28

COLD HARBOR

May 31, 1864

Richmond, Virginia

True to her word, Elizabeth’s stablehand was waiting for them in front of the post office. In each hand he gripped the reigns of a dark stallion, their coats the rainbow-black color of spilled ink. The larger horse whinnied and tossed his head in a majestic arc as they approached.

Teo eyed the creatures warily. “Are you sure we can’t just take the train? I hear travel by steam engine is all the rage these days.”

“Have you never ridden a horse before?” Adelaide was genuinely surprised.

“I prefer transport that can’t think for itself.”

Adelaide took the reins from the stable hand and passed one to Kolt. Turning back to Teo she added, “Who would you rather ride with?”

He looked between the two horses. “Depends. Who’s more likely to get me there in one piece?”

Kolt tightened his horse’s girth and led it alongside them. “That would be Adelaide.”

She placed her foot in the stirrup and swung up onto the horse. After shifting her weight in the saddle, she held a hand out to Teo. He took it, mimicking her earlier motions as he settled in place behind her and circled his arms around her waist.

“This here’s Blackjack,” the stablehand said, stroking the muzzle of Kolt’s horse. “And this one’s Apollo. He’s got a map in his saddle bag if ya need it. Once you get outta the city, Mechanicsville’s a straight shot northeast.”

Adelaide thanked the man and clicked her tongue as she squeezed her legs against the horse’s side. Teo’s grip tightened as Apollo shifted into a walk. They followed the map out of Richmond, letting the horses’ muscles warm before coaxing them to a trot at the edge of the city.

Farms and fields flew by, giving way to forest. As the war progressed, more and more lumber was needed for fortifications and fires, leaving a series of stump-ridden clearings between patches of trees. They rode for several miles before Adelaide slowed them to a stop at a split in the road. She looked either which way, unsure which path was the correct one to take. “Hand me the map.”

She reached a hand behind her to Teo, who placed it in her palm, and proceeded to unfold the parchment. Adelaide startled as something fell on her lap, tumbling from the folds.

“What is that?” Kolt peered over from his seat on Blackjack.

Adelaide picked up the item, her eyes widening as she read the words scrawled on its face. “It’s a letter, addressed to General Grant.”

“The General Grant?” Kolt asked.

“I doubt there’re two Union generals at this time who go by that name,” Teo said. “What should we do with it?”

Adelaide wasn’t sure. If they were stopped by Confederates, carrying such a letter could condemn them to death. Was Elizabeth expecting them to deliver it or was there another reason it was in their saddle bag? “I don’t know, but until we make a decision, I’m not risking putting it back in the bag.” She tucked it into the waistband of her skirt for safe keeping.

They followed the path to the right, forcing the horses into a gallop that only slowed to a walk a few times to give the stallions a break before they reached the outskirts of a camp. White tents, pitched in staggered rows like Gideon’s chess board, filled the clearing. Smoke spilled from campfires interspersed among the tents and filled the air with an aroma quickly choked out by that from the larger fires burning in the distance. A group of soldiers, muskets gripped between their palms, met them about a mile out as they approached. Sweat formed on Adelaide’s brow. Her nerves eased only when she took in the dark blue of their uniforms, signifying they were Union soldiers.

“Afternoon, ma’am.” The soldier in the lead tipped his hat to Adelaide before casting a suspicious eye on Teo and Kolt. “Gentlemen. Can I be of service?”

Adelaide sat up straighter, letting an easy smile settle on her lips. “Afternoon, soldier. We were actually the ones hoping to be of service today. We’ve just come from Richmond with a correspondence for the general.”

The soldier eased a bit but remained firmly planted between them and the camp. “Might I ask who the letter is from?”

Adelaide hesitated, hoping she was right about what Elizabeth had wanted her to do with the it. “Elizabeth Van Lew.”

A beat passed before the soldier nodded. “Very well. Robertson.” He addressed a thin man behind him. “See these three to the general, and when they have delivered their correspondence, see them out.”

“Yes, sir,” the soldier said. Palm forward at his temple, he gave a salute and motioned for them to follow him.

The other soldiers moved to either side of the road, clearing a path. Adelaide released the breath she had been holding, grateful to have gotten this far, but well aware the hurdles between her and the truth were far from over.

“You can leave your horses here,” the soldier said. He held a hand out to Adelaide, and she handed him the reins, which he proceeded to tie to a nearby post. Once secure, he returned his hand to her, waiting expectantly to help her down off the horse.

Adelaide was perfectly capable of dismounting a horse on her own, but she also wasn’t about to snub an act of chivalry. She took his hand and swung her leg off the saddle, her feet hitting the soft earth beside the man. “Thank you, sir.”

Teo vaulted from the horse as Kolt dismounted his own and tied Blackjack’s reins beside Apollo’s.

They followed the soldier through the camp and passed several of his brothers-in-arms along the way. Some sat beside the fire and scraped the bottoms of their bowls so as to not waste a crumb of their meager rations. Others stood in groups, smoking and conversing with one another. But all held in their eyes both a weariness that said they could not withstand another day of war and a determination that said they would see their cause to the end. Adelaide knew enough about the Civil War to know only half the men she set eyes on today would still be breathing by the time it ended a year from now. And of those who did survive, many would be crippled or mentally scarred from all they’d seen and done in the name of country.

At last, they approached the opening of a tent. The soldier left them at the threshold and instructed them to wait while he informed the general of their arrival.

“Have you seen her yet?” Adelaide whispered to Teo. She swept her eyes around the camp as she had while they walked, but Pauline was nowhere in sight.

Teo shook his head and Adelaide tried not to show the disappointment on her face as the soldier leaned through the opening and swept the flap aside for them to enter. Inside, the tent was sparse, but neat. A cot covered the ground on the right, a small trunk positioned beside it and topped with a lantern. Across the way from the cot stood a wooden table with maps sprawled across its surface. The only other furniture in the tent was a desk along the back wall. Grant sat behind it and peered up at them as they entered. He closed the book he had been writing in and stood.

For a man who commanded the Union army and had such a presence on paper, Grant, himself looked perfectly ordinary. He was short and thin with mouse-brown hair and a beard. The dark grey of his eyes collected like storm clouds, but they held a kindness and curiosity as he watched them. “Thank you, Robertson. That will be all,” he said, dismissing the soldier.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Adelaide bowed her head to him.

“The honor is all mine, my dear.” Grant returned the bow. “To what do I owe the pleasure.”

Adelaide retrieved the letter from her waistband and handed it to him. “We have a message for you from Elizabeth Van Lew.”

Grant popped the wax seal and ran his eyes along the message. The crease in his brow deepened as he read. “Impossible, I—”

“General!” A soldier ran into the tent as a shot resounded nearby. “Confederates have breached the east woods and are advancing toward camp.”

Grant’s face darkened as he retrieved his gun and held the letter to the flame of his lamp. The corner ignited, spreading up the parchment until it consumed Elizabeth’s words. “Tell the men to head them off on the southern flank.”

The soldier left and Grant returned his gaze to Adelaide. “I trust you can see yourselves out to safety,” he said, belting his saber and slipping through the folds of the tent.

Adelaide, with Teo and Kolt on her heels, ran out behind Grant into a world erupted in chaos. Hues of dark blue streaked across her vision as soldiers dropped their bowls and cigarettes to pick up weapons and run toward the eastern woods at the edge of the camp. Guns continued to crack like fireworks, cutting through men on both sides as a sea of grey soldiers emerged from the trees. The haunting cries of wounded men pierced the air like a siren call to death.

“That’s it.” Teo grabbed Adelaide’s wrist as he led her back toward the horses. “We’re leaving.”

“No.” Adelaide wrenched her arm from his grip. “We can’t leave yet.”

“Ad,” Kolt said, trying to reason with her. “I know you want to find Pauline, but other than a rumor, we have no proof she’s here. Answers aren’t worth the price of your life.”

“She’s here.” Adelaide jutted out her jaw. She knew she was being stubborn and rash, but she didn’t care. This might be her only chance to finally learn the truth. “You heard what Elizabeth said. Pauline shows up at the bloodiest battles and helps tend the wounded soldiers. Well, this is the Battle of Cold Harbor and one of the worst ones of the war.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Teo argued back with her as the fighting grew louder. Adelaide knew there was no convincing him otherwise. He’d sooner throw her over his shoulder and tie her to the saddle than risk any of them catching a stray bullet as the battle intensified. She knew he was right, but she wasn’t about to give him the opportunity. One way or another, she wasn’t leaving without answers.

“I have to know.” She grabbed her skirts and darted into the melee.

“Adelaide!” Teo called behind her, but she was already lost in the crowd.