My Vicksburg Read Free Page B

her head in despair. "Tell me how that boy is going to live in a cave." Then to Clothilda, "We have to go to the cave my husband prepared for us."
    "I know, ma'am," Clothilda agreed. "He wuz here early this mornin' and gave us instructions. We all ready."
    "God bless that man," Mama said fervently. "Now we have less than an hour before the artillery begins again. Quickly, let's get some things together."
    "Most of it be together already." Clothilda pointed to the stack of parcels across the hall in the front parlor—blankets and pillows, sheets and towels, boxes filled with kitchen supplies. "There be food in barrels out on the back porch," Clothilda told Mama. "Andy be gettin' the sides o' ham."
    I saw tears in Mama's eyes. "I must assemble my remedies in a box," she said.
    The windows of the house were open and I heard voices from next door. Amy and her sister.
    The last I'd spoken with her, Amy had told me her father had hinted that they might go to Jackson if the Yankees came. They had people in Jackson.
    "Claire Louise, put the blankets and sheets into the wagon," Mama ordered.
    I did so and now I had some extra time. But I also had a dilemma.
    Should I go to the barn and say hello to my horse, Jewel? And tell her how sorry I was that I hadn't taken her to Grandmother's? I'd wanted to take her, but Pa said no. Grandmother had enough horses, and Andy would care for her.
    Or should I slip through the hedges that separated our property and go to the Clarkes'? I more or less owed that to Landon. He'd asked me to keep him apprised of Sarah Clarke's welfare.
    To put it in a delicate way, Landon was daft over Sarah. I knew they'd had some sort of falling out before he'd left, but I didn't know why.
    "Mama, can I go next door and visit Amy?"
    "No. I need you."

    I didn't bother knocking on the front door. Amy and I were that close. Her mother, Virginia, passed me in the hall. "Back, are you? How is your mother faring? Did your papa leave yet? Where did you all sleep last night? Do you all have a cave assigned to you?"
    She did go on, that woman. And she never waited for an answer. Never expected one. Just kept on with what she was about. I know she drove Landon to distraction sometimes. But he'd resigned himself to just yes-ma'aming and no-ma'aming her to death.
    I went on upstairs where I found Amy and Sarah. They were bundling some clothes into a pillowcase for Sarah.
    "Claire Louise, you're back!" Amy near screamed it.
    She and I hugged, and she inquired where we were going to stay. "Neither of our houses has been hit yet," she said. "But Pa says we are going to Jackson anyway. Oh, Claire Louise, I don't want to go! I don't want to be parted from you!"
    She was crying, and now I started in, too.
    Sarah just stood by. I noticed her hair was cut short. It should have detracted from her looks, but it didn't. It made her prettier, if you ask me, more elfin looking. And she had beautiful large blue eyes. I think, I told myself, that she must have broken my brother's heart by now.
    I noticed she had on boots and a man's trousers and shirt. And there was no mole on her face.
    "Where are you going in those clothes?" I pretended ignorance.
    "To Washington," she said. "To be a nurse. Clara Barton needs nurses."
    Even if I hadn't already known the truth I'd have seen that for a lie. I ought to recognize one—I tell enough of them. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Amy roll her eyes and shake her head, no.
    "Why don't you tell the truth, Sarah?" she asked her sister. "You're running off to join the Confederate army like a man!"
    Sarah flushed. "I suppose you went and told everyone!"
    "Only Claire Louise. And only because I thought she might be able to talk you out of it."
    Sarah tossed her head like any seventeen-year-old would. Like I wished I could. "If she had such special power, why didn't she talk her brother out of joining the Yankee army, I ask you?"
    I felt my face go red. "Is that why you two argued before he