The Song
of the Rappahannock
Sketches of the Civil War
By
Ira Seymour Dodd
New York
Dodd, Mead and Company
1898
Copyright, 1897, 1898,
By the S. S. McClure Company.
Copyright, 1898,
By Dodd, Mead and Company.
University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A.
TO MY COMRADES
The Living and the Dead
THESE MEMORIES OF OUR DAYS OF WARFARE
ARE AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
Preface
What is herein written was begun and for the most part completed beforethe Spanish War Cloud was more than a distant and doubtful threat.
But out of its passing storm a rainbow arch has risen, fairer andsweeter than even the sunshine of victory to the eyes of those whostood in opposing ranks as foemen thirty years ago. We learned, nothatred, but profound respect for each other on those grimly foughtfields of Civil Strife. During these years of retrospect and reflectionthe respect has been ripening into a warmer feeling; and now our heartsswell with deep and solemn thankfulness for the open evidence of ourperfect welding into One Mighty Nation under whose Old Flag men of theSouth stand joined with men of the North in invincible brotherhood.
Henceforth memories of that older crisis can no longer be dividing orexclusive possessions, but each fragment of its story becomes part ofthe common heritage of American manhood.
To the kindness of the Editors of "McClure's Magazine," in whichseveral of the sketches composing this little book first appeared, theauthor desires to express his obligations.
I. S. D.
Riverdale on the Hudson
October 1, 1898.
Contents
| Page | |
| The Song of the Rappahannock | 1 |
| The Making of a Regiment | 39 |
| The Household of the Hundred Thousand | 99 |
| A Little Battle | 143 |
| One Young Soldier | 165 |
| Sacrifice | 202 |
The Song of the Rappahannock
The Song has been silent for more than thirty years. In another thirtyyears it will cease to be a living memory save to a handful of very oldmen. But those who once heard can never forget its weird, fantastic,sinister tones. Sometimes it was a fearful yet persuasive whisperaddressed to you personally; again it would burst in uncontrolledpassion into a chorus of awful and discordant screams mingled withthun