The Lieutenant's Promise

by Aileen Fish

  Following her, Ma asked, “Tom’s not here?”

  “No, he’s gone ahead to the Union camp.” Em paused, her brother’s uniform jacket in her hands. “There’s going to be a battle soon, Ma. Close by. Maggie needs to make certain the water barrels in the cellar and springhouse are full. Billy can take some buckshot to the springhouse, and hide the rest in the cellar.”

  “I know what to do, dear girl. You take Tom’s kit to your lieutenant and say your goodbyes.” Ma hugged her before walking to the bedroom door. With her hand on the doorframe, she added, “God will protect us all.”

  Em wished her faith was as secure as Ma’s.

  When she had Tom’s knapsack packed, she went outside to find Levi filling his canteen at the well. She took her brother’s canteen from his kit to do the same. “Here’s Tom’s knapsack.”

  “Thank you.” He set it beside his own. “Please tell me you won’t take any risks.”

  Her stomach was in knots, her throat so tight it was difficult to breathe. She couldn’t think of her own safety when his‑and her brother’s‑were so much more at risk. “I’ll stay close to home, but I’ll need to take milk and eggs to Harris’s in a day or two.”

  “That’s too close to where we might meet Price’s men. You shouldn’t go until after we drive them away.”

  “When will that be? We can’t afford to miss many sales. And the people in town will want their fresh milk and eggs.”

  “They can wait. I don’t know how soon we’ll march, but I imagine it’ll not be any later than the end of the week. You’ll know. The army will travel by way of the Wire Road. If you watch, you might see us and wave.”

  She felt a tear roll down her cheek. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t bear the wait to see you return.”

  “Most likely we won’t be able to come back any time soon. Tom’s three months’ enlistment is almost up, but Major Clanton has said he doubts General Lyon will honor their requests to return home.” He took his kerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” She dabbed at her eyes. “And what of you? You’ve been in the army much longer than three months.”

  He nodded. “My enlistment won’t be up until next spring, but I’ll likely stay on until this secession is decided. Or I should say, until we’ve won.”

  Clenching her hands together, she couldn’t bear to look at him. “I feared as much.”

  “Take care of yourself, Em. And your family. Don’t let Maggie or Billy go out in the pasture alone.”

  “I won’t.” When he reached for her hand, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Come back safely. To your camp, I mean.” Her cheeks grew warm at the implication she meant to come back to her. He’d just said he planned to reenlist next year, so he obviously didn’t feel for her what she’d begun to feel for him.

  “I will. I promise.” He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss onto her fingers. Then, he bent and lifted the two packs and slung them over one shoulder, lifting his rifle with his other hand. He saluted, and without another word, turned and walked away.

  Em watched until he disappeared over the horizon, then sank to the ground and cried out the pain in her heart.

  ~*~

  When the camp at Springfield came into sight, Levi saw men rushing about dismantling tents, loading the wagons and lining up the cannons to await the horses. He went straight to Major Clanton’s tent for his orders. When the major told him to enter, Levi did so and saluted.

  Major Clanton returned the salute. “Lucas, as you see, we prepare to march. Private Gilmore reports you saw three men camped near the junction of Wilson Creek and the James River.”

  “Yes sir. One wore the gray uniform but the others were plainly dressed. I felt assured they are with Price’s army.”

  “They might be scouts, or the remainder of the troops could be hiding on the far side of the hill.”

  “We couldn’t investigate without breaking cover, sir.”

  “No need. We now know what direction they come. General Lyon’s men arrived yesterday. Colonel Sigel’s army is approaching from the west, and I’ve sent him word of the presumed location of the Confederate men.”

  “That’s good news, sir.”

  “Not as good as one might hope. Price and his Missouri State Guard have combined with General McCullough’s army and the Arkansas State Troops. We’ll need the element of surprise to secure victory with the fewest losses possible.”

  Was the Union army outnumbered? The men in the Guard were mostly new, untrained, with their hunting rifles and little gear, an opponent not overwhelmingly daunting. Yet the sheer number of men in the combined Confederate forces didn’t bode well. Levi hoped Colonel Sigel had a large army with him, or they wouldn’t stand a chance in battle.

  “You’ll need to make certain your company is ready to march when the order is given.” The major dipped his pen in the inkwell and went back to writing. “You are dismissed.”

  Shortly before the time came to harness the horses to the wagons, it began to rain. Not the expected thunderstorms so common to the Ozarks, but a steady enough shower to make the men miserable.

  As each regiment assembled into formation, General Lyon spoke to them. “Don’t shoot until you get orders,” he told the regiment ahead of Levi’s men. When he reached Levi, he said, “Fire low — don’t aim higher than their knees. Wait until they get close. Don’t get scared‑it’s not part of a soldier’s duty to get scared.”

  The men walked lightly through the mud down the Wire Road. The wheels of the artillery had been wrapped with blankets, and the horses’ hooves were covered with burlap to keep the noise down and not alert the Confederate army. Levi’d heard there were more than four thousand men marching under General Lyon, yet you wouldn’t know it by the muffled sounds they made.

  He was relieved to see no light from the distant house when they passed the Gilmore farm. Em would be asleep, unless her fears kept sleep at bay. When the battle was over, he must find a way to get word to her that he and Tom survived.

  Levi had to stay positive they’d both survive.

  Sometime after midnight, Levi’s company reached the area General Lyon had chosen for the army to rest until just before daylight. As far as he could see up the Wire Road, men continued to march in their direction. As his men unfolded their rubber-coated dry cloths and blankets, Levi went in search of Major Clanton for any last-minute instructions.

  General Lyon was speaking softly with his chief of staff when Levi passed by. “All of these men are my responsibility, as are the people in the state who wish to remain in the Union. The weight of this is most oppressive.”

  “We’ll serve you well, General,” Major Schofield said.

  “Yes, I believe you will, to the last man.” The General sighed. “I’ve had a premonition I will not live to see the outcome. I can’t shake the feeling.”

  Levi continued past, only barely hearing the general’s next words. “I will gladly die for a victory.”

  His stomach knotting, Levi searched for Major Clanton. If the general himself didn’t expect to survive, what chance did the rest of them stand? He reminded himself to think positively. One day soon he’d see Em again.

  ~*~

  Em woke to the sound of Rufus barking. Grabbing her wrapper, she ran out the door. The sky was somewhere between moonlight and twilight, so she followed the sound of Rufus’s barks to find the disturbance.

  Men lined the road, marching south. She’d told herself not to watch for Tom and Levi, but she couldn’t help it.

  A Union soldier rode over on horseback. “You’d better take cover! The shooting will begin in about ten minutes.”

  She pressed a hand to her chest as he rode off, her heart racing in fear for the men. Then her instincts took over and she ran to her house. “Rufus, come!”

  As she drew near she began to yell. “Ma, Maggie, Billy, get up!”

  Maggie rushed out the door. “Are the soldiers going by?”

  “A man s
aid the fighting is about to begin. Get Ma, Harvey and Susie into the cellar.”

  Billy came running, pulling his suspenders over his shoulders. “What should I do?”

  “We’ll get Cletus and the sows into the root cellar so the rebels don’t kill them.”

  “What about Queenie and Penelope?”

  “There isn’t time. The sows are due to farrow soon, we need those piglets for food and the money they’ll bring.”

  Billy ran to the barn for some rope to lead the swine to safety. Em followed, lighting a lantern and going behind the barn to open the root cellar door.

  Cletus had been bribed into the root cellar often enough that he went willingly, and the sows followed without too much argument.

  Em barred the door with the animals inside. “Come, we must hurry!” She grabbed Billy’s hand and led him to the cellar door at the back of the house. Maggie was carrying down bedding and milk, and Ma had Harvey in a corner with some wooden blocks.

  “Where’s Susie?” Ma asked.

  “I thought she was with you,” Maggie answered. The look she gave Em showed her terror.

  “I’ll go look for her.” Em returned to the steps.

  “Kitty,” Harvey said. “Susie get kitty.”

  Em paused. “Oh, no. She’ll be in the barn. There’s no time. Maggie bar the door behind me. I’ll take Susie into the root cellar with the pigs.”

  “I’m coming, too,” Billy called.

  “No, you stay here and take care of Ma and Harvey.” Em didn’t wait to hear his argument. When she reached the barn, she heard thunder in the distance and realized it must be cannons. A band tightened around her heart. Fear not only for her family but for Tom and Levi left her breathless. Opening one of the large doors, she called out. “Susie.”

  “I’m up here,” she answered from the hayloft above.

  “We have to seek shelter. The armies have started shooting. It’s not safe out here.”

  “I can’t find Pretty Kitty,” Susie argued.

  “She’ll be fine. She hides better than anyone.”

  Rufus came loping into the barn, his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. He looked as though he were enjoying a grand game.

  “Susie, please come down.”

  “I want my kitty!”

  Rufus trotted over to one of the stalls and stuck his muzzle beneath the door. “Woof!”

  He jumped back, and a moment later the fluffy white ball of fur trotted out and rubbed her sides on the dog’s legs.

  “She’s here, Susie. Now come down!”

  Em scooped up the cat and ran to the door where she waited for her little sister. “Rufus, you come, too.”

  He jogged out the door. Susie followed, and Em led her to the root cellar. “We’ll have to bed with the pigs until it’s safe to come out.”

  “Yea!” Susie hurried down the steps as soon as Em had the door open.

  Rufus followed. Em pulled the door closed behind her with one hand, the other firmly holding the cat, and she slid the wooden bar into place.

  “It’s dark in here, Em.”

  “I know. I didn’t plan for us to be in here. We should be in the cellar with Ma and the others.”

  “How long do we have to hide in here?”

  “Until it’s safe to come out.”

  “How long is that?” Susie asked.

  That was a good question. With a tornado they’d hear the winds die down, and often the rain would stop. Eventually Em would venture out to check the skies.

  More cannon fire rang out in the distance. “I suppose we’ll have to stay put until we can’t hear any more shooting.”

  However long that might be.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The men, thousands of them on the Union side, were roused before dawn. There was no time to eat, only to fold their bedding into their knapsacks, check the load in their rifles, secure their bayonets on their hips, and fall into formation.

  The morning was hot, unbearably so. Marching up Oak Hill, Lyon’s men surprised a small group of Missouri State Guardsmen and opened fire. The Guardsmen quickly retreated up the hill.

  General Lyon ordered a battalion of Union soldiers and the Home Guard, which included Levi’s company, to cross Wilson’s Creek and secure the left flank. The remaining men continued forward over Oak Hill.

  The artillery manned by Colonel Sigel’s troops fired volley after volley to the west, forming a constant wall of sound. Levi’s company reached the Gilmore’s cornfields and surged on through.

  A momentary pang hit Levi, realizing the loss Em’s family would suffer with the damage to their second crop of corn. That was the least of their worries at the moment. He looked down his ranks for Tom, whose grim face matched that of the other men. They likely all felt the same surge of excitement and dread as Levi did.

  The battle was taking place too close to the Gilmore home. He prayed they’d loaded up the wagon and left until the shooting stopped. The men marching at the eastern end of their line could probably see the house in the distance.

  Please, let Em and Maggie, and most especially Billy, have the sense to stay sheltered.

  With their rifles at the ready, Levi and his men approached the woods. Levi was wary of entering the sheltered area, because it meant the enemy could hide just as easily. The artillery continued to fire steadily. The sound, along with the movement of their line made it difficult to hear anyone approach.

  To the west someone fired. Ahead, in the pre-dawn light, Levi made out the forms of men running away. Only a dozen or so, in the area he could see. They must have caught Price’s men by surprise, as the rebels had only now begun to return fire.

  Levi picked up speed as he climbed the hill. Breaking cover at the crest, he saw thousands of men on the plateau. The rebel artillery fired over their own soldiers and into the woods behind Levi.

  Men cried out as they were wounded. Levi lost sight of Tom as he pursued a man in gray. Pausing to shoulder his rifle as he dropped to one knee, Levi fired. His shot missed. He reloaded quickly and fired again.

  The rebels had recovered from their surprise and came forward en masse. A man near Levi was hit and fell to the ground screaming. Between the shots fired, more cries rang out. His company held their line and continued to shoot.

  Smoke from the rifles grew as thick as fog. The scent of gunpowder filled the hot, heavy air. Unaware of time passing, Levi only knew the day grew brighter, which only seemed to make the smoke more dense.

  To his left, a scraggly young man in gray pointed his rifle at him, and Levi swung to return fire. Just after his own rifle rang out, pain shot through the left side of his face. The world went black.

  ~*~

  As they sat in the cool darkness of the root cellar, Em sang songs for Susie, who sat beside her, wrapped in her arms. She told stories to make the hours pass. Thankfully the pigs had gone to sleep on the dirt floor, but Rufus whined and paced at the noise in the distance.

  Eventually the sounds of cannons stopped, and the gunshots became single blasts rather than one long series.

  About that time, voices began shouting nearby, and the creaks and groans of wagons reached Em’s ears. Were Tom and Levi coming to check on them?

  She realized her rifle was in the cellar under the house with the rest of her family. It gave her relief knowing Billy and Maggie had a chance to defend themselves and the others, but it left Em with no protection should she venture out.

  Yet she couldn’t remain hidden, not knowing which soldiers were outside the house. Did it matter? Either side was likely to steal their food and hunt for weapons. Em needed to do something to protect what little they had.

  “Susie, I need you to do exactly what I tell you. Wait here until I return. It might get scary, but I’m leaving Rufus with you. He’ll protect you.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to see if it’s safe to go out now. But you need to wait until I say you can come out, okay?”

  “It’s dark in her
e, Em.”

  Em squeezed her sister in a tight hug. “It is. You’ve been sitting in the dark for most of the day now, though, and nothing has happened, has it?”

  “No.”

  “Well, then you can sit safely a few minutes longer. I promise to come get you before I get the others so you and Rufus won’t be alone too long, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Easing herself away from Susie, fighting the pins and needles in her legs, she walked stiffly to the slanted door at the top of the steps and slid the bar aside. The voices hadn’t come closer to the barn, so the men must have gone to the house.

  That thought gave her no comfort.

  The sun was high in the sky when Em stepped out of the root cellar and quietly closed the door. “I’ll be right back, Susie.”

  No one was in sight, but the number of voices near the house increased. She leaned around the corner of the barn. Two wagons were parked in front of the house and one was leaving. Men, their clothing covered in dust, carried bloody soldiers inside the house.

  Which side had they fought for? She thought some of the uniforms were gray, but most didn’t wear uniforms.

  She had no choice but approach them and find out who they were, and how long they expected to remain in the house. Where were she and her family supposed to go now?

  As she approached the house, a man in his shirtsleeves, drenched in blood, came out onto the porch. Seeing Em, he said, “Ma’am, we’ve requisitioned you house for our wounded.”

  “I see that. Where’s my family? What have you done with them?”

  “The house was empty when we arrived.” He quickly examined the next man being carried inside. “Find him a bed, if there is one,” he ordered.

  Em hurried to the cellar doors. “Ma, Maggie, it’s safe now.”

  Hearing the bar being slide back, Em reached for the handle and helped lift the slanted door. “I must go to Susie, she’s terrified of being alone.”

  “I hear people in the house,” Ma said.

  Em wiped the sweat on the back of her neck with her palm. “Maggie, will you please get Susie? Let Rufus out, too, but keep the pigs inside.”