Soldier Boy's Discovery (9 page)

“All of you sit down,” Leah said. “We've got a good meal for you.”

She handed out plates heaped with beef, freshly baked bread, and the eternal army beans.

Then another soldier came. “Can anybody get in on this here party?”

“Ira!” Leah said. “I might have known you wouldn't miss a meal. Sit down, and I'll get you a plate.”

She loaded a plate with a mountain of food and handed it to Ira Pickens. He was a tall boy, very homely, with bushy black hair. He had been a friend of Leah's since the first battle of the war. He had informed her then that he was raising her to be his girl friend when she got old enough. At seventeen, he was only two years older than Leah herself.

“Well, now, this is fine,” Dan Carter said. “I sure do enjoy listening to you fellows eat.” A laugh went up around the fire, and Dan looked fondly at the young men. “If you fellows can fight as well as you can eat, we won't have any trouble.”

“Ah, we won't have any trouble anyway, Mr. Carter.” Ira grinned. “This time we'll whip the Rebels and have this foolishness over with once and for all.”

Royal chewed thoughtfully on a piece of beef. He shook his head slowly, saying, “We said that before, didn't we, Ira—at Bull Run? And at Seven Days, then at Second Manassas. You see, no matter how many men we take, the Rebels seem to send us back whupped to a frazzle.”

“You know, that's right,” Dave Mellon said. “I don't understand it. We've got better guns, better equipment, and there's more of us, but we never win. Why is that, do you think?”

Walter Beddows was a thoughtful young man. “Well, they're fighting for their homes, Dave. That's a little different. Imagine how hard you would fight if the Confederates came into Pineville, tearing up our place like we've done theirs.”

“Well, they started it,” Jay complained. “They can't fuss if we bring the war down to them.”

“Let's not argue politics,” Leah said. She was wearing her only dress that wasn't a work dress, a light green one that matched her eyes. Her blonde hair was fixed in a long braid that wrapped around her head like a crown, and she added a touch of femininity to the rough group of men.

The talk went on about the war, and she came and sat down close to her father, listening.

Finally Royal said, “We've got enough men this time, but nobody knows what Robert E. Lee will do. That man is sure hard to handle.”

“A fine Christian man from all I've heard,” Dan Carter said. “As is Stonewall Jackson.”

“I don't see how Christians can fight Christians,” Walter complained.

“That's just the way it is.” Royal sighed. “We think we're doing God's will, and they think they're doing God's will.”

“Well, we both can't be right,” Jay put in.

“Why, of course we can't,” Ira said. He was an outspoken young man, long and lanky. He stuffed an enormous chunk of cake into his mouth and swallowed, seemingly without chewing.

Leah giggled, and he looked over at her and smiled. “Don't you laugh at the way I eat my vittles, Leah!”

Then he began to explain how the Federal Army couldn't fail this time. “This time we'll be fighting on our own ground.”

“How's that, Ira?” Jay asked.

“Shoot, ain't you figured it out yet, Jay?”

“No, I ain't.” Jay winked at Leah. He liked to pull Ira's leg, so he innocently asked, “How have you and the generals got it planned?”

Ira licked his fingers, then shrugged. “Stands to reason we been losing because we been in their front yard—the Rebels' front yard, that is. All the battles been in the South.”

“Well, that's where the war is,” Jay argued. “We got to go there and fight 'em.”

“That's right,” Leah agreed. “That's what the war is about—whether they got the right to leave the Union or not.”

“Sure it is,” Jay said. “They
want
to leave the Union, and Abe don't want 'em to do it.”

“So we got to go South and whup 'em until they agree to stay in,” Ira answered. “But the way I see it, we been losing battles because this is their land. They'll fight hard to keep it, and they know their way around, and we don't.”

“I think that's right, Ira,” Mr. Carter remarked. He had obviously thought about this. “Sometimes our men just plain get lost, but the Confederates—why, it's their home.”

“That's just what I said.” Ira grinned. “But if what we hear about the Rebs coming up North is true, that'll be a different story.” He leaned back,
saying grandly, “Oh, we'll have 'em this time, no doubt about it!”

His confidence amused the others, but Ira refused to back down. “You just wait,” he promised. “We'll get Bobby Lee this time!”

Later, after the others had gone, Leah asked, “What's wrong, Ezra? You haven't said ten words.”

“Oh, nothing,” Ezra said quickly. “Just don't know much about battles, I guess.”

“But you've been in battles.”

“Just the first one—and I didn't see much of that.”

Leah took a stick and doodled with it in the dirt. The fire sputtered, sending sparks dancing. Looking up, she made a statement, “You don't think we'll win this battle.”

Ezra didn't answer at once. His face was highlighted by the flickering firelight, and he looked very young. “You know, Leah,” he said finally, “in one way, nobody wins a battle.”

“Why, Ezra, what does
that
mean?”

“Just that no matter which side
wins
, there's going to be lots of men dead and shot up—on both sides. If a mother hears her son's been killed, she won't care much who won the battle.”

Leah nodded slowly. “You're right, Ezra. I've thought about that a lot too. Specially with Jeff and his folks on one side and my brother on this one.”

Glancing at her, Ezra asked, “You worried about Jeff?”

“Yes—and about Royal and Ira—and all of them.”

They sat silently, looking into the fire, and at last Leah said, “I guess there's nothing left to say. Words don't change war. I'm going to bed.”

“I'm praying for Jeff,” Ezra said quietly.

Leah looked at him, startled. “That's good of you, Ezra. He wasn't very nice to you when he left.”

“Aw, he didn't mean nothing, Leah. And he didn't mean to leave mad at you either,” Ezra said, getting to his feet. “Good night. I'll see you in the morning.”

When he had gone, Leah climbed inside the wagon to her cubbyhole, created by hanging a blanket across half of the wagon's interior. She carefully removed her day dress, folded it, smoothed out the wrinkles, and laid it in her traveling trunk. She pulled a faded but clean work dress from a nearby hook and slipped it over her shoulders. She'd learned last trip out with her father that a young lady must always keep her modesty—even in her own wagon at night—when traveling with an army of young men.

She dropped gratefully to her narrow cot and pulled the quilt over her. From underneath the wagon she heard her father's uneven breathing. She knew he wasn't feeling well.
Lord, let Pa get well
, she prayed silently,
and take care of all the boys
.

Neither Leah and the Yanks nor Jeff and the Rebs could have anticipated what would happen at the Battle of Antietam, but it nearly changed the course of the war. Folks on both sides later called it the Case of the Lost Orders. Much later, Leah's brother explained it to her.

On September 9, General Lee issued Special Order Number One Ninety-one. In it he set forth the complete battle plans for the Confederate Army. This involved splitting his rather small army into four different parts. This was very dangerous in the face of the Union force of 90,000 men, but Lee was confident. He knew that General McClellan was a timid leader and not likely to attack. He was aware
also that McClellan had received wrong information about the size of the Southern army. McClellan always thought he was vastly outnumbered, when in fact he himself always had a larger force.

The four Confederate columns went their separate directions, but at noon on September 13 a copy of Special Order Number One Ninety-one fell into McClellan's hands. It was addressed to Confederate Major General D. H. Hill and had been found wrapped around three cigars at an abandoned campsite. No one ever discovered who was responsible for such strange treatment of an important document.

When McClellan read the plans, he had one of his men identify the handwriting as that of Robert E. Lee. Then he held the document high, crying out, “If I can't whip Bobby Lee with this, I'll turn in my stars and go home.”

And so it was that when the two armies came together at a small town called Sharpsburg and a creek called Antietam, General George McClellan had the complete battle plan of the Confederate Army in his hands. He also had an enormous army.

But neither the Carters nor the Majorses knew all this before the battle. They only knew that, no matter the outcome of the battle, many men would lose their lives, and their families would mourn their losses.

By the time the Union army pulled up in front of Antietam Creek, Dan Carter had become very ill indeed. He could barely get out of Leah's small cot, and Ezra said under his breath, “Leah, I don't like the way your pa looks. Maybe we'd better turn around and go home.”

Leah bit her lip nervously but shook her head. “You don't know my pa,” she said. “When he sets out to do something, he'll do it.”

“Well, maybe we can get one of the army doctors to come take a look at him.”

Leah nodded at once. “That's a good idea, Ezra. I'll go ask Major Bates to send one of the surgeons by.”

Major Silas Bates, commander of the Washington Blues, was a tall man with a powerful voice. He had become very friendly with the Carters; he said he appreciated all they did for his men.

He agreed at once. “Why, of course. I'll have Dr. Johnson come by and take a look at him.”

Dr. Johnson examined Dan Carter carefully and afterwards spoke quietly and seriously with him. “You're a sick man, Mr. Carter. You don't have any business here in this sort of thing.”

Dan Carter smiled and buttoned up his shirt. His voice was weak, but there was purpose in his eyes. “Yes, I do have business being here, Dr. Johnson. God has told me to come and minister to these soldier boys, and I'm going to do it.”

Johnson stared at him and then shook his head. He walked away, motioning to Leah to follow. When they were out of hearing, he advised, “Keep your father in bed as much as you can. I won't be able to come back, because once the battle starts, I'll have all I can do.”

Leah thanked the doctor and went back to sit beside her father, saying sternly, “Now, I'm going to boss you, Pa. You've told me what to do all my life, and now the tables have turned. You're going to stay in that bed, and I'm going to take care of you like you're baby Esther.”

He smiled and patted her hand. “Well, I guess you've got the best of the argument, daughter. I don't feel too good, to tell the truth.”

All afternoon Ezra and Leah kept a close watch on the sick man. After Ezra chopped enough wood for the night's cooking fire, he went to relieve Leah at her father's bedside. He remarked, “I guess it's a good thing I'm a Christian now, because I can pray for your pa to get well, can't I?”

“Yes, you can. And God truly hears us. We both will,” Leah answered quickly. And she added to herself,
I'll pray for every soldier tonight, blue or gray
.

Later that night, the army bedded down, and Royal found his way to the Carters' supper wagon. He visited with his father for a while, then came to sit with Ezra and Leah in front of the glowing fire.

Everywhere Leah looked out into the darkness, what seemed to be thousands of fires winked and sputtered. After they sat quietly for a time, she whispered, “Royal, I'm afraid. It's going to be a big battle, isn't it?”

“It looks like it. I believe the Rebels brought every man they could with them. They're over there across the creek, and there is no way to get them except to go after them.”

Quietness reigned around the fire, and then Ezra said, “I wish I could go with you fellers, but I gave my promise that I wouldn't to Mr. Silas. It didn't seem fair for him to help me escape so I could fight against the Confederates again.”

“You take care of Leah and Pa,” Royal said. “That's all I ask.”

Then Royal got up, and Leah went over and hugged him. “You be careful, you hear? Don't try to be a hero.”

“Why, we're all heroes in the Washington Blues,” Royal said, trying to smile at her. His solemn voice betrayed him as he added, “If anything should happen to me, don't forget I'll be with the Lord.”

As soon as he was gone, Leah sat down heavily, blinking back her tears. “I hate this war,” she said through clenched teeth.

“I guess everybody does,” Ezra answered. He sat for a long time, seemingly not knowing what to say. “I guess you're worried about Jeff and his family too. I know I am.”

Leah thought about how she and Jeff had parted, angry words still hanging between them. She turned to Ezra. “I was so mean to him, Ezra. When he left, I wouldn't even give him a kind word.”

“Well, you can do that the next time you see him.”

But Leah's face creased deeper in sadness. “I wish he knew how sorry I am about the way I fought with him.”

“You can write him a letter after the battle.”

But Leah was troubled. “But what if he gets—” She broke off, and her lips trembled. She didn't even want to say the words
if he gets killed
. She looked up at Ezra and whispered, “Why did I do it, Ezra?”

“Argue with Jeff?” Ezra shrugged his shoulders. “Why, shoot, Leah, we all do stuff like that. And men are faster to argue with and harder to get along with anyhow. You should know that from your pa and your brother.”