Mother turned her from Father’s embrace andengulfed her in a soft and gentle hug. “I’m so happy, my dear.We’ve prayed over your soul.”
Tillie cried. “Yes, I know. I’m so sorry forthe anguish and the hurt I caused. I’m a terrible sinner, and Ihope you can forgive me.” Maggie joined in the family embrace. Theyhugged, kissed, and cried before, sniffling and smiling, theyreturned to their seats.
“We shouldn’t be sitting here like dolls, weshould be thanking God!” Tillie smacked her hand down on the table.“We’re safe, we’re alive, and James, at least, is still among theliving.” She grabbed Father’s hand. “Tell me what happened toyou.”
“Yes.” Mother grinned, a conspiratorial tonein her voice. “Tell her about your harrowing experiences.”
“You can also tell her how you capturedconfederate prisoners with an empty musket!” Maggie added, with asly wink toward her sister.
“What’s this?” Tillie grinned. “Father, dotell!”
He held up his hands in a gesture ofsurrender. “All right, all right! Margaret, do we have any coffee?This is going to be a long night of storytelling.”
“A little, James.” Mother’s tone said shedidn’t think they should waste it in such a way.
“Make some.” He decided.
Mother rose and went to the stove. Theconversation continued while she prepared a pot of coffee. Whenready, she set out a cup for everyone, including Tillie.
“Thank you.” She smiled at Mother, who neverallowed her to drink coffee before.
“So, Father, tell me what happened to you.”Tillie sipped from her cup.
“Well.” He fiddled with his wedding ring.“First things first. Soon after you left, the battle started inearnest. Reverend Bergstrasser stopped over to say they brought thewounded to the warehouses by the railroad station. He asked if Iwanted to go along and offer our services, so I decided to go.”
Father sipped his coffee. He placed the cupback on the saucer and began to twist his wedding ring.
Tillie sat up straight.
“We found several of our boys badly hurt andbegging for whiskey to deaden their pain.” He laid his hand overTillie’s. “Remember when you asked me why on earth they would wantsuch a thing?”
A frown shadowed her face. Memories ofsoldiers crying for booze, or a bullet, to end their agonyassaulted her, making her swallow hard and shift in her seat to ridherself of the vision.
“Well, now we can understand why. Thesuppliers moved most of the alcohol out of town, but I told themI’d try to get some from private homes. I went door to door, butcouldn’t find any. Our soldiers began running through the streets.I shouted at one to stop, but he kept going. Another stopped longenough to tell me the army was retreating toward the cemetery. Thenhe too, ran off. I left your mother and sister alone with Sam, so Irushed back as fast as possible. Within a block of our house, aRebel soldier appeared from behind Winebrenners’.” Father sippedhis coffee.
“What happened?”
He set his cup down with a deep breath.“Well, he hallooed, and then shouted, ‘Hey, what are you doing witha gun in your hand?’ I assure you, my dear, I wasn’t armed. I putmy hands in the air and said, ‘I have no gun!’ That made nodifference. The man raised his rifle and aimed at me. I threwmyself upon the ground as he fired. I can still hear the whistle asthe bullet passed over my head. He apparently thought he hit me,making one Yankee the less before going on his way, because hedidn’t wait to discover if he killed me.”
Tillie gasped, “Oh, Father, no!”
Maggie held up one finger. “It getsbetter.”
Tillie’s gaze slid from her sister to herfather.
Father chuckled. “After he disappeared, I gotup.” He leaned in close. “No sooner did I do so, when I foundmyself surrounded by no less than five Confederate soldiers whocame from Breckenridge Street. By way of greeting, they said to me,‘Old man, why ain’t you in your house?’ When I replied I was tryingto do so, they told me to fall in, which I did, and walked withthem to the steps. When I reached the front door, I said, ‘Now,boys, I’m home and I am most certainly going to stay here.’ I hopedthey would let me go inside, but one of them demanded to search thehouse for Union soldiers. Not knowing better, I assured him theywouldn’t find any, just two women and a young boy.” Father narrowedhis eyes at Mother in a mock glare and wagged a finger at her.
Tillie swiveled her head from one parent tothe other. “What happened?” Her voice rose with excitement.
Mother and Maggie exchanged a glance andlaughed.
Tillie spread her hands out. “What?”
“Well,” he resumed his story. “Those menbelieved me and moved on. With a huge sigh of relief, I went up thesteps, but another squad of Rebels arrived and also insisted onsearching the house. They threatened to break in the door, but Iconvinced them to desist, insisting we had no soldiers. Besides, Isaid, breaking into private homes was against the rules of war,which seemed to decide them. One of them asked me to give my word,so I did, and another of them said, ‘Boys, I take this gentleman’sword.’ Another asked me, ‘By the way, what are your proclivities?’”Father sat up straight and puffed out his chest like a proudpeacock. “I told them, ‘I am an unconditional Union man and awhole-souled one.’”
Tillie gasped and covered her mouth. Her eyeswidened as she stared at him.
“They said to me, ‘Well, we like you all thebetter for that. We hate the milk-and-water Unionists.’ They toldme to get inside saying they wouldn’t shoot me, but somebody would.Most likely our own men, as the Yankee sharpshooters out by thecemetery started sending their bullets in this direction.”
“I saw bullet holes on the side of the housewhen I came home,” Tillie interrupted. “Seventeen of them.”
Father nodded. “There are more on the back ofthe house as well.”
She waved her hand at this turn ofconversation. They could discuss bullet holes later. “What happenednext, Father?”
He sat back. “Well, I
