The Last, Long Night (#5 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Romance Series) (70 page)

“I felt it,” Carrie whispered, her heart overwhelmed with the love and care flowing from Aunt Abby.  “Do you realize we’ve actually only ever spent a month together in all these years?”

“Yes, but our hearts were connected in a way that time, distance and a war couldn’t touch.”

“Yes…” Carrie whispered, as she laid her head on Aunt Abby’s shoulder and just let her hold her.  “I missed you so much.”

Robert fought to breathe steadily as he eyed Federals spread out before him across the field.  An earlier battle that day had already resulted in heavy casualties. There had been so many times these two armies had paused to look at each other across empty fields, taking a final size-up before exploding into battle again.  This was going to be another such time, but this time was different. He could feel it. 

The sparse Confederate lines were facing an enemy four times larger.  They were facing an enemy that was strong and well-fed.  Quite simply - they were facing an enemy they had no hope of beating.  They had no trenches to hide in; no fortifications to protect them.  They were simply going to be mowed down.  Hemmed in on three sides by Union troops; they had nowhere else to run.

The Union bugles sounded, the clear notes spreading all across the field.  All of Grant’s brigades wheeled and swung into line.  Every saber was raised high; shining silver as they reflected the sun.

Robert looked up and down at the tense faces of the men he had grown to love, and felt sick.  This was where it would end.  He allowed only a brief thought of Carrie before he pushed it aside.  It was too painful to envision her shining eyes and beautiful face.  “I loved you,” he whispered almost silently.

Suddenly, as every muscle in his body stiffened in preparation, Robert saw an officer burst forth from their lines, galloping madly toward the Federals.  He held a staff in his hand with a white flag fluttering from the end of it.”

“Captain?”  Alex had crawled over to his position.

Robert started to shake his head to indicate he didn’t know any more than Alex, but he heard his name called. 

“Captain Borden!”

“Yes, sir?”  Robert stood quickly and looked up at his commanding officer.

“Have all your men stack their guns in the clearing to the right.”

Robert was sure he had heard wrong.  “Excuse me, sir?”

“Have all your men stack their guns in the clearing to the right,” he repeated, his eyes dull with defeat, somehow carrying a spark of relief at the same time.  “It’s over,” he said quietly.  “Lee has surrendered.”

Robert stared at him, and then swung around to watch the Federals disengage from their battle positions.  He turned back to the officer, but he had already moved on down the line.  “Stack your weapons, men,” he called, still stunned  “There isn’t going to be a fight.”

“Today?” Alex asked.

“At all,” Robert said firmly, the reality starting to break through the shock.  “We’re done.” He took a deep breath.  “Lee has surrendered.”

His men stared at him as if they couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. 

“We’re done, Captain?”

“Yes, Alex.  We’re done.”

Alex frowned and looked frightened.  “What’s going to happen to us?  Are we all going to prison?”

“I don’t know,” Robert answered heavily.  “Right now you know as much as I do.  Have all the men stack their weapons.  I’ll try to get some answers.”  He doubled over in a coughing attack and then walked slowly in the direction of the command tent.  He was too weak to move faster.

When Robert reconnected with his men, they were all lined up along one side of the dusty road leading into Appomattox Courthouse.  He was amazed to look over and see Union soldiers lining the road on the other side.  Both sides were simply waiting quietly.

He called his unit together, knowing he had a few minutes before Grant arrived.  Lee was already waiting in a house owned by Wilmer McClean.  Robert found it ironic that McClean had fled Manassas after the First Battle of Bull Run to escape the war.  Now it was ending right in his parlor.  It was just one more oddity of a war that should never have happened.

Robert looked around him at the faces he knew so well.  They were emaciated and exhausted, but spirit still shone in their eyes. 

“We going to prison, Captain?” Alex asked quietly.  “You can be straight with us.”

“You are
not
going to prison,” Robert said firmly.  “You’re going home.”  He watched his men exchange astonished looks.

“Home, sir?” one ventured to ask, seeming to test the word on his tongue.

“Home,” Robert repeated firmly, enjoying the looks of relief that replaced the dread on their faces.  “I will be signing the parole for each of you.  As long as you do not bear arms against the United States, and observe the laws in force where you live, you will not be imprisoned or prosecuted for treason.”

“That’s good news,” Alex said with relief, his eyes revealing it hadn’t quite sunk in yet.

“It gets better,” Robert said, thankful he could give the men some good news for a change.  “Any of you that have horses or mules here will be able to take them home for spring planting.”  He knew most of them did, though it would take some time to make any of the animals strong enough to pull a plow.   “And…” he hesitated because he wanted to play up the moment he was sure would make them the happiest.  “The Union is releasing a supply of food rations.  You will eat tonight.”

He knew his men would have broken into cheers if it had been a time for cheering.  He was content with the looks of anticipation and gratitude on their grimy faces.  He knew Grant’s generosity in feeding Lee’s army would go a long way toward reuniting the two sides.

A bugle call in the distance announced the arrival of General Grant.  Both armies waited quietly while a brown-bearded little man in a mud-spattered uniform rode up.  He exchanged quiet greetings with his officers and then the little cavalcade went trotting up to the village where Lee waited for them in a modest brick home.

“I reckon I thought he would be bigger,” Alex commented as they disappeared from sight.

“General Grant’s power and strength are inside,” Robert said quietly. 

“Big enough to win this war,” Alex agreed.

The feelings around the campfire that night followed every spectrum. 

“I’m just right glad to be going home,” one soldier commented.  “My wife and kids been on their own long enough.  I’m going home to plant my fields and grow food to eat.”

“We should have taken another crack at them,” another insisted.  “I done heard about some boys that are going to take off for the hills and keep fighting.”

Robert scowled.  “I will have no talk like that in my unit,” he ordered sharply. 

“Why not?” the soldier snapped with an angry scowl. “We done been fighting for four years.  Don’t seem right to give up now. We could all just disperse and take to the hills.  Let’s see how them Yankees handle guerilla warfare for a while.”

Robert bristled with anger, but he fought to keep his voice calm.  “So you want to create a state of affairs in the South that it would take us years to recover from?  You want Federal cavalry traveling the length and breadth of the South for no one knows how long; killing first and asking questions later because they’ll never know where their enemy is?  You want to create a country where no one is safe, and we don’t have a chance to rebuild our lives?  You want to make certain your fellow soldiers end up in prison because you’re too proud to admit we lost?”

Silence fell over the entire area as Robert’s voice rang out strong and proud.  “Is that what you want?”

The soldier hung his head and shook it slowly.  “No.  I guess I didn’t think it through real good.”

Robert nodded.  The offending soldier was a good man who had lived through an unbearable four years.  “It’s hard to think when you’re starving and have been marching for days with no food,” he said generously, knowing creating goodwill would get him much further than casting blame.    Robert hid his smile when the offending soldier relaxed again, reaching out to fill his plate with more bacon and beans.

“What you gonna do, Captain?” the soldier asked.

It only took Robert a second to give his answer.  “I’m going home.”  He looked eastward to Richmond and smiled.  “I’ve got the most beautiful wife in the world waiting for me. 
I’m going home
.”

Late that night his fever began to climb again and his coughing seemed as if it would explode his lungs.  He could feel the life being sucked from him as the pneumonia he had fought for weeks took control with a vengeance.

“Captain?”

Robert looked up through burning eyes at Alex’s young face peering down at him.  He opened his mouth, but he was too weak to speak.  “Carrie…” he managed to whisper.  “
Carrie…”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Matthew was waiting on the porch when Carrie and Aunt Abby walked arm-in-arm through the gate.  “Now that’s a wonderful sight,” he called.  “Two of my most favorite women in the world together again.” 

“Just two
of
your most favorite women?” Carrie replied playfully.  She turned to Aunt Abby.  “Surely there must be something we can do to knock someone else out of the top positions.”  She laughed and looked back up at Matthew, not understanding the quick shadow that flashed in his eyes; then quickly deciding he must have news.  “What is it?” she asked quietly.

“Lee surrendered his army this afternoon,” he informed them.  “Word just came through over the telegraph.  I came straight here.”

Carrie stared at him and then sank down on the step, her thoughts swirling.

“Carrie?” Aunt Abby asked gently as she sat down next to her and took her hand. 

Carrie shook her head.  “I’m trying to figure out my own feelings,” she admitted.  “I wanted Richmond to fall.  I wanted Lee to surrender.  I want the war to be completely over.  I just know so many people are going to grieve.”  An image of her father caused her heart to squeeze with pain.  She looked at Matthew quickly.  “What does this really mean?  There are other Confederate forces.  The last I heard there are over one hundred thousand men still in units around the country.”

“That’s true,” Matthew agreed, “but all of them have hinged their spirit and belief on General Lee.  As long as Lee’s troops were still fighting, all of them had the will to continue.  Lee’s surrender is going to deflate everyone.  I predict General Johnson will surrender by the end of this month, and then it will spread west.”  He took one of Carrie’s hands.  “The war is over, Carrie.  There will be a little clean up, but it’s over.”

Carrie stared at him.  “Over…” she murmured, not sure if she really believed it.  Now only one thought burned in her heart.  “Lee’s soldiers? Robert?”

“Everyone is free to go home,” Matthew said quickly.  “Lee is talking to them today and then they’ll be free to go.”

Carrie brushed at the tears on her cheeks.