Books: With Lee in Virginia; A Story Of The American Civil War

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"What is it, Chloe?" another female voice asked.

"Here am a man pretend he hab lost his way and wants to buy a
loaf. You stand back, Miss Lucy, and let your broder shoot de
villain dead."

"I can assure you that I am not a robber, madam," Vincent said
through the partly opened door. "I am alone, and only beg some
information, which I doubt not you can give me."

"Open the door, Chloe," the second voice said inside; "that is not
the voice of a robber."

The old woman reluctantly obeyed the order and opened the door,
and Vincent saw in the passage a young girl of some sixteen years
old. He took off his hat.

"I am very sorry to disturb you," he said; "but I am an entire
stranger here, and am most desirous of crossing the river, but can
find no boat with which to do so."

"Why did you not cross by the bridge?" the girl asked. "How did
you miss the straight road?"

"Frankly, because there were Northern troops there," Vincent said,
"and I wish to avoid them if possible."

"You are a Confederate?" the girl asked, when the old negress
interrupted her:

"Hush! Miss Lucy, don't you talk about dem tings; der plenty of
mischief done already. What hab you to do wid one side or do
oder?"

The girl paid no attention to her words, but stood awaiting
Vincent's answer. He did not hesitate. There was something in
her face that told him that, friend or foe, she was not likely to
betray a fugitive, and he answered:

"I am a Confederate officer, madam. I have made my escape from
Elmira prison, and am trying to find my way back into our lines."

"Come in, sir," the girl said, holding out her hand. "We are
Secessionists, heart and soul. My father and my brother are with
our troops-that is, if they are both alive. I have little to offer you,
for the Yankee bands have been here several times, have driven off
our cattle, emptied our barns, and oven robbed our hen-nests, and
taken everything in the house they thought worth carrying away.
But whatever there is, sir, you are heartily welcome to. I had a
paper yesterday-it is not often I get one-and I saw there that three
of our officers had escaped from Elmira. Are you one of them?"

"Yes, madam. I am Lieutenant Wingfield."

"Ah! then you are in the cavalry. You have fought under Stuart,"
the girl said. "The paper said so. Oh, how I wish we had Stuart
and Stonewall Jackson on this side! we should soon drive the
Yankees out of Tennessee."

"They would try to, anyhow," Vincent said, smiling, "and if it were
possible they would assuredly do it. I was in Ashley's horse with
the Stonewall division through the first campaign in the
Shenandoah Valley and up to Bull Run, and after that under Stuart.
But is not your brother here? Your servant called to him."

"There is no one here but ourselves," the girl replied. "That was a
fiction of Chloe's, and it has succeeded sometimes when we have
had rough visitors. And now what can I do for you, sir? You said
you wanted to buy a loaf of bread, and therefore, I suppose, you
are hungry. Chloe, put the bacon and bread on the table, and make
some coffee. I am afraid that is all we can do, sir, but such as it is
you are heartily welcome to it."

"I thank you greatly," Vincent replied, "and will, if you will allow
me, take half my breakfast out to my boy who is waiting over
there."

"Why did you not bring him in?" the girl asked. "Of course he will
be welcome too."

"I did not bring him in before because two men in these days are
likely to alarm a lonely household; and I would rather not bring
him in now, because, if by any possibility the searchers, who are
no doubt after me, should call and ask you whether two men, one a
white and the other a negro, had been here, vou could answer no."

"But they cannot be troubling much about prisoners," the girl said.
"Why, in the fighting here and in Missouri they have taken many
thousands of prisoners, and you have taken still more of them in
Virginia; surely they cannot trouble themselves much about one
getting away."

"I am not afraid of a search of that kind, Vincent said; "but,
unfortunately, on my way down I had a row in the train with a
ruffian named Mullens, who is, I understand, connected with one
of these bands of brigands, and I feel sure that he will hunt me
down if he can."

The girl turned pale.

"Oh!" she said, "I saw that in the paper too, but it said that it was a
minister. And it was you who heat that man and threw his revolver
out of the window? Oh, then, you are in danger indeed, sir. He is
one of the worst ruffians in the State, and is the leader of the party
who stripped this house and threatened to burn it to the ground.
Luckily I was not at home, having gone away to spend the night
with a neighbor. His band have committed murders all over the
country, hanging up defenseless people on pretense that they were
Secessionists. They will show you no mercy if they catch you."

"No. I should not expect any great mercy if I fell into their hands,
Miss Lucy. I don't know your other name."

"My name is Kingston. I ought to have introduced myself to you at
once."

"Now you understand, Miss Kingston, how anxious I am to get
across the river, and that brings me to the question of the
information I want you to give me. How far is it from the next
bridge on the south, and are there any Federal troops there?"

"It is about seven miles to the hridge at William sport, we are just
halfway between that and the railway bridge at Columbus. Yes,
there are certainly troops there-"

"Then I see no way for it but to make a small raft to carry us
across, Miss Kingston. I am a good swimmer, but the river is full
and of considerable width; still, I think I can get across. But my
boy cannot swim a stroke."

"I know where there is a boat hid in the wood near the river," the
girl said. "It belongs to a neighbor of ours, and when the Yankees
seized the boats he had his hauled up and hidden in the woods. He
was a Southerner, heart and soul, and thought that he might be able
sometimes to take useful information across the river to our
people; but a few weeks afterward his house was attacked by one
of these bands-it was always said it was that of Mullens-and he
was killed defending it to the last. He killed several of the band
before he fell, and they were so enraged that after plundering it
they set it on fire and fastened the door, and his wife and two
maid-servants were burned to death."

"I wish instead of throwing his pistol out of the window I had
blown his brains out with it," Vincent said; "and I would have done
so if I had known what sort of fellow he was. However, as to the
boat, can you give me instructions where to find it, and is it light
enough for two men to carry?"

"Not to carry, perhaps, but to push along. It is a light boat he had
for pleasure. He had a large one, but that was carried away with
the others. I cannot give you directions, but I can lead you to the
place."

"I should not like you to do that," Vincent said. "We might he
caught, and your share in the affair might be suspected."

"Oh! there is no fear of that," the girl said; "besides, I am not afraid
of danger."

"I don't think it is right, Miss Kingston, for a young lady like you to
be living here alone with an old servant in such times as these.
You ought to go into a town until it's all over."

"I have no one to go to," the girl said stmply. "My father bought
this place and moved here from Georgia only six years ago, and all
my friends are in that State. Except our neighbors round here I do
not know a soul in Tennessee. Besides, what can I do in a town?
We can manage here, because we have a few fowls, and some of
our neighbors last spring plowed an acre or two of ground and
planted corn for us, and I have a little money left for buying other
things; but it would not last us a month if we went into a town.
No, I have nothing to do but to stay here until you drive the
Yankees back. I will willingly take you down to the boat to-night.
Chloe can come with us and keep me company on the way back.
Of course it would not be safe to cross in the daytime."

"I thank you greatly, Miss Kingston, and shall always remember
your kindness. Now, when I finish my meal I will go out and join
my boy, and will come for you at eight o'clock; it will be quite
dark then."

"Why should you not stay here till then, Mr. Wingfield? It is very
unlikely that any one will come along."

"It is unlikely, but it is quite possible," Vincent replied, "and were I
caught here by Mullens, the consequence would be very serious to
you as well as to myself. No, I could not think of doing that. I will
go out, and come back at eight o'clock. I shall not be far away; but
if any one should come and inquire, you can honestly say that you
do not know where I am."

"I have two revolvers here, sir; in fact I have three. I always keep
one loaded, for there is never any saying whether it may not be
wanted; the other two I picked up last spring. There was a fight
about a quarter of a mile from here and after it was over and they
had moved away, for the Confederates won that time and chased
them back toward Nashville, I went out with Chloe with some
water and bandages to see if we could do anything for the
wounded. We were at work there till evening, and I think we did
some good. As we were coming back I saw something in a low
bush, and going there found a Yankee officer and his horse both
lying dead; they had been killed by a shell, I should think.
Stooping over to see if he was quite dead I saw a revolver in his
belt and another in the holster of his saddle, so I took them out and
brought them home, thinking I might give them to some of our
men, for we were then, as we have always been, very short of
arms; but I never had an opportunity of giving them away, and I
am very glad now that I have not. Here they are, sir, and two
packets of cartridges, for they are of the same size as those of the
pistol my father gave me when he went away. You are heartily
welcome to them."

"Thank you extremely," Vincent said, as he took the pistols and
placed the packets of ammunition in his pocket. "We cut two
heavy sticks the night we left Nashville so as to be able to make
something of a fight; but with these weapons we shall feel a match
for any small parties we may meet. Then at eight o'clock I will
come back again."

"I shall be ready," the girl said; "but I wish you would have
stopped, there are so many things I want to ask you about, and
these Yankee papers, which are all we see now, are full of lies."

"They exaggerate their successes and to some extent conceal their
defeats," Vinceuf said; "but I do not think it is the fault of the
newspapers, whose correspondents do seem to me to try and tell
the truth to their readers, but of the official despatches of the
generals. The newspapers tone matters down, no doubt, because
they consider it necessary to keep up the public spirit; but at times
they speak out pretty strongly too. I am quite as sorry to leave as
you can be that I should go, Miss Kingston, but I am quite sure that
it is very much the wisest thing for me to do. By the way, if I
should not be here by half-past eight I shall not come at all, and
you will know that something has occurred to alter our plans. I
trust there is no chance of anything doing so, but it is as well to
arrange so that you should not sit up expecting me. Should I not
come back you will know that I shall be always grateful to you for
your kindness, and that when this war is over, if I am alive, I will
come back and thank you personally."

"Good-by till this evening!" the girl said. "I will not even let
myself think that anything can occur to prevent your return."

"Golly, Massa Vincent, what a time you hab been!" Dan said when
Vincent rejoined him. "Dis child began to tink dat somefing had
gone wrong, and was going in anoder five minutes to knock at do
door to ask what dey had done to you."

"It is all right, Dan, I have had breakfast, and have brought some
for you; here is some bread and bacon and a bottle of coffee."

"Dat good, massa; my teeth go chatter chatter wid sleeping in dese
damp woods; dat coffee do me good, sah. After dat I shall feel fit
for anyting."

CHAPTER XIL THE BUSHWHACKERS.

"BY THE way, Dan," Vincent said when the negro had finished his
meal, "we have not talked over that matter of my clothes. I can't
imagine how that letter saying that one of us was disguised as a
minister and would have a negro servant came to be written. Did
you ever tell the people you lodged with anything about the
disguise?"

"No, sah, neber said one word to dem about it; dey know nothing
whatsoeber. De way me do wid your letter was dis. Me go outside
town and wait for long time. At last saw black follow coming
along. Me say to him, 'Can you read?' and he said as he could. I
said 'I got a letter, I want to read him, I gib you a quarter to read
him to me;' so he said yes, and he read do letter. He a long time of
making it out, because he read print but not read writing well. He
spell it out word by word, but I don't tink he understand dat it
come from prison, only dat it come from some one who wanted
some rope and a turn-screw. Me do just de same way wid de
second letter. As for de clothes, me buy dem dat day, make dem
up in bundle, and not go back to lodging at all. Me not know how
any one could know dat I buy dat minister clothes for you, sah.
Me told de storekeeper dat dey was for cousin of mine, who preach
to de colored folk, and dat I send him suit as present. Onless dat
man follow me and watch me all de time till we go off together,
sah, me no see how de debbil he guess about it."

"That's quite impossible, Dan; it never could have been that way.
It is very strange, for it would really seem that no one but you and I
and the other two officers could possibly know about it."

"Perhaps one of dem want to do you bad turn, massa, and write so
as to get you caught and shut up again."

Vincent started at the suggestion. Was it possible that Jackson
could have done him this bad turn after his having aided him to
make his escape It would be a villainous trick; but then he had
always thought him capable of villainous tricks, and it was only
the fact that they were thrown together in prison that had induced
him to make up his quarrel with him; but though Jackson had
accepted his advances, it was probable enough that he had retained
his bad feeling against him, and had determined, if possible, to
have his revenge on the first opportunity.

"The scoundrel," he said to himself, "after my getting him free, to
inform against me! Of course I have no proof of it, but I have not
the least doubt that it was him. If we ever meet again, Mr. Jackson,
I will have it out with you."

"You got two pistols, sah," Dan said presently. "How you get
dem?"

"The lady of that house gave them to me, Dan; they are one for you
and one for me."

"Dis chile no want him, sah; not know what to do wid him. Go off
and shoot myself, for sure."

"Well, I don't suppose you would do much good with it, Dan. As I
am a good shot, perhaps I had better keep them both. You might
load them for me as I fire them."

"Berry well, sah; you show me hew to load, me load."

Vincent showed Dan how to extricate the discharged cartridge-
cases and to put in fresh ones, and after a quarter of an hour's
practice Dan was able to do this with some speed.

"When we going on, sah?" he said as, having learned the lesson, he
handed the pistol back to Vincent.

"We are not going on until the evening, Dan. When it gets dark
the lady is going to take us to a place where there is a boat hidden,
and we shall then be able to cross the river."

"Den I will hab a sleep, sah. Noting like sleeping when there is a
chance."

I believe you could sleep three-quarters of your time, Dan.
However, you may as well sleep now if you can, for there will be
nothing to do till night."

Vincent went back to the edge of the wood, and sat down where he
could command a view of the cottage. The country was for the
most part covered with wood, for it was but thinly inhabited except
in the neighborhood of the main roads. Few of the farmers had
cleared more than half their ground; many only a few acres. The
patch, in which the house with its little clump of trees stood nearly
in the center, was of some forty or fifty acres in extent, and though
now rank with weeds, had evidently been carefully cultivated, for
all the stumps had been removed, and the fence round it was of a
stronger and neater character than that which most of the
cultivators deemed sufficient.

Presently he heard the sound of horses' feet in the forest behind
him, and he made his way back to a road which ran along a
hundred yards from the edge of the wood. He reached it before the
horsemen came up, and lay down in the underwood a few yards
back. In a short time two horsemen came along at a walking pace.

"I call this a fool's errand altogether," one of them said in a
grumbling tone. "We don't know that they have headed this way;
and if they have, we might search these woods for a month without
finding them."

"That's so," the other said; "but Mullens has set his heart on it, and
we must try for another day or two. My idea is that when the
fellow heard what sort of a chap Mullens was, he took the hack
train that night and went up north again."

Vincent heard no more, but it was enough to show him that a sharp
hunt was being kept up for him; and although he had no fear of
being caught in the woods, he was well pleased at the thought that
he would soon be across the water and beyond the reach of his
enemy. He went back again to the edge of the clearing and
resumed his watch. It was just getting dusk, and he was about to
join Dan when he saw a party of twelve men ride out from the
other side of the wood and make toward the house. Filled with a
vague alarm that possibly some one might have caught sight of
him and his follower on the previous day, and might, on being
questioned by the searchers, have given them a clew as to the
direction in which they were going, Vincent hurried to the spot
where he left Dan. The negro jumped up as he approached.

"Me awake long time, sah. Began to wonder where you had got
to."

"Take your stick and come along, Dan, as fast as you can."

Without another word Vincent led the way along the edge of the
wood to the point where the clump of trees at the back of the
house hid it from his view.

"Now, Dan stoop low and get across to those trees."

Greatly astonished at what was happening, but having implicit
faith in his master, Dan followed without a question.

It was but ten minutes since Vincent had seen the horse-men, but
the darkness had closed in rapidly, and he had little fear of his
approach being seen. He made his way through the trees, and
crept up to the house, and then kept close along it until he reached
the front. There stood the horses, with the bridles thrown over
their neck.. The riders were all inside the house.

"Look here, Dan," he whispered, "you keep here perfectly quiet
until I join you again or you hear a pistol-shot. If you do bear a
shot, rush at the horses with your stick and drive them off at full
gallop. Drive them right into the woods if you can and then lie
quiet there till you hear me whistle for you. If you don't hear my
whistle you will know that something has happened to me, and
then you must make your way home as well as you can."

"Oh, Master Vincent," Dan began; but Vincent stopped him.

"It's no use talking, Dan; you must do as I order you. I hope all will
be well; but it must be done anyhow."

"Let me come and load your pistol and fight with you, sah."

"You can do more good by stampeding the horses, Dan. Perhaps,
after all, there will be no trouble."

So saying, leaving Dan with the tears running down his cheeks,
Vincent went to the back of the house and tried the door there. It
was fastened. Then he went to the other side; and here, the light
streaming though the window, which was open, and the sound of
loud voices, showed him the room where the party were. He crept
cautiously up and looked in. Mullens was standing facing Lucy
Kingston; the rest of the men were standing behind him. The girl
was as pale as death, but was quiet and composed.

"Now," Mullens said, "I ask you for the last time. You have
admitted that a man has been here to-day, and that you gave him
food. You say he is not in the house; and as we have searched it
pretty thoroughly, we know that's right enough. You say you don't
know where he is, and that may be true enough in a sense; but I
have asked you whether he is coming back again, and you won't
answer me. I just give you three seconds;" and he held out his arm
with a pistol in it. "One!" As the word "Two" left his lips, a pistol
cracked, and Mullens fell back with a bullet in his forehead.

At the same time Vincent shouted at the top of his voice, "Come
on, lads; wipe 'em out altogether. Don't let one of them escape."
As he spoke he discharged his pistol rapidly into the midst of the
men, who were for the moment too taken by surprise to move, and
every shot took effect upon them. At the same moment there was
a great shouting outside, and the trampling of horses' feet. One or
two of the men hastily returned Vincent's fire, but the rest made a
violent rush to the door. Several fell over the bodies of their
comrades, and Vincent had emptied one of his revolvers and fired
three shots with the second before the last of those able to escape
did so. Five bodies remained on the floor. As they were still seven
to one against him, Vincent ran to the corner of the house,
prepared to shoot them as they came round; but the ruffians were
too scared to think of anything but escape, and they could be heard
running and shouting across the fields.

Vincent ran into the house. He had seen Lucy Kingston fall
prostrate at the same instant as the ruffian facing her. Strung up to
the highest tension, and expecting in another second to be shot, the
crack of Vincent's pistol had brought her down as surely as the
bullet of Mullens would have done. Even in the excitement of
firing, Vincent felt thankful when he saw her fall, and knew that
she was safe from the bullets flying about. When he entered the
room he found the old negress lying beside her, and thought at first
that she had fallen in the fray. He found that she was not only
alive, but unhurt, having, the instant she saw her young mistress
fall, thrown herself upon her to protect her from harm.

"Am dey all gone, sah?" she asked, as Vincent somewhat roughly
pulled her off the girl's body.

"They have all gone, Chloe; but I do not know how soon they may
be hack again. Get your mistress round as soon as you can. I am
sure that she has only fainted, for she fell the instant I fired, before
another pistol had gone off."

Leaving the old woman to bring Miss Kingston round, he reloaded
his pistols and went to the door. In a few minutes the sound of
horses galloping was heard.

"Halt, or I fire!" he shouted.

"Don't shoot, sah! Don't shoot! It am me!" and Dan rode up,
holding a second horse by the bridle. "I thought I might as well get
two ob dem, so I jump on de back oh one and get hold oh anoder
bridle while I was waiting to hear your pistol fire. Den de moment
I heard dat I set de oders off, and chased dem to de corner where
de gate was where dey came in at, and along do road for half a
mile; dey so frightened dey not stop for a long time to come. Den I
turn into de wood and went through de trees, so as not to meet dem
fellows, and lifted two of de bars of the fence, and here I am. You
are not hurt, massa?"

"My left arm is broken, I think, Dan; but that is of no consequence.
I have shot five of these fellows-their leader among them-and I
expect three of the others have got a bullet somewhere or other in
them. There was such a crowd round the door that I don't think
one shot missed. It was well I thought of stampeding the horses;
that gave them a greater fright than my pistols. No doubt they
thought that there was a party of our bushwhackers upon them.
Now, Dan, you keep watch, and let me know if you see any signs
of their returning. I think they are too shaken up to want any more
fighting; but as there are seven of them, and they may guess there
are only two or three of us, it is possible they may try again."

"Me don't tink dey try any more, sah. Anyhow, I look out sharp."
So saying, Dan, fastening up one of the horses, rode the other in a
circle round and round the house and little plantation, so that it
would not be possible for any one to cross the clearing without
being seen. Vincent returned to the house, and found Miss
Kingston just recovering consciousness. She sat upon the ground
in a confused way.

"What has happened, nurse?"

"Never mind at present, deane. Juss you keep yourself quiet, and
drink a little water."

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