The Boys in Blue and Gray
By Chris James
Chapter Three
About as Abe expected, General Jones was gone from Front Royal. In his haste most of the baggage train was left behind, but they were packing up to leave.
"Off down towards Piedmont," A supply sergeant named Knox told him. "We heard the Yankees are regrouping for another go at us. So Captain... ?"
"Wheelwright, Abraham Wheelwright.
"Yes, sir... what happened to your uniform?"
Abe smiled; here we go again he thought. "I left the one I had in the hospital down towards New Market. I'm sure the general objects to his officers wearing bloody uniforms." Abe inclined his head towards the north. "If I wear that uniform where I'm goin now they'll shoot me."
The sergeant nodded. "I heard we have some men crossing the river, I won't say nothin."
"I'd appreciate that," Abe replied.
"Uh... sir, maybe you ought to lose the hat. That would make you an easy target."
"I plumb forgot," Abe said, removing the cavalry kepi.
"I got something you could use, used to belong to a Yankee," Knox said, and then he went rummaging in his wagon. He came up with a Union kepi. "Fella that was wearing this didn't look too healthy what with that hole between his eyes."
Abe laughed as he took the Union hat and gave Knox his old one. "Well now, looks like I got myself demoted."
Knox laughed with him. "You be careful, Captain. Whole lot of Yankees where you're headed I imagine."
"Thank you, Sergeant... I'll see you down the road," Abe said.
The road to Winchester would lead him into West Virginia, that was a Yankee stronghold last he'd heard. Abe rode for three days straight until a Union patrol crossed his path. Fortunately he had stopped in a grove of trees to eat his lunch when he heard them coming at a fast clip. Abe led his horse back into the trees as the Yankees went by.
He was in the thick of it now, this must be West Virginia. He headed back east into the mountains looking for a Potomac crossing. One of the things the Institute had given him was a lay of the land here. Discussing all the famous battles gave Abe a sense of the area from Harpers Ferry all the way to Manassas. If he was going to cross the river now he would probably choose to do it at Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and he would be there tomorrow.
He was afraid that with all these days of travel he'd lose track of time, but again the Institute had provided him with a means. The thick belt he wore to hold the pistol holster was smooth leather, perfect for cutting. And so he had marked off its length in days with a longer notch for every Sunday.
It had been two weeks since the battle at New Market which made it the thirtieth of May. One more day in this month and they would be in June. On the farm the corn would be knee high and all the calves dropped and growing for the summer. Here in the bottom of the Shenandoah Valley the weather had turned warm and Abe no longer wore the oilskin coat.
For some reason he was wearing a gray shirt and the dark blue work pants, which was probably what saved his life. He had just finished heating his can of beans for supper when he was jumped. Abe hadn't heard their approach and the horse didn't give him a clue, but suddenly there were muskets surrounding him.
"Well what have we here? Throw that pistol down, soldier... nice and easy," A voice commanded.
Abe pulled his pistol out of the holster and tossed it to his left before standing up. A musket poked him in the back.
"And who might you be?"
Abe turned around and saw three privates in Union blue, muskets at the ready. He smiled as they looked him over. "You always point your weapons at a superior officer?" Abe asked.
The big soldier in the middle hesitated, he was the weak link. "How do we know you ain't a deserter?"
Abe nodded. "You don't. You boys from the garrison at Harpers Ferry?"
The big one nodded. "Our post is just up the hill, we saw your fire."
"Careless of me, I suppose. Who's your commanding officer?"
"Captain Wilson... who's yours?"
"General Grant," Abe said. "I mean who's your commanding general?"
"Um, that would be General Hunter... sir," The big one finally said.
"Have you boys eaten supper?" Abe asked.
"No, sir... we have some hardtack, but they told us no fires."
"I'm Colonel Wheelwright, but you never saw me here... I'm supposed to be invisible. And I was doin just fine 'til you boys skunked me out. That musket ball must have knocked all the common sense out of me," Abe said, holding a hand to his bandage.
The muskets were pointing at the ground now; the soldiers had lost all the excitement of their discovery.
"You were wounded, sir?" The big one asked.
One look told Abe that none of these soldiers had ever seen battle; they were green as a hickory stick. Abe nodded and turned back to his fire. "You boys want some beans?"
It cost him three cans of beans and one of potted meat, but he had company around the fire for an hour or two. The big man was Private Dillard, the other two Fredericks and Moore. They were from New England, a long way from home. But Abe catered to them because they were just full of information.
It seems General Hunter had replaced Sigel who had been shamed at the battle in New Market. Abe hadn't known who commanded the troops they fought that day, but it didn't matter. Hunter was gearing up for a run south after Jones, somehow he had found out Breckinridge wasn't there any more.
That meant the Yankees were about to start a new campaign into the south fork of the Shenandoah, that was valuable information indeed. If Hunter succeeded then the whole valley was open all the way to Staunton, and beyond that Lexington. Abe might have abandoned the Institute but he still had friends there, he had to warn them.
Even if he could, it would take him long days of hard riding to get there, that seemed impossible for a lone man on one horse. About the best he could do was warn Jones, and then he discovered that Hunter was leading a much larger force. Abe ended the little gathering by reminding the boys that they had a post to man and they left.
He could see the lights of Shepherdstown in the distance as he led his horse down out of the hills. He'd never made it across the river. It would take him all night to reach the road to Winchester and time was precious. Hunter would move quickly, Abe had only days to travel the hundred and fifty miles... and if he was too late?
But he was too late; Hunter's forces had captured the rail lines in the central part of the state and sped their way south. Abe reached Elkton after a hard three day ride and found stragglers from the battle. Piedmont had been a rout and Hunter was overrunning Staunton with his eyes on Lexington and Lynchburg.
Abe thought about slipping thru the Union lines and trying to reach Lexington, but that wasn't much of an idea. Any thoughts he might have about becoming useful to Jones were out the window, the general had been killed during the battle. The Yankees had taken hundreds of prisoners and Abe didn't reckon to become one of them.
He managed to get close to Piedmont but he could see the Union patrols were still heavy on the roads. The only thing he could do was backtrack and wait, he was sure General Lee wouldn't allow the Yankees to occupy the valley for long. He was about twenty miles north of Piedmont when he encountered a row of supply wagons on the side of the road.
The drivers were unhitching the horses and several of the animals were down and foaming at the mouth. These animals had been run hard, too hard, and some of them were dropping where they stood. At least these men had escaped, but now they couldn't go any further without resting their teams.
"Don't give her water like that, she can't drink that much, it will kill her," Abe heard, the voice was familiar, it was Sergeant Knox. He rounded the wagon just as Abe rode up.
"Well... I'll be," Knox said. "Hello, Captain."
"Good afternoon, Sergeant... I'm happy to see you escaped the Yankees."
"Barely, we almost stumbled into it," Knox said.
"I tried to get here but Hunter took the shorter route, I'm sorry," Abe said.
Knox shook his head. "All the warning in the world wouldn't have helped, Jones would not have run away... and that killed him. But thank you kindly... and maybe you'll allow me to return the favor."
Knox led him down the row of wagons and stopped to speak with a man who wasn't in uniform. The man looked at Abe and nodded so Knox motioned him over.
"Captain, this is Jeb Pruitt, he's the sutler who supplies our uniforms."
Pruitt asked Abe to step down and then spread a tailor's measure across Abe's shoulders and then down his arms. "A forty regular I imagine, we'll try one on." He dug in the chests on his wagon and produced a cavalry officer's jacket.
"Give me an hour if you will, Captain, I'll sew on the rank. Do you have a division designation?"
"He's with Breckinridge, Headquarters Company," Knox said with a wink.
"I can do that, about a thirty two waist I imagine?"
"That will do... I don't imagine I'll be eating a whole lot where I'm going," Abe said. "How much for the uniform?"
Pruitt shook his head. "I won't charge you anything."
But Abe dug in his saddlebag and gave the man sixty dollars. Knox nodded at the transaction and then led Abe off towards the woods where his men were setting up camp. Abe tied his horse to a bush and took the offered chair.
"How far did you get?" Knox asked.
"Shepherdstown, that's where I learned about Hunter, I should have figured he'd move fast. If I'd taken the north fork I might have run to Lexington to warn them."
"Captain... you would'a killed that horse for sure. I'm sure you ain't the only man out there watching our backs, but no one could stop this. I got family in Lynchburg, I imagine Hunter will blast his way in there."
"Lee should never have called Breckinridge away, I know that much," Abe said.
Knox nodded. "I never criticized generals before, but they're tryin to do too much with too little. Runnin back and forth, it's crazy... we just don't have enough men."
Abe smiled. "If you know that don't you think the Yankees do too? All they're doing now is trying to wear us down. We need something grand, we need to stab them where they sit."
Knox laughed. "You goin to invade Washington, Captain?"
"I would if I could, we'll see what the generals have to say."
"Let me take a look at the ear," Knox said. "Has it been bleeding?"
"Not much, it looks worse than it is."
Abe sat still as Knox unwrapped the bandage. "Ain't no infection, you been treating it?"
Abe chuckled. "I've been pouring whiskey on it."
"Oh Lord, what a waste... but it's workin. You might leave the bandage off now, it's healing."
"The flask is in my saddle bags, go help yourself," Abe said.
One of Knox's wagon drivers served them dinner, hot cornbread and beans, the army staple. Abe could only imagine how many cans of beans they could carry in all these wagons. He shared the flask with Knox, careful not to overdo it. Pruitt eventually walked over to the fire with a uniform jacket and pants in hand. He had a new black belt with a shiny cavalry buckle, and best of all he had a captain's hat, a new one.
"You best try it on," Knox said.
Pruitt saw the condition of Abe's shirt and ran back to his wagon to fetch one as Abe tried on the pants. They were a perfect fit and he looked up to see Knox putting a shine on his boots, Pruitt's shirt was clean and regulation gray, but the jacket was a stunning fit.
Abe fingered the captain's bars on the yellow collar, and admired the cord of gold braid that indicated he was with the headquarters company. The double row of brass buttons were new and the yellow flash on the cuffs were entwined in more braid. Abe squared the jacket and then tried on the yellow kepi. He turned to find the drivers had quietly gathered and they all stood to attention and saluted him; Abe could only return the gesture.
"Beautiful... simply beautiful," Knox said."You make me proud to be a Reb, Captain."
Pruitt beamed and Abe shook his hand. "I doubt if there's a finer uniform between here and Richmond. Thank you."
Abe took off the jacket and draped it across the back of his chair. "General Breckinridge will think I've been sitting out the war in a hotel," Abe said.
Knox grinned. "He might, when were you commissioned, Captain?"
"May fifteenth," Abe said without hesitation. "I'll never command a company, this is just a battlefield honor... I don't even have the paper for it."
"You'd be surprised how many officers there are running around without their commission papers," Knox said. "Clerks forget, hell, even generals forget. Would it help if I got you some papers?"
Abe smiled. "And how would you do that?"
"I have some headquarters paperwork in my wagon, wouldn't be surprised if we could whip you up some papers, might even have Breckinridge's signature on it."
Abe looked at Knox and wondered what the man really knew about him. "It probably wouldn't be right... "Abe said.
"Maybe, but it might help you achieve your objective... whatever that is."
"Look, I don't want to get anyone in trouble over this," Abe said. "I didn't ask for this promotion, I could do my job without any rank."
Knox nodded. "Well, Captain... the way I see it is that your job is more important than most generals. I don't envy you one bit, what you do is too dangerous. You didn't get that clipped ear by standing around, you faced down someone who wanted to kill you... and you won. So I have to admire that kind of courage and if I can help in any way I will... sir."
Abe nodded. "It's Abe."
"Mark... good to meet you," Knox said. "Now let me go see about that paper before it gets too dark."
Abe almost stopped Knox, but he didn't. Telling the truth was getting harder the longer he played out this role. But he saw the usefulness in what he was doing... what he had tried to do. Knox was gone a while and Abe sat there with his coffee staring into the firelight.
Heading east to Staunton would be a foolish move. He had to go south and skirt the town through the hills. He would then head straight for Lynchburg; he knew that would be where Hunter planned to take his army. If General Lee was planning to stop them then the next major battle would be at Lynchburg, and Abe would be there for it.
Knox returned with an oilskin envelope and a smile. "All done... Abe, take a look."
Abe pulled the papers out and examined them by firelight. Knox had the right form; the engraved heading stated this was from the war department in Richmond. The name Abraham Wheelwright stood out in bold ink, the signature at the bottom could very well have been written by Breckinridge himself.
Knox smiled. "The second paper is your travel pass issued by headquarters, Army of Northern Virginia. No one will question those documents; in fact they're better than what most officers carry these days. I'd just be careful who sees them papers, without that uniform they might think you're a spy."
Abe looked across the fire and Knox laughed. Abe shook his head. "Let's not talk about that."
Abe spread his bedroll out beside the fire and lay staring up at the stars for a while. He could hear the sounds of other men talking at their fires, the stamp of horses tied up beside their wagons. Knox had said they might just try a run to Richmond with their supplies; there were no officers to issue them orders. But Abe knew General Lee was out there in that part of the state trying to block the Yankees from taking the capital.
Lynchburg had to be defended otherwise the valley was left wide open. Abe knew Breckinridge would probably be sent back, the one person he really didn't want to see. The man might not remember every detail he ordered, but giving someone a battlefield commission was exceptionally rare. His only hope was to stay out in the field and avoid headquarters, now he had the papers to do just that.
The night was warm and dry, the only sounds were the pickets set out to keep an eye open for Yankees. Abe was up at dawn and so was everyone else. They were setting the teams back in place on the wagons when Abe saddled up his own horse.
"You take it easy now, Mark... watch your back," Abe said.
"You do the same, Captain. Good luck on your campaign," Knox said, and then he snapped off a salute. Abe returned it and mounted his horse; he was off to find the army. If Hunter swept south from Lexington he would follow the James River basin towards Lynchburg. The road meandered that way; it gave Abe the hope that he would reach Lynchburg first. He had a long day's ride ahead, just over thirty miles, but he ought to be there before dusk.
Abe fully expected to find Union cavalry probing the lines around Lynchburg, Hunter would have some troops out checking the defenses. The movement of armies was like a chess game. He had been taught the game by his father and refined it at the Institute, Charlie was his best competition.
Charlie would hardly recognize him now. Abe had a considerable mustache and had allowed the beard to grow on his chin. He had borrowed scissors from Knox and trimmed it up a bit, it was more than stylish, and more important... it made him look older.
Abe moved quickly that day, keeping his eyes on the road, wary of the dark clouds that gathered over the mountains. He wanted to enter the city wearing that oilskin coat, rain would make that plausible. By late afternoon he'd stopped a few times to water the horse and saw that they would indeed get a thunderstorm before nightfall.
The patter of raindrops kicked up little puffs of dirt on the road and Abe stopped to put on his coat. He could see lightning streak across the peaks of the distant hills. On he rode until he began to see the glimmer of a river off to his left, which had to be the James. Abe figured he was about three miles from Lynchburg when he encountered the first picket line.
Three soldiers huddled in their oilskins under a crude shelter; some of the worst duty a man could get assigned. One of them stepped out with his musket as Abe approached and slowed to a halt.
"Good afternoon, well... .except for the rain," Abe said.
"Yes, sir," The sentry replied. "Do you have orders, sir?"
"I do, I'm looking for your headquarters, Corporal." Abe had opened his coat which gave the man a view of his uniform jacket. Abe had the envelope in hand, "I'd like not to get these wet if you please."
The sentry took the envelope back over to his shelter and opened it. He was back in a moment and handed it back. "Sorry, sir... we have to stop everyone."
"Most necessary, Corporal... we may have company coming our way in a few days," Abe said.
"You think, sir?"
"The Yankees are swarming all over Lexington about now, they'll be here anytime."
"Headquarters Company is set up by the rail station," The sentry said.
"Thank you, Corporal," Abe said, and he wheeled his horse towards the road.
Lynchburg was just too vital to lose; the army had a considerable store of supplies there. But Hunter could overrun them if he had the men, for what Abe saw was a pitiful force camped here and there. The war in the east had siphoned off too many divisions; General Lee would have to return some of them.
Abe walked his horse through streets filled with activity, the word must have spread that the Yankees were coming. He followed the rail lines over to the depot, not sure what he was walking into or who was in charge.
He dismounted beside the station and was immediately approached.
"Captain, are you with General Early's advance?" An infantry Lieutenant asked. He wore the braid and markings of the headquarters group, Abe had to tell him something.
"I just came down from Winchester. Is Early coming here?"
"General Breckinridge is sending him from Charlottesville on the train; I thought you might be part of his staff."
"I'm with Breckinridge, but he left me up north on a mission. Is there any word about Hunter?" Abe asked.
"He smashed Lexington and burned the Military Institute. We only had a small force there to defend it and he swept them aside. And then for some damn reason he camped, we don't know why," The Lieutenant said.
"He doesn't know our strength here, and neither do I," Abe said.
"General McCausland received a dispatch from Rockfish Gap yesterday, it said Hunter had joined forces with Crook and between them they had sixteen thousand infantry and about four thousand cavalry. Even worse, the message said they had over four dozen cannon, they could lay siege to us here."
Abe smiled, he certainly had ridden into the middle of it. "When is General Early due in?"
"Anytime, sir... the sooner the better. We have a whole section laid out for his encampment. We were told to make room for twelve thousand, and I sure hope they all get here soon."
"Then I'll stay close in case he's on the first train," Abe said.
He walked his horse back towards the center of town. The afternoon had been warm and so his coat was tied across the saddle. The uniform jacket was uncomfortable enough, but it was the first time he'd been on display in an army encampment and that meant he had to share their decorum. He was saluted by various officers, and he saluted back. It reminded him of the games they had played in Mr. Robert's history class.
It came about because Roberts had dug up old dispatches from the Revolutionary War for their history class. Instead of just reading them he had asked the boys to play the parts. The correspondence between General Washington and his subordinates was instructive, and it was fun to imagine the exchanges.
Abe recalled Charlie made the best Washington, affecting the speech of a proper Virginia gentleman. But they dissected the dispatches for content and learned that miscommunication could create chaos in the separate entities of the army. In his current role as captain Abe thought this to be the grandest part he had ever played, he was sure Charlie would agree, rest his soul.
It would be interesting to meet General Jubal Early; the man had quite a reputation. He'd graduated from the United States Military Academy and served under Stonewall Jackson; both had solidified his military prowess. But he was part of Breckinridge's staff and that might be cause for concern.
Abe found himself a good lodging house and a place to stable his horse. He was just in time for supper where he was treated with deference at the dinner table because of the uniform. His very presence in the dining room was a cause for quiet looks; it made him realize how scared these people were. The civilians present could not ask about him, but the other two soldiers had no such restraint.
Major Parks of the 21st Infantry was a slim, well mannered man, but he walked with a limp and was missing two fingers on his left hand. The other was a captain of artillery who looked as round as one of his cannon balls. Both men had seen years of conflict, Abe really felt like the amateur here.
"Captain Wheelwright, have you just arrived with Early's forces?" Parks asked.
"No sir, I'm on Breckinridge's staff... I was working independently up north," Abe replied.
Parks was no fool; he grasped the concept immediately and knew better than to say something in front of the civilians at the table.
"Both the Major and I were at Gettysburg with General Early," The artillery captain said. "A ghastly campaign, but most necessary. I believe it pinned the Union troops on the other side of the Potomac for quite some time."
Abe thought that the most idiotic statement he'd ever heard, didn't the man know what they were up against now? Parks looked almost embarrassed by the captain, Abe really wanted to talk to the major alone, but that could wait for later. The pork on his plate was tough and almost inedible, the beans didn't look much better. He ate cornbread and washed it down with watery beer.
When dinner was done the major invited him out on the porch for a cigar, the captain was not included. Smoking cigars was not something Abe had a lot of experience doing, but he had tried one with Charlie last fall. The result was a long coughing fit, not something he wanted to experience now.
The major cut a cigar in half and offered one piece to Abe. Luxuries like fine cigars were a casualty of the war. Parks lit a match and held it for Abe, watching him puff before lighting his own. Fortunately the major was the first one to cough.
"Sorry, the tobacco is a bit stale... I just can't get good ones anymore."
"It was kind of you to offer," Abe said, drawing the smoke into his mouth and immediately expelling it. "It taste's fine."
"You've been north?"
"I was in Shepherdstown last week and picked up the information about Hunter moving into the valley. But the news was two days old; he was already ahead of me as I dashed to warn Jones."
Parks nodded. "I knew Old Grumble pretty well. He wasn't one to charge ahead but he would stand and fight, I was sorry to hear of his death. So now you're here to work with Early I imagine."
"Hunter must be stopped... I went to the Institute," Abe said.
Parks gave him smile. "How interesting, the cadets just arrived here this morning from Bedford. General Smith did a fine job of keeping them safe, those boys are our future. But a captaincy, that's a feather in your cap, when did you get commissioned?"
"I'm too young to wear these bars," Abe admitted. "I was at New Market with the cadets and I lost some close friends there, Breckinridge gave me a battlefield commission."
Parks puffed on his cigar and nodded. "He must have credited your actions a great deal, young man. I've seen nineteen year old majors in this war; age is no deterrence to bravery and intelligence. Surely the Institute must have taught you that a battlefield is the best classroom for a soldier."
Abe puffed and felt the tobacco's effect enter his body. "I was wounded at New Market and they left me behind... I've been trying to catch up ever since," He said, fingering the notch in his earlobe. "I seem to work better alone and I hope General Early agrees with me. I need to be sent back north, we need the intelligence."
"My son thought that same way, he joined up when he was sixteen... he never made it to seventeen, he fell in Sharpsburg. We had ten thousand casualties that day, fifteen hundred killed outright including my son. That was Hunter too, so I'm itching to face off against him."
"I'm sorry to hear of your loss, sir," Abe said. "I haven't heard from my brother in two years and my father serves in Richmond."
Parks nodded. "There is sadness all across the south. Our leaders were sure that after a few defeats the Union would sue for peace on our terms, but not even Lee believed that. I'm sure you know by now that we cannot defeat the might of the north, they keep growing in strength despite their losses. We have no reserve; we're all in by this time.
"You're so young, but I don't say that to criticize, you follow your conscience. I pray for the youth of our country, for what will they inherit from all this but hatred, brother against brother. We have wrecked our future potential for generations to come, all because of the black man."
"I don't think the Negro is the sole cause of our blight, sir," Abe said. "Slavery is just the excuse, this is all about greed. The north grows rich on the backs of our slaves and refuses to share the wealth. If we should lose what will the north do with our Negros? Nothing, but they would have them free, free for what? They have no means of support without us to guide them, they are such an expense, and my father would have nothing to do with them."
Parks nodded and held up his hand for Abe to stop. "I've heard all the arguments, I would not own another man either, it's against my convictions. You will be one of those who will have to pick up the pieces of our nation after this all ends. Have you thought about what life will be like when these uniforms will no longer be necessary?"
Abe paused to look at the ash on his cigar and knocked it off on the railing of the porch. "My family has been in the valley since the colonies formed, my great, great grandfather fought at Yorktown to preserve our land. I come from a long line of Virginia farmers, but I can say that line has ended with me. Perhaps I will go west, maybe even all the way to the Pacific. But in my heart I will always be a Southerner."
Parks clapped him on the shoulder. "Well said, well said indeed. Let's hope by then being a Southerner still means something. We have a fine tradition in the way we regard one another, I'd hate to think the Yankees might win this war and take that away from us."
They paused, looking out at the gathering darkness... and they both heard the train's whistle in the distance. Parks looked sorry that their discussion had come to an end. Abe understood the man's need to talk with someone young, someone who reminded him of his own son. But no matter where they might be the war would intrude.
"Thank you, Major," Abe said. "A fine cigar and good conversation have made this day worth living. But I assume that sound is my call to duty, I hope to see you again."
Parks shook his hand, the grip lingering for just a moment. "Keep well, Mr. Wheelwright, I look forward to the pleasure of your company if time allows."
Parks walked back inside the boarding house while Abe walked down towards the train station. The cadets were here? He was glad Parks had said something otherwise he might have blundered into his company. But the same headquarters lieutenant was waiting outside the station and Abe approached him.
"Good evening, Sir," The man said as they exchanged salutes.
"Wheelwright," Abe said.
"Daniels," the lieutenant said in return.
"Well, Mr. Daniels... your wait is over," Abe said with a smile.
"Hallelujah for that," Daniels replied. "And none too soon, our scouts have already reported some advance elements of cavalry on the Lexington road."
"Then you'd better get these troops unloaded in record time."
"Yes, Sir, we certainly will."
The train pulled into the station and soldiers in gray began pouring off the cars. Daniels had a team of men setting ramps in place for the horse cars as Abe walked back towards the rear of the train where the coaches stood. The first man off was a major, and then the brass kept coming. There was no doubt that Jubal Early would be with this bunch.
Abe saluted the major and pointed out Lieutenant Daniels. "Good Evening, Major, that is the local liaison, Lieutenant Daniels."
"And who might you be, Captain?"
"Wheelwright, Sir... I was with Breckinridge's corps."
"But he's back in Charlottesville... what are you doing here?"
"Long story, Major... I've been looking at things up north and just rode in this afternoon. I had a handle on Hooker but couldn't outrun him with the news."
The major nodded. "We're here to play catch up ourselves, I'm sure the General will be curious to hear what you have to report."
"Thank you, Sir," Abe said.
"Elias Burton," The major said, "I'm Jubal's chief of staff. I guess that makes you detached from Breckinridge, we can always use a hand."
Abe smiled. "Yes, Sir."
Had it really been that easy? Abe had a place for the time being. The general lowered himself from the train with a few grunts and groans. He was a large man and bore the scars of combat in the way he moved. He had a reputation of being bad tempered, but then he'd been in a command capacity since the beginning of the war.
He'd also been in most every major battle, wounded several times only to come back fighting. Abe knew his reputation well; the man was a hero of the Confederacy. But anyone who had stood that close to Stonewall Jackson must be an able commander, and once again he was here to prove his abilities.
The general was shown to a seat inside the station where he was surrounded by his staff. Lieutenant Daniels was introduced and gave his report on the readiness of the local command. Abe wondered where the commander of the Lynchburg troops was hiding, but Daniels said the General was out checking the troop placement on the Lexington road.
Early looked tired and Abe was sure his day had begun before dawn as he planned this move to Lynchburg. Daniels was an astute soldier, and that made him a good judge of men. He suggested the general might be more comfortable in the quarters that had been made ready for him; a dinner had also been prepared. Abe had to smile; he would bet the general wasn't going to eat the same old pork as everyone else.
The staff rose and escorted the general from the station, his quarters was right across the road. Major Burton gave Abe a nod and then walked over.
"We'll water and feed the staff, why don't you come by the parlor about ten and speak to the General. Give him a chance to rest up. Just make your report brief, he appreciates brevity. We'll have a general staff meeting of all the commanders at eight in the morning if you don't mind spreading the word."
"Thank you, Major... I'll do just that."
Abe watched the train unload and then pull away from the platform, and none too soon, there was another right behind. He walked back up the street to his lodgings and found Parks and the captain in the parlor, Abe told them about the morning meeting. The captain left to inform his minions and Abe sat down with Parks.
"Did you speak to the general?" Parks asked.
"In a few hours, after his dinner. I wonder what he will ask me?" Abe said.
"Generals want details and little else. He doesn't know you directly so your opinions mean little to him. Great men make their own destiny, but they do it by climbing on the backs of others. I'm sure he already has a plan beyond what he must accomplish here. If you work into his future ideas then he will use you to the best of your abilities." Parks smiled. "I have a few boot prints from generals on my backside."
Abe grinned; he knew what he was being told. "If he plans to retake the valley and stop there he's wasting his time. I hope he plans to carry forward, we need to take the war back into Yankee territory."
Parks laughed. "Be careful, talk like that will only make you a major in short order."
They drank coffee, or what passed for it these days. Like most kitchens in the south, chicory was added to the grounds to stretch the ration, it made for a bitter brew. But Parks was a wealth of information about the tactical movements that had been made the past three years, especially on the northern campaigns.
"As I see it, Early has little choice but to take the war back to the Yankees," Parks said. "If frightened they'll pull troops off the siege of Richmond and slow down any thoughts of taking Petersburg. Grant cannot contend with both the needs of his army and the pressure brought to bear by his government."
"But Hunter has the far superior force," Abe protested.
"But does he know that? He's been busy with his slash and burn campaigns all the way down the valley. You said yourself he moved quickly, and then all of a sudden he stops at Lexington. What does that tell us?"
"He's unsure of what's ahead, but he will send out scouts to probe our lines and spies to count our strength," Abe said.
"Then we need to assure him we have the greater force and make sure his scouts report the wrong things," Parks said.
And Abe carried that thought into his meeting with General Early. The man looked tired, ensconced in a comfortable chair, but his eyes flashed with a passion as he looked up at Abe.
"So Captain, we've never met before," Early said. "What have you been about these past few months?"
"I fell behind after New Market and General Breckinridge got away from me. By the time I got to Front Royal General Jones was in charge and gone down the valley in this direction. I did a lot of riding for nothing. My uniform was destroyed by that point and I was in civilian clothes, enough to look like a Yankee I suppose, so I headed north to see what they were up to.
"In Shepherdstown I was captured by a Yankee picket and talked my way clear, but not before I discovered what Hunter was about to do. I headed back after General Jones but by then it was too late, Hunter's forces were ahead of me so I came here."
The General nodded. "You were in Shepherdstown, I've been through there."
"A nice quiet bit of the river, still is from what I saw," Abe said.
Early smiled. "We might be going back that way very soon. But I'll leave that decision to Breckinridge; he should be here any time now. "
Abe smiled. "I sure hope so, General."
"Major Burton would like to attach you to my staff, but I have another idea. I'd like you to take your eyes back to Shepherdstown after we rout Hunter from this place, and we will. I need to know how he disburses, which units he sends where. I know I'm asking you to take a risk yet again."
"I'm yours to command, General," Abe said.
Early nodded. "I don't remember your face, Captain."
"I fought with General Breckinridge at New Market, prior to that I was at the Military Institute."
"Good... good, I was sorry to hear they burned the place. The cadets are regrouping in Richmond, and now we get to face Hunter ourselves."
"If I may, General, I'd like to go scout out his advance. I don't think we can allow them to get an accurate picture of our strength here," Abe said.
"You have my permission; I already have plans to make them worry in case they are spying on us, which I must assume they are. We'll be running empty trains in here all night long, making lots of noise. Maybe you can find out if our ruse works because I imagine tomorrow we'll be in the thick of it."
Abe stood to attention and snapped off a salute. "Thank you, Sir."
Early waved him off and Abe about faced out of the parlor only to be stopped on the porch by Major Burton.
"You keep quiet about Shepherdstown," Burton said. "I'm surprised he told you that much."
Abe smiled. "Major, if we don't cross the Potomac and kick some Yankee ass the balance of this war will be in their hands. I imagine you'll have your hands full here with Hunter, let me go find out what he's thinking."
Burton smiled. "I like you, Captain, we think alike." The major produced a folded paper. "Your travel pass and assignment to the General's headquarters here. I'll be waiting to see your report."
Abe saluted and went off to find his horse. He dressed in his civilian clothes again, the Yankee kepi back in place. He would have to keep that pass handy; he imagined the pickets around the town would be a little jumpy at this point.
What he was really out to find were soldiers just like him, men sent to spy on their positions. If he could sneak out of town he could well imagine where they might be found, someplace high up where a good spyglass would give them a view of the town come dawn.
Abe led his horse down towards the James River and turned west. There would be sentry posts here as Hunter might try moving his forces on the canals. He past the hospital complex and hoped the next few days wouldn't add to the misery contained within those walls.
He mused about the general's plans, the empty trains running in and out of town. He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a band playing towards the center of town and the noise of people cheering. He chuckled, the charade had begun.
Abe saw campfires being lit under the trees by the river, but there were no troops gathered around them, just a working party to keep them burning. He was challenged twice on his way up river, the pass served its purpose and he moved on. He saw movement on the Lexington road and soldiers digging trenches several miles out of town, and then he disappeared into the woods.
Following the river he bypassed the heights that overlooked the Lexington road and came up behind the hills. The moon was up giving the dark shapes of the trees a ghostly appearance. If there were spies they would be up there where they would have an unobstructed view of the town four miles away.
He didn't want to kill anyone; he wanted to take their place. That way he could travel back up the road and spread disinformation, something that would make its way back to Hunter's headquarters. He followed the base of the hill, knowing he would find a horse tied up somewhere.
He was only a half mile from the road when he came across a horse with a Union saddle at the base of a hill. Abe tied his horse to a tree beside it and began to climb the near slope. He moved slow, silent footsteps lest he alert the man he knew would be up there. And then he saw the man sitting beside a rock, a glass to his eye.
Abe pulled his pistol and stepped on a rock. The sound alerted the man who turned towards the threat. Damn, the soldier didn't look much older than he was.
"Good Evening, Mr. Yankee... enjoying the view?" Abe asked.
The fool reached for his waist and Abe cocked his pistol. The boy tried to scramble away but Abe fired a shot into the ground at his feet. The small telescope went flying and the man rolled on his side.
"I don't suppose you'll do anything stupid like that again now, will you?" Abe said. He approached the man and took the pistol stuck in his waistband away, tossing it into the trees. The man looked up at him helplessly as Abe knelt down and searched his pockets, removing the contents.
He might be all of eighteen, Abe thought. A shame, both sides were using younger boys and men. The eyes staring up at him were pleading; the boy didn't want to die alone here on this lonely hill.
"I suppose you work for Hunter, otherwise why would you be here?" Abe said, the boy grunted but said nothing. Abe found a set of orders and slid them in his pocket, there was also a slim notebook filled with writing.
"Who do you report to?" Abe asked.
"Can't tell you," The boy said.
"You want me to shoot you in the leg? I will if that's what it takes. It's a long crawl down this hill and I guarantee by the time you get there your horse will be long gone. So who gets your information?" Abe asked.
"Colonel Jeffries, he's with General Averell's staff."
"General Averell, you seem to have quite a party going on back there. Who else was invited?"
"You know I can't tell you that," The boy said.
"Look, you seem like a nice fella, telling me what I want to know will be a whole lot easier then if I drag you back to town and turn you over to a couple of sergeants I know," Abe said. He wondered if the boy would even tell him the truth.
"Let me share something with you then. Jubal Early is down there to reinforce McCausland's forces. All those trains you hear are bringing in Breckinridge's Second Corps, that's about thirty thousand men. So I figure we're going to have a major battle here tomorrow or the next day, too bad you'll miss it."
The boy stared at him and then nodded. "Hunter is running short on supplies and ammunition. He burned up the valley and let you Rebs cut his supply line. If there's a battle it's going to be a short one."
"Well that's better. I'm going to leave your horse tied up down there. You can climb down and get away once I'm gone." He used the boy's bootlaces to tie him up; it would take him a while to get loose. Then Abe climbed back down to his horse.
He probably should have killed the scout, but that seemed pretty senseless. By the time the boy could get back to his lines the damage would be done. Anything the boy might say about troop strength on the Confederate side would only help. Abe walked his horse through the woods and then mounted when he reached the road, turning towards the Yankee forces.
He didn't mind killing Yankees, but not helpless ones. The boy might remember that a Reb could have killed him and didn't. It was a small distinction, but a worthy lesson. Abe was a good ten miles along when he ran into the first of the sentries guarding Averell's encampment.
"Halt," A soldier shouted from the cover of some rocks.
Abe pulled out the pass and waved it at the man. "I have a report for Colonel Jeffries... where's the headquarters company?"
"I think the General is still upriver," The man said.
"What? I can't travel that far, find me a sergeant will you?" Abe said.
The private was back in five minutes with the sergeant of the guard.
"Sergeant, I'm Corporal Cooper, assigned to Colonel Jeffries' staff. I need to send a report to him at headquarters right now, but I need to get back and watch the developments at Lynchburg. Can you send a rider up to headquarters?"
"Yes... right away. What are those Rebs up to?"
"A lot and General Hunter should know about it." Abe scribbled some lines and figures in the notebook and tore out the page, handing it to the sergeant.
"Most obliged if you'd get it there right soon."
"On the way, Corporal... I'll take it there myself. Colonel Jeffries you say?"
"Yes, tell him Cooper will see him in the morning."
"Will do."
Abe turned his horse around and headed back towards Lynchburg. Mr. Roberts would be proud, disinformation created chaos, and Hunter was about to get a dose of that. He approached the lines of his own troops carefully, they would be jumpy tonight. He wasn't at all surprised when a musket went off and a ball went whistling by.
"Halt, who goes there," A voice rang out.
"General Early and you damn near shot me," Abe said.
"Well, General, why don't you just dismount and we'll see who you really are," The voice taunted.
Abe slid off his horse and three men approached. "He might be a Yankee spy," One of them said.
Abe shook his head and pulled out his orders. "My name is Captain Wheelwright, and General Early would be mighty angry if you shot one of his staff."
The sentry looked at the paper and handed it over to his comrade. "Is that what it says, Abner?"
"I guess so, kinda dark here for reading," Abner replied.
"Come on with us, and I'll be takin that pistol in your belt until we find out who you are."
They escorted Abe down the road to a small house. It was two in the morning but there was a Lieutenant awake and getting dressed, he must have heard the shot. "What's this?" He asked as he stepped out on the porch.
"Man says he's on General Early's staff, he don't look like it though," Abner said. "He's got these here papers."
The lieutenant took Abe's pass and held it towards the lantern by the door. He turned back to Abe and saluted. "Sorry, Captain, you're out of uniform."
"No apology necessary. Just tell your men to make the challenge before they shoot, if you please. Keep alert, there's a Yankee army about ten miles up the road. You'll probably have company for breakfast."
Abe mounted his horse and rode towards town. Major Burton was awake and writing orders in the parlor when he arrived.
"I see you don't sleep much, Major," Abe said.
"I might say the same about you. What have you discovered?"
Abe handed over Cooper's diary. "Glad he's not one of our spies; he was foolish to be carrying this around. He was writing down everything he saw us doing. The deception is working, and I made sure it would."
He went on to explain what he'd done in Cooper's name, and then Burton slowly smiled when he was finished.
"General Breckinridge will be here as you said, maybe not that many men. But it's good to know Hunter is running out of powder and supplies. An excellent thing to hear, a good report."
"Thank you, Sir. Now I think I'll turn in for a few hours sleep before all hell breaks loose," Abe said.
He put away his horse and slowly climbed the stairs to his room. He just managed to wash his face and hands before he collapsed on the bed and was fast asleep with his boots on. It only seemed like minutes instead of hours, but Abe was awaked by the sounds of drumming.
They waited all morning for the expected attack, and it didn't come. Burton figured the Yankees were trying to outflank their defenses but McCausland's troops had dug in all around the city. Abe took his horse and crossed the James River to see if there was any activity from that quarter, but he saw nothing. Burton figured the attack would come from the south.
By afternoon there was some artillery fire on the western trenches and they could discern troop movements. Averell's forces made a fierce charge at the Confederate trenches, forcing McCausland's infantry to retreat. Early reinforced the troops and they threw the Yankees back. It was back and forth until almost dark.
Breckinridge was at Early's headquarters so Abe avoided the area around the train station. But Major Burton was out in the field when Abe decided it was time to slip away and see what Hunter was doing.
"Be careful, Captain, I don't want those Yankees to get their hands on you."
"I'll wait for you in Lexington," Abe said. "I figure it'll take you about twenty-four hours to make Hunter turn tail and run."
Burton nodded. "We can certainly hope. I'll look for you in a few days."
It was full on dark when Abe headed north out of town to cross the river. He could still hear the occasional artillery round lobbed at the trenches. This was a battle that didn't need to happen, Hunter couldn't hold on long enough to whittle down the defenses. Early would tire of the game and run him over, then they could head north. Abe would wait; he was off to pay his respects in the ashes of Lexington.
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