The Midnight Visitor

The Midnight Visitor

Suzanne Marsh

The gray stallion moved slowly, and the man in the saddle slumped. Blood covered his shoulder and his blue uniform. The man drew a deep breath before looking up to see a small farmhouse. The horse whinnied, as if it expected the occupant of the farmhouse to answer the door. A candle flickered in the window, the window opened, and a young girl looked. She noted the rider was slumped over; his blue uniform indicated he was a Union soldier. She quickly went down the stairs, opened the creaky door. The soldier slid off the horse; the girl strode over to the young man; he did not move. Sarah Trainor screamed:

“Pa, Ma, come quick!”

Jack and Martha, hearing her scream, flew down the staircase and out the door. The Trainors were of the Quaker persuasion; they refused to take sides in the Civil War. Jack felt the young man’s neck; there was a pulse. They hauled him into the house. The question was where to hide him. The Confederates patrolled the area heavily. Jack and Martha carried him into the house carefully. The less blood spatter, the better for all concerned. There was an underground railroad stop at a neighboring Quaker’s home. Danger was all around the area of the farmhouse; Yankees on one side and Rebels on the other.

Sarah and Martha put kettles of hot water on to boil, then stuck a Bowie knife in the water. Martha put a stick in the young man’s mouth to smother his screams before they began to remove the mine ball. The young man then slept for several days. He woke to find Sarah smiling at him:

“What is thy name?”

“ Colonel Willy Harris, I am from Pennsylvania. What is your name?”

“Sarah Trainor, this is the Trainor Homestead.”

The sound of horses' hooves pounding the earth reached the small farmhouse. The Trainors moved quickly:

“Willy, we must move thee to a place of safety; the Rebels are riding toward the farm.”

Willy, with Jack’s arm wrapped around him, shuffled out the back door, down to a small wooden structure hidden from plain sight:

“Thee must be very quiet, Willy, I will return for thee when they have left.”

Jack quickly returned to the farmhouse; closed the door. Martha and Sarah dusted the furnishings while Jack started a fire in the fireplace. A hard knock on the door told them the Rebels were there:

“Hey, y’all open this door now!” Sarah strode quickly over to the door:

“How can I aid thee, sir?”

The captain in charge stared silently at the beautiful young woman standing in the doorway:

“Yes ma'am, we are lookin fer a union soldier that might of come yer way.”

Sarah smiled sweetly:

“Sir, we are Quakers; we take no sides. Please leave.”

The captain backed down the wooden stairs on the front porch:

“As you wish, ma'am, this Yankee is gonna swing when we catch him.”

The rebel captain motioned for his company to move out. Once out of earshot, the captain slowed his horse to a walk and turned to watch the Trainors. Jack stood in the window, watching and waiting until he was sure the rebels would not return. Time stood still for the three people. Jack slipped out the back door, down to the wooden shack. Willy had his Navy Colt revolver ready when the door opened. He quickly put it away as Jack strode into the shack:

“Willy, thee will not use that weapon here.”

“Sorry, Jack, but I can’t risk being caught. I am carrying orders to General Sherman. I

have to get through.”

Instantly, Jack understood the urgency in Willy’s voice:

“We can get thee to a station on the underground railway, they will aid thee to go

where thee needs to go.”

Willy gave Jack a grateful smile:

“Thanks, Jack, I sure hope this war ends before to much longer. Somehow, fighting against

my brother and father doesn’t seem right somehow.”

Jack gave Willy a questioning look:

“Are ye telling me thou own brother and father are fighting against you?”

“Yes, sir, I am. My father and brother, and the rest of my family disowned me when I

informed them I was joining the Union army. The patrol that was here was there a tall

blond boy and a gruff white-haired man?”

Jack felt sorrow for this boy; he was doing what he thought was right:

“Yes, Willy, was that thou brother and father?”

A tear trickled down Willy’s cheek:

“Yes, Jack, my father would rather see me hang than admit I am his son.”

The sun set in a huge red ball of fire as Jack made his way toward Benjamin Potter’s farm. Benjamin heard the rustle of leaves as Jack approached. Jack quietly whispered:

“Benjamin, thou art well?”

Benjamin reluctantly opened the scarred wooden door:

“Jack, thou looks disturbed. How can I help thee?”

“Benjamin, a young Union soldier, thou must help him. Thou art a station manager, surely

thou can help him.”

Benjamin knew he was taking a chance every time he hid a slave or, worse, a Union soldier. There were no real options other than to help Jack:

“Tonight, when it is dark, the moon will be low, bring him then.”

Jack moved quickly back into the shadows, returning home in time for dinner. He strode over to Willy:

“Thee will leave tonight. I will take you to the first station, from there, conductors will help

thee to find General Sherman and safety.”

Willy sighed a sigh of relief, he felt as if he had placed these people in jeopardy, and was thankful for all their help:

“I’ll be ready, Jack. I hope someday I can return here and thank the three of you properly.”

Willy took Sarah’s hand:

“I will miss you, Sarah. I meant what I said; I hope to return here. Will you wait for me?”

Sarah felt tears fill her eyes with happiness:

“Yes, Willy, I will.”

Darkness fell upon the Quaker farm. Jack motioned Willy to follow him. The quiet was unnerving; most of the Rebel patrols did not ride at night, and there was no moon. They hurried through the woods. Benjamin waited for them. He motioned Willy to move quickly. Willy quickly found himself inside a large barn. Benjamin opened a trapdoor:

“Thee must remain silent, tomorrow night thou will be on your way north.”

The trapdoor shut, and Benjamin shuffled out of the barn. Willy heard the hooves of horses as riders rode into Benjamin’s farm:

“Hey, have y’all seen a Union soldier?”

Benjamin smiled:

“No, sir, there is no one here but me.”

The white-haired man with captain's bars began:

“If you are harboring a Union soldier, we will hang you and him. We are going to search your

outbuildings now.”

Moments later, after searching the barn, outbuildings, and house, the Rebels were satisfied that there was only Benjamin there, and they rode off.

Darkness fell once again, and Benjamin quickly and quietly opened the trapdoor in the barn after brushing the hay off:

“Willy, it is time, thou hast been patient. The next station is two miles, I will take thee there.”

The next stop on the underground railroad took Willy over the border and to freedom. He was safe at last. General Sherman was genuinely glad to see his cousin Willy:

“Willy, I am glad you are safe. Your mother would have had my head if anything happened to

you.”

General Sherman read the orders:

“Willy, are you up to seeing Atlanta?”

Willy smiled, thankful that the war was ending soon. He would return to Georgia, find the Trainors, and bring them thank you gifts. He would be a midnight visitor once again.