EXCERPT

Chapter 1

It was March of 1862. In the East General McClellan was relieved from his position of overall General in Chief of the Federal Armies. The Monitor and Merrimac had their date with history at Hampton Roads. General Halleck was given command of all the Federal forces in the West. General Grant took command of the federal forces at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. And in St. Louis…

A Second Lieutenant rounded a corner and started down the boardwalk. He was dressed in a brand new blue uniform with flowing red silk sash. His sword rattled as he walked. In his hands he carried three parcels. At the alley he paused and surveyed the small pond that blocked pedestrians from continuing along the wooden sidewalk. Some considerate soul had laid a wide plank across the huge puddle, making it possible to reach the other side. The springy plank had been used enough, though to be thoroughly wetted. In short, it was as slippery as ice. The Lieutenant eased out onto the bridge and was about halfway across when he was startled by a yell.

He looked up just in time to see a small Colored woman come racing around the corner. It was easy to tell she was Colored and a woman because she was naked to the waist and barefoot. Unfortunately for the Lieutenant she turned to look over her shoulder just as she leaped off the sidewalk and ran toward the Lieutenant’s plank. When she looked back at him she would have had time to change direction except the plank was so slippery. Her attempt to avoid him sent her sliding into him. A moment before the collision he threw his packages into the air and braced himself. On dry land he would have been able to block her easily, but the slippery plank cost him his footing. They landed in the puddle with him flat on his back and she on top of him with the muddy water soaking through the back of his uniform.

“Hold ‘er! Hold’er!” yelled a voice.

So he did before she could scramble up and away. She fought his grip for a few seconds then surrendered. She dropped her head on his chest and sobbed.

A big brute of a man suddenly appeared with a small crowd of amused onlookers. “There you go, missy. Thought you could git away agin, huh?” Lookee there what you did! Done knocked this nice sojer in the mud. You’ll git extra licks fer that.”

The Lieutenant struggled to his feet holding to the woman with one hand. They were standing in about six inches of mud and water. With the other hand he flung mud from it in disgust. He twisted around to try and see the back of his uniform. What little he could see was not pleasing. He turned back to the source of his discomfort. His anger dissipated with the speed of a pistol shot. Standing in the puddle with him was a petite Colored woman naked to the waist. Her bare breasts, rising with each gasp of air, made it difficult for him to see much else. It was with some effort he managed to look at the rest of her. She had only been able to knock him down because he was off balance at the time of their collision. She couldn’t possibly weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet. She was wearing only a dingy petticoat. Her eyes were down cast and tears dripped from her cheeks falling to splash on her breasts. Standing erect she could walk under his outstretched arm without touching.

Holding onto one of her arms he stepped out of the puddle with her in tow. He released her and the brute grabbed her. The lieutenant peeled off his wet coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. This was only partially successful as the brute held her left arm. The brute snapped a strap against his boot.

“Sorry ‘bout your uniform, Captain. I promise she’ll git extra licks fer that.”

“I’d rather have a new uniform,” said the lieutenant. “Is her owner prepared to pay for the damages?”

“You’ll hev to take that up with Mr. Calvert. “I only do what he says.”

“What are you going to beat her for anyway?” said the Lieutenant. “Isn’t she rather small to be beating?”

The brute held up his strap. “Oh, this don’t do no perm’nant damage. Mr. Calvert don’t like his Niggers marked up. She just won’t stay put. Mr. Calvert has done sold her two times in the last six months. Her problem is she was raised White. She’s even eddycated. She can read anything. She even does ‘rithmatic problems in her head. But she’s spoiled rotten. She thinks she can come and go just like White folks. Mr. Calvert has a guarantee his Niggers won’t run away after he sells ‘em. Gener’lly they don’t, but he’s had to refund money on her twice.”

“How come she runs away?” asked the Lieutenant.

“She’s got a kid that’s half White. His daddy freed the kid and put him in a boarding school. Then daddy got killed and his widow sold this ‘n off. She keeps runnin’ off to go visit the kid without gittin’ a pass.”

The Lieutenant stepped around in front of the woman and pulled her arm free of the brute who relinquished his grip. The Lieutenant pulled the coat together, covering her breasts. “You say she’s a house servant. Does she keep a good house?”

“Been no complaints on that,” replied the brute. “She works hard and is a good teacher, but she just won’t stay put. Mr. Calvert is gonna fix that. Feller wants her for his whorehouse. She’s gonna spend the rest of her life chained to a bed.”

The Lieutenant’s eyes hardened. “Has that sale been made?”

“Not ‘till next week,” replied the Brute. “Couple sojer boys got in a fight the other night. The Provost shut the whorehouse down for a couple weeks. He don’t need her till he gits to open up agin.”

“S’pose I could buy her?”

“That’s up to Mr. Calvert.”

“Well, let’s go talk to Mr. Calvert,” said the lieutenant. “Lead on.”

“You keep a tight hold on ‘er,” warned the Brute. “She tore right outa her dress to get away from me.”

“I’ll fetch her along,” replied the Lieutenant. “You find Mr. Calvert.” He took a grip on the woman’s arm through the coat. She held the coat closed with her free hand.

The brute shuffled ahead. A foreman came out of a nearby building and called for some of the onlookers to return to work. The remainder realized the excitement was over and they had things to do also. The Lieutenant walked along with the woman. He eased his grip when the brute was far enough away not to notice.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Matilda,” she replied.

“Well, Matilda, I will try to buy you, so behave yourself until I get the job done. Once I own you I’ll make sure you get to see your boy. My name is …” He hesitated for just the slightest of pauses. “Sean Michael O’Boyle,” he completed. “That’s Lieutenant Sean Michael O’Boyle if you want to be formal.”

“If you let me see my boy,” she replied, “I promise I won’t run away.”

“He said you are educated. Didn’t your master know educating a slave in Missouri is illegal?”

“Weren’t many children on our farm, just the master’s two daughters and his son and me. He owned my mother and father. My father was his only hand and my mother cooked and cleaned and helped the master’s wife. The children were reared by all four of them. I wasn’t treated any different until I became pregnant with Jeremiah.”

“The master’s baby?” asked the Lieutenant.

“No, his son, Timothy’s.”

They arrived at loading dock where the brute had gone into the building and come out with a tall thin man with a huge gold watch chain dangling below his waist. He wore a tall silk hat.

“I’m Charles Calvert. You takin’ a shine to my wench?”

“I’m living in tight quarters, so I need a servant that doesn’t take up much space,” replied the Lieutenant. “I was thinking about a child, but she is not much bigger than a child. How much do you want for her?”

“Thousand dollars.”

“A thousand dollars! That’s a sizeable sum for such a small servant, especially one that tends to run away.”

“She’s worth every penny,” replied Calvert. “I have an offer already for that amount, and he’ll make sure she don’t run away. If you want her today that’s what she’ll cost you.”

“Very well, will you take a check on the Riverman’s Bank?”

“The Riverman’s Bank is only a couple blocks away,” replied Calvert. “Go get the cash and come back. Mr. Bertram, here will finish her punishment while you’re gone. I don’t intend for her to ever cost me again.”

“Well, now, I don’t think that beating is necessary,” replied the Lieutenant. “I’ll take her without warranty. If she runs away again you will not be held liable.”

“She’s cost me a lot of trouble,” replied Calvert. “And I intend to have some satisfaction. Until you pay for her she still belongs to me and I intend to see her little butt suffers for my troubles.”

The Lieutenant reached inside his coat drawing a gasp from the woman as his arm brushed across her breast. “Just getting my checkbook,” he grinned as he pulled it out.

“Get out the papers,” he dropped his smile and turned back to Calvert. “I’ll give you a check for eleven hundred dollars to forego the beating. You send your man over to the bank to cash it or deposit it. I’ll wait right here while he’s gone.”

“With no warranty if she runs away,” said Calvert.

“With no warranty of any kind,” replied the Lieutenant.

“Very well, she’s yours,” said Calvert. “For a hunnerd dollars we’ll forgo the beating. I’ll get the papers.” He turned and went inside the building. Mr. Bertram leaned casually against the building watching the Lieutenant and Matilda.

Matilda looked up at the Lieutenant’s face. “Thank you, sir. I will do my best to serve you.”

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