Horrible Harvest

The ruckus of killing two Yanks was enough to bring two more out the barn. This time their weapons was at the ready, but their reactions was slowed by the fury of noise and flames from their regiments return fire in the direction of our company to the east. Me and Evers easily ended them with our blades.

“They’re falling back,” a voice yelled.

“Counter press,” come the response. “Steady pace. Halt on my mark. Push the bastards all the way to Chattanooga.”

Captain Doc and the rest of our strike force emerged from the woods and quietly made their way to the entrance to the barn.

“Mr. Yates, take a man and snake crawl your way to the rear of the structure. Extinguish what lamps be lit along the way. Do not set the place a blaze. We don’t want to draw attention back our way.”

Yates smiled, grabbed Liddle up by the collar, and threw him to the ground. “Crawling like a snake is sure as hell something you’re suited for.”

The record keeper give a whimper, only to find Yates’ hand covering his mouth. “Not a peep, boy.” He pushed Liddle on his belly, and the two of them crawled along, using their elbows to propel themselves forward.

A woman screamed from inside the barn, and two colored boys burst through the doorway and headed for the woods. The captain sent two men after them, and the runaways was dead before they made it to the tree line.

Yates appeared at the door, his hands dripping blood. “All clear, captain. Weren’t but two more bluebellies left and they’ve been dealt with.” He wiped his bloody hand across the breast of his raggedy gray coat.

We entered one by one. Seventeen of us come face to face with 23 occupants of the room – Most on the floor in one form of ailment after another. Three women and a man – Civilians – White – stood in a group – Cowering – Shaking – Praying.

“There are no others,” the man said, sounding like he’d come face to face with a pack of wolves.

“Others?” Captain Doc asked.

“Soldiers.”

“Yankees, you mean?”

“Yes, sir. Yankees.”

The captain give a nod. “It is curious.”

“Curious?”

“Do you travel with this regiment?”

“Sir?”

“I’m just trying to understand how it is you provide service to our invaders.”

“We – This is our property – And it is not service to our invaders we provide – It is service to our Lord Christ – But I say unto you, Love your enemies: bless them that curse you: do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you.”

The captain give a smile. “You are a man of piety.”

“As I said, I serve Christ.”

“These young ladies, they are your daughters?”

“They are. Yes.”

“Pretty gals,” Yates said.

“Mind your tongue, private. Forgive my men, ladies. They are soldiers. Rough edges and ill-manners come with the territory. Your name, sir?”

“Tanner – Reginald Tanner.”

“Mr. Liddle,” the captain give a call out.

His record keeper stepped forward, nerves frayed to feathers – His entire body shook.

“Commit these names to memory, Lieutenant.”

The response come in a whisper. “Yes, sir. Reginald Tanner.”

“The girls, Mr. Tanner? Their names, please. Oldest to youngest.”

“Catherine, Elizabeth, and Margaret.”

“Mr. Liddle?”

He didn’t give no answer.

“Mr. Liddle – The names? The young ladies? Did you get that?”

“Yes, sir. I did, sir. Catherine, Elizabeth, and Margaret. Oldest to youngest.”

“Very good. Mr. Tanner, you’ve demonstrated knowledge of the Bible.”

“Yes, sir. I’m very familiar. We study it nightly.”

“Then you know Mark, Chapter 12, Verse 36, of course.”

“Sir – I – I cannot – I have read it, yes, but I cannot say I’ve committed it to memory – ”

“For David himself said by the holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

“Yes, I know it – Now that I hear it – I know it – ”

“The invaders are my enemy, Mr. Tanner. Are they not yours?”

“We – We do not see – Things are not seen in that way in our teachings – ”

“In what way?”

“We don’t see – There are no enemies. There are only children of God.”

“Did you not hear what I just said – The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool – Enemies, Mr. Tanner. The word is in the verse – ”

“Yes, sir, but – ”

“But – There is no rebuttal to the Lord’s word. But? The Lord designates those among His children as enemies. It is there in the verse. Is it not?”

“I – I cannot say – I do not refute the Word of our Lord – I simply mean to say the Lord commands me to love my enemy – ”

“You deny me my footstools, Mr. Tanner.”

“Sir?”

“You provide aid and comfort to my enemy – Your country’s enemy. You prolong this war. You put my men in peril – You and your daughters. I sit by my Lord’s side and find you all guilty of high treason. Mr. Tennyson.”

I stepped forward. Numb. I knew what order was to come, and I knew it was to come under a black flag. “Sir?”

“You, Mr. Yates, Mr. Evers, and Mr. Jeffries – Carry out the sentence.”

“What sentence – Sir?” I wasn’t going to follow no unspoken order. If the captain was set on murder, he’d have to say it.

“Execution, corporal. On my mark. All at once. We are not barbarians. We shall not make any witness the suffering of another.”

“Execution?” Felix mumbled.

The girls shrieked and shook and huddle together, while their daddy done what a good and fine daddy would do. Something my shit daddy would never do. He stepped in front of them. “We’ve no weapons – This is madness. We are simply providing care for their sick – ”

“It is that word ‘providing’ that makes you guilty, Mr. Tanner. You’ve provided aid and comfort to our enemy – Mr. Tennyson, I am under the assumption I just gave you an order.”

“Yes, sir.” I said the words, but I give no thought to them. I’d left myself behind. I was out my body, giving watch as Me, Yates, Evers, and Felix surrounded the good Christian family.

Mr. Tanner give a struggle against Evers’ grip. “But there are no soldiers here. We care for – They aren’t soldiers. They are – ”

“They are contraband, sir. Stolen from Confederate citizens. Slaves turned insurrectionists, and you busy yourself making them well, so they may take up arms against us and inflict pain and suffering upon my men – My army.”

“Daddy,” the youngest girl screamed as Yates grabbed her at the wrist.

Mr. Tanner fought mightily to release himself from Evers’ grip, but he didn’t have might enough. “I beg you, Captain. Let my daughters go.”

“I find no gratification in this, sir. I must hold true to my duty – For my country and for my home. War, at times, requires atrocities. That time is today – ”

“But my daughters have no choice in what I tell them to do. I am their father. I commanded them to be here – This is my doing – ”

“Then you, sir, are a very bad father. On my mark, gentlemen.” He turnt to the others in our strike force. “Find the youngest male among the negroes. Sequester him. Execute the others. With haste.”

With that, the slaughter begun. Horribly. Thoughtlessly. Men. Women. Children. Murdered without a care. Enslaved by whites. Freed by whites. Under escort by whites to their northern paradise. Massacred by whites. Their fortunes entire owned by whites.