The lost Regiment 02 - Union Forever by William R. Forstchen

Author:William R. Forstchen
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780451450609
Publisher: Roc
Published: 1991-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

"We are certainly in one hell of a mess," Andrew said.

The mood in the room was subdued, the exhaustion still evident on all their faces.

"Doc, why don't we start with you. I want to know the condition of our men."

Emil shook his head.

"The 5th and the two batteries are skeletons. Eighty-five percent casualties for the regiment, and the numbers are almost as bad for the batteries. They're out of the war."

Emil paused, looking over at Vincent. His face was swollen and pockmarked. But what worried him was the eyes. There was a coldness to them now that was disturbing. Andrew had told him about the incident with the Merki. Something had gone dreadfully wrong with the boy, but there simply wasn't time to talk to him now.

"For the rest of the army, I've never seen a march like that one," Emil continued. "It was worse than the Gettysburg Campaign, and it certainly rivaled anything old Jack ever did. As near as I can reckon, nearly a hundred men are dead, almost all from the heat. We lost some more, the usual accidents, falling off trains, accidental discharge of weapons, or killed last night in a tavern brawl."

Emil looked over at Marcus.

"When soldiers from different sides get together," Marcus replied, with Vincent translating, "especially after the events of the last week, there's bound to be some tension."

Emil shook his head in disagreement and continued.

"The entire army should have at least three more days of rest before you can even think of moving them, Andrew. They're played out. At least a thousand of them will be laid up for a week. Try anything before that and those men will get sick by the thousands. As it is, you can thank your lucky stars the Carthas weren't in the mood to put up a fight."

"That's what I was hoping for," Andrew replied. "The mere fact we were coming on so hard was the pressure on them I wanted.

"We paid a price, though. We've got just over nineteen thousand effective in the city," Andrew stated, looking down at the latest roll-call reports. "Kindred reports four thousand at Hispania, with fifteen guns. We had five hundred at the Kennebec bridge, two hundred each at the Penobscot and Volga, and another five hundred spread out at the tank stops. Counting our casualties, we've still got over a thousand men somewhere out there on the road.

"Gentlemen that doesn't leave us much, when you consider our new situation."

"What about the legion?" Emil asked.

Andrew looked over at Marcus.

"I've disbanded it," he said sharply. "They're politically unreliable."

"Don't throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater," Emil replied.

"I'll sift through them. The tribunes are under arrest. The rank and file can be used to train the new regiments as they form up." He paused. "Once we get weapons."

"That'll be some time," Vincent interjected. "We've got to get Suzdal secured first. But for right now you should start training new infantry units without delay. Arm them with pikes, with anything. There's no promising that Cromwell won't be back after we leave.

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