Chapter 7: The Surprises Just Keep Coming

It surely didn’t take to long for the dogs of war, to come, a calling upon us. We had only purchased all of our properties not quite 3 months ago and had all just begun to really settle in the homes that we had purchased. We were working with the families that had been living and working on these properties long before we ever arrived. Our new, and mostly Mexican workforce, were both humble and glad for the jobs that they would now be able to keep. But they were also a very proud group of people that had no troubles teaching us things that we needed to know about all of these properties that we had purchased. When we got past the petty prejudices that are always in the background, things really started to work for us as I had dreamed that it would. Of course I really don’t think anybody but me was thinking this dream had much chance of working out as well as it was back when I first started talking about it on many of the battlefields that we were a part of. It had been just a dream that I began using to get away from the sights, sounds, as well as the smells that go along with fighting a war.

Many a day I wished I had never set the first foot on my first battlefield, or any of the battlefield that we were a part of since then. As sad as that was then or now even, fighting that war was better than slavery was any day! That was sadly the truth. Anyway I looked at it back then, and those painful scars of both slavery, and that terrible war, will never go away, ever! So I am very glad to now be living my silly dream that I once thought would have never stand any chance of ever coming true in any way. As of right now the dream was so much bigger than I ever dared to dream about though. And with the help of so many people that in truth I had only just met. This has set all of us on paths that none of us could have ever dared to hope for, or ever dreamed of.

I mentioned the petty prejudices before that seemed to crop up. I know that this is going to be hard to believe, but the actual largest group of people that were the showing these prejudices were the former slaves themselves, the men who were forced to toil out in the fields, in cruel conditions. We were force to work no pay at all, just for whatever food we were served and a shack to be out of the elements, to do the same thing the next day. Not to mention the many different things that no free man would ever want endure. I wont mention the things that our mothers and sisters were forced to endure. I was truly shocked and amazed with the former Slaves had no trouble attempting to become the cruel Slavemasters that we hated for so long. The very same Slavemasters that some of them were just recently freed from. I saw how easily that we were transformed into the evil creatures, of our past.

Now many of them wanted to treat the Mexican workers as they the former slaves were treated on the Plantation. The shock and repulsion that I felt upon hearing that this shit was not only a thought in somebody’s mind but was actually happening to innocent workers that had absolutely nothing to do with the treatment that these former slaves had felt their entire lives. Instead of treating the Mexican people the way we all prayed for when we were under the lash, they chose to become just like the people that they hated, so badly. Just simply because they wanted revenge for what had happened to them in their world, their entire lives.

Needless to say when I confronted these “wanna be” men, I was told that I should mind my own business. “Anything that you are doing on any of these properties, anything that you do, both good or bad is my damned business! Now none of these folks had a damn thing to do with any of that bad shit that happened to us on all of those plantations, that we were all born and raised on. Now if you can’t see that shit, then you ain’t welcome at all around here, in any way, anymore, at all! Then I will give any of you $500.00 and the horse that you have been riding and I would like to extend to you, our most gracious thanks for helping us to get to where we are living now. Of course all of you know that you also helped yourself as well! We all know that we used safety in numbers, to get here. Now if you can find a small place near here to buy, I am willing to help you buy the place, as long as you understand once you have the deed in hand, in your own name, you are on your own, after that.” I said.

“If you should choose this option, I for one won’t be upset with you at all. But I will thank you to understand that none of our operations will be doing any business with you for any reason in the foreseeable future. With the exception of our new General Store. And I really don’t care if this upsets any one of you with-in the sound of my voice. I also want the word put out about the deal that I just mentioned, plus I am also willing to assist anybody that was living here before our arrival, to also leave as well. Because if people are uncomfortable with things they have seen, or they have had something unfortunate happen to them lately, then I want to help them to leave. If they no longer feel nearly as comfortable living and working around here at this time. But I want it understood by everyone that the people that were doing these things terrible things will be leaving” I said.

“Listen to me for those who served in the war with me or joined me on the trail to get here and lastly those people that I have met since we all arrived here. I try my best to be color-blind at all times. Am I perfect?! No! But I am a man who understands mistreatment first hand because of the fire of slavery! I understand that force may bring some form of cooperation up to and including total submission. But force will never bring true loyalty to anyone from anyone! Only a person or persons that are truly loyal to a job will work to make these operations much better. Better than many other outfits, simply because these folks will have a small interest in the profits and most have families that they are raising here also. So all of you think over what you want to do; and let me know about your choices. Either way I will not be upset or be disappointed to hear anyone’s personal choice, to go or to stay.” I said.

With Buck and a few key Buffalo Soldiers gone with some of Jesus’ relatives leading the way to buy some Mexican cattle and horses to bring in new blood into our herds, plus increase the size of our herds. I knew if we were lucky enough to get some more families to help out our very large combined outfits, I would be happy also. As we are right now stretched just a little thin, personnel wise, especially with our people making the trip to Mexico. And we knew that their imminent return was still a few weeks away at best.

Now just a little over a week later I had settled all of that disturbing prejudice business that happened last week. I settled the issue by giving the man who was mistreating folks $1,000.00, his horse and guns, and a loaded pack mule, and sent him away to seek his fortune elsewhere. Several of his friends and their families decided that my offer of $500.00, a horse and their guns was also a good deal and they decided they also liked that deal also. That is why I also gave them a pack mule as well.

So things were getting back to normal a few days later, when not long after the sun had lifted itself high enough in the sky to light up the morning sky a group of twenty Army soldiers rode up. I was sitting on the front porch sipping on a cool glass of tea. “From the look of the uniform shirt that you are wearing with those Sgt. Stripes and from the description I was given, you should be Mack Shaft?” The Lieutenant said.

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage as you have yet to say your name, Sir.” I said.

“I am Lieutenant John S. Clapp, and I have been sent by General Ulysses S. Grant, concerning things that happened at your last post around the time that you were discharged from the Army.” Lt. Clapp said.

“Well Lt. Clapp, I am Mack Shaft, I am sorry that you came all this way to talk to me. I am no longer in the Army, and anything that I left with I have a signed receipt from my Commanding Officer. But more importantly since President Johnson took it into his head to take away the 40 acres and a mule that all the Colored Soldiers were promised when we took up arms for the Union Army cause, I am not to happy with the Army right now! So truly have I absolutely no interest in going anywhere with you or any of your men!” I said calmly as I stood and grabbed my rifle as I was coming to my feet.

“At twenty-to-one odds I really don’t see you as having too much choice in the matter! By the way where might I find Sgt. Beauregard Rodgers? He is wanted and will have to return with us also.” Lt. Clapp said loudly like he was giving orders to somebody that gives a damn about the words that was coming out of his mouth. At that moment I cocked my rifle by spinning it. When the spinning stopped the rifle was pointing directly at Lt. Clapp.

“I won’t be going anywhere with any of you, willingly. And before you do some stupid shit, look around! There are more than twenty guns pointed at you and your men right now! And where Sgt. Rodgers is right now is none of your damn business. I am not wasting my time returning with any of you. As far as what was going on at the Fort that last night that I was there, the Fort itself was wide open with drunken soldiers both coming and going at will. I wasn’t in control of any of the White Soldiers for obvious reasons, and those men were the men who were drunk. My men and I were just trying to stay out of the way as some of them were angry drunks looking for trouble. I watched them beat up on one another. So how can any of you tell just who did what that night? So hell naw! I am not going to be the fall guy for someone to do anything to me for that wild ass night.” I said.

“Listen General Grant ain’t standing here beside you right now. Somebody has to be alive to tell the story when you go back empty-handed. But I am willing to answer a few questions if you know enough information to be able to ask any of the questions that they want answered so badly.” I said.

“Well the first question everyone in Washington wants to know is how you two were able to purchase all of the land that has been purchased without stealing the money at the Fort?” Lt. Clapp asked.

“Do any of you actually believe that there was nearly enough money anywhere on that entire Fort to pay for all of the land that we just bought?” I asked.

“Well no, but still there was a lot of money there, plus a man named Anderson claims you and your men walked away with anything and everything of value on the Anderson Plantation.” Lt. Clapp said.

“I was there and bought two matched Clydesdale Mares that I have signed receipts for.” I said.

“The man was still practicing slavery! Involving members of my own family that he had never bought nor owned in the first place! So when I made it a known fact that my people were leaving, his former slaves decided to leave as well. I was never welcomed into his home so I have no idea what was or wasn’t removed from his home. And with Carpetbaggers and other men, running around robbing and killing, at will who’s to say that he did not lose all of his possessions to the Carpetbaggers, or some other thieves?” I asked Lt. Clapp.

“I will have you know that he is a southern Gentleman with no known reason to lie about his losses!” Lt. Clapp yelled.

“And that means what to me?! I just told you that the man was breaking the law when I arrived and slavery is no longer legal, anymore! And he had no hesitation in taking advantage of poor Colored people that he came across. That is not something that a Gentleman should have done. His Overseer tried to disarm me only to wake up mad as hell at me!” I said.

“Well, we have three sets of orders, two of them where you made your mark. The first where you originally joined the Army, and the second one where you agreed to re-enlist for two more years. The third set of orders are signed by somebody, but as you can’t read or write, so they have to be fake!” Lt. Clapp yelled, at me again, and his yelling at me was getting old to me, too.

“When I joined the Army, I did not want it to be a known fact that I could read or write. And I never, ever agreed to re-enlist like Capt. Custer was pressuring all of us Buffalo Soldiers to do. None of us wanted to re-enlist as the war was over and our side had won so we had no reason to re-enlist in the Army. Now the third set of discharge papers, which are in question, were signed by each of us Buffalo Soldiers. Capt. Custer signed off on our discharge papers just like he did for everyone else that was also discharged at that time. Capt. Custer didn’t realize that he was indeed signing them at the time that he signed them though.” I said.

“He liked to brag after he got drunk and he bragged one night how he was going to keep us in the Army. “He wanted all of us Buffalo Soldiers around to protect his ass for the next six months he would be through with his commission at that time. Now we would still have another year and a half to serve, but that would be our problem, not his. And yes, I signed those third set of orders, just as all of my men did as well. You see since we couldn’t go to the saloons, I taught all of my men to both read and write and to do math as well. Yes, nearly three years to study, we are all quite educated. Go to the clerk that signed after Buck and I did as I had a gun to his head when he found out that I was Buck’s partner, not his big, dark-skinned flunky. The man watched me sign my name. I am willing to sign my name for you, and read for you too to end all of this bullshit!” I said, calmly to Lt. Clapp.

“But you still have to go back with us, because I still have to follow my orders!” Lt. Clapp, yelled at me.

“Yes you were ordered to do that very thing, I have no doubt. But the truth of the matter is the only thing for certain that you actually have to do is STAY WHITE, and DIE” Both Lt. Clapp, and of his men’s faces all paled at hearing what I’d just said, as his men had never stopped looking at all of the guns still pointed at them.

“What exactly does that mean?!” Lt. Clapp loudly asked, not realizing just how close to death that he really was. Though I was getting the feeling his men understood that somebody was close to dying, and they were a lot more likely to be the somebody than anyone that was living here.

Sgt. Bass spoke up, about this time. “Lt. Clapp, I think that it is best that we withdraw and that we strongly re-assess our position and our mission, at this time.”

“We are here already, the man is standing less than ten feet away, from us.” Lt. Clapp calmly said to Sgt. Bass.

“Well Lt. Clapp the man has a rifle pointed directly at you, and you have no gun pointed back in his direction. And you have got to know that if you attempt to draw your weapon, you are going to be dead long before you can draw that weapon. Also there are more than twenty people standing around with weapons pointed in our direction. And I am personally not willing to die for the orders that were given to you! As we are more or less surrounded and none of us are in a position to defend ourselves at this time.

So let’s withdraw right now and re-group as well as re-think this suicide mission that you have suddenly found yourself on.” Sgt. Bass stated to Lt. Clapp.

“While I’m not deserting, I also refuse to stand here and die. So either you can stay or go, but I for one am leaving and I am saying so loudly and clearly to you and all of these folks with guns standing around out here.” Sgt. Bass said out loud to all of us that were standing out here could hear him, clearly.

“Sgt. Bass would you and Lt. Clapp please step down off of your horses and come join me in the house? So that I can personally write out two simple documents, one for me, and one for you, to take with you and show General Grant that you did indeed talk to me. And that you only left because you were outgunned and also because you were severely outnumbered at this time. I will invite your men to relax and get a cool drink of water from the pump, while we are inside. Lt. Clapp before you think about doing something stupid my sister’s will shoot you dead if you pull any of your weapons.” I said.

Mama, Lt. Clapp, Sgt. Bass, and I, all sat done at the dining room table. I wrote out the same words on two sheets of paper and read aloud what I wrote. “I Mack Shaft, known as Sgt. Mack Shaft at the time that I was honorably discharged from the Army. Capt. Custer personally signed not only my discharge papers, but also all of the papers of all of the Colored Soldiers that served with me, under Capt. Custer. Now after I overheard the fact that Capt. Custer was trying to trick all of us poor and dumb Colored Soldiers, I made out my own discharge forms. And I then had Capt. Custer sign each of our discharge forms and I held all of our discharge papers until it was time for all of us to get out of the Army. Now Capt. Custer did not know that I knew of his attempt to deceive any of us. So I did not let on, that I was deceiving him about his signature on all of our Discharge papers, that we were all lawfully entitled to have.” I said.

“Lt. Clapp, and Sgt. Bass are witnesses that I not only wrote this letter but also read it aloud as well as watching me sign the document that I had just wrote out all by myself also. So Lt. Clapp my signature on this hand written document should match the signature on my discharge papers, also.” I read aloud. I then signed both documents. and I had then both sign their names to both documents as well. I wanted no slip ups after they returned, if they decided to make up their own facts to make their story sound better to any Officer that they had to make a official report concerning this mission.

“Now gentlemen I wish you a safe journey back to Washington, D.C. and give my warmest regards to General Grant. But I have no interest or intention, at this time, of going to Washington, D.C. for reason whatsoever.” I said.

“I will tell you this that when we were discharged from the Army the Buffalo Soldiers had most of all of the monies that we had been paid, plus we were never cheated, we always received all of our pay. (I did not mention that I took what we were owed, that was equal to our White counterparts.) As we were not able to spend our monies like our White counterparts, at the time of our discharge each of us had plenty of money. We mainly had all of our money as we had no outlet to spend it, until we were discharged from the Army. But the bulk of our money came from men thinking that everyone else was fair game to rob and kill. We left quite a few “rob and kill you” type men in the woods or along the road for the scavengers to do what they do. I did not know who they had robbed or killed before they ran into me, and frankly I was not about to go looking too hard for the many obvious reasons.” I said.

“I felt as though I was still at war and that I was fighting for my very survival along with the survival of my entire group, as we were a very large, and slow-moving target.” I said.

“So that is how we paid for what we have. If I went with you I would be just be saying the same thing to whomever you marched me in front of. Now if you choose to return, just know the reception will not be as cordial as I will be alerted to your return long before you arrive back here because you are indeed on my land. Coming back is a suicide mission or at the least very costly loss of life to anyone, if not everyone that finds themselves involved in both a large and very deadly gun battle. So please don’t return with the idea that a large force will change my position or that of Sgt. Rogers. As neither one of us wants to return to Washington, D.C. knowing that we will be likely charged with something, just so that someone of a higher rank in the Army can somehow attempt to save face. Concerning as to whatever happened at the Fort, that neither Sgt. Rodgers, nor myself had nothing to do with. Good day to you Gentlemen, and I truly pray, that you and I never see each other, ever again!” I said to Lt. Clapp.

Lt. Clapp started to bristle up until Sgt. Bass spoke up. “Look I took this mission only because I knew this man and I respected him. I have my discharge papers already signed. I would have willingly accompanied you back to Washington, D.C. but it is obvious that Sgt. Shaft is not about to go willingly with you anywhere. I am not going to get into a shootout where it is obvious that we are outgunned from the start. So I am telling you to your face that I won’t join his side in this action and I am not pulling my weapons either.”

“Mr. Shaft please take me into your custody, until Lt. Clapp has departed the scene. I have enough money to maybe purchase a mount as I am technically discharged already, and these weapons are mine, bought and paid for. I present you with my weapons as my family members are already heading west and will soon be here. I can rent a room for me as well as them when they arrive. I saw a new Hotel that was nearly completely built. We will be leaving for California, as soon as we can get organized to do so.” Sgt. Bass said.

While Sgt. Bass stayed behind, Lt. Clapp and the rest of the soldiers left quietly, without any actions that could be thought of as a threat. I was expecting a return of some sort before they decided that the cost of talking to Buck and me about what we know or don’t know, wasn’t worth all of the potential trouble.

“Do you really think that the Army is just going to go along with your wishes just because you threatened them?” Mama asked me.

“I doubt it, but if I go back with them a jail sentence is surely going to be where I end up. Remember that these are White men that would no doubt be very jealous of what all that we have been able to accomplish here. They are fishing for a way to turn a few hundred missing dollars into all of the money we used to buy all this land that we were able to purchase, somehow.” I said.

“I expect a large detachment led by a General somebody in the near future to arrive here demanding the same thing that Lt. Clapp was just here doing when he was here. They blindly think that a 100 or more men will force my hand! As a former Slave I know better than to get in a room with a group of White men trying to show that they are in control. I will not go out like the Indians that were forced to do as the White greed demanded of them. We have many more weapons than they think we have and all of us have a stake in encouraging them to leave all of us alone. Somebody, or more likely more than one group of people, want to just walk in and try to take over all of what we are trying to build up around here.” I said.

“I want to get a representative of all our various groups right now! I want us to all be ready for whatever bullshit that comes back from Washington, D.C. after Lt. Clapp tells them what all you said and how you acted when Lt. Clapp tried to force you to come back with his group of soldiers.” Mama said.

“While I agree with you about the meeting, and being ready, we also have a lot of things going on to just stop living our lives just because some clowns in Washington, D.C. may or may not decide to return. I will let you set that up, but know this I am through being friendly, because if they return they mean to take Buck and me into custody.” I said.

“I both understand and agree with you and I am sure that Vanessa will feel the same way you and I feel about any return visit by the Army.” Mama said.

“Well Leslie and both of your sisters Dora and Cora are expecting you to make them happy women tonight. As the new bed that we had built is now ready in our bedroom now that the wall we opened up to enlarge our bedroom is also ready. Buck is also going to be a very happy man as his bedroom at his house was also done in a similar way and is almost done and should be complete before he returns from Mexico.

Later that night, I was in our bedroom, and just getting comfortable in the new big bed in our newly enlarged bedroom when Dora and Cora came into the room. Both had undressed and then Dora laid down next to me and we kissed for a few minutes before I turned to Cora who had joined us on the bed to give her the same treatment. As Dora is the dominant one between the two of them I started playing with her, sucking on her huge nipples while sinking two fingers in her pussy. I wanted her pussy good and wet as I intended to drink some of her juices before we fucked. Dora was having trouble keeping quiet by the time my tongue began dancing with the ‘little man’ in the boat. The more my tongue attacked her clit while I was gently rubbing her g-spot, the wilder Dora’s movements, became.

While Dora was cumming for the second time I got comfortable in her saddle and shoved my dick in her tight wet and juicy pussy. I wasted no time pounding her pussy until she climaxed a third time! “Mack please, stop! I can’t take it, anymore!” Dora yelled out.

I manhandled Cora as she is very submissive to me! I forced her on her back with my arms hooked behind her knees forcing her thighs up by her titties. By forcing Cora to make a V for me her tight pussy was completely defenseless to keep my hard dick that was slippery with Dora’s juices as well my pre-cum juices dripping out of the head of my dick and into her pussy. I wasted no time pressing into Cora’s pussy, entering slowly but constant force until I was balls deep inside of my sister. I made sure I man-handled Cora the way that she liked as I began hammering her pussy. “Mack, oh Mack, it feels so good! I wish we had done this when we were younger! I always wanted to be your woman! Mack it feels sooooo good tooo me! I Love Youuuuu! Ohhhhh, awwwww oooooh! I am gooing to cummmmmhhhard Mack!” Cora yelled, out, Cora wrapped her arms and legs around me tightly as her climax hit full force! When Cora clamped her tight pussy around my thick dick I willingly added my hot, thick, and gooey sperm to the melting pot that her hot pussy had become.

Leslie and Mama had both walked in the room unnoticed by Cora, and me as we were so busy fucking each other, but Leslie let me know that before the night was over she expected to be treated in a similar fashion to Cora. “Watching you make Cora get wild has me wet and I want you to do that to me, too. I am so glad you and Beau became like brothers as I never would have met you otherwise. I was never attracted to any of his friends, before you came along. More importantly, I wasn’t trying to be courted by anyone near our home, either. And yes, my best friends were the servants in the house. I hated the lives that my friends were forced to live, but I knew that there was little that I could do to help change their world. And yes, I taught them to read and write with no fear of the consequences, simply because that is what friends do. I was taught to sew and cook, both of with I truly enjoy doing. I was always so standoffish when the menfolks were nearby on purpose, not to be rude, but to insure no harm ever came to any of them because somebody thought they were trying to do anything to me. My friends made this a known fact amongst their family members.” Leslie said.

By the time I had tightened Leslie up, Mama said she would get me in the morning as Leslie had ended up doing what she always did after she laid down with me. Leslie was a true wildcat in bed and I was sure to be scratched with her long nails along my back until Mama put heavy-duty socks on Leslie’s hands that Leslie had sewed herself to save my back. But her screams of passion were enough to make me finish before I was ready the first few times that we fucked. I considered myself to be a very lucky man that Leslie chosen me, because not only is she good looking and smart, but her passion behind closed doors is beyond words to adequately describe in just a few words. And according to Zeke it runs in the family, as Vanessa, her mother, is the same way. Two women like that could kill a strong and healthy man in a few short years! Hell I worry if I will hold up as my other women are trying to be just like her!

Meanwhile, earlier in the day Lt. Clapp hurried to book passage on the next train heading east. He couldn’t wait to get back and make his report on what all happened to him out here, including Sgt. Bass’s actions at the end of the confrontation. As well as Sgt. Bass’s refusal to return to Washington, D.C., to make his report on Sgt. Mack Shaft’s threats of harm should the United States Army return with the intent to take either Sgt. Mack Shaft or Sgt. Beauregard Rodgers into custody to answer to the theft charges. Lt. Clapp truly believed in his mind that they stole all of the missing money from the Post, and that is how they managed to purchase all of the land that they reportedly purchased.

His southern roots will not allow him to believe that a slave could own something that he himself could not have. The fact is that his family wasn’t much better off then poor White folks, and Lt. Clapp told some very convincing lies to end up an Army officer. Those lies had yet to catch up with him because most of his rank came from battlefield action. Lt. Clapp was hoping that an upgrade in rank was in his future solving this mess that had been handed to him. The problem in his thinking is he has no proof whatsoever to tie the missing money to anybody that was at the Fort that night. As all of the evidence did not point to anyone either White or Black, with either a high or a low rank. Plus there was the fact that most everyone who was there that night, whether they were still serving in the Army or not, were now all scattered all over the U.S. map, at this point in time.