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THE WAR LIBRARY.
RAIDING THROUGH VIRGINIA ;
/ | =OR,—
With Grant “the Wammerer’”
at Petersburg.
. BY HUGH ALLEN,
Of the New York Press.
CHAPTER I.
» “Sir, you must be mistaken.”’
“A mistakeis something I seldom make,
madam. There is a rebel soldier in this
house. I saw him enter with my own eyes.
We intend to have him, so you mightas well
confess the truth.” oe ~
“That you already have, sir.” .
* And you stand by what you've said?”
“You heard me speak!” :
“Don’t mind her, captain. These Vir-
ginia women would do anything for the
cause they love. Weallsaw the graycoat
enter, and it is our duty to lay hold of and
capture him,.’’
t was a lieutenant who spoke.
Captain Bob Arden looked at the lady of
the house again. .
She was a“ pleasant, motherly being.
He would as soon have thought of ill treat-
ing his own mother. .
Still there were some wild spirits among
his men, who believed those they termed
rebels had no rights they were bound to re-
spect, be they the men who stood up in
arms or the women who equipped and sent
them to the front, ready for any sacrifice
for the lost cause. : : .
These men, however, feared their leader.
While he was near they dared not break
the bonds of discipline.
“Tf what you say is true, madam, I sup-
ose you will have no objection to our mak-
ing a search of the premises?”
‘Not in the least, sir.” .
“Of whom does your family consist?”
“Besides the blacks, my daughter and
myself.” . .
~ You have no husband—no son ?”’ .
“My husband, sir, is with General Lee in
Richmond. He sees me once a week, and
washere yesterday. My boy—alas! he laid
down his fresh young life at Bull Run, and
if you turn your head you will see, where
they laid him.” .
Bob felt a spasm of pain and sympathy.
He bade several of his troopers dismount.
Perhaps, in their dangerous position, this
halt was a foolish piece of business.
Their horses, however, needed alittle rest,
and somehow Bob's curiosity had been ex-
cited by the sight of a figurein gray, sword
in hand, that had been marching up and
down just beside the house, but which, at
their near approach, had fied inside.
He was determined to probe this matter
to the bottom,
With the four men selected, he followed
- the good lady into the house,
It was one of the kind generally seen upon
the plantations of Virginia, generous in its
piazzas and apartments, justas the owners
were always famous for being with regard
to hospitality. .
While Captain Arden went inside, the
lieutenant drew a cordon of his men around
the house. : -
A few negroes were in the quarters, but
these were principally old women and pick-
aninnies, the males being in Richmond and
Petersburg, at work on the defenses.
These looked upon the boysin blue with
eyes full of wonder. .
They were probably the first Union troops
those eyes had ever seen, and the poor souls
began to believe the year of jubilee must be
at hand. :
For many months they had heard_the
roartof battle: far away toward Rich-
mond on the north, or the young thunder
of Graut’s hammer-like blows as his siege-
guns poured in their huge balls over devoted
Petersburg, but the ground between the
two cities was patroled by Lee’s forces and
never trod by Union troops.
Some of the troopers took advantage of
the situation to call upon old Phocbe, the
cook, fur something to eat, and that jolly
creature produced ull there was in the house
withoutanyurginpg. | .
The negroes knew their friends.
Among themselves they had talked mat-
ters over, and President Lincoln's emanci-
ation proclamation had passed along the
Tine. thrilling their hearts. “
They also kuew that Grant, the Ham-
17
merer,’? was thundering with his mail-clad
fist at the doors of the Confederate capital,
and felt it to be only a question of time
when success must come.
While this feasting was going on outside,
the captain and his four menu began the
search. : :
These fellows under Captain Bob had
seen long service.
They were veterans, :
” Upon every field of battle where the Army
of the Potomae had fought since historic
Bull Run they had left their blood.
Old campaigners then, they knew just
how to conduct a search. :
Their sabers were out.
Where there was a closet or dark corner,
their weapons were thrust iu spitefully, aud
should Mr, Johnny Reb be in one of these
places he would be apt to signalize his pres-
ence witha yell.
The search was made systematically.
They began in the cellar and went up-
ward. -
Somehow they met with no success.
Captain Bob examined the face of the
lady with keen eyes.
He was puzzled.
She seemed calm and utterly unconcerned.
He was ready to believe that she had no
knowledge.of the presence of a man in gray
in her house.
Still, that was no proof against the fact of
such an one being there.
They had reached and searched the lower
floor, and were ready to ascend to the up-
per. :
‘*Madam, you spoke of a daughter.”
‘*T did, captain.”?
‘*T have not seen her.”
‘“You will presently, sir.’’
‘* Will you answer a question?”
** Certainly.”
“Has your daughter alover in: the Con-
federate army?”
“Why do you ask that?” .
*« Because it would explain the presence of
one here which you seem to beignorant of.”
‘“‘There are several gentlemen with Gen-
eral Lee, who have in times past paid atten-
tion to Nora, but I do not think any one of
them could be called her lover. I answer
your question in the negative, sir.”
Again Bob was baftied.
** We will go up now,” he said.
They ascended the stairs.
The Union captain had discovered a back
flight in the kitchen, and had sent one of his
men up to stand guard at the top.
This was simply a precaution.
If the man they hunted was above when
they went up the front stairs, he might
think it worth his while to slip down the
back ones and hide in that section of the
house which had already been searched, be-
lieving that lightning never strikes the same
tree twice. Z
The first room they entered was empty.
It was a bedroom, and over the chimney
hung an old flint-lock musket. and a sword
of the time of Washington.
4* Ah! madam, how terrible it seems to see
the descendants of the revolutionary heroes
striving to tear apart the Union they formed
at the cost of so many precious lives.’’
The lady sighed.
Possibly she had thought something like
this more than once.
The South had believed herself in the
right, but the terrible results of the war
thus far must haveimpressed the fact on
many amind that the hand of Providence
could not be leading them as it did their
forefathers in '76. .
States rights was what they fought for
now.
Then it was liberty.
Slavery was the bulwark of their Confed-
eracy now.
In those days of old freedom was their
watchword. -
For that the heroes of the Revolution
fought and died; but dying conquered still.
When they had left this room Captain Bob
puta man at the door. ~
“This is my daughter's room,” said the
lady.
Ts she at home?”
“*T believe not. Chloe told me half an hour
ago that Nora was going out for a ride.”
She opened the door and entered.
Bob was at her heels.
He heard her give utterance to a low cry
of surprise and dismay. :
That aroused his curiosity.
He pressed quickly on, in spite of the fee-
ble efforts of the good lady to prevent him,
What did he see?
In the middle of the floor was a young
man dressed in a gray uniform,
He seemed startled by the presence of sol
diers, but though he wore a sword, no in-
stinet seemed to cause him to lay his hand
on it. : . ‘
Captain Bob laughed. ‘
‘*Hello! whom have we here?) Madam,,.
can you explain who this dashing young.
soldier is? Perhaps the son you lost at Bull
kun has come back to life again.” .
‘T will explain it myself, sir.” .
“Thunder! that voice does not belong to:
aman!”
““Nor dol claim to be. such. I am Nora.
Peyton.” ~
“Why are you masquerading about in
this uniform then?’ asked Bob, with curi-
osity shining all over his face. :
‘Simply because of a whim. I was won-
dering whether General Lee would accept
another recruit.” :
“Girl, youare mad!’ -
“Oh! no, sir. lam assane aa you... Ilove
the South, I love Virginia, and’ I. hate the:
North. Thatisall. I would lay down my |
life tor my native land.-I have already
given adearly loved brother to the cause.
See where your Yankee bullet pierced his.’
noble heart,” and she pointed toa ragged
hole in the breast of the suit of gray.
Bob could not but shudder.
‘Pardon my intrusion, Miss Nora. We
do not war on women. Seeing one whom
we supposed to bea Confederate officer here,.
we determined, while we rested our horses a
little, to capture him.” ° .
‘“What would you have done with him?”
“Paroled him, as we have already done
with a score of your countrymen on this.
raid.” .
1 Do you expect to enter Rich-
mond with that handful of men, sir?”
‘Hardly. Richmond is the last place we:
desire to see just at present. Weaim for
the Union lines. Good-day to you both, and
you will pardon our intrusion.”’,
“Mother, he isa gentleman, even though
he is also a Yankee,” said the girl, when.
Bob had gone,
CHAPTER II.
The men were not loth to leave.
Even the dainties spread out by Chloe.
could not tempt-them to dally when their
leader leaped into the saddle. .
here was reason for this,
' They were in the midst of a hostile coun-
try and danger lay on all sides.
he Confederates were so wrought up b
the terrible nature of their situation that
they would not beapt to treat very kindly
a little band of Union troopers found at
large in their midst,
Captain Bob and his command had be-
come separated froma raiding force sent
out from the Union camp. :
An accident had happened which could’
not be foreseen.
A burned bridge prevented him from
crossing to the main body, and as the river
was swollen and the fords impassable he
was compelled to strike out in a’ new line
trusting to luck and boldness to carry his
little band through. | :
It will, therefore, be seen how exceeding-
ly desperate his situation was. .
The halt at the bouse of the Peytons had
been made more to relieve the horses than
because the captain was particularly anx-
ious to make a capture.
Once he wasagain in the saddle the leader
of the little party swept his eyes around.
Then he gave thecommandg, and again the
party was in motion. b
ey not number more
men all told. ' than forty
Among them were old soldiers who had
seen hard service under McClellan, Hooker,
Burnside, Meade and Grant. ,
ney frere in for the war. :
ey intended remaining in th i
they ved untilit closed. 5 © ranks if
Their course was now southeast.
Soon, however, it changed.
From the top of a knoll Captain Bob had
caught sight of telegraph poles. ~
He knew what these meant.
qhey were near a railroad.
aptain Bob turned to his lieu
grizzled fire-eater who had done want 8
service in the past, and had been personally
complimented by Phil Sheridan for the:
manner in which he led a cavalry charge at
the battle of Opequan Greeks, when his cap-
—he was not under —!
fallen. " ob then—had :
om, there’s the railroad th :
Richmond and Petersburg,” at connects
“T see it, captain.”
\