by Unknown
Having done this more than once, we knew what to look for. We found the tool box next to the track and took out the spanner and crowbar. Sergeant Jones assigned a new boy with one of the older troopers so that they too could learn how to wreck a train. Sergeant Ritchie kept watch for the train. We removed four lengths of rail and threw them in the river. Had we had time we would have lit a fire and bent them to make them unusable but we just needed to disrupt the line until Lee had crossed the border. We had finished and there was still no train. It was disappointing to derail a train and not be able to watch it but we had more work to do.
We headed north through the Maryland hills. The forests were thick here and we felt comfortable and safe. We rode towards the battlefield of Antietam and Boonsboro. We found a deserted farmhouse a couple of miles from town. There were many such farms. Men went off to war and got killed; their wives struggled to make a living and they either died or left. It was sad and was something else that the south and the north had in common. We could see no traces of recent habitation. We wondered about the owners until sad faced Sergeant Ritchie came into the farmhouse where we had just got a fire going.
“I found the last owner sir.”
I left the warm room and followed him. When we reached the barn there were two skeletons, a cow and, from the remains of the dress, an old woman. She must have come to milk the cow and died. The cow had died later. The rats and foxes had left little for us to bury but we did so anyway. She had been someone’s wife and mother. We laid her in the ground and bowed our heads. This war didn’t just kill soldiers.
The burial was sobering for all of us. I mounted guards at the edge of the wood but I could see why no-one had visited; it was on the slopes of South Mountain and the entrance was little wider than that needed to get a small cart up. As a base it would serve.
The next day I went with Ritchie and three troopers to scout out Boonsboro. It was a small town and I could see nothing military there. Although disappointing it was also reassuring as it meant that we were unlikely to bump into any Yankee patrols. The pike led to Hagerstown and we followed that road. We left a mile before the outskirts of the busy town. We saw the railroad line which ran north of the city and made our way there. The shiny rails showed that it was in constant use and, even as we watched, a train came from the north. We dismounted and left our horses in a stand of trees. We made our way to the station.
The station was a small version of Manassas Junction. My eyes soon lit upon the warehouses. There were not as many as Manassas but I was certain that they would yield a healthy harvest for us. I had seen enough and we crept back to our horses. When we reached our horses, to my horror, there was a young woman feeding carrots to Copper. One of the younger troopers went for his pistol but I restrained him.
She turned around at the movement. “Good morning ma’am. A fine horse eh?”
She nodded, “I can see the spirit in the animal. What beautiful eyes and a gorgeous colour.”
I put my hand on Copper’s mane as I gestured for the others to mount, “Copper this is…?”
“Mary Malone, Miss Mary Malone.”
“Miss Mary Malone. Copper appreciates carrots. They are much better than some of the poor grass we have around these parts.”
She suddenly looked me in the eye. “Except you aren’t from these parts are you? You are Rebs from south of the river.”
My heart sank. I had taken her for a simpleton. “Yes ma’am.” I swung myself in the saddle. I could see the nervous expressions on my men’s faces.
She gave a smile. “Don’t worry. I am a Stephen’s City girl. I was brought here as a servant when the war started I work in a large house over yonder. But be careful. There is a company of Maryland Infantry stationed in the town.” She stepped back, “Nice to have met you Captain…?”
“Hogan, John Hogan. And I am pleased to have met you.” We turned and headed back towards the turnpike.
Ritchie said, nervously, “She might go to the authorities you know sir.”
“If she was going to do that she wouldn’t have warned us about the infantry. I have a gut feeling that she will not betray us but, just to be sure, we’ll double the guards tonight. Tomorrow we raid the railroad.”
For some reason I was not worried about the woman. She had seemed genuine but Sergeant Ritchie looked relieved to be woken by the sentry and not a blue coated northerner.
I gathered the men around me in the barn. “I know that we could attack at night but I want to make sure that we get a train this time. We were told to get supplies and we will. Half of us will be dealing with the train.” I pointed to Sergeant Jones and his company, “That will be you men with the sergeant. The rest will be with me and Sergeant Ritchie. We will make sure that we are not surprised by any Yankees. We know there is a company of infantry in the town. Our job will be to slow them down. When we have whatever is on the first train then we high tail it back here.” I paused, “If anything happens to me then Sergeant Jones is in charge and he continues to follow the colonel’s orders.”
I could see the looks of surprise on the men but Dago’s incarceration had been a warning that things could go wrong.
“Let’s go.”
I led the column towards the railroad. We had chosen a cutting two miles from the town. There was a bend which would cause the train to slow anyway. While Sergeant Jones and his men located a trackside tool box I ordered Sergeant Ritchie to head a mile down the track towards the town. “I’ll join you once we have begun the demolition.”
When we had first done this we had had the luxury of watching for trains for a whole day before derailing one. General Lee’s accelerated timetable meant that we had to take more chances.
When Jones and his men appeared with the tools I watched to make sure that they would be able to take up the rails. Even though many of the troopers were new to this they soon picked up the hang of it. “Carry on sergeant, and good luck! I hope it is something that we can use eh?”
“Yes sir and you take care now.”
“I will.”
I found Sergeant Ritchie. We were close to the spot where we had seen the girl the previous day. We dismounted and tied our horses to a tree. Hopefully it would be an easy duty and we would not be needed but we improvised a barrier from some of the undergrowth. If it was infantry who came to investigate then we merely had to slow them down, our horses would give us a quick escape route.
The men hunkered down with carbines at the ready. This was the hard time when you just waited. I hoped that Jones and his men would have finished their work. However, as just one rail had been removed whilst I watched, I knew that the train would not reach Hagerstown. We heard the wail of the engine’s whistle in the distance.
I turned to Ritchie, “They will hear that in the town. I reckon they will expect it to reach them in twenty minutes or so. I think that gives us an hour. Make sure the boys eat and drink something. In one hour all hell will break loose.”
“Sir. If I might suggest sir? Why don’t we lay one of those fallen trees across the railroad line in case they send a hand car down?”
“No, I don’t think so. We could capture the hand car and it would allow Jones more time. Make sure we have a couple of the boys on the other side of the track. We will use a rope to stop it should they send one.”
He smiled, “Will do sir. Now I see why you are an officer and I am just a sergeant.”
“Don’t knock yourself son; I was a sergeant once myself. That shows initiative and that you are thinking.”
We waited nervously. When we heard the unmistakeable sound of the squeaking wheels of a railroad trolley every gun was cocked. I knew that I could leave Ritchie to deal with the trolley. I went to the troopers at the barrier.
“Don’t fire until I tell you.”
They nodded their understanding. The squeaking drew closer and I glimpsed it through the trees. There were two railroad men and a single soldier. I kept watching ahead knowing that the three men would soon be cap
tured. The trolley passed us and we remained hidden. I heard the sound of something falling into the bushes and a scuffle. A few moments later Trooper White appeared. “We have a handcart now sir and three prisoners.”
“Tie them up and then take the handcart with them on board down to Sergeant Jones. Get back here as soon as you can.”
I was ensuring that all the prisoners were in one place and, this way, I could discover our progress.”Right boys, I reckon some time in the next half hour we will find some Yankees coming down this track. Keep an eye open.”
It was sooner than half an hour when we heard the crunch of feet on the stones beneath the sleepers. They were marching down the track. Trooper White appeared next to me. He whispered when I put my hands to my lips. “Sergeant Jones has the train. It is tinned food and ammunition. He is loading it on the horses now. He said he would blow up the train too.”
I nodded. I should have ordered him to do that anyway. I focussed my attention on the track. I saw the officer leading the fifty or so men and he was about a hundred yards away. I wanted to have the maximum firepower and I waited until they were but fifty yards away.
“Fire!”
The column was caught cold and the leading soldiers all fell in a heap. The Maryland men quickly left the track and began firing back. They could not see us and would be firing at the smoke. Their dark uniforms made them hard to see in the undergrowth and I was not sure that we were hitting anyone. Suddenly there was an explosion from behind us. Sergeant Jones had destroyed the train.
“Sergeant Ritchie, fall back to the horses. I’ll be with the rearguard.” I turned to the four men with me. “Stay behind me and walk back slowly.” I slung my carbine over my shoulder and drew my Colt.
The northerners were still firing but they would soon realise that we had gone. Sure enough, I heard the order, “Cease fire and move forward.” There was still someone in command.
“Pick your targets. We will see them soon enough.”
Our improvised barrier meant that they could not fire as they struggled to cut through it with their bayonets. We began to pick them off and that slowed them down even further. “Fall back to the horses.”
Ritchie and the rest of the troopers were already mounted.
“Lead them off, sergeant. We will keep an eye on these boys until we are clear.”
It had been a successful raid. We had captured valuable booty, destroyed a train and bloodied the Yankees’ noses. We waited until we saw the blue uniforms filtering through the undergrowth and then we fired. They answered with some wild shots which scattered leaves and branches above our heads.
“That’s enough. Back to the farm!”
The troopers turned and galloped off with me in hot pursuit. I allowed the troopers ahead of me to open a gap. Copper could outrun anything else in the troop. I turned to watch the blue coats and was relieved to see that they had stopped. As I turned back I suddenly saw a log on the trail; I wheeled Copper to one side and we leapt into the air. I did not see the branch in front of my face until it was too late. All went black.
I awoke and it was dark. I opened my eyes in panic. Was I in a Yankee prison? My hands were not tied, which was a good thing. I tried to sit up but my head hurt. I put a hand to my forehead and it came away bloody. I remembered now, I had hit a branch. My eyes had become accustomed to the dark and I saw that I was in a small wooden outbuilding of some description. There were some tools and broken pieces of wood and metal. It was a workshop. I stood, a little gingerly, but I managed to stand upright. I went to the tools to find one which might be used as a weapon. As I did so I put my hand to my holster and found my Colt. I was still armed. I was thoroughly perplexed. How had I got here? Where was here? I was about to open the door and run out when I stopped. Whoever had brought me here had left me armed and, I assumed would return at some point. I could see, through the cracks at the edge of the poorly made door, that it was still daylight. When I moved it would have to be at night. I had no doubt that we had stirred up a hornet’s nest with our attack on the railroad.
I turned to examine the workshop again and saw that, on the other side of where I had lain, was a tin mug with a liquid in it. I sipped it. It was lemonade. This was becoming stranger by the minute. Someone had left me there and provided a drink. I went to the door and peered through the crack. The building was in the woods but there appeared to be a path leading up to it. I would have to wait for my benefactor to find me. In the dark I would have no idea which direction I should take. I sat down in the corner to wait for the dark or my rescuer, whichever came first.
I must have dozed off for I was suddenly alert. I had heard a noise. I slipped my Colt from its holster and then cursed myself; I had not checked to see if it was loaded. The footsteps on the path were faint, but they were heading for the door. I slipped behind it. The door swung open and I held my pistol before me. I contemplated clubbing whoever came through the door and then I got the faint smell of flowers. This was not a man.
Mary Malone peered into the darkness. “Are you there Captain Hogan?”
I stepped from behind the door and she gave a little squeak like a mouse. “Sorry if I made you start. Where am I? How did I get here?”
I saw that she had a bowl of water in her hand. “First let me tend to your wound and I will tell you as I dress it.” She gently began to wipe my head. “I heard the shooting for it is close to the house where I work. When the soldiers had gone I was curious and I came to see if there were any of your men wounded. I found none and I was about to go home again when I saw your boot sticking out from beneath a bush. I dragged you here to this workshop. It is a little way from the main house and I knew that you would be safe. I went back to where you fell and covered our tracks. They will not know you are here.” She finished dabbing it. “I do not think it needs a bandage. You are done.”
“Thank you for you ministrations and for your rescue. It was brave of you and you risked your life for me. I am grateful.”
“I told you before captain, I am a Virginia girl. My father and brother both died at Antietam. I have no love for the north.”
“And yet here you are in Maryland.”
She shrugged, “I am well thought of here and I earn a decent wage. I save it and when the war is over I will have saved enough to return home and begin my life anew.”
She was an eminently sensible girl. “I thank you again.”
“And what of you captain? From your accent you are not American born.”
“No, I am an Irishman but I have fought for the south since the start of the war.” As much as I enjoyed talking to this pretty young woman I had to get back to my men. “Are they still hunting us?”
She nodded. “They have brought some cavalry from Frederick. You and your men annoyed them by blowing up the train and killing their soldiers. They had felt safe here.”
I bit my tongue as I almost said that soon they would have an army to face and not a handful of raiders. “I will leave when it is dark.” I glanced at the door. “That will be soon I feel. Am I far from where I fell?”
“I dragged you about half a mile. I am sorry; we lost your hat along the way.”
I smiled, “A hat for a life is a fair exchange. Which way is the railroad?”
“We are about half a mile south of it.”
I began to work out where the farm we were using as a base was. By my reckoning it was about three or four miles south east of my present position. My time at sea had helped me to understand the stars and I could steer a course back to my men.
She took my hand in hers. “You should stay here captain. I can bring you food. They will stop searching in a day or so.”
I shook my head. They use the phrase, ‘the kindness of strangers’, and it was true from Stumpy and James Boswell through to Mary, people had been kind to me. I did not know why. “It is good of you to think of me but each minute I stay here increases the danger to you and I would not have you hurt for the world.”
She smiled at
me and gripped my hands a little tighter. “I just want to help you.” She looked at the ground. “I like you. I know that I should not be so open and forward but this war has shown me that you need to hang on to that which you desire and love for it can be taken away in an instant.”
I was taken aback, “And I like you Mary Malone. It is unexpected to find such beauty and kindness in the middle of a war. I promise you this; I shall return and find you when this war is over. I would have you know that I have a property.” I did not know why I blurted that out but her honesty and openness had disarmed me. I shrugged, “Or I did but I have money and I can provide but this is not the time for such things. I have men to lead and battles to fight. You may find someone else. But I promise you that I will return and if you feel the same way, whenever that day dawns, then we can then begin to plan for a future away from this war.”
I saw tears in her eyes and she buried her face in my chest. “There was a boy and he died along with my brother and my father. Until I saw you I thought that he would be the only man in my life and I will wait but please do not rush off yet. I would not have you captured.”
I laughed, “Do not worry. I will evade capture but I must get back. My men will worry about me and I meant what I said about returning.” I could see that it was dark. “And now I will leave.”
I felt embarrassed. What should I do? I felt I ought to do something. She did it for me. She leaned up and kissed me full on the lips. “And I shall be here when you return. Now come. Follow me and I will take you close to the road.”