Jack carried the water bucket into the tent. The scene insidewas like a nightmare.
The tent was hot and stuffy. A dozen injured soldiers lay onsmall cots. Some called for food. Others begged for water or justmoaned.
Jack wanted to rush back outside. But Annie got right towork. She rolled up her sleeves and smiled.
"Hi, everybody!" she said cheerfully.
None of the soldiers smiled back.
"I have good news!" she said. "We've brought lunch!"Annie moved down the row of cots. She handed out pieces ofbread and chunks of potatoes to all the patients.
"You'll be feeling better soon," she said to one sick man.
"You'll see your family again," she told another.
Jack looked around nervously. He wasn't sure what to do.
"Give them water, Jack!" Annie called to him.
Jack saw a tin cup beside each man's cot. He picked up thefirst cup. Carefully, he used the ladle to fill it with water.
Keeping his eyes down, Jack handed the cup to the patient. Hefelt shy and uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say.
Jack moved on to the next patient, then the next. He gaveeach wounded man a cup of water. But he never looked right atany of them or spoke a word.
Soon Jack and Annie had finished passing out food and water.
"Good-bye!" Annie said.
She waved and left the tent. Jack quickly followed her.
"Let's go home now," he begged once they were outside.
"We've got what we came for.""If we leave now, the patients in the next tent will go hungryand thirsty," said Annie.
Jack sighed.
"Okay," he said. "But after we take care of them, we're leavingfor sure."He followed Annie into the next tent.
Just like the last tent, it was filled with wounded soldiers. Butthe soldiers in this tent were all African-Americans.
"Hi, everybody!" Annie said, smiling warmly.
Again, she passed out potatoes and bread. She also talked andmade jokes.
Jack poured water into each of the tin cups. Again, he didn'tspeak to any of the soldiers. But as he handed over the last cup,a patient spoke to him.
"Thank you for your kindness, son," the soldier said.
Jack glanced shyly at the man on the cot. He was an elderly,silver-haired black man.
"You're welcome," said Jack.
He tried to think of something else to say. He rememberedAnnie's cheerful words.
"You'll get well soon," he told the patient. "You'll be with yourfamily again."The man shook his head.
"No. I'll never be with my family again," he said quietly. "Mywife and children were sold long ago.""Sold?" said Jack.
"Yes. We were slaves," the man said.
"You were a slave?" asked Jack.
"All of us in this tent were once slaves," the man said. "We ranaway from our owners in the South to fight to end slavery, tofight for freedom for our people. I ran barefoot for over thirtymiles to tell the Union soldiers that the Confederates were goingto attack." The man fell silent.
"You're a very brave freedom fighter," said Jack.
"Thank you, son." The man closed his eyes.
Jack wanted to know more about slavery. But he didn't wantto bother the weary patient. He pulled out the Civil War book.
He found a picture of African-Americans standing on aplatform. The men, women, and children had chains on theirhands and feet. Jack read:
In the 1800s, the United States was divided over the issue ofslavery. The North wanted the country to end all slavery. Butthe South wanted to keep slaves because more than four millionAfrican-American slaves worked in the huge plantation fieldsthere. This disagreement between the North and South led to theCivil War.
Jack looked down at the man's face. He looked very weary.
Jack pulled the nurse's list of rules from his knapsack.
Lessen sorrow and give hope he read.
Jack put the list away. He leaned close to the man and spokein a soft voice: "One day your great-great-grandchildren will be doctors and lawyers," he said.
The man opened his eyes.
Jack went on. "They'll help run the government and schools.
They'll be senators and generals and teachers and principals."The man stared hard into Jack's eyes. "Can you see the future,son?" he asked.
Jack nodded. "In a way..." he said.
The man smiled a beautiful smile. "Thank you, son," he said.
Then he closed his eyes again.
"Good luck," whispered Jack. He hoped the brave man wouldlive to enjoy freedom.
"Ready to go home now, Jack?" said Annie. She had finishedpassing out the food.
Jack nodded.
As he and Annie stepped out of the tent, they heard someoneshout, "She's back!"A horse-drawn wagon was barreling into the camp.
"Who's back?" asked Annie.
"Clara Barton," a patient said. "She runs this hospital.""Clara Barton!" said Annie I don't believe it!""Who's Clara Barton?" He'd heard the name before But couldnot remember who she was.
remember who she was.
"Who's Clara Barton?" said Annie, "Are you nuts?"She ran to meet the wagon. |