Full House

By James Dedman

Life has certainly changed for the "Three Queens" of McNee station. Sarah Booth, Susan Dickson, and Little Duck had all just begun to settle down for their new lives in Colorado when trouble came rolling across the plains from the East. Friends, enemies, and complete strangers arrived in sprawling wagon trains, continuing to change the very dynamics of their lives.

However, there is no greater catalyst than family, and for Sarah in particular it is about to become a very Full House indeed. The arrival of her father and her remaining sisters was bad enough, but how could it compare to the scandal and corruption they brought along?

And what of Trot, the enterprising little donkey who brought them all the way West? Well, for Old Ben at least, his legacy begins and ends with the tale of a particularly wicked deer...

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Dedman
• Release date: Oct 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370016273

James Dedman

James C. Dedman lives in a rural community in the Midwest, forgotten by the modern world, presiding over an empire of various barnyard critters. An avid Civil War Reenactor and Historian, he enjoys researching genealogy, visiting historical locales, and raising chickens. An author of over 20 novels, he has also directed several independent films, a documentary and even a few plays. A Woman of Consequence marks his ebook debut, with more to follow. A practicing attorney at-law in order to fund his research, in his off time he gathers material for his books by making frequent trips to the West. He is the proud father of three girls, all of whom can sit a horse and fire a gun. He must always defer to his wife of over thirty years, however, as she is the one who feeds his horse.

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Chapter 1

Ghosts of Buckskin Joe

Sarah Booth

Fall 1864

Buckskin Joe had been a gold boom camp in the mountains of the Colorado Territory two years ago. Sarah Booth, her husband Tom, her sister Beth Sawyer, her son Daniel and infant daughter Melody had taken their wall tent and gone up there to look for gold that summer. While there they had found little gold-- it had been nothing to warrant staying in the mountains for the winter and they had returned to a little settlement on the plains northeast of Denver. The settlement was called McNee’s Station, for it was the last stage stop on the Overland Stage route to Denver and Squire McNee had laid it out as a settlement. Sarah firmly believed they got out of Buckskin Joe just ahead of a terrible disaster.

Once back at McNee’s Station, Sarah learned there had been a small pox epidemic in Buckskin Joe immediately after they left the mining camp. The little cemetery that she had helped to start with its first grave had been filled with the many victims of the plague that followed. The families at McNee Station who had been there were careful all winter, looking for signs that any of them had caught the infection. The new medical doctor in their settlement had eventually inoculated them all, so the winter of 1862 had passed quietly for them with no pox and no plague in their new quarters, but a constant dread of what might come.

The next summer the Booth Family went back to the mountains, looking for gold again but avoiding their old haunts in South Park. Then once again the family had returned to the plains when the Aspen turned gold in the fall. As before they had been rewarded with only a little gold, but for Sarah it was not the gold she loved but living in the mountains in the summertime. It was Sarah’s great desire to find a place in the mountains that could be their year round home and support their growing mule business. She knew that was what her husband desired and she made his wishes her own.

McNee’s Station now consisted of several substantial buildings. There was, of course, the small shed, which was the stage station. When they were home, Sarah usually ran that. Next to it was her cabin, a two-room affair with a Texas porch in-between. Her husband Tom, sister Beth, and Tom and Sarah’s two children now lived one of the large rooms, which recently had a private bedroom, attached on the back for Beth. This was an attempt to give her some privacy. In the other cabin Tom had his leather tools and equipment for making harness. Behind the cabin were the stock pens where the Booths bred their mules. Tom had his favorite little donkey Trot to breed with horse mares and the Indian paint stallion they had acquired on the way out to Colorado to breed with the Jennies. The result was a number of fine mules produced every year.

Across the street was the growing home of Sarah’s best friend: Susan Dickson. Susan and her husband Richard ran a blacksmith shop, and had two children of their own: Darlene and Sarah. Also across the road, towards the top of the rise, was an inn of sorts that continued to change managements. Next to that was a small cabin belonging to Tom Booth’s young uncle: Michael Dickson. Called Arapaho Jack, he was married to an Arapaho woman named Little Duck. They now had a baby named Susan as well. Arapaho Jack ran a very small trading post for both Indians and whites that happened down the trail to Denver.

On the big hill overlooking the South Platte River was the large home built by Susan Dickson’s father: Squire McNee, the founder of the community. The good squire was building another home in Denver where he was involved in the Territorial government. His son, Patrick, though now nearly 30, lived in the older house now with his wife Mary. He oversaw the farming operations and the whiskey still, which was the largest structure in the station. The still turned out barrel after barrel of quality whiskey, which was shipped to Denver and points west with great financial success for the McNee family. There was a barrel maker next door to the still turning out the large and small barrels needed for the continued production. The still itself was an antique relic from the last century hauled west in a series of stages to continue to turn out quality spirits.

The rest of the buildings of the settlement were spread out with a very large general store about one half mile from Sarah’s home. The idea was to have lots of room between the residences. It fit the prairie lifestyle well. The little town was sprawled out for nearly one mile, mostly next to the roads that intersected there.

A sawmill located about ten miles to the west on a little side road in the foothills was the last piece in the McNee Empire. It had produced all the lumber to build the buildings in the station, the whiskey barrels, and many buildings in Denver. As all the trees near the mill had been cut down, it was now necessary to haul uncut lumber to the mill for processing. There was talk of moving the mill but nothing had been done yet to accomplish that.

Sarah was very contented with her home and her life in Colorado. She adored her husband Tom and her two wonderful children. Her sister Beth was there to help her with them and had actually listened to the advice she had given her about her conduct. Sarah and Beth came from a family in Missouri that most people would have called white trash. Although born in Philadelphia, they had moved to Missouri and had the most shiftless man as their father: Ben Sawyer. Moving west Sarah had been able to break free from that past completely. Her sister had been sent west a couple years later to her and had put her trashy ways behind her as well. In fact, the young son of the federal Judge was now seriously courting her. Harold Garrison was eighteen last summer and young Beth was pretending to be eighteen too. Her true age was two years older, but with Beth acting more like a young girl than woman on the make, she had attracted Harold’s attention and his affections. Harold was reading the law with his father and made no secret of his very proper intentions for marrying Beth someday. They both looked forward to being married in the not too distant future.

It did seem possible that the handsome young judge, Cooper Garrison, might approve of his son’s choice for a spouse at some point. Judge Garrison had married the oldest McNee daughter: Helen. Helen had been a widow but she was a very attractive woman. She had two children from her first marriage and Judge Garrison just the one boy. Susan had told her that her sister was always putting in a good word for Beth whenever her husband brought up the subject. Sarah thought that good enough, as the Judge seemed very in love with Helen and likely to listen to her advice about people.

But Sarah was also impressed with her sister. Beth was so good at helping her with the babies that Sarah was free to tend to the livestock with Tom or instead of him if he was away on business. Further, having Beth around meant there she was always someone to talk to. Today they were talking about the town of Buckskin Joe and the troubles up there over the winter one year ago.

I heard that the doctor you don’t like let his wife die in the plague up there, Beth was repeating the new rumor circulating about Doctor Thomas Amiling and his wife: Martha. Doctor Amiling had come west with McNees and they all blamed him for the death of Helen’s first husband because of a botched appendix operation on the route out. Everyone is saying that it is very odd that neither he or his daughter got the disease.

He said they had all been inoculated, Sarah repeated what she had heard.

Which is why it is so odd, Beth continued her gossiping. They say the doctor was infatuated by the dancer Silverheels and that he wanted to end his marriage on her account.

Well, I heard she disappeared too, Sarah added.

Think she ran off with Simon Sloan? Beth wondered. Sloan was a well-known local bad man in the territory who had disappeared shortly after the dancer had. Neither girl had ever met him, but that did not prevent their gossip one bit.

I think Simon Sloan left Buckskin Joe to avoid being the guest of honor at a lynch party, Sarah declared. There is enough mystery in the whole thing without adding more. Do you know where Doc Amiling is practicing his brand of medicine now?

Some silver camp, Beth continued.

That is fine as long as it is not here, Sarah sniffed. Amiling had a way of showing up wherever they were situated.

Still, his messing up the operation on Miss Helen’s husband freed her to marry the judge.

That is a wicked thought, Sarah observed.

I have them, Beth admitted.

Like what else? Sarah smirked. She too had wicked thoughts from time to time.

The boot hill at Buckskin Joe. It is all filled now with victims of the plague, but we started it, Beth recalled.

Beth was being generous saying we.

You mean I started it, Sarah answered with a long sigh. She remembered shooting Joe Rich, a man who was shooting at her beloved donkey, Trot. That had started the cemetery in Buckskin Joe by burying that man there. He had called himself Buckskin Joe, once upon a time, but it was never clear if the town was named after him or he after the town.

Well, Little Duck may have finished him off with the ax in the head, Beth recalled.

Joe Rich was a very crazy man, Sarah shrugged.

Cynthia told me he was once in love with Susan and it drove him mad when she married Mr. Dickson, Beth disclosed. Cynthia was the spoiled youngest daughter of Squire McNee. She was seventeen this fall, trying to act twenty-one, and one of the best sources of their gossip.

Cynthia likes to talk, Sarah rolled her eyes.

She says Joe used to say a lot of crazy things, Beth continued, giggling as she recalled some of the things Cynthia had told her. Sarah recalled them too but did not think those words should be repeated aloud.

He did. Sarah smiled. They had been very embarrassing to Susan at the time, but Susan and Helen had repeated them all at one time or another to Sarah. Now Cynthia had clearly repeated them to Beth.

Cynthia says if you had not killed him, Richard was going to. Richard Dickson was Susan’s husband.

That is probably true, Sarah agreed. But I did and it haunts me just a little now and then. I killed him with as little thought as I would swatting a fly.

You killed some Indians on the way out too, Beth recalled.

I did. You think it would bother me some, Sarah reflected wistfully. I guess sometimes I worry those things might catch up with me in some bad way. But when I think like that I pray and those thoughts go away.

"I thought murder was a sin. The Bible says Thou shalt not kill," Beth quoted for her.

Murder is a sin. Protecting your life and your property is allowed and it is not the same as murder, Sarah explained.

What about the war? Beth reflected upon the civil war still tearing at the nation. Every news story from the East told of deaths and more deaths. It seemed the country was wallowing in blood with no end of it in sight.

Sarah let out a long sigh as she thought about the Civil War. It is so terrible. I am very glad we are miles from it.

What about the Indians? Beth wondered with a shudder. There has been more trouble lately. It scares me some.

I hope that comes to nothing, Sarah sighed; it was her hope. But over the summer a family within an easy ride of the Station had been brutally murdered: the Hungate family. It had the country all about them stirred up and wanting to make war on the offending Cheyenne Indians.

How far are we from where the Hungates were massacred? Beth asked nervously. Indians terrified her.

They were many miles from us, Sarah lied. There was no point to worrying Beth more. Stories about the wicked Indians brutally killing people in Kansas and Minnesota were everywhere in these times. It made Sarah nervous thinking of Indians coming to her little farm and killing everyone. They had fought off one Indian raid once here and left an Arapaho chief dead on a burial scaffold on the high ground overlooking the ranch. Sarah was glad they had a good supply of firearms and all knew how to use them, even Beth, but she still wished the Territorial Governor would do something about the Cheyenne.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2

A Military Adventure

Zachary Roberts

Fall 1864

The growing concerns in the Colorado Territory over the Indian problems had led for another call from the Governor to form yet a new regiment: the 3rd Colorado Volunteers. Although he had read of the recruitment effort, such a military adventure was the last thing in Zachary Roberts’ mind in the fall of 1864. Zachary was still living in Denver. He had returned from Buckskin Joe at the end of the summer nearly penniless. There had been a plague of smallpox and the town had never quite recovered from the epidemic. The business at his saloon there had dwindled as the gold from the mines played out, so in the summer of ’64 Roberts gave up. He closed his saloon and started back to Denver with the wagon and his two men: Jerry Drake and Arnold Bean, still with him after five years in the Territory. The two whores in his employ had run off with others. His mentor, Simon Sloan, had disappeared to avoid a lynch party after surviving the plague and had not reappeared. Roberts had no idea where he had gone.

Roberts thought with Simon Sloan gone from Colorado he would pick up and run everything in Denver as Sloan once had. But he did not have the true knack for such villainy and only Drake and Bean stuck with him. In the end they moved back to Denver and began to look around for a new stake. In two years everyone in Denver had forgotten Simon Sloan and were in no mood to be intimidated by Roberts and his two rather knavish men.

Zachary Roberts was a chubby man nearly 30 years old. He was not tall and not impressive, wearing a rather sickly goatee in what he imagined to be a stylish manner. His two companions were much lesser beings. Gerald Drake, sometimes called Jerry, was 26 and thin. Arnold Bean was chubby man like Roberts, about the same height and 26 as well. He was the only one of them that ever smiled, but Arnie Bean had a fatal weakness for very young female children.

Once this trio arrived back in Denver, Roberts had to sell the wagon and the oxen to raise money for them to eat and to rent the meanest of shacks for them to live in. That meant he could not leave Denver again. It was depressing to consider that after five years in the gold country he was no better off than he was when they had first arrived. All the wealth he had gotten from murdering his wife was gone. Everything he had done in those five years had come to nothing.

Don’t worry boss, I have an idea! Arnold Bean declared happily, running a hand through his dark blonde hair. There was little hope Arnold Bean had ever had an idea worth considering by anyone, but Roberts had reached the end once again in his life and was ready to grasp at any straw.

Let’s hear it then; I am desperate, Roberts agreed.

I was talking to a man who got his stake out here by enlisting in the army in several different regiments. There was a bounty each time for enlisting and he got paid for each enlistment. Then once he was paid, he would just desert, you see? Three times got him enough to travel out here! Arnie Bean was very proud of himself for remembering such a grand scheme.

But we ain’t back east! Drake objected. Drake was taller than Bean and twice as ugly with a sad, droop eye that made him look more dangerous than he really was. He was very thin and had piece of his right ear missing from an encounter a few years ago when he had met Simon Sloan for the first time.

This fella Lee Cobb is offering a bounty for joining his military company, Bean produced a handbill offering a $50 bounty for enlisting in Cobb’s company of the 3rd Colorado Volunteers.

You know who he is? Roberts scorned the idea at once. They did not and he continued. This is the man who screwed up recruitment for the First Colorado back when the war first started. Also some folks say he murdered his wife and then an Indian woman a time back. He is a . . . as Roberts fumbled for a vile invective, he realized that Lee Cobb might just be like they were. Still, it is only $150 if we were all to enlist.

It is only for ninety days, Bean cackled happily. They can’t do shit in that amount of time. We can eat and see what government property we can steal whiles we sit around on our fat asses doing nothin’. Bean punctuated his idea with loud explosion of gas from his posterior. They had not been eating well and all of them had intestinal problems of one sort or another. Taking this into account, Roberts thought the plan good enough to drift over to Lee Cobb’s wagon store with his two cronies.

Shit, I plan on killing and raping my way through the whole of the Cheyenne nation, Lee, who was very tall, muscular, handsome, and clean-shaven assured him confidently. And, think of the plunder in their camps! Gentlemen, they have hides and they have horses. Share and share alike in my company, men! the big man laughed out loud. Lee Cobb had a gift for talking. He could be very funny and it was pleasant just to pass time listening to him. He loved to laugh and make others laugh with him. Often his jokes were deriding someone in the company and, if it was not you, he could be very entertaining. I ain’t organizing this company to save Denver from the heathen. I am puttin’ together a group to take all the Cheyenne have: horses, hides, and women, he added with a knowing wink to them all. In the end they were enchanted by his big talk and all signed up, getting a $50 bounty each in fresh, crisp greenbacks for their patriotism.

The clothing and weapons provided by the government were poor. Their colonel was a man named George L. Shoup and they were all under the command of Colonel John M. Chivington, who commanded the district of Colorado for the federal government. He had been and still was the commander of the First Colorado Regiment, which had done real service earlier at the Battle of Raton Pass down in the New Mexico Territory. These new recruits did not expect to see any real action so none of the details of command and organization mattered in the least to them.

As the regiment organized they had a free place to sleep, a horse to ride, and regular food to eat. Zachary Roberts was made a corporal and had a nice Colt pistol provided to him by the