Sevierville Sam’s Uncle Billy, was what Big Sam and his kin called General William T. Sherman. The Tennessee Mountain boys had trudged many a mile with Uncle Billy, fought several battles and had been farther from their Smoky Mountain homes than they had ever dreamed of being. There had been some good times, cold and wet ones, hunger and loneliness plagued the kin, but mostly the comrades just wanted to get this rebellion over and get back to their family and friends. Sevierville Sam had lost his smaller cousin and sent him home to his mother. Big Sam still had moments where he found himself talking to the wee one, late at night, when all the boys were snoring and he shared his guilt and despair, knowing it was a private and personal conversation, that only the smaller cousin would understand.
Sevierville Sam had a hard time keeping track of all the green recruits that kept joining Uncle Billy’s army. So many of the boys had been wounded, killed, captured or just walked away, fed up. Big Sam concentrated on his family and kin around the fire at night and who was still there in the morning. Since he had sent his smaller cousin home, Sevierville Sam kinda kept to himself and just looked forward to an extra dose or two or three of the Mountain Medicine before hitting his bed roll at night, hoping not to think or dream or wonder what the next day might have in store. Big Sam had made up his mind, to just get the job done, do what was asked, protect his friends and kin and get back to his Smoky Mountain home, as fast as he could.
A lot of folks in the Smoky Mountains are blood kin and even if they aren’t, they probably are. The Tennessee Twins, Isaac and Asa, had got a wild hair and joined different sides of the rebellion, got a taste of the nightmare at Shiloh and high tailed it back home to the safety and serenity of their Mountain paradise. Neither of the, mirror image, boys had been home long, when their smaller cousin came home to his mother and they buried him up on the ridge. Both of the boys were beside themselves with grief and took long strolls by themselves, sharing their shame and planning a visit to Uncle Billy’s army. Both of the twins were Big’uns, like their cousin, Sevierville Sam and the mountain brother’s plan was to meet up, help Big Sam end the rebellion and exact a little Tennessee Twin Vengeance for their smaller cousin.
The twins kept the plan a secret, they knew that if they told their mother, she would tell pap and he would beat them to a pulp. Late one night, they grabbed their gear, knives, bed rolls, a fairly new pistol and their long guns, snuck out of the cabin and started their journey south. When they reached the crossroads, the boys, shared with the porch sitters, that they were meeting up with Big Sam and Uncle Billy, somewhere in Georgia. The Tennessee Twins were confident that the purveyors of gossip, that hung around the general store and livery, would carry the news of their adventure to the folks back home.
It seemed to Isaac and Asa that they had been trudging south for miles, their feet were sore, green corn and an occasional feathered feast were all the eats and their jug of Mountain Medicine was almost dry. Neither of the Tennessee Twins had seen a soul for many days, no cabins or livestock. They were crossing a creek and there, standing in a pool, not 50 paces away stood the most forlornly looking mule either of the boys had ever seen. It was a big and healthy looking beast, long ears, stout legs and appeared to be as glad to see the twins, as they were to see him. Both Mountain boys spilt up, one on either side of the creek and approached the long-eared critter calmly, so as not to spook him. He wouldn’t spook, nuzzled right up to the boys and almost purred with delight. That old mule was as lonely as the Twins and needed their attention, probably more than they needed the transportation. The brothers realized that someone, somewhere, owned this beast, but nobody was within miles, so they decided to just borrow him for a while and return him, when they came through, on their way home and in the mean time they would call their four-legged companion, Ben.
The Twins and Ben, made fairly good time on this Georgia odyssey. It wasn’t many more days, than at dusk, off in the distance, the Tennessee Twins caught the glow of hundreds of camp fires. Both boys hoped that it was Uncle Billy’s army and not the encampment of the Rebs. They slid off Ben and quietly approached the glow in the trees, knowing that pickets would shoot first and ask questions later. The twins caught a glimpse of a figure, not 25 paces in front and Isaac whispered loudly, we’re here to see Big Sam. The picket drew down on the boys and asked, what did you say? We’re looking for Big Sam, whispered Isaac, louder. Come on in, I know Sam, said the picket. Where’d ya get the beast? asked the young sentry? We borrowed him, stammered Asa.
Sevierville Sam couldn’t believe his eyes, his Big Tennessee Twin cousins had shown up, out of no where and they had a huge four-legged beast in tow. It was a glorious night, the Mountain Medicine flowed and a glow of family and friendship was a welcome relief from the monotony of desperation, loneliness, carnage and death, that was the lot of Uncle Billy’s army in Georgia.
Sevierville Sam and Uncle Billy didn’t know about the Tennessee Twin’s Vengeance, all Sam knew was that the hole of emptiness in his stomach, now wasn’t quite as deep.
Bummer
