Lucy
Prairie Roses Collection
“Lawrence, Kansas? Is that where your daughter lives?” His eyes wide, Malachi jutted his face forward. Before traveling on this trade run, he had read about the bushwhacker attack in The Territorial Enterprise. Unfortunately, like most news outside the local region, the details were skimpy—a few sentences of the most pertinent information that came by way of a telegram from Omaha to Carson City.
“We heard about what happened not long after, Jack.” Michael spoke softly. “Did you just learn of it yesterday?”
“Yes. Until yesterday, I haven’t been in Placerville since Independence Day. Even then, tensions ran so high with all the different opinions being expressed about the war, I was sorry I took my family in then.”
Malachi put his hands on his hips as he turned his head aside. Arguing over politics. And people wonder why I choose to spend my time being alone.
“Take that back. I did go the first or second week of August for supplies. It’s too far to go for church each week, so we do our own Bible readings and telling the children the Old and New Testament stories at home. Most of us up this way have been too busy handling our harvests to go into town much. So, no. Not until after I collected and read Lucy’s letter did I start searching Placerville for an old newspaper that had an account of what took place.”
“The story made it into our local news sheet, although there were not a lot of details,” Malachi offered. “There was mention of the executions. Some of the men had been on a so-called list, some were recent Union Army recruits not yet mustered in, but most were civilians who just went about their everyday business.”
“Outright murder.” Robbie snorted.
“According to Lucy, they killed over one hundred and fifty men and older boys, most who owned no firearms. All but two businesses in town were looted and destroyed. The bank was robbed and burned.”
Malachi had felt his insides clench at the time he read that article. Upon learning a family member of someone he knew had witnessed that horror, the sensation again threatened to strike.
“Her aunt’s house is a short distance
outside of town,” Jack continued. “Lucy assured me they both hid in the
cornfields and survived unscathed. However, my former sister-in-law’s house was
damaged. They lost most of their food and several chickens. I’m not sure if
they still had a milk cow, or if Caroline sold it after her husband left to
join the fight. What I do know is, Lucy feels devastated by all the deaths and
destruction she witnessed in the raid’s aftermath. The teacher, who expected to
marry, lost her fiancé. The citizens allowed her to continue teaching once
school started. That meant Lucy’s expectations to teach have been quashed. That
doesn’t concern me as much as worrying how she and her aunt will manage. What
if the bushwhackers return?” He licked his lips as he slowly shook his head.
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| (My thanks to Nancy Fraser, cover illustrator, for this image) |
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