by Unknown
“Sir, do you want the Appaloosa?” I had captured the horse from the Yankees but I preferred Copper.
“No Carlton, call her my parting gift to you.”
He shook my hand firmly. “Sit it has been a privilege to serve with you. If you are ever in Winchester then look me up. I intend to own a stud farm and breed horses.”
“That is wonderful news and the same to you if you ever make Charleston.”
When the first of the wounded crossed then they began to depart. Most came from Virginia and they had the short journey to the Shenandoah Valley ahead of them. The rest of us faced the much longer journey to Charleston. It was over five hundred miles due south but we faced it in good heart.
Dago and I said goodbye to David who was staying with the army. We were the last three officers from the regiment and I would miss the quiet man who had saved so many lives. Sergeant Ritchie and Cecil came with us to Charleston. Ritchie to find his family and Cecil had promised himself that he would see me home and safe. I think Dago came with us because he enjoyed our company.
Cecil drove the wagon. It was easier for him than riding. His leg was healing but it was an ugly wound. He was philosophical about it. “Like you said sir, I still have my hands and I don’t need to walk to fix things.”
We had our string of horses behind us. It was like a walking bank. There was a desperate shortage of horses in the south and, if we needed money, then we could just sell them. The first three hundred miles helped Mary and Me to get to know each other. I rode next to the wagon and we chatted. Cecil would have a wry grin on his face when I told her some of our adventures. The war seemed to be forgotten. We were not passing soldiers and we heard no fighting. We avoided Richmond and stuck to the back roads.
The first major town we passed through was Raleigh. There were munitions factories and more evidence of a military presence. We paused only to buy supplies but we were challenged by the town marshal. He was a portly looking man who looked remarkably well fed considering the blockade of the coast. He had the smug look of someone who had a little power and abused it.
“I see you boys are wearing the Confederate grey. How come you aren’t at the front? You ain’t deserters are you?” His face told us he thought that we were.
I smiled at him. That was the best way to deal with officious officials. “No marshal. Our regiment was disbanded after Gettysburg and we were discharged.”
“Seems to me you look young enough and fit enough to still be fighting.”
Cecil snorted. “A little fighting might be good for you marshal. Get rid of that gut of yours.”
“Cecil!”
“Sorry sir.”
The marshal’s faced was red and angry. “You got any papers?”
“I could say that as a captain in the 1st Virginia Scouts my word should be enough.”
“Well it ain’t. Papers or else.”
“Or else what?”
His hand slid down to his waist band and his gun. Dago had his Colt out even faster and it was pointed at the marshal who went from red to white in an instant. “You boys don’t want to start any trouble.”
I stepped from Copper and strode over to him. “No we don’t and we don’t need any from someone who has never fought for the Confederacy and lived by the grace of the blood of others.” I reached into my jacket and he flinched. I pulled out the letter from General Hill. I thrust it under his nose. “Here are our papers. Now you read them… if you can.”
He unfolded the letter and read it. He still had hold of it. I held out my hand. His fingers tightened on the paper. “How do I know this is genuine?”
Dago snorted, “Captain let me kill him. This is wasting our time.”
I grabbed the letter back. “He’s not worth it.” I reached into his waistband and took out his pistol. I emptied the gun and gave it back to him. “Now marshal, we are going to leave your town. Believe me we are never coming back but if I ever see you again you had better reach for that hog leg or I will shoot you myself. It makes me sick to think of the brave men who have died to keep you and the other people of the Carolinas safe. You sicken me.”
As I climbed back on my horse he said, “Go on! Get out of my town!”
A small crowd had gathered. “If you folks elected this man then you made a big mistake. He has abused brave soldiers who have just come from the slaughter of Gettysburg.”
We all turned to look at Mary. Her words, coming from her tiny body seemed to make the crowd shrink back far more effectively than my threats. We left the town and the marshal. None of us ever returned to that town. There may have been good people there but they had a poor choice for a marshal.
We camped some fifteen miles south of Raleigh and discussed what had occurred. Dago was the most depressed, “How come good men like Jed die and scum like that live? There is no justice in the world.”
Ritchie added another log to the fire. “I guess it’s always been that way. The bravest and the best volunteer and go off to fight for their country. The cowards and the selfish ones stay at home.”
“It isn’t right though.”
“No Cecil, it isn’t but you can’t change human nature can you?”
Our good humour from the early part of the journey disappeared as we headed south towards Charleston. What would we find there? In my mind I had a picture of finding Aaron and my home intact; setting up house with my new wife and finding Caitlin. I now knew that life didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to.
We decided to skirt all the towns from now on. Ritchie or Dago would ride into towns and buy whatever we needed. I was regretting retaining my uniform but we had all wanted to wait until we reached our destination before we became civilians. Part of me also thought that we were honouring the dead by wearing our uniforms.
We found it easy to camp and just have our own company. It was as though we were all getting to know each other as people and not as soldiers. We were outside Lafayetville, camped by a small creek. Cecil and Mary were preparing food and Dago and I were trying to catch some fish.
“You know there is just Ritchie and me who have homes in Charleston and yet for the first year and half of the war we recruited all our men from there. It gives you pause for thought. All those young men born in Charleston and they will never return.”
Dago nodded. He had been in Charleston but he had not been born there. “I know. I guess I don’t have any home to go to.”
“If the colonel hadn’t persuaded me to buy a house there then I wouldn’t either. You know his house doesn’t belong to anyone now.”
“Hey you are right. What do we do about that?”
“I guess we start with Mr Abercrombie, he was the colonel’s lawyer. He will know what to do. He handled my investments for me and he seems like an honest man. We will ask his advice.”
Ritchie rode into the camp. His face was filled with frowns and it was not like the cheerful Ritchie who had left a couple of hours earlier. “What’s the matter Ritchie?”
“It’s probably nothing but when I bought the supplies there was a bunch of no accounts hanging around and they looked mighty suspicious to me. They started to follow me.” Dago stood to get his gun. “Don’t worry sir, I lost ‘em but I figure they may be looking for us.” He pointed at the horse which was laden with supplies. “They seemed interested in our gold and the supplies.”
“I think we will all take a turn at watching tonight.” Mary was still at the fire and had heard nothing. “Best say nothing to Mary eh? We don’t want her worrying over nothing.”
The next day dawned and our fears had been without foundation. As we continued our journey south, keeping well to the west of Lafayetville, Mary said, “So why were you boys keeping watch last night?”
I thought about lying but I could not think quick enough and her eyes laughed a smile at me, “Don’t try lying Jack. Let’s not go down that route. Tell me to mind my own business but don’t lie to me. Never lie to me.”
“Sorry. Ritchie thought some
ne’er do wells might have tried to steal from us last night. We just took precautions.”
“Good. Next time tell me. I can fire a gun. Maybe not as good as you fellows but well enough.”
I nodded to Cecil, “Pass one to her then Cecil.”
He reached under his seat and brought out a Navy Colt. It was not as big as an Army Colt but it was still an effective weapon. “There you are. You might as well practise loading and cleaning it.” I pointed to Cecil. “You have the best armourer in the Confederacy riding next to you.” Cecil blushed but I could tell that he was pleased with the compliment.
In the early afternoon I rode ahead to find our next campsite. Bearing in mind Ritchie’s words I was more alert than at any time since Williamsport.
This was flat farmland with small streams criss-crossing it. It made easy travelling but it would also be an easy place to be ambushed. I found a small knoll. It was barely higher than the land around it but it would give us a better view of anyone approaching us. Satisfied I turned Copper around and headed back.
Once again it was Copper who saved me. The pricked ears and the whinny warned me of horses that were alien. I slipped my Colt from its holster. Now that I was no longer an officer I had removed the flap and was wearing it lower on my hip. I found it easier to take out quickly. I stopped Copper and listened. I could hear raised voices. I slid from Copper’s back. There was a wall running down the road. I ran along the field side keeping as low as I could. The voices became clearer and I heard Cecil shouting.
“You boys better move on. We don’t want any trouble.”
“You ain’t gonna get no trouble. All we want is your gold your horses and your pretty little woman here.”
I heard Dago shout angrily, “You’ll get neither you thieving bastards.”
I heard a crash and a cry from Dago. I had to hurry. I saw the top of the wagon. Before it were three men holding shotguns. On the far side of the wagon there were two more with pistols. These were the men Ritchie had mentioned. I could see neither Dago nor Ritchie. This was no time for thinking; this was the time for bold action. I put my spare Colt in my holster. I took a deep breath and stood up. I could not bring myself to shoot a man in the back even if he was trying to rob me and hurt my woman.
“Reach, I have you covered!”
They turned and I emptied my gun. I felt the blast of the shotgun as it took off my hat. I threw my gun to the ground and drew the second so quickly that the two men with the pistols were still trying to see where I was. As I pulled the trigger Mary and Cecil both fired their guns and the two men fell dead.
I picked up my spare gun and leapt over the wall. “Are you all right Mary?”
She was pale but she smiled, “Yes. See to Dago and Ritchie.”
I could see that they had both been cold cocked and were lying on the ground; blood was seeping from their heads. I knelt next to Dago, he was still alive. I remembered David telling me that you never leave an unconscious man on his back and I turned him to his side. Ritchie was also alive but his breathing was more irregular.
Mary appeared at my side with a wet cloth. “Cecil, keep a watch. These bushwhackers might have friends.”
She cleaned his wound. “That’s a deep cut. I have some cat gut and a needle. It will need sewing. You clean Dago’s wound while I go and fetch them.” As she stood she kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you. That’s twice you have saved my life.”
Dago started to come around while I was wiping the blood away. His eyes were wide with terror until he recognised me. “The bandits?”
“Dead.”
“Sorry Jack. They got the jump on me. I must be slipping.”
“Not to worry. Copper’s nose saved us again.”
Mary returned and she sewed Ritchie’s wound. “Better lay him in the back of the wagon.” She looked at Dago. “Do you want to ride in the wagon?”
He shook his head and regretted it immediately. “No ma’am. I’ll ride and try not to get caught again.”
I retrieved Copper and we set off again. “What happened, Dago?”
“We got tricked. It was my fault. I should have seen the ambush. One of them was lying on the ground. We stopped and Ritchie went to see him. When he rolled him over the man hit him with an iron bar and the others had us covered with shotguns.” He shrugged apologetically, “If we had tried anything then we might have got Mary hurt.“ He suddenly stopped, “Hey Mary, you better get here. Jack got shot.”
As Mary ran to my side I said, “What the hell are you talking about? I feel fine.”
Mary was pale as she said, “He is right. You have shotgun pellets in your face. Dago, get some whiskey.” She ran to the wagon and her bag. Cecil looked frightened. I put my hand to my face and it came away bloody. Then I remembered my hat being hit. Once again I was lucky.
Mary washed my face with water and then dabbed whisky on my face. I frowned. “Don’t frown it will make this harder. The whisky is to numb your face a little.” She then picked each pellet out one by one. When she had finished she wiped more whiskey on my face. “You might smell like a distillery but you look better and it will stop an infection. The sooner we get to your house in Charleston the better.”
Ritchie had recovered by the next day but we took no more chances and kept a guard each night as we camped. I had thought that the ending of the war meant less danger for me. There was more in this apparently peaceful Carolina.
The peace ended as we approached Hanahan. Union ships were firing at Fort Sumter and the harbour. We halted and watched the smoke from the burning buildings and ships. I turned to Mary. “This may not have been such a good idea.”
“Not a good idea to find your sister who travelled here to look for you?” She looked at the map she and Cecil had been using. “Where is your house?”
“It is to the south of the city close to the colonel’s plantation.”
“Then let us get there and get there quickly.”
As Dago and I led the way he said quietly, “Not the kind of woman you get the wrong side of eh Jack?”
“So I am learning.”
We took the ferry across the Ashley River. The ferryman was grateful for our business and our dollars. He was quite garrulous as he pulled us across. “How long have the Yankees been bombarding the city?”
“Oh some months. Folks keep on working. Course there’s no ships coming in, leastways not during daylight. Our guns keep ‘em away and we have sunk some of them but there’s little business around here. You folks passing through?”
“No, I have a house further south and we are heading there.”
He nodded sagely, “You might be alright there. You are the other side of the river and they just seem intent on making the city uninhabitable. Damn Yankees.”
I liked the ferryman and gave him a healthy tip. He had a better attitude than the town marshal at Raleigh. Even though it was late afternoon, we kept going. I was determined to sleep under my own roof that night.
The house was in darkness when we approached. It was however still standing. I wouldn’t have blamed Aaron if he had deserted it. I had not been a particularly good employer. He had not heard from me for over a year. For all he knew I might be dead. We left Mary and Cecil in the wagon. Bearing in mind our recent experiences the three of us took loaded weapons with us.
The front door was locked. I frowned. I didn’t blame Aaron for deserting me but how was I to gain entry to my own house?
“Let’s try the back.” We moved around the side of the house. Dago rattled the back door but it too was locked. Suddenly, from behind us we heard the unmistakeable sound of a gun being cocked.
“Now I told you white trash before, this house belongs to a soldier fighting in the war now skedaddle before I cut you all in two.”
I raised my hands and turning, said, “And that soldier has returned now, Aaron. Thank you for watching out for me.”
I saw his white teeth as he grinned and lowered the shotgun. “You come back! Thank God you come bac
k.”
I strode up to him and shook him by the hand. “You know Dago Spinelli.”
“I sure do. Good to see you again Corporal Spinelli.”
“I finished up a lieutenant but that is behind me. Good to see you again too. This is Ritchie, he was with the Wildcats too.”
“Aaron we have a wagon and a lady out front. Can you open the house for us?”
“I sure will.”
We returned to the front of the house to get Mary and Cecil. We watched as lamps were lit in the rooms and then the door opened. “I would have had the fires lit if I knew you was coming sir.”
I led Mary forwards, “We didn’t know. Aaron this is Mary, she will soon be my wife and we will be living here.”
I thought he was going to burst into tears. “What a wonderful day. I’ll go and get the beds aired.”He started to run upstairs and then stopped, “We ain’t got any nice food for you folks. Just what me and the missus eat.”
Mary laughed, “Don’t you worry Aaron. We have food. You air the beds. Cecil get the wagon unloaded and Jack, you show me the kitchen.”
Dago laughed as he left, “Like a tornado Jack, a veritable tornado!”
Aaron and his wife had kept the house immaculate and Mary was delighted with the kitchen. She hugged me, “My first ever kitchen and it is wonderful!” She kissed me. “Now go and help the boys to bring in our things.”
By the time we had seen to the wagon, its content and the horses, food was ready. Cassie, Aaron’s wife had appeared, fearful at first, and the two women had knuckled down to the task of providing food. As ever, Sergeant Major Mulrooney organised Ritchie and Dago so that everything was put in its proper place.
“Jack, ring the dinner gong.”
There was a gong in the hall way. I had never noticed it but my sharp eyed Mary had. I rang the gong. Aaron came down the stairs and we went into the kitchen. “Now let’s get this food into the dining room.”
I had a blazing fire going. It was not cold but it made the room brighter and cosier at the same time. “Now everyone sit down and help yourself.”