Mohun; Or, the Last Days of Lee and His Paladins.

by John Esten Cooke

  Such was the programme of General Grant. It was not war exactly, in theold acceptation of the term. It was not taught by Jomini, or practisedby Napoleon. You would have said, indeed, at the first glance, that itrejected the idea of generalship _in toto_. Let us give General Granthis just dues, however. He was not a great commander, but he _was_ a manof clear brain. He saw that brute force could alone shatter the army ofNorthern Virginia; that to wear it away by attrition, exhaust its blooddrop by drop, was the only thing left--and he had the courage to adoptthat programme.

  To come back to events on the Rapidan in the month of May, 1864.

  Lee is ready for the great collision, now seen to be inevitable. Hisright, under Ewell, occupies the works on the southern bank of theRapidan, above Chancellorsville. His centre, under A.P. Hill, liesnear Orange Court-House. His left, under Longstreet, is in reserve nearGordonsville.

  The army of Northern Virginia is thus posted in echelon of corps,extending from Gordonsville, by Orange, toward the fords of the Rapidan.

  When the enemy cross on their great advance, Ewell is ready to faceeast; Hill will close in on his right; and Longstreet in the same manneron Hill's right. Then the army will be in line, ready to strike atGrant's flank as he moves through the Wilderness.

  For Lee is going to strike at him. The fifty thousand are going to orderthe one hundred and forty thousand to halt.

  Stuart's cavalry is watching. It extends from Madison Court-House, alongRobertson River, on the left of the army; and on the right, from Ewell'scamps, past Chancellorsville, to Fredericksburg.

  Such was the situation on the first of May. The two tigers were watchingeach other--and one was about to spring.

  XVII.

  FORT DELAWARE.

  To descend now from the heights of generalization to the plains ofincident and personal observation.

  For this volume is not a history of the war in Virginia, but the memoirsof a staff officer belonging to Stuart's cavalry.

  May, 1864, had come; we were soon to be in the saddle; the thunderinghammer of General Grant was about to commence its performances.

  One night--it was the night of the first of May--I was sitting inGeneral Stuart's tent, looking into his blazing log fire, and musing. Inthis luxury I was not interrupted. It was nearly midnight, and the restof the staff had retired. Stuart was writing at his desk, by the lightof a candle in a captured "camp candlestick," and from time to time,without turning his head, ejaculated some brief words upon any subjectwhich came into his head.

  After writing ten minutes, he now said briefly:--

  "Surry."

  "General," was my as brief response."

  "I think Mohun was a friend of yours?"

  "Yes, general, we became intimate on the march to Gettysburg."

  "Well, I have just received his commission--"

  "You mean as--"

  "Brigadier-general. You know I long ago applied for it."

  "I knew that--pity he has not been exchanged."

  "A great pity,--and you miss a pleasure I promised myself I would giveyou."

  "What pleasure, general?"

  "To take Mohun his commission with your own hands."

  "I am truly sorry I can not. You know he was terribly wounded, and wehad to leave him in Warrenton; then the enemy advanced; for a long timewe thought him dead. Thus I am sorry I am debarred the pleasure youoffer. Some day I hope to accept your offer."

  "Accept it now, colonel," said a benignant voice at the door. I turnedsuddenly, as did the general. At the opening of the tent, a headwas seen--the head passed through--was followed by a body,--and Mr.Nighthawk, private and confidential emissary, glided in with thestealthy step of a wild-cat.

  He was unchanged. His small eyes were as piercing, his smile asbenignant, his costume--black coat, white cravat, and "stove-pipe"hat--as clerical as before.

  "Good evening, gentlemen," said Mr. Nighthawk, smiling sweetly; "I bringnews of Colonel Mohun."

  "And fly in like an owl, or your namesake!" laughed Stuart.

  "An owl? I am told that is the bird of wisdom, gentlemen!"

  "You hit the nail on the head, when you said 'gentlemen!'"[1] repliedStuart, laughing; "but how about Mohun? Is he exchanged, Nighthawk?"

  [Footnote 1: A favorite phrase of Stuart's.]

  And Stuart wheeled round and pointed to a chair.

  Nighthawk sat down modestly.

  "Not exchanged, exactly, general; but safe!" he said.

  "He escaped?"

  "Exactly, general."

  "And you helped him?"

  "I believe so."

  "Good! You really are a trump, Nighthawk--and you seem to have apeculiar fancy for Mohun."

  "He is the best friend I have in the world, general."

  "Well, that accounts for it. But how did he escape?"

  "I will tell you in a few words, general. I rather pride myself on themanner in which I conducted the little affair. You remember, ColonelMohun was very badly wounded when you defeated Kilpatrick at Buckland.It was in a fight with Colonel Darke, of the Federal cavalry, who wasalso wounded and left dying, as was erroneously supposed, at a smallhouse on the roadside, when you fell back. Colonel Mohun was leftat Warrenton, his wound being so severe that he could not be broughtfarther in his ambulance, and here he staid until he was convalescent.His recovery was miraculous, as a bullet had passed through his breast;but he is a gentleman of vigorous constitution, and he rallied atlast, but, unfortunately, to find himself a prisoner. General Meade hadreoccupied the country, and Colonel Mohun was transferred from hospitalto Fort Delaware, as a prisoner of war.

  "I have informed you, general," continued Mr. Nighthawk, smiling, andturning the rim of his black hat between his fingers, "that ColonelMohun was one of my best friends. For that reason, I went to see himat Warrenton, and had arranged a very good plan for his escape, when,unfortunately, he was all at once sent away, thereby disappointing allmy schemes. I followed, however, saw that he was taken to Fort Delaware,and proceeded thither at once. You have probably not visited thisplace, general, or you, colonel. It is a fort, and outside is a pen, orstockade as it is called, covering two or three acres. Inside are cabinsfor the prisoners, in the shape of a semicircle, and grounds to walkin, except in the space marked off by the 'dead line.' If any prisonercrosses that he is shot by the sentries, whose beat is on a platformrunning round upon the top of the stockade.

  "Well, I went to the place, and found that Colonel Mohun was confinedwith other officers in the pen, where they had the usual Federal rationof watery soup, bad meat, and musty crackers. For a gentleman, likehimself, accustomed before the war to every luxury that unbounded wealthcould supply, this was naturally disagreeable, and I determined to omitno exertion to effect his escape.

  "Unfortunately, the rules of Fort Delaware are very strict, however. Tocross the 'dead line' is death; to attempt to burrow is confinementin irons, and other degrading punishments; and to bribe the sentinelsinvariably resulted in having the whole affair revealed, after they hadreceived the money. It really seemed as if Colonel Mohun were doomedto the living death of a filthy prison until the end of the war, sinceexchanges had ceased, and it was only by devising a ruse of very greatrisk that I accomplished the end in view."

  "What was your plan, Nighthawk?" said Stuart, rising and moving to thefireplace, where he stood basking in the warmth. "Original, I lay mylife, and--quiet."

  "Exactly that, general."

  And Nighthawk smiled sweetly.

  XVIII.

  THE UNIFORM.

  "I have always observed, general," said Mr. Nighthawk, raising his eyesin pious meditation, as it were, "that there is no better rule fora man's conduct in life than to make friends with the mammon ofunrighteousness--people in power."

  "A profound maxim," laughed Stuart; "friends are useful--that was yourprinciple?"

  "Yes, general; and I made one of the quartermaster of the post--acertain major Woodby--who was exceedingly fond of the 'root of allevil.' I made th
at gentleman's acquaintance, applied for the place ofsutler in _the pen_; and this place I acquired by agreeing to pay aheavy bonus in thirty days.

  "This was Saturday night. On Monday morning I presented myself beforethe gate, and demanded admittance as the newly appointed sutler of thepen.

  "I was admitted, and taken before the officer of the day, in hisquarters.

  "'Who are you?' he asked, gruffly.

  "'The new sutler, lieutenant.'

  "'Where are your papers?'

  "I had them ready, and presented them to him. He read them carefully,looked at me superciliously, and said:--

  "'That is wholly informal.'

  "I looked at him. He had a red nose.

  "'I have some excellent French brandy, captain,' I said, promoting him.

  "At sight of the portly flask which I drew half from my pocket andexhibited to him, I saw his face relax.

  "'You are a keen fellow, and know the world, I perceive,' he said.

  "And taking the flask, he poured out nearly a glass full of the brandy,and drank it.

  "'Do you intend to keep that article of brandy?' he said.

  "'For my friends, captain,' I replied, with a wink which he evidentlyunderstood.

  "'Let me see your papers again.'

  "I unfolded them, and he glanced at them.

  "'All right--they are in regular form. There is the key of the sutler'sshop, on that nail. Take possession.'

  "And my friend the captain emptied a second glass of the brandy, andmade me a sign that I could go.

  "I bowed profoundly; took the key; and went and opened the sutler'sshop; after which I strolled out to look at the prisoners in the area.The sentinel had seen me visit the officer of the day, and go to thesutler's shop.

  "Thus he did not interfere with me when I went into the area, as I wasobviously a good Union man and an employee of the post.

  "Such was the manner in which I secured a private interview with ColonelMohun: we could talk without the presence of a corporal; and we soonarranged the plan for his escape.

  "I had determined to procure a Federal uniform, to be smuggled in tohim, and an hour afterward, I left him, promising to see him again assoon as I could visit Wilmington, and return with the intended disguise.

  "A strange piece of good fortune aided me, or rather accomplished mypurpose at once. I had scarcely returned to the sutler's shop, andspread some blankets to sleep upon, when the officer of the day came in,and I saw at a glance that he was half intoxicated, in consequence ofthe large amount of brandy which he had swallowed. In a thick and huskyvoice he cursed the 'stuff' vended at the post, extolled 'the article'I carried, and demanded another pull at the flask. I looked at him--sawthat a little more would make him dead-drunk--and all at once resolvedon my plan.

  "This was," continued Mr. Nighthawk, with modest simplicity, and smilingas he spoke, "to make my friend, the officer of the day, dead-drunk,and then borrow his uniform; and I succeeded. In half an hour he wasmaudlin. In three-quarters of an hour, drunk. Five minutes afterward hefell out of his chair, and began to snore, where he lay.

  "I secured the door tightly, stripped off his uniform, then my ownclothing; put on his, and then replaced my own citizen's dress over all,concealed his cap and boots beneath my overcoat, wrapped the prostratelieutenant in my blankets for fear he would take cold, and going out,locked the door and proceeded to the quarters of the prisoners. Againthe sentinel took no notice of me. I found Colonel Mohun in his 'bunk.'Ten minutes afterward he had replaced his gray uniform with that ofthe Federal lieutenant, and, watching the moment when the back of thesentinel was turned, we walked together toward the gate of the pen.

  "That was the moment of real danger. Outside the narrow gate anothersentinel was posted, and the man might be personally acquainted with theofficer of the day, or have noticed his appearance. Luckily, the guardhad been relieved about an hour before--the new sentinel had not seenthe officer of the day--and when Colonel Mohun put his head through thelittle window beside the gate, ordering 'Open!' the gate flew open, thesentinel presented arms as he passed, and I followed modestly--the doorbanging-to behind us."[1]

  [Footnote 1: Fact.]

  XIX.

  THE NOTE.

  "Thus the colonel was out of the pen," continued Nighthawk, smiling."The rest was not very dangerous, unless the alarm were given. Theymight miss the locked-up officer--he might have been seen to go into thesutler's shop--and I admonished Colonel Mohun, in a low tone, to proceedas rapidly as possible in a direction which I pointed out.

  "The path indicated led to a spot on the island where I had concealed asmall boat among some willows--and, once across on the mainland, I hopedthat the danger would be over.

  "In spite of my admonitions, Colonel Mohun took his time. He is a coolone! He even turned and walked toward the fort, which he carefullyexamined--counting the guns, observing the ditches, and the groundaround it.

  "'That place could be taken, Nighthawk!' he said, with a laugh. Andhe continued to stroll around the place, receiving at every momentrespectful salutes from passing soldiers, which he returned withthe utmost coolness, and an air of authority which I never have seensurpassed. I declare to you, general, that it made the sweat burst outon my forehead, and it was fully an hour before we reached the boat. Isprung in and seized the oars, for I saw a dozen soldiers approaching usfrom the direction of the fort.

  "'For heaven's sake, sit down, colonel,' I exclaimed; 'in five minuteswe will be lost!'

  "He did not reply. He was feeling in the pockets of the lieutenant'scoat; and drew out a note-book with a pencil attached. Then, as the mencame toward us, he began to write. I looked over his shoulder--a badhabit I acknowledge, general--and I read these words:---

  "'Colonel Mohun, C.S.A., presents his compliments to the commandingofficer of Fort Delaware, and recommends the 10-inch Columbiad in placeof the 30-lb. Parrotts on the bastion near the southern angle of thework.

  "'As Colonel M. is _en route_ for Richmond _via_ Wilmington, and thetrain will soon pass, he is compelled to refrain from other suggestionswhich occur to him.

  "'The commandant of the post will pardon the want of ceremony of hisdeparture. This distressing separation is dictated by necessity.'"

  Nighthawk smiled as he repeated the words of _Mohun's note_.

  "Did you ever hear of a cooler hand, general? But I must end my longstory. The colonel wrote this note while the soldiers were coming towardus. When they had come within ten steps, he beckoned to one of them--theman came up, saluting--and the colonel said, 'Take this note to thecommandant--go at once.'

  "My heart had jumped to my throat, general! The next moment I drew agood long breath of real relief. The Federal soldier touched his cap,took the note, and went back toward the fort. Without further delay, Ipushed out and rowed across to the mainland, where we soon arrived.

  "Then we left the boat, struck into the fields, and pushed for thenearest station on the railroad. On the way, I could not refrain fromupbraiding the colonel with his imprudence. He only laughed, however,and we went on without stopping. An hour afterward we reached thestation, and the northern train soon came. We got in, the cars started,and we were _en route_ for Baltimore. Suddenly the dull sound of acannon-shot came from the direction of Fort Delaware. A moment afterwardcame another, and then a third.

  "'A prisoner has escaped from Fort Delaware,' said one of the passengersnear us, raising his eyes from a newspaper. Colonel Mohun laughed, andsaid carelessly, without sinking his voice in the least, 'Ten to onethey have found your friend, the lieutenant, Nighthawk!' Such a man,general! It was enough to make your blood run cold! I thought _I_ wascool, but I assure you, I never imagined a man could equal _that_.

  "We reached Baltimore, made the connection with the train going west toWheeling, and disembarked at Martinsburg. There the colonel procured ahorse--rode to a friend's on the Opequon--changed his blue dress fora citizen's suit, and proceeded to Staunton, thence to Richmond, andyesterday rejoined his regiment, nea
r Chancellorsville."

  XX.

  GENERAL GRANT'S PRIVATE ORDER.

  Stuart kicked a log, which had fallen on the hearth, back into the fire,and said:--

  "Well, Nighthawk, your narrative only proves one thing."

  "What, general?"

  "That the writer who hereafter relates the true stories of this war,will be set down as a Baron Munchausen."

  "No doubt of that, general."

  "This escape of Colonel Mohun, for instance, will be discredited."

  "No matter, it took place; but I have not told you what brought me over,general."

  "Over?"

  "Yes, across the Rapidan. I did not go from Martinsburg to Richmond withColonel Mohun. I thought I would come down and see what was going on inCulpeper. Accordingly I crossed the Blue Ridge at Ashby's Gap, reachedCulpeper--and last night crossed the Rapidan opposite Chancellorsville,where I saw Colonel Mohun, before whom I was carried as a spy."

  "You bring news, then?" said Stuart, with sudden earnestness andattention.

  "Important news, general. The Federal army is about to move."

  "To cross?"

  "Yes."