My Dear von Tripp.
Our Corps Commander wishes to find away around the strong Freedonian positions to 1st Brigade's front. I am attaching to you Captain Lucic who has some familiarity with this area. Take you battalion along the route he shows and then make for the Atwater trail which will lead to the enemy's rear at the Lourenco farm. With your force astride his line of communication he will be compelled to withdraw or weaken his line, either of which will allow us across the gorge . You must proceed with all due haste. I assign you as squadron of dragoons and a section of guns. Your task is critical. Do not fail!
General Bourque
von Tripp scratches his head at the last sentence. After all if this task is so critical why is only his battalion being assigned? His brigade is in support of 2d Brigade's attack and there are 5 battalions sitting idle! Nagging in the back of his mind is the knowledge that Bourque and Cronin, the 2d Brigade commander, are bitter rivals.
Regardless, von Tripp sets off at once. Lucic's knowledge of the area is imperfect and the next 5 hours are spent marching and counter marching. However eventually they arrive within view of the Atwater trail. The cavalry squadron drives in the enemy vedettes. there are woods on both sides of the trail. von Tripp's plan is to put the whole battalion down the trail and push through to the farm. The order of march:
A company (Major Shay)
B company (Major Simmons)
Grenadier Company (Major Spelling)
C company (Major Griffin)
D company (Major Zipp)
The artillery (Lt Ellerbe)
The cavalry squadron (Captain Xavier) is to remain at the head of the trail and secure the rear. One section to lad the column forward.
The light company (Captain Millazzo) is to provide flank security to the column. von Tripp will be with the Grenadiers.
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| Captain Xavier dismounted (Note: Actually the Red Commander) |
Captain Xavier peered down the long narrow
road, with thick woods encroaching to each side. The Atwater Trail.
At this point it was more road than trail and ran straight for over
1000 yards. At the far end he made out the form of a single enemy
horseman. He brought his field glasses up to study the figure. An
enemy dragoon, halted defiantly across the road at the far end, a
carbine resting on his thigh, almost daring the column to come
forward.
Xavier’s horsemen had driven back the
enemy dragoons ineffectual skirmish fire, peppering the air about them
the whole way. Colonel von Tripp’s orders were to take this trail the
whole way into the enemy’s rear. So far this route was lightly
defended, though there was no telling as the terrain closed around
the road and from here on out they would be subject to ambuscades.
Sgt Gill galloped up. “Sir, the Colonel says to move forward with haste, he does not want us to
dawdle here.” Xavier had already been directed to leave the squadron here
to secure the intersection, though he picked four horsemen to
accompany him as the point of the entire column. Behind them, A Company, IR13 was drawn up in march column with a few skirmishers out
front. Men from the light company were already moving up on either
flank of the road. Others were inspecting the farmhouse at this
intersection for signs of the enemy.
With his field glasses still focused on
the enemy horseman, he waved his other hand and the column moved
forward at a walk. He stowed the field glasses, drew his revolver and
cantered ahead with his small party, perhaps fifty meters ahead of A
company. The crunch and rattle of the thousand man column behind him
made it hard to hear his surrounding, and they moved further ahead.
To the north they could hear the booming of artillery where general
battle had been joined.
They proceeded forward five hundred
yards. Still the enemy horsemen remained unmoving in the center of
the trail. Closer they came. When they approached 100 yards, the man
turned and left, as if unhurried and unconcerned, around the bend.
Two of Xavier’s troopers galloped forward to the bend and halted, when
he arrived they reported the enemy horseman as disappeared. The road
again a long straight section, perhaps another thousand yards,
opening up in the distance to a field....
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