When I ran the kitchen at the Pavilion Hotel, Rob Johnson delivered fresh vegetables and milk from his family’s farm. His ornery pa usually collected the payment, which I knew went straight to drink. Mrs. Johnson had been a good, God-fearing woman, but after she died the old man drank even more. The older son […]
I grew up rough and survived by learning to take advantage of every situation. I was no patriot and found many ways to benefit from the chaos of war. When I joined Orrick’s Rebel Rangers as a scout, I found I had opportunities for profit. Many people had too much in life and I had […]
I come from a Quaker family and my father has pointed out repeatedly that Rob Johnson is not of our persuasion. He’s only hired help, working with us to conduct slaves to safety on the Underground Railroad. I was attracted to Rob the moment we met. He wore a fine tailored suit and looked handsome, […]
I come from a family of thieves and bushwhackers in the Shenandoah Valley. When I first met Rob Johnson, he was a good-looking young soldier. He was a sweet boy who helped to protect me and my grandparents and said he loved me. Later, he became hard and cold. I know he never believed my […]
I’ve had Fannie pegged right from the start. She’s a bossy little bitch who don’t give a damn for anyone. She never loved Rob until he figured her out and ignored her. Then she chased after him, even offered him money, though God knows how she came by it. After the war she wore silk […]
I remember Rob Johnson as a scruffy boy from a rocky hill farm. Since I was a few years older, I ignored him and flirted with his big brother, Billy. When Billy and the other men left for the war, I fancied myself a Rebel spy and used Rob to carry messages into town. He […]
My Granny McCabe told me that whatever I needed in life could be found right here in these hills. “You only have to be needy enough and strong enough to take it,” she had said. When we made a pact to hand out some hard justice to them that deserved it, I told the girls […]
When the war started in 1861 I was twenty-three years old. Our small family farm was just ten miles from the Potomac River near Bath, Virginia. I pitched in with the farm work, but spent my days in a one-room schoolhouse teaching grades one through eight. Since I had no time for politics and thought […]
I drink too much and I do a little pot. Sometimes I ramble on about the jungle war I fought when I was young, about Viet Nam. Folks hereabouts think I’m crazy and stay away. That’s just fine with me. It’s one reason I live alone in a cabin on the mountain. I’ve seen things […]
I love women. I’ve always loved women, but this group has gotten way out of hand. I’m no angel, but these women are crazy. Take Sylvia. When I first met her, she was a hot hippie-type chick. Later, I found she was also devious and mean-spirited. She’s tried to ruin me. Sylvia is mad at […]
