be a gift from God.” He stopped. “But you know something, Captain?” He stopped again. “Tell
me,” he said, “are you thinking of trying to find all that equipment?”
“The thought passed my mind,” Hottel said.
“Don’t bother.”
“Why not?”
“I can manage—not well, but passably—with what we’ve got now. And after we pull out of Jackson, all that other machinery won’t
do us a damn bit of good.”
“How’s that?”
“There’s no way we can move them east where all that equipment is going to be needed.”
There was only one completed railroad line in the South between the Mississippi River and the East. It ran from Memphis through
the northernmost parts of Mississippi and Alabama to Chattanooga. There a line branched north toward Richmond and south toward
Atlanta. Since the Federals now held all the western portions of that east-west line, the South had no through east-west train
service.
Another line running east from Vicksburg through Jackson and then to Montgomery and Atlanta was uncompleted. The section between
Selma and Mongomery, the section bisected by the Tombigbee River, would not be completed for some time.
If the Confederacy wanted east-west rail service during the summer of 1863, they had to travel down to Mobile, ferry across
the bay, the connect with the lines that went to Atlanta.
“You don’t think that equipment will be needed here,” Hottel asked innocently, “after Sherman and his people leave?”
“After Johnston withdraws from Jackson, Captain, you can write off Mississippi from the Confederacy.”
“That’s writing off the entire West, then,” Hottel said, as though the thought came as an utter surprise to him.
Noah gave a short, sharp nod in answer. Then he made a move for the door outside. “Meanwhile,” he said, shaking his head again,
“we’ve got to do what we can with the eighteen we have.”
Hottel just looked at him with curious, probing eyes.
Noah gave him a to-hell-with-it gesture. “But I take it you’d like to track down that equipment?”
“I’d like to locate the locomotives,” Hottel said. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
“Go ahead if you want. Find out where they are.” And get out of my hair, he thought.
“I just might do that,” Hottel said. “Meanwhile, let’s get ourselves organized.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s you and me sit down to a leisurely lunch, where you can explain your procedures and methods and I can elaborate on
the information I’ve brought with me.”
“If it’s like the information about that equipment you say is ready for plucking, I’d be very interested in hearing it. But
not now. I’ve no time, I’m sorry to say.”
“You must eat.”
Noah shrugged. “I can’t. I have too much to do. But why don’t you come along with me and see what’s happening?”
“Well, at least take a drink then,” Captain Hottel said. “I have some decent brandy in my bag.” He pointed to a large leather
bag on the floor.
“You’re tempting me,” Noah said. “But I really must get back to the yard. I’ve been away too long already.”
“Don’t you have people who can handle things themselves?”
“Funny, but the general asked me that same question. The answer is no. There’s Gar Thomas, whom you’ll meet soon, I’m sure.
And there’s me. And now there’s you,” he said meaningfully.
“All right, then,” Captain Hottel said. “Let’s go to the yard.”
At that, Noah realized that what he really wanted was to be rid of Captain Hottel. “Wouldn’t you rather I found you some quarters
first?” he asked. “Someplace to clean up and change?”
“No,” Hottel said. “Not at all. My bag will be safe here.”
“All right, Captain. Come on, then.”
Damn it to hell! Noah thought. Fire and Blazes!
Though it was well after midnight, Jane Featherstone was wide awake. She sat in a rocking chair with an unread book in her
lap, and
me,” he said, “are you thinking of trying to find all that equipment?”
“The thought passed my mind,” Hottel said.
“Don’t bother.”
“Why not?”
“I can manage—not well, but passably—with what we’ve got now. And after we pull out of Jackson, all that other machinery won’t
do us a damn bit of good.”
“How’s that?”
“There’s no way we can move them east where all that equipment is going to be needed.”
There was only one completed railroad line in the South between the Mississippi River and the East. It ran from Memphis through
the northernmost parts of Mississippi and Alabama to Chattanooga. There a line branched north toward Richmond and south toward
Atlanta. Since the Federals now held all the western portions of that east-west line, the South had no through east-west train
service.
Another line running east from Vicksburg through Jackson and then to Montgomery and Atlanta was uncompleted. The section between
Selma and Mongomery, the section bisected by the Tombigbee River, would not be completed for some time.
If the Confederacy wanted east-west rail service during the summer of 1863, they had to travel down to Mobile, ferry across
the bay, the connect with the lines that went to Atlanta.
“You don’t think that equipment will be needed here,” Hottel asked innocently, “after Sherman and his people leave?”
“After Johnston withdraws from Jackson, Captain, you can write off Mississippi from the Confederacy.”
“That’s writing off the entire West, then,” Hottel said, as though the thought came as an utter surprise to him.
Noah gave a short, sharp nod in answer. Then he made a move for the door outside. “Meanwhile,” he said, shaking his head again,
“we’ve got to do what we can with the eighteen we have.”
Hottel just looked at him with curious, probing eyes.
Noah gave him a to-hell-with-it gesture. “But I take it you’d like to track down that equipment?”
“I’d like to locate the locomotives,” Hottel said. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
“Go ahead if you want. Find out where they are.” And get out of my hair, he thought.
“I just might do that,” Hottel said. “Meanwhile, let’s get ourselves organized.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s you and me sit down to a leisurely lunch, where you can explain your procedures and methods and I can elaborate on
the information I’ve brought with me.”
“If it’s like the information about that equipment you say is ready for plucking, I’d be very interested in hearing it. But
not now. I’ve no time, I’m sorry to say.”
“You must eat.”
Noah shrugged. “I can’t. I have too much to do. But why don’t you come along with me and see what’s happening?”
“Well, at least take a drink then,” Captain Hottel said. “I have some decent brandy in my bag.” He pointed to a large leather
bag on the floor.
“You’re tempting me,” Noah said. “But I really must get back to the yard. I’ve been away too long already.”
“Don’t you have people who can handle things themselves?”
“Funny, but the general asked me that same question. The answer is no. There’s Gar Thomas, whom you’ll meet soon, I’m sure.
And there’s me. And now there’s you,” he said meaningfully.
“All right, then,” Captain Hottel said. “Let’s go to the yard.”
At that, Noah realized that what he really wanted was to be rid of Captain Hottel. “Wouldn’t you rather I found you some quarters
first?” he asked. “Someplace to clean up and change?”
“No,” Hottel said. “Not at all. My bag will be safe here.”
“All right, Captain. Come on, then.”
Damn it to hell! Noah thought. Fire and Blazes!
Though it was well after midnight, Jane Featherstone was wide awake. She sat in a rocking chair with an unread book in her
lap, and
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