Antebellum BK 1 (2 page)

“
You must tell me about what happened some time,” Marina said as she smiled at General Winfield Scott, who was now approaching the family.

“
Our Country has suffered a great loss,” Scott said, taking Marina’s hand. “The debt we owe to Yank Van Buskirk can never be repaid.”

“
Thank you, Win,” Marina said. “You are and always have been a special friend.”

Scott walked past her and shook Jack’s hand. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Colonel.”

Jack smiled but didn’t answer.

Scott moved on to shake Thomas’s hand. “We’ll miss him, Colonel.”

“
Thank you, General,” Thomas replied.

Scott took Robert’s hand and looked into his eyes. “Be strong, Major.”

Robert was clearly fighting tears. “I can’t believe he’s gone, sir.”

“
Nor can I,” Scott replied sadly.

Marina leaned closer to Jack to whisper in his ear. “Tell me their names.”

“
You must know General Worth,” Jack said, glancing at the next officer in line, who was waiting for Scott to finish speaking to Robert. “Don’t you?” He looked concerned.

“
Yes, of course I know General Worth, but I don’t know all of the junior officers.” She shook hands with General William Worth, but neither of them spoke, and Worth moved on.

“
The next one in line is Robert Edward Lee,” Jack murmured as Worth stopped in front of his brother, Robert.

“
My deepest condolences, Madam,” Lee said. “Your husband will be missed.

Marina took Lee’s hand. “Thank you, Captain Lee.”

“
Ulysses S. Grant,” Jack whispered when Lee had moved on. “His nickname is Sam.”

Grant proceeded along the family line, stopping to speak only to Robert.

“
Thomas Jackson,” Jack said to Marina.

Marina accepted Jackson’s condolences and a brief prayer, then once again leaned toward Jack while Jackson was repeating his prayer to Robert. “Where are the other generals?”

“
Negotiating the treaty to end the war,” Jack said. “Scott and Worth must have ridden several horses to death in order to make it here in time for the service.”

She smiled. “Who’s next?”

In turn, Jack introduced Ambrose Burnside, George Meade, Jefferson Davis, George McClellan and P.G.T. Beauregard.

“
What’s the P.G.T. stand for?” Marina asked as Beauregard walked toward them.

“
His full name is Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, but he prefers the initials.”

“
I’m not surprised.” Marina accepted Beauregard’s condolences.

Jack continued with Joseph Mansfield, Fitz John Porter, Edwin Sumner, Albert Sydney Johnston, John Reynolds, James Longstreet, Joseph Johnston, John Frémont and John Pope.

After Jack had thanked Pope for his kind words, he whispered in Marina’s ear. “The next man is Winfield Scott Hancock.”

“
Is he related to Win?” she hissed.

“
I don’t know,” Jack replied.

“
Major Hancock.” Marina smiled and took Hancock’s hand.

“
Lewis Armistead,” Jack whispered as Hancock moved on to shake hands with Thomas.

“
Should I know him?” Marina looked confused.

“
You’ve met him before but I’m not sure if you know him. His friends call him Lo.”

“
Was he the commander of Fort McHenry?” Marina asked.

“
No, no. That was his uncle, George. Lo was wounded at Chapultepec and really should be in the hospital.”

Armistead stepped in front of Marina and looked into her eyes. “Your husband will never be forgotten, Mrs. Van Buskirk.”

“
Thank you, Lo,” Marina said. “You should have stayed in the hospital.”

Armistead smiled. “Ah. Someone has told you my West Point nickname.” He winked at Jack.

She returned his smile. “I think I first heard it from your father, actually.”

“
And you remembered?” Armistead asked.

Jack cringed, expecting Marina’s subterfuge to be exposed, but she nodded and smiled. “Lothario is a memorable nickname.”

“
I fear it’s an antonym.” Armistead kissed Marina’s hand and moved on.

“
You seem to have remembered him after all,” Jack observed.

“
He seems very fragile,” Marina observed, ignoring the implied question.

Jack nodded. “He’ll be all right. And so will you. Only two more, Mother.”

“
I’m fine. Who’s this captain?”

“
Wyatt Berry Stapp. He’s lost half his company of Illinois volunteers and he’s taking it very badly. Say nothing unless you have to.”

The captain shook Marina’s hand, then Jack’s, and moved on without speaking.

The last man in line was the sergeant that had presented the flag to Marina.

“
Sergeant Nicholas Earp,” Jack reminded her. “His wife just had their fourth or fifth child. But he’s so proud you’d think it was their first.”

“
My deepest condolences, Ma’am,” Earp said as he reached her position. “Your husband was one of the finest men I’ve ever known.”

“
Thank you, Sergeant Earp.” Marina shook his hand. “My son tells me that you’ve had a recent addition to your family.”

“
It was last month, Ma’am,” Earp replied with a grin. “But I just heard about it yesterday.”

“
Boy or girl?” Marina asked.

“
Boy.” Earp gestured toward the captain who was now shaking Robert’s hand. “We named him Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp, after my commanding officer, there.” He gave her a salute and went to join the others.

Marina waited for the sergeant to reach the end of the line then giggled. “Wyatt Earp. Poor baby. He’ll have to be a fighter like our Quincy to survive that name.”

“
How are you doing, Mother?” Robert asked.

“
I just told you that I’m fine.”

Robert gave Jack a questioning look.

“
That was me you told, Mother,” Jack said.

She grunted and waved her hand dismissively.

“
Are you really okay?” Jack pressed.

“
Yes,” she grumbled. “I’m just fine.”

“
Well then,” Jack said, glancing at his brothers, “there’s no reason why you couldn’t come back to Thomas’s ranch with us to meet my wife, before you lose yourself down here in Mexico.”

Marina shook her head. “I already know your wife. I met Clementine before you did.”

Thomas stepped closer. “Your grandsons have just lost their grandfather. They deserve to see their grandmother once more, before you ride off into the sunset like a pulp heroine.”

“
I need some time on my own,” she argued.

“
Pea is nearly fifteen,” Thomas replied. “He’ll be a plebe at West Point in another two years. You haven’t seen Johnny since he was a baby.”

“
Who is Pea?” Marina asked. She looked confused.

Thomas exchanged a look with his brothers before answering. “Pea is my son’s nickname. His real name is Paul. We call him Pea to distinguish him from Paul Van Winkler, his maternal grandfather. Do you remember Jane’s father, Paul Van Winkler? He lived across the Bay from us in New Jersey and came to Texas with us.”

“
Yes, yes, of course I remember Paul Van Winkler,” she said defensively. “But you were calling the baby Sweet-Pea the last I knew. Nobody mentioned that you’d changed his nickname to Pea.”

“
We only called Paul Sweet-Pea when he was a baby,” Thomas replied.

“
Which means that Mother hasn’t seen Paul since he was a baby,” Jack offered in a calming tone. He looked at his mother. “You really should come for a visit. Just a short one.”

“
If you’ll agree, I’ll bring you back down here after your visit, Mother,” Robert offered.

“
I don’t need anyone to bring me anywhere,” Marina growled. “And there’s nothing wrong with my memory.”

Robert rolled his eyes.

“
You need some time with family to recover from your ordeal, Mother,” Jack insisted.

“
Other than being a little foot-sore, there’s nothing wrong with me,” she argued. “Thomas thinks I’ve gone soft in the head, but I’m fine.”

“
You do seem a little forgetful,” Jack said soothingly.

“
We’ve all noticed it,” Robert added, before Marina could argue.

“
I’m going to insist that you come,” Thomas said.

“
Insist?” Her face colored and her eyes snapped.

“
Calm down, Mother,” Robert advised. “You’ll have a stroke.”

“
What do you have to do that’s so pressing?” Jack asked while Marina continued to smolder.

“
Just do it for us,” Thomas said. “You owe us that much for rescuing you from Santa Anna. I brought a whole damn regiment down here to save you.”

“
Jack should still be recovering from yellow fever,” Robert added. “But he left his new bride, got out of his sick-bed, and came all the way down here, just for you.”

“
Dad would want you to come back with us,” Jack argued.

“
Okay, okay,” Marina agreed covering her ears with both hands. “But just for a few days.” She dropped her hands to her side and looked from one of her sons to the other. “Dammit. I’m fine.”

April 22, 1848

West Point, New York

T
he cadet major pushed open the double doors and shouted into the study hall. “Cadet Van Buskirk!”

Quincy Van Buskirk came to his feet, ramrod stiff and chin tucked. “Sir.”

“
You’re wanted at Quarters One Hundred. Now.”

“
Yes, sir.” Quincy gathered his books and hurried toward the doors. Quarters One Hundred, better known as the “Supe’s Quarters”, was the home of the Superintendent of West Point. Cadets were only invited to Quarters One Hundred to receive bad news, such as their imminent dismissal from The Point. As a West Point plebe, Quincy had distinguished himself by receiving a record ninety-nine demerits. Now, in his second year, his nickname, “Pug”, which stemmed from both his pugnacious attitude and his pugilistic skills, was like an albatross around his neck. As a consequence of these facts, it was with great trepidation that Quincy climbed the steps of the big Georgian mansion and raised the brass doorknocker.

Superintendent Henry Brewerton opened the door himself and ignored Quincy’s salute. “Come in, Van Buskirk.”

Quincy removed his hat, placed it under his arm and stepped into the entryway, still trying to think of what he may have done recently that might merit dismissal.

“
Come into the parlor and have a seat.”

“
Thank you, sir.”

Brewerton led him through a set of double doors. “You’ve not been here before, I think.”

“
No, sir. I have not.”

Brewerton sat down in a comfortably worn armchair and gestured toward another. “We dispense with most of the military formalities here. Sit.”

Quincy perched on the chair at rigid attention with his hat properly in his lap and said nothing.

“
I have bad news, I fear,” Brewerton cleared his throat. “Your grandfather died as a result of actions at Chapultepec in the Mexican War.”

Quincy nodded.

Brewerton was a bit taken aback by the lack of reaction. “I gather that you and your grandfather were not close.”

“
Perhaps not as close as either of us would have liked, sir. Do you know if my mother has been informed, sir?”

“
I’m quite sure that she has,” Brewerton replied. “Would you like to go home for a few days to be with her?”

“
She no longer resides in New York, sir.”

“
Oh? Where is she? Back in New Jersey or Washington?”

“
I cannot say for certain, sir. She was in Washington working on John Quincy Adams’s anti-slavery committee. She may have returned to the family home in New Jersey after President Adams died. I’ve not heard from her since then.”