Joseph A Altsheler – Civil War 05 – Star Of Gettysburg. Chapter 11, 12

Harry had parted company for the time with his friends of the Invincibles. They were far ahead with Ewell, while he and Dalton remained with Lee on the banks of the Potomac. Yet the delay was not as long as it seemed to him. Soon they took up their march and advanced on a long line across the neck of Maryland into Pennsylvania, here a region of fertile soil, but with many stony outcrops. The little streams were numerous, flowing down to the rivers, and horses and men alike drank thirstily at them, because the weather was now growing hot and the marching was bad.

It was near the close of the month when Harry learned that Hooker had been relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac at his own request, and that he had been succeeded by Meade.

“Do you know anything about Meade?” he asked Dalton.

“He’s been one of the corps commanders against us,” replied the Virginian, “and they say he’s cautious. That’s all I know.”

“I think it likely that we’ll find out before long what kind of a general he is,” said Harry thoughtfully. “We can’t invade the North without having a big battle.”

The corps of Hill and Longstreet were now joined under the personal eye of Lee, who rode with his two generals. Ewell was still ahead. Finally they came to Chambersburg, which the Southern advance had reached earlier in the month, and Lee issued an order that no devastation should be committed by his troops, an order that was obeyed.

Harry and Dalton walked a little through the town, and menacing looks met them everywhere.

“We’ve treated ’em well, but they don’t like us,” he said to Dalton.

“Why should they? We come as invaders, as foes, not as friends. Did our people in the Virginia towns give the Yankees any very friendly looks?”

“Not that I’ve heard of. I suppose you can’t make friends of a people whom you come to make war on, even if you do speak kind words to them.”

“Is General Stuart here?” asked Dalton.

“No, he’s gone on a great raid with his whole force. I suppose he’s going to sweep up many detachments of the enemy.”

“And meanwhile we’re going on to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania.”

“But it seems to me that Stuart ought to be with us.”

“Maybe he’s gone to find out just where the Army of the Potomac is. We’ve lost Meade, and Meade has lost us. Some prisoners that we’ve brought in say that nobody in the North knows just where our army is, although all know that it’s in Pennsylvania.”

But that night, while Harry was at General Lee’s headquarters, a scout arrived with news that the Army of the Potomac was advancing upon an almost parallel line and could throw itself in his rear. Other scouts came, one after another, with the same report. Harry saw the gravity with which the news was received, and he speedily gathered from the talk of those about him that Lee must abandon his advance to the Pennsylvania capital and turn and fight, or be isolated far from Virginia, the Southern base.

Stuart and the cavalry were still absent on a great raid. Lee’s orders to Stuart were not explicit, and the cavalry leader’s ardent soul gave to them the widest interpretation. Now they felt the lack of his horsemen, who in the enemy’s country could have obtained abundant information. A spy had brought them the news that the Army of the Potomac had crossed the Potomac and was marching on a parallel line with them, but at that point their knowledge ended. The dark veil, which was to be lifted in such a dramatic and terrible manner, still hung between the two armies.

The weather turned very warm, as it was now almost July. So far as the heat was concerned Harry could not see any difference between Pennsylvania and Kentucky and Virginia. In all three the sun blazed at this time of the year, but the country was heavy with crops, now ripening fast. It was a region that Harry liked. He had a natural taste for broken land with slopes, forests, and many little streams of clear water. Most of the fields were enclosed in stone fences, and the great barns and well-built houses indicated prosperous farmers.

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