Chapter 10:Cute as a Button
It was a nice sunny day perfect for a gathering in the church yard. The roles of tables displayed a plethora of foods ranging from baked goods to meats. There was an atmosphere of celebration undeterred by the fact the country was in the middle of a war.
Victoria held tightly to her childrens' hands as they headed towards the church building. Eugene had selected to dress in his Sunday best which consisted of a light gray suit and a matching string tie over a white shirt. Tom had looked at his son's choice of attire when Eugene first approached him. Like Jarrod, Eugene had a propensity to dress like what Tom considered an English gentleman rather than an American cowboy. Nick seemed to be the only son who enjoyed attire more like his father.
Tom's little girl was dressed like the princess he thought she was. Audra wore a pale green dress that showed off her petite waist. Being eleven, she was growing into a lovely young lady. Even though that was a fact, Audra still preferred pigtails to curls. Looking opposite of their children, Victoria and Tom both dressed in more casual attire as they walked up with their family to the group already gathered on the church lawn.
The town was having a large outing for all the children who had a relative in the war. Victoria had been the head of the planning committee since it was her idea. The gathering wasn't exclusive to those not having a relative in the war. Tom nodded his head at Willy and Jenny Miles as he passed them. They didn't have any children in the war but they were volunteering their time to help at the event.
Eugene and Audra soon were running to the other children to enjoy themselves. Momentarily, both Barkley children forgot about their brothers being away from home.
"This was a good idea, Vic." Tom wrapped his arm tightly around his wife's waist. "The children can forget even if just for a little while."
"I hope so ,Tom. I can see how Jarrod and Nick being gone has wore on our own children. I can't imagine how some of the children feel if they have a father off to war." Victoria Barkley sighed out as she looked around at all the children laughing as they went from various games set up on the church yard.
Tom squeezed his wife's shoulder as he glanced at his youngest son. "Looks like Eugene has taken a liking to Cora Lynn. That explains his fancy duds."
Victoria looked over to where her thirteen year old son awkwardly stood talking to a girl with long reddish brown hair. The girl was a cute girl with a hint of freckles on her face. The girl shyly fluttered her eyes at Eugene as she attempted to flirt with the youngest of the male Barkleys.
Jenny Miles walked up to stand by Victoria. "Evan and Audra are fighting again. Willy sat Evan down for a spell. He pulled one of Audra's pigtails. I think it embarrassed Willy more that Evan was punched in the gut by Audra." Jenny laughed along with Victoria. Then she glanced over to Eugene and Cora Lynn. "Well, aren't they cute as a button."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Nick Barkley glanced over the soldiers hunkered together to keep the cold wind from biting at their skin. He had witnessed a travesty only days before. His heart still broke with the knowledge that innocent civilians had died at his own company's hands. He thanked God that he wasn't one of the men killing the innocent. Instead, he had been one of the few soldiers who kept their heads during the crazed event. Nick knew that he'd be haunted for years with that horrible day. However, he still was a soldier. He still had a job to do. Nick Barkley also still believed in what the Union Army stood for.
Nick was no longer an aide to General Alderson, the commander on that fateful day. General Alderson had been assigned to another regime after that day. Nick had chosen to go on in battle being assigned to another regime as well.
Now, Nick was serving in a company under Captain Zachariah Campbell. He was a good captain, who valued each and every one of his men. Captain Campbell was also a strict army man. The company was under the regime led by Colonel Caudill, who was known for having his companies report at various times when the war was able to bring them to one place. This was one of those days. Therefore, Nick was told to report to Caudill instead of Campbell for a special duty.
"Lieutenant Barkley, reporting for duty." Nick saluted Colonel Caudill with the utmost respect.
Nick had heard of Colonel Caudill's strategic use of sharpshooters and infiltrations of enemy camps. He had also been told due to Caudill's strategy using sharpshooters, many a battle had been won or deterred.
"At ease." Colonel Caudill glanced up from peering at some maps, which were scattered on on old desk top. "Lieutenant Barkley?"
"Yes, Sir." Nick allowed his rigid stance to relax.
"I've heard good things about you. I'm glad to have a good soldier join my regime. I very much admire your brother, Major Jarrod Barkley. He is highly intelligent on matters that are beyond my understanding with this ##%% war."
"Thank you, Sir." Nick didn't exactly know how to respond to the subject even if it gave him a sense of pride. So he waited for instructions on his duty.
Colonel Caudill rubbed his neck as he continued to concentrate on the maps. "We've been informed of General Tanner being in this area. That Reb has caused too much chaos for us Yankees. We need him out of the equation. Problem is that he's highly guarded and keeps inside his blasted tent most of the day. Fortunately, we have engaged some of his men in a skirmish outside the perimeter of his camp. That leaves General Tanner hiding in what the Rebs perceive as a secret location." He glanced up at Nick alerting that wasn't the case. "I've sent two sharpshooters to the area about a mile from here. The two are the best we've got. Probably the best in the whole Union Army. Well, that is my bragging, I guess. But it seems they can't get a bead on Tanner. I want you to go up and access the situation. If you have an idea, please feel free to share it with those two men. We need to somehow fish General Tanner out so he can be taken down."
"Yes Sir." Nick nodded with another salute. "I'll access the situation and hopefully I can help."
"Private Banner!" Colonel Caudill yelled out. Glancing around, he spotted the soldier approaching.
"Yes, Sir, Colonel." The soldier wasn't standing at attention.
Colonel wasn't one for formalities. He was more into winning the war with any means possible.
"Take Lt. Barkley to meet up with Alroy and Button." The Colonel kept scouring the maps. "Head back here after you do."
"Yes. Sir." The private nodded for Nick to follow him.
After mounting the horses, the two men headed towards the location of the sharpshooters. Nick often wondered what kind of man it took to kill an unarmed man. He wasn't ignorant. Nick knew it was a necessity in the war. However, he couldn't help but wonder how a man handled the stress of shooting another human, who wasn't shooting back.
It took approximately an hour to travel the short distance. The reason being was the trail was thickly covered in forest. Nick was impressed of how well the sharpshooters were hidden in the wooded area on an overhang looking down on a thickly forested valley. Nick realized that if he hadn't been led there by the private, he'd have never found the place.
They dismounted their horses and tied them at an out of way creek. Then Nick followed the private up a steep hill.
The private made a whistling sound that sounded like a bird call. Suddenly, there was a few calls back and another whistle from the private. Then Nick almost jumped back when two brush piles began to move. Soon Nick realized they weren't piles of brush at all but they were the two sharp shooters finely disguised.
The next shock came when Nick was introduced to the two privates known as the best sharpshooters that Caudill had to offer. The first one was older than Nick by at least five years. Nick figured he was around Jarrod's age.
"This here is our first in charge of our sharpshooter division." The private nodded to the older man.
The man laughed as he stuck out his hand to shake Nick's hand. "Name's Alroy O'Doherty. Call me Alroy, me lad. Don't be impressed by the first in charge of the sharpshooter's division. There are only two of us." His Irish accent was evident in his speech. "I just bout the best if this boy here wasn't brought in a few months back. This here be Button."
That was Nick's next shock due to the boy being so very young. "Button?"
"Yep. That's me. I suppose." The boy stuck out his hand to shake Nick's. "Well, that's what they call me."
Nick chuckled haughtily. "Why because you're cute as a button? How old are you? Fifteen?"
"Eighteen." The boy, who was covered from head to toe in mud and foliage, answered in an irate tone. "Though, I am a handsome fella so I've been told. That ain't how I came about the name. Button is a whole lot better nickname than eyeball. Real name's Heath. But my as well call me Button. No one calls me anythin' else here."
Heath ignored the curious look from the man in front of him. He realized the man couldn't be no more than five years older than himself. Heath figured that put the man at age eighteen. The tall man must be something to already be ranking up in the army. Heath had put his life on the line more times than he could count since joining the war six months prior. Didn't see himself moving up in the ranks. Every soldier was putting their life on the line anyway. He was no different. So it had to be something else moving the men up in ranks.
"If you're eighteen, I'm a grandfather." Nick quipped towards the young soldier.
"Well, grandpa, I'm eighteen." Heath blew out a breath of air. Why did men insist on berating his age. He was doing his duty as much as the other soldiers. "So deal with it."
Alroy chuckled as he settled down against a rock. He leaned his back into the rock as he watched the interaction between the two young soldiers.
Finally, Nick sat down beside Alroy offering the man a drink of his canteen. "Didn't realize I was going from a General's aide to reporting for babysitting duty."
Heath lay down on the ground looking through his rifle's scope. In a slow drawl, he stated. "I wouldn't take that from the youngin' if I were you, Alroy."
Then Heath crawled over to the edge of the ledge to take a better peek at the valley.
Alroy snickered as he nodded to Nick. "Do you know why the boy is called Button?"
Nick glanced over at Alroy. "Do tell."
Alroy took a swig of the water. "Wish this was something stronger. Been up on this ol' cliff for near a week and a half. Can see the camp but can't get a point on the Reb we want." He glanced at Nick. "Let me tell you. Most of the men say the same about Button. He don't even have to shoot. He can just think it. Then button or eyeball and pow. That's the way he got the name Button."
"Button does sound better than eyeball. He's that good. Huh?" Nick arched an eyebrow. "Hard to believe. He's barely old enough to fill out his boots. No less shoot a rifle."
"Button doesn't say much about how long he's been shootin'. Bout figure the boy has been shootin' longer than he could stay up right with a rifle. He's a strange one too."
"What do you mean?" Nick glanced to see Heath. He couldn't make out the boy's body amongst the brush and weeds.
"Little Button there can sneak up on a man before the man has a chance to blink." Alroy shook his head. "Don't seem to bother him none either. If you know what I mean."
Nick hoped he didn't know what the man meant. Did he actually mean the boy would kill without a reaction even close up combat? He decided not to think about it. He had a job to do. Therefore, Nick made his way to the edge of cliff. Heath glanced over at Nick. The white of his eyes stood out along with his piercing blue orbs due to the mud covering the boy.
Alroy had made his way to Nick and Heath. "Can't get the old codger to come from his tent?"
Looking at Nick, Heath spoke in one smooth drawl. "What you figurin', Lieutenant?"
"We need to have a distraction down there. That's the only way the man may come out. I doubt any other place will work. His guards will think it is too dangerous to investigate." Nick looked through the scope of Heath's gun. "How many men in all not counting General Tanner?"
"Seven. You got the cook and four guards. Then you have the General's personal aide and another officer ranked right under." Heath ran his hand along the length of his gun barrel as if he was measuring something. "I think we should take out both officers just in case. One might just be Tanner's decoy. To be honest, I ain't sure which is which."
"True." Nick grimaced as he thought about the best action to take. "The cook is off on the side away. Could get some type of fire started there to make them think their tent is on fire.I don't want the tent burnt if we can help it. There might be some important information in that tent. Hopefully, the men will think it was accidentally done by the cook. We'd have to get him out of the way first if we could even get a fire started some way from a distance."
Heath nodded as he sat up. He took off his boots. "Keep a track of my boots for me, Lieutenant."
"Be careful, Button." Alroy stated as he watched the boy add mud to his bare feet.
Heath nodded and disappeared. Nick glared at Alroy with questioning eyes. "What's he doing?"
"Starting that fire to smoke 'em out, I figure." Alroy picked up his gun to look through his scope. "Betcha the wee lad can make it back before the fire brings the general out of the tent. A pint will do."
Nick agreed to the bet then threw himself on the ground as he grabbed up Heath's rifle. He stared down the scope worried about the young boy. He couldn't see any movement in the surrounding area. It wasn't until he saw a knife hit in the middle of the cook's forehead, did Nick understand what was happening. Spotting Heath, he noticed the boy lighting a fire after pulling the body of the cook to a hiding place.
Nick swallowed as he stared at the guards. He said a silent prayer the boy would go undetected. When he turned back to spot Heath, he could no longer see the boy. Nick felt his heart race as he desperately tried to find Heath's form moving in the area. It seemed like an eternity before a little smoke started to come from the camp. It was barely visible.
"Fire will pick up soon." The voice beside Nick startled him. "I made sure to give me time to get out. The grease will pick up the flame shortly then smoke up the tent real good. I vented it to do so."
Nick stared in awe at the stealthness of the boy. Heath took his rifle from Nick. "You ready, Alroy?"
"I'm ready, lad." Alroy peered through the scope of his own rifle. "Wait until we see the general and the other officer."
"Yep." Heath agreed.
Nick settled down and waited patiently for the fire to pick up. Then suddenly, there was a huge cloud of smoke encamping the officer's tent. Just as desired, the men in the tent ran out to get fresh air.
Nick's eyes blinked as he saw a bullet pierce the first officer's head. He glanced over at Heath and Alroy. Both males were clearly concentrating on their job. Nick heard Heath whisper softly before pulling the trigger of his rifle again.
"Aim sure. Don't let them suffer. Aim sure."
Nick shook himself out of the awe he was feeling at the quickness and exactness of the flying bullets. Nick pulled his own rifle firing at the men scurrying below. He wasn't sure if he hit anyone but Nick saw the men falling one right after the other.
"That's it, lad." Alroy stood up. "Best see the damage before calling in the troops."
Nick nodded in agreement as the trio made it down the steep slope to get his horse. Nick rode his army issued stallion while Heath and Alroy made it on foot to the enemy camp. It was quick work as the adrenaline had taken over each of them.
Nick saw a flash of light in the woods above them. Without hesitation, Nick threw himself off his horse and onto the younger of the sharpshooters. Two gunshots rang out just as Nick covered Heath's body. Nick rolled to his side off of Heath. In a quick motion, Nick saw Heath raise his rifle and fire a shot.
"Oh, Laddy. We didn't figure for them havin' one of their own." Alroy shook his head as he stood up. "They winged me."
Heath shook his head. "Got his leg too." Heath pointed to Nick. In a spew of colorful language that would make a sailor blush, Heath stringed along a few sentences before settling on. "Sorry, Lieutenant. Should've known the general would have their own shooter in the woods."
"I'm fine. Bullet went clean through. " Nick growled as he pulled himself off the ground. He limped over to the camp. He allowed his body to sit on a tree stump."Get on my horse and ride back to the company. Send a medic."
Heath nodded. He then walked over to the place where he had hidden the cook's body. Nick watched as the young boy pulled the knife from the forehead of the dead cook. Heath wiped the bloody blade down the front of his pants before tucking it in the front of his uniform's belt.
"My best friend, John Eagle, gave me this here knife." Heath explained as he glanced back to Nick.
Nick nodded his understanding of the want to keep the knife. But he still felt a wave of uneasiness at how the young boy never flinched when he took the knife from his victim. Then he saw a more disturbing scene when Heath walked up to one of the men shot.
Nick heard the man, one of Tanner's guards, say in an angry tone. "You're just a little bastard."
Heath grinned and took his rifle placing it against the man's forehead. Right before he pulled the trigger he stated. "You have no idea how right you are, Reb."
Nick's eyes widened as he watched the young boy walk away unfazed by the man's brains splattered on him. Then with one elegant movement, Heath mounted Nick's horse without touching his foot to the stirrup.
The pain of Nick's leg was a dull throb as he sat motionless on the stump. He watched as Alroy put out the fire so the smoke would quickly dissipate. Neither man was wounded too badly. The bleeding had stopped with both due to makeshift bandages. A silence hung in the air as both men waited for Colonel Caudill and a few men to come to the enemy camp.
The thundering sound of hooves finally allowed Nick to sigh out in relief. Colonel Caudill dismounted as he headed towards the tent.
The medic informed both men their wounds weren't life threatening but they'd be out of commission for a few weeks. Then he cleaned and wrapped each man's wounds. Nick stood up and limped towards Colonel Caudill, who had pulled out a small notebook.
"Sir." Nick watched as a few soldiers gathered items from the tent.
"We got a lot of useful information from Tanner's tent. We'll box it up and have some soldiers take it back to our camp." Colonel Caudill walked around the camp as Nick limped after him. He stopped at the cook's body. He said. "Button." Then he walked on to one of the guards. "Alroy."
Nick watched curiously as Colonel Caudill continued taking note of the dead men. "Alroy got Tanner but Button got the other officer. Seems Button got four and Alroy two. Well, Button got the man in the woods too. Done counted him though." General Caudill stooped down beside the guard that Heath had shot in the head. "Button finished this one off. I suppose you shot him first."
Finally realizing that Colonel Caudill was taking tally of who shot who, he asked curiously. "How did you know that?"
Alroy shoots for the chest. He said that is the biggest area on most men so that's how his father taught him to shoot. Button always puts a bullet hole or knife between the eyes. You had to do the gut shot. No way Button would shoot a man in the gut."
"Why is that?" Nick swallowed as he peered at Colonel Caudill. He couldn't figure out how the colonel could be so nonchalant about the boy killing the man in such a cold blooded way.
"The boy don't want any man to suffer. The gut shot would've killed him eventually but the man may have suffered for hours before death took him. Button won't let a man suffer." Colonel Caudill stood up as he looked at Nick. Caudill was satisfied with his explanation so he left Nick standing dumbfounded.
Alroy spoke to Nick as they were loaded into the awaiting wagon. "That lad can shoot but he's got a heart o' gold. He always says to not let 'em suffer. Might not be how some men see it but Button has his own way of dealin' with his line of duty."
Understanding Heath's reason for shooting the man wasn't cruelty or being a deprived human being but a way of making sure the man didn't have a painful death, Nick sighed out. "I got to get something I forgot. Do you think one of the privates could help me get Button's boots?"