Tillie slid to her knees beside the cot.“Heavenly Father, not our will, but Your will be done for poorJoseph. It would mean so much to his mother if he survives. He isthe last of her sons. She’ll be alone after this. Please be withthis young man today and help him recover. If that is not Yourplan, then be with dear Mrs. Greenly. Be her aid and comfort. Ipray these things in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”Tillie rose and went to find a soldier who might need some company.She wanted someone to talk to who could make her feel less sad.
* * * *
Darkness came early, and the September nightsheld a nip in the air. Tillie returned to Joseph’s cot and foundMrs. Greenly still at his side, stroking his hair, speaking to himin soft tones and holding his remaining hand, tears slidingunnoticed down her cheeks, landing on the boy’s blanket.
Tillie perched on the other side of his cot,not wanting to disturb the woman’s grief. She waited a few minutesbefore touching her arm. Many mothers and fathers grieved for theirsons, but the depth of Mrs. Greenly’s grief pierced Tillie’sheart.
Joseph’s eyes flew open, and he stared up ather. “Mother?” he croaked. “Dear Mother.”
“Yes, son, I’m here. Mother’s here!” Mrs.Greenly clasped Joseph’s hand to her bosom. “I’m here. Mother’shere.”
Joseph swallowed hard and seemed to starewith sightless eyes, still in his delirium. He blinked a long slowblink as recognition shone in his eyes. He smiled at her andmouthed the words I love you. Then he took a deep breath. “Goodbye, Mother,” he whispered. “Good…bye.” The light left his eyes,and a smile traced his lips as if he found peace.
Mrs. Greenly collapsed over her son’s body,weeping as though her heart would break. “Joseph! Joseph!”
Tillie rose and took Mrs. Greenly by theshoulders. She lifted the woman from the bed and held her whilethey cried. When they were exhausted, they walked home.
* * * *
Tillie and her family stood in the hallway bythe front door. Mrs. Greenly had announced the night before that itwas time to go home. Now, they gathered to see her off.
“You won’t reconsider?” Father held Mrs.Greenly’s cloak while she tied her bonnet. She turned around, andhe laid the cloak over her shoulders.
“Such a lovely offer, and I’m honored andhumbled you would want my son buried in the Soldier’s Cemetery.”Mrs. Greenly took the basket Mother handed her. “However, Iwouldn’t be able to visit him here. I want him nearby, next to hisfather and two brothers. He has an infant sister buried there aswell. I do hope you understand.”
Father nodded and squeezed her hand. “Ofcourse, we do.”
“When I go…” Mrs. Greenly smiled at Motherand Father. “We shall all be together once again.”
“We quite understand.” Mother hugged her.“Please know you’re welcome to come and visit any time. We shallmiss you so much.”
“I shall miss you all. Especially you, MissTillie.” Mrs. Greenly wrapped her arms around Tillie in a long hugbefore kissing her cheek.
“I’ll miss you, too.” Tillie sniffed intoMrs. Greenly’s shoulder. They hugged each other tighter.
“I like to think if my daughter had lived,she would have been much like you,” Mrs. Greenly whispered inTillie’s ear.
Tillie kissed her cheek.
They broke apart, sniffing.
Father held the front door open.
Mrs. Greenly went down the front steps as thePierces gathered on the stoop. She blew them a kiss, faced forward,and adjusted her cloak and bonnet. Hanging the basket on her arm,she put on her gloves. She signaled to the wagon driver, waved tothe Pierces one more time, and walked to the train station behindthe wagon carrying her son’s coffin.
Chapter 28
In the days following Mrs. Greenly’sdeparture, Tillie continued visiting Camp Letterman. She did so nowwith a renewed heart, as though she wanted to honor her memory ofMrs. Greenly and Joseph by doing her best for those still left. Herwork became less strenuous, as each day more men receiveddischarges from the hospital, back either to their units or to theInvalid Corps to complete their convalescence. By mid-October,around two thousand soldiers of the original four remained, many ofthem Confederates still awaiting transport to prison camps.
Every day she went about her duties talkingwith the boys, writing letters, reading books, and bringing some oftheir favorite foods. As they recovered and departed, Tillie wassad to see them go, but happy they were well enough to leave thehospital camp. Once or twice, she met soldiers who, in some way orother, substituted for her own brothers.
As the Union side thinned out and men left,workers struck the tents and sent them to the newest battlefieldsite. The southern side, however, remained unchanged. None of thesoldiers departed. In fact, very little activity occurred on thatside.
The main thoroughfare acted as the dividingline, and the visitors behaved as if no one crossed it. Only thosecaring for the Southern boys ventured into “enemy territory,” allclad in blue.
Tillie searched for someone to grant herpermission to help. Heart pounding, she stepped across the lane.Her knees knocked, as a sudden sense of having stepped intoforbidden territory washed over her. Why was she so nervous? Shewasn’t going into the Confederacy itself, for goodness sake.
She straightened her shoulders, pushed awayher ridiculous thoughts, and walked with a halting gait up the rowof tents. Their flaps, closed against the late-October chill,didn’t encourage her. She didn’t dare push open a tent flap andbarge in. Her breath constricted in her throat. She started to goback to the other side when a man’s voice stopped her.
“Hello. Can I help you find something?”
Tillie spun around. “Hello.” Her voicetrembled, and her legs wobbled. “I’ve been coming here to help ourboys. No one comes to
