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.He counted the men and compared it to the list he had been given.He was about to say something when Captain Skivenham stepped forward and gave the man a second piece of paper and the Yankee looked up in surprise, then shrugged and waved the captain and his men along to the side of the brick building where thousands of rifles and dozens of flags lay already.Case heard muffled sobs from some of the men, overcome with the emotion of the moment and a few had bowed heads in the despair of defeat.He glanced at the onlooking victors and saw one or two had tears in their eyes too.Clearly the whole thing was getting to them as well.Others fought hard to keep their emotions in check but it was a struggle.After all, they had fought long and hard and to see their enemy, which he guessed they respected in the way soldiers do to a fellow soldier, being brought so low and dejected, got to them.Ahead of him a soldier from ‘B’ Company tenderly put the flag against the wall and kissed it before turning away.It was too much and he broke down and was led away by a buddy, wracked with tears.Billy, too, was crying.The young man was unprepared for this.Case had experienced defeat many times and although it hurt him every time, at least he knew what it was like.He hugged Billy and gently guided him over to the wall.The Minié rifle was shown to the Federal officer along with Grant’s exemption order and the officer looked surprised, then nodded and gave both back to Billy who was openly weeping.Case threw his rifle onto the growing pile and along with it went the cartridge case and cross-belts.Behind him Munz silently followed suit and Furlong came next, wiping his eyes.It was, Case thought, one of the saddest things he had ever experienced.The combined emotion of over twenty thousand men experiencing defeat beat the memory of Yorktown back in 1781.That time he’d been amongst the victors, watching the beaten British surrender.He recalled Shiu Lao Tze’s words of wisdom, spoken to him so many years ago.“Life is a circle.”Yes, old friend, life is a circle.What goes round will come round again.Case led Billy away along the rutted earth path, past the rows of Union troops and out of the Appomattox Court House settlement.Now they could go home.CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXThe three men stood around the little collection of crosses, arranged neatly in a fenced-off plot of land.The fence was new but made up of pieces of wood salvaged from the ruins of the farmhouse a little distance off.The newest grave was clear, marked by the freshly dug earth, and the cross, hammered together out of two broken pieces of planking, was clearly written on.Elizabeth McGuire, born Ireland 1832, died Virginia 1862.R.I.P.Case replaced his battered Confederate slouch hat and forced his eyes away from the grave of his girl.Another loved one dead, yet I still live.How many more will I put in the ground yet? He squeezed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.The two men standing there replaced their hats and faced Case.Billy Brady and Herman Munz.Former comrades in arms, now just comrades, fellow civilians.“Well, Billy, Herman, it’s time I was gone.”“Do you have to go?” Billy looked stricken.“There’s a lot of work to do, rebuilding the farm and what have you? You’re welcome to stay and help.”Case smiled, although it didn’t extend as far as his eyes.“No, Billy, its time I moved on.I’ve been here too long and there’s other places to go, people to see.Besides, I don’t fancy much living here what with what seems an occupying army just down the road in Lynchburg.And I’ve had enough digging up the land!”Billy made a half amused snort.“Farming not your style?”“No, I’m a military man, that’s what I’m comfortable with.And there’s too many memories for me here, Billy.Good ones, too, but too many bad ones.Your mom, and poor Liz here,” he nodded at the grave he’d dug, having brought the remains of Liz back from Richmond.It had taken a bit of persuasion, but the help of a priest and a letter from Billy, the next of kin, had finally persuaded the authorities to allow Liz’s remains to be dug up and transported in the coffin Michael White had made especially for that purpose.“But you’ve always lived here,” Billy protested.“You’re needed here still.”Case shook his head.“You’ve got Herman here to help rebuild things, and Rosie’ll be along soon from her cousin’s.You getting married soon?”Billy nodded, his face torn between sadness and joy.“Randolph’s going to fetch her here.He’s going to be studying to become a lawyer in Richmond [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]