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Cordia had considered stopping by the Adams Farm to see if Julia wanted to go with them. But she remembered how pale and fragile her friend had looked yesterday, and she didn’t think this trip would be good for her tuberculosis. And, though Cordia had never been on a battlefield before, if it was anything like the one she had walked in her dream, she knew the air would quickly get to delicate Julia. So, here she was, driving the horses before her with a purpose, Frieda beside her, rambling on about stubbornness and the likelihood of them both getting killed. Cordia ignored her, deep in her own thoughts.
Frieda mentioned that she was glad they had taken the whole cart. She said she was only doing this one time, so if there was something (and by that, Cordia knew all too well that she meant someone) to haul back, she was doing it now. She also mentioned she was glad that this way they would have to stick to the roads, which Cordia would be much more likely to do
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Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Dark
Cordia drove on toward Springfield. Part of her was very glad that she had run into Cal Markson. Now they had a better idea of exactly where they needed to go. But, then, the only news he had given her was bad news. So, on she drove, knowing the quicker she got there, the quicker the agony of the unknown would be over.By nine o’clock, it was pitch black. The horses were exhausted, and Frieda was insisting that they stop for the evening. The house Cordia’s father had recommended was left behind in the miles they had crossed that day. They had stopped to rest the horses only twice, and Cordia had spent the whole time pacing, urging Frieda to let them continue. Now, she, too, was feeling weary from their long journey. And she did not like the idea of driving into war-torn country in the darkness. She finally consented to pulling over into a hollow in the trees for the night and trying to get some sleep in the wagon. They decided it would be safer if they slept in sh
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Horror
No amount of preparation could possibly have equipped Cordia Pike for what she saw as she neared the hospital outside of Wilson’s Creek. Though she had been warned by telegraph, and by Cal Markson, that this was not a pleasant place, until her eyes actually took in the sights, until her nose actually whiffed the stench, she could not have comprehended the horrors that were war and the catastrophic wake it left behind.She had been surprised at the few number of Confederate troops there were patrolling the area. She assumed that was because most of them had fallen back to Springfield, which was still about ten miles ahead of them. One of the young men had come close enough to the wagon that she had asked him for directions to the hospital. He had simply pointed in a general direction. She thought it was possible that some of the wounded had been moved to other locations on the battlefield, so as she pulled up to an area lined with a few tents and a few scattered building
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Body
Roberts, the orderly at the makeshift hospital, motioned for the two women to follow him, which they did, after a brief thank you to the first useless orderly. Roberts didn’t say anything as they walked along. He looked exhausted, and Cordia wondered how long he had been here, with no rest, taking care of the wounded. She was not brave enough to ask. He seemed to be leading them in the same direction that the two orderlies carrying the litter had been going. They passed a farmhouse, which Cordia took to be the “main house” Roberts had spoken of, and then a couple of small buildings. They walked through uncountable soldiers spread out all over the ground, propped against trees, talking in little groups of four or five. All of them seemed to grow quiet as the ladies passed by, their eyes following them in wonderment. Finally, they reached a smaller building, and Roberts swung open the door. Though nothing about this hospital smelled particularly appealing, the air co
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Alive
It really wasn’t that far for Cordia to run from the shed where she’d seen Jaris across the field to the church, but she was running as fast as she could, tears still streaming down her face, pulling the bottom of her gown up she wouldn’t trip. By the time she reached the little white building, she was gasping for air. Under normal conditions it would have been difficult, but it was even more challenging for her to regain her breath when all that she sucked in stunk of death. Her side was throbbing, she now realized. She bent over, trying to get enough air so that she could ask someone for help. Finally, she caught her breath enough to get some words out.A young woman was approaching the church from the general direction that Cordia had come from, though at a much more practical pace. “Excuse me,” Cordia said, still panting. “I’m looking for someone.”The young girl’s eyes widened. She looked at Cordia as if she th
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Conversation
Cordia sat next to Will’s makeshift bed, hardly believing she was looking into his eyes. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to be shot and then have someone digging around inside you with a knife and no anesthesia trying to find the bullets,” she mutters, shaking her head. “No chance you’re going to get an infection or pneumonia or anything is there?”He shook his head. “Nope, I’ll be just fine. Y’all can’t get rid of me that quickly. Take a few weeks or so to heal up, that’s all. Doctor did say I was lucky that the bullet that hit me in the collarbone had already went through something else though, otherwise it probably would have killed me.”Cordia’s eyes were wide with amazement. “Really?”“Yep, but I’m okay.” He paused for a second, studying her face. “How are you?”He could tell by the look she was giving him that she must
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Declaration
Cordia looked at the letters as if she had never seen paper before. “What’s this?” she asked.“One of them, I have to apologize, I should have mailed a long time ago. The other one, I wrote just the night before the battle.”“Oh.” Cordia turned the papers over again and again in her hands. Though he had held her hand and played with her hair, she had questioned whether or not he was doing these things out of kindness, and familiarity of seeing a face he recognized. She had been sure that, if he truly reciprocated the emotions she had articulated in her letters, not only would he have written her back—and sent the letters—but upon seeing her, he would have expressed his undying love for her, or something of that nature. His refusal to return to Lamar only served to further convince her that he did not feel the same way about her as she did about him and she was just beginning to wonder how she was possibly going to g
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Message
In a very real way, the journey home was, for Cordia, almost as difficult as the initial trip had been. Though she no longer felt the heavy burden on her heart of waiting, she was now fully aware that it would be her duty to inform the Adams family that their proud soldier son was, in spirit, no longer with them. Though she had somehow obtained this reputation of being strong enough to handle most everything, she didn’t know how in the world she was going to find the words to look Margaret Adams in the face and say those few words, “Jaris is dead.”An idea crossed her mind, and that afternoon, as they neared a small town in Green County, she asked Frieda if they could stop by the post office and see if they had a telegraph machine. At first, Frieda had argued with her, saying how important she thought it was to reach Jasper County, and the safety of some family friends, before the sun went down. However, after a small amount of pressing from a desperate girl
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Correspondence
Cordia unfolded Will’s first letter and began to read by the dim lantern light.July 6, 1861,Dearest Cordia,Please forgive me for not writing to you sooner. I am not so good with words, and your skill has intimidated me some, I am afraid. I have taken much solace in your letters. Your words have captured the feelings within my heart, and it brings me peace, even now as I have just come from an awful battle, to know that you are out there waiting for me. I was at first concerned about your relationship with Jaris. I wish that I could advise you on what you should do so as not to hurt him, but I do not rightly know the best thing to do either. I do know that war seems to change people. Perhaps, when all this fighting is over, you will find your answer. In the meantime, I must tell you it is only the thought of building my life with you that carries me through the hardships we must each endure. How many times in these past weeks must I
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