The Bucktails had several more brushes with Rebel insurgents before celebrating a subdued Christmas. The wind howled through camp, and the men huddled close to their fires the entire day. There was little to eat and little to be joyful about until Jimmy read aloud the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke, Chapter 2, of his Bible and then led the others in a round of Christmas carols. The voices of Bucky’s squad were soon joined by those from other campfires until the whole regiment resonated with God’s praises.
Two days later Major Ross Hartshorne returned from his wedding and immediately assembled his men into marching formation. For five miles they tramped south along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad through new-fallen snow. Crossing Broad Run, they entered Bristoe Station just as a supply train loaded with rations steamed to a stop.
“Well, lookee there. We’s ’bout ta git a be-lated Christmas gift,” said Boone as a quartermaster and his men broke open several crates of hardtack and salt pork to distribute to the soldiers gathered at the depot.
“Be faithful to the Lord,” cried Jimmy, “and He will provide!”
After the Bucktails received their rations, they trudged to the top of a hill that overlooked the entire countryside. The riflemen found empty barracks prepared for them, and they charged inside to stow their gear.
“By jiminy, we got ourselves a stove an’ everything!” shouted Boone.
“An’ proper bunks!” yelled Bucky.
“We’ll be nice and snug this winter,” added Jewett. “That’s another blessing to be thankful for.”
“What I’m mostly thankful fer,” sighed Zeke, “is that I kin go on leave fer a whole month. That $200 signing bonus will pro-vide fer my family a long time an’ git ’em some dandy presents, ta boot. I can’t wait ta hug my little gals an’ kiss that wife o’ mine.”
Powers took the northbound train the next day, while the rest of Bucky’s squad settled down to rounds of tedious guard duty and camp chores. They chopped wood, shoveled snow from the parade ground, and cleaned their barracks for regular inspections. Curtis also bought contraband whiskey until Major Hartshorne declared sutlers’ wagons off limits to his regiment. Recruiting agents, though, were still allowed in camp and daily pestered the Bucktails to rejoin the Union Army by offering signing bonuses that skyrocketed to 300 greenbacks.
Once settled in winter camp for good, the mail again caught up to the Bucktails. Bucky immediately began receiving a flood of unsettling letters from Sarah that made the dreary, frigid nights guarding the railroad bridge over Broad Run even longer. At the first of the New Year she complained, “I’m big as a house. I nap all day and am awake all night from our baby’s blasted kicking. I’m useless to mother. I hate the way I look. I hate the way I feel. I need you home, Bucky. I can’t stand being alone. Anymore.”
Sarah’s disturbing words frightened Culp, and he resolved to ask Major Hartshorne for a furlough. He paced back and forth in the snow for a good hour before working up the nerve to visit headquarters. There, he found Hartshorne laboring over a letter. Ross reluctantly set aside his pen to hear out his sergeant.
After Bucky had stammered his request, the major said with a knowing grin, “So you miss the little woman?”
“Yes, sir,” sighed Culp, “but I reckon she ain’t so little since she’s carryin’ our child.”
“How far along is she, Sergeant?”
“Five months. An’ she’s havin’ a mighty rough time.”
“Well, you better go see her, then. You can leave in two days after the big regimental inspection. If you haven’t heard, General Meade is bringing the Mexican General Cortez to have a look at our army. Here’s your pass.”
Culp gratefully saluted his major and then asked if he could scribble a quick letter to Sarah to tell her the good news. Afterward, he rushed back to the barracks to share his joy with the rest of the squad. Jimmy, Boone, and Hosea pounded him on the back and shouted such loud congratulations that one of the camp guards finally bellowed for them to pipe down.
Bucky’s stomach was churning with so much excitement that he could barely choke down his pork ration at supper. Luckily, guard duty fell to another squad that night because he suddenly felt chilled and dizzy. Without saying anything to the others, he turned in early, hoping his queasiness would pass.
Shivering uncontrollably, Bucky wrapped himself in his blanket and plunged into an uneasy slumber. He was met there by demons without bodies or limbs. All that could be seen of them were hideous, staring faces with long, stringy hair; tree bark skin; and deadly, dangling tongues. The faces darted back and forth baying frightfully, staring with baleful eyes. The faster they jumped, the dizzier Bucky became. The more they howled, the worse his fever raged.
Culp thrashed and kicked in his bunk until Curtis rose from bed to light a candle and peer at his friend. When he tried to shake Bucky awake, his hand came away soaked with hot sweat.
“Git up, Jewett,” Hosea ordered. “You, too, Crossmire! Bucky’s done caught the gol-dang fever.”
“S-s-shouldn’t we get him to a doctor?” sputtered Jimmy, fumbling for his spectacles.
“What an’ have them sawbones fill ’im full o’ turpentine? Might better put ’im in front o’ a firin’ squad! We’ll jess nurse ’im ourselves. Git me a cool cloth fer his head. He’s burnin’ up!”
Boone scrambled to do Curtis’ bidding and then held the damp rag on Culp’s forehead. Meanwhile, Jimmy knelt down to implore, “Dear God, please help our brother Bucky. Heal his fever, Lord, and let him go home to Sarah. Please, Lord. Please!”
Bucky was out of his head for the rest of the night, and his squad diligently kept rewrapping him in the blankets he kicked off. All the while, he jabbered about Falsefaces, turtle shell rattles, and sprinkled ashes. Twice he tried to get to his feet to dance and chant.
“What in the world is he doing?” wondered Jimmy, tucking his sick friend back in bed.
“It’s some kind o’ Injun mumbo jumbo,” replied Boone. “Falsefaces is evil spirits that the Iroquois believe cause diseases. Them demons kin eat a fella’s flesh right ta the bone. Bucky’s in a real battle if he’s tanglin’ with them. The falseface dance is all that’ll cure ’im.”
“What a bunch o’ hogwash!” thundered Curtis. “Jess keep ’im warm, git some water down his gullet, an’ let nature do the rest. He’s a strong fella. He’ll pull through.”
“And let God fight the invisible enemy that’s after him,” added Jimmy softly.
“An’ git some falseface dancers fer good measure!” yelped Boone.
Word of Bucky’s illness spread through camp like the plague itself. With General Cortez coming, Hartshorne ordered everyone to stay clear of the entire squad. That allowed Curtis, Jimmy, and Boone to nurse Culp full-time, and they hovered over him like protective hens until he groaned and opened his feverish eyes.
“There’s my train home!” he howled. “Sarah, hold on. Hold on, dear. I sees ya, my sweet. Right there at the foot o’ my bunk. I love you, dear. I-I-I. . .”
“Boy, he must be sick ta mistake Hosea fer his wife,” gasped Boone as Bucky again lost consciousness. “Why, Hosea’s homelier than a mud fence an’ twice as tall.”
“Shut yer pie hole,” growled Curtis, “an’ git another cold rag on his head. Do somethin’ useful fer a change!”
Bucky continued to fight for his life three more days. Images of Sarah kept flashing through his mind, accompanied by the wail of babies and the crack of firing squad rifles that spewed blood. Suddenly, he returned to his home woods to run and run and run until he charged up the path to his pa’s cabin. Just as he reached to yank open the door, Iroquois, chanting and praying, appeared in a cloud of tobacco smoke. Engulfed by the smoke, Bucky groped and wandered until he found himself back in the Pfaffs’ farmyard. He rushed to the kitchen door, and it swung inward without him even touching it.
“Sarah?” he called weakly, opening his eyes. Although he struggled, he couldn’t raise his head from the wadded coat that served as his pillow.
“Rest easy,” whispered Jimmy, who watched over him while the rest of the squad snored in exhausted slumber. “You’re here with us boys. Drink a little water. Easy does it. That’s it.”
“Ya mean I missed the train?”
“There’ll be other trains. Go back to sleep. I’ll write Sarah and tell her what’s happened.”
“Thanks. S-s-she’ll be worried sick.”
“Just like the rest of us,” said Jimmy. “Praise God. You’re out of the woods now.”
“It was Pa who brought me back. Back ta my Sarah.”