Jack Caldwell
Pemberley Ranch
Dramatis Personae
Natives and/or longtime residents of Rosings, Texas:
Catherine “Cate” Burroughs—Owner of the B&R Ranch and Rosings Bank; widow of Lewis Burroughs and cousin by marriage to Matthew Darcy, William Darcy’s father
Anne Burroughs—Only daughter of Catherine Burroughs
William Darcy, Captain, Texas Legion, Confederate States Army (CSA)—Owner of Pemberley Ranch and Darcy Bank
Gabrielle “Gaby” Darcy—Only sister to Darcy
José Estrada—Assistant trail boss of Pemberley Ranch
Hill—Farmhand at the Bennet Farm
Deputy Jones
Father Joseph—Rector of the Santa Maria Catholic Mission chapel near Rosings
Sheriff Lucas—Longtime sheriff of Rosings; widowed
Charlotte Lucas—Only child of Sheriff Lucas
Judge Alton Phillips
Margaret Reynolds—Cook and housekeeper at Pemberley; former slave.
Deputy Smith
Reverend Henry Tilney—Minister of the Rosings Baptist Church
Sally Younge—Owner and madam of Younge’s Saloon, inherited from her late husband
Carl Zimmerman—Owner of Zimmerman’s General Store and titular mayor of Rosings
New to Rosings:
Thomas Bennet—Native of Ohio; now owner of former Thompson farm west of Rosings
Fanny Bennet—Wife of Thomas Bennet
Jane Bennet—Eldest Bennet daughter
Elizabeth “Beth” Bennet
Mary Bennet
Kathleen “Kathy” Bennet
Lily Bennet
Dr. Charles Bingley, Medical Corps, CSA—Native of Georgia, now practicing doctor in Rosings
Billy Collins—Native of Georgia, manager of Rosings Bank
Joshua “Kid” Denny, Quantrill’s Raiders, CSA—Native of Missouri, gunfighter and foreman of the B&R Ranch
Richard “Fitz” Fitzwilliam, Major, Virginia Cavalry, CSA— Native of Texas, now foreman and trail boss of Pemberley Ranch
Pyke, Corporal, XIII Corps, United States Army, (USA)—Native of Illinois
Thorpe—One of Denny’s gang
Washington family—Newly freed slave family from Louisiana, owners of new homestead farm east of Rosings
George Whitehead, Major, XIII Corps, USA—Native of Illinois, now Recorder of Deeds of Long Branch County, appointed by the governor
Others:
Caroline Bingley—Native of Georgia and sister to Bingley, now resident of New Orleans
Capt. John Buford—Member of the U.S. Army Cavalry stationed at Ft. Richardson, Texas
William Tecumseh Sherman, Major General of Volunteers, XV Corps, USA [*]
Ulysses S. Grant, Major General, Army of the Tennessee, USA [*]
Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton
Old times there are not forgotten
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.
In Dixie Land where I was born in
Early on one frosty mornin’
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.
Oh, I wish I was in Dixie!
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I’ll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away, away down south in Dixie!
The day was several hot, stifling hours old when the young, gray-clad captain of infantry once again peeked carefully over the ramparts of his position into the morning sun, telescope in hand. He saw nothing, but he was not deceived. Since the initial assault upon their location three days ago, the enemy had tirelessly moved men and materiel into position for another attack. The sounds of horses and cannon wheels had been constant since before daybreak. The heavily wooded hilly terrain was not only perfect for defense but also for hiding the maneuvers of their attacker.
“Them Yankee boys are gettin’ ready to come a’visitin’ again, Cap’n?” a voice whispered into his ear.
William Darcy, captain in the Texas Legion, Confederate States Army, turned his bright blue eyes to his sergeant beside him and wiped a dirty hand across his beard-covered chin before answering. “My compliments to
