[Illustration: "WATER!" HE MURMURED, "WATER!"
_Page 115._]
_The Blue and the Gray--On Land_
AN UNDIVIDED UNION
BY
OLIVER OPTIC
AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD, FIRST AND SECOND SERIES" "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES" "THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES" "THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD SERIES" "THE LAKE SHORE SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" "THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THE BOAT-BUILDER SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--AFLOAT" "ALL OVER THE WORLD--FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--ON LAND" ETC. ETC. ETC.
COMPLETED BY
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
AUTHOR OF "THE OLD GLORY SERIES" "BOUND TO SUCCEED SERIES" ETC.
BOSTON LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS 1899
COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY LEE AND SHEPARD.
_All Rights Reserved._
AN UNDIVIDED UNION.
Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A.
_To My Friend_
FRED D. IRISH
WHOSE ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT AND SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS
IN DISTRIBUTING MY BOOKS
AMONG THE YOUTH OF THE UNITED STATES
HAS BEEN A CONSTANT INSPIRATION
_This Work is Affectionately Dedicated_
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
The outline and incomplete material of AN UNDIVIDED UNION were left among the papers of the late William T. Adams ("Oliver Optic"), and the same notes that were to complete the "Blue and Gray--On Land" series also closed the life-work of America's best-known writer of boys' stories.
There has been a constant demand that this unfinished concluding volume be prepared for publication, and Mr. Edward Stratemeyer, author of the remarkably popular "Old Glory" series, based upon the Spanish-American war, undertook the task of picking up the threads of the narrative and carrying it to such a conclusion as was evidently intended. He has performed the work devotedly and successfully, and sustained the harmony of the series to the end.
The publishers take this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Mr. Adams, whose name has been inseparably connected with this house for so many years. Such was his loyalty that no manuscript for publication in bound form was ever given to any other publisher, and the present volume is the one hundred and eighth to bear the magical name of "Optic." It is gratifying to be able to record that in return for his steadfastness in remaining by the house of his choice through prosperity and adversity an actual sale of more than two million copies of Mr. Adams's books has been reached, while the present season finds them enjoying undiminished favor.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: An Undivided Union by Optic and Stratemeyer
- 2: Records of the Army of the Cumberland
- 3: An Undivided Union by Optic and Stratemeyer
- 4: Commanding the fourth company of the Riverlawns
- 5: We must not waste a moment in getting to Lyndhall
- 6: Was resting in and around Murfreesboro
- 7: Noah Lyon as father and mother
- 8: Of Lyndhall and the company by Captain Gadbury
- 9: I'll git to Lyndhall afore yo' do
- 10: I don't believe Margie ever wrote it
- 11: How much will the Charwell trail shorten the ride
- 12: Artie might wait until I can help him
- 13: And these were mixed up with guerillas
- 14: Gaffy Denny is first leftenant
- 15: Being guerillas he felt himself even more justified
- 16: To this the guerilla did not reply
- 17: When Artie gave a cry as he caught sight of the door
- 18: I reckon Leftenant Denny has 'em safe
- 19: Called the guerilla after the pair
- 20: Just let me get one peep at Denny or Wolfall
- 21: The guerillas in the mansion would be on a close watch
- 22: Wounding one additional guerilla
- 23: All the guerillas have gone into the house
- 24: Evidently the guerillas were on the alert
- 25: Are you willing to give yourself up unconditionally
- 26: And away went the major and Faraway
- 27: As he directed Faraway to disarm the prisoner
- 28: Levi declared three hundred dollars in gold gone
- 29: Deck and Artie accompanied the prisoners to the county seat
- 30: The furlough of the major and the captain was for ten days
- 31: Giving the latter the entire control of the Cumberland River
- 32: And Deck and Artie hurried to their respective headquarters
- 33: And then Hickman felt much better
- 34: Laughed another of the cavalrymen
- 35: Fronklyn stopped and scratched his head
- 36: For the Confederates had just begun to throw out pickets
- 37: And Van Dorn was pursued as far as Rutherford Creek
- 38: Asked the commandant of the Riverlawns
- 39: But Lieutenant Fronklyn was in a line directly behind Deck
- 40: Does Major Belthorpe need reenforcements
- 41: Where I lived alone with my sister Rosebel
- 42: They found a trench dug through the meadow to the brook
- 43: Tom Bolder is here to obey Leftenant Blackrook every time
- 44: Made no more noise than did Ceph
- 45: The raft brought over to the inner end of the inlet
- 46: From the opposite side of the inlet
- 47: For he felt sure Bolder would do nothing of his own account
- 48: Belthorpe taking six men with him
- 49: And the Riverlawns found themselves taking it easy
- 50: Coming within sight of the trestle mentioned to him
- 51: And presently Tom Belthorpe came dashing up
- 52: Artie saw the movement and turned to Captain Richland
- 53: Shrieked the imperilled Confederate
- 54: He took off his sabre belt and examined it
- 55: Artie was permitted to go along
- 56: Had established his headquarters at Tullahoma
- 57: There was a great change in Sandy Lyon
- 58: Did they follow Thomas Derwiddie up
- 59: Of course Bragg will drive us back to Kentucky
- 60: Colonel Bradner was a military man
- 61: So you belong to the Riverlawns
- 62: Colonel Bradner shoved a cane rocker toward him
- 63: We took about five hundred guerillas prisoners
- 64: There was a miller at Greeger Lake named Price
- 65: Was the salutation Artie received
- 66: The guerilla turned to his brother in law
- 67: Gossley ought to be an Italian brigand
- 68: Came in the voice of Colonel Dick Bradner
- 69: Artie found the doors wide open
- 70: Ere Artie caught sight of either Sam or the horse
- 71: We must capture this Gossley by all means
- 72: If you don't keep quiet I'll have you bound and gagged
- 73: When a look from Captain Fordick silenced her
- 74: Commanding the Fordick Michigan mounted infantry
- 75: And continued to say uncomplimentary things
- 76: And Captain Fordick in turn to let Gossley go
- 77: Having with them the Riverlawns
- 78: The Confederate force took another stand
- 79: The general marched into Tullahoma
- 80: The Riverlawns had been ordered to Manchester
- 81: Accompanied by Major Belthorpe
- 82: With the remaining cavalrymen present
- 83: A plucky young man from Montgomery
- 84: The second soldier was directly in front of Ceph
- 85: And your rations shall be hardtack and water
- 86: In a semicircle in front was a low and treacherous quicksand
- 87: As it also perplexed Life Knox
- 88: Ceph was among his dearest possessions
- 89: Presently the Confederates appeared
- 90: The Riverlawns rode into Huntsville
- 91: To the southward of Chattanooga
- 92: The Riverlawns crossed the bridge in safety
- 93: And Artie brought the flatboat up close
- 94: And the adjutant of the Riverlawns kept his word
- 95: That was the most fortunate landslide I ever saw
- 96: But the upper stone did not budge
- 97: You won't find one horse in a thousand like Ceph
- 98: The five sharpshooters were halted
- 99: The Kentuckian advanced with hardly any noise
- 100: Said the leader of the signalmen
- 101: Deck returned to the Confederate signalmen
- 102: And Captain Vallingham coming next
- 103: Captain Vallingham dropped behind
- 104: Clefton and Sanford were in sight
- 105: And later on Sandy Lyon said the same thing
- 106: At the same time Heg's brigade marched into Broomtown Valley
- 107: It brought on the battle of Chickamauga
- 108: And Minty was gradually forced backward
- 109: Said the commander of the Riverlawns
- 110: To operate as the Riverlawns were operating
- 111: Captain Gadbury was removed to Lyndhall
- 112: Bragg had concentrated his forces
- 113: The Riverlawns went into action at ten o'clock
- 114: And Major Belthorpe is just coming up
- 115: That the sharpshooters were guarding something
- 116: The Confederate sharpshooter lay flat on his chest
- 117: Came from the Confederate sharpshooter
- 118: As Deck and the Confederate appeared through a small opening
- 119: But the sharpshooter disappeared
- 120: And several of the Riverlawns were struck
- 121: Of the Riverlawn Cavalry of Kentucky
- 122: And the Riverlawns were sent to support McCook's command
- 123: Artie pointed to a spot between themselves and the creek
- 124: Can you swim across this stream
- 125: Evidently the spy knew the creek well
- 126: A frown crossed the face of Captain Brentford
- 127: Captain Brentford looked around
- 128: He felt the horsemen must be Confederate cavalrymen
- 129: Captain Brentford raised his pistol
- 130: At this the leader of the Confederate detachment grunted
- 131: Are you willing to take the risk
- 132: And Derwiddie looked again toward the house
- 133: Chador concluded to fill in his time hunting up Derwiddie
- 134: As soon as Messinger and Chador fell in the stubble field
- 135: For answer Ceph gave a low snort of satisfaction
- 136: And leading Ceph back into the brush
- 137: Finding Ceph was worth a good deal
- 138: Opposite to Baird was Breckinridge
- 139: Bragg had given Polk orders to begin the battle
- 140: Which tore through the ranks of Captain Artie Lyon's command
- 141: Soon the Riverlawns were in rapid motion
- 142: Shouted one of the Confederate majors
- 143: The Confederate pulled the trigger
- 144: Without delay Captain Artie Lyon switched off as commanded
- 145: Fully expecting to find poor Artie a corpse
- 146: Over the wounded young man stood Surgeon Farnwright
- 147: And used the iron knocker lustily
- 148: Rosebel used to live in Chattanooga
- 149: Rosebel had now dried her tears
- 150: The Riverlawns had suffered heavily
- 151: Rosebel said she wanted no pay
- 152: Hooker had before been ordered to move to Bridgeport
- 153: And the burly Confederate almost collapsed
- 154: This man's name had been Totterly
- 155: Gained nothing on the Chickamauga
- 156: The Riverlawns had come forward on horseback
- 157: For the man was none other than Totterly
- 158: With the general went the Riverlawns
- 159: Lyndhall was a mass of lights and flowers
- 160: Beautiful binding in blue and gray
- 161: Familiarly known as OLIVER OPTIC
- 162: The young skipper of lake ucayga
