Night had come, and the Confederates, flushed with victory, lay on the ground they had so bravely won--to complete, in the morning, as they supposed, the destruction of Rosecrans's army.
When morning came, the Confederates once more rushed to the conflict.
Again did Major Middleton lead his regiment. The color-bearer went down, but the flag was seized by Randolph Hamilton, and held aloft. "Follow the colors!" he shouted, as he sprang forward.
The Federals shrank from the advancing line of steel, and fled in dismay.
As Randolph mounted the breastwork, a young Federal lieutenant, the last to leave the works, levelled his revolver on him, but as he did so a look of surprise came over his face, and he turned his weapon and shot a soldier who had sprung on the works by Randolph's side.
Randolph did not return the shot. The young lieutenant was Leon Laselle, the brother of Lola.
Everywhere along the front of Green's division the wild cheers of victory were ringing. Not only had they swept the Federal breastworks, but forty cannon had been captured. Oh, it was good! It was glorious!
But it was no time to stop and rejoice. The Yankees must be completely crushed--Rosecrans's whole army captured; and into the village they followed the fleeing but not demoralized Federals.
Into the houses, and behind every garden fence and hedge, the retreating Federals gathered. Every house became a flaming fort, and into the advancing ranks of the Confederates was poured a storm of balls, while the loud-mouthed cannon swept away with an iron hail the front of the advancing foe.
The Confederates wavered, halted; then there sprang forward a line of blue-coated soldiers, and as a great wave bears on its crest everything before it, so did this line of blue bear back the Confederates. In vain did Edward Middleton struggle before it. He was as helpless as a log of wood borne onward by the surging tide.
Randolph Hamilton once more seized the standard of the regiment. "Let us die with it floating," he cried. As he cried, the hand of a Federal lieutenant reached out to grasp the flag, and then both went down, and Randolph Hamilton and Leon Laselle lay side by side, the blood stained flag between them.
On rolled the wave of blue, catching and flinging back hundreds of the fleeing Confederates.
The armies of Van Dorn and Price that had had no thought but victory, that had fought so bravely and won so much, now fled from the field in wild confusion, leaving behind them over a thousand of their dead, hundreds of their wounded, and nearly three thousand prisoners. They had fought as only brave men can fight--and lost.
Throughout the North the name of Rosecrans, before but little known, was on every tongue.[10]
[Footnote 10: A few weeks after this battle Rosecrans was appointed Commander of the Army of the Cumberland.]
It was the news of this battle that caused such excitement in St. Louis, for in it hundreds of Missourians had met Missourians, and as we have seen, the first news was that the Confederate regiments of Missouri had been annihilated. Excitement was at fever heat, and anxious hearts awaited authentic news. It came in a telegram from Leon Laselle, reading: "Am seriously but not dangerously wounded. Randolph Hamilton dangerously wounded, and captured. Edward Middleton safe."
Lawrence was at the Laselle home when the telegram came. Mr. Laselle was sick at the time and unable to go to his son, if he had wished. When the telegram was read Lola clasped her hands and cried, with tears streaming down her face, "Leon wounded! I must go to him."
"I am afraid that is hardly possible," said Lawrence. "I will see what can be done, but first let me take this telegram to my uncle and aunt.
It will take a great load from their minds."
When the telegram was read to Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, they both dropped to their knees and thanked God their son was safe. Days afterwards, when the news came of his bravery, and how he had been promoted to the colonelcy of his regiment, they, in their pride, forgot the agony they had suffered.
As for Lawrence, he hastened back to Mr. Laselle's.
"I must go to Leon," Lola cried. "There is no one else to go."
Lawrence showed her how impossible it was for her to go. "I will see General Schofield," he said. "Perhaps I can manage to get permission to go."
"Oh! do, do," cried Lola, and the whole family echoed her wish.
"There is Randolph," said Lawrence. "The telegram says he is dangerously wounded."
"In my anxiety over Leon, I forgot Randolph," said Lola. "What a pity!
His mother and Dorothy both in Europe, and Mr. Hamilton somewhere east.
Why not--" she stopped, and added lamely, "I am so sorry for him."
"We are all sorry, Lola," replied Lawrence. "Randolph is a noble fellow, and believes he is doing his duty both to his God and his country in fighting as he does. You may rest assured I will do all I can for him."
Lawrence had no trouble in getting the requisite authority from General Schofield to visit his friend. "I shall not be ready to take the field yet for some days," said the General. "So take your time."
Lawrence went from St. Louis to Memphis by steamboat and from Memphis to Corinth by rail. Once the train was fired into by Confederate raiders.
There were quite a number of soldiers on board and Lawrence, placing himself at their head, succeeded, after a brisk little fight, in driving the raiding party off. But the track had been torn up and there was a delay of several hours, a delay under which Lawrence chafed, for he was anxious to get to his friend.
At length Corinth was reached. All signs of the battle had been obliterated, except the shattered houses, the mangled forest and thickets and row upon row of new-made graves.
To his joy, Lawrence found Leon improving. He had not only been shot through the arm, the arm he had stretched forth to seize the flag, but had also received a scalp wound.
Lawrence would not have known him with his head all swathed up, if he had not been pointed out to him. The meeting between the two friends was a joyful one.
"How are the folks and how did they take my being wounded?" was Leon's first question.
And thus it is. The first thought of a soldier as he sinks dying or wounded on the battlefield is of home and the loved ones.
Lawrence told him and added, "Lola was crazy to come to you, but you know it could not be."
"I reckon there would be another one besides me glad to see Lola," said Leon. "Poor Randolph, he lies on the third cot, there. Don't go to him, he seems to be asleep, and he needs rest. The surgeons cut the ball from his thigh yesterday. It had lodged against the bone. They have hopes of his recovery now, if blood poisoning does not set in. He has been delirious most of the time, and what do you think? He is continually raving about Lola. Seems to be living over again the time he was pursued as a spy, and would have been captured if it had not been for her."
Somehow it gave Lawrence a little pang to hear this, then he cast the thought out as unworthy.
When Randolph awoke, Lawrence went to him, pressed his hand in sympathy and whispered that everything was all right, and not to talk. Randolph smiled and, closing his eyes, went to sleep again.
The doctor came and looked at him. "Friend of yours?" he asked of Lawrence.
Lawrence nodded.
"Mighty plucky fellow. Had a close call, but I think he will pull through. Fever's most gone," exclaimed the doctor as he felt Randolph's pulse and then hurried away.
Lawrence and Leon held a consultation that night, and it was determined that if they could get Randolph paroled they would take him back to St.
Louis with them, for Leon had already been granted a furlough.
The parole was easily secured, but a week passed before they considered it safe to move Randolph. The journey back was safely made and Leon, in spite of his bandaged head and wounded arm, was nearly smothered with kisses.
Lawrence found that Mr. Hamilton had not yet returned; in fact, he had met with an accident, and it would be several days before he could travel. What was to be done with Randolph? That was the question.
"Bring him with me," said Leon. "I want someone to fight with while I am getting well, and fighting with tongues is not as dangerous as with guns."
"Where are you taking me? This is not home," exclaimed Randolph, as the ambulance stopped before the Laselle residence.
"No," replied Lawrence. "Your father has met with a slight accident, not severe, but enough to detain him for several days. So we have brought you to Mr. Laselle's. Leon wants you for company. You two can fight your battles over while you are convalescing."
"But--"
"Not a word. Just think of what a nurse you will have. I almost wish I was in your place."
Randolph smiled and made no more protestations.