Esther

by Jim Cox

  Esther’s goodbyes were lengthy with a great deal of emotion, especially with Mrs. Winslow who had become a mother figure to her. Of course, all kinds of advice and warnings were offered concerning her travels in the restless, crime-filled post-war south she’d be traveling in, but Esther didn’t seem to be bothered. I can take care of myself, she thought as she left the house on her way to the barn. I’m not like most women who have never been exposed to the untamed men of the land. Esther looked down at the light blue bandanna circling her neck atop a blue man’s shirt tucked into her Levi pants with a wide leather belt circling her waist. Her pant legs were inserted into high-heeled, pointed-toe riding boots. Esther imagined the flat-crowned man’s hat topping her hair bun and grinned as she mumbled to herself, “the way I’m dressed I don’t even look like a woman.” Mark was in the barn when she came to get her horse and pack mule.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go along, Ma? I don’t like the thought of you traveling alone in these treacherous times. It’s not safe for a woman.” Mark pleaded his cause as he helped his mother pack the last few things onto Sadie, her pack mule, but his words fell on deaf ears.

  “I’ll be fine, son. Don’t worry about me,” Esther was optimistic, but then she paused, and in a docile voice she said, “I have to find out what happened to Doyle, son. I’ll never be able to get him out of my thoughts unless I find a closure of some kind.” Esther paused again, and then said, “Promise me you’ll stay here for another week or so and help Red with the roundup before you go back to New Orleans and head out to sea—he’s a bit rusty, and he’ll need your help.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mark answered.

  Esther reached into her inside vest pocket and pulled out two hundred dollars. “Take this, son. It’ll tide you over when you get back to New Orleans and start earning a pay.”

  “I don’t need it, Ma—I’ve saved up nearly fifty dollars.” But Esther insisted, so Mark pocketed the money.

  “How about you, Ma? Are you leaving with enough money?” he asked.

  Esther smiled. “I have a little over a thousand dollars in my money belt, son.” Mark’s eyes bugged.

  They promised to leave word for one another with Virginia once each got settled. Then Esther turned and pulled the saddle girths tighter on Abigail, her chestnut mare, and turned back to Mark. “Life is an exciting adventure, son. Live it to the fullest and remember to keep the Lord in the center of your decisions at all times. Work hard, and become known as the sailor who can be trusted and keeps his word under all circumstances.” With tears streaming down her cheeks, Esther said, “Son, I’m not sure where I’m headed, and there’s a chance we’ll never see each other again, but never doubt that you’ll be in my thoughts and prayers every day.” Esther paused, wiping her eyes on the edge of her bandanna. “Now lean down, Mark, and give your ma a big goodbye hug and kiss.”

  Esther stopped at the boarding house in Fort Gibson to say her last goodbye to Virginia. While she was there, Virginia insisted she have a fast bite to eat. After leaving the boarding house, Esther checked one last time at Major Engle’s office. “I’m sorry Esther, but I don’t have any news whatsoever concerning Doyle. It appears as if he’s disappeared into thin air. No one knows of his whereabouts, and I’ve heard nothing concerning the Union messages I sent out.”

  “Major Engle,” Esther replied with her quest burning inside her, “I’ve dedicated myself to finding Doyle. If he’s alive, I’ll find him. If he’s dead, I need to know how he was killed. Can you suggest the best way for me to go about my search?” The major turned toward the window behind his desk and considered her question.

  Esther was motionless when he turned back, her steady eyes penetrating. “I guess I’d first go to Cairo, Illinois,” the major said. “That’s his old civilian stomping grounds where most everyone knows of him. It’s also where he was originally assigned to carry out his war duties. Navigating from there on steamboats up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers transporting supplies and soldiers throughout the south. There’s a possibility word of his fate or his whereabouts has leaked back to his friends in that area but not made it to official military channels.”

  Esther nodded her agreement and then asked, “How far is Cairo, Major, and what’s the best way to get there?”

  “There’s no easy way, Esther—no train or stagecoach. You’d have to ride the trails across northern Arkansas. I’d estimate it to be at least three hundred and fifty miles.”

  “I could make that in a couple of weeks if I don’t have trouble; wouldn’t you think, Major?”

  “Maybe a little longer, Esther, the western part of the state is a hard ride with high hills and rivers, and even though the eastern side flattens out, it full of swamps.” The major paused for a few seconds thinking on the matter. “Esther, if you don’t find Doyle in Cairo check out the Confederate prison camps.”

  “Haven’t the men already been released from the camps, Major? It’s already been weeks since the war ended.”

  “Not all of ʼem, Esther. I’ve been told Camp Ford may not be releasing their inmates for a month or two, and there may be more camps doing the same.”

  “Where’s Camp Ford located, sir?”

  “It’s in Northeast Texas, near Texarkana. In a little town called Tyler.”

  “Thank you, Major Engle. You’ve been a big help to me,” Esther said as she turned to leave.

  “Esther,” the major, called out. She turned back. “If you don’t find him at either of those two places, come on back here. I’ve sent new word out to all the Union channels. He may have sent a letter to you that hasn’t arrived yet.” She nodded.

  The corporal and major stood at a window watching Esther as she stepped into the stirrup. “I wish she wasn’t traveling by herself, sir, a woman ain’t suited to take care of herself in this country,” the corporal said.

  Major Engle chuckled, “You don’t know Esther Taylor, Corporal…she’s relentless.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Esther’s first week’s travel across north Arkansas went without incident. She was a little uneasy the first couple of nights because she had seen bear and cougar tracks along the river banks, so she kept a fire burning all night for protection. She’d also seen horse tracks, several made from barefooted horses.

  The weather remained dry and had warmed considerably. Major Engle was right; the country was dominated by oak-covered high hills. Many of the land’s crevasses channeled swift flowing rivers. The faint trail Esther followed seemed to follow the least stressful route through the hills and river crossing. Abigail and Sadie ambled onward down the trail without much guidance.

  Esther made it a practice to build her night camp away from the trail; preferably among a cluster of trees that would filter camp smoke and hide her from any passerby. It’s a strange thing when one sleeps in the out-of-doors. Loud natural noises such as crickets, katydids, and frogs don’t seem to bother a person, but an unnatural noise, such as a twig snapping, causes eyes to open wide. That was the case for Esther during her second week. The morning was turning gray when she heard the sound of a twig being broken. She quickly sat up, reached for her pistol which was close at hand under her hat, but she was too slow. A man grabbed her from behind as another man rounded the fire.

  “She’s a looker, George; we made a good catch,” the man holding Esther called out. As George got closer, the firelight reflected off of a tall, thin man who wore dirty, worn out clothes. His body odor nearly caused Esther to gag as he approached her with a wide grin exposing a mouthful of tobacco-stained rotten teeth; some were missing.

  “Hold her tight, Neil. We ain’t wanting her to get away ʼtil we have our way with her.” George was all smiles as he gestured Neil away and pushed Esther backward onto her bedroll as he squatted down over her, but his smile quickly faded when he felt the end of Esther’s pistol in his belly—then he heard the hammer click back.

  “If you’re not off of me in five seconds, you’re a dead man,
” Esther said with a tone of authority. George quickly stood up. “Now you and your friend lay your guns on the ground and go stand by the fire where I can keep an eye on ʼya.” They followed her orders and watched as Esther stomped into her boots and gathered her belongings along with their guns. Neil made an attempt to start off once, but then Esther’s gun sounded and her bullet raised dirt within inches of his foot, so he eased back to the fire.

  When Esther was ready to leave, she made the men pull their boots off, and after tucking both pair under the pack ropes on Sadie’s back, she back-tracked George and Neil’s boot prints to their horses and took them in hand. “I’ll turn your horses loose in a couple hours,” she called out as she rode over the hill facing the eastern sun.

  Minutes later when Esther had calmed herself, she thought with smiling eyes, a long morning walk without boots should teach those men not to mess with a seasoned woman

  »»•««

  After she arrived, the three days spent in Cairo proved fruitless. People who Esther talked with seemed to have the same story concerning Doyle. They were all well acquainted with him. He was a law-abiding citizen; a Union officer who piloted a steamer up and down the Mississippi. But no one had heard anything about him for well over a year.

  Esther was at loss on what to do next to find Doyle. Her thoughts went in all directions, even to John, her ex-husband who was in a prison at Alton, Illinois, possibly not far from where she was. She no longer had any affection for him, whatsoever, but she did recognize an obligation to him because he was her children’s father. After much thought. she decided to visit him if the prison wasn’t too far away.

  Esther found out Alton was across the river from St. Louis and could easily be reached by riverboat within a few days. She bought tickets for herself and horses.

  Not long after Esther was seated in a secure room with bars separating her from the inmate section, she saw a gray-headed man with a stubble beard, wearing a loosely fitting striped shirt and pants approach her with a guard alongside. She was stunned. The last time she’d seen him, he was a vibrant, handsome man all decked out in a suit and tie. “Hello, Esther. What are you doing here?” John asked without much enthusiasm.

  “I wanted to see you again, John, to find out how you were doing and tell you what’s going on in our children’s lives.” John only nodded, and Esther continued, “Joan married an army doctor and lives in Cape Girardeau. I hear from her through the army communication system quite often, and things seem to be going well with her.”

  “What about Mark?” John asked.

  “He joined up with the southern army, but he’s back home now. Before his army days, he worked for a cargo company, sailing to ports around the world, and wants to make that his life’s career—maybe become a captain of his own ship.” Again, John nodded.

  There was a long silence, neither Esther or John knew what to say. They both recalled the days when they were together; some good–but mostly bad, especially during the last couple of years, but there was no point in bring those times up. Finally, Esther said, “I wanted to come here, John, and tell you face-to-face that I’ve fallen in love with a wonderful man, and he’s asked me to marry him–I accepted.” Esther paused. “He joined the Union Army early on, and I haven’t heard from him since. I’m not sure if he’s still alive, but I haven’t given up. My inner self tells me to keep looking–that I’ll find him someday. That’s really why I’m in this part of the country, John, I’m looking for him.”

  “I hope you find him, Esther.”

  “John, I have completely removed you from my life, and I wish never to see you again, in or out of prison, but I do encourage you to have some sort of relationship with our children. I’m not sure about Mark, but I believe Joan would like to spend time with you.” There were a few more comments made before she left, but not many.

  The next day, Esther caught a southbound steamboat for New Orleans. As she sat in a cushioned chair, holding a cup of coffee, she recapped her visit with John and thought how she’d tell Mark and Joan about it—she’d think of something. However, at the moment, she was a bit fidgety and not feeling comfortable wearing the dress and undergarments with laced-up shoes instead of her range clothes and boots. Not only was Esther uncomfortable in her attire but she was agitated by her failure to find Doyle, along with the thought of possibly never seeing her children again.

  Esther spent a good deal of time standing at the boat railings watching the river banks slither by on the way to New Orleans. She spoke with crew members about Doyle. Several knew him and even praised his accomplishments, but no one had heard anything of him for the past several months; two men said they assumed he had been killed.

  After the boat docked at New Orleans, Esther spent a day looking for her son at the docks, only to learn he’d already shipped out to sea. Esther started to make plans to head for the Confederate prison camp in Tyler, Texas. She checked at one of the local stagecoach offices and found out a direct stage line to Tyler didn’t exist. He explained she could travel by stagecoach in a zigzag faction across country, but the trip would take several weeks. Consequently, Esther figured she might as well travel on Abigail. The clerk at the office also told her much of the travel would be through desert-like conditions and the distance was a mite short of five hundred miles, which she figured would take at least three weeks if she rode horseback.

  Esther spent the night in a hotel near the docks and the next day she went to a riverside café where she was making out a list of items she needed for her trip. The waitress had just refilled her cup when three skinny young men in bright new Union uniforms came through the door and sat at the table next to hers. Two of the men tipped their hats in greeting. It wasn’t long before their cups were refilled and plates of breakfast were placed before them.

  “You look awfully busy, ma’am,” said one of the Yankees. “Are you writing a letter to someone?”

  Esther smiled. “I’m making out a list of supplies for an overland trip to Tyler, Texas.”

  When Esther mentioned Tyler, Texas, all three young men turned toward her with questioning expressions. “We just came from Tyler, ma’am,” one told her. “We were prisoners at Camp Ford near Tyler.” Esther’s heart skipped a beat. “When the Union took over the camp at war’s end, they gave us new uniforms and horses to get back home. We left there a month ago and came straight to New Orleans where we plan to take a steamer back to Illinois where we live.”

  Esther took a long swallow, hesitating to ask the obvious question because their answer might not be what she wanted to hear, but after stalling for several seconds, she asked, “Did you happen to know a Union prisoner there by the name of Doyle Owens?”

  The men looked at one another and then with a smile asked, “Do you mean Captain Doyle, ma’am?” Esther couldn’t contain herself as tears started to roll down her cheeks and hard sobs sounded. It was minutes before she got control of herself.

  “You must be Esther Taylor,” one of the men said with smiling eyes. “You’re the fiancé the captain talked about while he was at Camp Ford. He said you were the most wonderful woman who ever lived and as pretty as a field of wildflowers.”

  “Enough of that kind of talk,” Esther said smiling. “Do you know where he is now?”

  “He was with us when we got here yesterday, but there was a northbound steamer heading out at noon that he boarded. I heard him say he hoped the Arkansas River was passable all the way to Fort Smith.”

  Esther wiped tears from her smiling eyes. “I’ve been searching for him ever since the war’s been over,” Esther said. “That’s why I was going to Tyler. To see if he was a prisoner there. We made plans to get married as soon as the war was over.”

  »»•««

  Esther and her horses were on the northbound Mississippi steamer the next morning heading for Fort Smith. She had discarded her fancy clothes and was now wearing her range clothing. She was anxious–very anxious. It seemed to her the steamer was moving extremely slow and
she even expressed herself to the captain, but he only smiled, knowing of her hurry.

  The first leg of her trip ended at the mouth of the Arkansas River where she boarded a much smaller steamer traveling west to Fort Smith. In late afternoon, four days after leaving New Orleans, she landed in Fort Smith. Before settling in for the night, Esther went to the livery and bought a second horse to speed up her travels. Fort Gibson was only sixty miles away, but she wanted to get there as soon as possible.

  At noon two days later, Esther tied her horses to the tie-rail in front of Major Engle office and hurried inside. The major was in the outer room talking with his corporal. “Major!” Esther said excitedly. “Have you seen Doyle? He left New Orleans a few days back and was headed this way.” The corporal smiled and started to say something, but the major waved him off.

  “Why don’t you wait inside my office, Esther; I’ll be there in a few minutes.” When the major's private door closed, "Doyle" echoed loudly throughout the office.

  “How come you didn’t tell Mrs. Taylor that Doyle was in there, Major Engle?”

  “We had no right to witness their reunion, corporal. It was a private matter for the two of them.”

  “What’s gonna happen to them now?” the corporal asked.

  The major smiled. “We’d better get our best uniforms cleaned. We’ll be attending a wedding in a few days.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  The foliage along the Arkansas river bank displayed a beautiful array of majestic fall color as the northbound steamer lazily pushed itself against the river current on its way to St. Louis. Overhead, strings of geese occasionally shared the October evening sky with fluffy pillow-like clouds floating high above the river against a blue sky. The temperature was perfect, and a slight breeze made the riverboat’s deck a delightful setting for passengers.