by Rita Hestand
"I'll give you a back rub later…" she whispered and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'll look forward to it." He glanced at the baby lying asleep in his pram. "Let him sleep there a while, we'll take him for a stroll later."
An hour later Jacob stopped by and Beth and Wade talked to him about the women that seemed to group around him. "I was going to mention it earlier but the way things are, I was suspicious of one of them myself."
"Really, which one?"
"The little green eyed brunette, she kept taking my arm as though she wanted to walk off alone with me all the time. A little out of character."
"Yes, look, things are getting very tense, we may even have to quit meeting in the engine room. I'll have to think of a place that we can talk when we need to."
"I agree. Things are too tense around here."
"We may even have to talk in some kind of code. As soon as I figure out how to handle this, I'll let you know, but make regular stops here in the evening to check on your nephew!" Wade glanced at the baby. "He's not even walking and he's a part of it. That is such a shame."
Jacob nodded.
Wade glanced up at them both, "I want you both to know something. Before I let them take me, or any of us, I'll burn this boat to the ground and disappear. I didn't want this war in the first place and I'll leave it behind if I have to."
Beth gasped. "You mean that?"
Wade looked down at his son in the pram once more. "Very much so. The first time we don't have a rebel passenger, if that ever happens again, I'll inform the entire crew of it, so they will know to jump ship."
"Oh Wade, surely it won't come to that."
"I hope not too, but if it does, the four of us will be together."
"Yes!" They all said at once.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The war rolled on, and Colonel Harrington came aboard three more times, every time with an accusing finger at Wade. Wade began to ignore him.
Finally fed up with his accusations Wade looked him right in the eye and told him, "Colonel if you wasted as much time on others as you do me, you might have already caught the culprit."
The Colonel eyed him carefully, and nodded slowly, "Maybe you are right, sir."
Beth busied herself with the boat schedules and raising her son. He was a welcome reprieve for her and Wade too. He was growing and almost walking now. Beth had a time keeping up with him and her other chores around the boat. She went to bed at night exhausted.
Jacob learned more about the boat and running it and ran messages to the union lines every other time. It gave Wade a little reprieve.
It was mid-summer in 1864 when Wade was nearly caught and for sure recognized by one of the rebel soldiers that had boarded his boat months before.
Wade ran like a wild man, they nicked him in the leg. He knew he couldn't go back to the boat yet and he knew when he did they would have soldiers waiting to arrest him. It was the end of his spying and he needed to get word to General Ransom in Natchez, all would be well, if he could.
He found a old retired doctor in a saloon who fixed up his leg and doctored him so as not to get an infection.
But for a few days it was almost impossible to get around and he was sure Beth and Jacob were worried sick. He had to get word to them somehow.
Luckily a black man that used to work for Wade on the boat some years prior ran into Wade in one of the local saloons and Wade sent him to locate General Ransom. He knew he could trust Joe as he'd been a good friend for many years. Wade had a lot of old friends in the area since he'd grown up on that boat all those years ago. Wade informed the General in his message that he intended to burn the Lady Belle and escape.
So when Joe, the black man returned to let him know he'd delivered the message and given him another message, Wade paid him and sent him to the boat to let Beth and Jacob know that his plans was to blow up the boat and escape.
It was up to Beth and Jacob to tell all the employees. So one by one, they notified each employee of the intention to blow the boat up and for all concerned to abandon ship. The last man aboard could inform the passengers just in time to escape harm.
Wade had secretly planned this day down to the nail. He knew if he was caught it would be the only way to escape. He had bought the necessary items for a bomb and him and Jacob had discussed it many times, Jacob knew what to do.
Beth was afraid but Jacob assured her that Wade had made these plans months ago and if the time came he was to do exactly as instructed.
It was late fall now and it was planned after they took off for Vicksburg to blow up the boat and jump ship. Beth, the baby and Jacob would get off at Natchez and Wade was to soon meet them somewhere along the shoreline.
Wade was on the other side of Natchez as they deported and Jacob scouted the area to find him quickly.
He was on the banks, and the Captain was to warn all the passengers there was a bomb on board and to jump ship.
Wade watched, and saw the explosion and the people jumping off the boat, screaming and yelling. He felt bad about putting innocent people through that, but there was no other way. He had to get his family away from the boat and they couldn't go home to Texas yet.
He had set all his plans in motion, he knew the day would come when they would catch him and he knew he had to be prepared to do what was necessary. He even discussed it with the General so that they would know what his plan was and to destroy any incriminating evidence.
Beth, the baby, and Jacob met up with Wade and watched the terrible sight.
Beth saw the distress on Wade's face and went to him, handing the baby to Jacob. "Wade, I talked to the Captain and he said he'd give as much warning to the people as he could."
"I know that, but there's always those who don't believe it's happening. that's what we are seeing right now. Thanks to Joe, an old friend and ex-employee of mine, I got word to The General in Natchez. So he's aware of what his happening. By the time the rebels catch up to the boat, there won't be one. But we must hurry…"
"Where are we going?"
"To a safe place…" Wade assured her. "It's already arranged."
Beth pulled on his arm. "Did you plan all of this?"
His face mirrored his emotions now. "I had to darling for all our sakes.
Jacob held the baby as they escaped through the brush way down the banks of the Mississippi. They traveled for some time.
It was late but finally late that next evening they caught up to the small cabin by the river. An old man answered the door and after greeting Wade, hugging him, he let them in. "Beth, Jacob, I want you to meet Captain Demetrius Wallace, he was the first Captain of the Lady Belle, when my father ran it."
Beth and Jacob shook his hand. "Welcome to my home. You make yourselves to home now, you'll be staying with me a while…" Demetrius smiled a toothless grin.
But as they all rested that first night and didn't dare go outside yet, Beth fixed everyone a big supper as Demetrius had plenty of food on hand and then she tended the baby. Later her and Wade laid in the bed that Demetrius offered them.
Jacob had carried the baby through the woods to the cabin and he was as tired as the baby and went right to sleep after supper. But Beth and Wade needed some talking time.
The old Captain slept in the front room and snored loudly. He had a shaggy dog that slept by his side named Skipper.
"I'm so sorry about the boat…" Beth cried against his shoulder.
"Don't you fret about that. It's much better than hanging or going to Andersonville." Wade told her and squeezed her close.
"But the boat…was your livelihood." She gasped.
He nodded, "And I thought it was the most important thing in my life, until you came along, and then him…" he pointed to the baby who was fast asleep.
"I can get another job, I can't get another wife and baby." She told her. "Not like you at least and nothing less would do."
She smiled at that. "What happens now?"
"The General told me to lay lo
w, they don't think this war is going to last much longer." Wade told her.
"But…how can they be sure?" Beth cried.
"The rebels are fighting with barefeet and throwing stones. I don't think they can hold out much longer, honey. They are completely threadbare, a lot of them have deserted and gone home. It's over, just a matter of time. Of course we aren't in the biggest part of the mess, which is Virginia and Georgia. Sherman he's about to let loose too."
"Oh God, Wade, it would be pure joy if it's true."
"It will take a while longer, but we've got to lay low. Change our names and not communicate with our family or anyone else." Wade told her.
"Oh, they'll all worry themselves sick…"
"I know that, but there's nothing we can do until this is over. If the rebels knew where we were, I'd go to Andersonville or hang, so would Jacob. We know too much."
Beth reached to kiss him. "I couldn't bear that."
"I know, that's part of the reason we are here now. The Captain told me a long time ago, that if I ever needed him, to look him up. Since I knew where he lived, I did. We are safe here. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you worrying every time I went out, but this was bound to happen honey. I planned all of this months ahead of time, so I'd know exactly what to do when the time came. I knew it would happen. If I hadn't planned it, then the real calamity would have been disastrous."
"I saved this for you." She smiled and handed him something.
"What's this?"
"You're Captain's log. I thought you'd want to keep it."
"We'll get another boat, Beth, later…it would do no good until the war is over though."
"Oh do you think we could?" She asked her surprised look full of hope.
"I think so. Yes…" he said. "Most of the money I've made off that boat is tied up in stocks and bonds, in a bank, but I think I can get to them sooner or later. We might be here a long while, Beth, I want you to know that. So get comfortable, and make it our home. As soon as it is safe to leave, we will. We'll go back to Texas. I promise you that."
She clung to him now, her fears subsiding glad that he had the sense to plan for this time in their lives. She didn't care if she had to stay here, they would be safe here, she could feel that in her bones. And she didn't even mind losing the boat, it was replaceable, but most of all she was glad that Wade was here with her.
The next day she realized that Wade had been injured and treated his wound that was healing nicely.
"How did you ever manage to get so much help?" She asked perplexed by his ability.
"Most of the people work for me Beth, or have in the past. All but the doc. I just happened to run into him in my escape. Guess the man upstairs is watching over me a little too."
"A lot, I'd say!" She cleaned and dressed his wound, kissed him on the cheek and made breakfast that next morning.
The baby was looking at the dog and suddenly he got up and walked toward Beth.
"My God…he walked…"
Wade stared down at him, then picked him up, "He sure did! What a big fella you are getting to be."
"Dada." he said, and surprised them again.
"Walking and talking?" Wade looked at his son with such pride.
Jacob chuckled, "He's a rounder isn't he?"
"He's a cute little chunk, looks a lot like you did Wade when you were little." Demetrius chuckled aloud.
"He's been talking a while, he would say Mama and bye-bye, and a few other things. But that's the very first time he said Dada." Beth beamed.
But a knock at the door brought all their heads up at once.
"Let me handle this," Demetrius whispered.
He answered the door to three young soldiers. "We're looking for the survivors of that boat that blew up."
"Ain't no survivor's here." Demetrius told them.
"Who is in there?" One of the soldiers asked.
"That's my son, his wife and my grandbaby and my other grandson. They are here for a visit." Demetrius replied. "Want to meet them all?"
The young soldier glanced inside but shook his head. "No, we don't have the time for that, sir. Tell anyone you might meet from that boat that Captain Shiller wants them to report to him."
"Well now, if I see any, I will. Captain Shiller you say?"
"That's right, he's just outside of Natchez."
"I'll do that son…" Demetrius promised.
He closed the door and smiled. "Nothin' to it. I been lyin' since this confounded war started and ain't stopped since."
Beth chuckled, "Thanks, Demetrius…"
"Did you see the shape those boys were in? Looked like they'd done been through hell and back, beggin' your pardon for the language, ma'am." He apologized.
"None needed." She smiled at him and started feeding the baby some soft eggs. Little Jake loved eggs.
Chapter Thirty
Winter came on them and they were all snow bound. Beth made the best of the place, cleaning it everyday and cooking the meals. It began to feel like a real family again.
The temperature dropped to way below freezing, the snow was unending, and the wind froze everything in sight.
They had got into a routine. Wade and Jacob went out in the woods to catch fresh game and Demetrius helped Beth as much as he could. He watched the baby for her a and they became best friends.
Wade and Jacob were witness to a troop of confederate soldiers during that rough winter. They had marched only a half mile from the cabin.
They saw how most of the soldier's shoes were so worn they weren't really shoes any longer, how their feet bled, how frostbite had gotten the best of many. Their faces gaunt from lack of proper nourishment their eyes dark their bodies lean.
"My God," Wade whispered to Jacob. "When are they gonna end this misery. Look at those boys, some not even eighteen I'd wager. Their freezing and starving and still they march on."
"Makes me wonder how Matthew is?" Jacob studied the soldiers from a distance. They had made camp about a half a mile from the cabin.
Wade glanced at Jacob and put his hand on his shoulder, "About all you can do is pray for him son."
Jacob nodded.
When they told Beth she went into the kitchen and started cooking by late same afternoon, she gave Wade and Jacob the food to take the Confederate camp.
She made potato and onion soup and she had several loaves of home-made bread for them. She sent several jars of pickles for nourishment too.
The soldiers were so glad to get the food they didn't bother asking questions. Now Wade could see them up close. He saw just how bad off they were. Some of the men were dying from disease, consumption, fever, and many frostbitten limbs. Some couldn't march any longer.
One young man had both feet frostbitten and he couldn't walk any longer and had no horse, so Wade picked him up and carried him to the cabin.
After two days of heavy snowing he fetched a doc for the lad and the doc told them the sad news. He'd have to amputate his legs.
Beth couldn't stand it, she ran out crying. Wade followed her.
When he found her she was sobbing hard against the back side of the cabin. She looked up at Wade, "That could be Matthew."
"I know, honey. But at least he's alive."
"But Matthew might not be…" she cried.
"You can't think like that. You just can't." Wade took her in his arms to comfort her.
"When will this war end?" She cried with a racking sob.
After the doc took care of the young soldier, he went straight to the camp to see if he could help others. Wade went with him.
Wade reported to the commanding officer that the young man that was missing had lost his legs and was at their cabin. The Major stood very still, and nodded dully. "Thank you for your help."
Wade nodded.
"A lot of my men have deserted, I don't blame them, I'd desert myself if I could. But we have to push on until the end. Somehow. They are starving, diseased, and losing all hope of this war. Our only hope is if Gene
ral Grant and General Lee will settle this once and for all for us. Because right now, my men just want to go home and get well. Some have marched for miles with no shoes, some with no food. Yet they still march. How do you command men to their death, sir? And how do you praise them enough?"
"I don't know sir," Wade shook his head. "Natchez is just over the rise there. You could get help for your men there."
"Yes, but our orders is to push on to Vicksburg."
"Can you physically do that sir?"
"No…I can't. They can't. I never thought there would be a time when an order would be impossible, but we've reached it. I can't push them any further. You are right."
Wade walked away knowing it was such a lost cause. He felt ripped apart that these men had done the impossible and still there was no victory for them. They were southern like himself.
It was a bitter cold winter and spring was a welcome reprieve.
On April 9th, 1865 General Grant and General Lee met at The Appomattox Court House, and Lee surrendered his last troops.
It had been a long and death filled war and many did not go home. Disease, freezing temperatures, famine and long weary battles had killed way too many men.
With the war over Wade prepared to take Beth home.
"Come go with us Demetrius," Wade tried to persuade the old man.
"Not me, it's too long a journey and this is my home, but I thank you for the invite." He smiled at them. He picked Little Jake up in his arms and the tyke hugged him.
Beth hugged him tight, "We'll miss you, you are like family to us now."
"I won't forget a one of you!" Demetrius cried.
With a wagon load of stuff, they began the long journey home, in hopes of finding all well.
It took three weeks to get home, and when they wandered into Beth's family's yard, her mother, father, and half the kids came pouring out of the house.
Beth hugged them all and introduced Little Jake to his extended family.
"He's beautiful," Her mother cried with excitement.
Mrs. Cahill came out, with Sarah pushing her.
"Oh my…. you are all finally home…" she cried.
