The 23^rd regiment, consisting of twelve men over the age of twenty five, fifteen men over the age of eighteen, three sixteen year olds and one worn out fifteen year old female disguised as a man.

David was marching next to his brother Clay who was getting looks of well not quite disgust but something of that caliber causing both brothers to be wary of their fellow mates who were supposedly fighting for the rights of those like Clay yet still couldn’t stomach the thought of working with one, he nudged his brother making Clay turn his attention away from the man’s back in front of him, “Did you see how sweaty Spence looked at the last stop?”

Clay shook his head with a slight chuckle, “She isn’t cut out for this,”

“Neither are we,” Glen spoke from behind David. He’d been talking to another man around his age, Tommy Larson, the kid needed money to keep his mother’s farm going since his father’s death a few months back so he couldn’t pass at the chance for thirteen dollars a month, which he could send all of it home seeing as he had what he needed here and his mom could live comfortably.

“Yeah but we’re guys she’s just so small,” David softly spoke not wanting any one else to hear them speaking. He knew how tough his sister could be but at the end of the day she was still just that his sister, a girl. No matter what he still pictured her as a small new born wrapped in a pink blanket that cost a fortune at fifteen dollars but Paula spared no expense for the little one, David was only ten years old at the time. Remembering one summer night when his father and mother stepped out to town and he was in charge, he’d put a hyper two year old Glen to bed while six year old Clay had easily put him self to bed knowing that he’d be rude making things harder on his ten year old brother. Once the house was quiet David snuck into their parents room to see his baby sister in her make shift crib, curled in her blanket sucking her thumb. He sat on his parents bed staring at her little body, tracing his rough ten year old fore finger across her chubby baby cheek and smiling as the little girl latched on to his finger with her free hand, snuggling into the warmth it provided. Seeing how small and fragile she was David swore on his own life to keep her safe from any harm and now that was all he seemed to be doing putting her in harm’s way.