HOME IN THE MEADOW
Author's note: Readers will find a few parallels to my story The Border Eagles mainly the general time frame and the two main characters but it is a different universe. Richard Rodgers is again a veteran of the Mexican War. An officer of dragoons but never did transfer into the mounted rifles. The song that inspired this story is Home in the Meadow. Hear it on you tube.
Home in the Meadow.
Away, away come away with me
where the grass grows wild where the winds blow free
Away, away come away with me
And I'll build you a home in the meadow
Come, come
There's a wonderous land
For the hopeful heart for the willing hand
Come, come
There's a wonderous land
Where I'll build you a home in the meadow
The stars, the stars
Oh, how bright they'll shine
On a world that the Lord must have helped design
The stars, the stars
Oh, how bright they'll shine
On a home we will build in the meadow
Come, come
There's a wonderous land
For the hopeful heart for the willing hand
Come, come
There's a wonderous land
Where I'll build you a home in the meadow.
Independence Missouri, early spring 1854.
Richard Rodgers looked over the wagon train he was joining. Headed for Oregon and perhaps on to California. He had been a captain of the Second Dragoons graduating from West Point in 1844. He'd served in the west for two years before war broke out.
He'd served in Mexico, serving valiantly. distinguishing himself from his peers. But the horrors of the war obliterated any dreams of glory that had been instilled in him at West Point. He resigned his commission as soon as his obligatory four years was up.
He returned to New York and established a business as a civil engineer, while writing stories about the war. He realized that he'd have to contribute to the myth of glory, for his stories to sell. In only a year, he'd become quite popular. In 1849, he met a beautiful young woman named Kyra Blaine and despite her snobbish mother's disapproval, they married after a whirlwind courtship.
She became pregnant almost immediately and nine months later delivered a boy baby, but tragically she died in childbirth.
Rick was devastated but knew that he couldn't let his emotions affect his child so he did the best he could for the boy he named Richard Alexander Rodgers Junior. He hired a series of wet nurses and a nanny to care for the baby, but unlike many fathers of his time, spent as much time as he could with his son. In 1853, a rich uncle died and left Rick ten thousand dollars. Rick took that all, in gold and decided that since New York was full of painful memories. He decided to head west and start a new life.
He met with a man who had just returned from Saint Louis. The man explained that due to the fact that Saint Louis was a staging point, the prices were outrageous, some items selling for as much as ten times the price of the same goods in New York. Consequently, Rick bought all his supplies and trade goods in New York or Connecticut.
He bought four pair of woolen trousers and three more of corduroy and had the yellow stripes removed from his two pair of uniform trousers with reinforced seat and inner thighs. He bought five sturdy cotton shirts and five wool ones, two vests, large kerchiefs and two wide brimmed plainsmen's hats. Two light and one heavy coat. One pair of leather gloves and he still had his gauntlets.
He packed one frock coat, dress trousers, dress shoes as well as a brocaded vest and two dress shirts, ties and a top hat
. All of this fit in three large trunks for which there was enough room in the wagon, as he was taking no furniture except a bed and a small table and one chair. He knew that on the frontier he would have to have a profession more useful than that of author, so he brought his surveyor's transit and other engineering tools. West point was an engineering school and although on the best were picked for the corps of engineers all of the brighter cadets got a course in basic engineering.
He had about nine- thousand of the ten -thousand in gold part of it used in outfitting his wagons and trade goods, but that was for buying land and having buildings built and buying livestock, so as much as possible he wouldn't touch that for every day expenses unless an emergency occurred
He bought six one hundred- pound barrels of flour, four of corn meal, twenty pounds of white sugar, ten pounds of brown sugar molasses, twenty pounds of salt, pepper, yeast. Dried peas, beans, canned peaches, fresh and dried apples, ten pounds of limes, two gallons of lime juice. potatoes, pickles, a crate of hardtack, bread, salt beef, salt pork, sausages, butter, lard, two wheels of hard cheese smoked hams, bacon and of course twenty pounds of coffee. Two dozen eggs. The eggs wouldn't last nor would the butter. So, he and his people would enjoy hearty breakfasts for the first few days on the trail. In addition to the food, soap and a washboard were purchased. None of this was trade goods. All of it for him and his people. Six items he bought for personal relaxation and only sharing if he became good friends with someone on the trail. Two one-quart bottles of single malt Scot's whisky, two bottles of Bourbon and two of brandy, all carefully wrapped in cloth and stored in straw, inside a cabinet built into his wagon.
He bought three brand- new Conestoga wagons and had a false bottom built into one to store the gold. Not wanting to let anyone know that he had a large quantity of gold available he had two hundred-fifty dollars converted into silver dollars. The second and third wagons were for hauling extra supplies and trade goods. He'd had an extra platform added to each of his wagons for carrying two barrels of water, instead of the usual one. Part of the goods he'd bought were twenty model 1841 .54 caliber rifles directly from Remington for fifteen dollars each. They had been part of a cancelled contract from a state militia. He intended to sell them for twenty dollars to members of wagon trains who would rather have a rifle than a musket or if their own rifles were badly worn or of a small caliber. He also bought bullet molds, lead bars and one thousand .54 caliber Minie balls and ten thousand musket caps. The purchase price of the rifle would include, one hundred rifle balls, and one hundred caps. The mold was an extra two dollars and a bar of lead one.
He bought two one-hundred-pound barrels of gun powder, one of musket powder for the rifles, muskets and shotguns and one of the finer grain for the revolvers and pistols. He would sell the powder for thirty cents per pound
In addition to the rifles, he bought ten Aston M1842 .54 caliber single shot pistols for ten dollars each. He would sell these at cost. He didn't buy any revolvers for sale, since he had no desire to be an instructor on the manual of arms.
He kept one of the rifles for himself for hunting. He was personally heavily armed and made no excuse for it. In addition to the 1841 he had his Hall's .52 caliber carbine from the war, which he intended to sell Two Sharp's, a carbine and a rifle, also .52's, a double barrel percussion shotgun in 12 gauge, two third model Colt Dragoon revolvers in .44 and a Colt model 1851 Navy revolver, .36 caliber. He had an extra cylinder for each of the revolvers. In case he might need to be armed without anyone knowing it, he bought a pair of Henry Deringer's small single shot pistols in .41 caliber. In addition to the firearms, he had a wickedly sharp Bowie knife, a skinning knife and a family heirloom a Scottish Skean Dhu, worn tucked into his boot top. The two Dragoons were carried in pommel holsters on the saddle, the Hall or the Sharps in a scabbard on the saddle, the .36 Navy in a belt holster, the Bowie balancing the revolver.
Of course, he had plenty of powder, bullets, caps, patches lead and molds for his own use. He purchased several thousand cartridge papers, and glue for making paper cartridges. A paper cartridge consisted of the powder and a greased ball or bullet contained in a paper wrapper that was rolled around the powder and projectile and glued shut. In use, the end was torn or bitten off, the powder was dumped down the bore followed by the ball and the paper and everything rammed home.
Cartridges for revolvers used nitrated paper so the whole thing was inserted into the chamber and rammed home. The cap ignited the paper, which ignited the powder. These were purchased readymade.
He had two friends, Roy Montgomery, a free man of color, * and Bob Weldon who also wanted to head west. He hired Roy to drive one supply wagon and Bob to drive the second supply wagon. He also hired Roy's wife Lanie to cook for them and due the laundry. Their teen -age son, Joseph, would drive the Montgomery's wagon and help with the horses, mules and oxen.
His small enterprise was highly successful, as the local gun shops were mostly sold out and scrambling to restock. Those who did have stock, were charging twice to three times the weapons worth. There were several big wagon trains fitting out at the same time. He sold the entire stock of what he was willing to sell, in two days. He kept two of the rifles in reserve in case someone's rifle or musket broke down along the trail. He almost had a bidding war on the Hall's carbine but settled it, by stating that whoever bought it, had to already know how to use it. The buyer was another veteran of the dragoons, who happily paid twenty-five dollars for it. He had to threaten to shoot one man who wouldn't take no for an answer when he demanded to buy one of Rick's Dragoons. Roy and Bob each had a Dragoon of his own, one of the M1841's and a double barrel shotgun. Like their boss, each had a Bowie knife. Joseph had a .54 caliber Hawken's plains rifle and a large double- edged knife known as an Arkansas toothpick.
Knowing that not everyone would have enough food to last the journey, he laid in a stock of the basics for sale or barter later on. Flour, sugar, salt, beans, dried peas, bacon, salt pork, salt beef and hardtack.
He stocked ten pair of work pants and fifteen shirts all in large sizes, figuring that wives could alter the if necessary. A dozen papers of pins, a dozen packets of needles, spools of thread, five pair of scissors, two bolts of calico cloth, two of gingham and two of wool. He didn't intend to be a merchant after the train reached its' destination. He was merely seeing that the things needed for the journey were available at a reasonable cost, which would give him a small profit.
Everything now in readiness, Rick and the Montgomery's joined the wagon train. Rick arranged for their three wagons to be kept together in the train. The train captain was a stern-faced man named William Sorenson, who admonished everyone to only address him as Captain Sorenson. There were three scouts, an Irishman named Tom Demming a Mexican, Javier Esposito. And a creole. Jacques Benoit all three were bronzed by the sun and had a weathered look about them. all wore buckskin jackets over flannel shirts and sturdy wool trousers, rough out boots and wide brimmed hats.
Demming and Esposito had .54 caliber Hawken rifles and 1851 Navy revolvers, the same as Sorenson himself. Benoit didn't like the balance of the Hawken, so he'd bought one of the 1841's. He, like the other three had a '51 Navy. Sorenson was an experienced frontiersman. He knew the value of firepower in a fight and armed his men accordingly. Of course, all four men wore large knives that were as much a tool as a weapon.
The afternoon before the wagon train was due to start out, Sorenson announced that everyone should have an early supper so that they could hold a meet and greet as the trip would be a cooperative venture and knowing what each man did would be a must.
One of her duties that Lanie enjoyed most was helping Rick take care of Richard Junior. The three- year- old was a handful. Not because he was naughty or misbehaved, but because he was inquisitive and into everything. She knew that with a big social going on, she would have to keep an extra sharp eye on him.
Sorenson stood on a crate and said;
"Everybody be quiet and listen to me. The best way to do this alphabetically, so each head of family speak up in turn and introduce your family. I will be the exception. I am William Sorenson, the train captain. I am single with no family. I will always be addressed as Captain Sorenson. I was formerly a captain of light artillery. Now let us begin."
The first man up said; I am Abner Adams, my wife is Abagail and our four children are Andrew, Albert, Annabel and Amelia. I am a blacksmith."
Rick chuckled to himself. The man might be a good blacksmith, but he surely lacked in imagination. Rick wasn't sure why, but one of the b's caught his attention. A man said;
"I am James Beckett and this is my wife, Johanna. I am a lawyer. The c's
passed quickly with each one filed away in Rick's mind without much to distinguish them as most were farmers but then they got to the d's. A very tall man, an inch over Rick's six feet two, stepped into the light accompanied by a stunningly beautiful woman and a little girl that appeared to be three or four years old.
"My name is Doctor Joshua Davidson. I am a surgeon. This is my wife Katherine and our daughter Johanna." He glared out at the crowd.
"My wife is a lady. Not a common woman so, if a man here who talks to her without my permission will regret it." There were several angry growls from the crowd not just the men, but women too. None of these courageous women were common. Katherine Davidson looked embarrassed. Rick thought; This arrogant fool is going to cause a lot of trouble and I guarantee that if he gets into trouble, no one will be willing to help him. I feel sorry for his wife.
The introductions went on. Farmers, another lawyer, a couple of carpenters, a stone mason, another blacksmith, A young minister and his wife, another doctor and so on. The train seemed to have all the people needed to start a thriving community.
Early the next morning as Sorenson was conducting a final inspection, Doctor Davidson caused another problem.
"Where are your firearms, Doctor?"
"I am a doctor, sworn to do no harm. I don't have any."
"That oath doesn't mean you can't defend yourself or your family. Weren't you told that every man on the train was to have at least a rifle or musket and a pistol."
"I assumed that didn't apply to doctors."
"You assumed wrong, Doctor. You have two hours to arm yourself, or leave the train."
Despite already disliking the man, Rick decided to help him. He wouldn't waste one of the rifles on him, as he wouldn't be able to use it effectively. He had, however an excellent condition M1816 musket that had been converted to percussion. He had taken it in trade giving the owner a ten- dollar credit on one of the rifles. The musket was .69 caliber and came with about two hundred lead balls, and a pound of buckshot and a bullet mold. Rick also had the two single shot pistols that he'd had to buy when he entered the service. He hadn't thought of them as part of his stock, but he certainly didn't need them. He decided to sell them to the doctor, one for the doctor, one for his wife.
The Doctor complained.
"Why are you selling me a musket rather than a rifle and charging me just as much?"
Angrily Rick said;
"Because it takes time to learn how to use a rifle effectively and I don't trust you to remember all the steps in the manual of arms. A musket is easier to use. It's also not much use beyond one hundred yards and as green as you are I don't expect you to hit beyond fifty yards and if we're attacked, I'll expect you to hold your fire until the savage is at thirty yards. And if you don't like my prices, go into town and see what you can find.
"Why do I need two pistols?" Davidson had asked
"One for you and on for your wife."
"My wife, why does she need a pistol?"
"Because if we are attacked you may have more than one assailant or you might be down and wounded. You really don't want to know what the Indians do to white women they capture. So, if I teach you, I teach your wife as well. Otherwise, you're on your own."
Davidson backed down and agreed to Rick's terms.
He sold the musket and the pistols to Davidson for twenty dollars for the musket and fifteen dollars for each pistol. Plus, the firearms Rick sold him a large knife that was part of his trade goods, a pound of powder and .54 caliber bullets for the pistol. For another two dollars he agreed to teach the Davidson's how to use them.
The next morning the train formed up to go. It was a fairly large train at sixty wagons, with some of them being driven by professional teamsters.
Rick noticed that the wagon belonging to Jim Beckett had pulled into line behind the Davidson's wagon and they seemed to be having a spirited discussion. Rick's lead wagon was right behind the Beckett's.
He shook his head. The train hadn't even started to move and that idiot doctor was already arguing with someone. He didn't know that the Becketts were Katherine Davidson's parents. He thought; We haven't even started out and the doctor is already arguing with someone. Well, it's no business of mine as long as he's not bothering me.
The First two days on the trail were uneventful and they made an early camp on the second day as they faced a long uphill climb the next day and the captain wanted the teams well rested. Rick took that opportunity to instruct the Davidsons. He'd picked up an old barrel in town and draped an empty flour sack over it. He set it out at fifty yards.
"I will demonstrate the first time. After that you will each do it. Now I am loading from a powder flask, but normally you will load from a prepared cartridge. Later, I will show you how to make them."
He measured out eighty grains and poured the powder down the musket's bore. He followed that with a ball wrapped in a cartridge paper. Next, he drew the ramrod and rammed the ball home. He followed that with two buckshot and a piece of paper and rammed that home. Last, he put the musket at half-cock and capped it. He then put the musket to his shoulder and fired, hitting the barrel dead center.
He then walked Davidson through it step by step. Davidson fired and didn't even hit the barrel.
Rick said;
"You jerked the trigger and flinched expecting the recoil. The balls flew harmlessly into the air."
After six shots he finally hit the barrel, low and left, but he hit it.
"Missus Davidson, go through all the steps except actually firing it. As in a fight you would reload the musket as he fired the pistols, unless he acquires another long arm, then you'd be reloading that. The procedure for loading the pistols is the same, except that you normally only load one ball. Both the musket and the pistols can be loaded with loose shot if nothing else is available" He then moved the barrel up to ten yards and had them both load and shoot the pistols. Kate was better at than her husband, hitting very near to the hole made my Rick's demonstration shot.
Over the next week or so, they practiced several times until they could both hit the target at close range. Kate found that she enjoyed shooting the pistols. Josh did not enjoy the shooting, but knew he had to learn.
Rick also taught them how to make cartridges, which again Josh disliked but Kate enjoyed. Proud of learning a useful skill.
One day just after practice, Jim Beckett came over to where Rick was relaxing with a cup of coffee.
"Mister Rodgers, I am James Beckett, Katherine Davidson's father. I see that you are teaching my daughter and her husband to shoot. I wonder if you would do the same for my wife and I. Whatever you are charging them, I will also pay."
"I suppose I could but that would depend on if your attitude and manners are better than your son-in-law's."
"Much better, I assure you. And I have no problem with anyone speaking with my wife in a proper manner. We are friendly people."
"What weapons do you have?"
"The gun shop in New York assured me that these were the latest things so I bought them. I have a Sharp's rifle, A pair of Colt's1851 Navy revolvers and a double barrel shotgun, and plenty of ammunition. The salesman said that I would need a good field knife. He sold me one called a Bowie knife. Was that a good choice?'
"A very good choice. I carry a Bowie.
As to the guns, he was telling you the truth. You are probably better armed than anyone on this train except myself. I will be glad to teach you. I also have a Sharp's Rifle and a '51 Navy, so I can get some practice in while teaching you and your wife. Is the shotgun a twelve or twenty bore?"
"It is a twenty bore."
"Good. That is big enough to get the job done at reasonable ranges and yet light enough that your wife and daughter can handle it. Did you get both shot and slugs for it?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because the lighter shot is good for hunting birds and small game such as rabbits and squirrels and the buckshot and slugs for deer and for defense. Let me tell you, both rabbit and squirrel make a very tasty stew and venison roasted over an open fire can't be beat."
Jim laughed. "I imagine that when you're hungry after a long day, anything tastes good."
The next afternoon they again made an early camp, so Rick began the Beckett's instruction. Starting Jim out on the Sharp's and Johanna on the shotgun with light loads. Jim turned out to be one of those men with an affinity with firearms. Within a few days, he could hit a man- sized target, consistently at one hundred yards. Rick didn't think he needed to go beyond that on the trail. Johanna didn't like the shotgun, but accepted the need to know how to use it. Where she really shined was with the revolver. She listened to Rick carefully then applied what she learned.
Within those same few days, she could put all six shots into the torso area of a man size target at twenty yards. Jim did well with both the shotgun and revolver, but wasn't as good as Johanna. One day she said;
"Jim, you don't own two Colt Navy's anymore. This one is mine."
Kate learned to use the shotgun and the revolver, enjoying the time away from her domineering husband. Although Davidson didn't like it, he couldn't prevail against his wife and her parents standing together.
Kate's natural independence was resurfacing. She had put up with Joshes overbearing attitude and attempt to bend her to his will, only for the sake of her daughter. Josh had been so charming during their courtship, early marriage and pregnancy, until their daughter was born. He had wanted and expected a son. When he didn't get it, his attitude changed overnight, blaming her. He never physically abused her, he wouldn't risk damaging his hands, but constantly verbally abused her in minor ways,
When she miscarried their second child, he got even worse. Then came the big event. Josh been out at a tavern the night before a scheduled surgery. He botched a wealthy patient's surgery and the patient died. The family had money and power. They made sure that Josh would never practice medicine anywhere in the east. Josh was not even sure of his physical safety.
The decision was made to go west and start over. Josh even promised to be kinder to Kate. Of, course that promise only lasted a few short weeks and Joh began to berate Kate again Even blaming the situation on her. Claiming that if she had been "Warm" to him, he wouldn't have out drinking. Of course, that was just another one his lies and excuses. After her miscarriage Kate didn't feel ready for sex as soon as Josh wanted it. Kate tried to mask her unhappiness but her mother knew her too well and Kate eventually confided in her.
The Becketts, knowing how unhappy Kate was, decided to sell their home and Jim's practice and follow their daughter west. Josh didn't like that either, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He even complained about Rick touching Kate as he taught her to shoot. One afternoon Josh said;
"Mister Rodgers, my wife has learned to shoot well enough so, we need no further instruction. I forbid you to have any further contact with her."
"Listen to me and hear me good. You may be able to forbid your wife, you arrogant ass, but you do not get to forbid me anything. If you want to isolate your wife, that's your business but don't ever use that tone of voice or word choice with me, again."
"Or what?" Josh sneered, used to intimidating men due to his size.
"Or this!' Castle replied and struck a blow directly to Joshes face, breaking his nose. Josh threw both hands over his face and stumbled to his wagon. An hour later he went to see Doctor Sloane, who set it for him.
Jim Beckett had been close enough to see and hear the whole thing. When Josh complained to Captain Sorenson, Jim stepped forward and said that Josh had provoked the incident. This made the relations between the two men even worse, but at that point, Jim had so much contempt for Josh that he didn't care and was determined, somehow, to get his daughter and grandchild away from him.
Another week had passed after the confrontation with Josh and Rick was keeping a wary eye on him. He figured that Josh, being the type, he was would be a vindictive man and a coward wouldn't do anything himself but try to hire it done so Rik ore his gun belt at all times. Sure enough, four days later as Rick was unharnessing his team, two of the teamsters approached him. He said;
"Halt where you are. What do you want?"
"We don't like the way you treated the doctor, so we're gonna deliver a message from him." The two men were carrying wagon wheel spokes
Rick was holding a harness so the leader didn't see the gun belt. Rick stepped forward and swung the harness with all his might. It caught the first man square in the face, the heavy leather and ironware breaking the man's nose, knocking out several teeth and opening a long cut on his forehead, which bled copiously temporarily blinding him and knocking him to the ground. He dropped the harness and drew his revolver.
"Drop the spokes or you're a dead man." The man dropped the spokes.
"You get your friend the doctor and have him bandage your partner, then you leave the train.
I will deal with the doctor, in my own time. He'll just never know when or where."
Furious that the men failed, but too cowardly to try again, Josh cleaned and bandaged the wounded man's forehead and set his nose. They made up a story that one of the horses had kicked him in the face while tending to Davidson's team and since the doctor was right there, he treated him.
They said that They were going back to Saint Louis for further treatment.
Josh did his best to avoid Rick, which Rick found amusing. Josh was proving to be what he'd thought him to be from the beginning. An arrogant blowhard. Long on wind, short of action. Josh tried to tell the Beckett's to
shun Rick, but they both adamantly refused to do so. They liked Rick and found him far more pleasant company than their dour son-in-law.
There were no further incidents of violence for a couple of weeks and then two men go into a minor fist fight over spilled coffee and of course there were a few minor squabbles. One thing that surprised Rick was the number of musical instruments on the train. Several guitars and fiddles, a couple of banjos, a concertina, a drum, bugles a fife and a couple of harmonicas. Music and dancing were the only entertainment to be had on the trail. Several impromptu concerts and one dance had been held. There were several unmarried young women on the train, all daughters or sisters, all under eighteen. Two young for Rick, who had just turned thirty, so while he listened to the music, he hung back from the dancing.
One evening, while strolling, Rick heard a young man singing in a clean tenor voice. He stopped to listen. Away, away come away with me where the grass grows wild where the winds blow free. Away, away come away with me and I'll build you a home in the meadow. The man was singing to his pretty, young wife and a group had gathered to listen. Rick listened until the song was finished and saddened, walked away. It was just him and his son. Would he ever find someone to make a complete family with? Someone to build a home in a meadow for?
Author's Note: The idea for this story popped into my head when listening to home in the Meadow on you tube. It was originally featured on the mini-series How the West Was Won. Readers reviews will tell me if I should continue the story. TBC (Maybe) Please Review
Swordwriter
To keep my story authentic as possible I use the terms of the time, such as free man of color. The term African-American was a long way off as was native-American. If that offends you, feel free to read something else.