CHAPTER XV.
MARCY SEES SOMEBODY.
If you would like to know why Captain Burrows (that was the name of theofficer who commanded the Union troopers) did not find in Mrs. Gray'shouse any articles that were contraband of war, we will ride with himand his company long enough to find out.
During the days of which we write scouting was a necessary duty, but itsometimes happened that it was one of the most disagreeable,particularly when it fell to the lot of a gentleman like CaptainBurrows, and his orders compelled him to enter private houses whose onlyinmates were supposed to be women and children; but now and then thesescouts found able-bodied men in uniform concealed in dwellings that werethought to be occupied wholly by non-combatants. During the Yazoo Passexpedition the gunboat to which we belonged was ordered to search allthe houses along the banks of the Coldwater and Tallahatchie rivers,although we knew that that important duty had already been performed bythe soldiers. In one house, whose female occupants vociferously affirmedthat all the men who belonged there were in Vicksburg and had not beennear home for six months, a belt containing a sword and revolver wasfound under a bed. That was as good evidence as we wanted that the manwho owned the belt was not far away, and after a short search he wasdiscovered in the cellar. No doubt there were better hiding-places aboutthe house, but the blue-jackets came up so suddenly that he did not havetime to go to them. A little further search resulted in the finding ofsome important dispatches which the Confederate had concealed in abarrel of corned beef; but when its contents were poked over by abayonet, the dispatches betrayed themselves by rising to the surface. Soyou see it was sometimes necessary to search private houses; but likeMr. Watkins, the gunboat officer who took Marcy Gray from his bed toserve as pilot in the Union navy, Captain Barrows wished that some otherofficer had been detailed to do the work. Although he went fromBeardsley's house straight to Mrs. Gray's, he had no intention ofsearching it. He knew more of Marcy than Tom and Mark thought, andperhaps he could have told them a few things concerning themselves thatwould have made them open: their eyes. He had halted and questionedevery negro he met on his scout, and he knew the name of every Union manand every rebel in the settlement. When he arrived at the house he didnot lead his men into the yard, nor did he ride in himself. Hedismounted and went in on foot, and Marcy, who had seen him coming,opened the door without giving him time to knock.
"I know you are Marcy Gray, from the descriptions I have heard of you,"was the way in which the captain began his business. "I am told that youhave any number of dangerous weapons as well as a Confederate flag inyour possession."
"I plead guilty," replied Marcy. "Will you walk in?"
He was not at all afraid of the officer, for the latter smiled at him ina way that put him quite at his ease. Besides, if the captain knewanything about him, as his words seemed to indicate, he must be awarethat he had willingly served under the Union flag, and under the otherone because he could not help himself. Marcy led him into the room inwhich his mother was waiting, and the captain straightway quieted herfears, if she had any, by saying:
"I am on a scout, madam, looking for rebel soldiers and fire-arms thatmay be concealed in the settlement; but, so far as you are concerned, myvisit is merely a matter of form."
"Take this chair," said Marcy, "and I will be back in a moment."
The Confederate flag had been removed from its place on the wall, butthe boy knew where to find it; and when he brought it into the room hebrought with it his fine rifle and shotgun, his revolvers, a bed-quiltand the letter that Captain Benton had given him; and Julius, whofollowed at his heels, brought as many more guns, which belonged to theabsent Jack. He was gone but a few minutes, but quite long enough toenable Mrs. Gray to give the visitor some scraps of his history; and asher story was confirmed by those he had heard from the negroes along hisline of march, he was so well satisfied of Marcy's loyalty that when thelatter came in and deposited his burdens on the table, the officer hadnot the least intention of taking any of them away with him. He spreadthe Confederate flag upon the floor so that he could see it; examinedthe guns one after another, and inquired about the shooting on theplantation; and held Captain Benton's letter up to the light, to see ifhe could read what was written upon it.
"There's a fire on the hearth, sir," Marcy reminded him.
"I know there is; but if I should bring out the words by holding thispaper to the heat, and it should some day fall into the hands of therebels, it might make serious trouble for you," said the captain. "Ifsuch a thing happens I don't want to be the means of it, for I know thatyou were of service to our fleet during the fight at Roanoke Island."
"I was there, sir," answered the boy modestly. "And if you say so, Iwill rip up this quilt and show you the Union flag that waved over myhead while I was acting as Captain Benton's pilot."
"A Union flag in this house, alongside of a Confederate!" exclaimed thecaptain, who was surprised to hear it. "I should think you would beafraid to have it about you. I understand that the most of the people inthis neighborhood are the worst of rebels."
Marcy replied that although there were some Union people in thesettlement the Confederates outnumbered them two to one, but he did notbelieve that any of the latter knew there was a Union banner in thehouse. Then he went on to explain how and when it came into hispossession, and again offered to produce it; but Captain Burrows said hewould not put him to so much trouble. He asked a few leading questionswhich he knew Marcy could not answer unless he had really "been there,"after which he took his cap from the table, saying as he did so:
"If you will take a friend's advice, you will conceal those guns, aswell as any other articles of value you may have, somewhere outside, andkeep Captain Benton's letter where you can put your hand on it at anyhour of the day or night. It is probable that some of our scouts will bealong here every few days, and I am afraid there will be some among themwho will insist on going through your house. Besides, the Home Guardsmay need those guns to arm some of their men."
"Home Guards?" echoed Marcy. "What are they?"
"Well, they are men who, although they haven't the courage to enlist inthe army to fight us, are perfectly willing to act as police in the rearof the Confederate army. It is their intention to patrol the settlement,night and day, until they drive out every man who is suspected of Unionsentiments."
Marcy looked bewildered, and his mother was frightened.
"Is it possible that you haven't heard of it?" continued the captain."Then it proves the truth of the old saying that one needs to go awayfrom home to learn the news. We know all about it, and we also know thatthese Home Guards intend to operate as they do in Kentucky, Tennessee,and Missouri; that is, they will be industrious and peaceful farmersduring the daytime, and thieves and murderers at night. But mind you, asfast as we can locate them, we shall run them in and hold them asprisoners of war. I hope that you, and the rest of the Union peopleabout here, will be watchful and keep us posted."
"This is news to me," said Marcy, as soon as his surprise would allowhim to speak. "I never dreamed of such a thing."
"Then I am very glad I mentioned it," said the officer.
"And I am certain I can give you the name of every man in the company,"added Marcy. "What do you suppose put the idea into their heads?"
"I am sure I do not know, unless it was that fight in Hampton Roads,which created the wildest excitement all over the country. The Richmondpeople were very jubilant, while our Washington folks werecorrespondingly depressed."
"That is another piece of news," said Mrs. Gray. "To what particularbattle do you refer, Captain?"
"Don't you know anything about that, either?" exclaimed the officer,throwing open his coat, and thrusting his hand into an inside pocket."It was a fight between our fleet and six Confederate steamers--fivewooden vessels and one iron-clad. It lasted the better part of two days.At the end of the first day the advantage was all with the Confederates,who captured and burned one of our best ships and sunk another, withoutany
serious damage to themselves. These papers, which I shall be glad toleave with you, tell all about it, and they will also give you a faintidea of the consternation that seized upon everybody up North, when thestory got abroad that the rebels had one single vessel that could copewith Uncle Sam's entire navy. Every city along the coast, as well as thecapital, was supposed to be at the mercy of that one iron-clad; but whenshe came out, on the morning of the 9th, to complete her work ofdestruction, she ran against a snag, in the shape of a little Unioniron-clad, not more than half her size, which had come upon the sceneduring the night."
"And did those two iron-clads fight?" exclaimed Marcy, who was worked upto the highest pitch of excitement. "Which whipped?"
"Of course they fought, for that was what our vessel, the _Monitor_,went down there for. She came in the night and anchored behind the hullof one of our big ships, so that the rebel boat did not see her untilshe was close upon her. They had the hardest kind of a fight, and ourvessel whipped."
Marcy did not break out into cheers as the captain no doubt thought hewould, but settled contentedly back in his chair and drew a long breathof relief.
"Our fellows did not sink the _Virginia_ as they tried to do," continuedCaptain Burrows, "but they gave her such a pounding that it was all shecould do to draw out of the fight and go back to Norfolk. We had thebest of the engagement, for the rebel boat failed to accomplish theobject she had in view when she came out, which was to sink the threefrigates that were aground off Fortress Monroe."
"And you think it was during the excitement consequent upon the firstday's victory that our neighbors were led to organize the Home Guards?"said Mrs. Gray.
"I certainly think it had much to do with it," answered Captain Burrows."You see these 'stay-at-homers,' as I have heard them called, jumped tothe conclusion that the Yankees were whipped, and when the war is overthey want to be able to say that they helped do it."
"Pardon my curiosity," said Marcy. "But have you seen Ben Hawkins?"
"I don't think there will be any harm in telling you that I had a shorttalk with him before I came here. I met him on the road, and hevolunteered so much information concerning his neighbors that I becamesuspicious of him. But I have since learned that he told me nothing butthe truth. He is a paroled prisoner and, I may add, a warm friend to youand your mother."
"And you do not think it would be unwise to trust him?" said Mrs. Gray,who had listened with surprise to her son's account of the speech he hadheard Hawkins deliver in the post-office.
"No, I do not. He is very bitter against the Confederacy, as many of hiscomrades are; he has had enough of soldiering, and if I were in yourplace I think I should look upon him as a friend."
"I thank you for saying so much," replied Marcy. "I am sure we needfriends bad enough."
"And don't forget," said the captain as he rose to go, "that we are nothere for fun. I shall report you to my commander as a staunch Unionfamily, and if your rebel neighbors prove troublesome and you will letus know, we will surely punish them for it. I wish you good-day."
"Now there's a friend worth having," said Marcy, when he and his motherwere once more alone. "He brought us bad news, though. He did not wantto say too much against his comrades, but he said enough, and I think wehad better hide your silver and jewelry before some rascal in blue walksoff with them."
"No doubt it would be a wise thing to do," replied Mrs. Gray. "He saidhe heard that there were arms and a flag in the house; have you any ideawho told him?"
"Beardsley is the chap," answered Marcy readily. "Two or three times Iwas on the point of asking what the captain said to him, but I wasafraid he might not answer me. Beardsley can't get me into trouble withthe Yankees, and he might as well give up trying. Now let's read aboutthe fight in Hampton Roads."
"What about the Home Guards?" said his mother.
"I will take a ride presently and see if I can learn something aboutthem. They must have been very sly in getting up their company, for Idon't believe our darkies knew the first thing about it. If they didthey would have told us. I wonder if it wouldn't be a good plan for meto join it."
"Why, Marcy, they would not accept you!" exclaimed Mrs. Gray.
"That's what I think; but if they refuse it will show me that I hadbetter be on my guard, won't it?"
"I am glad to know that Hawkins is our friend."
"When I met him in Nashville, and he took the trouble to cross the roadand shake hands with me and say that I did just right while I was onCaptain Benton's gunboat, I knew right where he stood," answered Marcy."I can see him as often as I have anything to say to him, for he isloafing about the settlement all the time."
While Marcy talked he was looking through one of the papers CaptainBurrows had left behind for the account of that famous fight in HamptonRoads, and when he found it he read it aloud. The result of the firstday's struggle must have been alarming as well as discouraging to theloyal people in the North, and the gloomy predictions that were made inthe papers concerning the terrible things the Virginia was going to dowhen she finished the Union fleet at Fortress Monroe, were enough tomake Marcy feel gloomy himself. But the account of the next fight wasmost inspiriting. The little _Monitor_ proved to be more than a matchfor her ponderous antagonist. Washington would not be bombarded, theblockading fleet, which the _Virginia_ was to sink or capture at herleisure, was still on top of the water and likely to stay there, and therecognition of the Southern Confederacy by France and England was as faroff as ever.
"There's one thing I like about Northern papers," said Marcy, when hehad read every line he could find that in any way related to the matterthat was just then uppermost in his mind. "They always tell the truth.If their people are whipped they don't hesitate to say so, but oursgloss it over and try to make it appear that every fight is aConfederate victory. According to our Newbern papers the South hasn'tlost a single place that she couldn't spare as well as not. Donelson andFort Henry were outposts that we did not intend to hold anyway, andRoanoke Island was of so little consequence that the Richmondauthorities did not garrison it as heavily as they would if they hadwanted to keep it. It's the worst kind of bosh, and everybody in theSouth knows it. Now then," he added, addressing himself to Julius, who,since he followed his master into the room, had stood in one cornerhearing and seeing all that was said and done, "put these guns andthings where they belong, and stand by to-night after dark to help mehide them in the garden. You heard what that Federal officer said aboutthe Home Guards, didn't you? Well, what do you know of them?"
"Not de fustest think, Marse Mahcy," answered the boy earnestly. "Deygettin' to be mighty jubus of de niggahs round hyar, an' nobody nebbersay nuffin whar Julius kin ketch it."
"Keep your eyes and ears open, and if you do catch on to anything comestraight to me with it; do you understand? Now I am going to ride outfor a while."
"Do you intend to say anything about our visitors?" inquired hismother.
"If I meet anyone who knows they were here I don't see how I can avoidspeaking of them," was Marcy's reply. "But circumstances will have todetermine what I shall say about them. I don't mean to let every Tom,Dick, and Harry know how very friendly that captain was with us. I don'tthink it would be just the thing. Good-by."
"Look a hyar, Marse Mahcy," began Julius; and then he hesitated for asmuch as a minute before he went on to say, "You know dat niggah Mose?"
"Yes, I know Mose," answered Marcy, and he might have added that he knewhim to be the laziest and most worthless black man on the plantation."What of him?"
"Well, sar, moster," replied the boy, "when I fotch in dem guns an' luf'em on de table I slip out de do' kase I aint wantin' to see no hornsan' hoofs like Marse Jack say de Yankees done got, an' I see Mosetalkin' wid dem soldiers in de road. Den he slip thoo 'em into de breshon de odder side de road an' never come out no mo'; an' den I come hyarto tol' you."
"Do you mean to say that Mose has run away?" cried Marcy and his motherin concert.
"Yes, sar, missus; dat's w
hat I mean," replied Julius.
Marcy was much surprised to hear it, but after all it was nothing morenor less than he had predicted when the war first broke out. The negroesknew to a man that the contest between the North and South would decidewhether they were to be bondsmen or free, and it was natural that theirsympathies should be on the side of those who did not believe inslavery, and that they should desire to be with them.
"You are quite sure that the Yankee soldiers did not take Mose away, areyou?" said Marcy, after a little pause.
Yes, Julius was positive about that. When the Federal captain left thehouse Julius had hastened to the front porch in order to satisfy himselfon that very point, and had taken pains to see that Mose was not withthe soldiers when they rode away. Mose had gone on his own hook.
"I am afraid he will repent when it is too late," said Mrs. Gray, with asigh of regret. "Mose is too old, and too badly crippled withrheumatism, to be of any use to his new friends."
"I suppose you and Morris will be going next," said Marcy, nodding atJulius, "and that, if I want my filly brought to the door, I can bringher myself."
"Oh, hursh, honey," replied the boy. "I aint a-keerin what dat oldniggah Morris gwine do, but Julius aint gwine run away."
"I think you are better off here than you would be anywhere else. TheYankees believe that those who don't work can't eat, and that would letyou out so far as grub is concerned. You never did a hand's turn in yourlife. Now go and tell Morris to saddle my horse, and then come back, andput away these guns as I told you."
When Julius left the room Marcy put on his hat, and went out to ask ifany of the other house servants knew that old Mose had run away, and wasnot much surprised to find that they all knew of it and had beenexpecting it, for Mose had given them due-notice of what he intended todo. He had often been heard to say that if the Yankee soldiers ever cameto the plantation he would go away with them, and he had kept his word.Some planters in the neighborhood would have said, "Good riddance to badrubbish," for of late years Mose had not done work enough to pay for thecorn meal and bacon he ate, let alone the clothes he wore; but Marcyfelt sorry for him, and predicted that Mose would repent of his bargainin less than a month.
"Marse Mahcy, will the Yankees luf him come back if he wants to?"inquired Morris.
"I reckon not," was the boy's answer. "The Federal general, Butler, hasdeclared slaves to be contraband of war, and I don't think they willgive Mose up any more than they would surrender a mule they hadcaptured. Now, what do you black ones know about the Home Guards?"
The expression of bewilderment that came upon the ebony faces by whichhe was surrounded prepared Marcy for the reply. The servants, one andall, declared that they did not know what he meant; and this made itplain that the rebels in the settlement were beginning to learn thattheir black people could not be trusted to keep their secrets. He wentinto the house to tell his mother what he had learned, and finding hisfilly at the door when he came back, he mounted and rode away.
The first white man he saw was one who could have told him all about theHome Guards if he had been so disposed. It was Captain Beardsley, whowas still in the field with his negroes, Tom Allison and Mark Goodwinhaving left him a few minutes before Marcy came up. The man did not stophis work and come to the fence, nor did he look up as Marcy rode by; andthis made the latter believe that his old captain had some reason forwishing to avoid him.
"He is going to spring something else on me, and before long, too," waswhat Marcy said to himself as he passed on down the road. "WhenBeardsley won't talk he is dangerous."
That he had shot close to the mark was made evident to Marcy before tenminutes more had passed over his head. A short distance farther on wasthe gate which gave entrance to the carriage-way that ran by the ruinsof Beardsley's home. It was wide open, and as he rode up he saw ahorseman passing through it. Marcy had a fair view of him, andrecognized him at once as the man Hanson, his mother's old overseer; andhe was riding one of Beardsley's horses.