HOW THE YANKEES TOOK POSSESSION
"I think the rest of this story is the most interesting of all,"
murmured Aunt Selina, as she permitted her memory to roam in years long
gone.
The children waited patiently for Aunt Selina to begin and, after a
short moment, she sat up erect, looking fearfully out over the lawn, and
spoke hurriedly.
"Right there before our very eyes we saw the Yankee regiment tear down
the lane and swerve toward the road just taken by the Southern boys.
They were still to be seen making for the woods just over the slope of
the hill toward Nashville.
"We heard the captain shout, 'Halt! Aim! Fire!' and, as a volley rang
out, many of the ladies on the piazza screamed or fainted, while Rebecca
and I stood petrified at the result of that happy dinner.
"Almost at the same time the Yankees fired there came the rattle of
musketry from the woods which the boys had reached.
"From the veranda I saw several of the Yankees' horses leap up and two
of them rolled over on the ground. One man threw up his hands, fell over
on his horse's neck, and dropped his gun. The horse, frightened, started
galloping directly toward the house. Tim, who was coming down the side
steps, ran forward and caught hold of the bridle. Mr. Crudup and some of
his friends lifted the young soldier from the saddle and carefully
carried him up the piazza steps, and placed him on the floor.
"While much of my attention was distracted by this incident, the company
of Yankees spurred their horses on toward the patch of woods where the
Southerners were hidden.
"The firing continued for half an hour, while everyone at the house
waited, fearing the worst and hoping against hope that their boys had
gotten away to Nashville.
"Rebecca's two brothers, cousins and old friends were all in that
handful of men, and naturally those gathered at the house would wait
until the outcome of the skirmish could be known.
"They had not long to wait, for, just as twilight deepened into night,
the negroes came in with the report that all of the boys had been
captured and were being taken as prisoners to the old school-house. In
another half-hour the officers rode up to the door, followed by
orderlies and an ambulance corps bringing in the wounded. Slaves were
dispatched here and there for hot water, bandages, beds, bedding and
medicine. We all hastened to prepare a place for those who needed our
care and attention so sorely.
"As the wounded were carried up the steps and past the neighbors, who
stood by watching for their own, Rebecca's mother saw her youngest boy
lying unconscious with his face white as death and his hair matted with
blood that oozed from a wound in his neck. She almost fainted, but
Rebecca held her firm, saying, 'Mother, now is the time to brace up and
take care of Newell that he may soon recover.'
"Of the Yankees, one was killed outright and five badly wounded, while
the Southern boys sustained more serious injuries. Two were killed and
nine wounded. The house was immediately turned into a hospital, both
sides receiving the same attention.
"The officers were very considerate but insisted upon having their
rights observed. When it was found that some foraging parties were in
the neighborhood, the captain sent an orderly to say that the Crudup
Plantation was well supplied. The Yankees, receiving the message, rode
over, took what was needed, food, cattle and horses, and went away.
"Mr. Crudup spared his family the harrowing details of the raid, but
looked upon it as the fortune of war and thanked heaven that so much of
his property was safely buried.
"When the store-rooms, linen-presses, blanket-trunks, and cellars were
found almost empty, the officer in charged looked surprised and wondered
aloud.
"'Most unusual to find so large an establishment short of all supplies,
and a retinue of servants to feed, to say nothing of the droves of
neighbors always coming in for supper.'
"Mr. Crudup overheard the soliloquy and replied courteously.
"'Sir, do not forget that your company is not the first to stop here
and demand my hospitality. Naturally, we would lavish our all upon our
own men, you know.'
"The officers were very polite and interesting young men, but Rebecca
and I had to go about the plantation very warily, for we never knew when
we might be spied upon. Imp had to be cared for daily, so we found
plenty of amusement in eluding the Yankees.
"The youngest of the officers was a handsome boy and it was not long
before we became very friendly. When he learned that I was a Yankee and
how I happened to be South, he insisted upon my returning home at once,
saying that the neighborhood about Nashville soon would be an impossible
place to live.
"When he found that my home was at Happy Hills he was greatly pleased.
"'Why, I have called at your home many times; my sister and yours are
school friends.' He described his home and how his sister looked when
she came to visit us, and I faintly recalled seeing him with the others
who were some years my senior.
"From that day he became the sworn ally of Rebecca and myself. He
understood there was a secret between us and often managed to screen us
when we left the house to creep to the cavern to look after Imp.
"The wounded were getting along beautifully, and nothing exciting had
occurred for a fortnight. Foraging parties that stopped at the house and
found Yankees in possession moved on. It seemed more like a house-party.
"But a change soon took place.
"It was afterward learned that Ed Crudup escaped during the transfer of
the prisoners from the school-house to the army; he found out from some
of the Crudup slaves that the Yankees who shot his brother and
imprisoned himself were holding the premises until further orders from
Headquarters. So he raised a small company at Nashville and drilled them
for a few days, planning to surprise the men at the house and take them
prisoners.
"One day, while some of the Yankees were out foraging, Ed and his men
came upon them suddenly and a skirmish ensued.
"Ed was shot down and so was our young officer who was in command of the
foragers that day. The others fought like madmen, hand to hand, until
the men at the house, hearing the shots, ran out to their assistance.
"The Southerners, outnumbered, took flight, but were pursued and
captured.
"The two men, Ed and Vernon, lay still as death in the tall grass, and
no one missed them at the time of the pursuit.
"Tim, however, on his way to water Imp, found his young master shot
through the heart, and the young Yankee unconscious. In his faithful
loyalty to the family, he decided to make a prisoner of the Yankee, so
he dragged Vernon over to the waterfall, carried him through the spray,
and laid him down on the mattress in the cave. The cold water which had
fallen upon Vernon's face had partially revived him, and he moaned as if
in pain.
"Tim lighted the lantern and examined him. He found a clean bullet hole
in his chest, but very little bleeding. He decided the best thing to do
would be to notify the master. So, after attending to Imp, he crept out
of the cave and went over to the remains of the young master. He managed
to carry him until he met some of the slaves, then had them improvise a
stretcher to carry the body to the house.
"There was great sorrow in the household, and his death changed the
attitude of the Crudups toward the Yankee officers.
"When it was found that young Vernon was missing, with no trace of him
anywhere, it was thought that he had been taken captive by a few of the
Confederates who got away. Rebecca and I felt dreadfully lonesome after
our friend was missing, and I wished, for the first time since I came
South, that I could go home.
"Then one morning, Rebecca and I decided to go through the hole in the
live-oak tree and crawl to the cave to see Imp. We had not dared to
visit him for some days, as a Yankee sentry was stationed in the woods
by the waterfall.
"Rebecca hid a small lantern under her cloak and we strolled
unconcernedly down the lane toward the dell. We looked carefully about
to make sure no spies were watching, and in another minute both of us
disappeared. We groped along until we reached the opening into the cave
and as we crawled out near Imp's bed, he greeted us with a joyful
whinny. Rebecca ran over and placed her hand over his mouth, so she did
not see the apparition that stared at me from the mattress. Had I held
the lantern I would have dropped it. As it was, I almost dropped myself,
so frightened was I.
"I clutched Rebecca's arm and she turned about to see what ailed me. In
a second she recognized Vernon and ran over with the lantern. As he
could not tell us how he came there, but confided that Tim and Mr.
Crudup came daily to attend to him, we learned that they knew of his
whereabouts. Rebecca snapped her teeth close and her eyes blazed at the
thought of her father keeping this man a prisoner in such a suffocating
place.
"While we were there, Tim and Mr. Crudup crept through the tunnel and
found us talking to the sick man.
"'Becky, better leave this business to us,' suggested Mr. Crudup.
"'Father, how could you keep this man in such a place?' cried Rebecca,
unguardedly.
"'Ssh!' warned Tim, apprehensively.
"Mr. Crudup told Rebecca how Tim had carried Vernon here to square
accounts for Ed's death; how he had shown Tim the folly of the deed,
and that being done, it had to be made the best of, or disclose the
secret of the cave. Tim was so repentant that he agreed to remain in the
cave and nurse the prisoner.
"After our discovery, Rebecca spent several hours with Vernon each day
reading or talking to him, while Imp began to show his fondness for
Vernon in every way a horse can.
"Matters at the house became troublesome, for the larder was empty, and
there was no way to get at the great store-rooms dug out of the ground
without letting the Yankees into the secret.
"Tim had been very meek since he found the serious blunder he had made
with Vernon, and he was eager to make amends in any way.
"From the time that Tim heard of the threatened famine he was seldom
seen about the place. Now and then, one of the family would meet him
coming from the basement with his face and hands smeared with black, but
he never confided in anyone as to his work or whereabouts, and being an
aged favored man, Mr. Crudup never questioned him.
"One morning the cook entered the room where the family was gathered
and announced: 'There ain't no aigs fer brekfus.'
"'Have plain ham or bacon,' suggested Mrs. Crudup.
"'De ham an' bacon done all et up, too,' said cook.
"Mrs. Crudup looked deeply concerned, but said: 'Then we'll have just
coffee and muffins.'
"'Done used all de flour yistiddy--not a smitch lef'.'
"Here, indeed, was a quandary! Nothing to eat!
"This was Tim's opportunity.
"He came in, bowed with old hat in his hand, and turned to the cook with
the request, 'You please 'scuse yo-se'f fum de room whiles I conflab wid
de missus?'
"Cook tossed her head and went out, followed by everyone except Mr. and
Mrs. Crudup.
"Tim turned his hat about in his hands for a time and then looked up
smilingly and said: 'I done squared myself wid you all fer makin' dat
blunner 'bout the Yank. I done gone and dug a tunnel fru fum de coal
cellah to the fust storehouse on de fiel'. I fixed a doh to the cellar
an' heah's de key to de padlock.'
"'You what!' exclaimed Mr. Crudup, in amazement.
"'Yas'm, das whad I did!' said Tim.
"Mr. Crudup threw back his head and laughed while he slapped Tim on the
back and said, 'Tim, it will take more than a company of Yankees to
starve us out while you are about!'
"But Mrs. Crudup took Tim's hand and thanked him with tears in her eyes.
"The supply question was easily solved after that. No one but Tim knew
where the tunnel was, for Mr. Crudup never allowed anyone to be about
when the old servant started his daily trip to the underground
store-rooms. Oftentimes, the officers expressed their wonder as to how
Southern cooks could manage the way they did, with so little on hand to
cook with. If they suspected the truth they never hinted at it.
"The secret of Vernon's prison had been kept, and several weeks after
the fight that disabled him, his company was ordered to join the main
army. The moment the place was entirely freed from the Yankees, Mr.
Crudup ordered one of the guest-rooms prepared, and, to the surprise of
Mrs. Crudup, told her he had a prisoner to bring in. That night Vernon
was blindfolded, placed upon a stretcher, and taken to the house.
"As soon as he could sit up and come down upon the veranda, we wondered
what to do with him. He was our prisoner but we had no use for him.
Everyone liked him and disliked sending him to the dirty barrack-jail in
Nashville.
"Suddenly Rebecca was inspired with a brilliant plan.
"When the Yankee officers left the place they took the convalescent
prisoners with them. Now Rebecca suggested that negotiations be started
to exchange Vernon for Newell.
"Mr. Crudup immediately sent Tim to Nashville to see if this could be
done, and friends there promised to attend to it without delay.
Consequently, in a few days, a number of soldiers from Nashville rode to
the Crudup house and carried away the prisoner, giving Mrs. Crudup the
slip of paper that stated that Newell's freedom would be granted upon
the return of Vernon.
"We all felt sorry about losing Vernon, but he promised to visit me at
Happy Hills when the war was over."
Aunt Selina stopped and the children began plying questions.
"Aunt Selina, what became of Imp?" asked Dot.
"We kept him in the cave for a few days more, and then, one morning, the
negroes all turned green with fear when they saw Rebecca riding Imp down
the road from the paddock, for they believed Imp to have been taken with
the other horses, and were sure that this was a ghost of the real Imp."
And Aunt Selina laughed as she recalled Rebecca's mad ride down the lane
and the high wall Imp vaulted before he stopped stock still in front of
the quaking, superstitious slaves.
"Did Newell come back home?" asked Betty, whose sympathy was all for the
mother who lost one boy and then had the other one taken prisoner.
"We received word of his transfer from the Yankee army to his own. He
went into active service again and fought all through the rest of the
war. He won many honors for bravery before the Confederate Army was
disbanded."
"Do you know what became of him afterwards?" asked Don, interested in
such a fighter.
"He married and settled out West upon a large ranch. Now and then
Rebecca's daughter has a letter from him, giving news of his children or
the grandchildren."
"Oh, then, Rebecca married too. Did you know who it was?" asked several
curious voices.
"Yes," smiled Aunt Selina. "She married the very beau she had selected
for me."
"I am so anxious to know if that fine old house is still there and if we
could find the cave and underground store-rooms if we ever went there?"
asked Norma.
"No, dear; the beautiful old mansion was entirely destroyed by fire
started from a shell during the time the battle line closed about
Nashville. I was not there at the time, but Rebecca wrote and told me of
the dreadful scenes. Almost every family for miles about was left
homeless and destitute. The Pines, Rebecca's home, stood as long as any
and sheltered every homeless Southerner round about."
"I guess Rebecca liked to remember that, didn't she?" said Ruth.
"Yes, indeed, Fluff."
"Aunt Selina, you didn't tell us what became of Imp and Rebecca that
day she rode up to the house," reminded Ned.
"Rebecca laughed at the servants' fear and rode Imp over to the steps of
the piazza. We stood watching her as she jumped off and led Imp right up
to the rail. 'Lady,' said she to me, 'this horse just told me that he
was going North on a little visit. As there is no one here but you who
can take him there, I believe he intends taking you home.' Although
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled, we all laughed
and made a great fuss over Imp.
"Later, she confided to me that she had entrusted Vernon with the
request to secure a passport for Selina Talmage and her horse, Imp,
going home to Happy Hills, Pennsylvania. The passport came that day in a
letter for Rebecca explaining how I was to go and to whom I was to
entrust myself. A note for me was inclosed in the letter, and I read it
with a smile. Vernon said he would demand payment for the favor given me
as soon as he reached Happy Hills. Rebecca teased me about that note and
said that she knew what the favor would be, for Vernon was in love with
me. I pooh-poohed the suggestion but felt very glad to pack my clothes
for home. In a few days word came that I was to ride to a certain town
where an escort would meet me and conduct me to the nearest railroad.
And so Imp and I went home."
"And now tell us, Aunt Selina, did Vernon come home and ask that favor?"
wondered Norma, interested in a love-story.
"Oh, yes! He had leave of absence for several months to fully recover
from the wound that had partially punctured a lung. He used to ride over
to Happy Hills every day, and I tell you we missed him when he returned
to his regiment."
"Where is he now, Aunt Selina?" asked Ruth.
"Gone--his name is carved on the monument at Washington for bravery in
the Battle of Bull Run," whispered Aunt Selina.
"Oh, oh, Aunt Selina! Is _he_ the same one you told me about last
spring?" gasped Ruth.
Aunt Selina dabbed her tear-moistened eyes and tried to smile as she
said, "The same, Honey."
"What's that--tell us, Aunt Selina; we never heard about it," cried
several children.
"Well, Vernon came back North about a year after his leave of absence
expired with important letters for a general in Philadelphia. After
delivering the letters he was to have two days' leave in which to go
home and see his folks. He rode over to our house one evening and asked
my father and mother if he might pay court to me when the war was over.
My parents were delighted, for they knew him and liked him. Vernon and I
walked out to the very summer house that Ruth was in when she thought of
the farm plan, and there he told me what he had said to my parents. He
would not bind me, for he said he might never come back. But I said it
would make no difference to me--if he never returned I would wait just
the same. We exchanged rings--one which had been given me for my
birthday and one he had received on his twenty-first birthday. When he
left that night mother gave him a paper, but I never knew what was in it
until later. When news of his bravery and death came home, the letter
contained a ring and a small daguerreotype picture of me. Then mother
said he had asked for it the night he went away."
"Oh, Aunt Selina, how lovely of you!" cried several little girls as
they crowded about the old lady and hugged her.
"Rebecca did not return to school again, but as soon as the war was over
we wrote and invited Mr. and Mrs. Crudup to bring Rebecca North to visit
us. The elders were too heart-sore to come to a country they blamed for
all their losses, but Rebecca came and stayed a long time."