Short Story Classics (American) Vol. 2

In this lively volume of turn‑of‑the‑century American short fiction, readers find a mix of humor, romance, and stark realism, each piece reflecting the diverse voices of the era. Among them, a war tale by J. W. De Forest stands out, plunging us into the cramped camp of a Union brigade still smarting from recent victories. The colonel who commands it is revered not for kindness but for the brutal success that has earned his men a fierce, almost fanatical loyalty.

The story opens on a September night, the bivouac shrouded in mist and silence as soldiers settle into uneasy sleep beneath the distant threat of Confederate forces. Adjutant Wallis, half‑asleep and craving a swig of whiskey, stumbles through the dark, bumping into comrades and feeling the weight of unseen danger. The tense atmosphere and the looming prospect of a surprise attack make every step a reminder that the calm may break at any moment.