Nothing like the books: Part 2

The concept that slavery was the issue of the war is a misconception. Of vampyres embraced much later, I was startled to learn that elementary education seemed to teach it as such. Slavery was part of the problem, being a thread that was weaved into many aspects of out lives.

Such was the case when Kansas and Nebraska joined the Union. Some group of geniuses in Washington DC thought it better to let the denizens of Kansas decide for themselves if slavery would be a part of their mandate. The light of such "wisdom," and I say that with the deepest contempt and sarcasm, was realized when the new State became a place of violence, earning the moniker "Bleeding Kansas."

Then there was the brilliance of John Brown, who thought he, and he alone, could lead the slaves in rebellion. He led his massive liberation front - all of 19 other men beside himself - in a raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory. The date was 16 October 1859. His grand plan was to steal supplies, including over 100,000 muskets and rifles, and distribute them to slaves. Then, according to his calculations on human nature, the slaves would instantaneously join his following and rise up against slavery. One could say his success is measured by the aftermath, as Mr. Brown was hanged on 2 December 1859.

As I said, slavery was a thread weaved into almost everything, but was not the cause of the war. Brown's actions were seen as a political movement by a new political group, called "Republicans," that was slowly causing the dissolving of the Whig party. Because the concept of abolition was seeing its way into so many aspects of politics, current events, along with history, would lose its focus.

Allow me to exemplify this. Abraham Lincoln is now views as the President that freed the slaves. We of the army called him "Uncle Abe," because reports would reach us of how much the loss of life haunted him, and for his habit of commuting death sentences for deserters. The slaves that were eventually freed would call him "Father Abraham." But his grand Emancipation Proclamation was something that he did not want to do. He was a great compromiser, and was rumored at the time to have said something along the lines of, "If I could maintain the Union by freeing the slave, I would do it. If I could maintain the Union be not freeing the slaves, I would do it. And if I could maintain the Union by freeing some, and not freeing others, I would do that too." In that one statement, he showed exactly how important slavery was. He didn't give one whit about slavery, so long as the country remained united.

To the south, in Confederate territory, it was cut even more clearly. When a captured Rebel was asked why he was fighting, his answer was this simple: "Because you're down here." Most fighting in the war on their side of the line didn't even own slaves.

No, the true cause was States' Rights. It was believed that if the Federal government said one thing, an individual State had the right to say, "No...We don't like that law, so we're not adopting it." This, of course, was a lingering emotion from the Revolution just over 80 years before hand. We had great distaste for the rule coming across the pond from England, and so we said no. When England tried to enforce its law on us, we forcefully said no.

You're probably wondering why I'm going through this history lesson. Part of it is nostalgia for my mortal existence. The other part is to show where my focus was. The Salem witch-hunts were long done with, and "modern" man had greater concerns. We were a clueless lot that was unaware vampyres were roaming out battlefields at night, seeking out the dying for easy meals.

For us mortals in the Union army, our focus was on current events. March, 1864, in one of our campfire intelligence reports, it became the news of the day that U.S. ("Unconditional Surrender") Grant had been placed in charge of everything. The veterans could look at his past campaigns and see a man who saw troops as mere numbers; cannon fodder as the means to an end. At the same time, we were tired of inept leadership, and would take a commander who got things done, even if the thing done was get us killed. At least we knew our lives would count for something, because it was widely told that Grant was a "doer," not a schemer.

The start of April saw a kind of madness the likes of which no soldier, from General to Private, had previously withstood. At the time, we placed the blame on Grant, but it was that damned goggle-eyed snapping turtle, Major General George Meade who was at fault. The fat was being cut from the army, with doddering military leaders being sent home, while units were reorganized and consolidated. I was a victim of such changes, not only being moved from Company M in the 8th NY Cavalry to Company H, but seeing a demotion in the process, from Sergeant to Private.

When my commander called me into his tent to give me the news, I had no idea what was afoot. We were already upset by the reorganization, as well as too many new faces, so I thought I'd perhaps said the wrong thing to a senator's son. My demotion had anything but a calming effect, despite the kind way Lieutenant Colonel William H. Benjamin broke it to me. "As you know, we're shifting men around to make this army more effective, as per orders from on high. We're shifting you to Company H, and, because we already have too many sergeants and corporals there already, I have no choice but to reduce your rank to private. G-d knows, we have too many of those, too, but it's all I can do right now."

Having taken commands and issued commands, I could empathize with old Bill. Just the same, it didn't stop me from giving protest. "Sir, with all due respect, I've served my unit dutifully, and at times with distinction. Isn't...Isn't there some way to promote me instead? I mean, my wife and daughter back home...a reduction in pay for loyal service, while bounty jumpers are making off with a small fortune..."

(As an incentive for enlistment, a bounty of $400 was offered to me who joined the army. While there were a few who took their money and joined properly, there were many more "jumpers," who would join a unit, stay long enough to collect their money, desert, change their names, and join yet a different unit to collect the bounty again! Some went through this routine so many times that when role call came around, they'd forget which name they were using at the time and fail to answer. The result was nightmarish on the morale of those who'd served faithfully and fed blood to the earth in service to our nation, and not our billfolds.)

He smiled warmly at me, and gave me what was probably the last good news of my mortal life. "Let's be clear about a few things, son. I may be pulling chevrons from your sleeve, but there's no way on G-d's green Earth I'm throwing all of you to the wolves. You'll keep your pay, as is, even if I have to pay you from my own pocket. I know good men when I see them, and I'm only demoting you to pacify the 'surgeons' amputating my existential limbs. Your request for promotion instead of demotion comes too late, however..."

My heart started sinking. Promotions amongst we lowly non-commission soldiers was uncommon, with higher ranks usually reserved for "gentlemen." I opened my mouth to protest further, when Bill held up a hand to stop me.

"I say 'too late' because I've already submitted you for promotion. It's the paperwork, Charles. Grant is up to his neck, trying to get this army to do something in the Spring, and every other general and his mother is in a meeting about one thing or another. Once I get the official word, I'll be able to give you the proper insignia and the appropriate pay raise on the books."

And so I found myself under the command of my friend, Andrew Dickerson, silently hoping that all the paperwork would be signed, and I'd be sending more money home than before. The less honorable men in our unit taunted me and my demotion, to which I was forced to fatten the occasional eye or lip. Others who truly knew me took me aside and did there best to empathize with me.

Little did I know that my life with the army, my life amongst mortals, was rapidly coming to a close. What history would call the Battle of the Wilderness was fast approaching, and with it, the end of life as I knew it.

(Author's note: Many of the events herein are historical fact. Bleeding Kansas; John Brown, his raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory, and subsequent hanging; the promotion of Hiram Ulysses Grant to Commander of the Union Army in March of 1864; the consolidation of the army in April, 1864; bounty "jumpers;" and the very existence of Lt. Col. William H. Benjamin, who led the 8th NY...all real. Artistic license has been taken with the character of Benjamin, as well as with the demotion of Charles Mills, who entered the army as a sergeant and left as a private.)