Chapter 4

The brigade was halted in the fringe of a grove. The men crouched among the trees and pointed their restless guns out at the fields. They tried to look beyond the smoke.

The brigade stopped at the edge of a grove. The men crouched among the trees, their guns shifting restlessly as they pointed them toward the fields. They tried to see beyond the smoke.

Out of this haze they could see running men. Some shouted information and gestured as they hurried.

Through the haze, they could see men running. Some shouted information and waved their arms as they hurried.

The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly, while their tongues ran on in gossip of the battle. They mouthed rumors that had flown like birds out of the unknown.

The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly as they gossiped about the battle. They repeated rumors that had flown like birds out of the unknown.

“They say Perry has been driven in with big loss.”

“They say Perry has been forced back with heavy losses.”

“Yes, Carrott went t’ th’ hospital. He said he was sick. That smart lieutenant is commanding ‘G’ Company. Th’ boys say they won’t be under Carrott no more if they all have t’ desert. They allus knew he was a—”

“Yes, Carrott went to the hospital. He said he was sick. That smart lieutenant is commanding ‘G’ Company. The boys say they won’t serve under Carrott anymore, even if they all have to desert. They always knew he was a...”

“Hannises’ batt’ry is took.”

“Hannises’ battery has been captured.”

“It ain’t either. I saw Hannises’ batt’ry off on th’ left not more’n fifteen minutes ago.”

“It isn’t either. I saw Hannises’ battery off to the left no more than fifteen minutes ago.”

“Well—”

“Well...”

“Th’ general, he ses he is goin’ t’ take th’ hull command of th’ 304th when we go inteh action, an’ then he ses we’ll do sech fightin’ as never another one reg’ment done.”

“The general says he’s going to take full command of the 304th when we go into action. And then he says we’ll fight like no other regiment ever has.”

“They say we’re catchin’ it over on th’ left. They say th’ enemy driv’ our line inteh a devil of a swamp an’ took Hannises’ batt’ry.”

“They say we’re taking a beating over on the left. They say the enemy drove our line into a hell of a swamp and captured Hannises’ battery.”

“No sech thing. Hannises’ batt’ry was ’long here ’bout a minute ago.”

“No such thing. Hannises’ battery was here about a minute ago.”

“That young Hasbrouck, he makes a good off’cer. He ain’t afraid ’a nothin’.”

“That young Hasbrouck makes a good officer. He isn’t afraid of anything.”

“I met one of th’ 148th Maine boys an’ he ses his brigade fit th’ hull rebel army fer four hours over on th’ turnpike road an’ killed about five thousand of ’em. He ses one more sech fight as that an’ th’ war ’ll be over.”

“I met one of the boys from the 148th Maine. He says his brigade fought the whole rebel army for four hours over on the turnpike road. He says they killed about five thousand rebels. He says one more fight like that and the war will be over.”

“Bill wasn’t scared either. No, sir! It wasn’t that. Bill ain’t a-gittin’ scared easy. He was jest mad, that’s what he was. When that feller trod on his hand, he up an’ sed that he was willin’ t’ give his hand t’ his country, but he be dumbed if he was goin’ t’ have every dumb bushwhacker in th’ kentry walkin’ ’round on it. So he went t’ th’ hospital disregardless of th’ fight. Three fingers was crunched. Th’ dern doctor wanted t’ amputate ’m, an’ Bill, he raised a heluva row, I hear. He’s a funny feller.”

“Bill wasn’t scared either. No, sir! That wasn’t it. Bill doesn’t scare easily. He was just mad, that’s what he was. When that fellow stepped on his hand, Bill said he was willing to give his hand to his country. But he’d be damned if he’d let every damn bushwhacker in the country walk around on it. So he went to the hospital, regardless of the fight. Three fingers were crushed. The darn doctor wanted to amputate them, and I hear Bill raised a hell of a fuss. He’s a funny fellow.”

The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus. The youth and his fellows were frozen to silence. They could see a flag that tossed in the smoke angrily. Near it were the blurred and agitated forms of troops. There came a turbulent stream of men across the fields. A battery changing position at a frantic gallop scattered the stragglers right and left.

The noise ahead swelled into a tremendous roar. The young man and his companions fell silent, frozen in place. They could see a flag whipping angrily in the smoke. Near it were the blurred, restless shapes of troops. A turbulent stream of men came across the fields. A battery of artillery galloped frantically to a new position, scattering stragglers to either side.

A shell screaming like a storm banshee went over the huddled heads of the reserves. It landed in the grove, and exploding redly flung the brown earth. There was a little shower of pine needles.

A shell screamed like a storm banshee as it flew over the huddled heads of the reserves. It landed in the grove and exploded in a red flash, flinging brown earth into the air. A few pine needles showered down.

Bullets began to whistle among the branches and nip at the trees. Twigs and leaves came sailing down. It was as if a thousand axes, wee and invisible, were being wielded. Many of the men were constantly dodging and ducking their heads.

Bullets began to whistle through the branches and strike the trees. Twigs and leaves came sailing down. It was as if a thousand tiny, invisible axes were chopping at them. Many of the men kept dodging and ducking their heads.

The lieutenant of the youth’s company was shot in the hand. He began to swear so wondrously that a nervous laugh went along the regimental line. The officer’s profanity sounded conventional. It relieved the tightened senses of the new men. It was as if he had hit his fingers with a tack hammer at home.

The lieutenant of the young man’s company was shot in the hand. He began swearing so spectacularly that a nervous laugh ran along the regimental line. The officer’s swearing sounded familiar. It eased the new soldiers’ tense nerves. It was as if he had hit his fingers with a tack hammer at home.

He held the wounded member carefully away from his side so that the blood would not drip upon his trousers.

He carefully held his injured limb away from his side so that blood would not drip onto his trousers.

The captain of the company, tucking his sword under his arm, produced a handkerchief and began to bind with it the lieutenant’s wound. And they disputed as to how the binding should be done.

The company captain tucked his sword under his arm, took out a handkerchief, and began bandaging the lieutenant’s wound. They argued about how to bandage it.

The battle flag in the distance jerked about madly. It seemed to be struggling to free itself from an agony. The billowing smoke was filled with horizontal flashes.

The battle flag jerked wildly in the distance. It seemed to be struggling to free itself from agony. Horizontal flashes filled the billowing smoke.

Men rushing swiftly emerged from it. They grew in numbers until it was seen that the whole command was fleeing. The flag suddenly sank down as if dying. Its motion as it fell was a gesture of despair.

Men came rushing out of it. More and more appeared, until it was clear that the whole command was fleeing. The flag suddenly sank as if dying. Its fall was a gesture of despair.

Wild yells came from behind the walls of smoke. A sketch in gray and red dissolved into a moblike body of men who galloped like wild horses. The veteran regiments on the right and left of the 304th immediately began to jeer. With the passionate song of the bullets and the banshee shrieks of shells were mingled loud catcalls and bits of facetious advice concerning places of safety.

Wild yells came from behind the walls of smoke. A gray and red outline became a mob of men galloping like wild horses. The veteran regiments on either side of the 304th immediately began to jeer. Bullets sang fiercely and shells shrieked like banshees. Mixed with those sounds were loud jeers and joking advice about where to find safety.

But the new regiment was breathless with horror. “Gawd! Saunders’s got crushed!” whispered the man at the youth’s elbow. They shrank back and crouched as if compelled to await a flood.

But the new regiment was breathless with horror. “God! Saunders got crushed!” whispered the man beside the youth. They shrank back and crouched as if forced to wait for a flood.

The youth shot a swift glance along the blue ranks of the regiment. The profiles were motionless, carven; and afterward he remembered that the color sergeant was standing with his legs apart, as if he expected to be pushed to the ground.

The young soldier glanced quickly along the blue ranks of the regiment. The soldiers' profiles were motionless, like carvings. Later, he remembered that the color sergeant stood with his legs apart, as if he expected to be pushed down.

The following throng went whirling around the flank. Here and there were officers carried along on the stream like exasperated chips. They were striking about them with their swords and with their left fists, punching every head they could reach. They cursed like highwaymen.

The crowd behind them swept around the flank. Here and there, officers were carried along in the stream like furious bits of wood. They struck at the crowd with their swords and left fists, punching every head they could reach. They cursed like robbers.

A mounted officer displayed the furious anger of a spoiled child. He raged with his head, his arms, and his legs.

An officer on horseback was as furious as a spoiled child. He expressed his rage with his head, arms, and legs.

Another, the commander of the brigade, was galloping about bawling. His hat was gone and his clothes were awry. He resembled a man who has come from bed to go to a fire. The hoofs of his horse often threatened the heads of the running men, but they scampered with singular fortune. In this rush they were apparently all deaf and blind. They heeded not the largest and longest of the oaths that were thrown at them from all directions.

Another officer, the brigade commander, was galloping around and shouting. His hat was gone, and his clothes were in disarray. He looked like a man who had gotten out of bed to attend a fire. His horse’s hooves often came close to the heads of the running men, but they escaped with unusual luck. In their rush, they all seemed deaf and blind. They ignored even the loudest and longest curses hurled at them from all directions.

Frequently over this tumult could be heard the grim jokes of the critical veterans; but the retreating men apparently were not even conscious of the presence of an audience.

The critical veterans often made grim jokes that could be heard over the uproar. But the retreating men seemed unaware that anyone was watching.

The battle reflection that shone for an instant in the faces on the mad current made the youth feel that forceful hands from heaven would not have been able to have held him in place if he could have got intelligent control of his legs.

For an instant, the battle’s reflection flashed across the faces in the wild stream of people. The sight made the youth feel that even strong hands from heaven could not have held him in place, if only he could control his legs.

There was an appalling imprint upon these faces. The struggle in the smoke had pictured an exaggeration of itself on the bleached cheeks and in the eyes wild with one desire.

Their faces bore a horrifying mark. The struggle in the smoke had left an exaggerated image of itself on their pale cheeks and in their eyes, which were wild with a single desire.

The sight of this stampede exerted a floodlike force that seemed able to drag sticks and stones and men from the ground. They of the reserves had to hold on. They grew pale and firm, and red and quaking.

The sight of the stampede had the force of a flood. It seemed powerful enough to sweep sticks, stones, and men off the ground. The men in reserve had to hold on. They grew pale and firm, red and trembling.

The youth achieved one little thought in the midst of this chaos. The composite monster which had caused the other troops to flee had not then appeared. He resolved to get a view of it, and then, he thought he might very likely run better than the best of them.

Amid the chaos, the young man managed one small thought. The combined monster that had made the other troops flee had not yet appeared. He decided to get a look at it. Then, he thought, he would very likely be able to run better than the best of them.