A Simple Singing

by Leslie Gould

  Stumped, I wasn’t sure what to say in return. Thankfully Aenti Suz came to my rescue. “No, we’re so glad you did. What is your schedule like this week?”

  “We’re working at the shelter through next Thursday, and then we head home Friday.”

  “Perfect,” Aenti Suz said. “There’s a singing in the park that Thursday night. Would you join us for that?”

  Gordon met my eyes and I nodded in agreement. I doubted Elijah would go—it would be the perfect opportunity to spend some obligatory time with Gordon.

  He nodded and then got that serious, intense look on his face. “I was hoping you could join us one of the days we’re here. For an outing to the beach or something like that.”

  Elijah smirked. I wished Gordon hadn’t asked in front of him. I managed to mutter, “We’ll have to see.”

  Aenti Suz rattled off our landlady’s phone number. “Give Marie a call with the details. I’ll make sure she gets to the right place.” I wasn’t sure if I wanted a repeat of the evening at the shelter in Lancaster, not when I had limited time in Pinecraft.

  Gordon said that he would as Elijah gave me a grin and raised his eyebrows. Then Elijah said in a singsong voice, “I’ll be in touch soon too.”

  As Aenti Suz and I watched the van drive away, I said, “That was awkward.”

  “They are certainly very different young men, aren’t they?”

  I nodded. “A bishop’s son and a do-gooder.”

  Aenti Suz gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything more. Instead she turned and headed into the bungalow. “How about some ice cream and more of Annie’s story?” As she headed toward the kitchen, she said, “Where was I?”

  I followed. “Kate had just asked Annie to go to Gettysburg with her to nurse the wounded.”

  “That’s right.” Aenti Suz opened the freezer. “And George said no.”

  13

  Annie

  Kate stood and thanked Annie, who had retreated to the shadows of the room, swaying the baby. Then she leaned on the table and met George’s eyes. “Please discuss this with Annie and listen to her. It would be good for me to have someone to travel with, and her skills would be put to good use. The Lord commanded us to care for the sick and dying. All of us are called to serve, according to our gifts, in a time like this.”

  George crossed his arms and shook his head. “It’s bad enough that men in our communities have been drawn into the fight. My sister won’t be supporting this war, not in any way.”

  Kate stood up straight. “Didn’t you sell the Union hay?”

  George’s face grew red. “That was different—it was better to sell it than risk having the Confederates steal it. I’m responsible for Annie while she’s in my home. I won’t allow her to go to a battlefield.”

  Kate smiled at Annie, as if George hadn’t just spoken, and then grabbed her bag. “I’ll be riding the stagecoach to Hanover Junction tomorrow, and then I’ll catch the train to Gettysburg. Come into town in the morning if you want to go with me. I’ll have a pass for myself and for you too.”

  Annie nodded as the baby began to fuss. She moved him to her shoulder and continued bouncing him.

  “Do you think the trains are even operating?” George asked. “Don’t you think the Confederates probably destroyed what they could?”

  Kate shook her head. “I heard the tracks were to be repaired by now.”

  Annie spoke up. “What about going east, past the river, toward Lancaster?”

  “I’m guessing a ferry has been put in place,” Kate said. “They’ll have to get soldiers from Gettysburg to every hospital in the area, including across the river, as soon as possible. Thousands and thousands are dead and more are injured.”

  Annie shuddered at the thought again, trying to imagine how horrific some of the injuries might be.

  Harriet walked to the door with Kate and thanked her for coming. After she closed the door, she turned toward George. “What about those soldiers? What if Cecil is injured? What if others we know are? What if Ira is?”

  George kept his arms crossed.

  “And don’t tell me they shouldn’t have gone off to war. If you were younger and not married, you might have gone.”

  He shook his head. “Never.”

  She gave him a pathetic look. “What if it was one of our sons? Wouldn’t you want someone like Annie to go care for him?”

  George shook his head.

  “If you won’t let Annie go, then I will,” Harriet said.

  Annie gasped. A wife was to be submissive to her husband.

  Harriet marched toward Annie. “I’ll take the baby with me and accompany Kate in the morning.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” George said. “Both of you are being unreasonable. This is none of our concern.”

  Harriet, without saying another word to George, headed to the bedroom.

  Annie stepped to the table and gathered up the mugs. “I’d like to go,” she said to George, speaking as calmly as she could.

  He put his head in his hands. “I know you would.”

  She washed the dishes while he continued to sit in the same position. Finally, he got up and followed his wife into the bedroom. As the door opened, Annie could hear the baby crying.

  She wiped the dishes and turned off the lamp, pondering whether she should sneak out in the morning and meet Kate. Harriet would understand, but George would be furious.

  She slept fitfully and then rose long before dawn, not sure what she should do. But she couldn’t sneak out. If she was going to go, she needed to be honest with George about it. She washed and dressed, careful not to wake Noah.

  When she stepped out into the kitchen, ready to revive the fire and collect the water, George sat at the table, already dressed.

  As she said, “I’ve decided—” he said, “I’ll give you a ride—”

  She stopped and let him continue.

  “Into town,” he said. “The wagon is ready to go.”

  She gaped at her brother.

  “I’ll never be able to answer to Dat and Mamm for this, but if you want to go—which I know you do—I’ll get you to Kate.”

  “Denki.” She started back to her room. “Just give me a minute.” She quickly packed a bag and grabbed her cloak and bonnet. George wasn’t in the kitchen when she returned, so she grabbed biscuits, slices of ham, and a baked sweet potato. As she started out the door, Harriet called her name.

  She stood in the doorway to her room in her nightgown, the baby in her arms. Annie hurried toward her and kissed them both.

  “My sister,” Harriet said. “You are so brave. Please be safe. Find Cecil if you can, and tell him to send word that he’s all right.”

  Annie said she would and then hurried to join George.

  They were silent the entire trip, both watching as streaks of orange and pink came over the horizon and then the fiery ball of the sun up over the Susquehanna. As they started the descent into Peach Bottom, Annie asked her brother what made him change his mind.

  He grunted but didn’t answer.

  “George?”

  “I didn’t change my mind,” he said. “And I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you. But I know the Lord cares about those men and that you are capable of helping them.”

  Annie wasn’t sure that she’d be able to. In fact, she feared once she arrived in Gettysburg, she’d want to run the other way. But she at least had to try.

  George turned toward her. “So I’m going to do my best to trust the Lord to use you—and keep you safe amidst the carnage.”

  “Denki,” she said, her stomach dropping. Carnage. She feared she wouldn’t be worthy to do what she believed the Lord was calling her to do.

  As Annie and George approached her house, Kate stood on the porch, shading her eyes from the sun peeking over the Susquehanna hills across the river and through the clouds gathering on the horizon. Around her were baskets of food and stacks of crates.

  Puzzled, she wondered how Kate planned
to get all of the cargo on the stagecoach.

  The woman didn’t see them until George stopped in front of her house. Then she dropped her hand from her brow and ran toward them. “George,” she called out. “The ferry just arrived, bringing Woody across. Could you wait and help load the supplies into his wagon?”

  Of course Kate had a plan. They wouldn’t be taking the stagecoach after all.

  George jumped down from the wagon and tied the horse to the hitching post, and then all three of them worked together to move the goods down to the street. The clouds grew darker and thicker, and by the time Woody arrived with his wagon already half full, a drizzle had started. As they loaded it, the rain turned into a downpour.

  George asked Woody if he’d return to Peach Bottom after taking the load to Hanover Junction.

  “I’m taking them all the way to Gettysburg,” he said. “I want to make sure they get there safely, along with Miss Kate’s supplies and what I’ve brought too.” He took off his hat and ran his hand over his bald head as the rain fell on top of it. “Most likely I’ll be going back and forth after that.” He put his hat back on. “Hauling supplies there, probably helping to get soldiers out too.”

  George tugged on his beard. “Would you keep an eye on Annie? And bring her back here if . . .” George’s voice trailed off.

  The man nodded but didn’t say anything.

  Annie told her brother good-bye, and then he helped her up onto the wagon bench, next to Kate. As Woody’s team of six horses took off, heading toward Hanover, the rain increased. Kate pulled out an umbrella and held it over the three of them, but the drops still pelted them from both the front and the back.

  It turned out that neither Kate nor Woody had gotten much sleep the night before, so when they stopped for their noon meal along a creek, both fell asleep for a short time under the canopy of a tree. Woody woke with a start and called out to Kate. “Let’s get going. Others are depending on us.”

  The rain fell steadily all day and several times turned into downpours, turning the road into a mess. Woody stopped and knocked the mud off the wheels from time to time. Thankfully, he had a team of six horses to pull his wagon or they wouldn’t have made it through.

  Annie thought of the wounded soldiers. Were they still on the fields, being soaked by the rain? By the time they reached Hanover, darkness was falling and they stayed at the hotel. As they dried out, several men in the dining room talked about the skirmish three miles west of town over a week ago. Others had been to the battlefield around Gettysburg and talked of the devastation there. One of the men nodded toward Kate and Annie after Woody had gone out to sleep in the stable. “Where are you two headed?” he asked.

  “Gettysburg.” Kate held her head high. “We’re nurses.”

  The man shook his head. “It’s no place for women.” He shifted his gaze to Annie. “Especially not a young ’un.”

  Annie ducked her head, staring at the ground.

  The man frowned. “Well, Happy Independence Day,” he said. “May God save us from ourselves.”

  The next morning, they were on the road again before dawn. The rain continued, and when they reached Codorus Creek, which was running high, they could see the railroad bridge the Confederates had attempted to burn. The Union had already managed to repair it.

  They crossed the creek on the wood-plank bridge and continued on the fifteen miles to Gettysburg. The farmland was as beautiful as back home, but all the livestock was missing. Annie guessed either one army or the other had confiscated the animals to feed their troops.

  The rain stopped, and the day became warm and then hot. Woody’s horses increased their pace. They were all eager to end their journey.

  But in no time, Annie began to change her mind. First, there was a dead horse. Then ten or more soldiers, all Confederates, sprawled out in a field. The wind shifted and she pulled her apron up over her nose. The air had grown foul. And thick.

  An abandoned cannon pointed toward them, a dead soldier flung over the top of it. There were more horses, some mangled, and then more dead soldiers. Rifles and ammunition were spread across the field too.

  “Last night, in the Hanover Inn,” Woody said, “a man told me that many of the rifles abandoned on the battlefield were unfired on both sides.”

  “Why would that be?” Kate asked.

  “Only one reason, Miss Kate—well, two,” Woody answered. “First, when it came right down to it, many of the soldiers just couldn’t pull their triggers. Killing another person isn’t as easy as a lot of people think.”

  Annie cringed. Who would think taking another life could be easy?

  “That, or the soldiers were killed before they had a chance to get a shot off.”

  Annie swiped at her eyes. She focused on the landscape again. Ahead was a farmhouse that had the east side of it blown away, showing the rooms inside and a staircase that ended midway to the second floor. The fences all around the farm were broken like branches in a storm. And a stand of trees had been mowed down by cannon fire like cornstalks.

  They passed a wagon, crushed to smithereens, with no trace of the horses that once pulled it. Bits of clothing, belts, and knapsacks were strewn across another field. A piece of paper blew through the air, and Annie wondered if it was part of a letter that had been written to loved ones back home that would never be delivered.

  Her heart ached at the devastation all around them.

  In another field, a group of farmers were digging graves for soldiers, stacked like wood, against a fence.

  “Oh, Lord, help us,” Kate whispered.

  Woody exhaled and leaned against Kate for a quick moment.

  They passed several tents set up in a field with lots of people milling around and wounded soldiers spread across the ground.

  “That must be a field hospital,” Woody said. “They’ll be getting supplies from the Union. We need to make sure and tell Dr. Carson about it.”

  The trio passed by a cemetery and then, just before they reached the edge of the town, Kate said, “Turn here.”

  Up the hill, ahead of them, was a brick house with an orchard to the left of it and several outbuildings around it—a barn, stable, and washhouse were visible. Scattered across the front lawn, under two trees, were wounded soldiers.

  Annie gawked at the house. “This is where Dr. Carson lives?”

  Kate nodded. “I worked with him in Philadelphia before Ira and I moved to Peach Bottom. Soon after that he bought this house, but he’s served with Ira’s unit over the last year and that’s how we got back in touch.”

  Woody drove the wagon to the back of the house, parking it by the porch. A soldier hobbled up to the wagon. “Do you have supplies?”

  “Yep,” Woody answered. “And two nurses.”

  “Good. We need both.” The soldier limped around to the back.

  “And we’re looking for Ira King,” Kate added. “Is he nearby?”

  “He went to procure supplies,” the soldier said, “from the U.S. Christian Commission that set up in a store in town. It’s not far from here. He should be back soon.”

  The soldier with the limp was called Howdy. He was in charge of documenting all of the donations. As Woody and another soldier unloaded the crates, he recorded the items.

  With teary eyes, he thanked Kate as he counted twenty basins. Annie didn’t know how Kate did it, but she must have gone from house to house in Peach Bottom, persuading each family to give as much as they could.

  Kate went into the house to find the doctor, but Annie stayed outside and helped Howdy record the rest of the goods. Loaves of bread, vegetables, and even berries—although very ripe—filled the baskets, along with stewed fruit and canned beans and tomatoes. Toward the end, several hams and slabs of bacon were pulled from the wagon. Woody had brought more food, all the way from Lancaster County. Sacks of flour, beans, and tea. And more vegetables and hams.

  He looked at me and said, “These are from your people.”

  Annie shook her head.


  “Yep,” he said. “Your father collected them.”

  That warmed her heart. Perhaps Annie’s parents wouldn’t be as angry with her as she feared.

  As soldiers hauled the food off to a makeshift kitchen in a tent close to the orchard, the soldier went through the crates. They were packed with linens, blankets, towels, and fabric for bandages. Annie wondered if there was a bed left in Peach Bottom that was made. It seemed Kate had stripped every single one.

  As they finished going through the supplies, Kate came out the back door, followed by a doctor who wore a bloody apron. She introduced him to Woody and then to Annie as Dr. Carson.

  The doctor welcomed them both. “You and the supplies you brought could make all the difference,” he said. “We have a long, long road ahead of us, and the more help we have, the greater the distance we’ll be able to cover.”

  He gave Kate and Annie a quick tour, pointing out the tent to the side of the stable. “That’s where the amputations are done.” He turned to Kate. “I’ll need you to assist me.”

  Annie felt her knees grow weak, but she did her best not to show her alarm. Then he pointed to the door to the house. “Kate, you saw inside, but I’ll show you around more. And Annie too.”

  Before they headed up the steps, the doctor pointed out the bullet holes in the brick on the side of the house. “At one time,” he said, “the battle came to us. Thankfully, it moved on quickly.”

  Annie shivered as she followed him and Kate up the steps and onto the back porch. Ten soldiers were spread out on cots. Annie thought of Sophia back home, and her heart swelled. Several of the soldiers were asleep, but three were awake and watched as they walked through. One was missing an arm. Another a leg. All were wrapped in bloody rags. Again her knees weakened.

  Inside, distracted by the iron smell of blood and the scores of wounded soldiers, Annie did her best to listen to the doctor. They’d been doing triage since the battle. Those with wounds to their extremities had a chance of survival. Stomach, chest, and head wounds were another matter, however.

  Each room of the house was filled with the wounded, even the kitchen. By the time they ended their tour, Annie felt light-headed. Perhaps the doctor guessed so because he instructed her to go to the kitchen and get a bite to eat. “A cup of tea is a good idea too,” he said.