Baylor's Choice - Part 3

  Okay, here's the last part...  It's a rather hurried ending, but I couldn't think of anything more to add...  Sorry!

  9 years later; 1861
    Baylor, now a nearly grown man of 19, watched solemnly as about a dozen people packed their few belongings and prepared to leave.  It was the beginning of the civil war, and Baylor’s father had freed all his slaves so they could choose for themselves whether they wanted to go off and fight with then north or stay and work as paid laborers.  About a dozen of the slaves had decided to leave, but the rest decided to stay on, knowing that their former master was a good man and would continue to treat them well.  Among those leaving was Henry.  Baylor watched his boyhood friend, his eyes glistening as he fought back tears at the thought of never seeing his friend again.  He sniffed and blinked the tears back rapidly as Henry turned and started towards him.
    “Baylor...  Why don’t you come with me, fight alongside me with de north?”  Henry tried to persuade.  “You always said you’d find a way to free all the slaves; here’s your chance!”
    Baylor shook his head, unconvinced.  “No, not like this.  I won’t go to war against my own family.  There’s got to be a better way.”
    “You be goin’ to fight fo’ the south, den?”  Henry asked, a tinge of bitterness slipping out of his carefully guarded tone.
    “No,”  Baylor said, shaking his head in frustration.  “I don’t know.  I can’t fight against what I believe, either.  I know slavery’s not right.”
    “Baylor, you’s gots to make your decision.  You know dey’s goin’ to be comin’ round, tryin’ to enlist boys our age.”
    “I know, Henry, I know.”
    “So just come wit’ me!”  Henry pleaded.
    “No, Henry, I can’t.  I can’t do that to my family!  I can’t fight against my own brother!”  Baylor said, knowing that Daniel would be enlisting in the Rebel army any day now.  Henry sighed in frustration, and then shook his head sadly.
    “No, no, I guess you can’t.”  Henry turned to leave.
    “Henry.”  Baylor said, reaching a hand to Henry’s shoulder to stop him.  Henry turned, looking questioningly into Baylor’s face.
    “Stay safe, will you?”  Baylor finally said.  Henry smiled slowly.
    “Shore.  Anything for you, Baylor.”  Henry forced a grin into place and then turned and headed back to where his family was waiting for him.

    A few months later...
    Baylor cantered back towards the plantation, weary after a long day working at the lumber mill in town.  He’d taken a job to keep himself occupied while trying to make a decision on which side of the war to join.  As he neared the plantation, he saw smoke rising in the air.  Fear struck in his heart as he remembered the tales he’d been hearing about northern troops parading through and burning down plantation houses on their way south.  He spurred his horse on, not wanting to believe the inevitable.  He and his horse rounded the curve in the road and stopped short at the site that met their eyes.  The northern soldiers had been there.  The only thing that remained from the grand plantation house was the sturdy brick chimney, rising out of the smoke and ashes like a sentinel standing guard.  Baylor tried to cry out, but his voice stuck in his throat.  His family!  What had happened to his family?  He dismounted and ran towards the smoldering remains of the house, finally finding his voice and calling out frantically.
    “Father!  Mother!  Julia!  Jacob!  Minnie!” 
    “B-Baylor?”  He heard a whimper and his eyes darted towards the grove of trees to the left of the road. 
    “Minnie!”  Baylor ran to his little sister, grabbing her and holding her tight. 
    “Baylor, it was awful!  The bad men came and burned the whole house down!”  Minnie sobbed. 
    “Where’s everyone else?  Are you all right?”  Baylor inquired frantically.  Father, Mother, Julia and Jacob emerged from the trees. 
    “We’re all fine; we escaped and hid here.”  Julia answered.
    “How could they do this?”  Baylor asked, infuriated.  He knew now, though, what his decision must be.  Forgive them?  Yes, he could, and he knew he must.  But fight with them?  No, never.  He would join the Confederate army.