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Guidance
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2024-10-29 19:42:56October 1863
The fireplace blazed away as Cordia sat in the straight-backed chair in her bedroom, her mother brushing out her long plaits of hair, just as she had done when she was a small child. The dressing mannequin across the room was an ominous presence, dressed as it was in the now nearly finished wedding dress. It had been almost two months since she had sent word to Will asking him for his consent to let her disclose their relationship so that she could terminate her engagement to Carey, and yet she had heard nothing. Every day, she stopped by the post office, hopeful that Mr. Wheeler would have some news for her, but each time, he shrugged, reluctantly. Cordia was curious to know whether or not Julia had heard from her brother, but she had been so ill recently, Cordia had scarcely been allowed to visit. The one time she had stopped by a few weeks ago, she hesitated to mention him because Julia was already struggling to breathe, and she didn’t want to u
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Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Slip
A few moments after Cordia knocked on the front door, Margaret opened it, a broad smile on her face. “Cordia!” she exclaimed. “It’s so nice to see you!” She embraced Cordia warmly, gesturing for her to come. “How are you, dear? I bet you’ve been so busy planning the wedding. It seems like it’s been ages since we’ve had a visit from you.Cordia stepped in, offering the bread to Margaret before taking off her coat and hanging it near the door. “I know, I have been busy. I’ve also been hoping to give Julia some time to recuperate. How is she doing?”Margaret took the pumpkin bread. “Oh, thank you! You didn’t have to do that. You’re so thoughtful.” She paused for a moment, considering Cordia’s question. “She has her good days and her bad days. She has not fully recovered from her last spell, but the doctor does say he thinks she is on the mend. He says any alleviatio
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Shock
As Cordia entered the kitchen on Margaret’s heels, she peered around anxiously, hoping to find a way to engage Margaret in a conversation so that he could ask the question she’d been longing to have answered. As if reading her mind, Margaret began to slice the pumpkin bread and poured two cups of coffee. “Have a seat, darling. I don’t get too many opportunities these days to visit with you. I’d love to hear how the wedding planning is a’comin’ along.”Cordia went around the side of the table and sat down in the chair she had always sat in when she was visiting. It seemed like so long ago, in those carefree days when she would come in from running around in the backyard, hair a mess, covered with dirt, and sit down for a glass of milk. Those days were long gone now, as was the friend she had played with so hard.Margaret set coffee and a slice of bread in front of Cordia and sat down across from her. As Cordia studied her
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Quarrel
Cordia’s eyes widened as she glanced down at the ring on her finger. “What?” she asked Will, realizing at last what the misconception must be. “You know I don’t have feelings for Carey. I wrote you. I told you, I never even said yes.”Will had spent ample time imagining how this conversation might go on his long and arduous trip home. His emotions had gotten the best of him several times, and he had run the gamut from extreme anger at her deception to despair. Now, face to face with the woman he had spent so much time thinking of and longing for throughout the course of his service, he couldn’t help but think of what might have been, if only she had been honest with him. There was one thought that kept returning to him time and again, and now, faced with the opportunity to voice it to her, he hesitated. Yet, he couldn’t help but say, “I guess I should have known better than to ever get involved with someone as fickle as yo
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Confrontation
Fortunately, Cordia did not have to search further for find her alleged fiancé. “Cordia!” Carey exclaimed smiling that wicked smile of his as he pulled open the door. “Whatever brings you here this time of day?”She didn’t bother to come inside. Even as he spoke, she was pulling the ring off of her finger. “How dare you?” she exclaimed, throwing the small circle of gold at him and hitting him squarely in the chest. “You are the most despicable person I have ever met, and please listen carefully when I tell you I never want to lay eyes on you again. Ever!”He looked puzzled, watching the ring bounce off and roll across the porch. “Now, Cordia, whatever has gotten into your little mind now?” he asked, belittling her.Cordia could not keep the tears from trailing down her cheeks. The anger and devastation were welling up in her now, and she didn’t know if she could even find the words to
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Truth
It was clear to Will as soon as he entered the house that his Aunt Margaret had at least some inclination that he and Cordia had been involved romantically. He was not sure precisely what she knew or how she had come to gain this information, but he could tell by her expression and her shortness that she had come to realize that she had been deceived and that she was pondering both the nature and the duration of their relationship.At dinner, a heavy silence hung over the entire table. The boys could plainly see that their mother was upset about something and almost thirty years of marriage had allowed Arthur the ability to read his wife very well. In this situation, he found, it was better not to speak than to risk becoming the object of her frustration.Will joined in the silence, knowing eventually he would have to talk to Margaret about Cordia but thinking now was not the best time. He had been contemplating his conversation with Cordia the majority of the day, and
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Forgiveness
“It wasn’t an affair,” Will explained to his aunt and uncle defensively. The way his uncle put it made it sound like they had been involved in some seedy carnal relationship. “It wasn’t like that. Nothing physical happened, not really. We just. . . fell in love.” He looked from one face to the other, the looks of anger morphing into perplexed stares. “She told me that she never really loved him,” he explained as gently as he could. “She said she didn’t want to send him off to war that way, knowing that she never intended to be his wife. We were going to wait until the war was over and then....”“And then what?” Margaret asked in an angry whisper. “Shatter his heart into a million pieces? After years of deception and lies?” She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. “I never, ever thought I’d find a reason to say this, but I am almost glad he isn’t here to hear this
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Intruder
Cordia’s mother had awoken her around seven o’clock, just before she and her father left to visit some friends of theirs for dinner. She had invited Cordia to come along, but she explained that she wasn’t feeling well, and Jane could see that certainly did not look up to coming. She had volunteered to stay home with her, considering that Frieda was out with her friends at the quilting bee, but Cordia insisted that she would be all right, so her parents had left her alone for the evening.An hour or so after they left, Cordia descended the stairs in search of something to eat, realizing she had not eaten anything all day. She lit a lantern, but the house was mostly dark except for the fire in the hearth in the parlor. The kitchen was toward the back of the house, and as she made her way into the room, she began to hear the floorboards creaking behind her. At first, she thought she was imagining things, but the further she walked, the mores she realized someon
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Flee
Carey had not noticed the ring Cordia was wearing before, but he saw it now. Despite the realization that a trained killer had a gun pointed to his head, he could not help but moan in disgust. Feeling the cold steel pressed against his temple, he snapped back to attention. He began to recognize that his best option at this point was to escape and find a way to gain his vengeance later. “All right,” he said, reluctantly, “I see. Just give me my pistol, and I’ll get out of here.”Cordia cocked the gun, an indicator that she had no intention of returning the firearm to its previous owner. Though she had mostly fired rifles, she knew exactly how to use the handgun, and even with the trepidations she had about the possibility of actually using a weapon to assault anyone, she was not afraid to use it to intimidate him.Will pulled the gun back away from him slightly, giving him enough room to start his retreat. He was aware of the sword and kept
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Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Over
Carey’s horse ran straight past him, seeing the other riders off in the distance, and Carey knew he was trapped. Will was certainly behind him now. He dropped the derringer to the ground, hoping compliance would be beneficial. His only option was to find a way to get close enough to Cordia to take that gun away and use her body as a shield. “Cordia,” he said as sweetly as he could muster, “you’re not going to shoot me,” he smiled at her, nonchalantly. “Go ahead and step out of the way, darlin’ so I can join my men.”“You and your men shot my daddy,” she replied, her voice filled with hate.Carey swallowed hard. It had never been his intention to physically harm her father. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. “Your father and I have always been such good friends. I’m sure he would understand why you would let me go.”It was a stretch, and they both knew it
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Fire
Carey’s plan was working. The cavalry was not prepared for an assault on the munitions, and when they blew, it shook the entire square. Glass shards flew through the air, people went flying, horses darted off, some with riders still holding on. The explosion had caught the wooden steeple and roof of the courthouse on fire, and the structure was going up in flames. Within a few moments, the entire top of the building was burning.The Union troops realized that their focal point was rapidly disappearing. While this was certainly devastating to their purpose, it did suddenly create a sense of mobility to the commanders. No longer tied to a structure to protect, they began to pour out in formation, engaging the enemy where they were, rather than waiting for Quantrill and his men to come to them.Quantrill recognized this problem almost instantly. He had hoped to acquire some of the weapons and munitions that had been stored there, but at least they would no longer be
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Defense
The group of men Carey was leading were pyromaniacs, apparently. His understanding was that Quantrill wanted them to converge on the square, take the outpost, and then light the town on fire as they made their escape. These men spent a great deal of time throwing torches through broken windows, and it seemed that they would never make it to the heart of the battle unfolding on the square a few blocks away.At last, Carey gave the order to ride on, and then did so, not caring who followed. He could see that a large contingency of the men had accompanied him, while only a few stayed behind to torch the houses along Tenth Street. He covered the few blocks to the square quickly, hoping to get in on the fight. It had been almost two years since he had tasted battle, and he was eager to feel the rush of assault again. However, once he got to the square, he realized Quantrill and Lewis had not organized their attack as well as he had hoped. The 8thCavalry appeared to be ready
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Trouble
Carey was furious. “This is my aunt and uncle’s farm!” he was yelling, bringing his horse between the torch men and the shed they had just lit on fire. “You have direct orders from Quantrill not to touch any of our property or our relations’!”“Sorry! We didn’t know!” an older cross-eyed soldier spat back before riding off. Though it was too late for this particular shed, Carey was hopeful that he could save the rest of the farm from a similar fate. He was leading a small band of marauders into town. Quantrill had split his men into smaller groups so that they could enter the city limits a bit more stealthily. They would meet back up at the courthouse directly. Carey had given very specific directions to everyone as to which houses were to be spared, this being one of them, but apparently these outlaws had not listened as closely as he would have liked, and he began to fear for the safety of his father who was likely sleep
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Goodbye
A few hours into Will’s vigil, he realized that Julia’s breathing had changed. The door to her bedroom was ajar, and he could hear his aunt bustling around, keeping herself busy. “Aunt Margaret,” he said as loudly as he could muster. “I think you should probably come in here.”Margaret had been present at quite a few deaths over the years. Thankfully, most of them had been the passing of elderly members of her family, such as her grandparents, though she had watched her mother breath her last at the age of fifty-two. She had always regretted not being there for her brother and his wife, Will’s parents, but they had lived such reclusive lives. She didn’t even know they were sick until after they had passed. Entering the room, she could tell immediately that Julia’s time had come. Her breathing was very shallow and uneven. Several seconds passed between breaths. Catching Will’s eye, Margaret nodded solemnly.He
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Family
Cordia’s parents were elated to see her, though hearing of the circumstances that brought her diminished their joy significantly. They invited Zachariah in, but he declined, thinking his mother may need him back at the house. He knew that, once Julia had passed, his mother would be extremely emotional, and he wanted to be there to comfort her.Once Frieda had greeted her, she disappeared into the kitchen, pouring drinks and preparing something for Cordia to eat. Though she protested that she was not hungry, Frieda insisted that she would need her strength. Cordia joined her parents in the parlor, feeling awkwardly like a guest in what was, until very recently, her own home for so long. She sat on the duvet across from her parents, who sat in their usual chairs. The fire was blazing in the fireplace, and Cordia suddenly became very aware of how cold she had been, despite her heavy winter coat.“Well, Cordia, dear,” her mother began. “How have you
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Jules
The ride from the Tucker house to the Adams Farm was nearly silent and forced. The horses were spurred on in a full gallop for as long as they could bear it. Arthur did not have to say anything more for Will to know that, if Arthur was riding out to retrieve him, Julia must have grown much worse.When they arrived, Zachariah came out and took their horses. Arthur helped Cordia dismount but by the time she was off of her horse, Will was already inside the farmhouse, flying toward the back room. Cordia caught up with him at the door of Julia’s room, where he paused to compose himself before entering. She put her hand gently on his back, giving him the assurance he needed to enter the room and survey his sister’s waning condition.As they entered the room, they could see Dr. Walters sitting on a chair next to her bed, Margaret at the foot of the bed but within reach of her niece. Julia’s breathing was labored, but she was breathing. Her cheeks were flush
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Evil Plans
Carey was encamped with Quantrill and his band of raiders, which numbered nearly two hundred, in a wooded area north of Lamar, for several days before they finally rode out to meet up with a few stragglers who had been out visiting family. Quantrill had been corresponding with Col. Warren Lewis of the Missouri State Guard, and they both had their eye on the outpost located in Lamar at the courthouse. On November 4, Quantrill gathered up his forces and began the ride north. Carey and the few men who had come along with him were instrumental in giving information about roads and the location of troops, etc. Carey also suggested that they try to take out the prominent businessmen in town and their families, hoping to use the famous rebel as a means to get revenge on those he believed had done him wrong. Quantrill agreed. Any permanent scars they could leave on the face of the town would be well worth it. Carey sketched a rough map of the town, placing an “X” on the homes of
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Hurry
The trip into Nevada took about thirty minutes each way. Besides sending the telegraphs, they had also gotten some much-needed supplies. Will was anxious to hear how Julia was doing, and he didn’t want to stay cut-off from his family for too long, but he also wanted to make sure that Cordia’s father had the opportunity to receive the telegraph and calm down the authorities some before they headed back to Lamar. That was assuming that anyone was even looking for them. They weren’t even sure that Carey had reported anything to the sheriff at all. They decided to wait about a week before venturing back to the Adams Farm to ascertain the situation.They had done their best to avoid as many people as possible, particularly other riders. The fewer people who knew the old Tucker homestead was occupied again, the better, especially since the town was alive with whispers and rumors of guerrillas and marauders. Despite the fact that the house she was staying in had be
