Yankee Bride / Rebel Bride by Jane Peart

Author:Jane Peart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Array
Publisher: Zondervan

chapter

21

THE FIRST DAYS of December, 1861, were like Indian summer. Warm, sunny afternoons lingered. Over everything shimmered a lovely golden haze.

Yet, along with this aura of peace, a kind of restless wind moved through the countryside, an unsettling sense of foreboding.

Stories of small bands of Yankee maurauders making foraging missions for horses, cattle, and other livestock, spread among the plantations. In fact, some had already been visited by these unexpected raiders. Groups of six to ten riders would suddenly swoop into a place, round up all the booty they could carry, then ride out again in a matter of minutes. There were more disturbing stories of Negroes, who looked upon the soldiers as liberators, going along with them or even helping them steal their masters' property.

Perhaps because Montclair was set so far back from the main road and partially hidden by the deep woods between the gates and the house, nothing of that kind had happened. Yet the threat was very real and added to the general anxiety that lay like a pall over the household.

Early in the second week of December, Bryce came home on a brief furlough to see his mother and bring Garnet from Richmond.

Rose, who had taken Jonathan out to the orchard to gather some late pears, was just coming back up to the house when they saw Simmy, the little black boy posted near the gates, come running toward them, waving both his skinny arms. "Yankees! Yankees comin' down de road!" he hollered, his eyes wide with fright.

Reacting instinctively, Rose gathered up her skirts, grabbed Jonathan's arm and began running toward the front porch. The little boy's chubby legs were pumping hard to keep up with her, and at the steps, Rose swung him up in her arms, basket and all, and rushed into the house.

Inside the front door she set him down and called for Linny. The other house servants who at the sound of her voice had left chores, came into the hall, Rose began issuing directions

"Joshua," she said, "send word to the stable that the grooms are to take the horses to the woods and wait there until we tell them it's safe to come back. Hurry! There are Yankee soldiers on their way here."

The startled servants stared at her dumbly. Rose spoke as calmly as she could manage, "Don't be afraid. Just do as I tell you and everything will be all right."

Standing in the middle of the front hall, she saw Garnet bending over the second-floor balcony, and Rose ran halfway up the stairway. "Garnet," she said in a low, steady voice, "get Bryce out of Mama's room, quickly! Yankee soldiers will be here any minute. We'll have to hide him or he'll be taken prisoner. Try not to upset Mama. Get him out some way or other first."

Garnet nodded, her face drained of color, her eyes wide and frightened.

Rose went rapidly up the remaining steps, thinking hard. She met Linny coming out of the nursery. "Quickly! Get Jonathan!" she

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.