Chapter 8

As the band of eight thousand Confederate soldiers marches north through the western Virginia country side, it becomes clear that a battle is inevitable. Uriah sent out a couple scouts to locate the Union troops and report back. He is not surprised to hear that they are current marching northwest from Gainesville headed toward Winchester. Here is where they will encounter their enemy, he's sure of it.

He hurriedly walks through the camp toward General Ewell's tent where he will report what his scouts have seen.

"Sir, Yankee troops are moving toward us we will most certainly meet them before we arrive in Pennsylvania," Uriah tells him.

"How many?" Ewell asks.

"Approximately five thousand, sir."

Ewell smirks, "Good, good. Anything else?"

"It looks like they're headed toward Winchester."

"Then that's where we'll intercept them and crush them," Ewell smiles. "Thank you Captain. Now I want you to take your forces and ride ahead to Winchester and wait for our arrival."

Uriah solutes, "Yes sir."

He's happy about this order. This means that he can be at the front of the battle when the Yanks arrive in Winchester. The only thing he hopes is that he won't have to be the one to kill Zeke. Although they are on different sides and they will never again really be brothers, he still doesn't want to be the one to spill his own brother's blood.

That evening Uriah and his band of misfit soldiers ride out of the camp toward Winchester. They use the countryside's natural terrain to shield themselves from the prying eyes of the Yanks.


The Union soldiers march northwest and stop just outside Winchester Virginia. When the colonels meet once more, it's decided that Zeke's cavalry will take up the back while Tobias' light artillery unit would be in the forefront of the battle.

The units line up with small artillery in the front, heavy artillery next, and then the cavalry in the back. Their plan it to split the cavalry in half and cut the Rebels off on both sides and in effect boxing them and forcing them back toward the southwest.

As night settled on June 12th, 1863 Tobias made his way to Zeke's tent to discuss the impending attack and what was going to happen with Beatrice.

"What's going to happen with Beatrice?" Tobias asks.

"What do you mean? She promised to stay back but I can't force her to. If I treat her differently, someone is going to figure it out," Zeke snaps at Tobias.

"She needs to be held back, Zeke. We can't let her into this fight, I could… I mean we could lose her," Tobias says in frustration.

"Look, I know you think you have some kind of feelings for her, but you don't know her. She's stubborn and proud, a very volatile combination."

"I know that," Tobias says almost ashamed of his feelings. But then he becomes more frustrated and glares at Zeke, "It's almost as though you don't want to keep her safe? Maybe I should have her moved to my unit."

"Oh right, put her at the front where she's sure to be killed."

"Well damn-it maybe I can actually protect her there."

"Tobias, I'll talk to her. I'll try to convince her. I'll remind her that she promised to stay back and I'll threaten to make her be a nurse or send her back home."

Tobias hangs his head and sighs, "Okay, fine. Please just keep her safe. I need her to be safe. I've never met any woman like her. And it's not the war and it's not the conditions. She's amazing and I need to get to know her. I can't do that if she's dead."

"You also can't do it if you're dead either. So you better prepare. A battle is coming, soon. I can feel it."

Tobias nods and takes leave of Zeke's tent. He moves through the sleeping soldiers until he finds Beatrice with Abraxas. She's feeding him and brushing his coat. In the moonlight, her hair looks like it's made from a golden shower. Her skin glows and her silhouette is flawless. His heart flutters a little when he sees her.

He moves silently toward her, and when he's about five feet away from her, he clears his throat as to not startle her.

She turns quickly and immediately puts her hand on her pistol, ready to aim and fire if necessary. When she sees Tobias behind her, she relaxes.

"Hello Colonel Eaton. How are you this evening?" she solutes him and looks expectantly.

"Prior," he says in a cold tone, but his facial expression says something different. "Will you please come with me? I have correspondence that needs to be delivered immediately."

She follows him through the sea of tents to the edge of the forest when they are out of sight of anyone else.

"Tobias, what's wrong?"

"Please, go back to the medical unit. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. The confrontation with the Rebels is inevitable."

"I can't do that. I thought you understood that."

"I did, but that was before…" he looks down and doesn't continue.

"Before what?" she presses him. "Tobias, talk to me."

He doesn't say a word. He quickly closes the distance between them and he presses his lips to hers. He pulls back after a moment with her in his arms and he looks into her eyes expectantly.

Beatrice doesn't speak. She knew he wanted to write her. That he was probably going to court her, but she didn't expect him to be so forward. When his lips made contact with hers, her heart started to hammer and she felt fluttering in her gut. Even now, after he's pulled away and he looks at her. She can't seem to form a coherent thought. What is she supposed to say? They are in the middle of a war. She wasn't supposed to find someone that cares for her this much. She wasn't supposed to have someone want to court her. But here he is, and he's just as infatuated with her as she is with him and it breaks her heart.

"Tobias, I…" but she stops and looks into his eyes. She sees love and fear.

Tobias doesn't expect her to reciprocate his advances but he had to let her know how he felt in this moment because he may never have the chance again. There's a battle coming, a huge one and being in the front, he knows that he may not make it out alive. It is unlike him to be so forward with anyone, especially a woman, but he knows that this is something that he has to do. He knows he is infatuated with her and he hopes that will eventually turn into love. But the problem is, he also knows that he may not have eventually in his future. He could die tomorrow and he doesn't want to die without letting her know that he wants her. He doesn't expect his soldiers to battle alone. He's just as immersed into the battles as they are, so he knows that every battle may be his last. He looks into her eyes and searches for what she's thinking and feeling. They are scared and sad, but there's something else there, hope. Then she does something unexpected, she returns his advance. She presses her body against his and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she can place a kiss to his lips. The exchange is innocent and pure.

They pull back from one another, but remain wrapped in each other's arms. Tobias looks at this beautiful woman and still doesn't understand how anyone could mistake her for a man or even a boy. Her face is that of an angel, innocent but full of knowing and life experience. Even under the baggy uniform, her womanly figure still shows through.

He leans down and presses his forehead to hers and looks into her eyes. He whispers while searching her eyes, "Please Tris. Please stay back, stay safe. I need you to be in my life. I've never met a woman so full of life and passion and so beautiful. I would like nothing more than to make you my bride someday."

She looks at him in shock. This is a war, how could he be thinking of such things. He's just met her. "Tobias, we just met. How could you possibly want to marry me?"

"We are in the middle of a war, Tris. If I've learned nothing in my time as a soldier, I've learned that you can't question when true love comes around. We may not have tomorrow, but we have today, now. And if me telling you how I feel and what I'm thinking helps to keep you safe, then that's what I'm going to do."

"I… I just don't know. I need to be a part of this. I need… I need to make sure that Zeke is safe and he can get home to Shauna."

He looks at her surprised, "Is that why you're here? To keep Zeke safe? Tris he's a colonel, you're an enlisted man. You can't keep him safe."

"But Tobias, please understand…"

"Understand what? I understand that what we are fighting for here is important. I understand that we need to keep going and keep fighting. But I also understand that I could easily fall in love with you, but I won't get that chance if you die. Call it love at first sight, call it crazy, I don't care. All I know is I need you to be alive and if you're not going to agree to stay back and take care of yourself, then I'm going to have to do whatever I can to protect you. If that means diving in front of a bullet or bayonet to save you, then that's what I'm going to do. Those are the consequences of your choices."

She looks at him sadly. She doesn't want this. She doesn't want him to be the savior or to try to keep her alive. She's doing what she has to do and she never wanted anyone else's help with it. She looks deep into his eyes and presses her lips to his once more, "Alright, I'll stay to the back."

"Promise me."

She nods but doesn't say the words.

"I want to hear you say it," he presses.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. He smells like sweat and metal, his smell is intoxicating to her. It overwhelms her senses and makes her stomach flutter even more. She doesn't open her eyes to see his expression; she already knows he is looking at her expectantly. "I… I promise," she says almost inaudibly.

He pulls her tight to his body; he can feel every curve and bulge through the thick woolen uniform. He kisses her with all of the passion and desire that he can muster. He needs her to feel his desperation and need.


General Milroy stationed pickets and vedetts around Winchester. Zeke was concerned about the cavalry's and the small artillery's proximity to the town and to the forest surrounding it. There was too much opportunity for bushwhacking and other guerilla warfare. It would be too easy for them to be surrounded by the Rebels.

Winchester was heavily fortified by forts circumferencing the town, as well as along the outlying turnpike routes entering town. Within Winchester, Milroy constructed or improved ten defensive fortifications. The fortifications were linked in places with roads and trenches, and the use of these were a key to Milroy's defensive strategy. So when Zeke approached him about his concerns, Milroy refused to hear anything about it. Through a combination of retreating his forces into the defensive works, and then using his long-range heavy artillery, Milroy felt that he could hold out for weeks against any force that may be thrown against him.

During the battle, Milroy concentrated his forces on the ridges west of town in his three highest and most improved forts connected by trenches. This seemed to be the downfall of the battle for the Union.

Milroy concentrated all of his forces in the three forts defending the town. Having feared exactly this type of a scenario, General-in-chief Henry W. Halleck had asked Schenck to order Milroy to fall back from Winchester to Harpers Ferry. Although Schenck had discussed evacuation with Milroy, he left no clear direction for Milroy to evacuate, since Milroy had convinced Schenck that his defensive position in Winchester was strong. Milroy had previously decided to disregard concerns from Washington because he was confident that the strength of his fortifications would allow his garrison to withstand an assault or a siege.


Uriah and his soldiers, having been in Winchester for days and also having been a part of the first battle of Winchester, knew the layout of the town well. So when he saw Zeke's cavalry split and set up around the town, he sent a courier out to Ewell to inform him of the Union's tactics. Ewell ordered infantry forward into the forest behind the Union troops, he would use guerilla warfare to win this battle.

Ewell, based on good intelligence from sources in the lower Valley, had foreseen that Milroy's only escape route could be successfully blocked and had already anticipated by having Uriah's Division advance on Martinsburg. Uriah's division and Jenkins' cavalry brigade attempted to capture McReynolds' Brigade, but alerted to the Confederate movement by the firing of signal guns by Milroy's main force in Winchester, the Union forces were able to withdraw.


As Uriah gallops through the valley, through the death and destruction of yet another battle, he finds the Union cavalry pushing through the Confederate ranks. In the lead is an intimidating figure who is wreaking havoc with his men. He pushes his steed faster so that he can confront the man who is killing his men so effectively.

When he is with in twenty yards of the man he can see that he's a colonel in the Union Army. The man looks up and Uriah freezes instantly. He knows this man. They used to play together, they were best friends, confidants, brothers. When Ezekiel left to move north with his bride, Uriah tried to smooth things over with his parents for Zeke. He understood that what Zeke wanted, he wouldn't find in the south. He wanted to go to school, he wanted a life as a lawyer or some other prestigious position that he could never find in the south.

But when the southern states decided to secede from the Union, Uriah knew that Zeke had to come back to the south. He traveled to Maryland and tried to convince Zeke to return to the Carolinas with him, to join him in the Confederate Army. Zeke refused, he was already a in the Union Army and was slated to be a colonel. He fought, he screamed, he tried to convince Zeke that it was a bad idea, but Zeke wouldn't hear of it. His last words to his brother were words of hate.

Now Uriah sits atop his steed glaring in the direction of the man that used to be his brother. He sinks his spurs into the side of his horse and he rears up and begins to gallop toward his brother. He brings out his sword and readies himself for a fight. But he's cut off when Zeke fires his pistol in his direction. The bullet files just past Uriah's face, causing him to fall from his horse.

Zeke gallops toward his brother, sad that its come to this, here and now. He's always hoped that he wouldn't encounter his brother on the battle field. He doesn't want to kill him, but he also can't let him go.

Zeke dismounts from his horse just as he is close enough to Uriah and they immediately begin to sword fight. With the battle raging all around them, Zeke and Uriah have a battle of their own waging between the two of them.

Swords clash as the sound of cannon and gun fire echos all around them. The only thing that stops them before one of them is killed is a cannon ball being fired right past them. In an instant Zeke went from fighting his brother to saving his life. He threw himself at Uriah just before the cannon ball hit him.

Uriah gaped at his brother. There were fighting and suddenly Zeke saved his life. Zeke stands and looks down at his younger brother who he still loves in spite of everything.

"If I see you again, I won't hesitate to kill you, Uriah."

"Why would you save me then?"

"Because if you're going to die, it will be at my hand, not because you get an infection from losing a limb." With that Zeke mounts his mare and gallops off toward his unit, ready for another fight.


June 15th 1863, Milroy ordered the retreat of his soldiers, marking a victory for the Confederate troops and General Lee.


Beatrice found herself not able to abide by her promise to stay to the rear of the battle, there was no rear. With the forests surrounding them and the Rebels coming out of nowhere to fight, the front of the battle was all around. June 15th found the retreat of the Union forces.

With bullets and cannon fire all around, there was little time to think about what was happening. Surrounded by Rebels and losing the battle on, they were forced back and out of Winchester.

Beatrice fought with her fellow soldiers and watched as the men around her fell to the ground. She rode Abraxas hard through the battle field, trying to make a difference. The sound of a shot fired from behind her causes her body to jolt forward. As the bullet found her shoulder from behind, she suddenly understood why Tobias was so insistent. This is war, and casualties are inevitable, but she never believed for a moment that she would be one of those casualties. With a bullet burning its way through her flesh, she suddenly wishes for a life with Tobias that she now may never have.

She screamed out from the pain of her injury, but no one could hear her over the sound of cannons and gun fire throughout the valley. The noise of the battle echoed all around drowning out the sound of those that were dying. She slumped forward on Abraxas and allowed him to carry her away from the fighting. She's always had a special connection to the beast, he always seems to know what she needed, and this time was no different.


When the smoke finally cleared, the Union forces admitted their defeat by retreating. The colonels took inventory of their remaining soldiers from the 2700 surrendered or dead. This was a huge blow to the Union forces.

The Union army was forced to retreat. They moved their forces and camped about twenty miles southeast of Winchester to lick their wounds and to try to recuperate from the battle.

Abraxas followed behind the line of soldiers with his lifeless rider. He stayed near, but moved slowly keeping his rider on his back.

From across the field where the Union had taken up camp after retreating, Zeke could see the ghost white horse, but he couldn't see its rider. A feeling of dread washed over him. This battle had been fought all wrong and in spite of his better judgment, he rode his cavalry into a situation that was dangerous. Now from the span of maybe fifty yards, he can see the enormous beast, but not his petite rider.

He mounts his mare and gallops full speed toward Abraxas. When he gets near, he can see that Beatrice is slumped over in her mount. He can see the blood dripping from her hand that's hanging limp and lifeless from her body.

Zeke jumps from his horse and sprints to Beatrice, gently pulling her down from her mount and lying her onto the ground. He can see that she's still breathing, but her breaths are shallow and she's unconscious.

He lifts her back onto Abraxas and he guides horse and rider toward the back of the camp where the medical unit has set up.

When Tobias sees Zeke leading Abraxas, he doesn't see Beatrice slumped on the horse's back. His heart stops just for a moment when he starts to feel it shatter. He meant to protect her, but this battle was a disaster and he found himself unable to focus on her as he intended. The integrity of the Union forces had to come first.

Tobias mounts his steed and gallops toward Zeke who's almost to the medical unit. When he nears them, he sees Beatrice's lifeless body slumped over on the back of the horse.

"What happened?" Tobias shouts as he nears Zeke.

"She was shot in the shoulder. She's alive, but barely. I found Abraxas outside of camp gently maneuvering toward the camp. I've never seen a horse so in tune with its rider before, he may have saved her life."

Tobias jumped from his horse and pulled Beatrice's lifeless body from her mount. He carried her into the medical tent with Zeke following closely behind. Whatever doctor was to take care of her would have to be told about her. They needed to be discrete with her identity, but now Zeke was hopeful that this was what was going to send her home to Shauna, at least for a while.