wounded trooper looked at Lincoln, then pushed his mount back into the formation around the president, reassuming his post
The roar of battle swelled, expanding, racing outward to either flank, Union huzzah counterpointed by rebel yell.
And then they started to fall back, giving ground slowly, men dropping, but none running.
'Sir, we must move back. Now.'
His attention was so fixed on the battle that he had not even noticed the captain by his side, reaching over to take his reins.
'Not yet'
'Sir, they're a hundred yards off, they'll be on us in a minute.'
He shook his head.
The captain started to pull his mount around and Lincoln angrily jerked his reins back.
'We stay here,' Lincoln said sharply.
The captain looked at him, wide-eyed, and then with a flicker of a smile raised his hand and saluted.
'Yes sir, Mr. President.'
And then a distant cheer rose up behind them.
Lincoln looked back over his shoulder; even as he did so, another trooper of his escort collapsed, falling from his horse, dead. Behind them, though, he saw something coming. A column on the road from the city, running, bayonet points held high, tin cups and canteens clanging, an officer riding at the front ahead of the colors.
The officer came on fast, now urging his mount to a gallop and then reining in hard, and with an elegant gesture raised up his sword and saluted.
'Mr. President, I'm Col. Robert Shaw, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts.'
'Colonel, it warms my heart to see you and your men; you may be just in time to save your nation's capital.' 'Mr. President. We're from Charleston. We arrived at the naval yard two hours ago. My brigade commander, General Strong, ordered me to move my regiment to the sound of the guns. He and the rest of the brigade will be coming up shortly.'
Lincoln looked back and saw the column of veterans beginning to shake out into battle line, the men professional-looking, moving sharply … and they were colored.
Unable to speak, Lincoln faced Shaw again.
Shaw could not help but smile.
'We loaded up from Charleston the day the message arrived about Union Mills. There's a full brigade of combat-experienced troops behind me, sir. Now just tell me where to go.
He still could not speak.
'To the sound of the guns, sir!' the captain exclaimed, reaching out to grasp Shaw on the arm.
Shaw saluted, turned, and galloped off. A minute later the regiment swept past, and at the sight of the president, the men burst loose with a thunderous cheer. 'Lincoln… Lincoln… Lincoln!' The charge went in.
He watched them go forward, still unable to speak. Behind them, back down the Seventh Street road, he saw more troops coming on at the double, a battery of artillery galloping across the open field beside the road, caissons leaping into the air.
He turned back to say something to the captain. But the saddle was empty, the young officer down on the ground, a couple of his troopers around him, kneeling, one looking up anguish-stricken at Lincoln.
He dismounted and knelt down by the captain. The man had been struck in the chest, was struggling to breathe.
Lincoln took his hand.
'Will we hold, sir?' the captain gasped.
'Yes, son, we'll hold. You have helped save the Union this day.'
General Lee, I beg you, sir, call it off.' He turned to look at Longstreet and Hood, who stood beside him. He could not reply.
'Sir,' Hood interjected, 'it's finished. They're closing the breech. They have a colored regiment in the line now; one of my staff says it's the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts. General Beauregard reported that same regiment as being in front of Charleston two weeks ago. It means, sir, that they have fresh troops, experienced troops in the city now.'
'Can we not sweep them aside?' Lee asked, and even as he spoke he realized his own will was breaking, he was asking now for some final reassurance.
'Sir,' Hood continued. 'My divisions are a shambles, one of them my own former command; if they cannot take it, no one can.'
Longstreet shifted uncomfortably at this unintended slight. 'General Longstreet?'
'I agree with General Hood, sir. I'm sorry, sir, but that road, in places the mud is knee-deep; we just can't bring men up fast enough to exploit the breakthrough.'
'What about somewhere else along the line? They must have stripped their defenses to the bone elsewhere.'
'Sir, we have no infantry along the rest of the line. We don't have enough men as is, even if we do force our way into that city. Sir, we've lost five, maybe ten thousand this day; we'll lose that much again, even more if we press it'
He paused, as if seeking a dramatic effect
'Sir, we just might take the city by the end of the day if you press it, but the Army of Northern Virginia, our last hope, will be destroyed doing it'
'I beg you, sir,' Hood cried, his voice close to breaking. 'Stop it now, our chance has passed for this day.'
Lee looked toward the fort, that accursed fort Wounded, demoralized, pitiful fragments of broken units were coming back out of the smoke.
He lowered his head and nodded.
'Pull them back,' he whispered.
He looked back to the southeast. The Capitol was still visible, its nearly completed dome standing defiant.
He turned and walked away.
Chapter Seven
General Lee walked with infinite sadness and weariness through the hospital area. As he passed, those around him, even the most hideously wounded, fell silent.
General Pettigrew had been found, just before dusk, when Lee had asked Heintzelman for a truce. Contrary to the first reports, the general had still been alive. He was no longer; Lee had held Pettigrew's hand as he died.
Perrin had been more fortunate, hit twice, in the arm and leg; the limbs had not been broken. Perrin had wept at the sight of his commander, asking forgiveness for not going in 'more sharply.'
How did one answer such a statement when it was obvious where the fault truly rested?
Lee finally broke the silence, looking over at 'Pete' Longstreet, who respectfully walked by his side.
'It was my fault, General Longstreet.'
'General Lee, you did all that any man could do.'
'I should have waited another night. I attacked too soon, I asked too much of these men.'
'Sir, the reason you attacked this morning was clearly confirmed. Reinforcements are pouring into that city.' He nodded in the direction of Washington. 'If you had waited another night, the results would have been the same, perhaps worse.'
