The Trail West Ch. 01

"There's two hundred dollars in gold coins in there; you might need something along the way, don't you know." He smiled at the shocked look on his son's face.

"I can't take this Pa. I ....." Josh tried to protest.

William interrupted and said, "It's the money you've been giving us from your horse training over the last couple of years. Ma and I saved it thinking it would a good start for you if you ever got married. Guess it will be have more use now rather than later." Josh had more tears in his eyes now and heard his father sniff a couple of times.

"Have any idea where you're going or what trail you're going to take?" Pa asked.

"I plan on cutting south through Arkansas and then take the trail west, I guess. Maybe I'll head up to Colorado; I hear there are cattle ranches from Pueblo all the way north to Wyoming. If there's cattle ranches then they'll need a horse trainer; but I can work cattle if need be," Josh explained his plan to his father.

Josh gave Samuel a hug and then a handshake, kissed his Ma one more time and turned to his father. They shook hands and then William grabbed Josh in a bear hug and held him for about ten seconds.

"Mind your Ma boy and be careful. You're your own man and trust your instincts. Take the trail west and get out of this mess," William said.

The boy mounted Sunny, waved to the family and rode south from the farm. As he topped the first hill he turned and looked down at his family home, the only home he had ever known; he wondered if he would ever see it again. Josh waved one last time to the family and turned his horse on the trail south.

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The Bushwhackers were a guerilla band of supposedly Confederate sympathizers. They ran amok during the Civil War and afterward killing and stealing throughout southern Missouri, along the Mississippi River and down into northern Arkansas.

A note concerning the murder of the Chiltons mentioned in this story. I changed the names but "James Chilton" and two of his sons were murdered by the Bushwhackers. The son-in-law was also killed as he tried to ride for help.

The Bushwhackers claimed that "the Chiltons were Union sympathizers" when in truth they had tried to stay neutral during the Civil War. According to historical letters written by "Chilton" he didn't hold with slavery but he also didn't hold with the Federal government telling folks and states what to do

Although I have changed the names, these real life men were some of my ancestors. I have a copy of an old letter written by an eye witness to their murder describing the event.

In addition to the almost total decimation of that limb of my family tree, the aftermath of this raid had local historical significance. A group of relatives and neighbors of "the Chiltons" hunted down and dealt with "John Fogerty" and his Bushwhackers. The band of local vigilantes, who were neither Union or Confederate sympathizers, only interest was "justice" and to send a warning to other guerilla bands roaming through southern Missouri.

I hope this brings a little more life to this story. Thanks for reading my work.