by R. E. Miller
Tom rode alongside Phillip at the head of the column.
The men were awed by the straight, tall trees. When they approached the burnt out buildings, a flock of turkeys made a tremendous noise and scared the horses, causing them to shy to the side as the birds flew out of their roost. Further up the road the men saw a flash of white tail deer as they darted up the mountain. Sensing the men’s uneasiness, Phillip stopped and ordered, “Men, be alert to movement on either side of the road.”
Phillip reviewed the plan over in his mind and when they approached the site where the murder took place he said, “We’re going to stop here. I have a hunch and want to check on something.” He dismounted, climbed up the bank and called back to his men. “I thought so. At this exact spot a man could easily shoot and jump on the coach. I was sure there would be a trail coming over the mountain, but it isn’t visible from the road. I’m positive the trail will lead us to Jim Soll’s farm.
“Tom, let’s walk this trail out, and see if I’m right. Sergeant, you and the men stay here until we return. If my hunch is right, it won’t take long.”
The mountain was steep, and it was even tougher walking as they encountered patches of old snow. They were glad to see the top of the mountain. The trail was worn, and although not recently used, it was easy enough to see and follow. Finally they could see the wood line where the trail led into an open field and leveled off.
“Tom, I knew it!” Phillip said pointing down the mountainside. “See that house?”
Tom squinted against the glare of the early morning sun. “Yep, I see it.”
“That’s Jim Soll’s house. We searched it the other day when we came by on our way to the Cogan. This is how they got ahead of the coach that day. They took this short cut and set us up for the ambush. Tom, this is all the evidence I need to link them to Rachel’s murder.”
After they returned, Phillip told the sergeant, “Have two of the men take the horses back to the campsite, and the rest of us will search on foot.”
Phillip decided a good starting place would be the trail where he and Tom had just been. They walked back up the trail and Phillip ordered, “I want men spaced every 50 yards up to the top of the mountain. We’re going to head in the direction of the campsite. Wait for my signal and try to stay in a line as we walk. Sergeant, you stay on the road and if anyone sees a footprint, shout out.”
It was rough walking on the side of the mountain and not long after they started, a loud bellowing roar echoed through the Cogan. Startled, everyone stopped and a few of the men pulled out their pistols. One soldier called, “What was that, sir?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard anything like it,” Phillip replied. He collected his nerve and motioned for the men to continue. “Let’s keep going,” he said. The sound had made everyone more cautious, and the line advanced more slowly up the side of the mountain. Phillip was anxious for one of the men to find any kind of sign or footprint left by Poll Soll, but the search came up empty.
That night at mess Tom said, “I thought for sure we’d find something today.”
“I know Poll Soll is in the mountains. I can sense his presence,” Phillip said, leaning on the post of the tent and staring toward the Cogan. He’d underestimated Poll Soll; maybe finding him wouldn’t be as easy as he thought.
The roar they heard during the search was the talk around the fire. “Sergeant, what do you think that was? None of us ever heard anything like that before.”
“I think it was a bear coming out of hibernation, growling because it was happy to break free from the shackles of winter.” The sergeant chuckled.
“I think it was a mountain lion. It’s too early for bears to come out. I hope we don’t run into it, whatever it was!” another said.
Phillip summoned Sergeant Koppenhaver to his tent. “I thought we’d find footprints or some evidence of Poll Soll today,” he said.
“We could’ve missed something since we were so far apart,” Koppenhaver replied. “Footprints aren’t easy to spot from a distance.”
Phillip regarded the sergeant thoughtfully. “There’s a front moving in, and I don’t want to waste time going over the same ground tomorrow. What I’m really hoping to find is a trail or a bit of clothing. Of course, this guy knows the woods. He’s probably watching us right now.”
The sergeant glanced at the mountain. A shiver worked its way up his spine. “We’re sitting ducks up here, and the cold isn’t helping. Most of the men can’t hear anything because their teeth are chattering.”
Phillip nodded. “Post two guards, rotate them every hour. Tomorrow we’ll search the other side of the mountain.” He stepped outside the tent and looked at the darkening sky. “If this front hits, we’re in for a miserable day.”
“I’d recommend calling off the search if it rains, Lieutenant,” Sergeant Koppenhaver said.
Phillip shook his head. “We’ve got two days left to find this man, and we’ll find him, sergeant!”
Sergeant Koppenhaver stiffened. “Yes, sir.”
In the morning, the soldiers woke to a thick blanket of fog that made it impossible to see twenty feet in any direction. By ten o’clock, it was drizzling, and then the heavens seemed to open. Phillip grudgingly admitted there would be no searching until the rain stopped. To pass the time, Phillip wrote a long letter to Ann. He told her most of the events that had occurred over the last few weeks and how much he loved and missed her. He apologized for not writing more often as promised but told her it was impossible. He had hoped to include the capture of Poll Soll but to his dismay could not.
The rain stopped around midnight and early the third morning the sun shone once again. With only one day left to search, Phillip summoned Sergeant Koppenhaver to his tent. “Get everyone out. We’re running out of time. I want to find this man!”
“Yes, sir, we’ll do our best.” Koppenhaver turned and left the tent.
As they began the search, the clouds rolled in leaving the sky overcast. Then the wind picked up and tugged at caps and coats, chilling the men. Phillip knew it would be more difficult to find any sign of Poll Soll. The men crested the mountain and began their search. The north side was covered with mountain laurel and hemlocks. Phillip realized that if they were to have any chance at finding Poll Soll, the men would have to be spread thinner and be even more alert.
The wind whipped through the hemlocks giving everyone an uneasy feeling as they searched. Despite the wind Phillip remained optimistic.
Poll Soll observed their movement from his hiding place on the steepest slope of the mountain facing the campsite, an area the lieutenant didn’t bother to search. It was the site of the Indian burial cave, and he had it well camouflaged. He made it invisible with branches and leaves. Each time he left the cave, he covered his tracks with tree branches then threw leaves down obscuring his trail and any footprints. Poll Soll used all the skills he had been taught.
The cave was a sacred burial place where many of his ancestors were buried including his mother and brother, but not his father whom he despised for the way that he’d treated his mother. Poll Soll had pulled his brother out of the well, drug him back to the burial cave and had given him a traditional Indian burial.
Over the years, the entrance to the cave had become smaller from falling rock. At night he cooked when the soldiers cooked so they would not smell his fire. He moved only at night to get water. He had accumulated blankets and skins because the temperature in the cave was always cold. He was always on the alert, keen to his surroundings, and even with his bad leg, he seldom made mistakes. His life depended on it.
The hike up the mountain, covering the terrain they’d already searched, wasn’t easy. The existing snow and wet leaves made the climb treacherous; they had to grab trees to pull themselves up. By the time Phillip reached the top the sun rose above the mountain. This time the search would be much more difficult.
Before they started, Phillip yelled, “Go slow, take your time, and yell out if you see anything sus
picious.”
A deer darted across the path on occasion but no loud roars echoed through the Cogan this day. Slowly, they made their way toward the end of the mountain. When they reached the point of the mountain Phillip ordered, “Keep going down the mountain.” There was thick underbrush that he felt had to be checked out. He hesitated for awhile before starting down. He watched to see any movement in front of the men hoping to spot Poll Soll.
After the search when Phillip rejoined his men, they could see his frustration and anger. He stared at the mountains shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that a man, who was lame, could outsmart him and all his troops. He’d be back, more determined than ever.
When the search party arrived back at the fort, the first thing Phillip did was make arrangements for Tom and get his mail. There were several letters from Ann, so he went straight to his cabin and started reading. He read all the letters she wrote, starting with the oldest. He loved the way she expressed herself and her feelings toward him. The entire time he read he couldn’t help but smile.
Dear Phillip,
I miss you and hope you’re well. My love for you grows stronger with each day, and it has helped me in ways I can’t express. I’m doing much better. I now feel that I’ve overcome my sadness from the loss of Rachel. I shall always miss her, but I feel alive again and ready to move on with my life which includes you. Father has plans to return to his lodge very soon, and even though he hasn’t expressed it, I know he misses Mary. He intended to go alone and leave me in Philadelphia, but there’s no way I could stay here when you’re so close. I’ve convinced Father that I’m fine. Father intends to stay for the trial of the murderers and told me if I could remember I’d be the key witness. I want to testify because I want justice for Rachel’s murder. I want to remember, but I can’t. We should be at the lodge sometime during February; I’ll let you know exactly when. All my love, Ann
He felt so good after reading the last letter he found it hard to contain his emotions and his eyes filled with tears. Ann’s letters helped him. After he settled in, he wrote a short letter and told Ann he was overjoyed with the news of their impending trip. He didn’t mention anything about the search and not catching the murderers, even though he knew there was only one. Charles’ and Ann’s return to the lodge put more pressure on him. He had to find Poll Soll and fast!
The next morning Phillip reported to the captain, “Sir, I felt sure I would be back at the fort with a prisoner, but I failed. I can’t believe we didn’t catch him. This man is very clever and a capable adversary, cagier than I thought, but I’m determined. I’d like to go back to the Cogan and start the search again with your permission.”
“Lieutenant, in your absence I received orders from Washington. A general will be coming for an inspection of the fort. They may be closing it sooner than we anticipated.”
“When will that be, sir?”
“Mid-February. Until that inspection is complete, I want you to remain here at the fort. After that, you can take another search party and, hopefully, catch this man.”
“Yes sir, Captain.” Phillip was disappointed, but he knew his duties came first.
After he was off duty, Phillip decided to show Tom around Sunbury. “Tom I want to take you to the place where I first met Ann and Rachel. It’s called the Market House. I was surprised to learn that there is nothing like it in Philadelphia.”
“We have open air shopping at the docks, but nothing under one roof. I can see why Rachel was so excited. This is quite a place,” Tom said.
“Tom, my captain gave me some bad news,” Phillip said as they sat down to eat. “I’ll have to postpone the search until after an inspection which is planned for mid-February. It’s possible they could close the fort sooner than anticipated. It could be at least three weeks until we can search again. This changes the plans we had. In the meantime, do you want to stay in Sunbury or go back to the lodge?”
“I’ll have to think about it, but I lean toward going to the lodge and helping Mary. I wouldn’t know what to do here. I’ll let you know in a day or two.”
”Well, let’s end the evening with a drink or two, if you’re up to it. If there’s time, we can observe the dance in the Market House.”
“I’m up for that. Rachel mentioned a dance in her letters. She said it reminded her of the dances in Philadelphia.”
The drink helped them both relax, and Phillip asked Tom, “What are your plans for the future after this ordeal is over?”
“I really don’t know what I’ll do. Rachel was my life. Mr. Fairchild told me I have a job when I return, but I’m not going back to Philadelphia until her murderer is caught, tried, and hanged. After that we’ll see. I know Carrie blames me for what happened, but she needs someone to help her. I hope she’ll forgive me.”
“In the last letter I received from Ann, she implied that both she and Mr. Fairchild would return to the lodge in February. He wants to see that justice is done for Rachel’s murder.”
“Mr. Fairchild is a fair man and has been good to me. I hold no grudge against anyone. What’s done is done and it can’t be changed. Like I said, when this ordeal is over I’ll move on with my life,” Tom said. He eyed Phillip. “Are you positive that Poll Soll is still in the area we searched? We didn’t find a single clue.”
“He’s there, but he has the advantage. He knows the area,” Phillip assured him. “Do you have doubts, Tom?”
“I do. Surely we should’ve found something. I didn’t think it was going to be this difficult.”
Over dinner the next evening Tom said, “I’ve decided to go back to the lodge. I don’t know what I’d do here. I can at least help Mary there.”
“When do you plan to leave Sunbury?”
“If the weather is nice, I’ll probably leave tomorrow. I should be there tomorrow evening.”
“Will you be alright traveling through the Cogan alone?”
“Yes, I think I’ll be fine. If Poll Soll is there, I doubt if he’d try anything. But I’ll have my pistols ready just in case.”
“I’ll send a message the week before we’ll resume the search. Maybe you can stay at the Herndon Inn the night before we’re scheduled to arrive. You can join us from there.”
CHAPTER 19
The weeks passed quickly, and the inspection went well. There was still no decision on closing the fort. Phillip approached the captain about volunteers for a search. “Captain, now that the inspection is behind us, I’d like permission to return to the Cogan. I’ll ask for volunteers and, hopefully, we’ll have at least twelve men join the search.”
“Lieutenant, you have my permission to resume the manhunt, if you can find twelve volunteers. With that many, you should be able to capture this man. I know you want justice for the murder of your friend.”
“If there’s no problem and I can get volunteers, I’d like to leave on Monday.”
“That’s fine with me, Lieutenant.”
This time Phillip had no problem getting the number of volunteers he wanted, and Monday morning Sergeant Koppenhaver had the troops ready to move out at daybreak. The patrol stopped at the Herndon Inn to pick up Tom and inquire about Poll Soll.
“Sergeant, I’m going to get Tom, and I’ll meet you here in a few minutes.” After greeting Tom, Phillip told him, “I want to speak to the innkeeper before we leave. I’ll meet you out front with the rest of the men.”
“Lieutenant, you’re back. I thought you gave up,” the innkeeper said when Phillip walked in.
“We had a delay in plans, but I’ll never give up. Has anyone mentioned that they’ve seen Poll Soll?”
“None of my patrons have seen him, but all the local people are scared over the murders that took place. I hope you find him this time.”
“I’m determined to bring him to justice. This time we’ll find him,” Phillip said as he left the inn.
Phillip’s plan was to search before they made camp, and he brought the men to a halt at the house of Jim Soll.
>
He ordered, “Sergeant, have two men take all the horses and the supply wagon to the site where we camped before and have them set everything up. The rest of us will search up the trail on the north side of the mountain from this point all the way back to the campsite.”
The search covered the top of the mountain to the bottom, and Phillip instructed, “Go slow and deliberate in your search. Any human sign, I want you to yell out.”
They flushed out several flocks of turkey and chased out many deer as the search progressed. Deep into the search, Phillip again became frustrated until one of the men yelled, “Sir, there are parts of an animal, probably from a deer.”
Phillip looked down the mountainside. “Men, hold up. This is the first real clue we’ve had since we started. I knew he had to be here. He made a mistake by leaving these deer parts. Now I know we’ll find him.”
Phillip and Tom went to see the site. “These remains appear to be several days old, and there’s no way to determine the direction he took the deer,” Phillip said.
Tom looked at Phillip and said, “Do you think Poll Soll made a mistake? Surely he is shrewd enough to eliminate any signs.”
“Yes, I think he made a mistake. Maybe he thought we gave up and wouldn’t be back. Let’s continue with the search. This time I want everyone to go down the steep slope at the end of the mountain. I don’t want any part of the mountain unsearched.”
The search ended at the campsite and that was the only evidence of Poll Soll’s existence. Again frustration turned to anger.
That evening Phillip, the sergeant and Tom discussed the search plan for the next day. Phillip decided, “We’ll search the south side of the mountain on the opposite side of the Cogan.”
Again the day’s search produced nothing. Phillip became even more discouraged and was ready to give up. He couldn’t believe a lame little man could outwit the army. Realizing that they had only one day left, he summoned the sergeant and Tom to his tent. “I want your ideas on where Poll Soll might be hiding.”