Learning to Love the Other Side

Bonnie Blue Flag (James)

"No, not my James! My not sweet boy, James!"

James didn't know what to do with crying women. So he stood awkwardly debating on whether or not to put his arm around his Ma or to let her be as she cried and wailed his name over and over again.

James didn't understand it. Wasn't she proud of him for fighting for their rights? She was weeping as if he had straight-up died and she was attending his funeral. He didn't understand it, and he almost wished he hadn't told her.

James finally knelt by his mother and put an arm around her shaking shoulders. "Ma, it's alright. I'm gonna be fine," he said, awkwardly trying to soothe her sobs. He really wished she hadn't taken the news this way. "I'm a man now, I can handle myself and them Yankees."

James glanced over at his father who was sitting in his old, wooden chair by the fireplace. He had set down his newspaper and was looking at James with an expression James had never seen before. It was a look of pride and delight. He stood up from his normal resting spot and walked over to James.

"Well done son. Someones got to save the South, and it might as well be my own flesh and blood," his father commended.

James was aghast at his father's words and sudden affection. He barely could believe it; especially when his father gave him a short, and rather gruff hug. It felt nice to gain the approval of his father. He had been trying and waiting for this his entire life.

"Thanks, Pa," James said, still in shock. "I'm gonna make you proud."

"You had better," replied his father gruffly.

After James had bid his farewells and had kissed his mother and sister goodbye, he grabbed his small rucksack of belongings and went to meet Adam.

It was a beautiful, but eerie morning. The sun was just about to peek over the horizon, and morning dew still covered the grass. A misty fog covered the farm, and the sound of birds chirping was the only sound to be heard.

James was ready. Ready for adventure, and ready to fight.

A proud pep was in his walk, and confident smile lingered on his lips. He was about to be a Confederate soldier. He was about to make his country and family proud.

He spotted Adam leaning against his white Pickett fence, smoking a fine cigar. He looked proud like James, but it was a cocky and selfish proud. Adam often times had talked about how he would make a name for himself if he had ever joined the war, and how all the women would fall at his feet. James felt more inclined to protect his family, his country, and make his family proud more than anything else. The two best friends differed in this way.

"You ready to get us some Yanks? " Adam greeted with a wild grin. He was war-hungry.

"Hell yeah," James responded, the brightness of excitement flashing in his eyes.

The boys slung their rucksack over their shoulders and walked towards the rising sun. Their mothers left behind praying for the Lord to spare their sons, their fathers bragging on how their boys would make a mark in history, and the girls waving their handkerchiefs and hoping one of the boys would write them back.

"We are a band of brothers and native to the soil,

Fighting for the property we gained by honest toil;

And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far,

'Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!'

Hurrah! Hurrah! For Southern rights hurrah!

Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star."

The boys sang Bonnie Blue Flag, a popular war song of the South, merrily at the top of their lungs until their voices were hoarse.

"And rather than submit to shame, to die we would prefer,

So cheer for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!"

The boys stood with their arms on their knees, gasping for breath as they laughed. They had sung the song the entire way to the recruitment tent and it had them gasping for breath. They were clearly young and excited and unaware of the trials ahead. Or the recruiting officer who had stepped out of the tent and stood glaring at them.

"You boys gonna stand there like a bunch of little school girls giggling, or are you going to get inside this tent to sign up for war?"

James stood up straight, and so did Adam. Adam was a couple of inches shorter than James' 6'1 height, so he sucked in his stomach and pulled his shoulders back to try and appear taller. His hazel eyes glistened with excitement and didn't seem fazed by the recruiter's question.

"Yes sir," James replied quickly, feeling the insides of his stomach twist in uneasy knots. He knew he had started off on a bad foot.

"Yes sir!" Adam replied loudly. He wasn't feeling as, "oh crap" as James was, and still had his cocky air about him.

"Alright, get inside, pansies." The recruiter motioned for the boys to go inside the tent, accepting their response.

James was told to sit on the examination table. He had pulled his white, worn, and slightly too small shirt off his back and was left sitting with his breeches hanging at his hips. He glanced across the room to see his friend doing the same. Unlike James, Adam had short, styled chestnut hair, a plain face, and hazel eyes. He wasn't as fit as James, and still had more of a boyish look about his cocky face. He looked excitedly across the room at James.

"Alright, honey, the doctor will be right with ya in a minute, okay? Thanks for servin', hun," the cute nurse drawled in a thick, Georgian accent.

James watched her walk off, wishing she could have stayed longer. He liked her telling him how great he was for serving in the war.

The doctor had asked him a few general questions, barely examined him, and cleared him. Just like that. James was expecting the process to have been longer and more intense, but it seemed like they just wanted men for the war- almost a little desperately. He had seen another guy a little older than himself, with apparent asthma (as he had overheard) and bad eyesight. Yet, the doctor cleared him quite easily.

After examinations were the actual recruitment process. The boys were asked their name, height, and birthdate. Both boys lied about their ages since Adam was merely sixteen and James was only seventeen- too young to fight in the war. The recruiters didn't second guess them and stamped a letter of approval offhandedly as if they had done this many times- and they indeed had, too many to count.

"James Goldby," a man in a crisp, confederate uniform called out.

James walked over to the man, his heart pumping fast with anticipation. This entire process was new to him- he was stepping into the unknown and it was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

"Welcome to the Confederate army, Private Goldby. You have been assigned to the 6th Georgia Volunteer Infantry. You are ordered to report immediately to camp Hancock to begin training."

*** I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Please let me know what you think in the comments below! And if you are enjoying the novel, please vote:)
Next chapter will be Josephine's POV. You'll get a little bit of the Union side of the war***