The Visitants

THE VISITANTS

Mark Raymond Corrigan

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SMASHWORDS EDITION

THE VISITANTS

Copyright© 2017 Mark R Corrigan

Cover Design & Interior Layout: Laura Shinn Designs

http://laurashinn.yolasite.com

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The Visitants

A Visitant is Visitor from the Spirit world or one who comes back to the land of the living when they were believed to have died. What better term could be said about those Confederate soldiers who lived through the Civil War?

After the end of the American Civil War, a rag tag group of Confederate Soldiers traveled west seeking to reestablish themselves and rebuild a new life away from all the bloodshed and turmoil they had lived through. They ended up in the town of Beckley West Virginia where they were willing to work and trade their labor for a better life if someone would just give them a chance. Rusty Rivers their leader, accidently kills the town’s ne’er-do-well Roy Bloomfield. Although Roy’s death is rule as death my misfortune Rusty feels obligated to help Bloomfield’s family and little Roy deal with the fact that his father was a no-good son of a bitch that no one in the town would attend the man’s funeral.

Rusty and his men form a Company to provide a Labor force that has a major impact on the rebirth of Beckley and they saved the surrounding Counties from an economic disaster, when there is a major crop failure in 1868. Rusty married Sally, a war widow, who Sheriff Jordan believes killed Frank Yancy. Yancy was seeking to kill Rusty to avenge of what took place at a crossroads before Rusty knew the Civil War was officially over.

For almost 18 years, life for Rusty and his men has proceeded in an almost ideal circumstance until Lloyd Thompson came to Rusty with a Business Proposal to open his family’s coalmine. Rusty did not invest in this coalmine, but young Roy Bloomfield who came to work for Rusty after graduating from Harvard steals the Thompson Coalmine proposal and goes into business with a Classmate from Harvard.

When Lloyd Thompson believes that Rusty Rivers stole his business and his family’s property, Lloyd kills Rusty and Rusty’s son Dug Rivers kills him. When Dug Rivers learns why Lloyd Thompson killed his father he uses an interesting twist in the West Virginia State’s Laws to prevent Roy Bloomfield and his Harvard business partner from profiting from the deaths of Rusty Rivers and Lloyd Thompson. Although Vengeance is mine says the Lord, the story of THE VISITANTS, become the means of extracting that revenge.

Chapter One:

THE FINAL DAYS

Rusty Rivers limped over to the small cook’s fire. He was reaching for the coffeepot that had already used the same coffee grounds over six times when a rider came galloping in yelling. The War is over! The War is over. General Lee has surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse two days ago. The rider was screaming as he slid off this bone tired gray horse.

It was difficult to tell whether the man or his horse had eaten the least amount of food over the last six months. The horse was at the immediate disadvantage as the moth eaten gray Army blanket used as a pad beneath the battered and war-scarred McClellan saddle hide his exposed ribs. The man, Jack Price was well over six-foot tall and as thin as a bean stalk without any bean pods. He was not far behind the condition of his horse if he took off his shirt and showed his ribs.

Calm down Jake. Rusty told him. Take your time and tell us all about it.

I just met some Reb Cavalry, who were heading east towards Richmond. They told me everyone was put on Parole after they turned in their guns. They could keep their horses and they could go home to put their crops in. Jake told them in one big breath of air.

No one saw which way you were going after you talked with them, did they? Rusty asked.

Not that I know of, they just kept going the way they was. Jake said and he stood there with his mouth open as if he may have done something wrong.

Don’t worry none about it. Have some coffee and a piece of cornbread. That’s all we got this morning. Rusty told him.

Rusty was the leader of this detachment even though there were several other men with a higher ranked on their sleeves. Rusty was just a Private and he liked it that way. People still listened to him, as he was one of those men who always came up with the right ideas.

Some men like Rusty just commanded a level of respect as they seen to be able to lead other men when it was necessary and when it really counted. Rusty was the only member of the 27th Virginia Infantry and he had been ordered to hold this crossroad until relieved. He was given the authority to recruit anyone he could find to help him defend this road junction.

Rusty had conscripted every man who was now with him at this Crossroads. These men had become separated from their regular Units during their last engagement or they were the only surviving member of their unit after their last fight. They were wandering around looking for the Headquarters of their Unit or any other members of their Unit if they still existed. It was better for them to join up with any other Unit than to get picked off by some Yankee Patrol who would just as soon shoot you than take you as a prisoner.

If the truth be known at this stage of the War, over 25% of the Confederate Units had men who belonged to some another Unit. Fighting was fighting and fighting for the Confederate Cause and killing Yankees was all that really mattered now. Rusty’s mission was simple and straightforward. He was control and defend this Crossroads with only a few men and the more men he could find the easier it would be.

Rusty did not say anything more as he walked off toward the woods as if he had to relieve himself. He did not want the men to see him cry. He just could not help himself as the tears just started rolling from his eyes and down his weather-beaten cheeks. It’s over. It was really over and the South has lost. Rusty had to tell himself several times before he finally wiped the tears from his face with his well-patched shirtsleeve. He just stood there taking deep breaths trying to pull himself back together after hearing the news that the South had surrendered and the War was over. He knew General Lee would not have surrendered if they still had a chance to joint up with General Johnson’s Army coming up from the south. Rusty took another deep breath and pulled his black slouch hat down close over his eyes.

His low riding hat, would give him a slight shadow to hide the redness of his eyes from the other men. He was still their commander and he had to maintain his position of respect and trust until he could decide what needed to be done.

Rusty came back to the fire and poured himself another cup of the light brown hot water they were still calling coffee. He backed off from the fire and was sitting on his heals thinking when one of his men spoke up.

What are we going to do Rusty? The man asked with perhaps as much shock in his voice Rusty would knew would be in his voice if he spoke too quickly.

Well first things first. Rusty began. We need to make sure General Lee actually surrendered and this is not some cheap Yankee trick to lower our guard. Rusty said and he paused to let his mind find the right words to say. Until we know for sure that General Lee has surrendered, we need to stay out of sight and hold this Crossroad as I have been told to do. Rusty said making it sound as if they still had a Military Duty and a Mission important enough to continue doing it until they were properly relieved.

But what if General Lee actually surrendered? Another man spoke up.

When we know that for sure, we can make our plans. Rusty told them.

One man got up and moved towards his horse. I’ll tell you one thing. I ain’t staying around here for no Yankee Patrol to pick me up. He said as he untied his horse from a tree and was about to climb into the saddle.

Now Bob, no one has given you permission to desert. Rusty said as he stood up and put his hand on the 36-caliber Colt Navy revolver he carried in his belt across his belly.

I ain’t desert-en. You all just heard what Jake said. The War is over and I want to go home. Bob said as he pleaded his case to the other men standing around the fire.

And I said we need to confirm General Lee has actually surrendered before we do anything and that’s just what we are going to do. Do I need to make myself any clearer about it? Rusty asked the man.

Well no, I guess not. Bob said as he retied the rains of his horse on the tree.

A few other men returned from their scouting missions, and one man had acquired a slab of bacon and another man had found several dry ears of corn. They had not seen anyone alive or dead as they had circled around the Crossroads for more than a mile. They had not found any fresh tracks or any sign that someone had been there in over a day. The whole countryside was quiet, too quiet as far as they were concerned.

With Rusty making it clear that they would continue to hold this crossroads, the man with the dry corn started to shell it, into his hat. Then he found two flat rocks he used to smash the kernels of corn into flour, as that would be their next batch of cornbread

Throughout the day the men relieved each other from their Positions guarding the Crossroads. There were eleven men still holding this Crossroads and none of them had seen anyone else other than what Jake had reported earlier in the morning. The whole area had been deserted. There had been no shoot-en or cannon noises for the last few days except for that Yankee Patrol they stopped the other day. They had killed them all except for the two wounded Yankees who had been able to stay in their saddles and ride away.

The thought that maybe the War was really-over, had crossed their minds a hundred times but they also knew that Rusty was right about making sure the war was really-over before they abandoned their post. Rusty was the only man from the 27th Virginia Infantry and he had been ordered to hold and defend this Crossroads. Everyone else had just drifted in and joined Rusty rather than just walk around out in the open and perhaps get picked off by them Damned Yankee Patrols. A man alone would be dead as those trigger, happy Yankees did not have enough good sense to take them prisoners. Joining Rusty at this Crossroads made him their temporary Commander just as if he were the Commander in their own units.

A Unit Commander regardless of his rank is still a Commander responsible for carrying out his orders until he is properly relieved or those Orders were changed. The men felt confident that Rusty knew what he was doing and they had been successful in holding this Crossroads without losing a man.

Rusty sent Jake to the closest town of Gladstone Virginia which was only five miles away, to see if Jake could confirm the news of General Lee’s surrendered. Rusty knew Gladstone had a Telegraph there and they might have received something official. That had been over three hours ago and Jake should have been back by now.

Rusty knew Jake could be a fancy fast talker when he had to be. He could come up with a right sounding answers if he was put on the spot and he could talk Saint Peter into letting him into heaven if Saint Peter gave him half a chance to explain why he had arrived before his time. If anyone could talk his way out of a situation if he had been caught by a Yankee Patrol Jake could. However, when it came to talking with a woman, Jake got all tongue-tied and he became worse at talking depending upon how good looking the woman was.

It was just after dark when Jake came back in. He had a bag of seed potatoes that would help fill some of the men’s stomachs and they would not go to bed hungry again tonight. The News Jake carried was not good. General Lee indeed had surrendered and the Army of Northern Virginia had been broken up. General Lee had ordered his men to, Fight no more and help rebuild the peace.

That evening after the men had eaten all those seed potatoes, Rusty told the men the War was over and General Lee had indeed surrendered to General Grant just as Jake had reported earlier. The men were expected to return home and put in their crops. There were men at this Crossroads, who were just like Rusty. They had no family or home to return to as the War had taken it all. The News of General Lee’s surrender had left them numb and with empty thoughts about what they should do now. Rusty told his men he was not turning in his guns as he was heading west and away from all this bloodshed.

Rusty had heard, there were still places out west where a man could find free land to homestead and make a fresh start. Raising beef in Texas and on the Great Plains could make a man rich and provide for his family. It was not the idea of getting rich that appealed to Rusty. It was the idea of just having a chance to do something with his life that counted. After Rusty told his men his plans and where he planned to go, he left the door open to anyone else who might be going west as he would not mind the company.

They all knew there was no telling what the Yankees were going to do to the South. They had already burned a wide swath through the South when General Sherman marched through Georgia to the sea. The whole Shenandoah Valley had been left in ruin because of all the fighting in the War. The City of Winchester had changed hand seven times during the war and other parts of the Valley had not done much better. When the Yankees were forced to leave, they burnt and destroyed everything they could not take with them. When the Yankee’s retook the place and then when the Yankee’s were again pushed out they destroyed even more of the towns and all the farms around them.

There would be a lot of work to be done to rebuild the South but there would not be any paid jobs. The people in the South did not have any money to pay a man for his labor. The South had bankrupted itself trying to support their Cause. Its paper money was worthless and some of the last of their money had even been printed on the back of wallpaper. That money was not worth what it would take to start a fire when the Confederate Government in Richmond printed it.

The next morning after they ate the last of their food there was not much left to divide up except for the Coffee pot. The men felt Rusty had as much right to it as any of them did, and they told Rusty to take it. Each man now had a horse. Even if it had been taken from a Yankee who could not have objected to them taking it, as that Yankee was dead at the time. Rusty and several men had some of the better horses as they had just acquired them when they ambushed that last Yankee Patrol.

Rusty and several of the men had also picked up one of those new Henry Rifles that shot fixed brass 44/40 cartridges with an internal primer and these fast shooting Henry’s had been issued to some of the New York and New Jersey Cavalry Units. Each man was carrying a different type of gun when he was conscripted to hold and defend this Crossroads as part of Rusty’s Unit. Some of them still had the Standard Three-band Rifled Musket issued to the Infantry Troops while others had picked up some breach loading Carbines during the War. The Sharps Carbine seemed to be in the higher percentage of those weapons, with a mix of other types of guns to include the Maynard Carbine with its externally primed brass cartridges. There were even a few of the Yankee Smith Carbines that shot a fixed India rubber cartridge tube and they were fired by using a normal Musket Percussion Caps as their primer.

Many of the men had exchanged their guns for the Henry Rifles taken off that Yankee Patrol. Each man had at least one revolver. These revolvers shot the 44 caliber bullets in the Army Model and the 36-caliber in the most popular Navy Model. They had divided-up the ammunition equally between the men who had decided not to turn in their guns, as the ammunition would not be any good to those who would be turning in their weapons. That left the horses and getting caught riding a Yankee horse with a US Brand on its shoulder. The only thing they could claim was the horse had been captured and became spoils of war.

Rusty was one of the few men who could read and write well. Rusty took some fine letter writing stationary someone had found and he used his best penmanship when he wrote the men’s letters claiming the horses were spoils of war. Rusty had kept a diary where he noted the dates of each battle or skirmish he and his Unit had been involved in the fighting. Using those dates and battles he would put them on the horse’s papers depending upon the current condition of each horse as that would make these papers believable.

Some of the newer horses in better condition would have a later battle date on their papers than the horses that were now almost just skin and bones. This documentation may have looked good on paper but it would not stop some Yankee Patrol from hanging them as horse thieves’ if they wanted to hang them anyway.

Rusty then wrote out their Discharge Papers stating the man had served honorably during the final days of the War with Company C of the 27th Virginia Infantry until they had heard and confirmed that General Lee had surrendered. He signed them using the name of Captain John Gilmar who was the Commander of Company A of the 27th Virginia Infantry as that would make these Discharges look more official and not just tossed aside.

Rusty had no way of knowing how much back pay these men might have coming and besides Confederate money was worthless no matter how much money they were entitled to receive. He had each man sign for his horse on his Discharge Paper in lieu of any Military Pay he might be entitled. That give each man two claims of ownership for his horse and that was as official as he could think of doing.

Rusty made his final report of the last days of the War and all the events that had taken place since his last Military Report. He listed the men who had served with him at that Crossroads junction and stated that each man had been given an honorable Discharge and took his horse for any back pay he might be due. He gave this Report to one of the men who would deliver it to the last known location of Headquarters of the 27th Virginia Infantry as that would be in the same direction he would be going as he returned home.

If there was anything else that Rusty should have done, he couldn’t think of it. Each man said their good byes’ and wished each other good luck. Their final parting would close a Chapter of their lives. None of them might ever see each other again as most of the men would be going home and those places were scattered across all the Confederate States. They did not know what they might be coming home to as if they had gotten a letter it could be easily six months old by the time they got it.

There was one man who lived in Lexington Kentucky and he asked to ride along with Rusty and the others who were heading west. He told them he had a lot of kinfolks in that area. He was sure his family could at least give them some good-home cooked meals and maybe even some food to take along with them. The group of six men rode west through the Blue Ridge Mountains and then through the Shenandoah Valley towards West Virginia. The whole idea of West Virginia was hard to believe, as Union allowed West Virginia to succeed from Virginia and form another State. At the same time, the South who wanted to break away from the Union had been forced to remain in the Union by force of arms. There is no logic or hard and fast Rules where politicians and victorious Army were concerned. The South had lost and West Virginia was now a State and there was nothing anyone was going to do about it.

Just how much hostility the Group would run into in West Virginia was anyone’s guess. The fact that the Union had won the War might encourage the West Virginians to take it out on any Reb they came across. No State had been more divided than West Virginia. Brother fought against brother and their fathers had fought against their sons sometimes meeting each other on the Battlefields. Those West Virginians who might have been sympathetic to the Southern Cause would need to keep their mouths shut less someone remember just what side they had favored.

Now deeper in West Virginia the Group of six men felt a little more comfortable traveling in the open. They had not come across any Yankee patrols that they could not have avoided and as far as anyone knew, no one knew they were there.

Chapter Two:

KEEPING BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER

It was the second day after they ran out of food and Rusty and his Group rode into a farm that looked as if there had not been a man around doing any work for some time. Rusty rode up to the front porch of the farmhouse and started to get down from his horse when a woman’s voice was heard from inside the house.

Don’t you put your Rebel feet on my land or I will ventilate your hide with this shotgun. She yelled.

I am sorry Maam. But me and my men are hungry and tired. We are willing to work for anything to eat. Rusty told her.

I don’t care who or what you are, now get! She said and Rusty could now see the business end of that double-barreled shotgun as it extended into the sun light that cut across part of the porch.

Maam, I believe you are a good Christian woman and I know you have read the ‘Good Book,’ where it says to feed the hungry. We are not asking for you to give us something to eat for nothing. We are willing to work and help you put this place back in order. Rusty pleaded his case.

Don’t listen to them Rebs Ma. They is a low down stinking rats that don’t deserve anything we got. A young boy said as he half hid behind his mother’s skirts.

Hush Johnny. His mother told him.

How many are you? She asked.

Six Maam. Rusty answered her.

You willing to eat seed potatoes? She asked.

Yes Maam. We are willing to eat anything. In fact, I know a good recipe for making potato Pancakes if you have an egg or two. Rusty told her.

All right, you might as well eat first so I will get a good piece of work out of you. She said as she lowered that shotgun that was pointing at the center of Rusty’s chest.

But Ma, thems dirty Rebs. The woman’s son was saying.

Yes, Johnny they are but I am sure they will wash up just fine. Johnny’s mother told him. There’s a wash up place around back next to the pump. She added for Rusty and his men’s benefit.

One of you men take the horses around and give them some water while the rest of you boys go and put up that fence next to the barn. Bob, you might as well come in with me and help me peel them potatoes. The sooner they are ready I can make us some pancakes for our dinner. Rusty told them and turned back to the woman. Is your tool shed locked? Rusty asked.

The woman was about to say again that the men should eat first, but realized she was not going to challenge what this man Rusty had said as it was an order his men would expect to obey. She had a feeling that the way he had said it was a way of showing her that they were indeed will to work for their food and it would keep the men busy while he was preparing their pancakes rather than just sitting around waiting to be fed.

No, the tool shed is not locked. There are some posts and rails piled up under that lean-to shed next to the barn. She said as she pointed around the house to where the tool shed stood and back to the side of the barn where the posts and rails could be found.

Once Rusty had his men working, he and Bob came inside and they washed their hands and arms to where they had rolled up their sleeves.

‘You might as well wash your face and neck too." She told them and they did not argue as it had been a long day and they had not even scared up a rabbit, that they might have eaten.

Rusty went into the pantry and found a bag of potatoes and he and Bob set down to peel them. Johnny was watching them like a Hawk as if they were about to steal them blind. Once Rusty had a good start on peeling those potatoes, he asked the woman if she had any syrup, sorghum or molasses.

She produced a quart sized canning jar with a wax seal still on top of it. It was good black strap molasses that had been kept fresh with that wax seal. Rusty took 2 cup-fulls of the molasses and added three cups of water in a small cooking pan and then put it on the kitchen stove, after he had added some more firewood. He wanted the stove hot and it would get there by the time he was ready to make those pancakes.

Rusty started to grate the potatoes into a large mixing bowl while Bob finished peeling the last of the potatoes. He then added some flour, the two eggs she had given him along with a small palm full of salt. He checked her cupboard and he found her Baking Powder. He estimated a half teaspoon before he tossed it in, along with a half cup of water. He should have used milk but he didn’t think she would have any and he didn’t want to ask.

Rusty whipped it up into a uniform batter after he had found two cookie sheets and laid them on the top of the hot stove. He put a little fat back grease on them and when the grease started to smoke, he knew it was hot enough to fry pancakes. Using a coffee cup, he ladled out the potato mixture into even sized pools and they immediately started to sizzle.

The smell of the frying pancakes filled the house and Rusty told Johnny to get his plate, as he needed someone to test them to make sure they were good enough to eat.

Johnny looked at his mother and she nodded that it was all right. Johnny was there with his plate and Rusty laid three hot potato pancakes on it and then dipped into the melted molasses and spooned a good amount all over each of the pancakes.

Johnny’s eyes were as big as saucers as he carried his plate to the table and took his seat. He cut into one, shoveled a good-sized piece into his mouth, and let it all run over his taste buds before he exclaimed. Gee Mom, these are great.

I’m glad you approve. Rusty told him. It’s been a while since I made them and I was hoping I hadn’t forgotten how to make them.

When Rusty had made enough pancakes to stay ahead of his men. He had Bob call his men to get washed up and come in to eat. They came in with their hats in their hands and stood behind their chairs around the table that had been set with fine China. The man called Doc bowed his head and asked the Good Lord to bless this food and this woman who had been kind enough to share her food with them.

Johnny continued to sit there right in the middle of those hungry men as they poured the thinned-out molasses on those stick to your ribs potato pancakes. Mrs. Rosewood as she had told him her name, was there with a large coffee pot with real coffee in it and the men knew they were in for a treat.

Rusty made Mrs Rosewood sit down and eat. He told her he had planned things just about right as his men were satisfying their appetites and he would have enough for himself.

Johnny had a healthy appetite of a growing boy and he had eaten as much as some of the men. Mrs. Rosewood ate and smiled at Rusty and at her son Johnny who had finally stopped eating and was licking, his fingers as they had somehow got molasses on all of them.

As each of Rusty’s men finished, he got up and thanked Mrs. Rosewood before they went out and went back to work. Rusty finished frying the pancakes and sat down with a plate full to enjoy himself.

Well I will say this for you Rusty, you sure know your way around a kitchen and you know how to fill a hungry man’s stomach. Mrs Rosewood complemented him.

Why thank you Mrs Rosewood. Cooking for this bunch, I have not received many complaints except there was never enough for the last few months. I can’t really blame them when we were down to just eating parched corn and cornbread. Rusty commented.

The farm did not have a horse and when they finished the corral they turn out their horses that had plenty of tall green grass to eat. One of the men found the cow and he milked her before bringing in a half pail of milk. Mrs Rosewood thanked the man and put the milk in a cistern under the sink. Apparently, there was a small spring under the sink where things could be kept cool at 52 degrees which was the temperature the spring water came out of the ground. That spring water was cool to drink and it would keep things, like milk fresher for a longer time.

One of Rusty’s men took his rifle and went out into the woods hunting. It was almost dark when a single shot was heard. About 45 minutes later, the man came back with a buck that still had his new 10-point antlers in velvet. The other men helped to skin it and butcher the deer. They cut out the steaks and cut the rest of it into manageable sized chunks. The other men had patched up the sides of the smoke house and had started a slow hickory fire to smoke the meat. Smoking meat was about the only way of preserving the meat on a farm. They Union Army had issued salt pork to their troops but the average farmer did not have that much salt to waste on treating their meat.

That night the men slept in the barn on what little hay that remained in the hayloft. The next morning the men were fed deer steak and again they had real coffee. By noon all, the fences on the farm were up and repaired in good condition.

The men repaired hundreds of things on the farm that had broken down. It was as if they had spent so long killing and destroying things that being able to do something good and rebuild something made them feel good and it helped to put some of the War behind them. They had cleaned out all the old hay out of the hayloft, re-hung the barn’s doors and they found some paint that had not dried up.

There was not enough to paint the farm buildings but there was enough to paint all the trim and the windows so the place took on a quality glow. They rebuilt the pigpen and then spend another few hours chasing the sow and her ten piglets to put them in it.

Johnny seemed to be enjoying all the activities as he was learning a lot about what it would take to keep a farm running. Johnny had followed Bob around like a lost lamb. Johnny had hundreds of questions and he wanted to try and do everything that Bob had done. Johnny was smart and learned quickly how Bob did things and Bob did not mind showing Johnny, just as he would have shown his own son if he had one.

Rusty and his men learned that Mrs Rosewood’s husband had been reported as missing well over a year now. He had been in one of the Union Units that fought at Petersburg when a lot of Yankees had died. She had written his Commander but he also had been killed. Whether her husband was dead or alive, Mrs Rosewood had no way of knowing what his situation really was. Her lack of knowledge was not an isolated case. Unit Commanders were supposed to send letters of sympathy to their men’s family, when one of their men had been killed or he had been seriously wounded.

But somehow, when thousands of men died in a single day the niceties of the Unit Commander’s letter were put off and ultimately forgotten. In many cases, whole units including their Commander were killed and the Staff Officers were not interested in doing another man’s work, so the notifications of the dead and wounded never were sent.

Rusty did not want to tell Mrs Rosewood how the system really worked and the chances of her husband still being alive were almost none existent. She had every right to wait and hope her man was coming home now that the War was over. Until she knew for sure, he just might show up and wonder why she had stopped writing to him. But the longer the time past the less likely she would find out that he was still alive and coming back to her.

Rusty and his men realized that they had worked themselves out of a job and it was time to move on and see what the Western States still offered a man who was willing to work hard to rebuild his life.

They were about to turn in for the night after another fine home cooked meal when a group of riders came off the road and turned into the farm’s driveway. They were traveling in a military formation of a column of twos and they wheeled into the farmyard and then spread out as if they were expecting trouble. There was a dozen of them and usually when someone is looking for trouble as they were, they would find it. The way they looked they had brought enough trouble with them.

Say it was a learned sixth sense, but Rusty and his men knew immediately these men were up to no good. They had the look of vultures circling the dead on a battlefield to pick the bones of those who had fallen. Rusty had seen these types of men before and they were called Bummers, Union soldiers who raped, robbed and killed at will without any military objective other than their own greed. Why the Union Commanders allowed such men to exist was always a question Rusty never had an answer for. These same types of men had killed his family and many families that held no military threat to anyone. They were just in the way when these Bummers came through. If there was any man, Rusty could enjoy killing it would be these Bummers.

Rusty and his men already knew what they had to do when they had been outnumbered and they had fought superior numbers during the last years of the war. They had to take up positions behind this murderous scum. They slipped out the back door of the house and move around behind trees that would stop bullets’ once those bullets started flying.

You in the house. Their leader shouted. "Come out with your hands up and there won’t