THE ARRIVAL OF THE RECRUITING OFFICER
Noah Lyon was not glad to see his brother; but this was a new experience
to him, for he had always had a fraternal feeling for him, and had done
everything in his power for him when he needed assistance. He was
willing to believe that Titus was sincere in his political convictions,
though it was impossible for him to understand how he could be a traitor
to the Union.
At the North both of the great parties were united in support of the
government, and at his former home Titus would have been almost alone if
he had clung to the opinions which now actuated him; for "copperheads"
were rare serpents there. Noah's brother would hardly have been one amid
the surroundings of his former home. It was evident that Kentucky
whiskey and a feeling of revenge, born of his disappointment over the
provisions of Duncan's will, had done more to make him a Secessionist
than the workings of his own reason.
"I have come to see you once more, Noah," Titus began quite mildly for
him, though it was plain to his brother that he was primed with his
favorite beverage as usual.
He was not intoxicated in any reasonable sense of the word; and he had
plainly resolved to make the interview a peaceable one. Doubtless he had
a point to carry, but within a few days he had probably learned more
about the character of his brother than he had ever known before. Noah
could not say that he was glad to see him, for even a "society lie" was
repulsive to him.
"I hope we shall be peaceable and pleasant this time, even if we cannot
agree in everything," he replied very gently and with a smile upon his
honest face.
"That's just what I want, Noah; and I have always tried to make things
peaceable between us," added Titus.
Noah wondered if he believed what he uttered, after coming with a mob to
his plantation to burn and ravage his property; but whatever doubts he
had, he kept them to himself, for he knew that the thought which was
uppermost in his mind, if expressed, would only irritate his brother,
and provoke him to wrath.
"I trust you will continue to do so," was his next remark, though he
thought that even this was admitting too much.
"There is a question between us, Noah," continued Titus, struggling to
retain his quiet demeanor as he approached the point of difference
between them. "I won't say a word about the way I have been used up to
three days ago, for I want to be on kind of brotherly terms with you, if
we don't agree on politics."
"I assuredly desire to be on brotherly terms with you, and it shall not
be any fault of mine that we are not brothers in spirit as well as in
fact," replied Noah, who became slightly hopeful of Titus, for he had
not recently heard him speak so many friendly words.
"There is only one question between us now, and we might just as well
come right down to business at once," said Titus, very nervous in his
manner, as though his hope of accomplishing anything with the stern
patriot his brother had proved to be was only slight. "Of course you
know that I mean about the arms."
"I understand you, Brother Titus," replied Noah, exceedingly unwilling
to fan the fire that was smouldering in the breast of the leader of the
ruffians.
"It seems to me that there ought to be no trouble between two brothers
like you and me about settling a question of this kind," continued
Titus, still toying with the subject. "Of course you must admit that the
arms did not belong to you."
"No more than Fort Sumter and a dozen other places built and maintained
by the Union belonged to the insurgents who have taken possession of
them," answered Noah very quietly.
"That's another matter," returned the captain, evidently thrown off his
base by this home argument.
"It is precisely the same thing to my mind."
"Do you call stealing my property the same thing as a nation taking
possession of forts and such things within its own territory, Noah
Lyon?"
"Precisely the same thing, though on a smaller scale."
"I used to think you had lots of logic in your head, Noah; but I believe
you hain't got none on't left," retorted Titus, relapsing into what he
called his "week-day speech." "I was in hopes you had come to sunthin'
like reason, and would be ready to give up the property you stole."
"I shall be quite ready to give it up when the insurrectionists give up
the property they stole."
"The two things ain't no more like than a nigger is like a white man,"
protested Titus, the bad blood, mingled with whiskey, in his veins
beginning to boil.
"I think we had better not discuss this question any more, Brother
Titus. It only stirs up bad blood, and does not accomplish anything,"
suggested Noah.
"I s'pose I'm to understand from what you say that you don't mean to
give up the arms you stole from me," said Titus, doubling his fist, and
holding it near the face of his brother.
"I do not consider that I have any right to deliver the arms to you; for
I understand that they were to be used to arm what you call the Home
Guards, or, in other words, the ruffians who came over here to burn my
house and lay waste my property. I shall not give up the arms to you, or
to any other person representing the enemies of the Union. The
insurrectionists have set the example of stealing arms, as you call it,
and forts, and public buildings by wholesale; and the Secessionists of
Kentucky are robbing the Union men of their arms. I hold that the
precedent has been well established by those on your side of the
question."
"I don't care for your precedents, and I wish my brother would deal with
the one question between us."
"I am entirely willing to do so, Brother Titus. You wish me to furnish
the brands with which you can burn my house and those of my neighbors."
"What sort of bosh is that?" demanded Titus, who did not see the point.
"If I should return to you the military supplies in my possession, they
would be used to arm the horde of ruffians you marched over here to burn
my property the other night."
"They would be used to arm my company of the Home Guards; and they are
regular under the call of the Governor of Kentucky."
"The Legislature of the State repudiate him, and the people are
enlisting the troops he refused to furnish."
"The Legislature is a fraud, and don't rightly represent the will of the
people. I came over here with the Home Guard and other friends of the
cause to get the arms. You turned our own weapons against us, and
without arms we could do nothing against armed niggers."
"I have put my place in a condition to be defended, and I have called
upon the United States government to send a body of troops here to
protect the Union people from the outrages of your people."
"They will have a hot time of it when they get here," replied Titus with
a sneer.
"In the meantime we shall defend ourselves. We have been attacked"--
"You have not been attacked!" protested the captain. "We came over here
to demand the arms. We put up a flag of truce, and wanted to talk with
you; but you drove us off, and fired upon us," answered Titus.
"Your people began the attack at the schoolhouse."
"'Tain't so! Some of our men went to the meeting, and you fell upon 'em
there."
"They had no business there, for the call was addressed to the Union men
of the county. They disturbed the meeting, and we put them out. Then
your company gathered in the woods, demanding 'Lyon and his cubs.' My
friends stood by me, and the meeting shouldered all the responsibility
in regard to the arms. We agreed to get up a company of cavalry for the
United States."
"And you mean to arm 'em with the things you stole from me!" almost
gasped Captain Titus.
"When a proper officer comes here he will give you a receipt for the
property."
"Which would not be worth the paper it is written on to me!"
"Not unless you could show that you were a Union man."
"My men are bent on gettin' them arms, and they will have them!"
"They will have to fight for them," added Noah quietly.
Perhaps the interview would have become still more stormy if Levi
Bedford had not approached with a gentleman wearing the uniform of a
cavalry officer. Captain Titus did not like the looks of him, and,
judging that Noah had proceeded farther than he had suspected in
providing for the protection of the loyal people of the county, he beat
a hasty retreat; and he drove across the bridge at a rate so furious as
to indicate his state of mind.
"Major Lyon, this is Lieutenant Gordon, of the United States Volunteer
Service," said Levi, as he approached with the visitor.
"I am very glad to see you, Lieutenant Gordon," added the planter,
extending his hand to the officer.
"I am rejoiced to meet you, Major Lyon; and I am glad to find that you
are a military man," replied Lieutenant Gordon.
"But I am not a military man, and was never even a private in a military
company," replied the major, laughing at the natural mistake of his
guest. "I protested against answering to my title till I found it was
useless to do so."
"If you are not a major now, perhaps you will be one very soon. I am
sent here by Major-General Buell, in reply to your letter to him," added
the officer, producing a document which authorized him to enlist,
enroll, and muster in a company of cavalry.
"You are the very man I wished most to see," said the planter, after he
had glanced at the paper. "Come to the house, if you please, and we will
consider the object of your visit."
"I had some trouble in getting here; for our information is that General
Buckner, with a considerable force of the enemy, is moving towards
Bowling Green, probably with the intention of occupying it, and I did
not deem it wise to go there, as I had been directed to do."
"What you say is news to us," replied the major, as he conducted the
officer into the house. "Have you been to breakfast, Lieutenant?"
"I have not, sir. I left the train last night at Dripping Spring, which
they told me was the last station before coming to Bowling Green. I
found a place to sleep, and a stable for my horse, which I brought down
in a baggage car, I started out early this morning to find Riverlawn,
and here I am."
The lieutenant was shown to one of the guest chambers of the mansion,
and the planter ordered breakfast for him, instructing Aunty Diana to
provide the best the house afforded. The officer wanted his saddle-bags,
which had gone to the stable with his horse, and they were carried up
for him. Before the morning meal was ready he came down, and was
presented to Mrs. Lyon and her daughters.
After he had washed and dressed himself, he proved to be what the girls
declared was a handsome man. He was not more than twenty-five years old,
and had a decidedly military air and manner. He made himself very
agreeable to the ladies; and Dorcas, who was a full-grown woman in
stature, wondered if he was to remain long at Riverlawn.
"You are on the very ragged edge of the Rebellion, Major Lyon," said the
visitor, as he seated himself at the table. "I should say you were not
more than fifteen miles from Bowling Green."
"I suppose you are acquainted with the country about here, Lieutenant?"
added the planter.
"Not at all, Major; I was born and always lived in the State of Ohio;
and I have never been in this direction farther than Lexington. But I
know that Bowling Green is near the junction of two railroads into
Tennessee and the South; and the Confederates can't help seeing that it
is an important point for them to possess and hold. There will be some
fighting in this quarter before long."
"There has been a skirmish or two. The Home Guards are making some
trouble in this vicinity, and I have put my place in a condition to be
defended from their assaults," added Major Lyon.
He proceeded to describe the affair at the bridge and on the two roads,
in which the officer was much interested. He was particularly delighted
with the capture of the arms and ammunition. The planter then conducted
him to Fort Bedford.