Storm Clouds Rolling In (76 page)

Carrie swung her attention back to the hastily erected platform.
Suddenly, all she wanted was to be with her father. In the face of such mindless passion, she desperately needed his thoughtful thinking and careful words. She pushed her way out of the crowd and fought her way to the edge. She looked back only once at the flag fluttering brightly above the Iron Works, and hurried up the hill toward the capitol.

She was almost to the Capitol
building when she saw her father’s figure emerge from the columned porch. “Father!” she called loudly.

Thomas turned.
“Carrie! What are you doing here?” His face was at once both grim and concerned. “Are you alone?” he asked, looking around.

“Yes,” Carrie said impatiently.
This was no time to worry about protocol. “Father, the whole city is going crazy. I just saw the Confederate flag raised over the Iron Works. And I just heard our Attorney General Tucker say Virginia will secede. Is it true? Have we really seceded?”

Thomas shook his head firmly.
“We have
not
seceded! Virginia is still a part of the Union!” A sudden roar of voices caused him to turn and stare down the street. His face paled. “Letcher said they would be here next.”

Carrie turned to follow his gaze.
“They must be coming from the Iron Works!” she said as the mob surged down the road toward the Capitol.

Thomas nodded, and took her arm.
“I don’t think they mean any harm, but I don’t want you out here alone with them. Come inside with me.”

Carrie shook off his hand.
“I want to stay out here, Father. This is no time to hide.” Somehow, Carrie knew that in the future she would be casting her lot with these impassioned people. She couldn’t explain it—she just knew she needed to stay where she was.

Thomas sighed.
“Very well,” he agreed heavily. “We’ll see what the governor has to say from here.”

Within moments they were thronged by the milling crowd of people.
Fortunately, they were all in good humor. The speeches and excitement down at the Iron Works had reassured them. They simply wanted to see their governor.

“Letcher
! Letcher! Letcher!”

The columned porch of the Capitol
building remained empty as the chants filled the afternoon air.

“Hoist the flag, boys!”
The mighty cry was given by a man standing just a few feet away from Carrie. As if waiting for their signal, two young boys suddenly sprinted from the crowd and headed for the flagpole atop the Capitol. No one stopped them as they raced in and began a swift climb up the stairs that would take them to the roof. The whole crowd cheered them mightily as they appeared on the roof and began to climb the lightning rod that held the Stars and Stripes.

“Father!”
Carrie gasped and reached out to grab his arm as she saw the clamps holding the rod began to let go. The pole swayed precariously under the weight of the agile youth. “He’s going to fall!” she cried. Staring upward, she groaned as the boy fell and began to roll down the slope of the building. Carrie wanted to close her eyes and turn away, but she was hypnotized by the drama playing out before her eyes.

Suddenly she noticed the other boy flash to lodge himself in the gutter of the building.
She shared the tension in his body as he braced himself for the impact. Every fiber in her body strained to help him. “Stop him,” she whispered.

“He’s got him!”
A mighty cheer rang out from the crowd as the other boy stopped his friend’s fall. Triumphantly, the two boys turned to the cheering crowd with grinning faces and upraised arms.

Carrie slumped against her father in relief.

Thomas shook his head gravely.
“That’s just the beginning. There won’t always be someone around to save young men caught in their passions.”

A young man Carrie’s age overheard him.
He turned to stare at the older man with the weary eyes. “Don’t worry, old man!” he cried. “Let those Yankees come down and try to do something. They’ll be running back to their mamas with their tails tucked between their legs.” He turned back to cheer as a mighty roar rose from the crowd.

Carrie looked upward.
The two boys had accomplished their mission—the Stars and Bars waved proudly in place of the Stars and Stripes. Wild cheering continued as the sun caught the fluttering fabric and sent radiant gleams across the city. Strains of
Dixie
, the new song of the South, mingled with the cheers.

Governor Letcher finally appeared on the porch.

“Letcher
! Letcher! Letcher!”

Governor Letcher smiled briefly and lifted his arms to ask for quiet.
Only when the crowd had settled down did he speak. His speech was brief and direct. He pledged to do his constitutional duty. His only concession to the spirit of the hour was that he would defend Virginia’s honor. He looked up at the flag fluttering high above his head. “I will remind all of you that Virginia has
not
seceded yet. We are still a part of the United States.” For a moment he looked out at the exuberant crowd and his eyes caught those of Thomas Cromwell. The two men exchanged a deep look of understanding before the governor looked away. “Goodnight.” With those final words, Letcher turned and disappeared into the building.

Carrie knew the crowd had been undaunted by Letcher’s mild rebuff.
Why, the governor had promised to defend Virginia’s honor and there was only one way to do that. It was just a matter of time. Virginia would secede. Other men hurried forward to take the steps of the Capitol and deliver their fiery speeches.

Carrie and her father watched for a long while.
As they finally walked away, a shout rose from the crowd to show their approval of a proposed resolution: that we rejoice with high, exultant, heartfelt joy at the triumph of the Southern Confederacy over the accursed government at Washington in the capture of Fort Sumter.

Thomas returned to the Capitol
building, leaving Carrie to wander the streets, though he made her promise to be careful and to return home soon. She knew he was worried, but she had to share in this experience. Darkness heightened the enthusiasm spilling over in the crowded streets. It seemed to Carrie that most of the city’s population thronged the riotous streets. Bonfires crackled on street corners. Torches and illuminated buildings cast glowing light on the profuse display of Confederate flags draped over windowsills and hanging from doorways. Bells pealed and fireworks exploded as bands played the latest Southern tunes. Speeches erupted where ever there were enough people to listen. Never had Carrie seen such a wild demonstration of emotion and joy.

The people of the South were, for the moment, celebrating.
Concealed by the blanket of night and the blindness of their eyes, they could not see the dark, ominous clouds envelope the city. Clouds which had lingered on the horizon shouting out their warning to any who would listen now converged and settled, knowing the passions that had called them could not now send them away. The course was set. There was no turning back.

Carrie was still up when her
father entered the house long after midnight. He said nothing, just dropped wearily in his chair. Carrie sat quietly.

Finally Thomas spoke.
“Letcher has called out the Public Guard to secure the property and buildings belonging to the United States.” He paused. “He also had the Confederate flag taken down. He replaced it with the Virginia flag.”

“Not the United States flag?” Carrie questioned, leaning forward.

Thomas shook his head.
“Letcher knows Sumter has given the secessionist the final voice, but he is determined that order and legality will prevail. He has also sent commissioners to Washington to seek some kind of guarantees from Lincoln. He is still searching for some way out of this mess, but I believe he knows the inevitable is coming.”

Thomas turned to stare into the fire Micah had laid to ward off the late evening chill.
“I think you need to have your things moved to Richmond, Carrie.” His voice was grave.

Carrie stared at him.
“What?” she said in disbelief. “Why?” She was not at all prepared for this turn of events.

Thomas swung around to look at her.
“War is coming. I know it. I’ve told you before it won’t be the easy war everyone is talking about. There will be much tragedy and death on either side.” It was obvious he had thought this through long before now. “Letcher has already asked me to stay here to help settle all the ramifications of what is coming. I will not return home until after the war.” He leaned forward and spoke intensely. “I don’t want you on the plantation, Carrie. I would do nothing but worry about you. There is no telling what is going to happen. If the war doesn’t actually reach there, you will soon not be safe with the slaves. The spirit of rebellion is going to affect them as well.” He paused. “I am sending a letter back with you to Ike Adams. I have asked him to take on the job of completely overseeing the plantation until this is all over.” His voice was firm. “I want you to come to Richmond and live, Carrie.”

Carrie gazed at him for several long moments.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, but equally firm. “I can’t do that, Father.”

Thomas didn’t look surprised, but he shook his head firmly.
“I am not asking you, Carrie. I’m telling you this time. I want you in Richmond.”

Carrie took a deep breath.
“Father, you left me on the plantation six months ago because it was what you had to do. I have never begrudged you that.” She paused, not wanting her words to hurt him. “I have always been independent, but leaving me on my own out there made me even more so.” She smiled slightly at the look of pain that flickered across her father’s face. “It’s not a bad thing, Father. I rather like being independent. It’s other people who seem to have a hard time with it.” She paused again, searching for the right words. “It’s more than that, though. At one time all I wanted was to leave Cromwell and move to Richmond. I would have jumped at the opportunity you are giving me. It’s different now,” she said slowly. “My place is on the plantation for now. I believe that’s where I’m supposed to be. I have to go back, and you need to let me do what I have to do.”

Thomas looked at her for several long minutes.
Not a sound stirred the quiet of the room except the occasional crack of an ember. Finally he nodded. “As usual, I’m going to let you have your way.” He smiled faintly, as if determined to face defeat gracefully. “It’s different this time, though. I’m not giving in to a strong-willed daughter. I am accepting the beliefs of a strong woman who knows what she wants. I will still worry about you, but it seems we have two different jobs to do.”

Carrie moved forward and sank down at his feet, laying her head on his knee like she had done as a child.
She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Father.”

Two days later, Thomas strode into the house, his whole body held in stern lines.
“Lincoln has gone too far!” he proclaimed as soon as he entered the house.

Carrie had just returned from a walk in the city.
She laid aside her hat and walked over to look up into her Father’s face. “What has happened?”

“Lincoln has requested Virginia to commission
eight thousand men to form an army of seventy-five thousand to put down the Southern rebellion.”