The Mockingbird's Ballad

He continued after a while turning the bays off the gravel and dirt road to along side the thoroughfare just before crossing Swan Creek at Cyruston.

"Lou, I've spent 25 years as a soldier, killing for some really unseemly causes. Saw lots of loss and hurt - more death than I could take in without God's love. Two good things came to me in spite of that wasted life - prison and getting a penny pamphlet about an odd religion and meeting a boy/girl farrier one night down on the south side of the Tennessee." He didn't smile, didn't look at her. Shaking the reins he said, "Walk on, horse", and the buggy moved forward, back onto the drying mud right-of-way.

Lou kept her eyes on the side of his face and she swore a tear emerged from his eye. Couldn't be the wind that evoked the wet eyes, it was a calm, pleasant day.

===

"Miss Fields. Good weather down your way, too? When you going to have me down to take a look at your stock?" Mr. Jones asked as Solon pulled the wagon up to the saddle shop. It's whitewashed front gleamed in the eastern sun. The courthouse square, shops, stores and assorted businesses were busy. Solon was lucky that the space was given up by a work wagon.

George Washington "G. W." Jones was a 65 year-old native of northern Virginia. He had come to Fayetteville with his parents when he was a boy right about the time Lincoln County was founded. He got some schooling and apprenticed with a saddler. Beginning when he was 26, he entered local politics and was elected a member of the county court - justice of the peace - in 1832. He'd served in the US Congress representing the Tennessee 4th District, President James K. Polks' old seat, from 1843 - 1859. When war looked sure, he was chosen to attend the Peace Convention of 1861 in Washington, DC. Illness had prevented his attendance. After serving a term, 1862 - 64, in the Confederate House of Representatives, he didn't seek reelection. He needed to be home. When the Brownlow regime was overcome by Governor DeWitt Clinton Senter, he represented Lincoln County and his old district at the Tennessee State Convention in 1870. Helping deliver the new covenant for Tennessee's government, he'd returned to Fayetteville and his trade. Lou thought of him as a friend. Grand John L. found him the most worthy arguing challenge in the county. Mr. Jones stayed with Lou's grandfather in the varied topics they explored and always made him laugh when they got too hot into debate.

Grand John L. and G. W. Jones, in truth, did agree on many things, but arguing was more entertaining. One thing the did agree on was Andy Johnson, late US Congressman, Governor, US Senator and President of the United States. G. W. was a close friend of the east Tennessee Unionist despite the turmoil of the war. The "Commoner and Tailor" of Greenville had failed in a bid for his old U. S. Senate seat in 1868 but he'd written G. W. about trying for the new at-large congressional seat in 1872. Grand John L. said he might just vote for the first time since he'd voted for Tennessee's John Bell for President in 1860. He deserved vindication over the bullies who had tried to run him out of the White House. He said, "Aye, God, they didn't make Andy run!"