The Texican Way Page 2

  His goose egg bump on the back of his head was now much flattened and his head hardly ached at all so he swung up into the saddle and found a stream well away from the battlefield. The horse drank gratefully while he refilled the canteen. He decided that he should travel directly west until he was certain that he was far from where the war was being fought. After that he could make up his mind whether he wanted to return to Texas where he most certainly would be sent back into the war or to travel north where he risked being arrested as a rebel and sent to prison camp.

  Neither option appealed to him. He was prepared to defend Texas against anyone but he did not hold with slavery and if that was what the war was being fought over, then he would just as soon head for Mexico where he could make a living with his knowledge of Spanish and the gold sovereigns he had found.

  He had made up his mind to do this when he came upon a black man lying in the middle of the path he was riding on. He slipped down from the horse and approached the prone man with his pistol drawn and ready.

  He extended a toe and prodded the man who stirred and groaned.

  “What’s the matter with you, Jim?” Daniel asked cautiously.

  The black man rolled over.

  “My name ain’t Jim, sah, it be Jonas.”

  “Okay Jonas,” Daniel said equably. “What is your problem?”

  “Yankees done hit massah’s plantation. Dey’se kilt de Massah an’ ah don’ know what dey done with Miss Arabella. All ah know is we ain’t got nuttin’ to eat ‘cos dem Yankees done take all our stock to feed dere army. Dey tell us we is free now but dey don’ give us nuttin’ to eat. Me ‘n mah family is like to die frum starvin’ so ah done run far as ah c’d to find some food but dem armies done picked dis country clean.”

  “How many are you trying to feed Jonas?”

  “Dey’s ten o’ us, sah ‘n two chillum. Ah don’ brung ‘em nuttin’ dey’s like to die.”

  “There are deer in these woods, Jonas. I’ve seen plenty of them.”

  “Sho’uff sah, dey is; but we ain’t got no means ter kill ‘em so dey like as be on de moon for all de good dey gonna do us.”

  “Okay, you eat this pemmican. That’ll give you some strength then we’ll go see whether we can get you a deer.”

  Jonas chewed his way through the pemmican and begged for some water. Daniel gave him the canteen and he very nearly emptied it.

  They moved into the woods back-tracking to where Daniel had last seen deer-sign. The tracks went toward a stream and Daniel found a spot where several animals had come down to drink. He looked for a good stand of grass where the horse could graze and hobbled it there then he moved back to the stream and positioned himself where he could watch the animals approach. It was almost dusk when the first deer appeared. It was an exceptionally large mule deer and Daniel took him down with a single shot between the eyes.

  He walked back to the horse to find Jonas collecting a large bundle of weeds.

  “What are those for Jonas?”

  “Sah, dese here greens is good vittles. De massah done call ‘em spinnich. We’s done eat ‘em alla time.”

  “Come, bring the horse, Jonas. We’ve a big deer to load up.”

  Jonas smiled broadly as he tucked his bundle of weeds under one arm and took the horse’s reins in his other hand.

  It took them a quarter of an hour to position the deer on the horse’s back. For lack of anything other than the hobble with which to tie the carcass on the unhappy horse’s back, Jonas had to walk alongside holding the deer in place while Daniel led the horse.

  “We’s gonna turn lef’ at de next fork sah.” Jonas said after three hours of walking in the moonlight.

  They walked until they approached the burnt out shell of what had been a very attractive mansion.

  “Dass alla lef’ of our massah’s home. He wuz a good man, Mister Fairfield, an’ he sho’nuff din’ hold with dis here war. He come frum de north. Bought de whole plantation an’ alla us black folk frum a drunk massa dat treat us worse’n cattle. Massa treat us like proper folk. Ain’t no-one here w’da left him when he tell us to go away frum de war.”

  “So why did the Yankees kill him?”

  “Dey done want his livestock and grain. Ah guess he w’da give dem over ‘cept he knew we gonna starve so he ax ‘em iffen he c’d keep some to live on but dey done refuse and gun him down when he try to stop ‘em.”

  They came to the slave quarters behind the mansion. As far as Daniel could see in the moonlight, they were clean and freshly painted displaying for all the world to see that this owner cared for his people.

  Jonas called out. “Hey ev’body yo’all come on out! We’se got ourselves a right good meal tonight!”

  If ten people could be called a crowd, the crowd came out making enough noise for ten times their number.

  Jonas introduced Daniel.

  “Dis heah be our benefactor man. His name be Daniel. He done shot dis here deer fer us.”

  There were eight men, two women and two toddlers. They crowded around and began to cut up the deer apportioning it among themselves while Jonas organized the pot and fire for the stew of deer liver, weeds and a few ancient potatoes.

  While this unappetizing but nourishing meal was being cooked Daniel asked Jonas.

  “Is there anywhere around here that we can buy some wheat flour and maize flour?”

  “Dey’s a village about ten miles thataway, suh. It been a Yankee town since ’61. Dey got a prison yard theah, filled with Confederate soldiers waiting to be shipped north. I figure dat dey got whatever y’c’n pay fer in deir stores.”

  “If I go to a Yankee town I’ll end up in that prison-camp and all I got is Confederate money.”

  “Ah c’n go. Dey ain’t gonna think anything wrong with a nigger having Confederate money and ah know whe’ dere is a man dat’ll change Confederate into Yankee dollars.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “He done figure to make hisself a whole bunch o’ money. He give twenty cents in de dollar and git full value when de war is over. He figures de war done been over by de end o’ de year.”

  “That suits me fine. Here’s five hundred Confederate. You buy as much wheat and corn meal as you can get with that, oh, and a bag of oats for the horse.”

  Jonas set off first thing on the following morning accompanied by three men with wheelbarrows. They were gone all day but when evening fell they were back at the plantation with three bags of maize and three bags of wheat flour and a small bag of oats.

  “Dis’n be alla dey willing to gimme, sah. Dey say come back next month an’ mebbe we got more.”

  “Okay, keep the rest of the money and try again next month. In the meantime you had better start planting food for the winter.”

  “Sah, Deah ain’t no change. Dat five hunderd Confederate done buy one hunderd Yankee and one hunderd Yankee done buy dis heah flour.”

  “My word, those Yankees don’t have much charity in their hearts!”

  “In wartime, sah, ain’t much charity around a-tall. You be de onliest person ah ever did see dat give a darky somethin’ fer nothin’.”

  “Yeah? Well look here Jonas. I’m giving you another five hundred Confederate. You better get that changed into Yankee dollars tomorrow before that madman decides to pay one cent in the dollar. Use the money to buy seed and all of you had better work at planting it and caring for it so that you have food for winter. I’ll swing by, if I can, to see how you are all making out but right now I have to get away before someone decides to find out where a bunch of slaves is getting all this Confederate money.”

  “Sah, afore you go, we done rescue one chest of de massah’s clothing before de fire. Mebbe you find somethin’ in dere you c’n use?”

  “Thanks Jonas, I sure could use a good coat and a hat that isn’
t uniform.”

  Jonas led him to the chest stored in his slave cottage.

  The clothing was all old and outmoded but Daniel found a heavy broadcloth coat that was just a tad too large for him and a felt sombrero that must have been a memento of a trip to Mexico but it fitted him well.

  He left the Fairfield plantation on the following morning with much good wishes from the grateful black people.

  He rode off in a westerly direction and marveled at how easily the black covered the ground with his effortless long stride. He put thirty miles behind him on that day and the further west he traveled the fewer signs he saw of the passage of the armies.

  That evening he made himself a small fire, fed the black some oats and cooked himself a strip of mule deer meat with biscuits made from the flour he had bought for the blacks.

  As the evening chill arose he slipped on the heavy broadcloth coat only to find that there was a large red bandana in one of the pockets. He tied the bandana around his neck before he went to sleep with his head resting on his saddle and his loaded pistol in his hand.

  He rose early drank some water from his canteen and chewed one of his two remaining sticks of jerky before setting off again to the west.

  He had not traveled far when he heard the sound of shots in the distance. He dropped below the ridge and circled around to find a treed vantage-point. He stood back in the trees and looked at the sight below him.

  Six men on horseback were holding three Yankee army wagons at gunpoint. He heard the leader of the horsemen call out.

  “Throw down your guns and you come to no harm. Anyone of you put up a fight and we gun all of you down.”

  The Federals considered his offer for a moment and then threw down their guns.

  “Okay, now start walking back to your unit. Tell them that Captain William Clarke Quantrill and his raiders took your wagons but spared your lives because we are all fellow Americans.”The twelve Federals set off in the direction they had been traveling and three of Quantrill’s men took over the reins of the wagons and drove them back from whence they had come.

  Daniel followed the road from the ridges. He wanted to see where these men were going.

  They headed to a small village called Cotton where they ran the wagons into a barn on the outskirts of the village and then continued to the saloon where they tied up their horses and went into the bar.

  Daniel followed them into the saloon and quietly ordered a beer.

  “You old enough to drink, son?” The bartender asked in a jocular tone.

  “I killed nine men at Hatton Hall. What do you think?” Daniel replied levelly.

  The bartender saw that he was not kidding and looked down as he polished some glasses.

  Daniel took the beer and slid a Confederate banknote onto the counter.

  “Excuse me sir.” The bartender said loudly. “”We do not take worthless Confederate paper in this town.”

  There was a sudden silence in the room and Quantrill stood up. He strode over to the bar and spoke to Daniel.

  “Sir, did I mishear what this gentleman said to you? Did you not offer him good Confederate currency in exchange for that watered-down Yankee beer?”

  “I did, sir.’ Daniel said politely.

  Quantrill looked at the bartender who quaked visibly.

  “Now you just go ahead and give this honorable Southern gentleman his change from that hundred dollar bill.” He said menacingly.

  The bartender swallowed nervously.

  “Sir, I ain’t got but Federal currency here. If the young gentleman don’t mind that as his change.”

  “Unlike the unfriendly people of this town, this young gentleman freely takes either Federal or Confederate money. Is that not so young sir?”

  “It surely is.” Daniel said quietly. “Being as we are all Americans here.”

  The bartender quickly made the appropriate change counting Confederate on a par with Federal currency.

  “Thank you for your interest, Captain Quantrill.” Daniel said. “May I offer you a drink?”

  “You know me, sir?” Quantrill asked curiously.

  “I saw you give those Federals a marching lesson this afternoon.”

  “Ah! In that case I will have a whisky but I insist that you come over and sit with me and my friends so that we can get acquainted.”

  Daniel smiled and followed him over to the table at which Quantrill’s men were sitting.

  “Howdy folks, I am Daniel Beauregard. I am pleased to meet Quantrill’s raiders.”

  They welcomed him and invited him to sit with them.

  “Now Daniel Beauregard, I heard you say that you killed nine men at Hatton Hall. I am assuming that you were referring to Federal men when you said that?” Quantrill asked.

  “That I was, sir. I was a corporal sniper under Colonel Grano.”

  “Then how was it that I heard that every Confederate man jack was killed or captured in that battle?” One of the others enquired.

  “Why sir, that is nothing but Yankee propaganda. You see me here before you and I am neither dead nor captured.”

  “So did you run too fast for the damn Yankees?” The man called Waco asked.

  “Sir, when you say that I would expect you to smile else I shall have to call you out.” Daniel said quietly as his pistol appeared miraculously in his right hand

  “Now hold on there, young rooster!” Quantrill broke in. “We surely mean no offence here but we are curious as to how you turn out to be the sole free man from that encounter.”

  “Artillery shell killed my friend and his body knocked me out but the shell exploded dirt all over us. When I woke up the army had moved on. I’ve been traveling carefully ever since as I do not wish to end up in prison camp.”

  “Then you have come to the right place, Corporal Beauregard.” Quantrill said. “I am looking for men to help in harassing the Yankee lines of communication. It’s kind of hard to find ‘em since our generals have taken to slapping everything they can find into uniforms and sending them to the front.”

  “Then what we need to do is liberate a few that have been taken prisoner.” Daniel pointed out.

  “Now that’s a mighty interesting idea, son. I can see that you are a thinker as well as being truly handy with your guns. Another thing we need is a good hideout deep in Yankee territory; as soon as our neighbors know that we are unrepentant Southerners, the Federals come looking and we have to hightail it outa there. I guess that after our confrontation with the bartender, our sojourn in this town is about to come to an end.”

  “That’s easily fixed, Cap’n,” Waco said. “Ain’t nothing a little lead won’t cure.”

  “Now Waco you’ve heard me tell you many times before, we are not in the business of killing innocent law-abiding Americans. If a Federal shoots at you, you are entitled to shoot back but other than that, we are all fellow Americans just like brothers that have taken opposite sides in an argument. You don’t kill your brother just because you don’t agree with his point of view.”

  “Captain Quantrill, sir, I believe that I may have a solution for your present problems.’” Daniel remarked.

  “One solution for my many problems? That sounds worth hearing, Corporal Beauregard. Tell me about it.”

  “Couple of days back, I came across a burnt out mansion on a plantation. The slaves were still on the plantation even though the owner had been killed by the Yankees. They were all starving. I shot them some game and bought them some food. Those black men will do anything for me even hide us out and cover for us when the Yankees come looking. Also it isn’t too far from a Yankee prison-camp where our men are kept until they can be sent North to secure compounds.”

  “Okay, that sounds worth investigating. Waco, you Carson and Smith collect the wagons and take them South until you
find some Confederate units to hand them over to. Then meet us at our old camp two days east of here. That should be close enough to where the Corporal is taking us.”

  The three men rose immediately and went off without another word.

  Chapter Three

  They rode back toward the plantation taking care to avoid Yankee patrols by using the route that Daniel had used on his way west. They met up with Waco, Carson and Smith about a day after they reached the camp site.

  “Who d’you give the wagons to?” Quantrill asked Waco.

  “Colonel Wagram, cap’n. He thunk we wuz Federals and tried to take ‘em from us. I guess he wuz a mite disappointed to find out they’s already been liberated.”

  “Yeah, that’s the trouble with fighting out of uniform. You are as like to get shot as a helpless civilian as you are as Federal or for that matter, Confederate.”

  They stayed the night at the campsite which Quantrill held was safe enough provided they did not overstay. A group of able-bodied men out of uniform were bound to be regarded with suspicion by both sides.

  On the following day Daniel led them back to the Fairfield plantation where he was greatly welcomed by Jonas and his companions.

  “Jonas, this gentleman here is Captain Quantrill. We are looking for a place to lay low for a while. We will do nothing to attract the Yankees back here but if they do come I want all of you to tell them that you saw us but we rode off to the west when we found that you had no food for us to steal. Can you do that? I’ll make sure that you get more fresh meat while we are here.”

  “Sah, we’s done know you a good man. We ain’t gonna tell no Yankee about you stayin’ heah. Dat deah mansion got a mighty big cellar unner it wheah yo-all c’n stay but yo’ horses are gonna have to stay in de canyon. It’s kinda well hid but mebbe a mile frum heah.”

  Quantrill spoke. “Jonas, I think that we will stay in the canyon with our horses. I don’t like being so far from our animals. Is there any water in the canyon?”