Larry French

Time Will Tell Larry French

Civil War battles had been fought throughout Virginia. Many who died were buried in unmarked graves. Every so often, a contractor clearing land or farmers, like Franklin Tate, discovered their graves. Sheriff Wiley Cox was at the Tate farm with Deputy Harvey Spindle and Coroner Milton Fairchild looking at the discovered remains and a couple of badly tarnished brass buttons with the letters CSA. "I'll contact the authorities to come get the bones so Franklin can finish plowing," Cox said. Milton raised a gloved hand to stop Cox. That's when Cox felt a familiar tightening in his gut. Something here wasn't quite right. Milton turned and knelt back down to pick up an object. Rising again, he presented a gloved hand and slowly opened it. This time, in Milton's hand there was another very grimy but very recognizable object. It was a cell phone. "This changes everything," Cox muttered.