On to Richmond (38 page)

An hour later, Matthew
lay on his spot on the floor with his hands clasped behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.   A pungent odor caused him to turn his head to watch one of the prisoners trim his beard.  Matthew had never before grown a beard but was now letting his grow out.   All the officers, as was the custom, already sported beards when they arrived in the prison.  They were determined to keep them neat. 

             
Colonel Bagley had found a polished piece of tin he was using as his mirror.  He had even fabricated a lantern out of a tin food can by cutting one side out and placing a candle inside.  Matthew watched as he held a piece of wood over the candle until the wood was glowing.  Once it was hot enough, he pulled it away and then held the wood to the whiskers of his beard, singeing them.  The look on Bagley’s face told Matthew the smell was pungent, but he hardly noticed it.  It merely mingled with all the other smells of the room - body odors, food, tobacco smoke, and the perfume that Congressman Ely had managed to persuade the guard to purchase for him. 

             
Matthew watched for a few moments and then turned back to finish his inspection of the ceiling.  The spider he had been watching for days was almost done building the elaborate web spreading out over his head.  Watching the industrious little guy had given him something to do. 

             
Suddenly he was jolted upright by the sound of a door crashing open and a voice shouting, “Fall in!” 

             
“What the..!” he exclaimed as he jumped up.  Men sprang to attention all around him.  Some were slower to move, so surprised were they by the sudden intrusion. 

             
“I said, Fall in!”  Lieutenant Todd shouted from where he stood at the door.

             
Matthew hurried to his place in the line and then turned to look at the three men accompanying Todd.  All, but one, were holding pistols as was Todd.  The other one gripped a mean-looking bowie knife.  What was going on? 

             
Todd, a fierce scowl on his face, strode up and down the hastily formed lines, looking the prisoners up and down.  A deathly silence gripped the room.  All eyes followed the officer as he returned to the front of the room. 

             
“Gentleman, information has been received that the officers have concealed weapons in this building.   I have been ordered to conduct a search.”  Satisfaction was evident in his voice. 

             
Colonel Bagley was the first to respond.  “We have no hidden weapons here.  You may search to your heart’s content.”

             
Lieutenant Todd sneered.  “We have received information to the contrary.”

             
Bagley shrugged.  “Go ahead.  You will find nothing.”

             
Matthew watched silently as the four men spread out around the room. Protest and grumblings rose up as they pulled back and turned over bedding.  Lieutenant Todd used his sword to pick at clothing as if he were afraid he would be contaminated by touching Yankee belongings.  The other men poked through scant personal belongings lined up on the shelves and paid no heed when they fell to the floor.

             
One of the men, the rough-looking one with the bowie knife, picked up two papers lying on one of the beds and began to read them. 

             
Immediately the man protested.  “That’s a letter to my wife.  Isn’t it bad enough it has to go through the censors?”

             
The man holding the papers looked up with a sneer.  “Bet she’s right nice looking, Captain.  Too bad she’s probably in bed with one of your friends back home.”

             
Matthew leapt forward just as the captain lunged for the man.  “He’s not worth it, Captain.  Let it be,” he urged, holding the angry man back.   He gave a sigh of relief when the captain straightened and deliberately turned his back on his tormentor. 

             
The other two men with Lieutenant Todd had remained silent up to this point. Finally one, a Confederate captain, shook his head in disgust and spoke.  “Gentleman, I’m sorry.  Our information was clearly wrong.  And I apologize for this crude man’s behavior.”  Then he turned to the man he was referring to.  “You may leave, detective.  We will complete the search without you.”

             
Matthew peered at the offending man more closely.  He must have been the one claiming to have the information about hidden weapons.

             
The detective flushed red and turned to address the captain.  “Whatever you say,
Captain
.   I don’t cotton to coddling prisoners.  Guess you and me feel different about that.”  Catching Lieutenant Todd’s eye, he turned to leave the room.  He was laughing as he left. 

             
The room fell silent as the search continued.  At the end of an half hour, the only
weapons
  found were several penknives.  

             
Matthew almost smiled at the bitter disappointment on Todd’s face.  He had no use for the Confederate officer.  He rarely saw him when he was not inebriated.  His drunken condition seemed to only exacerbate the bitterness and anger that seethed within him.  He seemed to feel his role in life was to subjugate his prisoners to constant indignity and hardship.  He was glad this search had given him no satisfaction. 

             
Grumbling, the invading men finally left the room.

             
Matthew watched the door shut and then sagged against the wall with relief. 

             
The voice beside him was quiet.  “That was close.”

             
Matthew nodded.  “Fifteen minutes sooner and the game would have been up.”  He shook his head when he thought about what would have happened to him if his writings had been found.  He knew one of the privates in the next building had been killed for sticking his head out of a window.  He shuddered as he imagined what they would have done to him. 

             
Slowly, he walked over to the table and picked up the plate Opal had delivered the biscuits on that morning.  It had not attracted even a whit of attention.  Matthew smiled as he balanced it on his hand.  What the Confederates would have given to know the contents of the plate, carefully hidden inside the false bottom.  Not even all the officers knew that, aided by the light of a single candle, Matthew wrote long into the night, detailing their prison life and giving particulars on all the officers, as well as copying word for word idle comments he heard from the guards outside the window when they thought no one could hear them.  It might not be worth anything - but then, other people might have a different perspective.  Matthew had received coded information back in the plate requesting that the reports continue, so someone must think they had value. 

             
Matthew replaced the plate on the table with a smile.  He would call for the guard later that day when things had settled down.  He knew Opal would be back for it tomorrow. 

             
All was still well. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

             
Carrie’s heart pounded as she climbed the steps to her father’s house.  Would he believe her story?  Or would he see right through her subterfuge?  She knew of no other way to accomplish what she needed to.  She had to come to Richmond.

             
Micah answered her knock on the door.  “Miss Cromwell!” he said in a surprised voice.  “I wasn’t expecting you.”  Immediately, he opened the door wide.  “Your father should be home in a few minutes.  May I get you something?” 

             
Carrie shook her head.  “No thank you, Micah.  And there is absolutely no reason you should have been expecting me.  I came to surprise my father.  Would you please make sure Sam has a place to sleep? He will be staying here until I’m ready to return home.”

             
“Certainly, Miss Carrie.”

             
Carrie had just finished changing out of her dusty traveling dress when she heard her father’s carriage roll up.  She took a deep breath, ran down the stairs, and opened the door before he could reach his hand out. 

             
“Carrie!”  Her father’s voice echoed the surprise etched on his face.  “What in the world are you doing here?”  Then his face sharpened with concern.  “Is something wrong?  Something on the plantation?  What is it?”

             
Carrie moved forward quickly giving him a big hug and kissing his cheek warmly.  “Nothing is wrong, Father.  Everything on the plantation is just fine.”

             
“Then what are you doing here?” Thomas asked.  He was obviously confused.

             
Carrie laughed lightly.  “I’m here because I missed you.”

             
Thomas stared at her.  “You’re here because you miss me?”

             
Carrie felt a twinge of panic.  It would not do for her father to become suspicious.  She knew how it must look.  She had never come to Richmond before like this.  “Can’t a girl miss her father?  Aren’t you glad to see me?” she asked with a slight pout falling on her lips.  After her little game in the prison with Lieutenant Todd, she had wondered if she should go into acting.  Now, as she watched her father’s reaction, she was sure of it. 

             
Immediately, Thomas was apologetic.  “Of course, I’m glad to see you.  It’s a wonderful surprise!  I just wasn’t expecting it.” 

             
Carrie breathed an inward sigh of relief.  Another week and she could have come with the first load of produce, but she had been afraid to wait that long.  The upcoming October deadline to send Moses, along with the other slaves, to Richmond was scaring her.  She had to take action. 

             
Smiling cheerfully, she took her father’s arm and walked into the house.  “Tell me all about what is going on.”

             
“Of course,” Thomas said.  “But tell me first, how long are you here for?”

             
“Only three days.”

             
“You came all the way here for three days?”

             
Carrie looked at him quickly.  She was relieved to see the suspicion gone. 

             
There was nothing but pleasure in his voice when he repeated, “You came all this way for three days?”

             
Carrie smiled, feeling a pang of remorse.  She should have done this before.  Suddenly she had a glimpse of how lonely it must be for her father sometimes.  He had his work to keep him busy, but there were still long nights to endure alone. 

             
“You must accompany me to the dance tomorrow night,” Thomas said firmly.  “I had thought not to go, but now that I will have the loveliest date there I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

             
Carrie smiled in delight. “That sounds wonderful!  I haven’t been to a dance in ages.”

             
“Not since the Christmas ball,” Thomas reminded her.  “It’s high time you had some fun again.  Your life on the plantation is too much work.  When you were here before, no one was thinking about dances.  All eyes and hearts were centered on Manassas.  I think you will find the city a much more joyful place.  A dance will do you good.”