Chapter Nine: Innocence of a Child
Eugene placed his book down as he looked at his little sister, Audra. She was singing a lullaby to her doll. Eugene rolled his eyes as he picked his book up again to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Audra spoke softly as she peered at her older brother.
She was only two years younger than her twelve year old brother. Yet, Eugene seemed to think he was much older and wiser than Audra.
"My bedroom." Eugene tucked the book under his arm. "I can't think to read with all your playing."
Audra sucked in her bottom lip. "It is lonely here without Nick or Jarrod. Especially Nick because Jarrod was gone to school most of the time anyway. Nick always took the time to show me the horses and take me riding. Father does sometimes but he is really busy lately."
Eugene moaned as he realized it was now his duty as a brother to comfort his little sister. "Nick will be back before you know it, Audra."
"Do you think so?" Audra perked up at her brother's words. "He promised when he gets back that we're going to go pick out a new horse for me. Nick told me father said I am outgrowing my pony. Do you want to go look at the horses with me?"
"No." Eugene answered honestly. "Nick would rather take you when he gets back."
Audra nodded in agreement. "What do you think Nick and Jarrod are doing right about now, Eugene?"
Eugene sat down on the chair adjacent Audra's chair. He placed his book on his lap. He flipped the pages of his book as he concentrated thinking of the pages he had read earlier. The story told of brave knights against tyranny.
With the innocence of a child, Eugene contemplated his answer as he leaned back. "I guess right about now they're both eating supper before heading back out to do their missions. I suppose Jarrod is working on some top secret plans to keep the Rebels from gaining any ground while Nick is riding his horse towards the enemy. I bet he's sitting high in his saddle with his gun handy. I bet the Rebs are running scared at seeing Nick while they are confused by the trickery that Jarrod has put before them." Eugene nodded as he thought about it. That was exactly what his brothers were doing. Both brothers were heroically saving the war. "Yep. I bet that's what they're doing and everyone is looking at them like they are heroes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Major Jarrod Barkley pulled his coat tighter as he headed towards the mess tent. The rain had drenched him to the bone. Every part of his body ached as he trudged through the thick mud. The mud releasing from his boots made a sucking sound as he stepped one foot after the other. When he finally made it to the mess tent, he practically collapsed down in the chair as he looked at his 2nd Lieutenant.
"Well, have you heard anything?" Jarrod inquired once again of the officer under his command.
Ralph shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jarrod." They both let formalities of the army go when speaking in private. "I know you sent the boy with Captain Rawlings to keep him off the front line. But his name isn't on Captain Rawlings roster now."
"I specifically assigned him to that company. It was the safest I could think of. There were no skirmishes in that area." Jarrod closed his eyes and gripped his hands into fists. "What happened?"
"Well, now you can ask Captain Rawlings himself." Ralph nodded towards the entrance of the tent. "He's here for his next detail."
Ralph motioned for the Captain to come towards their table. Jarrod had kept his best tabs on his little brother, Nick Barkley. He hated the fact that Nick was right in the thick of some major skirmishes. However, a pride had overtook him when he found out his brother was now a lieutenant and an aide for a General. Like himself, Nick was moving up fast in rank. Jarrod only wished that Nick could help with the piles of paperwork that had to be produced on legalities and such. There was a great sense of accomplishment in the work Jarrod was doing for the Union army. It would be nice to have his brother safe by his side. Jarrod put away those thoughts because it wasn't Nick who Jarrod was enquiring about.
"Jarrod." Captain Stewart Rawlings sat down. He knew the titles weren't needed when speaking on matters not associated with Major Barkley's position. "I hear you were asking about one of my men."
"Yes, Stew." Jarrod took a bite of rabbit meat that was placed before him by a Private. The Private scurried away as quickly as he had came. Jarrod then took a swig of his drink, supposed to be whiskey. He wasn't sure what type of whiskey. It tasted more like rotted wood than anything. However, it was strong. "His name is Heath James. He was a young blonde soldier signed in Strawberry."
"Oh yeah." Stew sighed out. "Young was an understatement. I was kinda shocked he was signed under you, Jarrod. Not that there isn't plenty of boys fighting this war. But you're known for not signing the young ones."
"I signed him." Ralph admitted quickly. He knew Heath James was a sore spot for Jarrod. "The kid didn't give us a choice. Claimed he was eighteen and would find someone to sign him."
Stew laughed slightly. "Oh, I believe you. Didn't take long before I saw that boy's stubbornness. Shoot, the boy cusses, takes prostitutes, and shoots like a man."
"Prostitutes?" Jarrod was disgusted at any man that would allow the young boy to be with a woman.
"Now, wait a minute, Jarrod." Stew became defensive. "I tried to watch out for the kid. But that boy you sent me wasn't much a kid at all. I figured his age was twelve or thirteen as far as years but that boy didn't know what it was like to be a kid. So don't go blaming me if a band of harlots made it to our camp. I'll never forget what he said to the harlot who led the group of girls."
Heath sat back on the cold ground. He watched as the older soldiers whooped and hollered at the women entering the camp. Some of the men teased the boy on the women that approached saying how Heath was going to get a chance to lose his innocence to one of the women. Heath rolled his eyes as he rubbed his feet. They had marched most of the day before making camp. Heath was glad he hadn't seen any gun fire. Some of the men were complaining they wanted in on the action. Heath thought it was silly wanting to be shot at when they got the same pay for scouting areas in a safe zone. But he wouldn't voice that.
One of the men, who teased Heath for his youth, brought a painted woman over to Heath. Her hair was graying and her body seemed to be squeezed into her too tight a corset. Her cheeks were way too rosy and her lashes had on thick lining. A fake black mark was on the side of her cheek.
"This boy says he's eighteen." Earl Cantrell spit a bit of tobacco out. It hit on the top of Heath's boots, which were sitting beside Heath. Heath gave Earl a death stare with his ice blue eyes.
"I am eighteen." Heath squared back his shoulders as he rubbed the tobacco spit of his boot. It was the only pair of shoes the boy had owned all his own. He would take care of them.
"Well, why don't you show her what kind of man you are, Heath? Seemin' as you claim you're a man." Earl teased the blonde boy. "I'll pay."
The older woman looked at Heath. She hated how some soldiers had taunted the younger soldiers into being men. "No pressure, boy. It is up to you. No one can force you to do what you don't want."
Heath let the words roll through his thoughts. "Don't reckon they can, Ma'am." Heath grinned lopsided as he realized the decisions in such matters were finally his. "No offense, I don't reckon you will do for me. You remind me too much of my aunt with your age and all."
The older woman's was called Sassy. She flinched a little at the young boy's disdain for his aunt. She had seen a few of her girls come to her to get away from an abusive life from a family member. This boy had the same disdain and anger in him.
Sassy smiled sweetly."Like I said, your choice."
Heath nodded towards the wagon where the harlots were sitting while the soldiers ogled them. "How's about the Mexican girl? She looks more my age."
"That's Lupe." Sassy sighed out. She hated the life a lot of the girls were forced to live so they wouldn't starve. "She's new to this life. She had her an abusive mother. Her ma liked to hit the girl around. She's only sixteen."
"Sounds about right for an eighteen year old. Since Earl is payin' and all." Heath winked as he stood up. "Maybe I can teach her a thing or two."
Earl laughed and smacked his leg as he watched the arrogant boy head over to gorgeous Mexican prostitute. Sassy felt dismayed as she thought about what kind of life the boy must have lived for him to be so easily persuaded to take a prostitute. The young boy didn't show fear like a lot of the younger shoulders had when the prostitutes made it into their camps.
Her voice was barely audible as she said. "I bet you can, boy. I bet you can."
Stew swallowed as he looked at Jarrod. "Plenty of young soldiers try to prove they're a man, Jarrod. That boy was no different."
Ralph came to Stew's defense by trying to change the subject. "What does that have to do with where Heath James is now?"
"Oh yeah." Stew came back to his story. "Heath James wasn't one to take anything from anybody. I don't care how old he was. After the prostitutes left, Earl kept trying to rile the boy up about what happened with the prostitute. We all saw the girl kissing Heath heatedly goodbye. Seems that Mexican girl was more smitten by the boy than he was with her. She probably figured he was eighteen like he claimed. Maybe she thought Heath would save her from her life of prostitution. Anyway, Earl just wouldn't let it go."
Jarrod was getting irritated with Stew's rambling on. "So what happened?"
"I'm getting to that." Stew rubbed his chin. "We were camped with another company headed towards a known Rebel camp. As a matter of fact, Colonel Emery Caudill was the regiment leader. Heath went off to himself getting more and more irate with ole' Earl. I don't blame the boy. Earl was relentless teasing the boy about trying to fill a man's shoes. Well, to make a long story short..."
Jarrod arched an eyebrow as he looked at Ralph. He whispered. "Too late for that."
"Ole' Earl was getting ready to put in a new plug of tobacco when it suddenly went flying out of his hand. Every body stared in disbelief when that young whipper snapper came from the trees about 100 feet from where Earl was. Heath James grinned a lopsided grin as he stared at the pale face of Earl. That boy had went and shot that tobacco right out of Earl's hand. None of us were sure how far away he was when he did. But he sure as heck scared the daylights out of Earl. Lucky for that boy, we all knew there was no Rebs around. There was some men out hunting for food when Heath shot. Figured that was why we heard the shot. But seeing Earl's face told a different story. Then a few men started talking about Heath being one of the best hunters and all. Saying the boy never wasted a bullet. Some of the men even started talking about how the boy was silent when he made it through the woods. Said he was as good as any Indian."
Jarrod's face became a shade of red. "Dear Lord, No."
Stew shook his head yes. Ralph glanced at both men trying to understand what had come to Jarrod through Stew's rambling.
"What?" Ralph finally asked.
"Colonel Caudill is known for getting behind enemy lines and taking out some important officers. He is known to use sharpshooters and Indians able to take down a man without their presence known." Jarrod held his breath after stating the words. "He took Heath James and assigned him to another company. Didn't he?"
Stew nodded as he said with sorrow. "That boy didn't have much left as far as an innocence of being a child. I figure he lost what was left of that by the time Colonel Caudill put the boy to killing like men do."
A/N According to the history of young boys in the civil war, boys of very young age took to taking prostitutes, drinking and other things that are now considered to be for adults and not children.
