Back story based on my Grandfather's ,great grandfather's life.
The closing days of the ACW made everyone suffer, especially those unfortunate enough to be south of the Mason-Dixon line. Having refused to participate in slavery, I found that a modicum of kindness towards those new freemen by offering them to be sharecroppers paid off. I had paid the tax to stay out of the draft until one day the cavalry just showed up to round up 'volunteers' for the 27th Louisiana Infantry. We marched off to Vicksburg. Joy. The city surrendered and we got marched to Monroe, Louisiana. Where after 6 weeks of standing around in mud & urine, we got our parole papers, and I got to walk back home.
Everyone was happy to see me back home in one piece. Almost as happy as I was. It was August and time to start getting the cotton picked. Heard that they were rounding men up again to reform the 27th Infantry, Gray's Regiment. Had enough of both soldering and that war. Sold the cotton as quick as we could and headed across the Sabine River for Texas to get out of Louisiana and away from that war craziness.
Got two sections down in Harris County to homestead and started a crop. The neighbor decides his milk cow gave more and better milk if he let her graze in my corn patch. Went and told him that the corn was needed for my family over the winter and to not let down the fence rails again to let his cow get in. The mash would turn some nice coin too. Next day, went over, saw the cow back in the corn patch. [email protected]#%! And sure enough, there were boot tracks where he had walked out and opened the fence for her. Back to the house, and put a ball right between horns. Hitched the mules up and headed out to plow.
Got back to the barn for dinner. Saw that neighbor holding my 12 year son down to beat the tar & feathers out of him. I lost my head over seeing my son's blood flow like all those dead at Vicksburg and he got ran through with the pitchfork to make him see the error of his ways. My wife, Bessie, said that I had gotten plum mean since I came back from that war. The local sheriff was the cousin of that cuss and was making noises about hanging me for killing him.
Again, packed up the family and the sharecropper that followed us there. Told them to go to Arkansas close to her kin while I laid low in the Oklahoma Badlands until the posse stops looking for me. Couldn't go back to stay in Louisiana because that war was still on and they were rounding up whoever they could to fight. Parole papers or not.
But I'll go by myself across tom Louisiana to throw them off my trail to where I'm going to end up. Plus, can swing by the old home place I left in Winn Parish to the sharecroppers to grab an extra horse and some supplies. That Union Army was sure nice in their retreat from their butt kicking in Mansfield to leave a bunch of stuff on the ground. That officer was sure nice about not bleeding on those pistols he had and those boots were purt near new too! Grabbed some supplies from the old house place. Leaving a second time wasn't easy. The share croppers were making a go at it but between the bushwhackers and even the Union troops, it wasn't going to be easy for them. But I had to go, else someone would talk for 20 pieces of silver. 'Cause times were tough.
So, here I am, north of Perryville(now McAlester), OK and waiting on things to cool off. Lots of ex-Confederates in this "Little Dixie" area and not mentioning not going back to the 27th to them. They obviously ain't got a hankering to go back either it seems too. So, got a lean-to made and can get word to the wife about once a month or so. In the meantime, going in to town occasionally to work enough to barter or buy some beans, oil, & flour. Just holed up here until I can make it safe to the family in Arkansas.
Clothing
Hat - black slouch hat as typical for Confederate enlisted
Coat - square cut late Louisiana capote
Shirt - blue/white checkerboard shirt
Bandana - flower print
Pants - confederate gray wool pants
Boots - brown coffin toe
Weapons
Long gun - 1842 musket - may add brass tacks due to being in Choctaw area
Pistol #1 - 1860 revolver
Pistol #2 - Prussian M-1850 Cavalry Pistol
Knife - Bowie
War Trophy - Cavalry Saber
Shelter
Lean-To Tarp - paint tarp from Lowes
Cast iron - one pot & one skillet
Coffee Pot
Fire irons to hang stuff over the campfire
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