Chapter 8: They Sent Bragg Out to Get His Feelings Hurt With Mr. Rodgers

MACK 9

A month or so after Lt. Clapp turned in his report a meeting took place between an aide to President Johnson and a former Confederate Generals John C. Pemberton, Braxton Bragg, Henry L. Benning, and John Bell Hood. The purpose of this meeting was to make the newly freed slaves regret so of these new found freedoms and guide them back into near servitude without looking as though that was what was happening to them. They needed to recruit as many like-minded men from the Confederate ranks to form teams to do this type of dirty work. With pardons for their past crimes allowing them to join the Union Army to carry out this Presidential directive.

“The most dangerous directive listed was to go to Texas and arrest both Mack Shaft, and Beauregard Rodgers for making a detail headed by Lt. John S. Clapp return empty-handed at gunpoint. With this Sgt. Mack Shaft threatening to kill any force sent to bring him back to Washington D.C. Shaft is a former slave the killed a good many of your men if you battled on the same field. He is a blood-thirsty colored savage that needs to be reminded of his place in these here United States. And if he can’t be made to see said fact then he needs to die for being too stupid to see the facts of life.” George Wallace the aide to the President said.

“President Johnson wants one of you to head a group of at least 200 to bring this Black bastard in along with Rodgers. These two outlaws have bought large sections of land in both Texas, and Oklahoma possibly illegally. It is whichever one of you volunteers to take up this task to bring them in. These men are reported to have large sums of money which you and you men can devide up as you see fit amongst yout men.” Wallace said. “I will be glad to drag this group to justice. With 200 men it should be very easy to bring this mission to a swift end and have these men in custody, or dead in short order!” Braxton Bragg shouted out to the entire room.

“Hey, wait just a minute there, Bragg! You ain’t the only man in this room with an interest in a possibly large bank account! Or whatever else may be there to recover of value!” Gen. Hood shouted out.”Well I spoke up first, so I should get this task. After fighting a real war, rounded up a handful of criminals should be very easy. It won’t matter that shaft and Rodgers haver battlefield experience as they will lack enough fighting men to get the job done.” Gen. Bragg said.

“Look I can see that greed is going to rule the day, here. Any bank accounts recovered will be share equally among all the men of these missions whether you are there or not, because we have jobs to do that are just as important. There are pockets of Indians that also need to be rounded up. And some of you will be tasked with cleaning up these groups of men praying on innocent travelers, and settlers. This will free up the regular Army to move the hostile Indians to Reservations, and kill those who are guilty of killing White folks! President Johnson wants to make this country like it was before them busy-bodies from the north began messing the southern way of life, again! “ Wallace shouted out.

With their marching orders in hand these men sought every ex-Confederate soldier they could find along with any like-minded money hungry cutthroat that they happened to come across. Their plan was to take the train close where Mack was known to live and come in on horseback a few days away to sneak up on Mack and arrest him, or kill him if they had to. With a Presidential order in hand, they felt that the law was on their side.

Once word got out from credible sources the ex-Confederate soldiers as well as racially motivated White men showed up to be enlisted in the Union Army forming the redlegs companies. These secret special companies were to answer to George Wallace directly, who informed President Johnson, only.

Would you know how some folks happen to be in the know concerning these Red Legs secret missions, as Anton Jr. was just standing around in a saloon when he heard his brother’s name. He rushed to the camp they had setup to tell his father that they were heading in the wrong direction as Beau did not go to Florida after all. “Dad we have been on a wild goose chase! Beau is in either Texas or Oklahoma as he and slave named Mack Shaft bought huge tracks of land in both states that are close to each other, or all together!” Anton Jr. said. “All this wasted time and effort, to send us in the wrong direction!” Anton Sr. yelled out loud.

Braxton Bragg was very surprised to see an old friend from West Point they were both in the class of 1837. “Anton Rodgers I haven’t seen you in nearly ten years. Have you come to join up in this little mission that I am putting together?” Bragg asked Anton. “Well actually not exactly, but I think we can be of some help to each other, though. Beauregard Rodgers is my son and he has my wife and part of my fortune that I need to see about, plus I would like to get my wife back. If you know exactly where they are I can go in a day or two before you plan to arrive and get the lay of the land while I reunite with my wife. I am sure I can have everything you need to know by the time you get there to make you mission a much easier task.” Anton Sr. said.

“You have understand that my orders come directly from President Johnson, and your son has to be arrested and returned to Washington D.C. to answer any and all questions involved concerning his departure from the Army as well as how he and Mack Shaft were able to purchased all the land that the President wants to confiscate said lands as the land was likely to have been purchased with stolen funds.” Bragg said.

“Well would you at least let me see if it was purchased with my money first, please?” Anton Sr. said. As a West Point man can I have your word that you won’t warn your son that we are coming for him? If you do as you said and check up on if your money helped buy part of their holdings. I hope that you can get your wife back, too. I promise that I will speak to directly to President Johnson on your behalf if you keep your word, and help us bring your son and that Slave to justice. Bragg said. What he did not say was he didn’t care if Anton Sr. got any of his money back. In this new future every man had to look out for himself, first. Braxton Bragg was thinking of how he might take advantage of this situation to his best advantage. And he damn sure didn’t care whose feelings may have to get hurt along the way. So the next day using the most of his remaining dollars to board a train bound for Texas to keep up his end of the worthless bargain that he had made with General Braxton Bragg. Between the three wagons, all the livestock, both animal, and human, Rodgers Sr. was getting uncomfortably close to being in the poor house. Being cash trapped is something that neither Anton Sr. or Anton Jr. had ever felt before in their lives, as each was born with a wealthy father, and both men grew up privileged. To say into words how proud they were of Beauregard becoming possibly more wealthy than any other person in the Rodgers clan before him. Now once pride was thought about, the feelings of jealousy came a close second. And the shame that several generations of Rodgers men would feel about throwing in equally with a Slave for any reason was something neither Rodgers man could, or would ever understand.

Meanwhile back at the 40 Acres and a Mule Ranch as they say Mack and Buck were trying hard to keep their mighty ship on course, both in Texas as well as Oklahoma. “Buck how are you and Rosa getting along? I know Consuela and I are having a good time as we have gotten to know each other. We still have not had sex yet, and I know that both those women talk to each other.” I said. “Mack they both want to be sure about whether or not they are sure of you and me, as well as how well they get along with all of our women. Do you know that all of women shoot together, and each woman practicing how to draw faster. If you are like me you hope they will stop using their fingers on themselves and let us help them out. But Rosa has told me that in the Vegas family when a woman takes up with a man it takes a lot of abuse to make a Vegas woman walk away. And a child makes the bond even harder to walk away from the father of that child.” Buck said.

Consuela and Rosa rode hard to the porch that Buck and Mack were having their chat. “Mack most of the rest of our entire Vegas family will be here in two days or less. They are bringing most if not of the livestock from all of our former holdings down in Mexico. We have some hard troubles from others wanting takeover our ranch, for the last few years. That is why my father was so willing to work with you, Buck after you told him just how big your whole outfit is, plus room to expand even more. There were more than a few families trying to gain through marriage. But Papa has always allowed us to choose our own spouses as we were the ones that needed to be happy with our choices. Many families wanted what we had and felt as though my Papa wasn’t showing them their earned respect because he refused to arrange a marriage to gain a partnership. Papa knew first hand what an arranged marriage gone wrong was like. He was forced to walk away from a small, but growing ranch, because of a cheating wife. His first wife and the ranch foreman told him to leave or die.” Rosa said.

“They had let him leave with his clothes and a packhorse to carry his belongings. Only Papa knew where he hid the money on the ranch, his wife thought that she knew where it was hidden. She had known where a precious few gold coins were buried. Papa had hidden the rest someplace else. While they were digging around to be sure that they had not somehow missed the rest of the coins, Papa closed out his bank account. Papa then headed back to his families ranch, and the safety that the family ranch could supply. So after that experience very few marriages have been made in the Vegas family.” Consuela said. “So for Papa to be coming here something bad must have happened after we left.” Rosa said.

“We sent some family folks to meet them, and help get the distributed among the ranches, both here and Oklahoma. Please say that Papa and some our older folks came here and be with us please? Consuela and I both Miss our parents and hope that you will allow them to live here, or be somewhere close by.”Rosa said. I looked at Buck to guage his reaction to all of this new information that Rosa and Consuela were telling us. “Mack I was with their family for nearly a month, and I must say that I was shown great respect during my entire visit there. Don Vegas had told me that things were becoming difficult as the younger generations of several of the ranches in the area were looking to expand their holdings using both respectful and not so respectful methods.” Buck said.

“Well this is an unexpected, but interesting development. Buck just how welcome did you really feel while you were with Don Vegas?” I asked. “I felt better there then I did at my home Plantation. And not because I was an outsider with no family relationship involved. I worked there doing chores helping out, when I wasn’t looking over livestock to purchase. It was easy to want to help out as I made it my business to help out near Rosa. Jesus was the first to catch on about Rosa and blabbed out to anyone that would listen that I like either Rosa or Consuela. Needless to say that I found myself the butt of more than a few jokes. And you my pitiful understand of the spanish language I had to wait to find out that I was the target of the joke. Though no one could say I didn’t do a good job wherever I pitched in to help out. So when Don Vegas asked me questions I was truthful with him.” Buck said. “Well then we should extend the Vegas family the same level of hospitality that was extended to you then. As the ladies said something unpleasant has happen or was about to happen for Don Vegas to move his entire family up here.” I said.

Rosa and Consuela let out a breath that they may not have realized that they were holding in.

“This just saves us a ride to Mexico to ask your Papa for your hands in marriage.” I said. Rosa screamed as she grabbed Consuela as they began to dance in a tight circle, while jumping up and down. About this time the other women in the house rushed into the room to find what all the screaming was about. When they got their answer, Buck and I got the hell out the way as the stampede of women was was just beginning.

“Dad how are we going to approach Beau? As he may not coward to you like he did growing up, now that he has been to war and all?” Anton Jr. asked. “He is still my son and I am sure that he will show me my proper respect. Besides as you and I both know that they used our money to pay for part of the lands they bought so they will to have to treat us as their partners. My worry is what we are going to do when the Army shows up to make arrests and confiscate all of the holdings. We had best to get a lawyer to get our side heard in the local court. We need to see how big an ooufit they got going on so’s we knows just how much that we can claim my money paid for.” Anton Sr. said. “If it is as large as they said we won’t be able to claim not even nowhere near half of the place.” Anton Jr. said. “With my experience and natural leadership, plus my due respect you have to know that I will be choosing the location best suited to control the entire area around my choice.” Anton Sr. said with somewhat of a nasty looking smirk on his face.

A welcoming committee was hastily put together headed by Rosa and Consuela to meet their family, properly. But the time they were welcomed by their family most of the family from Mexico had been sent to different locations under the direction of Jesus and his brothers who knew what areas were ready for most of all the new livestock, from Mexico. With all the new Mexico families here there was going be some new construction going on all over of both South 40 Acres and a Mule, and the North 40 Acrea and a Mule Ranches. As they were only half a day from the ranch Jesus sent the older folks on ahead so they could rest up. As Jesus needed to think where to best divide up what was left of the new incoming herds.

“Papa come with us we can’t wait to hear why you left a home with seven generations of our family having owned it, until sold it?” Consuela said. “Did you get a new horse Consuela, as I have never seen you riding another horse other than your pet?” Don Vegas asked. “No Papa this is Mack Shaft’s personal horse his name is Trouble. He will only a very select few people ride him. I thought it best that I ride him today to keep him under some control, as he doesn’t like other stallions very much. You will see when we get to the house that Trouble can roam anywhere that he likes. He will want to be seen wherever there are some new mares are around.” Consuela said.

About an hour before sundown Rosa and Consuela led her parents and other family members into the large area in front of the house that she was living with Mack that was in sight of Buck’s house as well. Don Vegas stepped down off his horse to be greeted by Buck. “Don Vegas it is a pleasure to see you again so soon. But I gather your arrival is not just a social visit. Before we get into the reason, or reasons for your visit, I would like to introduce you to my partner and friend Mack Shaft.” Buck said. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Shaft.” Don Vegas said. “Please call me Mack, as my mother would be upset hearing a man a man of your stature address me as Mr. Shaft. She would know that I would address you Mr. Don Vegas, without hearing that I first had permission to call you anything less than Don Vegas.” I said. “Please both you and Buck just call me Don from now on. I hope that my family will be welcome to merge with your multiple operations here, with a 65 % - 35% split of all monies we can make in your favor, as this all of this land is already all owned, bought and paid for.” Don Vegas said.

“My associates and I bring assets to both enrich, as well as strengthen the market you are setting up here, with the railroad building a spur line for you. We need you so much more than you need us. I talked with everyone that came with us as we traveled us here, and we all agreed if you had the room for us to squeeze in we would rather join you than try our luck alone.” Don Vegas said to Buck and me.

To say that we surprised by what Don Vegas wanted to do for the betterment of his family would be an understatement for sure. “Gentlemen, it is much too late in the year to try and find something big enough to suit our needs. So we need to merge with you, and from the whispers that I have heard we are likely to be family real soon.” Don Vegas said. “Don Vegas Buck and I are glad that you approve if your daughters agree to be with us. Buck and I want to know if you are aware that both of us are involved with multiple women already that we will not abandon to be with your daughters?” I asked Don Vegas.

“Yes I am. My respect you two is growing as you came to me like men with great principles about this unusual situation. When my daughters talked to their mother and me, they went speak to your mother’s and your women. When my wife came back to me and told me privately to get out of the way as gracefully as possible to let our babies, follow their hearts. I will forever be grateful to you two that I can do what was asked of me. I asked that you wait a few days to make it look as though I wasn’t happy to go along with their wishes. At one time I was worried that they would never want to settle down and have children. Your unique household will allow them be who they have grown up to be, and be mothers as well.” Don Vegas said.

“Thank you Don Vegas we are both grateful to get this talk over with, concerning your little girls. As far as business is concerned we understand your situation clearly and will be glad to make this outfit bigger and better. You should know that everyone here gets a bigger cut of the profits than normal as Mack and I are already very wealthy. We learned that loyalty is much easier to gain, and harder to walk away from if a person is working for something they feel is partly theirs. How you work with your people is your business, not ours. Also we expect more troubles with the U.S. Army sooner or later. Your people will have to join in if, or should I when they arrive as they will be after all of our property. And they won’t care if it belongs to us, or your people, when they come to take over all of our properties.” Buck said.

When Anton Sr. and company arrived in LincolnVille it took them most of an hour to get their wagons and all their people set up on the edge of town where they were told they could camp for a week or two. Both Anton’s as well as their overseers were upset that most of deputies as well as the Sheriff were Black men. Jack Johnson was a big man and quick as a snake, and carry a big stick. Sheriff Johnson was a former Buffalo Soldier, Johnson and his group take no profits from the ranches as they are well paid to keep the peace in LincolnVille. They are partners with Mack and Buck in the Hotel and the biggest Saloon in LincolnVille. Most of the business’s in LincolnVille Mack and Buck were silent partners in. They tended to finance the building and setup. All of the buffalo soldiers were equal partners in the Sawmill and the Freight and Telegraph company.

And now that the Railroad was completed LincolnVille was truly joining the U.S. map. Believe it or not because of their large land purchase they ended up with 5% of any Railroad crossed any part of their land. Plus free 1st class passage for Beauregard Rodgers, and Mack Shaft and their families. Mack and Buck paid for two sets of tracks running side by side coming into LincolnVille from both the eastern side and the western side of LincolnVille. Several sets of signs telling the engineers to take the tracks on the right side of the single track you were on when a train came to LincolnVille, from either direction. And to proceed slowly to prevent accidents.

With new people stopping in town daily. The shock of seeing black folks owning business’s is new to somebody everyday. Needless to say there is somebody upset at what they were seeing namely Black men with guns. Black men with the power to arrest, and or kill with no worries about being hanged. Johnson and his crew did not look for trouble, but if trouble showed up they dealt with both quickly and harshly. In other words they did not stand around talking too much, or pleading with bad actors. Their motto was the same now as when they were in the war, shoot first, and ask questions later, after they were challenged, or had their orders ignored. “Would you look at how this damn place is ran, Darkies pretending to be lawmen and people allowing this type of foolish shit, to happen? Well it looks we have found out where Beau is, so let’s get our supplies and head out to his place tomorrow. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get to sleep in a bed. As Bragg ain’t that far behind us trying to sneak in on horseback. When we get through taking over, we will be making some serious changes around here. All these Darkies will be out in the fields making us money and letting decent folks take care of the business’s as well as the law enforcement. We may have to send back east for some help to keep control of this whole town though.” Anton Sr. said. “I hope that you are right dad, because seeing Darkies armed with guns, does indeed turn my stomach, something awful.” Anton Jr. said.

The Rodgers little wagon train got a late start the next day as the Rodgers men went to town and ate a big breakfast and generally wasted few hours doing nothing really, preparing themselves for the coming confrontation. Had either Anton been paying closer attention to the street outside the café they would have seen Vanessa Rodgers when she and Lady rode into town with a small group of folks on horseback, and a wagon, and went into the Trading Post general store.

“Let’s go get this shit over with. Beau has never stood up to either of us, and there isnt a Darkie that I ever met that won’t bow down to a real man when he is confronted.” Anton Sr. said out loud trying to sound as though he was more confident then he really was. Anton Sr. and Anton Jr. were both indeed more than a little bit worried about this Mack Shaft person. With what they learn they decided that they wanted to take over the LincolnVille business’s thus taking over the town. Let Bragg and the President Johnson fight over the North 40 Acres and a Mule Ranch properties.

The trip to the part of North 40 Acres and Mule Ranch they were headed to went trouble-free. They also never noticed a growing escort on either side, and behind them. They were met at the front gate. “State your business, please.” a lone rider asked. “I am here to see my son Beauregard Rodgers!” Anton Sr. yelled out. The immediate response saw a rider take off a fast gallop towards the main house. Also about his time the people in the wagon train finally notice that they had plenty of company and all of them were wearing guns both in the holsters as well as in their hands with their long guns. The armed men in the Rodgers camp were entirely uncomfortable with this new turn of events. Their little group was led to an area between two nearly identical large houses.

Anton Sr. recognized his son Beau as he stood up with a 10-gauge coach shotgun in his left hand Mack Shaft came to his feet at the sametime spinning his Winchester rifle making sure the rifle was ready for action as he turned the screw to trip the trigger. “Glad to see you made it out of the south in one piece, unharmed. I was worried you would die trying to protect the family homestead.” Buck said. “I see that you made the most of the money that I sent with your mother. I think I will enjoy being the owner of the business’s in LincolnVille.” Anton Sr. said.

“Buck already has a partner and WE don’t want or need any new PARTNERS AT THIS TIME, OR ANY OTHER TIME!” Mack yelled out. “DARKIE WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU I WILL BE LOOKING AT YOU!” Anton Sr. yelled at Mack. When the bullet kick up the dirt between Anton Sr. feet, he jumped back, and fell, landing on his ass. “Family or whatever you call yourself, if you call me that by nasty name again, I will put the next bullet that this rifle fires will hit you between your eyes! And Buck can assure you that I hit what I aim at! I will apologize to Miss Vanessa and Leslie about your death, but you will still be dead! Mack said in a near deadly whisper that was still heard in the Rodgers camp. “Father, please take my word for it if Mack shoots at your head, you will die.” So if I was you, I wouldn’t be calling anyone around here by that name, that you just said. Just so you know this as it is important, Mack ain’t the only man willing to shoot you concerning it’s use. And nobody will care that you are a relative of mine, including me! Please consider yourselves warned. By the way to get most of your mad feelings out of the way, Leslie considers Mack as her man. So Mack is to be considered to be your Son In-Law, as that is what Mother thinks of him as.” Buck said calmly, to anyone listening to him.

Don Vegas was looking at this whole exchange between Mack, Buck, and these new arrivals. Thus his respect for Buck and Mack, just continues to grow. “What did you just say to us about our sister?!” Anton Jr. yelled out loud saying his first words since they arrived. “You heard what I said. Leslie decided that Mack was her chosen one. Mack wouldn’t accept her until I told him that we were more like brothers to me, thus she couldn’t do any better than him. And before any of you start running off at the mouth, and say something really stupid, just listen to me a minute. If he and I and other Buffalo Soldiers had not bonded like we did, or none of us would be here now. We fought together. We ate together. We patrolled together. We knew before we were discharged that we intended to live together, and would be making our fortune together.” Buck said.

“Now thanks to plenty of White folks that died at the hands of other greedy White folks. We killed all of the folks who decided to become rob and steal types of men, that we came across and encountered along the way, as we traveled all the way out here. We also gained other like-minded people of Red, Yellow, Black, White, and Brown skin tones. We live together with no issues of what the color of a person’s skin is. As long as they want to work hard and be here. I hope you folks can get settled where Jesus will be leading your outfit as he has some men setting up tents for you and your men.” Buck said. “I demand to see your Mother! She is my wife after all, and I will be sleeping with her.” Anton Sr. said. “Father, Mother went to town she should be back at anytime, now.” Buck said. “Well since my money helped buy this place I am entitled to my fair share!” Anton Sr. yelled out.

“Father, not a dime of your money bought this place, or anything around here. We did use your money when Mother convinced your friend Sam in town back home to take your worthless Confederate notes along with our gold, when we damn near cleaned out his entire store when we left home. Of course he charged extra for the privilege because he was willing to take the worthless notes because it was for you. He said that he was leaving as soon as he could sell his near empty building. As for your money it is in the bank waiting for you. And it can be given to you in gold if you prefer. But Wells Fargo has branches everywhere and the telegraph means that you don’t have carry all that weight if you don’t want to. As for my Mother, she may not want to sleep with you. Did that thought ever cross your mind? By the way we used those same tents when we traveled here.” Buck said. “By the way if you are treating the Colored folks as though they are still slaves we will let them know that they don’t have to leave with you when you do leave this ranch.” Mack said, calmly. “The hell you say!” Anton Sr. yelled out. “Father unless you are ready to die about this issue I would suggest that you calm down. If your people want to stay with you, rather then live like free men you have nothing to worry about. But I think we all know how this is likely to work out, though. As Black folks that used to live under the lash you should know that none of the Colored people living here will stand for any type of slavery going on.” Buck said. “These DARKIES that I came with are mine! I bought and paid for them! And they did what Darkies do they fucked and made more Darkies! So they are ALL MINE!” Anton Sr. yelled. “Well I am sorry that not only you said what you just said, and that you feel that way. Let me ask you a very simple question. If you were a slave would you enjoy being treated as a slave, if did not have be tr eated that way?” Buck asked. Buck held up his hand to continue talking. “Even if that life was all that you knew but you saw Black men and women dressed as well as any White folks, would you want to try and live like these Black folks that you see?” Buck asked his father.

“What does that matter as I already own them?!” Anton Sr. yelled at Buck. When your people set up these tents, they talked to the men who delivered the tents. They are setting up their own tents closer to settlements closer to homes. And by morning you are going to find your bought and paid for workforce that has been emancipated will now longer by working for you. Just so you know we freed every Black person that we came across on our trip out here. And before you blame this on Mack Shaft, he wasn’t with me when I returned home, as he, and another separate group as well as my group freed everyone that we came across on our own. So that when we all rejoined one another, that became the policy, without it ever being spoken aloud.” Buck said. “Well since I own part of this place, they are still mine!” Anton Sr. said. “I told you before that we did not use any of your money. The only way that you can claim that we used your money is when we used your Confederate money. And we replaced every dollar that we spent, and we have the receipts to prove that too, if we have to go to court, about how we used your money, and when we used your money.”