"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned," -Perez, Act 3, Scene 2, The Mourning Bride (1697).
Remember, remember the 31st of November 1864 when four mourners formed a band. A band of victims of those affli...
They made my nose to big on the "Wanted" poster! That and someone just loves me enough to publicly put out posters for me to be taken dead or alive. They also put out posters of the gang but they wore bandannas on their faces while I was enjoying the New Year.
What I found alarming was the fact that our posters merely stated that we were wanted for quote "war crimes against the Union".
War Crimes?
John Chivington got away with way worse. Sherman got away with worse and the war was over! Lee surrendered last year and Yankees say the South isn't up in the times! I carefully folded the paper and put it away while the birds sang, my horse walked and my anger flared. The air was crisp as I made my way back to camp, taking my time as I did so.
Getting closer to camp I noticed that I couldn't see a lookout. I tried to remember who Mercer set up for the watch today and it wasn't until I was in camp and saw Miguel under a leanto while Waya was carving shavings from a deer antler, relaxed in the crook of a tree.
"Whose supposed to be on watch?" I said dismounting and tying my horse off. The two men were silent as I walked into the center of camp.
"The Mexican." Waya stated into the stiff silence.
"I was taking a siesta!" Miguel whined and I pinched my nose and shook my head.
"Miguel, Texas won its rebellion against Mexico because of a siesta on one day," I reiterated, "one day, and its January right now it's not that hot. And we just pulled off our first heist, looking to kill William T. Sherman."
"To bad the info was bad." Waya commented from his project.
"Yeah, yeah, we still made a good few hundred dollars and still need to fence all that jewelry."
"Gawdy, vain, pigs." Miguel spat about the Union soldiers, "I'm sorry I wasn't on watch," Miguel said getting up from the leanto and swatting at some flies, "I won't do it again."
"I hope not, and if you're about to die from the heat come summer find a relief. We gotta be on our toes."
"Adios, tell me when dinner is ready."
I gave him a nod as he took an old Spencer and walked out into the brush.
"Waya, where's Antonio and your sister?"
"Antonio set up primitive traps for small game and fish where Raven likes to do the laundry." Waya cast sidelong glances both ways over-cautiously and added, "I also have a favor."
"Shoot." I answered.
"Ever since we nursed your wounds from Atlanta, and we the mental disorder of Sand Creek; I have been teaching my sister the art of the bow. I'm getting a bit rusty on my more advanced archery and was wondering if you could teach Scarlet the ways white men shoot, with guns."
"You are trusting me to ride off with your sister with a bunch of guns?"
"Don't," he bit out, glaring, "put it like that." Then he added, "You know I'd scalp you and slit your throat if you misused her."
"And you'd know I'd be honor-bound to let you do it; just let it be quick."
"So in a way," he said putting away his knife and deer-horn project, "yes, I trust you. Did you have plans?"
"Not until now my friend."
"Good," he hopped down from the tree he was in and whistled for his horse, "I'm going to go find Mercer. Make sure he's getting back from town okay, you and Scarlet can go hunt or practice after dinner."
"You do that." I sighed, looked both ways and went to the leanto Miguel was in earlier. My mind wandering as I was pondering...
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Sometime during 1859...
I stood, rank and file, shoulder to shoulder with my militia as we performed marching drills. A father of his one-year old daughter, performing safety drills in case of abolitionist attack. John Brown had raided the federal armory at Harper's Ferry in an attempted rebellion. The event was in my very state of Virginia not a day's ride from where I lived.
My father was the rank of captain of a Home Guard unit. I couldn't believe it, an abolitionist quack had picked up guns against this glorious nation. What will it breed? A wise man once said, "What can war, but endless war, still breed?" What can hate, but perpetual hate, still breed?
The sun was red as it retreated from the sky and we finished our marching exercises. We moved on to the evening's target practice and every few shots I would hesitate. Will that be a man in my sights one day? Surely not...
*Jesse James robs first daylight bank on Feb. 13th 1866 in Liberty Missouri.
*Reno Gang becomes first train robbery in Oct. 1866
*On April 2, the Civil War was officially over with a decree from President Johnson.
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*This is where I think the plantation was located and the other location is Harpers Ferry. So it's a two day walk maybe a day's ride to Harpers Ferry from where Cole currently lives.
