Spangler's Spring Meeting

Spangler's Spring Meeting

Suzanne Marsh

“I swear Jed, it's hotter here than in Mecklenburg, North Carolina!”

“Quiet, Johnny, we're nearin that spring. We gotta bring water back

before we go into battle.”

Johnny Redman and Jeremiah Goldman gathered all the canteens from the their company, in hopes of filling the canteens with water. They crept along on their bellies, their throats parched from the forced ten mile march they made earlier in the day. Johnny's lips were cracked and painful. Jeremiah blue eyes were sunken from poor rations and no water. They were desperate, their company needed water. Spangler's Spring was located near Culp's Hill on the Spangler farm. The water was cool and clear. If they were really lucky their might be a fish or two they could catch. That would make a mighty fine dinner.

Billy Bond sat quietly near Spangler Spring contemplating the first days action. He wondered how many more times he would survive the battles ahead. He found himself drifting off to sleep, sitting on the ground, staring up at the moon and stars. He hated the thought that he was so very close to home yet he was stuck here. He thought about the day he left, a mere lad of sixteen, now two years later he was seasoned veteran of more battles can he cared remember. He thought about his life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the family farm. The mule ole Red, meanest mule ever walked the face of the earth.

Johnny and Jeremiah, crept to within several feet of the spring. The tall oak and ash trees had kept them safe up until now. Johnny noticed the Yank sitting on the ground, looking up toward the sky, he sure made a real tempting target.

“Jeremiah, maybe we better lay low until the Yank either falls asleep or we murder him.”

Jeremiah, hated violence:

“We ain't gonna murder him but maybe we can exchange some tobbacy for coffee. You never

know with these fellers.”

They hid behind a clump of bushes within five feet of the Yankee. Jeremiah, knew they could not remain hidden very long before someone from their company came looking for them. Before Jeremiah could stop him Johnny stood up. The Yank stood up too:

“look I don't wanna kill you or anyone else. We need water Yank and bad.”

The Yank looked to be maybe eighteen, same age as Jeremiah and Johnny. The staring began, no one made a move. The peacefulness now disturbed. The Yank sat back down on the hard ground, motioning for the two Rebs to do the same. Jeremiah and Johnny exchanged glances.

“No offense to either of you but you are in our territory. I ain't gonna say anything.

Why take the chance of getting caught or shot?”

Johnny began:

“We need water somethin fierce, we ain't had water in three days. We forced marched

the last ten miles.”

The Yank smiled:

“Yeah we did too. Where you boys from?”

Jeremiah in a soothing voice:

“We are from Mecklenburg North Carolina, where you from Yank?”

“My name is Billy Bond, I'm from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I am

about thirty miles from home. I'm hoping to return home when the war

is over. Is Mecklenburg like Pennsylvania?”

Once again Johnny responded:

“Na, it's hotter here, we live in the mountains but Mecklenburg most folks know

the name. What about Lancaster Pennsylvany?”

“Lancaster, is farmin area. We have a small farm, my dad works with the help of my sisters,

while I am away. “

Billy quietly waited to see what the Rebs would do next, he was unarmed as were they.

“You boys got any tobacco to exchange? I have some extra coffee. Maybe we could swap

and both come out ahead of the game.”

That sounded good to the Rebs. Neither one of them had, had a cup of coffee since the war began. Mostly it was chicory, a very distinct taste.

“Sounds good Yank but how you gonna bring us the coffee if in we give you the tobaccy now?”

Billy thought about that for several seconds:

“Okay, here's the deal, you two go back to camp, get the tobacco, I will do the same.

We meet back here in half an hour and no one is wiser on either side.”

It made sense, as long as whoever was on picket duty would look the other way for a few minutes.

“Okay, we meet back here in half an hour. Any tricks Yank and you're a dead man.”

Promises were made by both sides. Johnny and Jeremiah headed back toward their camp, then swung around to see which directions the Yank was taking. They never realized that Billy was watching from behind a large oak tree.

Billy, back at camp went to see Sergeant Miles Lands:

“Hey Sergeant, I met a couple of Rebs at the spring, evidently they are in a position where

there is no water readily available. I watched 'em as they headed back to their camp. They

want to trade coffee fer tobacco. That's a fair trade. I just thought you should know just

in case I don't make it back.”

Sergeant Lands smiled:

“Na, Billy, capturin those two Rebs ain't worth the trouble to form up the company. They

got their own troubles. If you wanna trade, go ahead.”

Billy quickly dashed over to his tent, grabbed a full tin of coffee. He felt as though someone was following him, he had made sure that he wasn't followed out of camp. He knew he could trade the tobacco for extra rations it was as good as currency in the army.

Jeremiah and Johnny ran back toward their camp at full speed. They grabbed several plugs of tobacco. Then Sergeant Jeb Martin spotted them:

“hey whar you boys head in sich a hurry?”

Not want to be caught they answered:

“We are gonna swap this here tobaccy for some coffee. We'll be back quick as a mule can kick.”

Sergeant Martin, suspicious by nature decided to follow Jeremiah and Johnny at a safe distance. There was something they were not telling him.

Martin followed them back to the spring, then he saw them exchange the tobacco for the coffee.

As he raised his pistol he noticed the handshake between Jeremiah and Billy. He lowered his pistol as he listened:

“Billy, I wasn't sure bout you until now. I thought maybe you would come back with

some men to capture us but you did not. Maybe someday I'll visit North Carolina or

someday we will both return here to Gettysburg.”

Billy smiled:

“See you in hell Billy Yank.”

Billy replied:

See You in hell Johnny Reb.”

Years later both men met by accident at Gettysburg, men with gray beards and white whisps of hair:

“Hey, yank ain't you the feller that gave me the coffee?”

With astonishment in his voice:

“I am that feller, are you the Reb that brought the tobacco?”

“I am that feller, who would have thought we would meet here again on this battlefield?”

“Yep, hey what happened to the other feller?”

“He was kilt on the second day of battle, Johnny was shot drinking a cup o coffee.”

Jeremiah and Billy shook hands now as friends, July 1^st, 1901