with lee in virginia-第86章

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Vincent　had　but　just　finished　his　story　when　the　servant　came　in

and　said　that　the　buggy　was　at　the　door。



〃I　will　go　in　my　slippers；　mother；　but　I　will　run　up　and　change　my

other　things。　　It's　lucky　I　have　got　a　spare　suit　here。　　Any　of　our

fellows　who　happened　to　be　going　down　to…night　in　the　train

would　think　that　I　was　mad　were　I　to　go　like　this。〃



It　was　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　Vincent　reached

Petersburg。　　He　went　straight　to　his　quarters；　as　it　would　be　no　use

waking　General　Lee　at　that　hour。　　A　light　was　burning　in　his　room；

and　Dan　was　asleep　at　the　table　with　his　head　on　his　arms。　　He

leaped　up　with　a　cry　of　joy　as　his　master　entered。



〃Well；　Dan；　here　I　am　safe　again；〃　Vincent　said　cheerily。　〃I　hope

you　had　not　begun　to　give　me　up。〃



〃I　began　to　be　terribly　frightened；　sir…terribly　frightened。　　I　went　dis

afternoon　and　asked　Captain　Burley　if　he　had　any　news　oh　you。　

He　said　'No；'　and　asked　me　ef　I　knew　where　you　were。　　I　said　'No；

sah；'　that　I　knew　nuffin　about　it　except　that　you　had　gone　on　some

dangerous　job。　　He　said　he　hoped　that　you　would　be　back　soon；

and　certainly；　as　far　as　dey　had　heard；　nuffin　had　happened　to　you。　

Still　I　was　bery　anzious；　and　tought　I　would　sit　up　till　de　last　train

came　in　from　Richmond。　　Den　I　tink　I　dropped　off　to　sleep。〃



〃I　think　you　did；　Dan。　　Well；　I　am　too　tired　to　tell　you　anything

about　it　now；　but　I　have　one　piece　of　news　for　you；　Tony　has　come

back　to　his　wife。〃



〃Dat's　good　news；　sah；　bery　good　news。　　I　had　begun　to　be　afraid

dat　Tony　had　been　shot　or　hung　or　someting。　I　know　Dinah　hab

been　fretting　about　him　though　she　never　said　much；　but　when　I

am　at　home　she　allus　asks　me　all　sorts　of　questions　'bout　him。　　She

bery　glad　woman　now。〃



The　next　morning　Vincent　went　to　General　Lee's　quarters。



〃I　am　heartily　glad　to　see　you　back；〃　the　general　said　warmly　as　he

entered。　　〃I　have　blamed　myself　for　letting　you　go。　　Well；　what

success　have　you　had？〃



〃Here　is　a　rough　plan　of　the　works；　general。　　I　have　not　had　time　to

do　it　out　fairly；　but　it　shows　the　positions　of　all　their　principal

batteries；　with　a　rough　estimate　as　to　the　number　of　guns　that　each

is　intended　to　carry。〃



〃Excellent！〃　the　general　said；　glancing　over　the　plan。　〃This　will

give　us　exactly　the　information　we　want。　　We　must　set　to　with　our

counter…works　at　once。　　The　country　is　indeed　indebted　to　you；　sir。　

So　you　managed　to　cheat　the　Yankees　altogether？〃



〃I　should　have　cheated　them；　sir；　but　'unfortunately　I　came　across

an　old　acquaintance　who　denounced　me；　and　I　had　a　narrow　escape

of　being　shot。〃



〃Well；　Captain　Wingfield；　I　must　see　about　this　business；　and　give

orders　at　once。　　Will　you　come　and　breakfast　with　me　at　half…past

eight？　　Then　you　can　give　me　an　account　of　your　adventures。〃



Vincent　returned　to　his　quarters；　and　spent　the　next　two　hours　in

making　a　detailed　drawing　of　the　enemy's　positions　and　batteries；

and　then　at　half…past　eight　walked　over　to　General　Lee's　quarters。　

The　general　returned　in　a　few　minutes　with　General　Wade

Hampton　and　several　other　officers；　and　they　at　once　sat　down　to

breakfast。　　As　the　meal　was　proceeding　an　orderly　entered　with　a

telegram　for　the　general。　　General　Lee　glanced　through　it。



〃This；　gentlemen；　is　from　the　minister　of　war。　　I　acquainted　him　by

telegraph　this　morning　that　Captain　Wingfield；　who　had

volunteered　for　the　dangerous　service；　had　just　returned　from　the

Federal　lines　with　a　plan　of　the　positions　and　strength　of　all　the

works　that　they　are　erecting。　　I　said　that　I　trusted　that　such

distinguished　service　as　he　had　rendered　would　be　at　once

rewarded　with　promotion；　and　the　minister　telegraphs　to　me　now

that　he　baa　this　morning　signed　this　young　officer's　commission　as

major。　　I　heartily　congratulate　you；　sir；　on　your　well…earned　step。　

And　now；　as　I　see　you　have　finished　your　breakfast；　perhaps；　you

will　give　'us　an　account　of　your　proceedings。〃



Vincent　gave　a　detailed　account　of　his　adventures；　which　were

heard　with　surprise　and　interest。



〃That　was　a　narrow　escape；　indeed；〃　the　general　said；　as　he

finished。　　〃It　was　a　marvelous　thing　your　lighting　upon　this　negro；

whom　you　say　you　had　once　had　an　opportunity　of　serving；　just　at

that　moment；　and　although　you　do　not　tell　us　what　was　the　nature

of　the　service　you　had　rendered　him；　it　must　have　been　a　very

considerable　service　or　he　would　never　have　risked　his　life　in　that

way　to　save　yours。　　When　these　negroes　do　feel　attachment　for

their　masters　there　are　no　more　faithful　and　devoted　fellows。　Well；

in　your　case　certainly　a　good　action　has　met　with　its　reward；　if　it

had　not　been　for　him　there　could　be　no　question　that　your　doom

was　sealed。　　It　is　a　strange　thing　too　your　meeting　that　traitor。　　I

remember　reading　about　that　escape　of　yours　from　the　Yankee

prison。　　He　must　have　been　an　ungrateful　villain；　after　your　taking

him　with　you。〃



〃He　was　a　bad　fellow　altogether；　I　am　afraid；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and

the　quarrel　between　us　was　a　long…standing　one。〃



〃Whatever　your　quarrel　was；〃　the　general　said　hotly；　〃a　man　who

would　betray　even　an　enemy　to　death　in　that　way　is　a　villain。　

However；　he　has　gone　to　his　account；　and　the　country　can　forgive

his　treachery　to　her；　as　I　have　no　doubt　you　have　already　done　his

conduct　toward　your…self。〃



A　short　time　afterward　Vincent　had　leave　for　a　week；　as　things

were　quiet　at　Petersburg。



〃Mother；〃　he　said　on　the　morning　after　he　got　home9　〃I　fear　that

there　is　no　doubt　whatever　now　how　this　struggle　will　end。　　I　think

we　might　keep　Grant　at　bay　here；　but　Sherman　is　too　strong　for　us

down　in　Georgia。　We　are　already　cut　off　from　most　of　the

Southern　States；　and　in　time　Sherman　will　sweep　round　here；　and

then　it　will　be　all　over。　　You　see　it　yourself；　don't　you；　mother？〃



〃Yes；　I　am　afraid　it　cannot　continue　much　longer；　Vincent。　　Well；

of　course；　we　shall　fight　to　the　end。〃



〃I　am　not　talking　of　giving　up；　mother；　I　am　looking　forward　to　the

future。　　The　first　step　will　be　that　all　the　slaves　will　be　freed。　　Now；

it　seems　to　me　that　however　attached　they　may　be　to　their　masters

and　mistresses　tbey　will　lose　their　heads　over　this；　flock　into　the

towns；　and　nearly　starve　there；　or　else　take　up　little　patches　of　land

and　cultivate　them；　and　live　from　hand　to　mouth；　which　will　be

ruin　to　the　present　owners　as　well　as　to　them。　　Anyhow　for　a　time

all　will　be　confusion　and　disorder。　　Now；　my　idea　is　this；　if　you

give　all　your　slaves　their　freedom　at　once；　offer　them　patches　of

land　for　their　own　cultivation　and　employ　them　at　wages；　you　will

find　that　a　great　many　of　them　will　stop　with　you。　　There　is

nowhere　for　them　to　go　at　present　and　nothing　to　excite　them；　so

before　the　general　crash　comes　they　will　have　settled　down　quietly

to　work　here　in　their　new　positions；　and　will　not　be　likely　to　go

away



〃It　is　a　serious　step　to　take；　Vincent；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said；　after

thinking　the　matter　over　in　silence　for　some　time。　　〃You　do　not

think　there　is　any　probablity　of　the　ultimate　success　of　our　cause？〃



〃None；　mother；　I　do　not　think　there　is　even　a　possibility。　　One　by

one　the　Southern　States　have　been　wrested　from　the　Confederacy。　

Sherman's　march　will　completely　isolate　us。　　We　have　put　our　last

available　man　in　the　field；　and　tremendous　as　are　the　losses　of　the

enemy　they　are　able　to　fill　up　the　gaps　as　fast　as　they　are　made。　

No；　mother；　do　not　let　us　deceive　ourselves　on　that　head。　　The　end

must　come；　and　that　before　long。　　The　slaves　will　unquestionably

be　freed；　and　the　only　question　for　us　is　how　to　soften　the　blow。　

There　is　no　doubt　that　our　slaves；　both　at　the　Orangery　and　at　the

other　plantations；　are　contented　and　happy；　but　you　know　how

fickle　and　easily　led　the　negroes　are；　and　in　the　excitement　of

finding　them　selves　free　and　able　to　go　where　they　please；　you　may

be　sure　that　the　greater　number　will　wander　away。　　My