by Unknown
Mary scurried from the room. She returned with a decanter and some glasses. “I could make tea if you prefer Mr Abercrombie.”
“No, my dear. This is a celebration anyway. It is a celebration of the vision and thought of a man now departed.”
My three comrades looked confused as they came into the sitting room. I reflected that I would need to spend some of my money on better furnishings now that I could afford it. I sat back with a smug smile on my face as the four of them heard the news. I knew what was coming and they did not.
Mary looked at me and was the first to speak. “So you share in the estate too?”
“No, I have given my share to the others.” I had made this quite clear to the lawyer once I had discovered my own good fortune. Mary squeezed my hand and smiled at the gesture.“So boys, that means that the three of you, Sergeant James and Lieutenant Dinsdale now have a home and an income.”
“So we don’t need to find our own home?”
“No.”
Ritchie smiled, “Which is a good thing as we found nothing this morning.”
Cecil laughed, “I wouldn’t say that. We found a nice bar where they had a pretty young girl singing Irish ballads.”
“Well there you go Irish. You can visit there as often as you like.”
Mr Abercrombie stood. “And now my dear you must excuse us. We have to visit Jarvis and give him the news of his freedom too.”
Dago said, “Do you mind if I come too? The boys here…” He nodded his head at Mary.
“Of course.”
Mary grabbed me as I turned to leave. Dago and Mr Abercrombie left along with Ritchie and Cecil. “I knew when I agreed to marry you that you were a good man. I just didn’t know how good. You have given a fortune to your friends.” She kissed me.
“Before you have me canonised you should know that we are as rich as the estate of the colonel. You are marrying a successful businessman.” I swept my hand around the room. “Begin to think now how you will spend it and what we shall call this house.”
Jarvis burst into tears when we told him of his manumission and Aaron joined him. The lawyer handed over five hundred dollars to Jarvis. “This will enable you to make the house and grounds look as they used to. This is Mr Spinelli who will be one of the new owners. I think the other two will be over shortly.”
Jarvis smiled and nodded. “I know the gentleman well.” He looked up at the ceiling. “And thank you Colonel Boswell you were always a fine man and a kind master. Now I see just how kind.”
That evening the dinner was a joyous affair. Cecil had acquired some good food and we all celebrated our success. As we sipped our brandy and smoked our cigars Dago said, “So when are you getting married Jack?”
I looked at Mary who smiled and touched my fingers with hers. “First he wants to find his sister. She was supposed to have come to Charleston.”
Ritchie shook his head, “That will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“And I will start tomorrow. But Mary, we can marry whenever you wish. I may not find Caitlin.”
“You will and I will wait. Besides I have some money to spend.”
I laughed. “We all do. I shall buy some civilian clothes tomorrow.”
We left Aaron and Cassie at the house while the six of us headed into Charleston. Mary was appalled at the wanton destruction. “Those damned Yankees. This must have been a beautiful city.”
“And it will be again. The war cannot last forever.”
After we had bought clothes I left Mary ordering furniture, dishes and the many other items I had not even dreamt that we needed. I went to the newspaper office where I put an advertisement in asking for news of Caitlin. I was not sure that, even if she was here in Charleston that she would read a newspaper but someone who knew her might.
Mary had still not finished her shopping. We left Ritchie as her escort while Cecil took us to the bar he had found. It was in the quarter of the town closest to the harbour. In the past it would have been bustling but the lack of trade meant that it had fallen on even harder times. The whores looked shabby and tired and the bar itself had fading, peeling paint. It was quiet.
“I thought you said they had music.”
“They did. Perhaps we are early. They have good beer here but it is a bit rough.”
Once inside I saw what he meant. It had low ceilings and was filled with rough men whose smoke filled the room. We squeezed through to the bar and Cecil ordered us four beers. The owner took in our uniforms as he served us. He had the leery look of someone who operated on the wrong side of the law and I disliked him the moment I laid my eyes on him.
“You boys wouldn’t be deserters would you?” He nodded to Cecil. “I saw him yesterday and had him marked as a deserter but you are an officer.”
I put my arm out to restrain Cecil. “No, we are discharged soldiers. We are not deserters.”
“Oh don’t get me wrong we don’t mind deserters here.” He winked at me. “I find them very useful if you catch my drift.”
I did and his words confirmed my dislike of him. I threw a handful of coins on to the bar and then found a table.
Cecil was apologetic, “Sorry about this sir. I thought it was nicer yesterday. It must have been the Irish songs the girl was singing but this is not good. We’ll just have the one and leave.”
I swallowed a mouthful of the beer. “No you were right, it is good beer and we don’t have to talk to the landlord do we? But we will just have the one and then get back to Mary.”
As I looked around the room I saw that the men all had the same furtive look. These were the men who did not fight for the Confederacy but fought, instead for themselves. I was sure that I recognised some of those who had been around my home the previous night. Certainly some of them looked away as I scanned the room. These would be the ones who preyed on the elderly and the weak. My war might be over but that didn’t mean I would not fight to protect what was mine.
We were about to leave when there was a little cheer and a number of men stood. “This is it Jack. This is the singer. Sit down and listen. Her voice will take you back to Ireland.”
I sat down. Her back was to me as she was helped to the bar. I took my eyes from her as I finished my drink but when she began to sing I knew that Cecil was right. She did take me back to Ireland for it was Caitlin, my sister.
I stood, as she sang and made my way towards the bar. I was oblivious to the men who stood before me. Fate had directed me to this bar and nothing would stop me. I pushed past them. Caitlin was singing with her eyes closed. As she finished I stood beneath her. She opened her eyes and I held out my hand, “I have come to take you home Caitlin.”
She burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. I held her as tightly as I could. I dare not speak any more for I was filled with emotion. I was suddenly aware of a hostile wave of noise and I saw the landlord, with a wooden stave in his hand. “Get your feckin hands off my singer!”
“This is my sister and we are leaving now!” I gripped Caitlin’s waist with my left hand and slipped my right down to my Colt. The landlord took one step towards me and my gun was in my hand and pressed against his forehead in a blur of movement. “Now much as I do not want my sister to witness violence you either put that stave down or I will blow your head clean off.”
“No Jack, it’s alright.”
Without taking my eyes from the thug I said, “No, it is not alright. I didn’t fight for this land to be told what to do by a piece of filth like this. Dago! Cecil!”
The two of them appeared at my side with guns drawn in an instant. The landlord’s look changed to one of terror. I let go of Caitlin and grabbed the stave. I hurled it at the bar where it smashed into glasses and bottles. I took a handful of the landlord’s jacket in my left hand and began to lift him from the ground. I put my face close to his and said, quietly, “Now we are going upstairs so that my sister can get her things and then we are leaving. Then I would suggest that you get out of Charleston fo
r the next thing I will do, will be to find the Provost Marshal and tell him of your deserters.”
His face went white. “You wouldn’t”
I cocked the Colt and the sound seemed to echo around the room. “Now move!”
The crowd parted as he walked before me. “Caitlin, stay close behind me.”
We had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a man appeared from behind the bar with a wicked looking knife. As he slid it towards me I pulled my hips back so that the blade slid harmlessly by and then smashed the Colt onto his wrist. I heard it break and he dropped the knife. I swung the Colt to crush his face. He fell to the floor in a heap.
“The next man who tries anything will get you a bullet in the back!”
“Leave him be. For the love of God, leave him be. He’s mad!”
Caitlin had a pitiful few belongings in the room. It was obvious to me that she had shared the room with this animal. She hesitated as she picked up her bag.
“What is it?”
“I had some money when I came here. Billy said he would look after it for me.”
I almost rammed the barrel of the Colt up his nose. “Get it!”
“I have rights!”
“No, you don’t. You don’t even have the right to life. I will decide if you live or die. I hate men who prey on women. They are the lowest of the low. Now get it!”
He went to the bed and reached under. He brought out a box in his left hand. I caught the exultant look on his face and was ready as he pulled the hidden pistol out. I was less than three yards from him and I didn’t miss. The bullet caught him in the wrist. The gun fell from his now useless, shattered hand.
I strode over and grabbed the box. “I would tie a tourniquet on that or you will bleed to death.”I holstered my pistol and took Caitlin by the hand. “Come with me Caitlin. I will take you to a better life than this.”
There was stunned silence as we descended the stairs. My two friends had them all covered with their Colts. I gestured upstairs. “Your friend tried to shoot me. I could have killed him but I didn’t.” My eyes searched every face. “If I ever see any of you again then you will regret it.”
We walked from the bar and Dago and Cecil backed out, still covering the crowd. An elderly marshal walked up to us. “Was there some trouble, captain?”
“There was. The landlord tried to shoot me. He is wounded.”
“It’s about time someone stood up to Billy Bragg.”
I looked at the marshal coldly. “And why didn’t you?”
“There are only a couple of us and…”
I gestured at Cecil and Dago. “My friends and I are living south of the town. You ever need help to get rid of scum like this then you come and find us.”
I will captain…?”
“Hogan, Jack Hogan.”
Mary and Ritchie were sitting on the wagon as we walked up to the house. She saw Caitlin and jumped down. “Don’t tell me. This is your sister.”
I nodded and Caitlin smiled, Mary continued, “And I am Mary. Jack and I are to be wed. We have a wedding to plan!”
The smile on Caitlin’s face was in contrast to the tears which flowed from both women’s faces. Dago looked bemused while Cecil also looked emotional.
“Come on let’s get home.” I had wanted to say that for years, ever since the home I had shared with Caitlin had been burned down. I mounted Copper and we headed south.
We had not left the city when Mary said, “I think I have the name for our home now.”
“And what is that?”
“The Sanctuary; you have brought hope to all of us and that name shows what it means to us. Does it not sister?”
Caitlin nodded. “I have dreamed of this for all those years since you sailed west and I never dreamed that it would arrive. I feel lucky to have you as a brother.”
Dago laughed, “And that is appropriate for he is Lucky Jack Hogan!”
The End
Maps
Courtesy of Wikipaedia
Attribution: Chancellorsville Maps by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
Attribution: Map by Hal Jespersen
Historical background
My heartfelt thanks to the re-enactors at Gettysburg in July 2013 for all their help and advice. Any historical errors in the book are mine and not theirs. I realise that there were few Springfield carbines in the war but the nature of the business of James Booth Boswell meant that he would be rich and, like the chaps in Silicon Valley, would have ensured that he used the most up to date technology. The irregulars I described are loosely based on Mosby’s Rangers and I used William S. Connery’s excellent “Mosby’s Raids in Civil War Northern Virginia”, extensively. Mosby was called the Grey Ghost and I used that appellation as the inspiration for my title. Boswell is not Mosby and this is a work of fiction; however the incidents such as the charges using pistols, the wrecking of the trains, being mistaken for Union horsemen are all true. Mosby and his men carried three or four revolvers and I have used that idea for Boswell and his men. They used captured guns and that explains why they were formidably armed. I also used “The American Civil War Source Book” by Philip Katcher and that proved a godsend for finding who fought where, when and with what. I also used the Osprey Men at Arms book, “The Army of Northern Virginia” by Philip Katcher.
The Confederate cavalry preferred raiding to charging infantry and rarely used their sabres. They preferred to use pistols or carbines. This proved useful most of the time but, as Gettysburg showed, Stuart and his cavalry could let down his general at crucial times. It was said that the biggest supplier for the Confederate Army, and especially the cavalry, was the U.S. as they captured so many of the Union supplies.
The battle of Chancellorsville was one of the pivotal moments in the war. Hooker’s original plan had been foiled by the weather. There were heavy rains in April 1863 and the rivers could not be forded until the very end of the month. Lee was not to know this but it could have affected the outcome if the weather had been better. Lee was outnumbered and Hooker had many more resources. Lee took the bold, Napoleonic move, to split his forces and he gave the majority of his smaller army to Stonewall Jackson who marched around the flank of the Union army. He was screened by Jeb Stuart’s cavalry which prevented the Union from being aware of this threat. The down side was that a day or two after the battle Jackson was wounded by his own troops who mistook them for Union soldiers. Although the wound was not life threatening Jackson had to have an arm amputated and he died of pneumonia. Who knows what the outcome of Gettysburg would have been had Jackson not died prematurely?
The Battle of Brandy Station took place almost exactly as I described it. Stuart ordered a mock battle on June 5th with 9,000 troopers. General Lee was not able to be there and so it was repeated again on June 8th so that he could see it himself. Both horses and men were exhausted. General Lee ordered the cavalry to move north of the Rappahannock on June 9th and clear the area of Union soldiers but General Pleasonton had ordered 11,000 Union horsemen to attack the camp at Culpeper. Although the Union lost more men and the Confederacy held the field at the end of the day it was considered that Stuart had lost the battle and from this moment on the rebel cavalry lost their invincible status.
General Lee’s forward elements crossed the Potomac in the middle of June. The Federal army, now under Meade’s command followed some days later. Meade was attempting to stop Lee from heading for Washington which left the Confederate general with the whole of Pennsylvania at his mercy. It was Brigadier General Pettigrew who first ventured into Gettysburg. His commander, Hethe, said in his memoirs, that he had ordered him there to get supplies, notably shoes. The south was desperately sho
rt of all manufactured goods. The battle followed that incursion. Buford and his cavalry occupied the town when Pettigrew withdrew.
General Sickles did disobey orders and move his Corps down to the wheat field where they were slaughtered and he did lose his leg.
As far as I know there were no skirmishers preceding Pickett’s charge but I suspect that there were. There were many small units who had lost large numbers and this would have been a perfect place to use them. The Union Irish Brigade had lost so many men in the battles that there were only at regimental strength. The Union artillery did conserve their ammunition whilst the Confederate was short of ammunition. This was about resources and the Union had far more.
General Imboden did sweep the Union cavalry from Williamsport and the pontoon bridge was damaged by Union cavalry and Lee had to wait for it to be rebuilt before he and the army could cross. General Meade was heavily censured by both the other generals and Lincoln for not pursuing Lee more vigorously. Despite what history may say about General Lee the Union generals always feared facing him. Gettysburg was the high water mark of the war. Lee came within a whisker of victory.
The similarities between Gettysburg and the Battle of Waterloo deserve a book to themselves. In both cases they were very close run battles and could have gone either way at any time. The misuse of cavalry was also dramatic. A.P Hill, like Napoleon Bonaparte, fell ill on the day of the battle and subordinates took some poor decisions in their absence; Ney in the case of Napoleon and Longstreet in the case of Hill. It is interesting to note that the defensive side in both battles ultimately won. In addition the skirmishes leading up to the battle in both cases also had a major impact on the outcome. Had Stuart’s cavalry been on the battlefield then who knows what may have happened?
The Dixie Line did exist. The ships were built in Liverpool and plied their trade between Britain and Spain but the profits went to the investors who had funded the line. Many of them also operated as blockade runners. Thanks to the online History Today for that information. http://www.historytoday.com/john-d-pelzer/liverpool-and-american-civil-war
