Battle of Lookout Mountain Read online

  Ezra Payne, Royal thought. Their hired hand, who was very clever with tools. Although young, he could make almost anything out of wood.

  “Ezra could make one too. But Tom won’t listen.”

  “But we’ve got to convince him.”

  “You remember Gus Springer?”

  “Sure, I remember Gus.” A light came into Royal’s eyes, and he said, “Why, yes—he’s got an artificial leg, and he gets around great.”

  “Yes, he does—and I asked him to come out and talk to Tom, and he did.”

  “Well, how did it go? You know Gus. He can do almost anything—you hardly know he’s lost a leg. But—” Seeing the look on his sister’s face, Royal asked quietly, “He wouldn’t listen to Gus?”

  “No, and he got angry with me for asking him here.” Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, and she abruptly dashed them away. “I—I don’t know what we are going to do about Tom.”

  A feeling of helplessness filled Royal Carter. He put his hands on Sarah’s shoulders. “We’ll do something,” he said firmly. “God saved Tom’s life. He’s not through with him yet!”

  2

  A New Face

  Come on, Tom, you don’t have to dance, but you always liked music. I don’t think you ought to sit here at home.”

  Royal had found Tom on the parlor sofa, watching Esther crawl around on the floor.

  “I don’t think so, Royal,” he said.

  A frown passed across Royal’s face. He had promised Sarah and Leah that he would do his best to get Tom to go to the dance that was being held at the schoolhouse. They had both warned him that it would be useless to try, for Tom had not left the house more than once or twice since he had come back to Pineville.

  Biting his lip, Royal tried once again. “Look, Tom, maybe you feel out of place, your being Confederate and all, but that’s all over now.”

  Tom’s eyes flashed. “I may be a cripple,” he snapped, “but I’m still a Confederate! People around here aren’t going to forget that. Leave me alone, will you, Royal! If you want to help me, that’s what you can do—just leave me alone.”

  Royal wanted to argue, but he saw from the stubborn look on Tom’s face that arguing would be useless. He turned and left the room and found Sarah and Leah ready to go. They had obviously been listening to his conversation with Tom.

  Sarah shook her head warningly. “It won’t work, Royal,” she said in a whisper.

  They went outside, and Royal helped Sarah and Leah into the carriage. He climbed in then and spoke to the horses, and the buggy was soon bumping along the road headed for the schoolhouse. They said little, everyone avoiding the subject of Tom Majors. However, Royal knew that Tom was on their minds.

  Royal did say, “He’ll come around. It’ll just take a little time.” He saw that Sarah was unhappy, but he knew her well enough to say no more on the subject.

  They pulled up at the schoolhouse. The yard was already full of buggies, wagons, and saddle horses. The sound of music was wafted on the warm summer air, and as Royal helped the girls down, he said, “This is a little bit different from what I’ve been used to lately.”

  Sarah reached over and straightened his collar. He was wearing his uniform and looked rather dashing in it. Although not strikingly handsome, Royal was nonetheless attractive. His blue eyes sparkled, and he looked trim and fit.

  Lanterns hung over the outside platform that had been built for the dancers, and he looked around at the crowd. “I guess all the pretty girls have been taken since I left for the army.”

  “No, there are lots of them without their young men.” Leah smiled at him. “You better take a stick, Royal, to beat them off!”

  He laughed at her and pinched her cheek. “None of them will be as pretty as you, Sis,” he said, “except maybe for Sarah here. But you both look like angels.”

  Sarah wore a rose-colored dress, and her hair was done up in a way that he had not seen before. She was a beautiful girl, and at once she was claimed by a young man who took her off to dance.

  Leah was claimed by one of her youthful friends, David Peterson, who lived just down the road. He was overweight, and his collar was so tight his face seemed to be swollen. He was hopelessly in love with Leah, who liked him but was not nearly as much taken with him as he was with her.

  As the sisters had said, Royal became the center of attention almost instantly. He found himself dancing with Maude Kimberly, a short, plump girl of seventeen, who batted her eyelashes at him in a way she evidently thought was very fetching. She was wearing a bright red dress that emphasized her plumpness. She looked in fact rather like an overripe tomato, although Royal, of course, did not say so.

  After that dance, he danced with Mable Conroy, an old friend, and then he sought out the refreshment table, where he was surrounded by the men. They asked him eagerly about his war experiences. He spoke about them briefly, and then Sarah pulled him away.

  “You can talk to the men down at the feed store tomorrow. That’s where they go to chew tobacco and spit and decide how to run the country,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Tonight you just have fun!”

  Even as she spoke, a clear tenor voice rose up, and Royal looked around to find the singer.

  “Why, that’s Drake Bedford,” he said. He listened for a moment. “Drake always was the best singer— and one of the best fiddle players.”

  “Oh, yes, he’s in his element at these dances.” Sarah hesitated. “But he’s kind of wild, Royal.”

  “Yes, he always was. All the time drinking and fighting with some other fellow over some girl. He still doing that?”

  “I’m afraid so. He is handsome though, isn’t he?”

  Royal examined the features of the young singer. He was tall, over six feet, strong-looking and athletic. He had crisp brown hair, gray eyes, and was wearing a stylish gray suit with a black string tie. When he finished his song, the musicians struck up, and he grabbed a young lady standing nearby and began swinging her around the platform.

  “How about a dance with you, Sis?” Royal asked.

  “You didn’t come to dance with your sister, Royal!” Sarah protested.

  “Well, let’s see who I can dance with. There’s Amy Perkins. She always walks all over your feet—don’t want her. And there’s Roseanne Grangerford—she wants to talk about poetry all the time—and bad poetry too. She doesn’t know the difference between good and bad.” His eyes ran over the crowd, and he halted his cataloging of the young ladies abruptly. “Who’s that, Sarah?”

  Sarah looked in the direction of Royal’s glance. “Oh, that’s Lorraine Jenkins.”

  “Who is she? She’s new around here, isn’t she?”

  “She’s Hamilton Jenkins’s niece. You know him and his wife, Mae, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think anybody as homely as that pair could have any relatives as pretty as she is.”

  “You shouldn’t say that! The Jenkinses are fine people!”

  “Yes, they are. I was just kidding!”

  Royal watched the girl Lorraine Jenkins. She was with a man he did not know, and the man was obviously taken with her. She was a small girl, and the lantern light glinted on her auburn hair, making it look almost red. She had an oval face, and there was something vivacious about her. He could tell from her chin and the side of her face that she was strong-willed—and that she had lovely eyes and full red lips.

  “I suppose I ought to take pity on her and pull her away from that clodhopper that is probably walking all over her feet.”

  “You always were chivalrous, Royal,” Sarah teased.

  Royal made his way toward the couple and tapped the man on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?”

  “Well—”

  Royal did not wait for him to finish but took the girl’s hand and swung her away, leaving her partner looking rather disconsolate and half angry.

  “My name is Royal Carter,” he said. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  “No, I’m Lorra
ine Jenkins.”

  “Happy to know you, Miss Jenkins. You’re new in town here, are you?”

  “Yes, my home is in Chattanooga. I’m here on a visit to my uncle and aunt.”

  “Oh, yes, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins—they’re fine people. Are you enjoying your visit?”

  From across the platform Leah watched as the pair danced. She was suddenly interrupted by a voice that said, “Well, now, it’s Miss Leah, ain’t it?”

  She looked around to see a tall, gangly young man standing behind her. She knew him at once, for he was almost unforgettable. He had tow-colored hair, parted in the center, light blue eyes, and craggy features. He looked a little like a very young Abraham Lincoln with his homely expression.

  “Yes, it’s Mr. Rose, isn’t it?”

  “Well—” the young man grinned “—that’s what the preacher calls me. A. B. Rose is my name, but folks just call me Rosie. I think I might be able to make it through at least one dance if you’d like, Miss Leah.”

  “Why, of course, Rosie.”

  He had huge feet, but he didn’t tread on her toes. As they stepped onto the platform, he cleared his throat. “Don’t reckon I’m long for this world, Miss Leah.”

  Looking up, Leah was amazed. “Why, what’s the matter, Rosie?”

  “I’m not a well man,” he said solemnly. There was a gloomy look on his face. “I’m lucky that I’ve lived to be as old as I have, but it can’t go on forever.”

  Actually he seemed to be a rather strong young man, she thought, despite his gangly frame. His hands were corded with muscles, and there was a healthy glow to his face.

  Still, he began to catalog his physical ailments. “My rheumatism is doing better, but that’s because I got that medicine out of Memphis for it. But I got these terrible shooting pains in my legs. They can’t be growing pains—at least, I hope they ain’t. Probably some dreadful disease that ain’t been discovered yet.”

  Soon Leah began to suspect that Rosie’s ailments were all imaginary. He led her over to the refreshment center and ate three pieces of pie so quickly that it was almost magical. Leah’s eyes twinkled. “Do you suppose pie is good for your ailments, Rosie?”

  “There’s no telling,” he said, his voice almost funereal. He reached for another piece. “Man that’s born of this world is of few days—that’s what the Scripture says.”

  Leah looked across the platform. “You and Drake are great friends, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, that we are, Miss Leah. He’s been mighty good to me and my misfortune.”

  Leah then remembered hearing that this very young man, who claimed to be an invalid, had been jailed along with Drake Bedford for fighting. The two of them had taken on five toughs from over in North Pine Community and had thrashed them soundly. Now she was sure that Rosie was indeed self-diseased.

  The music struck up again, and Rosie sighed heavily. “Well—” he shoved a bite of pie into his mouth “—I guess we better see if I can hold up one more time around that floor.”

  As Rosie led her to the platform again, Leah said, “Look, my brother’s with that new girl in town.”

  “Oh, that Miss Lori Jenkins?”

  “That’s her. See—that’s my brother, Royal. Remember him?”

  “Sure do, but I wish he wouldn’t force himself on Miss Lori.”

  “Why, I don’t think he’d do that!” Leah was puzzled. “Why do you say that, Rosie?”

  “Well, Drake—he fancies himself first where the ladies are concerned. And he’s got his head set on impressing her. I never saw him so set on courting a gal.”

  Royal had been enjoying his dance with Lorraine Jenkins. He had gotten things to the point where she had asked him to call her Lori, and he was working up to requesting permission to call on her. At that moment a hand clapped him on the shoulder harder than was necessary. He turned to see Drake Bedford grinning at him.

  “Hello, Royal. I’m taking your girl away!”

  “Why, sure, Drake.” Royal stepped back as was the custom. “I’ll see you later, Miss Lori.”

  “Not if I can help it!” Drake Bedford said.

  Drake swept Lori away, and when they were out on the floor again he said, “Now, you don’t want to get too interested in that young man.”

  Lori smiled at him. She had never seen a man with more self-confidence. A little bit too much sometimes, she thought. “He looks fine in his uniform, doesn’t he? My uncle says he’s been in some of the battles.”

  “Oh, sure, that’s the way these soldiers are. Throw on a uniform and hear a gun go off—then to hear them tell it, they won the whole war. I see them all the time like that.”

  Something about this response displeased Lori. “I don’t think Royal is like that. He seems a rather modest young man.”

  Drake looked down at her. He seemed very tall and strong, and his grasp on her hand tightened. “You can’t use but one fellow courting at a time, and I reckon that I’m that fellow.”

  Royal was enjoying the evening thoroughly. It had been a long time since he’d been home, and he was glad to see his old friends again. He received numerous offers to come and take supper—mostly from mothers with marriageable daughters. But he managed to fend most of them off.

  Then it was the last dance, and he managed to get close to Lori again. She turned to him with a smile.

  “I don’t have much time, Miss Lori,” he said. “Ordinarily I’d wait two or three weeks to come calling, but I’m asking now.”

  Lori hesitated. “Well, of course!” she said. “Why don’t you come to supper tomorrow night? At half past five?”

  “Will that be all right with your uncle and aunt?”

  “Oh, yes, they’ll be glad to have you. They are always very supportive of young men in the army.”

  Then they heard a muffled shout, and people began leaving the platform.

  “What’s going on?” Royal asked.

  “I don’t know. Let’s go see.”

  They followed the crowd, and Royal soon saw that a fight was in progress. “Why, that’s Drake!” he exclaimed.

  “Yes, it is.”

  There was such an odd quality in Lori’s voice that Royal gave her a questioning look.

  “That’s Darrell Hopkins he’s fighting with,” she said.

  All at once Royal understood. “I see. Over you, I suppose?”

  “Oh, it’s so silly. Darrell is just a good friend, but Drake’s decided that he’s my keeper.” A sudden thought seemed to come to her, and she asked, “Are you good friends with Drake?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Then I’m afraid he’ll make trouble for you if you come calling.”

  Royal smiled down at her. She looked very fetching in her light blue party dress. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were large and beautifully shaped. They were shaded by the heaviest lashes he had ever seen, and she had skin like cream.

  “Well, Drake will just have to do what he has to do—but I’ll be there for supper tomorrow night, Miss Lori.”

  “Good!” she said. “I’ll try to talk to Drake so that he doesn’t start any foolishness.”

  “I sure have enjoyed dancing with you, Miss Leah,” Rosie said. “Surprised I made it, but you must be good medicine for a sick man.”

  “It looks like that fellow Drake was fighting was hurt pretty bad,” Leah said, a worried expression on her face.

  “Oh, he probably got a few bones broke and maybe his nose smooshed, but that’s how Drake is. I don’t guess Darrell will be courting anybody for a while.” Rosie hesitated, then said, “You might tip your brother off. I see he’s been with Miss Lori a lot. Tell him it might be better for his health if he didn’t do that.”

  “He can see anyone he wants to!”

  “Well, of course he can. It’s a free country.” Rosie shrugged and then apparently put the matter from his mind. “Look. I got these pills out of Cincinnati last week. They’re supposed to be good for indigestion. Do they look all right to you?”


  3

  “Just Leave Me Alone”

  Sarah said very little the day following the dance; otherwise she went about her work as usual. Late that afternoon, while she and her mother were making a quilt, the subject of Tom Majors came up.

  “Sarah,” her mother said quietly, “you’re troubled about Tom.”

  “Yes, I am. Aren’t you?”

  Mrs. Carter’s fingers flew, putting tiny stitches in the bed cover. The colorful top displayed little Dutch boys and girls with odd hats, made from scraps from other sewing projects. “Yes, of course I am!” she said.

  Sarah looked up, her dark blue eyes distressed. “I don’t know what he’s going to do. I don’t think he does either. It’s just like all the strength has been drained out of him. All the purpose. He was always so excited about everything, Tom was. Now it’s almost like he’s—like he’s dead inside.”

  Mrs. Carter took another stitch. “You wouldn’t agree to marry Tom before because he was going to be in the Confederate army …”

  “I know!” Sarah thought for a moment and then said, “But now he won’t be in the army.”

  “Maybe not, but he’s still sympathetic to the South. I’m not sure such a marriage would work.”

  This was exactly what Sarah had feared. She clamped her lips together, and for some time the two women said nothing. The loudest sound in the room was the buzzing of a fly that zigzagged around Sarah’s head. It lit on her cheek, and she brushed it away angrily. “I don’t see why life has to be like this!” she said rebelliously.

  Sarah was known as a calm, gentle girl, rarely showing anger, always ready to take the way of peace. But the war had ground on for more than two years. Many of the young men in this part of the country had died and were buried on battlefields with outlandish names. Her own brother lay heavily on her heart, and she dreaded for him to go back and face the fire of battle. Now she threw her needle down and got up, saying, “Sometimes I think it’s unfair!”

  Her mother looked up at her. “You don’t think God’s unfair, do you?”

  “Oh, no, I don’t mean that! It’s just that … well … I don’t know what I mean!” She knew she was close to tears, and she left the room hurriedly, leaving her mother looking disturbed.