War's End,1865
Copyright© 2026 by happyhugo
Chapter 1
“In return, I will accept your parole and release you to leave the area to go on your way. Would you call out the names on your roster as each trooper comes forward to sign his parole? As soon as you finish, please return to your formation, and I will dismiss you.”
“Yes, sir. Sir, some of my men cannot write their names. If you have them make their mark, I will personally sign their name and initial it.”
Each trooper was given a heavy paper form with his name officially surrendered to me yesterday, on May 5, 1865, and had been very busy last night getting this set
up for today. When ready to give my own parole, I was told to keep my sidearm and to write the date of my parole in legible writing to carry with me.
“Very good, Major Giffords.”
It was now May 6, I865. I had heard that at least half of his troops were among those who had tipped the war in the Union’s favor. When Lincoln used his power to free the slaves, these had left the South in droves and were heading for Union country. The Northern Generals had formed these colored people, now free, into battalions to fight against the Confederacy.
I had 43 men, including myself, under my command. I had three times that many only three weeks ago. We had heard that General Lee had surrendered command back on April 9, 1865. Many of my men had deserted and slipped away with their weapons, not wanting to give parole.
Last formation before our company’s dismissal, the Union Major asked Major Giffords, “Do you have any money?”
“A little, why?”
“Gold or silver?”
“I have two gold pieces.”
“Let me have one.”
I handed it over. “Now, you just bought all those weapons lying there on the ground. I wish you would dispose of them. I figure it will only take you 20 minutes to learn how to do this. Please, when you do, caution your troops not to use any firearms they may not have turned in, so they can hunt until they are at least 30 miles away from this area. When you finish this order, I’ll buy you a drink down the street at the first public house.”
The Major turned to dismiss his troops, which he did. As soon as this was done, a voice came from one of the colored troops in the second line back, “Major Travers, sir, may I speak with you?”
“Make it quick, Corporal.”
The colored trooper came forward, and I began to smile as I watched. “Sir, there are five of us troopers from the same property as Major Giffords. I’m not getting mustered out for five more days, and we’d like to be put on a detail to escort Major Giffords home. Would that be possible?”
Major Travers spoke to his clerk who was closing up his table and hurrying toward the barracks. “Kenny, take the Corporal in to the Adjutant and have him make out orders for a detail to escort Major Giffords home. The Corporal will give him the details. Make it a full ten-man detail and have the payroll clerk pay them off. The whole company must muster out in five days. I hate mustering out in this hellhole of a place, but that’s the Army for you.” He hurried away toward the street.
The Union soldiers were dismissed and were walking away. My former troopers were standing loosely still in their formation, talking. “Okay, men, you’re free to go home now. Sorry, I don’t have any pay for you. Pick up the weapons off the ground and head out. You’ll have to beg for food. You’ll have to kill the game when you get outside of town. Don’t get into trouble by holding anyone up or robbing someone.
“You’ve given your parole, but if you cause trouble, you’ll be on your own. If you come before an Army Patrol, remember the power is in their hands. It won’t take much to get yourself shot or hanged. All I can say is Good Luck.”
“Major, the same to you. Thanks for buying our weapons back. We’ll make out, we always do somehow.” These men, now not troopers, marched by me, first saluting, and then each one shook my hand. Only a few in this company knew me when I first became an officer. So many dead, and now these men were disappearing from my sight, too. I needed that drink and was glad when the last man went by, leaving me standing there alone.
I walked into the bar, and Major Travers had two drinks being placed before him as I entered. I sat beside him. “Giffords, pick up your drink and let’s find us a table.”
I followed him to a booth along the wall near the back of the room. It was fairly dark there, even though the sun was shining outside. His first words were, “You seem a decent sort.”
“You do too, Travers. By the way, what is your given name?” We grinned. “This all went pretty well. I didn’t see much resentment between our commands.”
“The name is William. Call me Bill. No, I don’t see much resentment between your troops and mine. Men on both sides are just so weary of war. How long were you in?”
“My brother and I joined in the first few months. He thought he would be made a Colonel when he reached the induction center. He was asked whether he was Landed Gentry, which we were, and then he was asked to have a seat. I was right behind him and asked the same. I said I was, but my brother was in charge, so I was the one bossing the workers and running the Plantation. I was asked several questions about my life, which I answered truthfully.
“Of a sudden, he asked if Gaylord was given a command, would I want to be in his unit. That shocked me; I mean, he was my brother, but I hesitated and then said, “I would prefer to take my chances under someone else’s command.” Gaylord was finally told, after a month of fuckups, to go home and grow crops because the Army would depend on those on the home front. The only time I was able to go home to see my wife was about nine months into the war.
“I haven’t seen her since. I’m a little bit anxious about that.”
“Do you have more family?”
“No kids, I didn’t want to burden Muriel, my wife, during these unsettled times. I do have a twin sister who was married, but her husband was killed in the opening battles. He owned a freight outfit. If she hasn’t sold it, it is still under her ownership. I saw a wagon with Giffords painted on the side, a couple of days ago, down here in this town. Probably loading or unloading something to deliver to a ship or picking up from same ship.”
“So how is your brother doing?”
“It was a kick in the ass for him not getting a command. He tells around that he came home where he was needed worse than in the Army. I don’t guess that has worked out too well either. At least he hasn’t gotten anyone killed in battle.” I paused, “Bill, what about you? What’s your story?”
“Not much to tell. My home is in Ohio, and I was in college when my parents headed west. They got as far as the Dakota Territory along the Platt River and caught Cholera. Another traveler sent back their effects. I was supposed to go out west when I finished school, but I don’t have much of an urge to do so now.
“A recruiter came by, and I signed up. It took me a while to get the hang of being in the Army, but then it all seemed to come together, and I started getting brass pinned on me. A lot of it was me replacing someone who was killed. After a while, I just accepted that my time could come at any time and that someone would replace me. I’m glad to be out now, although I feel like my home is up the country, a world away.”
“I’d feel the same if I were mustered out up in Virginia. I was up there a while, and it is a hell of a long hike. Now I’m only, give or take, a hundred and fifty miles from home. Thank God, Jack spoke up when he did. I’ll have some company. We may even be able to get a ride on one of my sister’s wagons. I’ll bet Jack has thought of that already. He’s one smart boy.
“I noticed he seemed educated. How come?”
“I never went away to school. Pa had teachers come in and educate us. Jack was my black companion, so if I had a lesson, he was there with me. Pa had all kinds of professors and teachers in. I can handle a sword pretty damned well, too. Guns, he had an old Indian fighter with us for about six months. Pa was a great rider, and I’m hoping there are still some horses at the place. I’ve done about all the walking I want to in this lifetime.
“I’m counting on Maybelle Prentice, my sister, to hold up her end of having kept some things going. She lives about ten miles from the Plantation. She’s probably the smartest one of us three.”
“How about your brother? What did he excel at?”
“Drinking and whoring and maybe how to strut around. I don’t think Gaylord will be too glad I made it through the war, but we’ll see. Even after being gone for 9 months, the place wasn’t producing as I had hoped. I’ll have to talk to Jack when we get started in the morning. He must have joined up in ‘63.”
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