Uniforms Provided

By James Moore

It is 1861 and civil war has erupted in the United States. Young boys dream about becoming heroes just like the old timers who sat around and talked about their fifty-year-old exploits. Some just dream of a better life than what they have. They lie about their age or have someone sign for them as their parents just to get into the army, the army that would provide free hot meals and clothing. Little did they envision the dire consequences and devastation of what war would really give them in return for their services.

Posters are on trees claiming money to be had just for signing up in the army, which is more money than George can imagine at the time. He sees a way of getting off the farm and finding a better life and, at the same time, helping to support his family through some tough times. He tries to act educated but ends up flaunting it at the wrong time and place. Education isnt just about book learning. Chester Check Penny befriends George and leads him into card games, hustling, and lies. Georges turning point is a card game where he wins a pistol, a pistol that is allowed for officers only, which George is not. Georges obsession with owning a pistol and carrying a pistol almost leads to his demise during the ragtag, motley fleets trip to the South to strengthen General Burnsides part of the Norths Anaconda Plan to cut off supplies.

One friend gets George into card games and a chance to make easy money while another one keeps all of them out of trouble through his military savvy. George discovers that friends are lost faster than they are made during war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524539627

James Moore

James Moore is a professional writer who specializes in bringing to life forgotten aspects of history. His work has appeared in titles such as The Daily Express, Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Mirror and he is also the author and co-author of seven other books including Murder at the Inn: A History of Crime in Britain’s Pubs and Hotels, Pigeon-Guided Missiles: And 49 Other Ideas that Never Took Off; Ye Olde Good Inn Guide and History’s Narrowest Escapes. All have achieved widespread coverage in national and local media.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by James A Moore.

Library of Congress Control Number:      2016914434

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5245-3964-1

   Softcover   978-1-5245-3963-4

   eBook   978-1-5245-3962-7

All rights reserved. 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 permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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.

Rev. date: 10/31/2016

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Contents

Chapter 1    The Call

Chapter 2    Palace Gardens

Chapter 3    The Awakening

Chapter 4    Camp Burnside

Map of expedition

Chapter 5    Cape Hatteras

Map of Roanoke Island

Chapter 6    Roanoke Island

Chapter 7    Weir’s Point

Map of New Berne, N.C.

Chapter 8    New Berne

Chapter 9    The Railroad Tracks

Chapter 10    Furlough

Epilogue

Glossary

Bibliography and Suggested Readings

Chapter 1

The Call

And how old might ya be? the sergeant behind the desk responded.

I’m over eighteen, responded George, holding his hat in his hand and looking down toward his brogans, a heavy ankle-high work shoe. George was almost six feet tall. With his deep-set hazel eyes and his serious facial expression, he always looked older than his sixteen years. His self-respect turned upside down after his encounter with the army’s physicians. The doctor had them strip down and then jump up and down. Then he looked for any tumors. Finally, he wanted to see if each recruit had free use of all his limbs. Directly in front of him, George heard the doctor declare to his orderly, This man is a 4-F. Disqualified.

What’s that mean? George asked another recruit beside him.

Well, if you ain’t got your four front teeth, you can’t tear open the cartridge with the gunpowder and the bullet. Land sakes! What good are you if you can’t load and shoot?

George’s clothing was as mixed as his emotions from his store-bought pants to the ruffled shirt his sister had made for him.

Well, you’re in, the sergeant said. Now wait outside with the others.

In the waiting area, a freckled red-haired boy whistled through the gap in his front teeth as he approached George. Did it work? he asked.

I suppose, George said as he took off a brogan and pulled the paper out with the number eighteen written on it.

Name’s William Baker. What’s yours?

George Everson.

Ya see, William continued, "you weren’t really telling a lie. You were over eighteen. Leastwise, you were standing over it when you put that there piece of paper in your shoe with the number eighteen on it."

Well, I guess. If they find out, then what will they do? George pondered, passing his fingers through his full, curly black hair, his hat still in his other hand.

Kick us out, I reckon. Nevertheless, no one will unless we tell someone we’re only sixteen. I sure do want to get into the mess of this fray, William declared.

George agreed. He wanted to get into the war too. He couldn’t remember when he had not been behind a plow. When he had seen the announcement in the local newspaper the fever began.

MORE VOLUNTEERS ACCEPTED.

GENERAL BURNSIDE’S COAST DIVISION to which GENERAL RENO’S brigade is attached. The Fifty-first NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS commanded by that excellent officer, COLONEL WILLIAM FERRERO.

A grand opportunity is afforded for patriotic persons to enlist in the service of their country under the command of as able officers as the country has yet furnished.

UNIFORMS ALSO PROVIDED.

George had continued reading, thinking about Sarah and Jane, his sisters, and his brother, John. He thought about his last conversation with his father, who was the volunteer preacher for the area. Money was hard to come by for the family, and times were tough. Offerings and collections were never enough to support a full-time preacher.

You’re not old enough, son, his father’s words still echoed in his mind. George felt he had to do something, but he simply could not see himself behind a plow for the rest of his life. He wanted something different. He wanted to contribute to his family another way. There had to be an opportunity to lift himself out of the farm. At the same time, he wanted to experience new adventures. Something was out there besides boring farm life.

It was now up to George Everson to make a difference. The fever was at a high pitch when he read the note attached at the bottom.

$578.00 for twenty-one months of service.

$252.00 state aid for families of four.

$830.50 and short service and

$125.00 cash in hand.

—September 12, 1861

How that money would help, he pondered. The excitement stirred in his head. He would never see this much money so fast on the farm. Maybe, he thought, with over a thousand dollars, I could get into a nice school and get to study all those great books and authors I’ve been hearing about. Maybe become a lawyer, doctor, anything but farming. Maybe I could send my brother to a nice college. The only problem was his age. At sixteen it would be impossible to join without his father’s consent, so he decided to do the next best thing. He had learned to stretch the truth a little with the help of a newfound friend. George had not lied. He was over eighteen—that is,