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  The Confederates were clothed in all colors, shades, and textures. No two were alike. The officers had a mix of Union uniforms along with Confederate gray. The strangest thing was that the farm equipment rolled along under its own power.

  “What the hell is that?” Mike asked.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Saturday, July 4, 1863

  Mike pulled the wagon behind a knoll that was at a slightly higher elevation than the steam cannon. Mike had one advantage—the morning rain kept the dust down. He climbed down and went to his knees. The cavalry was only 100 yards ahead on the same hill. A little lower, but on a larger overlook to accommodate the company of men. Mike stealthily crept over to the edge of a smaller overlook that jutted out from the hill. From there he could see the whole town and the steam gun’s position. Charles and the others joined him.

  “That there is the new and improved steam cannon,” Charles said.

  “You’re kidding me,” Mike said.

  The Confederate steam cannon was flat black in color. It had a platform with large, solid-steel wheels in the rear and smaller, steel-spoke wheels in the front. The boiler was located in the rear and had a tall black smokestack. The furnace was under the boiler. The mid-section was where the operator stood and worked the controls. The front end had four large panels that came to a point, like petals on a flower.

  “The barrel of the gun is hidden within those four large panels,” Charles advised.

  “So the front has to open to fire the gun?” Mike asked.

  “Yes,” Charles said.

  On the larger overlook 100 yards to their right, Mike spotted Tom Treble standing alongside a few Confederate officers, surveying the small community of Mount Pleasant, which was approximately 100 yards down in the valley nestled in the countryside of Carroll County.

  ***

  General Imboden watched the steam cannon make its way to the front as the townsfolk went about their morning chores. He was astonished that the apparatus rolled along under its own power. He watched the soldiers getting the caissons and limbers out of the way to make room for the large cannon to come through.

  The machine made strange, loud noises as it rolled along. Suddenly, the steam startled a horse and rider as it slowly moved up the dirt road. The horse jumped, throwing the rider to the ground. Luckily he was not hurt. He quickly brought the horse back under control and got out of the way. General Imboden became incensed because every time the steam escaped it scared the horses and mules.

  “Shut that contraption down,” Imboden ordered.

  “But general, how will we get it there?” Tom asked.

  “We’ll do what we always done. Harness the mules and pull it,” Imboden said.

  ***

  Mike motioned the group to get closer so that he could lay out his plan. “There’s not even a full company of men over there. Charles, I need you to stay here and look after Sarah and Jenny while me and Ray sneak around the ridge to the gun.”

  “I need to go,” Charles said.

  “Why?” Mike asked.

  “I caused this, and I’m the only one who knows how to stop it,” Charles said.

  “You’ll just get in the way,” Mike said.

  “Please let me help make things right,” Charles pleaded.

  “How do you stop it?” Mike asked.

  “If you want to know, then you need to take me with you.”

  “We’ll be okay,” Sarah told Mike.

  “Fine,” Mike said. “Here’s what we’ll do.”

  Mike explained a daring raid on the steam gun.

  “You do realize this could be suicide?” Charles said.

  “Not if we’re quick enough,” Mike said.

  Mike, Ray, and Charles walked around the ridge toward the overlook and stopped short of the rear guard, which consisted of four men. The soldiers were trying to get a view of the machine. Tom was preparing the cannon for the test. Most of the soldiers wanted to see what the contraption would do.

  “We’ll take out those two Rebs guarding the caisson and limber,” Mike said. “One or two canister rounds should make for a nice pipe bomb.”

  “What is a pipe bomb?” Charles asked.

  “Never mind. We’ll throw them in the furnace—boom! —no more gun,” Mike said.

  “How do you propose we do all this?” Ray asked.

  “Follow my lead,” Mike said.

  “Do we kill them?” Charles asked.

  “Not if we don’t have to.”

  Mike started to walk faster and faster toward the sentries. Ray and Charles had to double-quick to keep up. They made their way behind the sentries, who were more interested in seeing the steam apparatus then in standing guard.

  Mike ran ahead and cold cocked the first guard he came to, knocking him out. Ray and Charles tried to do the same to the other guard, but failed. He turned and saw them coming. The guard fought back and got the upper hand. He was about to sound the alarm when Mike struck him on the head and pulled him back behind the limber.

  With both men unconscious, Mike opened the limber and took out two rounds. He handed Ray a canister round and said, “Follow me.”

  Mike ran toward the steam cannon with Ray and stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Charles was out front, walking up to an officer. That officer was General John Imboden himself, the tall, dark, dashing cavalier.

  “What’s he doing?” Ray asked.

  “Attempting to distract him,” Mike said.

  “He’s putting himself in danger,” Ray said.

  To General Imboden, Charles said, “I’m the Mayor of Mount Pleasant, and I demand, sir, to know what you’re up to? What are you doing with that thing over there?” He pointed to the steam gun. He didn’t see Tom Treble just a few yards away with his back turned.

  Tom turned to see who was talking to the general. His facial expression turned sour when he saw who it was. “That man is a fraud. He’s here to destroy the cannon.”

  Charles slumped, knowing he was caught. His ploy to distract had been a complete failure.

  With no other choice, Mike ran toward the boiler with the canister round in his hand. Ray was right behind him.

  Tom called for the guards to arrest Charles, then he saw Mike and Ray running toward the apparatus.

  “Stop those men!” Tom shouted.

  Four sentries stood in front of the cannon at port arms. But that didn’t deter Mike. He plowed into them before they raised their weapons, knocking two of the guards to the ground. Ray was knocked to the ground when one of the guards managed to use the butt of his musket. Mike managed to take the weapon from him and used it like a club, knocking out the other two guards. Then he got to the furnace’s door.

  Mike struggled with the latch and heard Charles screaming. He got the door open and was about to throw in the canister round when he felt a sharp pain in his left side. He was instantly paralyzed and dropped the canister. Then he went limp and fell to the ground beside the canister round. Tom was standing over him with a bloody bayonet in his hand.

  Charles tackled Tom, hoping that Ray could pick up the canister and throw it into the furnace, but Charles was next to feel the cold steel of the bayonet to his belly.

  Ray went for the canister, but Tom threatened him by pointing the bayonet at him.

  Charles dropped to the ground next to Mike. He looked into Mike’s eyes and whispered, “Pressure.”

  Mike watched as Charles took his last breath. “Run, Ray,” Mike called. “Save the women.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Saturday, July 4, 1863

  Ray made it back to the overlook where Sarah and Jenny were waiting.

  “Where’s Mike?” Sarah asked.

  Ray looked toward the cannon and pointed.

  “Good lord,” Sarah said.

  “Did they stop the gun?” Jenny asked.

  “Ahhh—“ Ray stuttered, then their attention was turned to an awful, loud-pitched noise. They looked in the Confederate’s direct
ion. The high frequency noise came from the steam cannon.

  “Guess not,” Jenny said.

  “Where is Mike?” Sarah demanded of Ray.

  “We had a problem,” Ray said.

  “What kind of problem?”

  Ray didn’t know how to tell her. He stared into the distance. Mike could be dead for all he knew.

  Steam escaping the boiler made a load noise. Sarah, Jenny, and Ray watched as the four panels began to open.

  “Why hasn’t Mike stopped it yet?” Sarah asked, worried.

  “I think he got captured,” Ray said, not wanting the news to sound as bad as death.

  “How could you leave your best friend? We have to go get him,” Sarah said.

  “We don’t have any time,” Ray said.

  “What about that guy Charles?” Jenny asked.

  “Him too,” Ray said.

  So with helpless horror they watched as the machine got to full power.

  ***

  Big Tom Treble was standing over Mike, who was in agony from the bayonet wound. On the ground next to him was the canister round that Mike had tried to throw into the furnace. Tom reached down and picked it up to examine it.

  “Very clever,” Tom said. “Not clever enough, but clever.”

  General Imboden was standing close by. He motioned the guard over. “Take the prisoner to the ambulance and get him patched up. Keep an eye on him and bury the other.”

  “Yes, sir,” the sergeant said.

  “I want you to target the hotel where the Union cavalry headquarters is set up,” Imboden ordered Tom.

  “Yes, sir,” Tom said, smiling.

  The fireman steadily fed lumber into the boiler’s furnace. The whole time, the apparatus made awful, bizarre noises. The soldiers standing around the area waited in anticipation. Tom saw a sour expression on the general’s face.

  “It will take several minutes for the boiler to build up steam to full pressure,” Tom explained to General Imboden, who was growing impatient.

  Imboden leaned toward Tom. “This thing better do what you said it can. General Lee is counting on this weapon, and he has put the Army of Northern Virginia in a very precarious position. If this doesn’t work, we may lose the war.”

  “Oh, it will work,” Tom said.

  “Do you have the target?” Imboden asked.

  “Yes, sir. The hotel, right?”

  The smokestack started to spew a reddish-brown vapor cloud. Then the boiler made a low, moaning sound. The four pointed panels in the front of the steam cannon began to open. Heat waves formed in the air as the barrel of the gun was exposed.

  “Waiting on your order, General,” Tom said.

  Imboden nodded, then said, “Fire!”

  Tom pulled the lanyard and the gun fired. It didn’t have the exploding sound normally heard from the muzzle of a cannon. The sound from this gun was a quiet blurp of steam as the projectile shot across the field, leaving a vapor trail. When it reached the hotel, which was located in the middle of town, there was a huge detonation. A bright light and then an orange glow with a shock wave radiated out in all directions. The concussion hammered down the buildings, trapping and killing people. It was not just the hotel, the entire town was completely destroyed. An orange and black fireball rose high in the sky. At that very moment, the community of Mount Pleasant ceased to exist.

  Tom Treble was excited by the weapon’s power. He was dancing. “Damn, that’s what I’m talking about!” He was also relieved that the device he had constructed actually worked.

  Standing next to Tom, General Imboden fell to his knees, sickened by the sight. “What was that? What just happened?” he cried, not believing his eyes. He put his hands to his face. His sense of honor on the battlefield had just been shattered.

  “A weapon of mass destruction just happened,” Tom said. He raised his arms in the air and pumped his fists at the sky.

  General Imboden was still on his knees, his eyes buried in his hands. “What did I do? Please, God, let me look up and see that the town still stands.” He raised his head and looked out across the field and saw total destruction. “No, no, no.” He slowly get to his feet, tears running down his face. “Where is my scout?”

  The army scout came over.

  “Go down there and see if there were any survivors.”

  “Yes, sir,” the scout said. He mounted his horse and rode off.

  “What did you do?” Imboden asked Tom.

  “We just won the war,” Tom told him. He stared at the general, who seemed not to understand. There was pandemonium among the soldiers. The men didn’t fully comprehend what was happening, either.

  “What manner of weapon was that?” one soldier asked.

  “Damn if I know, but I’m glad I’m over here and not down there,” another soldier answered.

  After about a half-hour, the scout came back and rode up to General Imboden. The scout saluted. “General.”

  “Report,” Imboden said after returning his salute.

  “Some townsfolk are still alive down there. A few are trapped under the rubble of fallen buildings.”

  “Prepare to move out,” Imboden ordered. Then he turned to Tom. “I want that machine shut down at once and the mules hitched to it.”

  “But, General—“ Tom objected.

  “No buts about it. That thing scares the horses.”

  Tom knew it would be useless to argue. The general didn’t like the machine, or him for building it. Tom had to concede. “Whatever the General wants.”

  “That is what I want,” Imboden said.

  The men prepared to move out. Teamsters hooked up four mules to the steam cannon. Tom walked over to the fireman. “Keep the fires in the furnace burning, got it?”

  “Yes, sir,” the fireman said.

  “We’ll go down there and see if we can help anybody,” General Imboden ordered.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, General,” Tom suggested, knowing there was radioactive fallout in the area.

  “Well, you’re not me. If it were not for Jeff Davis himself vouching for you—I would place you under arrest for war crimes. I want you to get away from me. Far away from me, understand?”

  Tom’s face soured. He had fallen out of favor with the general and he became angry. He turned and walked away. “Do what you want,” he said under his breath.

  The Confederate cavalry led the small company down to what had been Main Street. Tom Treble rode around the entire area, staying as far away as possible. He knew the consequences of radiation poisoning, but he did not tell the general about the dangers. The Confederates heard moaning and found a few survivors on the outskirts, but they were beyond help.

  The soldiers walked through checking each one they came upon. The victim’s clothes were shredded and burned. Most of them died of burns. Others had blood coming from their eyes and ears due to the concussion.

  An eerie silence came over the men as they gazed upon the sorrowful plight of the poor townsfolk.

  The soldiers heard guttural sounds coming from under the boards of a collapsed building. The soldiers pulled one victim out from under the heavy flooring and laid her on the ground. There were red sores on her face and arms. The dying woman could only say in a harsh, throaty, and rasping sound, “Water,” over and over.

  A reddish-brown vapor cloud drifted over the entire area. Horses lay dead in the streets. When the last of the Confederates passed, they saw that all the victims were dead.

  “It’s a death machine,” a passing soldier coined the phrase.

  The vapor then started to irritate the skin of the soldiers walking through. The eyes, noses, and throats of the men marching were beginning to be affected. Several soldiers started to choke. There was a strong, unpleasant odor in the air. Then the soldiers began to experience a burning sensation on their skin.

  ***

  Sarah, Jenny, and Ray were hunkered down behind the ridge. After a few minutes, Sarah looked up to witness the destructive power of the gun
. She couldn’t believe what she saw. There was a small mushroom cloud rising in the air. She pulled on Ray’s arm for him to join her.

  Ray and Jenny rose to have a look and were horrified at the sight of the small community being destroyed. The rain started again, hitting their faces and hiding their tears. They were frozen in the moment as they looked at all the damage caused by war.

  “Charles wasn’t lying about its power,” Ray whispered.

  Jenny noticed the soldiers marching through town. They were choking and rubbing their eyes. “If that is what I think it is, those men will soon show signs of radiation sickness. Now they’ll taste the grisly nature of the weapon they just used on others.”

  “Let’s get away from here, before that vapor cloud gets us,” Ray said.

  “What about Mike?” Sarah asked.

  “The army has him,” Ray said.

  “We can’t go without him,” Sarah argued.

  Jenny took Sarah by the arm. “Listen to me, both of you. Ray, you need to go help your friend, and we need to get out of here right now, or we’ll all be dead.”

  Sarah wiped her tears and nodded, “Okay, but, Ray, you better find Mike.”

  “I will,” Ray said.

  “Okay, then. Let’s get out of here,” Sarah said.

  “Where they headed?” Ray asked.

  “Where Charles said the war was won—Union Mills,” Sarah said.

  “We’ll meet you in Union Mills,” Ray told her.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Saturday, July 4, 1863

  The steam cannon was now in tow by army mules. General Imboden’s small company of men were once again on the move, making the five-mile trek to Union Mills.

  It was raining when the death machine arrived at the small village of Union Mills. There was a general uproar of excitement among the men, in butternut and gray, who were dug-in at the front.

  “Huzzah!” the men cheered in unison.

  The soldiers had been waiting for this moment. They had heard the blast and felt the ground shake when the cannon went off in Mount Pleasant. They didn’t know the extent of the damage caused by the blast, but couldn’t wait to hear about it and see it for themselves.