[Outlaw, Alainn] Down South in Dixie

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A house servant opened the door on the second knock and stuck his face out to stare James up and down. His eyes faintly betrayed the displeasure he felt at seeing the grey uniform, but he smiled politely all the same. "Yes su', what kin I help you wit?"

"Samuel, who is it?" Caroline's older brother appeared behind the elderly man, adjusting the buttons on his uniform jacket. He peered over the servant's shoulder and smiled broadly when he saw James. "Ah, it's you. Come on in. Were you wanting to see Caroline?" Without waiting for a reply, Charles Jr. placed a hand on Samuel's shoulder to move him from the door and told him sternly to see if Caroline was up and dressed yet. Samuel mumbled something and trudged up the stairs. Charles Jr. turned back to James.

"You are wanting to see my sister, aren't you?" He gave James a knowing look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Mother's not happy with you, you know. She heard... reports... from last night. Running down Main Street?" A smirk briefly appeared on his lips. "Who won?"
 
James strolled into the Hanson estate and stood with Charles Jr as Samuel went up to check on Caroline. James nodded when Charles Jr asked if he had to see Caroline. James looked up when Charles Jr mentioned Mrs. Hanson was unhappy with him. James gave a smug smirk to Charles Jr and said, "You're sister had me beat, but the skirt she was wearing cost her the victory."

A thought popped in to James's mind, "Charles, will you be ridding down to Fort Tipton for basic training with David and myself? We could always use the company." He offered.
 
"Of course I am," Charles Jr. replied with a semblance of annoyance. He had to remind himself that James never acted as invested as the rest of them did and probably wasn't aware of what exactly was going on. "The whole county is assigned to the 4th Virginia Infantry and will be showing up to Fort Tipton for basic training." He paused and gave James a meaningful look. "I will not associate with that cousin of yours, and you should limit your interactions with him as well if you know what's good for you. It's drunkards like him who cause trouble and in ranks, it's best not to be identified as part of that crowd."

Any other advice Junior had for the young lad would have to wait for another time. Caroline appeared at the top of the stairs. She straightened her back, held her head high, and glided down the stairs to the two men looking very much the little lady. Only a hint of the silver chain peeked from her bodice. Dipping in a shallow curtsey, she addressed James with a slight twinkle in her eye, "Good morning, Mr. Garrett. I understand you wished to see me?"
 
James could only nod and give Charles Jr all his attention when he told him not to affiliate with David. "Well Charles, I agree that David is a nuisance and a drunk at times but he is still family and I'm not going to completely ignore family."

James turned to Caroline when she descended the stairs and asked if he had came to see her. "Well, yes I did come here to see you one last time before Charles and I ride off for basic training."
 
"I see." Caroline clasped her hands in front of her as her left cheek dimpled in a one-sided smirk. "Here I am, you've seen me one last time. Good day, James." She turned to head back up the stairs with slow, reluctant steps. In her mind, James would jump forward, grab her by the hand and beg her not to go until he'd talked to her. She would make him work for attention today. It was a just punishment, she decided, for James' scampering off on her last night after dropping the cannon ball that he loved her.
 
James's eyebrows arched in confusion when Caroline turned her back to him and ascended back up the stairs. James put a corny smile on his face and called up to her. "Caroline Hanson, you are bizarre! Here I am, going off to war and all you say is good day, you are the one who is the tease!" He joked. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Charles Jr with a look that said can we have a couple minuets alone?
 
Caroline paused on the step, hand lightly touching the railing, and called over her shoulder in response, "If there's something else you want me to say, then you better have another reason for being here, James Garrett!"

Charles glanced back and forth between the two, amusement in his eyes. Finally he sighed and nodded to James' unspoken request. "Parlour's empty if you guys need it," he said before heading back into the kitchen to fetch his boots.

Caroline fully turned to face James now, her hands migrating to her hips and a playful pout on her lips. "Well, James?"
 
Once they were alone, James motioned for Caroline to follow him to the parlor. Once in the parlor James strode over to a window and he looked out. He noticed David was giving him the "check the watch" hurry up signal. James rolled his eyes and turned back to Caroline. "Listen Caroline about last night I....." He paused for moment, thought about something and spoke again "Let me just ask you this, Do you even like me that way, like a sweetheart, or maybe a fiancee. Or do you like me just as a friend?" He asked, looking her in the eye when he said it.
 
She waited with baited breath, wondering what he was going to say, how he was going to say it, and how she would respond to him. Honestly, she did not know if she had feelings for him. Oh, she liked him. She liked him a lot. He was quiet, nice, and loyal as the day was long, but that wasn't the kind of romantic passion Caroline was burning for. She liked the fact that he was in love with her. It warmed her cheeks just thinking about it. But did she love him? She wasn't sure. Until he began his nervous rambling. Her eyes narrowed.

"You have no idea how to romance a woman, do you?" A frown replaced her pout. "Honestly... first you confess your love on a public street, then you kiss me without asking, then you run off like a coward, and now you're questioning me before you've even made your own case? Just because you've been infatuated since we were little doesn't mean you can treat me like a childhood sweetheart. If you can't woo like a gentleman, you don't deserve to have a sweetheart!"

With that outburst, Caroline dashed madly up the stairs and locked herself in her room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Honestly, that boy!
 
James just stood there, taking the verbal lashing from Caroline.After she dashed upstairs and slammed the door. James took gulp of air to keep himself breathing normally, he stared down at his shoes for the longest time. It wasn't until a knock at the door came and Samuel answered the door. It was David, "Jimmy what's keepin you, we need to go!" David said. James just nodded and looked up at David, "Just give me a minute, alright?" the pain was really becoming bad, it felt like something had been ripped out of him. David seemed to notice this and nodded solemnly. James turned to the stairs and slowly made his way upstairs. He walked over the door that led to Caroline's room. He raised his hand to knock, but never did.

After a eternity of just standing there, James turned and slowly made his way back to the stairs. Before he descended, he turned one last time to Caroline's door and said, "Goodbye, Miz Caroline." a tear rolling down his cheek. He descended the stairs and made his way back outside, David, Charles, Mikey, Billy and the Thomas brothers were already waiting. James mounted his horse and looked back at the Hanson house, pretty sure it would be the last thing he would see.

"Let's get the hell outta here." James said as he spurred his horse. And with that, he was out of her life. "Good riddance" he thought as he rode through the stinging drizzle.
 
Charles Jr. waited a good few minutes for the house to clear before he exited the kitchen and trudged up the stairs to the bedrooms. It hadn't been that hard to guess from the raised voice and slamming of doors that things didn't go in James' favour. Honestly, Charles hadn't expected it to. He knocked on Caroline's door.

"Go away!"

A smile worked across his lips and he knocked again. "Caroline, can we talk?"

Slowly, the door open and one red, teary eye peeked through the crack. "Yes?"

Charles Jr. gently pushed the door further open and slipped into the room. He crossed to the window over-looking the alley and clasped his hands behind his back. "Is that really the way you want to remember things with James, Caroline?" he asked quietly. Caroline leaned against the door to close it and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's a chance James won't be coming home except in a pine box." He spoke bluntly, plainly, hoping to elicit a response from his strong-headed sister besides the current indignation she now suffered with. "If you went to his funeral, would you be all right with those words being the last ones you said to him? Would you be able to live with yourself?"

Caroline hung her head, a fresh batch of tears springing up to replace the already drying trails down her cheeks.

"He's already gone," Charles Jr. continued, "but if there's something you want to say, you better have it ready for me before I leave this morning." So saying, he turned, gave Caroline an affectionate pat on the head, and left the room. She began pacing across the floor. Of course she didn't want their friendship to end that way. She'd die of guilt remembering this morning's exchange. James deserved every word of it. Hopefully it'd been enough to clue him in that he needed to stop thinking of her as a child. They were adults now. But James wasn't around to stew over things for a day or two and come back to resolve things. No, he was gone until whenever this confrontation blew over. It stood to reason that she'd have to take the initiative to smooth things over. Funny how war changes everything.

Caroline sat down at her desk and extracted a sheet of paper and pen from a drawer. Spreading it out, she dipped her pen in the inkwell and began a letter in her elegant hand...


-------
​
Winchester, Virginia, July 13, 1861
​
Dear James,

I am greatly troubled by the way we left things this morning. I let my hurt feelings dictate my actions and for that I apologize. We have always been great friends and it would eat at me to end our friendship on such a sour note. We are both adults now, and as such we need to act like it. I want you to know that I forgive you and that I am willing to forget this morning if you are. You are a dear friend and I hope you always will be. Be safe, and may God bless you.

Sincerely,
Caroline​
 
5 Days Later

James sat on a lone stump around a small fire in the early morning hours. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down at the empty piece of paper and pen that lay in his lap. He was planning on writing Caroline after he got her letter. He was relived that she was still talking to him, especially after that outburst she had the last time she saw him.

James stood and walked back to his tent when the guys around the fire were getting too loud. He layed down on his cot and began to write the letter.


~~~




Fort Tipton, Virginia, July 18,1861​

Dear Caroline,

It is so nice to hear from you. I thought you never wanted to see me after that scuffle we had before I left. I understand that we are both adults and know you have already forgiven me, but let apologize about the things I said.

I have quickly adjusted to life in the army and have even enjoyed some aspects of it. Every we day we train with our weapons, march and practice our hand to hand combat. A lot of the recruits talk big and think they are the best person ever, I know deep down that these people are the most scared to die. Me and the other young men from our town seem to hold our own in training. A lot of the recruits are illiterate farmboys who never even seen or held a gun. Me and your brother always joke that we are lucky that our platoon is even firing in the same direction.

I heard from some of our officers that we will be moving to Pine Bluffs in two weeks, personally,if I could choose when to send our platoon,I'd wait till the war is over. That is how sloppy we are.

Our commander is a Col. Franklin Honeycutt, the same man who was once the only schoolteacher in Winchester. He seems to remember you and me when we were young. I most say, what he lacks in physical appearance, he makes up for in a colorful vocabulary and the respect of everyone around him.

I must get going, we have roll call in 10 minutes and I'd hate to be on Honeycutt's bad side.



Your Friend,

PVT. James Alan "Jimmy" Garrett

​
 
"Dear, we're going to be late for the rally!" Mrs. Hanson never shouted, as it was not ladylike, but she had a way of projecting her voice in such a way that it carried. Caroline frowned as her mother's voice floated through the bedroom door. Her eyes flickered down to the unopened envelope Mabel had just thrust into her hand moments before. She was desperately curious to see what James had said in reply!

"You hear that? You best git a move on!" Mabel scolded her. The maid tugged a parasol off from the top of the wardrobe and pressed it into Caroline's free hand.

"But it wouldn't take a minute to read and answer," Caroline protested. "Besides, you know Mother only goes to these things for attention because Father's gone."

Mabel shook her head while fussing and fuming. "Fine, fine, Miz Caroline. You set down and read that letter of yours, and then you better git. You can write that letter of yours after!"


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Winchester, Virginia, July 20, 1861​

Dear James,

I'm very glad to hear that you are doing well. I, on the other hand, have been suffering miserably! Mother can't sit still now that the house is empty of Charles and Father. Father left a couple days ago for his ship and will be part of a blockade, he says! At least, that's what he hopes to convince the Navy to do. We don't have many ships, but it's the stuffing inside the men commanding them that matter. Father has "stuffing" in abundance, so I have high hopes for him.

I just returned from a rally in the town center. Apparently, the Yanks are going to try to march on Richmond and several of the ladies' groups here have determined to ride out to the battlefield and watch the parade tomorrow! I don't want to go, but Mrs. Pritchard is organizing a picnic with the ladies of her sewing group and Mother refuses to let her have anything to snub us about. The thought of listening to Mary croon about her many sweethearts for hours makes my ears itch! Perhaps I'll be able to get out of it, but I doubt it. I would wave a white hankie for you and Charles, but I'm sure you wouldn't be able to see it with Mary's fluttering around all over the place.

Will you be a part of the brigade that will meet the Yanks and stop them from invading? I know you'll get this after the war is already over, but I wish you well. Be safe, and may God bless you. Go whup those Yanks!


Sincerely,
Caroline
 
James was sitting on the ground, looking up to the clear blue sky, trying to get those terrible images out of his head, the blood, the screams. He shook his head and stood up and walked over to the table where David, Quincy and Joe and some new soldier who the others nicknamed "Shaky" do to his constant stuttering.

He sat down next to David and Joe and pulled out a pen and piece of paper
~~~


Manassas, Virginia, July 22nd,1861​
Dear Caroline,
​
Well, yesterday could've gone better. As you may know, our brigade joined up with 212th Virginia Volunteer Regiment and made our way to the city of Manassas. By the time we got the there, the Yankees had already overwhelmed our Main forces on the left flank. We were sent in that direction by Gen. Beaugard under the command of some brigadier general from the VMI named Thomas Jackson.

The gunpowder stung many of our eyes due to the mass fighting going on. Me and your brother Charles, along with David and the Thomas twins and about twenty from our brigade were able to hold out. Firing on rows after rows of Yankee soldiers was easy. I actually remeber David popping over cover and shooting a boy who looked eleven, maybe twelve in the gut. What was even more incredible was that David treated it as a game, screaming "twenty cents for shooting the little Yankee bastard!"

Eventually, the train arrived and we got the reinforcements we needed, Gen. Jackson had held strong and refused to retreat. We were able to drive the Yankees back and retake the field.

I should probably wrap this up,before I start going on about unrelated issues. Goodbye and pray for a quick resolution to the war.

Your Friend,

PVT. James Alan "Jimmy" Garrett
 
Winchester, Virginia, July 25, 1861​

Dear James,

You have no idea how glad I was to receive your letter and learn that you survived the battle! Charles sent me one as well, though he had to dictate it to a friend of his his since his hand is bandaged up from slicing it on his bayonet. He bade me promise not to tell how he got his wound, but you must know already. I was not there at the battlefield, having escaped by developing a sore throat that morning and begging Mother to stay at home. I am so very glad, for Mary says it was horrendous! Bullets everywhere, men screaming as they died on the field. Mrs. Copenhagen lost her lunch all over Mrs. Pritchard's blue gingham picnic cloth, but that small victory on my part seems so vain and insignificant compared to the victory you won at Manassas. Whoever said that war is glorious must be mad. I see now that we were foolish to even suppose that this conflict could be resolved quickly, but I pray for a speedy end nonetheless. Surely it can't be too much longer before you march onto Washington!

Father writes to us from sea, his ship has been commissioned as a blockade runner. It has been decided that we don't have what it takes to retaliate the Yankee blockade with one of our own. For now we must hope and pray that our sailors can continue to evade the ships.

Be safe, James. I pray every night for you and Charles and Father.


Sincerely,
Caroline
 
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