Fire Over Atlanta Read Online Free Page B

going to be some action,” he said.
    “I hope not,” Rosie groaned. “My rheumatism’s acting up.”
    Despite Rosie’s professed rheumatism, Royal saw the officers go off to Sherman’s headquarters.
    That afternoon, Royal looked up to see Lieutenant Logan walking toward them. “He looks like he means business, doesn’t he, Walter?”
    “Sure does,” Beddows said, “and I don’t like it when officers look like that. It means trouble for us.”
    “Sergeant,” Lieutenant Logan said, stopping before Royal and Beddows. “We’re going to be attackingin the morning. I want every man in your squad to carry a full pack, three days’ rations, and keep your powder dry.”
    “What are we going to do, lieutenant?” Royal asked.
    “I expect we’re going to hit the Rebels hard and wade right into Atlanta. Be sure the men are ready at dawn.”
    Royal thought Lieutenant Logan looked half angry. He must have disagreed with his superior officers about the manner of attack and had been overruled, being merely a lowly lieutenant.
    “I guess we’d better tell the rest of the fellas,” Royal said. He and Beddows gathered the squad together, and Royal said as cheerfully as possible, “We’ll be attacking in the morning. Going to take Atlanta this time.”
    “Take Atlanta!” Drake stared at him. “Whose bright idea was that?”
    “General Sherman’s, I suppose, Drake.”
    “Well, it doesn’t make no sense.” Drake shook his head. “We’ve been nibblin’ away at the Rebels every day, and the harder we fight, the more they fight back. And now we’re going to try a head-on attack? It’s stupid!”
    “It’s orders!” Royal said sharply. “Everybody get your equipment together. Be sure you’ve got plenty of ammunition. We’ll be leaving at daylight.”
    “I got half a mind to turn myself in sick,” Drake muttered.
    “I feel the same way,” Rosie said, “but I been on sick call so much they wouldn’t believe me. You can do it though, Drake. You ain’t never reported in sick.”
    “Nope! If we’re gonna be fools, I’ll be a fool with the rest of you!” He suddenly grinned, reached over, and slapped his tall, towheaded friend on the back. “I got to look out for you, don’t I? I declare, you wouldn’t last a day without me!”
    Dawn came, and it was a beautiful morning. The squad ate together as the yellow light in the east began to grow bright.
    Royal was still trying to be cheerful. “Well, it’s a good day for it.”
    “I don’t see what difference that makes!” Drake grumbled. “I’d just as soon have a bad day to get shot as a good one.”
    “I sure wish I had my liver pills,” Rosie complained.
    As the light grew, the squad joined the rest of the company and was put into marching order. They advanced with muskets loaded, and once Lieutenant Logan said, “Keep your bayonets handy in case we have to make a bayonet charge!”
    The sun rose, and the birds sang in the trees. It is a beautiful day indeed, Royal thought as he marched along, his eyes peeled for signs of enemy skirmishers.
This would be a good day to be plowing back home—or maybe go fishing down at the creek
. He thought of the easy, pleasant years back in Pineville. They all seemed long ago, and the horrors of months and months of brutal warfare had almost wiped the thought of them from his mind. Now memory came back with a rush.
    A crash broke the stillness of the morning air. A shell had struck off to his left, uprooting a chestnut tree and turning it upside down.
    Almost instantly rifle fire broke out. As always, it sounded to Royal like thousands of tiny sticks being broken.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
    He yelled, “They’re over there, lieutenant!”
    “I see them!” Lieutenant Logan said. “Move to the right! Don’t fire until you get a good shot!”
    As the squad moved forward, shells from the enemy artillery began landing. They made ugly blossoms of dirt, tossing clouds of earth high into the air. The smoke from the