When Cordia arrived at the Adams Farm, Julia was sitting on the swing under the oak tree, a light blanket wrapped around her to help combat the cool March breeze. She looked pale; her eyes had dark circles under them. Cordia wasn’t sure she should even be out of bed, but she knew it was no use trying to tell Julia that. “Mornin',” she said as she approached. She sat down next to her friend who acknowledged her arrival with a smile. “How are you feeling today?”
Julia peered off beyond the horizon for a few moments. Finally, she said, “I feel all right. I didn’t want to stay in that stuffy bedroom anymore. Aunt Margaret finally said I could come outside for a spell, but only if I stayed wrapped up.”
Cordia could plainly see the agitation on the young woman’s face. She knew that Julia was a very capable person, and as hard as it was for Cordia to see her a prisoner of her own body, it must have been exponentially harde
Will had heard that some were calling this place Shiloh after a church nearby. However, from his vantage point, Will could see nothing peaceful about it. The day before, he and the rest of Grant’s men had been bivouacked near the river, waiting for reinforcements from Ohio. They knew that P.G.T. Beauregard and his troops were in the area; however, they had no idea that they were so incredibly close.The Rebs had been successful that first day, pushing them back toward Owl Creek. The ground had been terrible, like fighting in a pile of fresh horse manure, the mud clinging to their shoes and their pants, weighing them down and making any sort of a hasty retreat impossible. Luckily, the enemy had seemed confused, and Will and the men he was fighting with were able to drop back to a better position. It seemed like the Sunken Road they chose for cover was good ground, and it proved to be so when the Confederate Army could not make its way through what they were now calling t
“Tell us, how are the city militia boys keepin’ up?” Cordia’s father asked, a large piece of pot roast poised on his fork as he asked Carey Adams questions about the war over dinner.Carey chewed a bit before answering. “Very well, sir,” he replied. “We are in fine shape to hold off even the most deliberate of guerrilla raiders. Why, I assure you, even Quantrill himself would not be able to step foot within our city limits without our forces crushing him and his men. Not even the army of Gen. Grant would stand a chance against our fine Lamar fighting troops,” he continued, his chest puffing with pride.Cordia couldn’t help but snicker. “Do you mean the same Gen. Grant who has Braxton Bragg and his forces high-tailing it to Chattanooga? That must be quite some force of farmers and merchants you’ve put together there.” She had begun an intricate process of moving small portions of her food from one p
“Lovely evening, isn’t it Miss Cordia?” he asked. He was walking on her left side so that his right arm, his only arm, was near her, and she anticipated that, eventually, he would offer it to her. Despite his disability, Carey seemed to do everything any other man could do, and it was quite easy for her and others to forget that he had returned from war less than whole.She peered up at the stars for a moment, considering the question. If he were speaking of the works of God that surrounded them, then, yes, it was a lovely evening. If he were referring to the company, her answer would be far different. Finally, she replied simply, “The sky is gorgeous.”“So it is,” he agreed without so much as glancing up. “As are you, Miss Cordia,” he added, trying a bit of charm.Ignoring his comment and hoping to remind him a bit of the sorrow that hung over her now as she made a familiar journey with a less familiar indiv
The battles leading up to the siege of Vicksburg were bloody and had put a strain on Will’s division. He had recently been promoted to captain and was leading a company. Though the position had been offered to him several times before, he had not accepted because he did not want the responsibility of having the lives of other men in his hands. However, after the Battle of Raymond when they had lost their captain, he had been all but ordered to assume the responsibility, so he had reluctantly accepted this time. Now, perched on a hill outside of Vicksburg, congregating with other leaders, he wasn’t sure exactly what he had gotten himself into.It was May 21, 1863, and the plan they were devising was to be carried out the next day. From the beginning, all involved had known that it would not be an easy assignment. Yet, they recognized that, if they could find a way to force Pemberton and his troops out of Vicksburg, they would have the port city at last, and with it
As Cordia pulled into the drive that led to the barn, she noticed a familiar horse tied outside of the stables. She found it rather odd that Carey Adams would be at their house this early on a Wednesday afternoon. It wasn’t quite super time yet, and though he had been a frequent guest of late, he usually didn’t arrive until much later in the day. She also noticed that her father’s cart was in the barn, which meant that he was also home. At first, her heart caught in her throat, afraid they had some terrible news to tell her. But then she realized that no one had any idea that she was in love with Will. If something happened to him, she would have to find out from Julia or his aunt. Her parents would never think to break such news on her lightly.Neither would Carey Adams. He would probably be sufficiently delighted to find out that something awful had happened to Will, simply because Carey seemed to be pleased anytime another human being suffered. The though
The next few hours were a whirlwind of gifts and baked goods, congratulator hugs, followed by a meal, piano playing, and dancing. Cordia was obligated to dance with her new fiancé though it was awkward to say the least, not just because of his missing arm but more so because she could not stand to be held so closely to him. Everyone clapped and cheered, some insisting that the new couple kiss, to which Cordia was able to draw the line, based on her own modesty.At the end of the evening, the visitors slowly started to file out. Cordia had found her way out to the porch swing, where she was sitting with Susannah, who was going on and on about how unfair it was that Cordia’s husband would never have to go off to fight again. Cordia was lost in her own thoughts and barely noticed exactly who was stopping by to tell her they were leaving until Susannah finally stood and hugged her goodbye, her little ones pulling on her skirts as they made their way down the porch st
The next morning at breakfast, Cordia’s mother wanted to know if everything was okay between herself and Carey. Though it seemed like a prime opportunity to completely enlighten her mother, Cordia did not do so. She simply replied that nothing had changed between herself and Lt. Adams; their relationship was just as it had always been. Jane took this as good news and finished the meal with a smile on her face.As soon as the post office had opened that morning, Cordia had been there, letter in hand, ready to inform Will of everything that had transpired. “Good morning, Mr. Wheeler. How are you this morning?”The older man smiled at her, his spectacles sliding down his nose. “Just fine now, my dear. Long as this sun don’t burn me alive!”It was intolerably hot outside again already, and Cordia completely understood the sentiment. “Yes, I am certainly looking forward to some nice fall weather! Mr. Wheeler, I need to get th
After Vicksburg had fallen in early July, Will’s company was back to its usual routine: travel around a bit, encamp, engage the enemy, repeat. Though there were no major battles, there were plenty of skirmishes and plenty of opportunity to get shot. His enlistment would be up on September 1, and should he choose to do so, he could go home. Back to Missouri—back to his sister and to Cordia. Though he longed for the familiarity of home and the peace it would bring, he could not help but feel that he had not yet found atonement for his brother’s death. As long as even one Rebel stood against the Union, he found it hard to leave the war effort.And, yet, he knew Julia was not doing well. His sister did not write as much as she used to, and when she did, the correspondence was not as long. Clearly, she was struggling. Cordia did not mention her as often, which led him to believe she was not able to visit as frequently, probably due to Julia’s illness. His A