Gettysburg

It was a slaughter for the next minute. The Sharpshooters took their favorite stances, some kneeling, others finding branches to rest their barrels on, a few going down on their stomachs. Rifle fire rippled up and down the line. Barely a dozen Rebs made it to the far slope.

"Hey, you're Yankees!"

Startled, Qui

"Goddamn it, get down!" Qui

"Green uniforms. You're the Sharpshooters!" the boy cried happily. "I seen pictures of you in the illustrated papers."

"So

"Came out to tell you what was happening, but them dirty Rebs stopped me."

The boy rubbed his backside. "One of them spanked me.

' Said he was going to take me back to my ma and make sure she whopped me, too."

"He was right, too, you little fool. You should be home."

"Ma tried to keep me in the cellar, but I snuck out."

Qui

'Take a hickory stick and give it to him, Qui

The boy looked over at the man and stuck his tongue out "Where do you live, so

"Over the next hill, farm across from the tavern," and as he spoke he pointed off to the west.

"Keep moving!" Berdan was out in front again, back to the enemy, sword held high, urging the men on.

"You stay put right here, boy," Qui

"Oh, you won't never get to the tavern."

"What?'

The boy puffed his chest out

"That's why I snuck out; I'm a spy."

"What do you mean we won't reach the tavern?"

"Why, there're thousands of Rebs over there, whole lines of them. They've been marching by for hours. I figured it was my duty to tell you. Will I get a medal for it?"

The men to either side of Qui

Qui

"Like I said, sir," and now he could see that the boy was becoming afraid. His eyes were wide, and his voice started to break.

"Rebs, thousands of them on the road, marching toward Fairfield, right past my house, just over the next ridge."

Qui

"Stay here. Don't you move. Don't move." The boy began to cry.

"I don't want to get whopped. That Reb spanked me awful hard. Don't let Mama whop me too."

"Just stay here, son. I'll make sure your ma doesn't whop you, if you promise to stay here."

The boy nodded solemnly, brushing the tears from his muddy cheeks.

Qui

Berdan was riding in front, urging the men on. A few shots smacked overhead. The men were eager, pushing forward, already across the marshy ground. The left flank was into a pasture on the far side of the road, the right wading through waist-high corn.

A volley exploded from the woods atop the next crest, several hundred rifles firing at once. In an instant dozens of men were down.

Berdan's horse reared up, shrieking with pain. The colonel hung on as the beast staggered, turned, and then flipped over on its side as another round tore out its throat. Horse and rider rolled over into the stream.

"Jesus Christ Almighty!" Qui

Berdan's horse kicked spasmodically, the colonel trapped underneath. Qui

"Get him out!" Qui

Qui

"Is he dead?" someone cried.

Qui

"You and you! Get a blanket, use it as a stretcher, round up a few more men, and get him out of here!"

Qui

He thought he caught a glimpse of him off to the left, but it was impossible to tell for sure. A captain was suddenly standing over Qui

"Sir, there was a boy back up there in the woods we just took!" Qui

"What boy?"

"Sir, a boy hiding up in the woods."

"So?"

Fuller ducked down low as another volley erupted from the next ridge, one of the men attempting to carry Berdan going down with a gut shot.

"Sir, I think we're tangled into something here. Someone should go back now and tell General Sickles that we're facing a large force. A division, maybe even a corps, moving to our left flank."

"What boy? What's his name?"

Exasperated, Qui

"Sir!"

Fuller looked back at him.

"I didn't ask for his goddamn name. But he's a local boy, sir, and I believe him."

"We get boys telling us tall tales all the time, Qui

"This isn't Virginia, sir. It's Pe

"Get on with your duty, Qui

"Sir! I think the general needs to be told."

"I'm getting us the hell out of here, Qui

"Yes, sir. Damn you, sir."

Qui

Qui

Qui

"I saw the colonel go down," the lieutenant gasped. "I know."

"What the hell is going on?" The lieutenant half stood up even as he spoke. "Looks like we're pulling back."

Qui

"Into that?’

"Sir, one good sprint, and we'll be into the woods. We need to get a look over that ridge," and he quickly explained what the boy had told him.