Such was the work of Wednesday. The great moment had evidently arrived.Lee penetrated at a single glance the whole design of his adversary;collected about fifteen thousand men, nearly half his army, andleaving Longstreet north of the James, and only a skirmish line aroundPetersburg, marched westward, beyond the Rowanty, to meet the enemy onthe White Oak road.
On the morning of the 30th, all was ready for General Grant's greatblow. But the elements were hostile to the Federal side. In the night,a heavy rain had fallen. All day on the 30th, it continued to rain, andmilitary movements were impossible. The two great opponents looked ateach other,--lines drawn up for the decisive struggle.
On the 31st, Grant was about to open the attack on Lee, when thatcommander saved him the trouble. The Virginian seemed resolved to die inharness, and advancing.
The corps of Humphreys and Warren had advanced from DinwiddieCourt-House toward the Southside road, and Warren was in sight of theWhite Oak road, when, suddenly, Lee hurled a column against him, anddrove him back. The Confederates followed with wild cheers, endeavoringto turn the enemy's left, and finish them. But the attempt was in vain.Federal re-enforcements arrived. Lee found his own flank exposed, andfell back doggedly to the White Oak road again, having given the enemy agreat scare, but effecting nothing.
As he retired, intelligence reached him that Sheridan's cavalry wereadvancing upon Five Forks. That position was the key of the wholesurrounding country. If Sheridan seized and occupied this great_carrefour_, Lee's right was turned.
A column was sent without delay, and reached the spot to find Sheridanin possession of the place. Short work was made of him. Falling uponthe Federal cavalry, Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee drove them back uponDinwiddie--pushed rapidly after them--and, but for the terrible swamp,into which the late rains had converted the low grounds, would havefollowed them to the Court-House, and gotten in rear of the left wing ofthe Federal army.
That was the turning point. If Pickett and Fitz Lee had reachedDinwiddie court-house, and attacked in the enemy's rear, while Leeassailed them in front, it is difficult to believe that the battle wouldnot have resulted in a Confederate victory.
Such was the alarm of General Grant at the new aspect of affairs,that late at night he withdrew Warren, and ordered him to hurry towardDinwiddie Court-House, to succor Sheridan in his hour of need. Then ifour flanking column could have pushed on--if Lee had then advanced--butall this is idle, reader. Providence had decreed otherwise. Theflanking column could not advance--at ten at night it was withdrawn byLee--midnight found the two armies resting on their arms, awaiting themorning of the first of April.
XVIII.
THE BRIDEGROOM.
I have endeavored to present a rapid, but accurate summary of the greatevents which took place on the lines around Petersburg, from the morningof the 29th of March, when General Grant began his general movement,to the night of the 31st, when he confronted Lee on the White Oak road,ready, after a day of incessant combat, which had decided little,to renew the struggle on the next morning for the possession of theSouthside road.
This summary has been, of necessity, a brief and general one. For thisvolume has for its object, rather to narrate the fortunes of a set ofindividuals, than to record the history of an epoch, crowded with tragicscenes. I cannot here paint the great picture. The canvass and the timeare both wanting. The rapid sketch which I have given will present asufficient outline. I return, now, to those personages whose lives Ihave tried to narrate, and who were destined to reach the catastrophe intheir private annals at the moment when the Confederacy reached its own.
I shall, therefore, beg the reader to leave the Confederate forces atbay on the White Oak road--the flanking column under Pickett and Johnsonfalling back on Five Forks--and accompany me to the house of the samename, within a mile of the famous _carrefour_, where, on the night ofthe 31st of March, some singular scenes are to be enacted.
It was the night fixed for Mohun's marriage. I had been requested to actas his first groomsman; and, chancing to encounter him during the day,he had informed me that he adhered to his design of being married inspite of every thing.
When night came at last, on this day of battles, I was wearied out withthe incessant riding on staff duty; but I remembered my promise; againmounted my horse; and set out for "Five Forks," where, in any event, Iwas sure of a warm welcome.
Pushing on over the White Oak road, I turned southward at Five Forks,and riding on toward Judge Conway's, had just reached the road comingin from Dinwiddie Court-House, when I heard a cavalier approaching fromthat quarter, at a rapid gallop.
He was darting by, toward Five Forks, when by the starlight I recognizedMohun.
"Halt!" I shouted.
He knew my voice, and drew rein with an exclamation of pleasure.
"Thanks, my dear old friend," he said, grasping my hand. "I knew youwould not fail me."
"Your wedding will take place, Mohun?"
"Yes, battle or no battle."
"You are right. Life is uncertain. You will hear cannon instead ofmarriage-bells probably, at your nuptials--but that will be inspiring.What is the news from the Court-House?"
"Our infantry is falling back."
"The condition of the roads stopped them?"
"Yes, it was impossible to get on; and they have been recalled by orderof General Lee. Listen! There is the column coming--they are fallingback to Five Forks, a mile north of Judge Conway's."
In fact, as we rode on now, I heard the muffled tramp of a column, andthe rattle of artillery chains in the woods.
"The enemy will follow, I suppose?"
"Not before morning, I hope."
I smiled.
"Meanwhile you are making good use of the time to get married. What willyou do with Miss Georgia?"
"You mean Mrs. Mohun, Surry!" he said, smiling.
"Yes."
"Well, she will be sent off--her father will take the whole family toPetersburg in the morning, to avoid the battle which will probably takeplace in this vicinity to-morrow."
"You are right. I predict a thundering fight here, in the morning."
"Which I hope I shall not balk in, my dear Surry," said Mohun, smiling.
"Is there any danger of that?"
"I really don't know. It is not good for a soldier to be too happy. Itmakes him shrink from bullets, and raises visions of a young widow, inmourning, bending over a tomb."
"Pshaw! stop that folly!" I said. "Is it possible that a stout-heartedcavalier like General Mohun can indulge in such apprehensions--and at amoment as happy as this?"
I saw him smile sadly, in the dim starlight. "I am much changed," hesaid, gently; "I no longer risk my life recklessly--trying to throw itaway. Once, as you know, Surry, I was a poor outcast, and my consciencewas burdened with a terrible crime. Life was little to me, then, andI would not have cared if a bullet cut it short. I was reckless,desperate, and had no hope. Now, I have hope--and a great deal more thanall--I have happiness. My hands are not stained with the blood of thatman and woman--I have the love of a pure girl who is going to give herlife to me--and I have prayed to God for pardon, and been pardoned, Ifeel--else that All-merciful Being would not make my poor life brightagain! But let me stop this talk! A strange conversation for a weddingnight! Let me say again, however, my dear Surry, that I have no enmitiesnow. I no longer hate _that man_, and would not harm _that woman_ foraught on earth. Let them go--they are indifferent to me. I appeal to Godto witness the purity of my sentiments, and the sincerity with which Ihave prayed, 'Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who havetrespassed against us!'"
I reached out my hand in the darkness, and pressed that of the speaker.
"You are right, Mohun--there is something greater, more noble, thanvengeance--it is forgiveness. More than ever, I can say now of you, whatI said after hearing your history that night."
"What was that, old friend?"
"That you were no longer the bitter misanthrope, hating your species,and snarling at all
things--no longer the gay cavalier rushing to battleas a pastime--that you were altered, entirely changed, rather--that yourcharacter was elevated and purified--and that now, you were a patrioticsoldier, fit to live or die with Lee!"
"Would that I were!" he murmured, letting his head fall upon his breast.
"That is much to say of any man; but I will add more. You are worthy ofher--the blossom of Five Forks!"
As I uttered these words, we reached the gate.
A moment afterward we had entered the grounds, tethered our horses, andwere hastening to the house.
XIX.
THE CEREMONY.
On the threshold we were met by Judge Conway, with a bow and a smile.
He pressed our hands cordially, but with a covert sadness, which Isuppose comes to the heart of every father who is about to part with abeloved daughter--to give up his place as it were to another--and thenwe entered the great drawing-room where a gentleman in a white cravatand black coat awaited us. No other persons were visible.
The great apartment was a charming spectacle, with its brilliant lightsand blazing fire. The frescoed walls danced in light shadows; the longcurtains were drawn down, completely excluding the March air. Coming inout of the night, this smiling interior was inexpressibly home-like anddelightful.
As we entered, the clerical-looking gentleman rose, modestly, andsmiled.
"The Reverend Mr. Hope," said Judge Conway, presenting him. And Mr.Hope, with the same gentle smile upon his lips, advanced and shookhands.
At that name I had seen Mohun suddenly start, and turn pale. Then hishead rose quickly, his pallor disappeared, and he said with entirecalmness:
"Mr. Hope and myself are old acquaintances, I may even say, oldfriends."
To these words Mr. Hope made a gentle and smiling reply; and it wasplain that he was very far from connecting the personage before him withthe terrible tragedy which had taken place at Fonthill, in December,1856. What was the origin of this ignorance? Had the worthy man, in hisremote parsonage, simply heard of the sudden disappearance of Mohun,the lady, and _her brother_? Had his solitary life prevented him fromhearing the vague rumors and surmises which must have followed thatevent? This was the simplest explanation, and I believe the correctone. Certain it is that the worthy Mr. Hope received us with smilingcordiality. Doubtless he recalled the past, but was too kind to spread agloom over Mohun's feelings by _alluding to his loss_. In a few momentswe were seated, and Judge Conway explained the presence of the parson.
The explanation was simple. Mohun, incessantly engaged on duty, hadbegged Judge Conway to send a message to the parson of his parish;the parson was absent, leaving his church temporarily in charge of hisbrother-clergyman, Mr. Hope; thus that gentleman by a strange chance,was about to officiate at Mohun's second marriage, as he had at hisfirst.
I have explained thus, perhaps tediously, an incident which struck meat the time as most singular. Are there fatalities in this world?The presence of the Reverend Mr. Hope on that night at "Five Forks,"resembled one of those strange coincidences which make us believe in thedoctrine of destiny.
Having exchanged compliments with the clergyman, Mohun and I were shownto a dressing-room.
No sooner had the door closed, than I said to Mohun:--
"That is strange, is it not?"
"Singular, indeed," he replied, calmly, "but I am not averse to thisworthy man's presence, Surry. I have no concealments. I have related mywhole life to Judge Conway and Georgia. They both know the circumstanceswhich lead to the conviction that _that woman_ was already married,when she married _me_--that the proof of her marriage with Darke exists.Judge Conway is a lawyer, and knows that, in legal phraseology, thearray of circumstances 'excludes every other hypothesis;' thus it is notas an adventurer that my father's son enters this house: all is known,and I do not shrink from the eye of this good man, who is about toofficiate at my marriage."
"Does he know all?"
"I think not. I had half resolved to tell him. But there is no time now.Let us get ready; the hour is near."
And Mohun looked at his watch.
"Nine o'clock," he said. "The ceremony takes place at ten."
And he rapidly made his toilet. The light fell on a superb-lookingcavalier. He was clad in full dress uniform, with the braid and stars ofa brigadier-general. The erect figure was clearly defined by the coat,buttoned from chin to waist. Above, rose the proudly-poised head,with the lofty brow, the brilliant black eyes, the dark imperial andmustache, beneath which you saw the firm lips.
We descended to the drawing-room, where Judge Conway and Mr. Hopeawaited us.
Fifteen minutes afterward light steps were heard upon the greatstaircase; the old statesman opened the door, and Miss Georgia Conwayentered the apartment, leaning upon the arm of her father.
She was clad in simple white muslin, with a string of pearls in her darkhair; and I have never seen a more exquisite beauty. Her cheeks glowedwith fresh roses; a charming smile just parted her lips; and her darkeyes, grand and calm, shone out from the snow-white forehead, from whichher black hair was carried back in midnight ripples, ending in profusecurls. It was truly a _grande dame_ whom I gazed at on this night, and,with eyes riveted upon the lovely face, I very nearly lost sight of MissVirginia, who followed her sister.
I hastened to offer my arm to the modest little flower, and followedJudge Conway, who approached the parson, standing, prayer-book in hand,in the middle of the apartment.
In another instant Mohun was standing beside Miss Georgia, and theceremony began.
It was not destined to proceed far.
The clergyman had nearly finished the exhortation with which the "formfor the solemnization of matrimony," commences.
All at I once I was certain that I heard steps on the portico, and inthe hall of the mansion.
The rest seemed not to hear them, however, and Mr. Hope continued theceremony.
"Into this holy estate," he went on, "these two persons present come nowto be joined. If any man can show just cause why they may not lawfullybe joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever holdhis peace."
As he uttered the words the door was suddenly burst open, and Darkeentered the apartment with _the gray woman_.
In the midst of the stupor of astonishment, she advanced straight towardGeorgia Conway, twined her arm in that of the young lady, and saidquietly:--
"How do you do, cousin? I am Lucretia Conway. Your father is my uncle.I have come to show just cause why you cannot marry General Mohun--myhusband!"
XX.
WHAT OCCURRED AT "FIVE FORKS," ON THE NIGHT OF MARCH 31, 1865.
Mohun turned like a tiger, and was evidently about to throw himself uponDarke. I grasped his arm and restrained him.
"Listen!" I said.
The house was surrounded by trampling hoofs, and clattering sabres.
Darke had not drawn his pistol, and now glanced at me. His face was thinand pale--he was scarce the shadow of himself--but his eyes "burned"with a strange fire under his bushy brows.
"You are right, Colonel Surry!" he said, in his deep voice, to me,"restrain your friend. Let no one stir, or they are dead. The house issurrounded by a squadron of my cavalry. You are a mile from all succor.You can make no resistance. I am master of this house. But I design toinjure no one. Sit down, madam," he added, to his companion, "I wish tospeak first."
The sentences followed each other rapidly. The speaker's accent wascold, and had something metallic in it. The capture of the party beforehim seemed to be no part of his design.
All at once the voice of the strange woman was heard in the silence. Shequietly released the arm of Georgia Conway, who had drawn back with anexpression of supreme disdain; and calmly seating herself in a chair,gracefully cut some particles of dust from her gray riding habit with asmall whip which she carried.
"Yes, let us converse," she said, with her eyes riveted upon GeorgiaConway, "nothing can be more pleasant than these sweet family reunions!"
&nbs
p; Judge Conway glanced at the speaker with eyes full of sudden rage.
"Who are you, madam," he exclaimed, "who makes this impudent claim ofbelonging to my family?"
"I have already told you," was the satirical reply of the woman.
"And you, sir!" exclaimed the old judge, suddenly turning andconfronting Darke, "perhaps you, too, are a member of the Conwayfamily?"
"Not exactly," was the cold reply.
"Your name, sir!"
"Mortimer Davenant."
Judge Conway gazed at the speaker with stupor.
"You that person?--you the son of General Arthur Davenant?"
"Yes, I am the son of General Arthur Davenant of the ConfederateStates army--General Davenant, whom you hate and despise as a felonand murderer--and I have come here to-night to relieve him of thatimputation; to tell you that it was I and not he, who murdered yourbrother!
"A moment, if you please, sir," continued the speaker, in the same low,cold tone, "do not interrupt me, I beg. I have little time, and intendto be brief. You believe that your brother, George Conway, was put todeath by General Davenant. Here is the fact of the matter: I saw him atDinwiddie Court-House; knew he had a large sum of money on his person;followed him, attacked him, murdered him--and with General Davenant'spen-knife, which I had accidentally come into possession of. Then Istole the knife from the court-house, to prevent his conviction;--wroteand sent to him on the day of his trial a full confession of the murder,signed with my name--and that confession he would not use; he would notinculpate his son; for ten years he has chosen rather to labor underthe imputation of murder, than blacken the name of a castaway son, whosecharacter was wretched already, and whom he believed dead.
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