Chapter 14: Jason

Early August had arrived by the time Jase rode into Milledgeville. The once bustling capital of the state was a prime target in Sherman's march to the sea and it showed. Jase rode to the address of his boyhood home in what was formerly a quite comfortable section of town and tied up at the hitch rack out front by the boardwalk.

The large, ornate door knocker was still there, and on impulse, Jase used it rather than just walk in to surprise everyone. The door was answered by a maid.

Funny, thought Jase, we don't have a maid, never did and sure couldn't afford one now. What's going on here now?

"May I be of help?" asked the girl, politely.

"I'd like to come in," answered Jase, "I live here, or least I did before the war."

The maid replied with, "And just who are you, sir?"

Jase answered with, "I'm Jason Owens, youngest son of the family that lives here."

The maid looked perplexed when she answered, "Well sir, I'm sorry, but no one by that name lives here any more. The mayor of Milledgeville, Mr. Thaddeus P. Kriegsman and his family live here now."

"Oh," said Jase, "Do you have any idea where the Owens family went?"

The maid replied, "No, I just came here three months ago. I don't know anyone locally and I know nothing about local families. I came from Memphis. I am sorry."

Jase politely said, "It's all right, it isn't your fault. Thank you for the information, miss, and good day to you."

Jason retreated to his horses and rode further downtown to the location of the little general store he and his family had patronized before the war. Old man Hudgens was still there, still trying to maintain his little business establishment. He greeted Jase with warm affection ... and sadness.

"Hello Jase, it's been a long time."

Jase replied, "A very long time indeed, Mr. Hudgens, how are you?"

Mr. Hudgens replied, "Not the best anymore, Jase, not the best. Too much has happened, too many changes, and not many of them for the better, either. I suppose you are looking for your family?""

Yes," replied Jase, "I just found out they no longer live in the old house. Do you know where they went?"

"Unfortunately, I do," replied Mr. Hudgens. "Brace yourself, Jase, it isn't pretty. Your poor pa! He couldn't abide the Yankee Carpetbaggers and he fought them tooth and nail. They told him, early on, that he owed an unbelievable amount of money in back property taxes since the start of the war."

"I assume Pa didn't take well to that news."

"Nope, he didn't. There simply was no way he could pay such a sight of money, even if'n he was of a mind to do so, and believe me, he wasn't! Of a mind to, that is. He was found one mornin', a year ago, in the stable yard, shot dead."

Jase then interrupted, "Was anyone arrested for the murder?"
Mr. Hudgens answered, "Are you funnin' with me, Jase? The mayor, the law, and anyone with power is either a carpetbagger or someone hand picked by them. No clues or evidence were ever found, no one was arrested."

Jase responded, "Well, then, what about my stepmother and sister?"

Mr. Hudgens went on with his story, "Jase, that is even more sad. Your step mom died two years earlier in 1864, of slow starvation and smallpox, shortly after that damn Yankee, Sherman marched through here."

"And my sister?" Asked Jase.

"Well, Jase," replied Mr. Hudgens, "a month after your ma died, Josie was savagely treated by some of Sherman's deserter scum and she died three days later without ever regaining her senses. I'm sorry as I can be, Jase."

Jase was stunned and heartbroken and thought, Josie would have been just sixteen at the time. Such a senseless death.

When he could think clearly again, Jase asked Mr. Hudgens, "Did Jesse ever get home, is he around?"

Mr. Hudgens replied, "Yes and no! He got home, but there was nothing and nobody left. The Carpetbaggers had taken over your family businesses and his friends were either dead in the war or not yet back home. After he recovered his senses, Ma and I had to lock him up in the tool shed at our place or he would have gone off killing Carpetbaggers. He said he could no longer stay in Milledgeville. The final blow was when he learned that the Reconstruction government plans on moving the capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta next year."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Jase, "Moving the capital? Why, Milledgeville has been the capital since 1807! They can't do that."

"Oh, I'm afraid they can and they are, Jase. They're the powers that be, now."

"Did Jesse say where he was going?" asked Jase.

"Yep," replied Mr. Hudgens, "at least in a general way. He said he had to go to Mobile and Naw'lins to look up family of two of his men that were killed. Then he said he had heard there was good land for the taking along the Brazos River in Texas and he just might go there and check it out."

Jase replied, "So that's why the banker in Atlanta could not contact anyone in the family, Jesse is out west somewhere and I'm the only one left!"

"That's about it," replied Mr. Hudgens.

"Did Jesse say who the families were that he had to go see?" Jase asked.

"Yeah, let me think some a minute. I think the first one, that'd be Mobile, was Tr-Tref-Treffle, I think. No, it was more like Trevelon. That's it, Trevelon," said Mr. Hudgens.

And the other one?" prodded Jase.

"That'd be the one in Naw'lins," replied Mr. Hudgens. "That name was, let me see now, that name was ... ah, mmm, JACKSON, that's it, Jackson!"

Then Jase said, "Well, it looks like my travel'n days aren't over yet. I'm goin' to have to trail Jesse and try and find him. Maybe we can get some land in Texas and work together. But I have some business to finish here first. Thanks Mr. Hudgens, you have been a big help. I'll check back to say 'so long' before I leave town."

"You do that, Jase," said Mr. Hudgens.

Jase found both a livery to put up his horses overnight and a hotel for his own lodging for the night. He left the cavalry pack horse, Brax at the livery but kept Baylor for transportation yet for the afternoon. After registering at the hotel and leaving his gear in the room, Jase's next stop was the home of the girl he had been sweet on in the summer of 1861, the first year of the war, his first love. Jill and he had gotten pretty serious, or at least what Jase considered serious, going so far as to propose to her before he up and left to join the army the next day.

With long strides, Jase climbed the porch steps to the door of the house in which he remembered the family had made their home. In response to the heavy door knocker, Jill herself answered the door. She did a double take. So did Jase, especially as he noticed the ring on the hand that went to her mouth, her left hand.

"You've changed some, but not too much, Jase. Did you just get back?"

"Yes, I did, replied Jase. May I come in for a moment?"

"Yes, of course," answered Jill, "Please, come and sit. I'll get some tea." Jase sat and waited.

Jill returned, with two little blonde towheads hanging onto and peeking around her skirts. One was a little girl of two or so and the other a little boy a few years older. After they were introduced, they hung around Jill's skirts as she sat down in a chair across from Jase.

Jill began her story first. "I didn't think we were meant to marry. After you ran off to join the army without waiting for an answer from me and never writing once, I was sure. Not too long afterward, I married the banker's son, Jerry Steele, after my parents were killed in an accident. I was widowed by the war and have been trying to raise these two alone, ever since."

Jase said, "I'm sorry about your husband's death."

"Thank you," Jill replied, as she rose and told the children to go upstairs to their room and play. She ushered them to the hallway and then returned to sit beside Jase.

"Now, tell me about you and what has happened since you left for the war."

Jase then told Jill most of his story and of his need to try to find his brother. "I'll be leaving on that search either tomorrow or the next day, as soon as some business affairs are concluded. With the businesses and my family all gone, there is nothing left to keep me here."

Jill said, "I am very sorry about your family too. Your poor stepmother suffered so long. And your sister! That was a real tragedy! She suffered, but at least it was over with rather swiftly."

"Thank you," said Jase.

Jill rose, saying, "Excuse me a moment, Jase, while I take the tea fixin's back to the pantry. I'll be right back."

When she returned, Jill had done something to her hair and no longer wore the shawl on her shoulders. She sat beside Jase again, but this time she sat right next to him, not a seat cushion away.

"Jase, when I said I didn't think we were meant to marry, well, that was then. Now--well, things are different now."

Jase didn't reply, but he did place his arm around Jill's shoulders and looked at her. After a few moments, he asked, "Do you remember the night before I left?"