#3 Yankee Doodle Not So Dandy

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The Wagon Train had stopped for a nooning. It was time to rest and water the livestock. Company C naturally stopped with them. Marching across the desert from California through the Utah territory was tough. Tough on livestock, tough on men and tough on equipment. If proper care wasn’t taken men and livestock died and equipment broke. It was best to be careful. The land they were traveling through was particularly rugged. The wagon-master had just called a stop. They didn’t even bother to get off the trail. They’d all just stopped. All the wagon stock, the civilian oxen and the military contract mules, were either unhitched and led down to the small stream or water was brought to them in buckets.

The stock was encouraged to drink all the water they wanted so this break would be longer than usual. The water barrels were also filled . This was possibly the last water for a long, long ways. The mountains were rugged here but there was water, unlike the plains ahead.

Once they got out of the mountains and entered the Great Basin there would be no water. There wouldn’t be any water for a few days. It was best to take advantage of what they had while they had it.

All the army wagons, the two gun carriages and many of the civilian conveyances were lined up waiting to re-hitch. Guards were posted to keep an eye on things but really, what could there be to be concerned about in all this desert? The soldiers that didn’t have guard duty did what normal humans always do. They exercised their god given right to bitch.

The men enjoyed the bull sessions. They dispersed into small groups , pulled out their pipes and tobacco and “lit em up”.

In one of the groups a troopie asked. “Sergeant, why in the blazes is Company C, of all the companies that the regiment has at its disposal, being ordered to march through this God forsaken part of the Utah territory? I mean, it’s just gold. Not like it’s the first gold caravan to cross the continent, right? Aren't there hired guns for this sort of thing?”

Corporal Stetson groaned as he wiped sweat off his soaked brow. He smelled like he hadn't bathed in a month, probably because he hadn't.

The Sergeant carefully cut a sliver from a plug of tobacco then rubbed it. By rubbing the sliver he caused the compressed tobacco to separate into shreds. He carefully stuffed the shreds into his pipe bowl.

“As for why we're walking along with this caravan hauling a gold shipment in the middle of the godforsaken desert is because a few of the most recent shipments haven't been making it back to east. We suspect that there are bandits intercepting them. We’ve heard tell it might be the Wild Bunch. Others speculate it was the James Gang. Still other say it’s Mexican raiders. The Mexicans have been fractious lately. We’re going to have to do something about that one of these days.”

“No survivors of those caravans have been located...all that’s been found are mummified bodies in the desert.. you should be happy that we are taking the southern route, all the missing caravans were up north.”

Sgt. Hobbs puffed on his pipe for a bit to keep it going. Pipes required attention.

“We’re lucky we’re taking the southern route for another reason. That’s why we accidentally met up with this civilian train of Mormons. They were afraid the northern trail over Donner Pass was snowed in so they came this way. They are under our protection until we get back to Salt Lake.”

Then again maybe we’re under THEIR protection. Some of these boys are from the Mormon Battalion, and they’ve seen plenty of action. Don’t mess with them. I’d not even look crossways at their women folk if I were you. It might be fatal.”

Sgt.Hobbs was a platoon Sergeant, even though he was an NCO he wasn’t above a little gossip. He liked a good story as much as the next guy. That might be one of the reasons he got along so well with the troops. His men would follow him into hell. Actually they had. This dessert was damn hot.

“It’s not likely that we'll run into any Outlaws out here.”

he continued blowing a thick cloud of smoke,

”If we do we’re supposed to protect the train , and the gold.”

“Command figures that since we're the regiment’s best company, and that they got us two of them Gatling guns, and special Gatling guns at that, and plenty of ammo, then we oughta be able to handle just about any confederate force or bandits that we might encounter.”

“And if we can’t?”

Jackson and Stetson both asked at the same time.

“Then you'll be dying honorably for your country.”

replied the Sergeant.

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# 1 : In the beginning

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