The Visitor 1862

by Barbara Svetlick

  Mirisa pocketed the small vial as Mrs. Chauvin came in looking for her. “Good morning ladies.”

  “Good morning.”

  “Mirisa, can I get your assistance in addressing invitations for Christmas?” Mirisa slid off the stool and followed her into the library where a large stack of envelopes sat in the middle of the desk. She opened the pen well and set a very beautiful pen next to it. Mirisa sat down behind the large desk which seemed to swallow up her small stature. The invitations had been printed but the envelopes needed to be hand written and sealed with the wax seal sitting on the desk. Mrs. Chauvin lit the small candle and set it next to the seal.

  Mirisa picked up an invitation and read it. It was very elegant and formal inviting the family to Christmas Eve supper. They had each been signed by Dominic. She ran her finger over his signature and wondered how she could miss him when she had only just met him. She had seen two sides of him in just days and one she loved and the other she found to be cold and hurtful. Mrs. Chauvin looked at her work when she brought in the tea and thanked her for the help.

  “My hands hurt something awful when it rains so you have helped me tremendously.”

  Mirisa blew out the candle and put up the pen as she stretched her fingers which had cramped up from holding it too tight. She picked up her tea and sat down in front of the fire when she remembered the vial. She took it out and put a drop in the cup before adding honey.

  WORD had come that the Federal troops had tried to cross the Rappahannock River only to be forced back by Pelham. They tried again with General Meade in charge and were once again repulsed by the Confederate troops but eventually broke through the marshy gap of the line only to be attacked again and driven from Fredericksburg. The skirmishes were ongoing with the casualties building on each side. This was a major offensive by the government to get to Richmond.

  Mrs. Eppes had received a letter from Mirisa but it was light on information or how she was doing. Her medications had been increased since she had arrived in Philadelphia with her mother’s constant disapproval of her weakness. She had accused her mother of keeping her mail for she rarely received news from anyone but her mother merely told her that she just didn’t remember when she received a letter. She paced back and forth in front of the window as the snow began to fall heavily. Once she thought she had a visit from Dominic who reassured her that Mirisa was safe but he couldn’t have come because they were at war. She sat down at her desk and wrote a letter to her husband asking him to please come get her because she wanted to go home. It was so important that she protect her daughter from Dominic for he was a bad man. She folded it carefully before sliding it under her Bible. He would come get her soon.

  The citizens of Fredericksburg had been delivered a letter from Major General Sumner demanding they surrender their city before 5 o’clock or they would proceed to shell the city and take it by force. The onset of the Confederate troops arriving at the little town was impressive. Jackson was drawn down from the Blue Ridge and Longstreet arrived from Culpeper Courthouse. The view of so many men waiting for battle was sobering to say the least.

  Dr. Eppes was exhausted and the night was going to be extremely long. They had started bringing in the wounded in the early afternoon and it had not stopped. They were laid out in rows outside the surgical tent. There was so much blood that you could smell the iron in the air combined with the smoke from muskets and cannons. The noise was continuous and the reports coming from the river were bad. The Union troops had made it up Telegraph Road, had secured the lower part of Plank Road and were heading for Marye Heights. The youngest of his triplets, Gus, had stopped by to say that Jackson and Early had moved up to bolster A.P. Hill with Stuart bringing up the flank to the south. They were holding back Reynolds but Smith had moved in to support his back to the river. The toll on both sides was bad.

  “Where are your brothers?”

  “With Jackson down with the Second Corps.”

  “And they’re good?”

  “Yeah. We’ll all be up later for a visit.”

  “Good, tell them to keep their heads down and stay safe.”

  “Doc we need more ether.”

  Gus hugged his father then worked his way down Plank Road to his unit as his father sighed and responded to his assistant. “Send someone up to the supply tent but go easy because it’s going to be a long night.”

  A cannon ball could be heard as it exploded at the bottom of the hill. They were getting too close and would force the medical unit to pull up stakes and moved further up the ridge out of range. The pounding of the cannons finally started letting up around midnight and soon there was only an occasional shot heard from the ranks. Dr. Eppes stood at the entrance of the tent looking out over the town. It was quiet and you could see the campfires all over the landscape. Most of the houses were dark and the buildings closest to the river seemed to have suffered the most from the cannonballs. He thought it was a shame that the home of the mother of the first President of the United States was now the center of the killing of brothers by brothers. He lit his cigar and thought it was going to be a cold Christmas this year.

  He threw back the flap to find a package in the middle of his cot. The only letters he had received were either from his motherin-law or the housekeeper at the Plantation. When he had made the decision to offer his services to the South, he knew that everyone would have to be sent away. His first decision was to meet with Dominic and Garnett to set up the paperwork leaving his holdings to his youngest children. It was during that meeting that he told them his intentions and the necessity to get his daughter to a safe place until the end of the war. After listening closely to his concerns, Dominic finally offered his hospitality.

  “Dominic, do not think I don’t appreciate your offer but she is still very young.”

  “I am sure my staff is quite capable of caring for her and the town is safe. If you are worried about me, I can assure you that I do not believe I will make it home for a while.”

  The doctor laughed and thought it over. “Can you make arrangements if I send her out tomorrow night?”

  “Without a problem. We’ll handle hiring the men to escort her and my staff is always prepared for guests but I will provide them with written instructions.”

  “Doctor, I don’t understand why you are not just sending her to Pennsylvania. We are so close that there would be little if no danger and you won’t have to be concerned about her.”

  “Garnett it is very complicated.”

  Dominic finished his whisky and rose from the table. “The men will be at your home before midnight tomorrow. Will your wife be accompanying her?”

  “No. She’s ill at the moment and the boys will be taking her to her mother’s once I have Mirisa safely out of the house.”

  “Alright. I’ll get the proper paperwork so they won’t have problems travelling. Until we meet again, take care of yourself and the rest of your family.”

  He missed her and even the letters about her health were very professional. He wished he could write to her but it was not prudent. He touched the package then untied the string to find brightly wrapped presents. Each had a handwritten envelope and he followed the writing smiling at how beautiful her handwriting had become. He picked up the one that said “Poppa” and opened the envelope. He took off his spectacles to clean them then sat down next to lamp. Her letter was upbeat and so down to earth about the things she had been doing. He unwrapped the package folding up the pretty handkerchief she had cross stitched and used as the wrapping. He put it up to his nose briefly as he enjoyed the smell of something other than death. It contained a box of cigars, from Dominic no doubt, new socks and a neck scarf, a lot of fresh herbs for medicinal needs and a well made pocket knife with a sharpening flint. He sat up and realized that Dominic must be home because she would not know where to send a package.

  Jes came limping through the tent followed by the other two brothers but didn’t seem to be in a lot of pain. He hugged them all then looked at
the wound on his leg and determined it was a flesh wound from a musket ball and would heal.

  “Here put this salve on it several times and day and don’t let it get wet.”

  “Thanks poppa. We came up to visit before the fighting gets heavier.”

  “It’s good to have you visit, very good for this tired old man.”

  They sat around and talked about the day. He tried to talk them into staying in his tent but they said they had to return to their unit.

  “Wait, I got a package today from your sister.” He handed them each a package and told them to open them now for no one knew what Christmas held. Each slipped her note in their pocket to read later and unwrapped the gifts which were wrapped in long underwear. They laughed hysterically and thanked her from the bottom of their hearts. Inside each was a knife, a small bag of hard candy, two pair of wool socks and a hand knitted caps.

  “She is such a good sister.”

  “Yeah, sure do miss her.”

  “Where did you send her?”

  “Don’t worry she is safe. You boys keep down.” They all stripped down and put on their long underwear then gathered up their stuff wishing their father well before heading back down the hill.

  DOMINIC arrived in New Orleans before the storm hit the city and found it difficult to be in the presence of his family as they grieved over the loss of their daughter. He had a long talk with his brother who expressed the guilt for not sending more armed escorts especially in this time of such upheaval not only from the war but the number of scavengers that had turned to crime to support themselves. The black market had become so dangerous that many reputable business men had distanced themselves from it. The boys had checked into the hotel on Canal Street before heading to the bar. It had been a bad trip with little conversation. Whatever had happened between Dominic and Garnett was hanging in the air like the smoke from a day of volleying and death.

  The funeral was planned for the next day and Suzanna was placed in the family vault. Her mother wept at the crypt until they persuaded her that they must leave but she took to her chambers without a word to her family and friends. Dominic stood at the doorway to the gardens as the storm began to hit the city and wondered why Jacob would have taken the chance of killing her knowing that Dominic would hunt him down. He must have hastily changed his plans when he found out she was heading home. Had this war become so important to the North that it would release an animal on its citizens as a way to unearth those not loyal or was he just a rouge misfit?

  “It looks to be a bad storm. Meeks and I are heading back to the hotel after I speak to your brother then moving to higher ground.”

  Dominic nodded and wondered how much he knew. “Do you know why Garnett decided not to attend the funeral?”

  “I think you need to speak to him about that. I do know that he’s not comfortable around your brother but I think whatever is bothering him occurred right before we left the Plantation so I will assume you already have the answer.”

  “True. His emotions sometimes take me by surprise since he hides them so well. I don’t believe I have emotions hidden or not.”

  “That is a good assessment. He’s cold blooded when needed and you are all the time.”

  James walked across the room and spoke to Suzanna’s father for a moment then made his excuses before he walked out the door with Meeks.

  “ This is going to be a very bad storm but fortunately Dominic and Garnett won’t be near each other until it passes. I picked up several bottles of good whisky so it will be poker and down time but I think we need to move to higher ground.”

  They tied up their horses and made their way up to their rooms. They knocked on Garnett’s door and shouted that they were moving. By the time they had their saddle bags packed; Garnett was standing in the hallway waiting. He didn’t say anything and they didn’t ask. They paid the hotelier and went by the stable to get Garnett’s horse before heading north to higher ground. They found a small hotel inland from the river and settled in for the duration. The river surge came in around midnight and most of the city was a few feet under water. The storm took two days to pass and they returned to New Orleans to find it battered but the water had receded.

  James went down to the docks to check on passage back to Natchez as Garnett and Meeks went to check on Garnett’s apartments and law office. They were untouched by the flood waters but several windows had broken letting in the rain. The lawyer who shared the offices showed up to check on the building and had a long talk with Garnett about purchasing the building. They agreed on a price and Garnett spent the morning packing up his files and books putting them in his office. They were signing the papers when James showed up.

  “I secured passage on a steam barge heading out this afternoon.”

  “I would imagine the river is still dangerous with debris but it’s a better option than trying to work through the muddy countryside. At least the horses will appreciate your decision.”

  “The garden district took a light hit from the storm and Canal Street is still under water. Did you suffer much damage?”

  Garnett lit his cigar and blew out a smoke ring. His eyes were so focused that James thought they were about to go on a mission. “Not much but then I’m not sure when or if I will ever return to the city. I just signed papers selling the building and surprisingly made a good profit.”

  “And your cases?”

  “He’s taking over everything and he is a very good lawyer so the client’s won't complain.”

  They ordered lunch and a bottle of whisky knowing they had several hours to kill before they could load the horses.

  The barge was loaded with supplies for the Union troops who were gathering along the Mississippi above Natchez as well as store supplies. They generally stopped at docks along the Mississippi to supply the small towns and communities but with the condition of the river banks most of the supplies would be left in Natchez until the store owners could retrieve them. James stood on the edge of the barge watching as Dominic stood alone deep in thought. They had been friends since they were young boys and James was well familiar with the things that made him a cold hearted man. He always thought it was good that he had showed no sign of wanting a normal life or family because any woman who fell in love with him would suffer. None of them were particularly good men but Dominic had no soul or maybe it was the absence of compassion that made him not only good at his job but lethal to any who crossed his path.

  “Dominic, the captain is ready to depart.”

  Dominic looked up at James then headed for the plank as the two boys holding the ropes waited for him to board. The captain had to load extra fuel for the boilers in order to fight the heavy current so it was going to be a slow trip home. Dominic walked to the front of the barge where Garnett was sitting on one of the large crates smoking a cigar despite the fact that the crates had “US Govt Flammable” all over them. Dominic asked if he could join him and Garnett passed the bottle of whisky but didn’t respond.

  They sat in silence as the barge moved away from the dock and struggled to head north. Dominic realized that Garnett probably should have been pretty close to being drunk but appeared as sober as he’d ever seen him. He failed to realize until that moment that he had totally underestimated the feelings that Garnett was suppressing. He could see his jaw move the way it did when he was extremely angry. He weighed whether or not he should start a conversation especially considering one of them could end up overboard before it was over. Meeks and James knew to keep their distance and let them work it out however they needed to work it out.

  “Garnett, it’s obvious that you love her though I don’t think…”

  “You don’t know a damn thing.” The anger in the words made his voice crack.

  “Then I don’t know what to say to you.” He took a cigar out of his pocket, bit off the end and lit it. Cigars where something the four had taken up when riding together and it just seemed to be a part of who they were.

  “It’s not me yo
u owe an apology. She did nothing to cause this, she did nothing to encourage a possible relationship and she did nothing to be hurt by a cold hearted son of a bitch. You lured her in then closed her out.”

  “You are right. I don’t know what I was thinking or even if I was.”

  Garnett took the bottle back from him, took a swig then handed it back to Dominic.

  “If you hurt her, you will have to deal with me.”

  Dominic bristled at his implication. “For someone who has absolutely no scruples, your threats hold little water.”

  “You have betrayed a promise, you have betrayed your oath to protect her and you are doing it for no reason other than you can’t handle anyone else having her. What is it that you can’t or won’t get somewhere else? If you ever hurt her again, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” He got up off the crate and walked past James and Meeks who were leaning up against the pilot house. They both rolled their eyes as he passed and walked down and sat next to Dominic.

  “You know Dominic; I would just have to put my money on Garnett. He is in a lot better shape and he’s got that no sex anger building. Plus if he wins he gets the girl.” Dominic smiled because Meeks just couldn’t help his barbs.

  “Well at least he didn’t say he would shoot me.” He passed the bottle to James who declared he was going to be like Meeks and stay single.

  “So, is this going to be a forced wedding?”

  “I haven’t touched her as hard as that is to believe.”

  “And exactly what do you think her Father will say whether you spoil her or marry her. I really don’t see an upside from a parent’s view since you would be the last person they would want as a son in law.”

  “Shut up James.”

  Dominic leaned back and watched the sky as the sun was setting and the moon was beginning to come over the horizon. He closed his eyes exhausted from everything.

  MIRISA had been working tirelessly around the house and taking the potion before she went to bed each night. The dreams had changed from what she called memories of what she was convinced were the spirits in the house to some type of ritual that was so foreign to her and yet familiar. She would wake up from images of root doctors and evil things chasing her through dark and watery places only to be saved by an elderly woman who never talked but always held her hand tightly. The last two nights she had found herself standing at the bottom of dirt mount afraid to climb it. She knew that she was supposed to but the fear became so debilitating that she would wake from the dream paralyzed until she could readjust to reality. She needed to talk to Mrs. Chauvin because if she continued to stay in the house she knew she would go crazy.