The Sentence

"Let me see if I got this right, Major," General Wheeler addressed Major Stevenson. "Yesterday you accidentally discovered while skulking around in a cedar thicket up that creek over yonder, oh yes, you were just getting away from camp to walk out your stiff limbs to find a good cedar stick for whittling or whatever, that this boy is a girl?" Joe Wheeler's voice and face were solemn but his eyes betrayed his sternness. The major took comfort in his awareness of that contradiction. But this was no joking matter. There may be good internal feelings, but rules were rules - no women soldiers. The major, daring to not make light of this situation, remained alert and empty faced, his eyes looking over the general's head to the bright sunshine at the opening of the barn hall.

"Sir, well, General Wheeler Sir, the trouble is," he realized he was stalling by trying to find his jumbled thoughts and match them to the necessary words. "Yes. General, Private Lou Fields is a female," the major said finally, quietly and simply.

Brother Robertson jumped up, his chair bouncing against the wall. "General, beg your pardon, Sir, but this won't do, won't do at all. You're here to say, Major, that neither you nor anyone in this command noticed that this, this strumpet was not a male! Lord knows what sins she worked on your troopers. On you! It's a scandal, a sinful scandal. She's nothing better than a whore, General, a harlot of temptation, agent of Satan!" The fire of the righteous man of God unleashed a damning stare at Lou, whose eyes were on the front of the General's desk. Solon drew in a long necessary breath and caught the preacher's eyes and soul.