Free The Smoke at Dawn: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara Page A

hesitant greeting, the man unfamiliar to Bragg. He moved up close behind Forrest, put a hand on Forrest’s shoulder. Forrest shook the hand away, and the man looked at Bragg with obvious concern, made a short bow, quick, soft words.
    “Sir, I am Dr. James Cowan, General Forrest’s surgeon. We regret the sudden intrusion.”
    Bragg made a brief nod to Cowan, his eyes still on Forrest, a quick glance toward the pistol at Forrest’s side. “Doctor, is it? Welcome to my headquarters. General Forrest …”
    Bragg held out a hand, as though Forrest should take it, but it was a gesture born of fear, nothing friendly in Bragg’s mind. Forrest ignored the hand, stared hard at him, no ebb in the man’s temper. Bragg sat down again, felt pushed backward by Forrest’s anger, and Forrest spoke now, slow and deliberate, his words slicing the air between them like the blade of a knife.
    “You have pursued a cowardly and contemptible persecution of me since Shiloh, and you have kept up such behavior ever since. You take me to be your foe because after every fight, my reports contain facts, while you only tell Richmond damned lies. You have robbedme of my command before, and now you do it again. I have trained and equipped my men from the spoils we have gained against the enemy, and because I will not fawn upon you as so many others have done, you offer me only revenge and spite. You have made every attempt to ruin my career, and now you are doing so again. I command a brigade of men who have never been bested, men who have sacrificed themselves, men who have won a reputation for successful fighting second to none in this army. You take advantage of your position as commanding general, and in order to further humiliate me, you take these brave men from me. I have stood your meanness as long as I intend to. You have played the part of a damned scoundrel and are a coward, and if you were any part a man I would slap your jaws and force you to resent it. You may as well not issue any more orders to me, for I will not obey them, and I will hold you personally responsible for any further indignities you endeavor to inflict upon me. You have threatened to arrest me for not obeying your orders promptly. I dare you to do it! And I say to you that if you ever again try to interfere with me or cross my path it will be at the peril of your life!”
    Forrest turned quickly, marched from the room, the doctor taking a last hesitating glance at Bragg. Then he, too, was gone, and Mackall stared toward the doorway, his mouth slightly open.
    “What … should I do, sir?”
    Bragg felt frozen in his chair, realized his uniform was soaked with his sweat. He tried to speak, his voice held by the tightness in his throat, and he coughed, forced a response. “You will do nothing.”
    “Sir, he … that was … he risked his life saying such things. He threatened you!”
    “You will do nothing, do you hear?”
    Bragg felt his hands shaking, worked the cold out of his fingers, sat straight, fought to breathe. He wanted to stand, to show Mackall he had the strength, but there was no power in his legs. He heard the hoofbeats, Forrest riding away, and Mackall said, “It was unwise of him to bring a witness … or to speak such things in our presence, in the presence of your aides.”
    Bragg felt a bolt of fire through him, stood now, his fists on thesmall desk, looked at the other two men, young, standing silently with wide eyes, their backs pressed against the wall.
    “You will say nothing about this! Nothing! Do you understand?” He fought to stay upright, the cold deep in his gut, his hands steadying on the rough wood of the desk. He forced the words out slowly, the fear subsiding, the image of Forrest’s glare fading. “Nothing more. It is merely … the solution I have searched for. General Forrest has done us a service. He knew certainly that his days in this army were few. No doubt he will remove himself from this command. That