Read Online Grant Comes East - Civil War 02 by Newt Gingrich, William Forstchen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Newt Gingrich, William Forstchen
Tags: Alternative History
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a flash of light from a gun emplacement, followed a couple of seconds later by the whoosh of a shell passing overhead, to detonate a hundred yards behind them.
Lee nodded but did not get off Traveler, who barely flinched as another shell streaked past
The young captain positioned his mount between Lee and the fort
Lee smiled.
"Captain, you are blocking my view." The captain looked to Stuart who nodded, and the captain moved.
"Sir, if they realize who we are, it means they'll shift troops here," Stuart said.
Lee said nothing, but he knew Stuart was right and, dismounting, he moved down into a shallow ravine, walked up a few dozen paces, and uncased his field glasses.
Stuart and Hood were quickly by his side.
He scanned the fort It was a significant work, a dozen gun embrasures, what looked to be thirty-pounders, perhaps heavier. He caught glimpses of troops along the parapet, Union soldiers curious, looking over the earthen wall in his direction.
A dull thump echoed and he saw the sparks of a mortar shell lazily rising up, trailing smoke, fuse sputtering. It climbed, seemed to hover nearly overhead, then came plummeting down, striking a hundred yards behind him in a splash of mud, the fuse smothered and going out.
Hotchkiss knelt down by his side.
"Fort Stevens. It always has at least one battery of heavy guns, we're told thirty-pounders, rifled. Also a battery of eight-inch mortars as you can see. Garrisoned also with a regiment of infantry. You can't see them in this mist but the forts to either flank are within easy gunnery range, enfilading the approaches with at least one hundred-pound Parrott gun in each. Anyone attempting to cross this field will be hit by guns from at least three fortifications."
Lee nodded, stood up looking to the flanks, but the mist concealed the positions.
"The military road just behind the fortifications links all positions and is well maintained, macadamized in parts or corduroyed. They can easily shift significant reinforcements in and move them back and forth to counter any move. I would assume they are doing so now and will bring up additional troops from the center of the city."
Lee focused his field glasses back on Stevens, ignoring another mortar round as it struck fifty yards to the front, this one detonating with a flash just before striking the ground.
"Good gunners," Hood muttered, "cut the fuse right."
"Might I suggest we move," Jeb said, "they've bracketed you, sir."
That caught him. It wasn't "us," it was "yo u "
He nodded without comment, cased his field glasses, and walked into the hollow. Seconds later a third round whistled in, striking and detonating within yards of where they had been standing.
He looked over at Jeb and smiled.
"Excellent recommendation, General," Lee said.
"They've been firing away since last night, sir. They're garrison troops but well practiced, at least in gunnery." After mounting up they rode a few hundred yards farther on and, crossing the main road, the group reined in again. Lee raised his field glasses once more, scanning the fort, which was half-concealed in the fog.
Ramparts stood at least ten to fifteen feet high, a dry moat, most likely a muddy swamp now with all this rain, six lines of abatis, sharpened stakes ringing the position like a deadly necklace, earthworks running outward, connecting the position to the next fort to the east, a low blockhouse of logs and rough-hewn barriers blocking the road. It was formidable!
A rifle ball hummed dangerously close and then another. One of his escorts cursed and clutched his arm.
"They might have some sharpshooters over there armed with Whitworth rifles," Hotchkiss said. "Sir, I think we should pull back to safety."
Lee reluctantly agreed, and turning Traveler he regained the road and cantered back into the mists. A parting shot from one of the thirty-pounders shrieked overhead.
Near the stream where troopers still labored to build a bridge over the swollen creek, he stopped, Jeb
Lee nodded but did not get off Traveler, who barely flinched as another shell streaked past
The young captain positioned his mount between Lee and the fort
Lee smiled.
"Captain, you are blocking my view." The captain looked to Stuart who nodded, and the captain moved.
"Sir, if they realize who we are, it means they'll shift troops here," Stuart said.
Lee said nothing, but he knew Stuart was right and, dismounting, he moved down into a shallow ravine, walked up a few dozen paces, and uncased his field glasses.
Stuart and Hood were quickly by his side.
He scanned the fort It was a significant work, a dozen gun embrasures, what looked to be thirty-pounders, perhaps heavier. He caught glimpses of troops along the parapet, Union soldiers curious, looking over the earthen wall in his direction.
A dull thump echoed and he saw the sparks of a mortar shell lazily rising up, trailing smoke, fuse sputtering. It climbed, seemed to hover nearly overhead, then came plummeting down, striking a hundred yards behind him in a splash of mud, the fuse smothered and going out.
Hotchkiss knelt down by his side.
"Fort Stevens. It always has at least one battery of heavy guns, we're told thirty-pounders, rifled. Also a battery of eight-inch mortars as you can see. Garrisoned also with a regiment of infantry. You can't see them in this mist but the forts to either flank are within easy gunnery range, enfilading the approaches with at least one hundred-pound Parrott gun in each. Anyone attempting to cross this field will be hit by guns from at least three fortifications."
Lee nodded, stood up looking to the flanks, but the mist concealed the positions.
"The military road just behind the fortifications links all positions and is well maintained, macadamized in parts or corduroyed. They can easily shift significant reinforcements in and move them back and forth to counter any move. I would assume they are doing so now and will bring up additional troops from the center of the city."
Lee focused his field glasses back on Stevens, ignoring another mortar round as it struck fifty yards to the front, this one detonating with a flash just before striking the ground.
"Good gunners," Hood muttered, "cut the fuse right."
"Might I suggest we move," Jeb said, "they've bracketed you, sir."
That caught him. It wasn't "us," it was "yo u "
He nodded without comment, cased his field glasses, and walked into the hollow. Seconds later a third round whistled in, striking and detonating within yards of where they had been standing.
He looked over at Jeb and smiled.
"Excellent recommendation, General," Lee said.
"They've been firing away since last night, sir. They're garrison troops but well practiced, at least in gunnery." After mounting up they rode a few hundred yards farther on and, crossing the main road, the group reined in again. Lee raised his field glasses once more, scanning the fort, which was half-concealed in the fog.
Ramparts stood at least ten to fifteen feet high, a dry moat, most likely a muddy swamp now with all this rain, six lines of abatis, sharpened stakes ringing the position like a deadly necklace, earthworks running outward, connecting the position to the next fort to the east, a low blockhouse of logs and rough-hewn barriers blocking the road. It was formidable!
A rifle ball hummed dangerously close and then another. One of his escorts cursed and clutched his arm.
"They might have some sharpshooters over there armed with Whitworth rifles," Hotchkiss said. "Sir, I think we should pull back to safety."
Lee reluctantly agreed, and turning Traveler he regained the road and cantered back into the mists. A parting shot from one of the thirty-pounders shrieked overhead.
Near the stream where troopers still labored to build a bridge over the swollen creek, he stopped, Jeb
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