his might until able to snatch the reward, victory. As
the lad heard the supporting guns across the Antietam, he suddenly found
himself shouting with all his might. His voice could not be heard in the
uproar, but he saw that the lips of those about him were moving in like
manner.

The two corps on the peninsula had a good leader that morning. Hooker,
fiery, impetuous, scorning death, continually led his men to the attack.
The gaps in their ranks were closed up, and on they went, infantry,
cavalry and artillery. The fog blew away again and they beheld once more
the gray lines of the Southerners, and the white wooden walls of the
church.

So fierce and overwhelming was the Northern rush that all of Jackson's
men and the Texans were borne back, and were driven from the ridges
and out of the woods. Exultant, the men in blue followed, their roar of
triumph swelling above the thunder of the battle.

"Victory!" cried Dick, but Warner shouted:

"Look out!"

The keen eyes of the young Vermonter had seen masses of infantry and
cavalry on their flank. Hooker, fierce and impetuous, had gone too
far, and now the Southern trumpets sang the charge. Stuart, fiery and
dauntless, his saber flashing, led his charging horsemen, and Hill threw
his infantry upon the Northern flank.

It seemed to Dick that he was in a huge volcano of fire and smoke.
Men who, in their calm moments, did not hate one another, glared into
hostile eyes. There was often actual physical contact, and the flash
from the cannon and rifles blazed in Dick's face. The Southerners
in front who had been driven back returned, and as Stuart and Hill
continued to beat hard upon their flanks, the troops of Hooker were
compelled to retreat. Once more the white church faded in the mists and
smoke.

But Hooker and his generals rallied their men and advanced anew. The
ground around the Dunkard church became one of the most sanguinary
places in all America. One side advanced and then the other, and
they continually reeled to and fro. Even the young soldiers knew the
immensity of the stake. This was the open ground, elsewhere the Antietam
separated the fighting armies. But victory here would decide the whole
battle, and the war, too. The Northern troops fought for a triumph that
would end all, and the Southern troops for salvation.

So close and obstinate was the conflict that colonels and generals
themselves were in the thick of it. Starke and Lawton of the South were
bo