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proMises to Keep 1861. That was a real important year in our country’s history, for in 1861 this country split in two and the North and South went to war against each other. It’s a war that’s come down to us by many names. The War Between the States. The War to Free the Slaves. In the North it was called the War of Southern Rebellion; in the South, the War of Northern Aggression. The Civil War. When the war began in April 1861, young men all over the North and South looked at each other and said, “We’ve got to sign up. This whole shooting match will be over in three months. If we don’t sign up now, we’ll miss our chance.” In southwest Indiana, near the town of Winslow, one young man replied, “Can’t go. I made a promise to Maggie, and I aim to keep it.” The young man was Cyrus Humphrey. Maggie was Margaret Jones, a farmer’s daughter whose family farm was next door to the farm of Cyrus Humphrey’s family. Cyrus and Maggie had grown up together, and the summer of 1861 was the summer Cyrus had promised Maggie the two of them would be married. So when his friends left, Cyrus stayed behind. His friends soon became members of the 24th Indiana Regiment. Cyrus stayed home, married Maggie, and the two of them set up housekeeping in a small cabin on their own farm, created from land given partly from his family and partly from hers. Three months came and three months went. The war kept on. By fall Cyrus and Maggie knew a child was on the way, so they felt their marriage was off to a fine start. “Christmas,” folks said, “this war will be over by Christmas.” But Christmas came and Christmas went. The war kept on. That winter Cyrus made a cradle for the coming baby. Maggie wove a coverlet for the baby’s cradle, and she knitted socks for Cyrus. 20 HAUNTS, FRIGHTS, AND CREEPY TALES She had a feeling Cyrus was going to become part of the war, and she knew all soldiers need good socks. In April 1862 word arrived in Winslow of a battle in Tennessee, a battle that had taken place outside a small church by the name of Shiloh. The battle lasted just two days, April 6th and April 7th, but by the end of those two days thousands of young men from the North and the South lay dead and thousands more lay dying. Cyrus’s friends from the 24th Indiana Regiment were there at Shiloh, but they were among the Union reinforcements who arrived after the end of the first day’s fighting, so they weren’t as badly hurt as the Union soldiers who had been surprised by the attack. When word of Shiloh reached Winslow, Cyrus turned to Maggie, “Maggie, this war’s going to take everybody, and I need to go do my part. But I promise you I will not leave until our crops are planted and our baby is safe in this world.” Cyrus kept his promise. After the baby was born, once Cyrus could see both Maggie and the baby were strong and healthy, he said, “Maggie, I’ve got to go. I’ve kept my promise. The baby’s here. Our crops are in the ground. I’ve talked with your little brother. He says he’ll come help you at harvest time. I promise you, Maggie, I’ll tell the men I serve with that if anything happens to me, I want them to send my wedding ring back to you.” “Cyrus Humphrey! The only way I want your wedding ring back is on your hand, with you walking it through the door.” “I’ll do my best, Maggie,” he said, and he left. It was not long before Cyrus was a member of the 80th Indiana Regiment. In late August word reached Winslow of General Kirby Smith’s invasion of Kentucky, and Maggie felt Cyrus had made the right decision. Summer ended, fall came. Maggie and her brother began harvesting the crops. On the afternoon of October 8th Maggie rested on her porch. Her baby slept in the nearby cradle. Maggie watched Cyrus’s dogs play with each other, and she thought about her husband. As she thought, she twisted her wedding ring, and she hoped, wherever he was, Cyrus was taking as much...

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