Reginald's mouth turned up a bit at the sides as he weakly squeezed Charlie's hand and said wryly, “Oh, well if you feel a breeze, just know I'm there helping if I can and watching over everyone. I'm sure God will grant me that. Thank you God, and thank you Charlie.”
And then he sighed deeply, and his eyelashes fluttered, and he allowed his soul to depart his body. Tears were streaming down Charlie's face as he hugged his friend to him, sobbing aloud with grief. Looking up he saw Barnabas standing there transfixed with a hand fisted over his heart.
“Say, brother,” he said, “could you give me a hand with my friend so we can be sure he gets a proper burial? I need to be able to mark the site for his widow.”
Barnabas nodded and, seeing how reluctant Charlie was to lay his friend on the ground, reached over and moved the body into a sitting position so Charles could slide out from under. Once he was standing he grasped Reggie under the arms while Barnabas lifted his legs and together they carried him over to a tree that was growing on a slight rise, tucked next to a stone fence.
“This is a good spot,” muttered Charles, and they slid Reggie down, leaning him against the tree. Charles then stood and looked around and, raising his hand, started summoning men to join him. From the murmured comments, Barnabas realized these were men under his command, as several fanned out to help round up the remaining survivors from the day’s action.
General Lee had finally retreated but no one was sure the Confederates had totally cleared the area so all held themselves in readiness.
Barnabas was looking about for his own men, the task from which he had been distracted when he’d come upon Charles and Reginald. Seeing one of his lieutenants, he raised a hand and the fellow trotted over, calling, “There you are, Zeus! We are gathering our men over yonder.”
Pointing to an oak a bit further over, he continued, “I will let the others know I found you.”
Charles turned to him. “You are the infamous Zeus? Your legend precedes you.”
“Oh,” mumbled Barnabas, “that silly nickname just keeps following me around.”
Charles lifted an eyebrow. “That's not the way I heard it.”
They introduced themselves and Charles warmly thanked him again for his help.
“Reggie and I grew up together. We were close as brothers. I can't believe he's gone.”
“It sounds like a cliché,” replied Barnabas, “but so many good men have been taken away from us by this foul war.”
The men shook hands and agreed to meet for a small funeral ceremony planned for 6 p.m. One of Charles’ lieutenants had started organizing the men as they came in, tasking them into details to locate all the fallen and confirm which of their members were wounded or missing. If they were to get a proper burial it was up to this unit to take care of its own. One of the groups was set to work to start digging.
There were too many for individual plots so Charles reluctantly authorized a shallow trench, dug as deep as his exhausted men could manage. Except when the deceased had a brother or cousin in the unit, all personal effects were turned over to Charles, to be returned to families with a letter of condolence.
Corporal Stennis, known affectionately as “Rev” or “Reverend,” had been in the seminary when war broke out. He’d felt a calling to bring God with him to the battlefield and had joined up when Charles did. He was a mediocre soldier but an excellent preacher and the company’s informal chaplain. Now he was serving as such for the whole battalion.
With the loss of Major Cooper, head of their battalion, the Captains of the other two companies had conferred with Captain Barnett and agreed that, as senior officer among them, he should be in acting command until advised otherwise by the Army.
Corporal Stennis had said his final prayer and Private Samuels pulled out his bugle to play Taps as the troops said goodbye to their fallen fellows.
As the final haunting note faded away into the night, one of Charles' men came charging toward them calling, “Doc, Doc!”
Now it was Charles’ turn to look chagrined as his new friend, Captain Barnabas Schuyler, looked over at him, eyebrows raised.
“There's a lady over to the farm yonder what needs your help, Captain Barnett. None of the doctors can spare the time from the wounded men.”
“Can we walk or should we get our horses?” asked Charles.
“Private Malloy is on his way over with your horse, sir.”
Charles turned to Barnabas. Well, Zeus, have you had much experience with the birthing process?”
“Only with livestock,” he replied.
“Yep,” nodded Charles, “that's how I started out too. Turns out I have a knack for helping humans into the world as well. Care to come along?”
“Doc,” Barnabas grinned,” I would be honored.”
CHAPTER 4 – A New Beginning
Several of Barnabas’ men had accompanied him to pay respects to their neighbors and, at a nod from their captain, one dashed off to retrieve Thunderbolt, who arrived just a few minutes behind Miss Sally, Charles’ mount. Led by Corporal Jenkins, who’d discovered the mother-to-be, they proceeded to a nearby farmhouse that had miraculously escaped damage from the recent heavy shelling of the area. The barn had not been so lucky but most of the livestock seemed to have been spared.
As they approached the farmhouse, they could hear moaning sounds from within. They dismounted and Corporal Jenkins called into the house, “Ms Schmidt, I’ve brought the doctor,” as Private Malloy, gathered the horses’ reins and tied them to a hitching rail.
“You know I’m not really a doctor,” protested Charles.
“Yes, sir, but she needs to believe you are. This is her first and she’s really frightened!”
Shaking his head, Charles walked to the open door and knocked before he and Barnabas entered the house.
“I’m in here!” called out a frightened feminine voice.
Leading them back to the bedroom, the corporal took off his cap as he entered and approached the woman who was sitting on the edge of the bed and rocking back and forth. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder, and murmured, “Ms Schmidt, I want you to meet Captain Charles Barnett, who will be your doctor today, and his assistant, Captain Barnabas Schuyler. You may have heard of him. He's known as Zeus.”
Her eyes widened slightly at that news and she looked up at the men.
“My husband’s brother has spoken of you in his letters home.”
Barnabas look puzzled. He hadn't fully realized anyone outside of his own troop had heard the nickname.
“Where is your husband Ms Schmidt?”
“Oh, as soon as the shooting started he grabbed his rifle and joined the volunteers from town to try to protect Gettysburg from The Invasion. I haven't heard from him in three days. I hope he's all right,” she moaned, wringing her hands anxiously, and then gasping as a pain struck.
“Corporal Jenkins, we are going to need your help for a while setting things up, but if there is some way you can contact someone to start searching for Mr. Schmidt, I'm sure his wife would appreciate it.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the Corporal. “While I was waiting for your mounts to arrive I asked Private Roberts to set up some scouting parties to try to find the Gettysburg volunteers so Mr. Schmidt can be here if possible.”
Mrs. Schmidt reached up for Corporal Jenkins' hand and squeezed it gently. “Thank you so much,” she breathed, her heart in her eyes.
And then she doubled over again.
“When did the pain start, ma'am?” Charles queried.
“During that last huge volley. The concussion shook the house and I fell against the wall. I am so worried. The doctor said I wasn't due for another month and I don't know if the baby is ready to be born,” she replied fretfully.
“Why don't I just check a few things and see where you are right now.” He spoke softly, reassuringly. “And, Ms Schmidt, we're going to be getting pretty intimate here. You have a farm and know what is involved. So why don't you call me Char
les.”
“I think I would be more comfortable calling you Doc, the way Corporal Jenkins does. But my name is Margaret and my mother always called me Peggy. I think ‘Peggy’ would be very comforting right now.”
“All right Peggy. Let's start with getting you out of that dress and into something more suitable for your delivery. I'm guessing you have a night-rail you can slip into. Will you be able to do that by yourself or do you want some assistance? And, speaking of assistance, are there any other women in the surrounding houses or have they all evacuated?”
“I know Mrs. Carter took her children by buggy to New Oxford when the first troops arrived but I don't know about the Hebbings on the other side.”
The corporal spoke up. “I will have Private Malloy check the other houses in the area while I see that the supplies are in order.”
He slipped into the kitchen and started water boiling on the stove. Clearly no newcomer to childbirth himself, he knew the kinds of things that needed to be prepared. Besides having six children of his own at home, Corporal Jenkins had assisted Doc on his last two midwife calls.
Peggy stood up slowly, hand on stomach, and walked over to the corner of the room where several garments hung on pegs. The men quickly excused themselves when she glanced at them, closing the door behind them, and not returning until she called out, “I am ready gentlemen.”
When they returned she was lying atop a rough sheet covering a straw filled ticking mattress. The counterpane and linens had been stripped aside and folded atop the blanket chest. A towel lay on top of that, and a number of layette items for the newborn. She had pulled another sheet on top of herself for modesty.
“As you said, Doc, I am familiar with the birth process, but this is my first child and it is simply not the same as watching.”
Smiling gratefully, Peggy watched as the men took over her chamber to prepare for her encouchment.
Having sent Private Malloy to see if there were any women to assist, Corporal Jenkins started boiling the cloths Mrs. Schmidt had handed him and setting them up to dry. He had prepared a pitcher of hot water which he now brought to the washstand in the bedroom and set next to the bowl in it.
Seeing the water and soap set next to it, Charles removed his coat, rolled up his shirtsleeves to above the elbow, and walked over and washed his hands and forearms thoroughly, all the way up to the elbows. He nodded at Barnabas to do the same, murmuring, “I always do this when I'm helping my horses and cattle, too, because I have found that a little dirt can make the animals quite sick when they are vulnerable like this.”
“All right,” Charles said, walking over to the bed, “I am going to talk you through whatever I do so you don't get startled or surprised. The first thing I want to do is feel your belly to see where the baby is and the position of its head. Depending on how early you actually are, we might need to worry about it presenting in breech.”
She nodded in understanding and laid back, gripping the sheet beneath her.
“Unless you're having another pain, Peggy, you can relax right now because this part really doesn't hurt.”
She smiled nervously but relaxed as he gently laid his hands on her abdomen and began palpating the mass there.
“I think the doctor may have been a little bit off in his calculations. The head is positioned perfectly.” He could feel her stomach tightening as another contraction gripped her.
“Oh, please,” she said, “could you get me that strip of leather over on the dresser? I forgot to bring it with me when I lay down. This was my mother's and she always bit on it to help her through the pains.”
Charles nodded. “At another birth I attended the woman had a braided rag she used.”
He checked his watch, timing the contractions.
“How long have they been this close together?” Charles asked.
“Well, they've been getting closer ever since your corporal responded to my cries about an hour ago.”
“Hmm, I think I’d better look below to see if you are ready or we need to have you wait a bit until your body adjusts. You don't want to push out the baby before the rest of you is ready for the procedure. Mother Nature has figured this out so we don't want to rush the process. Barnabas, why don't you go stand by Peggy's head and hold her hands so she has something to pull on if she needs to.”
Barnabas had remained silent through all this but as he moved to the head of the bed he bent over and said, “Go ahead and grab as hard as you want Mrs. Schmidt.”
She smiled up at him. “Would you mind if I called you Zeus? And please, call me Peggy. As Doc said, we're going to get mighty intimate in the next couple of hours.”
Barnabas chuckled and assured her he'd be delighted.
Charles had folded back the sheet across Peggy's knees and then raised those knees and eased up her night-rail, commenting on his progress the whole time.
“Now,” he said, “I'm going to check to see whether your womb has opened enough for the babe to pass. I'm going to have to use my fingers because Mother Nature has provided her own screens for privacy.” Gently he reached in and checked her progress and nodded, satisfied.
“You are doing just fine Peggy. You have this completely under control. But for now, just try to relax and breathe during the contractions and let your body do the work. You don't want to be doing any pushing yet.”
She smiled weakly, then reach for the leather strap on her chest and put it between her teeth before putting her hands up for Barnabas to grasp.
“Okay Peggy, deep breaths.”
Barnabas clenched his own teeth as she squeezed.
“Just so you're not too concerned, I think this is going to take another couple of hours. People aren't quite as fast as animals. Are you comfortable lying down or did you want to sit up for a while or even walk around?”
“Yes, walking, I think!”
Barnabas offered his arm as if they were going for a stroll in the park and she smiled shyly up at him.
“Thank you Zeus, you're a real gentleman.” Charles had draped her shawl over her shoulders for modesty, although the bulky gown revealed less of her than her ordinary day dress, and they stepped out into the kitchen garden, parts of which were shaded by massive oak trees.
Private Malloy had reported back that all the nearby farms appeared to be deserted. Charles had sent him back to the unit to let everyone know it would likely be late by the time they returned. Barnabas sent word back to his own people as well. The farm was close enough to their encampments that a line of communication easily remained open.
They continue to stroll, discussing crops and livestock and the war and their prayers it all would soon end, and it seemed to make the contractions less painful for her, although they kept recurring at ever closer intervals. Suddenly Peggy got a shocked expression on her face and a gush of fluid fell to her feet.
“Do you think you are ready to lie down again, Peggy?” asked Charles.
“Yes!” she gasped.
And then, “NO!”
And she crouched down where she was and, panting mightily, started pushing.
Barnabas had immediately slid behind her, hands on her shoulders to help steady her as she concentrated, while Charles had knelt down and positioned himself in front of her, sending the corporal for towels.
As slow as the process had seemed up until now, all of a sudden time seemed to speed up and then there was a head showing and rapidly the entire infant freed itself of the womb surrounding it.
Charles had helped ease it onto the towel and exclaimed. “It’s a girl!”
Tired tears of joy streamed down Peggy’s face as she peered between her knees at her new daughter while Charles tied off and cut the cord. Suddenly Peggy gave another grunt and the placenta was delivered as well. Charles gave a nod of satisfaction as he examined it and Peggy made to stand. Barnabas assisted her up but when he offered to carry her she shook her head. Corporal Jenkins, who was now answering to “Lance,” responded instantly to her summons and fetched
a shovel to bury the afterbirth where it lay, in the midst of her garden. Then she allowed Barnabas to escort her in.
With mother and child cleaned and resting, Peggy called her three heroes to her side to thank them.
“Barnabas and Lancelot do not really have feminine equivalents. However, Zeus was father to Athena and Lancelot loved Guinevere, so I have decided to name my daughter Charlotte Athena Guinevere Schmidt.”
“That’s an awful lot of name for such a tiny beauty but I am deeply honored to have been able to share this joyous experience with you. Thank you,” replied Charles as he smiled down on mother and daughter.
Lance had unashamed tears running down his face. “My mother will be thrilled to learn her love of King Arthur is shared.”
Before Barnabas could say anything, the sound of hooves growing nearer drew their attention and, once more in guise of Corporal Jenkins, Lance departed to find out who was approaching.
“Peggy, are you all right? What happened?” A lanky man with blond hair flopping over his brow burst into the room.
“Alfred, meet your daughter,” replied Peggy, calmly as he fell on his knees beside the bed, gazing adoringly at the two women in his life.
CHAPTER 5 – Letters from Home
Their orders had them marching together as often as not as the war kept dragging on. Horrors mounted upon horrors and tales and sights of horrific battles numbed their souls, but a firm and fast friendship was formed between the two men. Their paths diverged and they saw little of each other, although they did struggle to keep in touch by letter.
Then Barnabas received the letter which changed the course of his life.
His heart was broken but he couldn't blame her. When he’d gotten it he’d wanted nothing more than to desert and run home to Sadie, his sense of duty and honor torn between his military obligation and his family's need.
“Dear Barnabas,” she had written,
I got your letter that said you were now promoted to Captain and I am that proud of you but I have sad news to convey. Mama and Papa took real sick this winter and up and died. Your momma came and got me and I've been staying at your place to protect me from the foreman who thinks I should marry him even though he knows I'm promised to you. But now he says he just gonna take the farm anyway if you're not back by Spring to marry me and take care of me.
Rescuing Barnabas Page 2