A Daughter of the Union by Lucy Foster Madison
CHAPTER VII
THE EXAMPLE OF A GIRL
Slowly the transport, which was called The Gem, steamed down the riverand Jeanne stayed on deck long hours to watch the scenery, which wasnew and strange to her. The river was full of devious windings and thegirl was amazed at its great bends and loops, and sometimes it seemed toher that the turns must bring them back to Memphis. The eastern shorebounded by the lofty plains of Tennessee and Mississippi terminatingat times in precipitous bluffs afforded a great contrast to the flatlands of the western bank. The dense forests of cottonwood, sweet gum,magnolia, sycamore and tulip trees festooned with long gray streamers ofmoss were interspersed with cypress swamps and a network of bayous.
"Whar you bin dat you ain't nebber seed no 'nolias befo'?" queriedTennessee as she listened to Jeanne's expressions of admiration as aparticularly handsome clump of magnolias came into view on the westernbank. The channel of the river at this point ran so close to the shorethat the perfume of the creamy blossoms was very perceptible.
"I've always lived in New York City," replied Jeanne. "I saw some magnoliatrees once in Maryland, but I never saw them in blossom. Aren't theybeautiful?"
"Yes, honey. Dey is purty fer a fac'," replied the negress. "I allerslaked de 'nolias myself, and dat wuz de reason dat I named my darter so,but we called her Snowball fer short."
"You did?" laughed Jeanne. "Why, Tenny, Snowball isn't any shorter thanMagnolia. Why didn't you call her 'Nolia,' if you wished to shorten thename?"
"My ole marster, he done it," was the reply. "Ole marster say, 'Tenny, datli'l pickaninny too white ter be named anything so yaller as a magnolia.Better call her Snowball.' Ole marster allers would hab his joke, anddat gal of mine wuz jist as brack as de nex' one. I didn't want my chilecalled Snowball. It wuzn't stylish nohow, but would you b'lebe me, chile?De fust thing I knowed, white and culled wuz a callin' her Snowball, an'den I did, too."
"Where is she now, Tenny? I should think you would want her with you onthese trips."
"Chile, chile, dat's de thing dat tears dis hyar old heart ob mine,"said the woman, her eyes filling with tears. "Ole marster say she was a'likely gal' an' she wuz, ef she wuz mine. Dey made much ob her and wouldhab her roun' dem all de time. Seem laik nobody could do for 'em laikSnowball. Den ole marster tuk sick and died an' ole missus she say she habter sell us all, kase she didn't hab no money any mo'. An' Massa Cap'n hebought me but 'nother man bought Snowball an' tuk her down to Loosyanny."
"Why, that is awful!" cried Jeanne, her eyes overflowing, her heart fullof sympathy for the darky. She had often heard tales of this kind but thiswas the first time that this phase of slavery had been brought home toher. A child torn from its mother appealed to her, so many miles fromher own dear mother, as nothing else could have done. "Why didn't CaptainLeathers buy her too?" she asked. "He seems like a kind man."
"He is, honey. 'Deed he is," replied Tenny wiping her eyes, "an' he didtry, but the yudder man had bought her fust an' he wouldn't gib her up.I can't blame him fer she wuz a likely gal. Lawsie, chile, dat gal wuzsmarter'n a whip!"
"How long has she been gone, Tenny?"
"'Twas befo' de wah broke out. Massa Cap'n he wanted a good cook, an' Isutinly am dat, so he tuk me. He say dat I'se ter hab my freedum too, butshucks! what's freedum ter me? I'd rudder hab my gal dan all de freedum inde world."
"Yes; I suppose so," said Jeanne dreamily. "Still, Tenny, if you had yourfreedom you could go to look for Snowball."
"Now, missy, what could Tenny do? A pore ole nigger can't do nuffin nohow.S'pose I did fin' her, what's I gwine ter do 'bout it? I couldn't buyher. 'Sides, ef dey cot an ole 'ooman a foolin' roun' dat didn't seemter 'long ter nobody dey lock me up, suah. Mebbe dey'd whip me. An',chile, once you had de whip ter yer back you doesn't want it no mo'. No;I'se gwine ter stay right with Massa Cap'n. He's a good marster, an'he'll take good keer ob Tenny."
Jeanne sat silently thinking over what she had heard. Her heart achedfor the helpless mother and she chafed at her inability to aid her. Thedarkness of the great slavery evil fell upon her spirit. Was this theland of the free and the home of the brave? she mused. How could she eversing "The Star Spangled Banner" again so long as it waved over a countrya portion of whose inhabitants groaned under a yoke of bondage!
"'Spect I ortern't ter hab tole yer dis, chile," said Tenny, becomingalarmed at her silence. "A nigga's trubbles nuffin nohow. Done you bodderyer purty haid ober it. I'se sorry I tole yer."
"I am glad, Tenny, but I do feel so sorry for you. I wish I could helpyou. If I knew where the man was that bought your child I'd buy her backand give her to you. Then if Captain Leathers would set you free you couldboth go North and nobody could ever separate you again."
"Bress yer good haht, honey!" exclaimed Tenny, clapping her hands. "I wishI knowed his name. He wus an horsifer. I heerd dem call him Kuhnel."
"And don't you remember his name?"
"No, missy; I doesn't. Nebber heerd him called nuffin but Kuhnel nohow.Wait a minnit! Chile, chile, 'pears ter me I did hyar it. Lemme think. Myole haid no 'count no mo'." She placed her hands to her head and lookedwith troubled eyes at Jeanne. "Why can't I 'member? 'Twuzn't Massa Benson?No; 'twuzn't. Think, nigga! Why done yer 'zert yersef? Nebber did hab nosense nohow."
Thus she rambled on, muttering to herself until presently she sprang toher feet exclaiming:
"I'se got it, missy. 'Twuz Kuhnel Peyton. Massa Kuhnel Peyton! I 'membersit now 'zactly. Massa Kuhnel Peyton! Dat's it. Dat's it."
"Colonel Peyton!" said Jeanne. "I'll remember that name, Tenny. How muchdo you suppose the Colonel would want for her?"
"'Bout a tousand dollahs, I reckon," answered Tenny.
"A thousand dollars," echoed Jeanne in dismay. "Oh, Tenny, I haven't nearthat much. I didn't suppose that it would be so much as that."
"Niggas wuth heaps ob money," said Tenny proudly. "My gal wuz smaht, Itell yer. Dat's why she brung so much. Can't you buy her, missy? Tenny'lllub yer all yer life ef yer will."
"I'll write to my father," decided Jeanne. "I'll get him to buy her forme. He will know just what to do, and you shall have your child again,Tenny, I'll promise you that."
"Ef yer'll jest do that, missy, ole Tenny'll do anything in de wohld feryer," sobbing in her eagerness. "To think ob habin' my babby ergain. Shewuz my babby, missy. I had ten befo' her but 'peared laik none ob demtuk sich a hole on ma haht de way she did. Ef I kin hab her ergain I'llbrack yer shoes, an' scrub yer floors er do anything all de res' ob malife. Yer won't need ter lift yer purty white han's ter do er a lick erwuk nebber no mo'."
"I'll do it if it is possible," said Jeanne. "It may take some time tofind the Colonel, Tenny. You know that the war has disturbed everythingso, but my father will know just what to do. If anybody can find him Iknow that he can. Just hope and pray that it will all come right yet."
"I'll do dat, honey. I'se been prayin' fer dis long time, but I didn't dono hopin' kase it didn't seem no use. But bress yer! De Lohd seems 'boutter lead me outen de valley ob de shadder. Massa Cap'n say sumtime we allbe free, but dat's too much ter hope fer."
"No; it isn't, Tenny. The people up North are talking about it all thetime and working for it. I should not be surprised if it were to happenany time."
"Glory!" shouted the old woman rapturously. "Den dere wouldn't be no mo'whippin's, ner chilluns sold frum der mammies, ner hidin's in de swampwid de dogs arter yer, ner put in jail ef yer does run away. Oh, chile,it'll be de bressed day ef it do happen! But it can't be true."
"Hope for it, Tenny. That is what we are doing, but it grows late and Ibelieve that I am tired. Would you mind going with me to the cabin while Igo to bed? Someway I feel lonesome to-night."
"'Course yer lonesum. Way offen yer folks laik dis. Suttinly I'll go an'only too glad. Ole Tenny'll put yer ter bed laik she wuz yer own mammy."She bustled about the girl when they reached the latter's stateroom andsoon had Jeanne snugly in bed. "Dis hyar winda'll gib yer air," she saidopening it. "Yer needn't be afeerd
She sat by the girl's side and began crooning weirdly. The wild barbaricmelody rising and falling in a sort of rhythm with the motion of the boat.Jeanne listened fascinated by the music and presently her eyes becameheavy and soon she was fast asleep.
On and on down the tortuous curves of the river The Gem wended her wayuntil at last she came in sight of the flotilla under the command ofCommodore Davis. A shout went up from the fleet as the men caught sightof the transport, and there was a scramble for her sides as she hoveto alongside of the flagship of the Commodore.
Jeanne kept herself in readiness to be transferred to one of the gunboats,for Captain Leathers had told her that he did not expect to go farther.Soon he returned from a visit to the flagship.
"Commodore Davis says that it will not be advisable for you to come aboardany one of his ships as there are many cases of fever among the men," hesaid, coming at once to the waiting girl. "Both Commodore Farragut's forceand his own are down with it. They intend withdrawing from the assault onVicksburg as they have received orders to that effect from Washington.Therefore Davis will retire to Helena and Farragut to New Orleans untilthey can have the cooperation of the army."
"But----" began Jeanne.
"You see the thing is to get you to Farragut," interrupted the Captain."Davis and I have decided that some of these supplies ought to be carriedto the Commodore directly. He knows his need; so that I am going to himwith the transport. Davis will send a gunboat with me for protection. Itis fair to tell you that there will be great danger. The ram Arkansas isanchored just below the city and will do all she can to injure us. Nowthe question is, what will you do? The best thing to my way of thinkingwould be for you to stay right here with old Tenny either on one of thegunboats, fever stricken though they be, or to land somewhere until myreturn."
"There is no question at all about it," said Jeanne decidedly. "I willgo with you."
"But you understand that there is danger, child? Great danger! We may allof us be killed."
"Yes; I know," replied Jeanne quietly, "but I started for New Orleans,Captain, and I am going if I can get there."
"Then there is nothing more to be said," and the Captain heaved a sigh."I will not attempt to combat your decision, child, but I wish you wouldnot go. However I must see the men now, and place the matter before them.You may go with me if you like."
Jeanne followed him and stood by his side as he called all hands aft.
"My men," said the captain in clear tones, "I have called you togetherto put a plain statement of facts before you. You know that we were senthere with supplies for the two fleets of Commodores Farragut and Davis.Both squadrons have many cases of fever which has seriously depletedtheir strength. Farragut needs the drugs that we have immediately. Ofcourse he can get supplies by the outside route, but that takes toolong. The poor fellows are in urgent want of what we have. Now, men,it was not the intention to go farther when we started than Davis'sflotilla, but my heart bleeds for those suffering sailors. I want to runby Vicksburg to-night in the darkness. I will not disguise the danger.The ram Arkansas lies at anchor under the city as a further menacebesides the batteries. I want no man to accompany the expedition who doesnot go willingly. All who wish to remain with the fleet may do so withoutthe least stigma of cowardice attaching to them. Who will go with me?"
There was dead silence. Jeanne looked with surprise at the grave facesbefore her. She had thought that men were always ready to lay down theirlives in a good cause. She had not dreamed that any one would hesitate fora moment. Her amazed look gave place to one of scorn as the time passedand no one spoke. Stepping close to the Captain's side she slipped herlittle hand into his and said clearly:
"I will go with you, Captain."