A VISIT FROM COLONEL HOMER PASSFORD
With his arms securely tied behind him, Christy realized that he could
make no resistance to his captors. Flint was in the same unfortunate
situation, and both of them had been deprived of their revolvers. But
in spite of his unpleasant surroundings, the young lieutenant felt that
the balance of advantage was on the side of the Union. If the government
was deprived of the services of a midshipman and a master's mate, a
dangerous privateer had been captured, and about forty prisoners had
been taken from the employ of the Confederacy. In the face of this
decided gain, Christy felt that he had no right to complain.
By this time the light of day had begun to have some effect on the
darkness and fog, though the gloom seemed to be hardly less. Lonley
directed his two prisoners to walk side by side behind the wounded
lieutenant, while he and Levick took their places in the rear. The
second lieutenant of the Teaser was duly impressed by what the first
had said about a probable visit to the island in search of the missing
midshipman, and he directed Folkner to march as rapidly as he could. He
took the control of the party out of the hands of his superior, and very
likely he wished he had done so sooner.
Folkner, as he had before suggested, still had the use of his legs, and
he certainly used them well, for he travelled like a man who was in a
hurry; but both Christy and Flint were in excellent condition, though
they had been on active duty all night, and they had no difficulty in
keeping up with their leader.
Lonley and Levick were both armed, and they kept their weapons in
readiness for immediate use, for the former recognized the enterprising
character of the young officer in front of him, and knew that he would
escape if he could. But Christy did not feel called to take any
desperate chances in order to restore himself at once to the service of
his country, and he and his companion in captivity marched along very
quietly. The two armed men soon dropped several paces to the rear, so
that the lieutenant could listen to the details of the action on the
deck of the Teaser. The prisoners could not hear what was said, and they
started a conversation on their own account.
"We are in a bad box," said Flint. "I did not expect to come out of the
little end of the horn in this way."
"You must take a broader view of the situation than that," replied
Christy. "The Teaser is certainly a prize of the Bellevite, with as many
as forty prisoners. That is the result of our night's work, though we
are counted out just now in the business of crowing over the success of
our side. That is the way to look at it; and this view makes me quite
satisfied with the night's work."
"I did not see it in that light, and I suppose you are right, Mr.
Passford," replied Flint.
"And you will not lose your share of the prize-money for the Yazoo or
the Teaser," added Christy, though, as the son of a millionnaire, he
felt no interest at all in the spoils of war.
"What do you suppose will be done with us, sir?" asked the master's
mate.
"I have not the least idea, any more than you have; but I have no doubt
we shall be kept in close confinement, and I don't believe we shall live
as well in our prison, wherever it may be, as we do on board of the
Bellevite. But I am rather fond of johnny-cake, and I don't expect to
starve on bacon."
"Don't you think it was a mistake to send us ashore in the canoe on the
part of Mr. Blowitt?" asked Flint, rather timidly.
"If it was, it was as much my mistake as it was his. But I don't think
it was a mistake. I cannot say that we did not succeed in the action on
the deck of the steamer because we were sent ashore," replied Christy.
"I don't see how that can be," replied Flint.
"In the first place, Lonley wanted me to come on shore, and asked that
I should do so. On the strength of what I said to him, he believed that
our boats had been sent to the eastward, and that induced him to make
the advance he did. After he had told us where to find the men, he had
good reason to believe that the boats would be sent for them. We did not
fall into the trap he set for us. I think it is all right as it is; but
whether it is or not, it's no use to grumble about it."
"I did not mean to grumble; and I am willing to believe that everything
has been for the best," replied Flint, apparently resolved to be
satisfied, as his superior officer was, whether he felt so or not.
Folkner led the way in a northwesterly direction, and evidently knew
where he was going. When they had been marching about half an hour,
the party heard the report of fire-arms in the rear of them; but the
discharges were at regular intervals, and did not sound as though they
came from a battle. A little later, they heard loud shouts.
"That is the party who are out in search of us," said Christy.
"That is so, Mr. Passford; the sounds are only signals, and they are
intended to notify you that your friends are in search of you," added
Lonley, hastening up to the advance of the party. "I should be very
sorry to do such a thing, but if you shout, or do anything to inform
that party where you are, it will be my duty to shoot you."
"I am not disposed to be rash, Mr. Lonley. If our friends overtake your
party, it will not be my fault," replied Christy.
"You do not expect me to shoot you in that case, I hope?" added the
privateersman.
"I did not know but that your revolver might go off by accident."
"You may be assured that it will not; I claim to be a gentleman and a
Christian, and I intend to be fair even to my enemies."
"I beg your pardon for my thoughtless remark. I have no occasion to
complain of you. I shall endeavor to be a gentleman and a Christian
also, though I intend to do my best in fighting my country's battles;
and I am not disposed to talk politics with you under present
circumstances."
The march was continued for some time longer, and the signals in
the rear were repeated till increasing light enabled the prisoners to
see that they were approaching Pensacola Bay. Not a little to their
astonishment, the shore seemed to be alive with soldiers, and they
learned that a battle, or something like one, had been fought on the
island. The Confederate forces had been sent to attack Wilson's Zouaves,
in camp to the eastward of the fort. Some very severe fighting had been
done in the darkness and fog, with heavy losses on both sides.
The Zouaves had been re-enforced from the fort, and with marines from
the ships. Though the Confederates claimed the victory, it was clear
enough to the two prisoners from the south side of the island that the
Southern troops were retreating from the field. A soldier who fought
with them wrote to a paper in Georgia: "I scarcely know whether we
achieved a victory, or suffered a defeat." He also said that in the
fog and darkness: "We shot down our friends in numbers."
A few prisoners had been captured by the enemy, including two officers.
But Folkner led the way to a point on the bay not very near the steamers
which had brought over the expedition from the mainland. The Confederate
troops embarked in the steamers and launches by which they had come; but
the Union troops followed them to the end. Their steamers were aground,
and a merciless fire was poured into them by the pursuing companies.
"They are having hot work of it over there," said Lonley, as they came
to a boat on the shore. "But that is not our affair, and it is quite
proper for us to keep out of the way of the flying bullets."
Christy and Flint were directed to take seats in the boat, and the
lieutenant and boatswain manned the oars. They were not out of the
reach of the bullets of the Federal troops, and the oarsmen pulled with
all their might for a time. It was five miles to Pensacola, but the
privateersmen landed their prisoners there. They were committed to a
sort of guard-house; but in the afternoon they were sent to Mobile with
about twenty others, who had been captured in the battle of the night
before.
There was not a great number of prisoners in the city, and it was
intended to remove them to other quarters arranged for their
accommodation.
Christy and Flint were confined in an unoccupied warehouse, and were fed
tolerably well, and they were supplied with some kind of dried grass for
beds. It was not at all like the luxurious stateroom of the lieutenant
on board of the Bellevite, or even the quarters of Flint; but they were
determined to make the best of it. Flint had become reconciled to his
situation, and Christy was even cheerful.
After he had been in the warehouse a few days, Christy was not a little
surprised to receive a visit from his uncle, Colonel Passford. He was
not surprised at the kindness of the planter in making the visit, but
that he should know so soon that he was a prisoner of war, for he had
fully decided not to make any appeal to his uncle; and he could not
imagine how he had discovered his situation.
"I am glad to see you, Christy," said Colonel Passford, extending his
hand, which Christy took without any hesitation.
"And I suppose you are glad to see me here," added the nephew, with a
smile.
"While I am glad to see you deprived of the power to injure the cause I
love, and to which I have pledged all that I have and all that I am, I
am sorry that you should be in trouble, Christy. I hope I have Christian
feeling enough to keep me from rejoicing at the misfortunes of any
person, and especially of my brother's son. I can say sincerely that
I am sorry you are in trouble," said the colonel solemnly.
"Oh, I am not in trouble, Uncle Homer!" exclaimed Christy, laughing.
"I have done my duty to my country, my conscience is clean, and I am
not to be upset by an accident like this. I am really happy in the
consciousness that I have been faithful to the cause of my country."
[Illustration: "I am glad to see you, Christy."--Page 308.]
"I wish you had been; but we will not talk about that, for I suppose you
and your father have the same views," replied the planter, looking very
sad.
"I don't believe we should agree if we talked about it for a year, and
we had better give the subject the go-by. But how are Aunt Lydia and
Gerty?"
"Both are very well. I hope your father is in good health, as well as
your mother and sister."
"All very well."
"I have not heard a word from any of you for about five months,"
continued Colonel Passford. "In fact, not since you were here in May."
"We got home all right, and the Bellevite is a man-of-war now. She
captured one valuable prize off the coast of Carolina, and another at
Pensacola," replied Christy cheerfully.
"She ought never to have been allowed to leave Mobile Bay," added the
colonel.
"Your people certainly did everything they could to prevent her from
leaving, and I hope you don't blame yourselves for letting her go. What
about Corny, sir?" asked Christy.
"Major Pierson was very much to blame for permitting the Bellevite to
pass the forts when she came in, and he lost his command. But he has
devoted all his life to redeem his fault by her recapture. He took Corny
with him, and a naval officer; I only know that the attempt to recapture
her failed from the fact that the Bellevite is now on the blockade."
Finding that his uncle knew nothing of the events which had transpired
at Bonnydale, Christy told him all about them, informing him at the end
that Corny was a prisoner of war on parole at his father's house,
recovering from his wound.