Chapter Five
Two days later…..
Adam had dressed into his brand new navy and gold Cavalry uniform. His blonde hair curled about the lapels. He wore the brand new black riding boots and his wide-brimmed hat that he always wore out gardening.
Abby took one look at him and thought that he was the most handsome man to ever wear a uniform. His emerald green eyes shone with pride and purpose. She was going to miss him horribly, but the war was inevitable.
He walked up to her and put his arm around her. She looked up to him. She knew this was goodbye. She didn’t know how but she knew this would be the last time she would see him alive. He pulled gently away from her, and opened the door. He had already readied the horse for the journey.
He opened the door. “I am going to miss you, love. So much!”
“You come back to me, ye hear? You come back!”
“I promise,” he said as he kissed her one last time.
He walked out the door, got into the saddle, and then coaxed the horse into a trot. She watched as he rode off, until she could no longer see him or the horse.
Two days later:
Adam rode into Washington. It was his first time in the big city. To him it was crowded and dirty. He liked being in his little piece of heaven, amongst the wildflowers and tall evergreen trees. The streets were littered with troops, of all ages.
“Sir!” He heard a familiar voice yelling at him, as he slowed his horse to a stop.
“Sarge, is that you?”
“Yes, sir, it surely is.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I got orders to ride with the 3rd Cavalry, Major. I will be riding under you, sir.”
Adam was shocked. “What did your ma say?”
“Oh, she had a fit of the vapors, and then promptly sent me packin’.” O’Connell said with a sarcastic smile plastered on his tanned face.
“Actually, Major, she told me that I had to do my duty and that she understood.”
The smile left the younger man’s face. “How did your wife take it, sir? I know you were worried about it.”
“She took it hard, really hard. But, I am here now that’s all that matters.
He then guided the horse towards a tent where several men had lined up next too. He slid off the horse, handed the reins to a young man, and then stepped into the line.
He really didn’t know why he was standing in line. Until he got within listening distance. He knew enough, that he quickly got out of the line. This was the general’s tent; there was no real reason why he would need to hear anything that would be talked about there.
As he was just about to go to find out where his lodging was, when a young man (almost his age) stopped him. “Major, sir, the General would like to speak with you.” The younger man said with a slight salute.
Corporal McKinaugh came over from Ireland with his parents roughly the same time that Abby had come over with her family. The Irish brogue still audible in his soft baritone voice. His bright red hair, Adam thought to himself, would be the death of the young soldier.
McKinaugh had the typical Irish deviance. Always out drinking, even at his tender age of 15. He had lied on the paperwork, so that he could see some of the action. He had always understood how the “blackies” felt. His own people were treated no less than the slaves, maybe slightly better. His own father was forced into fighting in the United States Army, as a form of servitude.
McKinaugh really didn’t want to be on any particular side but he really couldn’t get past the idea that any given people could be enslaved. It didn’t really make sense to him. He knew that his people were slaves in Ireland to the English. The English had taken over the island many of hundreds of years ago. So, he grew up being a slave.
McKinaugh guided Adam back toward the tent, where a very stately man was sitting on a makeshift chair. The man was wearing his blue and gold Union uniform. At his side was a very ornate sword and sheath. The man’s face told of many years of military service. General Irvin McDowell had high cheekbones, which gave his eyes prominence. The General’s, very rough demeanor was just a show to those who didn’t believe he was capable of stopping the rebellion.
McDowell was an impressive, imposing character. He was in charge of the entire Union Army, and here Adam was in the same tent as the general. As Adam finally entered the tent, he saluted the stately general.
“General, sir, I am Major Adam Wellesley with the 3rd Cavalry Division. What can I do for you, sir?”
“Major,” the general said after he saluted back, “we are on the verge of battle. We are also the force between the rebs and capital. What I want you to do, Major is to train your Cavalry and get them ready for the fight to come.”
“Yes, sir,” Adam replied, as he saluted the last time and walked out of the tent.
Adam had never trained anyone to do anything, and who he came to be in charge of a whole battalion of men was beyond him. Why had O’Connell done this?
Adam was guided about by the general’s adjutant, Corporal McKinaugh. McKinaugh told him that he was just days away from getting a promotion, because of his service to the general. He was soon to become Major Patrick A. McKinaugh. The average height, red head’s face was beaming in a bright smile.
“Major, sir, were you given a tent, sir?”
“No I wasn’t, Corporal.”
“I will show you to the commissary tent, sir, and help you erect the tent sir. And, might I also add, sir, that you should get some sleep because we will be up mighty earlier, sir.” McKinaugh said in his deep Irish brogue.
“That sounds like a great idea, Corporal. And would you mind not calling me sir. I am no older then you. My name is Adam, all me that would you?”
“I would gladly do that, sir, but it’s the thing with the Army, sir. They don’t like familiarity among troops, sir.”
“Well, just between you and I, Corporal, we will use our given names. I think that would do.”
McKinaugh nodded, “That sounds mighty nice to me, Sir, I mean Adam. My name be Patrick but me friends call me Paddy.”
The two men shook hands and they walked towards the commissary tent to get supplies. They talked of their sweethearts, as they worked on erecting the tent and then fixing something for supper.
The next day proved to be just as hard. Adam was introduced to the men. In his battalion, of course, was O’Connell standing in the front row. But, there wasn’t anyone else he recognized.
“Men, this is Major Wellesley. He will be in charge of training you. Major, meet with your Sergeant and get these men ready for battle, they will be fighting here any day.” Said the man who introduced him with a salute.
“Sergeant O’Connell, step forward, all other men go about your morning duties,” Adam said with authority.
Adam wasn’t sure what he was doing but he felt good being in the position he was in. He looked at O’Connell and nodded. “Serge, you know more about training men then I do. Let’s get some drills going, shall we.”
“Yes, sir,” O’Connell replied as he stepped towards the men, “grab your rifles men.” Said the man who introduced him with a salute.
“Sergeant O’Connell, step forward, all other men go about your morning duties,” Adam said with authority.
Adam wasn’t sure what he was doing but he felt good being in the position he was in. He looked at O’Connell and nodded. “Serge, you know more about training men then I do. Let’s get some drills going, shall we.”
“Yes, sir,” O’Connell replied as he stepped towards the men, “grab your rifles men.”
O’Connell commenced with the drills. He watched as his men learned how to battle with guns, sabers, and bayonets. And when they were done drilling with the weapons, he watched as they learned to march in lines of battle and into lines of four. He knew these from the little he learned from his grandfather who had lost a leg in the War of Independence.
The men were looking good as they drilled for hours and hours. Adam was a pretty lenient officer. At least, that’s what the men thought. He was a kind man, who was forced to be commanding and rough.
That night as Adam was having a bite to eat; he got out a tablet of paper and a pen, and started to write Abby.
My dearest Abby,
I know that it has been a while. My days compromise of drilling and marching. I have made a couple of friends amongst the men that are in my battalion. Sergeant O’Connell, who was the man that recruited me, is my drilling mate. He is so good at what he does that I don’t really have to do anything.
Abby, Washington is so dirty compared to our little piece of paradise. I miss you, the wildflowers, and the grass. I miss your sweet touch and the way you smiled at me in the morning. Oh, Abby, I miss you so much. The General said that we will be marching off to battle here in a couple days. I guess that the rebs have been massing somewhere south of Bull Run Creek. I will be back in Virginia. I wish I could get some leave time to come see you but this war is just starting and there is no way I am going to be able to get out.
Until we met again, my love.
Your loving husband,
Adam
He sealed the letter in a makeshift envelope and handed it to the courier. He missed Abby so much, so much so that his heart felt like it was breaking while he wrote the letter. He would write her more later, he promised himself. The letter he had written was shorter then he wanted it, but he didn’t have much to say yet. Even if he could say what he wanted, the information that he would’ve written was considered classified.
Corporal McKinaugh came up to his tent. “Adam, the general would like to speak to you.”
“I will be right there, Paddy, just let him know that.”
Adam patted down his crumpled uniform and walked briskly to the general’s tent.
“Major, are you men ready?” The General said with his rough voice.
“Yes, sir, they are. They look almost as good as those West Point boys, sir.” He said as he pointed over to the sector of the encampment that held the West Point students.
“We are going to start a force march tomorrow, towards Bull Run Creek. I need you and the rest of the cavalry to be split between the front of the columns and the back of the columns. You being the Major of the 2nd Cavalry Division, I need you to be ready to fight at any given moment, to encourage your men to do the same. Can you do it, Major?”
Adam thought for a split second, he was going to be in the front lines. He could die! “Yes, sir, I believe I can do that.”
The general looked up at Adam with a questioning look in his eye. “You might be ready for it Major, but are you ready to lose everyone in your command to get the job done. That’s what it means to be in charge of your men’s lives. You have to be willing to order the death of the one thing that you care the most about.”
Adam thought more on this. Was there a reason why he was put in this position? He wanted to ask the General that question but he knew that the General had more on his mind other than his questions. So, Adam saluted the general and walked back to his men.
" Men, I have just heard the news that we will be leaving for Bull Run Creek here in the next couple days. We will be at the head of the column. Sergeant O'Connell please make sure the men are ready for battle."
He then walked back to his tent. He, personally wasn't ready for a big fight, a big battle on his home land. His mind raced to Abby and their cottage. He remembered times of happiness, when he should have been thinking of strategy and military ploys. Maybe even thinking about making it through this war alive. While, he knew that many of his comrades wouldn't make it, he knew in his mind that he wouldn't see Abby again. It was just one of those odd feelings. Many of the generals had these feelings, he had heard them talking.
"Adam, what are you doing sulking here in your tent. Don't you have drills to perform?" said a very sympathetic Paddy as he leaned on the main support of the tent.
"Yeah, Paddy, I do but I am just reminiscing about what things used to be like. No threat of war or starvation. A time when we were all innocent. Its like I can feel the life run out of this land, like blood has already been shed."
"Adam, you should stop thinking about that sort of thing. All you will end up doing is makin' yourself all sad and such. There is no need for that. You see those men out there? Those men are willing to fight and die for what they believe in, and it’s your job to see that happens. You have a great weight put on your shoulders, me friend, but you have been thrust into this for some reason. For some God forsaken reason you got here, for this purpose. You can think of your wife and your home, but think of these boys and what they are here to accomplish."
Paddy walked out of the tent and strutted back to the generals tent, knowing that he didn't even truly believe what he had told Adam. He, himself, knew that this war would kill too many of the good ole boys. The land would turn red with the blood of the martyrs, and there would be nothing that they could do about it. Paddy shook his head of the thought, as he walked into the general's tent. He stood there, as the general and his staff strategized the upcoming battle. Nothing is quite like a general on a battlefield, he thought to himself. As he watched on, the droning of their voices slowly receding, he came to peace with himself and his fate.
Chapter 6
July 21, 1861 near Manassas, Virginia
The atmosphere in the camp was one of intense emotions. Every man was riled up, aching for a fight. Every man was ready to do his duty, ready to die for their cause. Adam recognized the spirit of the men as he marched them into columns of four. He looked out onto the plain, which would be the land in which they would be fighting. It was more like a valley, he thought to himself as he looked at the ridges surrounding the battlefield. It, truly, was a beautiful landscape. One that brought memories of home and of Abby. Beautiful green trees speckled the land, the Bull Run Creek flowed through the valley. As, he survey the land he caught a glimpse of carriages up on one of the ridges. Why were people up there? Didn't they know that there would soon be a battle here?
He had heard, by way of the general that it was going to be an easy win. He was also told that some important people would be coming over from Washington to watch the battle, since it wasn't going to be a bloody affair. This news didn't make much since to him. Why would people do such a thing? Battles were unpredictable, at best. No one truly knew how this battle was going to turn out, let alone how long it would be.
Adam's mind returned to his duty and to his men. He lead his men up a small ridge, and as he looked out across the battlefield, he saw his foe for the first time. A feeling of dread went through him. Those men out there were his neighbors, classmates, and friends. They were just like him, in many regards, most of the men were green (meaning that they had never been in the Army or in a battle before). It was unreal to him. He blocked the feelings, he gripped his rifle, as he urged his men forward. The instant they reached the top of the ridge, long distance ordinance bombarded them. The blast of the canons thundered through the air, like a thunderstorm late at night. The sound of it echoed through the silence. Then, whole lines of men in front of his were cut down, as the balls collided with them.
"Hold in there men," Adam yelled out to his men, "keep on marching!"
The lines in front of him stopped, he looked around him. As he did so, he realized that the enemy was right in front of them. He halted his men, yelled out the command to fix bayonets. Just as they started to fix the long metal spears onto their rifles, minie balls picked off the men on either side of Adam. He looked down at one of the men, a hole had been punched through his forehead, making it look as if he had had a third eye. The man on the other side had been shot in the chest, and was coughing up blood from where lay on the ground. The men were frantic, bullets whizzing past their heads. In the distance, he heard the bugle sound the command to fall back.
"Fall back men, fall back."
Every man scattered, as they rushed back to their lines. Adam looked back toward his last position, he saw O'Connell struggling to get to the lines. Just as Adam was about to help him, O'Connell fell. A pair of arms kept Adam from racing to his friend.
"Don't do it Adam! That's no-man's-land out there, as soon as you step foot out on that field you'll be dead. We can't afford to lose you, sir." Adam turned towards the voice. He looked into the eyes of Paddy, then looked back out to where O'Connell lay.
"I have to go to him Paddy," he said as tears streamed from his eyes," he might still be alive. I have to go to him!"
"He will still be there Adam. Just leave him for now; there is nothing you can do. Just hurry up and get behind the lines. You need to look after your men."
Adam looked at Paddy, knowing that he spoke the truth. If he went onto the battlefield now, his life was forfeit, all his hard work would have been for nothing. He felt helpless as he looked back toward the battlefield. All those men, lying either dead or dying out there. He could imagine the sightless eyes staring up toward the heavens, the horrors of the day etched on their faces. He shook his head, banishing the thoughts, bringing him back to the job in store for him. He grabbed Paddy's hand and raced towards the back of the line.
"Adam, the General has told me to relay this message. You have fought well and your men brave. He also told me to tell you that we need to get the civilians off the cliffs before something happens. I would go myself but the General refused me to go. He says that I am too valuable."
"So that means that I am not valuable," said Adam with a hint of sarcasm.
"You know what I mean old man. You and your men are to go to the cliffs and get those civilians off the battlefield before we have some casualties up there."
Adam formed his men, and marched off the field towards the heights. It was good to get off the battlefield, to escape the pounding of canon and the heavy swarm of bullets. As they reached the cliffs, row after row of fancy carriages lined the ridge. Adam caught the attention of one on-looker, he pointed at the man, and motioned the man to come over to him.
"Sir, we need to get these people away from here. The battle is shifting and the General doesn't want any civilian casualties."
"Sure young man, I will get those that I can. Too damn bloody for me to watch now anyways. This was supposed to be an easily won affair, with very little bloodshed. But, this has turned into quite a ruckus. The horrors of it I can't seem to shake. I will do what I can for you."
Adam nodded his head, as he watched the man walk off. The man stopped at each carriage to speak with the drivers and their passengers. As soon as the man would walk away, the carriages would start to move. Then something caught Adam's eye. A huge flash from down on the battlefield, then the thunder of canon sounded, then the sound of a ball hitting the ground. People were screaming as canon fire reached their lofty positions. Horses frightened ran off with their passengers, only to perish in their escape. The battle had reached the heights, Adam stepped up and urged all the civilians to the road. The horse drawn carriages seemed to move all at once, the horses and drivers alike wanting to get away from the bloodshed and mayhem.
He looked as the last carriage was about ready to turn about for the road, he heard a crash. He watched as a cannon ball crashed into the carriage, the wheels splintering, throwing shrapnel everywhere. The ball then smashed into the legs of the horses, they crumple to the ground. Before Adam knew it, the carriage flipped in mid-air, hit the ground, and blew into fragments. Adam raced over to the wreckage, trying to find any survivors. As he was tossing the broken pieces of carriage out of his way, he saw the figure of a woman. She had been dressed as if she was going to a party. Her elegant dress was now dirty, torn, and soaked with blood. Adam reached in to see if she was a live, there was no pulse. She was the first civilian casualty of the war. How many more would there be? Adam asked himself. He turned away and walked back towards his men.
The day would end as a Union defeat, the men feeling demoralized and defeated. Adam's thoughts went to O'Connell. Was he ok? Adam walked over to the field hospital. It was a horrendous sight. In front of him was a pile, he wasn't sure of what it was a pile of until he got closer. It was a huge pile of arms and legs, and next to that was a even bigger pile of shoes. The sounds of the injured men scream and moaning in pain assaulted his senses. The smell of pain, blood, and death permeated the ground and air. There were men sitting everywhere. Some of them had bandages covering their heads, some were walking around with sleeves hanging limp, and still others hobbling on one leg with a crutch. The sight itself was so horrifying to him that his stomach couldn't handle it.
"Sir are you injured?" called a voice from within a tent, not ten feet away.
"No I'm not but I'm looking for a buddy of mine, he was cut down not long after the battle started. His name is Sargent O'Connell."
"I don't recall anyone by that name coming in, Sir. But, I will be more than happy to escort you through the hospital. Maybe we'll come acrossed him."
Adam followed behind the young man as he navigated through the maze of mutilated bodies, dead, and tents. Sometime between when he got to the hospital and now the smell was no longer very bad. It was the sorry shape of the men that worried him. The young man stopped at a makeshift table with papers on it.
"Sir, if he is here it would be on this here paper."
Adam perused the names on the sheet of paper for O'Connell. Just as he was about to give up hope, he came across O’Connell’s name. Adam shouted for joy, as he tried to find out where O’Connell was. According to the paper he was scheduled for surgery.
“Doctor, can you guide me to this tent?” Adam said as he pointed to the paper.
“Sure can, sir. Follow me!”
Adam followed behind the young doctor as he meandered his way through the puzzle that was the field hospital.
“Sir, this is the place you pointed to, I will let you find your way back. I’ve got injured men to heal.” With that the young doctor was on his way.
Adam opened the tent and walked in. The sight was unbelievable. Doctors were covered from head to toe in blood, the ground was saturated with it, and men were screaming out in pain. The man, that was currently being “operated on” was O’Connell. His hair was stringy and soaked with sweat. The front of his uniform red with blood from the chest wound that he had received during the battle.
Adam walked over to the doctor, who had been eager to get the ball out of O’Connell’s chest.
“Doctor is he going to be ok?”
“I don’t rightly know, young man, that’s all up to him. I will get the ball out, don’t get me wrong. But it depends on how much energy he wants to use to get better. I’ve seen men, within the last couple days, who have had slight injuries but have died because they didn’t have the will to live. They thought themselves failures, and half a man because of the injuries they would’ve come back home with. Like I said, it all depends on him.”
“Son, can you hold his hand while I get my forceps into him. If I don’t get that ball out soon, I’m afraid of what will happen.”
Adam reached down and grabbed O’Connell’s hand, trying to be brave as the doctor reached for his forceps. Adam heard the sound of the forceps digging through the lacerated flesh around the wound. He cringed as he heard O’Connell scream for the doctor to stop, that the pain was too much. Just when Adam thought he couldn’t stand it anymore, the doctor held up his forceps.
“See this?” he said with a grin, “this was one of our guns, not a rebs!”
“Are you serious? We couldn’t tell who we were shooting at down there. We all wore the same uniforms, it was so confusing!”
“Sir, it’s not time for reflection but a time to get ready for the next battle. Just think of yourself, now, Sir.”
With that, Adam squeezed O’Connell’s hand, then walked out of the tent.
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