Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 22:44:32 EDT
From: SWarri1349@aol.com
Subject: No Greater Love Part 2 chapter 1 Gay/Historical

Hello Dear Friends here is chapter 1 of the Story I hope it lives up to
it's name.  To help you understand the story. John and Adam in the prolog
found the Journal of John's great great great Uncle from the Civil War and
now we enter the world Of John's uncle. The time is 1862 Place Vicksburg,
Mississippi and a city under siege. All Comments are welcome

Please E- Mail me at
Swarri1349@aol.com
Thanks Stephen
No Greater Love
CHAPTER 1:
*The Battle*

A Grey mist hung low to the ground as the drummer boy beat
roll call and the Army of the Mississippi began to stir. Johnny
slowly rolled out of his blankets and then walked out in to the cool
morning waiting on his buddy to help begin the morning cook fire.
The other men were beginning to stir also it would be a hot day he
could tell as the sun burned the mist from the ground. The bugler
sounded attention and the men of the 9th Mississippi lined up in
rows of gray and butternut uniforms that has begin to show the
signs of hard living and a year of war. The Sergeant called roll and
discussed the general orders of the day and the drummer boy
sounded the call to be dismissed and ease showed on the boys and
men's faces as they prepared breakfast of biscuits, bacon and
boiled coffee. Adam asked Johnny to pass him his pipe and
tobacco. They sat and smoked until time to break camp and march
south to Chickasaw bluff to re enforce the northern defenses of
Vicksburg. There was rumors of a battle or at least some fighting
which would be a change from the day after day of drill and
marching, yes it would be a exciting day if only Johnny knew.
The army broke camp at 8 am and the men picked up their
muskets and bedrolls and haversacks fell in formation and soon
they where headed south as the drums and fifes played Dixie. The
men talked and laughed as they marched kicking up the dust that
covered the winding road. The regiment soon met a rider in a fast
trot headed south with news from Yazoo City concerning the
unfinished ironclad C.S.S. Arkansas. Everybody knew that the lack
of raw materials was really slowing down construction but she was
not lost. The unfinished ship had been towed down from Memphis
right before the Union army and navy captured the city two other
ships had been lost but the Arkansas was saved but could they
finish her in time. Governor Pettis had already called for all the
help he could get from the state and plantation owners for use of
all available field hands that were not in the fields. Then there was
rumors going around that they were tearing up an unfinished
railroad track for iron plate. The rider continued on South one of
the soldiers joked he would like to have a hoss to ride north to
meet the damned Yankees so he could get back in time for a early
supper. So far the unit had not seen much fighting just small battles
here and there but they all knew that soon they would see the white
elephant. The men were tired but they continued the march North
for they knew if they lost Vicksburg. The South would be cut in
half and the North would control the entire Mississippi Valley and
the Red River and there would be no hope in getting food supplies
from Texas to Virginia and to General Lee but all of this seemed
so far away as he let his mind wonder looking at the trees and
wildlife. Soon enough he would not have time to think about all of
that soon he would only have time to think will I survive the fight
coming up. They would find out soon enough. The sun soon
climbed high in the sky and the men in gray began to sweat and the
dust clung to them in layers.
The ninth Mississippi Light Artillery made the march in less
than two hours. The men were tired and hot but at least they did
not have to worry about their heavy cannons slowing them down.
The cannons had been moved two days earlier to the defenses of
Vicksburg and now the men were joining them.

Captain Joseph Brooks mounted the dirt embankment. Tall
and lean with dark skin and piercing green eyes and black curly
hair; at the age of twenty-five Joseph Brooks the son of a
Steamboat captain had advanced quickly through the ranks of the
Army of the Mississippi. Now he stood in command of the 9th
Mississippi light artillery defending the Northern Defenses of
Vicksburg.

He carefully removed his field glasses from his uniform coat.
A hot double-buttoned affair suited more for fighting battles up
North than the hot humid summers of the South. Even as he
sweated in side the uniform was completely buttoned except for
the very top one. If word got out that General Pemberton was on
one of his inspection tours even that top button would be polished
and buttoned and the wide brimmed officer's hat placed on his
brow. He looked over the embankment at the lazy Mississippi
River winding around Milken's Bend, and the Union Army
unloading off of troop transports docked against the shore.

The soldiers of his command were spread out around the
heavy siege cannon. On top of this treeless bluff, General
Pemberton had ordered slaves to chop down every tree so they
would not block the view of the gunners. Captain Brooks
continued to scan the land before him. He saw the slow moving
blue lines of men and boys. The young flag bearers and drummer
boys marched with pride in their step as they moved ever closer to
the entrenched Confederates. The drummer boys beat the slow
advance on their drums and the flags of the army waved in the
breeze coming off the river behind them; then came the dark blue
lines of fighting men the gun barrels sparkled in the sun as the
canteens and ammo pouches bopped at their sides. Captain Brooks
thought to himself. "What a grand site it is too sad that so many
will have to die today".

He stepped down from his vantagepoint and ordered his men
to their guns. The drummer boys stood at attention and buglers
raised their horns. At Capt. Brooks order the command was
sounded up and down the lines the men rushed to their guns.
Powder boys stood beside supply chests, rammers began to swab
the bores of the cannon, primers were checked and shot and shell
readied. Infantry men formed lines behind the gunners, while
sharpshooters raced to the best vantage points along the
embankment.


Johnny rose from where he was resting with Adam at his
side. Johnny was the Captain of a 12-pound Napoleon field gun
and Adam was his number two man. Johnny had been trained in
the art of field gunnery at Jefferson College near Natchez and soon
learned Adam was a natural at sighting and ranging guns even
though had no formal training in the art.

Captain Brooks once again returned to his vantagepoint.
"Captain Kingston, Private Ross a word with you please."
"Yes, Captain Brooks, they both said."
The two boys climbed the embankment and saluted Captain
Brooks. A young boy no more than fifteen years old stood at their
right holding a heavy polished oak staff attached to this staff was
the Confederate First National Flag. The ladies at home made the
flag for the 9th Mississippi it's circle of 7 stars on a blue field with
two red stripes and a white one flapped in the hot breeze.
The three people stood and looked down upon the moving
blue lines of men slowly advancing. "Captain Kingston, What is
the range of the enemy?"
Johnny looked over to Adam. "What is the range of the blue
coats Private?"
Adam looked at the enemy once again. "Captain Kingston,
Captain Brooks, Range 1000 yards and closing Sirs."
"Very good Private Ross, proceed to range and sight your
gun and prepare for action."
Adam saluted both men and returned to the gun. Johnny
continued to watch the enemy for a few more minutes. Then he
and Captain Brooks and the flag bearer stepped down and back
behind the embankment.
Adam was giving orders like a general, standing tall and erect
his red hair flaming in the sun his bronzed skin showing through
his open shirt. The men knew their drill well for they had trained
day after day with their guns.
"Very good my boy."

"Thankyou, Johnny."
The boys used first names all the time except for when higher
officers were present or manners dictated it.
Johnny began to bark orders to the gun crew. "RANGE 500
YARDS, ELEVATION TWO NOTCHES BELOW CENTER,
SHELL 20 POUND EXPLOADING WITH A 20 SECOND
FUSE!"
"Yes Sir the men shouted!"
Johnny clapped Adam on the back. "Very good my boy, very
good indeed. I hope they prayed to their maker."

"Captain Brooks, We have range, sight and ready to Fire the
opening gun Sir."
"Very good Captain Kingston." "Drummer sound the call to
the rest of the batteries along the bluff."
The drummer boy beat the call. Lanyards were run into the
vent holes of the guns. The lanyards pulled tight in the hands of the
captains along the lines. Gunners covered their ears. As the beat of
the drums stopped, Captain Brooks, Shouted "FIRE"
Johnny yanked the lanyard of the gun and it roared to life as
it sent it deadly cargo arching through the cloudless sky. The other
gun batteries followed as the guns roared the Confederates let out a
rebel yell along the bluff. The grayish white cloud of smoke
blinded the gunners as they reloaded the guns only seconds passed
until the men in gray heard the explosions of the cannonballs
hitting the ground below them.
Johnny could see the men in blue steady marching towards
the bluff. He also heard the screams of the men echoing up when
the shell from his gun hit it's mark.
The shell fired from Johnny's gun hit in the front ranks of the
1st Illinois regiment cutting gaping holes into the lines, men
dropped their muskets as they grabbed their chest's or legs and
other body parts that were hit from the shattering iron of the
cannonballs. The blue informs began to turn dark as the blood
soaked into the wool. For many of the green troops it was hell on
Earth. The blue ranks closed again around the wounded and dying
and pressed on. Then another boom from the cannons send more
shells flying towards them cutting gapping holes into the lines.

The boys in blue began to scatter breaking ranks and began to
run back towards the river and the transports they dropped packets
threw down their muskets and ran full tilt towards the river. Troops
were streaming off the boats and began to taunt the fleeing troops.
"Run you damned cowards, run back home to your mom's tits and
come back when you are a man. When the frightened troops
arrived at the transports the scene was chaos troopers and sailors,
horses and supplies blocked the gangways while the wounded were
piled up on shore.

Captains shouted orders to sailors, "come on God Damn you
move your asses. "Pilot hard to port keep that wheel turning we
have to kiss the damned bank. Now move your yellow bellies you
lazy land lovin asses."

The Army Captains were no better as the drill sergeants
shouted commands. "Come on boys lets move your girlie asses."
"Double time on the march boys move it." The coated men and
boys moved quickly down the gangplanks their hard leather shoes
slamming down on the rough wood.

The cowards crouched beside the gangplanks and tried to
sneak on aboard the ships, only to have their hands bloodied by
boat paddles and other wooden and metal objects. They were
trapped between the Confederate guns on the bluff and the sailors
of their own Navy.

To the South of the Confederate works, a gun sounded louder
and more powerful and stood out from all the other guns. A rebel
yell was shouted along the bluffs Whistling Dick, a huge 32 pound
siege gun built in Richmond, Virginia made many a man's blood
run cold. Every time Whistling Dick fired a shell it made a high
whistling sound. Men and sailors paused listening to the shell
come closer. A large explosion echoed across to the men's ears and
smoke could be seen rising from the river. Whistling Dick had hit
his mark; a transport steamer out in the main channel of the river
was rittled and now burning. Soldiers jumped into the river while
sailors fought the fire. The pilots tried their best to steer the boat to
shore.
A roar was heard coming from the Confederate gunners, and
a young Union soldier softly said "God Almighty" as he watched
the transport burn.

The men and boys up front were catching hell. Rebel shells
continued to rain down upon them. Muskets crackled sending their
deadly fire towards the Union ranks. They fired back blinded by
their own smoke as they aim high trying to hit the enemy high on
the bluffs. Drummer boys sounded commands the buglers sounded
full advance. Sergeants waved their swords and muskets and the
blue lines moved forward through the smoke and the hail of lead.

At the same time the boys in blue heard the first boom of
Whistling Dick. High upon the bluffs Johnny looked down on pure
hell, watching the blue lines advancing towards the bottom of the
bluff. The steep bluff face was in passable on three sides only the
rear was level enough to climb so the enemy had to fight around
the base to the rear in order to capture their target any way you
looked at it. It would be hell for the blue coats.
Just as Johnny looked over to his gun and nodded to Adam a
loud boom was heard coming from Fort Hill to the South followed
by a whistling sound of a shell in flight. Whistling Dick was in the
action. The same Rebel yell the boys in blue heard at the bottom of
the bluff was deafening from where Johnny stood. He shielded his
eyes from the sun to watch the sputtering fuse from the shell of
Whistling Dick in flight high above the river he wondered what
they had in range. At that moment he saw the target a explosion
echoed across the river and he saw the Union transport burst into
flames. A direct hit for old Whistling Dick another roar was heard
coming from the boys in Gray. The rest of the battle went by rather
quickly as the Union lines were cut to threads.

Down below the Union army began it's retreat from the field
losses were high. The transports once again steamed in close to
shore but this time they were under fire of the Confederate guns
high upon the bluff. Shells splashed into the water around them as
the haggard Union troops marched aboard holding their muskets
this way and that some had their arms in slings others clutching
wounds many with out guns. The ironclads came down from their
moorings and escorted the loaded transports back up river to lick
it's wounds. Once the ironclads retreated up river with the
transports safely in between them. The Southern army moved
down from the bluff to where the dead and wounded lay.
Wagons came to carry the wounded to the hospital; while
others picked the bodies clean removing muskets, ammo boxes,
shoes, canteens, and personal items whatever they wanted.

Johnny moved slowly among the dead and wounded, he soon
spotted a young blonde headed lad laying face down in the dirt still
clutching the staff of the unit's flag. Laying not five feet away was
Billy.
"O MY GOD NO!" Not Billy Johnny began to cry the tears
running down his face like a river.