Storm Clouds Rolling In & On To Richmond (Books 1 & 2 in the Bregdan Chronicles) by Ginny Dye - HTML preview

Chapter Three

Robert Borden had a smile on his face as he trotted his gelding away from the bustling area of the Richmond fairgrounds. What had been the fairgrounds, he said to himself. The citizens of Richmond could hardly recognize their city anymore. In a matter of weeks, its ordinary population of forty thousand had exploded. What had been a peaceful town was now suddenly an armed camp.

Soldiers were everywhere—walking the streets, filling the taverns, marching with drums and fifes, arriving in swarms at the train station. It was both exhilarating and disconcerting.

Robert had reason to smile. For the first time in three weeks, he had been given permission to leave the camp of instruction—now referred to as Camp Lee—and go into town. A message sent to him earlier that day as he was leading his unit in drills had confirmed his dinner engagement with Thomas Cromwell. He was looking forward to seeing his friend and welcomed the possibility of hearing news of Carrie. At the thought of Carrie, the smile left his face. In its place was a mixture of pain, exasperation and anger. He could only hope her father could give him some understanding. Shaking his head, he tried to force thoughts of the beautiful girl he loved out of his mind. There were other things he needed to think about. He knew Thomas would have many questions for him.

As Robert rode on toward the middle of town, he barely noticed the cloud of dogwoods that fairly blanketed the gentle slopes of the city. He could hardly believe it had been a month since Virginia had seceded from the Union.

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He’d had barely a moment to himself since that fateful day. His return to the city after gathering military information in Charleston during the battle of Fort Sumter had resulted in the rank of lieutenant in the Confederate Army. He knew the amount of work to be done before Virginia would be able to defend herself against the enemy perched on her northern border. He had thrown himself, heart and soul, into the effort.

His mind traveled back now to the units he had left for the evening. Every aspect of the transformed fairgrounds stood crystal clear in his mind. He could see the tents rising in long lines around the permanent buildings.

Endless tables and racks for food stretched out beside them. Many a man had nothing but a bedroll and the ground, and still they poured in.

He could still faintly hear the shouted commands of the Virginia Military Institute cadets who had been brought in to establish some semblance of order and discipline in the swelling ranks of volunteer soldiers.

Both days and nights had become an endless siege of drills, marches and orders. Some of the new soldiers complained, but most of them had thrown their hearts into forming an army able to repel the Northern troops of aggression.

As the sounds faded into the distance, Robert was able to focus on the city unfolding before him. Though his heart remained entrenched in his beloved plantation, Oak Meadows, he had a genuine love for the city. He also knew he was preparing to fight to defend everything he held dear. On a daily basis, he pushed away his longing for home and concentrated on what it would take to make it remain his home.

As he rode up the street leading past Capitol Square, he smiled as the Capitol building came into view.

Stunning from the river, it lost a little of its glamour as you drew nearer. The columned front was commanding, but the dirtiness of its rather drab stucco exterior stole some of its allure. Tonight, though, it seemed magical.

The setting sun, slipping down behind the forested slopes of the turbulent James River, cast a pinkish glow that turned it into a splendid palace. Spreading dogwoods changed from white to rose-colored as the departing sun

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kissed them gently. For just a moment, if he focused on nothing but the verdant park surrounding the Capitol, Robert could pretend nothing had changed. His fantasy had no hope of lasting, however.

Into the brief flicker of peace the setting sun offered exploded the cacophonous sounds of a city gearing for war. Carriages rattled down the brick and cobblestone streets of the city. Swarms of people—gaily dressed ladies out to catch a glimpse of the soldiers, businessmen hawking their wares to a burgeoning city, children running everywhere, eager not to miss one single thing—

filled the streets to capacity. And everywhere were the troops.

By train, horseback, or on foot, they had poured into the city. At first it was only the volunteers eager to defend the state they loved, but they had been joined by soldiers from every state in the Confederacy once word spread that Richmond was the new capital of their splendid nation. They came armed with shotguns, bowie knives, muskets or squirrel guns. They came in fancy militia uniforms or dressed in the homespun muslin of the hills.

All of them came with the confidence that soon they would be home again, laughing all the way about how the North had tucked its tail between its legs and run home when it realized what it was up against.

Robert had agreed with them, until...

Looking up, he realized he was almost to the door of the Spotswood Hotel. Thomas Cromwell now owned a home on Church Hill, but they had arranged to meet here so both of them would be closer to their work. Robert dismounted, handed the reins over to a servant and strode eagerly into the hotel. Once inside, he stopped short in surprise.

“Doesn’t look quite the same as it did a couple of months ago, does it?”

Robert spun around to meet his friend. “Mr. Cromwell!

How are you, sir?”

Thomas gave Robert a warm handshake. “Fine, fine.

We have a table waiting for us. That’s a rare commodity these days, so we’d best claim it before it disappears.” He

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turned and led the way into the well-appointed dining room.

Robert followed, genuinely glad to see the older man.

He was also relieved to see how well he looked. His wife’s death had almost destroyed him, seeming to rob from him any caring for life. Being in Richmond, far from the memories of the plantation, had been good for him.

Thomas looked once more like the vital man Robert had met the year before.

Thomas led the way to a small table in the far corner.

Nestled between two twelve-foot windows, it gave the feeling of being out in the midst of Main Street while affording a sense of privacy. Once again Robert looked around.

“Like I said, it doesn’t look much like it did a couple of months ago, eh?”

Robert chuckled. “I should say not.”

The Spotswood had long coveted its reputation as one of the focal points of Richmond society. It was a sign of prestige to be listed among its clientele. Even when it was full, it had managed to maintain an aura of elegance and decorum. The coming of war had changed all of that.

Richmond was not prepared for the influx of people pouring into its confines. The dining room was a mass of people, with harried waiters dashing around trying to meet their needs. Bedrolls leaning against the far walls gave credence to the rumors that when the dining room was empty it became a bedroom for those not lucky enough to find regular boarding in the city.

Thomas looked around for a long moment and then turned back to Robert. “This one is pretty mild. There are hotels where every chair in the lobby has become a bed, as well as the surrounding floor and even the pool tables.

The Spotswood has set some limits, especially upon learning that President Davis and his family will be residing here until they have a home ready for him.”

“You sound rather excited about it, sir.”

“About President Davis being here? Of course I am.”

“No, sir. That’s not what I meant. You sound rather excited about the crowded condition of our cities. I understand most Richmonders are doing their best to adjust, but they do feel a sense of intrusion.”

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Thomas shook his head. “There are those in Richmond who still doubt the wisdom of all that has happened, but mark my words, young man, the vast majority of our fair city is solidly behind the crusade we have embarked upon. And those who are lagging behind will stand with us soon, when they understand the treacherous plans of the North to subjugate us.”

Thomas stared off into the dining room, deep in thought, before he turned back to Robert. “Making Richmond the capital was the best decision our new government could have made.”

Robert nodded. “I agree. At first I thought it was foolish to put the capital of the Confederacy so close to Washington—”

“I know what you mean,” Thomas said, interrupting.

His eyes snapping, he continued. “In the final analysis, Richmond was the best choice. The security of our industrial potential is essential to the Confederacy.”

“And Lee convinced me that the five-day march between Washington and Richmond could be extremely costly to Northern troops trying to invade us,” Robert added.

“Very costly,” Thomas said. “We are counting on our shore batteries and the Navy to keep Union gunboats out of our rivers. If they can hold the line on the coast, the distance and terrain between here and Washington favors a determined defense. Our dense forests, rivers and swampland are a tremendous benefit.”

Robert nodded, his face intense as he thought through the strategy that had been discussed so much in the previous weeks. “Our troops can choose their battlefield and strike the North anywhere in the hundred-mile corridor between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay.”

“The Union’s cry of ‘ On to Richmond’ may very well prove to be a siren’s call luring them onto a killing ground.” Thomas’ deep voice sounded very satisfied.

Robert gazed at the older man for a long moment.

Finally he said, “You have come full circle, sir.”

Thomas frowned fleetingly. “Yes, I suppose I have.” He paused and looked at Robert. “I, too, remember the first

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day we met. Our dreams for keeping the Union together.

Our insistence that secession would be disastrous for the South.” Ruefully he shook his head. “In the end, union was no longer an option. Lincoln was foolish to believe Virginians would take up arms against their fellow Southerners. He pushed us into a position many of us had resisted for a long time.”

“Do you have doubts, sir?”

“Doubts? Perhaps doubts that the action we have taken is in all ways the wisest one. Doubts as to whether there was any recourse left open to us? None,” he said firmly. “Virginia has been pushed into a corner. I learned a long time ago that people can be most dangerous when that happens. They feel trapped, and with nothing to lose they might as well give their all.”

He took a breath and spoke briskly to the waiter who appeared with his whiskey. “This will be all for now. We will order our meal shortly.”

Thomas took a long drink of his spirits and turned back to Robert. “Mark my words, my boy. Virginia is prepared to give its all.” His eyes flushed with excitement.

“And I will stand with my state. The North will rue the day they tried to subjugate the people of Virginia—the people of the South.” Then his exuberance dimmed and the careful caution Robert had grown to know so well reasserted itself. “I meant what I said last year, Robert.

The South will be victorious in this war, but it will not be without great loss and suffering on both sides. There will be a high price to pay for our independence and the right to live our lives the way we choose. People don’t want to believe that, but the time will come when reality will have to be faced.”

Robert nodded. “I believe that too, sir. After the ease of taking Fort Sumter, I’m afraid I jumped on the bandwagon with those certain that the war would be little more than a scuffle, and that the North would elect to let us go in peace.”

“You’ve changed your mind?”

“I would say General Lee changed it for me.”

Thomas nodded his agreement. “Lee is a fine man—a real gentleman. He is a man all of Virginia can rally behind. Besides being a fine man, he is an excellent

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soldier. Virginia can be proud that he chose to take his stand with her.”

“As far as Lee is concerned, sir, he had no choice. He has no use for slavery and hoped fervently that secession would not be the result of the last years of conflict. Once the decision was made, however, he knew he could never take up arms against his native state and the people of the South. His resignation from the US Army broke his heart, sir.”

“Yes, I’ve heard it was very difficult.”

“He has family fighting for the Union. He has left his home overlooking the city of Washington. He is aware he may never go back.”

“Surely he does not think the South will lose?”

Thomas’ voice was suddenly sharp as he leaned forward to stare at Robert.

Robert shrugged. “Lee is going to give the South the best he has, but he shares none of the disillusions I carried for a while.” He paused and took a long swallow of his drink, staring out over streets bustling with activity even as night had settled in. He fought to contain the emotion his own words created. “Lee has told me this is going to be a long war. There will be much pain and suffering on both sides. He does not believe for a minute that the North will turn away from its quest to preserve the Union. He has served alongside many of the men who are now considered his enemy. He insists the Northern people will never yield in the contest, except at the conclusion of a long and desperate struggle.”

Both men fell silent as they envisioned the results of a long conflict.

Finally Thomas spoke. “You have spent time with Lee.

What kind of man do you think he really is?”

“None finer,” Robert responded. “He is a leader well worthy of the state and of our cause.” He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and carefully smoothed it on the table. “I believe the Richmond Dispatch says it best.”

A more heroic Christian, noble soldier, and gentleman could not be found. Of him it was said

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before his appointment, and of him it may be well said, no man is superior in all that constitutes the soldier and the gentleman—no man more worthy to head our forces and lead our army. There is no one who would command more of the confidence of the people of Virginia than this distinguished officer, and no one under whom the volunteers and militia would more gladly rally. His reputation, his acknowledged ability, his chivalric character, his probity, honor, and—may we add to his eternal praise—his Christian life and conduct make his very name a tower of strength.

“He sounds a little like God,” Thomas said dryly, “and yet I find I agree with all of it. I recently read a report that General Winfield Scott said he would rather have received the resignation of every general than that of Lee.” Thomas smiled again, even more broadly. “Let the battle be long.

Victory will certainly be ours. The price will be high, but it will be worth it.”

His attention was drawn away by the waiter once more appearing at the edge of the table. “Ready to order now, sir?”

Thomas nodded. “Robert?”

Robert had barely scanned the menu while they were talking but already knew what he wanted. Camp food was adequate, but he was ready for a good meal. “I’ll have the roast duck, please.” Quickly he added to his order potatoes, green beans, biscuits and fresh strawberry pie.

Then he leaned back to continue talking, his stomach growling in anticipation.

“One more question, Robert?”

“Only one, sir?” Robert asked smiling. “I had anticipated many more.”

Thomas chuckled. “You’re right. Just one more about Lee.”

“Ask what you’d like. I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Lee has no affection for slavery. He was not in support of secession. Yet, just a few days after he resigned from the United States Army, he agreed to command the Southern troops. Why?”

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Robert took another long draught of his drink and sat back. “It’s rather simple, at least in Lee’s mind. His first thoughts and considerations have always been of Virginia. It’s true he resented the attitudes of many of the secession leaders. He felt they were trying to force the involvement of the border states in their struggle. He refused to be pulled in. Virginia’s secession changed all that. He is well aware of the vulnerable position of our state in relation to Washington and the North. Quite frankly, he knows we stand no chance without the assistance of the rest of the South. It was Virginia’s welfare that put him on the side of alliance and common effort.”

Thomas nodded. “He is quite a remarkable man.”

“That he is.” Robert was ready to change the subject.

“You seem to be doing well. Are you happy in your new position with the Virginia government?”

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “My heart is with General Lee. I will give my all for Virginia. For my home,”

he added fiercely. “I suppose all this has done me something of a favor.”

Robert was fairly sure he knew what the older man was getting at. He was not disappointed.

“I couldn’t seem to find a reason to live after Abigail died.” Thomas paused to collect himself. “She meant everything to me, you know.”

Robert nodded, his mind traveling back to the gracious and beautiful woman who had made him feel so much at home the first night he met the Cromwells. “She was indeed a special woman.”

Thomas shook himself as if to bring his thoughts back to the present. “That she was,” he said. “I floundered for quite a while, trying to find something to live for. Leaving Carrie with the plantation...” Again, he paused. “Well, it wasn’t fair to her.”

“Carrie is content on the plantation, sir.”

Thomas leaned back in his chair. “That’s enough of that, young man.”

“Excuse me?” Robert asked in confusion. “Enough of what?” Did Carrie’s father not even want him mentioning

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her name? What had he been told? Suddenly the blood began to roar in his ears. He had had such hopes.

“Enough of calling me sir. You are a lieutenant in the Confederate Army. You are not a boy. I would appreciate it if you would call me Thomas from now on.”

Robert leaned back with a rush of relief. “Whatever you say...Thomas.”

Thomas nodded, not seeming to have noticed Robert’s momentary panic. “And I know Carrie says she is content. I also know the depth of my daughter’s ability to dream. She is on the plantation because it is her duty, not her love. When duty no longer demands her presence, she will move on to follow her dreams.”

Robert merely nodded, knowing Thomas was right.

Carrie’s shining green eyes and glistening black hair rose up to taunt him. It was her aliveness that had drawn him from the moment he first laid eyes on her. She radiated a life and exuberance that seemed to explode from within.

Her independence and strong will had proven to be a magnet for him. Until...

“Why the frown, my boy?”

Robert flushed. He wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about his feelings. He looked up and saw the genuine look of caring and warmth shining from Thomas’ eyes.

Thomas knew how Robert felt about his daughter, and he had told Robert the secret. Robert still harbored a hope that Thomas could help him see a way out of this mess.

He managed to shrug, knowing Thomas would see right through it. “I’m hoping you can help me understand your daughter.”

Thomas gave a short laugh and leaned back again.

“Understanding most women is a difficult thing. I think Carrie stands in a class of her own.” He hastened to add,

“That’s what makes her so special.”

Just then the waiter arrived with their meal. Robert waited until the food had been set on the table before he responded. “Carrie is special indeed.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I asked her to marry me. The night before I left for Charleston.”

“I didn’t know that.” Thomas waited for Robert to continue.

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“She wouldn’t have me.”

“But I know Carrie loves you,” Thomas protested.

Robert shrugged. “Yes, she told me she loves me. She said she couldn’t marry me because of slavery.”

Thomas took a deep breath and leaned back. “Maybe you should explain a little more.” He looked down at his plate heaped with food. “While we eat, of course. I suspect you haven’t had a meal like this for a while. Letting it get cold would border on criminal.”

Robert forced a smile, along with several forkfuls of food, while he allowed his mind to carry him back to the night he had sat so hopeful on the steps of St. John’s Church. “Carrie is quite adamant in her belief that slavery is wrong. She doesn’t believe marriage would work between us because we cannot stand united on the subject.” Hesitating, he wondered if he should tell Thomas about his father’s death—about watching him be killed by a runaway slave when he was just a boy. Carrie was the only person he had ever told. She had been sympathetic, but still... Now she was telling him she could not marry him because of the hatred in his heart.

He swallowed his words and shook his head. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Did you tell her it is our divine destiny to be slave owners?”

“She doesn’t believe that, Thomas.” Robert paused, pulling his thoughts together. Why did Carrie’s words still haunt him? “I told her the Bible sanctions slavery.”

“Yes.”

“She wanted to know where it says that.”

“What did you tell her?” Thomas’ eyes bored into him.

Robert shrugged helplessly. “That I didn’t know the answer. I told her it wasn’t my job to know—it was a minister’s.”

Thomas nodded. “That’s true,” he said firmly.

“She doesn’t agree,” Robert continued. “She told me the Bible didn’t sanction slavery, but that people can find a way to justify anything they want to believe. She said she had sought God’s heart, and that she could no longer condone slavery.”

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“Yet, she is running the plantation with our slaves,”

Thomas said.

Again, Robert shook his head. “She says she owns not a single slave—that they belong to you. If she had her way, she would let them all go free.”

Thomas looked startled. “That would mean the end of all we’ve ever known. Surely she can’t mean that.” He paused for a moment. “It’s a good thing Cromwell Plantation isn’t completely in her hands. At least I have the comfort of knowing Ike Adams is doing his job to keep the slaves in line.”

Robert shrugged, wondering if he had said too much already. He had kept Carrie’s secret about Adams since Christmas. There were many times he had wondered at the wisdom of his promise, but still...a promise was a promise. It was also obvious Thomas was going to offer him no way to change his daughter’s mind. For weeks now, Carrie’s words had haunted him. “Where does the Bible say slavery is sanctioned by God, Thomas?”

Thomas looked at him sharply and spoke in a stern voice. “You need to be asking a minister those questions.

It is their job to interpret the scriptures for us.”

Robert sensed he should drop it, but somehow he couldn’t. “Carrie believes she has received answers from God...” His voice trailed off, his mind full of Carrie’s challenge to him. Ask God to show you the truth, Robert.

If you’re right, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Those words, when he wasn’t completely occupied with military matters, had haunted him since the night she had uttered them. It was easy to shove them away when he was busy planning the defense of all he had ever believed in, but in the few quiet moments he had, her voice and her face rose up to taunt him.

Robert could read the frustration on Thomas’ face. He could also tell Thomas was trying to think of something to say. His words, when he finally spoke, were halfhearted.

“My daughter will come to accept the truth eventually.

She loves you. I don’t believe she will let this issue keep you apart.”

Robert nodded, knowing that Thomas was wrong, and knowing Thomas knew he was wrong. He could

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remember the pain and determination on Carrie’s face when she had turned down his marriage proposal. On the long trip to Charleston, he had toyed with the idea of returning and telling Carrie he had changed his mind about slavery. His love for her was like a burning coal sinking into his heart. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t envision life without her.

Two things kept him from doing that. One was the reality that he couldn’t imagine life on Oak Meadows without the labor and income from his slaves. It was the only way he had ever known. The other was honesty.

Carrie, in spite of the pain it had caused, had been courageous enough to be totally honest. In his more lucid moments, he realized how much her position was costing her as well. He could do nothing less than respond with the same honesty.

The silence between the two men deepened as each sat absorbed in their own thoughts.

“Mr. Cromwell?”

Robert started and turned to gaze at the young man standing behind him. He couldn’t help but notice the anxious note in his voice.

Thomas rose to meet him. “Peter.” He looked at Robert.

“Peter is an aide at the Capitol.” Then he turned back to the blond young man, barely out of his teens. “What is it?”

“I hate to bother you, sir. Governor Letcher has called an emergency meeting of the legislature.”

“Is something wrong?” Thomas asked.

Peter shook his head. “I wouldn’t know, sir. I was simply dispatched to find you.”

Thomas looked anxious for a moment and then shook his head, laughing lightly. “There has been no ringing of the Capitol bell, so there is no threat of an invasion. I’m sure it has to do with little more than figuring out better ways to handle the pressures our fair city has come under now that Richmond is the capital. We find new challenges thrown our way almost daily.”

Robert nodded. “I’m sure you’re right, Thomas.” He hid the disappointment he felt about the older man being called away, although Thomas seemed to have no

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answers about his beautiful daughter. Robert flinched when he realized how much he had been counting on Thomas to give him hope concerning his love for Carrie.

One look at Thomas told him his friend’s mind was already behind the columned walls of the Capitol building.

Extending his hand, Robert stood up. “It was wonderful to see you, Thomas.”

Thomas looked up from laying his napkin next to his plate. “Good to see you as well, Robert. Keep up the good work, son.”

“Yes, sir. I will.”

Thomas turned to leave and then, as if realizing the condition of Robert’s heart, turned back around. “Don’t worry too much about Carrie. Things will work out. And right now, all of us have plenty to keep our thoughts busy. She will come around.”

Robert watched him walk away and turned back to finish his meal. He knew Thomas was wrong.

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