"Dear Orry III" [G] - 1/1
"DEAR ORRY III"
RATING: [G]
SUMMARY: A view of Charles Main's life as an Army officer on the Texas frontier during the spring and summer of 1859, via a letter written to his cousin, Orry Main.
FEEDBACK: Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Charles Main, Orry Main, Billy Hazard, Elkhannah Bent and all other characters related to the "NORTH AND SOUTH Trilogy" belong to John Jakes, Wolper Productions, and Warner Brothers Television.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a continuation of Charles Main’s experiences in Texas, first started in the story, "Dear Orry", and continued with "Dear Billy", "Dear Orry II" and "Dear Billy II". The story is a combination of canon from the trilogies of both John Jakes’ novels and the television adaptations.
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"DEAR ORRY III"
July 19, 1859
Camp Cooper, TX
Dear Orry,
Forgive me for taking so long to respond to your last letter. I had considered making the excuse that Army life on the frontier had taken a great deal of my time. But that would be dishonest. I am your cousin, after all. And I am certain you have grown familiar with my bad habit of not writing as often as I should. There is no excuse for my neglect.
In my last letter, I had conveyed my experiences at the Lantzman farm and dealing with Captain Bent's hostility. Thanks to your last letter, I now understand why the Captain was so hellbent upon making my life miserable. Billy Hazard and I had made an enemy during our years at West Point. But Caleb Slocum had never displayed Bent's penchant for vindictiveness, let alone vengeance; despite his sadistic inclination. I'm still flabbergasted that any man, let alone Captain Bent, would spend over a decade harboring a desire for revenge.
Captain Bent barely spoke a word to me after the Lantzman action for nearly eight months, except in the line of duty. Well . . . that's not exactly the truth. He did appear at my quarters one evening, last April. I believe he wanted to guarantee my silence regarding young Martha Lantzman. I also suspect that he sought my company for another mat . . . I had mentioned my problems with Captain Bent in my last letter to Billy. I don't know if you had warned his brother George yet. But I felt that Billy should be warned in case he and Bent encounter each other. Bent's last posting was at the War Department in Washington. There is a chance he might be posted back East again. And I learned from Billy in his last letter that he had been transferred to the Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania to continue repairing the barracks and other buildings that have been a thorn in the Army's side for years.
Following Lafe O'Dell's death last year, I became Company "K"'s acting executive officer. A Yankee officer named Ben Carpenter became the new First Officer last fall. Captain Bent was not prepared to recommend me as the new XO, unsurprisingly. Carpenter is a pretty good sort. Another Ohioan like Lafe O'Dell. The men easily grew to respect him. He did not seemed to mind that I had to teach him how to be an officer here out West. Just as O'Dell had taught me. The frontier has around South Central Texas had been quiet for a while. Unfortunately, there was an incident between a Mexican named Juan Cortina and a local sheriff in Brownsville recently. Cortina's family had lost their lands following the Mexico war and is known for leading other Mexicans or "Tejanos" to resist the Anglo authorities. Many of us on the post believe Cortina might cause more trouble. There are bets that we'll see action along the Rio Grande before the end of summer.
Give my love to Aunt Clarissa, Cousin Brett, Cousin Cooper and even Ashton. Take care of yourself, cousin. I promise I will write more in the future.
Sincerely,
Your Cousin Charles