Rayborn

By C. R. Shelton

Rayborn is a work of adventure fiction set in the post civil war era. It provides the reader a look into the structure of life at that time, the natural world as it existed, and combines adventure and romance, as the main character must reshape his life following his civil war experience. Rayborn, a former confederate officer, must reassemble his life following the devastation of his home and family in Georgia. Together with a women of his youth, he embarks on an adventure across Georgia and then into the Atlantic and Caribbean to Alabama and then Texas. The purpose: to find confederate gold lost near Fort Morgan Alabama. All through the book runs a thread concerning the corruption of some union carpetbaggers sent to regulate the south and how their greed ultimately, led to their downfall. Also, Rayborn must be guided by his own beliefs and conscious as to the final dispensation of the gold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098328016

Book preview

Rayborn

by C.R. Shelton

©2017 by Charles R. Shelton

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 9781098328016

Description: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Post-Civil War South, Christian

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author.

All persons are fictional except for certain persons or events which are part of the historical record for the civil war.  The person and known history of Major (Reverend) C.I. Shelton is not fictional, but the story events are fictional.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 1

North of Farmville, Virginia

    The early afternoon broke into a thunderous roar of artillery.  Whoom!  Whoom!  The boom of the cannon fire shook the insides of the men along the ridge above Cumberland Church.

    This splinter of the Confederate Third Corps was awakened from much needed rest with a jolt, like many a start to battle.  The deep explosion came from the bowels of the M1841 twelve pounders, lined up just behind the ridge line.  Though the artillery branch of the Confederate army had the fewest soldiers, and admittedly the most hodgepodge equipment, they were critical firepower in nearly every engagement.  Just as important, they were the wake up call to these weary soldiers who had survived till this day, April 7, 1865.  These seasoned fighters had learned to sleep anytime and in all conditions.

    Such were the almost daily thoughts of the Confederate officer in command of this remnant Regiment, Lt. Colonel Cullen Rayborn.  He’d been napping since before noon between two huge oaks just back of the ridge line and out of sight of the church.  He glanced at his pocket watch and noticed the time ‒ 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

    Rayborn’s thoughts ran back to the Academy.      He had only been a sophomore at West Point when the war broke out.  His father had recognized that young Cullen had leadership skills. So, his father arranged through a close friend, then Georgia Senator Robert A. Toombs, for Rayborn to receive an appointment to the academy for the fall of 1859. When the guns fired on Fort Sumter in early April of 1861, he was just completing his sophomore year. 

    As would be expected, this brought quite a stir and a split among the cadets, as they gathered to discuss the Sumter action and what would happen.  But when Robert E. Lee declined the offer of President Lincoln to lead the entire Union army, Cullen decided for the south.  At the close of the spring term, he made it known he had decided to side with the Confederacy of southern states.  He returned home for a brief visit before joining with Lee at Richmond in late summer 1861.  He was immediately commissioned as Lieutenant. 

    His thoughts were interrupted as he viewed the spewing of flame and the resounding boom from the closest of the cannon.  He looked down the line of the ridge at the seven cannon he had left.  The gunners were pounding the Union forces gathered in the woods to the west of the church.  Those artillery spotters have eyes like hawks, Rayborn muttered to his Captain.

    Yes sir.  Your orders? 

    Just as we discussed, Rayborn replied.

    Rayborn looked around the circle of officers awaiting his command.  Captain Wade turned and ordered, Mount hup!  Ready for action Colonel, he reported, as he looked down the line at the fifty-six cavalry men left in the unit.

    Captain Patterson, Rayborn barked.

    Suuh, 

    Take your company around the east and approach the enemy from the southeast along the creek road.  Be careful not to get trapped in the oxbow of that creek.  If need be, ford the creek and approach from the south.

    Yes suuh!

    Rayborn mounted his horse and rode up to the ridge line to peer over. Two hundred and sixty- three Confederate infantry were dug in at the woods line below them in a semi-circle extending from the northeast of the church to the south near the creek. 

    Lieutenant Ashley, take a message to Major Greene to hold the infantry position until Patterson is positioned to the south. 

    Yes suuh, replied the young Lieutenant, as he turned his horse.  He guided his horse down through a wooded draw that allowed access to Greene without being seen from the west.

    Rayborn ordered his detachment in a westerly direction along and just behind the ridge.  Move them along quickly Captain, we don’t want to be late and leave Patterson to have all the fun alone.

    Yes suuh! Captain Wade replied as he turned to lead the column down the back of the hill gradually turning them to approach the Union forces from the northeast.

    Just then Lt. Ashley pulled up behind Rayborn.  They slowed their horses and walked them to the ridge line to view their position.

    "I’ll wager that General Smyth is still with that group of yanks," Ashley commented. 

    Likely, Rayborn replied.  Rayborn’s thoughts went back to the academy.  Most of the southern-born cadets returned to join the Confederate Army and likewise for the northern born cadets going with the Federal forces.  He had faced many of those fellow cadets in the engagements of this war.

    But not Smyth.  He knew Smyth ‒  that is he knew him militarily ‒ from Chancellorsville and Cemetery Ridge.  General Smyth is a good officer, Rayborn continued to Ashley, "who stays with his men and leads them in battle.  He has learned tactics and leadership on the battlefield.  He will not fail easily."

    At that moment, a larger skirmish line of Union infantry charged out of the tree line west of the church.  They were grouped more than they should be due to the constraints of the heavy woods and creek.  Off to the southeast, Rayborn could see Patterson’s men engaging the south flank of the enemy.  Almost from underneath Rayborn’s position, Captain Wade’s company bolted from the cover of the woods to attack the north flank.  The cannon were concentrated now on the mass of blue shirts squeezed into the area just west of the church.  Rayborn could see the battle flag of the Federal forces and what seemed to be Smyth on a huge black horse. 

    Ashley, get sharpshooters up and behind these rocks just below us.  Tell Greene I recommend Payne and Thomason. 

    Yes suuh, and Ashley was off.

    Ten minutes later, Rayborn watched the two Georgia sharpshooters move into position.  He was well aware of their capabilities.  They had grown up only a few days ride south of his own family’s farm. Those boys can surely shoot, he thought to himself.

    Suddenly, the Union line to the north began to break.  Wade’s action from the north was causing a partial retreat of the Union infantrymen on that flank of their advance.  In response to this and as Rayborn expected, General Smyth and his aides turned almost directly north and began leading the men toward Wade’s cavalry. 

    At that moment, sharpshooter fire came from the edge of the woods below Rayborn’s position and he could see Smyth fall from the saddle.  One of his aides grabbed the reins of his horse and the other picked him up and threw him over the saddle as they hurriedly led his horse south and west to the safety of the tree line near their original position. 

    Let’s go Lieutenant! ordered Rayborn.

    Rayborn and Ashley moved down the face of the ridge and followed Wade’s men into battle.  Both officers pulled their swords as they came up on a small group of Union infantry making a charge with fixed bayonets.  A red-bearded soldier thrust out at Rayborn’s buckskin mount, Rayborn deflected the bayonet away just as it nicked horse flesh just in front of his saddle.  The buckskin reared up as Rayborn pulled out his colt pistol and shot the soldier at near point blank range.

    Rayborn looked left and saw Ashley’s horse down and the Lieutenant on the ground fighting for his life.  Rayborn started the buckskin toward two of the soldiers that Ashley was paring with and knocked them reeling, while he shot the other through the back of the head.

    Thank you suuh! Ashley cried as he ran for an emptied horse from Wade’s contingent.

    Almost as quickly as the battle had started, it ended.  The Union bugler had sounded withdraw and their forces retreated back to the west.    Greene’s infantry had been picking off the union infantry from the tree line and with the loss of Smyth the wind had been taken out of his soldiers.  The cannon had won the day, along with the two sharpshooters deployed to the south ridge.

    Rayborn drew up.  "Lt. Ashley, have Captains Wade and Patterson return to the ridge for briefing.  Have them care for the wounded and get burial details for the dead.  Pass my compliments to Major Greene on the work of  Payne and Thomason.

–––––––––––

Two days later, on April 9, 1865,  General Thomas A. Smyth died of a bullet wound to the mouth.  On that same day, the entire Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, operating for weeks without normal supply, was forced to surrender.  General Robert E. Lee met General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse to finalize the terms of surrender:

"…Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate. One copy to be given to an officer designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officer appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside.

    Appomattox lay only a day or two march to the west of Rayborn’s position at Cumberland Church.  On receiving word and in compliance with General Lee’s surrender, Rayborn and his officers briefed the men, prepared the rolls, and led his men to the repository stipulated.  After the arms were laid down, he had the bugler sound assembly.  Under the watchful eye of a young Union Captain and a portion of the regiment to which he was attached, Rayborn mounted his buckskin horse and spoke to his men. 

    Fellow soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia, we are now, it appears, one country again.  General Lee has negotiated an honorable surrender.  You have been granted parole and citizenship.  Malice in this loss is fruitless.

      Rayborn paused and then continued.  You are the survivors of this great conflict.  You are to live on and make a difference in this nation!  So remember well that it is God who made us and directs the affairs of mankind.  Don’t kick against the goads.  Don’t take this loss personally or continue the fight.    God made us from one blood, all mankind, North and South.  It is clear from the outcome of the war and the nature of our parole that He wishes us to live on in peace.  Only God determines the times of living and dying, and the boundaries of the country where we will live.  And so it seems that God desires us to be one nation, this nation, the United States, within the boundaries He sets.  So be it.  So men, go home to your families and live in peace.

    To my officers and to each man in this unit…I want to say…, Rayborn took a breath and exhaled quickly as he held back the tears.  He came to a salute and continued, it has been an honor to serve with you.  You are a credit to your states, to the South, and to this now re-united nation.

      Captain Wade, dismiss the cavalry.  Major Greene, dismiss your infantry and the artillery.  The officers held the salute of their Colonel for an extended moment and then turned and dismissed their men. 

    A huge fire had been set to the stacked confederate armaments.  The soldiers watched the fire from a distance, occasionally hearing the explosion of a charge heated within its chamber. 

    Several days earlier, General Grant had stipulated to his officers that there would be no cheering in victory for we will not revel in their defeat.  They are now our fellow countrymen. 

    Rayborn turned and rode the short quarter mile to Grant’s quarters.  He saluted the General with respect and was reciprocated.  As Grant returned salute, the General said, Take your men down to the quartermaster to receive supplies. 

    As Rayborn turned the buckskin, Grant said to his aide, There goes a natural leader and a fighting man.  To the best of my knowledge, he never lost a battle in which he was the battle commander.  He has a canny way about him, that one.  He is the swamp fox of the south.  We never caught up with him or out-smarted him.  He can be an officer in this man’s army anytime he’s willing.

    Grant watched as the near-starving confederate soldiers passed by toward the quartermaster’s wagons where each received a food packet.  From there these men would scatter across the south from Virginia to Florida and west to Texas.

Chapter 2

Ten Days Later

Stone Mountain, Georgia

This northwest wind is blowing cold for this late in April, said Rayborn out loud as he thought to himself. He slowly looked down from the hill above what was once their farm.  There was nothing left for him here.  Straining to see to the west, but carefully as Union soldiers were still around, he saw the great dome of granite he had played on a child.  It paid to take care so close on the heels of Appomattox, since some soldiers on both sides paid no mind to the peace.  He couldn’t help but think of