A Spunky Rebel.
In the afternoon of the day of their arrival, the Ticonderoga tied up in
front of a large plantation-house. As soon as the vessel was made fast to
the bank, the captain turned to the executive officer, and exclaimed:
"Mr. Smith, please call away one company of small-armed men. Mr. Nelson,"
he continued, turning to Frank, "I wish you to take command of the
company, and go ashore and search that house for fire-arms, and bring on
board all you find."
"Very good, sir," answered Frank; and he hurried down to his room to
buckle on his sword and revolver.
In a few minutes the company was formed on deck, and Frank marched them
out on the bank and then up to the house. His first care was to surround
the building, so that, in case there were any men in it, their escape
would be entirely cut off. He then, in company with the boatswain's mate
and two men, walked up and knocked at the door. After some delay, the
summons was answered by a negro woman, who scowled upon him, and waited
for him to make known his wants.
"Is your master or mistress in?" inquired Frank.
"Yes, missus is h'ar," answered the woman, gruffly.
"Well, I should like to see her."
"Den you stay h'ar, an' I'll ax her if she wants to see you."
"No, aunty, that won't do. I must see her, whether she wants to see me or
not;" and Frank unceremoniously entered the house, followed by his men.
"Now, where is your mistress, aunty?" he inquired.
"She's up stairs," answered the woman.
"Well, then," said Frank, turning to the boatswain's mate, "you come with
me, and let the others remain here until we return."
Frank then ascended the stairs, and very easily found his way to the room
where the lady was; and, as he entered, he politely removed his cap.
"Well, sir," said the lady, in no very pleasant tone, "what do you wish?"
"I have been ordered to come here and search your house for fire-arms,"
replied Frank.
"I suppose I shall be obliged to submit to it, for I have not the power to
prevent you; if I had, I should certainly use it. But, I hope you will be
gentleman enough not to steal every thing we have in the house."
Frank's face reddened to the very roots of his hair at this insult, and he
replied, in a voice choked with indignation:
"No, madam, we shall disturb nothing. I hope you do not take us for
thieves;" and he turned and tried a door, (several of which opened off the
room in which the lady was sitting), but it was fastened on the other
side.
"That's a bed-room," exclaimed the lady, angrily. "I hope you are not
going in there!"
"Certainly I am, madam. I am going into every nook and corner of your
house. My orders were to search your building, and I intend to obey them.
Is there any one in here?"
"Yes, sir; my daughters are in there."
"Then, why don't they open this door?" and Frank, who was getting out of
patience, pounded loudly upon the door with the butt of his revolver.
"Is that you, mother?" inquired a voice from the room.
"No," answered Frank, "it isn't mother; but open this door."
"Yes, in a minute."
"Open this door immediately," repeated Frank, who began to suspect that he
had been purposely delayed.
But the persons in the room made no reply; when the boatswain's mate, at
a sign from Frank, raised his foot, and, with one kick of his heavy boot,
sent the door from its hinges. Loud screams issued from the room, which,
as Frank entered, he found to be occupied by two young ladies, who,
judging from the overturned work-basket, and the half-finished articles of
apparel which were scattered about over the floor, had been engaged in
sewing.
"Don't be alarmed, ladies," said Frank, "you shall not be harmed. Jack,"
he continued, turning to the boatswain's mate, "just examine that bed."
"Oh, don't," exclaimed one of the young ladies, "don't, for mercy's sake.
Do go away from here."
"Ellen," exclaimed her mother, who had followed Frank into the room,
"don't make a child of yourself. I am surprised at you."
"We shall leave every thing just as we find it," said Frank, who was a
good deal surprised at the conduct of the girl. "All we want is the
fire-arms, if you have any in the house."
"Yes, we have got some here," said Ellen, "and I will get them for you;"
and she drew out from the bed-clothes two beautifully-finished rifles, a
quantity of ammunition, a cavalry sword, and a double-barreled shot-gun.
"There," she exclaimed, as she handed them to Frank; "there are no more in
this room. Now, do go away."
"Ellen," said her mother, who was evidently very anxious about the girl's
conduct, "will you keep quiet?"
"Don't say any thing to him, Ellen," said her sister, whose name was Mary;
"don't ask any favors of a Yankee. Let him stay here till doomsday if"--
She was interrupted by a loud scream from Ellen; and the mate, who had
been "reconnoitering" under the bed, exclaimed:
"Here you are! Come out o' that, you son of a sea-cook;" and he seized
something which struggled and fought furiously, but all to no purpose, for
the mate soon pulled into sight tall man, dressed in the uniform of a
rebel officer.
Ellen screamed and cried louder than ever, and even her mother could not
refrain from shedding tears; but Mary, although pale as death, retained
her haughty look, and was evidently too proud to manifest any feeling in
the presence of a Federal officer.
"I knowed there was something of this kind goin' on, sir," said Jack,
turning to his officer, and giving his pants a hitch; "I knowed, by the
way the young lady handed over them we'pons, that there was something
about that bed she didn't want us to see."
"Yes, Ellen," said the rebel, "I have to thank you for my capture. If it
hadn't been for your crying and whimpering, I might have"--
"Escaped," exclaimed Jack. "No, sir; not so easy. Don't go to jawin' her,
now, 'cause yer ketched. Come, now," he continued, "let's have yer
we'pons."
The rebel coolly handed out two silver-mounted revolvers, which the mate
thrust into his belt.
"Now, I hope you're satisfied," said Mary, impatiently; "and are ready to
go and leave us in peace."
"Not quite," answered Frank. "I have not yet obeyed my orders. As I said
before, I must see the inside of every room in your house. Jack, send two
men on board the ship with that prisoner."
"Ay, ay, sir," answered the mate, touching his cap. "Come, you corn-fed,
march."
The mother and sisters of the rebel crowded around him, to say good-by;
and, in spite of the unladylike, and even insulting manner with which they
had treated him, Frank could not help pitying them.
When the mate had seen the prisoner safe on the boat, he went back, and
Frank continued his search. But no more weapons or prisoners being found,
he and his men returned on board, well satisfied with their success.
After supper, as Frank was walking up and down the deck, arm in arm with
one of his brother officers, the orderly approached, and, touching his
cap, informed him that the captain wished to see him.
"Mr. Nelson," said the captain, as Frank entered the cabin, "come here."
Frank followed the captain to one of the after windows, and the latter
inquired:
"Do you see _that_?"
Frank looked in the direction indicated by the captain, and was surprised
to see a rebel flag floating from one of the windows of the house.
"Yes, sir; I see it," said Frank.
"Well, sir, go over there, and tell those women to have that flag taken in
and sent on board this ship. Don't touch it yourself: they put it out
there, and they must take it in. That's a pretty piece of impudence,
indeed--a rebel flag floating in the breeze in the face of a Federal
vessel of war!" and the eccentric captain paced up and down his cabin, in
a state of considerable excitement.
Frank started off, and in a few moments again stood before the mistress of
the house.
"You're here again, sir, are you?" she asked, petulantly.
"Yes, ma'am," replied Frank, not the least annoyed by the tone in which he
was addressed, or the sharp glances which the ladies threw at him, "I'm
here; and I came to tell you that the captain wishes you to have that
rebel flag removed from your window, and sent on board the ship."
"Is there any thing else your captain wants?" inquired Mary, with a
sneer.
"No, ma'am, not at present; but he wishes that flag taken down
immediately."
The ladies made no reply. After a moment's pause, Frank inquired:
"Do you intend to comply with his orders?"
"I did not put the flag up there," said the mother.
"It makes no difference who put it up there, madam," said Frank, warmly,
"it must come down; and I would advise you not to hesitate long, for the
captain is not one who can be trifled with."
As Frank ceased speaking, Mary touched a signal-bell, which stood on the
table near her. A servant appeared almost instantly, and the young lady
said:
"Show this man out."
Frank, who saw that it would do no good to remain, put on his cap and
followed the servant down stairs.
"Well, what did they say?" inquired the captain, when Frank again entered
the cabin.
"They didn't say any thing, sir," replied Frank. "They neither said they
would, nor they would not, take it down."
Frank was careful not to say a word about the manner in which they had
treated him, for he knew it would only irritate the captain, and make
matters worse.
"They didn't say whether they would take it down or not, eh!" exclaimed
the captain. "Please help yourself to a chair, Mr. Nelson, and, in a few
moments, I will give you your orders."
Frank accordingly took a seat, and the captain stationed himself at the
window, with his watch in his hand. Frank knew by this that the captain
had granted the rebels a few moments' grace; and he also knew that, unless
the flag came down soon, and was sent on board the vessel, something
unpleasant would happen. At length the allotted time expired, and the
captain said:
"Mr. Nelson, take a dozen men, and go ashore. Give those women just ten
minutes to remove their furniture, and then fire the house. No building
shall float a secesh flag, and stand, while I have the power to burn it."
This time the ladies made no remark when Frank entered the room where they
were sitting, for they knew by his looks that they were about to receive
the punishment their folly merited.
"Madam," said Frank, speaking in a tone which showed how much he dreaded
to break the intelligence, "I am ordered to burn your house."
"Yes," answered the mother, bitterly; "I expected that to be your next
errand. I suppose your brutal captain will feel perfectly satisfied when
he sees us deprived of a home."
"I thought the Yankees were too gallant to make war on women and
children," chimed in Mary. "That has always been their boast," continued
she, very spitefully.
"So they are," replied Frank. "But the captain is one who will not
tolerate an exhibition of treason in any one, be it man, woman, or child.
You have no one to blame but yourselves. But we have no time to waste in
argument. I will give you ten minutes in which to remove your furniture
and will assist you, if you wish it."
"We can take care of ourselves," said the mother. "No one asked you for
assistance."
Frank made no reply; and the ladies, assisted by their servants,
immediately commenced the removal of the most valuable articles; and when
the time had expired, a straw-bed was pulled into the middle of the floor,
a match was applied to it, and the house was soon enveloped in flames.
Frank could not help pitying the women, who were thus obliged to stand by
and witness the destruction of their home. But he knew that they had
brought it on themselves, and that they deserved it; and, besides, he had
only done his duty, for he was acting under orders.
The women, however, did not seem to be in the least concerned; for when
the roof fell in with a crash, Mary commenced the rebel air, "Bonnie Blue
Flag," and sang it through to the end. Frank admired her "spunk," even
though her sympathies were enlisted in a bad cause.
He remained until the house was entirely consumed, and then returned on
board his vessel.