Books: With Lee in Virginia; A Story Of The American Civil War
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G.A. Henty >> With Lee in Virginia; A Story Of The American Civil War
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Occasionally Tony and Dinah met. Dan would come up late in the
evening to the house, and a nod to Dinah would be sufficient to
send her flying down the garden to a clump of shrubs, where he
would be waiting for her. At these stolen meetings they were
perfectly happy; for Tony said no word to her of the misery of his
life-how he was always put to the hardest work and beaten on the
smallest pretext, how in fact his life was made so unendurable that
the idea of running away and taking to the swamps was constantly
present to him.
As to making his way north, it did not enter his mind as possible.
Slates did indeed at times succeed in traveling through the
Northern States and making their way to Canada, but this was only
possible by means of the organization known as the underground
railway, an association consisting of a number of good people who
devoted them-selves to the purpose, giving shelter to fugitive
slaves during the day, and then passing them on to the next refuge
during the night. For in the Northern States as well as the
Southern any negro unprovided with papers showing that be was a
free man was liable to be arrested and sent back to the South a
prisoner, large rewards being given to these who arrested them.
As he was returning from one of these interviews with his wife,
Tony was detected by the overseer, who was scrolling about round
the slaves' quarters, and was next morning flogged until he became
insensible. So terrible was the punishment that for some days he
was unable to walk. As soon as he could get about he was again
set to work, but the following morning he was found to be missing.
Andrew Jackson at once rode into Richmond, and In half an hour
placards and handbills were printed offering a reward for his
capture. These were not only circulated in the neighborhood, but
were sent off to all the towns and villages through which Tony
might be expected to pass in the endeavor to make his way north.
Vincent soon learned from Dan what had taken place.
"You have no idea, I suppose, Dan, as to which way he is likely to
go?"
Dan shook his bead.
"Me suppose, massa, dat most likely he gone and hidden in de
great woods by de James River. Berry difficult to find him dere."
"Difficult to find him, no doubt," Vincent agreed. "But he could
not stop there long-he would find nothing to eat in the woods; and
though he might perhaps support himself for a time on corn or
roots from the clearings scattered about through the James
Peninsula, he must sooner or later be caught."
"Dar are runaways in de woods now, Massa Vincent," Dan said;
"some ob dem hab been dar for month."
"But how do they live, Dan?"
"Well, sar, you see dey hab friends on de plantations, and
sometimes at night one of de slaves will steal away wid a basket
ob yams and corn-cakes and oder things and put dem down in a
certain place in de forest, and next morning, sure enough, dey will
be gone. Dangerous work dat, massa; because if dey caught with
food, it known for sure dat dey carry it to runaway, and den you
know dey pretty well flog the life out of dem."
"Yes, I know, Dan; it is a very serious matter hiding a runaway
slave, and even a white man would be very heavily punished, and
perhaps lynched, if caught in the act. Well, make what inquiries
you can among the slaves, and find out if you can whether any of
those Jacksons have an idea which way Tony has gone. But do not
go yourself on to Jackson's place; if you were caught there now it
would be an awkward matter for both of us."
"I will find out, Massa Vincent; but I don't s'pose Tony said a word
to any of the others. He know well enough dat de Jacksons
question ebery one pretty sharp, and per haps flog dem all round to
find out if dey know anything. He keep it to himself about going
away for sush."
The Jacksons kept up a vigorous hunt after their slave and day
after day parties of men ranged through the woods but without
discovering any traces of him. Bloodhounds were employed the
first day, but before these could be fetched from Richmond the
scent had grown cold; for Tony had gone off as soon as the slaves
had been shut up for the night and had, directly he left the hut,
wrapped leaves round his feet, therefore the hounds, when they
arrived from Richmond, were unable to take up the scent.
A week after Tony's escape, Vincent returned late one evening
from a visit to some friends. Dan, as he took his horse, whispered
to him: "Stop a little on your way to house, Massa Vincent; me hab
something to tell you."
"What is it, Dan?" Vincent asked, as the lad, after putting up his
horse in the stable, came running up to him.
"Me have seen Tony, sah. He in de shrubs ober dar. He want to
see Dinah, but me no take message till me tell you about him. He
half starved, sah; me give him some yams."
"That's right, Dan."
"He pretty nigh desperate, sar; he say dey hunt him like wild
beast."
"I will see him, Dan. If I can help him in any way I will do so.
Unfortunately I do not know any of the people who help to get
slaves away, so I can give him no advice as to the best way to
proceed. Still I might talk it over with him. When I have joined
him, do you go up to the house and tell Chloe from me to give you
a pile of corn-cake- it's no use giving him flour, for he would be
afraid to light a fire to cook it. Tell her to give you, too, any cold
meat there may be in the house. Don't tell Dinah her husband is
here till we have talked the matter over."
Dan led Vincent up to a clump of bushes.
"It am all right, Tony," he said; "here is Massa Vincent come to see
you."
The bushes parted and Tony came out into the full moonlight. He
looked haggard and worn; his clothes were torn into strips by the
bushes.
"My poor fellow," Vincent said kindly, "I am sorry to see you in
such a state."
A great sob broke from the black
"De Lord bress you, sah, for your goodness and for saving Dinah
from do hands of dose debils! Now she safe wid you and de child,
Tony no care berry much what come to him-do sooner he dead de
better. He wish dat one day when dey flog him dey had kill him
altogether; den all de trouble at an end. Dey hunt him ebory day
with dogs and guns, and soon they catch him. No can go on much
longer like dis. To-day me nearly gib myself up. Den me thought
me like to see Dinah once more to say good-by, so make great
effort and ran a bit furder."
"I have been thinking whether it would be possible to plan some
way for your escape, Tony."
The negro shook his head.
"Dar never escape, sah, but to get to Canada; dat too far any way.
Not possible to walk all dat way and get food by do road. Suah to
be caught."
"No, I do not think it will be possible to escape that way, Tony.
The only possible plan would be to get you on board some ship
going to England."
"Ships not dare take negro on board," Tony said. "Me heard dat
said many times-dat against de law."
"Yes, I know it's against the law," Vincent said, "and it's against
the law my talking to you here, Tony; but you see it's done. The
difficulty is how to do it. All vessels are searched before they
start, and an officer goes down with them past Fortress Monroe to
see that they take no one en board. Still it is possible. Of course
there is risk in the matter; but there is risk in everything. I will
think it over. Do not lose heart. Dan will be back directly with
enough food to last you for some days. If I were you I would take
refuge this time in White Oak Swamp. It is much nearer, and I
hear it has already been searched from end to end, so they are not
likely to try again; and if yon hear them you can, if you are
pressed, cross the Chickahominy and make down through the
woods. Do you come again on Saturday evening-that will give me
four days to see what I can do. I may not succeed, you know; for
the penalty is so severe against taking negroes on board that I may
not be able to find any one willing to risk it. But it is worth
trying."
"De Lord bless you, sah!" Tony said. "I will do juss what you toll
me; but don't you run no risks for me, my life ain't worth dat."
"I will take care, Tony. And now here comes Dan with the
provisions."
"Can I see Dinah, sah?" Tony pleaded.
"I think you had better not," Vincent replied. "You see the
Jacksons might at any moment learn that she is here, and then she
might be questioned whether she had seen you since your escape;
and it would be much better for her to be able to deny having done
so. But you shall see her next time you come, whether I am able to
make any arrangements for your escape or not. I will let he! know
to-morrow morning that I have seen you, and that you are safe at
present."
The next morning Vincent rode over to City Point, where ships
with a large draught of water generally brought up, either
transferring their goods into smaller craft to be sent up by river to
Richmond, or to be carried on by rail through the town of
Petersburg. Leaving his horse at a house near the river, ho crossed
the James in a boat to City Point. There were several vessels lying
here, and for some hours ho hung about the wharf watching the
process of discharging. By the end of that time ho had obtained a
view of all the captains, and had watched them as they gave their
orders, and had at last come to the conclusion as to which would
be the most likely to suit his purpose. Having made up his mind,
he waited until the one he had fixed upon came ashore. Ho was a
man of some five-and-thirty years old, with a pleasant face and
good-natured smile. He first went into some offices on the wharf,
and half an hour later came out and walked toward the
railway-station. Vincent at once followed him, and as he overtook
him said:
"I want very much to speak to you, sir, if you could spare me a
minute or two."
"Certainly," the sailor said with some surprise. "The train for
Petersburg does not go for another half hour. What can I do for
you?"
"My name is Vincent Wingfield. My father was an English
officer, and my mother is the owner of some large estates near
Richmond. I am most anxious to get a person in whom I am
interested on board ship, and I do not know how to set about it."
"There's no difficulty about that," the captain said smiling; "you
have only to go to an office and pay for his passage to where he
wants to go."
"I can't do that," Vincent replied; "for unfortunately it is against the
law for any captain to take him."
"You mean he is a negro?" the captain asked, stopping short in his
walk and looking sharply at Vincent.
"Yes, that is what I mean," Vincent said. "He is a negro who has
been brutally ill-treated and has run away from his master, and I
would willingly give five hundred dollars to get him safely away."
This is a very serious business in which you are meddling, young
sir," the sailor said. "Putting aside the consequences to yourself,
you are asking me to break the law and to run the risk of the
confiscation of my ship. Even if I were willing to do what you
propose it would be impossible, for the ship will be searched from
end to end before the hatches are closed, and an official will be on
board until we discharge the pilot after getting well beyond the
mouth of the river."
"Yes, I know that," Vincent replied; "but my plan was to take a
boat and go out beyond the sight of land, and then to put him on
board after you have got well away."
"That might be managed, certainly," the captain said. "It would be
contrary to my duty to do anything that would risk the property of
my employers; but if when I am out at sea a boat came alongside,
and a passenger came on board, it; would be another matter. I
suppose, young gentleman, that you would not interfere in such a
business, and run the risk that you certainly would run if detected,
unless you were certain that this was a deserving case, and that the
man has committed no sort of crime; for I would not receive on
board my ship a fugitive from justice, whether he was black or
white."
"It is indeed a deserving case," Vincent said earnestly. "The poor
fellow has the misfortune of belonging to one of the worst masters
in the State. He has been cruelly flogged on many occasions, and
was finally driven to run away by their selling his wife and child."
"The brutes!" the sailor said. "How you people can allow such
things to be done is a mystery to me. Well, lad, under those
circumstances I will agree to do what you ask me, and if your boat
comes alongside when I am so far away from land that it cannot be
seen, I will take the man to England."
"Thank you very much indeed," Vincent said; "you will be doing a
good action. Upon what day do you sail?"
"I shall drop down on Monday into Hampton Roads, and shall get
up sail at daylight next morning. I shall pass Fortress Monroe at
about seven in the morning, and shall sail straight out."
"And how shall I know your ship?" Vincent asked. "There may be
others starting just about the same time."
The sailor thought for a moment. "When I am four or five miles
out I will hoist my owner's flag at the foremast-head. It is a red
flag with a white ball, so you will be able to make it out a
considerable distance away. Yon must not be less than ten or
twelve miles out, for the pilot often does not leave the ship till she
is some miles past Fortress Monroe, and the official will not leave
the ship till he does. I will keep a sharp lookout for you, but I
cannot lose my time in waiting. If you do not come alongside I
shall suppose that you have met with some interruption to your
plans."
"Thank you very much, sir. Unless something goes wrong I shall
be alongside on Tuesday."
"That's settled, then," the captain said, "and I must be off, or else I
shall lose my train. By the way, when you come alongside do not
'rake any sign that you have met me before. It is just as well that
none of my crew should know that it is a planned thing, for if we
ever happened to put in here again they might blab about it, and it
is just as well not to give them the chance. Good-by, my lad; I
hope that all will go well. But, you know, you are doing a very
risky thing; for the assisting a runaway slave to escape is about as
serious an offense as you can commit in these parts. You might
shoot half a dozen men and get off scot free, but if yen were
caught aiding a runaway to escape there is no saying what might
come of it."
After taking leave of the captain, Vincent recrossed the river and
rode home. He had friends whose fathers' estates bordered some
on the James and others on the York River, and all of these had
pleasure-boats. It was obviously better to go down the York River,
and thence round to the mouth of the James at Fortress Monroe, as
the traffic on the York was comparatively small, and it was
improbable that he would be noticed either going down or
returning. He had at first thought of hiring a fishing-boat from
some of the free negroes who made their living on the river. But
he finally decided against this; for the fact of the boat being absent
so long would attract its owner's attention, and in case any
suspicion arose that the fugitive had escaped by water, the hiring
of a boat by one who had already befriended the slave, and its
absence for so long a time, would be almost certain to cause
suspicion to be directed toward him. He therefore decided upon
borrowing a boat from a friend, and next morning rode to the
plantation of the father of Harry Furniss, this being situated on a
convenient position on the Pamunky, one of the branches of the
York River.
"Are you using that sailing-boat of yours at present, Harry?
Because, if not, I wish you would let me have the use of it for a
week or so."
"With pleasure, Vincent; and my fishing-lines and nets as well, if
you like. We very seldom use the boat. Do you mean to keep it
here or move it higher up the river, where it would be more handy
for you, perhaps?"
"I think I would rather leave it here, Furniss. A mile or two extra
to ride makes no difference. I suppose it's in the water?"
"Yes; at the foot of the boathouse stairs. There is a padlock and
chain. I will give you the key, so you can go off whenever you like
without bothering to come up to the house. If you just call in at
the stable as you ride by, one of the boys will go down with you
and take your horse and put him up till you come back again."
"That will do capitally," Vincent replied. "It is some time since I
was on the water, and I seem to have a fancy for a change at
present. One is sick of riding into Richmond and hearing nothing
but politics talked of all day. Don't be alarmed if you hear at any
time that the boat has not come hack at night, for if tide and wind
are unfavorable at any time I might stop at Cumberland for the
night."
"I have often had to do that," Furniss said. "Besides, if you took it
away for a week, I don't suppose any one would notice it; for no
one goes down to the boathouse unless to get the boat ready for a
trip."
The next day Vincent rode over to his friend's plantation, sending
Dan off an hour beforehand to bale out the boat and get the masts
and sails into her from the boathouse. The greater part of the next
two days was spent on the water, sometimes sailing, sometimes
fishing. The evening of the second of these days was that upon
which Vincent had arranged to meet Tony again, and an hour after
dark he went down through the garden to the stable; for that was
the time the fugitive was to meet him, for he could not leave his
place of concealment until night fell. After looking at the horses,
and giving some instructions to the negroes in charge, he returned
to the shrubbery, and, sending Dan up to summon Dinah, he went
to the bushes where he had before met Tony. The negro came out
as he approached.
"How are you, Tony?"
"Much better dan I was, massa. I hab not been disturbed since I
saw you, and, thanks to dat and to de good food and to massa's
kind words, I'm stronger and better now, and ready to do whatever
massa think best."
"Well, Tony, I am glad to say that I think I have arranged a plan by
which you will be got safely out of the country. Of course, it may
fail; but there is every hope of success. I have arranged for a boat,
and shall take you down the river, and put you on board a ship
bound for England."
The black clapped his hands in delight at the news.
"When you get there you will take another ship out to Canada, and
as soon as I learn from you that you are there, and what is your
address, I will give Dinah her papers of freedom and send her on to
you."
"Oh,! massa, it is too much," Tony said, with the tears running
down his cheeks; "too much joy altogeder."
"Well, I hope it will all come right, Tony. Dinah will be here in a
minute or two. Do not keep her long, for I do not wish her absence
from the house to be observed just now. Now, listen to my
instructions. Do you know the plantation of Mr. Furniss, on the
Pamunky, near Coal harbor?"
"No, sir; but me can find out."
"No, you can't; because you can't see any one or ask questions.
Very well, then, you must be here again to-morrow night at the
same hour. Dan will meet you here, and act as your guide. lie will
presently bring you provisions for to-morrow. Be sure you be
careful, Tony, and get back to your hiding-place as soon as you
can, and lie very quiet to-morrow until it is time to start. It would
be terrible if you were to be caught now, just as we have arranged
for you to get away."
On the following afternoon Vincent told his mother that he was
going over that evening to his friend Furniss, as an early start was
to be made next morning; they intended to go down the river as far
as Yorktown, if not further; that be certainly should not be back
for two days, and probably might be even longer.
"This new beating freak of yours, Vincent, seems to occupy all
your thoughts. I wonder how long it will last."
"I don't suppose it will last much longer, mother," Vincent said
with a laugh. "Anyhow, it will make a jolly change for a week.
One had got so sick of hearing nothing talked about but secession
that a week without hearing the word mentioned will do one lots
of good, and I am sure I felt that if one had much more of it, one
would be almost driven to take up the Northern side just for the
sake of a change."
"We should all disown you, Vin," Annie said, laughing; "we should
have nothing to say to you, and you would be cut by all your
friends."
"Well, you see, a week's sailing and fishing will save me from all
that, Annie; and I be all be able to begin again with a fresh stock of
patience."
"I believe you are only half in earnest in the cause, Vincent," his
mother said gravely.
"I am not indeed, mother. I quite agree with what you and every
one say as to the rights of the State of Virginia, and if the North
should really try to force us and the other Southern States to
remain with them, I shall be just' as ready to do everything I can as
any one else; but I can't see the good of always talking about it,
and I think it's very wrong to ill-treat and abuse those who think
the other way. In England in the Civil War the people of the towns
almost all thought one way, and almost all those of the counties
the other, and even now opinions differ almost as widely as to
which was right. I hate to hear people always laying down the law
as if there could not possibly be two sides of the case, and as if
every one who differed from them must be a rascal and a traitor.
Almost all the fellows I know say that if it comes to fighting they
shall go into the State army, and I should be quite willing, if they
would really take fellows of my age for soldiers, to enlist too; but
that is no reason why one should not get sick of hearing nothing
but one subject talked of for weeks."
It was nearly dark when Vincent started for his walk of ten miles;
for he had decided not to take his horse with him, as he had no
means of sending it back, and its stay for three days in his friend's
stables would attract attention to the fact of his long absence.
After about three hours' walking he reached the boat. house,
having seen no one as he passed through the plantation. He took
the oars and sails from the boathouse and placed them in the boat,
and then sat down in the stern to await the coming of the negroes.
In 'an hour they arrived; Tony carrying a bundle of clothes that
Dan had by Vincent's orders bought for him in Richmond, while
Dan carried a large basket of provisions. Vincent gave an
exclamation of thankfullness as he saw the two figures appear, for
the day having been Sunday he knew that a good many men would
be likely to join the search parties in hopes of having a share in the
reward offered for Tony's capture, and he had felt very anxious all
day.
"You sit in the bottom of the boat, Tony, and do you steer, Dan.
You make such a splashing with your oar that we should be heard
a mile away. Keep us close in shore in the shadow of the trees; the
less we are noticed the better at this time of night."
Taking the sculls, Vincent rowed quietly away. He had often been
out on boating excursions with his friends, and had learned to row
fairly. During the last two days he had diligently instructed Dan,
and after two long days' work the young negro had got over the
first difficulties, but he was still clumsy and awkward. Vincent
did not exert himself. He knew he had a long night's row before
him, and he paddled quietly along with the stream. The boat was a
good-sized one, and when not under sail was generally rowed by
two strong negroes accustomed to the work.
Sometimes for half an hour at a time Vincent ceased rowing, and
let the boat drift along quietly. There was no hurry, for he had a
day and two nights to get down to the month of the river, a
distance of some seventy miles, and out to sea far enough to
intercept the vessel. At four o'clock they arrived at Cumberland,
where the Pamunky and Mattapony Rivers unite and form the
York River. Here they were in tidal waters; and as the tide, though
not strong, was flowing up, Vincent tied the boat to the branch of a
tree, and lay down in the bottom for an hour's sleep, telling Dan to
wake him when the tide turned, or if he heard any noise. Day had
broken when the boat drifted round, and Dan aroused him.
The boat was rowed off to the middle of the river, as there could
be no longer any attempt at concealment. Dan now took the bow
oar, and they rowed until a light
The Jacksons were newcomers in Virginia. Six years before, the
estate, of which the Cedars, as their place was called, formed a
part, was put up for sale. It was a very large one, and having been
divided into several portions to suit buyers, the Cedars had been
purchased by Jackson, who, having been very successful as a
storekeeper at Charleston, had decided upon giving up the business
and leaving South Carolina, and settling down as a land-owner in
some other State. His antecedents, however, were soon known at
Richmond, and the old Virginian families turned a cold shoulder to
the newcomer.
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