A Pennsylvania lumberjack enlists in his hometown regiment to fight the Confederacy and escape the danger and drudgery of his trade. As a corporal, he finds even more danger as combat whittles down his squad.
Joe Little, age 27, has been a lumberjack since he was 15 when his father was killed in the same trade. He is weary of toil and danger and, thus, easily is caught up in Civil War furor which offers a change and a way out, He and his boss's daughter have an understanding, but he enlists in his hometown regiment. Soon, as an infantry corporal at the tip of the spear, he discovers more danger than ever. In a vicious battle he is wounded and captured and exchanged. He recovers at home but then goes off to join his old regiment in the battle of Gettysburg.
Excerpt
Shells exploded among the Rebs and more round shot bowled through their ranks. The lines wavered, stiffened, closed in and came on.
Little’s ears told him every rifle in the regiment fired when the first Confederate line came within 200 yards. At first he thought the Reb line had vanished. But the second line was stepping gingerly over the writhing remnants of the first line.
Little raised his ramrod as the Confederates disappeared in flashes and jetting smoke. Something hissed past his ear, thudding behind him like an ax striking a rotten log.
“My God!”
Corse and Jacques were staring at the ground behind Little. Breed lay on his back, rifle butt on his chest and muzzle at his feet. Little couldn’t believe his eyes -- Breed’s body, Breed’s hands, Breed’s head.
No face.
Little blinked to clear his vision. Still no face -- just a dwindling jet of blood pulsing back in the enormous red yawn between eyebrows and jaw.
Jacques vomited.
“Stop that!” Oakes barked. “Corporal Little! Mark that Reb captain over there with the white beard. I want him dead! If he ain’t killed, you’ll answer for it!”
“Come on,” Little yelled, reloading. “Shoot them! Kill the bastards!”
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