The Magical Penny

   The Magical Penny

Suzanne Marsh

Pernod Peabody, his hand in his mother’s grip as they walked along the streets of New York City. Pernod kept his eyes on the ground, trying to keep pace with his mother: he noticed a bright copper penny, and he stopped to pick it up. His mother remonstrated him:

“Pernod! What are you doing? We must keep moving, we must make the train on time.”

Pernod smiled up at his mother:

“Mother, look a bright copper penny, it shall be my best good luck charm, maybe even magical.”

Nanette Peabody, clasped his grimy little hand after he placed the penny in his tattered coat pocket. She hoped all of Pernod's dreams would come true, maybe there was a bit of magic in that small copper penny. They arrived at Grand Central Station, and purchased the tickets, hoping to start over west in Pilot Point, Texas, where Nanette's brother Jed Slocum resided. Pernod was extremely excited, he climbed up into the horsehair seat, sitting up straight next to his mother. The train departed moments later, and cinders were instantly flying; on in every direction, as the whistle blew. Pernod watched out the dirty window as the train began to pick up speed. He fell asleep with the swaying of the train car, as did his mother. They both had a busy morning; now they were off on an adventure of a lifetime. He couldn’t wait to see his Uncle Jed, he had never met him but his mother told him that she and Jed resembled each other.

Pernod found himself in a one-room schoolhouse learning to read and write, which his Uncle made clear; he must do to run the ranch one day. Pernod doted on his Uncle Jed and his mother, he was happy living on the ranch. He had his own horse a chestnut gelding with a white blaze and four white socks which he named Socks. He rode Socks to school every morning, life was good on his Uncle Jed’s ranch.

There was a loud whoop as Jed came in the door, Nanette knew there was only one reason Jed would be so happy:

“It’s begun, Nanny, the Second Rebellion has begun! I signed up this morning. I leave in three

days. A bunch of us boys from Texas are going.” Nanette hung her head, she had been afraid of this happening, she thought about Pernod, he was eighteen; he would more than likely follow Jed, to hell and back if he could. Her fears became fact later in the day, Pernod knelt on his knees in front of her taking her small hand in his large one:

“Ma, I joined up today, I am goin to fight them Yankees!” That put the fear of God into Nanette, kill Yankee’s dear lord what if he accidentally killed his father. She decided to tell him the truth about his father before he went off to war:

“Pernod, sit down, there is something I must tell you before you go off to heaven knows where.

You have asked me over the years about the man who fathered you. He is now a general

in the Union Army, his name is; General Samuel Johnson. He graduated from West Point, I

met him and we fell in love. If you are ever captured, take this locket, and show it to him. He

will keep you safe.”

Pernod took the locket, then raced up the stairs and rummaged through his closet until he the tattered old coat he had worn when he first arrived, he felt around his fingers touching the penny he had kept since he found it. He pulled it out, fingered it, then put it in his pants pocket. Two days later Jed and Pernod waved to Nanette as they rode toward McKinney, Texas where they were to be mustered in. Pernod when asked his name stated:

“Jed Newcomb”

His uncle Jed stood there not knowing what to say, he had thought Pernod was kidding when he stated he was changing his name from Pernod Peabody to Jed Newcomb. They rode with the Kinney 31^st, then with Hood’s Brigade. They both found themselves with Hood at Gettysburg, where Pernod was captured near a railroad crossing. He was taken to Elmira, New York prisoner of war camp, he fingered his lucky penny and prayed that he would make it out of Elmira alive.

On a gray September morning, a Union General rode into Elmira, he was there at the behest of a group of Southern Ladies Nanette Peabody among them; asking for names of the wounded and captured. The general asked to view the prisoners, Pernod stared at the general as he frantically rubbed the magic penny, that thus far had kept him safe. The general stared back at Pernod as if there were something familiar about him. Later that evening once General Samuel Johnson was settled, he asked that prisoner Private Jed Newcomb be brought to him. Pernod continued to finger his lucky penny as he was pushed and shoved with the end of a bayonet to where the general was quartered. The private with the bayonet pushed Jed into the General’s quarters:

“Sir, this here is the man you asked for.”

“You are dismissed private.”

“Mr. Newcomb please have a seat.”

Jed Newcomb sat as he fingered the lucky penny, he then withdrew the golden locket from his other pocket. General Samuel Johnson stared at it as if it were an apparition, it couldn’t be, this young man sitting in front of him; could this be his son?”

“Where did you get that locket boy?” Jed sat erect as he faced his father:

“My mother gave it to me just before I mustered in. She told me if I found you, you would

recognize it.”

General Johnson glared back:

“Boy, you are the spitting image of me when I was your age. Where is your mother?”

“She lives with my uncle Jed on a ranch in Pilot Point, Texas sir.”

“Is she well boy?”

“Yes sir, maybe after the war you could come visit her, I think she would enjoy that.”

The General huffed into his long black beard:

“Yes, I would like that also. Is she safe at this Pilot Point?”

“Yes sir, I believe so, I have not heard anything to the contrary.”

“Boy, I am going to release you, you go back to Texas, tell your mother I will come to see her.”

He signed the release form, before Jed even realized what was happening, then he turned once again to the general:

“Sir, my name is Penrod Peabody, my mother goes by the name Nannette Peabody.”

The general smiled, they saluted and Penrod/Jed left Elmira heading straight for Texas. He arrived home two months later. He went straight to his uncle Jed’s ranch, he could feel the tears welling in his eyes as he saw his mother on the front porch rocking.

“Mother, I am home, where is Uncle Jed?” Nannette smiled a weary smile;

“He is somewhere in a grave in Gettysburg, I got the notification some time ago. Where

have you been?”

He realized he was going to have to tell her about his meeting with General Samuel Johnson his father;

“Mother, I met General Johnson, he released me from Elmira. He is coming to Texas to

see you after the Second Rebellion is settled.” She looked up into his eyes, he was telling her the truth. He hoped there was something to eat it had been two days since he had something:

“Mother, is there anything to eat?” I could go kill some game.”

“The larder is empty, so if you can kill some fresh game it would help.” He grabbed his gun and went hunting. While he was hunting he came across a man in the brush hiding. Jed rubbed his magic penny, he had no idea who this man was but he appeared to be dangerous, even though his shoulder was bleeding:

“Hey, friend, can you catch my horse? I gotta get outta here before the Rangers come back

again.” Jed stared at the man:

“Sir, do you mean the Texas Rangers?”

“Yes, boy I do. I need help, my name is Sam Bass and who are you?”

“My name is Jed Newcomb, glad to meet you, Mr. Bass”

He caught Sam Bass’s horse, and helped him mount the horse, Bass turned to him:

“Boy, do you want to make a lot of money? I have a small gang, I plan on robbing the

Williamson County Bank should be at least sixty thousand there.”

It was more than Jed could ever have earned as a rancher:

“Yes, I’ll join if you will have me.” Sam Bass smiled a genuine smile for the first in five years:

“Fine Jed, we will ride to the hideout, the robbery will take place on Friday.”

Together they rode toward a small cave near Round Rock, where the gang's hideout was. Friday morning was a gray morning, the gang had no idea the Texas Rangers were waiting to pounce on them. They picked up the lock on the bank door and entered. Gunfire was swift and furious, Jed fingered his lucky penny, there did not seem to be any way out, he would take his chances with Sam Bass. Sam was gravely wounded as was Jed. Jed held the lucky penny as his life’s blood ebbed away. The penny fell from his lifeless hand, he was nineteen years old.