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2024-10-29 19:42:56Carey’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
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Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Cordia
Sunshine peeked through the tops of the elm trees that lined the thoroughfare that was Broadway Street, the warm rays invigorating the sparrows who bounced around from branch to branch without a care in the world. As she passed beneath them, however, Cordia Pike could not help but think of all the worries that may be coming in the not so distant future. She made her way along the brick sidewalk, her long gown swishing back and forth. Occasionally, she waved at a familiar face within one of the wagons or carriages that made its way down the busy street from the town square. Conveniently, Cordia’s family lived only a few blocks from the Lamar Square, the geographical center of the town and the economic and social heart for its residents. So, she could easily walk the short distance between their home and any business she could possibly need to visit. The year was 1860 and Lamar had been settled for less than twenty years. It was the county seat of Barton County, Missouri, and it
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss War is Coming
The door to Cordia’s father’s office was slightly open so she only rapped her fingers lightly on the glass and peeked her head inside. “Hi, Daddy.” Her father was hunched over a stack of papers, one of which he was examining closely with a magnifying glass. He saw Cordia noticing this and quickly shoved the tool into a drawer. Both his wife and his daughter had been on him for several months saying that he needed to have Dr. Walters check out his eyes and get him a pair of spectacles. He refused. He was only fifty-three and that was no age to have to wear glasses, he insisted.Cordia pretended not to notice, though she mentally noted that she would mention this to her mother when she got home. She sat the basket down on the edge of her father’s desk and opened it up. “Mother has sent you some ham and a few other things.” She began to take the items out of the basket, but her father seemed famished and began to take them out himself.
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Jaris's Proposition
Your hazel eyes are as bright as the sky, and as vast in their reach, Miss Cordia Pike. Now, please don’t leave me in suspense any longer. What do you say? Please say yes. I don’t know what I will do if you won’t have me.”Cordia continued to look ahead of her, down the little lane that led out into the countryside and past the little town of Lamar, out into the expansive state of Missouri, and beyond. Thoughts of those distant places should have no bearing on whether or not one simple girl in a small town should accept the hand of marriage from a local boy. Yet, in these trying times, how could she not consider all that was going on around them before making such an important decision? She continued to walk, her red and white striped parasol protecting her delicate face from the sun. She had known Jaris Adams her whole life. She had attended church with him every Sunday since what seemed the dawn of religion. She had even run through his father’
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Not Saying No
Cordia took a deep breath and tried to decide how to explain her feelings about marriage to this man who’d been her friend her entire life. “Jaris, I’m not saying ‘no.’ I’m just saying, I know you, and I know if there is any chance that you can go enlist in an army and fight for what you think is right that you will do it. You’ll do it in a heartbeat, regardless of what I think. And what if we had children? What if we had little ones left at home while you were off fighting? I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now.”He spun to face her. “Cordia, what if we did?” he asked, his arms flailing out in exasperation. “That would be wonderful. You and your family could raise them for a little while. Heaven knows my mama would be there, more than you could ever wish to see her, at the idea of grandchildren. I’m not saying that if there is a war that I won’t go fight. But even if there is&md
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss A Sound in the Night
April 1861Will Tucker was startled. He sat up in bed quickly; sure that he had heard something. Not quite sure what it was. And then he heard it again. It sounded like the thump of horses’ hooves moving through the woods just in front of the Tucker cabin. His brother, Nolan, must have heard the noise, too. Will could see him standing at the window, his rifle in one hand. Will sat up and pulled on his pants and boots as quickly as possible. In the moonlight, he could see that Nolan was already dressed. His sister, Julia, was still asleep on her cot across the room.“What is it?” he whispered, crossing to the window to join his brother.“Not sure,” Nolan replied. “Thought I heard branches breaking, hooves. Maybe three or four horses. Don’t see anything though.” Just then, Julia began to stir. Will glanced back over to see his sister pulling on her robe.“What’s going on?” she whispe
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Fleeing Home
Will was not interested in listening to the dirt-covered bandit’s pleas. “Yeah, I had a brother once,” he said, his face void of all emotion. Then, the marauder, seeming to understand his fate was sealed, began to weep, his face turning from an expression of hope, a pleading look of distress, to wide-eyed terror, as Will raised his newly reloaded gun and blew the scoundrel’s brain matter all over the trees behind him.The horse whinnied loudly and tried to buck the lifeless rider from its back. Finally, the corpse’s grip slipped from the reins, and he fell to the ground, what was left of his head hitting first. The horse slowly began to trot out of the woods, stunned, but aware of his freedom. Will Tucker turned his borrowed horse around and headed back to the cabin he used to call home.As he entered the yard, a realization of all that had just taken place began to creep at the corners of his consciousness. He pushed it aside, knowing he
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss A Celebration
On April 13, 1861, Jaris Adams turned 21 years old, just a few days after Fort Sumter fell to the Confederacy. Of course, word of what had happened so far east traveled slowly and it was unclear to the residents of Lamar just exactly what had happened. Still, the townsfolk knew there would be implications that would affect all of them.It was a cool spring Saturday afternoon, and his parents had invited over many neighbors for a birthday celebration out in the yard beside their house. A fine hog was roasting, his mother bustling around readying all of the other fixin’s. His brothers were setting up tables and chairs and carrying on like young men do.As of December of 1860, seven Southern states had seceded from the Union, South Carolina being the first to do so. Texas was the latest, seceding in February. Since then, there had been lots of speculation as to whether or not the so-called Border States would follow in the Deep South’s footsteps. Missouri and
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Unexpected Guests
Within a few minutes, several more carriages, wagons, and horses had shown up at the Adams Farm, and many of the women were helping Margaret set the food out and make sure everything was in place, including Cordia and her best friend, Susannah. The men were sitting around, several smoking pipes, sharing news about their families. Finally, someone dared to bring up the topic of Fort Sumter and even secession. It seemed that, just like the county in general, those attending the party were split down the middle, fifty-fifty, half for Missouri leaving, half against. Jaris and Carey, who had arrived shortly after Cordia, looked at each other, wondering if this would be a good idea to announce their enlistments. Carey’s mother had died when he was born, but his father, an older, more rigid man, was present, and was sure to support his son in his decision to go off to fight. Just as Jaris began to open his mouth, his father stood up, looking over his shoulder toward the road.
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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
