CHAPTER XXX.
THE END OF THE REBELLION.
The Firefly, with her energetic young commander, was too serviceable tobe permitted long to remain in idleness, and she was ordered to joinAdmiral Porter's squadron, which had failed to capture Fort Fisher inDecember; or rather, the military portion of the expedition had failedto do it, for the navy had done its part of the work to the satisfactionof the nation.
Somers sailed again, and in due time reported to the admiral, who wasthen waiting for the army, in order to make the second attack. Atremendous gale delayed the expedition; but on the 13th of January, thebombardment of Fort Fisher was commenced, and the military force waslanded on Federal Point. A detachment of sailors from the Firefly, underthe command of Lieutenant Longstone, was sent on shore to join the navalbrigade, and the steamer was variously employed during the action,rendering valuable aid with her hundred pounder, as well as performingvarious duties, for which her great speed and light draught peculiarlyfitted her. The zeal and energy of Somers were warmly commended, thoughhe had no opportunity to render any signal service in the attack.
Fort Fisher fell this time; every man and every ship was faithful; andthough some were distinguished by gallant exploits, the victory was theresult of the steadiness of the whole line, rather than of the brilliantdeeds of the few. The last maritime stronghold of the rebellion wasreduced, and the sinking Confederacy was shut in from all materialsupport from abroad. Its days were numbered, and many of its most rabidsupporters were now crying out for peace.
The flag of the Union floated over Fort Fisher, and the great fleetbefore its shattered ramparts celebrated the victory with clouds of gayflags, with flights of rockets, and with salvos of artillery. It was aglorious day for that expedition. Admiral Porter and General Terry won aglorious fame and an unfading name upon the annals of their country.
Gallant old Tom Longstone was wounded in the arm in an attempt to rallythe sailors when they broke under the most terrible fire that mortal menever breasted. Lieutenant Longstone did all that any officer could do,but the whole garrison seemed to be gathered at the point where thenaval assault was made. The sailors were repulsed and driven back. Theyhad never been disciplined to this kind of work; yet they fought liketigers, hand to hand oftentimes, with the foe; and though they wereforced back, even while the American flag was floating over the otherside of the works, it was no disgrace to them. Tom stood by to the last,though he was severely wounded, and finally had the satisfaction ofbeholding a complete triumph. The soldiers did wonders on that day--thesailors hardly less.
With other vessels of light draught the Firefly went up the river,fishing up torpedoes, transporting soldiers, and hammering down rebelbatteries, and continued upon this duty until General Terry marched intothe deserted city of Wilmington, and raised the national flag where theemblem of treason had insulted the free air for four long years.
The Firefly was ordered to the James River, in the vicinity of which thelast groan of the expiring monster of Rebellion was soon to be heard;and on the 20th of March she was on her winding way up the stream. Inthe mean time Charleston had fallen; negro troops patrolled her streets,and the people of this foul nest of secession were suffering the agoniesof actual subjugation. Sherman, with his grand army, was "marching on"in his resistless course, with hardly a foe to impede his exultantmarch. Columbia, the proud capital of arrogant South Carolina, yielded,and the people repented their folly in the ashes of the burning city.Johnston was retreating before his invincible conqueror, and the wholemilitary power of the rebellion east of Mississippi was concentratedwithin an area of not more than a hundred and fifty miles.
The movements of General Grant before Petersburg commenced; and hisgreat army, now animated by the sure prestige of victory, was hurledagainst the rebel lines. The shock was tremendous; the whole worldseemed to be shaken by it, for it was the onslaught of freedom, strikingits last terrible blow at the legions of slavery.
The fleet on the James was busily employed in fishing up torpedoes, inguarding the pontoons across the river, and in "neutralizing" theenemy's iron-clads which lay above the obstructions. The Firefly foundabundant occupation, though there was no opportunity for brilliant andstartling achievements; but she bore her full share in the hard work anddisagreeable drudgery of the occasion.
Tom Longstone had entirely recovered from his wound; and being apractical man himself, he was the life of every working party sent outfrom the ship. The old man was an immense favorite with the sailors;for, unlike many who have risen from a low position to a high, he waskind and considerate, while he exacted the full measure of duty fromall. He was no tyrant, and had a heart for every man, whatever hisdegree.
"Well, Mr. Longstone, we have got almost to the end of the rebellion,"said Captain Somers, on one of those last days of March, when the roarfrom beyond Petersburg was heavier than usual.
"No doubt of that, captain," replied Tom. "I shall be a boatswain againbefore long."
"Do you dread the time?"
"No, sir; far be it from me. I wouldn't prolong the war a single day, ifthat day would make me an admiral."
"Only one day, Tom?" said Somers, with a smile.
"Not one, sir!" repeated the veteran, with emphasis. "For on that day ahusband or a father, a brother or a son, might be killed, and I shouldbe a murderer before God."
"What do you think of those, then, that began this war?"
"They are murderers! The blood of every man who has been killed in thiswar on both sides rests on their heads. I'd rather be Cain than JeffDavis, or any other man of his crew."
"I think you are right, Tom."
"As for me, it don't make much difference whether I'm a boatswain or anadmiral. This old hulk won't stand many more storms; and I wouldn't do amean thing for the sake of living twenty years. Well, well," sighed theveteran, as he glanced in the direction from which the roar of theartillery came, "many a good fellow will lose the number of his messto-day."
"Hundreds of them."
And so the reports of the succeeding days assured them. The rebels hadstormed and temporarily possessed themselves of Fort Steadman. Theterrible conflict was opened in earnest; and from that time, swarms ofprisoners were sent forward to the river, which were guarded bydetachments of sailors and marines from the fleet.
For three days the storm of war continued to howl in the distance, andon the peaceful Sabbath more fiercely than before. Vague rumors wereflying through the fleet, and everybody felt that the end was at hand.Somers retired as usual that night; but in the first watch, TomLongstone came down to him with report of great lights and heavyexplosions in the direction of Richmond.
The rebels were evacuating the city, blowing up their iron-clads, andfiring the town. Richmond, which had defied the armies of the Union forfour years, had fallen. The heroic and persevering Grant had struck ablow miles away, which tumbled down the last stronghold of treason. JeffDavis and his cabinet were fugitives now, fleeing from men, while thewrath of God pursued where men could not reach them.
The morning came, and with it the glad tidings of victory, whichforeshadowed peace. The Firefly was ordered to move up the river, andshe went up into waters where a loyal steamer had not floated for fouryears. The negro troops were even then marching through the streets ofRichmond. The note of rejoicing, begun in the early morning, wascontinued through the day. The brightest flags and the heaviest gunsproclaimed the joyful event.
The Firefly went up to Varina, and then returned. This river was clear;there was no sign of an enemy upon its waters. At City Point the soundsof rejoicing thrilled upon the ear of soldier and sailor. Cheer uponcheer rent the air, gun upon gun roared the paean of triumph, and everyheart beat in unison with the glad acclaim.
"Glory, hallelujah!" shouted Somers, on the quarter deck of the Firefly,as she passed through the fleet.
"Glory, hallelujah!" returned all who heard him.
Three rousing cheers, such as Jack only can give, came from theflag-ship, as the Firef
ly ran under her counter.
"What's that?" asked Somers--for there seemed to be something unusualgoing on.
Calling his gig, he went on board the flag-ship to report the result ofhis visit up the river. On the quarter deck he discovered a familiarface, which thrilled his heart with delight. It was "Brave Old Salt."
Somers approached the vice admiral, cap in hand, and was immediatelyrecognized.
"Mr. Somers, I am delighted to see you!" said the admiral, extending hishand.
"Thank you, sir," replied the young commander. "This is an unexpectedhappiness to me."
"There is only one joy to-day, Mr. Somers," continued the admiral."Richmond has fallen, and the rebellion is ended!"
"Glory, hallelujah!" said Somers, waving his cap.
"I came down here to learn what Grant was doing. God bless him! He hasdone everything," added the admiral.
Rear Admiral Porter now ordered the Firefly to be placed at the disposalof the Old Salamander, and Somers was happy in the duty assigned to him.A twelve-oar barge received the vice admiral, and conveyed him to thesteamer in which his voyage was to be continued. When he was on board,the barge was towed astern for his use farther up the river.
The Firefly steamed up the river with her illustrious passenger, and atthe invitation of the admiral, Somers accompanied him to Richmond.
A day later came President Lincoln in a barge, attended by AdmiralPorter, and Somers had the honor of being formally presented to thechief magistrate of the nation, who had a pleasant word for him, as hehad for all who approached him. Somers assisted in the ovation to thepresident, and listened with wonder and delight to the shouts of thenegroes, as they greeted the author of the Emancipation Proclamation asthe saviour and redeemer of their race.
Ten days later, that simple, great man fell by the hand of the assassin,though not till the news of the surrender of Lee's army had gladdenedhis heart, and assured him that the great work of his lifetime wasfinished.
Somers was shocked, stunned by the fearful news, the more so that he hadso recently pressed the hand of the illustrious martyr; and though thenation was full of mourners, there were none more sincere in their griefthan the young commander of the Firefly. He wept as he would have weptfor his own father; and shutting himself up in his cabin, in solemnfast, he read his Bible and prayed for the land he loved. How many truesouls did the same, when they heard of the awful tragedy!
The war was ended. A few days later came the news of Johnston'ssurrender. One by one, the gunboats were ordered north, and in June theFirefly dropped her anchor off the navy yard at Charlestown. A few hourslater Somers was in the arms of the loved ones at home, weeping tears ofjoy that the sound of strife was no more heard in the land.
The Firefly was no longer needed in the navy, and with a hundred othersshe was sold. As soon as she went out of commission, Tom Longstone,having been "honorably discharged with the thanks of the department" asan ensign, returned to his former rank of boatswain. When he obtained afurlough, he paid a visit to Pinchbrook, where he was kindly received byall the friends of his _protege_. The old man had money enough to buyhim a farm and retire from the navy; but he obstinately refused to do sowhile Somers retained his commission. He confidently expected to beappointed boatswain of the ship to which Lieutenant Somers might beordered.
During his absence Somers had received occasional letters from KatePortington; and we will not undertake to say how many reams of fine notepaper he spoiled in saying what can be of interest to none but theparties concerned. Of course there was any quantity of liquid moonshinespread out on these dainty sheets, and the young man was all the happierfor writing it, as she was for reading it, for Kate and Somers had cometo an excellent understanding with each other on these matters.
At the earliest day the public service would admit, he hastened toNewport; but on his arrival he found the commodore's house filled withgrief and lamentation. The husband and the father--the kindest ofhusbands and the tenderest of fathers--had been suddenly stricken downin New Orleans, where his ship was stationed. The sad tidings had comebut a few hours before; and a few hours later it had flashed all overthe land that one of the nation's truest defenders had fallen at thepost of duty.
In her grief Kate clung to Somers, who became the tenderest ofcomforters. Then she learned, when earth was dark to her, what a wealthof holy hope and pious faith there was in the soul of him she had chosenfrom the whole world to lean upon in joy and in sorrow, in prosperityand adversity, till life's fitful dream was over. Fondly she looked upto him in her heavy affliction, and through him to the heaven of whichhe spoke. He wept with her for him who was gone, and if she had lovedhim before, she reverenced him now.
Two weeks after the news came a steamer bearing the remains of thedeceased commodore. Then the tears broke out afresh, and Somerscontinued to perform the holy office he had chosen. With the bereavedchild--the only one--he stood at the tomb, and helped her to see theglory that streamed forth beyond its dark portals. Every day, for weeksafter, he visited her, never now to speak of his own selfish heartyearnings, but to utter words of peace and hope. When he announced hisintention to return home, she could not restrain her tears, so needfulhad he become to her in the depth of her sorrow.
In the autumn her mother and herself came to Boston to spend the winter.Kate was cheerful now, but the affliction through which she had passedhad given a shade of pensive sadness to her beautiful face, which timealone could wear away. They attended the wedding of Major Somers,John's brother, and rejoiced with him as he put the cup of bliss to hislips. Lilian and Kate became fast friends; they were nearer alike nowthan before the death of Commodore Portington.
The winter passed away, and early in March Lieutenant Somers wasappointed to a ship bound to the Pacific Ocean. He must be absent two orthree years. He hastened to Kate with the intelligence; and sad as itwas to himself, he knew it would be infinitely more so to her. Sheturned pale, and burst into tears. Her mother was hardly less affected.
"You must not go, John! O, no! You will not leave me!"
"I must obey orders."
"You can resign," suggested Mrs. Portington.
"Resign!" exclaimed Somers. "Resign when I am ordered to difficult ordisagreeable duty."
"You need not make so much of it," added the matron, with a smile."There are twice as many officers in the navy as are required. It iscertainly no disgrace, in time of peace, to resign. You will only make aplace for another who wants to visit the Pacific."
"You must resign, John," pleaded Kate, with an eloquence which he couldnot resist.
"On one condition I will do so," replied he, at last. "If there shouldbe war, I shall return to my post, if needed."
And thus it was that Somers left the navy. His prize money, which hadbeen carefully invested from time to time by Captain Barney, nowamounted to more than twenty thousand dollars. He was able to retire,and he did so.
It is generally understood that they are to be married in the autumn,when Mr. Somers will receive half a million with his wife, who is wortha million times that sum herself. As the happy event has not yetoccurred, we have nothing to say about it, but we wish them every joy inanticipation. Mrs. Portington speaks hopefully of the occasion, and hasalready selected a location, in the vicinity of Boston, where the happyyoung couple are to reside.
This event has decided Tom Longstone. He has thrown up his warrant, andbought a farm in Pinchbrook, on which he intends to "lay up" for therest of his life. A niece, who lost her husband in the war, is hishousekeeper, and at the time of Somers's last visit, the veteran was atthe high tide of felicity.
* * * * *
With many regrets we bid adieu to John Somers, to Thomas his brother,and all of the family. We leave them prosperous and happy; but they havepurchased earth's joys and heaven's hopes by being faithful toduty--true to God and themselves.
* * * * *
THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES.
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V. FIGHTING JOE; Or, The Fortunes of a Staff Officer. A SEQUEL TO "THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT."
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* * * * *
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