and 
 lost the great battle of Chancellorsville ; but he, too, 
 was a victim of jealousy and indecision on the part 
 of men whose purposes were their own, instead of 
 their suffering country's. 
 
 The culminating battle of the war was fought at 
 Gettysburg by his successor. It was a decisive 
 victory; for the defiant foe was penetrating the 
 heart of the North, and there could be no trifling 
 with the terrible fact that stared the nation full in 
 the face. The generals and the army fought nobly, 
 and the exulting rebels were hurled back, shattered 
 and discomfited, to the soil of Virginia. 
 
 The battle of Gettysburg was immediately followed 
 by the surrender of Vicksburg and Port Hudson ; 
 and operations on the West and Southwest attracted 
 the attention of the country during the remainder 
 of the year, while the army of the Potomac was com 
 paratively quiet in Virginia. The battle of Chicka- 
 mauga Creek was fought, and the Union army 
 defeated, and only saved from disaster by the skill 
 and firmness of General Thomas. 
 
 The Confederate authorities, taking advantage of 
 the lull in the storm of battle in the East, sent 
 General Longstreet and his corps to the West, which 
 being understood in Washington, the eleventh and 
 twelfth corps of the army of the Potomac were
 
 148 Fighting Joe. 
 
 despatched, under command of General Hooker, to 
 counteract this addition to the force of the rebels. 
 
 Captain Somers had impatiently watched the 
 progress of events in the East and in the West, and 
 mourned over the necessity which compelled him to 
 remain inactive. He had attended to his health, 
 and felt that he was completely restored, even before 
 his stubborn physician would acknowledge the fact. 
 But in the month of September, when he had been 
 nearly a year off duty, the doctor gave him a " clean 
 bill of health." He had employed much of his time, 
 since his strength would permit, in athletic exer 
 cises in rowing, in gymnastics, and in hard labor 
 in the garden. He was heavier and stronger than 
 he had ever been before, and he was ashamed to 
 remain any longer in idleness when the country 
 needed his arm. He wrote to the general again, just 
 as the stalwart hero was on the point of starting for 
 the West. 
 
 Three days after, Somers received a reply, inform 
 ing him that in a short time he would receive a 
 commission as a captain in the regular army, and an 
 appointment on his staff as senior aide-de-camp. To 
 this agreeable intelligence was added the hardly 
 less agreeable fact that Major de Banyan and Cap 
 tain Barkwood would also be members of his mili 
 tary family. 
 
 " Glory, hallelujah I " shouted Somers, as he 
 rushed into the humble cottage at Pinchbrook. 
 
 " What on airth is the matter now, Thomas ? " 
 asked his mother, dropping the wet dishcloth on 
 the floor in her astonishment. 
 
 " Read that, mother ! " shouted the captain. 
 
 u I hain't got my glasses, Thomas. What is 
 it?"
 
 Fighting Joe. 149 
 
 ** A captain in the regular army ! A soldier for 
 life. What will Lilian say to that?" 
 
 " Dear me ! Well, that is news," added Mrs. 
 Soraers, who, however, was not very clear in regard 
 to the distinction between a regular and a volunteer 
 officer. "I suppose the gal will think you are a 
 pretty smart boy. I hope it won't make you proud 
 and vain, Thomas." 
 
 " I'm proud, mother ; but I guess it won't make 
 me vain. I tell you what, it's no small thing to be 
 a captain in the regular army. I think Lilian won't 
 like me any less for this." 
 
 " Cat's foot ! She won't like you any more. If 
 she does, she ain't the gal I take her to be. Do you 
 suppose she will want you off all the time, when 
 you " 
 
 " Come, mother, you are getting ahead of my 
 time," said the young captain, with a blush " Well, 
 I wish the papers would come, for I am in a hurry 
 to be at work again." 
 
 " They'll come soon enough," added the mother, 
 sadly, as she thought of another long separation, 
 and the dismal hours that would be spent in wait 
 ing for intelligence of him after a battle had been 
 fought. 
 
 The next day came a long letter from De Banyan, 
 in which he congratulated himself and his friend on 
 the prospect before them, and proposed to meet him 
 at Louisville on the journey to the new field of 
 operations. The commission and the appointment 
 soon followed, and Somers again donned his staff 
 uniform. The hardest thing before him was to 
 leave home, which had become doubly endeared to 
 him by his long stay. He had seen his twin 
 brother, now in the navy, during a brief visit the
 
 1 50 Fighting Joe. 
 
 latter made to Pinchbrook, when sent to Boston as 
 prize-master of a brig he had captured. This was 
 the only time they had met since the departure of 
 Thomas, at the commencement of the war, 
 
 Mrs. Somers was a woman of tender feelings, 
 and she wept bitterly as she again bade her son 
 adieu, and gave him into the keeping ef the al 
 mighty Father, who had protected and preserved 
 him through so many perils. In Boston, as may 
 well be supposed, he hastened to the house of Mr. 
 Ashford, and saw Lilian, who had already been in 
 formed of his intended departure. She now had a 
 deeper interest in him than ever before; and she 
 was sad, but hopeful. Another earnest prayer to 
 God for his safety was to be added daily and nightly 
 to those which went up from the humble home in 
 Pinchbrook. 
 
 " Do you see this bundle, Lilian ? " said Somers, 
 as he opened the parcel in his hand. 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " Don't you see ? " 
 
 Socks ! " 
 
 " They are the banner under, or rather, over, 
 which I fight," said he, handing her the articles. 
 
 " They are hardly worn at all," replied she, with 
 a sad smile. 
 
 " But they have been on my feet in every battle 
 in which I have been engaged. I never wear them 
 except in a fight, for I don't want to wear them 
 out." 
 
 " I will knit you some more." 
 
 " But they would not be these, if you did,'* 
 laughed Somers, trying to be as cheerful as possi 
 ble. u These socks have helped me to do my duty ; 
 and they introduced me to you, which is the best
 
 Fighting Joe. 151 
 
 part of it. When the war is over, I am going to 
 put them in a glass-case, and keep them in my 
 room, to remind me of the scenes of the past." 
 
 " You are a funny fellow, Thomas," said she. 
 
 " Perhaps I am ; but I mean all I say." 
 
 A great deal more was said, which we are afraid 
 would look very silly to some wise and prudent 
 people, if we should transfer it to our page ; but 
 the words spoken by both were very earnest and 
 sincere, though perhaps they were rather senti 
 mental, as might have been naturally expected 
 under such circumstances. He spoke the good-by, 
 and left the house. He did not see the tears shed 
 by Lilian after he had gone. More than her words, 
 even, they told of her sincerity. Mr. Ashford was 
 not at home when he called, and Somers paid his 
 respects to him at his counting-room. The wealthy 
 merchant was deeply interested in him, and readily 
 accepted the fact which the intimacy between his 
 daughter and the young soldier indicated. 
 
 Followed by the prayers and the hopes of devoted 
 friends, he proceeded on his journey to the West. 
 Alick, who had been at work in Pinchbrook during 
 the year, accompanied him as his servant. In due 
 time he reached Louisville, where, in conformity 
 with the arrangement, he met Major de Banyan, 
 and together they repaired to Nashville. They had 
 brought with them their saddles, and other military 
 equipments, but it was necessary to procure horses 
 at this place. 
 
 The headquarters of the eleventh and twelfth 
 corps were at Bridgeport, on the Tennessee, about 
 thirty miles from Chattanooga, which was the point 
 at which the military operations centred. Though 
 the country between Nashville and the advanced
 
 152 Fighting Joe. 
 
 line of the Union army was in military possession 
 of the loyal forces, it was in a very disturbed con 
 dition. There were strong Union men there ; but 
 the rebels predominated, and the region was infested 
 with Confederate cavalry and irresponsible guerillas. 
 The military railroad, by which the army received 
 its supplies, was necessarily guarded by troops 
 through every mile of its course. 
 
 Having procured their horses, Somers and De 
 Banyan proceeded by the railroad towards their 
 destination. The destruction of a bridge, about 
 twenty miles from Bridgeport, suspended the farther 
 progress of the train, and our officers decided to ac 
 complish the balance of the journey on horseback. 
 Each of them had a servant, and an extra horse to 
 meet the contingencies of the service. 
 
 " We shall not be able to find our way, I'm afraid," 
 said Somers, as they rode along through a wild 
 region. 
 
 " You forget that I am at home in this part of the 
 country," replied the major. 
 
 "Are you?" 
 
 " I was born and raised not twenty miles from 
 this spot, in the town of Winchester, over in that 
 direction," he added, pointing to the northwest. 
 " I know every foot of land about here ; and I am 
 indebted to that fact for my appointment on the 
 general's staff." 
 
 "Then we shall not be likely to get lost." 
 
 " No ; but the guerillas are as thick around here 
 as raisins in a plum pudding. I suppose I should 
 have an excellent opportunity to be hung if any of 
 them should catch me." 
 
 " What did you come down here for, then ? " 
 
 "It makes no difference to me. I rather enjoy
 
 Fighting Joe. 153 
 
 the excitement of the danger ; besides, I should like 
 to help restore my state to her allegiance." 
 
 tt It is almost night, major. I don't think it is 
 prudent for us to beat about this region in the 
 dark." 
 
 " It is safer to beat about than it is to lie down 
 and go to sleep ; but there is a house a couple of 
 miles from here, where a Union man used to live. 
 We will stop there if you like." 
 
 ** I think we had better do so," replied Somers. 
 
 u Perhaps we had, especially as it looks very much 
 like a storm." 
 
 They reached the house, which was the residence 
 of the owner of a large plantation. It had been an 
 elegant establishment before the war, but it looked 
 like waste and ruin around it. The travelers stopped 
 before the mansion. De Banyan dismounted, and 
 throwing the bridle-rein to his servant, walked up 
 to the front door. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE GUERILLAS AT SUPPEB. 
 
 DE BANT AN knocked at the door ; but as no one 
 answered his summons, he went in without further 
 ceremony, Somers remaining on his horse to await 
 the result of the interview. It was now quite dark ; 
 the wind howled savagely through the trees, and the 
 ram began to fall in torrents. 
 
 " Bad night, massa," said Alick, as he drew his 
 overcoat closer around him.
 
 154 Fighting Joe. 
 
 u Yes ; but we expect to stop at this house to 
 night," replied the captain. 
 
 " De storm make you sick again, massa." 
 
 " No, I think not." 
 
 " Must be careful, massa cap'n. I reckon dey has 
 de fever V agur right smart in dis yere country.'* 
 
 " I don't know," replied Somers, carelessly ; for 
 he was thinking that his friend was absent a long 
 time upon his mission. 
 
 He waited a quarter of an hour longer, and began 
 to be impatient at De Banyan's long absence. He 
 thought the major must be having a very pleasant 
 interview with his old acquaintance, and had for 
 gotten that his friend was out in the storm waiting 
 for him. At last his patience was completely ex 
 hausted, and he had it hi his heart to rebuke the 
 thoughtlessness of his companion. 
 
 " Here, Alick, hold my horse," said Somers, as he 
 dismounted. "The major has gone to sleep, and 
 forgotten that we are waiting for him." 
 
 " Yes, massa ; but dat ain't much like de major, 
 to forget you," replied Alick, taking the rein. 
 
 " No, it is not ; but I'll venture to say he is having 
 a good time in the house." 
 
 Somers walked up to the front door, and knocked 
 with his fist. As in the former instance, it brought 
 no response ; and he repeated the summons with 
 the butt of his pistol, but with no better success 
 than before. It was evident that the family were 
 very deaf, or that they occupied the rear of the 
 house, where the sound could not reach them. 
 Following the example of De Banyan, he opened the 
 door and entered. At the end of a long entry he 
 saw a light through a crack, which he followed till it 
 brought him to another door, at which he knocked.
 
 Fighting Joe. 155 
 
 " What do you want ? " demanded a large, rough, 
 uncouth-looking man, who presented himself at the 
 door. 
 
 " Where is the gentleman that came in here 
 half an hour ago?" asked Soiners, rather im 
 patiently. 
 
 " Haven't any room," replied the man, in a loud 
 tone. 
 
 " I asked where the gentleman was who came into 
 the house half an hour ago," repeated the captain. 
 
 I'm deef." 
 
 " I should think you were," said the inquirer, in a 
 low tone ; after which he uttered his question again 
 at the top of his lungs. 
 
 " I don't know him," yelled the deaf man. 
 
 " He came into this house." 
 
 "Four o'clock in the morning," screamed the 
 man. 
 
 " Have you seen any one come into this house ? " 
 shouted Somers. 
 
 " Blind in one ear, and deaf in one eye," returned 
 the man, with a grin. 
 
 "Who lives here?" 
 
 "I do." 
 
 " What's your name ? " 
 
 Skinley." 
 
 "What are you?" 
 
 " None o' yer business." 
 
 " Do you live alone ? " 
 
 What's that ter you ? " 
 
 " I want to see the man that came in here a while 
 ago." 
 
 Come in." 
 
 Somers did not like the looks of things at all ; 
 and if he had not been interested in De Banyan, he
 
 156 Fighting Joe. 
 
 would have retired in disgust from the house ; as it 
 was, he entered the room. As he did so he heard 
 the sounds of coarse revelry, which suddenly burst 
 upon his ear from an apartment farther in the rear 
 of the mansion. 
 
 " Mr. Skinley, I wish to see the gentleman who 
 came in before me," said Somers, putting his hand 
 on his pistol. 
 
 Do yer ? " 
 
 I do." 
 
 " Well, yer needn't yell no more ; there ain't none 
 so deef as them that won't hear. You kin see him," 
 replied the man, with a grin, which seemed to in 
 dicate that Somers had been made the victim of a 
 practical joke. 
 
 Where is he ? " 
 
 " In yender," replied Skinley, pointing to the door 
 of the room from which the sounds of revelry had 
 come. 
 
 Somers had a great many doubts in regard to the 
 situation. There was evidently a considerable body 
 of men in the house. 
 
 "Mr. Skinley " 
 
 "I ain't Mister Skinley. I told you what my 
 name was. My name's Skinley." 
 
 Well, Skinley." 
 
 " That sounds more like it, stranger. Now, what's 
 your name ? " 
 
 " Somers." 
 
 " What are you ? " 
 
 " None of your business." 
 
 " Whar yer gwine ?" 
 
 What's that to you ? " 
 
 " All right, stranger." 
 
 "Now, Skinley, who are those men hi yonder?"
 
 Fighting Joe. 157 
 
 asked Somers, good-natured in spite of the circum 
 stances of doubt, and possibly peril, which sur 
 rounded him, as he pointed to the rear room. 
 
 " Friends of mine." 
 
 " How many are there ? " 
 
 " Go in and count 'em. What yer want to know 
 fur?" 
 
 " A man in these times don't generally have so 
 many friends as you seem to have." 
 
 " I'm a good feller, Somers, and they all like me," 
 replied Skinley, laughing heartily. 
 
 " You have one of my friends in there." 
 
 " How do you know ? " 
 
 " You said so." 
 
 " Well, Somers, a feller don't allus know who his 
 friends is, in these times." 
 
 " But I know him ; and, Skinley, would you be so 
 kind as to call him out?" 
 
 " It can't be did," said the uncouth abomination 
 of a man, very positively. 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Whar d'yer larn yer manners ? He's havin* a 
 bout o' whiskey with the boys ; and I'd as soon think 
 o' techin' a pant'er at his grub as a sojer at his 
 whiskey." 
 
 " If you tell him Somers is here, he will not take 
 offense." 
 
 " Yes, he will. Them's good fellers. Go in and 
 jine 'em," said Skinley, throwing the door wide 
 open. 
 
 Seated around a long table, on which there was 
 still a plentiful supply of bacon and corn dodgers, 
 and a great many bottles, were about twenty of the 
 roughest-looking fellows the staff officer had ever 
 laid eyes upon. At the end of the board was De
 
 158 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Banyan, apparently as happy and contented as the 
 rest of the party. Somers had no difficulty hi 
 promptly arriving at the conclusion that the men 
 were guerillas. They had evidently drank all the 
 whiskey that was good for them. 
 
 "Come in, Somers," shouted the major, uproar 
 iously. " Come in, and we will make room for you. 
 My friend Somers," he added, turning to his wild 
 companions. 
 
 " Come in, Somers," said half a dozen of the guer 
 illas. 
 
 " Hand him the whiskey," put in one, who sat at 
 the farther end of the table. 
 
 " You'll have to excuse him, boys," interposed De 
 Banyan. " He never drinks whiskey ; it don't agree 
 with him. Have you any French brandy ? " 
 
 " Not a drop." 
 
 The major knew they had not; he was aware 
 that Somers would fight the whole crowd rather 
 than take a glass of liquor of any kind. 
 
 Somers was bewildered by the scene before him ; 
 but he readily understood that his friend was com 
 promising with unfavorable circumstances, and he 
 did what he could to help the illusion, though he 
 did not know what De Banyan had said or done 
 to create such remarkably good fellowship between 
 himself and such wretched outlaws. He sat down 
 at the table and ate heartily of the bacon and bread, 
 which were very acceptable, for our travelers had 
 eaten nothing since breakfast. 
 
 " Here's to the health of Jeff Davis ! " said the 
 man at the opposite end of the table, who appeared 
 to be the commander of the squad. " All up." 
 
 The guerillas rose to their feet, De Banyan with 
 them, with a glass in his hand.
 
 Fighting Joe. 159 
 
 ** All up ! " exclaimed the major, heartily. 
 
 Somers rose then, with a glass of water in his 
 hand, which a black woman in attendance had 
 brought him ; but he had no more intention of drink 
 ing the health of Jeff Davis, even in a glass of 
 water, than he had of supporting the arch rebel 
 with his sword. 
 
 " President Davis," said the leader. 
 
 " President Lincoln," added the major, dropping 
 his voice as he uttered the last word. 
 
 " President Lincoln," repeated Somers, in the 
 same manner. 
 
 " One more ! " shouted the commander of the 
 squad, as he filled his glass again ; and his example 
 was followed by all present. " Here's confusion to 
 the Yankees ! " 
 
 " Confusion to the Yankees ! " repeated the other 
 guerillas. 
 
 " Confusion to the rebels ! " said De Banyan and 
 Somers, using the same tactics as before. 
 
 The guerillas, as if satisfied that they had firmly 
 established Jeff Davis on his throne, and hurled 
 confusion among the Yankees, rose from the table- 
 
 Their leader came over and took De Banyan by 
 the hand. 
 
 " What did you say your name was ? " asked 
 he. 
 
 " De Banyan," replied the other. 
 
 " And you are going to join Wheeler's cavalry ? " 
 
 " That's what's the matter," answered the major, 
 who readily adapted himself to the manners of his 
 new friends. 
 
 " Can't we make it worth your while to stay with 
 us ?" continued the chief. "You are a good fellow, 
 and look as though you could fight."
 
 160 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Wheeler expects me, and I don^'t wish to dis 
 appoint him. I'm going on his staff." 
 
 There is something up to-night," said the chief, 
 confidentially ; " and you may make your fortune in 
 a few days." 
 
 " I don't object to that," 
 I'll tell you about it, if you like." 
 I don't object." 
 
 I don't know as I will, either ; it would hardly 
 be prudent for me to do so. You may be one of 
 those shrewd Yankees, after all. You know you 
 wear Yankee colors," added the chief, doubtfully. 
 
 I tell you I was born in Winchester, not twenty 
 miles from here ; and I am no more a Yankee than 
 you are," protested the major. 
 
 "I'll trust you," said the leader. "You cant 
 spoil the job, if you don't help us. You are a 
 tonguy feliow, and I want you more than I want 
 the girl that promised to marry me when the war is 
 over. I've got the smartest set of men that ever 
 sat in a saddle. They are all Texans." 
 
 I see they are," added De Banyan, glancing at 
 the cutthroats who formed the squad. 
 
 "I've got the keenest scout on the lookout for me 
 that you can find this side of the Rocky Mountains. 
 He's a young fellow of eighteen, and goes inside the 
 Yankee lines like a native. We go in for making 
 money out of this thing, while we do a good job for 
 the South." 
 
 Of course," said De Banyan, carelessly. 
 There's a paymaster coming down from Nash 
 ville, on one of these trains, with a heap of green 
 backs to pay off the Yankee army. We want those 
 greenbacks, and we shall have them too." 
 
 If you can get them," suggested De Banyan.
 
 Fighting Joe. 161 
 
 We can get them ; and if you want your share 
 of them, you have only to join my company. If 
 you will, I'll tell you the rest." 
 
 " I'm yours," replied the major. 
 
 " And you ? " asked the leader, turning to Somers, 
 who had been listening eagerly to the conversation. 
 
 " I go with De Banyan." 
 
 " Good ! Tippy that's my scout will come 
 down in the train with the paymaster. The cars 
 will stop at the broken bridge, and Tippy will come 
 over here with his information ; and all I have to 
 do then will be to pounce on the escort, and pocket 
 the greenbacks. What do you think of it ? " 
 
 " It's a. tip-top idea, and I'm with you," 
 
 " I expect Tippy will be here to-morrow." 
 
 " All right ; I can help you about this business." 
 
 " You can ; now, if you could step in and tell the 
 paymaster you are a Yankee, and with that smooth 
 tongue of yours prevent him from taking too much 
 cavalry with him, you would earn your share of the 
 money." 
 
 I will do it." 
 
 " You can make a man believe anything." 
 
 " Very well ; I will go at once." 
 
 " O, no ; there is no need of going till Tippy comes 
 with the news." 
 
 " I think I had better meet the train on the way." 
 
 " Not at all," said the guerilla, shaking his head. 
 " We never let our recruits go out till we know 
 them better than I know you." 
 
 " You won't trust me ? " 
 
 Not yet." 
 
 " Very well," said De Banyan, easily. " My horse 
 and servant are out in the storm now. I will take 
 care of them."
 
 162 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " We will go with you ; " and half a dozen of the 
 villains followed De Banyan and Somers to the 
 place where they had left the servants and the 
 horses. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 TIPPY, THE SCOUT. 
 
 ON the way out of the house, De Banyan whis 
 pered a few words in the ear of Somers, while they 
 were in the darkness of the entry. There was very 
 great danger that things might get a little mixed ; 
 that Alick and the other servant might tell wrong 
 stories about their respective masters. 
 
 " Tell Alick to say we are rebels," was the sub 
 stance of the communication. 
 
 When they reached the spot where the horses 
 had been left, Somers told his man what to say. It 
 was fortunate that he did so promptly, for the 
 guerilla leader, apparently suspecting something, 
 suddenly became very officious, and kept close to 
 the recruits. The horses were taken to the stable, 
 where they were placed with tb.e others, after 
 which the party returned to the house, followed by 
 the servants. 
 
 " What's your master's name ? " demanded Cap 
 tain Lynchman, the leader of the guerillas, of 
 Alick. 
 
 " Captain Somers, sar," replied the faithful 
 fellow. 
 
 " What is he captain of ? " 
 
 " Dunno, sar."
 
 Fighting Joe. 163 
 
 " Where did you come from ? " 
 
 " Up above, sar." 
 
 " Is your master a Union man ?" 
 
 " I reckon he isn't, sar. He's a right smart rebl, 
 sar." 
 
 " Where are you going ? " 
 
 " Dunno, sar." 
 
 " How long have you been in his service ? " 
 
 " Much as a monf, sar." 
 
 The captain asked many other questions, but 
 Alick gave prudent answers ; he did not know 
 much, and what he did know, he did not know cer 
 tainly. De Banyan's man, taking his cue from his 
 fellow-servant, answered in similar terms, and noth 
 ing was made out of either of them. 
 
 During the evening Somers learned, from various 
 members of the band, that the guerillas were only a 
 portion of an organized body, duly recognized by 
 the Confederate government, engaged in partisan 
 warfare. The talent and address of Major de 
 Banyan had attracted the attention of the chief, 
 who affected strategy rather than a bold and dash 
 ing policy. Captain Lynchman's perception was 
 creditable to him, and if the major would have 
 engaged in the foul business, he would undoubtedly 
 have been an invaluable assistant. 
 
 Our travelers were regarded as members of the 
 band, but really they were prisoners. They found 
 no opportunity to interchange a word of counsel, or 
 to take a single step for their future safety. Both 
 of them were anxious to reach the headquarters of 
 " Fighting Joe " ; but the delay was not voluntary 
 on their part. De Banyan had chosen between cap 
 ture and compromise. He had presented, as he 
 always did, a bold front, and disarmed suspicion in
 
 164 Fighting Joe. 
 
 the beginning by his skill and address had actually 
 won the hearts of his new companions. 
 
 Captain Lynchman affected strategy, and while 
 he carefully watched the recruits, he treated them 
 with the utmost consideration. His future move 
 ments depended upon the information to be brought 
 by Tippy, the scout. After the horses had been 
 cared for, the guerillas retired for the night, some 
 of them taking the beds, sofas, and divans, others 
 stretching themselves on the floors ; but there was 
 no part of the house which was not occupied by 
 them, and there was no opportunity for our travel- 
 erg to " cut " their unpleasant associates during the 
 night, as they had hoped and expected to do. 
 
 Early hi the morning, Tippy, the scout, arrived. 
 All the guerillas were at the stables, attending to 
 the horses, when his coming was announced. The 
 men were ordered to be ready to mount at an 
 instant's notice ; while Captain Lynchman hastened 
 to the house, to receive the intelligence brought by 
 the scout, who was eating his breakfast in the 
 kitchen. 
 
 ** De Banyan, I shall want you," said the leader ; 
 "your work will commence about this time. It 
 will take the greenback train an hour or two to get 
 ready for a start. Come with me." 
 
 " I am ready for anything," replied the major ; 
 and followed by Somers, he repaired to the house 
 with the guerilla chief. 
 
 They entered by the front door, and taking pos 
 session of the drawing-room, the captain ordered 
 Skinley, who seemed to be the commissary-general 
 of the gang, to send the scout into the room. 
 
 " Skinley, you'll be deaf now," said Captain Lynch- 
 man.
 
 Fighting Joe. 165 
 
 u I reckon they ain't none so deaf as them that 
 won't hear," responded the Texan. 
 
 "Then you won't hear what Tippy has to say. 
 Bring him in." 
 
 " Tippy's half starved, cap'n ; they don't feed 'em 
 much up among the Yanks." 
 
 " Let him eat, but tell him to be quick." 
 
 Skinley left the room ; and then, for the first time, 
 the captain noticed the presence of Somers, and told 
 him to leave the room. 
 
 " He's my friend, Captain Lynchman ; I have no 
 secrets from him," interposed the major, with dig 
 nity. " If you can't trust him you can't trust me, 
 and we will move on to the headquarters of 
 Wheeler's cavalry." 
 
 " Just as you please, major," replied Lynchman ; 
 " but it is hardly regular." 
 
 " Nothing is very regular about these partisans. 
 It is just as regular for him as for me. He is my 
 right-hand man, and I can't do anything without 
 him. I don't ask your confidence, and I don't want 
 it. I am just as willing to go about my business as 
 I am to stay with you." 
 
 " Jam not willing, after telling you my plans." 
 
 What did you tell them to me for, then ? " 
 
 " Because I wanted you ; and I did not expect to 
 get you without offering big inducements. We 
 shall divide three or four millions in greenbacks to 
 day, if we manage well. I believe in strategy in a 
 case like this." 
 
 " So do I ; and that is the very reason why I want 
 Somers to know all about the matter." 
 
 While they were talking about it, Tippy, the 
 scout, entered the room. He was a young man, 
 with a bright eye and a manly form, and looked as
 
 1 66 Fighting Joe. 
 
 though he was capable of doing all that had been 
 claimed for him. He had eaten his morning meal 
 very hastily ; indeed, he had not finished it when 
 he presented himself in the drawing-room, for his 
 mouth was even now crammed full of corn cake, 
 which he was trying to dispose of so that he could 
 speak. 
 
 Tippy looked at Captain Lynchman first, crunch 
 ing the food in his mouth in the most vigorous 
 manner. From the leader, he glanced at Somers, 
 who stood next to him. De Banyan had walked 
 away to a window on the other side of the room, 
 and as he turned to come back, the scout looked at 
 him. Instantly his jaws ceased their movements, 
 and he started back, apparently filled with astonish 
 ment. Somers looked at the major, who stood 
 calmly at his side ; but it was evident that he was 
 not wholly unmoved by the appearance of Tippy. 
 
 "Well, what does all this mean?" demanded 
 Captain Lynchman. 
 
 Somers again glanced at the major, and saw him 
 give the scout a very slight, but energetic shake of 
 the head, accompanied by a look which seemed to 
 penetrate to the very soul of Tippy. 
 
 " Why don't you speak ? " demanded Lynchman, 
 impatiently. 
 
 Tippy improved this opportunity, still gazing 
 intently on Major de Banyan, to swallow the food 
 in his mouth. He finished this operation, and 
 Lynchman waited for him to explain his singular 
 conduct. 
 
 ** Have you lost your tongue ? " cried he, jumping 
 out of his chair. 
 
 "I cannot speak," replied Tippy, exhibiting a 
 great deal of emotion in his tones.
 
 Fighting Joe. 167 
 
 ** Cannot speak ! Do you know this man ? w 
 
 " I do." 
 Who is he ? " 
 
 " Let him answer for himself. It is not for me to 
 speak in his presence." 
 
 "What does all this mean?" said the guerilla 
 leader, bewildered by the new aspect of affairs. 
 " Who is this man, that you cannot speak in his 
 presence ? " he added, turning to the major. 
 
 " He is a bigger man than you or me," answered 
 the scout, mysteriously. 
 
 "That may be, but I command here. Is he a 
 traitor, or a Yankee ? " 
 
 " No ! " almost shouted the scout. " He belonged 
 to Winchester once. He is a Tennesseean." 
 
 " Good ! " exclaimed the captain, apparently much 
 pleased with this confirmation of what the major 
 had said of himself. 
 
 " Give your information, Tippy," added De Banyan, 
 with an awful exhibition of dignity, as though he 
 were the " big man " whom the scout had represented 
 him to be. 
 
 " Not yet," said Lynchman. " I want to under 
 stand this matter a little better." 
 
 " We have been in Nashville together. We have 
 worked together for years," interposed De Banyan. 
 
 " O, that's the idea is it ? " said the leader of the 
 guerillas. " Then you are a scout yourself, Major 
 de Banyan?" 
 
 "I have done a great deal of hard work in Vir 
 ginia and in Tennessee. I have stood by the flag 
 almost from the beginning," returned the major. 
 
 "Is this so, Tippy?" 
 
 a It is, Captain Lynchman. Whatever he says is 
 right."
 
 1 68 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Major, I am satisfied now," said the chief, ex- 
 tending his hand to De Banyan. " I wanted to re 
 pose implicit confidence in you before, but prudence 
 forbade." 
 
 " We are losing time," said De Banyan. 
 
 u Now tell your story, Tippy," added Lynchman. 
 
 Somers was confounded by the events which had 
 just transpired before him. He did not know what 
 to make of them. His friend had a wonderful power 
 over the scout, which he could not explain ; but 
 whatever occurred, he knew that De Banyan was 
 a true man ; that the recognition and devotion of 
 the rebel scout to him were no evidences of infidelity. 
 He could not understand, but he could trust the 
 major. 
 
 u Shall I go on, sir ? " said the scout, appealing to 
 the major. 
 
 " Certainly ; proceed," replied De Banyan. 
 
 Tippy's story was short and to the point. The 
 paymaster with the greenbacks had arrived, and 
 there was present a force of about a hundred cavalry 
 to convoy him to his place of destination. 
 
 " A hundred I " exclaimed the captain, vexed at 
 this information. "I shall want the rest of my 
 men." 
 
 " You bet ! " exclaimed a deep voice near the door, 
 in low, emphatic tones, as though they had been 
 used in soliloquy. 
 
 " Skinley ! " cried the captain, angrily. 
 
 There was no reply, and Lynchman repeated the 
 call half a dozen times, as loud as he could yell. 
 
 " D'ye call me, cap'n ? " said the Texan, coming to 
 the door, which was now discovered to be partially 
 open. 
 
 " I did ; you have been listening at the door."
 
 Fighting Joe. 169 
 
 Fotch 'em as soon as I kin, cap'n," said the burly 
 fellow, innocently. 
 
 "None of that with me," added Lynchman, 
 angrily. 
 
 " Bet yer life they ain't, cap'n." 
 
 "Silence, you villain!" thundered the captain, 
 taking a pistol from his belt. 
 
 Take keer, cap'n ! " 
 
 " Can't you hear, Skinley ? If you can't, I'll open 
 your ears." 
 
 " You told me to be deef, cap'n." 
 
 " I did ; and you have been listening to all that 
 has been said in this room." 
 
 " I was af eered you mought forget some on't, and 
 mought want me to remound you of it." 
 
 " Come here." 
 
 " Here'm I, cap'n." 
 
 " Do you know where the rest of our men are ? " 
 
 "If I don't, nobody don't." 
 
 "Ride over there as fast as you can, and tell 
 Sweetzer to meet me at Tantallon cross-roads at 
 once, with all his force. Do you understand ? " 
 
 " I kin hear now, cap'n." 
 
 " It will take you an hour to go, and another hour 
 for Sweetzer to reach the cross-roads." 
 
 " How many men have you ? " demanded De 
 Banyan, in business-like tones. 
 
 " About a hundred," replied the captain. " We 
 can make a sure thing of it, for we shall outnumber 
 the Yankees, and choose our own ground besides." 
 
 " Where are they now ? " 
 
 " At Raybold's, on the Salem road. I have driven 
 them hard lately, and I gave them a few days to 
 rest." 
 
 ' I know the place. It is near the mountains."
 
 170 Fighting Joe. 
 
 "Just so. I believe in strategy, and I thought I 
 should do better with twenty men than I should with 
 over a hundred ; but I calculated to take the green 
 backs on the train." 
 
 " Your plans are good ; but do you send only one 
 man on such a message ? Suppose he should fall 
 from his horse, or be shot by a Yankee ? " 
 
 " I can't spare but one, for I may have to do the 
 job before the rest of my force arrives." 
 
 Send Somers," suggested the major. 
 
 "What good would that do? He couldn't find 
 my men ? " 
 
 " Do you know where Ray hold's is, Somers ? " 
 asked the major. 
 
 " Certainly I do just by the mountains on the 
 Salem road," replied Somers, who had given good 
 attention to the conversation. 
 
 " Right ; you will do," added the captain. 
 
 And Somers went with Skinley. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SKINLEY, THE TEXAN. 
 
 SOMERS readily understood that he was sent off by 
 the major for a purpose ; but De Banyan had no op 
 portunity to explain his intention before he went. 
 It was plain that a very important part in the plan 
 for frustrating the object of the guerillas had been 
 entrusted to him, but he had not a single word of in 
 structions. 
 
 As Somers mounted his horse, he saw De Banyan 
 and Tippy leave the estate and ride off in the direc-
 
 Fighting Joe. 171 
 
 tion of the railroad, and he doubted not that he had 
 been sent to delay the paymaster, and assure him 
 that the road to the army was perfectly safe. After 
 the full and unequivocal indorsement of Tippy, the 
 major was fully established in the confidence of the 
 guerilla, who unreservedly communicated to him his 
 hopes and his expectations. 
 
 Somers joined Skinley, who was to be his compan 
 ion in this morning ride. The " Texican," as he de 
 lighted to call himself, was a stout fellow, good- 
 humored, and immensely fond of a joke. Lynch- 
 man appeared to repose great confidence in him ; 
 otherwise he would not have sent him upon his pres 
 ent duty. The ruffian was armed from head to foot 
 with rifle, pistols, and a knife, and looked like a 
 moving arsenal. He was a formidable person for a 
 young man like Somers to deal with, and yet it was 
 fully evident that he had been sent by the major to 
 prevent the " Texican " from delivering his message. 
 
 The young officer did not like the duty, for there 
 was apparently only one way in which he could dis 
 charge it ; and that was, by deliberately shooting his 
 ugly companion. All the carnage and death he had 
 seen in the course of the war and he had seen a 
 great deal of them had not impaired his respect for 
 human life. He could not wantonly sacrifice even 
 an enemy. He was with this man as his friend in 
 disguise, it was true ; but the Texan trusted him 
 did not regard him as a foe. To turn upon him in 
 the moment when he suspected no danger, looked 
 cowardly ; and his chivalrous soul revolted at the act. 
 Ruffian, rebel, traitor, as this man was, he was one 
 of God's creatures, made in his own image, and noth 
 ing but the severest necessity could justify the kill 
 ing of him.
 
 1 72 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Thus he reasoned on the one hand ; but on the 
 other, this man was going to procure a force to shoot 
 down the loyal soldiers of the Union; to rob the 
 government of the money intended for the troops, 
 upon whose earnings wives and children depended 
 for their daily bread. But this was war what the 
 custom of civilized nations justified; while killing a 
 man in cold blood was an act of treachery from which 
 he could not but shrink. War had not debased him, 
 for he still read his Bible, and still leaned for strength 
 and. guidance upon that arm which can lead and sup 
 port all who confide in its almighty power. 
 
 Somers felt that he could not do this deed. It 
 was too revolting, too barbarous ; and yet it must be 
 done, or others would bleed and die for his want of 
 nerve. He could not settle the troublesome question, 
 and he determined to defer the deed as long as he 
 could without imperiling the safety of the pay 
 master and his escort. 
 
 " Well, youngster, you mought be sent out to keep 
 me warm, I s'pose," eaid Skinley, as Somers rode up 
 to his side, after he had carefully considered the mis 
 sion upon which he had obviously been sent. 
 
 " Yes, if you are cold," replied Somers. 
 
 "I am cold, Somers. May be yer hain't got a 
 bottle of whiskey in yer pocket hain't yer ? " 
 
 " I have not ; I never use it." 
 
 "So I heerd the major say; but hain't yer got 
 nothin' stowed away about yer any brandy, or sich 
 like?" 
 
 "I have not." 
 
 tt Well, Somers, I tell yer what it is, Somers, it 
 was a great mistake comin' off without no whiskey, 
 Somers." 
 
 "I don't think so."
 
 Fighting Joe. 173 
 
 * Don't yer, Somers?" 
 
 *' I can get along very well without it." 
 
 " May be you can, Somers ; but I can't. I feed 
 on whiskey, Somers ; and I could no more go to 
 Raybold's without sunthin' to drink than I could go 
 afoot on hossback, or go hossback afoot ; 'n' I take it, 
 Somers, that can't be did." 
 
 " But you will have to go without it, if you have 
 none." 
 
 "No, I won't you bet!" exclaimed Skinley. 
 " Thar'sa Union house over here a good piece. They 
 allus has whiskey and bacon when we poor fellows 
 has to thust fur meat and hunger fur liquor. The 
 old man, I cal'late, is a fust cousin of some gin'ral, or 
 some of them fellows in Richmond, fur he's got some 
 sort o' paper. I'm gwine to git a drink when we git 
 thar bet your life.', 
 
 " But if they have a safe-conduct, you can't compel 
 them to give you anything They will show you the 
 paper," replied Somers. 
 
 "Let 'em show it, Somers; I can't read it," 
 chuckled the Texan. 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Well, Somers, I ain't up to print, say nothin' of 
 writin'. If they make any muss about it, I kin tell' 
 'em it was all a mistake don't yer see, Somers? 
 May be I mought be deef too, Somers." 
 
 " Perhaps they will read it to you." 
 
 Then I'm deef, sartin." 
 
 " Very likely they will give you what you want, 
 if you ask them civilly." 
 
 " No, they won't, Somers. They hate us wuss 'n 
 pizen ; but I hate them wuss 'n they hate me." 
 
 " What have they done ? " 
 
 "They ain't done nothin', and that's what I
 
 174 Fighting Joe. 
 
 hate 'em fur. The Yanks won't tech 'em, and we 
 can't tech 'em, Somers. It stands to reason, Somers, 
 sech folks ought to be hated." 
 
 Somers decided not to discuss this question, and 
 he had dropped a few paces behind his companion 
 to avoid his slang, when Skinley exhibited a dispo 
 sition to be sociable, and insisted that the road was 
 wide enough for them to ride abreast. The young 
 officer did not want to quarrel with the ruffian, and 
 he complied with his request. 
 
 " Thar's a pooty gal over to Callicot's, Somers," 
 added he, with a coarse grin. " P'rhaps you'll think 
 more of that than yer do of the whiskey." 
 
 " Is she a Union girl ? " asked Somers more be 
 cause he felt compelled to speak than because he 
 felt any interest in the new subject. 
 
 In course she are." 
 
 " You don't intend to meddle with her, I hope." 
 
 " What makes yer hope that ? " demanded Skinley, 
 sourly. 
 
 " Are you a soldier, Skinley ? " 
 
 You bet ! " 
 
 "A true soldier always respects a woman, whether 
 she be friend or foe." 
 
 " Somers, your idees is a little too fine cut fur me," 
 snarled the Texan. 
 
 " Have you a mother ? " 
 
 " Net's I knows on. She gin me the slip when I 
 wan't knee high to a chaw terbaker." 
 
 "Is she dead?" 
 
 " I cal'late she is." 
 
 " Have you no sister ? " 
 
 " May be I hev'. See here, Somers, you kin draw 
 yer charge on that. Yer mought be a preacher, or 
 sich like ; but don't yer draw that string on me."
 
 Fighting Joe. 175 
 
 ** Very well ; I have nothing to say, only that, if 
 you propose to insult a woman, I am your enemy." 
 
 Be you ? " 
 
 Skinley took a pistol from his belt, and deliber 
 ately cocked and pointed it at Somers, to whom the 
 act seemed to reveal his companion in a new light. 
 It was naturally to be supposed that a man who 
 carried such an armory of weapons on his person 
 was a dangerous fellow; but from this moment 
 Somers looked upon him as a bully. He had given 
 the ruffian no cause of offense for which he could 
 resort to desperate measures. 
 
 " If you insult a woman, I am," replied Somers, 
 quietly drawing a large navy revolver which he 
 carried in his belt. 
 
 "Put up your shooter, Somers," said Skinley, 
 with a sickly laugh, as he lowered his pistol. 
 
 "I am not quite ready to put it up," replied 
 Somers, sternly ; for he had made up his mind that 
 the time to execute the task imposed upon him had 
 come. " When a man draws a pistol upon me, he 
 insults me." 
 
 " I only did it to see what sort of stuff you mought 
 be made of, Somers that's all," answered Skinley. 
 
 "I am not satisfied with that explanation. I 
 would like to know what sort of stuff you ' mought ' 
 be made of now," said Somers, imitating the speech 
 of his companion. 
 
 " I'm a Texican. I was born in the woods, nussed 
 on hickory nuts, and turned out to paster in a cane- 
 brake. When I kim of age I fed on gunpowder, 
 and druv' four alligators, four in hand, hitched to a 
 sulky. That's what's the matter. Don't you know 
 now what sort of stuff I mought be made of ? " 
 
 " Slang and brag, I should say, were the princi-
 
 176 Fighting Joe. 
 
 pal ingredients in your composition. You have in- 
 suited me." 
 
 "I ax yer pardon ; put up yer shooter." 
 
 Somers did so, but very reluctantly. It was only 
 postponing his mission ; though the discovery that 
 his companion was a coward at heart, in spite of his 
 words, and hi spite of the liberal display of arms 
 about him, led him to hope that he might dispose 
 of him in some better way than shooting him. 
 
 "I ax yer pardon; that's what a Texican does 
 when he finds he mought be in the wrong." 
 
 " Very well. Now, if we can't talk without 
 quarreling, I will keep a little in the rear." 
 
 " Jest as you say, Somers." 
 
 They rode along in silence for a time, till they 
 reached a house much superior to most of those 
 they had seen on the road, at which Skinley halted. 
 
 "I'm sufferin' for my bitters, Somers," said the 
 Texan, as he reined in his steed. 
 
 " Is this the house of the Union man ? " 
 
 Bet yer life 'tis. I only want a little drop of 
 whiskey," replied Skinley, as he rode up the lane 
 by the house, followed by his companion. " I won't 
 stop only a second." 
 
 The guerilla dismounted, and throwing the bridle 
 rein of his horse over a post, he entered without the 
 ceremony of knocking. When he had gone in, 
 Somers rode forward till he came to the windows of 
 the house, for he was fearful that the conduct of the 
 Texan would not be conciliatory, and he was dis 
 posed to defend the Union people within, even at 
 the peril of his life. 
 
 Skinley was absent some time longer than a due 
 regard for the urgency of his mission would have 
 tolerated; but Somers was in no hurry to reach
 
 Fighting Joe. 177 
 
 Raybold's himself, and was not impatient on account 
 of the delay. It was evident that the wretch had 
 not readily procured his dram ; and his companion 
 feared that he might resort to violence in enforcing 
 his demand. The delay indicated trouble within the 
 house, and Somers dismounted. Fastening his horse 
 to a gate, he walked towards the entrance. He was 
 not one moment too soon, for before he could reach 
 the door, he heard a piercing scream uttered by a 
 female. He rushed in with his revolver in his 
 hand. 
 
 "Don't yell," said Skinley, as he entered. "I 
 only want yer to bring on the whiskey. I'm so 
 deef I can't hear yer, if yer do yell." 
 
 Somers stopped at the door of the room where the 
 parties were ; for, indignant as he was, he was 
 always prudent. He cocked the pistol, and took a 
 survey of the situation. 
 
 " I tell you there is not a drop of whiskey in the 
 house, and has not been for two years," replied the 
 female, who was a young and well-dressed lady, and 
 whose personal attractions fully justified the Texan's 
 commendation of them. 
 
 " Yer mought tell that to a dead alligator, and 
 he'd scretch yer eyes out fur't," added the ruffian. 
 
 " I have told you the truth ; there is not a drop 
 of liquor of any kind in the house." 
 
 " 'Tain't so ; all our boys knows you keep whiskey 
 by the hogshead. Now fotch on the liquor, my 
 darlin' ; " and as he spoke, he grasped the lady by 
 the arm. 
 
 She evidently regarded his touch as pollution, 
 and again screamed lustily. 
 
 " See here ; don't be so techy. I ain't gwine ter 
 hurt yer."
 
 1 78 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Father ! " cried the terrified girl, shrinking from 
 the wretch. 
 
 Somers would have fired, but he feared the report 
 and the death of the ruffian before her face would 
 be tyo great a shock for the lady. She was fright 
 ened, but she seemed to have perfect control of 
 herself. 
 
 " Say, doxy, won't yer f otch on the whiskey ? " 
 continued Skinley ; and again he attempted to seize 
 the arm of the lady, who fled before him. 
 
 " Father ! " screamed she again. 
 
 Somers stepped into the room ; at the same 
 instant an elderly gentleman rushed in by a door on 
 the opposite side of the apartment. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE HOUSE OF THE UNION MAN. 
 
 THE gentleman who entered the room from the 
 other side was evidently Mr. Callicot, the father of 
 the lady, and the Union man of whom the guerilla 
 had spoken. He was unarmed, but there was a 
 rifle hanging against the wall, after the manner of 
 the South and West. The old gentleman was out 
 of breath from hurry and excitement, and was 
 hardly in condition to confront the ruffian, who had 
 been bold enough hi the presence of a timid 
 woman. 
 
 " What do you want here ? w demanded Mr. Cal 
 licot, hi an excited tone.
 
 Fighting Joe. 179 
 
 rt Nbthin', squire, but a drink of whiskey," replied 
 the Texan, glancing first at Somers, and then at the 
 old man. 
 
 " There is not a drop of whiskey in my house, 
 and has not been for years," answered Mr. Callicot. 
 
 " I'm a Texican, squire, and yer can't cheat me. 
 I was born in the woods, and I kin smell whiskey 
 nine mile off." 
 
 " I have told you the truth." 
 
 " No, yer hain't. Fotch on your whiskey, squire," 
 added Skinley, taking one of his pistols from his 
 belt. 
 
 " I have a safe-conduct from the general of this 
 department," said the old man. " Here it is." 
 
 " I can't read it, stranger. Don't want ter read 
 it, nuther." 
 
 Perhaps you will read it," said Mr. Callicot, 
 walking across the room, and handing it to Somers. 
 
 " Don't yer tech it, Somers," said the Texan, 
 angrily. 
 
 Somers took the paper, glanced at it, and handed 
 it back to the owner. 
 
 " Are you satisfied ? " asked the old man. 
 
 I am." 
 
 " That ain't handsome, Somers. Bekase you don't 
 drink whiskey, it's onreasonable that you should 
 spile my drink. But I'm gwine to hev my liquor. 
 Now, squire, will yer fotch on the whiskey, or won't 
 yer?" 
 
 " I would if I had any." 
 
 " But yer hev," said Skinley, raising his pistol ; 
 and before Somers could realize that he intended to 
 fire, he discharged the piece at Mr. Callicot. 
 
 " O, my father ! " screamed his daughter, rushing 
 towards him.
 
 180 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " What do you mean, you villain ? " cried Somers, 
 elevating his pistol, and instantly firing. 
 
 " See here, Somers ; that ain't handsome," replied 
 Skinley. " I didn't tech you." 
 
 In the smoke that filled the room Somers had 
 missed his aim, and the Texan was now entirely 
 concealed from him. 
 
 " Leave the house ! " shouted Somers. 
 
 " Not till I git my whiskey, if I knows it. I hain't 
 killed the old man ; didn't mean to kill him ; only 
 skeer him a little. May be you mought be willing 
 to fetch on the whiskey now, squire." 
 
 " I have none, as I told you before," replied Mr. 
 Callicot, who, finding he was not wounded, had, 
 under cover of smoke, taken down the rifle from the 
 brackets on the wall. "Now you will leave my 
 house." 
 
 " Come, squire, don't be techy, but fotch on the 
 whiskey," said Skinley, evidently not pleased with 
 the new aspect of affairs. 
 
 " Leave my house ! " replied the old man with 
 dignity. 
 
 Skinley, finding that it was of no use to argue the 
 point, slowly backed out at the door by which he 
 had entered. 
 
 " Shoot him, Somers," said he. 
 
 You deserve to be shot yourself for this outrage," 
 added Somers, indignantly. 
 
 "That ain't handsome, Somers. But we can't 
 stop no longer," continued the Texan, as he left the 
 house, and walked towards his horse. 
 
 " Begone, or you are a dead man," said Mr. Callicot 
 to Somers, who still remained in the room. 
 
 " You mistake me, sir," returned Somers ; " I am 
 a friend, and not an enemy."
 
 Fighting Joe. 181 
 
 Begone, or you shall die ! " repeated the old 
 man, now roused to the highest pitch of indignation 
 " You fired at me as well as the other ruffian." 
 
 I fired at him." 
 
 At this moment the door by which the owner of 
 house had first entered was thrown wide open, and 
 Somers discovered Skinley, who had gone round the 
 house, and come in by another entrance. The 
 wretch instantly raised his rifle, and fired. The old 
 man dropped heavily on the floor, and his daughter 
 uttered a scream of agony, as she threw herself on 
 his body. 
 
 " That's the way a Texican settles yer hash ! " 
 shouted Skinley. 
 
 Somers, who had returned the pistol to his belt, 
 drew it again, and fired in the direction of the door, 
 though the smoke prevented him from seeing the 
 form of Skinley. The guerilla rushed out of the 
 house and disappeared. Somers followed him, de 
 termined not to be balked this time. Unfortunately 
 he turned to the left, while the Texan went to the 
 right ; and when he had passed around the house to 
 the lane, he discovered the scoundrel, already 
 mounted, and spurring his horse away from the 
 scene. 
 
 Somers sprang into his saddle, and started in pur 
 suit. The hour had come to avenge the old man, 
 and to discharge the duty imposed upon him, now 
 made easy by the wretch's crime. He urged for 
 ward his good horse to the utmost of his speed, and 
 gained rapidly upon him. Skinley, who could insult 
 a woman, and shoot an old man, had a wholesome 
 fear of his pursuer ; but when he found that Somers 
 was gaining upon him, he unslung his rifle, and 
 while his horse was at full speed, turned and fired
 
 1 82 Fighting Joe. 
 
 at his late companion. The bullet did not come 
 near Somers, who still urged on his steed. 
 
 Skinley, for some reason of his own, perhaps for 
 the purpose of putting into operation some method 
 of dodging his pursuer which he had learned in 
 fighting Indians, or lassoing cattle, now turned into 
 an open field. Whatever might have been the 
 merits of the scheme under ordinary circumstances, 
 A, was fatal to him in the present instance ; for, 
 while the Texan was proceeding in a direction at 
 right angles with the road, Somers dashed into the 
 field, and cut him off, by taking the diagonal of the 
 square, while Skinley was following the side. Per 
 haps he had not noticed a piece of low ground, 
 partially covered with water, which compelled him 
 to give Somers this advantage. 
 
 " Tain't handsome, Somers ; I didn't tech you ! " 
 yelled Skinley, when he perceived that he had lost 
 the game. 
 
 Somers elevated his revolver, and, taking careful 
 aim, fired. The wretch threw up his arms, sprang 
 upward in his saddle, and dropped to the ground, 
 while his horse dashed on at increased speed, when 
 relieved of his heavy burden. 
 
 " My work is done," said Somers, as he drew in 
 his panting steed. 
 
 Turning his horse, he rode slowly back to the spot 
 where Skinley had fallen. Dismounting, he bent 
 over the body to ascertain the result of his shot. 
 The ball had struck the Texan in the side, and had 
 evidently passed through his heart, for he was en 
 tirely dead. The old man was avenged ; the plot 
 of the guerillas, so far as it depended upon the 
 arrival of Sweetzer and his force, was defeated. 
 
 Somers took from the corpse of the guerilla a rifle,
 
 Fighting Joe. 183 
 
 three pistols, and a long knife. There was some 
 thing projecting from the breast pocket of his coat 
 which looked like a bundle of papers ; and the 
 young officer, ever intent upon procuring informa 
 tion, drew it forth. He was not mistaken ; it was a 
 bundle of papers, and among others there was a 
 note from Captain Lynchman to Lieutenant Sweet- 
 zer ; but it was only the order for him to proceed 
 forthwith to Tantallon cross-roads. Inasmuch as 
 Skinley was not " up to print," much less to writing, 
 the remainder of the papers could have no connec 
 tion with the bearer; but Somers was too much 
 impressed by the proximity of the dead man, and 
 by the necessity of prudence in his present condi 
 tion to examine them, and he put them in his pocket 
 for future inspection. 
 
 Slinging the rifle upon his back, and placing the 
 other weapons in his belt, he mounted his horse. 
 As he was about to depart, the animal which had 
 been ridden by Skinley came walking leisurely up 
 the field, as if in search of his lost burden. When 
 he saw Somers, he went up to him, and suffered 
 himself to be captured. He was a docile creature, 
 and had been well trained by his late master. Lead 
 ing the horse, he returned to the house of Mr. 
 Callicot, to ascertain the fate of that gentleman, 
 and report the result of the pursuit. 
 
 He found the house in commotion. The few serv 
 ants which the Union man had been able to retain 
 were bustling about the house, but, as is apt to be 
 the case in a panic, doing absolutely nothing. Som 
 ers gave the horses into the keeping of an old negro 
 man, and having deposited the guerilla's weapons 
 in the back room, entered the house. He found, by 
 the direction which the servants took, where the
 
 184 Fighting Joe. 
 
 dead or wounded man lay ; for he had not waited 
 to learn his fate before he went in pursuit of the 
 wretch who had done the deed. 
 
 He entered the apartment, and was glad to find 
 that his worst fears had not been realized. Mr. 
 Callicot was not dead, but he appeared to be 
 severely wounded. His eyes were open, and he was 
 gazing, with a languid look of affection, at his 
 daughter who was bending over the bed. 
 
 " There's one of them," he faintly articulated, as 
 Somers entered the room. 
 
 ** I am not one of them, Mr. Callicot ; on the con 
 trary, I am an officer of the Union army, on the 
 staff of the major-general commanding the eleventh 
 and twelfth corps." 
 
 u Impossible ! " groaned the sufferer. 
 
 " More than this, I have shot the villain who 
 fired at you," continued Somers. 
 
 tt He certainly took no part with the other man, 
 father," interposed the daughter ; " and I heard him 
 order his companion to leave the house." 
 
 " If you are still in doubt, you will find the vil 
 lain's horse in your stable, and all his weapons in 
 your back room." 
 
 " Go and see, Sophia," said the old man ; M for we 
 know not whom to trust." 
 
 Somers conducted the lady to the back room, and 
 exhibited the weapons ; then to the stable, where 
 the negro had taken the horse. 
 
 " If you are not satisfied, Miss Callicot, you may 
 send one of your servants to a field on the left 
 of the road, about half a mile from here, and he 
 will find the body of the guerilla, for such he 
 was." 
 
 " I am satisfied, sir ; for I noticed the horse when
 
 Fighting Joe. 185 
 
 the man rode into the yard," replied the lady. 
 " Why did you not protect us ? " 
 
 ' I fired at the scoundrel a moment after he dis 
 charged his pistol at your father the first time ; but 
 the smoke in the room spoiled my aim, and I missed 
 him. I also fired at him when your father fell, as 
 you must have noticed." 
 
 " I heard two shots, but I did not know who fired 
 them." 
 
 " I supposed he had gone when he left the house ; 
 but it seems he went round, and entered again by 
 another door. I did not think the ruffian was base 
 enough to kill an old man like your father, or I 
 would have shot him in the first place. I did not 
 wish to do so in your presence." 
 
 " I wish you had." 
 
 " Is your father badly wounded ? " 
 
 " I don't know how bad it is ; he was struck in 
 the shoulder. I have trembled every day for fear 
 of these guerillas; but when they come with an 
 officer, my father's paper always saves us from 
 harm." 
 
 " Have you sent for a surgeon ? " asked Somers. 
 
 " We have no horse at home, and the surgeon 
 lives five miles from us." 
 
 " Take the dead man's horse." 
 
 Thank you ; I will send a man at once," replied 
 Miss Callicot. 
 
 A boy was immediately despatched on Skinley's 
 horse for a doctor, and Somers went with the lady 
 to the room of her father. The young officer exam 
 ined the wound, and ventured to assure the sufferer 
 that it was not a dangerous one. When wounded 
 himself, he had seen the surgeons operate, and he 
 had some idea of the methods employed. The old
 
 1 86 Fighting Joe. 
 
 man was bleeding freely ; and by changing his posi 
 tion on the bed, and by pressing a napkin around 
 the wound, he checked the flow of blood. 
 
 It was three hours before the surgeon arrived. 
 He was a personal friend of the Union man, and 
 came with all haste as soon as the boy found him. 
 The doctor came but the messenger did not return ; 
 and Somers concluded that the horse had been seen 
 and recognized by some of the guerillas. The young 
 officer was greatly perplexed in regard to his future 
 movements ; and though Miss Callicot offered, and 
 pressed upon him, the hospitalities of the house, he 
 decided to depart as soon as the doctor had assured 
 him that the wound was not dangerous. Leaving 
 at the house the guerilla's weapons, which he ad 
 vised the lady to conceal, he mounted his horse, 
 and rode away ; but what to do, or where to go, he 
 was at a loss to determine. All he wanted now 
 was, to find De Banyan, and hasten to the head 
 quarters of his general. 
 
 The attack upon the paymaster's escort was to be 
 made at Tantallon cross-roads, or in that direction ; 
 but it was not prudent for him to be seen near that 
 locality, after what had happened, and he decided 
 to return to the nearest military post on the rail 
 road. After riding a couple of miles, as he turned 
 a bend in the road, on the verge of a wood, he sud 
 denly came upon Lynchman's force, which, had 
 halted there.
 
 Fighting Joe. 187 
 
 CHAPTER XXH. 
 
 THE GREENBACK TEAIH. 
 
 THE guerillas and their horses stood so still in the 
 road that Somers had not suspected their presence. 
 His first impulse was to wheel his horse, and flee 
 with all speed from this dangerous ground. The 
 fact that the negro boy, who had been sent for the 
 doctor, had not returned, was pretty good evidence 
 that he had been captured by the guerillas; and 
 their presence in this place fully confirmed his 
 fears. 
 
 To turn and run away would be sure to bring a 
 volley from their carbines upon him, and to advance 
 was to throw himself into the very jaws of the lion ; 
 but, on the whole, he decided that it was less perilous 
 to go forward, and he continued on his way, as though 
 no shock had come over him. The negro who had 
 been captured had probably told his story, and it 
 would be a very difficult matter to reconcile the 
 conflicting statements that must ensue. 
 
 " Why are you here, Somers ? " demanded Captain 
 Lynchman, in an excited tone. 
 
 " Yankee cavalry," replied Somers, glancing sus 
 piciously behind him. 
 
 " Where ? " 
 
 " I don't know where they are now. Skinley was 
 shot by a Yankee and killed." 
 
 * This is bad business," said Lynchman. 
 
 u No, it isn't ; it is all the better for us," said De 
 Banyan, stepping forward to the rescue.
 
 1 88 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Perhaps it is, but I don't see it," added the cap- 
 tain ; and truly it must have been rather difficult 
 for him to see. 
 
 " You are duller than usual, captain," continued 
 De Banyan, with his easy assurance. " You believe 
 in strategy, and look troubled at a difficulty like 
 this ? " 
 
 " Did you give Skinley's horse to that nigger ? " 
 demanded Lynchman. 
 
 " Bah ! " exclaimed De Banyan, with hearty dis 
 gust. " What matter whether he did or not ? Are 
 you going to settle a case of that sort now ? I tell 
 you it is all right." 
 
 "What shall we do?" 
 
 " Do ? " sneered the major. " We will capture the 
 paymaster at Tantallon cross-roads, as we intended. 
 We are not going to be thrown off the track by a 
 little accident of this kind." 
 
 " Of course not," replied the guerilla, catching the 
 inspiration of his apparently bolder companion. 
 
 " Leave these Yankees to me," continued De Ban 
 yan. " I will have them ten miles from here within 
 two hours." 
 
 " Good ! " murmured several of the guerillas. 
 
 " The greenback train has been delayed, and we 
 shall have time to bring up Sweetzer yet. I want 
 two men to go with me. I will take Tippy and 
 Somers." 
 
 " What do you want of them ?" demanded Lynch- 
 man. 
 
 "Somers shall go to Ray hold's for our fellows 
 there, and Tippy shall return to inform you when 
 to come forward. If you should be seen, it would 
 spoil the whole thing." 
 
 The guerilla chief consented to this plan ; and De
 
 Fighting Joe. 189 
 
 Banyan, followed by Somers and Tippy, rode off at 
 full gallop. The major did not seem to be conscious 
 that he had very cleverly performed the part he had 
 assumed in the drama. He looked just as determined 
 as though he intended to carry out the program 
 assigned to him by Lynchman. 
 
 " What are you going to do, major ? " asked 
 Somers, when they had ridden about half a mile. 
 
 " The infernal cutthroats ! " exclaimed he, savagely. 
 "I'm going to capture the whole crowd." 
 
 " But you have no force." 
 
 " I'll have one. Tippy ! " said he, with energy. 
 
 " Sir," replied the scout, with the utmost deference 
 and respect. 
 
 Understand my purpose. I am going to the 
 stockade where the paymaster and his escort are, 
 and where I requested him to remain until he heard 
 from me." 
 
 " Have you seen him ? " asked Somers. 
 
 " I have ; he has sent to the next post for more 
 men. They must have reached him by this time. 
 Now, Somers, if we are smart, we will report to the 
 general before night with the paymaster, and these 
 guerillas as prisoners. We have got things now 
 where we can have it our own way, and it will be 
 our fault if we don't bag the whole squad." 
 
 "If the paymaster has a hundred men, we can 
 take them at once," said Somers. 
 
 " I propose to haul in the whole company those 
 at Raybold's as well as those with Lynchman. We 
 have no time to lose," continued the major, with 
 increased energy. " Somers, you must go to Ray 
 bold's, and deliver the message given you by the 
 captain." 
 
 I'm willing," replied Somers, ^taking from his
 
 190 Fighting Joe. 
 
 pocket the papers he had removed from the body of 
 Skinley. " I have the captain's written order in my 
 hand." 
 
 " Good ! Kill your horse, if necessary ; but don't 
 lose an instant of time. Away with you ! " 
 
 " But I don't know the road." 
 
 De Banyan instructed him very carefully in 
 regard to his route. 
 
 " When you have delivered the order, look out 
 for yourself," he added, as Somers put spurs to his 
 willing horse, and dashed away to execute his im 
 portant mission. 
 
 " Now, Tippy, in one hour go and tell Lynchman 
 that the road is open for him," added De Banyan, 
 as he took the hand of the young scout, which he 
 pressed with warmth. " Boy, be true to your 
 country and your flag from this time henceforth 
 and forever ! " 
 
 " I will, I will ! " exclaimed Tippy, with deep 
 feeling, as he wiped away the tears, which, for some 
 unexplained reason, filled his eyes. 
 
 De Banyan, apparently as deeply moved as the 
 young man, galloped away at a furious pace. Be 
 yond the wood he turned to the left, crossing the 
 creek and the railroad, till he reached another road. 
 This point was Tantallon cross-roads ; and here he 
 turned to the left again, and was now moving 
 directly towards the stockade in which he had left 
 the paymaster, and where he arrived in an hour 
 from the time he started. In fifteen minutes more 
 a squadron of cavalry, collected during the forenoon 
 from the military posts in the vicinity, was moving 
 down towards the cross-roads. 
 
 When the force arrived at its destination, one 
 half of it was posted in a secure place by the rail-
 
 Fighting Joe. 191 
 
 road, where it could not be seen by the guerillas as 
 they advanced to the rendezvous, and the other hall 
 hi the vicinity of the cross-roads. Quite as soon as 
 they were expected the little troop of Lynchman 
 crossed the railroad, and moved cautiously towards 
 the point at which they expected to meet the 
 " greenback train." But no sooner had they passed 
 the railroad, than the force in their rear took the 
 road and cut off their retreat, while that in front 
 advanced upon them. For a moment there was a 
 clash of arms ; but the guerillas were borne under 
 and captured by the cavalry without the loss of a 
 man, and almost without a scratch on either side. 
 
 The prisoners were conducted to a safe place, and 
 the cavalry again disposed for the reception of the 
 larger force expected from Ray hold's. The guerillas 
 were intensely astonished at the sudden and unex 
 pected result of the enterprise. Captain Lynchman, 
 who believed in strategy, looked exceedingly foolish 
 and disconsolate. When the prisoners were halted 
 in a secure position he happened to see De Banyan. 
 
 " How's this ? " said he, appealing to the energetic 
 major. 
 
 " How's what ? " asked De Banyan, with admir 
 able simplicity. 
 
 " You have made a blunder somewhere," added 
 Lynchman, sheepishly. 
 
 " Not at all. Everything has come out just as I 
 intended it should." 
 
 " Then you are a traitor." 
 
 " On the contrary, I am a true Union man. I go 
 for the Union first, and Tennessee next." 
 
 " Traitor ! " growled the guerilla. 
 
 " See here, my man; you believe in strategy 
 don't you?"
 
 192 Fighting Joe. 
 
 I do." 
 
 " So do I," replied De Banyan. I think you 
 have got strategy enough to last you till the end of 
 the war." 
 
 " You deceived me, then," added Lynchman, 
 bitterly. 
 
 " Deceived you ! " sneered the major. " Did you 
 think I would throw myself into your arms, and let 
 you butcher me at your own pleasure. I know 
 what you guerillas are gorillas, I had better say. 
 Deceived you! I shouldn't want a more stupid 
 fellow than you are to work upon. You have 
 played into my hand all the way through." 
 
 " What is to be done with us ? " asked the dis 
 comfited chief, tamely. 
 
 " I don't know. We shall march you to head 
 quarters ; but as a man of your importance ought 
 to have a bigger escort than this, we shall add the 
 rest of your gang to the train." 
 
 De Banyan walked away, mounted his horse, and 
 rode down to the cross-roads again, where the 
 greater battle was soon to be fought. Tippy, the 
 scout, who had disengaged himself from his com 
 panions at the beginning of the affray, was directed 
 to keep at a distance from the strife. 
 
 Somers delivered his message to Sweetzer, and 
 the guerillas immediately leaped into their saddles. 
 The note from Lynchman relieved the bearer from 
 all suspicion, and the lieutenant only questioned 
 him in regard to the nature of the operations in 
 which his force was to engage. Somers answered 
 AS suited himself; and, finding that no further 
 notice was taken of him, the officers and men being 
 busily occupied in preparing for their excursion, he 
 contrived to detach k himself from their company.
 
 Fighting Joe. 193 
 
 Gaining the highway, he rode at a leisurely gait till 
 he was out of their sight, when he quickened his 
 pace, and reached the cross-roads hi advance of the 
 guerillas. He was warmly welcomed by De 
 Banyan ; but there was no time yet for long stories, 
 though both of them had much to say. 
 
 Sweetzer and his men crossed the railroad with 
 out a suspicion that they were plunging into a fatal 
 trap, till they heard the clatter of horses' feet behind. 
 The cavalry in the rear, which was to open the battle, 
 dashed upon the guerillas with a round of Union 
 cheers. But the rebels were desperate fellows. 
 They had been plundering, murdering, and destroy 
 ing, without mercy, and the fear of a righteous 
 retribution upon their heads nerved them to the most 
 determined action, and they fought like demons. 
 
 They were hardly engaged before the cavalry in 
 front rushed with headlong speed upon the entrapped 
 foe. It was such an opportunity as the policy of the 
 partisans seldom permitted them to enjoy ; and the 
 Union soldiers, with a hearty relish for the work, 
 went into the fight with an enthusiasm which could 
 result only in speedy victory. Then ensued a brief 
 but tremendous conflict, in which the guerillas were 
 thoroughly and completely routed. There was an 
 awful cutting and slashing for a few minutes. The 
 rebels were utterly demolished ; they broke, and 
 attempted to flee from the scene of wrath ; but not 
 many of them escaped. 
 
 " The work is done," said De Banyan, as be joined 
 Somers at the close of the conflict. 
 
 " And well done," added Somers, as he returned 
 his sword to his scabbard. "I think the general 
 will be willing to excuse our delay in reporting." 
 
 The wounded were sent back to the military post,
 
 194 Fighting Joe. 
 
 the prisoners secured, and the " greenback train " 
 took up its line of march for the army. 
 
 On the way, De Banyan, Somers, and Tippy kept 
 together. It was the first time the staff officers had 
 found an opportunity to communicate in regard to 
 the past. Somers knew but little of what his friend 
 had done ; but he opened the way for an explanation 
 by relating his own adventures with Skinley. 
 
 " I supposed you would shoot him the moment you 
 got him out of sight of his cutthroat companions,'* 
 said the major. 
 
 " I couldn't shoot him down in cold blood. I in 
 tended to use a little strategy, when the right time 
 came," replied Somers. 
 
 " You are too sentimental by half. If he had been 
 a soldier and a decent man, you might have hesitated. 
 He was nothing but a cold-blooded wretch, a cut 
 throat ; you ought to have shot him without wink 
 ing twice. I would have done it." 
 
 ' I couldn't do it. But, De Banyan, what have 
 you been doing ? " 
 
 The major minutely detailed his operations dur 
 ing the morning. He had been to the paymaster, 
 proved that he was a Union man, on the staff of a 
 general, and exposed the plot of the guerillas. 
 Returning to them, he had arrived just before the 
 capture of the negro boy on the Skinley horse, and 
 had contrived to make the fellow say what he 
 desired, in part, and to neutralize what tended to 
 inculpate Somers. 
 
 "One question, major," said Somers, when De 
 Banyan finished : Who is Tippy ? " 
 
 tt He is my son."
 
 Fighting Joe. 195 
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 
 THE BATTLE IN THE CLOUDS. 
 
 SOMEBS had been greatly mystified by the singular 
 conduct of Tippy, the scout, and quite as much so 
 by that of De Banyan in connection with the young 
 man. He remembered to have heard the major say, 
 when they parted, after the eventful campaign before 
 Richmond, that he had a son and it now appeared 
 that he had been in the rebeJ >ervice, while his father 
 was actively engaged on tb other side. 
 
 Before the war Tippy J id been the confidential 
 friend and companion of nis father to an extent to 
 which parents seldom admit their sons. He was an 
 only child, and between them there had been a bond 
 of sympathy, which nothing but the total breaking 
 up of all social relations could effect. The father 
 had been compelled to enter the rebel army sorely 
 against his will, and at the first opportunity had put 
 himself on the right side. In doing so he had been 
 separated from his family, hoping, however, to meet 
 his wife and son again in a few months at farthest. 
 He had been grievously disappointed in this respect, 
 for the sweep of the Union army had not been so 
 speedy and decided as he had anticipated ; and he 
 had been obliged, by the force of circumstances, to 
 leave the West and go to the East. 
 
 During his absence his wife had died ; and the 
 son, inheriting the talent of his father, had taken 
 service in the rebel ranks, where his ability as a
 
 196 Fighting Joe. 
 
 scout was soon discovered. When he saw his father, 
 he had no will of his own ; whatever the parent 
 was, he was. Like thousands of others who fought 
 on the side of rebellion, he had no principle in the 
 matter, and only went with the crowd. He was 
 now happily restored to his devoted parent, and 
 fully believed that whatever cause his father es 
 poused must be the right one. The boy's middle 
 name was Tipton, after a Tennessee politician, who 
 happened to be in the ascendant at the time of his 
 birth ; and from this was derived the pet appellation 
 by which he was known among the rebels and 
 partisans. 
 
 Somers and Tippy were immediately the best of 
 friends ; and during he day, as they rode along, 
 the young Tennessean isked a thousand questions 
 about the North, about t. > home and the associations 
 of his companion ; and ii is quite probable that he 
 profited by the information imparted in the answers 
 to the questions. 
 
 Before night, as De Banyan had promised, our 
 travelers had the pleasure of reporting to " Fighting 
 Joe," at Bridgeport, and of receiving a hearty wel 
 come. They were warmly commended for the work 
 they had done among the guerillas, who were the 
 pest of the state, the continual annoyance of the 
 army's communications, and a nuisance to friend 
 and foe among the families of the region. The 
 general conversed freely with De Banyan and 
 Somers, and immediately assigned them to duty in 
 their respective positions. 
 
 " Somers, my dear fellow, I greet you ! " exclaimed 
 Captain Barkwood, when they met. 
 
 "Thank you, captain," replied Somers, warmly 
 grasping the proffered hand of the engineer.
 
 Fighting Joe. 197 
 
 " You are the only volunteer I have met who was 
 fit to be a regular." 
 
 " Fortunately, I am one," added Somers, explain 
 ing his position. 
 
 " I congratulate you. I hear that you have been 
 fighting guerillas." 
 
 " A little." 
 
 "I am sorry you have a taste for those small 
 squabbles." 
 
 " I have not ; I only go into them from necessity. 
 But our fight with the guerillas was a splendid piece 
 of strategy. I will tell you about it." 
 
 Somers told him, and the engineer was satisfied, 
 though he declared that he was too much of a 
 coward to have any relish for hand-to-hand en 
 counters. 
 
 " Well, Captain Barkwood, how is the general ? " 
 asked Somers, when the relative merits of brain and 
 muscle had been duly discussed. 
 
 " The general ! He is a diamond among precious 
 stones," replied Barkwood, with enthusiasm. "If 
 he gets a chance he will knock the backbone out of 
 the rebel army in this quarter. By the way, 
 Somers, I remember the general when he was in 
 Mexico. 
 
 "Were you there?" 
 
 "I was." 
 
 " You don't look old enough." 
 
 " I'm forty. I remember him at Chapultepec." 
 
 " I was there," added De Banyan ; " but I was a 
 private." 
 
 " He fought like a tiger there, as he did every- 
 where, and went up like a rocket from second 
 lieutenant to lieutenant-colonel. He is what I oall 
 a positive man ; he does his own thinking, which,
 
 198 Fighting Joe. 
 
 unfortunately for him, perhaps, hi some instances, 
 does not agree with the thinking of others. He was 
 with Pillow, Rains, and Ripley, who are all rebels 
 now." 
 
 " But the general left the army." 
 
 " Yes, he is an active man ; he couldn't stand the 
 piping times of peace that followed the Mexican 
 war, and, resigning his commission, went to Califor 
 nia, where he became a farmer. This didn't agree 
 very well with his constitution, and when a speck 
 of war appeared hi 1861, he hastened to Washington ; 
 not as an adventurer, mind you, but as a man who 
 believed in the American Union. Somehow the 
 men hi authority seemed to have forgotten about 
 his conduct hi Mexico ; and it may be that some of 
 his positive opinions were remembered, and he did 
 not readily procure service. 
 
 "Discouraged, and perhaps disgusted, with his ill 
 success, he made up his mind to return to his farm 
 on the Pacific. Before his intended departure he 
 paid his respects to President Lincoln, to whom he 
 made some comments on the battle of Bull Run, 
 which induced the President to make him a brigadier. 
 That was the luckiest thing for the general, and the 
 luckiest thing for the country, that ever came out 
 of an accident." 
 
 " That's so ! " exclaimed De Banyan, with em 
 phasis. " I've seen him in a great many fights ; and 
 I say he has no superior hi the army." 
 
 "I'm not very fond of comparisons between 
 generals ; but I can say I like him better than any 
 other," added Somers. " I wish generals were not 
 so sensitive." 
 
 "Sensitive? My dear Somers, a man can no
 
 Fighting Joe. 199 
 
 more be a great general without being sensitive, 
 than he can be a parson without being pious." 
 
 " That may be ; but I think that some of the 
 military operations of the war have failed because 
 the commanding general in charge of them was not 
 fairly supported, owing to some of these squabbles 
 about rank." 
 
 " That's true ; but there's a great difference be 
 tween being sensitive, and failing to obey orders, in 
 spirit as well as to the letter. * Fighting Joe ' never 
 did and never will allow his sensitiveness to en 
 danger for one moment the success of our arms," 
 said the engineer, warmly. " He would fight under 
 a corporal rather than lose the day, any time." 
 
 " I know that," answered Somers ; " but I can't 
 help feeling that if some generals had been less sen 
 sitive, our general would have been in command of 
 a large army to-day." 
 
 " A positive man speaks what he thinks ; and I 
 doubt not ' Fighting Joe ' has often offended his 
 superiors by his candid criticisms. This may have 
 affected his position, but it cannot rob him of the 
 glory of the past. Whatever he does, and wherever 
 he goes, I'm with him to the end," added the 
 engineer. 
 
 " So am I," said De Banyan. 
 
 " There will be something done in this department 
 very soon," continued Barkwood. "The heavy 
 storms have rendered the roads almost impassable ; 
 and the provisions for the army in Chattanooga have 
 to be conveyed in wagons about fifty miles. The 
 first move will be to open the river and the railroad 
 between this point and Chattanooga." 
 
 The engineer was correct in his supposition, for a 
 few days later General Hazen's brigade descended
 
 2oo Fighting Joe. 
 
 the Tennessee in pontoon boats, intended for the 
 erection of a bridge over the river at Brown's Ferry, 
 running the rebel batteries in the night, and reach 
 ing their destination in safety. The Confederate 
 force under General Bragg was posted on the south 
 side of the river, holding the heights known as 
 Raccoon Mountain, Lookout Mountain, and Mission 
 ary Ridge. Batteries had been planted on these 
 heights, which swept the river and the valleys ; and 
 the operation of dislodging the enemy from their 
 strongholds was a difficult and dangerous one. 
 
 A pontoon bridge nine hundred feet in length 
 was built on the river at Brown's Ferry in five hours, 
 a force having been first sent over the river, and a 
 position captured and fortified to protect the opera 
 tion. The eleventh and twelfth corps then moved 
 out from Bridgeport, and completed the communi 
 cation between that place and the pontoon bridge, 
 thus effecting a junction with the army in Chatta 
 nooga. A steamboat, built by a company of engi 
 neers, and another captured from the enemy, con 
 veyed provision, one above and the other below the 
 pontoon bridge, to the beleaguered town. This vital 
 question being settled, the place was fortified so that 
 it could be held by a small force ; and the main 
 army then commenced the work of relieving East 
 Tennessee from the presence of the rebels, which 
 was fully accomplished in spite of the active move 
 ment of the enemy to prevent it. 
 
 Our volume is not a history, and we do not pur 
 pose to narrate in detail the movements of the three 
 armies, which had been united under General Grant. 
 The rebels were whipped in every direction, foiled 
 and defeated in all their plans, and the Union army 
 continued on its march to Atlanta. " Fighting Joe "
 
 Fighting Joe. 201 
 
 bore an important part in these operations, and was 
 conspicuous at Lookout Mountain, Resaca, and be 
 fore Atlanta. He was skilful and brave, energetic 
 and devoted in this campaign, as he had been before. 
 He was faithful to his duty, until, on the death of 
 General McPherson, he was compelled to ask to be 
 relieved. With this summary of the events at the 
 seat of war in the South, we return to Captain 
 Somers. 
 
 The general's command, having opened the com 
 munication with Chattanooga, marched up Lookout 
 Valley. " Fighting Joe " was there for a purpose. 
 The rugged steeps of the mountain bristled with 
 rebel cannon, and his army was exposed to a sharp 
 fire as it moved on its way. The general was in the 
 midst of it, and assured the troops that the fire could 
 not harm them. His conduct had the most inspiring 
 effect upon the men. 
 
 When the head of the column approached the 
 vicinity of the railroad bridge, near Wauhatchie, the 
 rebel infantry opened upon it, being posted in a 
 dense forest, where their number could not be de 
 termined. A brigade was thrown out to flank the 
 position, upon which the enemy precipitately fled 
 over the creek, burning the bridge behind them. 
 The column moved on, and halted for the night in 
 the valley. 
 
 At midnight General Geary's division was savagely 
 attacked, and presently the gloom of the valley was 
 lighted up by the flame of battle ; cannon and 
 musketry blazed from the summits of the mountain, 
 but the men fought with the most determined zeal. 
 The general was in his saddle, and his staff were 
 hurled away like arrows from a bow, to strengthen 
 the weak parts of the line. A brigade was de-
 
 202 Fighting Joe. 
 
 spatched to the assistance of Geary, who was hard 
 pressed ; but the attack was promptly repelled. 
 
 Somers was then sent off with an order to the 
 second brigade to storm the heights and carry them ; 
 and he was directed to accompany the force and re 
 port progress to the general. The hill was very 
 steep and rugged, and in many places the rocks 
 presented the appearance of palisades. It was 
 covered with wood and underbrush, and it would 
 not have been an easy thing to climb it with a guide 
 in broad daylight ; but the general had sent these 
 intrepid fellows to scale its jagged steeps in the 
 middle of the night. It was cloudy, and the moon 
 shed an uncertain light on the scene. 
 
 To Somers there was a savor of home in the en 
 terprise, for the thirty- third Massachusetts was one 
 of the two regiments which formed the advance in 
 this perilous movement ; the other was the seventy- 
 third Ohio, both numbering only four hundred men. 
 On dashed the intrepid soldiers, climbing up the 
 dangerous steeps, as though all of them had been 
 mountaineers on, till they penetrated the clouds, 
 while the gloom was lighted up by the glare of the 
 sheets of flame from two thousand rebel muskets. 
 There in the clouds, at midnight, was fought and 
 won this remarkable battle. The crests of the hills 
 were carried at the point of the bayonet, and the 
 gallant thirty-third left one third of its number 
 killed and wounded on the ground ; but the victory 
 was complete, and Captain Somers hastened to re 
 port the result to the general.
 
 Fighting Joe. 203 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 PEACH-TREE CREEK. 
 
 DURING the night all the rebels evacuated Look 
 out Mountain, and retreated upon the main army, 
 posted at the eastward of them. The storming of 
 the heights was part of the great battle of Chatta 
 nooga, directed by General Grant with the most 
 consummate skill, and carried out by his subor 
 dinates with a zeal and energy which insured a 
 great and decisive victory. Chattanooga was ours ; 
 East Tennessee was purged of the rebels who had 
 been persecuting the devoted loyalists from the be 
 ginning of the war ; and with these events substan 
 tially closed the campaign of 1863. 
 
 Our limited space compels us to pass over the 
 time from this period to the July of the next year. 
 Somers and De Banyan still held their positions on 
 the staff of the general, spending the winter in the 
 vicinity of Chattanooga. There were a great many 
 letters passed between the young captain and his 
 friends, and all of them from him were not directed 
 to Pinchbrook. Between himself and Lilian a most 
 excellent understanding still subsisted. 
 
 In the reorganization of the army, which followed 
 the well-deserved promotion of Grant to the rank of 
 lieutenant-general, "Fighting Joe" was placed in
 
 204 Fighting Joe. 
 
 command of the twentieth corps ; and in Sherman's 
 bloody and decisive advance to Atlanta, he was one 
 of the central figures in the picture. He was the 
 idol of his corps, as he had been in the Army of the 
 Potomac. His men loved and trusted him, and he 
 never disappointed them. He was alwr.ys in the 
 thickest of the danger, to support and to cheer 
 them. 
 
 Everything went wrong with the rebels. John 
 ston, beaten and flanked time and again, fell back, 
 until Atlanta, the objective point of Sherman, was 
 reached, where he was superseded by Hood, who 
 was eminently a fighting man, and was expected to 
 retrieve the failing fortunes of the Confederacy. 
 On the 20th of July was fought the battle of Peach- 
 Tree Creek, which was a desperate attempt on the 
 part of the newly-appointed rebel commander to re 
 deem the disasters of the past. The attack was 
 made against a weak place in the line, where there 
 was a large gap between the divisions of Geary and 
 Williams. 
 
 Into this gap Hood hurled his compact column ; 
 who, inspired with a hope that their new leader 
 would turn the tide of battle setting so strongly 
 against the rebels, fought with unwonted despera 
 tion. They poured, in solid masses, through the 
 open space, and fell upon the boys of the twentieth 
 corps with fiendish valor. For a moment they 
 shook but " Fighting Joe il flashed before them like
 
 Fighting Joe. 205 
 
 a meteor ; his full tones were heard as buoyant as 
 in the hour of victory, and the soldiers gathered 
 themselves up under this potent inspiration, and 
 bravely faced the impetuous foe. From both sides 
 of the gap, into which the rebels had wedged them 
 selves, deadly volleys of musketry were poured in 
 upon them. They were mowed down like ripe grain 
 before the scythe. They bit the dust in hundreds ; 
 but the survivors maintained the conflict. 
 
 Still the commander of the twentieth corps dashed 
 along the line, and everywhere restored the breaking 
 column. His voice was a charm on that day, and 
 more than any other of the war in which he had 
 been engaged, this was his battle; for, with his 
 voice, his eye, and his commanding presence, he 
 banished panic, and wrested victory from the arms 
 of defeat. The assault was triumphantly repelled ; 
 and doubtless the rebels believed that the Fabian 
 policy of Johnston was preferable to the bloody and 
 bootless desperation of Hood. 
 
 The battle was won ; and many and earnest were 
 the congratulations exchanged among officers and 
 soldiers after the bloody affair. De Banyan and 
 Somers had been particularly active, not only in 
 bearing orders, but in rallying the troops ; and the 
 general personally thanked them for their devotion : 
 at the same time the aide-de-camp was directed to 
 convey information of the result to a general whose 
 position might be affected by it.
 
 206 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Somers rode off, but had gone only a short dis 
 tance before his friend dashed up to his side, and 
 pointed out to him a piece of woods on his route, 
 where a squad of the enemy's cavalry had been seen, 
 and entreated him to be exceedingly cautious. 
 
 " I'm always cautious, major," laughed Somers. 
 
 " I know you are, my boy ; but you might not 
 have known there was any danger in that quarter." 
 
 " I will avoid the woods, if I can." 
 
 "You can, by going over that low place at the 
 right of the creek," added De Banyan. " I have a 
 message to deliver in that direction myself." 
 
 They rode on, and parted a short distance from 
 the creek. Somers proceeded to his destination, and 
 having accomplished his mission, started on the re 
 turn. When he reached the point nearest to the 
 creek, his attention was attracted by a riderless 
 horse, feeding on the shrubs that covered the ground. 
 A nearer, approach to the animal assured him it was 
 De Banyan's horse ; and his blood froze with fear 
 as he considered the meaning of this circumstance. 
 His friend had evidently been shot, and had fallen 
 from his horse ; but perhaps he was not dead, and 
 Somers proceeded to search for the major. 
 
 As he rode forward, almost overcome by the sud 
 denness of the shock which had fallen upon him, 
 the sharp crack of a rifle roused him from his 
 meditation, and a bullet whistled uncomfortably 
 near his head, He drew his revolver, and discovered
 
 Fighting Joe. 207 
 
 half a dozen rebels in front of him. Wheeling his 
 horse on the instant, he attempted to escape in 
 the opposite direction. This act drew upon him the 
 fire of the party, and though he was not hit, his 
 horse dropped upon the ground, shot through the 
 head. As the faithful animal fell, the leg of the 
 rider became entangled under his body, and he was 
 held fast. 
 
 " How are you, Blueback ? " said one of the rebels, 
 as they rushed forward and seized him, disarming 
 him before they released him from his uncomfortable 
 position. 
 
 "How are you, Grayback ? " replied Somers, call 
 ing his philosophy to his aid in this trying moment. 
 
 Is yer health good, Yank ? " 
 
 "First rate, I thank you, Reb," answered Somers, 
 as he disengaged his foot from the stirrup beneath 
 the horse. " How's yours ? " 
 
 " I cal'late you are better ter keep than yer are 
 to kill." 
 
 " That's a sensible idea on your part." 
 
 "May be it is. What yer got in your pockets, 
 Yank?" 
 
 "Not much; the paymaster hasn't been round 
 lately." 
 
 " Let's see." 
 
 " You rebs don't take greenbacks do you ? " 
 asked Somers, as he pulled out his pocket-book. 
 
 " I bet we do take anything we can get."
 
 2o8 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Well, you won't get much out of me. There's 
 my pocket-book ; it's rather flat ; an elephant 
 stepped on it the other day." 
 
 There was about ten dollars in legal tender cur 
 rency and fractional bills in the pocket-book, which 
 the rebels thankfully accepted. 
 
 " What else yer got ? " demanded the spokesman 
 of the squad. 
 
 " What else do you want ? When I meet a friend 
 in distress, I like to do the handsome thing by 
 him." 
 
 "I reckon we're in distress, and we'll take any 
 thing yer got to give. Got the time of day about 
 yer ? " 
 
 Somers gave up his silver watch. 
 
 " That's everything I have about me of any 
 value," he added, hoping these sacrifices would 
 satisfy the rapacity of his captors. 
 
 " Dunno, Yank ; let's see," added the rebel, with 
 a grin. " Turn out yer pockets." 
 
 Somers took from the breast pocket of his coat 
 the Testament which his mother had given him, 
 and which had been his constant companion in all 
 campaigns. It contained several pictures of the 
 loved ones at home, including, of course, one of 
 Lillian Ashford. 
 
 " You don't want this ? " said he, as he pulled the 
 Testament, wrapped up in oiled silk, from his 
 pocket, and unrolled it before them.
 
 Fighting Joe. 209 
 
 " I cal'late you Yanks don't hev no use for this 
 book," replied the spokesman, as he took the cher 
 ished gift. 
 
 "Won't you leave me that?" asked Somers. 
 "My mother gave it to me, and it contains the 
 photographs of my friends at home." 
 
 "Not if I knows it, Yank," replied the man, 
 coarsely. " This is a warm day ain't it, Yank ? " 
 
 " Rather warm." 
 
 " May be that coat's too hot for yer ? " 
 
 " I think I can endure it very well." 
 
 " I'm feered it will make yer sick if yer wear it 
 any longer. Jest take it off, Yank. It was made 
 for a better man 'n you be." 
 
 Somers complied, simply because resistance was 
 vain. 
 
 " What number of boots do you wear, Yank ? " 
 continued the rebel, glancing at his prisoner's feet. 
 
 "Well, I generally wear two of them," replied 
 Somers, facetiously. 
 
 " I reckon yer won't wear so many as that much 
 longer. Don't yer think them boots would fit me ? " 
 
 "I'm afraid they are too small for you," said 
 Somers, disgusted with the conduct of his captors. 
 
 " I reckon they'll jest fit me." 
 
 " Come, Turkin, quit now. I'll be dog-on'd ef we 
 don't git captered ourselves, ef you keep on parlatin' 
 with the carri'n any longer. Fotch him along, and 
 we'll measure the boots bime-by."
 
 2io Fighting Joe. 
 
 As this was eminently prudent advice under the 
 circumstances, Turkin decided to follow it. One of 
 the party took the saddle and bridle from the dead 
 animal, while another caught De Banyan's horse. 
 The unfortunate event took place within fifty rods 
 of the line of the twentieth corps, and near the spot 
 where the recent battle had raged fiercest. The 
 ground was directly in front of the army, and it was 
 an unparalleled piece of impudence for the rebels to 
 come so near on such an expedition. With the ex 
 ception of the piece of woods, the ground was open, 
 though Somers was captured behind a ridge, which 
 hid the marauders from the view of the sentinels. 
 
 " Now, Yank, we'll march," said Turkin, who, 
 though he wore no badge of his rank, appeared to 
 be the sergeant or corporal commanding the squad. 
 " Be you ready ? " 
 
 " Well, no, I'm not ready ; but as you fellows 
 have such an insinuating way with you, I suppose 
 I shall have to go," replied Somers, glancing in the 
 direction of the Union line. 
 
 " You guessed about right that time, Yank. 
 'Tain't no use to look over yender. If yer don't 
 walk right along, jest like a Christian, I'd jest as lief 
 shoot yer as not." 
 
 " Don't trouble yourself, Reb ; I'm with you. But 
 I'm not much used to walking without boots, of 
 Imte years, and if you take my boots I may make 
 hard work of it."
 
 Fighting Joe. 211 
 
 " No, yer won't ; if yer do, I'll save yer the trouble 
 of walking any further." 
 
 " No trouble at all," added Somers, who, in spite 
 of his apparently easy bearing, was in momentary 
 fear of being shot by the ruffians in charge of him. 
 
 " What's yer name ? " demanded Turkin, abruptly, 
 as they moved towards the wood, beyond which 
 flowed Peach-tree Creek. 
 
 " Thomas Somers." 
 
 What d'yer b'long ter ? " 
 
 " To the army." 
 
 " See here, Yank ; I asked yer a civ'l question ; if 
 yer don't give me a civ'l answer, dog scotch me if I 
 don't give yer pineapple soup for supper." 
 
 By pineapple soup Somers understood him to 
 mean a minie ball, deducing this conclusion from 
 the resemblance of this messenger of death to the 
 fruit mentioned. The rebel seemed suddenly to 
 have changed his humor, and the captive found 
 that it was not safe to give indirect answers ; so he 
 told who and what he was in full, without any 
 equivocation. 
 
 " Can you tell me what became of the owner of 
 that horse ? " said Somers, pointing to the animal, 
 led by one of the rebels ; but he did not venture to 
 put the question to Turkin. 
 
 " May be I can ; but may be I won't," replied the 
 man, in surly tones. 
 
 "Was he killed?"
 
 212 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " If he was, he was ; if he wasn't, he wasn't." 
 Somers could obtain no information on this sub- 
 ject, and he feared the worst. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE MONKEY AND THE CAT'S-PAW. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING his own misfortunes, Somers 
 could not help thinking of his friend De Banyan, 
 whom he regarded as an elder brother. They had 
 endured much suffering, and passed through many 
 perils together, and the bond of union between them 
 was very strong. The riderless horse indicated that 
 he had been killed. The rebels had fired upon 
 Somers before they summoned him to surrender, 
 and probably a shot aimed at De Banyan had been 
 more unfortunate. It was very sad for Somers to 
 think of his noble companion, shot down by an un 
 seen foe ; but he could hardly cherish a hope that 
 he was still alive. It would have been better for 
 him to fall in the front of battle, where he had so 
 often distinguished himself. 
 
 It was hard to give him up ; yet all the probabil 
 ities were, that he had been killed, and that his 
 body lay unnoticed and unhonored on the spot 
 where he had fallen. Somers was a prisoner him 
 self, and had been plundered even of the most nec 
 essary articles of wearing apparel, and subjected
 
 Fighting Joe. 213 
 
 to needless insult and brutality. The condition of 
 the Union prisoners at Richmond, Andersonville, 
 and Salisbury was too well known to him to render 
 the prospect before him even tolerable. But a de 
 sponding spirit would only aggravate his miseries, 
 and he determined to submit to his fate with patient 
 resignation. He felt that he was in the keeping of 
 the good Father, who doeth all things well ; and in 
 His appointed time he would be rescued from peril 
 and restored to his friends ; or, if it was the will of 
 Heaven that he should lay down his life in grief 
 and misery for the cause he had chosen to serve, he 
 would try to be faithful and patient unto the bitter 
 end. 
 
 The rebels conducted him through the woods to 
 the creek, which they forded, and continued on 
 their way till they reached a grove, where it now 
 appeared that they had picketed their horses. It 
 was also evident to the unfortunate prisoner that 
 his captors were not regular cavalrymen, but 
 guerillas, who hung on the flanks of the army to 
 rob the wounded, plunder the dead, capture strag 
 glers worth the trouble, and gather up the spoils of 
 battle. When this was apparent to Somers, from 
 the words and the actions of the wretches, he felt 
 that he had reason to be thankfnl that they had not 
 murdered him, as they probably had his friend 
 His life had been spared, but this new revelation of 
 the character of his captors suggested a doubt
 
 214 rigntmg joe. 
 
 whether death was not preferable to captivity in 
 the hands of such miscreants. At the grove the 
 men halted. 
 
 " Now, cap'n, off with them boots ! " said Turkin, 
 in savage tones. 
 
 Somers felt that he had not a moment's lease of 
 life secured to him, and he promptly complied with 
 the unreasonable demand of the guerilla. 
 
 " Who's gwine to hev them boots ? " suggested 
 one of the gang. 
 
 " The man as they fits," replied Turkin, who pro 
 ceeded at once to try them on. 
 
 " No, sir ! I'll be dog-on'd if anything of that 
 sort shall be did ! " protested the other. 
 
 " Well, Gragg, what's the use of them boots to 
 you ? You couldn't put 'em outside yer feet, more'n 
 yer could crawl inter the barrel of yer shooter." 
 
 " May be I couldn't ; but them boots is wuth 
 more to you than the boss. Draw lots fur 'em." 
 
 The guerillas debated this question for some 
 time, and with so much acrimony that Somers ven 
 tured to hope they would resort to knives and 
 bullets in the adjustment of the quarrel, and thus 
 afford him an opportunity to profit by the discus 
 sion. But it was finally agreed to value the prop 
 erty, and make an equal division of it. Turkin 
 could not get the boots on ; whereat he was greatly 
 enraged, and looked at Somers as though he in 
 tended to annihilate him for not having a larger
 
 Fighting Joe. 215 
 
 foot. A young fellow of the party succeeded in 
 getting them on, and they were apportioned to him. 
 It was pleasant to think that he was dooming him- 
 self to a great deal of misery, by his apparent good 
 fortune ; for, if he had corns, the boots would be 
 agony to him ; if not, they would be tight enough 
 to raise a crop of the tormentors in a very brief 
 period. If through tribulation we are brought to 
 the truth, it is to be hoped that the sufferings of the 
 young guerilla brought him to a belief that " honesty 
 is the best policy," though this is not the highest 
 rule of morality. 
 
 Each of the marauders was supplied with a horse, 
 and apparently to save the trouble of leading him, 
 rather than for the comfort of the prisoner, Somers 
 was ordered to ride the animal which had belonged 
 to De Banyan. The party were loaded with plunder, 
 taken from the dead and wounded of both armies, 
 as Somers judged from the appearance of the articles. 
 They moved in the direction of the rebel camps, 
 and in a short time they had passed beyond the 
 reach of danger from the Union army. 
 
 " Gragg, what we gwine to do with this feller ? " 
 said Turkin, as he pointed to the prisoner. " We 
 don't want him." 
 
 " Knock him on the head, and leave him here," 
 replied the benevolent Gragg. 
 
 " I don't keer," added Turkin, as he rubbed his 
 matted hair beneath his hat, as if to stimulate a half
 
 216 Fighting Joe. 
 
 developed idea which was struggling for existence 
 iu his brain. 
 
 Somers did care : it would make considerable 
 difference to him. He had patiently submitted to 
 the policy of his captors in order to save his life ; 
 but upon the question of murdering him in cold 
 blood, he felt that he had something to say. If 
 resorting to desperate measures would afford the 
 slightest hope of escape, he was ready to accept the 
 issue. There were seven of the guerillas, and resist 
 ance was almost hopeless, yet not entirely so, for 
 there was a single favorable circumstance to aid 
 him. 
 
 As the prisoner rode along between Turkin and 
 Gragg, he happened to discover that the holsters of 
 De Banyan's horse still contained the pistols of his 
 friend. They were two navy revolvers, which the 
 guerillas had neglected to secure. With these for 
 midable weapons Somers believed that he could 
 make a tolerably good fight, though such a course 
 would be madness on his part, unless he was reduced 
 to the most desperate extremity, when death was 
 certain if he did not resort to it. 
 
 " We don't want ter be bothered with this carri'n," 
 continued the philanthropic Gragg. 
 
 " I was thinkin'," said Turkin. 
 
 " Was yer ? " demanded Gragg, as the thinker did 
 not develop the result of his meditations. " What 
 was yer thinkin' ? "
 
 Fighting Joe. 217 
 
 * Yer know what happened yesterday ? " 
 
 Gragg did know, and as it appeared from their 
 conversation, Colonel Grayhame, of the Confederate 
 cavalry, had threatened to hang the whole of the 
 gang for some irregular proceedings among the 
 rebel wounded. 
 
 " The kun'l's down on us, Gragg," added the 
 politic Turkin. 
 
 I don't keer." 
 
 "He'll spile our prospects. We kin make him 
 good natered by givin' him a young scrub of a 
 Yankee officer like this." 
 
 " I don't keer." 
 
 "It won't cost nothin'. We don't want the young 
 cub ; and he'll think we're doin' sunthin' for the 
 cause." 
 
 " He'll make yer give up the boots and the coat," 
 suggested the prudent Gragg. 
 
 " You bet he won't ! " replied Turkin, positively. 
 " The feller is a staff officer, belongin' to one of the 
 big Yankee gin'rals ; and the kun'l will be glad to 
 git him." 
 
 " But the coat and the boots, the watch and the 
 money ? The kun'l's foolish about sech things. He 
 don't take 'em from the Yanks." 
 
 It was finally decided to say that the prisoner had 
 been robbed of these articles before they captured 
 him, and to deliver the captive to the colonel, as a 
 conciliatory offering. Somers was much relieved
 
 218 Fighting Joe. 
 
 when this decision was reached, for it was some 
 satisfaction to be handed over to an officer who was 
 a gentleman, and had some regard for the comfort 
 of his prisoners. 
 
 When the guerillas arrived at the spot where the 
 camp of Colonel Grayhame had been on the previous 
 day, their plans were entirely changed by learning 
 that the cavalry under his command had been or 
 dered away to look after the Union force, sent down 
 to destroy the West Point Railroad ; not that this 
 information affected their purposes, but because it 
 suggested a field for the better prosecution of their 
 irregular work. Somers heard them discuss the 
 matter ; and he found that they believed the Union 
 cavalry would burn and plunder public and private 
 property, without discrimination, wherever they 
 went. Their presence would create a panic ; houses 
 would be abandoned, citizens killed, and the spoils 
 would be plentiful. When Turkin suggested that 
 the party should follow the colonel, and gather up 
 the plunder, his companions readily assented. 
 
 Somers did not learn what was to be done with 
 himself, but he concluded that he was to go with 
 them. Though it was now dark, the guerillas im 
 mediately started for the new field of operations, 
 and the prisoner was placed between Gragg and 
 Turkin, as before. These worthies were less com 
 municative during the evening than they had been 
 immediately after his capture, and Somers listened
 
 Fighting Joe. 219 
 
 in vain for any hint in regard to the disposition 
 which they intended to make of him. 
 
 They rode till about nine o'clock, when Gragg 
 suggested that they were human, and ought to have 
 some supper. They were approaching the mansion 
 of a planter, and as they owed allegiance to neither 
 side in the great conflict, it mattered but little to 
 them who or what the owner was. Their sympathies 
 were undoubtedly with the South, but their love of 
 plunder was stronger than their sympathies. 
 
 " Git off the hoss, cap'n," said Turkin, as the party 
 halted in the yard of the house. 
 
 Somers obeyed. In the darkness of the evening 
 he had contrived to remove one of the revolvers 
 from its holster, and place it under his vest ; for he 
 did not know that he should again be permitted to 
 mount the horse. He had also transferred from a 
 leather bag on the pommel of the saddle, two or 
 three at a time, a sufficient number of patent car 
 tridges and caps. He was not without a hope that 
 the present halt would afford him an opportunity 
 to attempt an escape. 
 
 " Lead your horse to the stable," added Turkin. 
 
 He put the horse in the stable with the others ; 
 but he was closely watched all the time. While he 
 was thus engaged, he saw Gragg and Turkin in 
 close conversation ; and, though Somers could not 
 hear what was said, he was satisfied that they were 
 talking about him.
 
 220 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " Cap'n," said Turkin, as the prisoner came out of 
 the stall. 
 
 " I am here," replied Somers. 
 
 " Will you be shot afore supper, or arter ? " 
 
 Neither." 
 
 "That's jest what I expected you mought say, 
 because it stands to reason no man don't want to 
 be shot." 
 
 " Just my sentiments ; I don't want to be shot." 
 
 ** Jes' so ; and yer ought to be much obleeged ter 
 me fur not shoot'n yer before." 
 
 " I am very grateful to you for your considera 
 tion." 
 
 "Exac'ly; you ain't no more use to us than a 
 knife and fork to a cow." 
 
 " I don't do you any harm." 
 
 " That may be ; but yer don't do no good. Cap'n, 
 will yer be shot afore supper, or arter ? " repeated 
 Turkin. 
 
 "I have already expressed my views on that 
 subject." 
 
 Yes or no ? " 
 
 No." 
 
 * Cap'n, you kin read, I take it." 
 
 I can." 
 
 "D'yer ever read the story about the monkey 
 that took the cat's-paw to haul the clieatnuts out 
 the fire with ? " 
 
 I have."
 
 Fighting Joe. 221 
 
 " I knew yer hed ; yer Yanks is great readers. 
 Do yer know what the moril is to that story?" 
 
 "I think I do." 
 
 " I knew yer did ; yer Yanks is great on morils. 
 I'm gwine ter tell yer the moril of that story. Did 
 yer say you'd be shot afore supper, or arter ? " 
 
 " Neither, if it will accommodate you just as well," 
 replied Somers, greatly perplexed to know what the 
 fellow was going to do. 
 
 "Never mind, then; we'll talk about the moril. 
 It ain't jest the thing fur us to go inter this house, 
 and make 'em get supper fur us, because we ain't 
 exac'ly regular. We want the supper, and we may 
 want sunthin' more, arter that. We don't want to 
 be seen in the business. Now, we are the monkey, 
 and you are the cat's-paw don't you see ? " 
 
 " I don't quite understand you." 
 
 " You shall go in, order the supper, and do the talk- 
 in' for us. When they git supper ready, we'll go in 
 and eat it, without any of the folks seein' on us. Yer'll 
 be cap'n, and do the talkin' for us don't yer see ? " 
 
 "I see." 
 
 " And keep the folks from seein' us too don't yer 
 see?" 
 
 I see." 
 
 "Now, cap'n, will yer be shot afore supper, or 
 arter ? " demanded Turkin. 
 
 " Neither," replied Somers, thereby consenting to 
 the plan proposed by the guerilla.
 
 222 Fighting Joe. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 SUPPER FOR SEVEN. 
 
 WHATEVER the merits of the plan in which 
 Somers was compelled to take a part, he did not rel 
 ish the idea of being made a cat's-paw in the hands 
 of such unmitigated villains as the guerillas. It in 
 volved no sacrifice of principle, and did not require 
 him to give " aid and comfort to the enemy " ; other 
 wise he would have taken his chances in an encounter 
 with the whole squad. It was one portion of the 
 enemy feeding on another portion ; and if the planter, 
 who was himself a rebel, objected to the forced con 
 tribution, he had only to thank himself for the state 
 of things he had assisted in bringing about. 
 
 " I am ready," said Somers, when Turkin had fully 
 explained his plan. 
 
 " We're all half starved, and I cal'late we're ready 
 too." 
 
 " But do you think I shall look much like an officer, 
 when I go in without any coat or boots ? " 
 
 "May be we mought lend you a coat," replied 
 Turkin, struck with the force of the suggestion. 
 
 By his order, Somers's coat was restored to him, 
 with the remark that he would not want it after sup-
 
 Fighting Joe. 223 
 
 per ; which led him to believe that he was to be shot 
 when the wretches had no further use for him. 
 
 " An officer usually wears a sword," added Somers, 
 " and a pair of boots." 
 
 " Ger 'long ! " said Gragg. 
 
 Do you think an officer would be without boots, 
 when all his men are so well shod ? I think I should' 
 be a cat's-paw without any claws." 
 
 " Give him his boots ; he won't want 'em arter sup- 
 per," replied Turkin ; and the young man who had 
 these useful articles was compelled to pull them off, 
 which he did with a great deal of difficulty. 
 
 Somers put them on, and began to feel like him- 
 self again. 
 
 See here, cap'n ; couldn't you send the folks all 
 out the house for a while, when we are at supper? " 
 
 Perhaps I could ; but I fancy they will think I 
 am a humbug, when I go in without a sword." 
 
 " Give him his sword," said Turkin. Now, kin 
 yer send the folks off ? play 'em some Yankee trick ? 
 don't yer see ? " 
 
 " Perhaps I could ; I'll try." 
 
 " Ef yer do well, we'll give yer supper afore" 
 
 " You git ! " said Gragg, expressively. 
 
 " I'll do the best I can," replied Somers, confirmed 
 in his opinion that the savage meant to kill him, by 
 the interrupted remark of Turkin, and the expres 
 sive tones of Gragg. 
 
 Kin yer write, Yank ? " asked Turkin.
 
 224 Fighting Joe. 
 
 "I can." 
 
 ' I knew yer could ; yer Yanks is great at writin'. 
 Write 'em a note, sayin' somebody wants ter see 'em 
 down to the next house." 
 
 " Capital ! " exclaimed Somers. " I should think 
 you were a Yankee yourself." 
 
 " Don't call me a Yank." 
 
 " I only meant that you can beat the Yankees at 
 playing tricks." 
 
 " I'm some." 
 
 All the servants outside the house had been cap 
 tured and kept in the darkness, where they could not 
 recognize any of the guerillas. They had already 
 been questioned, and enough was known of the family 
 to enable Somers to write a note ; but they had no 
 paper. 
 
 " I can manage it," said Somers, suddenly, as 
 though a splendid suggestion had occurred to him. 
 " If I take from my Testament one of those pictures, 
 and tell them the person represented wishes to see 
 them, they will go. If they don't recognize the pic 
 ture, they will be the more curious to know who it 
 is." 
 
 " May be they will," replied Turkin, doubtfully. 
 
 But it appeared from the story of the negroes that 
 a son of the gentleman in the next house had married 
 a daughter of the planter ; that both were at Savan 
 nah ; and it was finally agreed that the spokesman 
 of the party should say the daughter had suddenly
 
 Fighting Joe. 225 
 
 arrived, was quite ill, and wished all the family would 
 come down and see her. 
 
 " But I want one of those pictures to write the 
 message on," added Somers. 
 
 "I'll give yer one." 
 
 " And I want to take it from the Testament. It 
 will look more natural." 
 
 The guerillas thought so too, and by the light of 
 the lantern which one of the negroes brought, he 
 wrote in pencil, " These villains mean to rob your house 
 after supper ; get a force and capture them" 
 
 " He's great at writin' ain't he ? " said the ad 
 miring Turkin. 
 
 " Will you look at it ? " asked Somers, innocently. 
 
 Turkin took the card, and looked at it steadily by 
 the light of the lantern for a moment, and then 
 handed it back to the writer. 
 
 " That will do, you bet," added Turkin. We're 
 great on a trick ain't we ? " 
 
 "There's nothing like a well-managed trick,'* 
 answered Somers, as he placed the card in the Testa 
 ment, which had been given him for the purpose. 
 " You are sharp fellows, and this thing will work to 
 a charm." 
 
 " I cai'late it will ; but ger 'long ; we want our 
 supper. After that we'll show you a trick wuth two 
 of that. 
 
 They walked to the side door of the house, which 
 was some distance from the stable, so that the ar-
 
 226 Fighting Joe. 
 
 rival of the guerillas had not been noticed by the 
 people within. The villains seemed to have a very 
 wholesome dread of Colonel Grayhame, for they 
 often alluded to him in connection with the present 
 operation ; and they had already discovered that his 
 main force was not far in advance of them, while 
 detachments of his regiment were guarding the rail 
 road, not half a mile from the house. 
 
 " See here, Yank ; I don't know as we kin trust 
 yer," said Turkin, who had accompanied him to the 
 door, leaving his companions hi an arbor, within hail 
 of the mansion. 
 
 " I don't care whether you do or not," answered 
 Somers. " This isn't my job ; it is yours." 
 
 " I'll go in with yer, with my face kivered up, and 
 if yer don't talk right up, I shan't ask yer whether 
 yer'll be shot afore supper or arter." 
 
 " I'll do just what you tell me to do." 
 
 " Ger 'long, then." 
 
 Somers knocked at the door, which seemed to 
 displease his rude companion, who wished him to 
 walk in without any ceremony ; but the " cat's- 
 paw " explained that a certain degree of courtesy 
 would help the enterprise, and the guerilla assented, 
 though with an ill grace. The door was opened by 
 a sleek, black servant. 
 
 tt Is Colonel Roman within ? " asked Somers, using 
 the name of the planter which had been given him 
 by Turkin.
 
 Fighting Joe. 227 
 
 Yes, sar." 
 
 " I wish to see him." 
 
 Walk in, sar." 
 
 Somers was conducted to an elegant library, where 
 the planter and his family were seated. He was 
 closely followed by Turkin, who had tied a red silk 
 handkerchief over his face, so that his ugly physiog 
 nomy was entirely concealed from the inmates of the 
 room. The planter rose from his chair, and bowed 
 with stately courtesy to his unexpected visitors. 
 
 " I beg your pardon for disturbing you, Colonel 
 Roman," said Somers. 
 
 " Whom have I the honor of addressing ? " de 
 manded the planter, rather coldly. 
 
 " Captain Somers, of the army, at your service, 
 sir." 
 
 " You seem to wear the uniform of the Yankees." 
 
 " That's inter yer," whispered Turkin, who stood 
 close by his spokesman. 
 
 " I was so fortunate as to obtain this uniform from 
 a Yankee officer whom I captured," replied Somers, 
 with promptness. 
 
 " There yer hev him," added Turkin. 
 
 " That explains it, though some officers prefer to 
 go in rags rather than wear the colors of the Yankees, 
 especially when obtained in that manner." 
 
 " I have only to say, sir, that the Yankee from 
 whom I got them had no further use for his clothes," 
 added Somers, pleased to find that the chivalry did
 
 228 Fighting Joe. 
 
 not justify the system which prevailed of robbing 
 prisoners of their clothing. 
 
 " May I ask your business with me, sir ?" 
 
 " I have a small squad of seven men with me. We 
 have had no supper, and we wish to trespass so 
 far on your hospitality as to obtain one in your 
 house." 
 
 " Eight of you ? " asked the planter. " You shall 
 be supplied at once." 
 
 " We are in great haste." 
 
 " All possible expedition shall be used in prepar 
 ing the meal," answered the planter, as he ordered 
 his servant to give the proper directions to the cook 
 and others. " Do you belong to Colonel Grayhame's 
 force ? " 
 
 " Tell him yer do," whispered Turkin. 
 
 " We do, sir. We stopped at the next house be 
 low, to get some supper, for we are almost starved ; 
 but they had just received some friends from 
 Savannah, and could not provide for us." 
 
 " From Savannah ? " said the planter, with evi 
 dent surprise ; and immediately the ladies present 
 suspended their sewing, and looked at the young 
 officer. 
 
 " Yer smart, Yank ! " muttered Turkin, who ap 
 peared to enjoy the situation amazingly. 
 
 "I think they said from Savannah," replied 
 Somers. " They recommended us to come here, as 
 suring us that you never turned a hungry soldier
 
 Fighting Joe. 229 
 
 from your door. They gave me a card, requesting 
 me to deliver it to you." 
 
 Somers handed the planter the photograph, on 
 the back of which was written the appalling state 
 ment of the character of the guerillas. It was a 
 fearful moment to him, for the alarm of the planter 
 might betray him to the bloodthirsty villain who 
 stood at his side. Though the silk handkerchief 
 over the face of Turkin impaired his vision, it did 
 not entirely obstruct it. 
 
 Colonel Roman read the words on the card ; he 
 was startled by them, and glanced at the bearer of 
 the message. Somers contracted his brow, shook 
 his head slightly in the direction of Turkin, and as 
 sumed a deprecatory expression, which the planter 
 seemed to understand. 
 
 " The persons at the next house wish to see you 
 as soon as possible," added Somers. 
 
 " We will go at once," replied Colonel Roman, 
 if you will excuse my absence." 
 
 "Certainly, sir," answered Somers, now fully 
 assured that he was understood. 
 
 " What is it, father ? " asked one of the daughters, 
 puzzled by the remarks which had been made in her 
 presenca 
 
 " Your sister Lucretia has arrived from Savannah ; 
 she is ill, and we will go down and see her imme 
 diately," replied the planter. 
 
 The wife and both of the daughters expressed
 
 230 Fighting Joe. 
 
 their surprise ; but the colonel directed them to get 
 ready as speedily as possible, and they left the room 
 for this purpose. 
 
 " I am sorry to leave you, captain," continued the 
 planter ; " but I will endeavor to return as soon as 
 you have finished your supper. Pray make your 
 selves entirely at home. Why don't your men come 
 into the house. My doors are always open to the 
 defenders of my country." 
 
 " Thank you, Colonel Roman. I will take them 
 into the dining-room at once." 
 
 " Do so," said the planter, as he left the room. 
 
 " You're smart, Yank ! " exclaimed Turkin. 
 
 " I have only done what you told me to do. If 
 there is any credit about the affair, it belongs to 
 you," replied Somers, in a deprecatory tone. 
 
 " That's so, Yank ; but yer kerried it through 
 right smart, and yer shall hev some supper afore " 
 
 " You are shot," the ruffian would have said, if 
 not prevented by prudential motives. 
 
 The planter and his family left the house by the 
 front door ; and it is probable that they used all 
 possible haste to escape from the presence of the 
 guerillas, whose character they now understood. In 
 the meantime, Turkin amused himself by opening 
 the various drawers in the planter's secretary, and 
 prying into every hole and corner which might be 
 supposed to contain any valuables. 
 
 In half an hour, supper was announced, and
 
 Fighting Joe. 231 
 
 Turkin went to the dining-room. The servants 
 were sent off, and ordered not to show themselves 
 again. The guerillas then sat down to supper, 
 making Somers stand before the door leading into 
 the hall, to notify them of the approach of any per 
 son. They ate and drank, but they did not hear 
 the sounds of horses' hoofs in the yard, just as they 
 finished their meal. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE CAT'S-PAW TOO SHARP FOB THE MOITKEY. 
 
 THE side door of the house opened into the hall, 
 where Somers stood as sentinel for the hungry 
 guerillas, and from which a flight of stairs led to 
 the second floor. The prisoner had carefully noted 
 all the surroundings, for he had learned from 
 " Fighting Joe " that the battle was gamed only by 
 good strategy, which must depend upon a thorough 
 knowledge of the ground. 
 
 When the precious plan of his captors was first 
 developed, Somers regarded it as the means of his 
 deliverance, though he could not then tell precisely 
 in what manner it was to be accomplished. He 
 knew that an important bridge on the railroad, not 
 far from Colonel Roman's house, was guarded by a
 
 232 Fighting Joe. 
 
 squad of cavalry, and he readily perceived that this 
 force would be brought up by the planter for the 
 protection of his family and the capture of the 
 guerillas. These wretches were by no means an 
 anomalous class on the flanks of Sherman's grand 
 march to the sea ; and Colonel Roman readily un 
 derstood who and what they were. They were 
 nominally southern partisans, organized, protected 
 and encouraged by the president of the Confederate 
 States; but they were as willing to plunder one 
 party in the strife as the other. 
 
 Somers had no special sympathy for the planter, 
 though he would have gladly raised his arm hi de 
 fense of the female members of his family, even 
 against the wretches whom treason and rebellion 
 had brought into the field. What he had done was 
 for his own benefit, rather than for that of the hos 
 pitable rebel. He had recovered possession of his 
 boots and coat, his Testament and photographs, 
 when he became the " cat's-paw " of the guerillas, 
 and he was now in condition to make a movement 
 as soon as the circumstances would justify it. 
 
 The land-pirates for they can be called by no 
 more appropriate name finished their supper, and 
 turned their attention to the second part of the 
 program they had laid out. Evidently they did 
 not intend to sack the mansion, but only to appro 
 priate such valuable small articles as could be con 
 veniently carried about their persons. For this
 
 Fighting Joe. 233 
 
 purpose Turkin and Gragg entered the library ; two 
 others crossed the hall into the sitting-room ; and 
 the other three went up-stairs. They had not heard 
 the tramp of horses in the yard ; but Somers, being 
 near the side door, which was partly open, listened 
 to the sounds as the notes of his own deliverance. 
 
 The time for action had come, and while the 
 guerillas were intent upon their plunder, Somers 
 left the door where he had been stationed, and 
 moved round to the rear of the staircase, where he 
 expected to find a passage to the cellar ; but he 
 found none. The house was surrounded by rebel 
 cavalry, and it was not safe for him to go out, for 
 he did not forget that it was necessary for him to 
 escape from the foe without, as well as the foe 
 within. They were both enemies ; and though one 
 was less barbarous than the other, he had hardly 
 more relish for Anderson ville, than for being shot 
 by the wretches who held him. 
 
 As the only alternative, he went up the stairs ; 
 and avoiding the three men who were searching the 
 chambers there, he found the garret steps, and went 
 up, where he was not likely to be followed by any 
 of his late companions. He had scarcely reached 
 this secure position before the commotion below 
 indicated that the cavalrymen had commenced their 
 work. One or two shots were fired ; but the noise 
 immediately subsided, and it was evident that the 
 robbers had all been captured.
 
 234 Fighting Joe. 
 
 "There were eight of them, you said," Somers 
 heard some one in the entry below remark. 
 
 "There were; but one of them was the officer 
 who gave the information," replied another, whom 
 the fugitive recognized as Colonel Roman. 
 
 " But he was one of the gang." 
 
 "He looked like a Yankee officer," added the 
 colonel. 
 
 " We want him, whatever he is, if it is only for 
 his evidence against these villains we have captured. 
 Colonel Grayhame threatened to hang these same 
 scoundrels only yesterday." 
 
 " The officer who gave me the card is clearly not 
 one of this gang." 
 
 " I don't understand it," said the other person, 
 who was probably the officer in command of the 
 squad of cavalry. 
 
 " I should be very glad of an explanation, but I 
 am greatly indebted to the gentleman, and I wish 
 to thank him, if nothing more, for the favor he has 
 done me," continued the colonel. 
 
 " I have nothing against him, but I wish to know 
 what he is." 
 
 Somers hoped he would not trouble himself, and 
 he was even willing the planter should omit to 
 thank him ; for the officer's curiosity and the colonel's 
 gratitude threatened to consign him to a rebel prison. 
 He heard a call from the former, followed by the 
 tramp of heavy feet on the lower staircase.
 
 Fighting Joe. 235 
 
 "Lieutenant, I hope you will consider my po 
 sition in this matter," said the planter. 
 
 " I must do my duty. If the man is a Yankee 
 officer, as you think, he must not be permitted to 
 roam around the country. He may belong to the 
 force which is now destroying the railroad; per 
 haps gobbled up by these miscreants. It is not for 
 me to say what shall be done with him. I must- 
 catch him if I can. I saw him standing at the door 
 of the dining-room, when I looked in at the window, 
 and I am positive he has not left the house." 
 
 " I regard the person as my friend," added the 
 planter, warmly. " My wife and daughters, as 
 well as myself, are very grateful to him, for he has 
 saved them from insult and outrage, for aught I 
 know." 
 
 " Your feelings and those of your family shall be 
 respected, Colonel Roman ; but I must do my duty," 
 answered the lieutenant, firmly. 
 
 The officer then ordered his men to search the 
 various apartments and closets of the second floor. 
 Somers, though the case certainly looked very hope 
 ful for him, with the powerful influence of the 
 wealthy planter in his favor, wished to escape ; but 
 he thought it would be an easy and safe thing to 
 return to Sherman's army before Atlanta, and he 
 was not disposed to be introduced to the lieutenant, 
 or even to improve his acquaintance with Colonel 
 Roman. If he could conceal himself until the squad
 
 236 Fighting Joe. 
 
 of cavalry retired, he was satisfied that the planter 
 would enable him to return to the army. 
 
 It was very dark in the garret, and while the 
 lieutenant and his party were searching the cham 
 bers, Somers carefully felt about him for some place 
 of concealment. The roof was a four-sided one, in 
 which there were no windows ; but while he was 
 walking about, he struck his head against a long 
 iron handle, which proved to be attached to a shut 
 ter or scuttle. This he unfastened and raised, and 
 his eyes were greeted by a view of the starry sky. 
 The discovery was a welcome one, and he lost not a 
 moment in availing himself of the advantage which 
 it seemed to afford. 
 
 The lower end of the aperture was within reach 
 of his hands ; and with great care and no little dif 
 ficulty he raised himself, and succeeded in gaining 
 the roof an operation which his gymnastic practice 
 enabled him to accomplish, for it was a feat an un 
 trained person could hardly have performed. But 
 he had scarcely reached the roof before he heard his 
 pursuers in the attic, and the light from their lamps 
 shone up through the scuttle. 
 
 " I see where he has gone ! " shouted the lieu 
 tenant, as he discovered the open shutter. 
 
 "He will fall and break his neck," added the 
 planter. 
 
 Somers closed the scuttle, and sat down upon it ; 
 but the game seemed to be up with him. He drew
 
 Fighting Joe. 237 
 
 his sword, and thrust the point into the roof as far 
 as he could, causing it to act as a bolt over the 
 shutter hoping by this means to gain a moment's 
 time to examine the situation. There appeared to be 
 no means of descending from the roof to the ground 
 except by the lightning-rods, which he saw rising 
 above the chimneys. Then, if he reached the 
 ground, the house was surrounded by rebels, and 
 his fate would only be deferred. 
 
 While he was considering these facts, the men in 
 the attic were endeavoring to raise the scuttle. 
 They did not at once succeed ; but Somers's pros 
 pects were presently destroyed, when several of the 
 rebels took hold of the shutter and raised it, tum 
 bling the fugitive over on the roof. A short ladder 
 was placed on the floor, and the lieutenant mounted 
 to the top of the house. 
 
 " Surrender ! " said the officer. 
 
 "I suppose there is no help for it," replied 
 Somers. 
 
 "Not the least; resistance would be useless." 
 
 " I surrender." 
 
 " Go down, then, if you please." 
 
 Somers descended the ladder to the garret, where 
 he found Colonel Roman and half a dozen cavalry 
 men. 
 
 " I am sorry you are taken, since you did not wish 
 to be taken," said the planter. 
 
 " I could not very well help myself."
 
 238 Fighting Joe. 
 
 The lieutenant led the way down-stairs to the 
 library, which was the largest room in the house, 
 and in which the seven guerillas, now disarmed, 
 were held by their captors. 
 
 " Well, Yank, you be counted in with us," said 
 Turkin, with a malicious grin. 
 
 "I have the satisfaction of escaping from your 
 hands, if nothing more," replied Somers. 
 
 " See here, Yank ; I cal'lated to shoot you after 
 supper, but I reckon we'll all hang together." 
 
 " I think not," interposed the lieutenant ; " you 
 have said enough already to convince me that this 
 gentleman does not belong to your gang." 
 
 " He's a Yank ; we took him over yender, and he 
 belongs to some gin'ral's staff. I reckon he's a good 
 haul, and I ought to hev the credit of ketchin' him." 
 
 " Your accounts will be settled in a few days ; 
 and I fancy Colonel Grayhame will hang you higher 
 than Haman, when he understands this business." 
 
 " That would be moighty onhandsome, arter we 
 ketched the Yankee officer." 
 
 " Your name, if you please, sir," said the lieutenant, 
 turning to the prisoner. 
 
 " Captain Thomas Somers," replied he, at the same 
 time giving his official position and connections. 
 
 " You were captured by these men ? " 
 
 " I was ; " and Somers detailed the particulars of 
 the event. " Major de Banyan was shot at the same 
 time," he added, turning to Turkin, who, he hoped,
 
 Fighting Joe. 239 
 
 would endeavor to improve his prospects by telling 
 what had become of his friend. 
 
 "I shot him," said Gragg ; " and if I'm to be hung 
 fur that, I cal'late it won't be safe to fight the Yanks 
 much longer." 
 
 " Was he killed ? " asked the lieutenant. 
 
 " I reckon he wan't ; we got him over the creek ; 
 there he gin out, and we left him, and stivered back 
 arter his hoss. That's when we took this Yank; 
 but Turkin shot his hoss instid of him." 
 
 " Was the major dead when you left him ? " 
 
 " Not jest then ; but I cal'late he didn't stand it 
 long." 
 
 Somers's worst fears in regard to his friend seemed 
 to be confirmed. To the questions of the officer he 
 gave true answers, until the history of the guerillas' 
 movements up to the time of their arrival at the 
 mansion of the planter had been elicited. 
 
 *'I was made the cat's-paw of these men, who 
 wished to procure a supper, and to rob the house 
 without exposing themselves to detection. Their 
 purpose was to get the family out of the house," 
 continued Somers. " You did not find your friends 
 from Savannah at the next house did you, Colonel 
 Roman ? " 
 
 " I did not expect to find them there. Was that 
 your scheme ? " 
 
 " You bet it wan't, kun'l," exclaimed Turkin, as 
 though he feared Somers would obtain more credit
 
 240 Fighting Joe. 
 
 than he deserved. "That's some of my thinkin', 
 kun'l. The Yank ain't so good on tricks as I be. I 
 told him what to write on that keerd. The Yank 
 is great at writin', but I'm some for plannin'." 
 
 " Did you read what he wrote on the card ? " asked 
 Colonel Roman, who could not help laughing at the 
 simplicity of the wretch. 
 
 "I reckon I didn't; I ain't much at readin* 
 writin'." 
 
 " I will read it to you," added the planter, taking 
 the card from his pocket : " * These villains mean to 
 rob your house after supper ; get a force and capture 
 them!" 1 
 
 " Is that what he writ ? " demanded Turkin, in a 
 fearful rage. 
 
 " It is. The cat's-paw had a fang." 
 
 Then I'll hang him." 
 
 " You will be hung yourself first." 
 
 Everything was explained ; and now came up the 
 question in regard to the disposition of Somers. 
 The lieutenant declared he had no authority to dis 
 charge the prisoner, who was a Union officer but 
 he would report the case to his superiors. 
 
 That's inter yer, Yank," said Turkin. " You'll 
 go with us." 
 
 Colonel Roman interposed to prevent Somers's 
 longer remaining in the company of the villains. 
 The prisoner gave his parole for three days, and the 
 officer left him with the planter, who promised to
 
 Fighting Joe. 241 
 
 go with him to the headquarters of the rebel army 
 within that time. The lieutenant then departed 
 with his prisoners, and Somers was treated as a guest 
 in the house of the colonel. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 THE BLOODHOUNDS ON THE TRACK. 
 
 IN one week from the day on which Somers made 
 the acquaintance of Colonel Roman, he was inside 
 of the stockade at Andersonville. It so happened 
 that the general officer with whom rested the decis 
 ion in the case of the prisoner, was a personal and 
 political opponent of the planter, and the colonel 
 had no influence with him. An appeal was made 
 to higher authority, but it was unavailing ; and 
 Somers was hurried away to that miserable place, 
 where officers and soldiers died by thousands, of 
 sheer inhumanity. 
 
 Colonel Roman promised to continue his exertions 
 for the release of his friend, or, if he could not ob 
 tain that, for better treatment than had usually 
 been accorded to prisoners of war by the Confeder 
 acy. It is quite probable that he did so, but the 
 subject of his intercession obtained no favor on 
 account of it. His experience at Andersonville was 
 that of thousands of others. It would require a 
 volume to narrate it j and the sad story has been so
 
 242 Fighting Joe. 
 
 often told, that it needs not a repetition here. The 
 whole civilized world condemns the barbarous treat 
 ment of prisoners by the Confederacy. 
 
 Week after week, and month after month, dragged 
 away amid suffering and privation, until Sherman's 
 grand march to the sea filled the rebels with terror ; 
 and a portion of the prisoners remaining in their 
 hands were sent to Columbia, South Carolina. Som- 
 ers was among the number. He had been a pris 
 oner for nearly five months, and his health was al 
 ready much impaired by his sufferings ; by the 
 scanty and mean food, but quite as much by being 
 compelled to witness the misery and death which 
 prevailed in the horrid slaughter-pen in which 
 he had been confined. Once he had made an at 
 tempt to escape, but had been hunted down and 
 recaptured. 
 
 He arrived at Columbia ; but he had made up his 
 mind not to stay there. It was sure death to one 
 of his temperament to live such a dog's life as that 
 to which he had been doomed. It was better to be 
 shot down by the sentinels, or even to be torn in 
 pieces by the fangs of the merciless bloodhounds, 
 than to die by niches within the camp of the 
 prisoners. 
 
 Every day a certain number of prisoners, paroled 
 for the purpose, were allowed to go out after wood, 
 for two hours. Thpse who were thus favored were 
 obliged to sign a parole, and their names were handed
 
 Fighting Joe. 243 
 
 to the officer of the day, who was authorized to 
 permit them to pass. When Somers found an op 
 portunity to join one of these parties, he gave his 
 parole, as others did ; and even his sufferings had 
 not so far demoralized him that he could violate the 
 solemn pledge. He went out with the others, but 
 immediately returned with his load of wood. Has 
 tening to the officer of the day, he told him he had 
 done his share of the work, and requested to be re 
 lease from his parole, which was then given back to 
 him. He was now free from his obligation, and 
 having destroyed the paper, if he should happen to 
 be recaptured in his attempt to escape, it could not 
 be brought against him to subject him to the penalty 
 of its violation. 
 
 Others were bringing in wood and timber, and 
 passing out again for more. Somers walked out 
 with the rest. When they came to the guard they 
 were carefully examined again, to see that none but 
 paroled officers passed out. They gave their names, 
 and the sentinel referred to the list of those paroled 
 for that day, and if it was all right, they were 
 allowed to pass. 
 
 " Your name ? " said the guard to Somers. 
 
 The prisoner gave it. 
 
 " All right," replied the sentinel, who, of course, 
 found the name in the list. 
 
 Somers was now outside of the camp, and dis 
 charged from his parole; but his difficulties had
 
 244 Fighting Joe. 
 
 only just commenced, for a guard of eighty men 
 was stretched around the tract of woods in which 
 the prisoners were at work. He walked away from 
 the stockade animated by a hope, though it was but 
 a dim one, of breathing once more the air of free 
 dom. Intent upon the object before him, he passed 
 a group of emaciated forms, whose constitutions 
 were strong enough to enable them to overcome 
 the horrors of the hospital, in which they were still 
 patients. 
 
 a Somers ! " exclaimed one of them, rushing to 
 wards him. 
 
 The young officer turned, and in the tall, pale, 
 attenuated person who addressed him, he recognized 
 his friend De Banyan. He looked like a wreck, and 
 there was little to remind him of the manly and 
 noble form of the major, as he had known him five 
 months before. 
 
 " De Banyan 1 " cried Somers, rushing into the 
 arms of his friend, and weeping like a child with the 
 joy he could not conceal. 
 
 It was a tender and a touching reunion, and even 
 the rebel sentinels did not interpose to separate them. 
 
 " How came you here ? " demanded De Banyan, 
 when the first emotions of the happy meeting had 
 subsided. 
 
 " I was captured at the time you were shot ; but 
 I have been at Andersonville till a week ago," re 
 plied Somers.
 
 Fighting Joe. 245 
 
 " I have been in the hospital ; that's the reason I 
 did not see you." 
 
 " That must be the reason," replied Somers, in a 
 loud tone ; and then, dropping his voice to a whisper, 
 he added, " I am going to escape to-day." 
 
 " I have been quite sick," continued the major, 
 aloud. " I am on parole " in a whisper. 
 
 " Are you better ? " 
 
 " Much better ; I feel pretty well now," said the 
 major. " Wait half an hour for me in the woods." 
 
 " I will," replied Somers, as he moved on. 
 
 De Banyan soon joined him. At his own request 
 the surgeon had discharged him, and he had taken 
 up his parole. With a basket of vials, which he 
 found in an ante-room of the hospital, he walked 
 boldly through the guards, who, believing him still 
 to be a paroled prisoner, permitted him to pass. 
 During his convalescence, he had been employed in 
 various light duties connected with the hospital, and 
 had had frequent occasion to pass the sentries, so 
 that no suspicion attached to him after he had been 
 relieved from his parole. 
 
 With Somers he walked to the woods, and with 
 him chopped and gathered sticks. At a point near 
 the center of the space surrounded by the sentinels, 
 they found a pine tree, whose dense foliage promised 
 to afford them the shelter they required. At a 
 favorable moment Somers sprang up into the tree, 
 and the major followed him a few minutes later.
 
 246 Fighting Joe. 
 
 Of course they were seen by their fellow-prisoners, 
 and they were obliged to run the risk of being ex 
 posed by any one of them who was vile enough to 
 do such a mean act. Men have been known at 
 Andersonville, Columbia, and other prison camps, 
 to stoop to the contemptible and cowardly meanness 
 of betraying a comrade under such circumstances ; 
 but with only a few rare exceptions, the prisoners 
 were too manly and noble to be guilty of such a 
 base act. 
 
 They had escaped the observation of the soldiers, 
 who were too indolent, or too far off, to notice what 
 took place within their line. The only duty they 
 were called upon to perform, as they seemed to re 
 gard it, was to prevent any of the prisoners from 
 passing beyond the bonds allotted to them. The 
 two hours in which the men were allowed to gather 
 wood expired soon after Somers and De Banyan 
 ascended the tree. 
 
 "Good-by, Captain; report me at home, if you 
 get through," said a Massachusetts officer, who stood 
 at the foot of the tree when the prisoners were 
 ordered back to the camp. 
 
 " I will," replied Somers, who knew the officer's 
 address. 
 
 The prisoners, laden with their sticks of timber 
 and bundles of wood, were driven back to the camp, 
 to endure other weeks and months of suffering, or 
 to die there, as many had done before. Somers and
 
 Fighting Joe. 247 
 
 the major kept perfectly still until the guard had 
 passed the tree, and disappeared from their view. 
 
 " We shall be missed before long," said Somers. 
 
 " We will not stop here," replied De Banyan, as 
 he descended the tree and lay down on the ground 
 at the foot of it. 
 
 Somers followed him, lying down by his side. 
 Having satisfied themselves that they had not been 
 observed, they crawled away until the slope of a 
 hill concealed them from the view of the camp, 
 when they ventured to stand upright, like men, and 
 press forward for life and liberty. They continued 
 to walk in a southerly direction till they came to a 
 creek, over which they swam, in the hope that the 
 water would interrupt the scent of the bloodhounds 
 which would be put on their track as soon as their 
 absence was discovered. 
 
 It was a vain hope. They were in a kind of 
 swampy jungle, not more than half a mile from the 
 creek, when they heard the fearful cry of the dogs. 
 
 " We are lost ! " exclaimed Somers, appalled at 
 the horrible sounds. 
 
 " No ! " replied De Banyan, with his old energy. 
 " Don't give it up ! " 
 
 " I won't, if you do not," added Somers, inspired 
 with courage by the firmness and self-possession of 
 his friend. 
 
 " Find a club if you can ! " 
 
 They were fortunate enough to find a couple of
 
 248 Fighting Joe. 
 
 sticks, soaked full of water, with which they hoped 
 to make a good fight. 
 
 Shall we climb a tree ? " asked Somers. 
 
 " You are lost if you do," replied De Banyan, as 
 he took from his pocket a roll of cord, which he had 
 appropriated in the hospital for another purpose. 
 
 Unrolling it, he cut it into two pieces, with one 
 of which he made a slip-noose, and directed Somers 
 to do the same with the other. The dogs were still 
 some distance from the spot, and the men in pursuit 
 seemed to be unable to follow them on their horses, 
 which explained the major's policy in choosing a 
 swamp for his flight. Selecting a narrow pass 
 between two clumps of bushes, which had been 
 beaten into a path, he stretched the slipnoose over 
 it, just as boys in the country set snares for foxes 
 and rabbits. Somers did precisely the same thing 
 in another locality. 
 
 De Banyan then bent down a small sapling, so 
 that the top of it came over the snare, and attached 
 the end of the cord to it. The little tree was held 
 down by weaving the branches into the bushes, just 
 strong enough to hold it down, but so that any 
 force beyond its own elasticity would disengage it. 
 The contrivance formed what is sometimes called a 
 " twitch-up snare." Somers knew all about it, and 
 set his own hi the same manner. 
 
 By this time the dogs were upon them, and each 
 of them stepped behind the trap he had set. The
 
 Fighting Joe. 249 
 
 hounds made directly towards them, two by one path 
 and one by the other. 
 
 " Come on, doggy,"-said De Banyan, as he stood 
 coolly waiting the issue of the enterprise. " Stand 
 by with your club, Somers, if it fails." 
 
 " I am all ready," replied Somers, as he -nerved his 
 arm for the conflict, if one should be necessary. 
 
 On rushed the bloodhounds, with their fiendish 
 yelp, the one that approached De Banyan being a 
 few feet in advance of the others. He dashed into 
 the narrow path, thrusting his head through the 
 noose, drawing it tight around his neck, and detach 
 ing the tree. The elasticity of the sapling gave him 
 a tremendous twitch, and lifted his fore legs from 
 the ground. The spring was not strong enough to 
 hold his whole weight, and the hound hung by the 
 neck, partially supported by his hind legs. 
 
 Somers's snare was not quite so successful ; but 
 the spring choked the dog, and held him fast. The 
 third hound, dodging the obstruction hi his path, 
 rushed towards him from another direction; but 
 De Banyan was at his side by this time, and with a 
 few heavy blows, they killed the ugly beast. Of 
 the other two, one was nearly choked to death, but 
 both were quickly despatched with the clubs. 
 
 " That job is done," said De Banyan. 
 
 " And well done," replied Somers, as they resumed 
 their flight.
 
 250 Fighting Joe. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE PILQBIMAGE TO THE SEA., 
 
 IT was not very easy traveling in the swamp, 
 but it had this advantage, that they could not be 
 pursued by cavalry. They had silenced the howl 
 of the dogs, and their pursuers could have no idea 
 of the direction they had taken. The killing of the 
 bloodhounds gave the fugitives all the advantage, 
 and they " doubled " on the hunters by returning to 
 the creek which they had crossed before. After 
 following the stream for about five miles, as there 
 were no signs of a pursuit in this direction, they 
 halted to wait for the protecting shades of night, 
 when they hoped to find some of the negroes, whom 
 recaptured prisoners had uniformly represented as 
 kind and devoted to the last degree. 
 
 It would be several hours before the journey 
 could be safely resumed, and our reunited friends 
 had much to say of the past and the future. Each 
 wished to know the history of the other since they 
 had parted. Somers accounted for himself first, 
 and De Banyan then exhibited the scar of an ugly 
 wound in the head, which was the one given him 
 by the guerilla. It had knocked him from his horse ;
 
 Fighting Joe, 251 
 
 but he had soon recovered his senses, and the villains 
 had conducted him over the creek where he fainted. 
 When he came to himself, his captors had left him ; 
 but he was soon picked up by a squad of the regular 
 rebel cavalry, and sent first to the hospital, then to 
 Columbia, where he had been from that time. He 
 had fully recovered from his wound, but his health 
 was much impaired by hard usage and poor food. 
 He had gone to the hospital to die, as he thought ; 
 but his vigorous constitution enabled him to survive 
 the medical treatment. 
 
 He had been too feeble to attempt to escape, as 
 hundreds of others had done ; but he was now in 
 better condition than he had been before since his 
 capture. In the hospital, by the exercise of his 
 ingenuity, he had obtained better food, which had, 
 hi a measure, improved his health. The sight of 
 Somers had given him new life and hope; and 
 though he was but a shadow of his former self, he 
 felt able to undergo all perils and privations on the 
 road to liberty. 
 
 I think we have avoided our pursuers," said 
 Somers, when the major had finished his narrative. 
 "What shall we do next? " 
 
 Keep clear of the rebels, if we can ; if we can't, 
 bluff them off," replied De Banyan, hopefully. 
 
 " But where shall we go ? " 
 
 a We must take the best route to the sea ; per 
 haps the nearest is not the best. A great many
 
 252 Fighting Joe. 
 
 men have escaped from Camp Sorghum, but I be 
 lieve one half of them have been caught again." 
 " Then our chances are not first rate." 
 " They are very good, if we manage well. So far 
 as I know, all who have had the escape fever at 
 tempt to reach the sea by the Santee River ; and I 
 fancy that river is pretty closely watched now." 
 " Then it is not best to go that way." 
 " No : about twenty miles from us to the south- 
 ward, the road to Augusta crosses the Edisto River. 
 I am in favor of taking that route, because I don't 
 know that any of the prisoners have gone that 
 way." 
 
 The point was settled, and as soon as it was dark, 
 the fugitives started on their jou ney to the sea. 
 Before night they had decided upon the direction of 
 the Augusta road, and succeeded in reaching it. 
 Both of them were in rags, a nd they were wet and 
 cold. They had eaten nothing since morning, and 
 the greatest obstacle with which they had now to 
 contend was their own feebleness. They reached 
 the road ; but though the night was not half gone, 
 they were completely exhausted. They were too 
 cold to sit down and rest, and the exercise of walk 
 ing seemed to impart no warmth to their weak and 
 almost bloodless frames. They were not in condi 
 tion to encounter the hardships in their path. 
 
 De Banyan, with his soul of iron, gave out first, 
 and actually sank down by the side of the road.
 
 Fighting Joe. 253 
 
 Somers could hardly keep from weeping when he 
 realized the condition of his companion. He was 
 not much stronger himself, and the enterprise prom 
 ised to be an utter failure. It was the month of 
 December ; the air was chilly, and the ground cold 
 and wet, and something must be done for the major, 
 or he would perish before morning. 
 
 Somers was weak in body, but he was still strong 
 in spirit. The condition of his friend appealed to 
 him with an eloquence which he could not resist, 
 and moved him to greater energy. Taking from the 
 fence a number of rails, he made a kind of platform 
 of them in a concealed spot in the field, which he 
 covered with leaves, twigs, and cornstalks, obtained 
 from an adjacent lot, until he had made a tolerably 
 dry and comfortable bed. He conducted the major 
 to his new quarters, and laid him on the couch he 
 had prepared. 
 
 " Somers," said De Banyan, feebly. 
 
 " What shall I do for you now ? " 
 
 " Nothing more, Somers. I am used up." 
 
 " You will be better soon." 
 
 " Never, my dear fellow." 
 
 " Don't give up." 
 
 I wouldn't give up while there is a fiber left of 
 me to lean on ; but I am almost gone. Somers, take 
 care of yourself now. You can do me no good ; 
 follow this road till you come to the river, and then 
 find a boat, and float down to the blockading ships.*
 
 254 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " I shall not leave you, De Banyan," exclaimed 
 Somers, horrified by the suggestion. 
 
 " You can't do a thing for me. I shall die in a 
 few hours. I didn't think I was so near gone when 
 I left the camp, or I wouldn't have burdened you 
 with the care of me." 
 
 " I should have been caught before this time, if it 
 hadn't been for you. I will never desert you, De 
 Banyan. God would not suffer me to live, if I 
 should do so mean a thing ! " replied Somers, ear 
 nestly. 
 
 " As you love me, Somers, save yourself. It 
 would be the greatest favor you could do me to 
 insure your own safety," replied the sufferer, in 
 quivering tones. 
 
 " I will not leave you, but I will save you. I can 
 and will," added Somers, with energy. " You shall 
 not die. Keep a good heart for a little while, and 
 you shall be saved." 
 
 " I will keep up as well as I can ; but when a 
 strong man, like me, sinks, he generally goes all at 
 once. Leave me, I beg of you, Somers. It is the 
 last favor I have to ask of you." 
 
 " I would not if you begged it on your bended 
 knee. I must leave you for a time, but you shall 
 be saved, if God will permit." 
 
 " God bless you, Somers," faintly ejaculated the 
 sufferer. 
 
 Somers left him, and hastened back to the road,
 
 Fighting Joe. 255 
 
 carefully noticing the path, so that he could easily 
 find the spot again. When he reached it, he wag 
 almost overcome by his emotions, and by his own 
 exhaustion. He wanted strength, at that trying 
 moment, more than ever before in his life strength 
 to save himself and his friend. He knelt down 
 upon the cold ground, and prayed for strength with 
 an earnestness which had never before burned in his 
 soul. He trusted in God, and he asked for guidance 
 in this most trying experience of his life. 
 
 He rose from his knees. He knew that the good 
 Father had heard him was with him. Strength 
 came, if not to his muscles, in the increased earnest 
 ness of his purpose. He walked along the road till 
 he came to the house, which the cornfields he had 
 seen assured him could not be far distant. It was 
 the mansion of a large plantation, and beyond it 
 was its village of negro huts. The blacks were 
 friendly, but he could hardly expect to find among 
 them what he required to restore the waning life of 
 De Banyan. 
 
 Somers was a desperate man. It seemed to him 
 then that the rebels had no rights which he was 
 bound to respect. Throwing off his dilapidated 
 boots, he approached the house, and went to one of 
 the windows. To his surprise ne found it partly 
 open. "With all necessary care he raised the sash, 
 and got into the house. There was just light 
 enough in the room to enable him to find his way
 
 256 Fighting Joe. 
 
 to the mantel, on which were a lamp and matches. 
 He lighted the lamp and looked about him. There 
 was a bed in the room, on which lay an object 
 which would have frozen the blood in the veins of a 
 timid person. 
 
 It was a corpse, the eyes covered with cents en 
 closed in paper, and the jaw tied up with a hand 
 kerchief. Somers glanced at it : he was startled, 
 but not appalled; for death, in its most horrid 
 forms, was so familiar to him that he did not shrink 
 from the sight. He had a mission to perform, and 
 he proceeded to search the room for what he wanted. 
 In a large closet he found two full suits of men's 
 clothing, one of them a rebel uniform ; and he con 
 cluded that the deceased had been an officer in the 
 army. On a table, with a number of vials, he found 
 a bottle of brandy, of which he drank a few swallows 
 himself. 
 
 Dropping the clothing out of the window, where 
 he could take it at his leisure, he continued the 
 search, and found a couple of revolvers in a drawer, 
 with caps and cartridges, which he appropriated. 
 He then left the room, and in the hall found an over 
 coat ; but the most needed articles were bacon and 
 bread, of which he discovered a plentiful supply in 
 another room. Filling a basket with the food, he 
 hastened to make his escape. 
 
 "Is that you, Alfred? " said the voice of a woman 
 on the second floor.
 
 Fighting Joe. 257 
 
 ** Yes," replied Somers. 
 
 Is everything right ? " 
 
 Yes." 
 
 Don't you think you had better shut the win 
 dows ? I am afraid some creature will get into the 
 room." 
 
 " I will," answered Somers, afraid to use many 
 words. 
 
 He crept back into the chamber of death, and re 
 specting the fears of the woman, who might be the 
 wife or the mother of the deceased, he closed three 
 of the four windows, and when he had passed out 
 himself, shut the remaining one. With the utmost 
 care, he departed from the house laden with the 
 precious articles he had obtained. It was one o'clock 
 at night, as he had seen by a clock in the house, and 
 all was still. At a safe distance from the mansion^ 
 he took off the rags he wore, and put on the rebel 
 uniform, leaving the other suit, which was heavier 
 and warmer, for De Banyan. Thus relieved of a 
 portion of his burden, he hastened to the couch of 
 his perishing companion. 
 
 " How do you feel, my best friend ? " said Somers, 
 as he bent over the sick man. 
 
 " Is that you, Somers ? I hoped you had gone," 
 replied the major, very faintly. 
 
 "No: I am come with life and hope," added 
 Somers, as he placed the bottle of brandy to the 
 sick man's lips.
 
 258 Fighting Joe. 
 
 He drank all that his faithful companion dared to 
 give him. It warmed his stomach, and gave him 
 new life. 
 
 u God bless you, Somers ! I was thinking that 
 brandy would save my life. I felt as though my 
 vitals were frozen." 
 
 " Could you get up for a moment or two ? " 
 
 " O, yes ! I feel like a new man," answered the 
 patient, who was not only strengthened but exhila 
 rated by the strong liquor he had taken. 
 
 "Let me put these clothes on you." 
 
 " Clothes ? " said the major, as he rose to his feet. 
 
 "Yes: I have a whole suit for you," replied 
 Somers, as he assisted him to put on the dress he 
 had brought. 
 
 They were warm and dry, and the poor fellow 
 manifested a childish delight as he put them on. 
 They were rather small, but they were warm and 
 comfortable. To these was added the overcoat. 
 
 " Now, could you eat bacon and bread ? " asked 
 Somers. 
 
 " Could I eat them ? I could if I had them." 
 
 " You have them" replied his attentive friend, as 
 he brought the basket to his couch. 
 
 They both ate heartily, and when they had fin 
 ished, De Banyan declared that he could walk ten 
 miles more that night. 
 
 Somers knew that he could not that he was 
 under the influence of the brandy, and over-esti-
 
 Fighting Joe. * 259 
 
 mated his strength. When he left the hospital he 
 was as feeble as an infant, and nothing but the flash 
 ing hope of freedom could have sustained his weak 
 body in the battle with the bloodhounds, and the 
 walk from the creek. His friend determined to keep 
 him quiet for a few days, if possible, assured that 
 otherwise the enterprise must fail. 
 
 "Do you feel warm?" asked Somers, when he 
 had told the story of his visit to the house. 
 
 " All but my feet," replied the patient. 
 
 " I will warm them," added the devoted nurse, as 
 he took from his pocket a pair of socks, which he 
 had transferred from the old to the new suit. " These 
 are my fighting socks, but they shall do the best 
 work now they have ever done." 
 
 De Banyan protested, but Somers persisted, and 
 put the cherished mementoes of Lilian upon his feet, 
 
 " Now go to sleep," continued Somers, as he ad 
 justed the overcoat, and placed the rags of which 
 the major had divested himself on his feet. 
 
 He went to sleep, and Somers departed on an ex 
 ploring expedition. In a pine forest, half a mile 
 distant, he found an old shanty, which had been 
 used for men engaged in drawing pitch from the 
 trees. To this he transferred his patient, and kept 
 him there for a week. The negroes on the planta 
 tion discovered the fugitives, but they were faithful 
 friends, and supplied them with food and bed-clothes, 
 so that they were quite comfortable.
 
 260 Fighting Joe. 
 
 From these devoted allies of the Union army, 
 Somers learned that the deceased person he had 
 seen in the house was the son of the planter, who 
 had been sent home wounded. The articles taken 
 had been missed, but the robbery was attributed 
 to a couple of negroes who had ran away at the 
 time. 
 
 De Banyan gained strength each day, now that he 
 was well clothed and well fed. After a week's rest, 
 the fugitives started again, guided by a negro be 
 longing to the plantation, who conducted them to 
 the river, and provided them with a boat. Night 
 after night they floated down the stream, guided and 
 fed by the negroes, till they reached the sea, and 
 went on board of one of the blockaders. 
 
 Once more they were beneath the old flag ; once 
 more they were in the hands of friends ; and from 
 their hearts went up the song of jubilee to Him who 
 had guided and strengthened them in their pil 
 grimage from darkness and death to light and 
 liberty. When they reached Port Royal, they heard 
 of the capture of Savannah and the conquering march 
 of Sherman from Atlanta to the sea. Then they 
 sang a new song of jubilee, for the days of the re 
 bellion were numbered.
 
 Fighting Joe. 261 
 
 MAJOR SOMEKS AXD FRIENDS. 
 
 SOMEBS and De Banyan proceeded from Port 
 Royal to Washington, by the way of Fortress Mon 
 roe. " Fighting Joe " was no longer in the field of 
 active operations, and our officers resigned their po 
 sitions on the staff. The doughty general had won 
 the admiration of the nation; the present genera 
 tion will gratefully remember his efficient services, 
 and posterity will enroll his name among the ablest 
 and bravest defenders of the Union. 
 
 The term of service of the major's regiment had 
 expired, and it had been sent home, and mustered 
 out. Consequently he was out of employment. 
 Somers was determined that he should not remain 
 so long. There was a certain Senator Guilford in 
 Washington, who considered himself under strong 
 obligations to the young officer, and Somers im 
 mediately paid his respects to the distinguished man. 
 He was warmly greeted, and when he had told his 
 story, he was bold enough to ask a great favor for 
 his friend. 
 
 " I will do what I can for him, Captain Somers, 
 you may be sure. I remember him well, and I have
 
 262 Fighting Joe. 
 
 always heard excellent accounts of him from your 
 friend the general." 
 
 * There is not a better man in the service, sir ; and 
 he is worthy of any place which the government can 
 give him," replied Somers, warmly. 
 
 " I know he is. By the way, captain, a certain 
 general called upon me in relation to your affairs 
 more than a year ago." 
 
 "Indeed, sir?" And Somers understood that he 
 was indebted to the senator for his position in the 
 regular army. "I am very grateful to you, Mr. 
 Guilford." 
 
 " Don't mention it ; my daughter, whose life you 
 saved, thinks I have not half paid the debt yet." 
 
 " You have more than paid it, sir ; and if I had 
 known that I was indebted to you for my position, 
 I should hardly have dared to speak to you in be 
 half of Major de Banyan." 
 
 " Don't be modest, Captain Somers. I have no 
 scruples whatever in asking favors for such officers 
 as yourself and your friend. I invariably refuse to 
 ,say a word for any military man, unless I know 
 that he is thoroughly meritorious. But, captain, 
 you do not ask for my daughter." 
 
 " I heard she was married, and lived in Phila 
 delphia," replied Soraers, with some confusion. 
 
 u That is the case ; she often speaks of you, and 
 when you pass through Philadelphia you must see 
 her."
 
 Fighting Joe, 263 
 
 " I will certainly do so, sir," replied; the captain, 
 as he took his leave. 
 
 Three days after he received a note from the 
 senator, with De Banyan's commission as a major in 
 the regular army. He hastened to communicate the 
 news to his friend. The gratitude of the major knew 
 no bounds, and he declared that Somers had been 
 more to him than all the rest of the world. A fur 
 lough of thirty days had been granted them, and they 
 started, the one for Pinchbrook, and the other for 
 Tennessee, in search of his son, who had returned to 
 Nashville when the army moved from Chattanooga. 
 
 On the way home Somers called upon the senator's 
 daughter, and found her as pleasing-, as pretty, and 
 as grateful as ever ; but hia heart was farther north, 
 and he hastened to the waiting arms of his loving 
 friends. Lilian wept with joy when she saw him, 
 and grandmother Ashford insisted upon telling 
 about the defense of Boston during the " last war." 
 
 " Lilian, I have lost my socks," said Somers, 
 when Mrs. Ashford had safely returned to their 
 homes the firemen who went out to cut away the 
 bridges in case of an invasion. " I had to put them 
 on my friend De Banyan's feet, when he had nearly 
 perished from cold and exhaustion." 
 
 " I am so glad you did ! " 
 
 " I suffered myself, in Andersonville and Columbia, 
 rather than wear them out, but I could not resist 
 the appeal of my suffering friend."
 
 264 Fighting Joe. 
 
 " I am glad you did not." 
 
 " De Banyan is a noble fellow," added Somers. 
 
 " Shall I never see him ? " 
 
 " I hope you will ; " and she did, as the reader 
 will soon learn. 
 
 Somers went to Pinchbrook, and was welcomed 
 as one who had come forth from the grave. His 
 mother wept over him, his father rejoiced over him, 
 and Captain Barney, the friend of the family, 
 " crowed " over him. He spent his thirty days be 
 tween Boston and Pinchbrook, and at the end of 
 that time reported for duty in Washington. He 
 was ordered to join the regiment in which he had 
 been commissioned, then in the line before Peters 
 burg. In the bloody battle for the recovery of Fort 
 Steadman, which had been captured by the rebels 
 in a night attack, he was one of the first to mount 
 the rampart, and turn the tide against the enemy. 
 He fought with desperation, and urged his men to 
 deeds of valor, which did much to retrieve the 
 fortunes of the day. 
 
 For his heroic conduct on that eventful morning, 
 he was made a major. De Banyan was there also, 
 and what one did for his company the other did for 
 his regiment. The brave Tennesseean was not for 
 gotten nor overlooked. His merit was promptly 
 recognized, and when the conquering host moved 
 forward in pursuit of the flying brigades of the 
 rebels, he was a brigadier-general of volunteers.
 
 Fighting Joe. 265 
 
 Then came to them in the field, and then flashed 
 over the telegraph wires to all parts of the nation, 
 the thrilling intelligence that Richmond was cap 
 tured. Still the indomitable Grant drew his grip 
 tighter and tighter upon the scattering hordes of 
 the rebellion ; still Meade pressed on, and still 
 Sheridan thundered over and through the shattered 
 host of treason, until Lee surrendered the remnant 
 of the vaunted army of Northern Virginia. The 
 gallant Army of the Potomac was there to witness 
 the humiliation of its old enemy. 
 
 All over the land cannon roared, bells pealed, 
 bonfires blazed, and all the people shouted " Glory, 
 Hallelujah," as the military power of the Rebellion 
 crumbled and fell. Firmly had it stood, defying 
 freedom, justice and humanity ; it drooped and ex 
 pired almost in the twinkling of an eye. 
 
 The nation was filled with joy. Soldiers, sailors, 
 and civilians rejoiced together, and from the hearts 
 of all rose the psean of thanksgiving for the victory 
 which had crowned our arms. Then, in the midst 
 of the people's gladness, came the terrible shock of 
 the assassination of the nation's ruler of the wise, 
 noble, and good President Lincoln; and the re 
 deemed Union was shrouded in mourning for him, 
 who fell just as he rose to the glory of the mighty 
 work he had accomplished. 
 
 The war was virtually ended. The surrender of 
 Lee was followed by that of Johnston, and others in
 
 266 Fighting Joe. 
 
 command of portions of the rebel army. The 
 regiment to which Major Somers belonged was 
 ordered to garrison a post; and De Banyan, who 
 was attached to the same regiment, but for brave 
 and skilful conduct in one of Sheridan's mighty 
 charges, had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant- 
 colonel, also joined the command when his brigade 
 was dissolved. 
 
 " General De Banyan, we meet again ! " exclaimed 
 Somers, as they joined hands, after several months 
 of separation. 
 
 Glory, Hallelujah ! " shouted the general. " The 
 war is over ! The Union is saved ! Rebellion is 
 forever crushed ! Somers, my dear fellow, I would 
 hug you if it were dignified for a lieutenant-colonel 
 to do such a thing." 
 
 "Never mind your dignity, general. I feel like 
 being silly, now that ; this cruel war is over.' I am 
 delighted to see you. Do you remember Columbia ? 
 Do you remember the bloodhounds ? " 
 
 tt Shall I ever forget them ? " replied De Banyan, 
 feelingly. 
 
 u Do you remember that night when we reached 
 the Augusta road ? " 
 
 " I could not forget that any more than I could 
 forget you," answered the general, as he again wrung 
 the hand of his devoted friend " Somers, our 
 country is saved. We have fought it through to 
 the end."
 
 Fighting Joe. 267 
 
 " We have had a hard time of it. Do you sup 
 pose, De Banyan, if it were to be done over again, 
 you would be willing to go through with it once 
 more ? " asked Somers. 
 
 " Upon my soul, I should ! " replied the general 
 warmly. " If I knew I had to die on the cold, wet 
 ground, by the side of the Augusta road, after three 
 years of hard service, I would go in as cheerfully 
 as I would eat my dinner when I am hungry. 
 Somers, if there is any man that loves his country, 
 I do. I am willing to fight for her, and willing to 
 die for her. This was a most infernal rebellion, 
 and I thank God I have lived to see the end of it." 
 
 So do I," responded Somers, fervently. 
 
 With the end of the war ends our story, though a 
 few months later, an interesting event occurred in 
 Boston, which we have not the heart to withhold 
 from our readers, who have patiently followed our 
 hero through his career of duty and suffering. As 
 they have seen him in the carnage of battle, hi the 
 toils of the foe, in the loathsome prison camps of 
 the rebels, so should they now see him in the hour 
 of his greatest earthly joy. The event to which we 
 allude was chronicled in the papers of the city as 
 follows : 
 
 " December 7, by the Rev. Dr. , Major Thomas 
 
 Somers, of the th United States Infantry, to Miss 
 Lilian Ashford, daughter of Richard C. Ashford, 
 Esq., of this city. (No Cards.) "
 
 268 Fighting Joe. 
 
 No. Rutland Street was brilliantly illuminated, 
 as the stars broke forth from the storm clouds of 
 that snowy Thanksgiving evening. There was a 
 select assemblage of gentlemen, civil and military, 
 and of ladies, young and old, from the matrons in 
 sober black, to the maidens decked in colors appro 
 priate to the joyous occasion. " Fighting Joe " had 
 been cordially invited, but a severe illness alone 
 prevented his attendance. 
 
 Half an hour before the time appointed for the 
 ceremony, a carriage stopped at the door, from 
 which stepped a tall gentleman, dressed in an ele 
 gant new uniform, on the shoulder- straps of which 
 glistened the silver leaves that indicated his rank. 
 With nervous energy he dashed up the steps, and 
 endangered the bell wire by the desperate pull he 
 gave. His summons was promptly answered by a 
 colored gentleman in white cotton gloves. 
 
 " Major Somers," said the gentleman, sententiously 
 
 " The major is engaged just now, sir, and cannot 
 be seen," replied the waiter. 
 
 " Can't be seen ! " exclaimed the arrival. 
 
 " Not just now, sir. Walk in, if you please, sir." 
 
 " Tell him Colonel De Banyan is here ; and if that 
 don't fetch him, say ' Magenta ' to him." 
 
 The waiter went up-stairs to the front room, 
 where the bride and groom and their more ultimate 
 friends were assembled. 
 
 " Colonel De Banyan, from Magenta, sir, is "
 
 Fighting Joe. 269 
 
 *Prom where?" roared Somers, jumping from 
 his chair, so thoroughly convulsed with laughter 
 that the buttons on his new coat threatened to be 
 wrenched from their proper spheres. " Show him 
 up," added he, when he could speak the words. 
 
 " My dear Somers, I am with you once again," 
 said the colonel, as he rushed into the room and 
 seized his friend by both hands. "From the deep 
 est depths of an honest heart I congratulate you 
 upon your approaching happiness." 
 
 " Thank you, general. I am delighted to see 
 you," replied Somers. " It needed only your presence 
 to complete my happiness." 
 
 " Mrs. Somers, I greet you," continued the colonel, 
 dashing towards the old lady, and saluting her with 
 the most courtly elegance. 
 
 " Sakes alive ! " exclaimed the happy matron. 
 " If it ain't Captain de Bangyang." 
 
 " Colonel de Banyan, if you please, is my present 
 appellation ; though I am sometimes called General 
 de Banyan. I trust you are quite well, madam." 
 
 Well, I'm pretty toler'ble, I thank ye, General 
 de Ban Well, I'm I declare, I'm so flustrated I 
 can't speak a word to-night." 
 
 u Madam, you are the proud and happy mother of 
 the noblest young man in this noble republic," said 
 the colonel, magnificently. 
 
 " Excuse me, De Banyan, but there is a lady here 
 who has long desired to make your acquaintance,"
 
 270 Fighting Joe. 
 
 interposed Somers, as he led his friend to another 
 part of the room, where Lilian sat, blushing and 
 beautiful. 
 
 "Lilian, this is my friend, General de Banyan. 
 General, Miss Ashford." 
 
 " Miss Ashford," said the general, with a dignified 
 bow, as he took the gloved hand that was extended 
 to him, " I bend in homage before one who is mighty 
 enough in her beauty and her virtues to win the 
 heart of my friend Major Somers." 
 
 Lilian blushed deeper than ever as she expressed 
 her pleasure at meeting the man who had shared 
 the toils and the sufferings of her intended husband. 
 
 ** Miss Ashford, I have long known you, though 
 we now meet for the first time ; but permit me to 
 add, that my friend is the only man in the United 
 States who is worthy of the hand which is so soon 
 to be his," added De Banyan, who was clearly in a 
 " magnificent " mood on this occasion. 
 
 " I am afraid I shall be jealous of you, general," 
 laughed Lilian. 
 
 " Nay, the major's heart is big enough to hold us 
 all, Miss Ashford," continued De Banyan, still hold 
 ing the little hand. " I pray to God that he may 
 never be called upon to do as much for you as he 
 has done for me. When you sink down to die upon 
 the cold, wet ground in winter, exhausted by sick 
 ness, borne under by starvation, with the savage 
 bloodhounds baying in the distance, and more sav-
 
 Fighting Joe. 271 
 
 age rebels lying in wait for you ; when you lie down 
 to die under these awful conditions, and he" 
 pointing to the major " steps between you and the 
 quaking messenger of death, who already has a gripe 
 upon you ; when he, at the imminent peril of his 
 life, procures food and clothing to restore you ; 
 when he has stood over you like an angel, and won 
 back the breath of life to your feeble body ; when 
 he has done this for you, you will know him as I 
 know him." 
 
 As he finished, a great tear slid down each side 
 of his bronzed face ; but he dashed it away, and 
 smiled again. Lilian pressed the great hand she 
 held, and a tear burned among the roses of her 
 bright cheek. 
 
 " But all this, and more, has he done for me ! " 
 exclaimed Somers, pointing to the colonel. " When 
 I was wounded and helpless " 
 
 " Upon my word, we are getting sentimental, 
 major ; and we had better subside," interposed the 
 colonel. " Introduce me to the rest of the people." 
 
 Somers complied ; and to each De Banyan made 
 one of his characteristic speeches ; and perhaps he 
 would have been voted ridiculous, if his eloquence 
 had not a moment before started the tears of more 
 than half the persons in the room. 
 
 Among those present was John Somers, the 
 major's twin brother, who had come home to par 
 ticipate in this festive scene. On his arm was a
 
 272 Fighting Joe. 
 
 beautiful young lady ; but who and what she was, 
 we must, for prudential reasons, decline to explain 
 in this volume. 
 
 The clergyman came; the ceremony was per 
 formed, and the interesting incidents which follow 
 it were duly and properly disposed of; and never 
 was a happy couple more sincerely congratulated. 
 
 " Mrs. Somers, permit me to express my warmest 
 hopes for your future happiness," said De Banyan. 
 "May your husband be to you all that he has been 
 to me ; he can be no more ; he will be no less." 
 
 There was nothing to mar the harmony of the 
 occasion. Grandmother Ashford mercifully per 
 mitted the heroes of the " last war " to rest in their 
 honored graves ; and all gave a hearty God-speed to 
 the happy couple, as they twain set out on the bliss 
 ful journey of wedlock. 
 
 Major Somers is a man of good motives, and of 
 high Christian principles, won in the day of trial 
 and suffering, no less than in prosperity ; and we 
 doubt not he will be as true to his God, his country, 
 and himself, in the future, as he has been in the 
 past; when, by his fidelity, his bravery, and his 
 patriotism, he carved out his fortunes on the battle 
 fields of The Great Rebellion.
 
 MAR 2 6 1979 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
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