Caught by the Blue-coats: From the Ashes

By Amelia Treader

1864, Atlanta has fallen and the vandal hordes of Yankee mudsills are spreading through Georgia on their way to the sea. What is a patriotic young Southern woman, like Mary Cummings, to do? Stain herself dark brown with walnut juice and spy on them, of course. The trouble with walnut juice is that it doesn't wash off. Normally, time would clear Mary's skin, but she doesn't have time. A detachment of union cavalry is on the way to her plantation outside of Covington.

This is the first book in a series of short works set at the end of the American Civil War..

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia Treader
• Release date: Sep 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536531145

Book preview

1864.

1. Uncle Billy's Men Come Calling.

Mary Cummings[1] scrubbed at the stains on her hands and face. It won't come off! Sally, it won't come off! She stained her skin dark brown with butternut juice to blend in with the Negros and spy on that Yankee devil Sherman's army. Now with a Union cavalry patrol on the way to her farm, the stain wouldn't shift. Coarse soap, lye, and hard scrubbing weren't doing anything to remove the deep brown that covered her face, hands, and neck.  She was panicking and her black servant, Sally, who had been her best friend when they were both little girls, was scrubbing as well. She was trying to help her mistress look like what she was, namely 'Massa's daughter'.

Sally finally stopped scrubbing. Miss Mary?

Yes!

There's only one thing to do. Put on more. You look enough like me that maybe them union folk won't notice.

But that would leave the house unguarded and you know what those bummers do to empty houses.

Better that than they shoot you as a spy.

Mary paused, then said, Sally, I don't know what I'd do without you. You'll watch after me, won't you?

Miss Mary, you know I will. They had grown up together and played as best friends until Mary had been sent to finishing school in Atlanta. Mary had even secretly taught her how to read. If 'Miss Mary' had forgotten her whipping from the time she'd told her father that she didn't want to own her best friend, Sally hadn't. Not that it had mattered in the end. Sally was still a slave and Mary still her mistress.

Captain Daniel Patrick of the 23rd Ohio Mounted Infantry rode at the head of his division as they entered the farmyard in the late November afternoon. They were riding a sweep in front left wing of the infantry as the Army of the Tennessee marched out of Atlanta heading for Savannah. Like most of the soldiers in the army, he didn't know where the army was headed. He was patrolling where he was sent and enjoying a fine ride in the country in the process. He raised his hand and had the division halt.

"Lieutenant Jones, this looks like a good place to bivouac for the evening. Get the men settled, and don't forget to set out the pickets. I've been smelling