In the third Oregon historical, Going Home, which will be published September 21st, the story begins in Portland, Oregon, before heading east of the Cascades. It is a love story but also about Oregon right after the Civil War. This was a particularly turbulent time in the United States and Oregon was no exception.
When I wrote Going Home, the Civil War was seemingly in my country's past, but several months ago, after a mass killing, it and the Confederate flag rushed right into the front pages. It became an issue that not only surprised me but gave me some concern about this book's reception-- where the hero fought for the South. Not a thing I can do about that though as the story is what it is-- whether it's politically correct at the moment or not. He had his reasons and I think those who read the story will understand that.
This is an excerpt from when Jed Hardman first got back to Portland.
~~~~~
From
the looks of how she was dressed, the play in which she’d starred, she had
grown even more successful in the years he’d been gone. She’d be even more
unlikely to agree to go to a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Moreover, who was
that man who put his arm around her? Was she married? Maybe with children?
Josh,
his dark skin making his teeth show up even more as he grinned, said, “Argue it
all out as much as you want, you won’t let this one go. We both know it.”
“Maybe
or maybe not.” He took another long drag on the cigarette, finding no pleasure in
it.
“Let’s
get a drink,” Josh suggested.
Jed
nodded, even though whiskey wasn’t going to do anything to make him happy. Josh
was right also that he needed to settle it with Raine. If she was happy with
someone else, he’d wish her well. Well, he’d do his damnedest to wish her well.
As
they walked into a smoky bar, Jed wondered, not for the first time, what the
attitude in Oregon was toward mulattoes, which would be his brother’s legal
definition for those who needed such boxes for human differences. Not that
it mattered much what anyone thought, considering he and Josh were armed and a
head taller than most of the men in the room.
They
leaned on the bar until the bartender came over. “Two whiskeys,” Jed drawled
putting the money on the bar. The bartender looked at Josh a little curiously,
but he and his brother were used to that. The drinks were poured with no
questions.
“You
boys are new around here,” a bald man with a wide girth said as he moved closer
to them. Jed took a sip of his whiskey without answering. “Back from the war?”
“And
that would be your business?”
The
man smiled. “Just trying to be friendly.”
“Snooping
into the business of other folks considered friendly these days?” Jed asked. He motioned to Josh for them to take their drinks to a
table. The man followed and sat without an invitation.
“Just
thought you might not know Oregon
was in favor of freeing slaves.”
“That
so?” Josh asked with a cynical smile as he sipped his whiskey.
“They
set this to being a free state
before we went into the Union. Way ahead, then
had to redo it. Of course, can’t legally own land here.”
“Who
can’t?” Jed asked.
“No
colored folk.” The man grinned slyly. “We’re a real free state kind of folk.”
“What’s
your game here, mister?” Jed asked.
“Friends
call me Toddy. Todd Coen if you want to be formal and my game? Well let me
think a minute on that one. It might be many things. You boys are new here,
aren’t you?” Jed took a long draw on his cigarette instead of answering. “Just
curious. Always curious about folks… Uh what are your names so we can keep this
more sociable?”
“Not
saying we want to be sociable, but Jed and Josh.”
“Guess
you two are figuring I’d be one of those narrow minded types who’d block
colored folk from their rights but no, I am not. What I am is a realist. I see
the irony of life and can’t help but observe it. Like the two of you.”
“There’s
an irony to us?” Jed asked as Josh headed over to the bar and paid for a bottle
of whiskey, bringing back an extra glass.
Coen said his thanks before he took a sip. “You two have Southern
accents, strong ones. Georgia
maybe?”
“Asking
a lot of questions can prove dangerous—in some places,” Jed said eyeing him
coldly.
Coen
grinned with real humor. Obviously, he didn’t easily take offense. “Guessing
since you just showed up, war just ended, likely you fought in it, and wanted
out of the South after it lost?”
Jed
contemplated punching him. It would actually feel good to hit someone... for a
moment anyway.
Coen
looked curiously at Josh and then back at Jed. “So you came north and brought
your freed slave.”
Josh
laughed.
“Josh
has never been a slave, Mr. Coen. He was a freeman from birth. And to stop more
questions. He’s my brother.”
Coen
laughed. “Well bless my soul. That’s something else. So you fought for the
north?”
Jed
shook his head. “No.”
“To
keep slavery?”
“You
are looking for a fight.”
Coen
laughed. “Not with a man your size. No siree. Just wondered is all.”
“Well
to satisfy your curiosity. I fought for the South. Josh and I were both in the
war, in Jeb Stuart’s cavalry until he was killed at Yellow Tavern. then under
Wade Hampton until the surrender and our parole.”
“You
both fought for the South?” Now their new want-to-be friend sounded mystified.
“We
fought for family and state.”
“I
didn’t mean to offend by asking.”
“War
is hell, stranger. It’s even worse when you go into it knowing it’s a lost
cause, but I had family in it. Now all that’s left of that is Josh.”
“I
still can’t get over you fighting though for slavery given...” Coen’s tone
reflected his disbelief as he looked from Jed to Josh.
“Fought
for a state’s right to leave the union. Fought to protect our neighbors and
friends from an invading army. My father, my family, never believed in slavery
and paid a salary with all workers free to leave. As soon as he bought it, my
grandfather had freed all of the slaves working on his cotton plantation. Oh, how
the hell is it worth talking about this? It’s over.”
“Not
hardly. The bad feelings still here. Hate is strong, son. People are strange;
how one day they’ll say one thing and then boom, the other side comes out. Dark
and light. A lot of folks here won’t take kindly if they find you fought for
the South.” His smile was wry. “Even more that you got a darkie with you.”
Jed
smile was glacial. “You are betting on the wrong cards if you think I give a
damn.”
Coen
chuckled. “Nah, just figured you might need to know what you’re up against back
here.”
“What’s
your work, Coen?” Jed smoked studying the man and wondering at his angle.
“Make
it Toddy. Coen sounds too much like my father. I’ve done a bit of this and
that. You name it. I’ve done it probably. Sometimes I write pieces for the
paper.”
“Hope
this won’t be one of them,” Josh said with a grin as he sipped his whiskey.
“No,
just was curious. Two big men like yourselves and now that you say it, I can
see the resemblance, well it makes a man wonder about the story behind it—if
the man’s a writer anyway. What brings you to Portland then?”
“Business,”
Jed answered.
“And
then you’re moving on?”
“You
do sound like a journalist,” Jed said with a cold smile making it clear that’d
be less than welcome.
“I’m
not. I’m more a poet.”
“Well,
Toddy, who pries into stranger’s business, I own a ranch, east of the Cascades,
on the North Fork of the John Day River.
We’re heading there next.”
“You
didn’t stop by there first though? Something more important here than there?
Whole thing makes a body wonder.”
“It’s
nothing for a poem.” Jed’s smile was the one some had said looked mean. He felt
mean.
“Never
know what might be. Poetry is nothing but painting pictures with words. Might
be there is a poem or a lot of them in you two boys,” Toddy said not looking
intimidated.
“Well,
you been giving me advice,” Jed drawled, “now I’ll give you some. Don’t ask too
many questions or you’ll find yourself booted out of here.”
Toddy
grinned. “I’ll remember that. So you going back soon?”
Jed
put up one finger. “I had my reasons for coming here first. Among them, a need
to go back there with supplies. I am not sure what will be left. Four years is
a long time to leave a ranch.”
“I
suppose it is nosy, but how’s it happen you have a place out there? Kind of
unusual. That’s pretty remote country as best I know. Not a place a man would
find by accident.”
Jed
surprised himself by deciding to answer. Despite his nosiness, there was
something likable about Coen’s persistence. “I came out in ‘59, bought it from
a Frenchman.” He didn’t need to reveal the story of how that had come about.
“He had been allowed to buy it as a reward for service, plus the fact it was
wilderness. Not many wanted land out there. The deed is firm if that was your
next question. He had built cabin and barns. I added onto the house, built
corrals, stocked it with cattle. It was a good plan right up until the war interfered.”
“You
read about all the Indian trouble over there?”
“You
are just a fount of good news.”
“What
Indian trouble,” Josh interrupted giving Jed a look, which was answered with a
shrug.
“Paiutes,
Shoshoni, some others been attacking and hitting settlers, anywhere they can.
Military being all back east, fighting the War, left an opening. Oregon formed what they
call the First Oregon Calvary, but I look to see that disbanded now with real warriors
back. When we get some professional troops over there, those honed in battle,
it should straighten itself out.”
“Oh
yeah, professional killers, just what everybody needs,” Jed said with a grimace.
“Hey,
boy, that’s what it takes sometimes.”
Jed
had known about the problems with Paiutes and Shoshoni before he left, but he’d
hoped for the best. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs were peaceable
with their own reservation. He hoped that was still the case. He was counting
on it.
If
Coen was right and there’d been a lot of trouble in his region, he’d be lucky
to find anything standing when he got home. He wasn’t even sure Grimes and
Jessup would still be where he’d left them, supposedly looking after the
property and cattle. If he was lucky, the cattle would’ve spread to the brush
and be there to be rounded up-- instead of in a grizzly, wolf or Paiute’s belly.
At least, he had not assumed he’d be back quickly and had left money with a reputable
lawyer to keep the property free of taxes or liens.
“You
didn’t get much news about out here then?”
“Not
a lot.” A war is all about it.
“Hear
about the gold rush over your way?”
Jed
shook his head, wondering what else could go wrong. The woman he had hoped
would be waiting, even though he’d never asked her, looked to be taken. The cabin
likely was burnt to the ground, cattle gone, and he’d have to start over. Now
gold fever to take away any possible hired help. Perfect.
