Chapter 5: The Silver Hollow Ruse

At sunrise, Grant and I dove into planning how to stop the Southern Confederacy’s sneak attack on Silver Hollow—the turning point where the New Union’s luck began to run out.

We spread out the maps, coffee steaming in mismatched mugs. Grant listened as I explained the timeline, already thinking three moves ahead.

Thanks to my inside knowledge, Grant saw through Madison’s betrayal and Booker’s river crossing. The next day, Grant ordered Wyatt Young to deliver a letter and three velvet pouches to Silver Hollow. Garrett was to fake a northern campaign, but actually stay hidden and prepare an ambush.

Wyatt accepted the mission, his face unreadable. The tent buzzed with excitement—everyone could feel history shifting.

Booker took the bait, leading troops disguised as merchants in white clothes to sneak into Silver Hollow. Wyatt later described the whole thing with a smirk.

Wyatt mimed Booker’s swagger, trying to play the part of a merchant. Even the sentries had to stifle their laughter.

Booker shouted from the tower, insisting he was a merchant. After scouts confirmed they were Southern soldiers, Garrett had Duke, a mountain of a man with a booming voice, call down for their names.

Booker, of course, gave a fake name: "Mike Young from River City."

He tried to sound casual, but his accent was a dead giveaway. The men on the wall traded looks.

Duke called, "Book something Booker?"

The soldiers snickered, elbowing each other as Booker fumbled for a reply.

Booker repeated his fake name.

Duke called again, "Book A what?"

Booker replied, and finally, Duke and all the Silver Hollow soldiers shouted together, "So it’s Book River A!"

The whole wall broke out laughing. Even Garrett couldn’t help but grin, his stern face cracking.

The laughter echoed through the valley. Booker’s face turned beet red.

Realizing he’d been caught, Booker tried to escape, but Wyatt’s ambush closed in. His group and a boatload of silk were captured.

Wyatt described the chaos—Booker flailing, his men tripping as Union troops swarmed in. Silk spilled everywhere, fluttering like banners.

Grant didn’t have Garrett execute Booker, but locked him up in Maple Crossing. Maybe Grant was being ironic, maybe not. Either way, he wrote a letter to the Confederacy, roasting their leader with biting sarcasm.

The letter was legendary, Grant’s wit as sharp as any blade. The Confederacy’s messenger left with his ears burning.

Their plot foiled, the Confederacy leader blamed Booker for acting alone and let Grant deal with him. Grant sent Booker back to the South instead of killing him. With their main anti-Union faction weakened, Southern officials turned on their own leader. Booker, shamed and stressed, soon died after returning south.

I heard later that Booker’s name became a joke in every tavern south of the river. Even kids made up songs about him.