The Loyalty Oath

          The Loyalty Oath

Suzanne Marsh

Matt Garvey rode silently towards home, his bride awaiting his return. Matt could hear pounding hooves behind him. He dug spurs into his dapple gray stallion Mangrove, knowing that if Jake LaMonte and his band caught up with him, they would force him to take an oath of Loyalty to the confederate state of Georgia, and Georgia only. The second rebellion made no sense to him, his family never owned slaves, so why should he fight for “the cause”? Matt slapped the reins across the huge stallion, as he heard the hooves of horses trying to over take him. He had two choices the way he saw it: either take the oath or get beaten to within an inch of his life. He continued to gallop down the road, toward home. He knew if he made it home, he and Pa had shot guns they could use to disperse the attackers. Rock salt worked very well for that purpose.

Matt jumped off of Mangrove, as he yelled:

“Pa, pa, come quick, Jake LaMonte is on his way here. He is going to make us take the

loyalty oath, since I ain’t gone with the other men from around here. Pa, this was, it

don’t make a lick of sense. We got family up north, we gonna go to war on them?”

John Garvey, knew full well why Matt felt that way, his cousin and best friend were both from the north. Matt couldn’t make war on them, it just wasn’t right. The two men ran into the house, grabbing the shot guns. Matt turned to his bride of one day:

“Mae, you stay away from the doors and windows, better go hide in the root cellar until

this is over. Go Now!!!”

Mae did as she was told, she knew there was going to be a great deal of trouble, she had almost married

Jake, before she met Matt. She hoped he would not harm Matt, but her heart knew better. She heard horses whinny, then Jake’s voice:

“John, Matt, you know why we are here, either sign the oath pledging your allegiance to

our fair state of Georgia or we burn you out.”

John and Matt stood their ground, shot guns ready:

“Jake”, John yelled: “Git on outta here before my finger slips and I pull the trigger. We

ain’t signin nothin. We ain’t got slaves, and states rights is a lotta hogwash. Now git”

John Garvey, knew that Jake would return with more of his gang. He turned to Matt:

“Matt, you take Mae and git outta here before they git back. Hide up in the mountains,

when Jake gives up I’ll come git ya. Anythin happens to me, you git justice fer me.

Now, Matt, go quick!”

Matt did as his father instructed, he raced to the barn; saddle up Mangrove and the mare Sally for Mae. They rode off quickly, toward the mountains and safety. Jake returned with twelve men, they tossed fired torches on the roof of the house. John Garvey came out gasping for breath, Jake shot him thinking it was Matt. When he rode over he discovered his mistake. He motioned the men and they rode into the dark of night.

Matt and Mae remained in the mountains for over a month, waiting for John to let them know it was safe. Matt, was becoming increasingly worried about John. He waited for Mae to relax:

“Mae, I ain’t heard from Pa for over a month, I think somethin happened to him. I am gonna

ride down, see if I can see anything from the brush outside the house.” Mae shook her head

in fear:

“No Matt, he said he would come git you when it was clear. I don’t think it is a good idea.”

Matt turned to her, gave her a quick kiss, then rode off. Darkness was descending on the mountain, he knew he would be safe. He rode directly to Harvey’s Horses, he hid in the bushes, then by the pale moonlight he saw the house, his father’s corpse on the ground shotgun still in his hands. Matt, mounted and rode back up to the hideout in the mountains. He dismounted, Mae could see the sadness in his blue eyes.

“Matt, what’s wrong? What’s happened?” Matt could feel the anger welling in his voice:

“Mae, they kilt pa, I saw him lyin on the ground. I gotta go bury him before the vultures

take him apart piece by piece.” Those words shook Mae to her very soul, she knew Matt would do what he had to:

“Matt, if yer goin I’m goin too. We can dig a hole, bury him and be out by sunlight.” Matt wasn’t happy about Mae going but he knew she was right, it would be quicker. They mounted and rode down the mountain once again. Matt, had no idea that Jake had staked out the house hoping he would catch Matt unawares.

Jake and his band were on Matt before he was finished digging the hole to bury his father. Mae, screamed as Jake pulled her up onto his saddle. He held her tightly as she squirmed:

“Hey boys, come on, time to get Matt to swear the oath. Tie him to that tree yonder. Strip his

shirt. Tig, you get the” black snake”.” Matt, knew the sting of the black snake he had once seen a man whipped to within an inch of his life, that seemed to be his fate also. Thought of Mae having to witness it was to much for him to bear. He pleaded with Jake, to take her somewhere, so she would not see what happens when the “black snake” appears. Jake, wasn’t in an obliging mood, but motioned Tig to grab her by the waist and go into the bushes. Jake jumped down from his saddle:

“Matt, just say the oath, you and Mae ride outta here, you don’t, we do our worst.” Matt knew they would rape Mae and kill him. His eyes filled with tears:

“Jake, I will say the oath”

Jake began:

“I do renounce and forever adjure all allegiances and Fidelity to every Sovereign state

other than the state of Georgia.”

Matt, tears streaming down his face:

“Jake, I can’t say that, that ain’t what you and I learnt. I will pledge Fidelity to Georgia,

it is my home.”

Jake was silent for a moment thinking about what Matt had just said:

“All right Matt, you and may go, I’m satisfied you will keep your promise.”

Jake and his men rode away. Mae came out from the trees, untied Matt. Together, the rode out into the mountains and safety, until the end of the Second Rebellion.