Chapter 23 - Hard Won Battle
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Copyright 2004
****
"May I have a look, Sergeant Major?" Ludivine asked the Sergeant Major when he
lowered his field glasses.
"Certainly, Corporal," said Sergeant Major Ortiz handing the field glasses to
Ludivine who had been promoted to Corporal and placed in charge of the brigade's
tiny cavalry unit before the army left Berbera. Betty had also been promoted and
placed in charge of the artillery. The army's mission was to bring Ethiopia's
largest and most fierce tribe of natives, the Singalashti, under control of the
Emir.
The women's brigade was in reserve assigned to guard the supply wagons and
spare mounts. The Colonel had been dismissive of Captain Rhinerman's suggestion
that the women's brigade could play a more important role.
"Don't be insane, Rhinerman. We have two hundred women with us for only one
reason. The Emir insists that we have them and he is the one with the gold. He
thinks they're soldiers and we play along. Actually they are good for only one
thing and that's keeping the men satisfied. The plain fact is that they are
worthless as soldiers and excellent as whores. Keep them back out of the way."
The wagons were situated on a slight elevation looking down on a broad plain.
The Emir's mercenary army was three days march from Berbera and about to engage
the enemy. The Singalashti were known for their bravery in battle. They were the
only tribe in the Ethiopian interior that had refused to accept the rule of the
Emir.
Ludivine saw that the two brigades of grenadiers were drawn up in battle
formation facing the oncoming tribesmen. Colonel Himmelman and the cavalry were
slightly off to the right. Ten twelve-pound cannons were immediately below
Ludivine to the back of the grenadiers facing outward toward the advancing
enemy. Captain Rhinerman and the rest of the Prussian officers were down on the
plain where they believed all the action would take place. It had not been
thought important enough for an officer to stay with the women's brigade.
Sergeant Major Ortiz had been left in charge.
"The enemy seems to be quite numerous," commented Ludivine observing the
enormous mass of tribesmen moving toward their positions.
"I would be concerned, Corporal, if they were armed with muskets and cannon
but we should be able to handle them easily," said the Sergeant Major. "Spears
and shields of buffalo hide are no match for trained European musketry."
"I agree but still there are a lot of them," said Ludivine handing the field
glasses back to the Sergeant Major.
Ludivine was mounted on a reasonable piece of horseflesh. All the best mounts
were assigned to the cavalry. She and the Sergeant Major watched as the massive
crowd of natives approached the grenadier's position.
So this is battle thought Ludivine. This is what makes a man's blood run hot.
Some of the women had looked envious of the grenadiers as they took up their
positions facing the Singalashti. There were disappointed mutterings about being
left to guard the wagon train after months of harsh training. They wished they
were down there lined up with the men muskets loaded and ready to fire thought
Ludivine.
The cannons fired their first salvo and Ludivine saw great explosions occur in
the ranks of the onrushing natives. Clumps of bodies were thrown skyward.
"Sergeant Major, there's movement to our left front," said Corporal Betty who
had run over from her four cannons to report. Betty as an artilleryman had her
own pair of field glasses. Since the women's brigade was also functioning in the
role of rear guard, their cannons and formation were pointed away from the
battle.
Sergeant Major Ortiz scanned the rear with his glasses.
"It seems we too will be engaged," said the Sergeant Major calmly. The
Sergeant Major saw a large force of natives approaching from the rear.
Underneath the calm demeanor, the Sergeant Major was seriously concerned. The
women's brigade was untested in battle and the number of the attackers although
difficult to calculate accurately looked to be equal to the number about to
attack the forward positions.
"Corporal Townly, you and your troop take up positions to defend the cannon,"
said the Sergeant Major to Ludivine. "Their battle line may overlap us."
Ludivine saluted then rode off to her cavalry detachment and ordered them to
form where they could defend the vulnerable artillerymen. Sergeant Major Ortiz
dismounted and took up a position beside the ranks of female infantry.
Ludivine glanced back over her shoulder and saw that the mass of natives was
moving very quickly toward the grenadiers. The cannons were killing hundreds
with each volley but there were hundreds more to take their place. Ludivine
watched as the grenadiers fired their first musket volley mowing down the
leading rank of natives. Other volleys immediately followed. But the great mass
of natives swept onward toward the grenadiers.
Turning away from the plain toward the rear, Ludivine saw that an enormous
force of Singalashti were rushing toward them at a dead run. They were
surprisingly close. The rolling terrain had concealed their approach. Ludivine
had asked earlier why they had not deployed scouts or skirmishers rearward to
detect an approaching force. She had recalled it was clearly advised in
Frederick the Great's Manual of Arms.
"Its not necessary for this lot. They understand nothing of such tactics,"
replied the Sergeant Major. That caused Ludivine to remember Frederick's advice
about respecting your enemy, over confidence, and arrogance; but she had kept
her mouth shut. Corporals were not immune from walking the gauntlet.
Ludivine's horse stirred as Betty fired off the first salvo. Her aiming marks
were true and large holes were torn in the front of the native charge. Betty had
proved to be an excellent artilleryman. Ludivine saw that the front of the
native attackers was wider than the ranks of the infantry. The Singalashti had
overloaded the attack on the side of the cannon in an attempt to wrap around the
infantry disable the guns and take the infantry ranks from the rear.
"It looks like we are in for a fight," said Ludivine to Elena.
"There are so many of them," said Elena casting a worried glance at her
sister.
"Nothing that we cannot handle," said Ludivine maintaining a calm in her voice
that she really didn't feel.
Ludivine took another look at the now smoke obscured plain where the main
battle was to take place. The natives had reached the ranks of the grenadiers
and fierce hand-to-hand combat was underway. The main battery had fallen silent
unable to target friend from foe. Ludivine heard the Sergeant Major scream,
"Fire," and the first volley of musket fire from the women decimated the leading
row of natives. The women commenced rapid volley fire and the great swarm of
natives began to slowly melt away.
Observing that the left wing of the attackers had reached the critical
juncture, Ludivine ordered her cavalry forward.
"Charge," screamed Ludivine spurring her horse. The two dozen cavalry wheeled
about and charged toward the left wing of the onrushing Singalashti. Ludivine
saw that ground in front of the musket ranks was covered in dead and wounded
natives. Ludivine pulled the two pistols from their holsters as she came within
firing range. She fired and dropped her target then shot another with the other
pistol. She holstered her pistols and drew both her sabers as her mount slammed
into the attackers. Ludivine parried and thrust with both arms as she hacked her
way through the Singalashti. All of a sudden she found herself on the other side
of the native force. She saw that her troop had followed her. She wheeled about
and charged through again.
As Ludivine passed through the now thinned native ranks again, she saw them
give away. Although the Singalashti were fearless, their slaughter had been too
great. Not one man of ten who had attacked the women's brigade was still
standing. The accurate and rapid fire of the cannon and muskets had decimated
the Singalashti.
Ludivine did a quick review of her charges. Elena was still at her side as was
Lorraine. One was missing. A quick look at the battleground showed that Rebecca
Smythe had been dismounted. Ludivine saw Rebecca standing in a circle of natives
each attempting to spear her as she parried their thrusts with her saber.
Ludivine spurred her mount to ride to Rebecca's aide. Her troop followed. The
distance was not great and Ludivine and the other's arrival on the scene caused
the already beaten natives to give up on their efforts to slaughter Rebecca and
run. Ludivine helped Rebecca to mount on the back of her horse and the two rode
back to the battle line together.
The musket fire and then the cannon stopped firing as the retreating
Singalashti went out of range. Ludivine rode over to Betty.
"You look like you have been in a soot bin," said Ludivine.
"I could almost past for a Singalashti," said Betty her face blackened by
powder.
"Excellent job, Corporals, " said Sergeant Major Ortiz ridding up. The
Sergeant Major was hiding the fact that he was surprised he was still alive. He
half expected his untried women's brigade to break and run. But they had fought
extremely well and their rate and accuracy of fire had been mortal to the enemy.
The closest Singalashti had been ten yards from his front rank. The field to
their front was carpeted with the dead and dying enemy. The Sergeant Major had
sent the first rank forward with bayonets to finish off the wounded. Ludivine
watched as Roxanne and the Claridge twins along with the others walked casually
along occasionally bayoneting a wounded native.
Ludivine looked once again at the so-called main battle and saw that the two
brigades of grenadiers were heavily engaged in combat with the Singalashti.
Colonel Himmelman and his beloved cavalry were hacking their way through the
mass of natives.
"Should we deploy to their aid, Sergeant Major?" said Ludivine watching the
battle whose result looked questionable.
"No, the Colonel will send word if the needs us. But keep an eye on the cannon
and if the Singalashti threaten, we will defend the artillery," said the
Sergeant Major.
Serves his arrogant ass right thought the Sergeant Major as he watched the
battle seesaw back and forth. There were more than a few dead grenadiers and
cavalrymen lying on the ground. The brigades had formed into squares. The
natives were attempting to break into the squares. It was close brutal work,
spear against bayonet. Finally the natives broke and retreated.
Ludivine watched as Captain Rhinerman rode up toward her. His helmet was gone
and there was a bloody gash across his shoulder.
"My God it was a near thing," said Captain Rhinerman as he approached. "The
Colonel has been wounded. Bring the wagons down to collect the injured. We were
lucky you weren't attacked."
"But we were, Captain," said the Sergeant Major pointing to the field covered
in Singalashti dead.
"My God," said the Captain looking from one battlefield to another. "There
were as many of them in front as behind. How many did you lose?"
"None," replied the Sergeant Major.
"I think the Singalashti are done for now. Abandon your position and bring
your brigade down to help care for the wounded," said Captain Rhinerman.
The fact that none of the Prussian officers except for Captain Rhinerman had
witnessed the total devastation wrought by the women's brigade on the
Singalashti was not lost on Ludivine.
It was a difficult three-day march back to Berbera. Many of the badly wounded
grenadiers died along the way. As the exhausted troops were about to reach the
fortress's gate, someone from the crowd of townspeople stepped out and pressed a
paper into Ludivine's hand. When she glanced sideways, she saw Oliver and Ernest
standing in the crowd dressed as Arabs.
