Gallant Deception

Gallant Deception

Book 2 of the Chronicles of the Cumberland Guard

By James C. Dedman

Edited By Daryl Debunhurst

Copyright 2012 James Dedman

Smashwords Edition

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Disclaimer: This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people living or dead (Except historical figures) is purely coincidental)

Table of Contents

Forward: Cast of Characters

Chapter 1: The Plan

Chapter 2: The Last Rose of Summer

Chapter 3: The First Hint of Winter

Chapter 4: Alien

Chapter 5: The New Year's Ball

Chapter 6: The New Recruit

Chapter 7: The First Action

Chapter 8: Run For the River

Chapter 9: The Army of Virginia

Chapter 10: 'Lucky Lane' Hickok

Chapter 11: Cedar Mountain

Chapter 12: Second Bull Run

Chapter 13: In the Federal Hospital

Chapter 14: Remarkable Women

Chapter 15: New Recruits

Chapter 16: Cassandra

Chapter 17: Wind from the West

Chapter 18: The Cornfield and Beyond

Chapter 19: Angel of Mercy

Chapter 20: Thanksgiving

Appendix 1: A Note About Civil War Ranks and Regiments

Forward: Cast of Characters

Here, in alphabetical order by last name, are the characters of importance.

John Hancock Beetle (1839) - A war correspondent.

Jack Bennington (1850) - Young orphan helped by Lady Alice Rollins to join the First Michigan Cavalry.

Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1850) - Horse wrangler and friend of Richard Rollins and James Hickok.

Billie Crum (1840) - Flag bearer and bugler with the Cumberland Guard.

Theodore Debenham (1840) - Sergeant in First Michigan Cavalry under Richard Rollins.

Dolf Downs(1841) - Private in the First Michigan Cavalry, assigned to guard Charlotte Rollins.

Ronald Sean Fairchild (1839) - Officer in the Cumberland Guard,married Stephanie Faye McGowan (1839) in December, 1859.

Ameritus Hayes (1844) - Runs away to join the Guard in the East.

Belinda Billie Hayes (1844) - Merit’s twin sister who enlists in First Michigan Cavalry.

Jeffrey Lawrence (1836) - Captain and later colonel of a Michigan Infantry Regiment. Married Lucille Lightoller in 1860.

Lucille Lawrence (1841) - Jeffrey’s wife, friend to Lady Alice Rollins.

Cyrus Laughton (1832) - Lawyer in Kalamazoo, Michigan in firm of Williamson, Laughton, and Rollins. Captain then Major in First Michigan Cavalry. Married Eloise (1836) in 1853. Father of twins: Lorena and Laticia (1854).

Portius Marcey (1808-) Dashing Army officer.

Hamlin Pith (1839-) – Lieutenant in Guard, friend of Robert Southerland.

Allan Wilkes Powers (1844) - Best friend to Ameritus Hayes, runs away to join the Cumberland Guard.

Lady Alice Rollins (1811): Prominent English lady.

Richard Napoleon Chance Rollins (1837) her son. Lawyer in Kalamazoo, Michigan in firm of Williamson, Laughton, and Rollins. Captain in First Michigan Cavalry Cavalry. Married Charlotte(1835) in June, 1860.

Samuel Sherringford (1820) - Commander of the West branch of Cumberland Guard.

David (1835) - His brother, Captain in the Eastern Guard.

Robert Southerland (1837) - Artist who becomes an officer in the Guard. Friend of Hamlin Pith.

Judge John Wickham (1810-1862) – Colonel and later General of the Guard. Married Jean (1808-) in 1838).

George Wickham (1840) - His son, wounded and presumed lost at the first battle of Bull Run.

Albert Williamson (1806) - Lawyer in Kalamazoo, Michigan in firm of Williamson, Laughton, and Rollins. Married Emily (1815) in 1836. Officer in Mexican War; Major in First Michigan Cavalry.

Emily Williamson (1815) - Wife of Albert Williamson. Devout Christian and prayer warrior.

Mel (1818) - Captain in the Cumberland Guard. Married Beth (1820) in 1839.

Laura (1841) – His daughter. Vivandier in the Cumberland Guard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1

The Plan

August 1861

Ameritus Hayes

"Only able-bodied men over the age of eighteen could enlist in the Grand Army of the Republic being formed. This created a problem for some young people anxious to do their patriotic duty. The ways they found to overcome this problem were ingenious."

The Chronicles of the Cumberland Guard: Mexico to Appomattox.

By C. James Harrison, Daphne Harrison, and Whitman Maxwell

So, no luck with the Judge? Allen Powers looked at his friend Ameritus Hayes, hoping against hope that he might just be wrong.

None, Ameritus sighed.

Nearly every young man in his small community outside of Indianapolis, known by the original name of Centerville, was marching to military pipes and drums that summer. Most were joining the proud militia unit being reformed in central Indiana locally known as the Cumberland Guard. Ameritus faced the problem of being one year too young for service.

Ever since he was fifteen, young Merit (as the others dubbed him) had drilled with this militia, but when they had marched off to Washington earlier in the spring, as ninety-day volunteers, this sad fact had intervened. He could not formally enlist or be mustered into federal service under 18 without the permission of his legal guardian, an elderly aunt who was deaf to all his pleas for her blessing. He had been forced to see them leave without him.

This first unit of volunteers had mustered out just after Bull Run and now there was a second chance that summer as a new brigade was being formed in central Indiana. Time and his guardian, however, still stood firm against him. His request to enlist had gone all the way to General Wickham, commanding the brigade in which the Cumberland Guard was to be posted. Judge Wickham, who had lost two sons to the first fight of the war, was not one to understand the desire in the heart of young Ameritus to join his fellows on the field of battle. All requests to join without the permission of his family had been sternly denied.

Ameritus's best friend Allan Powers was in the same situation. Together they had watched companies of the new Cumberland Guard leave Centerville one by one for the encampment outside of Indianapolis.

Well, we all knew that it was only a ghost of a chance, A pretty young girl mused. This was Merit’s twin sister, Belinda Hayes, who was also almost eighteen in the summer of 1861. No one ever called her by her mouthful of a first name-- long ago the name had been shortened to Billie and that had suited her ever since. She had grown up playing with the boys and was much more like a brother to Merit than sister. While staying with his Aunt Lynda, she and Merit had joined the throngs at the station as the troops had left for Cairo, Illinois, the War, and Glory. Once again they saw the troops depart without them.

Both of the Hayes children were orphans. They spent each year moving between the homes of their four maternal aunts in central Indiana. This was not because they were unwanted by their relatives—indeed, they were moved because any one of the four sisters of their dead mother would have been very happy to adopt the two children. Auntie Wanda, who lived childless in Centerville, thought she had the best claim but she had to content herself with the pair during the coldest months when it would be the hardest to get to school from farms outside of town. Fall and spring were spent with Aunt Aurora and Aunt Ella-- two aunts’ homemaking on farms outside of Centerville. Summer was spent with their rich aunt, Mrs. Lynda Featherstone, in Indianapolis. Aunt Lynda had only the one daughter, Suzanne.

Suzanne was older than Ameritus and he had always nourished a crush on her loveliness until she had married Ross Waterbury almost two years ago. That happy couple had gone to the far west and only recently returned for the war. Waterbury was in the Cumberland Guard, too but Merit's hopes for help from him were instantly dashed-- the dashing Waterbury was not about to oppose the wishes of his wife's family. Aunt Lynda was a tyrant about some things.

Well, I suppose there really is nothing for it, Billie straightened decisively.

It’s simply not fair! Allen declared. We are just as brave as the other fellows-- more brave! By the time we’re old enough the war will be over!

I cannot just sit here at home while everything is happening out there! Ameritus growled.

Indeed, there is nothing for it, Billie suddenly grinned, Aren’t you lucky I have a plan?

What? Allen stared at her.

What do you mean? Merit was seized with a sudden stab of hope.

Theatrically, Billie looked about her as if to ensure there were no listening ears around the garden pavilion the three were currently occupying.

I have a very cunning plan that may see you both comfortably ensconced in military service by summer’s end.

Well?! Don’t just tease us, Billie! Merit blurted as she smiled mysteriously.

As you well know, dear Merit, you and Allen cannot enlist around here-- everyone knows who you are and how long you are supposed to wait.

Yes, and no one will believe me when I say we’re just as ready as they are! Allen pouted.

Well, why not enlist elsewhere? Billie suggested.

I’ve already thought about that, Ameritus sagged, What’s the point of going to war if I won’t be with the Cumberland Guard?

My dear, faithless brother-- do you think I had not considered that? Perhaps you have forgotten one simple fact: not all of the Guard is now in Cumberland County!

Ameritus and Allen felt their mouths drop open in surprise.

Of course! Didn’t Captain Dave stay and enroll in a regiment from Michigan? Allen laughed, He’s practically his own branch of the Guard in the east!

So if we could get there . . . what would stop us from signing up? Merit looked at Billie with something akin to awe. There’s only one problem-- how are we going to get there?

That all depends on how much you want to do this, Billie explained. Money is essential, and it will mean giving up a good deal of fun this summer if we’re going to save enough for train tickets.

I’m in! Allen said joyfully, Three cheers for Billie’s plan!

No, Merit corrected, ‘Three cheers for THE PLAN!"

~

Despite their enthusiasm, it was a difficult summer. Every cent of spending money had to be saved, every possible odd job done-- they had even sold a few items and the cash was barely enough for the tickets. There was no room for error, but that made the concept even more daring.

As the summer reached its conclusion the critical part of THE PLAN had come. Allan told his family he was staying with Ameritus in the country. Billie had convinced the Aunt Ella that she and her brother wanted to stay with the dim Auntie Wanda in Centerville a few days. In turn, she had convinced Auntie Wanda that Ameritus was still in the country and that she wanted to be alone