with lee in virginia-第87章

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

be　sure　that　the　greater　number　will　wander　away。　　My　proposal　is；

that　we　should　at　once　mark　out　a　plot　of　land　for　each　family　and

tell　them　that　as　long　as　they　stay　here　it　is　theirs　rent…free；　they

will　be　paid　for　their　work　upon　the　estate；　three；　four；　or　five　days

a　week；　as　they　can　spare　time　from　their　own　plots。　　In　this　way

they　will　be　settled　down；　and　have　crops　upon　their　plots　of　land；

before　the　whole　black　population　is　upset　by　the　sudden　abolition

of　slavery。〃



〃But　supposing　they　won't　work　at　all；　even　for　wages；　Vincent？〃



〃I　should　not　give　them　the　option；　mother；　it　will　be　a　condition

of　their　having　their　plots　of　land　free　that　they　shall　work　at　least

three　days　a　week　for　wages。〃



〃I　will　think　over　what　you　say；　Vincent；　and　tell　you　my　decision

in　the　morning。　　I　certainly　think　your　plan　is　a　good　one。〃



The　next　morning　Mrs。　Wingfield　told　Vincent　that　she　had

decided　to　adopt　his　plan。　　He　at　once　held　a　long　consultation

with　the　overseer；　and　decided　which　fields　should　be　set　aside　for

the　allotments；　choosing　land　Close　to　the　negroes'　quarters　and

suitable　for　the　raising　of　vegetables　for　sale　in　the　town。



In　the　afternoon　Mrs　Wingfield　went　down　with　him。　The　bell　was

rung　and　the　whole　of　the　slaves　assembled。　Vincent　then　made

them　a　speech。　　He　began　by　reminding　them　of　the　kind　treatment

they　had　always　received；　and　of　the　good　feeling　that　had　existed

between　the　owners　of　the　Orangery　and　their　slaves。　　He　praised

them　for　their　good　conduct　since　the　beginning　of　the　troubles；

and　said　that　his　mother　and　himself　had　agreed　that　they　would

now　take　steps　to　reward　them；　and　to　strengthen　the　tie　between

them。　　They　would　all　be　granted　their　freedom　at　once；　and　a

large　plot　of　land　would　be　given　to　each　man；　as　much　as　he　and

his　family　could　cultivate　with　an　average　of　two　days　a　week

steady　labor。



Those　who　liked　would；　of　course；　be　at　liberty　to　leave；　but　he

hoped　that　none　of　them　would　avail　themselves　of　this　freedom；

for　nowhere　would　they　do　so　well　as　by　accepting　the　offer　he

made　them。　　All　who　accepted　the　offer　of　a　plot　of　land　rent…free

must　understand　that　it　was　granted　them　upon　the　condition　that

they　would　labor　upon　the　estate　for　at　least　three　days　a　week；

receiving　a　rate　of　pay　similar　to　that　earned　by　other　freed

negroes。　Of　course　they　would　be　at　liberty　to　work　four　or　five

days　a　week　if　they　chose；　but　at　least　they　must　work　three　days

and　any　one　failing　to　do　this　would　forfeit　his　plot　of　land。　　〃Three

days'　work；〃　he　said；　〃will　be　sufficient　to　provide　all　necessaries

for　yourselves　and　families　and　the　produce　of　your　land　you　can

sell；　and　will　so　be　able　to　lay　by　an　ample　sum　to　keep　yourselves

in　old　age。　I　have　already　plotted　out　the　land　and　you　shall　cast

lots　for　choice　of　the　plots。　　There　will　be　a　little　delay　before　all

your　papers　of　freedom　can　be　made　out；　but　the　arrangement　will

begin　from　to…day；　and　henceforth　you　will　be　paid　for　all　labor

done　on　the　estate。〃



Scarcely　a　word　was　spoken　when　Vincent　concluded。　The　news

was　too　surprising　to　the　negroes　for　them　to　be　able　to　understand

it　all　at　once。　　Dan　and　Tony；　to　whom　Vincent　had　already

explained　the　matter；　went　among　them；　and　they　gradually　took　in

the　whole　of　Vincent's　meaning。　　A　few　received　the　news　with

great　joy；　but　many　others　were　depressed　rather　than　rejoiced　at

the　responsibilities　of　their　new　positions。　　Hitherto　they　had　been

clothed　and　fed；　the　doctor　attended　them　in　sickness；　their　master

would　care　for　them　in　old　age。　　They　had　been　literally　without　a

care　for　the　morrow；　and　the　thought　that　in　future　they　would

have　to　think　of　all　these　things　for　themselves　almost　frightened

them。　　Several　of　the　older　men　went　up　to　Mrs。　Wingfield　and

positively　declined　to　accept　their　freedom。　　They　were　quite

contented　and　happy；　and　wanted　nothing　more。　　They　had　worked

on　the　plantation　since　they　had　been　children；　and　freedom

offered　them　no　temptations　whatever。



〃What　had　we　better　do；　Vincent？〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　asked。



〃I　think；　mother；　it　will　be　best　to　toll　them　that　all　who　wish　can

remain　upon　the　old　footing；　but　that　their　papers　will　be　made　out

and　if　at　any　time　they　wish　to　have　their　freedom　they　will　only

have　to　say　so。　　No　doubt　they　will　soon　become　accustomed　to　the

idea；　and　seeing　how　comfortable　the　others　are　with　their　pay　and

the　produce　of　their　gardens　they　will　soon　fall　in　with　the　rest。　　Of

course　it　will　decrease　the　income　from　the　estate；　but　not　so　much

as　you　would　think。　　They　will　be　paid　for　their　labor；　but　we　shall

have　neither　to　feed　nor　clothe　them；　and　I　think　we　shall　get　better

labor　than　we　do　now；　for　the　knowledge　that　those　who　do　not

work　steadily　will　lose　their　plots　of　land；　and　have　to　go　out　in　the

world　to　work；　their　places　being　filled　by　others；　will　keep　them

steady。〃



〃It's　an　experiment；　Vincent；　and　we　shall　see　how　it　works。〃



〃It's　an　experiment　I　have　often　thought　I　should　like　to　make；

mother；　and　now　you　see　it　is　almost　forced　upon　us。　　To…morrow　I

will　ride　over　to　the　other　plantations　and　make　the　same

arrangements。〃



During　the　month　of　August　many　battles　took　place　round

Petersburg。　　On　the　12th　the　Federals　attacked；　but　were　repulsed

with　heavy　loss；　and　2；500　prisoners　were　taken。　On　the　21st　the

Confederates　attacked；　and　obtained　a　certain　amount　of　success；

killing；　wounding；　and　capturing　2；400　men。　　Petersburg　was

shelled　day　and　night；　and　almost　continuous　fighting　went　on。　

Nevertheless；　up　to　the　middle　of　October　the　positions　of　the

armies　remained　unaltered。　　On　the　27th　of　that　mouth　the　Federals

made　another　general　attack；　but　were　repulsed　with　a　loss　of

1；500　men。　　During　the　next　three　months　there　was　little　fighting；

the　Confederates　having　now　so　strengthened　their　lines　by

incessant　toil　that　even　General　Grant；　reckless　of　the　lives　of　his

troops　as　he　was；　hesitated　to　renew　the　assault。



But　in　the　South　General　Sherman　was　carrying　all　before　him。　

Generals　Hood　and　Johnston；　who　commanded　the　Confederate

armies　there；　had　fought　several　desperate　battles；　but　the　forces

opposed　to　them　were　too　strong　to　be　driven　back。　　They　had

marched　through　Georgia　to　Atlanta　and　captured　that　important

town　on　the　1st　of　September；　and　obtained　command　of　the

network　of　railways；　and　thus　cut　off　a　large　portion　of　the

Confederacy　from　Richmond。　　Then　Sherman　marched　south；

wasting　the　country　through　which　he　marched；　and　capturing

Savannah　on　the　21st　of　September。



While　he　was　so　doing；　General　Hood　had　marched　into

Tennessee；　and　after　various　petty　successes　was　defeated；　after

two　days'　hard　fighting；　near　Nashville。　　In　the　third　week　in

January；　1865；　Sherman　set　out　with　60；000　infantry　and　10；000

cavalry　from　Savannah；　laying　waste　the　whole　country…burning；

pillaging；　and　destroying。　The　town　of　Columbia　was　occupied；

sacked；　and　burned；　the　white　men　and　women　and　even　the

negroes　being　horribly　ill…treated。



The　Confederates　evacuated　Charleston　at　the　approach　of　the

enemy；　setting　it　in　flames　rather　than　allow　it　to　fall　into

Sherman's　hands。　　The　Federal　army　then　continued　its　devastating

route　through　South　Carolina；　and　at　the　end　of　March　had

established　itself　at　Goldsboro；　in　North　Carolina；　and　was　in

readiness　to　aid　Grant　in　his　final　attack　on　Richmond。



Lee；　seeing　the　imminence　of　the　danger；　made　an　attack　upon　the

enemy　in　front　of　Petersburg；　but　was　repulsed。　　He　had　now　but

37；000　men　with　which　to　oppose　an　enemy　of　nearly　four　times

that　strength　in　front　of　him；　while　Sheridan's　cavalry；　10；000

strong；　threatened　his　flank；　and　Sherman　with　his　army　was　but　a

few　days'　march　distant。　　There　was　fierce　fighting　on　the