CHAPTER 11

Albert chose a nice spot by a stream at noon where they ate the lunch Bess and the girls had prepared. Sarah managed to eat a few bites and drink plenty of cool water. She was feeling warm and complained of a headache, so Effie gave her some medicine and got her settled down for the rest of the trip. She told her they were getting closer to home all the time and should be there by mid-afternoon. Sarah was so happy to hear this that she got tears in her eyes. Effie held her hand and promised that the first thing they were going to do was to see Dr. Brown. “He’ll fix you up in no time.”

“I’m so sorry to have caused this problem, Effie, and spoiled our trip. I just can’t understand how it happened.”

“Now you hush, girl, you couldn’t help it. It could have been me who got sick, and I know you would’ve looked after me. So don’t think that way anymore. Just close your eyes and take a nap if you can, and before you know it we’ll be drivin’ up to the doctor’s office.”

Sarah couldn’t believe it, but in what seemed just a few minutes later, Effie was telling her to wake up. They were home – in fact, pulling up in front of the doctor’s office.

Albert helped Effie down from the wagon and she went in to talk to Dr. Brown, who was just finishing up with a patient. After greeting each other, Effie asked if she could speak to him for just a minute. So they went into his office and closed the door. Effie briefly explained the situation and why, because she was so worried, they had stopped there before going on to the farm. “Can you see her right now, Doctor?” she said.

“Of course, bring her in right away,” he said. “And I should probably take a look at you and the baby before you leave.”

Effie hurried back out to the wagon, and with Albert’s help she brought Sarah and Elisha into the office. Effie said, “Dr. Brown, this is Albert Jenkins. He and his family have been so kind to us. He’s driven us about thirty-five miles to get here.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jenkins. You sound like a good man.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Effie, I’ll be waitin’ outside with Amos.”

Even as he had been talking, Dr. Brown was examining Sarah, first taking her temperature, and then asking her lots of questions. After finishing, he said, “Sarah, it looks as though you may have a touch of pneumonia.”

“Oh dear, what does that mean?”

“It means that you are a sick young lady and I’m orderin’ complete bed rest for you as soon as you get home. And you should get someone else to look after your baby. I mean complete bed rest for several days or as long as it takes. I’ll give you a supply of medicine I want you to take, and I’ll stop by in a day or so to check on you. Now you just relax while I have a look at your son and then Effie just to make sure they’re OK.”

After a brief exam, he pronounced them both just fine. Before they left the office, the doctor said, “Sarah, I don’t normally do this except when I think it might concern the health of my patient. But since you’re headed out to the farm, I think I should prepare you for some changes that have taken place since you left and which I expect you’re not aware of. I think it better if I tell you about it so it won’t be such a shock for you.

“For one thing, Jessie has been recruited and is now serving in the Union Army, but they seem to be getting’ along on the farm so far.

“The other thing you should know is that not long after Jessie left, a couple of no-goods, claimin’ to be representatives from the government, rode up to the farm while Emmaline was along and barged in. After knockin’ her about a bit, and after stealin’ a prize hog and as much of the foodstuffs as they managed to carry, they took off as fast as they came, leavin’ her unconscious on the floor.

“Emma soon recovered from her external wounds but it has affected her mentally. I still feel she will snap out of it, but right now you’ll find her changed. She mostly sits around starin’ into space, otherwise she appears healthy. And there isn’t anything we can do about it right now. The mind is a strange thing, and not many of us are trained to work with it.

“And without a description of the men from Emmaline, Sheriff Hawkins has no clue as to who they were, which makes it almost impossible to find out anything. The one thing everyone is sure of is that they did not represent the government, but instead were just a couple of the many thieves who are taking advantage of the war situation.”

As the doctor talked, both Sarah and Effie were staring at him in disbelief at all that had gone on in their absence.

“Oh, my goodness sakes, that poor Emmie. She was probably in shock at their coming for Jessie, and this happened. No wonder she’s the way you say she is,” said Effie.

“I hope I did the right thing in tellin’ you, Sarah, but I knew there was no way to keep it from you once you got back to the farm. But I caution you not to dwell on it too much, for you must concentrate on gettin’ well. There is nothing you can do about it. Right now I want you to get back in that wagon and get home and in bed as soon as possible. Don’t forget to take your medicine – and, Effie, don’t hesitate to have someone come for me if you feel it’s necessary.”

Albert quickly came to the door and helped get Sarah settled comfortably in the wagon. As they were leaving, the doctor called Effie back once again and said, “You should get word to the Russell family about Sarah as soon as possible. It’s better they hear it from you than from someone else.”

“Yes, I agree. Thank you for everything.”

- * - * - * - * -

It took only a short while to get to the Sanders farm, so they were soon pulling up at the front gate. There was no sign of life in the yard or around the barn that they could see. Effie jumped down, gave a knock on the door, and then opened it slightly, calling, “Are you home, Nell?”

Immediately Nell came running from the kitchen and was amazed to see Effie. “Oh my gosh, you’re home!”

“Yes, we’re home, but I have a bit of bad news. Sarah isn’t well. She caught quite a cold on the trail a few days ago which has now developed into pneumonia.

“We’ve just left the doctor’s office where he examined her, gave her some medicine, and ordered her to bed for a complete rest. But before you rush out, let me explain quickly that a nice man, Albert Jenkins, and his son Amos drove us the last 35 miles or so home in his wagon. Mr. Jenkins’ family was absolutely wonderful to us both coming and going on the trail, and we’ve become good friends. They plan to camp out tonight on their trip back home, but I’d like you to meet them before they leave.”

Nell, taking it all in, said, “Oh, Effie, so much has happened here since you left. You won’t believe it.”

* - * - * - *- * -

George Stanton and the other three captured prisoners were treated fairly well – at least they were given food to eat, such as it was. They were shackled and forced to march along with the unit for a few days. Otherwise they were mostly ignored.

Finally, about a week later when they reached what appeared to be a large Rebel encampment, they were interviewed by a captain of the Confederate Army. He inquired about what outfits they had been with, their rank, and what part of the country they came from.

The next day, the same officer approached them and said that since the four of them were not commissioned officers, they were being released upon their oath that they would make their way back to their homes and no longer engage in warfare against the Confederate Army. In other words, the officers apparently felt that unless the prisoners were some of the higher-ups, it wasn’t worth it for the Confederacy to guard and feed them. The four men also thought that it had something to do with the fact that the war wasn’t going their way too well and the officers just didn’t want to be bothered.

When the men asked how they were supposed to fend for themselves with no food or camping gear and money to buy anything, the officer simply shrugged, saying, “That’s your problem.”

With only the clothes on their backs, and with their guns and anything else of value having been taken from them, the men started walking away. After going about two miles or more, they decided to sit down and discuss their situation. They all agreed that the first thing to do was to somehow get rid of their Union uniforms and get ordinary clothes, which would be quite a challenge.

They also decided that it would be more practical for them to split up. They would eventually be going in different directions, anyway, to get to their homes.

Alone, George first tried to remove any identifying insignia from his uniform. But he had no luck since he didn’t even have a pocketknife. He finally decided to turn the shirt inside out. It looked a bit strange, but he looked a bit less like a soldier.

He considered just trying to find a way back to the base camp in Rolla, even if he had made an oath to the Confederates that he would go home. But he rejected that idea because he was sure they would put him back in the Army or put him in the brig for being AWOL. So instead, he decided to try making it back home, traveling through the backwoods, mostly at night, eating what he could find – nuts, berries, etc.

After a couple of days and nights, however, he realized that he didn’t have any idea where he was. Having to travel in the woods, he had no way to learn anything from signs along the road. Plus he was getting hungrier by the day, not having had much luck finding food. He was simply not cut out for this sort of thing. To be truthful, he didn’t care for farming either. His dream was to open a business of some kind when he got home.

So the next day, instead of again hiding in the woods until nightfall, he started walking on the main roads after cleaning himself up as much as he could by stopping at a stream.

The first person he encountered on the road was what appeared to be a harmless young man of about fourteen years of age, riding on a horse. George raised a hand to speak to the boy, telling him he was lost and asked if he could tell him the name of the closest town.

The boy said, “Well Crawford’s store is about a mile from here. It’s where we go to get supplies.”

“What is your name, by the way?”
“William Pierce.”

“I’m George Stanton. Pleased to meet you, William.”

William was quite friendly, so George began to ask him some questions. He managed to learn that William’s father was a local farmer and an older brother was in the Union Army.

This couldn’t have been better news for George. He now felt free to explain that he, too, was a Union soldier who had gotten separated from his unit. He took off his shirt to show William his insignia, explaining how he had been captured and released. George said, “Do you think I could talk to your father for a minute?” and explained that he was lost and was trying to make his way back to either his base camp or home.

“Oh, sure,” William said. “I can take you there now if you want to follow me.”

Hoping he wasn’t making a foolish mistake, George agreed to follow along. The young man seemed so sincere, and George couldn’t believe he would have any reason to trick him in any way. So, walking along beside William for a while, George soon saw a farmhouse and other buildings up ahead.

William said, “That’s where I live!” As they pulled up to the gate, a woman in a flowered apron came out to meet them. William said, “That’s my Ma.” Then he started chattering away, telling her all about George. “He’s a Union soldier who’s lost and would like to talk to Pa.”

“Well, run out to the barn and have your Pa come over here. And George, you come and sit on the porch. You look tired.”

Before George had time to tell much of his story, William was back with his father. George introduced himself and explained why he was there. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pierce seemed sympathetic, noting that he was wearing a Union uniform. But still they asked a number of questions about his time in service in Rolla until they were convinced he was telling a true story.

Mr. Pierce said, “So how can we help you?”

“First, I wonder if you have a few bites of left-over food I might have. I’ve had little to eat for several days.” George explained how he had traveled through the back woods up to this point and had been unable to find much to eat.

“Oh yes, of course,” said Mrs. Pierce. “I should’ve realized this at once. I’ll get something ready for you in just a few minutes.”

In the meantime, George discussed with Mr. Pierce what he should do – whether to keep on trying to make it home or to try getting back to camp and report in. He said, “I’m torn between the two. I’d like more than anything to be back home with my wife and daughter and my parents, but I want to do what’s right with the Army at the same time.”

So while he ate, the Pierce family sat with George and discussed the situation further. Mr. Pierce said, “If you were my son, I’d insist that you go back and report to the Army. They need to know about you for their records. And has it occurred to you they might not know of your capture and think you’re AWOL and even now be looking for you and the others?”

Pierce was right, of course. What if George managed to somehow make it home, only to find the Army had been there looking for him and still looking?

“You make a good point, Sir, and have just about convinced me that the right thing to do is get myself back to Rolla somehow. The next question is how.”

“You know, I just might be able to help you. Our store man, Everett Crawford, is a good friend of mine. He makes a trip to Rolla at least weekly, and sometimes oftener for supplies. It just might work out that he would agree to let you ride along with him if I explained the situation.”

“Why, thank you, sir. I believe that would be the right thing to do.”

* - * - * - * - *

A couple of days later, George stared at the landscape as he rode on Mr. Crawford’s wagon. He worried about what might happen when he arrived back in Rolla. Would the Army believe his story that he had been captured by the Confederate Army after they had gotten separated from the rest of the unit, or would the Army think he had gone AWOL and put him in the brig? He hoped that the fact that he still had his Union uniform would convince the Army that he wasn’t a Confederate spy or a deserter.

As he arrived at the Army camp in Rolla, Everett Crawford wished him good luck. George thanked Mr. Crawford as he rode away. Then George took a deep breath and approached a man in an official-looking uniform that seemed like he was important. He decided to tell the whole story to the man without embellishment: how he had been sent out with his unit to an unknown destination, how he and three men had stayed behind after the rest of the unit had broken camp one morning, and how they had been ambushed by the Rebs and then let go to find their way back home.

The officer gave George a puzzled look. He reached and grabbed the sleeve of his uniform and inspected it. Satisfied that it was indeed a Union uniform, the officer decided that George was telling the truth. George nodded and bowed his head, relieved that he wouldn’t be sent to the brig, but dreading being thrown back into another unit of soldiers to be sent out in another situation where he could be kidnapped again. However, the officer granted him a reprieve. As George did not appear to have been mistreated, he had nevertheless been a prisoner of war, and in such cases soldiers were usually released and sent home. So George was given an honorable discharge, his back pay, and told he was free to make his way back home.

“Thank you, Sir, I appreciate that very much. You don’t happen to know where I could buy a horse, do you?”

“No, but I’m fairly sure you’ll be able to find one somewhere here in this town.”

- * - * - * - * - * -

A few hours later, wearing his civilian clothes and with discharge papers in hand. George Stanton lost no time in making preparations to head for home just as soon as he could locate a few necessities needed for the trip. Since he wasn’t acquainted with anyone in the town of Rolla, he decided that the most approachable person would be the county sheriff.

The first person he encountered on the street was able to tell him where he would most likely find the lawman, Shorty McClendon, provided he wasn’t out of town on a mission of some sort. George thanked the gentleman and started off in that direction. As he approached the small building, he noticed a very tall man coming out of the door and said to him, “Pardon me, sire, but is Sheriff McClendon in this office?”

The tall man said, “Well, he’s on his way out right now. What could he do for you?”

George couldn’t keep from laughing a bit as he spotted the badge on the man’s chest. He said, “I’m sorry, but I was expectin’ a much shorter person.”

“Oh, you mean because of the name. Well, I was given that name as a joke many years ago and I’ve been stuck with it ever since. Come back in my office and tell me what I can do for you.”

As he sat down, George introduced himself and told the sheriff briefly about his experience in the Army. Then he showed him his discharge papers, explaining how it was his wish now to get back home to his family as soon as possible. He said, “Since I don’t know anybody here, I thought you would be a good person to ask if you knew where I might buy a horse for my journey. I figured you’d be pretty familiar with all that goes on around here.”

“Well, I’m mighty glad to meet you, George, and to hear your story. By golly, that’s quite an experience you had, and I can sure understand how anxious y’are to get back home. I’ll do anything I can to help. In fact, I think I know just the person you should talk to, and I’d be glad to take you out there. It’s not too far. He operates a small ranch and usually has a few extra horses – that is, if the thieves haven’t been by lately and grabbed them all. He might be persuaded to part with one for you at a reasonable price.”

Soon thereafter, they were shaking hands with Jackson Luna, an affable man who made them welcome. After introductions were made and the sheriff explained who they were, Mr. Luna led them out to the corral. As they walked he said, “You know, I always hate to part with one of my horses. One gets attached to them as you can imagine; but under the circumstances, I feel I should let you have Sunny.” He pointed to a sturdy-looking roan horse standing nearby watching all that was going on. “He should be just what you need, provided you agree, of course.”

George quickly agreed because he was impressed with the horse, the price, and both the gentlemen. So, after sitting for a spell under a nice shade tree, enjoying a cold drink of spring water, they shook hands and George went on his way.

A bit later, while he was buying his supplies at the general store, the sheriff stopped by to make sure George was finding everything he needed, and to wish him luck.

Since there were still several hours of daylight, George decided he might as well be on his way. He planned to follow the advice given him by Sheriff McClendon and Mr. Luna to stay off the main trail as much as possible, since he was traveling alone, and to take plenty of rest stops for himself as well as for Sunny. He wasn’t as concerned about ordinary citizens he might run into, as it was soldiers or scouting parties from either side of the war who might give him a little trouble.

What a great feeling it was to be headed out toward home. Free at last! He knew his arrival home would come as quite a surprise if the letter he mailed following his release hadn’t reached his wife, especially since his release was a bit unusual and not many men had returned home from the war so far.

* - * - * - * -

There was much activity at the farm following the arrival of the wagon carrying the ailing Sarah, who was immediately put in bed upstairs for complete bed rest following the doctor’s orders. Accommodations were made for Effie to stay on at the farm to not only look after Elisha, but to also tend to Sarah’s needs as much as possible.

Caleb, seeing all the commotion earlier and realizing Sarah was home, had gone down to be sure Harriett was aware of what was going on.

In the meantime, Albert and Amos were on their way home. In all the excitement, it suddenly occurred to them that they had forgotten about Emmaline. She was always so quiet anyway. They rushed to her room, but she wasn’t there.

They looked all around the house and barn, finally finding her cowering in a corner down in the cellar. This indicated to them just how sick he was, and they decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to mention Sarah’s name. So they just cleaned her up a bit and put her in her bed. She probably heard all the commotion and strange voices, and she probably thought the awful men were back.

Upstairs, Sarah had immediately fallen into a deep sleep after refusing anything but some cold water to drink. So they tiptoed away, closed the door, and left her alone. They didn’t want Emma wandering in there during the night.

Effie announced that she was planning to make herself a bed later on the floor beside Sarah’s bed so that she would be available at any time during the night if she or Elisha woke. She still felt a deep responsibility for the care of this young woman and her baby, and she intended to do everything in her power to see that she got well. She could not abandon her now.

She had a light meal with Nell and Sam, who had just arrived after being at a neighbor’s house since school let out. Then Effie remembered the doctor’s advice that they let Sarah’s parents know about this as soon as possible before the news got passed on to them by someone outside the family.

Effie herself had planned to ride over and tell them sometime that afternoon. But now it was decided it wouldn’t be a good idea for her to travel this late in the day, but rather go in the morning. They felt that under the circumstances the Russells would understand.

“In fact, Sam, would you run down and ask Caleb if he’d ride out to the Russells in the mornin’ before he comes up to the farm and tell them about Sarah bein’ home. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” said Nell.

Before they were finished tidying up the kitchen, Sam was back, reporting that Caleb would remember to do it.
As promised, Caleb saddled a horse early in the morning and drove the five miles or so to the Russell farm. Luckily, the news hadn’t reached them. So over a cup of coffee, Caleb gave them all the details about the doctor’s recommendations, assuring them that Elisha was pronounced fine by the doctor.

Even though they were gracious and hospitable, Caleb could sense a bit of anger in Uriah, and finally it came out. “I tried my best to talk Sarah out of her foolish idea, but she just wouldn’t listen, so now she is sufferin’ the consequences. I have no doubt that Effie did the best she could in the situation, but I’ll always wonder what happened on the trail home,” Uriah said.

Lucinda Russell sat listening to it all, but finally said, “Well, there’s no need for findin’ fault. What’s done is done. Who’s carin’ for her now, Caleb?”

“Nell, Effie, and Harriett will all be helpin’, but Effie herself insisted in makin’ a pallet on the floor right by Sarah’s bed so she can keep an eye on both Sarah and Elisha. She has become quite attached to the two of them and is devotin’ full time to their interest right now. And I imagine she’ll stay as long as necessary. The doctor prescribed medicine for fever, and complete bed rest.”

Rising from his chair, Caleb said, “Well, I’d best get on back now to be available for anything they may need me for.”

“By the way, how is Emmaline doin’?” said Lucinda.

“She’s fine physically, but her mind is still not right.” Caleb then told them of finding her cowering in the cellar after all the commotion of Sarah’s arrival and the strange voices.

“Oh, how terrible. The poor thing.”

“Yes, but the doctor hasn’t given up on her. He thinks she’ll snap out of it.”

“Unless you advise against it, Lucinda and I’ll probably drive over tomorrow mornin’ late and have a look at Sarah and Elisha for just a short time,” said Uriah.

“That’s fine. We’ll be glad to have you,” said Caleb as he got up to leave.

- * - * - * - * -
The next morning as they were finishing their noon meal, the Russells drove up. Nell went to the gate to greet them and immediately took them upstairs to see Sarah. She had her eyes closed but was not in a deep sleep, so Nell said, “Sarah, look who’s here.”

Sarah opened her eyes and said, “Oh, it’s Ma and Pa. It’s so good to see you.”

Nell and Effie left them alone with their daughter. “I’ll have Elisha downstairs and you can visit with him later,” Effie said.

When they came downstairs, Nell offered them refreshments while they visited a bit with their grandson. Effie filled them in on some of the happenings on the trail and how Sarah had such a nice visit with James after the Army gave him leave for a day and night.

A short time later, the Russells left for home, saying that other members of the family would be coming by also for a brief visit in the next few days.

The days passed slowly with Effie mostly in charge of Sarah’s care. The doctor came often but wasn’t too encouraged by her progress. He had hoped she would be almost over it by now.