Encounter at Cold Harbor by Gilbert L. Morris Page B

was a desperate attempt at gaiety.
    She found Jeff at the end of the main street, helping get the men together to form a parade. She had decided to wear a light blue-green dress that matched her eyes, and Jeff seemed to think she looked very pretty. He smiled and said so as she came up. “Well, aren’t you dressed up.”
    “Hello, Jeff. We had to come in and see you off. Where’s your father?”
    “There he is—right over there—trying to get everything ready. It’s like getting ready to go on a long trip. You’re sure to forget something. We just don’t know yet what it is.”
    “Is Tom going along?”
    “Yes. Pa didn’t want him to, but he just insisted on it. Said he could at least take notes and polish Pa’s boots. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if he didn’t pick up a musket and get in the thick of it. You know Tom.”
    Jeff’s lighthearted reference to battle saddened Leah, but she tried not to show it. “I want to say good-bye to the rest of your squad.”
    She had become well acquainted with the members of the squad of which Jeff was a part. When she found the boys, she went around and talked to them one at a time.
    First she went up to Charlie Bowers, the same age as Jeff and also still a drummer boy. “You be careful, Charlie. Just play the drums and don’t get in any trouble,” she said, shaking his hand.
    Charlie grinned at her. “Don’t you worry, Miss Leah.” He looked over at Jeff, then back at Leah. “And I’ll take care of your sweetie pie there.”
    Leah blushed and turned quickly to Curly Henson, the big redheaded soldier who had saved Jeff’s life at Bull Run. “Good-bye, Curly.”
    “Good-bye, Miss Leah. We’ll be comin’ right back with them Yankee scalps on our belt.”
    Sgt. Henry Mapes, a tall, rangy man with black eyes and hair, grinned at Henson. “I ain’t noticed you winnin’ any medals, Curly.” Then he turned to Leah. “We sure thank you for them cookies and cakes you been sendin’, Miss Leah.”
    “I brought a whole big box of cookies and candy today. I’ll give it to you to guard, Sergeant.”
    As Leah went on down the line, shaking hands with all of the young soldiers, the thought came to her,
Some of them are not much older than Jeff. By next year he’ll be in the regular army!
    “This is a new volunteer, Leah,” Jeff said, nodding toward an undersized soldier with blond hair and pale blue eyes. “This is Ocie Landers. He comes from Mississippi. Just joined up with the Stonewall Brigade.”
    “I’m glad to know you, Ocie.” Seeing that the boy was bashful, Leah put out her hand first. He took it and released it very quickly. Somehow Leah knew he was afraid. “You know, I baked a special batch of taffy, Ocie, and I want you to be sure to have some of it. Why don’t you come along with me, and I’ll give it to you right now?”
    Ocie looked confused, but Jeff winked at him. “You better take her up on that, Ocie. It’s going to be a long time before you get any candy as good as Leah makes.”
    For the next twenty minutes Leah talked to Ocie. She found that he was very homesick, that he missed his girlfriend back home, and that he was indeed afraid.
    He said, “I didn’t want to tell any of the fellas, but I’m just about scared to death. I wouldn’t want them to know it,” he added quickly.
    “They’re all afraid too, Ocie. You don’t have to be ashamed of that.”
    Ocie stared at her.
“They’re
not afraid. Not Jeff.”
    “You ask him,” Leah said. “They’ve been in battle before, and they’ve learned how to kind of cover it up, but I think every man that goes into battle is afraid.”
    This seemed to encourage Ocie, and he brightened. As they walked back toward Jeff, he said, “I’ll never forget you giving me this candy.”
    Leah said, “You just trust the Lord, and He’ll take care of you, whatever happens.”
    “Well, I’m doin’ that,” Ocie said quickly. “I got saved in a revival meeting back home—just last