Sam Noonan stood in the parlor, eyes downcast as his sister inspected him with scornful eyes. "I must say you're a fine sight. How dare you come to this house in that uniform?"

"Hannie..."

"Don't call me Hannie," she hissed. "It's Mrs Barton to you. Now get out of here and don't come back until you're a loyal Confederate."

Sam raised his head. "I won't ever come back then."

"Good!" Hannah Barton's face was venomous. "It'll save me the disgrace of explaining how my own brother could turn traitor to his family."

"Mother?"

They both turned as a handsome boy of fourteen entered the room. Hannah hurried to him and took his arm. "Charlie, I want you to go to your room and stay there until I come to fetch you."

"But..."

"Do like I tell you!"

The boy pulled free, looking at Sam in bewilderment. "Sam, are you a soldier now?"

"That's right, boy." He came forward, looking defiantly at Hannah. "In the Union army. That's the right side."

Hannah raised her hand and struck her brother across the face. Horrified at her own action, she didn't hear her son whimper and run from the room. Brother and sister stared at each other for a long moment, then Sam turned and left the house, never to return.

"I had already lost two brothers." Sam swallowed hard. "David was killed the first month, fighting for the South. We got word the next year that Adam was in Andersonville. Hannah said it was all he deserved, fighting for the North, but I tried to buy him out..." The bartender's voice broke. "They took every cent I raised and gave me a corpse...he was a big man, like me, but he'd lost so much weight I lifted him into the wagon with one hand."

Festus bowed his head in sympathy and after a moment Sam went on.