My report but confirmed rumors of the approach of Cornwallis which had
already reached Governor Jefferson, and I found him wide awake to
Virginia's danger, against which he was taking every precaution his
exhausted resources allowed. He received me with flattering remembrance
of our former meeting, and an unaffected cordiality. Still more, he
pleased me by the letter of introduction he gave me to General
Lafayette, together with certain dispatches in which he spoke of me in
terms of personal friendship. Among the dispatches was my special
commission to raise reenforcements in the valley, with which I was to
join Lafayette's command as promptly as possible.
This was my first meeting with the gallant and elegant Frenchman, under
whom I was to serve during the remainder of our struggle. Morgan, Clark,
Greene, and Lafayette were the four great leaders whom I followed during
my eight years of military life. They were as different as four great
souled men of war-like genius could well be--though between Morgan and
Clark there was the kinship of spirits cast in primitive heroic mold, a
like resemblance to Achilles, Priam, Alexander and other heroes of an
earlier time--yet each of the four I could honor and love sincerely,
serving him with exulting sense of privilege.
For this last emergency, recruiting was not needful. I did not find it
necessary, indeed, to cross the mountain, for at its foot I met the grim
militiamen of the valley, swarming to meet Tarleton. I had only to form
them into a company, and march them to join Lafayette before he began
his strategical retreat toward Fredricksburg, with the double object of
protecting the manufactory of arms near Falmouth, and effecting a
junction with the troops under General Wayne, ordered southward to
reenforce us. Cornwallis followed Lafayette, taking a parallel course to
the eastward of ours. Often not more than twenty miles separated us, and
we dared not slacken our march for heat or storm while the winged
Cornwallis gave chase. The junction with Wayne before a battle was
forced upon us was General Lafayette's one hope of escape. And now, once
more, it was the privilege of the Scotch Irish to render signal service
to the cause. To my company, and that of Captain Mercedes, fell the
posts of honor and danger. We were the scouts, the pickets, the
couriers, and the rear guard on this skillfully conducted retreat.
We had nearly reached the ford on the Pamunkey we had been pushing for,
when a force of the enemy overtook us and pressed upon our rear. General
Lafayette halted and formed line of battle with the determination to
make a desperate stand. I had been sent for to reconnoiter, on the first
report of the enemy's advance, and soon discovered that it was only a
patrolling force, and that the main body of the British was yet some
distance in the rear of us. Hastening with this good news to General
Lafayette, I found it more expeditious to travel for several miles along
the road recently gone over by Cornwallis' reconnoitering force, and
between that force and the British army. As was my rule when on scout
service, my squad marched in close column, with detail of two in front,
and two in rear, as special lookouts. The front lookout stopped
suddenly, and seemed to listen; we approached quickly and heard also the
confused sounds, with screaming, and hoarse wrangling, which had
arrested their attention. Convinced that the force in front, whatever
its uniform and purpose, could be but a small one, I ordered my men to
advance at double quick, and, putting spurs to my horse, I came
immediately around the bend in the road to the scene of action.
A squad of fifteen or more British soldiers surrounded an overturned
post chaise, from the tangled harness of which, four frightened and
struggling horses were being extricated by trembling postilions. In the
midst of the group were two female figures, one dressed in black, and
heavily veiled, the other in the costume of a lady's maid. It was she
who continued to utter piercing screams, throwing her hands about in the
most tragic manner, and paying no heed to her mistress' low spoken
commands. We were within fifty yards of the group before the thud of our
horses hoofs upon the sandy soil was loud enough to rise above this
confusion of clamors; and before the mounted British could turn, or the
dismounted leap upon their horses, we had surrounded them.
"Stack arms: You are my prisoners!" I called, "and what means this
cowardly attack upon a lady's traveling carriage?"
"You Americans have a trick of using women as your spies and couriers,
and then crying shame upon us if we arrest them, and foil you! This
pretended widow or orphan is doubtless stuffed like a pin cushion
beneath her black robes with spies' reports, and warnings to Jefferson!"
replied the officer in charge of the squad, as he angrily stacked his
gun beside the rest, and cast scornful glances upon the veiled figure,
who, until then, had stood haughtily erect and silent among them.
"It is a false charge!" she now answered, spiritedly; "I bear no
dispatches, convey no messages. I but go to seek my only brother, late a
British officer, now a wounded prisoner, yet treated by the courteous
enemy who harbor him, I doubt not, with more gentleness than I am
receiving from those who should be most prompt to succor and defend me!"
Then, turning to me, she continued in tones less scornful: "Will you be
so good as to inform me, sir, whose prisoner I have now the honor to
be?--The fortune of war may change, it seems, with such magic swiftness,
that one finds it difficult to be sure of one's present or one's
prospective situation."
"You are no one's prisoner, madam," I replied, stirred suddenly by
familiar tones in her voice; "you are under the protection, however, of
Virginia troops commanded by Colonel McElroy, and will be conveyed to
some place of safety acceptable to you as soon as possible." I had
dismounted, meantime, and stood near her.
"Can it be Captain Donald McElroy, of Virginia?" she said in lowered and
tremulous voice, at the same moment throwing back her veil, and
revealing the face of Nelly Buford--fairer than ever in its setting of
rich hair and banded crepe.
Does a man ever quite forget his first love? Has its remembrance always
power to thrill him, even though the once lively sentiment be
supplanted, or outlived? That the sound of Nelly's voice, and the touch
of her hand, could yet thrill me, was, just now, a disturbing
revelation. I felt myself disloyal to Ellen and so scorned myself for
this fresh evidence of weakness, that I fear my manner to her was almost
haughty.
Having dispatched a courier with my comforting news to General
Lafayette, and sent my prisoners after him, under sufficient escort, I
ordered the postilions, and some of my men, to right the carriage, and
make the harness safe. Then I joined Nelly, and relieved her mind of all
anxiety about her brother by telling her of his whereabouts, and the
news I had had recently that he was convalescent, and would completely
recover. Nelly's thanks were fervently expressed after which she
proceeded to explain her present situation, and to give me her double
reason for leaving the shelter her generous Quaker friends had for some
months afforded her--the longing to find her brother, and the wish to
relieve her host of the inconvenience and possible danger of harboring
one of a family well-known to be strong Tory adherents.
The carriage having been made ready, Nelly and her maid were shut
within, and, preceded and followed by mounted escort, Miss Buford was
conveyed in state to General Lafayette's late headquarters. We found the
army gone, and camp deserted, and I surmised, that, upon receipt of my
courier's message, the general, seeing yet a chance to escape, had
ordered an immediate advance. We followed, but did not overtake the
hastily bivouacked army until past midnight.
No other accommodation than that Nelly's carriage offered was
procurable, and so I regretfully informed her, to be cheerfully assured
that she asked nothing better, if she might have cessation from jolting,
and sense of security. The rest of the hot night I stood guard, watching
the languid stars blink one by one to sleep, and waging lively warfare
with the swarms of greedy mosquitoes, who constituted themselves surety
for my vigilance. As soon as the first flush of morning tinged the
eastern sky, I woke one of my men, and left him to guard the carriage
while I sought General Lafayette. He was sound asleep under a tree with
a gnarled root for pillow, his face and hands covered by his blanket to
protect them from the swamp pests. Awakened by my step, he threw off his
blanket, looked up at the sky, and muttered sleepily some unintelligible
words in his own language.
"General Lafayette?" I said, stepping in front of him, and saluting, "I
am Colonel McElroy, at present in command of a company of Virginia
militiamen. Will you grant me a few moments of your time while the camp
is getting ready to march?"
"Most certainly, Colonel McElroy," then, in the precise English of the
cultivated foreigner, and with agreeable accent--"when I have thanked
you for this valuable information sent me last evening. Ah, if fortune
continues to favor us, we'll yet escape the bold Cornwallis, Colonel
McElroy! But we must march unceasingly, till we meet the reinforcements
of General Wayne. Then we'll give Cornwallis the fight he seems so much
to wish, and show him what may be done by the united gallantry of
America and France! But I retard your story, sir; command, now, my
attention."
I related briefly the capture of the British stragglers, the rescue of
the young lady, and added an account of my previous acquaintance with
Miss Buford, and the debt of gratitude I felt myself under to her
family. He listened with courteous attention, and responded with true
French understanding of such obligation:
"You can do nothing less, Colonel McElroy, than escort the young woman
in safety to her brother. Later I shall gladly detail such force to
guard you as you may think necessary, but for the present it is safer
that she remain with the army."
"Then you have no objection, General Lafayette, to her carriage and its
escort traveling between the main army and my company--at present the
van guard?"
"None, sir--under the circumstances."
"I have still another favor to ask, General"--somewhat embarrassed by my
own boldness--"that you will grant Miss Buford the honor of an
introduction. Such attention from you as a brief visit to her carriage
would avoid all danger of familiar acts, words, or surmise from any of
the troops while she must be with us; she would become your guest, and
be under your personal protection."
"A shrewd thought, Colonel, worthy of your Scotch name," General
Lafayette gayly replied, "and for gallantry of conception not unworthy
one of my own countrymen! I consent, with pleasure, and while awaiting
your orderly shall make such toilet as my very limited facilities
permit."
Nelly had managed in some mysterious way to remove all traces of her
tiresome journey and broken rest, and stood ready to receive the
general, under the canopy of a blooming magnolia, meeting him with the
ease of a society queen, and responding to his gallant speeches with
grace and vivacity. The susceptible young Frenchman at once proclaimed
himself her captive, lingering to talk with her until the troops in
front were moving, and the rear guard falling into line of march.
Twice during the day he rode back to exchange a few words with her, and
to assure himself of her comfort. He was so attentive, indeed, and so
solicitous for her, that I think I felt almost a pang of jealousy at
being deprived of the full credit of being the fair Nelly's rescuer and
protector.
Our junction with Wayne was effected near the ford of the Rapidan a few
days later. Already Cornwallis had given over the pursuit, and turned
back to rejoin Tarleton. It was now possible for me to accept General
Lafayette's offer of a furlough and escort, with fair prospect of safe
journey to the valley by circuitous northeastern route. It seemed my
fate, by some claim upon my private sentiments or some untoward
accident, again and again to be withdrawn from active service at
critical periods of our struggle. As willingly as I now rendered this
service to one to whom I owed perhaps my life, I sighed inwardly to
leave General Lafayette at a time when we might speedily expect some
chance to strike a telling blow. To the General I expressed my regret,
and was gratified by the warmth with which he assured me he would
welcome my return as soon as I should have placed my fair charge in
safety.
Not many hours before we reached home, when indeed we were entering the
valley, I told Nelly of an amusing conceit that had been running in my
head, namely--that I was destined for a rescuer of fair damsels, using
this as an introduction to the story, I had been casting about for an
excuse to relate, of Ellen O'Neil, and her journey to the west with
Clark. But the presence of the maid kept back a full confession, and
Nelly's suspicions did not seem to be aroused by my warm championship.
Evidently she thought I but framed elaborate apologies for a kinswoman.
Miss Nelly's bearing, in truth, had been a source of disturbance to me
for several days. She was so confiding, so almost affectionate in her
manner, and seemed to appropriate me with such joyous confidence, that
it was difficult not to meet her in like spirit. Not unto this day have
I been able to determine the true meaning of her conduct during that
journey. Did she believe that I was yet a captive to her charms? or, was
it but the natural overflowing of grateful, friendly affection? Or--but
even as it came I reproached myself for such thought--did she wish to
make me again her slave, that she might have revenge for my single
defiance of her power? Such reflections and uncertainties disturbed me
more and more as we neared home; and mixed with the gratification of
uniting Nelly and her brother, and the happiness I could but feel in the
near prospect of seeing Ellen, was a sense of vague uneasiness, of
shadowy foreboding.