Free Under the Distant Sky by Al Lacy

a trooper on horseback. “Hello!” Solomon said.
    “Hello, yourself, sir!” came the friendly reply.
    “My name’s Cooper. Solomon Cooper. I own the general store right here.”
    “Yes, sir?”
    “I was a captain in the Union Army in the War. I fought under Colonel Bateman, and alongside Captain Crawley. I just happened to see them as they were passing by. I know you’re from Fort Benson, Illinois. Where are you going?”
    “We’re on our way to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, sir,” the trooper said. “Colonel Bateman has been commissioned as commandant of the fort. He’s taking his entire Fort Benson regiment with him. Three hundred and sixty-seven men, along with the wives and children of all our officers.”
    “That include Mrs. Bateman?”
    “Yes, sir. She’s in the first wagon up ahead. And, by the way, sir, it is
Major
Crawley now.”
    “Oh! I only got a glimpse of him. Didn’t see the insignia on his uniform. Well, good for him! Does Colonel Bateman plan to halt the column, or are you going to keep moving?”
    “We’ve been moving steadily, except at night, since we left Fort Benson. We’re going to stay just outside of Independence for a couple of days and let everybody rest, including the animals.”
    “Good!” Solomon said, his limp becoming more pronounced as he tried to keep up with the trooper. “Would you do me a favor?”
    “Sure.”
    “When you haul up out there at the edge of town, would you remind Colonel Bateman and Captain—I mean, Major Crawley that I am proprietor of Cooper’s General Store, and ask them to please come see me?”
    “Will do, sir.”
    “Thank you.”
    “My pleasure.”
    Solomon returned to his customers and steady sales. While they worked side by side, Solomon told Randy some of his experiences with Colonel Bateman and Major Crawley in the War.
    Some two hours after the regiment had passed through town, Solomon was waiting on a family from Wisconsin when he looked up to see Colonel and Mrs. Ross Bateman come through the door, followed by Major and Mrs. Darrell Crawley.
    “Hello!” Solomon said. “Wonderful to see you! Let me take care of these customers and I’ll be with you in a jiffy!”
    Bateman raised a palm. “Take your time, Sol. We’ll just browse around.”
    Ten minutes later, Solomon joined his old friends and fellow soldiers.
    Early in the Civil War, Hannah, Chris, and Mary Beth had left Independence to live at three different forts with Solomon, who served under Colonel Bateman the entire time. They were at Fort Detrick, Maryland, then were transferred to Fort Bedford, Pennsylvania, where B. J. was born. The last year of the War, they were at Fort Benson, Illinois. When the War was over, and the Coopers returned home, Hannah was expecting their fourth child.
    Now Solomon gripped Crawley’s shoulder and said, “Hey, Darrell! Congratulations on making major!”
    “Thank you… you’d have been a general by now if you’d stayed in the army, you know.”
    Solomon snorted. “You know better than that!”
    Sylvia Bateman said, “Sol, we never did know whether Hannah had a boy or a girl when you left Fort Benson.”
    Solomon’s grin widened as he said, “A girl…Patty Ruth. Hard to believe she’s five years old now. And let me tell you, she’s a pistol!”
    Christel Crawley laughed. “Well, when do we get to meet her and see Hannah and the other children?”
    “I imagine the kids have grown a lot since we saw them last,” put in the colonel.
    “You won’t know them, sir,” Solomon said. “Hannah and I can bring the children to your camp tonight, if that’s all right.”
    “Of course it is.”
    “Oh, yes, we must see them!” Sylvia said.
    Solomon flashed her a smile and said, “Believe me, ma’am, Hannah would be very disappointed if she didn’t get to see all four of you!”
    “We’ll look forward to it,” Colonel Bateman said, stepping to one side to let two women in hoop skirts squeeze past.
    Solomon glanced toward Randy