Luke Goes to War

Uprooted by War opens in April 1862, and the Civil War has been raging for a full year. Luke Moretz realizes the Confederacy will likely conscript (draft) him soon, and he's been considering what to do. Here is a scene between him and his wife, Leah:

   “Do you think the Confederacy will try to conscript you?” Leah asked Luke when they’d finished reading.
   “They probably will, for I’m in the right age group. It’s the first time I’ve ever wished I were a few years older. Lawrence may hear from them sooner, but I think he’ll be exempt for now. If
the war continues and many more soldiers are lost, I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t try to take us all.”
   “What do you plan to do?”
   “I may need to volunteer for the Union army to keep from being conscripted by the Confederates.”
   “Luke! No!” She leaned over into his arms.
   “It’s not what I want, darling. You know it’s not. I can’t stand the thought of leaving you, and I hate to fight against the South, but I don’t think I can fight for slavery.”

They tried to prepare for the separation, but some things couldn't be planned. Leah woke up dreading Luke's departure.

   Leah shifted and put her head on his chest. “I want to be strong for you, Luke, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to. I’m not that strong.”
   He stroked her hair. “You’re a lot stronger than you think. Just because you’re emotional and passionate doesn’t mean you’re weak. Tears are not just a sign of weakness. They can also be a sign of caring. I love you so much. Keep that in your heart and hold on to it. I plan to come back to you, but if something does happen, I’ll be waiting for you in Heaven. Be happy, Leah. Love again if you can. If you can’t, love God and serve Him. He’ll be enough.”
   “You must know how much I love you. It’s so much there’re no words to explain. I’m going to be thankful for these years we’ve had. I’m going to expect to see you riding up again soon. There’s no use to expect the worst.”
   “That’s my girl. God will take care of us. We just need to grow our faith and our trust. We’ll need an ample supply of both to get us through this war and back to our lives with each other.”

The war is going to be the hardest time the family has ever had to face. Both Luke and Leah end up being in harms way, and the not knowing what's happening with the other made the situation doubly hard. Here's what happened as Luke rode away:

   Leah packed Luke some food while he got his things together. He came in and they took it all to his horse. He said good-bye and hugged each of the others first. Then, he came to Leah. He took her in his arms and held her a long time before he pulled his head back to kiss her. Neither of them cared the others were watching.
   The kiss turned long and passionate, driven by a hunger born of urgency. In that kiss rested the uncertainty they’d had when Luke was still engaged to Ivy, but she’d run away. It held the passion they’d discovered on their wedding night. It reminded them of the despair they’d had when they were apart so Leah could take care of Ivy when she’d been in danger of losing her baby and herself. It spoke of the grief they’d shared after their babies died and the support they’d been for each other. But more than anything and through everything, it overflowed with love.
   He mounted, turned, and looked at her as if he were memorizing her features. Love as well as tears filled his eyes. Then, he turned and rode away.
   Leah stood watching at the spot where he’d been long after he’d gone. Her face remained drenched in tears, and they wouldn’t stop. Hawk and Dr. Moretz took Granny Em into the house, and Patsy tried to lead her, but she shook her head.
   She didn’t know how long she stood there. She felt frozen in place, unable to move. Hawk finally came to get her. He put his arm around her, and she sobbed on his shoulder. He didn’t say anything for a long time. He just let her cry it out. When she finally stopped, he rubbed her back while he still held her.
   “It’ll be okay,” he said. “You’ll see. Time passes, and it takes care of things. Look at me. I waited fifty-seven years for Emma, but it was worth every minute. In this world there is great happiness
and great sorrow. The lower you go into the valleys, the higher you can rise in joy. Your happy moments aren’t over, Leah. Mark my words. You’ll experience them again.”
   He couldn’t have said anything that would have helped her more. “Thank you,” she whispered and looked at him. He smiled and handed her his handkerchief as he led her inside.

Luke also had misgivings that night as he camped with a small group of men who were also on their way to Tennessee to join the Union Army.

   Luke felt his group had made good progress toward their destination. They’d stopped and camped for the night in a clearing.
   After supper, he took out his Bible. It opened to a place on its own. There tucked between the pages he found the photograph of him and Leah taken at Ivy’s wedding. Leah must have put it there for him to find.
   Oh Leah, how I do love you and miss you already! He looked at the others, but they’d started bedding down for the night and paid him no attention. He felt silent tears slide down his face. He’d somehow managed to hold them back at the farm, although he’d felt them began to pool as he looked at Leah one last time. Here, in the night with no one looking, he silently cried.
   His tears were mainly for his wife, for having to leave her when he wanted to remain by her side, to keep her in his arms, to protect her. But he also cried for himself. The future loomed with uncertainty, and the unknown is always a scary place filled with fear and foreboding. He knew the coming time would probably confirm what Ben Franklin had once said: “There never was a good war or a bad peace.”

   He’d told Leah tears were not a sign of weakness, yet he felt ashamed as he wiped them from his face. He’d also told her faith and trust were the answers. He needed a good measure of his own advice.

Uprooted by War is now available in the e-book versions and the print version online. The bookstores and I should be getting our copies shortly. You'll want to read book one and two (Cleared for Planting and Sown in Dark Soil) first. Each one is a standalone, but there will be spoilers if you read them out of order. All my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.

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