Timecachers (48 page)

For months, Benjamin and Catherine held on to the hope that this day would never come. They were not alone in their belief; thousands of Cherokee families had remained on their ancestral homeland until they were forced to leave. In spite of their optimism, Benjamin and Catherine were practical people. They had done their best to prepare the children for the possibility of upheaval, discussing with them what might occur. Even so, like the death of a sick or elderly loved one, knowing that something tragic is likely to happen does not eliminate the emotions felt when it actually occurs.

Riding side-by-side, Benjamin could not see Billy’s face. He could tell by the tension in the boy’s grip that he had withdrawn into his anger ever since leaving the farm. Benjamin put aside his own urge to withdraw and spoke softly to him of whatever came to mind as they crossed the river. He commented on the pleasant weather, the flow of the water, their next hunting trip—anything other than the dreadfulness of what was happening to them. Slowly Billy began to respond, at first with grunts and monosyllabic replies, and eventually with complete sentences. They would all carry a permanent psychological scar from this traumatic experience, so Benjamin was relieved to see any sign of normal behavior from Billy. His priority would be to keep the family together, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Most of his concern was for Sally. She was younger, and although the young typically recover quickly from disaster, she was the most attached to her home of them all. Living isolated in a rural area with no friends her own age close by, she filled her playtime with imaginary friends and places around the farm. Leaving it all behind would shatter her world. She had only recently begun to form a bond with Alice, accepting her almost like an older sister. Catherine had been wise to encourage the relationship, and Benjamin hoped that Alice’s presence would help make this experience less traumatic for her.

After crossing the river they followed the dusty road to the rustic fort looming ahead. When they reached the timber bulwark, they halted at the blockhouse gate. “You will be quartered here until you can be transported to Ross’s Landing,” said Captain Martin. “Your wagon and goods will be stored until then.”

The Rogers’ family and their slaves relinquished the wagon and watched as their few remaining belongings were taken away. The blockhouse guard saluted Captain Martin, and then opened the gate without comment. The Captain escorted the family into the blockhouse courtyard. Silvey and Isaac joined a small group of black men and women, apparently the slaves of other families who had been incarcerated. The rest of the family proceeded to the central courtyard where a larger group of Cherokee were gathered.

“Alice!” Adam’s voice echoed across the courtyard as he ran toward her.

“Adam! You’re here too? What about Jimmy and Rebecca?”

“I’m relieved to see you guys are okay,” Adam said as he embraced her. “
Osiyo
, Benjamin and Catherine. Hi, kids.” He ruffled Billy’s hair and winked at Sally. “Yes, I’m here with Jimmy Deerinwater. He’s recovering from his injuries over there,” he said, motioning to a less crowded part of the courtyard. “He was seriously roughed up by the scumbags who brought us here. They gave him a severe blow to his head. The main scumbag hasn’t shown up here yet. He was supposed to be coming along behind us in a wagon with Rebecca and their possessions. Jimmy is extremely worried about her, and I am trying to see the colonel to demand my release so I can go find out what happened to her.”

“Who was this man you are calling a scumbag?” asked Captain Martin. “Was this Deerinwater person resisting?”

Adam did not answer, but instead gave a questioning look to Alice.

“This is Captain Martin,” she told him. “It was he who brought us here. Certainly not a pleasant experience,” she smirked at the Captain, “though at least without the brutality you received. He did act professionally once Benjamin agreed not to resist.”

“Jimmy didn’t resist. He was beaten before he was even given an explanation for the intrusion into his home,” Adam said. “When he protested leaving his wife behind, he was knocked unconscious and hogtied. The scumbag’s name was Jeb Barnett.”

Captain Martin’s face grew dark with the mention of Jeb Barnett. “I know the man, and his actions do not surprise me. I understand the concern for the safety of your friend’s wife.”

“Exactly why I will demand to be released. I am not Cherokee, and neither is Alice for that matter. There is no justification for holding us,” he said to Martin.

“I’m sorry, Benjamin,” Adam continued, “I’m not trying to abandon you or Jimmy, but I think it is urgent that I go find out about Rebecca.”

“I agree, Adam,” said Benjamin. He felt more comfortable having Alice released now that Adam was with her. “Captain, these two people,” he pointed with his chin to Adam and Alice, “are our friends who have been visiting with us. They are not Tsalagi. Can you not explain this to the colonel and allow them to go free?”

“They will not be held if they are not Cherokee. This would have come to light eventually as they will not appear on the Cherokee census, so I will arrange for their release. You should have told me you were not Cherokee back at the farm,” he said to Alice.

“I wanted to stay with the children. Besides, I wouldn’t like to think of staying behind with those thieves back at the farm.”

“We would have given you safe escort somewhere. But what’s done is done,” he said with finality. Martin then turned to Adam. “It is not a good idea for you to put yourself in the way of Jeb Barnett. Our resources are stressed with this roundup, but I believe I can convince the colonel it is worth my going to assure the safety of the Deerinwater woman. He knows Jeb’s temperament, and would not like to be embarrassed by his actions.”

“That’s more like it,” said Adam. “And I’ll go with you.”

Captain Martin shook his head. “This is a military operation and will be handled by the military.”

“You just said you were shorthanded. And I may not be military, but I am certainly more professional than that redneck you guys sent out to Jimmy’s place.”

“I must concede that point to you. I still believe it to be ill-advised, but I will speak to the colonel immediately and let you know his decision. Your accompanying me will be irrelevant if he does not agree that I should go.” He turned and departed the blockhouse.

“I should tell Jimmy what’s happening and see how he is doing,” said Adam.

“Of course,” said Benjamin. “We will all go with you. Perhaps it will bring some relief to him to know he is among friends.”

They found Jimmy, head in his hands, sitting against the stockade wall. His friend, Jesse, was sitting next to him. They both looked up when the group approached. Jesse smiled at them, but Jimmy just stared blankly.

“Jesse was here at the fort when we arrived. Do you know him?” Adam asked the Rogers.

“Yes, Jesse is an old friend,” said Benjamin.

Adam listened as Benjamin and Jesse exchanged greetings and some murmurings in Cherokee. He could not understand the words, but the tone was obvious—they were both vehemently expressing their anger at the treatment they had received. It was the first time Adam heard a cross word from Benjamin or Catherine. The expressions of anger instantly disappeared and Benjamin’s voice once again became cordial as he introduced Alice.

Catherine knelt beside Jimmy and examined his injuries “I am certain you will feel much better once you know Rebecca is safe,” Catherine said. “I have no medical supplies with me; what little we were able to bring is stored in our wagon,” she said as she stroked his throbbing head.

“It is not important,” Jimmy muttered.

Adam told Jimmy about his conversation with Captain Martin, and his plan to go with him to assure Rebecca’s safety.

“Who is this Captain Martin? Do you trust this
yonega
soldier?” he asked Benjamin.

“I believe he may be the best one to deal with Jeb Barnett. Adam is well intended, but the captain will have the authority of his military rank. He took us from our home, but was not abusive. I cannot vouch for him any more than that.”

Jimmy replied with a grunt. Adam started to say something to reassure him, but Benjamin signaled him not to speak. Jimmy was clearly distraught, and trying to calm him would be futile until Rebecca was safely at his side. Catherine continued to stroke his head, and spoke softly to him in Cherokee. Jimmy’s responses, even to Catherine, were clipped and unlike his usual energetic tone.

Adam caught sight of Captain Martin reentering the blockhouse. “Here comes the captain. Maybe now I can get out of here and see that Rebecca is safe.”

It was impossible to read anything from Captain Martin’s face; his years of military leadership would not allow that. His pale blue eyes scanned the courtyard until they fixed upon Adam, and then he strode purposely toward him.

“Colonel Lindsey has made it clear that his utmost priority is the collection of all the Cherokee. He is not inclined to allow any other operations that will impede that progress, however…” he began.

“That’s ridiculous!” Adam cried. “How can that take priority over the safety of this man’s wife? Especially when he is the one who has put her in danger!”

“Her safety is not his concern. In fact, even your safety is not his concern. By the treaty of Hopewell, any white person entering Cherokee lands forfeits protection from the United States. But as I was saying,” he raised his voice to stifle another outburst from Adam, “he has granted me a short time to go and assure that Mrs. Deerinwater is delivered here to this fort. He has also agreed to release the two of you,” he nodded to Alice.

“Ma’am,” he said to Alice, “where will you go when you are released? Do you have other friends, not Cherokee, with whom you can stay?”

“I’m afraid the only others I know here are Cherokee. I’d prefer to stay here with the Rogers.”

“Then I suggest you do stay here until I return. At that time we can consider your options.

“As for you,” he said to Adam, “I will take you with me to the Deerinwater farm under the condition that you understand that I am in command, and you are to follow my orders. I will not tolerate the reckless behavior of a civilian causing further complication of my duties. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Adam said, hoping he had not answered a little too readily. He had become very fond of Jimmy and Rebecca, and would do whatever he could to get them safely back together. He was not going to return without Rebecca, even if that meant breaking his agreement to follow the captain’s orders.

“Then we will go immediately. Come with me and I will provide you with a mount. Be prepared for a fast ride.” He touched the brim of his hat to the women, nodded to the others, and then advanced briskly toward the gate.

“I’ll bring her to you, Jimmy,” he promised, then jogged to catch up to Martin.

“Good luck and please be careful,” Alice called after him. Adam responded with a thumbs-up as he followed the captain through the gate.

Alice thought about Captain Martin’s warning. Adam might not realize the danger he could be putting himself in. “Is it true what the captain said, that whites have no right to protection when they are on Cherokee lands?”

“It is true that this is stated in the Treaty of Hopewell. Of course, that same treaty states many things. The purpose of the treaty back in 1785 was to guarantee the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation, and to set limits of further expansion by white settlers into our lands. You see for yourself how those terms are violated. To the white government, the treaties can change whenever they deem it to be advantageous to them. This happens so much that we call them ‘talking leaves’ because they blow away like leaves in the wind whenever abiding by them no longer suits the whites. So is it still a law the white man will honor? Only if it is convenient for them. More worrisome is that the whites are free to violate both their own laws and ours when they are on our land, without fear of repercussion from anyone.”

“So people like Jeb Barnett and the thieves waiting to vandalize your farm can do whatever they like and get away unpunished?”

“That is the way the
yonegas
wish it to be,” Jesse interjected. “My family has turned themselves in voluntarily to be relocated. It is not because we wanted to leave our homeland; it was because we could no longer endure the aggression of the whites. Nearly everything we own has been stolen and we have been abused in every way, just for staying on the land where our people have always lived. Your people will stop at nothing to get what they want,” he said, glaring at Alice.

“I’m not about to justify what is being done,” said Alice. “My goodness, it is despicable. I can only tell you that the government is under pressure to expand the country as more people emigrate here from other parts of the world, and they have decided their first priority is to continue that expansion. I certainly don’t approve of removing people from their own lands, but in the past the fortune seekers simply enslaved or killed the native people. Good god, at least they aren’t doing that.”

“You think this is any better?” Jesse snapped. “Those fortune seekers as you call them at least were straightforward about it. They came with the intention of pillaging the land and made no bones about it. Making room for more settlers is just an excuse. The truth is that they want the gold that has been found here, and want to move us to someplace they think is worthless. They will give us promises and assurances that the new land will be ours forever, just as they did for this land, but it will only be valid until someone finds something else that they want. Then they will move us again. It would be more honest if they just killed us all! More honorable than making promises they have no intention of keeping!”