Savannah Bound: A Civil War Romance

By Nikki Stoddard Schofield

Nikki Stoddard Schofield is the author of three previously-published Civil War novels.

Bondage and Freedom, A Civil War Romance is about guerrilla warfare in East Tennessee with a Yankee nurse, Lydia, who is suffering from post traumatic stress, and Brinton Good, a Confederate captain who does his military duties while also caring for her.

Alas Richmond, A Civil War Romance, is about Verity, a Southern belle, and Giles, an Englishman and a Union spy, during the final days of the capital of the Confederacy.

Treason Afoot, A Civil War Romance, tells the story of the Indianapolis Treason Trials in 1864 in Ms. Schofields hometown. Emeline Tanner and Jay Hadley live through those tumultuous times, which resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Ex Parte Milligan.

Nikki is currently doing research on her next novel, Confederates in Canada.

Ms. Schofield is the mother of two sons, Rob who lives with his wife Vicki in Ohio, and Gaven who lives with his wife Christine and three daughters in Virginia. She has five granddaughters, Bridget, Stephanie, Abigail, Gabrielle, and Lily; one grandson, Nicholas; one great-grandson, Gonzalo, and one great-granddaughter, Bella.

From 1974 to 2012, Nikki was the law librarian at the Indianapolis office of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, formerly Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman. Upon entering phased retirement, she took a second job as the Staff Genealogist at Crown Hill Cemetery, where she works on Fridays. Also at Crown Hill, the third largest private cemetery in the country, Nikki serves as a tour guide specializing in the Civil War personalities.

In October 2011, Nikki began volunteering one day a week at the Indiana State Library, Manuscript and Rare Book Division, where she creates finding aids available on the Internet. Many of the items Nikki summarizes in these finding aids are from Civil War collections. This work enables her to read what people of that era wrote and thought, thus providing authenticity to her novels.

A member of Speedway Baptist Church, Ms. Schofield is an ordained deacon, moderator of the business meetings, adult Sunday school teacher, and assistant treasurer. For five years, she served as one of two representatives from the North Central region on the Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship with which her church is affiliated.

As president of the Indianapolis Civil War Round Table for two terms, Nikki was elected for a third term in May 2013. She has also served the club as director for the annual trips, secretary, and newsletter editor.

Ms. Schofield gave first-person presentations of Civil War women including Belle Boyd, Confederate spy; Mary Surratt, Lincoln conspirator; Mary Ann Morrison Jackson, wife of Stonewall Jackson; Helen Pitts Douglass, the second wife of orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Lucinda Morton, the wife of Indianas Civil War Governor; Susan Slater, Confederate spy; and several others.

Ms. Schofield is a member of the Baptist History & Heritage Society as well as a member of the Fellowship of Baptist Historians

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496910134

Nikki Stoddard Schofield

Nikki Lynne Stoddard Schofield, born during World War II, became seriously interested in the Civil War when she attended her first meeting of the Indianapolis Civil War Round Table and heard Alan Nolan, author of The Iron Brigade, present the program. She has remained an active member of that club of scholars ever since. Serving in various offices, Nikki has been president four times. She organized and led the annual week-long bus tour for several years. Stoddard Schofield began writing Civil War romances shortly before her retirement as law librarian at Bingham Greenbaum Doll, a large law firm in downtown Indianapolis where she worked for 37 years. Her motivation for writing her first novel was reading a bad romance novel and thinking: “I can do better.” Nikki set several criteria for her novel. Most important, the heroine and hero must be kind to each other and always together. Two common plot twists in romance novels which Nikki dislikes are the heroine and hero disliking each other at the beginning and having extensive separations. She resolved to avoid these devices in her story-telling. Being a born-again Christian, Ms. Schofield always brings Christianity into her stories. She writes about people during the Civil War such as you might meet in any era, struggling to resolve the problems they confront. At Speedway Baptist Church, Nikki serves as a deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, business meeting moderator, and assistant treasurer. She is active in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, affiliated with her church. As a tour guide at Crown Hill Cemetery since 1993, she has developed Civil War tours including “Treason in Indianapolis” based on her third book, Treason Afoot. Many of the characters in that novel are buried at Crown Hill. Other tours she has created are “Drama and Disaster” and “Tombstones and Trees.” One day a week, Nikki works as the staff genealogist at Crown Hill, the third largest private cemetery in the country. Stoddard-Schofield is a docent at the Indiana Medical History Museum on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital for the mentally ill. For many years, she volunteered in the Manuscripts and Rare Books Division of the Indiana State Library, creating finding aids for the collection. Nikki portrays several Civil War women for various events and meetings. Annually at Crown Hill, she tells Mary Logan’s story of General John Logan establishing Memorial Day and portrays the second wife of Frederick Douglass for Spirit of Freedom honoring the black soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War. Her most recent portrayal is Clara Barton, known as the Angel of the Battlefield. A member of the Buster Keaton International Fan Club, she attends the annual convention in Muskegon, Michigan, during the first week-end of October, which is close to the silent screen comedian’s birthday. Her other interests are reading, gardening, stamp collecting, old movies (especially film noir), and genealogy. Nikki is the mother of two sons, Rob and Gaven, six grandchildren (Bridget, Stephanie, Nicholas, Abigail, Gabrielle, and Lily), and five great-grandchildren (Gee, Bella, Elias, Sebastian, and Aria). Born in Michigan, she has lived most of her life in Indianapolis.

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© 2014 Nikki Stoddard Schofield. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/30/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1012-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1011-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1013-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014908204

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

KJV

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

CONTENTS

Praise For Nikki Stoddard Schofield’s Books

Novels By Nikki Stoddard Schofield

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Chapter One: Caught

Chapter Two: Glory Hawk Down

Chapter Three: Train Robbery

Chapter Four: Reynolds Square

Chapter Five: Building A Prison

Chapter Six: Cotton For Bibles

Chapter Seven: Influx Of Prisoners

Chapter Eight: Arrested

Chapter Nine: Sabotage

Chapter Ten: Raid On The Rising Phoenix

Chapter Eleven: Tragedy At Ebenezer Creek

Chapter Twelve: Soldiers In The House

Chapter Thirteen: Christmas Gift For Mr. Lincoln

Chapter Fourteen: A Child Gone

Chapter Fifteen: Detective Work

Chapter Sixteen: Fires And Ceremonies

Epilogue

Resources

Book Club And Classroom Discussion Questions

Index To Historic Notes

PRAISE FOR NIKKI STODDARD SCHOFIELD’S BOOKS

Renée Bennett, Macon, Georgia—

I am sad to finish one of Nikki’s novels! I say that because the characters have become my friends and I want to know how the rest of their lives unfold. I want to continue my friendship with them. Nikki does a wonderful job of creating and developing her characters and making them real. I am grateful to call Nikki my friend; and so in that way, these friendships continue in reality!!

Raina Cox, Martinsville, Indiana—

When I read Nikki’s first novel, I thought Wow, it can’t get any better than this! However, she has outdone herself with each and every one. I can’t wait to read the next!

Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler, Cincinnati, Ohio—

I finished Treason Afoot. A wonderful read! Keep up the writing! You’re great!

Shannon Soares Madewell, Indianapolis, Indiana—

I have read Nikki’s books and couldn’t put them down. I really like how she gives historical notes. It gave me a different perspective when I was in that part of town. Some endings are not what I expected, and I was a little ticked, but it all worked out. I’m excited to read the next one.

Rev. John Mann, Richmond, Virginia—

Reading Alas Richmond, I am intrigued by your interest in the spy and treason aspects of the War. I find the text to be well written, interesting and informative, especially since I know you said the details are both carefully researched and historically reliable. I’m learning some new medical terms, too. I’ve even looked up the properties of laudanum. Of special note to me is the sense of Christian faith and personal devotion that are being woven into the story line. I don’t know of any other writers (whom I have read) who have done that. The sexual tension and relationships are not so overt as to be dominating, yet not absent either. It is very readable, and I am sure I will enjoy Treason Afoot just as well."

Rev. Gilbert Sanders, Livonia, Michigan—

Nikki’s novels are always interesting and give you the flavor of the time about which she writes.

NOVELS BY NIKKI STODDARD SCHOFIELD

Bondage & Freedom

The story of guerrilla warfare in East Tennessee

with Captain Brinton Good compassionately

caring for Lydia, a nurse suffering elective mutism

and post traumatic stress due

to the horrors she has seen in Civil War hospitals.

Alas Richmond

The final days of the capital of the

Confederacy is the setting for this story

about Giles Tredwell, an Englishman serving as a spy

for the Union, and Verity Scott, a

Southern belle who opened her mansion as

a boarding house. They become friends

as they deal with boarders, slaves, children, and people

affected by the fall of Richmond to the Union army.

Treason Afoot

The Indianapolis Treason Trials

resulted in an 1867 United States

Supreme Court decision. Wounded veteran

Jay Hadley befriends Emeline Tanner

and hires her to work in his bookstore. They become

involved in the dramatic events surrounding the

Knights of the Golden Circle and the

Sons of Liberty which occurred in

Indiana’s capital during 1864.

COMING SOON:

Confederates in Canada

During the last years of the Civil War,

the Confederacy spent millions of dollars

for their secret service operations in Canada,

where the hero worked as a federal detective

and the heroine endeavored to recover

from her life with the Shakers.

Savannah Bound

A Civil War Romance

By Nikki Stoddard Schofield

"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God;

that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled."

—Hebrews 12: 14-15

Dedicated to my readers

who make the hard, lonely work

of writing all worthwhile.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

On a rainy Saturday morning in February, 2013, following the Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Renée Bennett and I sat at her kitchen table in Macon, Georgia, and discussed the characters and plot of this novel. Her avid interest in the three main characters and her ideas about resolving their problems have been invaluable to me as I wrote this novel.

Renée introduced me to her long-time friend, Michael Saffels, a member of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table, who agreed to assist in the editorial aspects of this book by checking the historical accuracy.

Phyllis Walters, who proofread Treason Afoot, agreed to provide her valuable assistance in proofreading this novel as well. Her wisdom and encouragement are appreciated.

Mary Donahue, a member of my church, agreed to proofread this novel, for which I am grateful. Her wisdom and keen eye were a blessing. Having been a Catholic nun for sixteen years and now a Fellowship Baptist, Mary brought a perspective to this story which was much appreciated.

My long-time friend, Martha McDonald, who has proofread my three previous novels, read this draft and gave her valuable advice, as always.

Gerald Jones, past president of the Indianapolis Civil War Round Table and president of the Madison County Civil War Round Table, gave me valuable assistance in understanding the workings of black powder and explosive devices. John Gilmore gave me information about Civil War money.

Carolyn and James Cubbedge provided information about Sherman’s army invading their hometown of Guyton, Georgia. Carolyn sent me the book about the history of their church, Pilgrims through the Years, A Bicentennial History of First Baptist Church, Savannah, Georgia, by George H. Shriver, published in 1999.

I am grateful to the park rangers at the Andersonville National Historic Site, Christopher Barr and Stephanie Steinhorst, for answering my many questions in a prompt and thorough manner. I could rely on them for accurate information when I was in the midst of writing and needed quick replies. As with all our National Park rangers, they were well informed and helpful.

KC Photography of Mason, Ohio, took the back cover photo of me at a family gathering on November 2, 2013. This is the first book cover picture of me in modern dress. For my three previous novels, I have worn Civil War costumes.

I cannot forget to acknowledge my readers who provide the encouragement to continue writing. When I heard that a reader stayed up until one o’clock in the morning to finish my book because she could not put it down, I felt rejuvenated. I thank all my readers, who keep me at this task of writing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Stoddard Schofield is the author of three previously-published Civil War novels.

Bondage and Freedom, A Civil War Romance is about guerrilla warfare in East Tennessee with a Yankee nurse, Lydia, who is suffering from post traumatic stress, and Brinton Good, a Confederate captain who does his military duties while also caring for her.

Alas Richmond, A Civil War Romance, is about Verity, a Southern belle, and Giles, an Englishman and a Union spy, during the final days of the capital of the Confederacy.

Treason Afoot, A Civil War Romance, tells the story of the Indianapolis Treason Trials in 1864 in Ms. Schofield’s hometown. Emeline Tanner and Jay Hadley live through those tumultuous times, which resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Ex Parte Milligan.

Nikki is currently doing research on her next novel, Confederates in Canada.

Ms. Schofield is the mother of two sons, Rob who lives with his wife Vicki in Ohio, and Gaven who lives with his wife Christine and three daughters in Virginia. She has five granddaughters, Bridget, Stephanie, Abigail, Gabrielle, and Lily; one grandson, Nicholas; one great-grandson, Gonzalo, and one great-granddaughter, Bella.

From 1974 to 2012, Nikki was the law librarian at the Indianapolis office of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, formerly Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman. Upon entering phased retirement, she took a second job as the Staff Genealogist at Crown Hill Cemetery, where she works on Fridays. Also at Crown Hill, the third largest private cemetery in the country, Nikki serves as a tour guide specializing in the Civil War personalities.

In October 2011, Nikki began volunteering one day a week at the Indiana State Library, Manuscript and Rare Book Division, where she creates finding aids available on the Internet. Many of the items Nikki summarizes in these finding aids are from Civil War collections. This work enables her to read what people of that era wrote and thought, thus providing authenticity to her novels.

A member of Speedway Baptist Church, Ms. Schofield is an ordained deacon, moderator of the business meetings, adult Sunday school teacher, and assistant treasurer. For five years, she served as one of two representatives from the North Central region on the Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship with which her church is affiliated.

As president of the Indianapolis Civil War Round Table for two terms, Nikki was elected for a third term in May 2013. She has also served the club as director for the annual trips, secretary, and newsletter editor.

Ms. Schofield gave first-person presentations of Civil War women including Belle Boyd, Confederate spy; Mary Surratt, Lincoln conspirator; Mary Ann Morrison Jackson, wife of Stonewall Jackson; Helen Pitts Douglass, the second wife of orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Lucinda Morton, the wife of Indiana’s Civil War Governor; Susan Slater, Confederate spy; and several others.

Ms. Schofield is a member of the Baptist History & Heritage Society as well as a member of the Fellowship of Baptist Historians.

PREFACE

Writing historical fiction compares with no other form of writing. Like any historical work, it requires research. I prefer to study the works of those people who lived through the Civil War, but this is not always possible. As with other Civil War scholars, I have certain writers who are my favorites. My standard source for facts is The Civil War Dictionary by Mark Mayo Boatner III, published in 1959. The well-worn copy sits close to my computer.

The major areas of research for this novel were Andersonville Prison, blockade running, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and, of course, the city of Savannah. Needless to say, I frequently referred to the Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman.

I selected Bristol, England, as the hometown of the aristocratic heroine because I spent a month there in 1995 when I served as a missionary at Bristol Baptist College, the oldest Baptist school for pastors in England. I selected Cincinnati as the hometown of the hero because my oldest son and his wife live there.

The story about a troubled four-year-old boy came to mind as I considered how the war must have affected children. Post traumatic stress was suffered by the young as well as by older people. Although Adelaide and Lanson have plans of their own, they provide a secure environment for this motherless boy. They grow to love not only the boy but each other.

Risking failure in their new roles, Adelaide and Lanson strive to accomplish their goals. She seeks her long-lost mother. He tries to aid his fellow imprisoned soldiers while not getting caught.

Both enslaved and free black people play an important part in this story, just as they did during the Civil War.

Sherman’s arrival in Savannah colors a new picture for the English aristocrat and the Ohio soldier. The changes in the city drastically affect the two newcomers as it does the long-time residents. Unaware of his father’s efforts to bring him home, little Theo adjusts to the loss of his mother and his new life with the loving couple he calls Mama and Papa.

CHARACTERS BY CHAPTERS

In order of appearance

CHAPTER ONE—CAUGHT

Lanson Barrington, hero, born 1840 in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Co. C, 10th Ohio Regiment

Adelaide Draycott, heroine, born 1844 in Bristol, England, daughter of Winston Draycott and Fiona Helwys

Brandon Draycott, born 1802 in Bristol, England, grandfather of Adelaide

Winston Draycott, born 1825 in Bristol, England, father of Adelaide

Catherine Draycott, born 1805 in Bristol, England, grandmother of Adelaide

Fiona Helwys Patterson, born 1828 in Bristol, England, mother of Adelaide, wife of Col. Ormsby Patterson, step-mother of Lysander and Flovonna Patterson

Randolph Quinn, born 1841 in Bath, England, father of Theo

Lucenia Wells, 1841-1864, domestic servant, mother of Theo

Theophilus Theo Wells, born in 1860 in Bristol, England

Floyd, C.S.A. guard at Andersonville

Bernhard Sattler, born 1839, from Goshen, Indiana, Union prisoner in Andersonville

Jerome Bolton, former blacksmith, Union prisoner in Andersonville

Isaac Miller, 1841-1864, suffering from scurvy, Union prisoner in Andersonville

Leonidas Ross, 1845-1864, suffering from tuberculosis, Union prisoner in Andersonville

Female Blondin, famous tight rope walker in England

Samuel Blakemore, solicitor in Bristol, England

Tazewell Nettles, captain of the Glory Hawk

Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788, English painter

Trevor Tympson, clerk in Samuel Blakemore’s law office in Bristol, England

Old Will, sailor on the Glory Hawk

Benjamin Taylor, born 1850, cabin boy on the Glory Hawk

Horatio Ringland, first mate on the Glory Hawk

Ernest Quinn, born 1837 in Bath, England, oldest brother of Randolph

Connelly Quinn, born in 1843 in Bath, England, youngest brother of Randolph

Cynthiana Quinn, born in 1842, wife of Randolph

Ian, imaginary friend of Theo

Ulysses Simpson Grant, born 1822, general-in-chief of the Union armies

William Tecumseh Sherman, born 1820, Union general

CHAPTER TWO—GLORY HAWK DOWN

Dew Drop Brandwood, born 1848, former slave of Josiah Whitlock, changes her name to Dorthea when Civil War ends and all slaves are free

Saxon Brandwood, born 1846, former slave of Josiah Whitlock

Josiah Whitlock, 1795-1864, wealthy plantation and shipping company owner

Simpkey Whitlock, born 1834, former slave of Josiah Whitlock

James Igoe, born 1825, river pilot

Danella Whitlock, 1809-1860, wife of Josiah, mother of three sons

Edgeworth Whitlock, born 1830, son of Josiah and Danella

Sylvesta Whitlock, wife of Edgeworth, mother of Ellsworth and Florida

Ellsworth Whitlock, son of Edgeworth and Sylvesta

Florida Florie Whitlock, daughter of Edgeworth and Sylvesta

Demarchus Whitlock, born 1834, son of Josiah and Danella

Laureen Whitlock, wife of Demarchus

John Bell Hood, born 1831, Confederate general

CHAPTER THREE—TRAIN ROBBERY

Jasper Cleve, a free black, neighbor to the Whitlock Plantation

Oliver Brandwood, former owner of slaves: Viking, Celton, Saxon and Dew Drop

Corporal Henry Murray, Confederate

Dick Richards, Confederate

Alton Jones, Confederate

Hugh Weedon Mercer, born 1808, Confederate brigadier general residing in Savannah

Charles H. Olmstead, born 1837, Confederate colonel who surrendered Fort Pulaski

Herbert Weir, born 1822, clerk at Whitlock & Sons Shipping

Jonas Fawcett, born 1845, clerk at Whitlock & Sons Shipping

Lysander Patterson, born 1839, alias Gates, Confederate deserter, son of Ormsby Patterson and his first wife

Ormsby Patterson, born 1815, Confederate colonel, father of Lysander and Flovonna, husband of Fiona, his second wife

Jesse Colyer, born 1835, alias Greene, Confederate deserter

Trader Northrup, born 1837, alias Clark, Confederate deserter

Fenner Northrup, born 1837, farmer, cousin of Trader

Wyatt Long, born 1848, alias Wayne, Confederate deserter

Clayton Smith, born 1843, alias Washington, Confederate deserter

Axel Trowbridge, born 1841, alias Kosciusko, Confederate deserter

John Reeves, born 1836, alias Lafayette, Confederate deserter

CHAPTER FOUR—REYNOLDS SQUARE

James Edward Oglethorpe, 1696-1785, founder of the colony of Georgia

John Reynolds, 1713-1788, first royal governor of the Province of Georgia

Mrs. Burdine Robbins, neighbor on Reynolds Square

Singleton Robbins, born 1858, grandson of Burdine

CHAPTER FIVE—BUILDING A PRISON

Viking Brandwood, born 1842, former slave

Celton Brandwood, born 1844, former slave

Lewiza Butler, born 1847, slave owned by Alpheus Wright, girlfriend of Celton Brandwood

Simon Lieberman, jeweler

Athens Webster, deacon at First African Baptist Church

CHAPTER SIX—COTTON FOR BIBLES

John Winder, 1800-1865, commissary general of prisoners east of the Mississippi

Dr. Stanley Gryce, physician in Savannah

Hilda Gryce, wife of Dr. Stanley Gryce

Philip Wainwright, agent for the American Bible Society

Orlando Howe, agent for the American Bible Society

CHAPTER SEVEN—INFLUX OF PRISONERS

Alida, maid in the Patterson house

Flovonna Patterson, born 1847, daughter of Fiona and Ormsby Patterson, half sister of Lysander Patterson and Adelaide Draycott

CHAPTER EIGHT—ARRESTED

Lewis Ward, Confederate provost marshal

Tench Brown, river master

Calbraith McCallum, provost guard

Captain Henty, captain of the Blazing Falcon

CHAPTER NINE—SABOTAGE

Alpheus Wright, owner of slave Lewiza Butler

Pierce Butler, Southern plantation owner

Joseph Bryan, slave trader in Savannah

Lawrence Barrington, Lanson’s father

Wilhemina Barrington, Lanson’s mother

Milton Akers—blackmailer

CHAPTER TEN—RAID ON THE RISING PHOENIX

CHAPTER ELEVEN—TRAGEDY AT EBENEZER CREEK

CHAPTER TWELVE—SOLDIERS IN THE HOUSE

Colonel Gustavas Myer, in Lanson’s bedroom

Lieutenant Samuel Keegan, Col. Myer’s aide, also in Lanson’s bedroom

Captain Keith Mason, in Josiah Whitlock’s bedroom

Captain Joshua McLean, in Danella Whitlock’s bedroom

Captain Addison Evans, in the maid’s small bedroom

Lieutenant George Chambers, in the butler’s small bedroom

Captain Nathaniel Trafton, also in Danella’s bedroom

CHAPTER THIRTEEN—CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR MR. LINCOLN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN—A CHILD GONE

CHAPTER FIFTEEN—DETECTIVE WORK

CHAPTER SIXTEEN—FIRES AND CEREMONIES

EPILOGUE

Caroline Barrington, daughter of Adelaide and Lanson, born 1866

Wendell Barrington, son of Adelaide and Lanson, born 1869

Deborah Barrington, daughter of Adelaide and Lanson, born 1872

Garrison Barrington, son of Adelaide and Lanson, born 1875

CHRONOLOGY OF HISTORIC EVENTS

Year of 1864

July 20—Battle of Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Georgia

July 22—Battle of Atlanta, Georgia

July 30—Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, Virginia

September 1-2—Confederate General John Bell Hood evacuated Atlanta

September 2—Union General William Tecumseh Sherman occupied Atlanta

September 7—Andersonville, Georgia, prisoners began to leave for new prisons

September 16—Confederate General Wade Hampton captured 2,500 U.S. Army cattle six miles from General Ulysses Grant’s headquarters in Virginia

October 19—Union General Philip Sheridan defeated Confederate General Jubal Early in the Battle of Winchester, Virginia

November 8—Abraham Lincoln re-elected to the presidency for a second term

November 16—General Sherman began his march through Georgia

November 23—General Sherman’s troops captured Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia

November 30—Union General John Schofield defeated General John Bell Hood at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee

December 3—Blacks were stranded at Ebenezer Creek near Springfield, Georgia, when Union General Jefferson Columbus Davis ordered the pontoon bridge cut loose

December 13—General Sherman’s army captured Fort McAllister guarding Savannah, Georgia

December 15-16—Union General George Henry Thomas defeated General Hood at the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee

December 17—General Sherman sent General William Hardee a surrender demand, which Hardee rejected.

December 20—General Hardee quietly withdrew Confederate troops from Savannah, Georgia

December 21—General Sherman’s federal army occupied Savannah, Georgia

Year of 1865

January 10—Five hundred black children attended school for the first time in the converted Bryan Slave Market

January 16—General Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15 setting aside an area for the exclusive settlement of former slaves

January 21—General Sherman left Savannah by steamer for Beaufort, South Carolina

January 27-28—Confederate arsenal exploded and 125 wooden tenements in downtown Savannah burned

January 31—United States House of Representatives passed the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery

February 1—General Sherman’s army began a march through the Carolinas

February 6—Confederate President Jefferson Finis Davis appointed Robert Edward Lee as general in chief of all Confederate forces

February 17—General Sherman’s troops occupied Columbia, South Carolina

March 4—President Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address

March 13—President Davis signed a law authorizing the enlistment of slaves as soldiers

March 19-20—The Western armies fought their last major battle at Bentonville, North Carolina, and the Confederates retreated

April 2-3—Confederates evacuated Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy

April 3—Union troops captured Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia

April 9—General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

April 15—President Lincoln died in Washington, D.C.

April 22—Savannah citizens attended an outdoor memorial rally for the martyred President of the United States

CHAPTER ONE

CAUGHT

Wherein Lanson Barrington is captured;

Adelaide Draycott discovers gambling debts; and

Randolph Quinn is observed leaving Lucenia’s cottage.

O n Tuesday, July 19, 1864, while on a reconnaissance mission to locate the enemy, Lanson Barrington, Company C, 10 th Ohio Regiment, succeeded. He found six Confederates but only after they found and captured him near Peachtree Creek, directly north of Atlanta, Georgia.

Gotcha now, Billy Yank! shouted one of the Southerners as he pulled the Enfield rifle off Lanson’s muscular, blue-clad shoulder.

Another Confederate kicked Lanson in the ankle and yelled, March that away!

As Rebels snatched his leather cartridge box and belt, Lanson’s dark eyes glanced around, looking for a way of escape or the sight of his two comrades. His enemies surrounded him. He saw neither of his friends. A gun barrel poked him in his back.

No way to escape. Not now, at least, Lanson thought.

Got any food on you? asked the soldier searching Lanson’s cartridge box. Cheese maybe?

No food, said Lanson. I didn’t expect to be gone long.

Guess we fooled you.

Sure could use a piece of cheese.

Quit talkin’ of food, will yah?

Appears like you blue bellies get fed regular.

The captors noticed Lanson’s healthy appearance, unlike their bone-thin frames. At five feet ten inches in height, Lanson Barrington weighed 170 pounds. He had a broad chest, narrow hips, and well-muscled legs. Lanson saw that these six men were lean, tanned, and dirty. Their mismatched uniforms hung on them like scarecrow attire. By contrast, Lanson’s blue trousers and jacket looked new.

Trade you boots, said one of the Confederates.

In the next instant, they knocked Lanson to the ground, stripped him of his boots and socks, threw a battered-up pair of brogans at him, and shouted, Put ’em on and get movin’.

At least they didn’t steal my New Testament, thought Lanson as he sat on the ground to wedge his feet into the shoes which were exactly the same for right and left feet. He could feel the small book in the inside front pocket of his jacket. An agent with the American Bible Society gave it to him when he enlisted, and he treasured the volume.

When they reached the Confederate pickets, the man holding the gun at Lanson’s back shouted, Got another one here for Camp Sumter!

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On that same day, in Bristol, England, Adelaide Draycott stared at the pile of papers on the desk in the library of her home on the south side of Queen Square. Begun in 1699, this earliest square in Bristol comprised seven acres and had an impressive equestrian bronze statue amid its grassy lawn. On most days, Adelaide took a stroll on Queen Square but not today. Today, she was searching for her father’s will.

Still grieving over the sudden deaths of her parents in a carriage accident, Adelaide resolved to search for the document which the family’s attorney said he needed to settle the estate. Unlocking a desk drawer, she removed a handful of loose papers which had been stuffed haphazardly into the small space. Adelaide expected to find more documents from her father’s business, which was shipping and operating warehouses. Instead she was shocked by what she discovered. Paper after paper testified to gambling debts. There were several dozen. Each paper was a copy of an I.O.U. signed by Brandon Draycott, her father. Realizing that she had been holding her breath, Adelaide let out a deep sigh.

Oh, Father, why did you do this? Gambling! I never knew. Surely, Mother never knew. Dear me! How can I ever pay these debts?

Adelaide knew that her father went out to his club many evenings a week. She recognized names of prominent men to whom these debts were owed. The dates covered several years. She added the amounts in her head until she reached a thousand pounds and ceased counting. Instead, she pawed out the remaining single papers and stuffed them all into a large envelope. With the debt notices out of the drawer, she saw a manila envelope marked Adelaide. It was alone in the bottom of the drawer.

What is this? she said aloud as she retrieved the thick paper file tied with linen bands.

An hour later, Adelaide sat back in the large chair, closed her eyes, and allowed the tears to flow.

How could they have done this to me? Why didn’t they tell me I was not their daughter? Why did they deceive me?

Beside the empty envelope were the letters it had concealed. They were organized in chronological order, one letter from each year since she was born. The dates were all the same, June 3rd, her birthday. The signatures were all the same, your loving mother, Fiona Helwys.

Fiona Helwys, my mother, a stranger.

But more shocking still was the identity of her father. When she first saw the name in her mother’s neat handwriting, Adelaide gasped. Winston Draycott! Winston, the beloved son of Brandon and Catherine Draycott, now in their graves. Winston, whom Adelaide always believed was her brother.

My parents were my grandparents. My brother was my father. Oh, can this be true? Am I dreaming? Is this just a nightmare?

Adelaide sat motionless as she attempted to clear her mind, to assure herself that she was awake and these papers on the desk were real.

What am I to do? The answer flashed into her thoughts. Find my real mother? Where? Savannah, Georgia. Where is that?

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Thirteen miles southeast of Bristol, Bath was a fashionable city with hot water springs where Romans built a temple and a health hydro. On Guinea Lane, on the north side of Bath, Randolph Quinn went to the front door of the cottage where he had spent the night with Lucenia Wells. Usually, when Randolph stayed the night, he left before dawn so no one would see him. However, he had arrived after midnight due to a late-night meeting at the York Street Bank. Having slept late, Randolph was in a hurry to be away before being observed.

The egg woman arrived at the time of Randolph’s departure. The old woman saw Mr. Quinn kiss Lucenia before he turned from the doorway and walked down the lane. The egg woman hid behind a bush. As soon as the man was gone, she hurried to the Wells’ cottage to confront the pretty young woman who lived there with her little boy, Theophilus.

Before the day was out, the egg woman spread her gossip as far as she could on her egg route. From those houses, news of Mr. Quinn’s nighttime visit to the young Widow Wells reached members of her church, Hay Hill Methodist. By late afternoon, the pastor, his wife and two deacons confronted the supposed widow, who had never been married.

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Three days later, Lanson Barrington passed through the double wooden gates of Camp Sumter, known as Andersonville Prison, in southwest central Georgia. The prisoner of war stockade was named in honor of the first Confederate victory in Charleston Harbor where the federal troops surrendered Fort Sumter to Southern forces. Location of the prison was selected because of its proximity to Station Number 8 on the Georgia Southwestern Railroad, abundant food supply, and slave labor. Anderson Station consisted of six buildings on the west side of the train tracks.

What a shabby village. Who would ever want to live here?