with lee in virginia-第88章

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few　days'　march　distant。　　There　was　fierce　fighting　on　the　29th；

30th；　and　31st　of　March；　and　on　the　2d　of　April　the　whole　Federal

army　assaulted　the　positions　at　Petersburg；　and　after　desperate

fighting　succeeded　in　carrying　them。　　The　Confederate　　troops；　

outnumbered　　and　exhausted　as　they　were　by　the　previous　week's

marching　and　fighting；　yet　retained　their　discipline；　and　Lee　drew

off　with　20；000　men　and　marched　to　endeavor　to　effect　a　junction

with　Johnston；　who　was　still　facing　Sherman。　But　his　men　had　but

one　day's　provision　with　them。　　The　stores　that　he　had　ordered　to

await　them　at　the　point　to　which　he　directed　his　march　had　not

arrived　there　when　they　reached　it；　and；　harassed　at　every　foot　of

their　march　by　Sheridan's　cavalry　and　Ord's　infantry；　the　force

fought　its　way　on。　　The　horses　and　mules　were　so　weak　from　want

of　food　that　they　were　unable　to　drag　the　guns；　and　the　men

dropped　in　numbers　from　fatigue　and　famine。　Sheridan　and　Ord

cut　off　two　corps；　but　General　Lee；　with　but　8；000　infantry　and

2；000　cavalry；　still　pressed　forward　toward　Lynchburg。　　But

Sheridan　threw　himself　in　the　way；　and；　finding　that　no　more　could

be　done；　General　Lee　and　the　infantry　surrendered；　and　a　few　days

later　Generals　Lee　and　Grant　met　and　signed　terms　of　peace。

General　Johnston's　army　surrendered　to　General　Sherman；　and　the

long　and　desperate　struggle　was　at　an　end。



It　was　a　dreadful　day　in　Richmond　when　the　news　came　that　the

lines　of　Petersburg　were　forced；　and　that　General　Lee　no　longer

stood　between　the　city　and　the　invaders。　The　president　and

ministers　left　at　once；　and　were　followed　by　all　the　better　class　of

inhabitants　who　could　find　means　of　conveyance。　　The　negroes；

Irish；　and　some　of　the　lower　classes　at　once　set　to　work　to　pillage

and　burn；　and　the　whole　city　would　have　been　destroyed　had　not　a

Federal　force　arrived　and　at　once　suppressed　the　rioting。



Whatever　bad　been　the　conduct　of　the　Federal　troops　during　the

last　year　of　the　war；　however　great　the　suffering　they　had　inflicted

upon　the　unarmed　and　innocent　population　of　the　country　through

which　they　marched；　the　terms　of　peace　that　General　Grant　agreed

upon；　and　which　were；　although　with　some　reluctance；　ratified　by

the　government；　were　in　the　highest　degree　liberal　and　generous。　

No　one　was　to　be　injured　or　molested　for　the　share　he　had　taken　in

the　war。　　A　general　amnesty　was　granted　to　all；　and　the　States　were

simply　to　return　to　the　position　in　the　Union　that　they　occupied

previous　to　the　commencement　of　the　struggle。



More　liberal　terms　were　never　granted　by　a　conqueror　to　the

vanquished。



Vincent　was　with　the　cavalry　who　escaped　prior　to　Lee's　surrender；

but　as　soon　as　the　terms　of　peace　were　ratified　the　force　was

disbanded　and　he　returned　home。　　He　was　received　with　the

deepest　joy　by　his　mother　and　sister。



〃Thank　God；　my　dear　boy；　that　all　is　over；　and　you　have　been

preserved　to　us。　　We　are　beaten；　but　no　one　can　say　that　we　have

been　disgraced。　　Had　every　State　done　its　duty　as　Virginia　has　we

should　never　have　been　overpowered。　　It　has　been　a　terrible　four

years；　and　there　are　few　families　indeed　that　have　no　losses　to

mourn。〃



〃It　was　well　you　were　not　in　Richmond；　mother；　the　day　of　the

riots。〃



〃Yes；　but　we　had　our　trouble　here　too；　Vincent。　　A　number　of　the

slaves　from　some　of　the　plantations　came　along　this　way；　and

wanted　our　hands　to　join　them　to　burn　down　their　quarters　and　the

house；　and　to　march　to　Richmond。　　Tony　and　Dan；　hearing　of　their

approach；　armed　themselves　with　your　double…barreled　guns；　went

down　and　called　out　the　hands　and　armed　them　with　hoes　and

other　implements。　　When　the　negroes　came　up　there　was　a

desperate　quarrel；　but　our　hands　stood　firm；　and　Tony　and　Dan

declared　that　they　would　shoot　the　first　four　men　that　advanced；

and　at　last　they　drew　off　and　made　their　way　to　Richmond。



〃Your　plan　has　succeeded　admirably。　　One　or　two　of　the　hands

went　to　Richmond　next　day；　but　returned　a　day　or　two　afterward

and　begged　so　hard　to　be　taken　on　again　that　I　forgave　them。　　Since

then　everything　has　been　going　on　as　quietly　and　regularly　as

usual；　while　there　is　scarcely　a　man　left　on　any　of　the　estates　near。〃



〃And　now；　mother；　that　I　find　things　are　quiet　and　settled　here；　I

shall　go　down　to　Georgia　and　fetch　Lucy　home。　　I　shall　be　of　age　in

a　few　months；　and　the　house　on　the　estate　that　comes　to　me　then

can　be　enlarged　a　bit；　and　will　do　very　well。〃



〃Not　at　all；　Vincent。　　Annie　will　be　married　next　month。　　Herbert

Rowsell　was　here　two　days　ago；　and　it's　all　settled。　　So　I　shall　be

alone　here。　　It　will　be　very　lonely　and　dull　for　me；　Vincent；　and　I

would　rather　give　up　the　reins　of　government　to　Lucy　and　live　here

with　you；　if　you　like　the　plan。〃



〃Certainly；　I　should　like　it；　mother；　and　so；　I　am　sure；　would　Lucy。〃



〃Well；　at　any　rate；　Vincent；　we　will　try　the　experiment；　and　if　it

does　not　work　well　I　will　take　possession　of　the　other　house。〃



〃There　is　no　fear　of　that；　mother；　none　whatever。〃



〃And　when　are　you　thinking　of　getting　married；　Vincent？〃



〃At　once；　mother。　　I　wrote　to　her　the　day　we　were　disbanded　saying

that　I　should　come　in　a　week；　and　would　allow　another　week　and

no　longer　for　her　to　get　ready。〃



〃Then；　in　that　case；　Vincent；　Annie　and　I　will　go　down　with　you。　

Annie　will　not　have　much　to　do　to　get　ready　for　her　own　wedding。　

It　must；　of　course；　be　a　very　quiet　one；　and　there　will　be　no　array　of

dresses　to　get；　for　I　suppose　it　will　be　some　time　yet　before　the

railways　are　open　again　and　things　begin　to　come　down　from　the

North。〃



Happily　Antioch　had　escaped　the　ravages　of　war；　and　there　was

nothing　to　mar　the　happiness　of　the　wedding。　Lucy's　father　had

returned；　having　lost　a　leg　in　one　of　the　battles　of　the　Wilderness　a

year　before；　and　her　brother　had　also　escaped。　　After　the　wedding

they　returned　to　their　farm　in　Tennessee；　and　Mrs。　Wingfield；

Annie；　Vincent；　and　Lucy　went　back　to　the　Orangery。



For　the　next　three　or　four　years　times　were　very　bard　in　Virginia；

and　Mrs。　Wingfleld　had　to　draw　upon　her　savings　to　keep　up　the

house　in　its　former　state；　while　the　great　majority　of　the　planters

were　utterly　ruined。



The　negroes；　however；　for　the　most　part　remained　steadily　working

en　the　estate。　　A　few　wandered　away；　but　their　places　were　easily

filled；　for　the　majority　of　the　freed　slaves　very　soon　discovered

that　their　lot　was　a　far　harder　one　than　it　had　been　before；　and　that

freedom　so　suddenly　given　was　a　curse　rather　than　a　blessing　to

them。



Thus；　while　so　many　went　down；　the　Wingfields　weathered　the

storm；　and　the　step　that　had　been　taken　in　preparing　their　hands　for

the　general　abolition　of　slavery　was　a　complete　success。



With　the　gradual　return　of　prosperity　to　the　South　the　prices　of

produce　improved；　and　ten　years　after　the　conclusion　of　the

rebellion　the　income　of　the　Orangery。was　nearly　as　large　as　it　had

been　previous　to　its　outbreak。　Vincent；　two　years　after　the

conclusion　of　the　struggle；　took　his　wife　over　to　visit　his　relations

in　England；　and；　since　the　death　of　his　mother　in　1879；　has　every

year　spent　three　or　four　months　at　home；　and　will　not　improbably

ere　long　sell　his　estates　in　Virginia　and　settle　in　England

altogether。











End