Cruickshank stood up, looking to the west, and saw the two puffs of smoke from a distant rise.
Must be thirty-pounders, he thought, and then a bit forward there were more puffs. Seconds later half a dozen lighter shells rained in, five of the six scattering wide, dropping into the muddy embankment, one kicking up a geyser in midstream, but one striking and exploding on the embankment of the canal. 'Watch it!'
He turned to look back. The crew of the seventh boat had ducked down when the first two shells came in and now the boat was broaching, turning sideways. Carried on the current it slammed into the sixth boat, which had just been anchored.
The anchor lines of the sixth boat let go from the impact, and now the entire front of the bridge started to buckle, bending, groaning. Men ran about shouting. He could feel the entire bridge swaying beneath him.
'Drop the front end!' someone screamed; it was the sergeant in command.
The men in the sixth boat worked frantically, trying to pull the bolts from the stringers that locked them to the gunnel, and then the gunnel itself just ripped away, stringers dropping into the water, half sinking, the sixth and seventh boats now wrapped around each other and drifting downstream.
The pressure on the bridge eased off, and it straightened, planking that had connected the fifth boat to the sixth dropping into the water until only the two stringers were left, bobbing in the water.
'Damn all to hell.' Cruickshank sighed as he sat down and buried his head in his hands.
Cruickshank!' It was Pete, coming toward him. He didn't even bother to look up.
5:45 P.M.
This is it?' Lee asked as Duvall reined in and pointed down a narrow farm lane. 'Yes, sir.'
Lee looked at the road. It was barely a dirt track, a pathway used occasionally by some farmer gathering wood for the winter, perhaps cut through years ago when the forests here were first harvested and now barely used. It was apparent, though, that it had seen recent heavy use, the track muddy, torn up by the passage of troops.
'The road General Longstreet used was a bit farther over, but this is the quickest way down to where the bridge is going in.'
The men filing along the road back toward Poolesville had been passing this point for at least an hour or two. He would have to send someone forward to stop and reverse them and it would be a mad tangle, for the rest of his column five miles back would have to turn off here as well.
Lee looked around, watching as men continued to file past.
He turned to a cavalry sergeant who along with several other troopers stood by the side of the road.
'Halt the column, Sergeant,' Lee said. 'Have them stop right here, and pass the word back up the line for the men to fall out for rest and to eat. I should be back within the hour.'
He turned down the track, Duvall in the lead, his men drawing pistols as they rode into the woods. From nearly all directions could be heard distant fire, the thumping of artillery, joined now by a deep rumble ahead.
6:15 P.M.
'The light was rapidly failing, the combination of the sun setting and the storm clouds continuing to build up to the west Two more boats were out in the river, being jockeyed into place. Yet another boat was almost across to the island, Longstreet suggesting that they start building the bridge from both sides, something that Cruickshank knew he should have thought of, but exhaustion was completely overwhelming him.
After the shock of the first two shells coming in, the men had set to work as if the enemy fire was a goad. Watchers kept an eye on the distant ridge, and the moment they saw the flash of what were now four of the thirty-pounders, a warning went up.
Another boat had been destroyed, as it was being rolled up to be off-loaded into the river, taking a nearly direct hit and just shattering. The two boats that had washed downstream were slowly being kedged up, and were now waiting to be shifted into place.
Another shell came in, this one nearly striking the bridge at midsection, the pontoons rocking and swaying from the impact, another boat springing a leak, a man tearing his jacket off to use as a plug.
Nearly all of the pontoon train was now parked in the flat land below the canal, crews manhandling the boats off rather than waiting for each to be backed into the water, and simply dragged along and pushed in. More leaks were being sprung but the time saved was worth it, bailers would be set to work in each once they were in place.
The bridge was pushing forward. They were out to their tenth boat now well past midstream, the crews on the other side within hailing distance, one of them shouting that they only had to span seventy-five yards or so once across the island. The good news was that infantry could wade the last few yards through chest-deep water to Virginia soil once they were across the island.
Additional boatloads of men were already being sent across, armed with axes and shovels, to clear a road across the island and start work on the approach on the far side.
The eleventh boat was anchored into place, two more shells detonating over the river, more men dropping, but the work continued. Stringers were run across, planking laid. A man leapt off the boat on the far side and stood in the water, bracing against the current!
'Its getting shallower!' he shouted, a ragged cheer rising up from the makeshift engineers.
6:15 PM.
General Longstreet!' Pete looked up and to his amazement saw Lee approaching, guided by Duvall. 'Sir!'
Pete rode the last few feet to Lee's side.
Lee said nothing for a moment, looking down at the bridge spanning the Potomac and a shell exploding among the wagons where the pontoons were being unloaded.
'I can have it finished in another two or three hours,' Pete said.
'Those guns, though,' and Lee pointed to the west, the distant puffs of smoke.
The two batteries Pete had brought up were trying to suppress the enemy fire, but only one of them was comprised of rifled pieces, the others were smoothbores, and so far they had had no effect either on the thirty- pounders or the lighter ten-pounders.
'Can you not push those guns back?' Lee asked.
'I have Scales covering that flank. He's trying as hard as he can, sir. But the numbers are about even and their forward line of infantry is dug in.'
Lee took it all in. It was a marvel that Pete had indeed accomplished this, but the. approach would be difficult. It might very well mean abandoning nearly all their remaining artillery and wagons.
'Did you receive my dispatch about what happened at Darnestown?'
'Sir?'
Lee shook his head.
'We are flanked to the east, Pete. Our old adversaries, the Army of the Potomac. They closed off that approach. Even now they are pressing the rear of my column.'
'I didn't know, sir. I thought we had destroyed the Army of the Potomac twice now. Their resilience is amazing.'
'You must watch your own flank carefully,' Lee said, pointing east.
'I barely have the men left,' Pete replied. 'What's left of Rodes and Anderson?'
He pointed across the open field where scattered commands were resting, waiting for the bridge to be finished.
'Form them up now,' Lee said. 'I fear that part of the Army of the Potomac might advance along the canal and try and strike you here.'
'I have patrols out, sir. I need to rest these men in case they are needed as a reserve. They fought all day yesterday and have been on the road since midnight. Rations are short as well. Some haven't had a bite to eat all day.'
'Please see to it anyway. Form them up now.'
