ZACH6
Zach had invited Rufus and Stelle Smith to meet the other men at the “Connecticut Yankees” farm.
The Union Army had decided that the rations needed more fresh fruit and vegetables, and General Frank Peck decided to try an experiment by sending out eighteen farming groups with a deadline of October 31st. It was Tuesday, August 12 when the groups got to the farms by random allocation.
Generally, the furnished foods were hardtack - a wheat and flour kind of bread - with holes like hard bread, 12 ounces of salt pork, or a pound of salted beef.
In addition, a soldier got 30 pounds of potatoes, 15 pounds of beans, 15 pounds of sugar, 3 pounds of salt, and 10 pounds of coffee per month.
The coffee was hard to get, but a lot easier than the Confederates. With a Union Navy blockade, imports of coffee and other foodstuffs were limited. It might take a week (or month) to get it from the supply ships in New Orleans to the troops in the field.
For the farming detail groups, they got a wagonload of weekly supplies. The desiccated vegetables weren’t very popular, but fresh foods and vegetables were lacking. The attempt to establish farms wasn’t to keep the soldiers busy but to grow fresh food for the troops.
***
In the past four days, the Connecticut Yankees had rounded up some cows, and some horses, plowed and planted seeds, and determined that the well water was safe enough to drink. Charles Williams had gone four days without any symptoms.
***
While still exploring the area, Zach Higgenbottom and Benjamin Smith found a cabin hidden away with two old blacks - Rufus and Stella Smith. (They also figured that although Benjamin and Rufus and Stella had the same last name, they probably weren’t related).
After visiting for a while, and determining that all were respectable people, Zach and Benjamin invited the elderly couple to dinner at the headquarters.
*****
Charles Williams, as the ranking non-commissioned officer, and head of the Connecticut Yankees welcomed Rufus and Stelle.
Charles greeted the guest, “Welcome to our temporary home, and if I am right, this farm is YOUR permanent home. Please be our guests tonight. You’re in luck, Ralph Tollson shot a deer this morning and we’ve dressed it out and have venison on our menu tonight, and Robert Walford and James Hardy went fishing and caught a nice bunch of perch. We’re a little short on vegetables, but we do have plenty of ripe peaches, and Jeremiah Follen, our cook found just enough coffee to make a pot (but, sorry, no seconds).”
At this, Zach cut in, “But we had coffee at Rufus and Stella’s place. Chicory Coffee that is”.
At this, it seems like all the men, plus Rufus and Stella were at ease. Ralph and Leonard Whitson wanted to know how to make chicory coffee. Stella and Zach looked over the peaches. And the others hustled around to find some bigger logs to get everyone around the campfire.
Rufus said, “You first have to find the chicory plants. They are abundant here - but look like a common weed. Then you have to dig up the roots. Since they are abundant there still should be others growing. Pick the older, bigger plants first. Then mince the roots - generally the smaller the better. Then roast them in a covered pan - you can even use a Dutch Over- just a hint of water to keep them from sticking together. It’ll probably take an hour to get them soft and ready to use. Grind them as you might grind coffee beans, and mix them with coffee beans. I’d suggest a one-to-one mixture, and then use it as if you are making coffee.
The men wanted to try it right away, so Rufus led them just a short way from their campsite and they found a patch of chicory plants and dug up three plants, minced the roots, and put them to roast in the fire embers.
Even Charles went back into his tent and brought out a bottle of champagne to make the dinner more festive.
*****
Rufus and Stella wanted to know how the war was going. Charles filled them in as much as he could. Mail had been delayed while they were marching across Mississippi and into Alabama.
Charles jumped in. “The last I know is that the Union Army had a big victory over Robert E. Lee and the Southern Army at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the Southern Union Army (that’s us), had a siege at Vicksburg over the Mississippi and we now control the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Plus the Union Navy is keeping a pretty good watch on the various ports and keeping supplies from reaching the Confederates.”
Rufus and Stella looked blank as Charles talked about places that they didn’t know exist, but they understood that the war was going in favor of the Northern states.
Charles added, “And President Lincoln has proclaimed that all Black slaves are now FREE”.
At this Rufus and Stella had big grins.
But Charles added, “But that doesn’t mean much until the war is over and we are one country again.”
Charles continued, “We started at Ship Island in the Gulf of Mexico and came up the Mississippi River - with a slight battle at New Orleans and a bigger battle at Vicksburg. We are regrouping and establishing a base here in Tuscaloosa. We’ve lost more men to dysentery and diseases than we have to war. Many of this group struggled for some time with dysentery and weakness. Our commander wants us to grow fresh, healthy food to keep diseases away. So this is an experiment. After the war, this could be your land - who knows.”
“Some of us are from a small state up north called Connecticut. I think all of us grew up on small farms and are good, God-fearing Christians. We think that all men should be free. We are so glad to meet you. Some are from New York, others from Massachusetts.
Rufus responded. “You know I’ve never been more than twenty miles from here. My education was limited, but I have read a lot - especially the Bible. I don’t know of the places you refer to. I’d like to see your Connecticut and other places, but as long as I see Heaven, I’ll be okay.”
He continued, “I think I can help you with some of the farming ideas. For example, there is an old tradition of putting fish in with corn seeds to give them strength. The soil can be hard to work, so manure and lime can help that, and I know where you can get more of both of those. You’ve found the peach orchard, but have you found the apple orchard? Do you know where the watermelons are growing? There are some sweet springs on the land too. We can help you. If you’d like more help, I think I can help you there too. Many of the slaves here have struggled but are still in the area and would appreciate some work and some pay.”
Thus began cooperation that lasted through the fall.
*****
Meanwhile, at the other Army farming experiences, similar things were happening - but maybe not as well. On one of the Massachusetts farms, a soldier got bit by a water mocassin and died; on a New York farm, a soldier (with little farming experience) found a bull wandering and lassoed it to bring it home. The bull wasn’t happy and the man got gored. Others didn’t get their seeds planted before the rain and their crops were slow in emerging. But overall the experiment was working.
*****
Rufus and Stella became very popular at the Connecticut Yankee Camp. He showed the Union soldiers where the apple orchard was, and where the watermelons grew. The camp liked the watermelons but when the melons were ripe, the raccoons seemed to sense it first and would eat through the rind to find the sweet red melon. Jeremiah Follen, the camp cook, took extra care to wrap wire and tarps around the almost-ripe melons to deter the raccoons. They also tried some traps that worked on the smaller raccoons.
Ralph Tollson and Leonard Whitson had become the camp fishermen. They brought to the camp large catfish and perch. They cut the catfish into chunks and buried the chunks with the corn for fertilizer. It seemed Rufus had been right as the corn grew quickly.
One afternoon a couple of weeks later, Rufus came to the camp looking for Zach Higgenbottom. Zach was combing the horses when Rufus found him.
“Come with me”, said Rufus. “And, bring a horse to ride.”
Zach went along with Rufus, after reporting to Charles Williams that he would be gone.
They went down the path that lead to Rufus and Stella’s hut. Rufus pointed to a branch from a willow tree that somehow seemed both natural and unusual in its location.
“We’re needed tonight to help a runaway slave”, Rufus announced.
Zach asked, “What do you mean?”.
Rufus replied, “We are a stop on the Underground Railroad. Tonight somebody that I know by sight but not by name will bring a runaway slave here, and we have to take him to the next station. The next station is about 10 miles farther north.”
He continued, “Helping a runaway slave is a major offense here. I could be thrown in prison or killed. It might be a little different now that the Union forces are here. The moon will be full in a couple of days, so, a little after nightfall, the last stationmaster will bring the runaway slave here. We will feed him and give him supplies and then with the moon to guide us, go on to the next stop tomorrow. Today, we need to go to the next stop and leave our code that a runaway is coming so they know.”
Zach didn’t quite understand but put Rufus ahead of him on the horse and Rufus directed Zach to the next stop. They took backroads and trails that went through the woods. There were a few times when they got off the horse and lead the horse through some streams to wash away their tracks. (“Just in case a bloodhound is called out,” said Rufus). They got over a couple of ridges, and into a pine forest when Rufus stopped and had Zach tie up the horse.
In a clearing were some rocks just strewn around. Rufus very carefully arranged the rocks in a particular way and put a branch with the smaller end facing north. It looked almost the same if Zach wasn’t paying attention - just casual rocks and branches, but it was a signal to the next station master.
They returned to Zach’s cabin and waited for dusk. When it was fully dark, they heard what sounded like a hoot owl. They went to where the willow branch had been put, and there found a man, wife, and one child with another man. They were silent and made sure they hadn’t been followed.
Rufus went to the second man, nodded, and whispered a password. The man nodded and hugged Rufus and left. Rufus had the man, wife, and child follow him back to their hut. There they fed the family and put them up for the night.
Rufus sent Zach back to the camp, with instructions not to tell anyone except maybe Charles Williams if he trusted him. Then come back tomorrow night about sunset with two horses and they would take the family to the next station.
Back at camp, he returned the horses to the corral. James Hardy asked Zach where he had been.
Zach replied, “I’ve been at Rufus’s cabin and helped him pull down some stumps.”
James took that okay.
The men were establishing a usable farm. The house had been abandoned after Vicksburg and New Orleans fell to the Union Army. Seemingly the family had called their slaves together and said “We’re leaving until the conflict is over. We are heading to Virginia where we have friends and relatives. This is your farm for the time being. Goodbye”.
They had taken four slaves with them, two for the master and two for the missus, taken the best buggy and horses, and disappeared. Nobody had seen or heard of them again. Some of the slaves stayed and worked, but most tried to move into free territory. Rufus had heard that some made it to Cincinnati Ohio and had found work in foundries and factories making weapons. He had also heard that some were captured and tried as runaway slaves - and shot.
Seemingly the underground railroad was better these days - with the war going on, there were fewer men to hunt down runaway slaves. The underground railroad conductors were generally able to get the fugitives to free areas.
That afternoon, Zach had a few minutes alone with Charles Williams.
Zach moved them out of sight and sound of the other men.
Zach whispered, “Rufus and Stella are a station on the underground railroad. Last night they got a family, and tonight I’ve volunteered to get the family to the next station. I just wanted you to know.”
Charles nodded, “You have my blessings.”
*****
The rest of the day went well. Rufus came over in the afternoon to see how the corn was growing with the fish fertilizer. The others had gotten to know Rufus and appreciated him, except Robert Walford. It seemed as if when Rufus was around, Robert left and found another activity.
Toward the end of the afternoon, Zach got two horses from the corral. Robert asked him why he needed two horses.
Zach answered, “I’m taking Rufus back to his cabin. He has some potatoes to share with us, so the second horse will carry the sack of potatoes when I come back. He also needed some help on his roof, so I’m taking my saw, hammer, and some nails.”
Robert said “Good Luck.”
*****
Zach and Rufus rode back to Rufus’s cabin.
Stella made a good dinner and then packed good lunches for the travelers. The family wore muted colors to blend in with the terrain. The sun was just starting to go behind the neighboring hills when Rufus, Zach, and the family started heading north. It was going to be a good night for traveling. The moon wasn’t quite full, but gave enough light to see the trail. The trail wound through the woods, across fields, forded streams, and followed rocky paths. Zach had no idea how Rufus knew the way but they put the man and child on one horse and the woman on the second horse with Zach. Rufus was ahead - checking for noises, people, and anything that might stop the group.
They came to an open field, and across the field was a local road that was well-used. Rufus had Zach and the family stay behind at the end of the field while he went forward. When he determined it was safe, he gave an owl hoot, and Zach and the family quietly walked across the field. Zach tried to have the horses walk on the rocky ground to not leave hoofprints.
Soon, they were across the field and the road. They turned left for about one hundred yards and Rufus led them into the woods again. So, the next two hours went. Once when ready to cross another road, they stopped as a horse and rider went down the road. Rufus and Zach waited for what seemed like an hour but was only about ten minutes to make sure the rider wasn’t coming back and went across the road. Zach spoke quietly to the horses, to stay quiet and they obeyed his authoritarian voice.
They arrived at the clearing where yesterday, they had arranged for a branch with the end facing north and the rocks in a semi-circle that was the code for the next station master.
They stopped in the clearing and waited. The child had fallen asleep in his mother’s arms. They waited for about half an hour until silently a black man emerged on the other side of the clearing. Rufus went to greet him and exchange a password. The man shook Zach’s hand and motioned to the family to follow him. The man had one horse with he gave to the mother. They nodded a farewell and the next station master and the family soon disappeared on the road north. Rufus and Zach got on the horses and retraced their steps back to Rufus’s cabin.
It took a shorter time to get back to Rufus and Stella’s cabin. Two people can travel faster than five.
But in a hidden place, a man had seen the group go north and then had seen just the two men returning. He snuck away to think about what he had seen.
It was about three in the morning and Zach was suddenly quite tired. He opted to curl up on Rufus’ floor and get a nap before returning. The moon was in the process of sinking as Zach got the two horses and headed back to the Connecticut Yankees camp.
Zach led the horses to the corral, and back to his tent that he shared with Benjamin Smith, and was fully asleep almost instantly.
*****
The next day was cloudy with rain in the morning. The men got their coffee - mixed half-and-half with the chicory in the temporary mess tent and used the morning to relax.
Rufus’ information had helped the group find the apple orchard, the watermelons, and where the rest of the cows were hanging out. When the weather cleared in the afternoon, Robert Walford and James Hardy and Zach and Benjamin rode the horses to see if they could round up the cows.
It was muddy going, but eventually, the sun came out and it got very humid. Where the rain got the outside wet, the humidity got the inside wet. They would want to do their laundry later. But, for now, they would just be miserable.
But, they did find the cows, 18 head of cattle that somehow seemed to be happy to see people and horses, and followed Robert and James leading them to the camp, and Zach and Benjamin trailing. They crossed a creek that fed into the Black Warrior River, back up the hill, and to the camp.
Ralph Tollson and Leonard Whitson were already down at the river fishing, and Robert and James, who loved to fish, joined them. Zach and Benjamin wiped down the horses and brushed them out.
*****
Life on the farm became a blur. They generally tended to the plants in the morning, weeding, and staking them to grow tall. The corn was knee-high by the first of September. They had long since harvested the radishes - and they took a couple of bushel baskets to the main Southern Union Army camp. Even the calf they had found near death was flourishing.
It grew less hot and less humid during the days, and at night, Zach found it was better sleeping if he pulled up a blanket in the wee hours of the morning.
*****
The first weeks of September saw the troop eating watermelon almost every day. It was juicy, it was sweet, and they didn’t need any utensils. The mean competed in seed-spitting contests, Leonard Whitson seemed to be the best seed spitter - maybe as he had a gap in his front teeth. The liquid dripped down their chins.
Rufus and Stella came over frequently and were almost part of the troop. Rufus put salt on his watermelon. The others tried it and Robert and James decided they liked the taste. They said that the salt made the melon sweeter.
Twice a week the Connecticut Yankees took a wagon to the main Southern Army Camp with produce (and even some of the watermelons). Lieutenant Wheeler was amazed at how the men flourished with the fresh vegetables and fruits.
Orders came from the Union Army headquarters for the Southern Army to march to Mobile and combine with Rear Admiral David Farragut to close the last functioning port after the New Year.
But, until February they were to lead squads against the Confederates across the states of Mississippi and Alabama.
They harvested the first ear of corn on September 30, 1863. They harvested 12 ears - one for each member of the group. Jeremiah Follen, the camp cook, placed the ears in a large fry pan with an inch of water on the bottom and kept rotating the ears so that all parts had about equal time in the water.
Zach and Benjamin said, as did most of the group, that it was the best sweet corn they had tasted.
*****
Rufus came by two days later. He wanted to see how the corn was doing and was amazed that they already had harvested some. He reminded them that the raccoons would be grabbing it. But, Jeremiah, the cook, didn’t allow any of that. He sat outside by the corn patch with his shotgun and had killed a couple of the little beggars. (The rest of the camp liked the sweet corn so even though the shots were like fireworks, they rolled over and went back to sleep. Benjamin Smith also helped with raccoon duty.) Their traps worked just enough to scare a few away
As he was getting ready to go back to his cabin, he talked to Zach alone. “We have a delivery tonight on the railroad. Can you help?”
Zach watching if anybody is noticing them, says “I’ll be there”.
*****
Discreetly after dinner, Zach got a horse and saddled it. Robert and James were on the other side of the stables, so he slipped out and went east aways before going south and then heading to Rufus’ cabin, although he thought he saw Robert watching him.
Rufus and Stella had a cup of chicory coffee ready for Zach. They got the horse ready and headed toward the station to get their guests.
It was about five miles to the southern station, and Rufus and Zach talked quietly on the way. Rounding the last bend, BLAM - there were two gunshots and then the sounds of a horse galloping east. Rufus and Zach went cautiously watching carefully and listening intently.
They tied up their horse about 50 yards from the clearing and as the moon was still just rising, picked their way to the clearing. But, there was enough light to see two bodies on the ground - and both seemed to be dead!!!
As they advanced, half expecting to be shot as well. Zach and Rufus walked carefully and quietly. Rufus looked at one of the men - it was the station master he had worked with. Then at the other - a black man he didn’t know, but had a duffle bag full of clothes and positions.
Rufus said, “Oh my God, be merciful to these men and to their families”.
Zach added “Amen”
Then Zach’s blood ran still - as he heard a muffled sound.
It was a baby’s cry from a bundle on the ground.
This time, it was Zach who spoke first - “Oh my God, a baby”
To be continued next week
*****
Well, six weeks of Zachariah Higgenbottom in the Civil War
LOVE WINS
LOVE TRANSFORMS
KAREN WHITE, ©, JULY 15, 2023
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