Doctor Jones' Picnic Part 23

"At the appointed time we gathered informally in a great ma.s.s in an open plain south of the town. The brigade to which the doomed men belonged was formed into the three sides of a hollow square, two ranks, open order. Two graves were dug in the fourth side of the square, and there the execution was to occur. Soon were heard the unearthly wailings of Dead March in Saul, played by a bra.s.s band. Behind the band were two coffins in a hea.r.s.e, draped in black. Following these walked the condemned men, surrounded by guards with fixed bayonets. The firing party brought up the rear of the procession. They marched slowly around the three sides of the square between the silent ranks, finally reaching the graves and upon the edge of each was set its respective coffin. The two men were marched up beside the coffins, and who can imagine their feelings as they thus looked down into their deep, cold graves, where they were to lie a few moments later, until the trump of G.o.d should resurrect their dishonored dust to stand before his dread tribunal! One would have thought that under these awful circ.u.mstances they surely would have cried to G.o.d for mercy! One of them did; and kneeling near his coffin the poor wretch received the last rites of the church of Rome. But the other scornfully refused the consolations of religion in any form, and cried out a few moments later, as he sat blindfolded upon his coffin and heard the ominous clicking of the c.o.c.king of the muskets that he knew were aimed at him, 'Boys, take me there!' Accompanying these words he tore open the bosom of his shirt, exposed his bare breast, and a moment later each fell upon his face to the ground--a corpse! Thus ended the most tragical event I ever witnessed.

"And so the weary siege dragged on. We made a night descent upon the enemy in boats. They were encamped upon the river a few miles below Chattanooga, where they effectually cut off our communications with Bridgeport. We attacked them in the blackness of a very dark night, and completely routed them. This opened up communications with our base of supplies, and our rations were greatly increased from that time on.

"On the morning of November 23d, a little before noon, the 3d division of the 4th Army corps, the one to which I belonged, was ordered into the open plain that lay between us and Missionary Ridge. Here we deployed into line of battle. Sheridan's division followed and formed on our right. The eleventh corps, commanded by General O.O. Howard, ma.s.sed in the rear. Then followed the 3d division of the 14th corps, General Baird in command, while the 1st division of the same corps, under General Johnston, stood at arms in the rear of the center in the intrenchments.

"From their aerie upon the surrounding hills the Confederates complacently viewed the magnificent pageant, mistaking it for a grand review. So secure were they in their apparently impregnable positions that we carried Orchard k.n.o.b and captured nearly the whole picket line before they realized that we were not dress parading. And so, under the immediate eye of General Grant, who stood upon Fort Wood, a very commanding position, from which he could see every man of us, we carried two miles of the enemy's first line of defense. Probably a more inspiring sight was never seen by mortal eye. Upon us were the eyes of a whole city, many of our own comrades, and tens of thousands of brave and vigilant enemies.

"So we rested upon Orchard k.n.o.b that night, having taken thus the initiative in the great battle of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain.

That night was a busy one all along the lines of both armies. Mystic signs were written upon the skies all night by the signal corps of each army. Hooker upon the right was preparing to a.s.sault Lookout Mt. We of the center spent the night strengthening our line of breastworks upon Orchard k.n.o.b. Sherman, on the left, succeeded in crossing the Tennessee River before morning in small boats with two divisions of his army, the remaining two divisions crossing early in the day upon a hastily constructed bridge.

"And the Confederates were equally active. All night long their signal torches were working upon the mountain and hilltops. The Southern commander, General Bragg, evidently considered Lookout Mountain impregnable, and withdrew many troops from that point, concentrating them upon his extreme right, in antic.i.p.ation of Sherman's attack.

"Lookout was enveloped in dense fog the first part of the following day, which enabled Hooker to dispose of his troops from that point as he desired, preparatory for attack, with little or no opposition. At eleven o'clock the fog began to lift, the attack commenced, and to us below was unveiled one of the grandest, most soul-stirring exhibition of courage and love of country ever witnessed! Thousands of blue-coated boys pressed their way up the steep slopes of this mighty mountain, in spite of the desperate resistance of a foe well worthy of their steel. Well might we below raise a great shout of exultation and sympathy. The guns of Wood and adjacent forts thundered out salvos of praise and encouragement. On they went, step by step, until far into the night, and achieved that victory that immortalized every man of them. The following morning we beheld 'Old Glory' proudly waving from the great barren rock, Point Lookout, and it seemed as if we should burst the very skies with the shout that went up from thousands of loyal throats.

"While Hooker and his boys were thus making one of the most glorious pages of history, Sherman had completed preparations for an a.s.sault upon Bragg's right wing. Nearly all day on the 25th, the third day of the battle, Sherman vainly endeavored to turn the enemy's right flank. They were strongly entrenched, and hurled the Union forces down the slopes of Missionary Ridge time after time, though the a.s.saults were made with the utmost courage and determination. Grant, Thomas, and Sheridan, from Orchard k.n.o.b, watched these desperate efforts upon the part of Sherman.

He was sent all the reenforcements that could operate, and Baird's division was returned because there was not room for them to partic.i.p.ate.

"All day long we of the center of this great battle line had stood at arms, watching the grand spectacular movements of the two wings, expecting momentarily to be ordered forward. The sun was getting well down the western slope when we received the signal from Fort Wood to charge the lower line of works at the foot of Missionary Ridge. This we did easily, but the cross-fire from the second line midway up the Ridge was so galling that the position was untenable. One of two things must be done: retreat or carry the Ridge. The first alternative I do not think occurred to anyone, for they leaped the breastworks, and in spite of the enemy's utmost endeavors and natural obstructions, the second line in a few moments was ours. But not a moment did they stop, and in an incredibly short time the Ridge was carried, the captured artillery wheeled about and was pouring shot and sh.e.l.l into the fleeing ranks of the enemy!

"As the visitor now stands and contemplates the acclivities, and considers what it meant to charge such a foe so well fortified, if he be a Bible student, he will be reminded of the case of the Edomites. They were the direct descendants of Esau, and inhabited Mount Seir. This mount is an immense pile of rock in the southern part of Palestine. Here the Edomites dug out their homes in the solid rock, and so fortified themselves that they were the Gibraltar of ancient times. From these mountain fastnesses they made predatory incursions upon their neighbors, and for ages easily repelled all efforts at reprisal. And so they came intolerably insolent, and feared neither G.o.d nor man. But one day Jeremiah prophesied of them: 'Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the cleft of the rock, and holdest the height of the hill! Though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.'

"He is but an indifferent reader of history who does not see the hand of Almighty G.o.d displayed upon the side of Liberty and Union throughout all this tremendous war. Even so great a man as W.E. Gladstone, the 'Grand Old Man' of England, said that the eighteen millions of the North could not subdue the eleven millions of the South. But he did not know that the edict had gone forth from the court of Heaven that these who arrogantly held the height of the hill must come down from thence. And so we fought and won this grandest battle of the war--and perhaps of the world."

Here the Doctor paused and looked around upon his audience. He had worked himself into a fine glow as these splendid reminiscences pa.s.sed before his mind. To his horror he found his hearers fast asleep, except the Professor, and his eyes were winking and blinking suspiciously.

"Well, if you are not an interested lot of fellows!" cried Dr. Jones.

Fred roused at this juncture and said:

"Go on, Doctor. That is the most thrilling story I ever heard."

"Do you really think so?" asked the Doctor very sarcastically.

"O yes! Doctor, I a.s.sure you that I heard every word of it."

"And what was I just talking about?"

"Um--ah--O yes, I remember. It was where the two deserters were sitting on their coffins and were just about to be shot. I want to hear that out," and Fred looked the picture of anxiety and interestedness.

"Do you, though!" snorted Dr. Jones. "If I served you right, I would drop you through the manhole, just to wake you up."

CHAPTER XXI.

Things Material and Spiritual.

The wind continued all night as last noted, and Silver Cloud, without a tremor or swaying motion of any kind, was scurrying across the barren wastes of the Arctics at marvelous speed. At noon upon the second day from the Pole, Professor Gray took an observation, and announced that they then were at lat.i.tude 68 deg., 20 min., longitude 120 deg. 16 min., West Greenwich.

"We are about crossing the Arctic circle. We are just above the barren grounds north of Great Bear Lake," said the Professor. "Shortly after breakfast to-morrow morning we will cross the northern boundary of the United States at our present speed."

"What great body of water is that I see ahead?" asked Denison a little later.

"That is Great Bear Lake," replied Professor Gray. "See how the vegetation begins to show up."

The weather was superb, and the lake lay calm and smooth beneath them as a mirror. While they were tearing through the skies at express train speed, their elevation being a little over 3,000 feet, they could plainly see through their gla.s.ses that small birch trees and evergreens upon the banks were nearly motionless.

"Now you see an ill.u.s.tration of my theory," cried the delighted Doctor.

"Here are we in a gale; below, scarcely a breath of air is stirring. It did not work in Russia, and we were obliged to anchor. But I shall regard that as a providential affair and shall stick to my theory. I would not for anything have failed to plant the good seed which we left there. Great good will come of it, and it may be the commencement of a general recognition throughout all Europe of G.o.d's great law of cure. If so, I shall count that as of infinitely greater importance than the location of the North Pole."

The wind veered to the northwest toward evening, and a consultation of the map showed that they were heading precisely as they wished to. On the following morning, they crossed what the Professor informed them was the Lake of the Woods.

"Before noon we shall be well into Northern Minnesota. We are peculiarly favored upon this trip. It is very doubtful whether we would encounter so many favorable gales in any number of future trips."

"We are not home yet, Professor, and we may have an opportunity to test the Doctor's theory as to air currents," said Will.

Soon after breakfast a further change in the wind occurred, and they found themselves going due east. They watched through their gla.s.ses the foliage below, but could see no difference in the direction of the lower atmospheric stratum.

"We will go as we look for a time," said the Doctor.

"What do I see yonder!" cried Denison. "A train of pa.s.senger cars, sure as you live! That must be the Canadian Pacific."

"It is," replied Professor Gray. "And away to the south, you see Lake Superior. We are pa.s.sing along its northern coast."

"Don't those little settlements look beautiful!" said Mrs. Jones. "See the little white church yonder with its tiny spire! It just seems to me as if I should like to stop and attend service in that pretty little church."

"See the people rushing out to look at us!" observed Dr. Jones. "Suppose we lower to within a few hundred feet of them, and give them a good sight at the ship."

Accordingly Silver Cloud settled rapidly as it neared the little town.

They crossed the village at a height of about 500 feet. They could see that the people were terribly frightened. Some were lying upon the ground as if dead; others were upon their knees with their hands stretched toward the globe that glistened like a star in the sunlight.

Many were rushing screaming into their houses. A few could be seen fleeing from town, afoot or horseback, at the top of their speed.

"Don't be alarmed, good people," shouted Dr. Jones. "We are only aeronauts who have been to the North Pole. Good-bye!"

"I won't do that again," said he. "Some of those people may die from the effects of this fright. But here we are again for home."

Silver Cloud had again mounted skyward and encountered a splendid breeze from the north. A few moments later the blue, crystal waters of Lake Superior were undulating beneath them.

"Just see the shipping!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Denison. "I sailed to the upper end of this great lake to Duluth, twenty-five years ago. Then but few steamers came up so far, and not many sailing vessels except those in the iron and copper trade. Now see them in every direction! I am astonished at the amount of traffic on these lakes."

Only those who have been away from their native land, and especially if their travels have extended over the barren wastes of the extreme north, can fully appreciate the immortal Scott:

"Breathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said; 'This is my own, my native land!'"

They traveled so rapidly over Upper Michigan that by evening they were across the strait of Mackinaw. Then the wind lulled to a ten-mile breeze and veered a point or two easterly. The great pine forests below were a cheerful contrast to the illimitable fields of ice and snow and uncultivable lands which they had so lately traversed. The farms and villages grew thicker every hour and their twinkling lights were pleasant sights to the voyagers as the night came on.