When the bugle blasted the boots-and-saddle call, Jana and the sixty other men of her company saddled up their horses and trotted them from the stable to the drill grounds. They waited for Captain Purdy to come show them how to maneuver their arms in the saddle, first at a standstill and then on the move.
Jana reined in her dapple gray mare alongside her friends on the vast field, which was growing muddier by the minute under a mist that had lingered for many hours since dawn. Beyond today’s instruction, she could fathom nothing else they had yet to learn to keep them from joining the fight. The horses were all tamed, and man and horse knew how to form up in different ways for battle.
Scanning the field of horses, Keeley said, “It’s hard to believe, lads, we’ve had a hand in breaking in every one o’ these steeds.”
With the back of her gloved hand, Jana swiped away the spray clinging to her eyelashes to better grasp the magnitude of their feat.
“I love all the gifts the men gave us for helping them. I don’t have any use for chewing tobacco, but I’ll keep the stamps and soap,” Charlie said.
“I’ll take yer tobacco.” Before any of them could admonish Leanne about her new, filthy habit, she said, “I ain’t much for readin’, so whoever wants the books and newspapers I got can have ’em.”
With fondness, Jana reminisced about their daylong furlough around Washington, awarded to them by the officers for their huge role in helping to get all of the horses tamed. She, Keeley, Leanne, and Charlie had posed for a daguerreotype while there, and now Jana patted the lump beneath her corset that was the silver-plated sheet of copper holding their likenesses and that she’d tucked there for good luck.
Leanne looked toward the bleak skies as the rain began to pick up and said, “I’m bettin’ the officers turn yella and cancel the drill.”
A sudden ominous feeling made Jana shiver. She turned up her coat collar, hoping that nothing more than the dreary weather lurked beneath it. Growing jittery in her stirrups, she wished to finish their training and get on to the battlefield.
Jana’s mare began to prance around as though she too was impatient with the delay and for her next challenge.
While stroking his gelding’s neck, Keeley said, “No horse was born for war like yars, Johnnie.”
Jana loved Keeley’s name for her mare. In his native Gaelic, he’d christened her Maiti for “strong battle maiden,” by the way she’d learned to form up to the bugle calls faster than the other horses and, for that matter, many of the men. And she held her head proud when she pranced into formation and burst to the lead during a charge. Seeing Leanne’s shoulders droop in dejection, Jana remembered her promise to make Leanne feel good about herself every chance she got. Even though she doubted any horse could outdo hers in any way, she said, “Maiti’s lust for battle might put us in a fix, whereas Leander’s horse is too smart for that.”
Leanne perked up in her saddle and, with a nod at Jana’s kind words, rain syphoned off the leather visor of her cap.
“What about my horse?” Charlie asked.
“She’s got heart and listens to ya, Charlie,” Leanne leaped to say.
Jana, Keeley, and Charlie shared winks, unseen by Leanne. Over the past couple of weeks, they’d subtly taught Leanne to give and receive kind words by praising even her small successes. This, in turn, got her praising others.
Finally, Captain Purdy galloped over and got right down to instruction, straight from Cavalry Tactics, recently arranged by U.S. Army Brigadier General Philip St. George Cooke.
Jana swept aside her bad feeling and focused on her practice. Drawing her pistol from its waist-belt holster and drawing her carbine from its saddle boot from a standstill were nothing new to her from her hunting days with Pa. Unsheathing her saber, also dangling from her waist-belt, was a little trickier, especially when she had to withdraw her pistol or carbine and then re-holster them to extract her saber, given only seconds to do it. When Captain Purdy directed his men to replicate the procedure in a trot and gallop, it took dozens of rotations before everyone mastered the technique without fumbling around and dropping their sabers in the mud. By the time Captain Purdy declared that the men had passed mounted maneuvers with their arms, Jana was uncomfortable in her sweat and her drenched and musty-smelling coat.
Next, Captain Purdy divided his company into columns of four. He readied them to draw pistols and charge the straw-filled burlap targets set up at the edge of the woods. But he ordered pistols not to be discharged.
When will he and the other officers cease babying men eager to fight? Jana silently scoffed at his last command. One battle could end the war, and she might never get off a shot at the enemy. She deserved at least one chance for all of her troubles in getting this far, even if only at a Rebel dummy.
While Jana, Keeley, Leanne, and Charlie lined up in that order in their column of four, Jana leaned into Maiti’s ear and felt her soft fur tickling her lips as she whispered, “Let’s show them what you’re made of, girl.”
Bouncing her head, Maiti acknowledged Jana’s confidence in her, which she came to know through her mistress’s tone of voice.
Beads of euphoria broke out on Jana’s forehead as she awaited the signal to charge, and she determined to make the ensuing drill feel as real as possible.
Captain Purdy signaled for the bugler’s blare, then he bellowed, “Charge!”
Without a jab of Jana’s spurs in her sides or a click of her cheek, Maiti sprang out of her stance into a full gallop; her unbridled spirit in the churning of her muscles radiated through Jana and bolstered her excitement.
Sweat dripped off Jana’s forehead and dropped onto her lips; its salty grit dared her to fire at the Rebel dummies. Caught up in the moment, she forgot the captain’s order, and she aimed her pistol, cocked its hammer, and pulled the trigger.
Faltering to the pistol’s pop close to her ears, Maiti’s hindquarter slammed into the shoulder of Keeley’s gelding.
Jana’s pistol and reins sailed from her clutches. Her right foot dislodged from its stirrup, and she was dethroned so that she lay with her ribs banging against her horse. Supporting herself by her left foot in its stirrup, she grabbed for the curved ridge of her McClellan saddle to try and right herself. Her hands slipped off the pommel, slickened by the rain and saddle grease. As she tumbled backwards, she found and clung to the cinch, binding the stirrup boot to the saddle.
Seeming to sense Jana’s plight, Maiti slowed to an amble.
Jana freed her left foot, dropped both feet, and dug her heels into the grass as she glided across it. A searing pain shot through her biceps, and she released the strap from her grip. She landed hard on her right buttock and then slid down onto her back. Squeezing her eyelids tight, she prayed not to be trampled under the stampede of hoofs all around her.
Over the clamor of receding horses, Maiti snorted, blasting Jana’s face with her oat-scented breath.
Jana scratched her chin from the prickles of Maiti’s whiskers, then opened her eyes to find her battle maiden straddling and shielding her from harm and providing her with an awning from the rain, even though it had pretty near stopped.
Gazing into Jana’s eyes shamefully, she grunted with relief when Jana rubbed her nose and said over and again in a reassuring tone, “Good girl.”
To the sound of galloping hoofs, Jana lifted her head.
Captain Purdy, followed by Keeley, pulled up and dismounted. Their boots sloshed through the puddles as they approached her in long, rapid strides.
Though she felt heartened to see Keeley unharmed, Jana smarted with humiliation. Laying her head back into the muddied grass, she wished it would turn into quicksand and suck her in.
Keeley slapped Maiti’s hindquarter to move her aside and make room for him and their captain to kneel beside Jana.
Sheepishly, Jana caught her captain’s eyes, surprisingly glazed over in only slight admonishment.
“Might we interrupt yar tender moment with yar horse to inquire as to yar health, Johnnie?” Keeley said, trying to ease the tension.
“Are you hurt, son?” Captain Purdy asked, his voice resonating his usually kindhearted nature.
Jana wasn’t about to tell him her right buttock throbbed. One drop of her pants and Surgeon Pease would have her booted out of the army. “No, sir, just embarrassed,” she said, frowning.
Captain Purdy twisted his goatee. “I reckon you now understand why I ordered pistols not to be fired.”
“Yes, sir.” Her impatience had gotten the better of her. She knew very well that all horses had to be weaned into the sound of a gun; she’d done it with Commodore before taking him hunting, and Maiti was no exception—even if she was born to carry warriors into battle.
“I’m glad you did it, though. It’s best everyone learn all about following orders now rather than in battle. If I’m to protect my men, I must keep order. Danger’s got to be handled in a planned, not rash, way,” Captain Purdy said.
Jana winced at his words—the same ones Pa had used after she’d almost gotten him shot when she’d unsaddled the slave catcher. With genuine remorse, she said, “I’ll take whatever punishment I deserve, Captain.”
Wrongly attributing her wince to the bruises that he must’ve figured she’d collected from such a fall, Captain Purdy said, “For now, tend to your sores. Next time, I’ll go much harder on you.” He rose to leave. “I’m just as anxious as you, son, to get to the fighting. But we’ll move out only when man and mount are ready.” Astride his horse again, he looked to Keeley. “Give Private Brodie another minute to recuperate, then escort him from the field before he’s trampled under our next exercise and back to the barracks for some rest.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Keeley responded with a salute.
Captain Purdy wheeled his horse about, double-clicked his cheek, and galloped away.
To Jana’s continuing scowl, Keeley said, “Don’t be ashamed, Johnnie. Ye did what every lad was itching to do. I meself had me gun cocked and ready to shoot.” He chuckled. “Only I didn’t do it because it wouldn’t be a fair fight; dummies can’t return the favor.”
Jana would’ve found humor in his joke under more favorable circumstances. Instead, she said, “Captain let me off easy.”
“He’d be a fool to crush ye. If I were him, I’d wish all o’ me men had a smidgeon o’ yar fighting spirit.”
“Really?” Jana said, groaning to her strained arm muscles when she pushed herself up into a sitting position.
Bobbing his head to reassure her, Keeley abruptly stopped, staring wide-eyed at her stomach.
Jana followed his gaze. To her horror, she saw that some of her buttons had popped and her corset was peeking out through her blouse and short coat. She found Keeley grinning with the satisfaction of a barn cat that had just cornered a mouse.
Still uncertain if he’d give her away, Jana’s mind spun faster than a top for some explanation to maintain her disguise. Aha! Her brain settled on not just one but two ruses. She was grateful to Ma for having the family act out Romeo and Juliet and other plays by William Shakespeare on blustery days when there was scarce else to do. She’d have to call on those skills now. First she grimaced. “Though I see how it could look that way, I hope you don’t think I like dressing as a girl.” Before Keeley could respond, she got down to her second ruse. With care not to expose her chest, she reached down into her corset. She banked on him believing no female, even one disguised as a boy, would ever reach down her shirt in front of a male. She retrieved their picture, holding it up for him to see. “I know this is going to sound strange, but we’ve all heard how one of these,” she ran her fingers across the daguerreotype’s glossy surface and said, “got between a bullet and a soldier’s chest. Since belly wounds are death sentences, I thought if I put our picture up against mine, I’d have luck on my side and no trouble with bullets. The only way I could think to tack it in place was with this corset.” She set her pleading eyes upon Keeley. “Please, don’t tell anyone you found me in it. I’d be shamed into deserting, and I want to stay and fight.”
“Who am I to judge ye, Johnnie?” Keeley asked, sounding flustered.
What does he mean by that: He won’t judge me for being a boy dressing as a girl or just the opposite? Jana wondered while sharing in his disappointment over her inability to trust him just yet with the truth about her gender.
“Don’t worry, lad, yar secret’s safe with meself.”
His vow filled Jana with relief.
Reverting to his usually cheerful self, he said, “I’ve heard that corsets shield bullets even better than daguerreotypes. I just might put one on meself.” Then he reached out, wrapping his hand tightly around hers as he brought them both to their feet.
Jana’s heart somersaulted. His hand fit hers as snug as a glove tailored just for it, and she imagined them being mates for life.
“We might want to clear the field before Captain Purdy trains his gun on us instead o’ the dummies,” Keeley said, peering off in the distance where their comrades were being readied for another charge. “Speaking o’ which, Charlie found yar pistol. He’ll give it to ye later.”
Having stood up too fast, Jana’s head grew woozy and her legs wobbly. She fell into Keeley, who caught and held her in his muscled arms.
“Can ye mount yar horse, Johnnie?” he asked, his sweet-smelling breath brushing her cheek.
Jana dizzied further under his spell, and she was prevented from answering him with her tongue tied.
Leaning over, Keeley gently nestled her over his shoulder. He gathered up Maiti’s reins on their way, then helped Jana climb up onto his gelding’s rump before he swung into his saddle. “Hold on to meself tight.” With a nervous clearing of his throat, he said, “Just so ye don’t fall off.” He set off at a slow pace, with Maiti in tow.
Jana wished the ride would never end. The warmth of his closeness filled her with a contentedness that made her want to squeeze him tighter and never let him go. She loved how he encouraged her even when she’d done wrong, how he made her laugh, and how he made her heart sing every time he looked at her.
When they reached the barracks, Keeley dismounted. “Can ye swing yar leg over, Johnnie?”
“I think so,” Jana said. With an excruciating ache in her right buttock, she slid down the horse and into Keeley’s outstretched arms. Their eyes met as her feet hit the ground and, in Keeley’s gaze, Jana saw affection that went beyond friendship. She looked away before she turned to mush and did something stupid, like kiss him.
With his cheeks coloring their usual coppery-red, Keeley wheeled around and took up Maiti’s reins before settling back aboard his butternut gelding. “I’ll be feeding and watering Maiti for ye. And I’ll bring ye some supper later,” he said, then trotted off toward the stables.
Inside the wooden barracks, Jana stoked up a fire in the woodstove. She hung her jacket over it to dry and stood before it, rubbing her cold hands together. As she peered down the long line of bunks against each wall, she reveled in her quiet moment—the first she had since she’d joined the army. Her mind reeled back to Keeley’s tender gaze and his fussing over her. Those delights warmed her insides long before the manufactured heat penetrated her chill. When it struck her that she was in love with Keeley, she chilled all over again to a frightening notion: Would he be a distraction that got her shot or killed in battle?