Original Work The Stuarts of Texas

Col Stuart completed the basic list of clothing his wife would need on the trip to Texas. Knowing without a doubt that she would consider it totally inadequate and try to at least quadruple the amount. Calling Samantha in, he handed her the list and watched with amusement as she scanned the list, looked bewildered, and read it again.

With color rising in her cheeks, she asked. “What is this supposed to be? I thought we were taking as much as we could to Texas, this isn’t even enough for a week much less a long trip into the wilderness!”

“It’s what we will have to get by with for the time being.” He said with a slight smile. “Besides, we can get more when we arrive.”

“What about my gowns, frocks, shoes, hats, furs, and unmentionables? I do not see them on the list, and again, this is only enough for a week or so, NOT a long one way trip to another state to take up residence. This list is unacceptably short!” She fumed.

“Look my dear, this is more than you will need until we reach Texas. Once there, we can send for all your other things to be shipped out there. And as I said, we can purchase new items once we get there.”

“It will take months for us to reach the Texas border, and I absolutely cannot make do with this meager supply of clothing. I will decide what I’m bringing along as you do not understand a woman’s needs” Samantha said.

“Dearest, you must trust me. We will be traveling very light, and making very good time. You will not need more than this. Please keep your dark green dress ready for wear, as that is what you will need when we leave.”

“I will not wear that drab dress anywhere, much less when we leave. I’ve been planning on wearing my gray riding outfit on the first day then daily changing clothing as the mood or situation suits me.” She replied with a pout.

“We can’t do that. Everything on that list covered what you will need for the trip and you simply must wear the green dress. I can’t tell you why, you have to trust me on this. Have I ever done anything that wasn’t in your best interest?”

Samantha stood pensive for a moment then searched her husband’s eyes for any hint of more information. None was to be had. “What is to become of all my beautiful clothes?” She asked.

“Like I said, we can box up everything and have it shipped to us later. What is on the lists is more than what we will need for the trip. I can’t tell you anything more than that. Everything must be done with the utmost secrecy, even our destination must be kept secret lest an accidental slip be the ruin of us all. Please pack all of your and Angeline’s stuff into the smallest trunk you can, and I will pack for my self and the boys.”

 

Rummaging around in the plantations hidden Arms Room, Col. Stuart found what he needed, a heavily used and a bit rusty Colt’s .36 Navy revolver. Rotating the cylinder, he inspected its condition and found that it would suit his needs. The good Col. then placed the cylinder open end down on a piece of paper and traced the circumference with a pencil and placed the tracing in his pocket. Picking up a small file, an awl, and a piece of fine wire he went to the table and disassembled the pistol. He then made a single wrap around the cylinder at the alignment notches then held it up to the light for inspection. Finding the wire wrap acceptable he took the awl and made a scratch around the circumference, carefully inspected it, then removed the wire and began hand filing a groove around the cylinder. It took the better part of an hour to accomplish this to his satisfaction.

Next came the hard part. Col. Stuart removed the cap nipples, two on each side leaving them separated by nipples on opposing sides. For the better part of 30 minutes, Stuart vigorously filed the back of the cylinder over the two sets of nippleless cylinders leaving a space that would expose the replaced nipples making them very easy to strike all at once.

Col. Stuart then took the long length of wire leaving the end about six inches long, began to wrap it around the cylinder into the groove and did not stop until the wire wrap formed a ring about 1/4” wider than the cylinder. He then cut the excess wire off and tied both ends together firmly. Testing the wire ring to ensure its rigidity and finding it satisfactory, he clipped the ends short then laid the cylinder on the table.

Going into the kitchen, he picked the two worse looking cast iron Dutch Ovens and carried them out to the blacksmith’s shop where Bart was busy making iron tires for the wagon wheels stacked up outside against the wall.

“Bart, do you have time this week to do a small favor for me?” Asked Stuart.

“You know I do Colonel, anything you want.” Replied Bart.

Lifting the two Dutch ovens to a work bench Col. Stuart said. “ I need you to hammer these two pots into small pieces no larger than about 1/4” or so in size. Not going to hold your feet to the fire on this, just get them uniform as you can without spending more time than needed on it.”

Withdrawing a folded diagram from his pocket, Col. Stuart handed the paper to Bart and said. “I also need you to make this for me, either from iron or steel. It has to be strong, and that bottom should be forged welded onto the upper but no gaps allowed. I want it to be roughly the size of your moonshine jug without the handle. It will need an inner liner made from just about anything but leaving 1/2” space between the liner and container wall all the way around. Please leave a hole in the top the diameter of this circle, and make an identical top the diameter of the container containing the same diameter hole in the center.”

Bart looked at the diagram for a moment then looked Col. Stuart in the eye, and said.” I can have these jobs completed in a week with all the stuff I have on hand now. Looks to me like you are planning something for someone.”

“That will be our little secret.” Said Stuart with a wink as he turned walked away heading for his next project.

 

That project sounds real interesting! I know what I'd do with it, just add two more items to make it complete and then SUPRISE! Very interesting indeed!

 

The Col. went to his basement and removed the junk that was in front of the cluttered book case, and swung it open on its hinges to reveal a hardened door that lead to a safe room. He entered and began carefully breaking down part of a brick interior wall on the backside of the safe room that had been constructed long ago when the mansion had been first built Col. Stuart carefully removed the bricks and stacked them along the side wall of the safe room. Inside the wall was revealed a strong box, heavily padlocked and sitting on a layer of bricks to protect the box from water had it entered the wall, which it did not. Hauling the strongbox out, Stuart placed it on a table then unlocked the padlocks. Flipping the lid up he examined the contents and was glad he had traded almost all of the silver for gold when the first rumblings of war began. He’d left only enough gold and silver for this possible emergency. The bulk of his fortune had been shipped to French banks and secured from the reach of the Federal govt. A trusted friend and lawyer in France had operational control of his shipping and business interests.

The Col. then removed the 50 lbs of gold ingots and replaced them with bricks. Then replacing the padlocks, shoved the strongbox back onto the stack of bricks. Carefully securing the area, he pushed the hinged book case back against the wall and laid dusty boxes and junk in front of it. Satisfied with his work, Col. Stuart dusted off his clothes and exiting the house went to the barn where his saddled horse and digging tools awaited.