"And this," said Dr. Brown, "is the material-transmitter."
Opie Taylor could not fail to be impressed by the enormous machine which covered one whole wall of the laboratory. He saw a high panel covered with buttons, and levers, he noticed strange figures and symbols on each of the screens. This extraordinary machine that made contact with the past after a few tests with animals that were successful made Opie feel very small and insignificant.
His father, Andy Taylor, was a friend of Dr. Brown who invented the machine after months and months of persistent nagging with this pa, Opie had finally been allowed to visit the laboratory. He had heard his pa talk about the machine but he never thought that he would be standing in front of it right now and be the first human to try it.
"What is that?" he asked, pointing at the central section.
"That is where we put the animal cages or whatever objects we wish to transport." Dr. Brown explained.
"And do they come back in that as well?" Opie asked.
"If everything goes according to plan. Then yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me explain to you Opie," said Dr. Brown. "If, for example, we sent a dog in a cage back into the past, we have to wait a whole day before we can retrieve it, because the transmitter expands so much energy that it overheats and we have to wait for it to cool. During that time the cage must remain on exactly the same spot where it was transported the first time. If the cage was somehow picked up by someone then the dog would be lost forever, trapped in the past."
"I think I get it now Dr. Brown." said Opie excitedly.
"Alright. We will sent you to July 1, 1862. where you will witness the wedding between Princess Alice and Prince Ludwig at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight." said Dr. Brown as he continued to mumble while typing out words and numbers on the keyboard.
Andy Taylor gave Opie a long sharp knife, which the boy tucked under his belt, and some matches which he put in his pocket. "It will take a few minutes to adjust the transmitter, so we will transport you at one o' clock precisely. And you must be back at the spot where we sent you to at five o' clock sharp the next day. Have you that Opie?"
"Yes pa." said Opie already walking into the transmitter.
"For your own protection, show yourself to as few people as possible, because you are wearing the wrong clothes." Dr. Brown said.
Opie nodded, hardly paying any attention, he just want to see how the world looks like in 1862. He shut his eyes and heard the door behind him being closed, he stood still, like a statue. He started counting up to sixty slowly, and suddenly the world seemed to come to an end.
Opie reeled from the impact of a heavy force, which sent pain stabbing through his whole body. He felt as if he were in a mist of ever changing shades of blue, through which he gradually became aware of familiar sounds: the wind in the trees, the singing of birds. Still, he dared not move or open his eyes. He could feel the warmth of the sunshine on his hand and the whirling mist cleared from inside his head.
He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that he was standing by a deeply rutted road. On either side were steep banks covered with trees, bushes and flowers. But there was a smell in the air that made him cover his nose, he heard cannon fire and shells exploding. He shrugged his shoulders, maybe it was a gun salute for the wedding, he told himself and started walking.
I'm back in 1862, he could hardly believe it, he was about to continue his descent down the road when he heard, far behind him, the sound of hoof beats, cries, and a general commotion. Startled, he looked back, but the road was hidden from view.
There were more cries and the clashing of a weapon on weapon. Opie thought that perhaps they were two soldiers, old enemies, trying to kill each other. I must see that, he said to himself, but I must also be sure that they don't see me.
He ran back, ready to dive into the bushes at any moment. A little way past the road to the left, was a sight so surprising that he forgot to hide. There was a fight indeed, two men on horseback attacking a third man, on foot, who was wielding a sword and shouting.
The two mounted men were wearing gray uniforms and wearing cowboy hats, he realized that they were Confederate soldiers after hearing them shout 'You are going to die Yankee!'. His family had suffered under the rule of the Confederate State, he watched as the soldiers on horseback knocked the sword out of the third man's hand. Opie could tell that the man would soon be overpowered.
"Rebels." he muttered.
Furiously, Opie wrenched out his knife and leaped forward, he ran as fast as he could. He brought the knife down, and a shriek from under him made clear that his thrust had reached its mark. Opie sprained his ankle when he jumped down from the small hill and started to crawl away, grunting from the pain. The second soldier dismounted and attempted to bayonet the boy to death but the third man picked up his sword and hurled it at the soldier which killed him instantly.
The man recovered his breath and went to get one of the horses, he tied the animal to a tree and walked over to the motionless Confederates, lying on the road. Angrily, he gave one of the body a kick. Opie stiffened. The rebel was dead, killed by the man's sword. He shivered as the man pulled out the sword and wiped the blood away before sheathing it.
The man beckoned him forward. Opie clutching his left arm slowly rose from the ground but the pain in his ankle made him sit back down again. The man worried about his savior ran forward. "You okay son?" he asked.
"Sprained my ankle." replied Opie. He wasn't scared or afraid, he had saved the man's life but something made him curious about the man's blue uniform.
"I'll take you back to the camp and have the doctor see to your ankle. How's that?" the man asked.
"Better than staying here." answered Opie.
The man gently picked the boy from the ground and placed him on the horse before getting on behind, he pulled the reins and the horse went trotting down the road. On the way to the camp, the man stopped halfway for a short break, he started humming a tune to himself.
"My name is Scott Hancock." he introduced himself. "A Major General in the Union army."
Opie shook the extended hand. "Opie Taylor. A child wandering the roads."
Hancock smiled and turned his attention back to the battlefield where cannon fire could be heard, he kept on staring for a few minutes before mounting the horse and continuing their trip. "You are handy with a knife." he said suddenly.
"Oh...er...my pa taught me how to defend myself from attackers." replied Opie, who is trying very hard not to reveal anything.
"Your clothes...I haven't seen a coat like yours before."
Hancock kept asking dozens of questions until the boy was fed up and decided to reveal the true meaning of his clothes. "If I tell you something, will you keep it a secret for me?" asked Opie.
Hancock nodded his head. Opie swallowed his fear. "I am from the future about a hundred years from now, where a time machine have been invented. I was supposed to witness the princess of England marrying a German prince but somehow I got winded into the Civil War." he said.
"So who won the Civil War?" asked Hancock.
"The Union of course." replied Opie.
Hancock smiled at that but soon became serious. "When we get back to camp, you just nod your head to whatever I say. Merge with the boys, talk to them but don't reveal that you're from the future. This talk is only between me and you. Do we have a deal?" he asked.
"Aye aye sir." replied Opie giving him a salute.
"Good, we're nearly there."
Hancock rode his horse to the center of the camp where the bulk of the Union Army was waiting for his command, the soldiers saluted him and he saluted back. "Get me a doctor!" he yelled.
"What's wrong sir? Are you injured?" one of the men asked worriedly.
"No, it's not for me." replied Hancock who carried the boy down from the horse and gently lowered him on a crate. "Wait here for the doctor to arrive and do not move." he warned.
"Yes sir." answered Opie in a small voice. He somehow felt nervous around the Union soldiers, as they all gave him a weird look whenever they passed by, it's probably because of his clothes.
The doctor soon arrived and started checking Opie's reflexes on his ankle, the boy leaned back and soon was fast asleep. He was awaken to the sound of musket fire, drums beating and soldiers yelling, he got up and hobbled out of the tent and saw that Confederate soldiers have attacked the camp. The Union soldiers were unprepared and were easily defeated, Opie could not bare to see the slaughter, he noticed a tons of barrels containing gunpowder lying nearby. He suddenly had an idea.
Hancock rode among the soldiers, yelling orders while using his revolver to fire at the rebels who were advancing. He stopped when he saw Opie pushing barrel after barrel of gunpowder, he nearly screamed when he saw where the boy was heading. "Opie! Stop!" he yelled. That boy must be nuts, he's heading straight for the front lines. He told himself.
The boy looked up at the furious face of the Major, he pointed to the barrels and to the line of Confederates. "If I can light a fuse, it will create a chain reaction across the line but you got to pull your troops back." he explained.
"Alright." replied Hancock giving him a nod. "Retreat! Fall back! Sound the retreat!" he ordered and bugles and drums started to play as the Union soldiers pulled back.
Opie lighted a matchstick and threw it at the barrel before running away despite the pain in his legs, a loud explosion followed shortly, followed by another and another. It went on for at least a minute, once the smoke cleared, the Confederates were either lying down on the ground, dead, or retreating from the field.
The Union soldiers burst into cheers, they kept cheering and stopped when they all saw a young boy, covered in black soot, walking out of the smoke. Hancock dismounted and stormed towards the boy. "You nearly got yourself killed! What do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded.
Opie looked at the ground. "You gave me an order to stay put but I couldn't bare to see the Union being defeated so I decided to take matters into my own hands." he said softly. But before Hancock could argue, he continued. "If you want to punish me according to military law for disobeying an officer's command, then by all means go ahead."
Hancock placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. "You're not even in the army yet. So I will let this off but if I catch you pulling another dangerous stunt, you will find yourself in deep trouble. And by trouble I mean doing chores for me, no one ever likes that in my regiment. Got that?" he said.
"Aye." replied the boy. Opie smiled at the major and offered his arm which the major grabbed and dragged him back into the tent, reprimanding him as they went causing the soldiers to laugh.
"Shut your trap boys!" Hancock yelled. "You are lucky that you are not ten because I will do this to naughty boys." he said and picked up a rope on the ground. "This time, I will make sure you stay in bed." he added as a loud argument of protest and cries could be heard.
Later that night, Opie heard footsteps outside the tent, he sat up when he saw a familiar figure approaching him. "Good to see you major." he said.
Hancock ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a wide smile, the boy scowled at him as he used his hands to straightened his hair. "Come, let's get rid of these ropes." he said and the boy extended both his hands that were tied together with the rope. He took out his pocket knife and cut the ropes apart.
"Gee thanks." replied Opie as he rubbed his wrists.
"We need to get you some spare clothes..." the major said as he pondered for a little while. "I got it, follow me and keep your mouth shut." he ordered.
The boy nodded and hopped off the bed, surprisingly his legs did not feel as pain as he did before. He followed the major closely behind as they made their way across the camp, they stopped outside a tent which supplies and spare uniforms were kept.
Hancock opened a crate and searched through it but found none for Opie's small size, he opened another and found nothing. In a fit of anger, he grabbed a Sergeant uniform and a ball of thread, he then marched to his personal tent and started trimming the uniform. Opie stood warily as he felt a little nervous but the sudden protectiveness coming from a total stranger made him feel secure and safe.
"There all done." the major said after twenty minutes of silence. "Try it on."
The boy did as he was told and discarded his modern clothes and trying on the newly trimmed uniform specially made for him, the silk made him feel comfortable for some reasons. "It fits nicely." he commented.
Hancock smiled and carried the boy back into the hospital tent. "Get some shut eye, we have a long day tomorrow." he said and tucked the boy into bed.
"Sir? Can you do me a favor?" the boy asked.
"What?"
"You know the place where I saved you, further down the road there is a road sign. Can you write a letter to my pa and tell him that I will be staying for quite some time, and that I will be safe?" asked Opie as he rubbed his eyes.
"Of course Opie. I will ride to that road sign tonight. But first get some sleep."
The soldiers that were doing their guard duty can't help but stare as their commander sat down and told stories to the new kid, he only left after the boy was fast asleep. Opie slept well that night, but he still wished he could have avoided all of this but since he's here, he rather see that history does not repeat itself.
Hancock rode out in the middle of the night, clutching a letter with one hand while gripping the horse reins with another. The wind blew through his blond hair as he made his way back to that road where the Confederates lay, he pulled over at the only road sign along the road and placed the letter on the ground. Before his very eyes, the letter vanished into thin air. "That kid isn't lying...he's really from the future." he said.
The next day, drums sounded and the soldiers quickly woke up and freshened themselves and stood to attention. Opie yawned and rubbed his eyes as he slowly walked out of the tent, he shielded his eyes from the sun. "Morning major." he greeted.
"Finally up sergeant?"
"Sorry for taking so long, I'm just not used to the timing that's all." replied the boy.
Hancock pulled a horse by the reins and led it to Opie. "This here is Betsy, she's a brave horse. It belonged to my friend, William but he was killed at the Battle of Bull Run." he said and lifted the boy on top of the saddle.
"We riding out?" questioned Opie.
"Indeed, we must link up with General McCellan's men and turn the tide at Antietam."
"Antietam!" the boy exclaimed. "The Sunken Road? Burnside Bridge? Dunker Church? No, I'm not going there, it's the most bloodiest battle in American history!"
"Quiet down son." said Hancock as he covered the boy's mouth with his hand. "You want the whole camp to hear you? You just listen to my orders and we'll get through it."
"Yes sir." the boy said in a defeated tone.
"Don't worry, I've already written a nice letter with my original seal and saw it vanish at five in the morning. Your pa should have already read the letter by now."
The boy nodded. "Thanks...for doing all this for me." he said.
"No problem son. You've saved my life, and I owe you one." said Hancock who gave him a gentle pat on the back. "Now act like a Sergeant, and start giving people orders."
The boy looked at the insignia on both his right and left shoulder, it clearly showed his rank as a Sergeant of Hancock's 2nd Cavalry Division. He had studied about Hancock's military career and admired the major but he didn't think that he would be serving as one of his personal guard, it was truly a dream come true. Hancock rode up beside him and pointed to the North. "We ride for Antietam!" he shouted as a series of cheers could be heard.
"Think of any songs to share with the men?" Hancock suddenly asked.
"There is one I learned back in school." replied Opie. "It's called The Battle Cry of Freedom."
"Good. Now sing it."
Opie nearly fell of his horse at the major's orders. He cleared his throat. "I need a tune to sing along with." he said.
Hancock turned around to the soldiers marching behind him to the sounds of drums beaten by the drummer boys. "Hey drummer boys, play me a tune!" he ordered and the drums started to change their beats. "All done Sergeant Opie Taylor." he said.
Opie sighed. "Well here goes..." he said.
Back in Opie's present time, Andy Taylor sat down and read the letter that was revived instead of his son. He looked at the paper and inspected the handwriting, and the seal and signature at the bottom of the page clearly shows that it was written by a high ranking army officer.
To, Mr. Taylor
Your son Opie Taylor is safe under my protection, I will personally see to his needs and wants until he decides to go home. To protect his identity, I made him a Sergeant in the 2nd Cavalry Division, he is handling the situation very well.
Though he may sometimes be a little childish and playful, when it gets to serious matters, he is always at the ready. Like today, a few hours ago, he saved the entire camp by using a technique that he claims it was from the future, he called it the chain reaction. For his bravery and courage, the men wanted him to be awarded the medal of honor but he politely refused, saying that everybody is a hero in their own way.
If you are reading this, I salute you Mr. Taylor, for raising a son that is full of life and adventure.
Signed, Winfield Scott Hancock
Major General in the Union Army
Andy put aside the letter and took out a history book, he flipped through the pages and what he saw made him smile with pride. There were exploits of the 2nd Cavalry Division of how they routed the Confederates at Antietam, the major role they played at Gettysburg. But the best piece of news was a picture of his son, standing with his arms folded and a man with his hands on the boy's shoulder.
At the bottom of the picture it wrote: Major General Scott Hancock and the Hero of Antietam, Sergeant Opie Taylor.