The Winchester regiment marched back to the battlefield, and Dick saw
that the victory had been overwhelming. Nearly a third of the Southern
army had been lost and thirty cannon were the trophies of Grant. Yet the
fighting had been desperate. The dead and wounded were so numerous that
the veteran soldiers who had been at Shiloh and Stone River called it
"The Hill of Death."
Dick saw Grant walking over the field and he wondered what his feelings
were. Although its full result was beyond him he knew, nevertheless,
that Champion Hill was a great victory. At one stroke of his sword Grant
had cut apart the circle of his foes.
Dick came back from the pursuit with Colonel Winchester. He had lost
sight of Warner and Pennington in the turmoil, but he believed that they
would reappear unhurt. They had passed through so many battles now that
it did not occur to him that any of the three would be killed. They
might be wounded, of course, as they had been already, but fate would
play them no such scurvy trick as to slay them.
"What will be the next step, Colonel?" asked Dick, as they stood together
upon the victorious hill.
Pages:
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245