Summary: When Adam Cartwright left college to join the Union Army, he had no idea he would be involved in three of the most significant battles of the Civil War.\u00a0 Nor did he know that the experience would mark his life forever and influence the man he would become.<\/p>\n
Rating: MA for battlefield violence<\/p>\n
Word Count: 94,855<\/p>\n
A Separate Dream Series<\/strong><\/p>\n A Separate Dream<\/a> <\/p>\n Soldier Boy<\/strong><\/p>\n Book 2 of <\/strong>A Separate Dream<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 1<\/p>\n Start Spreading the News<\/p>\n After far too short a night, Adam Cartwright woke to the first rays of dawn filtering through the window beside his bed.\u00a0 He\u2019d retired later than usual, having spent his first evening back in New Haven out with other returning students, and then remaining awake in thought for quite some time.\u00a0 The conversation that evening had brought to the forefront of his mind the debate he\u2019d held with himself all through the summer.\u00a0 He\u2019d finally made his decision in the wee hours of this 16th<\/sup> day of September, 1862.\u00a0 Now all he had to do was communicate it to the important people in his life . . . and deal with the repercussions, some of which were likely to make him feel he\u2019d already arrived at the battle front.\u00a0 Those he was perfectly content to put off as long as possible, but one person, the one most immediately affected by his decision, deserved to know right away, so he got out of bed and walked over to his wash basin to splash some inevitably cold water in his face.<\/p>\n He dressed and entered the sitting room he shared with his oldest friend, Jamie Edwards.\u00a0 Was to have shared<\/em>, he amended.\u00a0 All too soon this would be lost to him, another dream put off, perhaps beyond hope of retrieval.\u00a0 Apparently, Jamie was still asleep, for there was no light yet in his bedroom, which was on the opposite side of this central area.\u00a0 Adam lighted a fire in the brick fireplace and then, taking the tin bucket that stood in the corner beside it, headed downstairs to the cistern in the college yard.\u00a0 As the slight breeze raised goosepimples on his arms, he sighed.\u00a0 Another problem he hadn\u2019t foreseen.\u00a0 Had he been continuing on at Yale, he would, of course, have gladly undertaken this chore every morning, to spare his less hale and hearty roommate, but now Jamie would have to do it himself . . . unless he hired a sweep.\u00a0 Adam recalled hearing upperclassmen mention that possibility and thought he remembered the going rate being a dollar a week.\u00a0 His army pay would cover that much, as well as his share of the room rent, and he would absolutely insist on paying both, no matter how little he had left for himself.\u00a0 He would not allow Jamie to suffer any deprivation his personal decision incurred.\u00a0 Anything less would be unfair.<\/p>\n When he returned to the room, he saw Jamie sitting in a chair beside the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cA fine thing to wake up to,\u201d the slightly built young man with the corn tassel hair said.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for building the fire, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Adam said, setting down the pail of water.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps if we leave this here by the fire, it might warm enough to tempt me to something more than a quick splash of my face.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t even been tempted to that yet.\u00a0 No such luxury tomorrow, I\u2019m afraid, if we\u2019re to make it to chapel on time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, you had faith for better things, but then, you always do,\u201d Adam said, in a smiling hint at his friend\u2019s declared call to the ministry.\u00a0 As he settled into the chair facing Jamie, his lips drew into a straight line.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, dear,\u201d Jamie said with an elongated sigh.\u00a0 \u201cA face that solemn can mean only one thing: you\u2019ve made up your mind, and I\u2019m not going to like it, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably not,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry to disappoint you, chum, and even more sorry for the inconvenience it\u2019s likely to bring you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen don\u2019t do it,\u201d Jamie said.<\/p>\n Adam looked at him in open-mouthed surprise.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t mean that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do,\u201d Jamie said, \u201cbut not because of any disappointment or inconvenience to me.\u00a0 I am disappointed, of course.\u00a0 I\u2019ve so looked forward to sharing these rooms with you, sharing our college lives together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs have I,\u201d Adam inserted.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but\u201d\u2014his voice caught\u2014\u201cOh, Adam!\u00a0 Are you sure?\u00a0 Think of the danger; think of all you\u2019re giving up, even if . . . even if you\u2019re the luckiest man alive and come out unscathed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou know perfectly well you don\u2019t believe in luck, preacher boy, and as Brand suggested last night, I am making it your personal mission to pray that I do come out unscathed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mock me,\u201d Jamie scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I\u2019ll do exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam leaned forward to touch an apologetic hand to his friend\u2019s knee.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t mocking.\u00a0 I value your prayers, more than those of any man, except my father, and in this venture he may be more inclined to call down divine wrath on my errant head!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow you are joking,\u201d Jamie chided again.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice softened, almost to a whisper, for of all the people he had to inform of his decision, the one whose reaction he dreaded most was his father, Ben Cartwright.<\/p>\n Jamie laid his head back against the cushioned chair.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d talk you out of this, if I could, but I never have been able to out-debate you.\u00a0 The truth is, I\u2019ve known since last night that this would be your decision.\u00a0 I saw how you were drinking in Jim\u2019s reasons for joining up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was very persuasive, though I don\u2019t think that was his aim.\u201d\u00a0 James Brand, along with their mutual friend, Marcus Whitmore, had joined them for supper the night before.\u00a0 In answer to the questions aroused by the sight of his Union blue uniform, the newly enlisted Brand had cited the need to eradicate slavery with words Adam had found unforgettable: \u201cGod and humanity demand it.\u201d\u00a0 Those were the words which had kept him awake as he weighed the balances before finally deciding to enlist.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose you\u2019ll be signing up today?\u201d Jamie asked.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could, but I promised this day to Elizabeth.\u00a0 She\u2019ll need to be told, too, of course, but I\u2019m not dreading that nearly as much as I was telling you.\u00a0 Thank you for making it as easy as you did, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, perhaps she can dissuade you, where a friend could not,\u201d Jamie suggested with a wistful smile.<\/p>\n Knowing already his girl Elizabeth\u2019s admiration for men in blue, Adam restrained his temptation to laugh aloud and simply said, \u201cI doubt it.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam reached back to steady Elizabeth\u2019s steps on the slippery rocks that led to their favorite picnic spot overlooking Wintergreen Falls at West Rock.\u00a0 She smiled her appreciation; then they worked together to spread the blanket and set out the food she had prepared.\u00a0 They settled side by side, and she began to prepare their plates.\u00a0 \u201cNow, tell me if you want more of anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cJust more of you,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was nice of you to prepare this picnic.\u00a0 I had planned to take you out to dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I know how you like to count your pennies,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n \u201cI earned a tidy sum from my work in New York this summer,\u201d he reminded her.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s true,\u201d she said, \u201cand you did win that wonderful scholarship, which should leave you enough for an evening out now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam winced.\u00a0 The Woolsey scholarship!\u00a0 The one that would have given him an extra $60 each year for college expenses.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so excited to receive it and had promised Elizabeth that it would enable him to be a little freer with what he could spend on activities with her.\u00a0 Now it was just one more piece of business to deal with before he enlisted, and it would need to be dealt with today, since classes would begin tomorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Elizabeth demanded.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you want to spend an occasional evening out with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, I do,\u201d Adam assured her.\u00a0 \u201cYou just reminded me of something I need to take care of today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is supposed to be my day,\u201d she pouted.\u00a0 \u201cYou promised, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost of it will be,\u201d he affirmed, \u201cbut I have had a change of circumstance, my dear, and there will be a bit of business to transact this afternoon.\u00a0 I would be delighted to take you to supper, however, and spend the rest of the evening in any way you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 She looked puzzled.\u00a0 \u201cIs it something to do with your scholarship?\u201d\u00a0 She could remember mentioning nothing else that might have served as some reminder for him.<\/p>\n Adam uttered a short laugh.\u00a0 \u201cIt will affect it, yes, although I hadn\u2019t even thought about that until you mentioned it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re not in danger of losing it, are you?\u201d she asked, seeing those blissful evenings together fading away into the mist of broken dreams.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cElizabeth, darling, I\u2019ve made a decision, but I was going to wait until we\u2019d eaten to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartwright, I won\u2019t be able to eat a thing if you don\u2019t tell me right this minute!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019d better, then,\u201d he said, quirking a smile, \u201cespecially as it does affect you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019re worrying me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThe reason I\u2019m unsure of the status of my scholarship is that I\u2019ve decided not to return to school this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Adam, no!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve waited all these months for you to return, and now you\u2019re going back to that awful job in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, it\u2019s not that,\u201d Adam said, patting her forearm in consolation, \u201cbut something of which I hope you will approve, even though it means we will be apart for several months.\u201d\u00a0 He took a long breath and said plainly, \u201cI\u2019m planning to enlist in the Union Army.\u00a0 I feel I must.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at him for a moment, and then she squealed in delight.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve enlisted!\u00a0 Oh, Adam, I\u2019m so . . . so proud, and you\u2019ll look splendid in uniform, even more handsome than Father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat, of course, was my sole reason,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n She spatted his hand.\u00a0 \u201cOoh, you\u2019re awful.\u201d\u00a0 Then she smiled brightly.\u00a0 \u201cBut I shall forgive you because I can\u2019t stay angry with a man in blue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny man in blue?\u201d<\/p>\n The spat landed more sharply this time.\u00a0 He laughed and answered her supposed irritation with a quick kiss on the cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t enlisted yet, though.\u00a0 I plan to do that tomorrow, which is why I need to get my affairs in order today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I see now,\u201d she said demurely.\u00a0 \u201cWell, let\u2019s enjoy our picnic, and you can take me home.\u00a0 While you see to your affairs, I\u2019ll plan a wonderful evening for us.\u00a0 And once you\u2019ve enlisted, you\u2019ll have much more free time than you would as a student.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntil we march out,\u201d he said with a sober, reminding arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, until then,\u201d she agreed, matching his somber expression for only a moment before saying, \u201cbut that won\u2019t be for ages.\u00a0 Oh, this will be such fun, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Heels nervously tapping the floor, Adam sat on a straight-backed wooden chair in the hallway outside the office of President Theodore Dwight Woolsey.\u00a0 After escorting Elizabeth home, he\u2019d gone to the bank, where he\u2019d transferred his savings from the bank in New York and added Jamie\u2019s name to his account here in New Haven.\u00a0 Jamie would need to submit a signature card to make it official, and he\u2019d probably balk at the suggestion, but in the end, he\u2019d give in.\u00a0 Adam had his arguments for that well outlined and knew they\u2019d succeed.\u00a0 His friend had been quite correct the night before in saying that he\u2019d never bested Adam in a debate, and Adam was not about to allow this to be his first loss.<\/p>\n He felt much less confident about his errand here at the college.\u00a0 He had to formally withdraw, of course, but it couldn\u2019t come as any great surprise that a student might feel compelled to enlist.\u00a0 After all, James Brand and quite possibly others had done it before him.\u00a0 The door beside him opened, and he was soon inside, taking the seat President Woolsey offered.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Mr. Cartwright, are you looking forward to classes tomorrow?\u201d the slender, but wiry-built Woolsey asked with a pleasant smile.\u00a0 \u201cI trust it isn\u2019t some problem that has brought you here today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot a problem, exactly,\u201d Adam began and then halted.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes, in a way, but I would have had to come anyway.\u201d\u00a0 He broke off, seeing concern growing in the president\u2019s always discerning eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir,\u201d he said, his voice quaking.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could be starting classes tomorrow, but I\u2019m afraid I won\u2019t be attending Yale this year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurely, it\u2019s not a financial problem,\u201d Woolsey said.\u00a0 \u201cNot for the winner of our most prestigious scholarship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 That solved any such problems I had.\u201d<\/p>\n The president sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThen some other opportunity has lured you away, some more lucrative employment, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gave him a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cDefinitely not more lucrative, sir.\u00a0 A private\u2019s pay is pretty puny, I suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n President Woolsey stroked his clean-shaven jowls.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve enlisted in the Army, then?\u00a0 For the Union, I presume.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet, but that is my intention, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve thought this through carefully?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded soberly.\u00a0 \u201cI have, sir, and so I\u2019ve come today to request permission to withdraw from school, in hopes that I will be allowed to reenroll next year, since the units the President has called for require only a nine-month\u2019s enlistment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no question that you would be welcomed with open arms, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Woolsey assured him.\u00a0 \u201cWhile I would prefer to see a young man of your caliber continue his education, instead of hazarding his life on a battlefield, I can scarcely fault you for putting country above self.\u00a0 It represents the high moral character we hope to develop in our students at Yale.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips and blinked back the moisture threatening his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, sir.\u00a0 There is the matter of my scholarship, too.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what the policy is, whether I could simply delay taking it until next year or whether I must yield it.\u00a0 The next man in line in the exams was James Edwards, of course, so if I must lose it myself, I could not be better pleased in seeing it go to him.\u201d<\/p>\n President Woolsey smiled slightly, but then his brows drew together in thought.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly, my boy, I don\u2019t know how to answer you.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a situation that has developed before, and it isn\u2019t strictly my decision to make.\u00a0 I\u2019ll need to consult the board, but I will certainly inform you of their decision as soon as possible.\u00a0 Will this have any influence on your own decision?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, none at all,\u201d Adam said as he stood.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for your time, as well as your offer to keep me informed as to my status.\u00a0 I look forward to seeing you again next year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo more than I to welcoming you back, son.\u201d\u00a0 The president rose and walked Adam to the door, his slightly stooped shoulders seeming more bowed than usual.\u00a0 \u201cOne other matter, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 Where are you staying?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam halted in sudden realization.\u00a0 \u201cIn the dorm assignment I drew last spring, sir, and I\u2019ve just realized I have no right to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy policy, no,\u201d the president said.\u00a0 Then he smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHowever, I think we can bend the rules slightly for a young man serving his country, so long as your roommate is willing.\u00a0 Mr. Edwards, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen, let\u2019s consider you his guest,\u201d Woolsey suggested, \u201cat least until you\u2019ve been accepted into the Army.\u00a0 Then, of course, they will be responsible for your lodging and provision.\u201d\u00a0 He extended his hand.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck, Mr. Cartwright, and God go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir; thank you, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Giving the president\u2019s hand a hearty shake, he left the building and headed back to the dorm, to have that talk with Jamie.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n \u201cI most certainly will not sign on to your account!\u201d a red-faced Jamie declared.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you will,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI may well need you to access it on my behalf while I\u2019m away, at the very least for Christmas and birthday gifts for my family.\u00a0 I brought back a few things from New York, but I can\u2019t imagine the camp sutlers will carry many things Little Joe\u2014or even Hoss, for that matter\u2014would be thrilled to find under the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie fell back into the chair he\u2019d leaped up from when Adam first presented the proposition to him.\u00a0 \u201cOh,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pressed his point.\u00a0 \u201cI may need you to send me some items the Army doesn\u2019t see fit to provide, too!\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie laughed, then.\u00a0 \u201cLike decent reading material?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed, too.\u00a0 \u201cExactly like that . . . or perhaps some of Candy Sam\u2019s divinity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case,\u201d Jamie said, \u201cI\u2019ll be privileged to act as your agent for all such commissions.\u201d\u00a0 He signed the card extending him access to Adam\u2019s bank account, but added, \u201cHowever, I don\u2019t have any need for your funds myself.\u00a0 I won the Hurlbut, remember?\u201d\u00a0 He gasped.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Adam!\u00a0 Your scholarship!\u00a0 What will happen to that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve spoken to President Woolsey about it, but he couldn\u2019t tell me without consulting some others.\u00a0 It may end up going to you, chum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo me?\u201d\u00a0 Jamie looked startled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou placed second in the exam, remember?\u00a0 If I must relinquish it, then you\u2019d be first in line to receive it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I hope not,\u201d Jamie said.<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be ridiculous, Jamie!\u00a0 It\u2019s sixty dollars for four years, not just one, like your award.\u00a0 You\u2019d be a fool to turn it down.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie cocked his head, smiling wryly.\u00a0 \u201cDoes that make you a fool for giving it up?\u201d<\/p>\n Chuckling, Adam wagged his head.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps, but I\u2019m a hard-headed one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s the truth.\u201d\u00a0 Jamie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I will miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot for a day or so,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI have the president\u2019s permission to stay here in the dorm, so long as it\u2019s all right with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Lips twitching, Jamie stroked his smooth chin.\u00a0 \u201cHmm.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to think about that.\u00a0 It can be a challenge to live with a hard-headed fool, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n That night Adam and Jamie again met Marcus for supper at Mory\u2019s, and this time Lucas Cameron, the final member of the quartet of friends that had formed during freshman year, joined them.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s definite, then,\u201d Marcus said to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re joining up.\u201d\u00a0 He paused only a moment and then made his own announcement.\u00a0 \u201cI am, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Between bites of Golden Buck, a Welsh rarebit topped with poached egg, Lucas observed with a wry grin, \u201cIt would appear, St. James, that you and I have been left high and dry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo it would appear,\u201d Jamie said with a smile, having long since learned to accept Luke\u2019s teasing nickname for him.\u00a0 He was no saint and he knew it, but he tried to use occasions like this as a prod to poke him in that direction.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be paying my share of the room rent,\u201d Adam said, \u201cso except for the pleasure of my company, I won\u2019t be costing my mate a thing.\u201d\u00a0 Too late, he realized the burden that might be placing on Marcus to make a similar offer to Luke as his roommate, one he was not as well placed to make.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Jamie said, reviving their earlier argument.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am,\u201d Adam insisted. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ll automatically become responsible for both halves of the rent, so don\u2019t be too proud to take what you know you\u2019ll need.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing virtuous about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s a contest in virtue, you know St. James has us all licked before we start!\u201d Lucas declared.\u00a0 \u201cI, personally, shall not even bother to enter the contest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou, personally, have no chance,\u201d Marcus threw at him.\u00a0 Then he sobered.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could make the same offer as Adam, chum.\u00a0 I can\u2019t, but I\u2019ll do what I can to help out.\u00a0 It won\u2019t be much, on a private\u2019s pay, but I do, at least, have what I\u2019d have spent on tuition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSave that up for when you return next year,\u201d Luke said, waving off the offer.\u00a0 \u201cI have a better solution, one which saves everyone\u2019s pocketbooks.\u201d\u00a0 He made them wait, while he ingested another bite of Golden Buck, and then said, with a wide grin, \u201cWe\u2019ll just trade roommates.\u00a0 St. James and I will team up for the year and give up one of the rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus and Adam both hooted, for two more different young men did not attend Yale College than sober, righteous Jamie Edwards and slapdash, happy-go-lucky Lucas Cameron.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d drive each other mad,\u201d Adam said with an amused shake of his head.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Jamie returned, still only taking Luke\u2019s idea half seriously, \u201cit might better us both.\u00a0 Sober Luke down a trifle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd stir up St. James a ton.\u201d\u00a0 Lucas laughed loud enough to turn heads at other tables.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d both have our work cut out for us!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou would, indeed,\u201d Adam chuckled, still shaking his head in disbelief.\u00a0 Yet, over the rest of their dinner, Lucas and Jamie could be seen with their heads together in discussion of the new idea, while Adam and Marcus conversed about how and when to make their enlistment official.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/p>\n You\u2019re in the Army Now<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam stood on the sidewalk outside the recruiting office, where he\u2019d just put in his name as the newest recruit for the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut regiment of the Union Army.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t hold that position long, however, for Marcus Whitmore exited within minutes, holding in his hand the same white certificate that Adam himself had received.\u00a0 Waving his, Adam said, \u201cOff to the doctor\u2019s office, I presume.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cThey did say immediately.\u00a0 I admit I\u2019m rather dreading it.\u201d<\/p>\n As they strolled down the street toward the address they\u2019d been given, Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u00a0 You\u2019re healthy enough, Marc, and I can\u2019t imagine they turn down many volunteers, so long as they can march and see well enough to follow the man in front of them.\u00a0 Since you have to be that healthy to survive a year at Yale, I suspect you\u2019ll pass easily, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot as easily as you,\u201d Marc said with an admiring appraisal of Adam\u2019s fine physique.<\/p>\n Adam stopped outside a door whose number matched the address in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll soon find out,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the place.\u201d\u00a0 He took a deep breath, for however much he had twitted his friend\u2019s concern, he shared it himself.\u00a0 He\u2019d never actually had a full physical before and had no idea what it entailed.\u00a0 In fact, other than treatment for a bad cold or an accident, he\u2019d never even had a doctor\u2019s attention.\u00a0 With determination he pulled open the door before him and entered, depositing his certificate with the uniformed clerk at the desk, and took a seat in the waiting area.\u00a0 Marcus did the same and sat beside him.<\/p>\n After a lengthy wait Adam was ushered into a small examining room.\u00a0 \u201cStrip,\u201d the orderly told him.\u00a0 \u201cThe doctor\u2019ll be in soon to look you over.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked at him, aghast.\u00a0 \u201cSt-strip?\u201d he croaked.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean . . .?<\/p>\n The orderly looked amused.\u00a0 \u201cBuck naked,\u201d he chortled.\u00a0 \u201cNo false modesty in the Army, young fellow.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gulped.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t remember the last time anyone, much less a stranger, had seen him without a stitch of clothing.\u00a0 Oh, his little brothers had no compunction about walking in on him in the bath, but the water itself tended to provide some slight shield against prying eyes. \u00a0Pa, of course, had always respected his privacy, since he\u2019d been old enough to wash himself.\u00a0 Privacy was a luxury probably not allowed in the Army, either, he surmised as he stripped down to his bare skin.\u00a0 By the time he\u2019d lived nine months in close quarters among strangers, he\u2019d probably know and be known more intimately by them than by his own flesh and blood.\u00a0 In his brief time as a soldier during the Pyramid Lake Indian War, they\u2019d all just slept in their clothes, and they hadn\u2019t bothered with such niceties as bathing.\u00a0 However, he could scarcely give it up for nine months, and clothes unwashed for that long would rot off his body and leave him just as exposed as he now was.\u00a0 No, the orderly was right.\u00a0 False modesty would have to go.<\/p>\n Adam stood there, his naked flesh growing goosepimples in the cool air, for what seemed like hours.\u00a0 Finally, the door opened and a man, presumably the doctor, entered.\u00a0 \u201cWell,\u201d the doctor said after running his eyes up and down Adam from flushing cheeks to twitchy toes, \u201cyou seem a likely specimen, young man.\u00a0 Better than the typical recruit I\u2019m asked to examine.\u00a0 Any complaints you wish to state?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m healthy\u201d\u2014he laughed\u2014\u201cas a young bull, my doctor back home tends to say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm, it would appear so, and you obviously meet the height requirement, but I\u2019ll still need to measure. \u00a0I must do a thorough examination, you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yes.\u201d\u00a0 Realizing how unmilitary that response must sound, he stammered out, \u201cI mean, yes, sir.\u00a0 What\u2014what is the height requirement, sir, if I may ask?\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor chuckled as he pointed toward a measure affixed to the wall.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not in the Army, son, so you can ask whatever you like\u2014but not everything you like, mind.\u00a0 The next young man in line would appreciate our working through this efficiently, I assure you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam was quite sure of that!\u00a0 He gave a slight shiver as he approached the wall.\u00a0 The room was downright chilly, especially to parade around in the altogether.<\/p>\n The doctor took his measure.\u00a0 \u201cSix foot even.\u00a0 Well above the 5\u20196\u201d requirement.\u00a0 Now, if you\u2019ll slowly turn around.\u201d<\/p>\n Wanting only to get the whole ordeal over with, Adam turned in a slow circle, as the doctor scrutinized him inch by inch, or so it felt.\u00a0 When he returned to his original position, the doctor observed, \u201cNo obvious contusions or abnormalities.\u201d\u00a0 He squeezed Adam\u2019s biceps.\u00a0 \u201cSolid muscles,\u201d he grunted with just a hint of admiration.\u00a0 Then he thumped him soundly on both the chest and back and used his stethoscope to listen to his heart and lungs.\u00a0 \u201cSound as a dollar,\u201d the examiner stated.\u00a0 \u201cNow let\u2019s see you jump.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJump?\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice squeaked as he asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean, just up and down, here.\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor frowned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the general direction one jumps.\u00a0 Is there some reason you find yourself unable to comply, young man?\u00a0 Some deformity of the legs, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, sir,\u201d Adam said hurriedly.<\/p>\n \u201cA soldier is required to follow orders, you know, and without question, I might add.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam straightened up, barely resisting the urge to salute.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 He commenced to jump up and down with what he hoped was the requisite display of energy, and when told to kick out his legs, he obeyed with alacrity, as a good soldier-to-be should.\u00a0 Then, feeling sudden sympathy for every horse he\u2019d ever evaluated, he opened his mouth on command and submitted to an examination of his, thankfully, full set of sound and solid teeth, though all the doctor seemed concerned with was whether he had two opposing ones.\u00a0 Finally, he read flawlessly a set of letters from a chart on the wall to demonstrate adequate vision to do his duties as a soldier.<\/p>\n At least, he\u2019d thought that was his final requirement, especially when the doctor told him he could get dressed again.\u00a0 As he was reaching for his pants, however, the doctor extended a small glass vial to him.\u00a0 \u201cOnce you\u2019re dressed, you will visit the necessary across the hall,\u201d he said, \u201cand deposit a urine sample in this.\u00a0 Return it to the desk in the waiting area, and then you\u2019ll be free to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, yes, sir,\u201d Adam mumbled, cheeks flaming redder still.\u00a0 He took the vial and held it at almost arm\u2019s length until the doctor departed in search of his next victim and then set it aside while he quickly dressed.\u00a0 Peeping out the door, he spotted what he thought must be the necessary, and concealing the telltale vial in his hand, he skittered quickly across the hall and into the small room, where he met the requirement as quickly as possible.\u00a0 As he started to leave, he shook his head.\u00a0 Oh, for the love of mercy, why was he even bothering to be so secretive when he would have to march that sample out to the waiting room full of potential recruits and present it to the clerk at the desk.\u00a0 No false modesty, he again told himself.\u00a0 He took a bolstering breath and marched out to hand in the now full vial.<\/p>\n The clerk didn\u2019t even look at it, but merely set it aside in a tray with numerous others after tagging it with Adam\u2019s name.\u00a0 Then he handed Adam a sheet of paper.\u00a0 \u201cDirections to Camp Terry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cReport there by 5 p.m. this evening, and you\u2019ll be assigned a tent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m accepted, then?\u201d Adam inquired.<\/p>\n The clerk finally looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cProvisionally.\u00a0 The doctor saw nothing to deter your enlistment.\u00a0 If this\u201d\u2014he gestured toward the vial of urine\u2014\u201cshows anything amiss, you\u2019ll be informed.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned forward to offer a word of what he believed was sage advice.\u00a0 \u201cJust in case, don\u2019t cut all your ties outside the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, thank you,\u201d Adam said, although he was pretty sure he\u2019d already cut every important tie he had, at least here in the East.\u00a0 He was no longer enrolled at Yale, although that perhaps could be rectified, but it might very well be too late to keep his roommate or scholarship by the time that sample was rejected.\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 What would be, would be, but he was fairly certain he\u2019d just become a soldier.\u00a0 He sat down in one of the empty chairs to wait for Marcus.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t sure whether time was just passing slowly or whether Marc\u2019s exam was actually taking longer than his had.\u00a0 Wish I\u2019d brought a book<\/em>, he grumbled internally.\u00a0 Instead, he spent the time taking a good look at the other men in the waiting room, who might, after all, be serving in the same company as he.\u00a0 Most of the men were roughly his age, some a little older, in their late twenties or thirties.\u00a0 One or two might even have been as much as forty.\u00a0 Some had the rustic look of farmers, while others carried themselves with city sophistication.\u00a0 Adam even thought he\u2019d seen a few on the campus of Yale the previous year, although none in the room were among his own class, the students he knew best.\u00a0 Still, he thought with a slight smile, they weren\u2019t as diverse a group as the hodge-podge of would-be soldiers that had gone on the campaign against the Paiutes back home.<\/p>\n Finally, Marcus, cheeks flaming redder than Adam was sure his own possibly could have, came through the inner door and handed his carefully secreted glass vial to the clerk at the desk.\u00a0 Adam grinned as he wondered whether his friend, too, had been given that speech about \u201cfalse modesty in the Army.\u201d\u00a0 If not, he\u2019d be sure to pass it along.\u00a0 The whole experience was best laughed off, he decided, so as soon as he and Marc were outside, he suggested a visit to Mory\u2019s, where they could toast one another for their successful completion of the ordeal.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam tapped lightly on the door to Jamie\u2019s room, but opened the door himself and popped his head in.\u00a0 \u201cJust me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jamie chidingly shook his head as the other man entered.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t need to knock, Adam; it\u2019s your room, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not,\u201d Adam said with a significant arch of his eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI only had permission to stay here until I enlisted, so this is now officially your room . . . or, perhaps, yours and Luke\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie sighed as he dropped back into his fireside chair.\u00a0 \u201cThey took you, then?\u201d<\/p>\n The eyebrow arched higher.\u00a0 \u201cDid you entertain some doubt?\u201d\u00a0 He flexed his biceps.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have you know, I am considered a \u2018likely specimen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Despite his disappointment, Jamie laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds like doctor talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cSomeday, when my sense of humor has been restored, I\u2019ll give you a full description, but the short version is: avoid enlistment at all costs, my dear chum.\u00a0 The physical exam alone will have you running for the hallowed halls of Yale.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie\u2019s mouth twisted wryly.\u00a0 \u201cBut not you, I see.\u00a0 You\u2019re made of more stalwart stuff than I, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly in physique,\u201d Adam chuckled, \u201cbut in truth I barely made it through that ordeal with my dignity intact.\u00a0 Yours, my shy young friend, would not survive the first ridiculously embarrassing command.\u201d\u00a0 He laid a hand on Jamie\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m only jesting, of course\u2014except in calling it an embarrassing ordeal.\u00a0 It was one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably meant to prepare you for the battlefield,\u201d Jamie teased back.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably,\u201d Adam said, his tone sober, though his eyes were not.\u00a0 \u201cThe battlefield may be expected to produce ordeal.\u00a0 Hopefully, I won\u2019t embarrass myself there,\u201d he added, tongue in cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, then, this is your last night here?\u201d Jamie asked, his mouth setting in a resigned straight line.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid last night was,\u201d Adam said, his face reflecting his friend\u2019s disappointment.\u00a0 \u201cI report to Camp Terry this evening, so I presume I\u2019ll be sleeping there.\u00a0 I just came by to tell you and to see what disposition I can make of my belongings.\u00a0 Did you and Luke come to a decision about rooming together?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we\u2019re going to,\u201d Jamie said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take his room, as it\u2019s on a lower floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, it\u2019s in the same building, so it\u2019ll be a relatively easy move, and I\u2019m sure I can get time off to help.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI would hope so, but at least it\u2019s our paltry furnishings we\u2019ll be moving and not Luke\u2019s more abundant ones to tote up the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYours, not ours,\u201d Adam corrected.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I have to decide is what to do with mine.\u00a0 I certainly can\u2019t tote my own bed into a tent!\u201d\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNot to mention all the books I\u2019ve accumulated over the last year, although I do intend to take a couple with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLeave the rest with me,\u201d Jamie said.\u00a0 \u201cMy shelves aren\u2019t so full they can\u2019t accommodate a few more volumes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to know they\u2019ll have a home, and I was hoping you might be willing to take custody of my guitar, keep it safe for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, I will . . . if,\u201d Jamie said, his voice pinching with emotion, \u201cyou will promise to keep yourself safe for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Tempted to tease, just to ease the shiver of apprehension that frizzled up his spine, Adam nonetheless treated the request with the respect it deserved.\u00a0 \u201cI promise,\u201d he said simply.\u00a0 Then, shaking off the emotion they were both feeling, he said, \u201cI\u2019d better head for camp.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t want to be late!\u00a0 I\u2019ll try to get back tomorrow and sort out my stuff, get it out of your way . . . somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cJust leave it\u2014what you don\u2019t take, I mean.\u00a0 I\u2019ll either make room for it or, perhaps, take\u2014or ship\u2014the excess home for Father to keep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe could use the extra bed at his place,\u201d Adam said with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ship it to him.\u201d\u00a0 He doubled his fist and gave his slender friend\u2019s shoulder a light tap.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, chum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy pleasure . . . my privilege,\u201d Jamie said, voice choking again.\u00a0 Then he was the one to lighten the tension in the air by announcing, \u201cRight, then.\u00a0 Off to camp with you, soldier boy.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t want to incur demerits your first day!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grinned, but left after giving his friend a clap on the back.\u00a0 He had a feeling the Union Army rewarded disobedience to orders with something considerably harsher than a schoolboy\u2019s demerits, but, then, he was a schoolboy no longer; his friend\u2019s new appellation of \u201csoldier boy\u201d was far more accurate.\u00a0 He hurried off campus and headed south, toward Chapel Street.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam pulled the collar of his jacket up over the back of his neck, for the wind off the Mill River was biting.\u00a0 Earlier in the day he might have said inviting, but as the sun slowly descended toward the horizon, the temperature dropped.\u00a0 He hoped the Army would provide a warm blanket; otherwise, he was likely to sleep cold inside a tent tonight.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t brought much with him, only a small carpetbag that he\u2019d stuffed with clothing and a couple of books the night before.\u00a0 Oh, well, it wouldn\u2019t be too bad, and hopefully he\u2019d have a chance tomorrow to provide himself with anything else he\u2019d need in camp.<\/p>\n He crossed the narrow river and almost immediately arrived at Camp Terry, located at Grapevine Point, where the Mill River met the larger Quinnipiac.\u00a0 Reporting to the officer in charge, he was given directions to his tent assignment and made his way over the pleasant green field dotted with canvas tents, laid out in straight rows and labeled with common street names for convenience.\u00a0 He opened the flap of the one to which he\u2019d been directed and peered in, grinning when he saw Marcus already inside.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re together, then?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good luck!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, especially,\u201d Marcus said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so glad, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam came in and dropped his carpetbag on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cIs it just us or is someone else already assigned here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne fellow,\u201d Marc said.\u00a0 \u201cI met him earlier.\u00a0 His name\u2019s Breckinridge.\u00a0 He\u2019s an older man, a teacher he said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, that would be convenient,\u201d Adam chuckled, \u201cin case I need help keeping up with my studies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you intend to?\u201d Marc asked, incredulous.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u00a0 Not the full course, naturally, but it might provide something to do while we\u2019re in camp.\u00a0 We can\u2019t drill all the time, I suppose.\u00a0 I suppose, too, that it would be pointless to try to keep up with our class once we march toward the front.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Probably pointless for me to even start,\u201d Marc said with a forlorn shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d forget it all by the time we came back, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not that poor a student,\u201d Adam chided.\u00a0 \u201cIt probably doesn\u2019t matter at all, really, unless we plan to try to rejoin our current class.\u00a0 Wonder what Brand plans.\u00a0 Any idea where his tent is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I think he\u2019s in a different company, but he shouldn\u2019t be hard to find.\u00a0 You think he might be able to transfer to our company, make a fourth here in our tent?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like that, but I doubt it\u2019s possible,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s settled in by now.\u00a0 We\u2019ll just have to make do with what the Army sends us, I suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n Dinner time arrived, and the two new recruits lined up behind their tentmate, Saul Breckinridge, their senior in the service by a single day.\u00a0 It was enough, though, to give him valuable knowledge in \u201cthe ropes\u201d of life in an Army camp.\u00a0 He was older, as Marc had said, but only by about five or so years.\u00a0 He\u2019d laughed when presented with the prospect of keeping the young Yale students on track with their studies.\u00a0 \u201cI teach grammar school,\u201d he\u2019d said, \u201cso if it\u2019s your multiplication tables you\u2019re having difficulty with, I\u2019m your man.\u00a0 Latin conjugations?\u00a0 Well, I can do them, but, being rusty, probably not as well as you!\u201d<\/p>\n The meal was nothing to brag about, but it was, at least, a thick and hearty soup, with biscuits on the side.\u00a0 Afterwards, Adam walked around camp, making inquiries as he went, and he finally learned where James Brand was camped.\u00a0 Jim welcomed him into his tent and introduced him to his mates.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019ve enlisted, Adam,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a comfort to know I\u2019ll be serving with men like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI feel the same,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cMarcus Whitmore is sharing a tent with me, since we enlisted within minutes of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, it\u2019s always good to share quarters with men you respect,\u201d Brand observed.\u00a0 \u201cMy mates were all strangers to me, but I\u2019ve been blessed in having such good ones.\u201d\u00a0 A trumpet sounded in the distance.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d better get back to your own quarters, soldier,\u201d he said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cThey don\u2019t check too carefully, but you wouldn\u2019t want to be caught out your first night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s for sure!\u201d Adam said, getting up.\u00a0 He gave his hand to each man in the tent and headed quickly back the way he\u2019d come.<\/p>\n As they lay in their cots that night, Saul explained where to find the quartermaster, and the two new recruits went there the next morning to receive their uniforms.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s long form presented the greater challenge, but he was eventually supplied with a set of blue trousers and a frock coat that fit him reasonably well.\u00a0 Marc\u2019s slighter figure was more quickly suited in blue.\u00a0 Saul also told them how to obtain a pass to go into town, and both of them took advantage of it.\u00a0 They spent the afternoon helping move Jamie\u2019s and Adam\u2019s things down to Lucas\u2019s room.\u00a0 Then, as soon as the two college students left for their eating club, Adam headed directly to Elizabeth\u2019s house, to show her his new blue finery.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam sat at Jamie\u2019s desk, staring at a blank piece of stationery.\u00a0 Well, almost blank.\u00a0 He had managed to write \u201cDear Pa,\u201d but that was as far as he\u2019d gotten.\u00a0 Why wasn\u2019t it an essay on some philosophical or literary topic he needed to write?\u00a0 His mouth slewed wryly.\u00a0 It could have been, of course, if only he\u2019d made the decision to remain in college, instead of joining the Army.\u00a0 However, he had chosen to serve his country, and the first battle of his military career would probably be with his father.\u00a0 When he\u2019d left home, he\u2019d virtually promised to keep out of the eastern conflict.\u00a0 Easy words to say then, but conscience had not allowed him to turn a deaf ear to Lincoln\u2019s call for volunteers.\u00a0 The cause was just, and he felt honor bound to uphold it.<\/p>\n He knew he was right, but what words could possibly convince Pa?\u00a0 Probably none.\u00a0 He briefly entertained the idea of simply not telling him, but scorned it for several overlapping reasons.\u00a0 First, it would be a difficult secret to keep for nine months, necessitating a multitude of lies.\u00a0 Even if he managed that, it would eventually come out, anyway, if only because he\u2019d need to spend an extra year back East to finish his college work.\u00a0 It might be easier for Pa to learn about his decision after he\u2019d carried it through and come home safely, but Adam doubted it would soften the roar of thunder he expected to hear all the way from Nevada, whenever Pa got the news.\u00a0 And, of course, there was always the possibility, however slim he believed it to be, that he wouldn\u2019t make it home safely.\u00a0 What a shock that would give Pa and his little brothers if they hadn\u2019t even known he was on the battlefield!\u00a0 No, better to face Pa\u2019s wrath now and be done with it.\u00a0 Besides, the other way was just plain craven, and he had no business going to war if he was that.\u00a0 He smoothed the stationery with his left hand, and with his right took up the pen and wrote:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Pa,<\/p>\n Please read this in private before sharing any part with the boys.\u00a0 I must now send you news that you will not want to hear.\u00a0 I have made a decision I fear will not please you\u2014to be honest, I\u2019m sure it will not please you\u2014but I feel that this is an action I must take.\u00a0 There is a great conflict in this country, a great cause in which I believe, and I can no longer watch others take arms in that cause while I sit idly by.<\/p>\n President Lincoln has put out a call for men to serve a nine-month term, and I feel that I cannot deny that brief a commitment to my country at this critical time.\u00a0 I have enlisted in the Union Army, in the new 27th<\/sup> Connecticut regiment.\u00a0 It only means delaying my education for one year, Pa; I will return to Yale when the term of enlistment ends.\u00a0 I know you urged me to stay out of the \u201ceastern conflict;\u201d I know I promised that I would, that I would concentrate on my schooling and prepare myself to rebuild the nation after this terrible war is over.\u00a0 I honestly thought I could, but I find myself unable to keep that promise.\u00a0 I hope you will forgive this breach of my word, knowing that conscience requires it.\u00a0 At any rate, the deed is done; I am a soldier.<\/p>\n At present, I am still in New Haven, at Camp Terry, but I am not sure where I\u2019ll be by the time you receive this letter.\u00a0 Our regiment should be filled by then, and I would expect to march out shortly thereafter, so I would suggest that you address any correspondence to Jamie until I can give you a more definite address.\u00a0 Being closer, I can more readily keep him advised of my movements.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There!\u00a0 It was done!\u00a0 Adam signed his name with a flourish of relief and set the pen down carefully, since it was borrowed from Jamie.\u00a0 Had it been his own, he might have flung it out the window, just to signal the finality of the thing.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t really final yet; he still had to post the vile thing, and he\u2019d better do it quickly, before he lost his courage.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to take it into town to post, and he didn\u2019t have time now.\u00a0 Consulting the mantel clock, he realized that Jamie and Luke would be returning from class shortly, and they\u2019d arranged for him to take lunch with them at their old eating club today.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to miss the chance to see old friends, and frankly, the chance of a better meal than the Army provided was not to be missed, either.\u00a0 This afternoon he had already committed to Elizabeth, but there would be a post office on his way to her house.\u00a0 He dared not delay any longer or his courage really might peter out.<\/p>\n Still having half an hour before the end of classes, he picked up his guitar and began to fondly strum the strings.\u00a0 There wouldn\u2019t be many more chances to play it, and he yielded, as well, to the temptation to sing along, although softly, just in case some student resident had elected to skip class this early in the term.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The next few days fell into a routine that quickly grew old.\u00a0 Mornings, when his friends were in classes and when Elizabeth deemed it too early for gentlemen callers, he wandered the \u201cstreets\u201d of Camp Terry, making acquaintances as the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut slowly grew in number.\u00a0 He ran into a former classmate, Frank Alling, and learned from him that several others from their class had joined up, howbeit in different regiments, including his old friend, Henry Butler, who was in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n Afternoons, Elizabeth claimed most of his time, when he could obtain permission to leave camp, and that was always granted in those early days of the regiment.\u00a0 While Adam stuck to the rules and asked, many men didn\u2019t bother and, in fact, spent no more than one day in six in camp, showing up only often enough to avoid arrest for desertion. \u00a0The fourth man assigned to their tent, Michael Buford, apparently was such a one, for he availed himself of the option so frequently that one brief meeting was the extent of Adam\u2019s acquaintance.<\/p>\n His time with Elizabeth was pleasant\u2014indeed vital, he told himself\u2014but restaurant lunches and hired conveyances and other activities the lady desired were eating into his savings.\u00a0 If he lost his scholarship, he\u2019d need those funds and what he could save from his meager private\u2019s pay for next year\u2019s expenses, and he found himself resenting the very thing he professed to yearn for.\u00a0 He began to be glad when Elizabeth had something else to do and he could spend the afternoon hours with Jamie and Luke, helping them over rough spots in their assignments, although that also tended to make him envious of what he was missing.<\/p>\n His financial concern was alleviated when a letter arrived from the college.\u00a0 Not wishing to penalize a young man for serving his country in time of crisis, the board had elected to defer his award for one year, after which time the scholarship would revert to the college, to be dispensed to the next candidate in line.\u00a0 For Adam, it was the best possible resolution.\u00a0 Since he was only serving nine months, a year\u2019s deferment was all he needed, and should anything happen to him, the scholarship would go to his best friend, to be received when Jamie would need it most, after his own Hurlbut award ran out.\u00a0 He was truly grateful and immediately wrote President Woolsey a letter of thanks.<\/p>\n One morning, while walking through camp, Adam sighted a new face in camp, one so unexpected that he stopped abruptly, mouth gaping open.\u00a0 He looked like a mere boy, playing soldier in an older brother\u2019s uniform, but people with his warm coloring often did look younger than they were.\u00a0 No, it wasn\u2019t the youthful appearance that took him off guard, and if he\u2019d been back home, he wouldn\u2019t have been surprised to see such a man at all.\u00a0 But here?\u00a0 He slowly became aware of a set of black eyes fixed on his own face and flushed.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to stare.\u201d<\/p>\n The other soldier smiled tentatively.\u00a0 \u201cYou are surprised to see an Oriental reading Sophocles?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI hadn\u2019t even noticed what you were reading, but no, that wouldn\u2019t have surprised me.\u00a0 I know your people have a great respect for scholars, although I would have suspected Confucius would be your author of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy people?\u201d the man queried with an enigmatic inclination of his head.\u00a0 \u201cAnd who might they be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re Chinese, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Adam asked, laughing awkwardly.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, so,\u201d the man said, the words sounding unfamiliar to his tongue, and Adam realized that until then he had been speaking excellent English with almost no trace of an accent.\u00a0 \u201cI was born there, yes.\u00a0 Not raised there, however.\u00a0 You will join me, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGladly,\u201d Adam replied, pulling up a nearby crate as a seat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Adam Cartwright, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I am Antonio Dardelle.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt his mouth fall open again.\u00a0 \u201cA Chinaman with an Italian name?\u00a0 Or is it Spanish?\u00a0 I do sense a good story, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Setting his book aside, Antonio laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNot half so interesting as you suspect, I fear. \u00a0I don\u2019t know how I got the name or its origin. \u00a0I like to think it might be my father\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n Reasonable, Adam realized since the creamy skin tones did hint at mixed heritage.<\/p>\n \u201cI was orphaned early in life,\u201d Antonio continued, \u201cand when I was seven, Captain David Wright brought me to America.\u00a0 I have lived in the household with him and his wife ever since, and they have been good enough to educate me, although not as much as is my fondest wish.\u00a0 This is my country now, and it is now my turn to repay the kindness done to me in her defense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA debt of honor,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a concept the Chinese I know back home would understand well.\u201d<\/p>\n It was Antonio\u2019s turn to look surprised.\u00a0 \u201cHome is the West coast?\u201d he guessed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard many from the country of my birth live there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs well as in Nevada, my home,\u201d Adam responded.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how does a man from Nevada find himself in New Haven?\u00a0 Now it is I who sense a good story.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I who laugh and say it is not half so interesting as you suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonetheless,\u201d Antonio said, \u201ctell it to me.\u00a0 Were you, too, brought here by a Yankee captain?\u201d\u00a0 He laughed lightly at his jest.<\/p>\n Adam laughed even louder.\u00a0 \u201cNo, but I was taken from here by a Yankee first mate.\u201d\u00a0 Pulling his crate closer, he told the story of his New England birth, his journey west and his return to matriculate at Yale.\u00a0 By the time he finished, each young private knew he had found a friend.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n As September gave way to October and the City of Elms changed from shades of emerald and olive to hues of garnet and gold, Adam\u2019s life, too, underwent a transformation, from civilian to soldier.\u00a0 The ranks of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut grew almost daily, and with the larger number came a need for organization.\u00a0 Being a militia outfit, instead of the regular Army, each company\u2019s men elected its own officers, and even on slight acquaintance, Adam was pleased with the caliber of men who would lead him, two of whom were men for whom he had voted.\u00a0 His new captain, Joshua Livingstone, was a man in his thirties who seemed well educated, forthright and considerate of his subordinates, while the man chosen as 1st<\/sup> lieutenant, Daniel Worthington, though considerably younger, was someone Adam sensed would be as worthy a leader as his name indicated.\u00a0 The second lieutenant he scarcely knew and hadn\u2019t voted for, but Harold McCarthy had a solid look about him, and since his fellow soldiers had chosen well for the top officers, he was inclined to trust their judgement on this one, as well.<\/p>\n Those officers selected the men to serve in lower noncommissioned ranks, and Adam was surprised to find himself asked to serve as sergeant major of the company.\u00a0 He wrote the news home in hopes that Pa would be pleased, but he wouldn\u2019t know for several more weeks, of course.\u00a0 Mail delivery was still sloth-slow to and from the Far West.\u00a0 His first letter had had time to reach Nevada, but it was too early to expect a response, however eagerly he answered mail call each morning.\u00a0 For him, thus far, there\u2019d been nothing, other than one letter from Jamie\u2019s father, who had been both proud and concerned at the news of his enlistment.\u00a0 Adam could only hope his own father\u2019s reaction would be as temperate.<\/p>\n Jamie himself, who visited camp each weekend, was wildly enthusiastic about Adam\u2019s promotion.\u00a0 \u201cI knew they\u2019d see your worth!\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI suspect it was more my book learning they were after.\u00a0 From what I hear, the sergeant major is a glorified record keeper.\u00a0 I suppose they thought anyone who could matriculate at Yale could probably handle that!\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie scoffed at his friend\u2019s modesty.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s more to it than that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn camp, no; in battle, I think so,\u201d Adam admitted, his pride in the promotion leaking out, as he added, \u201cI\u2019m on the regimental staff, not just the company.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeady stuff,\u201d Jamie said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, tell me about your own heady stuff,\u201d Adam deflected.\u00a0 \u201cHow are your classes going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeady stuff,\u201d Jamie scoffed again.\u00a0 \u201cClasses are going well, of course, but it\u2019s hard to face being a mere schoolboy when so many who sat beside me have taken on the role of men in the service of our country.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t enlist, though; Father has absolutely forbidden it.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Adam a rueful smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou, of course, wouldn\u2019t let a little thing like that deter you, but you are a brave man, while I\u2019m just a cowardly schoolboy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not cowardice in your case,\u201d Adam said, shocked that his friend had even considered enlisting.\u00a0 \u201cFor you, it\u2019s common sense, a quality Cartwrights have historically lacked, at least in the eyes of their friends.\u201d\u00a0 More seriously, he said, \u201cYour constitution simply isn\u2019t strong enough for camp life, Jamie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, but I\u2019d have my favorite Dr. Cartwright to keep me fit, if I enlisted,\u201d Jamie said.<\/p>\n Adam was pleased to see the teasing smile that accompanied the reference to his constitution-building regime of the previous year, but answered soberly, \u201cThere\u2019s no guarantee we\u2019d be in the same company, you know.\u201d\u00a0 He added with a chuckle, \u201cBesides, I\u2019ll be too busy with my regimental record-keeping to keep you in line, chum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, there\u2019ll be so many records to keep while you\u2019re here at Camp Terry,\u201d Jamie said, poking Adam\u2019s ribs with his elbow.<\/p>\n Adam was happy to laugh off his new responsibilities, although pride made him say, \u201cThere will be more to report, once we start morning drill on Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie grinned.\u00a0 \u201cIndeed.\u00a0 One must have an accurate count of how many recruits can\u2019t tell their hay-foot from their straw-foot!\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n With the institution of daily drill, Adam\u2019s mornings, at least, took on a more regulated structure.\u00a0 He learned that he\u2019d not only be keeping record of the movements, but also helping direct them.\u00a0 \u201cApparently, someone told the officers about my brief\u2014and I might add, completely unofficial\u2014stint with the regular Army during the Paiute War,\u201d he said to Marcus one evening, \u201cand totally misconstrued the level of my experience with military routine.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus flushed slightly, but admitted nothing.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe they thought you\u2019d be all the more qualified for your previous experience with unofficial soldiers,\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, isn\u2019t that what we are\u2014to the regular Army, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose.\u00a0 Perhaps I am uniquely qualified, after all, eh?\u00a0 I intend to give it my best, at any rate.\u201d\u00a0 He buried his nose in the Army manual as intently as he\u2019d ever studied Sophocles or Cato, while Marcus looked on, with the face of a man who\u2019d dodged a bullet.<\/p>\n Adam soon learned that Jamie\u2019s jest about recruits not knowing their hay-foot from their straw-foot was no joke, and he began to wish he had some hay and straw available to tie to their erring feet.\u00a0 His tentmate, Michael Buford, finally forced to keep to camp more often, was one who could not tell his left foot from his right, though Adam suspected some of the errors were a deliberate attempt to get a rise out of him.\u00a0 However, he was used to little brothers who suddenly found themselves unable to do what they had no desire to do, so he took no nonsense, but simply conveyed his confidence that Buford could and would do as ordered, and slowly he saw improvement.\u00a0 His heart was still in his throat the day the captain inspected their drill, but he was able to run the men under him, Buford included, smoothly through the routine.\u00a0 \u201cAw, now, sergeant,\u201d Buford drawled afterward, \u201cyou didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be lettin\u2019 you down, now did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had full confidence in you,\u201d Adam returned with a straight face, which broadened the mischievous grin on Buford\u2019s, and from that moment Adam knew that any mistakes the private made would be genuine.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n On the second Saturday of the month, Jamie brought a fresh copy of the Yale Literary Magazine<\/em> to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou read it first,\u201d the new sophomore insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWho knows how much more time you\u2019ll have here at Camp Terry.\u00a0 Besides, I have more than enough to read, just keeping up with the Olynthiacs of Demosthenes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you\u2019re trying to make me jealous,\u201d Adam teased.\u00a0 Then, reaching into his pocket, he added, \u201cI suppose I\u2019d better pay my share of our subscription now, since I really don\u2019t know how many more opportunities I\u2019ll have to get it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Jamie scolded.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t be here to enjoy it, so there\u2019s no need for our previous agreement to stand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will not have you suffer for my decisions,\u201d Adam said, his voice a bit terse, since they\u2019d had this conversation before on similar matters.<\/p>\n \u201cSuffer,\u201d Jamie scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHow can you speak of a trivial expense as suffering with all that\u2019s facing you, Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will not be responsible for causing you financial hardship!\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve already been relieved of the necessity of paying my half of an unused dorm room, thanks to Lucas, but I most certainly will pay my half of anything else we\u2019d agreed to share.\u00a0 After all, I will be earning a paycheck, such as it is, whereas you, my learned friend, will not.\u00a0 Therefore, it is only logical that I can better bear these paltry expenses than you.\u201d\u00a0 To lighten the rebuke, he laughed then and added, \u201cBesides, you\u2019ll be holding a place for me in the dorms next year, unless you decide you prefer Luke\u2019s company.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot a chance,\u201d Jamie said with a grin, \u201cbut I realize now that the only reason you enlisted was to get away from the poor room we drew in the lottery this year, and for that you should pay, my military friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve found me out,\u201d Adam quipped dryly.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, Army quarters will be so much more comfortable, especially when we reach the field.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his friend grow more sober at that reminder of his ultimate destination, he quickly changed the subject.\u00a0 \u201cSpeaking of the Lit., how\u2019s your prize essay coming along?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFinished last night, turned it in this morning,\u201d Jamie said.<\/p>\n \u201cA week early!\u00a0 That\u2019s like you,\u201d Adam praised.\u00a0 \u201cBe sure to send me a copy of the issue in which your winning work is published.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I win,\u201d Jamie laughed, \u201cI shall send one to you, my father, your father, and both your baby brothers!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, by all means!\u201d Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe will be particularly appreciative.\u00a0 He\u2019s five now, you know, and will no doubt be headed for Yale himself soon.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Dressed in full uniform, Adam walked down Chapel Street alongside Marcus, who was attired exactly like him, down to the calf-length frock coat.\u00a0 Though the breeze was brisk, neither of them had the cape pulled over their heads, as it was designed to do.\u00a0 Such comforts could wait for winter.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t really need the extra warmth in mid-autumn, but they\u2019d decided to have their pictures taken in the stylish coats, in Adam\u2019s case because he preferred to cover the more military look of the underlying uniform, though the stripe down the pants\u2019 leg still showed.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this it?\u201d Marcus asked when Adam stopped before a shop with photographs in the window.<\/p>\n \u201cAddress is right,\u201d Adam said, consulting the business card he\u2019d been given.<\/p>\n Entering, they verified that this was, indeed, the studio of George Steiger, stated on the card to be the cheapest picture gallery in the city.\u00a0 After a brief consultation with the artist, they decided to have their picture taken together.\u00a0 Not only would it show their comradery, but it would save money, as would the selection of an ambrotype for their cartes de visite<\/em>.\u00a0 The extra expense for a daguerreotype or a solo likeness wouldn\u2019t have stretched Adam\u2019s means, but the choices they made were better for Marcus.\u00a0 Besides, they each wanted several copies, and the ambrotype would give them eight from the same image, so sharing one sheet of photographs would meet both their needs.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s first would go to Elizabeth, of course, then copies to Jamie, his family back in Nevada, and, finally, one to Jamie\u2019s father, while Marcus intended to give one to Lucas, as well as members of his family.<\/p>\n In the portrait they stood side by side, forage caps in hand and faces fixed in a sober expression, for what seemed an interminable time as the artist adjusted the camera.\u00a0 Never had Adam thought just standing still could be so tiring, but the process couldn\u2019t be rushed, and they dared not move if they wished not to blur the image captured.\u00a0 Another brief wait while the photographer checked to be sure he\u2019d gotten a good shot, and then they were free to go, Marcus back to camp and Adam on to another picnic with Elizabeth.<\/p>\n When they received their cartes de visite<\/em> a few days later, he presented it to his girl as soon as possible.\u00a0 As she looked at the shared likeness, a pout formed on her pretty lips.\u00a0 \u201cAm I supposed to guess which of you this is from?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry; I didn\u2019t think,\u201d Adam gasped.\u00a0 \u201cWe were trying to be conservative and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOoh!\u201d she cried with what he hoped was feigned irritation.\u00a0 \u201cAlways, always thinking of money, you penny pincher.\u201d\u00a0 Then, catching a glimpse of his woebegone face, she laughed it off.\u00a0 \u201cWell, perhaps, I like this better.\u00a0 After all, I do love a man in uniform, and I suppose two is better than one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould I be jealous?\u201d Adam said with a twisted smile.<\/p>\n She spatted his hand and then squeezed it.\u00a0 \u201cOf course not, silly.\u00a0 He\u2019s a good-looking lad, but can\u2019t hold a candle to you.\u00a0 Now, kiss and make up.\u201d\u00a0 And Adam willingly obliged.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/p>\n Marching as to War<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Only four days later, the 829 men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut mustered in, and that evening they at last started for the field.\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t have time to get the word out, but somehow the people of New Haven, including those dearest to him, all knew and lined the streets to see the boys in blue march past.\u00a0 Catching sight of Lucas and Jamie in the crowd, he gave a surreptitious nod, but when he saw Elizabeth, dressed in blue to honor him and waving a lacy handkerchief, he just had to wave back, Army discipline be hanged.\u00a0 That day, however, no one was worrying about discipline.\u00a0 The mood of both crowd and soldiers was festive, none of them paying much heed to when or even if they would again walk the streets of home or the hallowed halls of Yale.<\/p>\n It was a brief march, only to the depot, where they boarded the New York and New Haven Railroad, which Adam had ridden here little more than a month before.\u00a0 The sights being familiar, he took a thin paperback from his knapsack and read with only an occasional look out the window to gauge his journey\u2019s progress.\u00a0 Soon after it grew too dark to read, the train pulled into the station in New York City, and they filed off and lined up to march to their campsite for the night.\u00a0 No one in the city took any note of their arrival.\u00a0 It was late, of course, but New Yorkers were probably already too satiated with soldiers to mark the appearance of more, or so Adam surmised.<\/p>\n Reaching City Park brought to his mind that day he had so frantically fought the crowd of other men seeking exemption from service.\u00a0 Even then he had questioned whether to remain a student or become a soldier, and it was on the advice of his summer employer that he had sought the exemption, to keep his options open until he could decide.\u00a0 Mr. Bracebridge had given him wise counsel, and though Adam had decided to join up, the exemption gave him the option of serving with men he knew, instead of being forced into a New York regiment.\u00a0 Oh, he supposed, in time, he\u2019d have felt much the same about the men he was thrown together with in any place, but he was glad to serve with his friends, Marcus Whitcomb and James Brand, as well as newer acquaintances like Antonio Dardelle and Saul Breckinridge.\u00a0 A wry smile lifted one side of his mouth as he thought of his other tent mate, Michael Buford.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure how much he trusted that one yet, but time would tell.<\/p>\n Once settled in their tent, he sought out his commanding officer to see if it would be possible to pay a short call on Mr. Bracebridge the next morning.\u00a0 The man deserved to know that Adam wouldn\u2019t be available to work for him next summer.\u00a0 He could write, of course, but since he was so close, he hoped there would be time to pay a brief call and tell him in person.\u00a0 Assured that the regiment would not be moving out until eleven, he was granted permission.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve proven yourself reliable,\u201d Captain Livingstone said, \u201cbut don\u2019t be late, Sergeant-Major.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam saluted crisply.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir; I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Good as his word, he was back well before the stated departure time, having soaked in the well wishes of the assembled associates and been assured by Mr. Bracebridge that there would always be a place for him whenever he was again available for work. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cAny word on where we\u2019re headed?\u201d he asked his tent mates, who were packed up and waiting and had been for hours.<\/p>\n \u201cOther than south, you mean?\u201d Buford asked with his lopsided grin.<\/p>\n \u201cOther than south,\u201d Adam said, resisting the temptation to roll his eyes.\u00a0 Officers simply did not roll their eyes at privates, however ridiculous.<\/p>\n The grin widened, accompanied by a sloppy salute.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir!\u00a0 Only south, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard Port Monmouth, sir,\u201d Breckinridge said.\u00a0 He made no salute, his entire demeanor less martial, but more respectful.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, corporal,\u201d Adam said, and while he hadn\u2019t rebuked Buford for lack of form, his warmer response conveyed approval of Breckinridge\u2019s attitude.<\/p>\n Though he\u2019d spent the summer in New York City, Adam was surprised to find that Port Monmouth was so close, just across the bay from Staten Island.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t that easy to get there, though, especially not for an army.\u00a0 Instead of ferrying there directly, the men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut crossed the Hudson River by ferry and boarded a train for the trip down the coast.\u00a0 Their stay in Port Monmouth was blissfully short, since a chilly wind was blowing off the bay, and then they boarded another train, this time bound for Philadelphia.<\/p>\n A surprise awaited them when they reached that destination, though their first reaction was alarm as they stepped down from the train to the sound of a booming cannon.\u00a0 Was Philadelphia under attack?\u00a0 Had the Rebels reached this far north?\u00a0 Fears were quickly squelched when a well-dressed man mounted a barrel and called, \u201cNo need for alarm, boys!\u00a0 That\u2019s only \u2018Fort Brown,\u2019 our signal cannon.\u00a0 We fire \u2018er to let our volunteers know you\u2019re coming.\u00a0 You are welcome to our city, defenders of the Union!\u00a0 To show that we are glad to see you, it gives us great pleasure to invite every man of you to partake of a hearty meal.\u201d\u00a0 A shout of approbation echoed over the rooftops of Philadelphia, and the weary men marched with quickened steps to a building with Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon boldly painted beneath the peak of its roof.\u00a0 To remove all doubt as to its intention, over the doorway they marched through more letters declared, \u201cFree to Union Volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n Once inside, they stacked their rifles and knapsacks and proceeded to a row of washbasins, where both hot water and soap were supplied for their use.\u00a0 To Adam, that sight was almost more welcome than the promised meal, for two days of steady travel had left him dusty and sweaty, and he eagerly rolled his sleeves up to the elbows and washed his arms, as well as his face and neck.\u00a0 A snowy white towel lay nearby to finish his preparation for the dinner, which waited in the next room.<\/p>\n Five long tables, covered with white cloths and set with tin plates and cups, reached almost end to end.\u00a0 Along with the rest of his regiment, Adam took a seat and filled his plate from the abundant supply of boiled ham, bologna, sausage, cheese and pickles and reached eagerly for the fresh-baked bread and churned butter placed at intervals along the tables.\u00a0 A woman with a touch of gray in her hair filled his cup with steaming hot coffee, and he thanked her warmly.<\/p>\n \u201cOur pleasure, soldier,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cGlad to do our bit for the Union.\u00a0 You eat up and enjoy . . . and there\u2019s cake tonight,\u201d she added in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you get a piece.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Adam whispered back, more grateful than ever that his father had schooled him in the virtue of expressing appreciation for any kindness.<\/p>\n When he was full, almost to the point of bursting, he wandered into the next room, where he found stationery supplies, including stamped envelopes.\u00a0 Not knowing how much time he had, he tucked them inside his shirt and took advantage of the copies of The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin<\/em> lying about and caught up on the current events of the day, something he was as hungry for as a good meal.\u00a0 By the time he\u2019d read all the news of more than local interest, he still hadn\u2019t heard the call to line up and march out, so he took out the writing supplies and began a letter to Hoss, who he thought would be most interested in the good treatment he\u2019d received at the Philadelphia refreshment saloon . . . especially that delicious pound cake with lemon sauce!\u00a0 \u201cNo doubt made from that same essence of lemon your mother used to make lemonade along the trail,\u201d he told his younger brother.<\/p>\n He had no sooner finished the letter, sealed it and left it in the box for outgoing mail than the order to leave came.\u00a0 In good humor they marched back to the train depot and boarded the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, but their high spirits dampened when they learned their next destination.\u00a0 The name of no northern city was more calculated to send shivers up the spine of any man in blue than Baltimore, Maryland.\u00a0 Even before the war began, the city was known as a hotbed of secessionists. Why, Abraham Lincoln himself had had to be smuggled through it on the way to his inauguration by Allan Pinkerton and his detectives!\u00a0 Baltimore was also where the first blood of the war had been shed, when Union soldiers just like them had been attacked while making the same ten-block journey to transfer to another train line.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy couldn\u2019t we just have stayed in Philadelphia and traveled straight through in the morning?\u201d Private Buford groused to anyone within earshot.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the army doesn\u2019t work that way,\u201d Corporal Breckinridge grunted in as close to a complaint as Adam had ever heard him make.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t I just know it!\u201d Buford declared.<\/p>\n Adam only smiled at the give-and-take, but it wasn\u2019t a smile that reached his eyes.\u00a0 He was nervous about going through Baltimore, too.\u00a0 When they left the train, he learned they\u2019d be spending the night on the streets of that city, which only heightened the tension each man felt.\u00a0 It was late when they arrived, and few people were about, but those who were stared at them with either indifference or barely concealed hostility.\u00a0 Adam found himself siding with complainers like Buford, yearning for the comforts and security of loyal Philadelphia.\u00a0 The yearning only grew stronger the next day, almost the entirety of which they spent on those same streets with little to be thankful for except the tall buildings that blocked some of the wind tunneling down the streets.\u00a0 None of the men had slept much the night before, and they found little rest that day, but other than hoots of derision, they suffered no trouble.<\/p>\n That evening, to the same hoots and catcalls, they were able to board the horse cars that would take them to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a luxury the 6th<\/sup> Massachusetts had not been afforded that April day in 1861.\u00a0 The 27th<\/sup> Connecticut traveled the same route down Pratt Street to Camden Station, and one and all breathed a sigh of relief as the train pulled out of seditious Baltimore.\u00a0 A wave of excitement rippled through the cars when the soldiers realized they were bound for Washington, D. C., to take up the defense of the nation\u2019s capital, but they were so exhausted that even excitement couldn\u2019t long keep their snores from singing an offkey duet with the clatter of the wheels on the rails.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The next morning the regiment reached Washington and marched to Camp Seward on Arlington Heights.\u00a0 There they set up long rows of A-tents in what had once been Robert E. Lee\u2019s peach orchard.\u00a0 Clouds gathered overhead as they worked, and a slow drizzle began, soon giving way to large drops.\u00a0 The soil beneath them softened as the rain increased, and it wasn\u2019t long before the troops felt their feet sinking into the mire.\u00a0 \u201cGuess all that talk \u2018bout Virginia mud was more\u2019n just generals excusin\u2019 theirselves,\u201d Private Buford drawled as he, Adam, Marcus and Saul struggled to raise their tent.<\/p>\n The rain continued, with little letup, all the next day.\u00a0 As the sun was setting that night, the wind blew stronger.\u00a0 It came howling over the ridge, tearing tents loose from the ground, and the rain pelted the hapless heads of the newly homeless.\u00a0 Drawing on his trail experience, Adam had securely pegged his own quartet\u2019s tent, but he was quick to dash into the rain to help others less skillful, even beyond his own company.\u00a0 Though he little suspected it, officers throughout the regiment noted his willingness to work and his skill in organizing other men.<\/p>\n By chance, the last tent he helped to re-raise housed his Chinese friend, Antonio Dardelle.\u00a0 \u201cCome in and dry out awhile,\u201d one of the other tentmates suggested.\u00a0 Being drenched to the skin, Adam was quick to accept the invitation.<\/p>\n After making introductions all around, Antonio offered, \u201cSergeant-Major Cartwright has had battle experience.\u00a0 Perhaps, as a seasoned soldier, he could give us some idea of what\u2019s ahead for us.\u201d<\/p>\n As the other three privates clamored for this preview of battle, Adam looked askance at his friend and tried to laugh off the suggestion.\u00a0 \u201cPrivate Dardelle greatly exaggerates my experience.\u00a0 Since the Paiute Indian War didn\u2019t last long, you\u2019ll soon be as \u2018seasoned\u2019 as I!\u00a0 The Indians fought bravely and well, but they had no chance against a trained army.\u00a0 I fear this conflict will be of much greater duration.\u201d<\/p>\n Though impressed by Adam\u2019s modesty and self-effacing humor, all four privates still implored to be told the story, and to oblige them, Adam did his best to describe the battle of Pyramid Lake.\u00a0 He emphasized, however, that their battles would be different.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going against another trained army,\u201d he said, \u201cand they\u2019ve proven themselves stalwart fighters, at Manassas and Antietam, for instance.\u00a0 We won\u2019t be having \u2018a man for breakfast\u2019 any more than those Virginia City men did.\u00a0 My best advice, as a \u2018seasoned soldier,\u2019 is to assume nothing and be prepared for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir; we will,\u201d one of the privates said as Adam stood to leave.\u00a0 Antonio shook the hand offered him, and the others saluted, not so much in respect of the rank as of the man.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce more unto the breach,\u201d Adam said with a shiver as he stepped into the still drenching rain and trotted back to his own tent.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The following day about noon the order came to strike tents, pack up and be prepared to move camp a few miles further up the Potomac River.\u00a0 Adam was thankful that the sky was cloudy, but dry, as they waited hours in the open until they finally marched out late that evening.\u00a0 They crossed into Georgetown over the Aqueduct Bridge and followed the river up to the Chain Bridge, where they crossed back over to the left bank.\u00a0 Due to their late start, the soldiers didn\u2019t make it to their new camp, near as it was, but not bothering to set up tents for what remained of the night, they bivouacked around huge fires under the open sky.<\/p>\n When they reached their final destination the next morning and began to set up Camp Tuttle, Adam hoped the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut might stay here more than the day or so that had been the Army\u2019s habit thus far.\u00a0 The situation was the most pleasant yet, more so than even Camp Terry back in familiar New Haven.\u00a0 They camped on rising ground with a thick forest to their left and front, while across the road to the right, three more regiments, from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, had established their camps.\u00a0 Best of all for the budding young architect, he could see in the distance the dome of the Capitol.\u00a0 Though it was still under construction, the coming grace and beauty of line was already discernible, and he couldn\u2019t wait for his first off-duty hours, when he might travel into Washington, D. C. and sketch it.<\/p>\n Somewhat disconcerting was the age of their new commanding officer, Brigadier General John Joseph Abercrombie.\u00a0 Sixty-three was the rumor, and the snowy beard and tired face made him look every bit of it.\u00a0 Why, he was older than Pa!\u00a0 Of course, Pa had acquitted himself well back in the Paiute War, and age often carried with it experience, but Adam couldn\u2019t help hoping they\u2019d find someone younger to actually lead them into battle.\u00a0 Abercrombie was probably fit enough to man the defense of Washington, though.\u00a0 Unless worse came to worst, the Rebels wouldn\u2019t reach this far north.<\/p>\n It was the 27th<\/sup>\u2019s own Colonel Bostwick, a man in his early 30\u2019s, who was their real leader, anyway, and as soon as their camp was established, he issued an immediate regimental order for a program of daily duty fuller than what they\u2019d followed back in Camp Terry.\u00a0 Up at 6 a.m. for Reveille, followed by breakfast.\u00a0 Guard mounting at 8, two hours of company drill from 9 to 11, a break for lunch, and then two more hours of drill kept them busy until 2 in the afternoon.\u00a0 An hour\u2019s rest and they were right back at it, with battalion drill from 3 to 4 and, finally, dress parade at 5 and then dinner, after which they were free for the evening until Tattoo sounded at 9, to prepare them for Taps and a well-earned night\u2019s sleep at 9:30.\u00a0 Then up at 6 the next morning to start it all again.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Sunday brought the soldiers a well-earned reprieve from drill, and after weekly inspection they were free for the day.\u00a0 Adam was eager to make the anticipated trip into town and was pleased to secure permission.\u00a0 Before he went, though, he jotted a short note to Little Joe, whom he had neglected in the last letters he sent home.\u00a0 It was hard, sometimes, to know what to say to the little fellow, but Adam thought he\u2019d found the right news in his words about the rain and mud and the rarity of baths in a soldier\u2019s camp.\u00a0 \u201cBet you\u2019d like that, wouldn\u2019t you, little brother?\u201d he wrote near the close of the letter, following it with instructions to give Hoss and Pa a big hug for him.\u00a0 Hoss, at least, would appreciate it.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure about Pa; he still hadn\u2019t heard from him since joining the Army against his wishes.<\/p>\n It was close enough to noon by the time he finished the letter that he decided to stay in camp for the midday meal and then walk into town.\u00a0 He headed straight for the Capitol building, taking with him a sketchbook he\u2019d purchased in New Haven at Jamie\u2019s suggestion.\u00a0 \u201cI remember the drawings you made along the trail when you were traveling west,\u201d his friend said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was almost like being along with you on your journey, and I\u2019d like to feel I\u2019m with you now, too.\u201d<\/p>\n This drawing wouldn\u2019t go to Jamie, of course, although he might include a smaller sketch of the Capitol in his next letter.\u00a0 No, this one would go to Mr. Bracebridge, and therefore, it needed special attention.\u00a0 Getting the lines just right took most of the afternoon, but he arrived back at Camp Tuttle with plenty of time to package the drawings for shipment to New York.\u00a0 He sighed as he folded his sketches repeatedly to fit them into the standard-sized envelope available in camp.\u00a0 He would have preferred to mail them flat in a larger one and would have considered it worth the expense of its purchase, as well as the extra postage for civilian mail.\u00a0 Post offices were closed on Sunday, however, and Sundays were probably the only day off he could count on while a soldier. \u00a0He included a short note to Mr. Bracebridge, asking that he hold all such renderings at the office until his Army commitment was complete, as he didn\u2019t wish to risk losing them to either the vagaries of camp life or the everlasting rain.\u00a0 \u201cI would, of course, welcome your evaluation of my work, if you care to write,\u201d he wrote, adding his current address before enclosing the letter with the sketch, sealing the envelope and writing \u201cSoldiers Mail\u201d on the outside, which took the place of postage stamps for the military.<\/p>\n He finished with little time to spare before the nightly dress parade.\u00a0 After it, however, an announcement was made that, for a brief time, at least, excited the whole camp.\u00a0 The Rebels were rumored to be on the move toward Leesburg, only forty miles from Washington, and the Army might be called into action any time that night.\u00a0 A frisson of some unidentified feeling ran up and down Adam\u2019s spine.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure if it was excitement, like the other raw recruits were expressing, or simple satisfaction that he was finally going to be put to some use in this war between the states or, perhaps, plain fear.\u00a0 A reasonable amount of that was mixed in, he was sure, but he sensed that his dread didn\u2019t rise just from fear of his own fate, of the body, at least.\u00a0 Fear for his soul?\u00a0 Perhaps.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to kill other Americans, any more than he\u2019d wanted to kill Paiutes in the war back home.\u00a0 He finally gave himself a sound scolding.\u00a0 \u201cYou knew this day was coming,\u201d he told himself internally, \u201cand there\u2019s no going back now.\u00a0 Do what you must . . . for your country, your family, your fellow men in arms\u2014and last of all, for your own life.\u201d\u00a0 That determination seemed to settle him, and he was finally able to catch a few hours\u2019 sleep.<\/p>\n The next morning he felt ridiculous, for the rumors fizzled with the dawn.\u00a0 There had been no call to arms; the Rebels weren\u2019t near Leesburg, and all his worry was wasted.\u00a0 In the future, he\u2019d spurn such nonsense.\u00a0 At least, he\u2019d try.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Later that week Adam was detailed to organize a squad of men for picket duty.\u00a0 The hard part, of course, was deciding who would not go, for everyone welcomed the break from drill.\u00a0 The dozen men he selected included his own tentmates, however self-serving others might view the choice.\u00a0 It probably was, Adam admitted to himself, but after all, he had to sleep with these men, and it was hard to sleep with grumblers.\u00a0 Besides, they were as deserving as anyone else, at least two of them more than most.\u00a0 Michael Buford, who was no better than average as a soldier, was welcome to come ride their coattails this time.<\/p>\n They marched out that morning, moving several miles down the Leesburg Pike and arrived at the village of Langley about 10:00.\u00a0 There they joined a line of pickets along the main road from the center of town and the cross road coming from the south, which connected with the turnpike just before reaching the town.\u00a0 The duty wasn\u2019t arduous, only requiring that they check the authority of those on the road.\u00a0 Though some in this southern-leaning village resented the intrusion, they\u2019d already become accustomed to it by the time Adam and his squad relieved the pickets on duty, and no one gave them any problems.<\/p>\n Since they only had to stand picket two hours out of every six, the task wasn\u2019t even tiring, and they were fortunate to have a house to rest in during their time off.\u00a0 Since there were only twelve houses in town, not every squad was as fortunate, but earlier pickets had constructed brush huts for shelter.\u00a0 A couple were the worse for wear, though.\u00a0 Seeing that, Adam used some of his rest time to see those men better housed, even though they were from another company, again unwittingly drawing the approval of those men and the officers who led them.<\/p>\n \u201cSarge,\u201d Buford greeted him when he returned to the house assigned to them, \u201cI been scoutin\u2019 the town for opportunities, and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I can only imagine what you might consider an \u2018opportunity,\u2019 Private,\u201d Adam interrupted with twitching lips.<\/p>\n \u201cOpportunity for a decent meal, sir,\u201d the private said, raising his hand in a waggish salute.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s an eatin\u2019 place here in town, and bein\u2019 as it\u2019s past noon, sir, I was wonderin\u2019 if we shouldn\u2019t give \u2018em our business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t that be fraternizin\u2019 with the enemy?\u201d Adam suggested, pursing his lips afterwards to simulate a thoughtful frown.<\/p>\n He was so successful in disguising his true feelings that Buford was caught off guard, but it took him only a moment to come up with a response.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no, sir!\u00a0 Not at all, on account of civilians are not our enemy, sir, just Rebel soldiers.\u00a0 In fact, sir, we probably should cultivate good relations with these folks, win \u2018em back to the straight and narrow, so to speak.\u201d\u00a0 He bobbed his head in earnest affirmation of what he was sure was an irrefutable argument, although he didn\u2019t have the vocabulary to call it that.<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t any longer hold back the burst of laughter that had been tickling his throat since he walked in.<\/p>\n Misreading the sound, Buford transformed from Union soldier to pleading child in about a second.\u00a0 \u201cAw, please, Sarge!\u00a0 We all need a break from Army chow.\u201d<\/p>\n Corporal Breckinridge, who had understood what the laughter meant, grinned and added, \u201cWe really do, sir, and I\u2019ve had reports that this restaurant serves a decent meal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Adam?\u201d Marcus put in, in his desire forgetting the formality now required to address his friend.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t bother correcting the rare lapse.\u00a0 \u201cIt never entered my mind to turn down an opportunity like this, men.\u00a0 I\u2019m as weary of Army fare as you.\u00a0 Any idea what\u2019s on the menu?\u201d<\/p>\n Though the question was addressed to all, typically it was Buford who answered.\u00a0 \u201cAll I\u2019ve heard is that it changes from day to day, sir, dependin\u2019 on what\u2019s to hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll chance it,\u201d Marcus said, and was quickly echoed by Saul Breckinridge.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless it\u2019s something as peculiar as possum, I will, as well,\u201d Adam said with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cLead the way, Private Buford.\u201d<\/p>\n Buford cheerfully led them down the street to a building labeled \u201cResterant.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cocked his head in apparent appraisal.\u00a0 \u201cWell, much as I\u2014and, I suspect, Corporal Breckinridge\u2014value correct spelling, lack of scholarship does not necessarily equate with poor culinary skills.\u00a0 In fact, often the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Buford said, not having noticed the misspelling and feeling somewhat dazed by the rest of what Adam had said.<\/p>\n \u201cHumble cooks who are accustomed to working with what they have on hand are often the best,\u201d Adam simplified.<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u00a0 Yes, sir!\u201d\u00a0 Sure now of getting what he wanted, Buford saluted with as great a demonstration of military precision as any officer could desire.<\/p>\n They entered and took a table.\u00a0 Though the proprietor frowned at their blue uniforms, business was business, so he responded courteously enough to Adam\u2019s inquiry about what was available for dinner.\u00a0 \u201cChicken and dumplings,\u201d he said, his partisanship leaking through when he added, \u201ca good Southern dish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is, indeed,\u201d Adam said with winning enthusiasm.\u00a0 Though Nelly Thomas, back home, was not a Southerner, he\u2019d eaten it at her table any number of times.\u00a0 \u201cFour large helpings of that delicious dish, if you please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good, sir.\u201d\u00a0 The proprietor still wasn\u2019t warm in his response, but Adam\u2019s manner had won them better than average respect.\u00a0 And his compliments to the cook, as well as the generous tip he left, ensured that they\u2019d be welcome back for their second day of picket duty, as well.<\/p>\n As they marched back to Camp Tuttle the following evening, they all wished they could draw picket duty more than once a fortnight.\u00a0 Typically, only Michael Buford stated it outright.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d feel differently if it were raining!\u201d Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThen you\u2019d long for your snug tent!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrilling in the rain is still worse,\u201d Buford argued, \u201cand we had a house there!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo true,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cand I don\u2019t relish the return to drill any more than you, Private, but no more bellyaching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, not at all,\u201d the private replied.<\/p>\n Satisfied, Adam led on down the turnpike, reflecting on the times he, Pa and Inger had huddled inside their trailside tent during fierce rainstorms.\u00a0 The storms here didn\u2019t seem half so threatening as those had been, perhaps because he\u2019d been a child or, perhaps, there really had been more lightning piercing the sky, more thunder cracking the air.\u00a0 Maybe that was something he could write to Hoss.\u00a0 The memory of his mother would please his little brother, and, maybe, he could draw a lesson from it, too.\u00a0 \u201cThe things you fear today\u2014like the dark, for instance,\u201d he might write, \u201cwill seem much smaller when you\u2019re older.\u201d\u00a0 A good lesson for him, too, perhaps.\u00a0 Would the fears he felt about going into battle one day fade in memory like his little-boy recollections of thunder and lightning?<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The weather seemed to grow colder by the day, perhaps in part because Adam and his friends had no cozy house to return to after two hours light labor.\u00a0 He had almost concluded that picket duty made a man lazy and overly concerned about creature comforts, but when they woke Saturday to snow-covered ground, he reversed that opinion.\u00a0 The increasing cold was all too real, and drill that day was truly miserable.\u00a0 Though he had intended to spend Sunday sketching in town again, he quickly opted for visiting with friends in other companies like James Brand and Antonio Dardelle, with whom he had a spirited discussion comparing the viewpoints of European and Oriental philosophers.<\/p>\n Monday morning brought news both welcome and unwelcome, at least to more seasoned soldiers than the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 Many of the veteran soldiers were angered to hear that General McClellan had been replaced by General Ambrose Burnside as Commander of the Army of the Potomac. \u00a0McClellan had been popular with the men, who felt themselves well cared for under his leadership.\u00a0 Too well cared for, some alleged, for McClellan had seemed reluctant to hazard his soldiers in battle, and apparently, President Lincoln agreed, having accused the general of having \u201cthe slows,\u201d or so camp gossip said.<\/p>\n The other news, however, was welcome, indeed.\u00a0 Due to the obvious approach of winter and the increasing likelihood of their staying in the Washington, D. C. area for the foreseeable future, drill was suspended in favor of building sturdy log cabins for their winter quarters.\u00a0 Since Connecticut had long ceased to be a frontier, most of the men, even those of rural background, had known only frame houses.\u00a0 Being one of the few who\u2019d even seen a log cabin, Adam was not surprised when he was asked to lead a team in constructing those for his own company.\u00a0 \u201cNothing fancy,\u201d Lieutenant Worthington directed, passing on directions from above.\u00a0 \u201cOne room should do.\u00a0 No doubt your architectural experience will be wasted on such a simple project, but I\u2019m confident you will get us under shelter quicker than most.\u201d<\/p>\n Surprised that the officer even knew about his brief architectural experience, Adam secretly thought his frontier roots would prove a greater asset.\u00a0 Though he\u2019d only built a couple of line cabins in recent years, his memories of helping construct the cabin his family had shared with the Thomases along the Carson River were still strong.\u00a0 \u201cOne-room cabins; that will be best, sir,\u201d he quickly agreed, \u201calthough I might suggest two rooms for the officers, one for sleep and the other for the necessary business of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n The lieutenant\u2019s smile broadened.\u00a0 \u201cExcellent suggestion!\u00a0 I knew it would pay to put an architect in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grinned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m scarcely that, sir, but I\u2019m confident I can handle this job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m confident, too.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard good reports of you, Sergeant Major, and though we are only a nine-month regiment, I have no doubt you\u2019ll be mustering out with a higher rank than that.\u201d\u00a0 With a salute he dismissed his flabbergasted subordinate.<\/p>\n Adam quickly went to work organizing a detail to cut pine logs and haul them from the nearby forest.\u00a0 There was some grousing from the men, of course, for it was hard work, but most took the long view and looked forward to the warmth they\u2019d enjoy inside those cabins.<\/p>\n The warmth was luxurious . . . but, alas, not destined to endure.\u00a0 Adam and his men had enjoyed those cozy cabins little more than a week when they were ordered to vacate them.\u00a0 On November 18, they struck tents, packed their belongings and marched to nearby Hall\u2019s Hill with orders to construct the regimental camp.\u00a0 \u201cProved ourselves too valuable,\u201d Private Buford complained as they marched through a bombardment of rain that turned the snow beneath their feet to slush.\u00a0 Feeling at least partially responsible for that proving, Adam hadn\u2019t the heart to rebuke him.\u00a0 Maybe he had stars of future promotion in his eyes, but he was proud of the job they had done, and if they had to do it all over again for those at a higher level of command, he\u2019d do that proudly, too.\u00a0 At least, it was better than the eternal drilling in preparation for battles they seemed destined never to join.<\/p>\n The rain was still pouring as they arrived on the hill and, first of all, built huge fires of the brush and stumps littering the ground.\u00a0 After warming a bit, the men put up their tents and by evening they were huddling in them with only fond memories of the cabins they had left behind.\u00a0 \u201cSergeant-Major,\u201d Michael Buford said as he stretched his hands toward the fire.\u00a0 \u201cI hear we\u2019re mighty near where McClellan camped last winter.\u00a0 No more than a mile, they say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s interesting, Adam said cautiously.\u00a0 The respectful use of his full title was revealing.\u00a0 Private Buford wanted something.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Buford said, \u201cand I was thinking . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA rarity, indeed,\u201d Saul Breckinridge put in.<\/p>\n The respect didn\u2019t extend to a mere corporal, so Buford waved him off and continued as if there\u2019d been no interruption.\u00a0 \u201cThat many a useful thing probably got left behind, \u2018cause they left in sort of a hurry, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably true,\u201d Adam observed, still cautious.<\/p>\n It was as much encouragement as the private needed.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, and I was thinkin\u2019\u201d\u2014a glare silenced interruption from the corporal\u2014\u201cthat it might be a good idea if some of us paid the old camp a visit and sort of foraged the grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThereby avoiding the work of building the new camp,\u201d Adam said dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I mean, no, sir!\u00a0 Not to avoid work.\u00a0 Of course not, sir, but there could even be materials we could use for building, so you might say this would be a work party.\u00a0 No sense felling new logs, if we can just harvest what\u2019s there, wouldn\u2019t you say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to admit, I would,\u201d Marcus put in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does make a bit of sense,\u201d Corporal Breckinridge added.<\/p>\n \u201cHow large a party are we discussing?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, not large,\u201d Buford hastened to say.\u00a0 \u201cFour, five . . . maybe as many as eight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd do you have that many friends eager to escape work here?\u201d Adam inquired with a sardonic droll.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, sir, at least that many.\u201d\u00a0 At the burst of laughter that met his response, Buford belatedly caught the thrust of Adam\u2019s question and reverted to form as he half-whined, \u201cAw, Sarge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Private,\u201d Adam said, holding back the chuckles.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll put in a request on your behalf.\u00a0 I take it you two also wish to join this scavenger hunt?\u201d<\/p>\n Saul and Marcus quickly admitted they did, and Adam left the warm campfire to make the request of Second Lieutenant Harold McCarthy, who didn\u2019t need much persuasion.\u00a0 If the man who had been dubbed \u201cregimental architect\u201d thought the hunt a worthy idea, it was good enough for him, so he passed the request up the line, and by morning permission had come back down it.<\/p>\n Adam himself stayed behind, living up to his new title by sketching out a plan for the new regimental encampment.\u00a0 He\u2019d no sooner completed his rough drawings, however, than orders were changed.\u00a0 The enemy was said to be threatening General Sigel at Centreville, no more than thirty miles from the capital, and all reserve regiments attached to the defense of Washington were called to be ready for any emergency.\u00a0 Whatever the scavengers had found was forgotten when they returned to camp and found everyone in a bustle to pack up, and they joined the hubbub, as well.\u00a0 That evening, however, a fierce storm blew in and lasted several days.\u00a0 By the time it ended, apparently their help was no longer needed, for the orders were countermanded.<\/p>\n \u201cTypical Army,\u201d Private Buford groused.\u00a0 \u201cHurry up and do nothin\u2019.\u00a0 Makes a man wonder why he enlisted.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned at him, which effectively silenced any further complaint, but he felt much the same.\u00a0 He\u2019d postponed his education and agreed to hazard his life for nine months to preserve the Union, like most of the soldiers, and unlike the majority, also to free an enslaved people, but it appeared that all he\u2019d be doing for the duration of his enlistment was shivering in inadequate shelter while Mother Nature bombarded them with all the freezing rain, sleet and snow in the storehouses of heaven.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Warming the hearts of the entire regiment, mail arrived in the midst of the storm.\u00a0 For Adam, it was a veritable feast of communication.\u00a0 There was a letter from Jamie, his most faithful correspondent, and another from Elizabeth, which would ordinarily have been the first he opened, but when he checked to see whether one of the other two was also from her with an earlier postmark, he saw that they were both from Nevada, which immediately gave them priority.\u00a0 Pa!\u00a0 At last.\u00a0 He opened the earlier one anxiously, knowing it would reveal his father\u2019s long-awaited reaction to his enlistment.\u00a0 Slitting the envelope carefully, he drew out the single sheet, unfolded it, took a bolstering breath that was, perhaps, more prayer than respiration, and finally forced his eyes to the page.\u00a0 He read slowly, wincing at every word, for it was as bad as he\u2019d feared, so bad, in fact, that he was surprised he hadn\u2019t actually heard the explosion all the way from Nevada.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a word of Ben Cartwright\u2019s diatribe that he hadn\u2019t anticipated, but it hurt more than he had imagined.\u00a0 By the time he finished, he wondered if his father would ever forgive him.<\/p>\n He looked at the next envelope and debated whether to open the other letter.\u00a0 Realizing, however, that it had been mailed the day after the first, he decided it was probably from Hoss or, perhaps, both his little brothers.\u00a0 Hoss, he could trust not to ream him out the way Pa had, and feeling he could use a little brotherly love about now, he opened it without fear . . . until he saw the salutation: Dear Son.\u00a0 He closed his eyes.\u00a0 Pa again.\u00a0 Apparently, his father thought he needed another earful of his opinion of a son who didn\u2019t heed his advice about staying out of eastern conflicts.\u00a0 Adam had no desire to read that!\u00a0 He started to toss the letter away in disgust when a flush of shame stopped him.\u00a0 What business did he have marching to war, to face the bullets of the Rebels, if he couldn\u2019t face a barrage of words from his own father.\u00a0 Spurning such cowardice, he sighed and forced himself to read on.<\/p>\n He was glad he did, for the second letter could not have been more different from the first. \u00a0It was, in fact, a deeply moving apology for what had been sent only a day before.\u00a0 \u201cI still don\u2019t agree with your decision, son,\u201d it read, \u201cand profoundly wish you had made a different one, but I realize you are a man now and entitled to follow your own conscience.\u00a0 Since you made this decision with full knowledge of my opposition, I can only assume, as you said, that it is a matter of conscience, and I respect you for that.\u00a0 I hope you will understand that it was only fear and concern for you, for your safety\u2014for your very life, in fact\u2014that motivated those harsh words yesterday and not simple anger.\u00a0 Please forgive me.\u00a0 I am proud of you, have always been proud of you, never more than when I see you willing to risk that pride for what you believe is right.\u00a0 Please keep in touch, son.\u00a0 Every letter will be eagerly and, I must admit, anxiously awaited.\u00a0 Spare me nothing.\u00a0 I will be careful what I pass on to your younger brothers, so don\u2019t hesitate to tell me all: simple hardships, dangers, fears, everything.\u00a0 Please do me this kindness: let me be your father still.\u00a0 Even at such great distance, I promise I will be there for you.\u201d<\/p>\n There were tears in Adam\u2019s eyes as he read the final words.\u00a0 Leaving letters from both Jamie and Elizabeth unopened, he took out stationery and pen and began at once to follow his father\u2019s instruction to keep in touch and tell all.\u00a0 There was nothing in it that couldn\u2019t be read to his little brothers, except possibly, the outpouring of his heart in response to his father\u2019s words.<\/p>\n Emotionally depleted, he saved the letter from Elizabeth for later and opened the one from Jamie next.\u00a0 He found it filled with the sort of news to set him on an even keel again.\u00a0 Jamie hadn\u2019t won the Yale Lit. prize, but a faculty member serving as judge had complimented his work and urged that he try again next year.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I\u2019ll have you to contend with next year,\u201d Jamie wrote, \u201cand that will make it almost impossible for me to win, but I intend to try!\u201d<\/p>\n As soon as time permitted, which was, of course, after reading Elizabeth\u2019s short, but amorous note, Adam wrote back to say he\u2019d be glad to compete with his friend, although he expected to come in second.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, chum,\u201d he wrote, \u201cyou have always been stronger in languages than I.\u00a0 Remember, however, there\u2019s also a competition in mathematics; watch out for me in that!\u201d\u00a0 He also wrote to thank Jamie for forwarding his father\u2019s letters and shared what Pa had written in both of them, trusting his friend to understand.\u00a0 He later wondered why he had omitted the same news from his return letter to Elizabeth, the love of his life, but it wasn\u2019t, after all, the sort of news she would find interesting.\u00a0 Oddly enough for a young girl, she preferred to hear the details of Army life, though she continually posed the uncomfortable question of when his unit would actually get involved in the war itself.\u00a0 He had no answer to that and there wasn\u2019t much else to write except the bad weather that kept them from doing almost anything.<\/p>\n That was soon to change.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n First, though, came a day all the men, veteran soldier and new recruit alike, greeted with expectation.\u00a0 Thanksgiving wasn\u2019t what it would have been back home or even, for Adam, what it had been last year at Yale.\u00a0 There it would have been preceded by the entertainment of the Thanksgiving Jubilee the night before and greeted on the day with a sumptuous feast at his old eating club.\u00a0 The food here wasn\u2019t sumptuous, but the meal was better than usual: chicken with potatoes and gravy.\u00a0 No stuffing or cranberry sauce, and it was a rare company mess than featured a green vegetable.\u00a0 Certainly no pumpkin pie, unless you were an officer, but veterans assured recruits that they were blessed to celebrate the day so close to decent supplies.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you was in the field,\u201d the newer men were told, \u201cyou\u2019d probably get naught but a Lincoln biscuit and coffee.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Hardtack, Adam interpreted.\u00a0 He remembered it from the trail west, when the wagon train had occasionally had to rely on the rock-hard bread, and while he\u2019d just as soon never taste it again, he knew it was the most practical meal for men on the march.\u00a0 Today, though, he\u2019d enjoy a better meal and a day free from drill, and if that wasn\u2019t cause enough for Thanksgiving, it should be.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Sunday, the last day of November, dawned with a beautifully clear sky, and Adam exulted in expectation of a leisurely day in the fresh air and mild winter sunshine.\u00a0 Instead, the regiment, indeed the entire brigade, was given marching orders for 9:00 the next morning.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain?\u201d Michael Buford asked with skewed mouth.\u00a0 \u201cReckon they mean it this time?\u201d<\/p>\n Apparently, they did, for the cooks were soon busy, preparing rations for the march, and the enlisted men began to arrange their belongings for easy carrying.\u00a0 Adam was kept busy both making his own preparations and overseeing those of the men in his company, so by the end of the day, he had time only to dash off one quick note before lights out.\u00a0 He elected to send it to Jamie, along with a request to inform Elizabeth and any other interested party.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll leave it to your judgement when to write Pa,\u201d he told his friend.\u00a0 \u201cAll I can say now is that we\u2019re marching south, destination unknown, and that might do nothing but alarm him.\u00a0 When I know more, I\u2019ll write you first, with information on how to reach me.\u201d\u00a0 Elizabeth would probably feel spurned, but it couldn\u2019t be helped.\u00a0 Jamie was a more reliable transmitter of news to everyone who needed to know, and this way any letter to his girl could focus on the sort of thing she liked most to hear.<\/p>\n Promptly at nine the next morning, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut and others in the brigade began their march, moving through Georgetown and Washington, D. C., and on down the Potomac River, fifteen miles in all before setting up their tents in the roadside woods of silver maple, poplar and sycamore.\u00a0 Their comfortable A-tents had been left behind; from now on they\u2019d use shelter tents, which only housed two men, instead of four.\u00a0 While Adam would have preferred to keep company with a personal friend like Marcus, he was an officer now, so it seemed more appropriate to share quarters with Corporal Saul Breckinridge and let the two privates join forces.\u00a0 It was a simple matter to hook their two shelter halves together to make the tent, but they turned in with no more idea of where they were headed than they\u2019d had that morning.\u00a0 The Army did like to keep its secrets, and if they were headed into battle, maybe that was a good thing.\u00a0 Less chance of alerting the enemy if even their own soldiers were kept in the dark.<\/p>\n U<\/u>nderway by 8 a.m. on the second day of December, they marched twenty miles.\u00a0 The wide fields on either side lay fallow in the winter chill, but showed promise of prosperity in the spring to come.\u00a0 Adam had his first glimpse of the dark men for whose freedom he was fighting as wide eyes stared at them from gateways to plantations, for though Maryland hadn\u2019t left the Union, it was still a slave-holding state.\u00a0 A few called tentative greetings, but most of the ebony eyes peered at them in silent suspicion and Adam couldn\u2019t blame them.\u00a0 Who knew what they\u2019d been told about the blue coats marching through their land?<\/p>\n One young lad, bolder than most, tried to join the column and march along with the soldiers.\u00a0 Apparently, the planters of the region had anticipated such problems, for they were patrolling the roads.\u00a0 They quickly found the one black face among so many white ones and pulled him away, to what fate Adam dared not imagine.\u00a0 There was nothing he could do to help the boy, though.\u00a0 Slavery was not illegal here, and a planter could do whatever he wished with his property, whether land, livestock or human.<\/p>\n The next day\u2019s march brought them within three miles of Port Tobacco, where they camped on the grounds of a secessionist planter and helped themselves to his hay and straw.\u00a0 \u201cI understand confiscation in time of war,\u201d Adam complained to Saul Breckinridge inside their shelter tent that night, \u201cbut I still feel like a thief.\u00a0 Someone worked hard to put up that hay!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough,\u201d Corporal Breckinridge replied, \u201cbut it wasn\u2019t the planter who did the work, sir.\u00a0 And by that way of reasoning, the hay was already stolen from those who did do the work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I can\u2019t argue with that,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 He was reminded again of the \u201ccontraband\u201d he\u2019d seen recaptured the day before and how he\u2019d wished he could hide that boy in his knapsack until they were clear of the patrols.\u00a0 Not practical, of course, with them marching further into slave-holding territory by the day, but impracticality didn\u2019t stop the yearning.<\/p>\n Passing through a rather ordinary-looking town the following day, they saw almost nothing of the local population.\u00a0 That alone told the soldiers they weren\u2019t marching through friendly territory, for Unionists typically lined the streets, cheering.\u00a0 No trouble, however, and perhaps that was as much as the boys in blue could ask this near the border of the Confederacy.\u00a0 Each day brought them closer to their final destination, still unknown, but speculation was beginning to fix upon the town of Fredericksburg.\u00a0 It seemed logical since they couldn\u2019t have been more than two days\u2019 march from there under the cooperatively clear skies.<\/p>\n They ceased to be cooperative the next day, and by the time the soldiers reached Liverpool Point on the Potomac, they were pelted continually with rain that chilled them through to the bone.\u00a0 There was no let up as they stood, unsheltered, for two hours, waiting to be ferried across the river into the eagerly anticipated and ominously dreaded state of Virginia.\u00a0 During those two hours, rain changed to lashing snow, sharp as any whip.\u00a0 More miserable than Pyramid Lake,<\/em> Adam mused, wondering if he dared share that with his worrying family back in Nevada.\u00a0 \u201cDear Pa, I may be in more danger from pneumonia than enemy bullets\u201d scarcely seemed the right sort of news to send home.\u00a0 By the time they crossed over to Acquia Landing, the adjacent hills were covered with thick, frosty blankets that made Adam wish for one of rabbit skins, like the Paiutes made back home.<\/p>\n The village of Acquia Creek, like the mythological Phoenix, was again rising from the ashes of numerous burnings that declared what a location of contention it had been.\u00a0 Carpenters were busily building storehouses to hold the shipments of supplies, even now being offloaded from every manner of vessel for eventual shipment to the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth.\u00a0 There could be no doubt now of their destination: Fredericksburg, one of the boyhood homes of the nation\u2019s first president, former teacher Saul Breckinridge shared.<\/p>\n \u201cA shame to attack there,\u201d Adam observed.\u00a0 He still retained his youthful reverence for George Washington, whose birthday was so near his own.<\/p>\n \u201cDoubtful they will,\u201d replied Saul, \u201csince it\u2019s on the north side of the Rappahannock\u2014our side.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cOne presumes there will be ammunition coming from the other side, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably can\u2019t rely on the Rebels being neighborly enough not to shell us,\u201d the corporal admitted.<\/p>\n Neighborly<\/em>, Adam thought.\u00a0 That was the crux of the problem, wasn\u2019t it?\u00a0 The North and South were neighbors, meant to live side by side in peace, part of one community.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t hate the men in gray, and they probably didn\u2019t hate him.\u00a0 Each, however, disdained the other\u2019s way of life and was willing to fight to force his own on the opposite side.\u00a0 Still, Abraham Lincoln had said it best, long before he became President: a nation couldn\u2019t long continue, half slave and half free.\u00a0 Since he believed with all his soul that all men truly were created equal, he had no choice but to support the Union, even against neighbors.<\/p>\n Their next orders were delayed for some time, while the soldiers stood, stamping their feet on the snow-covered ground to keep them from growing numb with the cold.\u00a0 Finally, they were directed another mile up the railroad to a hillside campsite.\u00a0 As the storm blew the snow more fiercely in their faces, they set up their shelter tents and built fires as best they could in the unwelcoming circumstances.\u00a0 A warm meal would have lifted their spirits, but after days of marching, their supplies were almost depleted.\u00a0 The storehouses at Acquia Landing were bursting with pork and hardtack, but none of it was designated for the hungry soldiers who had come so far to join the fight.\u00a0 No, it was all marked for shipment to the front at Falmouth and to Falmouth it would go, no matter how many hungry mouths the supply train left in its wake.\u00a0 The men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut and the others in their brigade had to make do with a few ginger-cakes that one and all declared tasted more like sawdust than delectable pastry.<\/p>\n The long march was rewarded by two days of rest, their enjoyment greatly enhanced by a change in the weather.\u00a0 The snow ended, the sky cleared, and the sun spread a warmth more heartening to the spirit than to the flesh, though that, too, basked beneath its rays.\u00a0 The Rev. J. W. Leek, chaplain to the regiment, finally caught up with them, so for the first time the soldiers of the 27th<\/sup> would have religious services on the second day of their rest.\u00a0 Attendance was voluntary, but Adam decided to give the man a try and liked him on first hearing, as did most of the men.\u00a0 His message was the sort of short, simple homily Adam was used to in chapel services at Yale, and after the long struggle just to get here, he found it was exactly what he needed to prepare him for whatever lay in the immediate future.\u00a0 Common to Army practice, that remained yet unknown, though everyone felt that a battle was coming.\u00a0 They had a good idea where now, but when remained a mystery.<\/p>\n Adam spent most of his Sunday writing letters, first to Elizabeth, of course, for he had neglected her before leaving on this march.\u00a0 He took special effort with that long message, emphasizing his love and longing for her.\u00a0 By contrast, his letter to his father was mainly filled with grousing about the weather.\u00a0 He\u2019d done too much of that, he realized, but Pa had said to spare him nothing, and so far, bad weather was the worst he\u2019d experienced of Army life.\u00a0 When he tried to find something to say to his brothers, however, he found himself at a loss for words.\u00a0 After scrawling a line to Hoss about the sawdusty ginger cakes, he found he had nothing new to say, so he scrawled another line, sending his love to Little Joe and closed the letter.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to do better by the boys another time.<\/p>\n The soldiers packed up the next morning and headed south.\u00a0 The march should have taken a single day, but they lost their way and didn\u2019t arrive until noon of the 9th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Gathered before the headquarters of General Darius N. Couch, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut learned that it was to be attached to the II Corps.\u00a0 \u201cBest corps in the Army of the Potomac,\u201d Corporal Breckinridge, who\u2019d closely followed the war effort in the newspapers, proclaimed, and when he learned they were to be part of the First Division of General Zook\u2019s Third Brigade, commanded by Winfield Scott Hancock, his buttons threatened to burst with pride.\u00a0 \u201cHancock the Superb, they call him,\u201d he reported to all those around him, \u201cand the name fits.\u00a0 We\u2019ll do great things with him at the helm, boys!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSettle for stayin\u2019 alive,\u201d Private Buford drawled lackadaisically, but by this time no one took his offhand comments to heart.\u00a0 When the time came, they were as confident of his performance as their own, though the more honest among them might have admitted to a trace of self-doubt.<\/p>\n Their place in the chain of command settled, the men moved to their campground, set back a short way from the Rappahannock River.\u00a0 They\u2019d barely gotten their tents set up when orders came for the cooks to prepare four days\u2019 rations, to be ready tomorrow morning.\u00a0 Was it possible, after all the monotonous preparations and false alarms of more than a month, they were finally going to see action against the Rebels?\u00a0 This might be just more of the same, but everyone sensed something different in the air, so they spent the morning of December 10 in cleaning their weapons and preparing for inspection, ordered for noon.<\/p>\n Though he\u2019d cleaned his Austrian rifle as assiduously as possible, Adam took no pride in handing it for inspection to a member of General Zook\u2019s staff, who could only shake his head at the inferior weapon.\u00a0 Adam longed for his reliable rifle back home, but he\u2019d have to make do with what the Army had issued.\u00a0 It was a couple of days later, just before they went into battle that another member of Zook\u2019s staff voiced his opinion in words that raised their confidence not a whit: \u201cBoys, if you can\u2019t discharge \u2018em, you can use the bayonet.\u201d<\/p>\n As dusk fell that miserably cold evening, the Union band gathered beside the Rappahannock River, scattered with patches of ice, and launched a brave serenade.\u00a0 They began with popular tunes like Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes<\/em> and Auld Lang Syne<\/em> and then progressed to some that reflected the Army\u2019s purpose for being there, such as John Brown\u2019s Body<\/em> and The Battle Cry of Freedom<\/em>.\u00a0 The concert moved to its conclusion with true patriotic songs: Hail Colombia, The Star-Spangled Banner<\/em> and Yankee Doodle<\/em>.<\/p>\n Then from the audience listening in across the river came a cry: \u201cNow play some of ours!\u201d\u00a0 With cheers and laughter coming from both sides of the river, the band obliged, with their best rendition of Dixie<\/em>, followed by The<\/em> Bonnie Blue Flag<\/em> and Maryland, My Maryland<\/em>.\u00a0 The last song of the evening was one dear to soldiers on both sides of the conflict to be joined the next day: Home, Sweet Home<\/em>.\u00a0 One hundred and fifty thousand men tried to sing it through emotion-choked throats, but finally gave up and listened in silent knowledge that some of them, perhaps many of them, would never see home, sweet home again.\u00a0 The music faded, and the soldiers drifted to their tents, trying to push aside their fears and the nervous energy of impending battle and get a few hours\u2019 sleep.<\/p>\n Adam was no more immune to those feelings than any other man.\u00a0 He lay awake long into the night, thinking of Pa and Hoss and Little Joe in faraway Nevada.\u00a0 No matter how the battle ended tomorrow, it would be years before he saw them again, but that final song had stirred his yearning for home, and when he thought of them, he could almost feel the love stretching across the miles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/p>\n Fredericksburg<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The battle, or more correctly its prelude, began long before dawn that chilly morning.\u00a0 Actually, it might rightfully have been said to begin during the band concert the night before, which had been more than mere entertainment, welcome as that was.\u00a0 As the band played to two opposing armies, the 51st<\/sup> New York regiment of engineers had hauled their bridge-building equipment to a sheltering line of trees close to the riverbank, ready to carry out General Burnside\u2019s grand scheme, once the Confederates had been lulled to sleep by soothing melodies.<\/p>\n Burnside was the only one confident of that grand scheme.\u00a0 Almost every other officer had opposed it in a meeting the night of Adam\u2019s arrival, and Burnside had challenged them on it the next night.\u00a0 \u201cI have heard your criticisms, gentlemen, and your complaints,\u201d he chided them.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how reluctantly I assumed the responsibility of command.\u00a0 I was conscious of what I lacked; but still I have been placed here where I am and will do my best.\u00a0 I rely on God for wisdom and strength.\u00a0 Your duty is not to throw cold water, but to aid me loyally with your advice and hearty service.\u201d\u00a0 All his subordinate officers, though maintaining their objections to the assault on Lee\u2019s almost impregnable position, assured him that he could count on them.\u00a0 Lowly foot soldiers, of course, weren\u2019t party to that meeting, but what had been said there trickled down through the ranks and did nothing to raise their confidence in the undertaking set to begin the morning of the 11th.<\/p>\n The moon set at 1 a.m., and a freezing fog descended over the river and further darkened the sky.\u00a0 The engineers began to construct a pontoon bridge across the Rappahannock an hour later, the first of five planned by the commanding officer.\u00a0 Thanks to a series of bureaucratic snafus and bad weather, those pontoon boats had been delayed in arriving from Washington ten days or more, so Burnside\u2019s plan to surprise the Rebels was no longer possible.\u00a0 The army of General Robert E. Lee knew their intention, but Burnside, against all advice, was determined to cross anyway.<\/p>\n The band concert hadn\u2019t fooled the Confederates, either.\u00a0 While General Lafayette McLaws had enjoyed the music, he was suspicious that it had, for his men, a more sinister purpose, so he had stationed a brigade of stout-hearted Mississippi men in houses and outbuildings near the Fredericksburg side of the river.\u00a0 They were waiting when the engineers\u2019 hammers betrayed their presence.\u00a0 For a while, the dark and the fog would shelter the pontoniers, but not for long.<\/p>\n About 4:30 that morning, Adam was awakened to assist in the distribution of three days\u2019 cooked rations to the men of his company.\u00a0 The temperature was below zero as he went from tent to tent to rouse the men and see that each unit was supplied.\u00a0 Of course, he heard the hammering, and since General Couch\u2019s II Corps was camped near the water front, he couldn\u2019t resist a quick look toward the sound, but sound was all there was.\u00a0 It was still too dark to see through the dense fog, so the sound of rifle fire, when it rang across the river shortly afterward, was surprising.\u00a0 How could the Confederates possibly see their targets?\u00a0 Then Adam realized they didn\u2019t need to.\u00a0 If they aimed with their ears, they\u2019d probably strike something\u2014someone.\u00a0 The pain-filled cries and the splash of bodies into the ice-skimmed river almost immediately confirmed his reasoning.<\/p>\n As soon as the attack began, General Couch ordered some of his infantry to spread out along the riverbank and return fire.\u00a0 Though not among them, Adam edged close enough to see the opposing bursts of rifle fire, half-expecting to be ordered to fill in if any man assigned there fell to enemy fire.\u00a0 None did.\u00a0 Those men weren\u2019t the target; only the pontoniers were.\u00a0 Halfway across the river now, they were sitting ducks, all the more so as the light of dawn made them visible.<\/p>\n The opposing armies began a strange sort of dance around each other.\u00a0 Couch\u2019s infantry would fire until the Rebels were forced to take cover.\u00a0 Then the unarmed engineers would pour onto the bridges and hastily hammer a few more sections of the pontoons together before they, too, were forced back by the returning Rebel sharpshooters.\u00a0 Nine times the gruesome waltz replayed itself before General Burnside orchestrated a crescendo by ordering the artillery atop Stafford Heights to open fire about 7 a.m.<\/p>\n About half an hour before that, Adam and the rest of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut had marched through the woods to a deep hollow near General Sumner\u2019s headquarters at the Phillips House.\u00a0 Here they would wait until time to cross the river.\u00a0 When the bombardment began, the soldiers jumped, and thinking their time had come, many grabbed up their knapsacks.\u00a0 Adam was not among them; from his vantage point, he could see that the bridges were still at least 80 feet from the opposite shore.\u00a0 He could also see that the heavy artillery wasn\u2019t having much impact where it was needed most.\u00a0 He might not be an engineer, but instinct told him what the problem was: the guns simply couldn\u2019t be lowered to the correct angle to hit the south side of the river.\u00a0 Apparently, Burnside realized the problem, too, for he sent 36 guns closer to the riverside, and soon the town of Fredericksburg was under attack.<\/p>\n Although fog still covered everything except three towering church steeples, Adam watched in horror as flames pierced the haze at scattered locations.\u00a0 To the best of his knowledge, an American city had never before been subjected to such a bombardment, and even if most of the civilians had already vacated the city, it still seemed like an assault on innocent people.\u00a0 Pillars of dense smoke rose straight up for several hundred feet before spreading out in a black blanket covering the town.\u00a0 A thousand feet above it all, the observation balloons of the Union Army watched and reported changing conditions back to the commander, so by midmorning Burnside knew that the downstream bridges, where there had been no sharpshooters, were complete, but he did not order any troops to cross.\u00a0 His plan was for them to cross all five bridges at the same time, and he wasn\u2019t about to let changing circumstances deter him from that plan.\u00a0 Since the upper three bridges weren\u2019t ready, the entire Army of the Potomac would have to wait.<\/p>\n At first, it seemed they would never cross.\u00a0 Even with the covering fire from cannons pulled close to the river, the pontoniers were making slow, painful progress, a few boards nailed atop the boats at a time.\u00a0 Then, about 2:30 that afternoon, Adam climbed to the top of the hill, and looking back, saw Marcus Whitmore climbing behind him.\u00a0 Probably should order him back<\/em>, he thought, but he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Rank be hanged; sometimes a man just wanted the company of a man he knew and trusted, even if he was just a private.\u00a0 With a yelp of excitement, Marcus pointed out a group of infantrymen, rowing across the river, and questioned their purpose.\u00a0 Adam quickly discerned it and shared his opinion with his friend.\u00a0 What cannon could not do, these soldiers now undertook: to clear the sharpshooters out of their hidey holes.\u00a0 They moved through the streets, subject to dangers Adam could only imagine in the tight quarters of a town, and for two hours the sound of rifle fire was almost continuous.\u00a0 It was brutal fighting, but inch by inch, the Federals were succeeding, and soon other attackers landed in boats and pressed through the streets.\u00a0 By nightfall, Fredericksburg belonged to the Union Army, even though most of them were still on the north side of the Rappahannock.<\/p>\n The day finally ended, the western sky painted ruby and amethyst by the setting sun.\u00a0 Smoke still hazed the horizon, for most of the town seemed to be burning.\u00a0 As darkness descended, the smoke clouds glowed red whenever another shell exploded in the increasingly icy air.\u00a0 Just before lights out that night, Adam noticed what looked like huge bonfires burning in the streets across the river, too large to simply provide warmth, but he couldn\u2019t guess their purpose.\u00a0 That revelation would await him on the morrow, the first of many which would mark him forever.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The next day was clear and sunny, but still cold as Adam and the rest of the Army of the Potomac prepared to march into Fredericksburg.\u00a0 It would take the entire day to get all of them across the pontoon bridges, for General Burnside intended to leisurely gather his forces in preparation for the battle to come.\u00a0 Among the first to cross the swaying pontoons were the II Corps, including Adam\u2019s regiment.\u00a0 Rebel sharpshooters were no longer a threat, but artillery on the hills behind the town aimed for the bridges.\u00a0 Though there were few direct hits, shell fragments wounded dozens of men.<\/p>\n The men found humor where they could.\u00a0 The band of the 122nd<\/sup> Pennsylvania, another nine-month regiment like the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut, was playing at the foot of the pontoon bridge to encourage those crossing.\u00a0 When shells began to land near them, the musicians all wisely ran for cover except one, who squatted behind the big bass drum, trusting it to shelter him from the flying fragments.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018Bout as much protection as a sheet of paper,\u201d cackled Michael Buford.<\/p>\n Adam flicked a punishing thumb against the private\u2019s forehead, but as he turned his back and marched on, he also chuckled at the drummer\u2019s foolish fancy.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t half so amused when a cannonball plunged into the Rappahannock only a few feet from his position on the bridge, hitting with such force that it showered him with cold water and stung his face with icy shards from the chunks floating in the river.<\/p>\n Many soldiers, fearing the judgement of God if they died carrying wicked playing cards, tossed them down as they marched over the bridges.\u00a0 By the end of the day, thousands of packs cluttered the pontoons, making it hard to put a foot down without stepping on one. \u00a0As Adam reached the end of his bridge, however, a man in a black suit was handing out a different type of card. \u00a0Taking one, he read,<\/p>\n \u201cDr. H. Stillman<\/p>\n Embalming and Shipping<\/p>\n Rest in Peace at Home<\/p>\n $50.00\u201d<\/p>\n Repulsed by the ghoulish reminder that any one of them might be dead by the end of the battle, Adam dropped the card to the deck, along with the kings, queens and jacks others had abandoned, and marched on with an irritated grimace.\u00a0 Not long after some soldiers became so angry with the mortician\u2019s tactics that they ran him off.\u00a0 \u201cGood riddance,\u201d Adam muttered to no one in particular.<\/p>\n He was glad to get off the swaying bridge and begin to march southward along the street nearest the river, but the sights that greeted him were disturbing.\u00a0 Every house gave witness of the previous day\u2019s struggle: windows shattered, walls riddled with shot and shell, fire damage, not all of it from the artillery barrage or street fighting.\u00a0 Worse was the evidence of what the occupying soldiers had done.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s regiment could hardly make their way down the street littered with mattresses, pitchers, kitchen utensils, chairs and other furniture.\u00a0 Charred remains revealed that some of the civilians\u2019 property had been used for firewood the night before.<\/p>\n They halted a short distance below the railroad and set up a makeshift camp for the day.\u00a0 After a brief respite for food and drink, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut used boards salvaged from nearby fences to bridge gullies and mudholes for the passage of artillery, and when that was completed, Adam took the initiative to clear Water Street of the previous night\u2019s detritus, to ease the entrance of the troops that kept marching into town throughout the day.\u00a0 By keeping his own men busy, he hoped to abort opportunities for the sort of destruction that had prevailed the night before.<\/p>\n That destruction, however, was mild, compared to what transpired when the entire Army of the Potomac had Fredericksburg at its mercy.\u00a0 Once the soldiers passed over the pontoon bridges, many had time on their hands, and the old proverb of the Devil finding mischief for idle hands proved all too true.\u00a0 It began harmlessly enough with soldiers hunting through the refuse for some small memento to commemorate the occasion or a trinket to take home to a wife or child.\u00a0 Adam could understand that; he himself had brought home such souvenirs from the Paiute war for his two brothers.\u00a0 However, by early afternoon Union soldiers were again carting out anything they could carry, and brawls broke out over who had the right to some southerner\u2019s prized property.\u00a0 When the soldiers realized that the provost marshals didn\u2019t intend to stop them and few voices were even raised in protest, they became more emboldened.<\/p>\n Adam saw men carrying ridiculous things from bullet-riddled homes.\u00a0 He supposed they might find some use for a set of brass andirons, and frankly, he might have coveted some of the musical instruments himself, had not his strong sense of right and wrong forbidden it.\u00a0 But what on earth did a rank-and-file soldier need with an apothecary\u2019s pestle or a set of embroidered draperies?\u00a0 Topping the pyramid of absurdity in Adam\u2019s eyes was the man strolling down the street with his captured trophy, a stuffed alligator.\u00a0 He would have ended it all if he\u2019d had the authority, but he was only a sergeant major, and officers with higher rank were turning a blind eye.\u00a0 Who would listen to him?\u00a0 Those over whom he did have authority or influence, he stopped, but he couldn\u2019t prevent more than a drop in the flood of mayhem.<\/p>\n Night fell, and with it, the temperature.\u00a0 At Adam\u2019s suggestion, several men of his company took shelter in the basement of one of the houses.\u00a0 It was still cold, with nothing but a blanket between them and the dirt floor, but warmer than being outside.\u00a0 Poor preparation for the battle to come, Adam thought, as he tried, futilely, to find the solace of sleep.\u00a0 He thought again of that war against the Paiutes.\u00a0 Though it hadn\u2019t been winter then, the weather had been just as miserable, the anxiety just as palpable.\u00a0 What they were facing tomorrow, however, was war on a larger scale, and the danger of death or dismemberment was larger, too.\u00a0 Such thoughts were also poor preparation for the battle to come, though, and with determination, Adam pushed them from his mind.<\/p>\n As he lay in the darkness, he slowly became aware of a cacophony of sound outside the house.\u00a0 Shouts mingled with raucous laughter, and loud crashes telegraphed some sort of commotion that bore investigation, though after what he\u2019d seen throughout the day, he felt a queasy dread about what he\u2019d find in the dark streets.\u00a0 Adam rose from his place and tried to slip out unnoticed, but by the time he reached the stairs to the upper level of the house, Marcus was at his side, saying, \u201cWhat do you think it is, Adam . . . I mean, Sergeant?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cGo back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t make it an order,\u201d Marcus said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have to disobey it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearing the determination in his friend\u2019s voice, Adam chose not to challenge him.\u00a0 \u201cAll right,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cStick close, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t see the salute clearly in the dim light, but he sensed it and grinned.\u00a0 It was the last time he would that night.\u00a0 With Marcus close behind him, he moved up the stairs and out into the street, which looked far worse now than when they\u2019d first marched into town.\u00a0 There had been some signs of destruction then, but now they were everywhere.\u00a0 No longer was the pilfering a matter of collecting souvenirs.\u00a0 No, this was revenge for all the times the Union soldiers had been defeated by the Army of Virginia.\u00a0 This was wanton, senseless destruction to assuage the soldiers\u2019 wounded pride and anger over the losses incurred so far in this battle that had barely begun.<\/p>\n Mirrors had been smashed, works of art slashed by bayonets, fine china and alabaster vases tossed from windows, along with dozens of glasses and goblets, all smashed in the street without regard for the feet that would have to march over the debris the next morning.\u00a0 As Adam and Marcus moved down Water Street, they saw a rosewood piano being used as a water trough for the horses, while atop another instrument a pair of drunken corporals danced, kicking apart the keyboard with their clumsy boots.<\/p>\n The devastation only grew worse as they moved into streets with more houses than were found along the waterfront.\u00a0 Here the atmosphere was that of a macabre carnival.\u00a0 Soldiers strutted the streets in women\u2019s dresses and even their underwear, incongruously sporting tall silk hats to complete their outfits.\u00a0 Men who feared they might die on the morrow seemingly felt no restraint.\u00a0 Were these the same men who had hesitated to die with a pack of playing cards in their pockets?\u00a0 Or had they lost their inhibitions after imbibing the contents of Confederate wine cellars?<\/p>\n The final straw for Adam came when he saw leather-bound volumes being tossed into the huge bonfires.\u00a0 He might not be able to stop the wholesale destruction, but he was determined to rescue a few books, at least.\u00a0 Without stopping to think what he\u2019d do with them, he began pulling volume after volume from the flames, and almost immediately Marcus joined him, taking the books from Adam and piling them a safe distance from the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Sergeant,\u201d one of the revelers protested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just secesh trash.\u00a0 Let it burn!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam held up the latest book he\u2019d pulled from the fire.\u00a0 \u201cSecesh!\u201d he exploded.\u00a0 \u201cDickens?\u201d\u00a0 He pulled out another.\u00a0 \u201cSir Walter Scott?\u00a0 They aren\u2019t secesh; they\u2019re English, not a slaveholder among them!\u201d<\/p>\n The other man threw his hands in the air with an indifferent shrug.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if you want \u2018em, Sarge, by all means keep \u2018em.\u00a0 To each his own.\u201d\u00a0 He weaved down the street on tipsy legs.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Marcus said, dropping the officer\u2019s title as he spoke friend to friend, \u201cwe can\u2019t save them all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Adam sighed, tossing a half-charred book of poems back into the fire.\u00a0 \u201cWasted effort, I suppose.\u201d\u00a0 He squared his shoulders and again took on the mantle of superior officer.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take what we can carry back to our basement and leave them there.\u00a0 They\u2019ll probably never get back to their rightful owners, but at least someone might give them a decent home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThink I might keep one or two, sir?\u201d Marcus asked.\u00a0 \u201cFire-singed like they are, the Rebs\u2019ll probably throw them out, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded in slow acknowledgement.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t object, but don\u2019t carry them into battle, corporal.\u00a0 No extra weight tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 As they walked back to their basement shelter, he decided he, too, would set aside a couple of books to take back across the river, if he had the chance to pick them up later.\u00a0 Even if not, they might help him while away the hours until morning.<\/p>\n He woke to the sound of artillery shells.\u00a0 The Rebs are starting early<\/em>, he thought as he stood and gingerly bent this way and that in a vain attempt to work out all the kinks his unorthodox sleeping position had driven into his body.\u00a0 He\u2019d settled in the doorway, so that he could read by the light of nearby bonfires and when they\u2019d been doused, the fainter light of the half-moon.\u00a0 Sometime in the wee hours of the night, he\u2019d fallen asleep, still in the doorway.\u00a0 He might have been slightly warmer inside the basement, he admitted sheepishly, but not much, since the order against even small campfires had come down, ensuring that everyone slept cold that night.\u00a0 How that order correlated with the bonfires tolerated so readily the previous night, he would never understand.<\/p>\n He made his way downstairs and roused those men who had managed to sleep through the bursting shells.\u00a0 Typically, Private Bufford was one of them.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t we light a little fire, Sarge?\u201d Bufford whined.\u00a0 \u201cJust for coffee?\u00a0 The Rebs won\u2019t see the smoke from in here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have your orders, Private,\u201d Adam said firmly.\u00a0 He suspected Bufford might be right, but orders were orders.\u00a0 He\u2019d been known to turn a blind eye to minor infractions, in favor of building morale, but leniency could go only so far, especially when complaints could be more contagious than measles in the ranks.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Bufford said, but muttered below his breath, \u201cDon\u2019t see how they expect us to do much fightin\u2019 on hardtack and water.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough bellyaching, Private,\u201d Adam said, his voice sterner.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t any more pleased with the prospects for breakfast than the habitual grouser.\u00a0 It was a miserable way to start any day, much less one as demanding as this was likely to be.<\/p>\n They had no sooner finished their meager breakfast than Zook ordered his brigade to form on Water Street.\u00a0 Then, pursuant to General Hancock\u2019s order, they marched up a rocky lane to Caroline Street, the main road through town.\u00a0 There, parallel to the river, they formed in line of battle, the 53rd<\/sup> Pennsylvania beside the tracks of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad and the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut next to them, with other regiments in the street beyond.\u00a0 Around 11 a.m., the 2nd<\/sup> Delaware and 52nd<\/sup> New York returned from picket duty to fill up the brigade, but still they only stood, nervously waiting for orders to move forward.<\/p>\n \u201cHear you fresh fish flopped belly down in the mud yesterday,\u201d a soldier from Pennsylvania taunted the men of the 27th<\/sup>, and Adam heard for the first time that those detailed to lay a bridge south of town for Franklin\u2019s men had spent the day cowering in a ditch after enemy fire took out a dozen or so.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the whole regiment, but they all felt the sting of shame and purposed no such thing would be said of them at the end of this day.\u00a0 When it appeared they wouldn\u2019t be needed for a while, Zook ordered the whole brigade to stack arms and dismissed them with orders to stay close. \u00a0Many of the men dashed into nearby houses, seeing it as an opportunity for more looting.\u00a0 Adam clamped a hand on Private Bufford\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cForget it,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cNothing left worth having, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSafer from enemy fire, Sarge,\u201d Bufford argued.\u00a0 So far, there was no enemy fire, but Adam waved him on as if the excuse were valid.\u00a0 He himself drew closer to a building, prepared to duck inside if he heard the sound of incoming artillery, but determined not to participate in the looting.\u00a0 That, to him, was as shameful as cowering in fear under actual fire, the accusation against his regiment still rankling him.\u00a0 Staff officers raced past, first one way and then the other, either transporting orders or moving other forces into position, while one by one the soldiers finished their looting and made their way back to the street.<\/p>\n As he waited, Adam got his first close look at the man commanding his division.\u00a0 General Winfield Scott Hancock rode past several times, immaculately dressed, as was said to be his habit.\u00a0 He was as handsome and well-built as reported, too, but what struck Adam was his calm, quietly assured demeanor.\u00a0 It instilled the same confidence in the men who would follow him into battle, and as he rode up and down the street, Adam could almost feel confidence rising in those around him, as well as in his own soul.<\/p>\n The sound of cannon fire about mid-morning told them that General Franklin had initiated his belated attack below Fredericksburg.\u00a0 Intended to divert Southern troops away from the ridge behind the town, it at first had no impact on the lines nervously waiting in Caroline Street.\u00a0 Then, gradually, shells began to fall on the houses and land in the street directly in front of them, while from back across the Rappahannock came answering cries from the II Corps\u2019 artillery.\u00a0 Being required to stand in place, with no way to escape any cannonball that chose to careen down on them, from whichever direction, reminded Adam sharply of the bowling lanes back in the gymnasium at Yale\u2014with him and his fellow soldiers lined up as pins.\u00a0 Like pins, there was nothing they could do to avoid what was being sent their way.\u00a0 Surely, actual fighting could be no more terrifying than this!<\/p>\n Concerned by the incoming barrage against his unprotected troops, Hancock decided to spread them out.\u00a0 With Zook\u2019s Brigade, Adam marched up to Princess Anne Street, still near the railroad, while Meagher\u2019s Irish Brigade and Caldwell\u2019s Brigade moved to other locations.\u00a0 Drawing fire at every cross street, they raced across the intersections as briskly as any thoroughbred.\u00a0 From his new position Adam was better able to see the battlefield, where General French\u2019s division was now facing the gauntlet he himself was soon to enter.\u00a0 Beyond the streets of town lay largely open fields that sloped gradually up to the telegraph road, bordered by a stone wall on either side.\u00a0 Beyond that, the ground rose abruptly to Marye\u2019s Heights, about 150 feet high.<\/p>\n There was little shelter for French\u2019s men as they moved toward that eminence.\u00a0 The few houses dotting the landscape, with the gardens and fences surrounding them, only slowed the soldiers\u2019 progress, and there were other obstacles blocking their progress, too.\u00a0 About 200 yards from the edge of town, a canal and a connecting millrace flowed through the fields, spanned by three narrow bridges.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t all intact, but even those that were offered no easy crossing, since the soldiers had to line up in columns to march across, and that made them perfect targets for the cannonballs raining down from the Heights.\u00a0 It was enough to confirm again for Adam that his experience with the Paiutes hadn\u2019t given him a clue to what real war was like.\u00a0 Suddenly, he felt as untried as the rawest recruit, with his most challenging moment upon him.<\/p>\n \u201cAttention!\u201d\u00a0 The call echoed down the line on Princess Anne about an hour after the battle had begun.\u00a0 Every man took up his rifle and placed it on his shoulder as he prepared to follow the regimental flag, held aloft by Adam\u2019s old friend, James Brand.\u00a0 \u201cRight face!\u00a0 Right shoulder\u2014shift arms!\u201d\u00a0 Just then General Hancock himself rode up to the edgy new soldiers of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 Right arm raised, he leaned forward in the saddle.\u00a0 \u201cYou are the only Connecticut regiment in my division,\u201d he declared, loudly enough for all to hear.\u00a0 \u201cBring no dishonor on the state you represent.\u201d<\/p>\n Was Hancock inferring that the regiment had brought dishonor on their state through their alleged cowardice the day before?\u00a0 Perhaps it had given the general added concern, Adam conceded, and while he hadn\u2019t been guilty himself, he felt a responsibility to see that no man under his command would fail today. He didn\u2019t really consider Connecticut his home state, of course, but he realized he might well be the only Nevadan in the entire Army of the Potomac, so he determined to bring no dishonor on his own territory, much less to the Ponderosa and his family, which, to him, meant more.\u00a0 Hancock\u2019s words of encouragement were met with a shout of affirmation or, perhaps, self-defending valor from the disparaged companies of the 27th<\/sup>, and the commander rode on, the order to march forward was given, and in quick time the soldiers moved down the street to the railroad.<\/p>\n They had no sooner arrived than they felt the force of Rebel guns trained on that strategic spot, and there fell the first casualty from their unit, a captain from another company.\u00a0 Several men near Adam were knocked down by the cannon blast, and one jumped up, crying, \u201cI\u2019ll have pay for that!\u201d\u00a0 He ran forward, rifle at the ready, never to be seen again this side of heaven.<\/p>\n \u201cMaintain your ranks!\u201d Adam yelled at those nearest him, aiming the order especially at Michael Bufford, who looked ready to follow the foolhardy example set before him.<\/p>\n The order to fix bayonets rang down the line, quickly followed by \u201cCharge!\u201d\u00a0 Then the men of Samuel Zook\u2019s brigade rushed forward, some exhilarated by their first taste of battle.\u00a0 Others, almost paralyzed with fear, were swept along with the exuberant.\u00a0 Adam scarcely had time to examine which camp he fell into.\u00a0 His first impression, as he ran across the field of battle, was that it resembled the Roman colosseums he\u2019d read about in his Latin studies, and a morbid quotation raced through his mind: \u201cHail, Caesar, we who are about to die salute you.\u201d\u00a0 Then an image closer to home quickly followed.\u00a0 We\u2019re marching through a gigantic shooting gallery<\/em>, he thought.\u00a0 Which of us can hope to escape?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Many did not.\u00a0 One man, struck in the back, was cut in two, and his entrails flew out in all directions.\u00a0 At almost the same moment, another shell exploded, filling the air with pieces of flesh and clothing.\u00a0 Adam was stuck in the arm by a shard of someone\u2019s skull, and as bile surged up his throat, he felt blessed that he\u2019d only had hardtack and water that morning.\u00a0 Soldiers crumpled to the ground on all sides, as Zook\u2019s Brigade pressed on.<\/p>\n They pushed rapidly toward the millrace behind the town and onto the bridges, \u201conto\u201d being almost a facetious word.\u00a0 To get the whole force across quickly, they were forced to use even the ones that weren\u2019t intact.\u00a0 Some soldiers gingerly balanced down the stringers on either side of the plankless structures; others chose to ford the canal itself and plunged into icy, waist-deep water.\u00a0 With his instinct for engineering, Adam saw a third option and directed the men nearest him to scour the fences that had been knocked over by French\u2019s troops and use those boards as makeshift planks on one bridge.\u00a0 Like all the others, they were under constant fire; some were hit and fell, screaming into the frigid water.\u00a0 \u00a0Balancing along the stringers to direct the placement of boards, Adam almost met their fate, when he suddenly slipped and one foot fell into the water.\u00a0 He grasped a hand stretched out to him and gratefully looked up into the face of Saul Breckinridge.\u00a0 \u201cGet on across,\u201d he ordered as soon as he was stable.\u00a0 Corporal Breckinridge hesitated, plainly reluctant to leave his sergeant-major, but with a crisp nod accepted the order and crossed over.\u00a0 Adam stayed behind to direct the placement of the boards, and once they were in place, hurried the soldiers, some of whom were from other companies, across the bridges . . . into an even deadlier killing field.<\/p>\n Once past the millrace, the soldiers scrambled over a high board fence and aimed for the only shelter in sight, an isolated two-story brick house.\u00a0 Many never made it.\u00a0 They were left where they fell, everyone being under such a hail of gunfire that it was impossible to attend them.\u00a0 The house provided blessed relief from the hailstorm, but not for long.\u00a0 The boys in blue couldn\u2019t inflict much damage from there, so they split, some going to the right and others to the left of the house, and pressed on, past the garden plot and the bare-limbed trees, toward the fence around the backyard.\u00a0 Somewhere in that process Zook\u2019s brigade lost all organization.\u00a0 Units became intermingled and the chain of command disintegrated.\u00a0 Unsure who was in charge, each man either obeyed the officer nearest him or simply followed his own counsel.\u00a0 In the end it didn\u2019t much matter which.<\/p>\n Adam ran to the right of the house, crossed the yard quickly and rested briefly behind the meager protection of the bullet-ridden orchard fence.\u00a0 Less than a hundred yards in front of him, behind the shelter of a four-foot stone wall, was the enemy, pouring fire so rapidly and so persistently that he could barely see the man to the right and left of him for the smoke. He had no plain line of sight to the Confederates, either.\u00a0 When he did catch a glimpse of the enemy, he could barely see their heads above that stone wall. \u00a0The ground behind it must be lower, a sunken road making them almost invulnerable to Union fire, he realized.\u00a0 But he poked his rifle through the fence and fired anyway, in hopes of somehow hitting something, somehow making a difference.<\/p>\n Realizing he wasn\u2019t, he broke down the fence and, with a few others, ran forward another twenty-five yards.\u00a0 He dropped behind a slight swell in the land that offered even scanter shelter than the fence, but it was all there was.\u00a0 Other bodies were already in that swale, some no longer living, and still more fell in beside him.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t take time to see whether it was anyone he knew or not.\u00a0 All he could do was fire, duck into the swale to reload and rise over the edge to fire again.\u00a0 Dark gun smoke rolled over fields strewn with the remains of last summer\u2019s wheat and corn harvests and, increasingly, with the remains of the Army of the Potomac.<\/p>\n Scarcely able to hear anything above the discharge of thousands of rifles and not trusting his own inferior weapon, Adam finally stopped firing altogether.\u00a0 Better to save what ammunition he had left for the last extremity, he thought.\u00a0 He never doubted that there would be a last extremity, surrounded as he was by the dead, the dying and the desperate, the state of every man who could still breathe.\u00a0 As an hour passed, there were less and less of the third category and more of the other two.\u00a0 He tried to render aid to those who fell near him, but there was little he could do.\u00a0 The assault by Zook\u2019s brigade was finished, even if there was no way to get off that field.<\/p>\n Then Adam saw the distinctive emerald flag, embroidered in gold with an Irish harp, a shamrock and a sunburst and realized Brigadier General Thomas Meagher\u2019s Irish brigade had entered the battle.\u00a0 For some reason there was only one such flag, when each regiment should have carried one, but every man in the brigade proudly declared his heritage with a sprig of green boxwood displayed on his cap.\u00a0 Some men in the swale, not wanting to see more futile slaughter, raised arms and voices to stop them, but the Irish charged forward, shouting, \u201cErin Go Braugh!\u201d<\/p>\n In their determination, they came closer to the stone wall than any regiment before them, even threatening to climb over it into the sunken road behind, which had offered the Rebel army such strong protection.\u00a0 Hoping they might succeed where all others had failed, Adam readied himself to enter the fray, but he had barely started to climb over the bodies around him when he saw the Irish brigade falling back to join those, living and dead, already in the swale.\u00a0 Some companies, close to one hundred strong when the battle started, had no more than eight or nine men left.<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t believe his eyes when the regiments under command of Brigadier General John Caldwell marched into the same trap.\u00a0 Had Burnside lost his mind?\u00a0 The brigades that had gone before them were all but decimated, and he was still set on the same strategy?\u00a0 It was madness!\u00a0 Sheer, hopeless madness!\u00a0 If even an untrained college boy could see that, why not the commander of the Army of the Potomac?\u00a0 The Confederates held the high ground to begin with.\u00a0 Marching up to attack them was like climbing out of a bowl and then sliding down its smooth sides when they couldn\u2019t reach the top.\u00a0 As if that weren\u2019t advantage enough, the stone wall and the sunken road behind it made the position almost invulnerable.\u00a0 The challenge was impossible from the get-go.<\/p>\n None of that had Adam known when he\u2019d lined up back in the streets of Fredericksburg, but it would have made no difference.\u00a0 He was a man under orders.\u00a0 Even had he not been, he couldn\u2019t have deserted the men of his company, much less those he called friends, while they were under that kind of withering fire.\u00a0 It was beginning to look, though, as if doing \u201cno dishonor\u201d in this one-sided battle would mean dying here, alongside thousands of others, including the fresh fodder for the maw of war that was now marching up that body-strewn hill.\u00a0 \u201cWe who are about to die salute you,\u201d indeed!<\/p>\n For a brief moment it appeared Caldwell\u2019s troops might succeed.\u00a0 Their specially designed long-range rifles, so much superior to Adam\u2019s Austrian weapon, enabled them to hit a few men behind that stone wall.\u00a0 Soon, however, like the Irish Brigade before them, like Zook\u2019s before them and French\u2019s before that, Caldwell\u2019s men also dropped, one by one, until their piled bodies formed a band 200 yards deep.\u00a0 Caldwell himself, wounded, was carried off the field of battle, but his men lay where they fell.\u00a0 Loyalty might make men risk almost certain death for their commanding officer, but loyalty couldn\u2019t make anyone take the same risk for some unknown private . . . or even a sergeant-major, Adam told himself grimly.\u00a0 Along with every other soldier in the Army of the Potomac, he was on his own.<\/p>\n Late in the afternoon, Burnside apparently ordered the field artillery into the open field, for Adam saw six cannons being drawn over those battered bridges across the canal.\u00a0 Once across, they were galloped forward, coming within 200 yards of that infernal stone wall, but like all the other efforts, it was hopeless from the start.\u00a0 Rebel sharpshooters and artillerists quickly found their range and ended the short-lived attack.\u00a0\u00a0 The entire Union line lay prostrate, not a man of them still standing.<\/p>\n As darkness fell, most of the firing ceased.\u00a0 Sixty-three hundred dead and wounded covered the ground slick with their blood.\u00a0 Ambulances were sent out, but when fired upon, they retired and left the wounded to the mercy of the elements.\u00a0 Thousands of the living lay on their stomachs in ground that had thawed to mud as the day warmed and quickly hardened again as the sun descended.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t risk lighting fires, for even a struck match sent a hail of bullets their way.\u00a0 All they could do was lie there and shiver as the night grew colder, shiver and cry out for water, their mothers, the release of death.\u00a0 Feeble as they were, those cries were so many they could surely be heard back across the Rappahannock\u2014perhaps, Adam hoped bitterly, by the ears of General Ambrose Burnside himself.<\/p>\n Adam had never felt more miserable or more hopeless.\u00a0 He\u2019d not eaten since that meager cold breakfast and had scarcely taken a sip of water since morning, either, which was a back-handed blessing, considering he\u2019d had no opportunity to relieve himself.\u00a0 As the temperature plummeted, he drew away from the bodies around him, now growing stiff and icy.\u00a0 Having been ordered to leave his backpack and overcoat in town, however, and realizing his need for greater warmth, he made the decision to strip the frock coats off the dead around him.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he muttered to the first stiffening corpse he robbed.\u00a0 Although he knew he was doing that man no further harm, it still felt wrong to rob a man of his final dignity.\u00a0 All around him, men were doing the same, out of their sheer need for survival.\u00a0 Before the night was over, they would do worse.<\/p>\n Huddled under two coats, in addition to his own, Adam heard a faint voice calling his own name.\u00a0 There had to be other Adams lying on that frozen field, but he took the chance that he might be the one meant and softly called back his full name.\u00a0 \u201cMarcus,\u201d came the answer, and Adam\u2019s heart leaped at the realization that his friend had survived, at least so far.<\/p>\n The two continued to send soft whispers back and forth until, finally, Adam saw a man crawling along the line of men below him.\u00a0 \u201cUp here,\u201d he called.\u00a0 \u201cKeep your head down.\u201d\u00a0 Then he watched as Marcus clambered over dead bodies and past the living men who made way for him until, finally, he fell into Adam\u2019s arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re crazy, you know that?\u201d Adam chided.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Marcus gasped breathlessly, as he raised a salute sloppy enough to be worthy of Michael Bufford at his worst.<\/p>\n \u201cForget that for now,\u201d Adam said with a slight chuckle, all he dared risk in the current situation.\u00a0 He shed one of his extra coats and wrapped it around his slighter friend.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Marcus, shivering, said breathlessly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think we should do, Sergeant?\u201d<\/p>\n The sound of incoming rifle fire, in response to some fool who\u2019d raised his head too high, provided the answer.\u00a0 \u201cStay here for now,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Retreat was the only thing that made sense, but they had no such order.\u00a0 How could they, though, when the whole regiment was fragmented and no superior officer was in sight?<\/p>\n Huddled next to Marcus, he shuddered to see a further desecration of the dead as men rolled the stiffening bodies up the slight incline to use as a barrier.\u00a0\u00a0 He felt his own position safe enough that he didn\u2019t do it, but all through the night, he heard the eerie thud of bullets entering frozen flesh, as the dead continued to faithfully serve the living.\u00a0 Exhausted, he finally fell asleep while the silent forms around him hardened in grotesque positions.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n As dawn tinted the eastern horizon, the sky was clear and the air quiet, almost peaceful.\u00a0 The underlying tension, however, made it the most morbid Sabbath to which Adam had ever awakened.\u00a0 Surrounded by lifeless bodies and a silence broken only by the feeble cries of the wounded still lying on that accursed hillside, he wondered if it were all over, whether General Burnside had finally realized the futility of sending regiment after regiment against an enemy so entrenched that they could hardly be hurt, much less defeated.<\/p>\n He hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 At that same moment, the commander of the Army of the Potomac was ordering the IX Corps to prepare to attack.\u00a0 Every other officer inside the command headquarters all but exploded.\u00a0 Even loyal old Bull Sumner raised strong objection, and coming as close as they dared without outright rebellion, everyone else argued against renewing the attack.\u00a0 Finally, Burnside gave in.\u00a0 The official, sanitized version would say merely that his staff and associates had talked him out of the proposal, but it was far more contentious than that.\u00a0 Sumner, Couch, Hancock\u2014all the leaders over Adam\u2014had sacrificed enough men to a strategy that anyone should have seen from the outset was unwinnable.\u00a0 They would sanction no more.<\/p>\n None of the men on that hillside, however, knew the decisions being made.\u00a0 As the sun rose and the ground beneath them thawed to a slushy mixture of mud and blood, they could only lie there in misery, waiting for orders that never came: cold, hungry, tormented by the cries of the wounded, but unable to help them without becoming one of their number.\u00a0 As the Confederate Army rose to life above them, aromas from the enemy\u2019s cookfires subjected the starving boys in blue to new and exquisite torture, but the occasional warning shots were enough to keep them all flat on their growling bellies throughout an increasingly long morning.<\/p>\n Inexplicably, one Rebel soldier left his shelter behind the stone wall and moved onto the field full of dead and wounded Yankees.\u00a0 Excited to have, at last, a target they could hit, several Yanks rose far enough out of the sheltering swale to shoot, but none hit the thin young soldier.\u00a0 Adam was instantly thankful that his own shot had missed when he saw that the man had looped a number of canteens around his neck, one of which he was offering to a suffering soldier clad in Union blue.\u00a0 \u201cStop shooting!\u201d Adam yelled at his fellow soldiers.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t you see he\u2019s trying to help?\u201d\u00a0 Cheers rang out up and down the Union line, and over the next two hours, the Confederate soldier moved across that bloody field, ministering comfort to his fallen enemies.<\/p>\n The moans of the wounded, their suffering assuaged by the brave Rebel, died down, and the slope below Marye\u2019s Heights fell again into eerie Sabbath silence as the afternoon advanced.\u00a0 Adam expected at any moment for the attack to be renewed, and he had no idea what part he was expected to play in it.\u00a0 Why were there no orders?\u00a0 Or, maybe there were, and his company was too widely separated for them to reach him.\u00a0 Still, no one else was moving, either.\u00a0 The entire Army of the Potomac seemed to be pinned down, unable to move forward or retreat; to do either could mean instant death.<\/p>\n Adam happened to be looking toward town when a rider emerged, bearing a white flag.\u00a0 Grabbing Marcus\u2019 arm, he said, \u201cLook.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a flag of truce.\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019re going to get out of here, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, please, God,\u201d Marcus croaked through a throat so dry it could do nothing else.<\/p>\n The rider approached the Confederate line, and though it was a risk, Adam peeked over the top of the swale.\u00a0 No one fired at him, but he couldn\u2019t see enough to keep risking it, so he slid back down and merely shrugged at his friend\u2019s questioning face.\u00a0 Eventually, the soldier who had carried the white flag rode back and moved down the line of men lying below the swale.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been given permission to bury the dead and evacuate the wounded,\u201d he said over and over.\u00a0 \u201cWe only have two hours\u2019 truce, men, so work as fast as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about us?\u201d Some man a few yards from Adam demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cNo orders yet,\u201d the soldier answered.\u00a0 \u201cJust do what you can, soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n That was order enough for Adam.\u00a0 \u201cYou up to it?\u201d he asked Marcus.<\/p>\n The smaller man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cEspecially if I can find someone with a full canteen,\u201d he whispered as if fearful someone else might snatch the idea from him and reach that precious water first.<\/p>\n Tentatively, still fearful of flying bullets, the blue-coated soldiers stood and moved up the hill, while the Confederates walked down.\u00a0 At first, Adam thought they intended to help, like the man who had attended the wounded earlier.\u00a0 Then he realized these men were scavenging from the black and bloated bodies of the dead, stripping from them every piece of useful clothing.\u00a0 At first, the callousness angered him, until he saw the condition of the Southern soldiers.\u00a0 Some of their uniforms were in tatters, and a good number squished barefoot through the icy slush of that hillside.\u00a0 Feeling that no man, however mistaken in the side he had chosen in this fight, should face winter with no more than that to shield him from the elements, Adam couldn\u2019t begrudge them what the dead no longer needed.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 Marcus ran excitedly up to him and, holding up a canteen, sloshed it just enough so he could hear there was something in it.<\/p>\n Adam grinned and reached for it.\u00a0 Then, seeing the private\u2019s chapped lips, said, \u201cYou first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Marcus insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cFollow orders, private,\u201d Adam said with mock sternness, and though Marcus knew it wasn\u2019t really an order, he relented and took a swig before passing the canteen over to his sergeant-major.<\/p>\n The water was stale, but to Adam, it was the elixir of the gods.\u00a0 He capped the canteen and hung it over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSee to the wounded first.\u00a0 Then, we\u2019ll bury as many dead as we have time for.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus saluted.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n Having no stretchers, they first assisted the walking wounded back toward Fredericksburg.\u00a0 They never reached town themselves; instead, they helped the men into wagons and ambulances located to the rear of the field of battle and returned to rescue others.\u00a0 Unlike some men, who used the time of truce to trade newspapers and tobacco with the enemy, Adam and Marcus stayed intent on helping as many wounded soldiers as possible in the scant two hours afforded them.<\/p>\n As they were helping another couple of men into a small cart, a voice called, \u201cSergeant Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n Looking over his shoulder, Adam smiled into a familiar face.\u00a0 \u201cCorporal Breckinridge.\u00a0 Good to see you weathered the storm.\u201d\u00a0 Then he noticed the torn, blood-dabbled sleeve.\u00a0 \u201cSaul!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re hit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaught but a graze, sir,\u201d Breckinridge said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s room in this cart, Saul,\u201d Marcus said.\u00a0 \u201cClimb in and they\u2019ll get you back to help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d the corporal insisted.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s men still on that hillside, and I\u2019m fit enough to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get them,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know time\u2019s almost up, sir,\u201d Breckinridge argued.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to save as many as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I make it an order?\u201d<\/p>\n The corporal grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u00a0 Noise of battle must have affected my hearing, sir, for I can\u2019t hear a word you\u2019re saying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep close to us, at least,\u201d Adam ordered, adding wryly, \u201csince you won\u2019t be able to hear the order to retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n Breckinridge cupped a hand behind his ear.\u00a0 \u201cClothes, you say?\u00a0 Aye, I\u2019ll keep my clothes, sir, no matter how many naked Rebels try to tear them off me.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking his head, Adam watched him move up the hill and turned toward Marcus.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m beginning to think he\u2019s spent too much time around Private Buford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe does rub off,\u201d Marcus said with a grin.<\/p>\n Adam squinted at the descending sun.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t tell precisely how much time remained, but Saul was right: it couldn\u2019t be long.\u00a0 \u201cCome on,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll try one more trip.\u201d<\/p>\n They made that trip, and since they\u2019d still had no order to leave, started back up the hill.\u00a0 They met Saul on his way back, struggling to help a man with a gaping leg wound.\u00a0 \u201cHelp him, Private,\u201d Adam ordered Marcus.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll\u201d\u2014but just then the bugle sounded to retreat, and he changed the order.\u00a0 \u201cGet him to safety, and stay there!\u201d he ordered in his best imitation of his father\u2019s no-argument voice.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll cover you.\u201d\u00a0 He threw himself to the ground and awaited the inevitable resurgence of rifle fire.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long in coming.\u00a0 Bullets began to sail over his head, and some hit the dirt to the left and right of him.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t the target, though; the men fleeing past him were, so he rose up to fire and then crouched down, lying as flat as he could, while bullets again rained down.\u00a0 He would never know why one didn\u2019t hit him.\u00a0 Maybe Jamie\u2019s praying hard<\/em>, he thought as he reloaded and prepared to make himself a target once more.\u00a0 Keep it up, chum<\/em>.<\/p>\n Eventually, he ran out of ammunition, so he hugged the ground and prayed the hail of bullets would end.\u00a0 It did, finally, but he knew it would start again the minute he raised his head.\u00a0 Play dead<\/em>, he told himself and hoped he could lie still enough to pull it off.\u00a0 After perhaps an hour, he thought the encroaching dusk might give him a chance to slip away.\u00a0 Slowly, he slid backwards on his belly, and when no bullets flew his way, he decided to chance it.\u00a0 Standing quickly, he sprinted toward the canal.\u00a0 Immediately he heard the ping and plunk of bullets landing near him, but he ran on, trusting to luck or, perhaps, the prayers of his saintly former and, hopefully, someday-again roommate.<\/p>\n Having no time to reach the makeshift plank bridge or sidestep along the stringers, he plunged into the canal.\u00a0 The ice crunched beneath his boots, and he waded through hip-high water, as bullets splashed the surface and threw spray into his face.\u00a0 Still, his luck held.\u00a0 He reached the other side and clambered out; then he raced toward the brick house that had given him cover earlier in the day.\u00a0 He stayed there awhile, panting for air.\u00a0 Then, eager to get back to town and his men, he darted from house to isolated house until they finally began to congregate together and form the town.<\/p>\n Once back on the streets of Fredericksburg, now thronging with soldiers, he slowed to a walk, as thankful as he\u2019d ever been in his life just to be alive.\u00a0 As he made his way through the streets, he saw a red flag waving from almost every house.\u00a0 Could they all be hospitals, as that indicated?\u00a0 In his mind\u2019s eye, he could still see that hillside littered with the dead and the dying and knew it was so.\u00a0 Could there be enough doctors in all the Union Army, he wondered, to treat the men who had fallen in this senseless battle?<\/p>\n His mind flashed to his friend from back home, Mark Wentworth.\u00a0 He was somewhere here, serving as a surgeon\u2019s aide in the regular army.\u00a0 There hadn\u2019t even been time to locate him between the time he\u2019d linked up with the Army of the Potomac and this first battle.\u00a0 Now, he felt desperate to know if Mark had made it through, and he had no idea even who to ask.\u00a0 He consoled himself that, while no place on a battlefield was safe, medics weren\u2019t typically targets.<\/p>\n He reached Water Street, but didn\u2019t make it to the basement where his unit had stayed night before last.\u00a0 Collapsing, he was handed a blanket by some kind soul, and despite the noise around him, dropped into exhausted sleep.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t sleep long, but soon woke to a display of rare, undulating light in shades of red, blue, green and gold, splashed across the heavens.\u00a0 Aurora borealis<\/em>, he remembered.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen the phenomenon for the first time last summer in New York City when he\u2019d sat in the backyard of his boarding house into the wee hours, basking in the beauty, sensing a serenity that transcended his weariness.\u00a0 Here, however, his eyes riveted in gruesome awe on the red tones and there was no serenity.\u00a0 It reminded him, instead, of the flames of hell, where he\u2019d lived the last two days, and he wanted only to douse them, lest it be an omen of more bloodshed to come.<\/p>\n The eerie lights faded to dark sky after about thirty minutes, and Adam decided to make his way back to the basement.\u00a0 He hoped, at least, to find Marcus and Saul there, though he wasn\u2019t sure how many others in the regiment might have survived the slaughterhouse of Marye\u2019s Heights.\u00a0 As he walked southward, he noticed the same sort of macabre carnival that had preceded the battle, the same destruction of private property as men shouted and danced in the streets.\u00a0 Still drained himself, he wondered how anyone had the strength, much less the inclination; then he realized the atmosphere was different, the need for retaliation stronger and any celebrative air a pale reflection of the joy of still being alive.<\/p>\n As he walked down the stairs into the basement, he wondered if the books he\u2019d scavenged from the fire would still be there, or if some fool had fed even those to the flames.\u00a0 He\u2019d welcome the companionship of a good book tonight, though he was probably too tired to read it.\u00a0 He forgot all about books, though, when he entered the room and found it filled with men who had survived the storm.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d\u00a0 There was no missing the exuberance of that cry or the fierceness of the embrace that enfolded him.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you hadn\u2019t made it,\u201d Marcus sobbed, leaning into his friend\u2019s chest.\u00a0 Then he pulled back, looking sheepish.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Sergeant,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI forgot myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam uttered a broken chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cMorning is soon enough to bother about rank, Marc.\u00a0 Tonight, we\u2019re just friends.\u201d\u00a0 Frankly, he thought wryly, anyone who survived this debacle would forever feel like a friend, since they had shared something more meaningful than he ever had with closer ones back home like Billy and Ross.\u00a0 Saul Breckinridge came across the clammy room to shake his hand, and looking from one to the other with a heart full of gratitude, Adam asked, \u201cDo you know anything about our other men?\u201d<\/p>\n The corporal shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo clear tally yet, Sergeant.\u00a0 Twenty or so gone from our company alone, from what I\u2019ve heard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDear God,\u201d Adam murmured.\u00a0 A fifth of their number, with more to come, perhaps.\u00a0 If that ratio held, there would be more than a hundred missing in the next regimental roll call.\u00a0 Perhaps, some he knew intimately.\u00a0 What had become of Antonio Dardelle, his Chinese friend and . . . ?<\/p>\n \u201cBuford made it.\u201d\u00a0 Marcus grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHe would, of course.\u00a0 That one always lands on his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd probably has the nine lives of a cat, too,\u201d Adam said, returning the grin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus sobered.\u00a0 \u201cI heard one bit of bad news, though.\u00a0 Frank Alling didn\u2019t survive.\u00a0 You remember him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam said, sobering instantly.\u00a0 He\u2019d known Alling well, since he was not only a member of his own class at Yale, but of his section, those he sat closest to in every class because of their alphabetical seating.\u00a0 He\u2019d known loss before, of course: his mother, Inger, Marie.\u00a0 This, though, was someone his own age, in the very bloom of life, and somehow it felt different, more personal, more . . . wrong.\u00a0 Even the thought seemed traitorous, and he thrust it aside.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone else we know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Breckinridge put in.\u00a0 \u201cThe lieutenant\u2019s gone, Sergeant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWorthington?\u201d Adam gasped.\u00a0 He\u2019d been so proud to serve under that man.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 Sorry.\u00a0 It\u2019s McCarthy, the 2nd<\/sup> lieutenant, who passed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips and acknowledged the correction with a nod.\u00a0 He\u2019d been a good man, too, and it didn\u2019t hurt any less.\u00a0 He dreaded asking, but he did, anyway.\u00a0 \u201cIs that all . . . all you know, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJim was wounded\u2014shoulder wound,\u201d Marcus said, \u201cbut he\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s head bowed.\u00a0 James Brand\u2014there was no better man than the one who had inspired him to enlist, and as color bearer, he would, of course, have been a prime target for the Confederates.\u00a0 Adam had lost sight of the regimental flag in the smoke and confusion of the battle, but he hadn\u2019t had time to think what that might mean for his friend.\u00a0 But he was all right, Marcus had said.\u00a0 Taking heart, he asked, \u201cDo you know where he is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot the exact building,\u201d Marcus admitted, \u201cbut I can tell you the direction they were taking him, if you want to . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gave a weary chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cI will . . . later.\u00a0 Unless we have orders to the contrary, I\u2019m going to get a little rest first.\u201d\u00a0 As busy as the surgeons were, he doubted they\u2019d welcome a lone soldier, searching for his chum right now.<\/p>\n \u201cYou definitely should, sir,\u201d Corporal Breckinridge said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWho knows when we may be recalled to the field?\u201d<\/p>\n Dear God<\/em>, thought Adam, let it not be so!<\/em>\u00a0 If there was anything the Army of the Potomac did not need, it was orders to assault that shot-blasted hill one more useless time!\u00a0 But so far, their commander had seemed determined, against all odds, to take it, and Adam didn\u2019t trust Burnside to have faced facts yet.\u00a0 Sleep came slowly.\u00a0 With all he\u2019d endured and concerns for what lay ahead, Adam couldn\u2019t settle.\u00a0 Outside he could hear the rumblings of thunder and the patter of falling rain, growing heavier as the night proceeded, but the sounds soothed him, as well.\u00a0 It was what Pa had always called good sleeping weather, and with thoughts of home, he finally let it lull him into slumber.<\/p>\n He woke to an air of heaviness, but he had no time to examine whether it arose from weariness or the dampening dejection which wafted from every heart in that basement.\u00a0 Whatever caused it, he had to get the men up and moving, ready for whatever whim the chain of command dictated.\u00a0 It was an unworthy thought and he knew it.\u00a0 Most of those over him were good men: his own captain, certainly, as well as the regiment\u2019s colonel, Richard Bostwick, and he felt nothing but respect for their division leader, General Hancock.\u00a0 He had nothing, even, against the corps leader, General Couch, although he\u2019d had almost no contact with him.\u00a0 No, the fiasco of Fredericksburg, as far as Adam was concerned, lay at the feet of one man, General Ambrose Burnside, who probably was a good man, too, but had made some terrible and costly decisions.\u00a0 Rumor was that he\u2019d turned down the offer of command twice, feeling himself incapable of that much responsibility.\u00a0 Well, he was right about that, but how many times could you say no to the President of the United States?\u00a0 Adam wasn\u2019t ready to lay this defeat on the shoulders of Abraham Lincoln, though; he revered the man many called Father Abraham.<\/p>\n He shook himself.\u00a0 He had no time for this kind of introspective nonsense, either.\u00a0 Finding Michael Buford, he shook him awake and, since he had no orders to the contrary, told the private to make a small fire and brew some coffee.\u00a0 The men deserved that much consideration on this cold, clammy morning.\u00a0 After they had warmed up a little, he ordered them to clean their guns, so they\u2019d be ready for whatever happened next.\u00a0 He had his father\u2019s early training to thank for that instinct, although Pa had usually insisted the job be done at the end of the day, not the busy beginning.\u00a0 The men had been exhausted last night, however, and Adam thought, with a fond smile, that even Pa would have advised him to wait.<\/p>\n Once his own rifle was ready for duty, Adam prudently sought out Lieutenant Worthington and inquired as to any orders.\u00a0 \u201cNone yet,\u201d Worthington said, \u201calthough there\u2019s some discussion that we may make another attempt to take the heights, so make sure the men are ready, if called upon.\u201d<\/p>\n From the way he frowned, Adam knew Worthington had no more taste for that than he did, but he relayed the instructions he\u2019d already given about preparing the weapons.<\/p>\n The frown faded to a small smile.\u00a0 \u201cGood man.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, hesitantly, Adam said, \u201cI had hoped, sir, to seek out a friend among the wounded . . . if there\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of our men?\u201d Worthington asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOur regiment,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut in Company I, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Worthington again frowned momentarily, though more in thought than displeasure.\u00a0 Then, seeing the earnestness in Adam\u2019s face, the frown softened again.\u00a0 \u201cWell, since you\u2019ve put things well in order in our own company, Sergeant-Major, permission is granted.\u201d\u00a0 He hesitated, as if reluctant to speak the thought in his mind.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2014uh\u2014are certain your friend is among the wounded?\u201d\u00a0 The weight of those beyond wounded lay heavy on his brow.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cA shoulder wound, I was told.\u00a0 Our color bearer, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n The captain\u2019s face cleared with relief.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean Brand.\u00a0 He\u2019s still with us, God be thanked.\u00a0 We can\u2019t afford to lose brave men like him.\u00a0 I can even direct you to the house where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, thank you, sir.\u00a0 That will save time.\u201d<\/p>\n Worthington sobered again.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Don\u2019t spend too much time there, Sergeant-Major.\u00a0 We still don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening today, so keep your ears open as you go.\u00a0 A hospital is the least likely place to hear orders to attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Assuring his commander that he\u2019d be brief, Adam saluted and hurried out, making his way along Water Street to the location described to him.\u00a0 After some inquiry and searching, he found James Brand in what had been a small study lined with bookshelves.\u00a0 \u201cWell, this is an appropriate setting for a student, I must say,\u201d he called cheerily.<\/p>\n Brand turned at his voice and met him with a broad smile.\u00a0 \u201cAdam!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m so glad . . . and thankful . . . to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam warmly clasped his friend\u2019s hand on the uninjured side.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I, you,\u201d he said fervently.\u00a0 Like Brand, he was thinking of how many others would never be seen again by friends or family and so thankful that this one was spared to him.\u00a0 \u201cHow badly hurt are you, Jim?\u201d<\/p>\n Jim frowned.\u00a0 \u201cBad enough that they\u2019re shipping me back across the river.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I would hope so!\u201d Adam declared.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone else can carry the flag today; you\u2019ve done your part.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs best I could,\u201d Brand said with a sad smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe all did, but we didn\u2019t accomplish much, did we, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t deny it.\u00a0 \u201cNot for lack of trying . . . and we may not be through yet.\u00a0 I can\u2019t stay long, Jim, because we may be ordered back to the field.\u201d\u00a0 Out of consideration for his friend, he didn\u2019t express his real feelings about attacking that hill one more time.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t need to, for the press of Jim\u2019s hand told him he understood.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll pray for you,\u201d he vowed soberly.<\/p>\n Valuing Jim\u2019s prayers as much as those of his preacher-to-be former roommate, Adam nodded and returned the hand press.\u00a0 \u201cAnything I can do for you before I leave?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Jim cast an almost covetous eye toward the shelves lined with books, which had somehow survived the rampage of the Union Army.\u00a0 \u201cDo you suppose the owner would mind if I borrowed a volume . . . just until we leave?\u201d<\/p>\n His own heart now burning with vengeful thoughts as much as any of the men who had pillaged the town before the battle, Adam was tempted to say that he didn\u2019t much care what the owner thought.\u00a0 But Jim was a better man than he, and he preferred not to shock him.\u00a0 He remembered, too, the Confederate soldier who had risked his life to bring water to his enemies\u2019 wounded, and he let that better angel guide his reply.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019d be glad to comfort a wounded man of either persuasion,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cShall I pick you something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease,\u201d Jim replied.<\/p>\n He probably spent more time that he should have over the selection, but he finally located a series of essays by Emerson.\u00a0 Bringing it to his friend, he said farewell and again made his way past house after house flying the red flag.\u00a0 Walking down Water Street, he saw a convoy of litters being transported toward the pontoon bridges.\u00a0 The wounded were already being moved to safer ground across the Rappahannock River, then.\u00a0 Jim might not have long with his borrowed book, after all, and Adam knew his friend wasn\u2019t the type to confiscate it.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t really looking at the faces lying on the litters too carefully, but one stood out.\u00a0 \u201cAntonio!\u201d he called when he saw the smooth Chinese features.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam,\u201d Antonio little more than whispered, reaching toward him.<\/p>\n Adam took the hand, although he had to backstep to keep holding it as the wounded continued to move forward.\u00a0 From the similar bandages he deduced that his Chinese friend also had suffered a shoulder wound.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t stay,\u201d he said, mindful of his captain\u2019s orders, \u201cbut I\u2019ll find you once we\u2019re all on the other side.\u00a0 Rest easy, my friend; they\u2019ll take good care of you.”<\/p>\n \u201cYes . . . find me,\u201d was all Antonio had time or strength to say, and mindful of how long he\u2019d been away from his men, Adam hurried back toward the basement.\u00a0 Soon after he arrived, orders came to form in the street, and the men quickly fell into line, only to have the order countermanded shortly.\u00a0 It formed a pattern for the entire day: fall in, dismissed; fall in, dismissed, every few minutes all day long.\u00a0 Little as Adam relished another go at the Confederates\u2019 well-entrenched position, he would even have welcomed the order to assault that hill again, just to finally have a decision made.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, hour upon hour, ambulances moved across the pontoon bridges and up the bank on the opposite side.\u00a0 The prevailing fog shielded them from enemy eyes, and dirt and straw were strewn over the pontoons to muffle the sound of the crossing.\u00a0 Straw was also wrapped around the wagon wheels for the same purpose, and it seemed to be working.\u00a0 The Rebel army appeared unaware of the evacuation, although they might simply have permitted the wounded to leave, since another truce for the burial of dead had been negotiated.\u00a0 Had they seen healthy, able-bodied opponents escaping, however, pursuit would have been likely, and the Union soldiers would have found themselves trapped between the devil and, perhaps not the deep blue sea, but an ice-capped barrier just as formidable.<\/p>\n By evening most of the wounded had been evacuated.\u00a0 As the soldiers were once again lined up in the street, General Burnside, distinguishable by his trademark side whiskers, rode by, and the men cheered, some from dogged loyalty and some, perhaps, in hope that his presence meant some sort of movement, at last, was about to happen. \u00a0Shortly after dark Adam\u2019s division was ordered to march down Water Street toward the railroad bridge . . . with the sole\u2014and to him, most important\u2014exception of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 They continued to wait, in increasingly uncomfortable conditions, thanks to the glowering weather.<\/p>\n Around 9 p.m. the envious regiment could hear the muffled steps of men walking, not marching, across the Rappahannock and knew the army was in full retreat.\u00a0 Now, if the Rebel army could somehow be kept from figuring out what they were doing long enough to get across themselves!\u00a0 Violent winds from the west blew the sound of the soldiers\u2019 movements away from the Confederates, and a pelting rainstorm blackened the sky and blotted out the light from the moon.\u00a0 Soaked to the skin, but thankful for nature\u2019s cover, Adam and the rest of his regiment stood for hours, waiting their turn to escape.<\/p>\n Rumors flew that they would be sent out as pickets, to make the enemy believe they were still planning to attack in the morning, and Adam steeled himself to accept the sacrifice of more of his own men and, perhaps, his own life.\u00a0 In the end, other units were selected, and his inexperienced regiment, which had already endured such a savage baptism of fire, was spared that daunting duty.\u00a0 At last, new orders sent them a few hundred yards below the railroad, where they relieved the rest of the brigade, who then dematerialized like ghosts into the sheltering night.\u00a0 Here, at last, they were allowed to rest, and those who could, slept.<\/p>\n It was nearly midnight when the orders they longed to hear finally came.\u00a0 As Adam stepped onto the bridge to depart from Fredericksburg, he noticed soldiers loosening the moorings holding the pontoons to the south bank of the river and knew they were among the last regiments to leave.\u00a0 Still, it was not until he touched the opposite bank that he felt truly safe from enemy fire, and though he and all his men were exhausted, that knowledge alone renewed their energy enough for the one-mile walk back to the encampment at Falmouth.<\/p>\n Along the road they met General Hancock, who stopped and asked, \u201cWhat regiment is this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe 27th<\/sup> Connecticut, sir,\u201d Adam felt privileged to tell him.<\/p>\n Hancock smiled and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWell done, Connecticut!\u00a0 I am greatly satisfied with your conduct in this action.\u201d<\/p>\n The general\u2019s commendation buoyed the entire regiment, and Adam felt his heart swell with pride on behalf of his men.\u00a0 Though they briefly lost their way in the heavy rain, they finally reached their camp and collapsed into the blissful arms of exhausted sleep.\u00a0 Against all odds, the Army of the Potomac had slipped away undetected in one of the most adept retreats in military history.\u00a0 They would live to fight another day.<\/p>\n ~~~~Notes~~~~<\/p>\n The battle of Fredericksburg was the first time an American town suffered a military bombardment, as well as the first instance of urban street fighting.<\/p>\n A mortician did, indeed, greet the Army of the Potomac as they entered town, with printed offers of his services.\u00a0 Some must have taken him up on it, for their bodies did make it all the way home.<\/p>\n The disgraceful sacking of Fredericksburg by the Union Army happened as depicted and was mostly ignored by the officers.\u00a0 A few companies of former firemen, however, put out some of the fires.<\/p>\n The Irish Brigade had only one of their signature flags that day because the others had been shipped out for repair from damage inflicted in previous battles.\u00a0 The stalwartness of those troops is well documented.<\/p>\n There were more assaults on Marye\u2019s Heights than I have depicted here.\u00a0 For brevity, I focused on those actually affecting Adam and those closest to him.<\/p>\n The \u201cHail, Caesar\u201d quote was said by a member of General Couch\u2019s staff, but Michael Shaara put it in the mouth of an Irish soldier in Gods and Generals<\/em>, a novel about Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.\u00a0 I find it more likely such a classical reference would have come to the mind of a college student like Adam.<\/p>\n The Confederate soldier who so bravely ministered to the wounded of both sides was Richard Rowland Kirkland.\u00a0 Denied the right to do so under a flag of truce, he decided to take the chance, anyway, and emerged unscathed.\u00a0 He later died at the Battle of Chickamauga.\u00a0 Today, a statue of him stands in front of the stone wall at the Fredericksburg battlefield.<\/p>\n General Hancock did meet the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut on the road to Falmouth that morning, and though some of the words are mine, he commended them for their behavior during the battle.\u00a0 His praise surely meant much to the green recruits of whom little had been expected at its start.<\/p>\n Antonio Dardelle and James Brand were both reported wounded at Fredericksburg, and both survived the war.\u00a0 Like the fictional Jamie Edwards, James Brand later became a minister.\u00a0 Frank Alling, another actual student at Yale, died at Fredericksburg.<\/p>\n Thanks to General Burnside, a new word was added to the English language.\u00a0 \u201cSide burns\u201d was coined specifically to describe his characteristic hair style.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 5<\/p>\n The Mud March<\/p>\n An air of despondency, even despair, hovered over the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut as they mustered for roll call the morning of December 16.\u00a0 They\u2019d left camp four days before with every expectation of victory since their forces outnumbered the Confederates by almost 23,000.\u00a0 They\u2019d returned to gaping holes in their line, each one representing a friend, or at the very least, someone they had come to know and respect during their three months together.\u00a0 And it had all been for nothing.\u00a0 Not an inch of ground gained to recompense the sacrifice.\u00a0 In Adam\u2019s regiment alone, 110 who had marched across those pontoons were either dead, wounded or missing, and throughout the Army of the Potomac, the number was just over 13,000. \u00a0With so many of their force gone, they could hardly have been expected to feel anything but downhearted, especially in the prevailing fog, whose gloom reflected all their spirits.<\/p>\n Their steps were still dragging and their attitude all but hostile shortly after nine that morning, when General Couch\u2019s II Corps formed for review by General Burnside.\u00a0 Senior officers rode up and down the ranks, waving caps and swords in a vain attempt to rouse a cheer for the commanding officer of the Army of the Potomac.\u00a0 The only response they got was a few contemptuous jeers and hisses.\u00a0 The soldiers knew who had sent them across those bridges and up that infernal hill, and they were in no mood for false praise.<\/p>\n The regiment\u2019s campground was moved to a ribbon of pine trees on the west side of the division parade grounds, but they weren\u2019t there long.\u00a0 For several days they moved from place to place, until they finally made more permanent camp on the edge of a forest near the Rappahannock, where a slight rise in the ground sheltered them as had the swale back at Marye\u2019s Heights.\u00a0 When Adam walked to the elevated plain beyond that swale on the following Sunday, he could see the spires from Fredericksburg\u2019s three churches and hear the bells calling the townsfolk, however few had returned yet, to worship.\u00a0 For the 27th<\/sup>, though, there would be no worship that Sunday; their chaplain, Reverend Leek, had been wounded in battle.<\/p>\n Adam was feeling sick in body, as well as spirit that day.\u00a0 Just a cold, he told himself.\u00a0 He had often preached the benefits of wholesome exercise to Jamie, so he forced himself to take a short walk, despite how he was feeling.\u00a0 He could see almost the entire town of Fredericksburg, quiet and peaceful now, but the reddish lines of the Confederate earthworks gave witness to what had transpired there.\u00a0 He walked a little further, but couldn\u2019t see the village of Falmouth, whose dirt streets lay below the bluff to his north.<\/p>\n Feeling tired, he walked back to camp and spent the rest of his Sabbath in his tent.\u00a0 He tried to compose a letter to his father, but how could he tell even Pa how horrible it had been?\u00a0 Certainly, he couldn\u2019t share with Hoss or, worse yet, Little Joe, the horrors of Fredericksburg.\u00a0 Yet he knew his family would hear about the battle and worry, so he scrawled a brief note to his father, stating only that, although the fighting had been tough, he\u2019d come through with nothing worse than a miserable cold.\u00a0 He used that to excuse the briefness of his letter, and it wasn\u2019t entirely untrue: he was shivering with cold and couldn\u2019t bear the thought of lifting anything so heavy as a pen long enough to add anything else.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Shortly after roll call on Monday, Adam received a summons to see the captain of his regiment.\u00a0 He immediately headed toward the officer\u2019s tent, his head aching both from the cold and apprehension about what it could mean.\u00a0 Was it just orders to deliver to his men . . . or had he somehow incurred the displeasure of those above him?\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t think of any reason for that, but neither could he imagine why the captain would want to see him.\u00a0 After all, if it was just new orders, those ordinarily came through Lieutenant Worthington\u2014well, usually through Second Lieutenant McCarthy, but he was no longer with them.<\/p>\n Arriving at the regiment\u2019s command tent, he saluted, and after returning it, Captain Livingstone smiled and said, \u201cAt ease, Sergeant-Major.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get right to the point.\u00a0 Your service in the recent battle has come to my attention.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Adam\u2019s sudden blanching, he quickly added, \u201cAll favorable, I might add.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had our eye on you for some time before that.\u00a0 Your attention to detail and innovation in the matter of our late winter housing, as well as in the heat of the recent battle, and your demonstrated leadership of the men under your charge have not gone unnoticed.\u00a0 Now, with the unfortunate demise of Lieutenant McCarthy, we have the opportunity to give you the advancement your conduct merits.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s heart leaped into his throat.\u00a0 Surely, the captain couldn\u2019t mean . . . .<\/p>\n \u201cWill you accept promotion to the rank of second lieutenant, Sergeant Cartwright?\u00a0 It will, of course, include a substantial increase in salary, although when that will catch up to us, I couldn\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n Though daunted by the honor and responsibility, Adam never entertained the idea of refusing, but when he opened his mouth to respond, what came out was an explosive cough.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, sir,\u201d he said once he had that under control.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, I accept.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLieutenant, you\u2019re ill,\u201d Captain Livingstone said.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a cold, sir,\u201d Adam quickly said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fit to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n The captain laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t about to rescind the offer, Lieutenant.\u00a0 However, it does alter my first order, which will now be to report to the surgeon at once and follow whatever treatment he recommends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only a cold, sir,\u201d Adam repeated.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need . . .\u201d<\/p>\n The captain eyed him with mock severity.\u00a0 \u201cIt won\u2019t look well on your record, Lieutenant Cartwright, to refuse your very first order in your new rank.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Adam blanch, he softened his expression and said, \u201cPerhaps you don\u2019t realize that disease kills as many or more than bullets do, and we\u2019ve already lost far too many good men in the recent fracas.\u00a0 I won\u2019t risk another needlessly, even if the risk seems slight.\u00a0 Besides, we are probably going into winter camp and won\u2019t see action again until spring, so take whatever time you need to reestablish your health.\u00a0 That is an order, Lieutenant.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam saluted sharply.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n Mouth twitching at the sudden transformation, Captain Livingstone returned the salute and dismissed the newly minted lieutenant.<\/p>\n Feeling foolish, Adam nonetheless reported to the surgeon and resisted the temptation to soothe his pride by blaming the captain\u2019s order.\u00a0 \u201cMinimum duties,\u201d the surgeon advised, \u201cand rest in your tent as much as possible.\u201d\u00a0 Since the only duty facing him, apparently, was going into winter camp, Adam thought the orders would be easy to follow.\u00a0 After all, with the elevation of rank, he had a few housekeeping details to attend to that should effectively keep him in one tent or the other.<\/p>\n He was in his old tent, gathering his belongings, when Saul Breckinridge walked in and saw him.\u00a0 \u201cAre we moving out, then, sir?\u201d Corporal Breckinridge asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust me,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 His smile was tentative, still only half-believing when he said, \u201cYou\u2019ll be needing a new tent mate, corporal.\u201d<\/p>\n Saul had no doubt as to his meaning, and his expression openly showed his pride and pleasure.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been promoted, sir, and well deserved.\u00a0 Congratulations!\u00a0 To second lieutenant, I presume, in McCarthy\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou presume more than I would have,\u201d Adam laughed, \u201cbut, yes, that\u2019s my new rank, so I\u2019ll be moving in with Lieutenant Worthington.\u00a0 And\u2014uh\u2014Saul, don\u2019t be in too much of a hurry about finding that new tent mate.\u201d\u00a0 In justice, he couldn\u2019t say more, but when he\u2019d reported back the surgeon\u2019s orders, Captain Livingstone had asked his recommendation for a new sergeant, and Adam had given Saul\u2019s name.\u00a0 What would come of it, he couldn\u2019t promise, but by the flush on the corporal\u2019s face, he knew the man had guessed some change might be coming for him, as well.<\/p>\n Reluctant as Adam was to admit it, spending the next few days resting in his tent felt incredibly good.\u00a0 Coupled with a break in the weather, it replenished him in both body and spirit and gave him time to read the books he\u2019d rescued from the fire in Fredericksburg, as well as to catch up on his correspondence.\u00a0 He\u2019d been negligent in writing to Elizabeth as often as he should and pushed himself to correct that.\u00a0 It had been hard to know what to write about the battle, but knowing she\u2019d be impressed with the new shoulder straps he\u2019d sewn to his uniform, even if they were unadorned by a single gold bar, he proudly shared that news, as well as the \u201csubstantial increase in salary.\u201d\u00a0 He discovered it was substantial, indeed, better than $100 a month, when he\u2019d mustered in at $13 and even as sergeant-major, he\u2019d only been elevated to $21.\u00a0 Odd as it felt to boast of such things, he knew Elizabeth would see the extra money as a prelude to future possibilities, so he swallowed down his reluctance and told all.<\/p>\n He also wrote another letter home, directed this time to Hoss, who would also take pride in his brother\u2019s promotion.\u00a0 Pa would be proud, too, of course, but he wouldn\u2019t mind getting such news second hand.\u00a0 Adam still couldn\u2019t think of much that would interest Little Joe, but tagged a short note to the end of Hoss\u2019s letter about all the snow on the ground and the way it had turned the roads into giant mud puddles.\u00a0 Little Joe, of course, would think that sounded like fun, and Adam was content to leave him with that false impression.\u00a0 Some things a little boy of five didn\u2019t need to know, but Adam didn\u2019t mind telling him that if he never made a march in ankle-deep mud again, it would be too soon.<\/p>\n When Christmas Day arrived, Adam had greater appreciation for the difference an officer\u2019s rank could make in his life.\u00a0\u00a0 On an average day officers ate better than enlisted men, but for Christmas, they had gone all out, even coming up with roast chicken and savory stuffing.\u00a0 The captain had received a slightly smashed, but still tasty, fruitcake from home, which he shared with them all.\u00a0 Adam, too, received packages, arriving on the very day.\u00a0 While the one from the Ponderosa held mostly useful personal items, like warm socks, knitted scarf and mittens, Jamie, in addition to the latest issue of the Yale Lit., had sent something Adam could contribute to the feast.\u00a0 The box stuffed with Candy Sam\u2019s divinity became an instant favorite with all the officers.\u00a0 The only thing that cast a dimness over Adam\u2019s day was that there had been nothing, not even a letter, from Elizabeth.<\/p>\n The sunlight, dimmed only by thin clouds, and the gentle breeze wafting the nostalgic scent of pine reminded Adam sharply of home, so he took a chance that a brief walk would not be considered a violation of his orders to rest. \u00a0He didn\u2019t push himself hard, however, and spent the afternoon lying on his cot, devouring the Lit., cover to cover.\u00a0 As he finished the final page, he huffed audibly.<\/p>\n Seeing the scowl on his tent mate\u2019s face, Daniel Worthington quirked a quizzical smile.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s how I\u2019d feel about such a stodgy publication, but I thought it would be right up your alley, college boy!\u201d<\/p>\n Though theirs was still a short-term acquaintance, Adam knew he was being teased and took it in good stride.\u00a0 \u201cIt is, generally,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, there\u2019s an article on strategy even you might find interesting.\u00a0 It is a bit critical of the Army\u2019s leadership, but well written and has some good thoughts.\u00a0 No, it\u2019s just a closing comment in the Editor\u2019s Table that bothered me.\u00a0 It states that \u201cthe Army of the Potomac is preparing for a successful retreat, in case of an attack from the enemy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere, now!\u201d Worthington, incensed, hooted.\u00a0 \u201cIs this the sort of strategy you think I\u2019d benefit from reading?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDifferent author,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cBoth written before the recent battle, of course, but somewhat prophetic.\u00a0 We did make a rather successful retreat, as I recall.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd thank God for it!\u201d Worthington declared.\u00a0 \u201cBut hardly to avoid facing the enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly,\u201d Adam agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWe faced them within an inch of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, at least, it should be a while before we face them again . . . and thank God for that, too.\u00a0 Here, let\u2019s see what a schoolboy\u2019s idea of strategy is like.\u201d\u00a0 He reached for the magazine, and Adam cheerfully handed it over.<\/p>\n If Christmas had given everyone a welcome break in routine, the next day presented them with a gift nobody wanted: orders to cook three days\u2019 rations and be ready to move out on twelve hours\u2019 notice.\u00a0 Though Adam tried to muster some enthusiasm, he found himself, instead, feeling little but dismay.\u00a0 The ordered rest in his tent, while frustrating, had seen an improvement in his health, but he still felt he could barely put one foot in front of the other, much less fight another battle. Marching now would be a fine way to say the holiday was over!<\/p>\n The men he would have to lead were just as dispirited, perhaps more so.\u00a0 After all, with few exceptions, like new sergeant Saul Breckinridge and his friend Marcus Whitcomb\u2019s unexpected elevation to corporal, they\u2019d had no promotion to better their circumstances.\u00a0 Their food was terrible, the weather miserably cold and thousands had fallen ill.\u00a0 Like Adam, most resisted a visit to the surgeons.\u00a0 Add to that the fact that most of them had not been paid for six months, and the army could count itself lucky to be dealing with merely dispirited soldiers and not men in outright rebellion.\u00a0 The pay problem did not affect Adam personally.\u00a0 He\u2019d only been in the Army three months and had even received pay while in Washington. \u00a0It was frustrating not to receive regular compensation, but he had no one to support but himself, and what the Army provided was sufficient for that.\u00a0 Still, it added to the general gloom of the entire camp.<\/p>\n So did the interminable waiting for something, anything, to happen.\u00a0 Then, without explanation, General Burnside was gone\u2014to the White House, rumor said\u2014but speculation was rife about the reason.\u00a0 Some thought their commander would be recalled after the disastrous defeat at Fredericksburg, others that some new strategy was under discussion, and coupled with the continuing orders to be ready to move out on short notice, Adam feared the latter.\u00a0 Not until December 30, however, did the order come to actually move, and then only the cavalry did.<\/p>\n One day later, both lieutenants of the company were called to the captain\u2019s tent and received instructions that seemed to belie those of the higher ranks.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen, I think the time has come to make preparations for winter camp,\u201d Captain Livingstone said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve received orders, then, sir?\u201d Lieutenant Worthington asked tentatively, hopefully.<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly,\u201d the captain said with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cI admit I\u2019m taking this action on my own initiative.\u201d\u00a0 He raised a palm toward his two junior officers.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I do remember that once before we thought the same and made preparations back in Washington for a lengthy stay, only to have orders come down that negated all our efforts.\u00a0 It may happen again, but I can no longer see our soldiers housed under nothing but canvas.\u00a0 We have a slight break in the weather, gentlemen, so let\u2019s build some cabins, and if orders mean it all comes to naught again . . . well, so be it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe building itself will provide warming exercise,\u201d Adam ventured.\u00a0 His relationship with the captain being new, he made the joke with some temerity, but was rewarded by the captain\u2019s warm laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cJust so,\u201d Livingstone said pleasantly, \u201cand recalling your fine efforts with the officer\u2019s housing before, Lieutenant Cartwright, I would like you to take charge of that, while Lieutenant Worthington directs the enlisted men\u2019s housing.<\/p>\n Both young lieutenants saluted and indicated their eagerness to follow these particular orders.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you don\u2019t think I\u2019m getting above my station, sir,\u201d Adam said to his first lieutenant as they walked back to their own tent.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Worthington scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cOrders are orders.\u00a0 Besides, I know who\u2019s the better builder, and I\u2019m glad to have you in charge of the officers\u2019 cabins . . . especially our own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich I\u2019ll see to right after the captain\u2019s, Lieutenant,\u201d Adam assured him.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, Adam.\u00a0 It\u2019s just Dan unless we\u2019re in front of the men . . . or those above our station,\u201d the lieutenant said with a grin.\u00a0 \u201cAs an educated college man, even one with a single year under his belt, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re capable of comprehending that simple principle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, certainly, Dan,\u201d Adam quipped back, \u201cespecially since, without a single year of that same profitable experience, you have been able to formulate it!\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding to concede himself bested in the war of words, Dan said, \u201cIf only we can wrestle logs as well as we do words, we\u2019ll make short work of these cabins!\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam woke before dawn the next morning, eager to get on with the construction project.\u00a0 They\u2019d barely made a start the day before, though enough logs had been procured to begin the captain\u2019s cabin, at least.\u00a0 Dawn of a new year, too,<\/em> he thought as he rolled out of his cot.\u00a0 Dawn of new hope, as well, for the enslaved people of the South, for today President Lincoln\u2019s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.\u00a0 Then he sighed.\u00a0 No, that was schoolboy optimism, and as a mature, thinking man, he was above such vain hopes.\u00a0 For most of the people that proclamation was intended to benefit, it would be just another working day, for some another day under the lash of an overbearing master.\u00a0 The edict didn\u2019t free anybody, really.\u00a0 It only applied to slaves in the rebellious states, which were, of course, the least likely to obey it.\u00a0 No, they\u2019d have to win this war before emancipation could be enacted where it was needed most, and thus far they\u2019d failed gloriously in every effort.<\/p>\n He made his way to the officers\u2019 mess, and though breakfast wasn\u2019t yet available, he was able to get a cup of hot coffee.\u00a0 Since it was still early, he decided to walk off some of the nervous energy he felt about the new project and made his way past the headquarters at Chatham House to watch the rising sun slowly lift the fog over Fredericksburg to reveal the three church spires and gave thanks once again that they had somehow survived the cannon\u2019s bombardment of the town.\u00a0 Adam was glad to see that something remained to give hope to the impoverished residents beginning to filter back to their battered homes\u2014battered, to his enduring shame, by Union soldiers.<\/p>\n He shook his head sadly.\u00a0 So much damage to so many innocent people.\u00a0 And for what?\u00a0 They were no closer now to achieving what \u201cGod and conscience\u201d demanded than he\u2019d been back in New Haven.\u00a0 He felt a sudden desire to talk with James Brand, whose words had inspired his enlistment, but that was impossible.\u00a0 He\u2019d been shipped to a hospital back East, as had Antonio Dardelle.\u00a0 Adam had pushed his own orders to see the surgeon to include a brief visit with both his friends\u2014enough to say he\u2019d kept his promise to Antonio, but not enough to give either of them any real support.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t yet found time to seek out Mark Wentworth and see how he had fared at Fredericksburg, and that was troubling.\u00a0 Maybe Sunday?\u00a0 Shaking off the despondent thoughts, he made his way back to the officers\u2019 mess.\u00a0 He had work to do today, and as Hoss would have been sure to remind him, he needed to fuel up for it.\u00a0 Thoughts of his hefty \u201clittle\u201d brother and his legendary appetite brought a smile to his lips and fueled him more than the food to start the new day.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam felt a measure of guilt at largely hand-picking his work team.\u00a0 Oh, he\u2019d given his superior, Lieutenant Worthington, first pick, of course, but Dan didn\u2019t know the men in the ranks as well as he did.\u00a0 He\u2019d made sure that Dan had Sergeant Breckinridge on his team, but had also ensured that he kept Corporal Whitcomb for himself.\u00a0 That was for personal affinity, however, not because Marcus was particularly skillful as a builder, and Adam paid for that indulgence by appointing the perennial slacker, Michael Buford, to his own group, as well, which should be penance enough for any man.\u00a0 Besides, he was probably better able to keep the private on track than someone who had yet to learn his capricious ways.<\/p>\n He showed his sketches to Marcus, knowing that he had the intelligence to comprehend and carry them out.\u00a0 \u201cYou understand?\u201d he asked, more as a formality than as expression of any doubt.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Marcus said at once.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve made it very clear.\u201d\u00a0 He hesitated a moment and then asked.\u00a0 \u201cWill you need this sketch after we\u2019ve built the cabin, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 He did tend to keep his architectural renderings, but this simple structure was scarcely worth the trouble of storing it.\u00a0 \u201cNo, not really.\u00a0 Do you want a keepsake, Corporal?\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus smiled shyly.\u00a0 \u201cNo, sir.\u00a0 Don\u2019t laugh, Adam, but since it\u2019s blank on the other side I thought, maybe I could use it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Adam said at once, although his brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cAre you short of writing paper, Marc?\u00a0 I have some if . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Marcus replied hastily.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2014well\u2014I wanted to do some drawing . . . in my spare time, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe my guest,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand I\u2019d very much like to see your work when it\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m not very good,\u201d Marcus said.\u00a0 \u201cJust like to record the faces of friends, camp scenes, that sort of thing.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t had any paper this large to work with, so I thought . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake it and welcome, and I really do want to see what you can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus saluted and said, \u201cYes, sir!\u201d as if he\u2019d just received an order, and though Adam shook his head, grinning as the corporal walked away, he didn\u2019t bother correcting the impression.\u00a0 Sometimes rank was an asset in getting what one wanted.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Just after the first of the year he finally found time to locate Mark Wentworth and determine that he had survived Fredericksburg and was growing into his role as surgeon\u2019s aide in a way that should ensure his success as a physician back in Nevada.\u00a0 After treating so many wartime injuries, the simpler bullet wounds he\u2019d meet with there should be the proverbial piece of cake.\u00a0 Mark wasn\u2019t quartered close by, however, and busy with patients, more from illness than injury now, so Adam doubted they\u2019d find many opportunities for socializing, even in winter\u2019s relative idleness.<\/p>\n He walked toward the officers\u2019 mess with Marcus at his side.\u00a0 He knew he was stretching the privilege a bit to include the corporal, but also knew there\u2019d be plenty.\u00a0 There always was for the officers, though the same couldn\u2019t necessarily be said for the enlisted men.\u00a0 He was showing favoritism, of course, but he\u2019d extend the same privilege to another man the next day to make it more fair.\u00a0 Marc had brought some of his sketches today, and he wanted a chance to look at them over the noon break.\u00a0 Once they had filled their tin plates, he guided his friend toward a couple of nearby stumps and said, \u201cOkay, let\u2019s see them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you want to eat first?\u201d Marc suggested, obviously reluctant to have his work seen.<\/p>\n \u201cFood for the soul first,\u201d Adam insisted as he stretched out his hand.\u00a0 \u201cCome now, corporal.\u00a0 Must I make it a direct order?\u201d<\/p>\n Marc thought his friend was probably joking, but he promptly handed over the scraps of paper he\u2019d found to draw on.<\/p>\n \u201cYou go ahead and eat,\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure I can,\u201d Marc said with an expression that was half smile and half nervous twitch.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not that harsh a critic,\u201d Adam chided.\u00a0 \u201cEat, boy.\u201d\u00a0 He turned over the first sketch and almost gasped at the likeness of Michael Buford, down to the private\u2019s characteristic cocky expression.\u00a0 \u201cThis is good, Marc!\u201d Adam enthused.<\/p>\n \u201cYou really think so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone would,\u201d Adam assured him.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a genuine gift, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 He examined the other drawings, one by one, and felt even greater awe.\u00a0 \u201cAmazing,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI can draw buildings, trees, that sort of thing, but I could never capture faces with all their nuances the way you have.\u00a0 Could I possibly keep one of these?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course!\u201d Marc said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m flattered you want to.\u00a0 Take whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam selected a scene of shivering men huddled around a campfire and tucked it inside his shirt before picking up his plate.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019ll be inspiration to get these cabins built quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Marc chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cBuford says to take your time, that they\u2019ll just have us march out, as soon as they\u2019re built.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam scowled and hoped that the words wouldn\u2019t be prophetic.\u00a0 The weather had been unseasonably warm the last few days, and that might, indeed, tempt the commanding officer to make one more assault on the Confederate Army before going into winter camp.<\/p>\n He dug in and quickly polished off his own meal, so he\u2019d have time to take the sketch back to his tent before reporting for brigade drill, to him the most frustrating part of the day.\u00a0 Oh, he understood the importance of being able to follow the commands at a moment\u2019s notice; Fredericksburg had taught him that, but he much preferred the architectural part of his day, even if it only entailed simple cabins.\u00a0 Personally, he thought drill could wait a few days, while they got themselves under decent shelter, but orders were orders.\u00a0 So, they could only build in the morning, while devoting the afternoon to the most boring\u2014however important it might be\u2014part of a soldier\u2019s routine.<\/p>\n Despite the interrupted schedule, the streets of camp began to fill with 130 log structures.\u00a0 Well, half-log structures, at least.\u00a0 Only the walls of the 7×10-foot cabins were logs; the roofs were formed from two shelter tents buttoned together, the first time such a short-cut had been tried, and doors were generally constructed from used cracker boxes.\u00a0\u00a0 Adam came up with a way to strengthen the connection, and soon his innovation was being copied throughout the regiment.\u00a0 Each structure was meant to house four men, and they made their own choice of mates.\u00a0 The finishing of each cabin was left to the quartet of men living in it, and some were quite inventive.\u00a0 Adam helped with the one for Marcus and Saul Breckinridge and the two men they chose to share it.\u00a0 He recommended building two bunk beds of pine slab to give them more space in the one-room cabin and helped construct a rack for guns and equipment on one side.\u00a0 The men managed to throw together tables and chairs themselves, using cracker boxes again.<\/p>\n His own cabin was no larger, but he only shared it with Dan Worthington.\u00a0 Since there were just two of them, he didn\u2019t bother with bunks, and with the time saved, he took greater care with the finishing details.\u00a0 He constructed the same rack for equipment that he\u2019d devised for his former tent mates, but gave extra attention to the fireplace, scrounging the countryside for stones to mortar together with mud, much as he\u2019d helped to construct in that first cabin he, Pa and Hoss had shared with the Thomases along the Carson River.\u00a0 He found another pine slab to serve as mantel, which then held his tin plate and cup, alongside Dan\u2019s.<\/p>\n The captain\u2019s cabin, which he had built first, was larger and had two rooms, since it was also intended for use as company headquarters, but Adam didn\u2019t envy him the greater space or the solitude.\u00a0 He and Dan were congenial companions, and at the end of the day it was pleasant to have someone to talk things over with.\u00a0 \u00a0Though Dan\u2019s snore was a lot softer than Hoss\u2019s, it reminded Adam of the early days when he and his brother had shared a room.\u00a0 It was too soon to call Dan a brother, but the ties between them were growing stronger every day.<\/p>\n Within two weeks log-and-canvas shelters covered the hills and surrounding lowlands, taking on the appearance of a miniature city.\u00a0 Broad streets ran past division and corps headquarters, with narrower ones dividing regiments, and companies being subdivided by passages resembling alleys in the military town.\u00a0 Dotted throughout were empty areas, packed down hard, dedicated to the hated brigade and battalion drills and, more universally beloved, to the still-new game of baseball.\u00a0 Officers usually felt themselves too busy or too dignified to take part in the contests, but Adam took a few swings of the bat and resolved that when he finally got back to Yale, he\u2019d let Lucas talk him into joining the college team.\u00a0 With his scholarship and his savings from both his summer job and his Army pay, money shouldn\u2019t be a concern next year, and he could indulge in extracurricular activities that had been too costly before\u2014if he could spare the time away from Elizabeth, of course.<\/p>\n Toward the middle of January, the near-useless weapons of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut were finally replaced.\u00a0 At first touch of the Whitneyville Springfield rifle, Adam knew he had a superior weapon in his hands again.\u00a0 Drill became almost a pleasure with a shiny, new\u2014and more importantly, reliable\u2014rifle to put through the paces.\u00a0 And, of course, now that they were going into winter camp, he\u2019d have time to become thoroughly familiar with it before he actually had to carry it into battle.<\/p>\n Or so he thought.\u00a0 Private Buford is a better prognosticator than you, college boy<\/em>, he chided himself when the foolish dream faded with the mist only days later.\u00a0 At dress parade came the unwelcome announcement that three days\u2019 rations were to be issued in preparation for action against the Confederate Army, and the movement once again of the pontoon boats did nothing to gladden anyone\u2019s heart or to still the low rumbles of rumor in the ranks.\u00a0 \u201cFredericksburg again is what I hear,\u201d Adam overheard one grouser mumbling.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t the general got a lick of sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t crossin\u2019any stinkin\u2019 boat bridge into that town again!\u201d his companion declared.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t no way to win a fight like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMove along,\u201d Adam ordered.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bring himself to take men to task for speaking the truth, so he settled for keeping them busy.<\/p>\n When he told Dan later about the words he\u2019d overheard, the first lieutenant said, \u201cIt\u2019s being said everywhere, Adam, but I, for one, want a chance at redemption against Johnny Reb.\u00a0 I\u2019m hearing that everywhere, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam responded with a slight smile and a nod.\u00a0 Of course, he felt that, too, at least in part.\u00a0 His personal honor, as well as that of his regiment and, indeed, the entire Army of the Potomac, had been singed in the recent confrontation, and he did want to restore it.\u00a0 That, however, was an unworthy motivation, compared to the one that had brought him here.\u00a0 And not a single slave would be any freer if they made another futile attack against Fredericksburg.\u00a0 He knew it and so did every man who would have to serve under him.\u00a0 At least, they\u2019d had hope the first time, but that was gone now.\u00a0 How could he even begin to command troops so thoroughly demoralized?\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t share his self-doubts with his cabin mate, but maybe Dan could help reestablish his own resolve.<\/p>\n The next dawn found him ready to face the new orders, but none came.\u00a0 Here the Army was again, prepared to march out, three days\u2019 rations in hand and . . . nothing.\u00a0 Rumors, of course, again began to float through the ranks.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Jeb Stuart, joshin\u2019 us again,\u201d Adam heard from the usual sources.\u00a0 It was a reasonable guess, since the Confederate general had once before telegraphed orders to Washington, pretending to be a Union general requesting supplies, and had received them.\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t believe it this time, though, and time proved him right.\u00a0 Still, time brought no better explanation for the silence from on high.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n On Tuesday morning, January 20th<\/sup>, definitive orders finally came.\u00a0 Addressing the assembled troops, General Burnside told them, \u201cThe auspicious moment seems to have arrived to strike a great and mortal blow to the rebellion, and to gain that decisive victory which is due to the country.\u201d\u00a0 What, Adam wondered with a fair degree of cynicism, made this moment any more auspicious than the hundreds that had gone before it?\u00a0 The weather, perhaps?\u00a0 They\u2019d had a stretch of sunny Indian summer, which had dried the roads and would make any movement less daunting than the December crossing of the Rappahannock.\u00a0 However, the enemy still lay across that river, still behind that invulnerable stone wall, and in fact, were now even more firmly entrenched.<\/p>\n The new plan did sound more promising, though.\u00a0 Most of the Army would march six miles upriver to Banks Ford, throw pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock again and come in behind Fredericksburg this time, hopefully catching Robert E. Lee by surprise.\u00a0 It could work if they moved quickly.\u00a0 Of course, that was what the President was supposed to have told Burnside the first time, but the delay in receiving those pontoon boats had frustrated the Army at every step back in December.\u00a0 Now, though, they already had the boats and the weather remained good, so despite his cynical edge, Adam found his hopes rising . . . until he learned what part he and everyone else in the II Corps was assigned to play.<\/p>\n For they weren\u2019t going to Banks Ford with the rest of the Army.\u00a0 No, General Sumner\u2019s entire Grand Right Division was staying right here, doing their best to look like an innocent winter camp, until the other two divisions had crossed the river.\u00a0 Then they were to cross at the same spot they had before and head straight for that infernal stone wall again.\u00a0 If the other troops did enough damage to the Rebels before they reached it, they might fare better than they had before, but it was still a daunting prospect for anyone who\u2019d faced it so futilely before.<\/p>\n Adam thought his chances of surviving that formidable venture a second time were pretty slim, and he felt an almost overwhelming desire to write his father one last time.\u00a0 While the two chosen brigades were busy taking the shelter-tent roofs off their cabins, leaving the log walls, and breaking up all the furnishings crafted in expectations of several months\u2019 residence there, he chose his words carefully.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t, of course, say anything about the battle plan.\u00a0 Such things had been intercepted by the enemy before, so even if his inclination had been to unburden himself of his fears for the immediate future, he couldn\u2019t have.\u00a0 However, he\u2019d never been the kind of boy who would shift his burdens to other shoulders and he hadn\u2019t grown into that kind of man.\u00a0 He wrote only of his love and respect for his father, his appreciation for all Pa had taught him and given him, the sort of things a man said when he thought he might be losing the opportunity to say them forever.\u00a0 He feared Pa might read between the unusually expressive lines, but he had to take that risk.\u00a0 If the worst came, Pa\u2019d treasure those heartfelt lines from the boy he\u2019d never see again.<\/p>\n Once he\u2019d sealed the letter, he quickly wrote a note to Jamie, revealing nothing, but reminding him of an earlier promise to wire his father any news of immediate concern and requesting his urgent prayers.\u00a0 The letter would probably arrive too late for the latter to be effectual, but at least Jamie would be able to read the casualty lists in the eastern newspapers and shorten his father\u2019s painful wait for news of his son.\u00a0 As he sealed the second letter and delivered it to the outgoing post, he wondered why he hadn\u2019t thought to write, as well, to Elizabeth.\u00a0 Perhaps to spare her.\u00a0 Or perhaps because her own letters had been less frequent of late.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t have shared his real feelings with her, anyway, and she wasn\u2019t one for reading between the lines.\u00a0 That must be it, he decided.\u00a0 What was the point of writing to someone unless you could somehow communicate your true feelings?\u00a0 He\u2019d write her later, when . . . if . . . he had some news of the sort she\u2019d enjoy.<\/p>\n Knowing he wouldn\u2019t see action that day, Adam wandered to the edge of camp and watched Hooker\u2019s and Franklin\u2019s divisions march out, to the tune of \u201cYankee Doodle.\u201d\u00a0 Were the Rebels camped across the river not supposed to hear that?\u00a0 Or not understand it meant that the Union Army was heading out?\u00a0 As he looked across the river at the fearsome Heights they\u2019d assaulted before, Adam found himself hoping the enemy would think the Army was moving north, to a more congenial winter camp, maybe even back to Washington itself.\u00a0 Then he realized that would require a remarkable turn of good luck, and thus far, their luck had all been of the other sort.<\/p>\n Shaking his head, he walked back toward his cabin.\u00a0 The sky overhead was beginning to cloud up, but the air was still warm, at least throughout the afternoon.\u00a0 As the sun set, though, a thick fog moved in, and chilly drops of rain drove everyone indoors.\u00a0 The jealousy Adam had felt toward the divisions setting out to redeem the Army\u2019s honor dissipated in gratitude that he\u2019d been elected to stay behind, under cover from the increasingly heavy rain.<\/p>\n Throughout the night, rain pummeled the walls of the cabin Adam shared with Lieutenant Worthington.\u00a0 As it pelted down harder and harder, both young officers found sleep nearly impossible, especially with the wind howling through the trees.\u00a0 By dawn an unrelenting torrent was pouring down on their hapless heads as they sloshed through camp streets that had become ribbons of mud to form their grumbling troops for roll call.\u00a0 \u201cThe Army won\u2019t make much progress through this,\u201d Dan almost shouted to be heard over the still whipping wind.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably on their way back already,\u201d Adam called back, and Dan nodded his agreement.\u00a0 Throughout the day, they expected the others come slogging back into camp, but by the time they retired for the night, they still hadn\u2019t seen a single soldier.<\/p>\n For four days the rain continued without abatement . . . and without sign of Hooker\u2019s and Franklin\u2019s divisions.\u00a0 Lest he go stir crazy, Adam ventured into the storm from time to time, and though he never stayed long, he always came back soaked to the skin.\u00a0 \u201cYou are a stark, raving madman,\u201d was Dan\u2019s verdict.<\/p>\n On one of those crazy walks, he saw a sign posted across the river and moved closer to see what it said.\u00a0 Taunting words were painted on the rough lumber in black block letters: Burnside Stuck in the Mud.\u00a0 As if that weren\u2019t enough, a Rebel soldier hollered at him from the opposite side, \u201cHey, Yank!\u00a0 Want some help layin\u2019 pontoons?\u201d\u00a0 Adam could hear the raucous laughter as he turned his back and walked away.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like the Rebs may know more about our fellow soldiers\u2019 fate than we do,\u201d he reported to Dan.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe they\u2019re just guessing,\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 After all, it didn\u2019t take much of a guesser to figure out that wherever the Army of the Potomac was, it was probably stuck in the mud.\u00a0 Even on the short walks he\u2019d taken, he\u2019d felt like the mud might pull the boots right off his feet.\u00a0 How much worse for men actually trying to march?\u00a0 And the horses!\u00a0 How hard the going must be for them, pulling the supply wagons and pontoon trains.<\/p>\n When Hooker\u2019s and Franklin\u2019s men finally tromped\u2014or more accurately, staggered\u2014back to camp, they did, indeed, tell terrible tales of shoes sucked off, wagons mired up to their wheel hubs and horses dying of exhaustion after struggling through belly-deep mud.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, few men were lost,\u201d Dan said after listening to Adam\u2019s furious rant on the subject.<\/p>\n \u201cEven an animal shouldn\u2019t be subjected to pointless death,\u201d Adam bit out as he continued to pace the small cabin.\u00a0 He\u2019d been taught, from infancy up, to put his animal\u2019s needs before his own, and to see them so disregarded sent an icy frisson up his spine.\u00a0 Needless, pointless . . . the words seemed to sum up his entire experience with the Union Army, and he still had six months of his commitment to fulfill before the whole, futile exercise could end!<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s discouragement, however, was mild compared to that of the men who had actually gone on what would become known as the Mud March.\u00a0 As they dragged back into camp, those left behind learned of the utter chaos the marchers had endured.\u00a0 Ground too soggy for sleep, they had huddled around meager fires, shivering in wet uniforms in the barely-above-freezing air.\u00a0 Not so much as a square of hardtack to blunt their gnawing hunger.\u00a0 The rain had soaked their haversacks, ruining the rock-hard bread and leaving them only cold salt pork to eat.\u00a0 They had tried to follow orders, to keep marching, but they couldn\u2019t maintain order, and isolated men had wandered around, separated from their units and confused as they dodged around wagons and mules mired in the mud.\u00a0 Almost none of the regiments came back as a united whole.\u00a0 In their mud-coated uniforms, one regiment looked much like another, and the individual units lost cohesion.\u00a0 Depleted men straggled back, two or three at a time, and some never made it.\u00a0 Completely exhausted, they wandered off into swampy fields, lay down and died; others apparently decided they\u2019d had enough of the Army\u2019s ill use and granted themselves a permanent furlough.\u00a0 Desertions had already been high after the Fredericksburg debacle; now they exploded.\u00a0 To keep up the men\u2019s spirits, Burnside had issued rations of whiskey, but the liquor only made things worse, as entire regiments started drunken brawls with each other, the only targets in sight for their anger and frustration.\u00a0 One wag boasted that he\u2019d taunted the commanding officer by saying, \u201cGeneral, the auspicious moment has arrived!\u201d\u00a0 It was insubordinate, of course, but who could blame him?\u00a0 Apparently, not even General Burnside.<\/p>\n And what had they returned to?\u00a0 A camp devoid of all comfort.\u00a0 With permission from his captain, Adam organized a crew to offer help to other regiments in getting their camps back in order, but there was little he could do.\u00a0 Some, thinking they were on their way to Richmond, had burned down their cabins.\u00a0 Adam ignored those fools and first concentrated on helping others get their shelter tents back on the bare log walls.\u00a0 Any help was appreciated by the exhausted marchers, but all the furnishings had, on orders, been destroyed, so there was nothing to sleep on, nothing to sit on, no makeshift pots and pans to cook with, even if there had been much to cook.\u00a0 His own men weren\u2019t much better off in that last department, but Adam shared what rations he could and felt heartened when he saw men under his command doing the same without being ordered.\u00a0 He was absolutely flummoxed that Michael Buford was one of them.<\/p>\n When he mentioned his consternation to Dan, however, the first lieutenant just laughed.\u00a0 \u201cThe power of attraction,\u201d he said and added, when Adam shook his head in continued befuddlement, \u201cHe admires you and wants the excuse to be near you.\u00a0 Your own personal pet puppy.\u201d\u00a0 And he cackled still more raucously at the look on Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cSurely not,\u201d Adam insisted, although weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cSurely so,\u201d Dan said with a grin.\u00a0 Then, sobering slightly, he said, \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing . . . influence . . . and you\u2019ve got it in spades, Adam, and not just with that loafer.\u00a0 I doubt I would have thought of helping those poor men without your sterling example.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, stop it,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Much as he appreciated the admiration of a man he also admired, he was embarrassed at the sentiments he himself found so difficult to express.\u00a0 Not that he always agreed with Dan.\u00a0 In fact, they had a notable exchange of words only a few days later.<\/p>\n Actually, it was Michael Buford who started it when he shared the latest camp gossip with Adam.\u00a0 \u201cAll the other commanders were against that fool mud march,\u201d the private confided.\u00a0 \u201cBurnside was the only one who wanted it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly news, private,\u201d Adam said with a wry twist of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but this is,\u201d Buford insisted.\u00a0 \u201cGeneral Hooker says that nothin\u2019ll go right until we have a dictator, and the sooner the better!\u00a0 I reckon he thinks he\u2019s the man for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam had dismissed the private with a curt order not to spread nonsense, but Dan got an earful of his opinion of the suggestion he thoroughly believed had come from the self-promoting general himself.\u00a0 \u201cA flagrant disregard for the Constitution!\u201d he fumed when they were alone in their cabin.<\/p>\n Dan let him rant on for a bit, but finally had enough.\u00a0 \u201cOh, get off your high horse, Cartwright!\u00a0 What this army needs is a leader!\u201d<\/p>\n Cartwright, Adam noticed, not Adam anymore, but then he didn\u2019t lean toward first names when he was put out with someone, either.\u00a0 \u201cA leader, not a dictator, Lieutenant!\u201d he fired back.\u00a0 \u201cMen died in the Revolutionary War to oppose that!\u201d<\/p>\n Lieutenant Dan spread his uplifted palms in concession.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t counter that . . . or wish to, but change is in the air, my friend.\u00a0 I think you smell it as strongly as I, and it just might be Fighting Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he can\u2019t do much worse,\u201d Adam conceded, \u201cbut I\u2019ve only been in the Army three months, and that would make the third commander in that short span of time.\u00a0 How can any army hope for cohesion with constant change?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that we do agree on,\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n Both young lieutenants realized that things had reached a crisis when word filtered down that General Burnside had gone to Washington for a meeting with President Lincoln.\u00a0 Rumor said that heads would roll.\u00a0 The question was: whose?\u00a0 Adam felt confident of his own leaders\u2019 worth, from Captain Livingstone up to the commander of II Corps, General Couch, but wondered whether they might get caught up in some general purge, just on stuck-in-the-mud Burnside\u2019s say-so.\u00a0 Beyond them, he wouldn\u2019t question anyone\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Burnside or Hooker,\u201d Michael Bufford, gossipmonger extraordinaire, confided.\u00a0 \u201cHeard Burnside\u2019s layin\u2019 it down for the President: one or t\u2019other\u2019s gotta go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you considered a career in journalism?\u201d Adam asked wryly.\u00a0 Like a true reporter, Bufford never revealed his sources, but most of the time, his \u201cI heard\u201d predictions had been dead right.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, you\u2019re joshin\u2019 me, Lieutenant,\u201d Bufford said, though with a light in his eye that said he hoped not.<\/p>\n \u201cSomewhat,\u201d Adam admitted, \u201cbut if you improved your language skills, who knows?\u00a0 You\u2019ve got the nose for news, Private.\u00a0 So, who do you think will go?\u201d<\/p>\n Still trying to absorb the possibilities the lieutenant had painted for his future, Bufford hesitated and then sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I could say Burnside, sir,\u201d he said, \u201cbut the Army ain\u2019t got nothin\u2019 right yet, so we\u2019ll probably keep him and head out on another mud march soon as he gets back.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam snorted and almost said, \u201cI hope not!\u201d but he stopped himself in time.\u00a0 He just might be the one source of the private\u2019s gossip that did<\/em> get identified by name.<\/p>\n It was January 26th<\/sup> before the news came.\u00a0 General Burnside had been relieved of command, and in his place was the man whose dismissal he had demanded, General Joseph Hooker.\u00a0 Adam voiced his amazement to his first lieutenant.\u00a0 \u201cHow can we be so hard up for leadership that a man who advocated dictatorship is put in command?\u201d he asked Dan.\u00a0 \u201cDoes Lincoln not know what the man said?\u00a0 Or is he so out of touch with how things are out in the field that he doesn\u2019t know who to trust?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the President knows,\u201d Dan said, \u201cbut I, for one, welcome the change.\u00a0 Hooker, at least, had the wisdom and the personal grit to oppose Burnside\u2019s strategy at Fredericksburg.\u00a0 And he has the reputation of a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth points in his favor,\u201d Adam agreed.<\/p>\n Men below them in the ranks were divided in their views.\u00a0 Some greeted the ascension of Fighting Joe with hope for future success; others were disdainful that the boastful Hooker would make a better commander than any of his predecessors.\u00a0 Adam thought his old tentmate, Saul Breckinridge, worded it best.\u00a0 \u201cIf a man must toot his own horn,\u201d Saul confided, \u201clike as not it won\u2019t make a tuneful sound.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n General Hooker wouldn\u2019t get the chance to prove himself in battle until Spring, but he instituted changes in the soldiers\u2019 routine almost immediately, almost all uplifting the morale of the troops.\u00a0 One change began, fortuitously, the day before Hooker\u2019s elevation, and it was probably the most important. \u00a0The paymaster finally arrived, bringing salaries paid in \u201cgreen rags\u201d with Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase\u2019s picture on them.\u00a0 Back home, Adam would have spurned anything but gold or silver coinage, but the war had led to the issuing of paper currency.\u00a0 Since the sutlers, who arrived at the same time, accepted greenbacks, they were as good as coin, at least in the Army.\u00a0 While prices were exorbitant, with butter at sixty cents a pound and cheese at fifty, Adam was willing to pay it, as were most of the men since rations were still in short supply, a situation being blamed on the condition of the roads.<\/p>\n Hooker set about changing that right away, and within a week all their spirits rose in response to the better diet.\u00a0\u00a0 Large bakeries were built and in only a few days the men were indulging in hot loaves of fresh bread\u2014four rations each week!\u00a0 And the food just kept coming: beef, both salt and fresh, pork, beans, peas, rice, potatoes and pickles\u2014even sugar for their coffee!\u00a0 The men of the Army of the Potomac thought they were in heaven, even if it was a heaven only a starving soldier could appreciate.\u00a0 One remarked, \u201cThe way to a man\u2019s heart is through his stomach, they say, and is a soldier not a man?\u201d\u00a0 That sentiment was met with loud hurrahs from all who heard him.\u00a0 Complaints were rare, although one man declared they were only being fattened for the slaughter, \u201clike a herd of poor oxen.\u201d\u00a0 He was the exception, however.\u00a0 With 800 tons of supplies now arriving daily, most were content with their improved diet.\u00a0 Hurrah for Hooker!<\/p>\n In addition, new sanitary regulations soon enhanced their health, as well.\u00a0 Periodically, the canvas roofs of the huts were removed, so sunshine and cleansing wind could freshen the interiors; blankets and bedding were required to be aired daily and the floor of each hut carpeted with pine boughs, whose fragrance reminded Adam of home and, he was sure, helped him sleep better each night.\u00a0 Eighteen-inch drainage ditches were built around the cabins, and kitchen refuse had to buried each day.\u00a0 Areas designated for latrines and drinking water were carefully separated.\u00a0 The changes even extended to personal grooming.\u00a0 Men had to wear their hair short, bathe twice a week and change their underwear at least once a week.\u00a0 None of that was new to Adam, of course, but the change it made when all the soldiers complied was striking.\u00a0 Communicable diseases and those caused by unsanitary conditions dropped dramatically, and from February through April, the number on the sick rolls would drop by more than 46,000.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t happen overnight, but the morale of the Army of the Potomac gradually rebuilt.\u00a0 In December and January, they were referring to this winter as their Valley Forge. By February, however, they were beginning to dream of another crack at the Rebels. \u00a0And there were more changes instituted to ensure they\u2019d be ready when winter ended. \u00a0Daily drill was never really welcome, especially in the snow, but it assumed a new importance in the wake of the defeat at Fredericksburg.\u00a0 Next time, they would be ready!\u00a0 And the officers, too, among whom Adam was now numbered, would be more ready, as well, thanks to the schooling they received each evening and practiced the next day by conducting maneuvers with companies, regiments, brigades and divisions.\u00a0 It all built their confidence for when they would again engage the Confederates.<\/p>\n However, picket duty, once a delightful change of routine, became the least anticipated duty in camp.\u00a0 At seven o\u2019clock in the morning, every other day, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut\u2019s quota of the division\u2019s requirement gathered their blankets and one day\u2019s rations and formed in front of their Colonel\u2019s tent.\u00a0 They were inspected and then marched a mile to General Hancock\u2019s headquarters for another inspection and finally moved two or three miles to the shore of the Rappahannock, which soon became as familiar to Adam as the Carson River back home, where he, Pa and Hoss had spent an idyllic winter in a cabin with the Thomases.<\/p>\n At least, it seemed idyllic in retrospect.\u00a0 Adam wondered if that winter had actually been as cold and forbidding as these tramps through the snow with icy gales snaking down his collar and icy pellets of rain, sleet or snow battering his face.\u00a0 Of course, back then he\u2019d always been able to go back inside whenever he wished, while here he just had to endure whatever Nature sent his way with nothing more to look forward to than a bowl of dessicated vegetable soup when they returned to camp.\u00a0 Adam, along with many others, referred to the bricks of compressed string beans, carrots, turnips, beets and onions as \u201cdesecrated\u201d vegetables, except when coming in from the cold of picket duty; then, he thought that soup was the elixir of the gods, simply because it was warming.\u00a0 It still tasted like garbage and made him long for the four times a week he could anticipate something better.<\/p>\n On milder days they even practiced a little frowned-upon fraternization with the enemy.\u00a0 What did it hurt, after all, to exchange a little Yankee coffee for Rebel tobacco?\u00a0 Adam didn\u2019t smoke himself, but thinking of what it would have meant to Pa in similar circumstances, he looked the other way when his men received the little makeshift boats that sailed across the river from Fredericksburg, offering tobacco to the \u201cGentlemen of the United States.\u201d\u00a0 And when a grinning Michael Bufford presented him with a recent issue of a Richmond newspaper, obtained the same way, he felt amply rewarded for overlooking the rules.\u00a0 Stricter rules came down later, specifically forbidding the trade in \u201cforeign\u201d newspapers, but on the rare occasions he could get it, Adam couldn\u2019t resist getting the other side\u2019s perspective on the war and became adept at separating rumor and propaganda from genuine fact.<\/p>\n Many days were anything but mild, however, and General Hooker proved himself more concerned about his men than rules and routine on those days.\u00a0 With the enemy just across the river, pickets were still necessary, but once the general had ventured out and experienced the hardship for himself, he cut their number in half and raised his popularity a hundred times over, converting all but the most diehard McClellan advocates.\u00a0 That general supposedly had taken even better care of his soldiers, to the extent, some said, that he was unwilling to use them in battle at all.\u00a0 Adam had never known him, though, and as far as he was concerned, Joe Hooker was the best he\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n On the days he was virtually confined to his cabin, Adam spent long hours corresponding with friends and family.\u00a0 At first, he wrote to Elizabeth at every opportunity, but paper being dear, he gradually restricted his missives to once a week.\u00a0 Even so, he was sending out more than he received, and those were mostly filled with news (more truthfully, gossip) that he scarcely found interesting.\u00a0 It was becoming harder and harder to find topics in camp life that would interest her, either, and he surmised that was probably why they were both writing less often.\u00a0 Once they were together again, he assured himself, all that would change.<\/p>\n He never had that problem when writing to his friend, Jamie.\u00a0 He could say anything to Jamie and know that he\u2019d savor each detail, even when it was basically bellyaching about the miserable weather.\u00a0 Jamie never rebuked him, but wrote back long, encouraging letters about how he was looking forward to having him back at Yale and rooming with him again next year.\u00a0 \u201cLuke and I are getting along fine, but he just isn\u2019t you, Adam,\u201d he wrote.\u00a0 Jamie, bless him, also faithfully reported the latest campus news and each month sent a copy of the Yale Literary Magazine<\/em>, which Adam, and then Lieutenant Worthington, read cover to cover, fresh reading matter being at a premium in winter camp.<\/p>\n He wrote back to Nevada only slightly less often.\u00a0 For his family, he tried to leave out anything negative, like bellyaching about the weather, and sometimes there was precious little else to say.\u00a0 Snow, snow and more snow!\u00a0 Still, he tried to put something together once a week, just to reassure Pa that he was well, and for Pa, he assumed that would be enough.\u00a0 He\u2019d understand the confinement of winter quarters better than anyone.\u00a0 It was harder to come up with something that would interest Hoss and still harder with Little Joe, but whenever something amusing happened in camp, one or the other of them would get a letter postmarked Falmouth and know big brother hadn\u2019t forgotten them.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get as many letters as he sent from his family, either, but he understood.\u00a0 Posting a letter, for them, often required a long ride into town, and Nevada winters made staying at home the best, and sometimes the only, option.<\/p>\n Still having time on his hands, he sent out missives to friends like Billy Thomas, who was almost guaranteed not to write back, and Ross Marquette, who likely would, though not at any great length.\u00a0 He also made a point of communicating with men like James Brand, who despite being wounded, still managed to send more encouragement than he received and his newer friend, Antonio Dardelle.\u00a0 Antonio, he learned from a return letter in the first half of February, was being transferred to a hospital near New Haven, so he sent a quick note to Jamie, asking him to visit the young Chinaman.\u00a0 \u201cTake some money from my account,\u201d he requested, \u201cand buy him a good quality book on philosophy, as well as an entertaining travel account.\u00a0 I think you\u2019ll enjoy his company as much as he does yours.\u201d<\/p>\n Beginning the middle of February, Adam had little to write anyone about except the weather.\u00a0 On the 15th<\/sup> the usual Sunday inspection was cancelled, due to a rainstorm which continued for several days.\u00a0 Rain gradually gave way to snow, and each day piled more on the already over-sodden camp.\u00a0 Adam woke on the 20th<\/sup> to ten inches on the ground to celebrate a birthday everyone seemed to have forgotten.\u00a0 He knew he wasn\u2019t being fair.\u00a0 Pa wouldn\u2019t forget, of course, and had probably sent something to mark the day, but mail was rarely on time, even if it did arrive more frequently these days.\u00a0 Jamie, too, was likely to send something, hopefully a new book or magazine, and, being closer, it should arrive closer to the day than Pa\u2019s was likely to, but it wasn\u2019t here today.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He was twenty now, he thought, wrapping gloomy thoughts around him like a dark cloak, with no guarantee he would ever reach the magical age of twenty-one, when most men would accept he was now one of them.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need that marker, however, to tell him that he was a man: he was proving that every day of this miserable existence, even if he did wonder why he had thought it so important to leave school so he could sit and shiver in a tent all winter.\u00a0 Happy birthday, indeed!<\/p>\n He hadn\u2019t been entirely forgotten, however.\u00a0 Though it was late in the day Marcus Whitcomb came by to deliver a whole sheaf of drawings, including a self-portrait and one of Adam himself, blowing out twenty candles perched on an exceptionally large piece of hardtack, in lieu of cake.\u00a0 Making the day still more special, they were joined by James Brand, recently returned from the hospital in Alexandria, and the three of them, along with Dan Worthington, who hadn\u2019t known it was Adam\u2019s birthday, enjoyed a conflab such as they hadn\u2019t had since their last visit to Mory\u2019s back in New Haven.\u00a0 \u201cIf only we could celebrate over Golden Buck,\u201d Marcus moaned nostalgically.<\/p>\n \u201cAlas,\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cI fear we have only soup de desecrated vegetable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is a feast, compared to hospital fare,\u201d James laughed, putting them all to shame before he and Marcus returned to their own cabin mates for a supper which was exactly what Adam had predicted.\u00a0 However, neither dismal weather nor dinner disappointment nor even a cloud-covered sky that blacked out the stars, could darken his thoughts now. \u00a0He\u2019d been remembered with simple gifts and the fellowship of friends, far more than he\u2019d thought possible when the day started.<\/p>\n The weather was no kinder when a birthday no one forgot arrived two days later.\u00a0 The continuing snowstorm on George Washington\u2019s birthday, so close to his childhood home, made everyone remember Valley Forge.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t starving, as the Revolutionary soldiers had been, and they were better clothed.\u00a0 That acknowledgement, as well as the arrival of a new book from Jamie, were reasons to celebrate, even though the snow reached seventeen inches by nightfall.\u00a0 Would it ever end?<\/p>\n ~~~~Notes~~~~<\/p>\n President Lincoln had heard of Joe Hooker\u2019s remark that the government needed a dictator and addressed it: \u201cOf course, it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command.\u00a0 Only those generals who gain successes can set up dictators.\u00a0 What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship.\u201d<\/p>\n Joseph Hooker got his nickname thanks to a missing comma in a news headline.\u00a0 It was supposed to read, \u201cFighting, Joe Hooker.\u201d\u00a0 Instead, it said, \u201cFighting Joe Hooker,\u201d and the general was thereafter known by that name, though he hadn\u2019t earned it.\u00a0 Remember, writers: punctuation matters!<\/p>\n Some of the information about weather in this chapter comes from Civil War Weather in Virginia<\/em> by Robert K. Krick, derived from temperature readings taken three times a day and the reports of soldiers, like Adam, who had little else to write home about that winter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 6<\/p>\n Cold Comfort on the Eve of Battle<\/p>\n At first, it seemed the snow would, indeed, never end.\u00a0 One soldier complained that March came in \u201clike a lion and left like one, but not a dead one by any means.\u201d\u00a0 The mid-month storm rivalled any they\u2019d faced all winter, beginning with rain and finishing up with snow.\u00a0 The river swelled to flood tide, making Adam feel that it was spring on the water, while still snow-locked winter on shore.\u00a0 Gradually, spring prevailed.\u00a0 Seemingly overnight, the snow melted, the ground thawed, and the mud began to dry.\u00a0 As Adam sat outside his cabin one day, sewing on his new corps badge, he could hear bluebirds and robins twittering in the trees and knew that if spring hadn\u2019t fully come, it was, at least, well on its way.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a pretty nimble seamstress,\u201d Lieutenant Worthington observed as he watched Adam affix the red trefoil to his cap.<\/p>\n \u201cSeam-sir<\/em>, if you don\u2019t mind,\u201d Adam said with a playful arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n Dan laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll call you whatever you please if you\u2019ll stitch mine on, as well.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re a good idea, but my fingers fumble with those tiny needles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGlad to,\u201d Adam said as he gave his \u201cnimble\u201d fingers a stretch.\u00a0 He, too, thought the corps badges were another excellent innovation put in place by their new commander.\u00a0 The three-lobed shape would tell anyone at a glance that he was part of II Corps, while the color designated that he belonged to Division 1.\u00a0 Not only did the symbol look sharp against the dark hats, it gave the soldiers a sense of unity and corps pride. \u00a0More importantly, it made it easier to identify a man\u2019s unit and steer him back where he belonged, if he became separated, as had happened to so many at Fredericksburg.<\/p>\n Both young lieutenants were even prouder of their smart new look when the news came that Abraham Lincoln himself was coming to Falmouth to review the troops.\u00a0 The President\u2014here!\u00a0 Anticipation rippled through camp, from lowest private to highest general.\u00a0 Or so Adam imagined.\u00a0 In truth, he had no way of knowing what generals felt, but if he and Dan were any representation of those higher up, no one in the Army of the Potomac was unaffected by the upcoming visit.<\/p>\n On April 8th<\/sup> the whole army gathered on a vast field that had been cleared on Falmouth Heights, too far for the enemy\u2019s cannons to reach, but in their full view.\u00a0 That was by plan, of course, to impress the Confederates with their strength, and an impressive sight it was: 85,000 men marching in formations two companies wide, demonstrating their readiness to renew the battle.\u00a0 And they were ready.\u00a0 Adam felt it in his bones and his spirit soared.\u00a0 The changes General Hooker had made had put them in a fighting condition that had never been better.\u00a0 The long winter\u2019s wait was finally past, and they were poised on the edge of a spring campaign that was bound to be different from all the defeats that had gone before.\u00a0 Adam felt eager to get the job done and return to civilian life.<\/p>\n The review lasted two days, but the II Corps was among those inspected the first day, so Adam didn\u2019t have to wait.\u00a0 The President\u2019s party first rode along the entire line, Lincoln\u2019s long legs seeming to almost drag the ground on a horse too short for him.\u00a0 The visitors carefully inspected each regiment, and then passed the line in their rear.\u00a0 Finally, the President and his staff found a favorable viewing position, and the assembled corps marched before him once more.\u00a0 As Adam moved past Abraham Lincoln that last time, he felt a surge of excitement.\u00a0 He saw him only briefly, of course, but he felt such reverence for the man\u2014had ever since Pa first read aloud his \u201cHouse Divided\u201d speech in an Eastern newspaper\u2014that he could hardly contain himself.\u00a0 His determination to fulfill Lincoln\u2019s vision of a Union restored, in a land where all men were free, sprang to life again from its wintry grave in Fredericksburg.\u00a0 He knew the newspapers called the President the \u201cOriginal Gorilla\u201d and mocked him for his folksy attitude and supposed lack of intelligence, but to Adam and, indeed, most of the soldiers, he was Father Abraham, who would lead them to the Promised Land of renewed harmony between the now-belligerent states.<\/p>\n That evening he eagerly began writing to all his family and friends, happy that he had news even Elizabeth would enjoy.\u00a0 With Pa and Jamie, he could fully express his heart, while he was glad to finally have news he felt appropriate to send his little brothers.\u00a0 Little Joe, of course, was too young to appreciate what a visit from the President meant, but even he could enjoy a description of the parade and of seeing Lincoln\u2019s little boy, Tad, bouncing around his long-limbed father.\u00a0 Hoss would enjoy all that, too, and soak in each detail with a better understanding of what it meant to his big brother.<\/p>\n Elizabeth\u2019s was the only letter he actually completed that evening, since first Marcus and, shortly after, Jim Brand dropped by to share their excitement.\u00a0 He had the following day basically free, while the remaining corps were reviewed, so he\u2019d have time to write everyone else then, and failing that, he could finish up on Sunday.<\/p>\n He had all the letters written by Monday morning and felt himself well rewarded when a stack of letters came his way at mail call, including one from Elizabeth that immediately took preference over all others.\u00a0 It had been so long!\u00a0 As soon as he was alone, he tore into it, but had read no more than the first sentence before his face fell and he felt himself teetering on the brink of a precipice:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Adam,<\/p>\n No doubt you have begun to realize what I now clearly perceive, namely that our relationship has grown more distant over the time we have been apart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n More distant?\u00a0 Why would she think that?\u00a0 Geographically distant, of course, and, he supposed, the infrequency of his letters had added to the detachment.\u00a0 He\u2019d struggled to know what to write that wouldn\u2019t assault her feminine sensibilities, so much more delicate than his own.\u00a0 Camp life and the weather had provided so little to interest her, but he\u2019d tried.\u00a0 Dreading the next words, he nonetheless read on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Indeed, now that I consider it more fully, I wonder how we were ever persuaded that two such completely different people, from such opposing backgrounds, could hope to forge a lasting bond.\u00a0 That being the case, I feel it is more honest to face that fact and make a clean break, so that we may both pursue more congenial companionship elsewhere.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A clean break?\u00a0 She was breaking it off with him?\u00a0 And in a letter?\u00a0 If only they were face to face, he was sure he could make her understand that what they shared totaled up to more than what made them different.\u00a0 Maybe he could get one of the furloughs General Hooker had extended the men to boost morale.\u00a0 Goodness knew, his morale could use the boost of a trip back home!\u00a0 He hurried to finish the letter, planning to make the request as soon as he did:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This will be my last letter, and I ask that you not attempt to renew our correspondence or persuade me to do so.\u00a0 I wish you better success in your quest to defend the Union than you have thus far found, and I truly bear you no ill will for the time I have expended in trying to make this relationship viable.\u00a0 It was never meant to be, but of course, I remain your devoted friend,<\/p>\n Elizabeth<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His face hardened, and tossing the letter down on his cot, he began to pace the limited space of his cabin.\u00a0 Her final request was a stab to the heart, but when she followed it up with an attack on the Army\u2019s defense of the Union, anger flared to block the pain.\u00a0 Oh, it was true enough that they hadn\u2019t found much success, but she didn\u2019t know how hard they\u2019d tried, how many had given their very lives in that quest she so lightly disdained.\u00a0 Well, maybe that was his fault.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019d tried too hard to shelter her from the realities of war, as he had his little brothers, and rightly so in their case; they were children. \u00a0She, on the other hand, was supposed to be a grown woman!\u00a0 Maybe he should have rubbed her nose in the blood and stench of the rotting corpses on the hillside at Fredericksburg!<\/p>\n Her final words stabbed even harder.\u00a0 So, she bore him no ill will for wasting her time, did she?\u00a0 And what, exactly, had she done to \u201cmake this relationship viable\u201d?\u00a0 She\u2019d written less often than he!\u00a0 And she was the one cutting off that correspondence and suggesting they find \u201cmore congenial companionship elsewhere.\u201d\u00a0 If there was anyone whose time, as well as substantial amounts of money, had been wasted on the relationship, it wasn\u2019t her.\u00a0 It was him.<\/p>\n Suddenly depleted, he sank to the cot and buried his face in his hands.\u00a0 His cabin mate chose that inopportune moment to walk in.\u00a0 Adam bolted to his feet and tried, futilely of course, to cover his surging emotions.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Lieutenant Worthington asked at once.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Adam snapped and instantly regretted it.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cUnpleasant missive from home.\u201d\u00a0 Dan deserved that much explanation, and he hoped the other officer would leave it at that.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t, of course.\u00a0 \u201cI thought things were settled between you and your father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are,\u201d Adam quickly said.\u00a0 \u201cI should have said New Haven.\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment Dan looked perplexed.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard about Ben Cartwright and his original objections to Adam\u2019s enlistment, but everything he\u2019d ever heard about things in New Haven had indicated full support.\u00a0 Then, suddenly, he knew, for Adam wasn\u2019t the first soldier who\u2019d received that kind of letter from a sweetheart back home.\u00a0 \u201cWant to talk about it?\u201d he asked softly.<\/p>\n A look of horror flashed in Adam\u2019s eyes, which he quickly covered.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he said firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll just give you some space, then, shall I?\u201d Dan suggested.<\/p>\n Adam uttered a sharp laugh in response.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you stay.\u00a0 I think I need to walk it out, and I\u2019ll try not to take it out on you when I get back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan if you want,\u201d Dan said with a lopsided smile.<\/p>\n Adam nodded and left immediately.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t take his friend up on the offer, of course.\u00a0 Sharing personal feelings just wasn\u2019t in his nature, and at any rate, their acquaintance was too new for that.\u00a0 Maybe if it had been Jamie, who would eventually have to know, in any case.\u00a0 Impossible to live in the same room with someone as close as Jamie without his noticing that Elizabeth was no longer part of his life.\u00a0 He stopped still in sudden consideration.\u00a0 Perhaps Jamie was exactly who he needed to talk to.\u00a0 Perhaps his friend could even be a go-between to speak to Elizabeth on his behalf.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t it, after all, part of a pastor\u2019s calling to bring reconciliation between people?\u00a0 If only it didn\u2019t take so long to seek counsel by mail, much less get an answer back!<\/p>\n Then Adam realized there was someone much closer at hand, who shared the same calling.\u00a0 Opening his heart, even to someone as trusted as James Brand, was not a decision he could make lightly, so he\u2019d take the rest of today to think it through and then sleep on whatever decision he came to.\u00a0 Time and consideration might even offer another solution.\u00a0 Satisfied with his plan, he walked back to the cabin in a much better frame of mind than he\u2019d left it.<\/p>\n He was even gladder to have slept on it when he woke the next morning, for he had remembered certain facts that altered his view of the situation.\u00a0 It was April 14th<\/sup>, and though it had been months since he was a schoolboy perusing the student catalog, he remembered that as the last day of the second term.\u00a0 It meant that Jamie would have just finished his exams and would no longer be at Yale after today.\u00a0 He\u2019d be on his way home to Springfield, Massachusetts, to spend the term break with his father.\u00a0 He could still write his friend there, of course, but that prospect was less appealing.\u00a0 There was no way guileless Jamie could hide from his father whatever he felt in response to such a letter, and for Adam to reveal his confusion and hurt to Josiah would have felt almost as impossible as confessing it all to his own father.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t do, not at all!\u00a0 Writing to his dearest friend suddenly became the least desirable option.<\/p>\n That left James Brand . . . or no one.\u00a0 He spent a distracted morning nearly sleepwalking through his daily duties while he pondered which option to choose and finally decided that afternoon that he\u2019d be likely to continue in that state if he tried to keep it all to himself.\u00a0 Distraction was a decidedly dangerous state of mind in which to enter the spring campaign, and rumors had been circulating since March that action would take place soon.\u00a0 The daily balloon ascensions over Fredericksburg fueled them, and while everyone prayed they wouldn\u2019t try to cross there again, President Lincoln\u2019s visit, as well as a spotting this very day of Stonewall Jackson, just across the river, pointed to the likelihood that that was exactly where he was headed.\u00a0 Since Adam could see the now-strengthened rifle pits and earthworks for miles up and down the Rappahannock, covering every possible crossing, the prospect was daunting and definitely not one to face with a distracted mind.<\/p>\n Daily routine being what it was, he wasn\u2019t free to visit Brand until after supper.\u00a0 He approached the corporal\u2019s cabin with some hesitance, for while he knew unburdening himself was the wisest option, it still wasn\u2019t appealing.\u00a0 No man enjoyed looking like a fool in front of a comrade, and Adam had a feeling he\u2019d been one.\u00a0 Knocking on the door and being invited to enter, he did, though he\u2019d barely stepped inside when he said, \u201cI hate to ask you to step into the chill, Corporal,\u201d he said, \u201cbut could I possibly speak with you privately?\u201d<\/p>\n Something in his voice must have revealed his somber mood, either that or James Brand\u2019s pastoral intuition was especially keen, for he rose at once and followed Adam outside.\u00a0 They walked to a spot where a fallen log offered a place to sit, and once they did, Brand asked gently, \u201cHow can I help you, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n The use of the more familiar greeting told Adam that Brand understood that it was as a friend, not a superior officer, that he\u2019d come. \u00a0\u201cI need your counsel, Pastor,\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not . . .\u201d Jim started to protest.<\/p>\n \u201cClosest thing we\u2019ve got, having lost our chaplain,\u201d Adam said with a slight quirk of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll help if I can,\u201d Jim said.\u00a0 Like Jamie, he took his future calling seriously; also like him, he considered friendship almost equally one.<\/p>\n \u201cI think, probably the best way to begin is to let you read this,\u201d Adam said, extending Elizabeth\u2019s letter.<\/p>\n Sensing the reluctance with which it was offered, Jim received it as a sacred offering of trust, opened it and read the scant lines, his face growing more sober with each one.\u00a0 As he handed the letter back, he said quietly, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Adam.\u00a0 Unfortunately, you\u2019re not the first soldier to be abandoned by the girl back home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve heard.\u201d\u00a0 Adam heard the bitterness creep into his voice and regretted it, but it would have been hard to disguise in any case.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I imagine knowing you\u2019re not alone is not much help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot much,\u201d Adam admitted with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t suppose I\u2019m looking so much for help as some advice on how to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you could write her, of course, though she\u2019s asked you not to.\u00a0 I think the first question you should ask is whether you really want to pursue a relationship with someone who\u2019s shown so little loyalty to you.\u201d\u00a0 For a moment he looked like he wanted to say more, but he stopped.<\/p>\n Adam, however, had caught the look that crossed his friend\u2019s face and asked, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Jim wet his lips.\u00a0 \u201cI hesitate to say it, Adam, but I had my suspicions about her feelings for you well before we left New Haven.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing Adam\u2019s shocked expression, he hurriedly added, \u201cI had seen her around town with more than one man in uniform, but I didn\u2019t like to judge.\u00a0 It might have been her brother or a cousin, after all, so I didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 Perhaps I should have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t have a brother,\u201d Adam said, almost in a daze, \u201cnor a cousin in the army, as far as I know.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have an exclusive claim on her, of course.\u00a0 We weren\u2019t engaged or anything like that, but we talked about a future together.\u00a0 I thought we had an understanding; I thought . . . we were in love . . . but maybe it was only the uniform she loved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen she\u2019s a fool,\u201d Jim said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re one of the finest men I know, Adam, and though I doubt it comforts you much now, you\u2019re well off without someone that shallow.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded absently.\u00a0 In time, perhaps, that might comfort him, but it seemed like cold comfort, at best.\u00a0 He still felt stunned, and though Jim offered a few more words of counsel\u2014possibly from the Scripture\u2014by the time he reached his cabin again, Adam couldn\u2019t recall them.\u00a0 He sleepwalked his way through final roll call at 8:30 and turned in, as required, by 9:00, but there was little sleep for him that night, regrettable in light of what awaited him when he woke.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 7<\/p>\n Chancellorsville<\/p>\n \u201cSupply the men with eight days\u2019 rations,\u201d Captain Livingstone ordered early the next morning.\u00a0 \u201cFive to be carried in their knapsacks, three in the haversacks.\u00a0 Everything that can possibly be left behind is to be turned in to the Quartermaster: overcoats, dress overcoats, anything unneeded on the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see to it, sir.\u201d\u00a0 Adam saluted crisply, as did Lieutenant Worthington at his side.\u00a0 Almost instantly, he cursed his mistake and the continuing distraction that had no doubt caused it.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he said to Dan when they were alone.\u00a0 \u201cI should have let you answer, as the senior officer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Dan snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhen it matters, I\u2019ll let you know.\u00a0 Well, it looks like we\u2019re headed for battle.\u00a0 As long as it\u2019s anywhere but Fredericksburg, I\u2019ll welcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnywhere but there,\u201d Adam echoed.<\/p>\n Dan\u2019s gaze narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cIs your heart in it?\u00a0 Or, maybe more importantly, your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be,\u201d Adam promised grimly.\u00a0 Anything else could mean death, not only for him, but for any man fighting at his side.\u00a0 Whatever pain or anger or confusion Elizabeth\u2019s letter had produced, he\u2019d have to set it aside and concentrate on the battle to come.<\/p>\n It would have been easier if the battle had come as promptly as expected, but day after day passed, and while the orders never changed, not one step was taken outside the camp.\u00a0 \u201cOught to know the Army by now, sir,\u201d Marcus drawled in a droll imitation of Michael Buford.\u00a0 \u201cHurry up and wait.\u201d<\/p>\n Hurry up and wait, and in the meantime be rousted for daily inspections to make sure what seemed increasingly like pointless orders were carried out.\u00a0 The weather may have been partly to blame, for it stormed for two days.\u00a0 After the infamous Mud March, no soldier welcomed the prospect of slogging through Virginia muck and mire.\u00a0 However, the storm abated by the 27th<\/sup> of April, and it became increasingly obvious that this time the Army meant business.<\/p>\n The storm took one casualty of significance to Adam, for Corporal Marcus Whitcomb developed chills and fever severe enough to send him to a hospital in the rear by the time the order finally came to strike tents and pack up as quietly as possible.\u00a0 Though Marc protested the order to remain behind, orders were orders.\u00a0 Adam understood his friend\u2019s frustration, but he couldn\u2019t help wondering if Marcus were the lucky one.\u00a0 Before the week was out, he would be certain of it.<\/p>\n At daybreak the next day, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut, now assigned to the newly formed Fourth Brigade, under command of Colonel J. R. Brooke, marched out.\u00a0 They left behind a landscape radically transformed from what it had been four months before.\u00a0 The forests that had covered a hundred square miles were gone, leaving nothing but stumps and here and there a lone tree to mourn what once was a beautiful scene.\u00a0 Adam mourned, too, as his mind returned to the sweeping pine forests of the Ponderosa and his father\u2019s adage to replant any ground they stripped.\u00a0 No time to do that here, nor much inclination to restore enemy territory, but he grieved nonetheless.<\/p>\n To the band\u2019s strains of \u201cThe Girl I Left Behind Me,\u201d a tune that did nothing to lift Adam\u2019s spirits, the division marched from General Hancock\u2019s headquarters at seven o\u2019clock.\u00a0 They were headed, they soon understood, for the United States Ford to cross the Rappahannock River once again.\u00a0 \u201cAt least, it\u2019s not Fredericksburg,\u201d Adam muttered to Dan as they marched northwest.<\/p>\n \u201cNot directly, at least,\u201d Dan grunted back.\u00a0 \u201cWe may get there from the back side this time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo long as we don\u2019t have to face that accursed stone wall again,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all I ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI may give it my backside, if we do,\u201d Dan declared, and Adam grinned at what he knew was a completely idle threat.\u00a0 By this time he knew his fellow lieutenant well enough to be certain he wouldn\u2019t turn his back to the enemy, much less desert his men under fire.<\/p>\n United States Ford was the last chance to avoid crossing two rivers, instead of one, for it rested just below a fork in the river, where the Rapidan slanted from the northwest into the larger river.\u00a0 It was only ten miles above their winter camp at Falmouth, if they had followed the river\u2019s course, but the Army took a more circuitous route.\u00a0 Probably to avoid their movement being seen by the Confederates camped just across the river, Adam surmised.\u00a0 He was all for that!\u00a0 And the further north they went, the less likely they were headed for Fredericksburg and the accursed Heights behind that stone wall and the closer to . . . New Haven and the girl who\u2019d left him<\/em> behind.\u00a0 He grimaced, deliberately shutting off the picture of Elizabeth.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have time for that now!\u00a0 Just keep putting one foot in front of the other<\/em>, he told himself, like you did through the Forty-Mile Desert on the way west.<\/em>\u00a0 Walk, walk, walk had been his refrain then, and march, march, march became his internal chant now.\u00a0 Put one foot in front of the other and blank your mind to anything except that essential movement.<\/p>\n This was no desert, however.\u00a0 Everywhere were signs of Spring\u2019s return.\u00a0 Along the road anemones and violets poked their colorful heads through the soggy soil, and as the soldiers left the devastation of the campground behind, dogwood blossomed in nearby groves, and peach trees budded pink around scattered farmhouses, long abandoned.\u00a0 After an easy day\u2019s march, they made camp in a strip of woods, only to rise and follow the same routine the next.\u00a0 March, march, march . . . if only it were absorbing enough to keep a man\u2019s thoughts from where they shouldn\u2019t go!<\/p>\n The men of the 27th<\/sup> had just pitched their tents and begun to brew coffee and fry pork when the order came to fall in.\u00a0 Stuffing their suppers into their haversacks, they marched about a mile to picket the nearby woods.\u00a0 Unnecessary as it seemed, the enemy remaining across the river from all reports, spies might be lurking in the woods, and there were southern sympathizers everywhere to serve as additional eyes and ears for the Confederates.\u00a0\u00a0 Almost every civilian along their line of march had been placed under house arrest to prevent it; still, better safe than sorry.\u00a0 Their suppers were cold by the time they could eat them, and the rain that fell that night on their unprotected heads, light as it was, left them uncomfortably chilled.<\/p>\n It was afternoon before they were relieved of picket duty.\u00a0 Under gray skies they hurried to catch up with the rest of their brigade, which had already broken camp and moved out again.\u00a0 Not an easy task, for it had rained just enough to turn the already-saturated roads into the all-too-familiar Virginia mud.\u00a0 March, march, march became slog, slog, slog, and while pioneers had been sent out to corduroy the roads, they quickly became clogged with the line of supply wagons that always traveled with the Army.\u00a0 Frustrated shouts and the crack of the teamsters\u2019 whips filled the air.\u00a0 The eerie, wavering cry of a screech owl pierced the cacophony, providing the only sound that wouldn\u2019t let the Army of Northern Virginia know they were coming.\u00a0 But, Adam supposed, complete surprise was probably too much to hope for from the beginning.\u00a0 Robert E. Lee was no fool.<\/p>\n The corps had almost reached the Ford when they were ordered to halt and wait for the final pontoons to be laid across the Rappahannock.\u00a0 Delay was always frustrating, of course, but encouraging news from the front, combined with the sun\u2019s sudden eruption from the cloaking clouds, heartened everyone.\u00a0 General Hooker\u2019s dispatch told them the rebels were retiring, thanks to the efforts of the Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth Corps.\u00a0 That, of course, explained why the Second Corps had been able to lay the pontoons for their own crossing with no opposition.\u00a0 Late that afternoon they marched down a wooded bank and crossed the river.\u00a0 Passing two pieces of Confederate artillery, spiked to render them useless, they moved about five miles through the woods.\u00a0 \u00a0The constant movement of troops before them had deteriorated the roads but they finally reached their destination and bivouacked for the night near the Chancellor House. The large brick structure situated at the junction of two roads was the only building around, but it was known by the more glorified name of Chancellorsville.<\/p>\n Despite being the last day of April, it was cold, but the soldiers were laughing with joyous exuberance as they chopped firewood and pitched tents in open spaces along the turnpike\u00a0 They were further buoyed by Hooker\u2019s General Order, read to them at evening parade: \u201cIt is with heartfelt satisfaction that the commanding general announces to the army that operations of the last three days have determined that our enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come out from behind his defenses and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him.\u201d\u00a0 Cheers erupted as the men tossed forage caps and knapsacks into the air, and the brigade bands began to play.\u00a0 That night, though their blankets froze to the ground, the Army of the Potomac bedded down in better spirits and higher morale than at any time since Adam had entered service.\u00a0 Major-General Joseph Hooker had rebuilt them after the devastation of Fredericksburg, and they were ready for the challenge of battle once again.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n May Day dawned with a dribbling rain that layered the terrain with misty fog, making the thick, intermeshed undergrowth of The Wilderness even more formidable.\u00a0 However, the sun soon came out, revealing blackjack and hickory just leafing out in spring green, and began to clear the air and dry the flower-dotted roadsides of gray sand in which they lined up in the early morning.\u00a0 It gave Adam his best opportunity for a closer look at the nearby Chancellor House, and he longed for his sketchbook.\u00a0 Not essential marching equipment, however, so he had to settle for committing the building\u2019s lines to memory, which he had ample opportunity to do during the seemingly endless wait.\u00a0 The austerity of the two-story red brick was broken up and rendered more charming by the opening in the middle to accommodate a wide porch on the first floor with a matching veranda on the second, each adorned with four white columns.<\/p>\n The waiting was frustrating, though Adam could, in part, understand it.\u00a0 The weather made the surveillance balloons useless, and General Hooker apparently was reluctant to advance without knowing the enemy\u2019s position, a reluctance the Confederates appeared to feel, as well.\u00a0 As the hours passed, neither army seemed ready to join battle, and except for occasional, distant cannon fire, the morning was quiet for Adam and the rest of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 Michael Bufford took advantage of the lull to sidle up to his old tentmate with the latest gossip.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Lieutenant,\u201d he said, \u201cyou hear what General Hooker said about the battle to come?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe we\u2019ve all heard General Order Number 47, Private,\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n Private Bufford flapped a scoffing hand in his lieutenant\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cNot that.\u00a0 What he said after\u2014private-like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs in like a private might say?\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Bufford sighed with drawn-out patience.\u00a0 \u201cLike a general might say when he thought there was only officers listenin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how might you hear that, Private?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI keeps my ears to the ground,\u201d Bufford answered.<\/p>\n Adam smiled roguishly.\u00a0 \u201cSince that\u2019s not where your ears should be, I believe you.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing that he\u2019d pushed the man\u2019s exasperation as far as was reasonable, he said, \u201cAll right, Private.\u00a0 Let\u2019s hear the latest trickle-down gossip in the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n With a wide grin Bufford cozied up to his second lieutenant\u2019s ear and said, \u201cGeneral Hooker said God Almighty couldn\u2019t stop the destruction of the Rebs!\u00a0 What you think of that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s wise for a lieutenant, much less a private, to keep his opinion about the private utterings of generals exactly that\u2014private,\u201d Adam said tersely.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, okay,\u201d a deflated Michael Bufford pouted.\u00a0 \u201cJust thought you\u2019d want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I do,\u201d Adam admitted, taking pity on the man who, despite his better judgement, he liked.\u00a0 \u201cJust don\u2019t spread it in the ranks . . . and that is an order, Private.\u201d<\/p>\n Bufford\u2019s saucy grin returned as he saluted and was dismissed.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he can resist disobeying that order for ten minutes, I\u2019ll be surprised,\u201d Adam said to his fellow lieutenant when he relayed the gossip to him.<\/p>\n Dan Worthington shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a shocking statement, if credible.\u00a0 I know General Hooker has a reputation for arrogance, but I can scarcely believe even he would challenge God Himself to thwart his plans.\u00a0 Only a fool does that!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam acknowledged the words with a nod, although he wasn\u2019t sure what he thought about the statement.\u00a0 Oh, he believed in God, but he wasn\u2019t sure how much the Almighty was involved in this war.\u00a0 If anything, he\u2019d have thought God would be on the side of those fighting to free enslaved people, but if so, why had the Union lost battle after battle to the slave-holding South?<\/p>\n Unlike Dan, he fully believed Hooker was arrogant enough to dare even God to stop him, but did it matter what he said?\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t God big enough to ignore the rantings of one arrogant nincompoop in favor of the greater good?\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t He more likely to listen to the prayers of righteous men like James Brand, for instance?\u00a0 He hoped Hooker\u2019s brash words wouldn\u2019t reach Jim.\u00a0 The general had done a superb job of rebuilding morale, but men like Jim needed to believe that God was on their side.\u00a0 The problem, Adam realized grimly, was that Robert E. Lee, also a reportedly godly man, no doubt believed the Almighty was behind the other side.<\/p>\n By eleven, the skies cleared, and though he still lacked the support of the balloons, Hooker ordered portions of three corps to advance by three different routes.\u00a0 Hancock\u2019s division followed the troops of General George Sykes\u2019 V Corps toward Zoan Church, where Hooker intended to establish his new headquarters.\u00a0 \u00a0 Unfortunately, he chose to move a day late.\u00a0 Confederate forces had been digging in for twelve hours on the strategic ridge near the church.<\/p>\n Sykes\u2019 men met the enemy\u2019s skirmish lines three miles east of Chancellorsville and pushed them back at least another mile.\u00a0 However, they advanced so quickly that they outpaced the flank units supporting them.\u00a0 The enemy closed in from both sides, and by 1 p.m. Sykes was in danger.\u00a0\u00a0 Hancock\u2019s division was sent in to support them, so Lieutenants Worthington and Cartwright quickly got their men moving down the Orange Turnpike.\u00a0 By the time they reached Sykes\u2019 men, they found them pulling back to gain a better defensive position; the tired troops fell behind them, and with the rest of Hancock\u2019s division, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut came to the front and took Sykes\u2019 place.<\/p>\n The sounds of battle grew increasingly closer as Adam and Dan, following their brigade leader Brooke\u2019s orders, led the men up a ridge and turned into an open lot on the left.\u00a0 Moving into position, Adam felt a surge of expectation. This time the Union Army would have the high ground, as the Rebs had at Fredericksburg.\u00a0 They were again headed toward that scene of their former defeat, but this time they were coming in from behind the Heights.\u00a0 Surely, this time the result would be victory!\u00a0 His brief revery was interrupted by heavy artillery fire, which unsettled all the men, since they could sense the enemy drawing closer, but still couldn\u2019t see them through the tortured tangle of the Wilderness.<\/p>\n It was at that point, though Adam would not learn of it for hours, that Major-General Hooker seemingly panicked.\u00a0 When he was advised that Stonewall Jackson was approaching from Fredericksburg, he knew the odds against him were mounting, but instead of fighting them with his still-superior numbers, he chose to recall all three columns to Chancellorsville.\u00a0 Establishing Hancock\u2019s men in the road as a rear guard, General Couch, commander of the Second Corps, quickly sent an aide back to protest that Sykes was in no real danger.\u00a0 While he waited to hear back from Hooker, Rebel artillerymen saw Hancock\u2019s troops and began testing the range.\u00a0 Confederate fire increased, other units were driven back, and Hancock\u2019s right flank became exposed.\u00a0 Couch told his staff to draw fire and led them to an open knoll, where they could easily be seen.\u00a0 The ruse worked, and the troops were able to pull back with little appreciable loss, to Adam\u2019s eternal gratitude.<\/p>\n A disgusted General Couch received a second \u201cpositive order\u201d to disengage by 5 p.m. and was forced to begin a fighting withdrawal.\u00a0 When he could no longer hang on, Hancock ordered his division to fall back behind Sykes, fighting all the way.\u00a0 Some of the still-green boys of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut threw away blankets and knapsacks so they could run to the rear faster.\u00a0 Adam and Dan were trying to restrain them when Brooke saw them and yelled at them to march back where they had started and pick everything up.\u00a0 The shame-faced lieutenants had just headed the men, fully equipped once more, to the rear when the troops encountered a broad, but shallow swamp and tried to skirt around it.\u00a0 At that moment Hancock himself rode up, face blazing.\u00a0 With curses and gestures flying, he ordered, \u201cDash through that swamp or you will all be taken by the enemy!\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly realizing how close the Rebels were, the men of the 27th<\/sup> needed no further urging as they tromped straight into the water.<\/p>\n Thanks largely to Hancock\u2019s division, many of whom were veteran soldiers, the retreat was an orderly one.\u00a0 By evening they found themselves back where they had started, in the open ground near the Chancellor House.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t in that dangerous clearing long, but as they moved to a nearby crossroads, they ran into an unexpected challenge.\u00a0 Rather, the challenge ran into them, when artillery blasts panicked a herd of cattle, brought along to provide fresh meat.\u00a0 They stampeded, heads down and tails up, across the same space the soldiers were trying to cross.\u00a0 Mostly undamaged, though thrown off balance, the men made their way through the almost impenetrable lattice of vines and underbrush on their left, faced east and waited for an imminent charge from the Rebel army, who now occupied the high ground the Yanks had just left.\u00a0 Fredericksburg all over again<\/em>, even without that stone wall<\/em>, Adam moaned internally, and he had no doubt his thoughts were echoed throughout the discouraged ranks of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut, if not the entire army.<\/p>\n Confederate artillery sent shells crashing through the darkening woods, bursting above their heads, but no infantry followed.\u00a0 Instead, the smoke-filled air grew quiet, and the men who had waited with nervous patience for the iron hailstorm to cease went to work, entrenching themselves against the attack that was sure to come with the morning.\u00a0 The whack of axes and the thud of falling trees echoed through the woods from both sides of the ravine between them and the Rebels.\u00a0 Intermittently, the hailstorm would begin again, and the Union soldiers would dive into the trenches and wait for the next opportunity to dig them deeper.\u00a0 It was well past nightfall before the artillery barrage ceased altogether, and weary men tried to rest, despite the chill that descended due to the restriction against fires.<\/p>\n Learning that Sergeant Breckenridge had been wounded, Adam took advantage of the lull to walk up to the Chancellor House.\u00a0 The wounded were arriving there in every sort of wagon available, ambulances having been kept to a minimum.\u00a0 Perhaps, he thought sourly, the boastful commander had assumed there would be few casualties in this quest that even God could not stop.\u00a0 Teamsters, orderlies and runaway slaves milled about the yard, along with soldiers of all ranks, while the wounded were deposited on the porch and veranda, wherever there was room for them.\u00a0 He found Saul on the second-floor veranda, being tended by one of the women from the Chancellor family.\u00a0 Confederates, to be sure, but their womanly pity seemed to have stirred them to overlook the blue uniforms and help the suffering Yankees.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you hit, Sergeant?\u201d Adam asked as he bent over the subordinate officer he had come to consider a friend.<\/p>\n \u201cJust below the clavicle, they tell me, sir,\u201d Saul said, \u201cbut it seems to have missed anything vital, and praise God, I\u2019ll not lose a limb, like some of these poor sods.\u201d<\/p>\n Recalling the piles of severed limbs he\u2019d seen outside hospitals after the Fredericksburg fiasco, Adam closed his eyes briefly, but gathered himself almost immediately.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s good news, Sergeant.\u00a0 We can ill afford to lose men like you.\u201d<\/p>\n Saul looked perturbed.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s just it, sir.\u00a0 They\u2019re sending me back behind the lines, taking me out of action.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you put in a word for me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot on your life!\u201d Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cCount yourself well out of it, man.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing happening here that you need put yourself at risk for.\u201d\u00a0 It was the closest he would come to outright censor of superior officers, and he quickly stifled any further comment in that vein.\u00a0 \u201cYou will obey all orders of the medical officers, Sergeant, and thus live to fight another day.\u201d\u00a0 How profoundly he hoped that would not be true!\u00a0 The men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut were less than three months from mustering out of the Union Army, and as far as Adam was concerned, if they didn\u2019t fight another useless, ill-led battle in that period, it would be fine with him.\u00a0 Fighting Joe Hooker had given him hope, but when the time for action came, he\u2019d fizzled out, making the polar opposite mistake from General Burnside, who\u2019d assaulted an impenetrable position over and over when all hope was lost.\u00a0 Much as Adam hated to lose his vision for securing freedom for the slaves and the reunification of the Union, it was fading in the midst of repeated failures to accomplish anything.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Neither Adam nor anyone else in the Army of the Potomac had the vision to see what lay before them that next day, but actions were already in motion that would completely alter Hooker\u2019s hopes for victory at Chancellorsville.\u00a0 May 2nd<\/sup> was a pleasant morning, and the balloons were aloft as dawn broke, but the fierce wind again made surveillance from them impossible.\u00a0 Southern surveillance, though at ground level, had been much more successful, and Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were already acting on it.\u00a0 Learning that the Union Army\u2019s right flank was unprotected, Lee had made a bold decision to split his forces and send Jackson\u2019s 25,000 troops on a long march around Hooker\u2019s forces to attack it, while he led distracting demonstrations against the Union\u2019s center and left.\u00a0 If Hooker realized the Confederate forces were divided, it would prove fatal to the men in gray, but the terrain of the Wilderness itself would hide much of the movement.\u00a0 It was a chance worth taking.<\/p>\n After a night of little sleep, Adam got his men up sometime between 2 and 3 a.m.\u00a0 Along with Hancock\u2019s entire command, they marched, as quietly as possible, into the road past the Chancellor House to cover the turnpike to Fredericksburg and the ground on either side.\u00a0 It was frustrating to see the Rebels immediately occupy the breastworks they had worked all night to erect.\u00a0 The Union men knew it wouldn\u2019t matter in the long run, however; they could easily occupy those trenches again, if need be.\u00a0 What bothered them more was spending the entire morning building new breastworks, while listening to sounds of real battle elsewhere on the line.\u00a0 Oh, they had a few shots and shells sent their way, but not enough to give much concern.\u00a0 \u201cMight as well stayed where we were, if we\u2019re not gonna do nothin\u2019 anyhow,\u201d Private Buford groused to anyone who would listen.\u00a0 While most of his comrades agreed, they were too tired to give him more than groaning assent.\u00a0 Felling trees and digging trenches was taking all the energy they had. Then Major-General Hooker rode along his new line of battle, shouting \u201cHow strong!\u00a0 How strong!\u201d and all the men took heart and cheered.<\/p>\n Though the sight of rations being divvied out at noon caused increased activity from hungry Rebel riflemen, the 27th<\/sup>\u2019s position took only sporadic fire until late afternoon.\u00a0 Then fierce cannon bombardment, supplemented by muskets, rained heavily on Hancock\u2019s division, their position being in advance of the main line.\u00a0 Unknown to Hancock\u2019s men, the heightened activity was intended to distract attention from the real target on the far right, for as a spectacular rainbow arched across the western sky late that afternoon, Jackson\u2019s long trek ended.\u00a0 He was ready to attack.<\/p>\n The Union forces weren\u2019t entirely unaware of his presence.\u00a0 All through the day reports had made their way back to Hooker that movement had been spotted through the trees.\u00a0 He thought the Confederate Army was probably retreating to the south and sent around orders to replenish supplies and be ready to move out early the next morning.\u00a0 He did, however, take the precaution of warning General Howard, whose XI Corps anchored the Union right, to consider the possibility of being flanked.\u00a0 Since he didn\u2019t really believe it himself, he may not have worded that suggestion strongly enough, for far from being on guard, the XI Corps was settling in for the night.\u00a0 Tents were set up, weapons stacked, card games in progress and bands playing.\u00a0 The most important thing on those soldiers\u2019 minds was the supper being prepared over company cookfires.<\/p>\n About 5:00, a stampede of deer, rabbits and other assorted game burst from the Wilderness and ran into camp, knocking over campfires, scattering shocked men.\u00a0 The dazed soldiers didn\u2019t react quickly, but when they recognized the cougar-like cry of the Rebel yell, they realized that behind the panicked animals stormed a hoard of southern soldiers. Then they ran for their stacked weapons.\u00a0 Some reached them in time and tried to return fire; some turned and ran the other way before the combined onrush of beasts and men.\u00a0 Since the majority of them were of German extraction, they would soon become known as \u201cThe Flying Dutchmen,\u201d although the indictment was scarcely fair.\u00a0 Given how quickly they were overwhelmed, there was little any reasonable man could do but run for his life, and it wasn\u2019t long before the Germans were joined by every other ethnicity represented in the corps, as the helter-skelter swarm of men surged east.<\/p>\n Somehow, the noise of the assault didn\u2019t reach the rest of the Army of the Potomac until about 6:30 when riderless horses suddenly galloped past the Chancellor House.\u00a0 Driverless wagons and horse-drawn artillery careened by.\u00a0 Mounted officers charged along the line of panicked men, yelling orders that were ignored as the foot soldiers cried out in mixed German and English for directions to the river.\u00a0 \u201cWorse than the charge of the Texas steers!\u201d one wag hollered, referring to the previous day\u2019s excitement.<\/p>\n The maddened stampede swept over Adam\u2019s company, for their position was directly in the XI Corps\u2019 path of escape.\u00a0 If his men hadn\u2019t stopped them from running into their rifle pits, the frantic soldiers would have trampled straight through into the enemy\u2019s open arms.\u00a0 Lee\u2019s forces, facing them, cried aloud in triumph and intensified their attack.\u00a0 General Hancock rode up to the 27th<\/sup>\u2019s own Colonel Bostwick and said, \u201cYou probably won\u2019t be called into action,\u201d but Adam could see the excitement in his eyes as he continued, \u201cHold your position, and if necessary, you can fight on both sides of your breastworks.\u201d \u00a0Adam exchanged one glance with his fellow lieutenant before he and Dan started running in separate directions down the line, preparing their company for the daunting prospect.\u00a0 Hancock\u2019s words proved prophetic, and soon they were caught in the midst of a hail of bullets, canister and grape shot, coming from both directions.\u00a0 Through the woods, Adam could see Union artillery being rushed into position, and soon the Wilderness was shaking with cannon shot and wreathed in thick smoke that further darkened the descending twilight, making their position beneath the trees ink-black.\u00a0 The bright, full moon and cloudless sky, though, gave an unusual amount of light to the attacking troops.\u00a0 Adam wouldn\u2019t have given a shiny copper penny for their chances.<\/p>\n It was a scene of utter confusion: fragmented regiments trying to rally, couriers racing to deliver orders, stretcher bearers transporting the wounded.\u00a0 As a brass band formed in the open area and began playing \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner,\u201d the men broke out in cheers and found new courage to fight on.\u00a0 Portions of the Wilderness were on fire, and the sky seemed sheeted with lightning as shells repeatedly exploded.\u00a0 From the woods came the screams of wounded horses, mingled with the agonized cries of men.\u00a0 About the time Adam decided they had been consigned to hell, the firing would pause for a moment, and the calls of whippoorwills suggested heaven hadn\u2019t abandoned them yet.\u00a0 Then the hellish sounds would start up all over again.<\/p>\n No one slept much that night, officers least of all.\u00a0 Fire to their rear and off their right flank encouraged even dead-tired men to dig deeper trenches and build higher barriers of knapsacks, logs and tangled brush.\u00a0 Fog hugged the banks of the Rappahannock in the hours before dawn that Sabbath morning, but Confederate troops were already on the move.\u00a0 The roar of enemy muskets took away Adam\u2019s appetite for breakfast, but he ate anyway, purely from a sense of duty.\u00a0 He also encouraged any men who were slow to line up for the meal, pointing out that opportunities might be few later on.\u00a0 \u201cWe need all our strength for what\u2019s ahead,\u201d he said lightly, hoping the touch of humor would disguise his very real concern about what the day might hold for his beleaguered troops.<\/p>\n The battle began suddenly at 5 a.m. with artillery flying at them from front, right and rear.\u00a0 Most of Hancock\u2019s men, Adam\u2019s company included, were moved to the road running north from the Chancellor House.\u00a0 By nine that morning, they found themselves in real peril, and the possession of Chancellorsville itself seemed to be the only thing left to fight for.\u00a0 They quickly left their trenches again and formed a new line in the clearing around the house, where all hell broke loose.\u00a0 About fourteen pieces of artillery kept the enemy\u2019s infantry from reaching them, although their battle flags were just a few hundred feet away.\u00a0 The morning grew hotter and more humid, their throats and lips increasingly parched.\u00a0 Some men couldn\u2019t resist taking a mouthful of lukewarm water from their canteens, even at the risk of losing a limb or, perhaps, even their lives.<\/p>\n The Confederates were firing artillery, too, and suddenly Adam saw the Chancellor House burst into flames.\u00a0 With thoughts of Saul Breckinridge, trapped inside, he immediately started toward the burning building, only to have his arm grabbed by Lieutenant Worthington.\u00a0 \u201cYour duty is here, Lieutenant!\u201d Dan snapped.<\/p>\n Adam started to protest, but then came to his senses.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u201d he said sharply.\u00a0 He started to salute, but Dan batted down his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cNot the time or place,\u201d his superior officer growled.\u00a0 \u201cSee to our men; someone else will see to the wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 In a softer voice, he added, \u201cSorry, Dan.\u201d<\/p>\n With a crisp nod, Dan pointed to his left, while he turned to go right, down the line, admonishing the men of their company, and Adam did the same in the opposite direction.\u00a0 He was relieved to see men from the 2nd<\/sup> Delaware, brigaded with them and popularly known as the Crazy Delawares, follow one of Hancock\u2019s aides into the blazing Chancellor House to get the wounded out.<\/p>\n Busy with his own duties, he never saw Saul carried out, but sometime later, glancing that direction, he noticed a group of women being hurried down the steps.\u00a0 Though he only spared them a moment\u2019s glance, he saw one lady\u2019s leg shot away and another lose the side of her face.\u00a0 Then with horror-struck shock, he saw a black woman running straight into the Confederate lines.\u00a0 Did she not understand that freedom lay with the Union troops or was she so confused she didn\u2019t know where to find safety?\u00a0 Perhaps she was just running toward the only way of life she had ever known.\u00a0 However, Adam couldn\u2019t waste more than seconds on such speculations, for shot and shell continued to rain upon him and his men.<\/p>\n The woods caught fire, underbrush flaring up quickly and flames eating their way up to the tops of the tallest trees.\u00a0 Men choked on the suffocating mixture of wood smoke and battle smoke that all but blinded them in the stifling air.\u00a0 The situation was even graver than they knew.\u00a0 Adam himself was too preoccupied with the immediate danger to his front to understand just how the Rebel cannonball striking the porch column of the Chancellor House was destined to reshape the entire battle.\u00a0 For the heavy timber had struck the commanding officer on the right side.\u00a0 Adam knew nothing until Lieutenant Worthington came up behind him and leaned close to his ear.\u00a0 \u201cHooker\u2019s down,\u201d Dan whispered.<\/p>\n Adam gulped.\u00a0 \u201cDead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but knocked senseless.\u00a0 Too groggy to be much use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s in charge?\u201d Adam croaked, feeling life or death hung in the balance of the answer.\u00a0 He breathed a little easier when Dan told him it was Couch; he could trust the leader of his own II Corps, whose advice, though unheeded, had been spot-on at Fredericksburg.\u00a0 Word came down the line that they\u2019d be pulling back to a new defensive position, covering the road to United States Ford and escape back across the Rappahannock, but for the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut, safety would be a long time coming.\u00a0 Hancock\u2019s division was assigned to cover the retreat, which meant that just as at Fredericksburg, they\u2019d be among the last to leave.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the smoke grew thicker, as debris left behind by the retreating troops caught fire. \u00a0With it came an unbearable stench.\u00a0 Adam tasted bile as the contents of his stomach surged up his throat, for he realized the reek of burning flesh meant that many of the dead, too deep in the snarled undergrowth to be evacuated, had been left behind to the flames.\u00a0 And the terrified screams echoing through the woods meant something worse.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t just dead bodies burning; some of the wounded were also trapped in the blazing maze of the Wilderness.\u00a0 Adam only thought he\u2019d been in hell before.\u00a0 Now the flames were licking out for his own flesh, and all around him tortured souls were crying out for mercy they would never receive, at least this side of heaven.<\/p>\n Almost out of ammunition, he at first rejoiced when orders came from headquarters that Hancock\u2019s division could leave.\u00a0 One by one, the regiments were pulled back, but about 11:30 a.m., just when it appeared to be the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut\u2019s turn, they were ordered to go forward and relieve the advance picket line.\u00a0 It was only fair to take those men out first, he conceded; they\u2019d borne the brunt of the attack all morning, but one of the 27th<\/sup>\u2019s sergeants said it best: \u201cI, for one, begin to smell a small rat.\u201d\u00a0 Adam, too, felt an ugly suspicion that it really was Fredericksburg all over again.\u00a0 Not only would their small regiment be among the last to leave; as in December, they\u2019d be the last of the last.<\/p>\n He took satisfaction, however, in seeing their colors retire, as well. \u00a0Normally they would not be part of an advance picket line, and protecting their battle flag was a matter of pride for all the men in the unit.\u00a0 However, to Adam, it meant more.\u00a0 As color-sergeant, his dear friend James Brand would be among those carrying the flag back across the river.\u00a0 He, at least, was on his way out of hell.<\/p>\n The men moved forward, at the double-quick, into the same entrenchments they had constructed Friday evening.\u00a0 Plunging down the hill into the ravine, they encountered heavy musket fire, and several were shot, some through the head.\u00a0 When the Rebels didn\u2019t immediately obtain their objective, they didn\u2019t force the attack, but scattered into the Wilderness.\u00a0 Concealed there by the twisted vegetation, they kept the Union men pinned down with scattered shots.<\/p>\n The regiment\u2019s colonel, however, refused to be pinned down.\u00a0 Despite repeated warnings from Lieutenant-Colonel Merwin, Adam saw Colonel Bostwick again and again expose himself to enemy fire as he directed the regiment\u2019s action.\u00a0 He felt proud, worried and amazed at his leader\u2019s luck all at once, and he felt almost the same emotions about Michael Bufford.\u00a0 While the private had always been unstintingly lazy and remarkably dense in daily drill, now that the battle was real, he seemed equally eager to hazard his life.\u00a0 \u201cKeep your head down!\u201d Adam felt forced to order practically every time he came near him.\u00a0 And Bufford always followed the order . . . for at least thirty seconds.<\/p>\n The Rebel guns were scarcely 500 yards from them now.\u00a0 They appeared to be running low on ammunition, but that was no advantage to the picket line, as the enemy started chocking their cannons with anything they could find, including 12-foot railroad ties.\u00a0 Sensing the Union line was collapsing, they pressed in harder.\u00a0 Adam caught sight of a large body of infantry moving to their right and then saw the same to his left, but a rain of shrapnel also seemed to come from the direction of the Chancellor House, now behind them.\u00a0 \u201cHold your position!\u201d Adam shouted as some of his men tried to avoid the shelling by moving the opposite direction, directly toward the enemy.<\/p>\n \u201cTell those fools to fire higher!\u201d he heard Colonel Bostwick shouting to an aide, but it wasn\u2019t Union artillery firing from behind them.\u00a0 Unexpectedly, a Confederate officer appeared, waving a flag of truce.<\/p>\n \u201cThey surrendering, Lieutenant?\u201d called Michael Bufford, as usual having positioned himself near Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so, Private,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut hold your fire.\u201d\u00a0 He said it only moments before Colonel Bostwick\u2019s identical order to the entire regiment.<\/p>\n As the enemy officer advanced, Dan grabbed Adam\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cGet close,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cTry to find out what\u2019s up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam said, just as softly and moved toward the clearing where a tall, rough-looking man in gray stood talking to Colonel Bostwick.<\/p>\n What he heard shocked him, for it was a suggestion that they surrender to avoid loss of life.\u00a0 \u201cYou are surrounded, sir,\u201d the rebel officer said.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not see it, sir,\u201d Colonel Bostwick said.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u00a0 Give me time to get away.\u201d\u00a0 Adam thought he heard a hint of regret in the tall man\u2019s voice that gave his original message the ring of truth and his heart sank.\u00a0 If they were, indeed, encircled by Confederate forces, their future was, at best, bleak.\u00a0 He started to report back to Dan, but when he heard the colonel order Lieutenant-Colonel Merwin to investigate the situation, he decided to wait.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for the ugly truth to emerge.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re trapped, sir,\u201d Merwin reported, \u201cbut we can force our way through.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stared at the man as if he\u2019d lost his mind.\u00a0 At this point their small regiment probably numbered no more than 350 men, officers included, while Robert E. Lee had thousands to send against them.\u00a0 He tasted blood as he bit his lower lip in anticipation of Bostwick\u2019s answer to the brave, but impractical suggestion.<\/p>\n \u201cWait one moment!\u201d Bostwick called to the retiring Confederate officer, and Adam saw the tall man stop.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t hear the Union officers as they huddled together to discuss their options, but he waited with almost suspended breath.\u00a0 Then the huddle broke and Bostwick called to a nearby sergeant for a white handkerchief.<\/p>\n At that point Adam took off.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re surrounded,\u201d he reported to Dan. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going to surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n For a single moment Dan looked as stricken as Adam felt.\u00a0 Then he took a deep breath and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGet the men prepared,\u201d he said, \u201cas quietly as possible . . . and tell them to render their knapsacks and weapons unusable.\u00a0 Leave nothing for the comfort of our enemies!\u201d\u00a0 It was an act of defiance with which Adam heartily concurred.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much time, so he had the men render their rifles unusable by tossing them in a small rivulet nearby.\u00a0 Seeing Private Bufford thrusting a knife into the waistband of his pants, he confiscated it.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll search you first thing, Private,\u201d he scolded, \u201cand make it worse for you than if you hadn\u2019t tried a fool stunt like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI might get one of them first,\u201d Bufford declared bitterly.<\/p>\n \u201cLet them have their one,\u201d Adam said with a quizzical smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll come out ahead, so long as we still have you.\u201d\u00a0 It was the closest thing to a commendation he\u2019d ever given the soldier, and he saw Bufford\u2019s shoulders square at the words and his face show a determination to be worthy of them.<\/p>\n Adam had no idea how long they stood in that wooded ravine.\u00a0 Time stood still as the soldiers waited, confused by how they\u2019d found themselves in this predicament, edgy about what lay ahead.\u00a0 The Georgia lieutenant to whom they\u2019d been consigned for transport lined them up in no particular order, so Adam tugged Bufford into line next to him.\u00a0 Later, he wondered why.\u00a0 Perhaps to protect the private from any further foolishness, but if he were honest, perhaps it equally arose from the natural desire to be near someone he knew when facing an unknown future.\u00a0 Lieutenant Worthington was deliberately keeping himself separated from Adam, probably in hopes that if ill fate overcame one of them, the other would be spared to care for the men of their company.\u00a0 Bufford, poor a soldier as he\u2019d often seemed to be, was the only one of Adam\u2019s original tentmates still here, and Adam was determined to see him safely through to wherever they were going.\u00a0 Then, for the first time, the truth hit him with a jolt.\u00a0 He might not know the name of their destination, but he knew where they were going\u2014to a Rebel prison.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 8<\/p>\n Prisoner of War<\/p>\n Leaving the ravine, the men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut soon found themselves marching toward the Confederate battlefield headquarters.\u00a0 As soon as they arrived, they were stripped of almost all but the clothes on their backs.\u00a0 Those who\u2019d held onto knapsacks, rubber blankets and shelter tents had them confiscated, and some, Private Bufford among them, even lost their shoes to the many barefoot men clad in tattered butternut.\u00a0 Though Adam, perhaps by grace of his officer\u2019s status, was allowed to keep his ill-fitting brogans, he\u2019d already divested himself of any extra weight at the beginning of their march.\u00a0 He had, however, managed to keep his canteen, and from the moment it was taken, all he could think of was water, while he stood in line to be registered, giving name, regiment and rank.<\/p>\n While this processing was still going on, an officer rode up, and though he wore a simple uniform, with no indication of rank, it was obvious from the cheers that greeted him that he was a man of distinction.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s that, you reckon?\u201d an awed Private Bufford asked.<\/p>\n Staring transfixed at the man\u2019s calm, but careworn countenance as he rode past without seeming to notice either the prisoners or the shouts of his own men, somehow Adam knew.\u00a0 \u201cThat, Private, is General Robert E. Lee, unless I miss my guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Lordy,\u201d Bufford moaned.\u00a0 \u201cThe big mucky-muck hisself?\u00a0 Is he gonna escort us to their stinkin\u2019 prison?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed, and as he did, both his personal fears and his awe at seeing the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia fell away.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure someone will,\u201d he countered, \u201cbut probably not the big mucky-muck himself.\u00a0 As the Scripture advises, soldier, try not to think of yourself more highly than you ought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, I\u2019ll try,\u201d the private said with such seriousness that Adam again found himself grinning, for a brief moment forgetting the daunting situation they both were facing.<\/p>\n The registration completed, the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut and isolated members of other units were again lined up and, with a sizable force guarding them, headed south, passing now emptied breastworks and artillery-shattered trees.\u00a0 They marched steadily, halting only to allow the Confederate wounded passage to the rear ahead of them, and by dusk Adam estimated that they had covered ten or so miles before being ordered to stop at the edge of a town called Spotsylvania.<\/p>\n Thankfully, most of the citizens were in their homes, eating supper if the aromas wafting on the spring breeze were any indication.\u00a0 Torture to men who hadn\u2019t eaten since breakfast and had to depend for their next meal on the goodwill of men who bore them none.\u00a0 At least, due to the hour, they weren\u2019t subjected to too many taunts, although several hollered greetings like, \u201cWhy\u2019d you come down here, Billy Blue?\u00a0 We don\u2019t need the likes of you!\u201d\u00a0 Sorely tempted to tell the rustic poet exactly how little he wanted to be \u201cdown here,\u201d Adam, determined to be a good example for his men, set his lips in a taut line and said nothing.\u00a0 They were herded into an enclosure surrounding the courthouse, where they stretched out on the cold ground, without benefit of either blankets or fire, but not one of the exhausted men had any difficulty falling asleep.<\/p>\n The next morning they were roughly ordered to their feet, and with nothing but a small ration of water, they soon found themselves on the march again, in an easterly direction this time.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe they\u2019s gonna drown us in the ocean,\u201d Private Bufford groused.<\/p>\n A Rebel guard marching nearby hooted.\u00a0 \u201cFine idea, Yank!\u00a0 I\u2019ll pass it up to General Lee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMind sharing where we\u2019re really headed, sir?\u201d Adam asked, as respectfully as he could in hopes of getting a straight answer.<\/p>\n It worked.\u00a0 \u201cGuinea Station,\u201d the guard said.<\/p>\n Adam pressed his luck.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then by rail?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou bein\u2019 an officer, maybe.\u201d\u00a0 Then the guard gave Bufford\u2019s bare feet a mocking grin.\u00a0 \u201cYou probably gonna take shank\u2019s mare all the way to Richmond.\u201d<\/p>\n The private blanched, but managed to say nothing until the guard had moved down the line, no doubt to harass some other miserable prisoner.\u00a0 Then, eyes wide with fear, Bufford croaked out, \u201cRichmond?\u00a0 They really gonna take us clean to their stinkin\u2019 capital?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMight be wiser to quit calling everything about them stinkin\u2019, Private.\u00a0 I doubt we smell much better ourselves,\u201d Adam advised.<\/p>\n \u201cMan\u2019s got a right to his opinion, sir,\u201d Bufford defended himself stoutly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam agreed, drawing out the word, \u201cbut they\u2019ve probably got a hundred ways to make you pay for it.\u00a0 You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s a heap more pleasurable to spoon vinegar into Johnny Reb than honey, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe so,\u201d Adam agreed with a grin, \u201cbut there\u2019s another proverb . . . something about not biting the hand that feeds you, and I, for one, am getting sort of hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Bufford grinned back, humor for the moment restored.<\/p>\n A ten-mile march brought them to Guinea\u2019s Station, a small town on the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad and, more importantly, a supply depot for Lee\u2019s army.\u00a0 It also appeared to be a general gathering point for prisoners, but their hopes for a filling meal faded when they were herded into a fenced area around the courthouse, as it became apparent the hungry Rebels had nothing to share.<\/p>\n A few of their own men had some squares of hardtack left, and handed them out generously, but with no coffee to soften them, only the starving chose to gnaw on the rock-hard rations.\u00a0 Adam tried breaking off a smaller piece of the single square he\u2019d been given and letting it sit in his mouth for a few minutes, but it wasn\u2019t much softer.\u00a0 Handing the rest to Bufford, he decided no supper would suit him just as well, at least this first night.\u00a0 How many nights he\u2019d have to make the choice between hunger or the health of his sturdy teeth was a question even his considerable mathematical prowess couldn\u2019t resolve.\u00a0 Would the diet in prison be any easier to swallow than what they\u2019d had on the march to it?\u00a0 Unknowable, but if they really were taking the train to Richmond, he\u2019d find out soon enough.<\/p>\n With no blankets supplied, he wrapped his arms around himself and stretched out on the cooling ground as the sun descended.\u00a0 The Rebs had permitted them to build a few small fires, but the warmth didn\u2019t reach far.\u00a0 Though the situation wasn\u2019t nearly as grim, it reminded him of that awful night he\u2019d spent lying on the battlefield at Fredericksburg, when he\u2019d stripped the dead of their coats for warmth.\u00a0 No dead here to strip, thank God.\u00a0 All the men here were still living, and he welcomed the warm bodies lying close to him on either side more than any coat.<\/p>\n As the darkness grew deeper and conversation faded into soft snores all around him, less welcome thoughts tore at him with sharp talons.\u00a0 The first brought only a soft sting of regret: I should have listened to you, Pa, and kept out of eastern conflicts<\/em>.\u00a0 In its wake came a sharper talon, attached to Elizabeth\u2019s well-groomed hand. \u00a0Would she regret leaving him, now that he had sacrificed his freedom for his country?\u00a0 Doubtful.\u00a0 Maybe she\u2019d feel even gladder, more justified in spurning an ill-fed, increasingly filthy prisoner of war!\u00a0 After all, she\u2019d been so proud of his shiny blue uniform back in New Haven, and it was in shabby shape now.\u00a0 Perhaps, fashion was all that mattered to her.\u00a0 With a shudder, he thrust out the taunting thoughts and tried to sleep, but sleep was sporadic and the thoughts stabbed their way in again and again.<\/p>\n The camp of prisoners began to stir early Tuesday morning, and Private Bufford quickly asked permission to \u201cgo amongst them.\u201d<\/p>\n Remembering the private\u2019s propensity for rooting out gossip, Adam agreed at once.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u00a0 Find out what you can.\u201d\u00a0 With a grin Bufford took off.<\/p>\n Adam was almost ready to think the man had deserted by the time he returned, but Bufford was bubbling over with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cGuess who\u2019s lying wounded in that house over yonder,\u201d he said, pointing.<\/p>\n \u201cA Confederate officer?\u201d Adam surmised with a maddening arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n Bufford flapped a derogatory hand.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone could\u2019ve guessed that, but not just any Reb officer, lieutenant!\u201d\u00a0 His voice dropped to a whisper as he passed on what he clearly thought was news of great import.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Stonewall Jackson hisself!\u00a0 Lost an arm, I hear, and like to lose his life.\u00a0 That\u2019s one Reb that ain\u2019t gonna trouble us no more!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gave a small shudder.\u00a0 Jackson was an enemy, of course and the strategist behind the devastating attack on the Union right their second day at Chancellorsville, according to the Georgian guards who\u2019d ushered them here.\u00a0 His loss to the Confederate Army would be a great advantage to the North.\u00a0 Still, though he\u2019d killed numbers of nameless enemy soldiers in battle, Adam couldn\u2019t rejoice in any specific man\u2019s death or even his debilitating injury.\u00a0 \u201cAnything else?\u201d Adam asked to cover his less-than-enthusiastic reception of Bufford\u2019s news.<\/p>\n Bufford grinned broadly.\u00a0 \u201cSaved the best for last.\u00a0 They are gonna feed us!\u00a0 Probably any time now, and with all that food comin\u2019 in by rail, it\u2019s likely to be pretty good, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably going to save the best for their generals,\u201d Adam said dryly, but it was accompanied by a small grin that told the private he was teasing.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m hopin\u2019 for the best,\u201d Bufford said.\u00a0 \u201cFresh bread, even if it\u2019s cornbread, this bein\u2019 the South, and maybe some beef or pork like we had back in Fredericksburg.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne can hope,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 His own hopes were a little less optimistic, but even bacon and hardtack, with some coffee to soak it in, would be welcome at this point.<\/p>\n \u201cFall in for rations!\u201d\u00a0 The cry was met with cheers from the hungry Union soldiers.\u00a0 Adam organized his men into line and took his place at the end of the queue.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t too surprised, however, to see Michael Bufford hang back to take the spot just in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cThought you were hungry, Private,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo more\u2019n you, sir,\u201d Bufford replied, giving the lazy salute Adam was used to seeing in winter camp on the eastern side of the Rappahannock.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, about one place hungrier,\u201d Adam teased.<\/p>\n \u201cReckon we could hope for coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoubtful.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shook his head, rethinking his earlier hopes. \u00a0\u201cIf you remember, the Rebs traded tobacco for coffee from us last winter.\u00a0 They\u2019re not likely to share it with prisoners when they\u2019re short themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably not,\u201d Bufford agreed with an elongated sigh.\u00a0 \u201cReckon I can make do on cornbread and pork.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoherent grumbles coming down the line toward them soon made both men reevaluate their chances of even those diminished hopes, but neither could have anticipated what actually awaited them at the distribution point.\u00a0 \u201cThree pints of flour!\u201d Bufford sputtered as he and Adam walked away with their so-called rations.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we \u2018sposed to do with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see but one alternative, Private,\u201d Adam ventured with a scowl.\u00a0 \u201cMix it with some water and bake it over the fire.\u201d\u00a0 Thankfully, most of the men had not yet smothered their small ones from the night before, although the sun was already beginning to bake them under increasingly intense rays.\u00a0 Adam found a dry stick on the ground and used it to mix the flour with water in the cup he\u2019d been allowed to keep.\u00a0 Then, he wrapped the stiff mixture around the wood and held it to the heat.\u00a0 He offered Bufford first taste of the bread that was more dried than baked.\u00a0 \u201cWell?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cHow is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t feed it to pigs back home,\u201d Bufford said.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no offense to your cookin\u2019, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone taken,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m no Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur cook back home.\u201d\u00a0 Wondering if even Hop Sing could make something edible out of what was on hand, Adam risked a bite.\u00a0 Seeing the private watching for his reaction, he muttered dryly, \u201cOink-oink.\u201d \u00a0The meal was, indeed, worthy only of pigs.\u00a0 As it was all they had, however, both men dried their entire ration over the fire, lest they not have one later, ate enough to stave off starvation and saved the rest for supper.<\/p>\n It was well they did, for that afternoon, the darkening skies rolled with thunder, and driving rain put out all the fires.\u00a0 At first, the soldiers welcomed the cooling shower after being broiled under the blistering sun all day.\u00a0 When it continued all night and into the next day, however, their rain-drenched bodies shivered in the blustery wind.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n After the three most miserable days of his enlistment, Adam stood in his still-damp uniform, as the enlisted men were separated from the officers.\u00a0 He stayed close to Bufford as long as he could, but he was finally ordered into the line of men headed for the railcars.\u00a0 \u201cNo flouting their orders, Private,\u201d he urged during their last moments together, and then he pressed a hand to Bufford\u2019s shoulder, and in remembrance of the early days in New Haven when they had shared the same rank, he said softly, \u201cTake care, Michael, and you\u2019ll come through this.\u201d<\/p>\n Bufford gave him a tight-lipped nod, but as he marched away, he looked back over his shoulder at his second lieutenant, and seeing the fear in his eyes, Adam sent him a bolstering smile.\u00a0 As soon as the private turned away, however, it faded, for Adam felt the same dread shivering up his spine.<\/p>\n The long queue of officers inched toward the railcars.\u00a0 As he grew closer, Adam realized theirs would be no journey of comfort, such as he\u2019d known while traveling east by rail in quest of his collegiate dreams.\u00a0 No sleeping cars here, nor even one with seats; instead, he was herded into a boxcar normally used to haul supplies for the Army of Northern Virginia.\u00a0 A wry smile touched his lips as he mused that \u201cherded\u201d was, indeed, the right word, for this container was more suited to cattle than human beings.\u00a0 In fact, judging by the smell, it might have previously been used for that very purpose.<\/p>\n He mounted the crate placed below the sliding door in the side of the car and shook his head ruefully.\u00a0 First herded and now mounting.\u00a0 Judging by the words his own thoughts selected, the Rebels had already reduced them to the status of beasts.\u00a0 He half expected they\u2019d be pouring swill into troughs for them soon.\u00a0 And I just might eat it<\/em>, he mused.\u00a0 He was hungry enough, for he\u2019d still had nothing but that campfire-baked flour both he and Private Bufford had dubbed not fit for pigs.<\/p>\n Briefly, he remained by the door, reaching down to help other officers into the car, but he soon found himself pushed to the interior by the sheer number of men entering.\u00a0 When they were packed wall to wall\u2014\u201cLike sardines,\u201d he heard the captain of another company comment\u2014the door was shut and the interior plunged into near darkness.\u00a0 The only light came through the sides high above them, where a few boards had been removed.\u00a0 Even beasts on the hoof need a bit of ventilation, I suppose<\/em>, he pondered, but doubting the observation would benefit anyone else, he kept it to himself.<\/p>\n For several minutes they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the darkness, muttering about when they\u2019d leave, how long the journey would be, what would await them at its end and other unanswerable questions.\u00a0 Finally, some more practical officer called out, \u201cSit down, men, if you can find room.\u00a0 It\u2019s likely to be a long wait and a longer trip, and once this train starts moving, you won\u2019t want to stand all the way to Richmond.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t one of Adam\u2019s commanding officers, nor for all he knew, even one from his own regiment, but he saw the wisdom in those words and quickly complied.\u00a0 He introduced himself to the man on his left and his right, figuring they\u2019d have ample opportunity to share their entire life histories during the rail trip, if, indeed, it ever got started.<\/p>\n When he began to share his own story, he found more than those two men leaning in to listen.\u00a0 A man from the far West was a rarity in the Army of the Potomac, so he had tales to tell that were different from those of eastern upbringing.\u00a0 Though his throat grew parched, he was willing to provide what help he could in whiling away the seemingly interminable wait for the train to start.\u00a0 Suddenly, with a jolt that toppled the few men left standing, the train started to move, and they were on their way, to God only knew what fate at journey\u2019s end.<\/p>\n The rattling of the wheels propelled them with a rhythm that, at first, lulled Adam to sleep, but with each hour that passed, the enclosed railcar grew more stifling, the rising sun making the air hotter, more humid and, worst of all, fetid, both from the odor of the sweltering bodies and the acrid stench arising from the open bucket in one corner provided for the prisoners to relieve themselves.\u00a0 The journey was too long for any of them to resist adding to its contents, so as the hours passed the stench only grew fouler, the air more breathless.<\/p>\n The train paused at a few stations along the route, for what reason Adam couldn\u2019t fathom since none of the passengers would be getting off, and presumably, none would be boarding this far from the battleground.\u00a0 To take on fuel or water, he supposed, though he felt like the only purpose was to give civilians along the route an opportunity to shout abuse at the closed cars and hurl putrid rubbish against them.\u00a0 At first, he wondered what the supposedly starving southerners would be willing to sacrifice to that purpose, but then shuddered to think such leavings might become their steady diet in prison.\u00a0 Worse than pig swill<\/em>, he thought with wrinkled nose, and, hot as it was, he shivered, wondering whether he\u2019d soon consider himself lucky to get it.<\/p>\n Peering through a wide crack in his railcar, Adam saw a diminutive Virginia woman perched on a hitching post outside a depot, waving a Confederate flag and yelling in a most unladylike manner, \u201cHave you got Old Abe with you, you cursed rascals?\u201d<\/p>\n It was late evening when the train arrived in the capital of the Confederacy, its occupants weary and ill-prepared to face new challenges, but predictably, that is what met them.\u00a0 The side doors opened, one by one, and the bedraggled officers, shirts soaked with sweat, descended to derisive hoots from the populace, who apparently thought greeting them worth delaying their own dinners.<\/p>\n As he stepped down into what he would later learn was Broad Street, Adam heard the usual catcalls, with a few variations specific to the final destination.\u00a0 \u201cWell, you got here, did ya?\u201d one knee-slapping old man cackled.\u00a0 \u201cHeard y\u2019all wanted to see Richmond.\u00a0 How ya like the place?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost picturesque,\u201d Adam observed wryly.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt he knows the word, college boy,\u201d said a voice behind him.<\/p>\n Adam turned and smiled with relief into the face of his fellow lieutenant, Dan Worthington. \u201cWhere\u2019ve you been hiding?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cCar behind yours, I think,\u201d Dan said.\u00a0 \u201cI spotted you when I got off that blasted train and have been making my way toward you ever since, dodging cabbage missiles all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure they\u2019re cabbage?\u201d Adam asked waggishly.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, not entirely,\u201d Dan admitted with a wrinkle of his nose.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s stick together, now that there are no enlisted men to see to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike glue,\u201d Adam agreed, glad to have a trusted friend with whom to face the unknowable future.<\/p>\n The hoots and hollers of the populace following them all the way, they were herded into lines, marched about three blocks and halted in front of a dark brick building, three stories high.\u00a0 The bottom third of it was whitewashed and above its entrance a board was painted in large black letters: A. Libby and Sons, Ship Chandlers and Groceries.\u00a0 \u201cIronic,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d Dan queried.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father was a ship\u2019s chandler,\u201d Adam said. Pa!<\/em>\u00a0 The thought stabbed, sharp as a dagger.\u00a0 For the first time, Adam was grateful for the slowness of mail back to Nevada, because it would devastate his father to learn that he\u2019d been taken prisoner.\u00a0 And his little brothers.\u00a0 Maybe Pa\u2019d keep it from them.\u00a0 After all, how could either of them, Little Joe especially, understand what it meant to be a prisoner of war when their older brother didn\u2019t really understand it himself?\u00a0\u00a0 He was about to learn, though.<\/p>\n One by one, they filed through the door of the former mercantile, down a narrow, white hall and into a receiving office, where they were rigorously searched for weapons and any remaining valuables.\u00a0 Having already divested himself of his rifle and pistol, Adam had little to turn over except a few greenbacks and a jackknife. \u00a0With great reluctance, however, he handed over the pictures of his family that he carried with him constantly, even in battle.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure that\u2019s all you got?\u201d demanded a heavy-set clerk about Adam\u2019s age.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t got nothin\u2019 hid, in your shoes, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Adam said, resenting the implication, but figuring nothing was to be gained by giving a surly answer.<\/p>\n The clerk snickered as he held the few greenbacks Adam had turned in under his nose.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll not be buying many extras to go with your rations, then.\u00a0 You can request them back if you should need to purchase something during your stay here.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at the ambrotypes of a man and two small boys and apparently decided the Confederacy had no use for them.\u00a0 Holding them toward Adam, he said, \u201cReckon you can keep these.\u201d\u00a0 He also handed back Adam\u2019s small knife.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll need that for eatin\u2019,\u201d the officer sneered.\u00a0 He then demanded Adam\u2019s name, rank and regiment and recorded them in a tally book before motioning him on and turning to the next man in line.\u00a0 So far, nothing worse than he had experienced since his first capture by the enemy, and here, at least, he would have shelter from the elements, and eventually, hopefully . . . food.<\/p>\n Along with the other new prisoners, he was lined up and with two guards preceding them and others behind, began to climb two flights of stairs. \u00a0Arriving at the landing on the third floor, they faced a solid door.\u00a0 Their accompanying guards drew back the heavy bolts securing it and then took position on either side of the opening, pointing their bayonets at the space between.\u00a0 \u201cGit in, trash,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n All around him, Adam heard the same sharp intake of breath he himself had taken.\u00a0 Clearly, the guards\u2019 posture was meant to intimidate, to instill fear.\u00a0 Well, he wouldn\u2019t have it!\u00a0 Nor, with thoughts of Pa fresh in his mind, would he needlessly antagonize men holding sharp blades barely two inches from his ribs.\u00a0 With head held high but eyes straight and steady, he passed through the two-man gauntlet, only releasing the breath he held when he moved into a large, open space.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t open for long.\u00a0 The guards had no sooner slammed and bolted the door behind them than a cry of \u201cFresh fish!\u201d went up, and the new prisoners found themselves surrounded by the chamber\u2019s previous occupants.\u00a0 \u201cLet me take your luggage and show you to your room,\u201d one offered as if he were a bellboy at a first-rate hotel.\u00a0 Stunned, Adam looked around the open space.\u00a0 Were there actually rooms for them somewhere or, more likely, cells?<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Keep your hands out of that fresh fish\u2019s pockets!\u201d another hollered, and Adam automatically reached for his pocket, although he had little left to protect.\u00a0 Hoots of laughter told him he and the other newcomers were being ribbed.\u00a0 As initiations went, it was mild compared to what he\u2019d endured on entering his freshman society back at Yale, so he laughed.\u00a0 Welcomed, then, with warm claps on the back, he and all the other \u201cfresh fish\u201d were surrounded with clamors for news of the outside world, in particular how the war was going and how soon Union troops might reach Richmond and liberate them.<\/p>\n \u201cHas Hooker got \u2018em on the run?\u201d a voice in a distant corner called.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything but!\u201d one of the fresh fish cried back, and for a moment the hush of dashed hopes fell over the room.<\/p>\n Adam took advantage of the brief silence to look around his new quarters, such as they were.\u00a0 With his architect\u2019s eye, he estimated the oblong room\u2019s length at 90 feet and its width about 45.\u00a0 The low ceiling was supported by rough, whitewashed beams, and the walls were unplastered.\u00a0 On the side overlooking the street were five square windows, fitted with flat bars.\u00a0 Their light only penetrated about 25 feet, leaving the middle of the room quite dark.\u00a0 Its furnishings were literally none: not a cot to sleep on, nor a chair or bench, not even an empty crate to rest their weary bones.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t say much for the accommodations at Hotel Libby,\u201d he said to Dan.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this is only the lobby,\u201d Dan quipped.\u00a0 \u201cThe feather beds are in the luxury suites upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re on the top floor,\u201d Adam observed dryly, to which Dan could only give a shrug and a sour smile.\u00a0\u00a0 As Adam walked further into the room, he almost gagged and instinctively brought his arm across his face to cover his mouth and nostrils.\u00a0 Clean as the walls and floor appeared, the stench emanating from the back part of the room was stifling.\u00a0 \u201cI believe I\u2019ve located the latrines,\u201d he wryly informed Dan.<\/p>\n \u201cRepulsive,\u201d Dan muttered back, \u201cbut I may have to take advantage of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d Adam said, \u201cin case you pass out and need someone to pull you back into fresher air, fresher being a relative term.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery relative,\u201d Dan said, following Adam\u2019s example by clamping his hand over his nose.<\/p>\n The \u201clatrine,\u201d when they finally worked their way to it through the crowd of men turned out to be a primitive privy inside a rough wooden closet.\u00a0 That explains the stench<\/em>, Adam thought, but there was no other choice.\u00a0 He entered, closed himself in and attended to his need, although he almost gagged on the fumes rising from the horse trough below that collected the excrement of the hundreds of men housed in a space suited for no more than a third of their number.\u00a0\u00a0 Finishing as quickly as he could, he pressed back through the mob with the same need.<\/p>\n Finding Dan again, he gave him a weak smile and said, \u201cAh, good to be back in the fresh air again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFresh being your idea of a joke, I assume?\u201d Dan asked with a scowl.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the circumstances, I see no choice but to laugh or cry, and of the two, I prefer laughter,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I may become so adept at it by the time this is over that I might consider taking up comedy on stage as my new profession.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, here\u2019s a challenge for you, my friend,\u201d Dan said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m told we\u2019ve arrived too late for evening rations, so there\u2019ll be nothing to eat until after roll call tomorrow morning, and then we\u2019ll feast on, maybe, half a small loaf of bread and, if we\u2019re lucky, a quarter pound of meat, which I am reliably informed comes from mules.\u00a0 I eagerly await your comedic take on that!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shuddered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m still a beginner, and that\u2019s more challenge than I care to tackle on an empty stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s your best effort, you might want to seriously reconsider that career change, chum, because I frankly see no future in it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps not,\u201d Adam conceded, for his empty belly rumbled about that time, and he felt too dismal to even attempt a joke.<\/p>\n Dan and Adam slowly made their way around the room, searching for other officers of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 Although unacquainted with many of the leaders of other companies, each felt a kinship with men from their own regiment, and it was obvious those men felt the same, for they tended to flock together, once they connected.<\/p>\n It was with special joy that, early on, they met Colonel Bostwick.\u00a0 \u201cGravitate toward the center of the room, gentlemen,\u201d he directed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my understanding that, as the newest guests of this hostelry, we will take up residence there.\u201d\u00a0 Figures<\/em>, Adam thought with significant displeasure.\u00a0 The middle of the room was furthest from the fresh air and sunlight.\u00a0 Naturally, prisoners who had been there before them would push the \u201cfresh fish\u201d into the least ventilated and darkest part of the room.\u00a0 Even at high noon, reading there would strain their eyes . . . if we had anything to read<\/em>, Adam mused morosely.\u00a0 Whatever would they do to pass the long hours of each day?<\/p>\n Beside him, he heard Dan give a long, exasperated sigh.\u00a0 \u201cWell, there\u2019s no help for it,\u201d the first lieutenant said to his second.\u00a0 \u201cSince I cannot stand much longer, we might as well test out the sofa cushions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are a worse comedian than I, sir,\u201d Adam grunted.<\/p>\n \u201cSit down,\u201d Dan said tersely, \u201cand if I have to make it an order, I will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan folded onto the floor, setting the proper example for his subordinate.\u00a0 Adam followed suit, frowning at the sawdust sprinkled over the surface.\u00a0 \u201cThese, I assume, are the feather beds you mentioned before?\u201d<\/p>\n Dan snorted, but before he could say anything, one of the earlier residents of Libby cackled.\u00a0 \u201cYou should have seen them before they heard you were coming and gave everything a fresh coat of whitewash.\u00a0 When I first got here, you could still smell the fish, hemp and tobacco old Luther Libby sold here, and the floors were covered with some sort of black slime, whose make-up I could not bring myself to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes us so special?\u201d Adam asked with a skeptical arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n The other man shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know, except I heard they were expectin\u2019 a real crowd from the latest battle.\u00a0 Maybe they figured they either cleaned the place before you got here or gave up all hope of keepin\u2019 anyone alive and out of the hospital.\u00a0 Nothin\u2019 but the floor to sleep on, but at least for now, it\u2019s clean\u2014mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMostly\u201d about described it, but Adam was grateful for small blessings.\u00a0 Fish-and-tobacco-scented slime would have made their \u201cfeather mattresses\u201d unbearable, though hundreds had borne it before them, he suddenly realized.\u00a0 He was so thoroughly exhausted he didn\u2019t even notice Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Merwin of his own regiment until he stood over them.\u00a0 Then, like Dan, he tried to scramble to his feet, only to have his legs crumble beneath him and fall on his rear end.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get up, gentlemen,\u201d Merwin said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all too tired to stand on ceremony tonight. \u00a0I\u2019m only here to offer you your allotment of blankets, which I\u2019m sorry to say will be your only bedding for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrateful to have it, sir,\u201d Dan said, saluting.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d\u00a0 Adam copied the gesture of respect, strange as it felt to be making it from a seated position.<\/p>\n Returning the salute, Merwin said, \u201cLights out at nine sharp, which will be any moment, so get yourselves situated while you can.\u00a0\u00a0 Roll call at seven in the morning.\u00a0 As to how the sleeping arrangements are managed in so crowded a space, just follow the lead of those who became guests of Hotel de Libby before us.<\/p>\n Dan and Adam exchanged half-hearted grins.\u00a0 Apparently, they weren\u2019t the only ones trying to deal with the luxury accommodations through humor.\u00a0 Grins quickly turned to grimaces when they saw how the veteran prisoners bedded down.\u00a0 Head to toe, they lay in rows, each man between two others, all on their right sides, like spoons nestled in a drawer.\u00a0 How on earth were they to sleep, Adam wondered, packed like sardines in a can without so much as room to turn over?<\/p>\n Suddenly, a shout sounded across the room: \u201cNine o\u2019clock.\u00a0 Post No. 1 and all\u2019s well.\u00a0 Lights out there, Yanks.\u00a0 Damn you, lights out!\u201d\u00a0 From post to post the shouts of the guards resounded as one by one, tallow candles on the walls were snuffed out and darkness, broken only by the faint light of the moon, descended.<\/p>\n Adam tried to settle his mind, but it just wouldn\u2019t rest.\u00a0 Tired as his body was, his mind had too much to absorb.\u00a0 Predictably, along with the flood of new information, came unwelcome pictures of Elizabeth, turning up her pert little nose at the squalor of his accommodations and, perhaps more so, of Adam\u2019s bedraggled state.\u00a0 She did so love a man in a crisp new uniform of Union blue.\u00a0 He shuddered to think what his would look and smell like by the time he got out of this fine hotel!<\/p>\n The recurrent thoughts kept him awake long enough to hear some designated soldier order, \u201cSpoon over.\u201d\u00a0 Then, as one, the entire roomful of men turned onto their left sides.\u00a0 With no thoughts of treacherous women to keep him awake, Dan slept on until Adam nudged him and told him to turn over.<\/p>\n \u201cDiabolical system,\u201d Dan muttered as he complied.\u00a0 Silently, Adam agreed, but it was probably the best that could be devised under the circumstances, and the spoons would have gotten very sore, indeed, if forced to spend the entire night on one side.\u00a0 He pulled the blankets closer around him and again tried to sleep.\u00a0 Again came the unwelcome visitation of Elizabeth, but this time he tersely muttered, \u201cBe gone!\u201d and turned his thoughts deliberately to images of Pa and Hoss and Little Joe and, to counteract the odor of hundreds of sweating men, the fresh pine scent of the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Eventually he managed to drop off, although it felt like only seconds before he once again heard the command to spoon over.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n He woke, groggy, stiff and sore from the night on the hard floor.\u00a0 Though he\u2019d spent many nights back home with only a bedroll between him and bare ground, earth was a soft cushion, compared to the unyielding wooden planks.\u00a0 The assurance from the guards every half hour that \u201cAll\u2019s well\u201d hadn\u2019t helped, either.\u00a0 Maybe it wasn\u2019t intended to, as if he needed the reminder that he was a prisoner.\u00a0 Not sure whether he was allowed to rise before the rest of the spoons or even if it was practicable in such close quarters, he lay still.\u00a0 There was barely light to see anything in the center of the room, but he pulled from his pocket the picture of his family and squinted to see each face whose memory had helped him through the night.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he whispered and put them away, close to his heart.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long, however, before men were stirring all around him, and almost as one, they stood and began to stretch and mill about, working out the kinks from their night\u2019s \u201crest.\u201d\u00a0 About an hour later, the clerk who had enrolled him on his arrival entered the room, accompanied by two guards loaded with revolvers.\u00a0 One, brandishing a Bowie knife better than a foot long, hollered out, \u201cGit in yo\u2019 lines!\u201d\u00a0 At a deliberate dawdle, the Union prisoners began to crowd into four columns, stretching from front to back of the room and filling the half nearest the windows.<\/p>\n Since they had been watching the veteran prisoners to learn the routine, Adam and Dan were far back in the line.\u00a0 Adam, in particular, was eager to pass by the windows, pull in a breath of fresh air and take another look at the street below them.\u00a0 The air, when he reached that goal wasn\u2019t much fresher, and all he could see was an open lot across the street, with a small church to the left and a warehouse similar to the one he was in on the far side.<\/p>\n \u201cBetter step back,\u201d he heard from the man behind him.\u00a0 When he glanced questioningly over his shoulder, he saw the same man who had told him about the recent whitewashing of the walls.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s against the rules, and sometimes the guards down there like to do a little target practice, although they tend to be more tolerant during roll call.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t want to be them if they hit a guard, instead of one of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cView isn\u2019t worth much anyway,\u201d Adam said, once he\u2019d taken a step away from the windows.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for the advice, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n The man nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSoon you\u2019ll be the old cod offering fresh fish advice, and, hopefully, I\u2019ll be out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExchanged?\u201d Adam asked, his own hopes rising.\u00a0 \u201cHow long does that take, if you don\u2019t mind my asking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAsk anything you like, Lieutenant.\u00a0 Rules say within ten days, but I\u2019m told it can take up to thirty, bureaucracy being what it sometimes is.\u201d\u00a0 He skewed a grin at Adam as he offered an example.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t suppose your pay is up to date?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFar from,\u201d Adam admitted.\u00a0 \u201cBetter under Hooker than Burnside, but somehow still always late.\u201d\u00a0 He thought for a moment of the family pictures inside his uniform and realized just how long it had been since he\u2019d seen a letter from home.\u00a0 He was sure Pa hadn\u2019t been lax in writing, but as the captain had said, the inevitable slowness of government bureaucracy had kept him from receiving anything for weeks.\u00a0 \u201cAny chance breakfast will be better than the view?\u201d he asked, mostly to cover the emotion thoughts of home welled up within him.<\/p>\n \u201cNot even up to its value, I\u2019m afraid,\u201d his informant said with a sigh, \u201cbut you\u2019ll get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time I\u2019m an old cod with hopes of leaving soon?\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout that time, yes,\u201d the captain said.\u00a0 Then, leaning close to Adam\u2019s ear, he added, \u201cBest leave off conversation for now.\u00a0 A nasty piece of work is our Eramus Ross, and we\u2019re close enough to the front of the line now to attract unwanted attention, if you take my meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do,\u201d Adam said with a glance at the front of the room, now only two rows of prisoners ahead of him.\u00a0 When his turn came, he gave his name to Ross, the clerk who had originally enrolled him, and passed to the left, as he\u2019d seen others do.\u00a0 It seemed odd to him, though, that they were expected to stand there, crowded into half a room, until all the prisoners had passed by the clerk.<\/p>\n Adam lifted an inquiring eyebrow when the last prisoner was registered for the day.\u00a0 \u201cBreakfast now, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as it is,\u201d his informant responded.\u00a0 \u201cWe took pity on your starving bellies this first day, but don\u2019t be surprised if roll call lasts a bit longer some days.\u00a0 Got to bedevil our friend Erasmus once in a while, just to keep him on his toes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as it is\u201d turned out to be a perfect description of the meager breakfast served a short time later.\u00a0 The plate he was handed held a quarter pound of what the other prisoners called \u201cConfederate beef.\u201d\u00a0 It was actually, as predicted, the flesh of a mule, a well-worked one with tough, stringy muscles, Adam decided as he chewed . . . and chewed . . . and chewed.\u00a0 Bites from the small portion of bread issued with it made it somewhat more palatable and easier to swallow.\u00a0 Dinner, served some four hours later, was identical, except the beef appeared to be from actual cows, boiled almost to oblivion, but more edible than breakfast, or so Adam told himself.\u00a0 For supper, they had only the bread, but he was still grateful to get it.\u00a0 After the scarcity he\u2019d experienced since his capture, a few ounces of semi-decent bread seemed like a feast.<\/p>\n As he had surmised, the hardest part of the day was filling the long hours.\u00a0 He tried to strike up conversations with a few of the veteran prisoners, but he\u2019d never been a loquacious man, and once he\u2019d asked about procedures here at Libby, there wasn\u2019t much else to say.\u00a0 Most of them hadn\u2019t been prisoners that much longer than he had, so their battle experiences were largely the same as his, and no one seemed particularly interested in sharing anything more personal.\u00a0 For that matter, neither did he.\u00a0 He wanted, rather, to keep sacred topics like family and home as far from this place as possible, although he took out the ambrotypes several times, just to remind himself of what he wanted to get back to.<\/p>\n Salvation for Adam came when he heard the sound of singing coming from across the room and step-by-crowded-step made his way toward it.\u00a0 After listening awhile, he worked up the boldness to ask whether he might join in on the songs he knew.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you carry a tune?\u201d asked one waggish songster.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been told I can,\u201d Adam replied, without a hint of braggadocio or false modesty, either, though irked enough by the taunt to have displayed both.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, give him a chance, Porter,\u201d said another man.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s always room for new blood in our choir, especially since we never know when we\u2019ll lose the next member.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough,\u201d said the man who seemed to be in charge.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, lieutenant,\u201d he said with a glance at Adam\u2019s shoulder straps.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know Early One Morning<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam acknowledged that he did, and after Major Porter intoned the starting pitch, he joined with the others.\u00a0 At first, he sang only the melody; then growing bolder, he added the harmony, and other parts joined in.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you can sing!\u201d Porter enthused.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me you haven\u2019t sung in a choir before, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt Yale,\u201d Adam admitted.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, a professional, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cScarcely that,\u201d Adam demurred.<\/p>\n \u201cAmong this company, exactly that,\u201d the major insisted.\u00a0 \u201cRehearsals daily after dinner, once you\u2019ve shared the delights of our table d\u2019h\u00f4te.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurpassed only by the delights of the bedlinens.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s quip, dryly delivered, was returned with the laughter of mutual commiseration, and for the next hour, as they rehearsed, he felt he was among friends.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite like singing in the chapel at Yale, but for a time that seemed all too brief, the glories of the grandest cathedral in America couldn\u2019t compare.<\/p>\n \u201cI see you\u2019ve found a way to pass the time,\u201d Dan observed when his mate returned later.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you sing?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cGood gracious, no!\u201d Dan burst out.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t carry a tune in a bucket.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan waved off the concern.\u00a0 \u201cI have other talents, not as showy as yours, but they\u2019ll suffice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, what\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll see in time,\u201d Dan said with a secretive smile.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the ways I\u2019ve found to occupy my time, however, is finding more uses for yours.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s arched eyebrow gave him a wary expression.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you done?\u201d he rumbled with playful suspicion, for he had learned that his first lieutenant always had his best interest at heart.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I overheard some men discussing possible courses to be taught here at Libby Academy, and I volunteered you as a professor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u00a0 You didn\u2019t!\u00a0 Wait, is there such a thing or are you pulling my leg, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApparently, there is such a thing,\u201d Dan said, chuckling.\u00a0 \u201cWhile you were busy singing, a man from another regiment came around, asking if I had any particular skills or areas of expertise to add to the curriculum.\u00a0 I said no, of course, but he was delighted when I told him all you had to offer, college boy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a student, not a teacher,\u201d Adam protested.<\/p>\n \u201cNo longer.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking at the new professor of mathematics,\u201d Dan grinned with a triumphant grin, \u201cand possibly draftsmanship.\u00a0 You did say you\u2019d worked as an architect last summer, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a clerk!\u201d Adam exploded.\u00a0 \u201cI did a few architectural renderings, but not enough to qualify as a teacher!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, too bad,\u201d Dan said, obviously not troubled at all by his mistake.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to settle for half salary, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Perturbed as he was, Adam couldn\u2019t keep his lips from twitching.\u00a0 \u201cIs there such a thing?\u201d he asked again.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this case, no,\u201d Dan laughed, \u201cunless you take payment in Confederate beef.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grunted. \u00a0\u201cPerish the thought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou will take on the mathematics course, though, won\u2019t you?\u201d Dan asked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen your skill at that, and I know I\u2019d sign up for that course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Adam agreed readily.\u00a0 He felt thoroughly competent in that subject, and it would give him something to fill the empty hours between the luxurious meals here . . . and, hopefully, take his mind off them.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Dan,\u201d he said earnestly.\u00a0 \u201cHopefully, it will be a short course, due to our imminent exchange, but in the interim, it just might preserve my sanity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy sole goal,\u201d Dan said.\u00a0 \u201cSanity is a quality I prize in my subordinates.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, what can I come up with to preserve yours?\u201d Adam queried, lifting the left corner of his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cI prize sanity in my commanders, as well, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve found my own way, sir.\u00a0 Wait and see, and that is an order.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n As early as he could the next morning, Adam lined up at the crowded water spigot to wash as best he could.\u00a0 One thing he had not expected in a prison was running water, something he hadn\u2019t experienced in the almost eight months he\u2019d been a soldier or often before that, if he were honest.\u00a0 Even at sophisticated Yale, he\u2019d had to fetch water from a pump in the yard.\u00a0 Here at Libby, it was available because more than thirty years earlier, the city of Richmond had laid iron pipes in areas where gravity would assist in raising water from the James River.\u00a0 Since that river ran directly behind the old tobacco warehouse where they were now residing, Libby Prison was one of the fortunate places serviced by the pipes.\u00a0 To Adam, it was a slice of heaven, and goodness only knew, Libby could use a hefty slice.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t discovered the amenity until late yesterday and had elected to save washing until morning.\u00a0 It was cold water, of course, and maybe he should have waited until the day heated up, but his longtime habit was to cleanse himself in the morning.\u00a0 Besides, he had other things to do later: choir rehearsal and some sort of mathematics class to teach before that.<\/p>\n Breakfast was the same dismal repast as yesterday, but with better prospects for the hours ahead, Adam was able to face it.\u00a0 As he chewed the stringy Confederate beef, he pondered what direction to take with his class.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure what caliber of student he would have or what their interests might be.\u00a0 For that matter, he wasn\u2019t sure anyone would show up, with the exception of Dan.<\/p>\n One of the benefits of teaching the class was his assignment of \u201cclassroom\u201d space.\u00a0 Since what he was teaching might involve some writing, he was designated an area close to the light of a window.\u00a0 When he questioned what he was supposed to use for paper and pens for his students, he was told, with a wry smile, not to worry; it would be provided.\u00a0 \u201cJust be sparing of it,\u201d the reigning president of their academy said.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t come without cost.\u201d\u00a0 When Adam learned that each man in the class would have to provide his own supplies, purchased from the guards, he was more determined than ever to make his class worthwhile, since he knew those funds could, instead, be spent to supplement the ghastly prison diet.\u00a0 For the same reason, he was also more convinced than ever that the class would be small.\u00a0 Probably just me and Dan<\/em>, he told himself to ward off disappointment.<\/p>\n Once the academy\u2019s current leader had called out time to start, he took a deep bolstering breath and walked to his assigned \u201cclassroom,\u201d with Dan tagging behind.\u00a0 \u201cI intend to be teacher’s pet,\u201d his first lieutenant quipped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may not have any competition,\u201d Adam returned wryly.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, of course, I will,\u201d Dan scolded.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I believe it\u2019s arriving now.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking up, Adam saw five other men, each with pencil and paper in hand, moving toward him.\u00a0 Drawing another long breath, he welcomed each with a handshake.\u00a0 One, a second lieutenant like Adam himself, seemed a little hesitant as he took his teacher\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to ask you, sir, what kind of mathematics you plan to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s to be determined,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI need to know from each of you what your background in the subject is and what you feel would most benefit you in the time we have together.\u00a0 When we\u2019ve reached a consensus on that, we\u2019ll begin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, no real work today, then?\u201d another man asked with a naughty twinkle in his eye.<\/p>\n \u201cSome, I hope,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all, I assume most of you will be exchanged before I am, so I want to give you a fair return for your money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMoney?\u201d the second lieutenant croaked.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know there was a charge.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed lightly, hoping to put the man, no older than he, at ease.\u00a0 \u201cI was referring to the supplies you\u2019ve already purchased.\u00a0 I fully appreciate that those funds could have been used for some Libby luxuries . . . like, perhaps, a potato or onion.\u201d\u00a0 Or a newspaper<\/em>, he thought, since, for him, food for thought was always more important than anything he might put in his mouth.<\/p>\n Goodhearted groans met this reminder of the limits of the table at Libby.\u00a0 \u201cI always knew professors had a cruel streak,\u201d a captain said with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n \u201cShall we begin to explore what you know and what you wish to learn?\u201d Adam suggested.\u00a0 \u201cTake a seat, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n The students folded onto the floor, most sitting with legs crossed, Indian style, and Adam began his inventory of their abilities and desires.\u00a0 Most seemed interested in learning more about algebra, so he started with a few basics and set a simple problem as homework.\u00a0 \u201cMemorize it,\u201d he suggested.\u00a0 \u201cThen you can ponder it, even in shallow light, and write out your solution later, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Class ended after an hour, and Adam received the thanks of his students, who said it was exactly what they needed.\u00a0 All but one.\u00a0 His fellow second lieutenant remained behind and said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be able to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rested a hand on the slumped shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIf you can\u2019t, I\u2019ll tutor you separately at whatever level you need.\u00a0 Any progress you make will be an asset to you in the world outside this place, which I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll be exchanged to rejoin soon.\u201d\u00a0 Sooner than me, anyway<\/em>, Adam mused, since he was obviously one of the freshest fish inside Libby\u2019s walls.<\/p>\n The man looked relieved, and his head bobbed eagerly.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s my hope.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try this one, at least.\u201d\u00a0 He waved his paper, on which he\u2019d written down the problem Adam had set them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll get it,\u201d Adam said to bolster his student\u2019s confidence.\u00a0 \u201cSee you tomorrow, same time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMonday, sir,\u201d the other corrected.\u00a0 \u201cNo class on the Sabbath.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Adam responded.\u00a0 \u201cI still have much to learn myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood to know!\u201d Dan chuckled, stepping toward them.\u00a0 He had held back before to allow the other two men what small degree of privacy he could grant anyone in this crowded room.\u00a0 Taking the superior officer\u2019s approach as a dismissal, the other man drifted away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou, sir, should concentrate on how much you have to learn,\u201d Adam snorted, \u201cand when it comes to algebra . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can come to you for special tutoring, too, can\u2019t I?\u201d\u00a0 A playful smirk slid across Dan\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Adam rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t need it.\u00a0 You have the background you need to absorb a new subject, unlike Roberts, who genuinely lacks it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Dan readily agreed to the obvious.\u00a0 \u201cGood of you to offer him the tutoring.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt so happens I have time in my busy schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n After the expected meal of boiled beef and bread, he gladly escaped into the pleasures of song once again.\u00a0 Rehearsal was more rigorous and lasted a little longer than the day before, no doubt due to tonight\u2019s scheduled performance.\u00a0 \u201cRest your voices until then,\u201d the director advised in concluding their session.<\/p>\n As the men began to leave, he motioned Adam to his side.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think you\u2019ll be ready to join us for this evening\u2019s performance, Lieutenant?\u00a0 I realize you\u2019ve had little rehearsal time, but you seem to be picking up the songs quite quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew several already,\u201d Adam replied, \u201c and I feel confident I can manage the others.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, good.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be in full voice, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam saluted and was just about to move away and try to find something, anything, to take up the hours until supper, when he heard a commotion in the street below.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t resist sidling over to the window to satisfy his curiosity.<\/p>\n \u201cCareful, Lieutenant,\u201d Major Porter warned.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t afford to lose one of our best voices for the concert tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam flushed at the praise, but remained where he was.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt the guards will be taking potshots today, sir.\u00a0 Too many prisoners down there to guard to worry about the ones already behind bars.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d Porter said, coming to his side and peering down, too.\u00a0 \u201cYour men?\u201d he guessed.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s bound to be,\u201d Adam replied. Then, he cried \u201cYes!\u201d and quickly lowered his voice lest he draw the guards\u2019 attention.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s some of our red cloverleafs down there.\u201d\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t admit it, of course, but he had his eye out for one particular prisoner.\u00a0 However, he didn\u2019t spot Michael Bufford among the throng being herded into the warehouse across the street.\u00a0 \u00a0He could only hope the private had not caused so much trouble along the march here that he was already dead.<\/p>\n When he met up with Dan shortly thereafter, he said, \u201cThere were some cloverleafs among the new prisoners, so it\u2019s our corps, at least, if not our own nutmeggers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re not a nutmegger,\u201d Dan scoffed, proud of his Connecticut roots; then he cocked his head quizzically.\u00a0 \u201cWhat on earth do they call men from Nevada, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cManly pioneers,\u201d Adam said with so straight a face it took Dan a moment to realize his leg was being pulled.\u00a0 Turning serious, Adam said, \u201cA shame we can\u2019t have our men with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan snorted. \u00a0\u201cYou should know by now that Luxurious Libby is for officers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf this is luxury, what awaits our men?\u201d Adam demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Dan admitted, \u201cand I do care, Adam, but there isn\u2019t much we can do about it.\u00a0 They\u2019ll have to get by on their own until we\u2019re all exchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s brow furrowed as he again pondered whether that scapegrace Bufford had it in him to survive without a speck of guidance.\u00a0 Then he grimaced as he recalled Saint Paul\u2019s advice not to think of himself more highly than he ought.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n His nervous stomach wouldn\u2019t allow Adam to eat even the scanty supper provided, for the concert would be almost directly afterwards.\u00a0 He\u2019d always been that way, even when the bounties of home had been available, for he\u2019d never wanted anything to keep him from his best performance.\u00a0 Even that, however, didn\u2019t explain the anxiety he felt as he lined up with the other singers.\u00a0 After all, this would probably be the most forgiving audience he\u2019d ever faced if the philosophy of \u201cbeggars can\u2019t be choosers\u201d held true, for there could scarcely be an audience closer to beggars than the ragtag prisoners of war, now seated on the floor, row upon row.<\/p>\n Maybe, he thought, as Major Porter stood before them, it was the lack of accompaniment, which would leave their voices bare and vulnerable, with nothing to cover the slightest mistake.\u00a0 He\u2019d sung a cappella<\/em> before, though.\u00a0 No, there was nothing to blame but his inborn need for perfection, so he\u2019d just have to set it aside and sing with all his heart.\u00a0 Men desperate for anything to help them forget where they were for a brief hour deserved that.\u00a0 He\u2019d no sooner come to that conclusion than the director\u2019s right hand moved down-left-right-up to set the tempo for the first measure, and all his nerves disappeared in the sheer enjoyment the music permitted him to both receive and give to men who needed it as much as he.<\/p>\n No audience, not even the miners back home, who were nearly as deprived of entertainment as the soldiers here, had ever applauded louder.\u00a0 The sound was thunderous in the packed room as they came to their feet for a standing ovation and then surged forward to reward the singers with hearty slaps on the back and handshakes all around.\u00a0 More than one came up to Adam to tell him what a fine voice he had and how much it added to the choir.\u00a0 Inwardly, Adam groaned.\u00a0 After all Herr Stoeckel at Yale had tried to teach him about balance, he\u2019d fallen back into his old habit of sticking out like a sore thumb.\u00a0 He would have apologized to his fellow vocalists, but somehow, here, he didn\u2019t think it would matter, and frankly, some of the voices could do with the bit of cover an overly enthusiastic singer could provide.\u00a0 He let himself relax and just absorb the goodwill.\u00a0 Somehow, when he lay down to sleep, the floor didn\u2019t seem half so hard or the bodies he was spooned with nearly as sweaty as before.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Despite the afterglow of the previous night\u2019s success, Adam woke with a moan.\u00a0 Not because his body was sore, though it was, but because it was Sunday, and here in Libby, Sunday was kept in Sabbath quietude.\u00a0 Not because the men here had transformed from soldiers to saints, but because there was absolutely nothing on the agenda except roll call and meals, neither of those events something to look forward to.\u00a0 Out of respect for the more devout among them, there would be no classes and no choir rehearsal; in short, nothing to fill the long hours until he again lay down on his unyielding bed.<\/p>\n As he often did in such moments, Adam took out the pictures of his family and looked long and lovingly at them: Pa, his rock of support in all the hard places of his life; Hoss, whose faithful friendship he could always rely on; and Little Joe, with his innocent cherub\u2019s smile and a naughty twinkle in his eye that hinted at the touch of imp inside. \u00a0What he wouldn\u2019t give to laugh at the antics of that imp today!\u00a0 So dear, all of them, and just seeing their cherished images again strengthened his resolve to endure whatever he had to, whether mere boredom or worse, to return to them again.\u00a0 As men around him began to stir, he put the pictures away and made his way back to the latrines and then the water spigot to begin this new and doubtlessly over-long day.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t sure how he would have gotten through it, had it not been for Dan, though even they found little to talk about once they\u2019d exhausted their habitual grousing about the food and service at Hotel Libby.\u00a0 When Dan got up to leave him, saying only, \u201cBack soon,\u201d he assumed his friend had headed for the latrine to deal with another bout of dysentery, to which he seemed increasingly prone.\u00a0 Dan\u2019s absence, however, stretched so far past \u201cback soon\u201d that he decided to investigate, but as soon as he stood up, he saw the first lieutenant across the room, talking to another officer.\u00a0 Sitting down, he dejectedly decided that his erstwhile friend had become so bored with his taciturn company that he\u2019d gone in search of more amiable conversation.<\/p>\n He could not have been more wrong.\u00a0 Within ten minutes his former companion, grinning ear to ear, returned.\u00a0 \u201cGuess what I\u2019ve obtained for you,\u201d Dan said, arms held behind his back.<\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t imagine,\u201d Adam responded grumpily, holding to his previous conclusion.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you might try,\u201d Dan said, his lips tightening into a straight line.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve gone to some trouble for it, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook himself in realization that he was acting like a churl.\u00a0 Whatever this gift might be, Dan was, at least, trying to make a bad situation bearable for him, and he deserved a better reward.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI am a grouch this morning.\u00a0 Must\u2019ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure there\u2019s a right one,\u201d Dan said, as he folded amiably onto the floor and finally pulled his offering from behind his back.<\/p>\n Adam was not given to sudden transformations of mood, but his eyes lit with wonder, delight and expectation as he reached greedily for the folded paper Dan extended to him.\u00a0 \u201cHow . . . how did you?\u201d<\/p>\n Dan shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cAsked around.\u00a0 It\u2019s yesterday\u2019s paper, too, as fresh off the presses as you can get here at Libby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re amazing, and it must have cost you a pretty penny, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan laughed.\u00a0 \u201cA penny, period, no matter the state of its appearance.\u00a0 It\u2019s only rented, my friend.\u00a0 Yours until an hour past dinner, so devour what you will \u2018til then, and share the gleanings with me afterwards, all right?\u00a0 I\u2019ve found something elsewhere to occupy my Sunday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what mischief might that be?\u201d Adam queried with a waggle of his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cWait and see,\u201d Dan replied mysteriously and quickly took himself off toward the side of the room.<\/p>\n Shrugging, Adam opened the folded sheets and, squinting in the dim light, began to read the first article.\u00a0 Titled only \u201cSupplies,\u201d it made him groan, for apparently a Union raid had curtailed the arrival of supplies in Richmond.\u00a0 He could well imagine who would feel the brunt of any shortage in that department!\u00a0 Much as he dreaded further curtailment of their already meager diet, he could hardly view any Federal success with disfavor.\u00a0 He continued his perusal of the Richmond Dispatch<\/em> of May 9, which related reports of Hooker\u2019s troops with anything but an unbiased eye.\u00a0 While Adam\u2019s own opinion of Fighting Joe didn\u2019t differ much, it was hard to see his commanding officer and his expectations of pressing \u201con to Richmond\u201d ridiculed in the enemy\u2019s press.\u00a0 Still harder to read the article copied from the London Times,<\/em> which seemed to imply that the North had little chance of victory against their opponents in the South.\u00a0 It even mentioned reports that a Northwestern Confederacy was being planned in the Western states.\u00a0 Adam couldn\u2019t credit that one; nonetheless, he pondered whether his own Nevada might be involved in such talks, if they, indeed, existed.\u00a0 It was, after all, a territory of divided loyalties, although when he\u2019d left, the Unionists were still in the majority.\u00a0 Who knew what could have happened since then? \u00a0He felt a sudden longing to be home, to defend something more dear to him than even the Union.<\/p>\n Not wanting to let his brief time with the newspaper go to waste, however, he read on diligently, even stories he would ordinarily have skimmed through or skipped altogether: reports of crimes and court cases\u2014oddly enough most of them in the north, rather than local news\u2014arrests after an April 2nd<\/sup> riot in the streets of Richmond, births and deaths, an amusing story about a battle between two swarms of bees and another relating the exchange between a lady whose hoop skirt monopolized the sidewalk and a drunken man.\u00a0 Of them all, only one had any personal impact on him, and he sighed when he read the lists of amusements available last night in Richmond.<\/p>\n Returning just in time to hear it, Dan asked, \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing our liberty wouldn\u2019t cure,\u201d Adam responded.\u00a0 Seeing frown lines crease his friend\u2019s forehead, he said, \u201cI\u2019m jealous of the entertainment available outside these walls.\u00a0 What I wouldn\u2019t give to see the performance of Macbeth at the Marshall Theater!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPoppycock!\u201d Dan scolded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure any Confederate version of Shakespeare will pale by comparison with what you\u2019ve seen in the North . . . or even the wilds of Nevada.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hooted, good humor restored, although his face sobered again as he read the final entries in the Richmond Dispatch<\/em>, which starkly detailed the trade in human lives that had led to this bitter war between the States.\u00a0 First, a man and a woman offered for hire or sale and then, five separate listings seeking the return of runaway slaves, including one only ten years old.\u00a0 Well, that certainly gave the lie to the notion that slaves were generally content with their lot!\u00a0 If anything, the reminder of why he\u2019d joined the Army in the first place strengthened his resolve to get out of this place and back in the fight.<\/p>\n He skimmed once more through the stories he thought would most interest Dan and then folded the paper neatly to pass on to the next \u201crenter.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he told his friend.\u00a0 \u201cIt really helped pass the morning for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Dan said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you\u2019ll enjoy this as much, but it did occupy my time successfully.\u201d\u00a0 Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out something, held his hand toward Adam and slowly unrolled his fingers.\u00a0 Lying in his palm was a ring carved from a bone.\u00a0 \u201cWell, go on; take it,\u201d Dan chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cCall it a token of my esteem for your grand musical performance last night.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u00a0 How?\u201d Adam stammered.<\/p>\n Dan snorted.\u00a0 \u201cWhere?\u00a0 Here, of course.\u00a0 As to how, well, I carved it from one of the bones I found in our delightful dinners.\u00a0 I hope I got the size close to right.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam slid it onto a finger of his right hand.\u00a0 \u201cNear perfect and quite attractive, he said, admiring the design carved around its circle.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll treasure it always, Dan.\u00a0 Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can locate enough bones,\u201d Dan said, \u201cI\u2019ll make us a set of checkers.\u00a0 Not sure how we\u2019ll manage a board, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll manage,\u201d Adam vowed.\u00a0 Lying back on his elbows, he reflected on his friend\u2019s kindness.\u00a0 It had certainly made this long day pass more quickly, and now he was promising future enjoyment, as well.\u00a0 Adam was grateful to God and good angels, as Pa\u2019d told him his mother used to say, that he\u2019d been enrolled in the same company as Dan Worthington.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam rolled over with a groan, roused by the sound of men stirring around him.\u00a0 Was it his imagination or were the floors getting harder each night?\u00a0 He felt like an old man as he lurched to his feet and stumbled groggily toward the latrines at the back of the large room.\u00a0 Seeing the length of the line to use them, he almost cursed, but a sudden thought of Pa and what he would think of such behavior put a wry smile on his face, although the expression was a feeble copy of what it would have been back home.\u00a0 He could almost hear Pa quoting Philippians: \u201cThink on good things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHard to do when there aren\u2019t any, Pa,\u201d he muttered under his breath and immediately felt ashamed.\u00a0 It was Monday, after all.\u00a0 He\u2019d made it through the enforced idleness of Sunday, thanks to Dan\u2019s kindness, and today offered brighter prospects: his math class to teach and choir rehearsal.\u00a0 At its end he\u2019d be one day closer to the day he\u2019d be exchanged and could once again breathe the unsullied air of freedom.\u00a0 With his index finger, he stroked Dan\u2019s ring as if it were a talisman of that promise, as well as their bond of friendship.<\/p>\n After relieving himself and washing as best he could, it was time to line up for roll call.\u00a0 Always a long, wearisome procedure, but today the guards seemed more ill-tempered than before, as if trying to provoke some indiscriminate behavior they could punish.\u00a0 Men ahead of him in line were being shoved roughly aside after giving their names, and those who dared to protest were treated to worse.\u00a0 The man ahead of him in line apparently didn\u2019t give his name quickly enough, and the guard clouted him on his left ear and spewed, \u201cYankee murderer!\u201d at him, spitting in his face to further emphasize his enmity.\u00a0 Some of the spittle struck Adam\u2019s cheek, and he instinctively wiped it away with his hand.<\/p>\n Apparently, this, too, was an offense today, for the guard punished him by working up a mouth full of saliva and ejecting it, full force, into Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 His taunting face dared the prisoner to react again.\u00a0 Adam raised his chin and faced the tormenter with steady gaze, but kept his hands at his side and his mouth shut.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t bait the bear in its den,\u201d he reminded himself as he walked away.\u00a0 When it was safe, he swiped both cheeks with the back of his hand.<\/p>\n Dan Worthington, who\u2019d seen what happened, came close to Adam\u2019s ear and whispered, \u201cWonder what\u2019s got their dander up this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps Hooker\u2019s marching on Richmond,\u201d Adam suggested wryly.<\/p>\n \u201cIf only,\u201d Dan scoffed.<\/p>\n It was mid-morning, shortly after classes dismissed, before they found out, and the news was met by some with hurrahs and shouts of triumph.\u00a0 Adam himself couldn\u2019t rejoice in the death of any man, although he knew that the loss of Stonewall Jackson the day before was certainly to the Union\u2019s advantage.\u00a0 He\u2019d been an able and, from all he\u2019d heard, honorable opponent, even though he\u2019d fought in an unsupportable cause.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen Jackson\u2019s wife and newborn daughter arrive at Guinea Station, and remembering that he, too, had been orphaned in infancy kept him somberly silent while others cheered.<\/p>\n The rumor mill reported that Jackson\u2019s body was to arrive on the noon train, but the hour came and passed without any update that it had.\u00a0 As the choir met after a lunch that seemed more paltry than usual, Adam chanced a glance out the window and was immediately reprimanded by the choirmaster.\u00a0 \u201cToday of all days, that isn\u2019t wise,\u201d Major Porter scolded.\u00a0 \u201cIf ever the guards were in a mood to take potshots at any face they saw, it would be today, and as I\u2019ve told you before, we can ill afford to lose a voice as good as yours, Lieutenant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam responded automatically.\u00a0 Then, realizing that sounded as if he were agreeing with the compliment paid him, he tried to stammer out an apology.\u00a0 Porter waved it aside as unnecessary, and sounded the starting pitch of the next song.\u00a0 As rehearsal ended, however, heightened noise in the street below made more than one risk a cautious look out the window, where a growing crowd was taking out their frustration over the delay of Jackson\u2019s arrival on the Yankees closest to hand.\u00a0 Castigating voices hurled accusations of \u201cMurdering Yanks!\u201d at the prison walls.\u00a0 They really ought to be yelling \u201cMurdering Rebs!\u201d if anything, Adam mused.\u00a0 While it was true that many of the prisoners now in Libby had fought in the battle that took Jackson\u2019s life, by all reports, he\u2019d been accidentally shot by his own men, not anyone in Union blue.\u00a0 Probably worth a man\u2019s life, though, to point out that inconvenient truth.<\/p>\n One of the guards yelled to the crowd that Jackson\u2019s train had been delayed.\u00a0 \u201cGonna be closer to 4 by the time he gets here, so ya\u2019ll might as well go on home and rest yourselves \u2018til then.\u201d\u00a0 The crowd still seemed reluctant to leave, but slowly they began to tire of hollering insults at nonresponding prison walls and began to drift away.<\/p>\n Much later that afternoon, Dan looked up from the checkers piece he was carving.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear something?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s brow wrinkled with frown lines.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d he conceded, though they were a long way from the open window. \u00a0Almost immediately, he added, \u201cYeah, I think so.\u201d\u00a0 The noise was faint, but it did resemble the crowd noise that had earlier been right below that window.\u00a0 It seemed to grow closer for a brief while and then, though somewhat louder, remained at what he estimated was several blocks to the southwest.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019re coming here,\u201d he finally said to Dan.\u00a0 \u201cThey must be congregating where they expect General Jackson to be brought.\u00a0 Not the depot where they deposited us, though.\u00a0 That\u2019s closer.\u00a0 Wonder what\u2019s just south of that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCapitol grounds,\u201d a soldier nearby answered.\u00a0 \u201cReckon they\u2019re taking the mighty general to the Governor\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cThat seems reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n The soldier snorted derisively, but Adam couldn\u2019t be sure if that was directed at him or \u201cthe mighty general\u201d himself.\u00a0 He suspected the latter.<\/p>\n The prisoners soon learned that evening rations would be delayed, out of respect for the procession bringing General Jackson to that place of honor, and they were all too wise to complain.\u00a0 It was close to sundown by the time they finally lined up to received their nightly ration of bread, well-seasoned with scowls and a relish of sarcasm.<\/p>\n After another lengthy and ill-humored roll call, Adam immediately sought his spot on the floor and stretched out on his right side.\u00a0 Walking on eggshells was tiring work, and he was ready for this day to end and, hopefully, be followed by one less tense on the morrow.\u00a0 \u201cRest in peace, General Jackson,\u201d he thought as he closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThen, maybe, we can find some ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Whether wish or prayer, Adam got what he wanted, and the next day was as quiet and ordinary as he could possibly have hoped.\u00a0 And the day after that brought both good news and an evening when all the irritants of life at Libby were suspended, at least for an hour.\u00a0 The good news came first, and while it didn\u2019t directly affect Adam, at least it would powerfully impact men he knew and felt a kinship with.<\/p>\n The announcement was made immediately after roll call, while all the prisoners stood huddled, hungry, on one side of the room.\u00a0 At first, the delay in receiving morning rations was thought to be an extra irritant, intended to punish them for any lack of respect regarding Jackson, but then came the glad word that some soldiers would be exchanged, including the enlisted men of the 27th<\/sup> Connecticut.\u00a0 Though Libby was a prison designated for officers, there hadn\u2019t been room for all the enlisted men at Crew and Pemberton\u2019s tobacco warehouse across the street, and forty to fifty members of the 27th<\/sup> were lodged here.\u00a0 None were from Adam\u2019s company, but the news would affect those across the street, as well, and he was glad, if a little envious, that men he knew and cared for were headed toward freedom.\u00a0 The shout of joy that met the announcement was quickly squelched by the guards, of course.<\/p>\n High spirits couldn\u2019t be squelched, however, even if their expression was forcibly subdued.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be our turn next,\u201d Dan told Adam with an encouraging smile.<\/p>\n Adam emitted a long, dreamy sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI have to admit I, for one, can scarcely wait to join our enlisted men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I, for one, am grateful that you weren\u2019t included on the roster of those to be exchanged,\u201d another voice inserted, \u201cthat is, if you can act as well as you sing.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam spun around and smiled in recognition of a tall, dark-haired man he\u2019d met at choir rehearsals.\u00a0 \u201cOh, hello, Major . . . Biggers, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Lieutenant.\u00a0 Well, can you?\u201d Biggers asked with a trace of impatience.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I . . . what?\u201d Adam responded.<\/p>\n \u201cAct,\u201d Major Biggers sputtered.\u00a0 \u201cOr, to put it more bluntly, could you learn a few lines and render them with any degree whatsoever of credibility?\u00a0 I\u2019m desperate enough to take almost anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes, I probably have that much ability as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s too modest,\u201d Dan spoke up with a wicked grin.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, college boys are always putting on productions of one type or another, aren\u2019t they, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot when they\u2019re freshmen,\u201d Adam muttered with a murderous look at his first lieutenant.\u00a0 \u201cYale expects beginners to stick to their studies, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, a Yale man!\u201d\u00a0 Biggers almost bubbled with enthusiasm.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I remember that now!\u00a0 You definitely have the ability to memorize, then . . . and we won\u2019t even demand it in Latin . . . or Greek or whatever your specialty is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe, sir?\u201d Adam said with an inquiring arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Libby Players,\u201d Major Biggers replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re scheduled to put on a production tonight, and we\u2019ve lost a couple of our actors to the ravages of dysentery.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s last-minute, but could you help out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, as long as you don\u2019t expect a professional performance,\u201d Adam said with a grin, which turned positively wicked as he draped a long arm around the shoulders of the man so evidently eager to volunteer him for anything under the sun, \u201cand as you need another man, can I recommend Lieutenant Daniel Worthington?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no!\u201d Dan exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cI-I couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 I\u2019m not . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAble to relay orders from on high with great accuracy,\u201d Adam said with a wink at the captain, \u201cso if the part is no longer than that, Dan\u2019s your man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did say desperate,\u201d Biggers laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ll do fine, Lieutenant Worthington, and I\u2019ll give you the smaller part.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled out a couple of sheets of paper with handwritten lines and pointed out the part each of them needed to learn and told them where and when to come for rehearsal.<\/p>\n After the major left, Dan growled at Adam, \u201cHow could you?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed aloud.\u00a0 \u201cTurnabout is fair play, sir . . . or so I was taught in school.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan blew out a derisive gust of air.\u00a0 \u201cCollege boy,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n Adam hooted.\u00a0 \u201cI meant grammar school!\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 Let\u2019s have a look at these lines, see if we can\u2019t get them learned before our delightful dinner arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam studied his lines diligently and thought he had them almost mastered by the time he left for choir rehearsal.\u00a0 He returned to find Dan still struggling with his smaller part and devoted himself to helping his friend until time for play rehearsal, as indicated by the chime of some distant clock in the city. \u00a0Adam and a very reluctant Dan made their way to the appointed part of the room, where they met the other players.\u00a0 Due to the scarcity of paper, none of them, except the director, had a full copy of the script, each actor having only a page with his own lines and the ones immediately before it to serve as cues.\u00a0 Served up that way, they hadn\u2019t made much sense to the two lieutenants, though Adam suggested that the play appeared to be a send-up of incarcerated life.<\/p>\n And so it proved to be.\u00a0 The amateur author was no Shakespeare, but the script was funny, spoofing the notorious foibles of the guards and the daily indignities of life in Libby: the close quarters, the fragrant aroma of so many sweating bodies spooned together, and some soldiers\u2019 recurrent battles with an invading army of lice.\u00a0 Thankfully, neither Adam nor Dan had felt that final torment yet, though they\u2019d been told it was inevitable.\u00a0 Adam did his best to deliver his funniest lines with a dry humor that the director declared an example for all to follow.\u00a0 Poor Dan tried, but his lines tended to be spoken in such stilted tones that they did, indeed, sound like a relay of orders from command headquarters.\u00a0 \u201cLoosen him up a bit, if you can,\u201d the director whispered to Adam at the close of rehearsal, and Adam nodded his acceptance of the challenge.<\/p>\n As he and Dan walked back to their usual area, Adam emitted a long sigh.\u00a0 Then he said with exaggerated glumness, \u201cToo bad they couldn\u2019t have waited a day for those exchanges.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid attendance at our debut tonight may be greatly diminished.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you kidding?\u201d Dan started to protest indignantly.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you wish any man\u2019s stay here to be extended by even . . .\u201d\u00a0 Then, spotting the wicked grin that crossed his second lieutenant\u2019s face, he wagged an admonishing finger under Adam\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful,\u201d he threatened, \u201cor I\u2019ll have you up on charges of behavior unbecoming an officer.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gave him a razor-sharp salute.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir!\u00a0 Duly noted, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n It was late afternoon before the enlisted men bound for freedom lined up below them on Carey Street and marched toward City Point, where the United States transport steamer awaited them.\u00a0 The final dramatic rehearsal, ongoing at the time, was suspended briefly.\u00a0 The guards were always less likely to take potshots at the window when they had a mass of prisoners in the street to take their attention, so the players, especially those most directly touched, could scan the gathering crowd for familiar faces in presumptive safety.\u00a0 Adam spotted several men of their company, including Michael Bufford, whose wide grin could not be missed, and it was soon reflected by those on the faces of both his senior officers.<\/p>\n As the men marched out, the director cleared his throat loudly.\u00a0 \u201cCan we get back to business, gentlemen?\u201d he suggested pointedly.\u00a0 \u201cWe have a performance tonight, if you recall.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The play was a rousing success.\u00a0 \u201cEncore!\u00a0 Encore!\u201d shouted the grateful audience.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have one,\u201d the director declared loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cDo this one again, then!\u201d<\/p>\n Major Biggers shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot enough time before lights out,\u201d he muttered. Looking around the gathered cast, he asked, \u201cAnyone have a poem they could recite or something?\u00a0 Anything?\u201d<\/p>\n When the plea met nothing but silence, Adam reluctantly suggested, \u201cI could probably quote a speech from Shakespeare, if you think they\u2019d tolerate the immortal bard.\u00a0 The miners back home do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re on,\u201d declared his leader, pointing an authoritative index finger at Adam\u2019s chest, and he stepped forward to announce the next offering.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Adam knew exactly what he wanted to recite, and given the short notice, that was next door to a miracle.\u00a0 As he\u2019d mentally reviewed his lines that afternoon, he\u2019d several times found his thoughts straying to a speech from \u201cAs You Like It,\u201d and the choice struck him as particularly apt for this audience.\u00a0 Stepping forward, he began to recite the words with all the feeling he could muster:<\/p>\n \u201cAll the world\u2019s a stage,<\/p>\n And all the men and women merely players;<\/p>\n They have their exits and their entrances,<\/p>\n And one man in his time plays many parts,<\/p>\n His acts being seven ages.\u00a0 At first the infant,<\/p>\n Mewling and puking in the nurse\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchel<\/p>\n And shining morning face, creeping like snail<\/p>\n Unwillingly to school.\u00a0 And then the lover,<\/p>\n Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad<\/p>\n Made to his mistress\u2019 eyebrow.\u201d<\/p>\n He said this line with an exaggerated arch of his own prominent eyebrow, to which the audience responded with appreciative laughter.\u00a0 Then his mood sobered suddenly as he continued with the fourth age of man, a section he knew each man here would find personally significant:<\/p>\n \u201cThen, a soldier,<\/p>\n Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,<\/p>\n Jealous in honor, sudden, and quick in quarrel,<\/p>\n Seeking the bubble reputation<\/p>\n Even in the cannon\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 And then, the justice,<\/p>\n In fair round belly, with a good capon lined,<\/p>\n With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,<\/p>\n Full of wise saws, and modern instances,<\/p>\n And so he plays his part.\u201d<\/p>\n For this fifth age he used his fond memories of Pa, who had the wisdom of a justice, though without the round belly, but since even Pa hadn\u2019t reached the advanced years of the final two sections, he had only his imagination to draw on as he finished the speech:<\/p>\n \u201cThe sixth age shifts<\/p>\n Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,<\/p>\n With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,<\/p>\n His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide<\/p>\n For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,<\/p>\n Turning again toward childish treble, pipes<\/p>\n And whistles in his sound.\u00a0 Last scene of all,<\/p>\n That ends this strange eventful history,<\/p>\n Is second childishness and mere oblivion,<\/p>\n Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.\u201d<\/p>\n His head shook in apparent sympathy as he finished, but the wicked gleam in his eye made the audience laugh outright, and they broke into applause until it was silenced by the order to disperse and find their beds.\u00a0 As he made his way toward his spot on the floor, one of the guards stopped him.\u00a0 \u201cNot bad, Yank,\u201d he drawled.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t no Booth, but not bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Adam said, some remnant of Pa\u2019s mannerliness surviving, even in this atmosphere.\u00a0 He cared nothing for the guard\u2019s good opinion, but he had to agree.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen the Booths perform back in California, and he was definitely not up to that standard.\u00a0 Still, even to be mentioned in the same context was gratifying, and it was with a sense of satisfaction that he once again stretched out on the hard floor.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n That sense of satisfaction was still with Adam when he woke the next morning.\u00a0 The dramatic performance had made him recall similar productions back at Yale and, if he cast his mind back even further, at his academy in Sacramento.\u00a0 He\u2019d enjoyed the opportunity to express himself and regretted that it had to end.\u00a0 But it had to, of course.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t be fair to begin a new play when he wasn\u2019t likely to be available for its actual production.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely right!\u201d Dan agreed enthusiastically, for entirely different and thoroughly transparent reasons.<\/p>\n \u201cStill, we should tell Major Biggers our reasons for leaving the company,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cHe may not have put two and two together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot having taken your math class,\u201d Dan quipped.<\/p>\n Adam groaned dutifully.\u00a0 \u201cThe wonder is that you did take it and still can\u2019t put two and two together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m truly hopeless,\u201d Dan said, \u201cso you make the excuses for both of us.\u00a0 I\u2019d be sure to forget my lines, and you, sir, are a master declaimer.\u00a0 Everyone says so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt that,\u201d Adam snorted.\u00a0 \u201cYou, sir, are simply lazy or, perhaps, a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d challenge you to a duel for that insult, if I had a better sword than a chicken bone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak for yourself,\u201d Adam groaned.\u00a0 \u201cPersonally, I have not seen a chicken bone for so long that I\u2019m afraid I wouldn\u2019t recognize one if you thrust me through with it!\u201d<\/p>\n Dan chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI give up.\u00a0 I\u2019ll never match you in a duel of words.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you can challenge me to one with chicken bones, first meal after we take the transport north.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith our luck, it\u2019ll be liver and onions, not chicken,\u201d Dan said, shaking his head.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, the ambrosia of the gods,\u201d Adam smirked back with a provoking arch of his eyebrow.<\/p>\n Not wanting to wait until the designated rehearsal hour to deliver his resignation, Adam approached Major Biggers immediately after teaching his math class.\u00a0 The director looked elated to see him.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Lieutenant Cartwright!\u201d he enthused.\u00a0 \u201cJust the man I want to see!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo discuss the next production?\u201d Adam guessed with discerning dread.<\/p>\n \u201cExactly!\u00a0 After your inspired performance last night, I suppose it can come as no surprise that I\u2019ve tapped you for the lead in our next one.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s heart sank.\u00a0 Ordinarily, he\u2019d have been elated to hear such news, but now it only made the message he was about to transmit harder.<\/p>\n Biggers caught his expression and sobered.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not pleased?\u00a0 Come now, lieutenant, you mustn\u2019t be so shy and self-effacing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d Adam said, shocked into blunt truth, \u201cbut I came to see you, sir, to tell you that Lieutenant Worthington and I\u2014of necessity, not desire, at least on my part\u2014must resign from the company.\u201d<\/p>\n The major frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat necessity?\u00a0 Some more enticing opportunity?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly not,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yes, in a way, I suppose.\u00a0 Freedom is always more enticing than remaining here at Libby, sir, and since our enlisted men have been exchanged, I presume our liberation cannot be far behind.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t want to start a new production and then leave you in the lurch at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Major Biggers\u2019 reaction was the last Adam had expected: he laughed, loud enough to turn heads in their direction.\u00a0 \u201cOh, the optimism of youth,\u201d he declared when he gained control of himself.\u00a0 Seeing Adam\u2019s puzzled expression, he smiled wryly and said, \u201cDoes it not occur to you, lieutenant, that if that logic held, I\u2019d be gone long before you?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt like an idiot.\u00a0 For him to be bested at logic by anyone was a rare occurrence.\u00a0 Here, it was downright embarrassing.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose it should have,\u201d he admitted slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re still a fresh fish,\u201d Biggers consoled him.\u00a0 \u201cTo be more specific, lieutenant, the exchange system is a fickle mistress and its timing utterly unreliable.\u00a0 It can be swift, especially for enlisted men, as they can be exchanged one for one.\u00a0 Officers are considered more valuable, so a higher rate is required to redeem us.\u00a0 Anywhere from four enlisted men for a lieutenant such as yourself, to sixty for a general.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, I knew that, somewhere at the back of my mind.\u201d \u00a0Adam sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t misunderstand me, Lieutenant Cartwright,\u201d the major continued.\u00a0 \u201cI wish you the speediest release from Libby possible, and it is minimally possible that it could be before our next production.\u00a0 If so, I\u2019ll deal with it, hard as that will be.\u00a0 In the meantime, I suggest we go on as if we expected to get one more performance out of you before losing you to the greater enticement of freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam straightened, barely restraining himself from saluting.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 Happy to, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 The major\u2019s smile was warm and genuine, and as Adam turned to leave, he cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cAnd, uh, you can tell Lieutenant Worthington that I hadn\u2019t planned to give him many lines, perhaps none.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI think he\u2019ll be relieved, sir.\u00a0 Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan looked not only relieved, but elated at the news, but he sobered quickly when the other shoe dropped.\u00a0 \u201cI knew it was too good to be true . . . or should have,\u201d he said and then shrugged it off.\u00a0 \u201cWell, at least, it gives me one more opportunity to enjoy your dramatic talents.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled lightly, but secretly admitted how much he, too, would enjoy that opportunity.\u00a0 Certainly, it made the disappointment over the delayed exchange easier to bear, and he lay down that night content, despite his continuing confinement with all its petty discomforts.\u00a0 Unknown to him, on an island in Lake Erie, far to the north, something would happen the next day which would threaten not only his hopes for an early exchange, but his very life.<\/p>\n Chapter 9<\/p>\n The Lottery of Death<\/p>\n Still aware of no danger greater than delay, Adam concentrated on the responsibilities directly before him, which were considerable.\u00a0 He found great satisfaction in the progress of his mathematics students.\u00a0 Each was making strides in algebra, even the one whose background should have ensured failure.\u00a0 Perhaps, he thought, there is something to be said for an environment that limits distractions.\u00a0 Then he shook his head.\u00a0 There was nothing to be said for the environment of a Confederate prison.\u00a0 The credit belonged entirely to the men who had purposed to make the best of this miserable situation and prepare themselves for a better future.<\/p>\n Saturday, he focused on the choir\u2019s performance that night, as well as the director\u2019s unexpected request that he have a solo ready, if needed.\u00a0 Apparently, his encore at the conclusion of the previous performance of the Libby Players had put ideas in the choir master\u2019s head.\u00a0 \u201cEven if it\u2019s only that song you sang when I auditioned you,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n Adam thought he could surely do better than that, so throughout the morning, he racked his brain for every song he knew.\u00a0 He finally decided on one he had learned from some Irish miners back home, \u201cThe Meeting of the Waters.\u201d\u00a0 The sentimental ballad he sang that night at the close of the concert portrayed the beautiful setting of the Avoca River.\u00a0 He\u2019d never seen that place, of course, so his own mind conjured memories of the Truckee River, flowing from Lake Tahoe into Pyramid Lake.\u00a0 A wilder river, probably, than the Irish one, but the song\u2019s message expressed longings for home that Adam knew would resonate with every man here.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t even have to try to enthuse the words with feeling, for he could almost see the river gurgling through Truckee Meadows as he began:<\/p>\n \u201cThere is not in the wide world a valley so sweet<\/p>\n As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet;<\/p>\n Oh! The last rays of feeling and life must depart;<\/p>\n Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n His sentiments intensified as he began the second verse, whose words even more conjured scenes of the pristine beauties of the Ponderosa and the third brought more powerful images of home:<\/p>\n \u201cYet it was not that nature had shed o\u2019er the scene<\/p>\n Her purest of crystal and brightest of green;<\/p>\n \u2018Twas not the soft magic of streamlet or rill<\/p>\n Oh no\u2014it was something more exquisite still.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Twas that friends the beloved of my bosom were near,<\/p>\n Who made every scene of enchantment more dear,<\/p>\n And who felt how the best charms of nature improved,<\/p>\n When we see them reflected from looks we love.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Though the words spoke of friendship, Adam\u2019s mind focused momentarily on the photographic images of Pa, Hoss and Little Joe that so often strengthened him in the early morning hours here at Libby.\u00a0 However, his friends and companions here were important, too, and putting personal emotions aside, he focused on them for the climax and poured on his feelings into a goal they all shared:<\/p>\n \u201cSweet vale of Avoca!\u00a0 How calm could I rest<\/p>\n In thy bosom of shade with the friends I love best.<\/p>\n Where the storms that we feel in this cold world should cease,<\/p>\n And our hearts, like thy waters, be mingled in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n The room exploded with applause.\u00a0 Better than most, the prisoners of Libby longed for the storm their world was enduring to cease and yearned for peace.\u00a0 Even the guards joined in, and for one brief moment, they were no longer enemies, but simply men with the common need for it all to end and each to return to his personal \u201cvale of Avoca\u201d and be again with those he loved best.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t bother with a newspaper,\u201d Adam advised Dan after the next morning\u2019s breakfast of bread and Confederate beef, adding after a somewhat embarrassed pause, \u201cif you were even thinking of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t, actually.\u00a0 You seem anything but bored the last few days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can say that again!\u201d Adam exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cYou should see the number of lines our esteemed director wants me to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought learning was what you school boys did best,\u201d Dan teased.\u00a0 \u201cJust look at all those verses you gave us last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known that song for years,\u201d Adam protested.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, music is easy.\u00a0 The melody helps the memory, but lines in a play don\u2019t have that aid, and he\u2019s given me what amounts to soliloquys in several places.\u00a0 I need your help, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Dan waved negating hands before his face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been rejected, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs an actor,\u201d Adam conceded, \u201cbut not as a line coach.\u201d\u00a0 He waggled his eyebrows at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re still interested in preserving my sanity, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Dan sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose, but providing a newspaper was a lot less work, and then I could sleep away the Sabbath afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSleep is overrated,\u201d Adam insisted.\u00a0 Seeing Dan press a hand to his stomach, his expression grew troubled.\u00a0 \u201cDysentery again?\u201d<\/p>\n Dan nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMule meat doesn\u2019t agree with me, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure it agrees with anyone,\u201d Adam commiserated.\u00a0 He was beginning to worry, however.\u00a0 While the diet here wasn\u2019t exactly conducive to health, he was tolerating it fairly well.\u00a0 Dan\u2019s stomach, however, seemed to rebel after almost any meal, and Adam was growing concerned.<\/p>\n He spent the morning solidifying his lines, and after lunch he had Dan feed him the lines before his several times until he was certain he would be ready for rehearsal on the morrow.\u00a0 When tomorrow came, however, he would find himself consumed with far more than the need to recite perfectly lines on a page.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n That Monday began like any other, although there was a solemnity in the way the guards carried out the established routine of roll call.\u00a0 Instead of dismissing the prisoners for breakfast at its close, however, they ordered them to remain in their lines for a special announcement.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019s our exchange notice,\u201d Dan suggested, since that procedure had been followed before for similar news.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d Adam said, having noted the grave expressions on every Confederate face, and on some, flashes of barely contained anger.<\/p>\n They were kept waiting for some time, and the prisoners started to protest.\u00a0 \u201cBest you keep your mouths shut,\u201d advised the head guard, and the quiet way he said it made the men more likely to follow his instruction.\u00a0 Adam exchanged a look with Dan and received a sober nod in return.\u00a0 Clearly, the person who would deliver this announcement was no ordinary guard, nor even the ever-present and nasty-tempered clerk, Eramus Ross.\u00a0 Equally clear, the more august the deliverer of the message, the less likely it was to be something as commonplace as a prisoner exchange.\u00a0 Something was up, and it probably wasn\u2019t good.<\/p>\n That impression was confirmed when into the room strode a man barely in his twenties, clean-shaven with close-cut dark hair.\u00a0 Unlike the other Confederate officials, he was in full-dress uniform, including the gray cap most would forego when indoors.\u00a0 Too young for the job he\u2019s been given and determined to dress the part to counteract that, Adam surmised.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen youthful Union officers do the same.\u00a0 Most of the prisoners had never seen this officer before, but whispers quickly relayed his identity down the rows of men in frayed blue uniforms, along with ripples of heightened anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cThomas Pratt Turner, commandant,\u201d someone finally whispered to Adam.\u00a0 He relayed the news to Dan, whose mouth suddenly set in a hard line.<\/p>\n Adam read the expression correctly: if the commandant himself were making the announcement, it must be of extraordinary importance.<\/p>\n Turner planted himself at the front of the room and scanned the faces in front of him, apparently to make certain that he had everyone\u2019s full attention.\u00a0 \u201cI regret to inform you,\u201d he began, though he looked more snide than sorry, \u201cthat your General \u201cStuck-in-the-Mud\u201d Burnside has, in complete breach of military custom, executed, without cause, two Confederate recruiting officers.\u201d\u00a0 He continued with a thin smile, \u201cIn consequence, two of your officers will be hanged by the neck until you are dead.\u00a0 To determine which of you will be so honored, a lottery will be held at a time yet to be determined, among all those of the rank of captain or lieutenant.\u201d\u00a0 As he dismissed them, there was no missing the scoffing tone with which he invited the captives to \u201cenjoy your breakfast, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n Shouts of outrage pulsed throughout the large room, but the commandant, moving briskly and purposely toward the exit, ignored them.\u00a0 With his departure, the protests died down, as everyone seemed to sense their futility.\u00a0 We\u2019re cogs in a machine<\/em>, Adam thought, and those operating it, on both sides of what Pa called this \u201ceastern conflict,\u201d are too far removed<\/em> to hear us rant and rage . . . or, maybe, even care.<\/em><\/p>\n They lined up for breakfast, more from habit than because they had much interest in eating.\u00a0 Some discussed the news in whispers; others were still too stunned to say anything.\u00a0 \u201cHow many of us are there?\u201d Dan asked Adam.<\/p>\n Adam responded with another question. \u201cAre you trying to calculate our odds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the mathematician,\u201d Dan muttered grimly.<\/p>\n \u201cPointless equation,\u201d Adam returned with equal sobriety.\u00a0 \u201cEach of us has as much chance of being \u201chonored,\u201d as the commandant put it, as the next man.\u201d\u00a0 One side of his mouth quirked up as he added, \u201cOdds are pretty good we won\u2019t both be chosen, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cDo not joke about this, Adam.\u00a0 My sense of humor about our stay at Hotel Libby has completely dissolved.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded grimly.\u00a0 \u201cI concur.\u00a0 The sooner we check out, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPreferably not at the end of a rope,\u201d Dan said flatly.<\/p>\n Adam shuddered involuntarily.\u00a0 \u201cPreferably,\u201d was all he said, though he could barely contain his outrage.\u00a0 To be hanged like common criminals, not executed by firing squad as befitted military officers.\u00a0 Not the quick oblivion of a bullet in the head, but the slow strangulation of a noose around their necks.\u00a0 Bile rising in his throat, he set aside his unfinished breakfast.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll head on over to my class,\u201d he announced as he stood.<\/p>\n \u201cWill there be one?\u201d Dan asked with some surprise, for the last thing on his mind that morning was a lesson in algebra.<\/p>\n Adam shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re asking whether anyone will show up, I don\u2019t know, but it behooves me as their teacher to be there in case someone does.\u201d<\/p>\n His own leadership habits clicking into place, Dan stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll join you, then.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see who else does.\u201d<\/p>\n When the hour for his class to convene arrived, Adam was gratified and touched to see that all five of his students\u2014six, counting Dan\u2014had come, as usual.\u00a0 Second Lieutenant Roberts seemed to speak for them all when he said, \u201cRather think about algebra, hard as it is, than . . . other things, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA wise decision,\u201d Adam commended him.\u00a0 \u201cMost of us will make it through this travesty of justice, so we\u2019ll continue to prepare ourselves for the future beyond Libby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre we going to calculate the odds?\u201d Dan asked waggishly.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one way to apply this accursed algebra to real life!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam uttered a short, humorless laugh.\u00a0 \u201cWe can if you wish, though we\u2019d have to collect some information as to the current count of captains and lieutenants, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Roberts said stoutly, \u201csince it isn\u2019t only ourselves we care about.\u00a0 The odds are it will be someone who\u2019s become almost a brother to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan clapped him on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWell said, Lieutenant.\u201d\u00a0 Turning to the others, he added, \u201cForgive my levity, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe must each deal with this as best we can,\u201d Adam said, \u201cand since our time this morning is limited, I would suggest that, for now, we deal with it by filling our minds with something that does make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan clucked his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cThe sad thing is, my almost brothers, he actually believes algebra makes sense to anyone but him!\u201d\u00a0 And this time everyone responded to his jest with healing laughter.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Toward the end of class, Adam noticed Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Merwin standing on the outskirts, watching.\u00a0 When he paused momentarily, the superior officer gestured for him to continue. \u00a0Adam did, setting a new problem for his students and starting his copy circulating, so the others could write it down on their own papers.\u00a0 Then he stepped toward Merwin and saluted him.<\/p>\n Merwin laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s I who should be saluting you, Lieutenant.\u201d\u00a0 Sobering, he waved Dan over, as well.\u00a0 When the first lieutenant arrived, he said, \u201cI\u2019ve been making the rounds of our own men affected by the latest Confederate outrage, bolstering spirits where I can, but I can see that here it is unneeded.\u00a0 My commendations, Lieutenant Cartwright, for doing what you can to keep up the morale of others, and I\u2019m sure Lieutenant Worthington here is doing his part by keeping up yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is, sir,\u201d Adam affirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell done.\u201d\u00a0 There was genuine sorrow in Merwin\u2019s eyes as he continued, \u201cI sincerely regret that it is you younger officers and not those of us in superior command that must face this challenge.\u00a0 I can assure you that protests are being made, and we can only hope that saner minds will prevail before this thing gets completely out of hand.\u00a0 In the meantime, carry on as you\u2019ve begun.\u201d<\/p>\n Sensing the discussion was at its end, both junior officers saluted, and Merwin returned it in a manner than conveyed his respect, warmed their hearts and strengthened their resolve to meet the future with courage.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think he meant by the thing getting completely out of hand?\u201d Dan asked as they returned to their established section of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say for sure,\u201d Adam said, \u201cbut suppose they do execute two officers here.\u00a0 How do you think our leaders would respond?\u201d<\/p>\n Dan caught his breath, but then responded in hushed gravity, \u201cTit for tat, you think?\u00a0 Two more of theirs for the ones they execute?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd two more of ours for the next two we kill . . . and on and on until we\u2019re all gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s crazy,\u201d Dan said as he folded onto the floor.<\/p>\n Adam nodded grimly, also sitting.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s hope that someone figures out how crazy it is . . . and just stops.\u201d\u00a0 That fragile hope was all he could cling to, but in the craziness of war, would anything but \u2018tit for tat\u2019 ever prevail?<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n The choir met, as usual, after lunch, and the director took much the same attitude Adam had with his algebra class.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m gratified that almost everyone is present on this particularly difficult day,\u201d Major Porter said.\u00a0 \u201cHopefully, this ridiculous edict will be revoked, but everyone\u2019s spirits will be at low ebb until it is.\u00a0 Yours is a challenging mission, men: to set aside your justifiable qualms for your own future and encourage the hearts of those listening.\u00a0 To that end, I\u2019ve chosen only uplifting songs.\u201d\u00a0 He paused.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid that means more work for you, as some of the songs we\u2019ve been working on don\u2019t meet that criterion.\u00a0 We will, therefore, be substituting new choices for those.\u201d\u00a0 After allowing suitable time for predictable, but accepting groans, he said, \u201cWe\u2019ll start with one of those.\u201d<\/p>\n As they began to learn \u201cUncle Sam\u2019s Farm,\u201d Adam couldn\u2019t help thinking that it was a sight more than just \u201cuplifting.\u201d\u00a0 Its defiant message of \u201cthis glorious Yankee nation\u201d being \u201cthe greatest and the best\u201d hit the Confederacy square in the face, as if to show that no threat, personal as this one was, could sway them from the Union\u2019s defense.\u00a0 The chorus did make him laugh, though, with its assertion that Uncle Sam was \u201crich enough to give us all a farm,\u201d and laughter was uplifting, indeed.<\/p>\n That was proven even more by the introduction of the next song, \u201cWhen Pigs Begin to Fly.\u201d\u00a0 Verse after verse related the strange things that might happen when that occurred, and the chorus, especially, had all the singers in stitches:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen pigs begin to fly,<\/p>\n Oh won\u2019t the pork be high.<\/p>\n Though they are the most unlikely birds<\/p>\n That ever flew in the sky,<\/p>\n I see no reason why<\/p>\n They should never have a try.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI believe that\u2019s enough new material for today,\u201d Major Porter said at the close of rehearsal.\u00a0 \u201cI do have one other new song planned, with which we\u2019ll conclude our program: \u201cStand by the Union,\u201d a sentiment I\u2019m sure we all endorse.\u201d\u00a0 Hurrahs and upthrust arms demonstrated total agreement.<\/p>\n The optimistic attitude also prevailed in the meeting of the Libby Players later that afternoon.\u00a0 Since Adam had arrived early, Major Biggers spoke to him personally, asking whether he thought he could manage the comic demeanor called for in the lead part, \u201cconsidering the current crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cOur choir master chose some humorous songs, and I noticed that laughter seemed to help all of us put the \u2018current crisis\u2019 in a more bearable light.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly what I hope our play will do,\u201d the major said.\u00a0 \u201cJust put it out of your mind for half an hour, Lieutenant, and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll help others do so for even longer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try, sir,\u201d Adam said stoutly, and when the rehearsal started, he threw himself into the character and found that as long as he concentrated on that, the cloud hanging over his head seemed to blow away on winds of laughter.<\/p>\n He couldn\u2019t laugh them off forever, however.\u00a0 As he lay on the hard floor that night, dark visions of a revolving lottery barrel filled his mind, and then it turned to all he would lose if his name were one of the two drawn.\u00a0 His eyes misted over as he thought of Pa, of his precious little brothers, and the beloved Ponderosa.\u00a0 He started to pull out their ambrotypes, something that had always comforted him before.\u00a0 But this time he held back, for fear that more tears would follow the single one that tracked down his cheek.\u00a0 Instead, he pressed his hand over the pocket that held the dear images, and though he wasn\u2019t typically a praying man, he whispered a short, but sincere petition, \u201cDear God, let me see them again.\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n After a short and restless night\u2019s sleep, which Adam sensed he had shared with many around him, he arose at the appointed hour and adopted once more the strained mask of optimism.\u00a0 Put the needs of others first<\/em>, he told himself.\u00a0 Sound Biblical advice of which Ben Cartwright would heartily approve, but hard to carry off in the face of death.\u00a0 Pa himself hadn\u2019t managed that when faced with the death of three spouses, at least not at first.\u00a0 But after that?\u00a0 Oh, yes!\u00a0 He had put the needs of his sons ahead of his own grief each time, and with that light shining before him, Adam took renewed courage to do the same.\u00a0 Throughout that long day, he bolstered Dan\u2019s spirits with wry humor, replenished his own soul with the uplifting songs the choir rehearsed, and then threw himself into the comic character of the Libby Players\u2019 production, in hopes of replenishing the souls of others.<\/p>\n Then night came.\u00a0 Exhausted, he fell asleep almost at once, but the demons crept out to taunt him with images of a hangman\u2019s noose and the tearful faces of his family watching him die.\u00a0 Why?<\/em> his tortured spirit screamed, but he knew why: because the same officer who\u2019d sent him into the killing field at Fredericksburg had decided, for God knew what reason, to execute two Confederate officers.\u00a0 Now, two of them had to die and then tit for tat . . . on and on.\u00a0 He groaned in his sleep as he saw the line of those to die stretching across the plains he\u2019d traveled with Pa and Inger, past the Rocky Mountains and the Forty-Mile Desert until its ghastly length reached the hallowed ground of the Ponderosa itself, and he saw his two little brothers join the ranks of the condemned.<\/p>\n He jolted awake, fighting for breath in the fetid atmosphere of a thousand sweating bodies, and it became, for him, the smell of the fear enveloping them all.\u00a0 To counteract it, he did the one thing he\u2019d told himself he wouldn\u2019t: he took out the pictures of his family and whispered ferociously, \u201cI will come back to you!\u201d\u00a0 Stupid, childish, a promise he had no power to keep, but just voicing it sent fiber into his spine.<\/p>\n It was still too early to rise, so to occupy his mind, he ran through his lines for the play tonight.\u00a0 The last thing he felt like being now was comical, but perhaps the very gravity of his spirit would enable him to say them with a flatness that might pass for dry humor.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Adam went through his usual routine and tried to summon the same courage he\u2019d found the day before, but it was harder today.\u00a0 Perhaps the dream still haunted him or, perhaps, it was always harder to maintain courage in the daily grind than in the initial battle.\u00a0 Still, he made it through his mathematics class, the clear logic of algebra helping him focus on something other than the looming threat.\u00a0 As he was dismissing his students, he saw Lieutenant-Colonel Merwin again standing on the outskirts and eagerly approached him.\u00a0 \u201cAny news, sir?\u201d he asked after saluting.<\/p>\n \u201cSome,\u201d Merwin said, also motioning Dan forward.\u00a0 \u201cThis concerns you, as well, Lieutenant Worthington.\u201d\u00a0 When Dan was at Adam\u2019s side, he continued, \u201cI\u2019ve managed to get hold of a copy of yesterday\u2019s Richmond Dispatch<\/em>.\u00a0 It verifies what you already know about the lottery, but does offer a thin strand of hope, at least.\u00a0 Perhaps you\u2019d like to read it for yourselves?\u201d<\/p>\n As the superior officer, Dan answered quickly.\u00a0 \u201cUnnecessary, sir.\u00a0 I\u2019m certain we can trust your report.\u201d<\/p>\n A momentary mirth twitched Merwin\u2019s lips.\u00a0 \u201cAlways, I hope.\u00a0 The newspaper reports that despite one of our transport boats leaving City Point last Sunday without any of the 250 men slated for exchange, it is probable that most of us incarcerated here will be sent home before the end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe lottery won\u2019t be before then, sir?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Merwin admitted, \u201cand I don\u2019t know if by \u2018most\u2019 they\u2019re including officers of all ranks, including yours, or if it refers primarily to enlisted men.\u00a0 Ours, of course, are already safely back on Union soil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThankfully,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cA great relief to us, sir,\u201d Dan added in agreement, \u201cand we do thank you for this ray of hope that we may join them soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish it were more than a ray,\u201d Merwin said, \u201cbut I wanted to keep you abreast of all developments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir,\u201d both lieutenants said almost simultaneously and after another exchange of salutes, Merwin left them, presumably to share that ray of hope with other affected young officers.<\/p>\n It was only a thin ray, not enough to silence, but at least to quiet the raging demon of Adam\u2019s dream.\u00a0 It sustained him throughout the day and made the performance he had to give that night seem possible.\u00a0 The roars of laughter that met his most comic lines that evening indicated he had succeeded, but it was Dan, without speaking a single line, who stole the show with his exaggerated portrayal of a soldier afflicted with the trots of dysentery.\u00a0 Perhaps in commiseration with an affliction they\u2019d all experienced here in Libby, the audience howled with laughter.<\/p>\n When Adam tried to praise him for his performance, however, Dan brushed it aside.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t acting,\u201d he moaned, holding his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a miracle I didn\u2019t disappear off the \u2018stage\u2019 for a real trot to the latrine!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head in sympathy.\u00a0 They\u2019d all experienced dysentery, yes, but Dan did seem to be afflicted more often than most, and if there was any substance at all to that ray of hope, this was no time to end up in the medical wing of Libby.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Throughout Thursday and Friday, Adam focused diligently on the music the choir would be presenting Saturday night.\u00a0 Not that he needed to.\u00a0 He\u2019d always picked up songs quickly, but it was far better to recite lyrics and hum melodies in his head than to let images of his continuing nightmares circulate there.\u00a0 In the end, however, he would not have the opportunity to sing them in concert.\u00a0 On Friday came the joyous news that the exchange for which he had so long yearned had happened at last.\u00a0 They would have to leave before dawn and would, of course, miss their paltry breakfast, but what did that matter?\u00a0 They were exchanged!\u00a0 Headed home!\u00a0 Well, not his real home, of course.\u00a0 Not the Ponderosa, where he most longed to be, not even to New Haven, his almost-as-beloved home in the East, but, at least, home to the north, where life could resume some form of normalcy once more.<\/p>\n Time was short before lights out, but Adam felt obliged to see one man, though it was with mixed feelings that he approached Major Porter and expressed his regret at abandoning the choir on the eve of their performance.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, lieutenant!\u201d the major almost exploded.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think for one moment I begrudge you or any man the opportunity to leave this hellhole?\u201d\u00a0 Seeing that the strength of his words had caused the younger man to gasp, he took control of his emotions and spoke with greater control.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, you don\u2019t, any more than you would begrudge me similar good news.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not, sir,\u201d Adam said with firm sincerity.\u00a0 \u201cI only wish you were included, sir, for you certainly have made my time here more endurable.\u201d<\/p>\n Major Porter smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re not taking commissioned officers yet.\u00a0 Hopefully soon, but I have, at least, one more performance to direct.\u00a0 Your fine voice will be sorely missed, lieutenant, but take with you my sincere thanks for your contributions to the choir and my hopes that you will soon be back singing in your college one.\u00a0 Your enlistment ends fairly soon, I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cAbout two months from now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur loss will be Yale\u2019s gain in July, then.\u201d\u00a0 He saluted briskly and Adam returned it with equal crisp respect.\u00a0 The major\u2019s timing was off, of course.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t be back with the choir until the next term started in September, but just the thought of being that close to mustering out of the Army and back in that citadel of learning was a bolstering one.\u00a0 He forced his mind not to leap that far ahead, though.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t feel truly safe until he marched out of Libby and onto the transport boat at City Point.\u00a0 The candles on the walls were being snuffed out as he made his way back across the crowded room, but he reached the usual sleeping area without treading on anyone\u2019s fingers or toes.\u00a0 Though he spooned, as usual, between two officers, he didn\u2019t expect to sleep much that night.\u00a0 For the first time since entering the prison, he was eager to meet the morning and start the new day.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Orders to line up came early, about 2 a.m. \u00a0Standing at the water tap in the back of the room when the call came, Adam hastily finished washing up and then scurried into line beside Dan Worthington.\u00a0 Seeing his friend grasp his stomach, he anxiously asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Dysentery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShh!\u201d Dan hushed him.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell . . . please,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n His face sober, Adam nodded, knowing that, in Dan\u2019s place, he\u2019d have begged the same grace.\u00a0 However much a man might need medical attention, only imminent death would make him seek it here, when freedom and better help lay just thirty-five miles away.<\/p>\n No time for breakfast, but time always for bureaucratic matters.\u00a0 For the first time since arriving here, Adam felt like cheering when Erasmus Ross entered that morning, holding the document the young man considered the most important he would ever sign.\u00a0 With pride and anticipation (and some fear that a last-minute glitch would take it all away), he waited as his superior officers signed before him.\u00a0 Just after Dan, he added his name to the promise:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe the undersigned in the service of the United States, prisoners of war, pledge our word of honor that we will not, by arms, information, or otherwise, during the existence of hostilities between the United States and the Confederate States of America, aid or abet the enemies of said Confederate States, or any of them, in any form or manner until released or exchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they marched out, Adam kept a careful eye on Dan, ready to lend a supporting arm, but hoping it would not be needed, at least until they were far from the stark walls of Libby Prison.\u00a0\u00a0 For now, they needed to keep up the charade that every man of them was healthy enough to travel, having received the best of care from their hosts at Hotel Libby.\u00a0 Being early, it was still cool when they exited onto Cary Street, and Adam drank in deeply the freshest air he\u2019d breathed since his capture.\u00a0 The street was dark and quiet.\u00a0 No taunting civilians greeted their departure as they had their arrival.\u00a0 If that was the purpose of the early hour, Adam welcomed it and considered it well worth the loss of sleep and breakfast. \u00a0If the Rebs didn\u2019t feed them a morsel between now and their destination at City Point, he felt confident the welcoming Union soldiers would.<\/p>\n Through dark, quiet streets, they marched to the railroad station and boarded the train.\u00a0 The accommodations were exactly as they had been on their journey to the prison, but they wouldn\u2019t have to deal with the heat for a few hours, at least.\u00a0 Seeing Dan double over, Adam took his arm and all but lifted him up to the open car.\u00a0 Henry Merwin, already inside, reached down to help him, as well.\u00a0 \u201cUp you come, Lieutenant,\u201d he said, and then, though Adam needed no assistance, he reached a hand to him, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir,\u201d Adam said quietly, more on Dan\u2019s behalf than his own, and the nod Merwin gave him indicated he understood exactly what he meant and fully intended to help hide the lieutenant\u2019s condition from the Confederate guards.\u00a0 Soon it wouldn\u2019t matter, for once they were underway, they wouldn\u2019t take anyone off the train to return them to Libby.\u00a0 Short of impending death, it would be easier to simply ignore any inconvenient illness and let the Yankees deal with it on their end.<\/p>\n As the door to the cattle car was closed, shutting them in, Adam exhaled a long, relieved sigh.\u00a0 Hearing it, Merwin grinned and said, \u201cYou can rest now, lieutenant.\u00a0 There\u2019s even room enough to stretch out if you\u2019re disposed to catch up on your sleep.\u00a0 I intend to.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam managed to avoid laughing in outright delight, but there was mirth and relief in his voice as he said, \u201cYes, sir!\u201d\u00a0 They\u2019d come to Libby, packed like sardines in a can, but the exchanges had dwindled to such a trickle that now each man could sleep without even having to spoon next to the man beside him.\u00a0 After helping Dan to lie down, he settled down beside him, and the rhythmic rolling over the rail tracks combined with sheer exhaustion and relief to send both young soldiers into relaxed slumber for the first time in weeks.<\/p>\n ~~~~Notes~~~~<\/p>\n
\nSoldier Boy<\/a><\/p>\n