Horrible Harvest

Mr. Stockton backed away and considered my claim. He couldn’t allow himself to believe it. I was working his mind into a stream of second guesses and doubts. He cleared his throat and said through a clenched jaw, “You may not care about me, but what about your mother? She still serves at the behest of General Miller. She is but a telegram away from retribution for your insubordination.”

I smiled. “You touch a hair on my mother’s head, and Charles will slit your throat. You ain’t got leverage over me, Mr. Stockton, and I suggest you don’t never refer to Mr. Miller as General Miller again. His military service? It is done, sir. He ain’t nothing but a rich shit dressed in a costume.”

“Sergeant, detain Mr. Tennyson. He is to face profound punishment for this libel that spews from his mouth! He dare smear the reputation of this brigade and its commander.”

“Now, I am perplexed in the highest, Colonel, sir. Am I to transfer him or to imprison him?”

Captain Docherty roused from his injury and gathered his wits.

“Do not spend inane questions on me, Mr. Hicks! Detain the private!”

“Corporal,” I corrected.

Pushing himself up to his knees, Captain Docherty said, “Mr. Tennyson will not – He will not be detained, sir – ”  He groaned as he found his feet.

“You, Mr. Docherty, are treading on thin ice.”

“I have entertained your nonsense for too long, Colonel, sir. I was given orders to treat you with solemnity and deference because President Davis considers General Miller a strategic asset to the country, but clearly, the president is not aware of the degree of madness that has taken hold here. You, sir – Colonel, sir – You are under arrest for gross misconduct and abuse of your rank.”

“And you, Captain – You are to be hanged. On this night. On my authority.”

Mr. Stockton stepped toward the tent’s exit when Bill Hicks drew his weapon and aimed it at him. “You heard the captain. You are under A-rest, sir, Colonel, sir!”

“You dare point a firearm at your commanding officer.”

“Na-sir, I don’t dare. I’m enjoying the shit outa this. You ain’t my commanding nothing. You’re a mess of crazy that is to face what they call a court martial, is what you are.”

Mr. Stockton laughed. “I have an entire brigade at my disposal, you fools. You can’t arrest me. They will gut you, skin you, and tan your hides. You’ll make fine hats. Better hats than soldiers.”

The sergeant cocked an eyebrow. “Now, he does have him a point there. It’s a company against a brigade. That’s a puzzle to ponder.”

Captain Docherty, still rubbing the soreness out of his temple, stepped to the exit and examined the grounds surrounding the tent. “The unknown is in our favor, and we shall let it remain thusly.”

“The unknown? No offense, but what the devil are you talking about?”

“You are truly a company of buffoons,” Mr. Stockton said with a laugh. 

“And you, sir, would be better served if you kept your mouth shut. Sleeping dogs, sergeant? How does one handle sleeping dogs?”

“Ya’ let them lie?”

“Is that a question or your answer?”

“I have had enough of this misconduct – ”

As if choreographed beforehand, Bill Hicks pulled back the hammer of his pistol just as I uncorked my knife and pressed the blade to Mr. Stockton’s neck. The phony colonel stood stiff. There weren’t no wiggle in him at all.

Staring at the severely compromised Mr. Stockton, the sergeant said, “Ya’ let sleeping dogs lie, sir. That’s the way I’ve heard it offered up, anyhow.”

“Then that is what we shall do. The brigade is none the wiser of Colonel Stockton’s state of detention and arrest, and that’s how we will keep it. Mr. Tennyson, tie the prisoner’s hands and gag him sufficiently. Mr. Hicks, shoot the colonel if he so much as twitches in resistance.” The captain stepped outside the tent.

“Where’re ya’ off to, sir?”

“To assemble ten of our men to take possession of the colonel. If movements are unchanged since my last briefing, General Longstreet is in route to Chattanooga. Representatives from Company K shall hand him our prisoner upon his arrival.”

Without an ounce of intent, I groaned.

“Do you have something to say, corporal?”

“It’s a mistake,” I offered up, after a smidge of time ate up by thought. “Handing Mr. Stockton over to General Longstreet, sir.”

“It is protocol, Mr. Tennyson.”

“The general? Well, sir, he’s bound to be caught up in the proper way to do this and that. That ain’t nothing but time wasted. Mr. Miller will use that time to use his treasure to buy his advance man’s freedom. Better we give Mr. Stockton his sentence right here and now. Knife’s already in position. A twitch to and fro and this here pickle is unpickled without much of a fuss.”

He grimaced. “For your sake, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, Mr. Tennyson. We follow military code. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir. I understand. It ain’t nothing but a foolish path to take, but I understand.”

“You’re attitude is unbecoming a soldier in this company, corporal.”

“I get that. I do, sir, but I know Mr. Stockton. I know Mr. Miller. I seen them turn preachers against God for a thirty pieces of silver.”

“I have faith that General Longstreet will hold fast to his duty as an adjunct officer to our general-in-chief, and he will see to it that honor be served above economic interests. The general has withstood the bullets and cannon fire of legions of Yankee dogs. I assure you he can withstand the power of Cameron Miller’s purse.”

I shook my head.

“Cease your derisive shake of the head and speak your mind, corporal.”

“I ain’t seen any amount of gunpowder and lead that can destroy the power of gold, sir.”

“Faith, Mr. Tennyson. You must learn to serve it, or it will not waste peace on you.” Captain Docherty took a half step before stopping and turning back. “Alive, gentlemen. When I return here with Mr. Stockton’s escort of guards, he shall be alive, or it is you they will escort to Chattanooga to face a military tribunal. Is that understood?”

We both answered with a hearty “Yes, sir!”