Crossing (25 page)

Anna came to him once and whispered, “You’re in your element, Thomas. You love nothing more than to argue over the Bible with ministers.”

“We’re not arguing. We’re discussing. It is edifying. You know, esposita, at one point in my life I wished desperately that God would call me to be a minister, but the call never came. So here I am a poor soldier. I can at least give comfort and hospitality to those who are.”

Anna smiled. She put her hand on Thomas’s arm and said, “In your own way, my dear, you are a minister of the Word, too. Remember one of my favorite chapters in the scripture?”

“Second Corinthians, chapter five,” Jackson answered.

“Verse twenty: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ….’ “ Anna said confidently. “You are not only an ambassador, you are a minister. Not only do you teach your cadets, you minister to them, too. Now, please excuse me and I’ll go to the kitchen to see about my ministry—providing enough coffee and tea to these gentlemen. It’s like trying to keep a battalion supplied,” she said with a smile.

In the hot kitchen, Hetty was boiling two big pots of water when Yancy came in the door with three pounds of coffee, a pound of Indian tea, and a pound of chamomile tea. “Hello, Mrs. Jackson. More coffee and tea for the gentlemen.” Sometimes on weekends he still helped Anna at the house with her garden and with repairs and with the horses.

“And just in time, too,” she sighed. “I think both the coffee samovar and the teapots are empty. Yancy, you look splendid in your uniform. And let me see …” She stepped up to him and looked up into his face. “You have, I think, grown another inch or two.”

“Guess so, ma’am,” he agreed. “I’m a couple of inches taller than my father now, and he’s right at six feet.”

“And is he as handsome as you are?” Anna asked innocently.

At the stove, Hetty’s broad face broke out in a smile.

Yancy replied, “Yes, ma’am—I mean, no, ma’am—wait, that’s not right—”

Anna took pity at the woeful confusion on Yancy’s face. “I’m sorry, Yancy, that was not a fair question, and I didn’t mean to trick you. Well, perhaps I did, but anyway, I was going to ask you to go into the parlor and bring in the samovar and the tea wagon. It’s too hot in this kitchen, and I don’t want you to wilt in your uniform. It looks so very crisp and clean and fresh.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you ma’am,” Yancy said, still with some confusion, and hurried out of the kitchen.

Indeed, the house was buzzing with activity. Ministers gathered in groups of two or three in spirited discussions; sometimes one man would hold forth to a large group of men in the parlor, sitting and standing—and all of them sipping coffee or tea. Yancy counted them; there were twenty-three men crowded into the Jacksons’ modest home. He was kept busy refreshing the coffee samovar and the teapots.

Once, on one of his countless trips from the kitchen to the parlor, he heard the knocker at the front door. He answered it to see a tall man, distinguished looking, wearing a somber black suit and a tall top hat. “Good afternooon, sir, may I help you?” Yancy asked, thinking that he was another minister.

The man looked him up and down in an assessing way.

Yancy was not in full uniform dress with his crossbelts and sword, but he was wearing his gray tunic, and his white trousers were—as Anna had noticed—spotless and flawlessly pressed with a knife-edge crease.

Yancy must have passed muster, because the man removed his hat and made a slight bow. “You are, I believe, one of our excellent cadets from Virginia Military Institute.”

Yancy, having learned much etiquette from Peyton Stevens, returned his own cool bow. “Yes, sir. I am Cadet Tremayne, sir.”

“My name is Evans, Henry Evans. I am from Governor Letcher’s office.” Solemnly they shook hands. “May I have an audience with Major Jackson, Cadet Tremayne? It is a matter of some importance and of a private nature.” His glance wandered toward the parlor, where the spirited discussions and some laughter sounded.

Yancy stepped back and extended his white-gloved hand for Mr. Evans to come in. “Please wait here, Mr. Evans. I’ll tell Major Jackson that you’re here.”

Yancy found Jackson listening to a minister who was holding forth to a group of six men concerning dispensations. Discreetly he went up to Jackson and whispered, “Sir, there is a Mr. Henry Evans who would like a private word with you. He’s from Governor Letcher’s office.”

A shadow passed over Jackson’s face, and he nodded. He had told Yancy he had been expecting a summons of some kind ever since the seventeenth when Virginia had seceded. “Very well. Where is he?”

“In the foyer, sir.”

“Good, good,” Jackson said absently, and slipped out of the parlor.

Major Jackson and Evans made their introductions and niceties. Then Evans commented, “It sounds as if you’re having a party, Major.”

“No, it is a group of Presbyterian ministers.”

“A group of ministers? They sound like men at a prize fight.”

Jackson smiled briefly. “Perhaps so, but I can assure you we are much less inclined to hostility than just honest debate.”

Evans nodded. “There is a sad lack of honest debate these days, sir. Which brings me to the governor’s business with you.” Evans reached into his inner pocket and brought out an envelope. “Orders for you, Major.”

Jackson took the envelope and read it, then nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Evans. Am I to understand that these orders are effective immediately?”

“Yes, sir. You’ll go into active duty at once.”

“Sir, please tell Governor Letcher that his orders will be obeyed to the letter.”

“God bless you, sir.” After a few more polite words, Evans took his leave.

Jackson went back into the house. Anna wasn’t in the parlor or the dining room where the ministers were, so he went into the kitchen where he found her there with Hetty, still boiling water and making more coffee and tea. He went to her and said softly, “Let’s go out in the garden for a few minutes.”

She looked surprised. “With all our guests?”

“Yes, my dearest.”

Anna grew sober. She followed him out to a stone bench in her garden, and they sat down together.

He put his arm around her. “I just got my orders from Governor Letcher, esposa.”

She stiffened slightly, but her voice was calm and even. “And what are your orders, Thomas?”

“The best cadets from the institute are called to duty in Richmond. I am to command them.”

She nodded. “When are you to go?”

Somewhat sadly he replied, “Tomorrow, I’m afraid. I had hoped to have the Sabbath for church affairs and some rest, but Governor Letcher has ordered us to muster and go to Richmond immediately.”

She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

He lightly kissed her cheek and whispered, “I hate to leave you! God knows I do!”

Anna couldn’t answer. His arms tightened on her and they rested together in silence for a few moments.

Finally he said, “I must go dismiss our guests. There is much to do. I’m going to send Yancy to the institute to alert the cadets, and then I’ll go talk to them.”

Yancy rode to the institute, and for an hour rousted everybody out. Most of them were wearing their uniforms, but the ones who weren’t started to change. “Don’t bother with uniforms right now. The major just wants to talk to you.”

Finally all the cadets were turned out on the parade ground, and Major Jackson walked up. He spoke loudly, “Attention!” and the line stiffened and fell silent.

Yancy kept his eyes on Jackson’s face, and he could see that there was some sort of a portent in the major’s expression. His features were usually mild and benign, but not now. There was something hard, almost harsh in it.

He stopped in front of the cadets and said, “I have received orders from Governor Letcher. All of the cadets seventeen and older will march to Richmond tomorrow to serve with the Army of Virginia. I’ll be your commanding officer. I want you to be ready to march at 1:00. You know what field packs are. Be sure and bring your rifles and plenty of ammunition. Write letters to your families tonight, and I’ll arrange a special mail pickup tomorrow. I’ll be back early in the morning to see how you’re proceeding, and all of our institute officers will be available to help you in any way we can. That’s all for now. Dismissed.”

Yancy went up to Jackson and said, “Sir, since my family is so close, may I go tonight and tell them good-bye? I’ll be back in plenty of time to make up my field pack and for muster tomorrow.”

“You may, Cadet Tremayne,” Jackson answered. “Give them my best wishes.”

It was almost nine o’clock at night before Yancy got to the farm. He was afraid that everyone might be asleep, and waking them up to tell them his news would make it seem so much more melodramatic than it really was. After all, it wasn’t as if Richmond was a battle zone. The capital of the Confederate States of America had been moved from Montgomery to Richmond, and so it was the center of the government. Yancy was a little unclear as to what exactly the cadets would be doing, but it seemed unlikely that they would be marching to war.

For now, at least.

As he rode up he was relieved to see the lamps lit in the parlor. Someone was up, at least. He dismounted and tied Midnight to the hitching post. “I’m not going to unsaddle you, boy,” he said, rubbing his nose. “We can’t stay long.”

He went up on the veranda and knocked lightly on the door then stuck his head in. Hank gave one long bay then came galloping out to meet him. “It’s just me,” he called. “Yancy.” He gave Hank a friendly ear rub then went into the parlor.

His father had risen, but Becky and Zemira were still sitting on the settees by a small friendly fire.

“Of course we knew it was you,” Zemira said drily. “Who else would it be gallivanting around in the middle of a Saturday night?”

“Not me … not for a long time anyway,” Yancy replied, kissingher on one smooth cheek. “And I’m not gallivanting. I came out because I have some news.”

Slowly Daniel sat back down. All three of them suddenly looked grave.

Yancy sat down by Zemira. He knew there was no way to soften it or sugarcoat it, so he just said it. “The top cadets at VMI have been detached to Richmond to serve with the Army of Northern Virginia. Major Jackson is our commander.”