Polk entered his office first. "Thanks, chief. I needed to be rousted out at the crack of dawn. Why can you not wait for reveille like a normal person?"
"Because I cannot ask the men to get up unless I am already up waiting for them."
Polk poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot that Sarah delivered to the office every morning. "So what is so urgent that I am here before breakfast?"
"I am riding out to see for myself what needs to be done to pull this county together and set them on the road to return to the Union. We have to survive winter here, and so do the civilians. I am taking Jocko as my clerk."
"So you want an escort. I will go rustle one up."
"No. We are going alone."
"Sweet Jesus, Charlie. You are crazy."
"No, I am not. If I go with a guard, I know for a fact they will not talk to me. If I go with just Jocko, they may recognize that I am not coming to try to take anything from them. This way, I have at least a hope of them listening and talking."
Like Jocko minutes earlier, Polk just shook his head. Charlie had been known to pull off some hare-brained stunts in the past. He just hoped his commander knew what he was doing this time.
--*--
The day was brisk and clear. Black Jack, Charlie’s big black stallion, had not been ridden for days. He had been at pasture since they had arrived, due to a slight bruise to his hock. He was full of energy; nervous, jittery and full of beans. Everything distracted him. He shied at the slightest provocation. In fact, Jack’s mood fit Charlie’s exactly. Jocko was mounted on an ugly old buckskin with a foul temper and the endurance of a dray. Between them, they had the means to cover a great deal of ground in a short time. Just as Rebecca was coming down the stairs for her breakfast, she saw the two men set off at a brisk canter down the main drive.
Charlie had spent some time the previous evening examining the map of Culpeper County. Dividing it roughly into four quadrants, he decided to start in the eastern part of the county. He had planned a loop that took him to Alanthus, through Brandy Station, over to Kelly’s Ford, down to Lignum and back through Stevensburg. It was a brisk day’s ride. If all went well, he would be back in plenty of time for dinner.
;
Alanthus was his first stop. Having left so early, Charlie and Jocko rode into town just as the small general store was being opened. It never seemed to fail; the local general store was the gathering place for news and gossip in every small town Charlie had ever been in. Charlie and Jocko left their horses tied at the rail and entered quietly. The soft buzz of normal morning banter faded to a cold and hostile silence as the people in the small building realized who had just joined them.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen."
Silence.
"My name is Colonel Charles Redmond, of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. We are wintering over in Culpeper, and I am conducting a tour of the area to determine what we can do to assist you with winter coming on. My men are prepared to do basic repairs, fix fences, chop firewood, or winter-till fields to prepare for the spring. All we ask in return is that you be willing to recognize that we are all citizens of the same country, the United States, by signing our oath of allegiance. I have issued strict orders that no men of mine are to harass or show any disrespect toward you or yours. If such an event does occur, please come to me and I will ensure the individuals responsible are appropriately disciplined.
"Now, Sergeant Jackson and I are conducting a survey of the work that needs to be done so we can assign men with the correct skills to assist you. Is there anything we can do to help you out?"
The men and women in the small store looked at one another, confusion combining with hostility toward this crazy Yankee.
Finally, one man stepped out. "Colonel. We are Virginians. We need no help from you. Take your troops and leave us in peace."
"I have no one with me but Sergeant Jackson. We will be around town for a little bit, and either he or I will be through periodically, so please feel free to contact either of us if you need something. Otherwise, I bid you good day."
Charlie and Jocko walked out of the store and turned the corner. Charlie grinned at his partner and leaned up against the wall of the store. A pair of cigars came out of his breast pocket and he offered one to Jocko, making a sign for silence at the same time. Jocko looked at him like he had lost his mind, until he heard the voices coming out of the window they were standing near.
"My God. What did that man think he was doing here?"
"He has courage, I will give him that. Walk into enemy territory all alone."
"I would rather accept assistance from the devil himself than let some Yankee see how hard it has been."
"I do not know about you, but I would rather have a fire in the fireplace this winter than sustain my sense of pride. Anyway, think of it this way –– Yankees doing servants’ work seems pretty appropriate."
The arguments went on, each of them having something to say. After listening for a few more minutes, he motioned to Jocko to come away from their listening post. Slowly they strolled down the one street of the village, looking at the handful of shops and offices, noticing that every building needed at least paint and most needed some kind of repair. Several houses no longer had a woodpile, or only had a very small one. Jocko made some notes as they strolled. Finally, like so many small towns, Alanthus had a little park. They stopped in it, choosing a sheltered place to sit and wait. It did not take long.
A woman approached them hesitantly. Charlie rose and doffed his hat politely, waiting for the lady to speak.
"Colonel. Did you really mean what you said about helping?"
"Yes, ma’am, I did."
"I really do not know how to ask this, but I just have no idea what else to do."
"Well, ma’am," he said very gently, "we have all seen what war can do to people. There is no shame in asking for our assistance, for I do believe that we are all our brothers’ keepers."
"My husband was killed at Gettysburg and the one servant we did have ran away. I fear that without help, I will have no wood this winter."
Jocko stepped up. "Ma’am, I am John Jackson. I would be happy to personally make sure you are prepared for the winter."
"Pleased to meet you, Sergeant Jackson. I am Esther White. My, what a lovely accent you have. You are an Irishman?"
"Yes, ma’am. I am that."
"Then, Sergeant Jackson, I look forward to seeing you soon. And I am very grateful for your assistance."
"Ma’am. I will be there as soon as the Colonel permits."
Charlie inserted himself into the little tableau between Jocko and the attractive widow. "Mrs. White, will Monday be soon enough?"
"Why yes, Colonel. That will be fine. I have about half a cord of wood left, which should last me until then."
"We are at your service, ma’am."
Charlie and Jocko bowed to the lady and quietly departed. As they mounted up Charlie commented, "You know, Jocko, you will find plenty more where she came from." Jocko just grinned.
The rest of the day proceeded in approximately the same pattern. The level of hostility varied, depending on the degree to which the individual town had been affected by the war. Brandy Station was particularly hard, as they had recently fought a skirmish there. Kelly’s Ford was rather strange, as the local residents, who had provided ferry services for both union and confederate forces, viewed Charlie’s presence with indifference.
But the message was going out. And in every town, the fact that Charlie chose to ride with only his clerk as his escort made an impression.
--*--
Friday, December 2, 1864
Rebecca watched as Constance left the breakfast table with Emily. She smiled as the child talked of 'Papa' all the way out of the room. Papa and Colonel Polk had already left for the day. Charlie was back out early to continue his mission of canvassing the county. This left Rebecca and Elizabeth sitting at the table.