The Mockingbird's Ballad

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The next day Charlie came by the plantation and saw the ambulance from the road. He pulled in behind it in the drive. There around a fire on the gravel driveway sat the three troopers eating ham and biscuits. Lou had a fancy china cup held by both hands. It gave the smell of cocoa. Charlie's mouth watered.

Just as he was about to get some information from Lou there was commotion at the house's front door and his lust for grub was suddenly dampened.

"You gentleman take this villain!" the dark well-dressed woman with a scarlet turban said as she stormed out of the house. Beside her was the biggest black man Lou had ever seen. He was holding an unconscious rebel with a green stripe on his sleeve - the medical orderly.

"Damn villain drank the bonded whiskey meant to clean the General's wound," she said looking at the offender with pure loathing.

"Any of you know any doctoring?" she angrily asked.

The youngest of the four troopers piped up, "Ma'am, this here boy knows doctoring. He's patching up wounds all the time." He was pointing to Lou.

"Boy get up, follow me," Miss Vann ordered a shocked Lou.

Lou was so taken aback by this assertive woman's directive that she struggled up, brushed herself quickly, adjusted her dirty black slouch hat and followed the red-turbaned, bossy woman toward the big house's porch. Charlie was left with his mouth open. He forgot about the ham.

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Miss Amelia Alice Vann, 43, spinster, was mistress of 1,700 acres, Spring Place, twenty-one slaves, flourmill, blacksmith shop, store and tannery. She was the only child, the heiress, of "Rich" Joe Vann, mixed breed (white/Cherokee) who had become quite "white" after the "Trail of Tears". Her grandfather was James Vann, a scoundrel, madman and thorn in John Ross's, chief of the Cherokee, side. He was also an ambitious and successful planter and trader who had killed himself years ago.

This woman had held together her inheritance for over twenty years against ne'er-do-well suitors, suspicious and corrupt state officials, and the trials of a Civil War in both her front and back yards.

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"Ma'am, he's bad, real bad," Hannah, Amelia Vann's middle-aged and dignified personal servant said to her mistress as Miss Vann glided into the curtained, darkened room.

"Yes, Hannah, thank you. Boy what do you need?" Miss Vann said to Lou.

"Ma'am?" Lou squeaked.

"Boy, pay attention. Your general here has a bad wound. You and I must see what we can do to relieve his suffering. If he's lucky, he may save that foot. I surely am not going to let one of your surgeons at him. They saw wounds off!" Miss Vann informed Lou.