Chapter 9 (Nov 1861)

Kid awoke with a start. He was on his feet, gun in hand before his mind caught up with his instinctive reaction. The bugles, they sounded like they were coming from right outside the tent. It was before dawn and time for roll call. He had mustered in three weeks ago with the Missouri Volunteer Confederate Militia in Saint Louis and from there his company had moved south to Memphis. Kid looked over at Johnny his tent mate who had just swung his legs off his cot and struggled into a sitting position.

"I am never going to get used to that. Damn it, it's not natural to be up before the roosters." Johnny got out from under his blanket, felt the cold morning air hit his body and immediately threw the blanket back over his head and laid back down.

"NO. Too cold. Tell them I'm sick or something; scurvy, dysentery. I don't care." Johnny's mumbled from under his blanket. Kid took Johnny's clothes and boots and threw them on top of his friend, and then gave him a little shove with his foot for good measure.

"Johnny we don't have time for this right now, if I go to the sergeant and tell him you're sick, he's gonna come back here to see you, he'll take one look at you and know you're lying, and that I was lying for you. Then it will be latrine duty for the rest of our lives, now, get up."

"Fine, fine" Johnny growled and they both got dressed as fast as they could. Kid looked over at his new friend. There was no way anyone would ever buy he even had the sniffles. Johnny McBride was tall with bright red hair and a ruddy face to match. He had warm brown eyes that seemed to take in everything, roving for the next bit of mischief. He was sturdy, almost pudgy, he had certainly never missed a meal. He was the picture of health.

Soon they were in line for reveille, the first of three calls for the day. It was one of many tedious tasks Kid was discovering made up daily army life. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but standing at attention for roll call and drilling, drilling, drilling wasn't it. Maybe his surprise at the tedium was because getting to this point had been such a challenge. Leaving Rock Creek had been the most difficult thing he had ever done, and leaving Lou... that pain was still so fresh tried he tried not to think about Lou at all. When he had left Katy at the livery in St Joe's and ran for the train, he had still been crying. He had bought his ticket for St. Louis and settled into his seat ready to stare out the window until everything was a blur, until he was numb. Then Johnny plopped down next to him and started talking like they were old friends. By the time they had pulled into St Louis, it felt like they really were.

Johnny was from Virginia too. His parents had immigrated from Ireland before Johnny was born and latched onto Virginia and the Southern way of life with a passion. They decided to move to Kansas a few years ago for the promise of wide open land to farm but also for political reasons. The McBride's felt like the North was trying to take over the West, when they heard about all the Jayhawkers moving in, they felt they should move too, to help keep the balance of power. It was unsurprising then, that the day Johnny turned eighteen he wanted to sign up for the Confederacy and defend his childhood home. His mother had cried anyway and told him not to go. Johnny had told her that the Confederacy needed him to go whip some Yank tail and that he'd be back by Christmas, before she'd even have a chance to miss him.

Kid and Johnny signed up with first Confederate recruiter they could find as soon as they hopped off the train. St. Louis had been in an uproar that day, the Missouri congress was taking a vote to secede and it had passed, at least for the moment. People on both sides were out on the streets either celebrating or protesting. Their new regiment had moved out the next day towards Memphis. Tennessee was becoming a hot spot on the western front and their regiment was sent as reinforcements. It would have been a much easier journey by steamboat, but with the Union blockades on the Mississippi, the regiment had walked for several days before finding a place safe enough for all the men to cross the river. The ferry crossing had taken hours for all the men to reach the safety of the other side.

Now they were north of Memphis in a sprawling tent camp, but there was talk that soon the soldiers would be building a new fort, said to be called "Fort Pillow". Kid and Johnny had both laughed at that. There was not a pillow in sight. In fact, the camp barely had the necessities to live. Kid just had to shake his head at how rough most of the soldiers looked. No two uniforms were alike, except for the general similarities of an uncomfortable and scratchy grey coat. Hats, pants, shoes, guns were all different. There was a feeling that most of the soldiers were just boys who had dropped whatever they were doing when they got the call to war and came with only the clothes on their backs; more often than not this was actually the case.

Kid and Johnny walked back from roll call and their first drill of the day. It was time for coffee and cornmeal cakes, what passed as breakfast.

"You know Kid, I'm worried that we're gonna miss the whole war without firing a single shot, specially if this is all over like everyone says, by Christmas. We're gonna waste all our days enlisted drilling and splitting wood for the new fort while the boys in back in Missouri, Virginia and Kentucky get to have all the fun."

Kid just rolled his eyes. Johnny was all confidence and bluster.

"I'm more worried we're never gonna get to Virginia. Why did we think it was a good idea to enlist in St Louis again? Instead of just traveling further east till we could actually enlist with Lee's army on home soil?"

"Well the recruiter said that transferring regiments is common and with our experience with horses we'd be shoo ins to join the cavalry where we'd be needed, out east." Johnny said cheerfully.

"And that he'd put a note in our paperwork so our commanding officers would know to transfer us to Virginia... Johnny, I think he pretty much was planning on saying whatever he needed to say to get us to make our marks on the enlistment papers."

"Hell... Why did we sign up there anyway?"

"Because you heard all the fanfare and the Grey troops marching down the streets and the women cheering and smiling and waving their handkerchiefs, saying how handsome the soldiers were and you said to me "Kid, we gotta do it here, look at this crowd, they love us" and I let you drag me down the street and..."

"Alright, alright. So I got caught up in the moment. You don't have to remind me all the time."

"You were the one that asked."

"Well you should know by now that you're the "think it through" one out of the two of us, you should have threatened to shoot me or somethin."

"I had only known you for a day!"

"Well it was a really long train ride."

Kid just threw up his hands. They were probably going to have this argument every day for the rest of the time they were soldiers together.

"It doesn't matter. What we need to do, is figure out a way to get that transfer." Kid said in a reasonable tone.

"I wish we still had horses, that would have made it easier."

"I couldn't bring Katy to war, I tried to make myself bring her and I just couldn't"

"Yeah me neither with Bonnie. She's a good horse, but not a war horse... and I don't have any money to buy me one, what about you, didn't you make a lot of money riding for the Express?"

Kid thought about it for a moment before he answered, Johnny knew about Lou and his friends back home, but he hadn't gone into detail. He was pretty sure not too many soldiers he'd meet would understand how he could care so much for a bunch of "Yanks" that he'd give them most of his savings even though he thought he'd never see them again.

"I did, but I spent most of it before I left."

"I expect better from you young man." Johnny lowered his voice and gave Kid his most disapproving old man stare, stroking an imaginary beard.
Kid laughed and shoved Johnny in the shoulder.

"You're the one to talk."

"Me? I've no idea what you mean, I'm one of the finest men in this camp... Oh Kid, that reminds me! Some of the officers are playing poker later today, heard them planning it. Maybe we could get in the game and work into the talk how good we'd be for the cavalry, all casual-like."

"That is a terrible idea. They're not sposed to be gamblin themselves. They're not going to like us hornin in."

"Well, we got some time, think on it."

"I'm not doing it Johnny, and that is that."

Kid was fairly certain if he ever survived this card game, he was going to kill Johnny. He was surrounded by the highest ranking officers he had seen since he enlisted, including Captain Mitchell, his superior's superior. Johnny's plan had been simple, take all the money they had, walk up to the table, announce they had money to play and wanted in. Captain Mitchell had stood up, fury etched all over his face, his grey eyes flashing, arm raised to send them to latrine duty or worse for even asking when the eldest officer in a fancy uniform at the table stopped the action with a raise of his hand.

"The boys must want something if they risk your anger, Mitchell, aren't you curious as to what it may be?"

Captain Mitchell's words died in his throat. He sat back down and glared at his two charges.

"We just like a good game of cards, there's not much skill with the rest of the enlisted men."

Kid appraised the table with a cool eye. If he was going to go through with this, he might as well do it right.

"Yes, I'm sure that's it." The eldest officer replied.

He looked amused, but his sharp and steady gaze revealed no warmth. He was a man of power and was used to unquestioned obedience. At the moment, their gross breach of protocol was being tolerated. Kid hoped their luck held.

They had been playing for well over an hour. Johnny had been knocked out after only a few hands. He had no real skill for the game. If he had good cards or bad, it was equally readable on his face.

"Where do you boys hail?" The eldest officer's eyes flicked first from his cards then to Kid and Johnny. Kid answered.

"We're both from Virginia. I'm from the Chesapeake Bay area and Johnny's from Richmond."

"But you haven't lived there in a while. You're far from home and you both have lost a bit of the Virginia way to your words."

"No sir, Johnny's most recently from Kansas, and I lived in the Nebraska Territory for several years."

There was a grumble at the table in reaction to Kid's explanation.

"The North. I see. How did two good Southern boys end up in the arms of the North?"

"Johnny's parents moved to Kansas in response to the Jayhawkers. I moved for the adventure. I rode for the Pony Express while it was running. As soon as the Express ended, I enlisted."

The eldest officer nodded slightly and fell silent, it made Kid uneasy. He looked to be about Teaspoon's age, maybe early fifties, with brown hair and a white beard. He held his cards close, his expression unreadable. Kid looked at the table, Mitchell and the other officer had folded. It was just him and the man of power across from him.

"What say you, Private..."

"Harris, Sir and my friend is Private McBride"

"Alright Harris, then, do you call?"

Kid looked at his hand, it was the best hand he'd had all game and it would probably be his last. All the money was in the middle. The tension crackled. Kid glanced up at Johnny who stood too far away to see his cards. Johnny looked almost sick from wondering what would happen next.

"I do Sir" Kid pushed the last of their coin into the middle.

The eldest officer revealed his hand first. It was a full house. He leaned back, his eyes narrowing at Kid. The other officers laughed and congratulated him.

"Looks like you're going to lose it all boy" Mitchell dismissed Kid with a wave of his hand.

"I might Sir, but not today." Kid quietly put down his hand. It was a straight flush.

The other two officers looked at Kid in horror, Johnny let out a whoop before he quickly shut his mouth. The eldest officer just smiled.

"You play well Harris, you must have had a mighty fine teacher."

"I had a lady friend who worked the boats in New Orleans, she was a very good teacher."

Kid smiled to himself. Rachel had worked on a New Orleans gambling boat once upon a time and she had taught them all the finer points of Poker on cold winter nights in the bunk house. He'd let them assume what they wanted from his explanation.

"I see, well now Harris, now that you have proven your skill and cleaned our pockets, what is it that you want?"

Kid took a deep breath, it was now or never.

"McBride and I, we have more skill with horses. We'd like to be transferred to a cavalry unit back east, to our native soil. Virginia."

Captain Mitchell looked to be ready to launch a full protest. The eldest officer stilled him with a glance.

"I think that can be arranged on a few conditions. Prove your worth to me by helping to build this fort for the next several months. I will also arrange for you and your friend here, to help with the procurement of supplies. This may involve riding into enemy territory, or to a nearby plantation. You can show your horsemanship to me that way. Perhaps by early spring we will send you back to Virginia... if the war isn't over by then."

Johnny looked ready to argue but thought better of it. The eldest officer stood up and the rest of the table, including Kid stood up with him.

"That sounds fair, Sir"

They were about to walk away, but Johnny couldn't help asking.

"Is the new fort really to be called Fort Pillow Sir? I'm wondering if my sergeant wasn't pulling my leg."

"I assure you it is to be Fort Pillow, my father never found much amusement in the name and neither do I"

Mitchell saw the look of total confusion on their faces and took pity on them.

"Boys you just took the money of Brigadier General Gideon Pillow, he's in command of this entire camp and more."

Kid and Johnny both paled. Johnny's mouth hung open.

"It's a fine name for a fort." Kid managed to squeak out. The general cracked a small smile.

"Mitchell don't these two young soldiers have a drill to go to?"

"They do Sir"

"They'd better get to it, then."

Kid and Johnny knew a dismissal when they heard one, Kid scooped up his winnings, they both saluted several times and ran towards their tent.

"With respect Sir, why did you let them play at all? Much less agree to what they wanted? I don't want every snot nosed private comin in here thinking they can get whatever they want through a game of cards."

Mitchell was furious but knew enough to tread carefully, at his age of thirty years, he was still considered a pup to someone from the old guard like General Pillow.

"I have my reasons Mitchell. Harris shows promise and they may be of use to me. They have spent far too much time in the North for my liking, however. They will have to prove their loyalty first."

The General smiled coldly at Mitchell then, and Mitchell nodded in return, but suddenly felt a sense of unease. He wasn't exactly sure just what his men had won in that hand of cards.

Johnny waited until they were out of earshot before he loudly whispered to Kid.

"That was amazing! Why didn't you tell me you could play like that? I thought we'd be dead men for sure the way Captain Mitchell looked when we first walked up, I was bout to turn tail till.. General Pillow, God, I can't believe that's his real name, stopped him... Virginia, here we come! Just wait till we tell the fellas!...OW!"

Kid hit him in the shoulder, hard.

"Shhh! We gotta keep this whole thing quiet, I mean it Johnny, you can't tell a soul."

They were at their tent now and Kid grabbed Johnny by the coat and pulled him in. He started scrounging around in his satchel for a small tin box to put their newly won coin and eyed the tent, trying to find a suitable hiding place. Johnny just stood there, looking at Kid like he had grown two heads.

"Not tell anyone, are you serious? That game was the most exciting thing I've seen since we joined up! AND we're getting to go back to Virginia, not as soon as we'd like, sure, but still! We're set for money for a while too, if word got out that you beat the General we'd have all sorts trying to beat you, you could be the richest man in the whole camp!"

"That's exactly why we can't tell anyone!" Kid hissed.

"It's not going to go good for us if other privates try to pull the same stunt we just did... and I got lucky, damn lucky with that hand at the end. I don't want some reputation that I don't deserve. I've seen what that can do to a man. Things like that have a way of gettin away from you and the last thing I want is to get shot over some card game gone wrong ."

Johnny went from looking appalled to defeated.

"Ah Hell, Kid, you've gone and pulled all the fun right out of this, you know that? being practical and all."

Kid had to chuckle at the way Johnny said practical, as if it was a curse. He finished burying the tin under his cot. Maybe it would stay safe that way.

"Fine, I won't say a word. I swear, not even to my ma. You happy?"

Kid smiled at Johnny, he was truly disgruntled.

"Thank you, anyways we don't even know what sort of man the General is yet. I hope he's a man of his word. He knows what we want and he has the power to give it to us or leave us to rot here. Does that set well with you?"

"He's a General, we're going to be just fine." Johnny dismissed Kid's concern easily and peeked out their tent. "We're late for drill." and with that they ran to the practice field.

A/N: Meet Johnny McBride current ying to Kid's yang. He's a lot of fun to write. Oh and there was a real General Pillow. He was such a character, you couldn't even make up the stuff there is out there about him. I will tell you more about Pillow later, but yeah, its safe to assume you haven't seen the last of him.