Chapter 19

The Following new characters appear in the next two chapters:

Sergeant O'Faolain

Administrative NCO, 5'-10" tall, 165 pounds, 36 years old, brown hair, gray eyes, he had a limp from an old wound when he joined to the O'Connells.

Jeremy Lister

Senior Lieutenant, Finance Officer, 5'-9" tall, 150 pounds, 28 years old, brown hair, gray eyes

Charles Immes

Private, Short but muscular, long brown hair, hazel eyes, about thirty years old

The next day we were very busy. The wagon repairman and his tools were transported to Hickory Hill early in the morning with the rest of us. While he began his inspection of the two wagons, the rest of us started on cleaning spells for the various buildings in the complex. I had returned after dark and cast my strongest personal wards around the third floor and the attic of the main buildings.

There had been only a few bats remaining in the trees outside the house when we arrived this morning. There were a few dead ones on the ground outside the end of the attic where the bats had their entrance. The wards had not allowed them back into the attic, but apparently several had tried very hard to enter it, and the wards had either killed them, or they had crashed into them so hard that they had killed themselves. Our Mage Sisters used a mantra to make the few remaining bats uncomfortable enough that they soon departed.

While the remainder of our relatives worked on cleaning up the other buildings, Seamus and I went up to the attic. It was in a terrible state with bat droppings everywhere and the smell was horrific. We quickly used a spell to open the dormer windows there and then started our strongest cleaning spell. We even used the spell a second time to ensure that all traces of the bats presence was removed before using a spell to repair the structure of the roof, the ceiling joists, and plaster of the ceiling of the floor below.

We left the windows open but checked the wards to ensure that nothing but fresh air would be able to come through them. We even used the air change spell several times to bring cold winter air into the attic to relieve the smell some. It would require some time for the smell to dissipate.

With the buildings cleaned up, my Sisters reminded me about the Administrative NCO (Noncommissioned Officer) whom they had located, and about whom I needed to speak to General Clark. I returned to Fort Henry and changed into my uniform to see General Clark. I had worn other clothing for the cleaning. Arriving at his Headquarters, I was met by the Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Hubbard.

"What do you need to see General Clark about?" he wanted to know.

"I need to see him about having a man transferred to my unit," I informed him.

"What man?"

"A Sergeant O'Faolain. He is an Administrative NCO," I told him.

"Oh ... him! Yes, I will be glad to have him assigned to you," the Chief-of-Staff told me and actually smiled. I had to wonder from this what was wrong with O'Faolain that he was so eager to get rid of him. "I'll have the transfer orders drawn up today. He should report to you by tomorrow evening," the Colonel assured me. I transferred back to Hickory Hill in my uniform after that.

The wagon repairman was just finishing his report to Gwyn when I returned.

"He has indicated that the wagon bodies will require a bit of repair, but it could wait for a time. What cannot wait is the re-greasing of the wheels. All of the grease has dried out and hardened," Gwyn told me.

"Can he do that, and how long will it require?" I asked.

"It will only require a few hours, Major," the man told me, "especially if I can get some help."

"What kind of help will you need?" I asked.

"I have a jack to hold the wagon up but will need help removing and replacing the wheels. I'll re-grease the axles and clean out the hub before we replace the wheel. It doesn't take long," he assured me.

"I'll have two men help you," I told him before calling Wolf and Gerald over who were also in work clothes.

"Give the repairman a hand removing and replacing the wheels on the wagons," I told them.

"Certainly, Mark," they both agreed and went off with the repairman.

"What about the teams to pull the wagons?" I asked Gwyn.

"We can pick them up this morning. There will be two teams of two horses each. We'll need to take a couple of our Mage Sisters to calm the horses for the transfer," Gwyn told me.

"Go ahead and take care of that. The rest of us will see about moving the stored furniture out of the basement and moving what is appropriate to the cabins, small houses, and offices," I told her. "We'll go to Lexington to get supplies when the wagons are ready. Do you know if any of our people have driven a wagon before?" I asked her.

"I don't believe any of them have," Gwyn told me.

"I'll check on those at Fort Jefferson. Surely some of them have driven wagons before, and I need to check on who has reported in there in any event," I told her before Gwyn left to collect Glanda, two of the Mages (C & D) and her Sisters Amelia and Anann (A & A) to bring the teams here from Fort Henry.

I collected Seamus and those remaining to go over the stored furniture in the basement. We cleaned it up and distributed it where it would do the most good. The four desks, that James had mentioned yesterday, went to the offices along with some tables and chairs. The remainder was split between the two small houses and a little went to the four cabins.

Gwyn and her contingent had returned with the two teams of horses by the time we had finished with the furniture. The repairs to the wagons were completed shortly after that. A rather dazed repairman reported to Gwyn when he was finished.

"Captain, we have finished greasing the wheels, and the wagon bodies have been repaired also. I have never seen work done like that, but it certainly went quickly," he reported. Glanda returned him to Fort Henry while Gwyn and I looked to Wolf and Gerald for explanations.

"It wasn't difficult," Wolf said with a shrug, dismissing the entire affair.

"We used a spell to remove each wheel in turn, used another spell to remove the old grease from the axle and the hub, and the repairman greased the axle from a bucket he had. We then reversed the spell to replace the wheel and its locking device," Gerald told us.

"There were some oak boards in the barn and we used them to repair the wagon bodies where they needed it," Wolf explained. "It only required the use of a minor furniture repair spell."

"Fine! Seamus and I are going to Fort Jefferson to check on how many of our new people have reported and are ready to be moved here. Do you two want to go with us?" I asked the two of them.

"As soon as we change clothes," the two of them answered, as they disappeared.

Arriving at the warehouse at Fort Jefferson, we found Sergeant O'Flannagain and Private O'Callaghan there along with the Senior Lieutenant and three other men. They were all startled by the sudden appearance of the four of us just outside of the small office.

"Good morning, sir," the Senior Lieutenant said after calling the other men to attention. "I'm Lieutenant Lister. Jeremy Lister, sir."

"Good morning, Lieutenant," I answered. "I'm Major Mark O'Connell, your new Commander. With me are Captain Seamus O'Connell, my Second-in-Command, and Senior Lieutenants Wolfgang O'Connell and Gerald O'Connell. How are things going here?" I finished.

"Three of the new men have reported in addition to two Officers. I sent the Lieutenants to check on the status of the others," he told me.

"Excellent! Thank you," I told him before adding, "I need two men to drive wagons. Are any of you experienced in driving a wagon with a two horse team?"

"I can drive a team, sir," Egan O'Callaghan volunteered.

"Have you signed out of your previous company?" I asked him.

"Yes sir. Early this morning, and wasn't sorry to leave, sir," he told me.

"I have also driven a team before, sir," One of the other men volunteered. He was about thirty years old. Short but muscular with long brown hair and hazel eyes.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Private Immes, sir. Charles Immes," he told me.

"And have you cleared your previous company?" I asked.

"Yes sir. Earlier this morning," he told me.

"All right. The two of you gather your things, and we will be on our way in a few minutes," I told them before turning to Sergeant O'Flannagain.

"When do you think your Wife and family will be ready to move, Allistair?" I asked him.

"By tonight, sir, I believe, but surely by the first thing in the morning," he told me.

"Good. There are a couple of small houses behind the main house at Hickory Hill. You can have your pick of them. In the morning might be the best time to move you and your family there. It will give your Wife all day to get settled," I told him.

"Yes sir. Thank you," he replied. I turned back to Lieutenant Lister then.

"I or some of my people will be here late this afternoon to collect those who have reported in. We will move those here to Hickory Hill outside of Lexington at that time," I told him. "You are in charge of the men until then."

"Yes sir," the Lieutenant answered. We gathered the two drivers and their possessions, and all six of us vanished when Seamus cast the transfer spell.

We instantly reappeared outside the main house at Hickory Hill with two very dumbfounded Privates, who stared around them in amazement.

"I know that you said that you used Magic, sir, but I never expected anything like this," Egan O'Callaghan managed to say after a time. Private Immes hadn't found his voice yet.

"For now you will be billeted on the third floor of the main house," I told them as Sererena and Saraid emerged from the house to greet us.

"This is Captain Sererena O'Connell and her assistant, Senior Lieutenant Saraid O'Connell. You will report to them for now. Lieutenant O'Connell will take you up to the third floor and assign you an area," I told them. "Return to the first floor after you have checked your area and secured your possessions," I finished.

"Come with me," Saraid told them and led them into the house.

"We located the extra linen and blankets while checking out the various storage areas in the house," Sererena informed me. "Megan and Maureen are preparing some food with Dymphna and Colleen's help. The Mages came up with food, but I'm not sure where it came from," she told me.

"We will need to secure the services of some women to cook, clean the house, and do laundry, but I don't know how we are going to pay them," I told her.

"Oh! That won't be a problem, Cousin," Sererena told me with a big smile. "Jillian is a very talented girl, and she located General Wilkinson's cash box -- all three of them," my Senior Female Captain informed me.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed in surprise. "What cash boxes?"

"Come look, but from what we found, it would appear that the Late General was playing all sides against the middle -- he being the middle," she told me with a grin before taking me to her office in the wing off of the large parlor. Sitting in there on one of the desks from the basement were three strong boxes.

"Where did you find them?" I asked in amazement.

"Jillian found the first one in an alcove in the basement behind some other things. She then sniffed out the other two in various hiding places in the house. That girl has a real talent for locating money," Sererena told me with a big grin before she canceled her wards around the boxes and the locks all opened.

"Spanish gold," she said, as she opened the lid of the first box.

"French gold and British gold," she said, as she opened the lids of the other two boxes. Each box contained gold coins of the country mentioned. A lot of gold coins!

"Good grief!" I said in astonishment looking at it all. "How much is there?"

"Don't have a clue. Haven't had time to count any of it, and I don't know what the exchange rate for any of them are, but there is enough to last a loooong time, Mark," she told me.

"Do the others know about them?" I asked.

"Yes, most of our relatives do and the remainder will shortly, I'm sure. I wouldn't say anything to the people that we have recruited, and you are going to need to decide who has charge of these boxes," she told me.

"You're right, of course. We don't have a Finance Officer because there was no need for one previously. I will need to consider who to appoint," I told her. "In the mean time, ward these boxes so no one can gain access to them or take off with them," I told Sererena.

"All right, Mark," she answered, and I could feel her reinstate her strongest wards around the boxes whose lids had closed with a 'thunk' and whose locks had relocked. We went to collect the new men then before we all proceeded to the large dining room for lunch.

Following the very tasty lunch that our Sisters had prepared, it was time to get back to work and assign tasks.

"I want the two new men, O'Callaghan and Immes, to inspect the two teams and their harnesses, and then hitch them to the two wagons in preparation for going to Lexington this afternoon.

"The rest of us will return to Fort Henry and collect our horses and transfer them and our possessions back here. Gwyn and I will be going into Lexington when we return. The rest of you set up your things in your rooms. Have rooms been assigned yet?" I asked looking at S & S.