CHAPTER XXVI--TIDE-WATER AGAIN
"Now all is gone! the stallion made a prey, The few brood mares, and oxen swept away; The Lares,--if the household shrine possessed One little god that pleased above the rest; Mean spoils indeed!"
--"Juvenal," 8th Satire.
A cry of horror broke from Peggy's lips as they came in sight of thehouse. The barns, granaries, smoke-houses, and other dependencies werein flames. Clothing and even furniture were being carted from thedwelling by the soldiery; that which could be carried easily beingappropriated by them, and the rest consigned to the fires. At somelittle distance from the dwelling, pale but composed, bearing herselfwith the fortitude of a Roman matron, stood Mrs. Weston, surrounded by agroup of wailing slaves, her little boy clinging to her skirts. Shebeckoned the girl to her side when she caught sight of the cousins.
"They are leaving nothing, absolutely nothing," she whispered. "How weshall sustain life, if that is left us, is a problem I dare not face.They found the cows."
"Oh," breathed Peggy. "What shall thee do? And Fairfax?"
"Is undiscovered so far. If the house is not burnt he may remain so. Theboy wanted to fight this whole force. I had hard work to convince him ofthe folly of such a course. And you, Peggy? You will go with yourcousin, will you not?"
"Why, how did thee know 'twas my cousin?" queried Peggy in surprise.
"'Tis plain to be seen that he is kin, child. The resemblance is verystrong. Perhaps I did wrong, but when he came this afternoon to lookover the place as a possible site for some of the army to camp I thoughtat once that it must be your British cousin. When he told me that hislordship was to make his headquarters at Tilghman's Ordinary at HanoverCourt House, and that the whole of the army would have to be quarteredin the near vicinity, I knew what that meant. So I took it upon myselfto tell him at once where you were, and sent him in search of you. Gowith him, Peggy. The safest place in the state at the present time is inthe enemy's lines. 'Tis the wisest thing to do. And oh, my dear! Mydear! don't start out again alone so long as this awful war continues.Go with your cousin."
"I fear me that I must," said the maiden sadly. "But if I do what hopeis left me of getting home? After these troops pass on, the road will beclear, will it not? Then what would be the risk for me to start forth?If I could get to our own lines thee knows that all would be well.Surely our army is somewhere near."
"'Tis not to be considered for an instant, child," spoke the matronquickly. "After the regular army hath its fill of pillage there alwayscomes the riffraff to gather up what their masters have left. Scoundrelsthey are; utterly devoid of every instinct of humanity. I would not haveyou meet with them for the world. Peggy, be advised by me in this, andride on with your cousin."
"I must go," broke from Peggy. "I see that I must. But 'tis bitter to goback; 'tis bitter to be compelled to be with such an enemy as this army;'tis bitter also to leave thee like this, destitute of everything. Howterrible a thing is war," she cried bursting into sudden weeping. "Oh,will the time never come when nations shall war no more? I long for theday when the sword shall be turned into the ploughshare, and the spearinto the pruning-hook."
"And so do we all," cried Mrs. Weston taking the girl into a tenderembrace, for she perceived that she was near the limit of endurance."Now mount that little mare of yours, and go right on with your cousin."She motioned Clifford to approach. "Unless your orders are such that youcannot, young man," she said, "take your cousin away from here at once."
"I will do so gladly, madam, if she will but go with me," he returned."Will you come, my cousin?"
"I must, Clifford," answered Peggy, striving for composure. "There seemsnaught else for me to do. Mrs. Weston thinks it the wisest course."
"I thank you, madam," he said bowing courteously. "And I pray youbelieve me when I say that this plundering and burning are not at all tomy liking. 'Tis winked at by the leaders, and for that reason we, whoare of minor rank and who do not approve such practices, must bear withthem. Come, my cousin."
"For those words, Clifford, I will forgive thee everything," exclaimedthe overwrought girl.
"There are many who feel as I do," he said assisting her to mount. "Ilike army life, my cousin. There is nothing so inspiring to my mind asthe blare of bugle, or the beat of drum. The charge, the roar ofmusketry, the thunder of artillery, all fill me with joy. They are asthe breath of life to my nostrils. Glory and honor lie in the field; butthis predatory warfare, these incursions that for their end and aim havenaught but the destruction of property--Faugh!" he concluded abruptly."Fame is not to be gained in such fashion."
In silence they rode down the shaded lane to the road. The main army hadlong since passed on, but the rear guard and baggage train still filledthe cleared stretch of road from which the lane turned. As had been thecase in every state that the English had entered, a number of loyalistswith their families flocked to the British standard, and traveled withthe army. Clifford, who was obliged to rejoin his command, found a placefor Peggy among these persons, promising to return as soon as possible.
The company was not at all congenial to the girl. The feeling betweenloyalist and patriot was not such that either was easy in the presenceof the other. Women are ever more intensely partisan than men, and thecomments of some of these latter against their own countrymen triedPeggy severely, but she bore it patiently, knowing that this was thebest that could be done in the matter. When at last Hanover Court Housewas reached, Clifford came to see about accommodations for her; and onthis, as well as the days that followed, Peggy had no cause to complainof his manner. That little reference concerning the nearer kinship ofhis father had been productive of good fruit, and he no longer insistedupon his own relationship offensively. So agreeable was his behaviorthat when, at length, he brought his father to her she said not one wordto Colonel Owen about placing herself under his care. The colonelhimself seemed in high good humor, and greeted her with something ofaffection.
"And so we are met again, my little cousin," he said warmly. "Cliffordtells me why you are in this part of the country, and it seems that 'tisto your nursing that he owes his continuance upon this mundane sphere.Harriet hath not yet returned to New York, I understand, so we will be areunited family. It hath been some years since we have had thatpleasure. 'Twill be all the greater for having you with us."
"I thank thee, Cousin William," answered Peggy, responding at once tohis unexpected graciousness. "And thee will be glad to know that Harriethath quite recovered from her illness. She grows more beautiful, Ithink, were that possible."
"And this son of mine? What think you of him?" asked he. "I had somecause for offense with him, but since he hath shown himself worthy tofollow in my footsteps I have forgot displeasure. He looks like David,does he not?"
"So much, my cousin, that I cannot but think that he should be myfather's son instead of thine. How strange that he should look so muchlike him!"
"Yes. And I'll warrant because of that you consider him better lookingthan his father," said Colonel Owen laughing heartily.
"But father hath uncommon good looks," answered she. "And thee doesresemble him to some extent."
"Well," he said laughing again, "I suppose I'll have to be satisfiedwith that. Now, Peggy, if this boy does not look well to your comfort,just let me know. I am obliged to be with my regiment, but I shallmanage to look in upon you occasionally. Captain Williams," he made awry face at the name, "hath somewhat more leisure."
And so Peggy found herself well cared for, and in truth she needed muchcomfort in the ensuing days. Of that march when Cornwallis continued hisretreat toward tide-water she never willingly spoke. To Point of Forkand then down the river to Richmond the British commander proceeded byleisurely marches, stopping often for rest, and oftener to permit histroops time for depredations. Scene after scene of rapine followed eachother so rapidly that the march seemed one long panorama of destruction.She though
t that she knew war in all its horrors. Their own farm hadbeen pillaged, their barn burned, and they had suffered much from theinroads of the enemy; but all this was as naught to what Virginia had toendure.
It had come to mean comparatively nothing to these people to see theirfruits, fowls and cattle carried away by the light troops. The main armyfollowed, collecting what the vanguard left. Stocks of cattle, sheep andhogs together with what corn was wanted were used for the sustenance ofthe army. All horses capable of service were carried off; throats ofothers too young to use were cut ruthlessly. Growing crops of corn andtobacco were burned, together with barns containing the same articles ofthe preceding year, and all fences of plantations, so as to leave anabsolute waste. This hurricane, which destroyed everything in its path,was followed by a scourge yet more terrible--the numerous rabble ofrefugees which came after, not to assist in the fighting, but to partakeof the plunder, to strip the inhabitants of clothes and furniture whichwas in general the sole booty left to satisfy their avidity. Many ofthese atrocities came directly under the girl's vision; there wereothers of which she was mercifully spared any knowledge.
In ignorance also was she of the fact that hard after them, not twentymiles away, rode Lafayette. His forces augmented by additions fromGreene, by the Pennsylvanians under Wayne, by Baron Steuben's command,and by the militia under General Nelson, he no longer feared to strike ablow, and so became the hunter instead of the hunted. Consequently therewas constant skirmishing between the van and the rear of the two armies.
The month was drawing to a close when the army fell back toWilliamsburg, and halted. The heat had become so intense that the troopswere easily exhausted, and necessity compelled a rest. Peggy was gladwhen the spire of Bruton Church came into sight.
"I am so tired, Clifford," she said wearily when the lad came to her asthe army entered the place from the west. "Tired and sick at heart. Iknow not what form is used in leaving, if any, but if there be custom ofany sort to observe, let it be done quickly, I pray thee. And then letus go to the cottage to Nurse Johnson."
"There is no form to comply with," he said, regarding her withcompassion. "We will go at once, though not to the cottage. Father hathtaken a house more commodious on the Palace Green, and hath sent me foryou. Harriet will be there also."
And, though well she knew that taking a house meant in this instance theturning out of the inmates that they might be lodged, Peggy, knowingthat protest would be of no avail, went with him silently.