The Return of the Freedom Thief Page 6

  He finished writing, and carefully folded the page into small squares. He walked over to his dresser and hid the note under his socks, left the room and went back out into the fields to work.

  * * *

  Shortly after Ben returned to work, he saw Grammy’s carriage come in. One of the house slaves came running out, helped his mother and grandmother out of the carriage, and carried their baskets of food into the house. Ben wanted to give his grandmother enough time to go up to her room before he went back into the house. He worked awhile longer, then went over to the well and splashed some water on his face and hands. At least he would get the surface dirt off before he went inside.

  A few minute late, he knocked on her door. “Grammy? You in there?”

  “Come in, Ben.”

  As he sat down on the window seat, Grammy looked him over with a critical eye. “Well, Ben, there must be something of importance for you to come in this way. You’ve been out in the fields, I take it?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Grammy. Yes, I’ve been out working. I’m sorry, I didn’t take the time to clean up good. I need to tell you something. Maybe you can help me figure this out.”

  Ben told her what he had overheard. “The thing is, Grammy, I need to get this information to this General McDowell if I can. And…” He paused. Grammy shot him a stern look.

  “And what, Ben? What else is there that you want to tell me?”

  He fidgeted, running his fingers through the mop of hair that fell over his forehead. “Uh—well, I’ve decided what I’m going to do. It means leaving home again, but there’s no other way. I can’t stay here and do nothing. I’ve about come undone about all of this, but now I’m sure of what I’m going to do.”

  Grammy frowned. She sighed, leaned back in her chair, and said, “I have the feeling I’m not going to like this. What is it you’ve decided to do, that will take you away from home again?”

  “The first thing I’m going to do is go to Lexington, and hire myself out as a newsboy. As a newsboy, I can go just about anywhere I want to, on both the Confederate and Union sides. I know they all read the newspapers, and the only way to get them is through the newsboys. I…”

  “Ben, this is all well and good. But, first, how do you expect to get information…if you get any…to the Union side? Where will these Union soldiers be? Who will you take the information to, and how do you know they will accept you? You are most grown, Ben, but you’re still a boy. Do you think these Union officers are just going to accept you at your word? Why would they?”

  Ben frowned deeply. It wasn’t like Grammy to argue with him so much. He got up from the window seat, and walked slowly to the door. Before opening it, he gave his grandmother a hug. “I reckon I can’t answer all those questions now, Grammy. I just know I have to do something, I can’t join the Union army, so this is the best thing I can think of. I reckon maybe I’ll find out those answers once I become a newsboy.”

  She shook her head, and answered him sadly. “I suppose you will, boy. Just promise me you won’t leave without telling me first.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” He closed the door gently, and returned to his room, more determined than ever to deliver this message to whoever General McDowell was.

  * * *

  The next morning, Ben went about getting dressed very slowly. He knew that today was the day for him to leave and head out for Lexington. It meant taking one of the horses, and that, in effect, was stealing one from his father. In turn, he knew his father would put out another poster on him, trying to have him arrested for horse theft. That would put him in jail right then, as horse theft was a serious crime. He shook his head. Well, I guess that means I start walking again. If I have to walk to Lexington, I’ll have to wait until dark and Ma and Pa are in bed. It’s a long way, and on foot it will take me on in to tomorrow and daylight. It’d be easy for the Marshal to catch me, then.

  He heard Grammy leaving her room, and hurried out his door. “Grammy, wait. I need to talk to you.”

  She stopped at the head of the stairs down into the kitchen. “Come, we’ll sit in my room where we can talk. I’ll ring for one of the house girls and have some breakfast brought up for us.”

  They went back into her bedroom, and Grammy rang her call bell for one of the house slaves.

  “All right, Ben, what is it you want to talk about?”

  “I want to leave today for Lexington. If I go on foot, it will be easy for the Marshal to catch me and bring me back. If I take one of Pa’s horses, the Marshal could still capture me and haul me off to jail for horse thievery. I have to go, Grammy, I can’t stay here any longer. Besides, I need to get that information about Manassas to Lexington, so it can be passed on to the Union Army. Otherwise, there could be a real massacre. I just don’t know how to get away from here safely.”

  Grammy thought for a minute. “Ben, if you will wait until tomorrow, I think I may be able to help. I have a friend in Lexington who knows about these things. I’ll send one of my freed slaves to see her. He will take one of the plantation horses and can get there tonight. Just promise me you won’t leave until we talk again.”

  “Of course, Grammy. I’ll wait until we talk again. But I need to leave no later than tomorrow. And I’m going to stay away from Pa as much as I can.”

  She nodded. “I think that’s wise.”

  * * *

  Very early the next morning, Grammy knocked gently on Ben’s door. The sun was not yet up, but when he opened the door, he was already dressed.

  She spoke quietly. “Ben, come on into my room. We’ll talk a bit.”

  He followed her across the hall and into her room, but didn’t sit down.

  She gave him a note. “This will tell you what to do, and where to go. Take Traveler. He knows you, and he’s much faster than he seems when he is in carriage harness. The people you will be seeing also know him, and they will get him back to me tomorrow. Go now, Ben, before breakfast. I doubt that your father will know that Traveler is missing. After all, he pays little attention to any of the carriage horses. But if he should say anything, I already have a story for that. Now…” she stopped for a moment, and wiped her eyes. “I suppose you should be on your way. I just…” She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and went on. “Ben, be careful. I know you feel you have to do this, but it’s very dangerous. You must come home again when this trouble is all over. Promise me, you will be very careful.”

  Ben hugged her tightly. “I’ll be careful, Grammy, and I’ll be home again. Thanks for your help. I reckon I’d better get on my way, the sun will be up soon.”

  Grammy put her hand on his arm as he turned to go. “Ben, what should I tell your ma, you know, about you leaving again?”

  Ben’s lips tightened. “I’m sorry, Grammy, but don’t…don’t tell her anything. I don’t want her and Pa giving you a heap of trouble, and they will if they think you had anything to do with this. Besides, Ma doesn’t deserve to know anything about me anymore. Just don’t say anything, be surprised when I don’t show for breakfast. I gotta go, Grammy. Remember, I love you.”

  Tears came to her eyes. “I love you, too. Don’t ever forget that. Go with God, my grandson.” She put her arms around him, and drew him into a tight embrace. He could feel her slight body shaking, and his own tears ran down his cheeks. After a few moments, he kissed her, knowing this might be the last time he would ever relish the warmth of her arms around him, and pulled away.

  Ben returned to his room and drew his knapsack out from under his bed. He had already packed it almost as tight as it would go with extra pairs of flannel underwear, woolen pants, two flannel shirts, his heaviest jacket, hat, and scarf, socks, toothbrush, and hair comb. Now he pushed a second pair of work boots into what little space was left and fastened the straps. It was heavy, but he could manage. He put on his lighter jacket, pulled a cap over his mop of hair, stuffed the note and a map into his pants pockets, and headed to the door. He opened it, turned, and looked around his bedroom, where he had s
pent most of his childhood. He was leaving a lot behind. With a sigh, he quietly closed the door and walked away. It was too late now for second thoughts.

  A few minutes later, he had Traveler saddled and bridled. He fastened the knapsack to the back of the saddle, and mounted. He sat and looked around the plantation. The familiar aromas of the late blooming flowers, horse leathers and sweet alfalfa from the barn, even the rather unpleasant odors that emanated from the slave quarters, tickled his nose. The sun was beginning to push its way arrogantly through the morning clouds, and faint streaks of pink and gold painted the grey sky. He looked out over the corrals and barns where so much of his life had been spent, knowing full well that this might be the last time he saw and smelled anything that related to this place, this home. When he left this time, and started down the road towards an unknown future, he knew it could be his final farewell. He sighed, and wiped away the tears on his cheeks. He pulled his gloves on, took the reins in hand, touched Traveler’s side with his left heel, and they galloped out of the corral and out to the road. The next phase of Ben’s life had begun, and he had no idea of what would happen next.

  July, 1861

  As the Civil War slowly but surely began, the Confederacy entered it with several distinct advantages: for one, to win this war they had only to defend themselves. They weren’t out to conquer the Northern states, they merely wanted to remain as they were, and get out of the Union permanently. Secondly, all their lines were within their own home territory, so the shifting of troops and supplies back and forth was simplified. Thirdly, the Confederate troops were all home-grown boys, accustomed to hard work, to being out of doors most of the time, to riding horses, and using firearms to hunt for game.

  For the Federal troops, it was a far different story. In order to get the South back into the Union, and to stay there, they had first to conquer the South and then to occupy it…and that meant all eleven Southern states. They were also in unfamiliar territory, and building camps, shifting troops and supplies over much longer and more difficult distances was not an easy accomplishment. Another disadvantage was that the majority of Federal troops were city bred, and didn’t know nearly as much as the Confederates about handling firearms, riding horses, or in general, living in the open. Those who had grown up in the country, and were familiar with horses and firearms, were still on their farms, believing it unnecessary for them to volunteer for a war that most Northerners thought would be over in less than a month.

  To make matters worse, the Confederacy had one more distinctly greater advantage over the Federals: they had a well-established espionage system already in place, organized and highly efficient, reaching into most areas of the Federal government. While the Union Intelligence Services eventually came to equal that of the Confederacy, they were never able to protect all of their secrets from Confederate spies, who continued to penetrate Federal government offices right up to the end of the Civil War.

  And it was into this morass of conspiracies that Ben knowingly thrust himself in July, 1861.

  As he approached the small town he’d known for most of his life, he slowed Traveler down to a walk. Even though the sun had barely chased the night clouds away, storekeepers were already preparing to open for the day, and he didn’t want to draw attention to himself by galloping down the main street. He reined Traveler to a stop and sat for a moment thinking. I wonder if I should even go through town at all. Somebody is sure to want me to stop and talk, maybe even ask why I’m up so early. I best rethink this.

  He remembered that there was an overgrown path that led behind the hotel and all of the shops. Grammy had told him that when the town was nothing more than a bunch of tents, more in the thinking stages than building, the women were frightened because of the forest being almost within arm’s reach. When the building actually began, the men moved the town to the west of the forest. Because of disuse, the road had disappeared into the surrounding forest.

  Ben turned Traveler around and retraced his steps for about a quarter of a mile. He entered the forest, looking down at the ground. After a few minutes, he found traces of sand and small rocks. He looked ahead, and realized that for the most part, following this path was going to be difficult. While sand and rocks were still on the forest floor, the forest itself had grown over the path to claim it as its own.

  But Traveler was a sturdy, strong horse, and he merely bulled his way through. Still at a walk, Ben soon realized that he could see outlines of the town’s buildings through the trees. Before long, he could hear rumblings of wagons coming into town, bringing fresh supplies to the shops, and the shouts of men hollering to each other.

  When the sounds faded into the distance, the morning quiet was broken only by the calls of the forest birds. Ben turned Traveler again and was soon on the road to Lexington. He hoped this would be his only detour.

  However, this was not to be.

  Chapter Six:

  Young Ladies, Little Boys, and Mistress Fenaway

  While Kentucky still declared its neutrality in a war fast becoming much more than something to talk about, both Confederate and Union soldiers roamed freely about. After about an hour of hard riding, Ben reined Traveler down to a trot, as he saw a small group of blue-uniformed soldiers on the side of the road. A small fire was going, and the strong aroma of coffee filled the air. Ben’s nose twitched, as did his stomach, reminding him that he had not eaten since supper the night before.

  As he approached, two of the soldiers stepped out into the road, muskets pointed straight at him.

  “Halt! Who are you, and what is your business?”

  Ben drew Traveler to a stop. “My business is my business. Why are you stopping me?”

  Another soldier came up, this time Ben could tell by his insignia he was an officer.

  “You must excuse my men, young sir. They forget they are in neutral territory. I am Captain Conroy of the Union Army. And you are…?”

  Ben was flustered. He had no idea that there were soldiers anywhere around, Confederate or Union. If he gave his full name, they could possibly tell someone they had seen him. As he hesitated, the Captain moved closer to Traveler.

  “I repeat, you are…? Your name, young sir, if you please.”

  Ben screwed up his courage, and tried to put indignation into his voice. “Well, I don’t ‘please’, Captain. You have no authority here, as you just said, you’re on neutral territory. I am running an errand, I’m going to be late and then there will be hell to pay, so just move your men out of my way. I have to go.”

  He closed his hands on the reins and put his heels into the horse’s sides. Traveler skittered to the side and then jumped forward, almost knocking the Captain down. He regained his stride, and began his gallop straight towards the two soldiers, still standing the middle of the road. Ben tightened his hands, and hunched down over the horse’s neck, praying he wouldn’t feel the sting of a bullet. He heard the Captain’s voice, and the scramble of the soldiers getting out of Traveler’s way. A moment later, he was galloping freely down the road.

  * * *

  When Ben finally arrived in Lexington, the sun was high, and both he and Traveler were tired and hot. He needed to find a place to stop so he could get both of them some water.

  He reined Traveler down to a walk, moved him over to the shade of a large building, and then took a long drink of cool water from his canteen. He looked down the street, and saw a sign that said “Saddlery and Horseshoeing”, with an arrow pointing off to the side. Ben trotted Traveler down the street to the sign, turned him to the right, and found the shop. Outside of the shop was a large vat of water, so he let Traveler drink his fill.

  While the horse was drinking, Ben opened the note Grammy had given him.

  Dear Ben, First, find the crossroads of Woodhall Street and Mercy Street. Go North on Woodhall until you find the Drive of a large White house a ways back from the street. It will be marked by a large Iron Gate at the front, with Two tall Northern Pines on the Left side, and One smaller
Northern Pine on the Right side. At the Center of the Iron Gate is a Horse’s head. In the Center of the Horse’s head is a bell pull. Pull it Three times quickly, wait for a Few seconds, then pull it Three more times. The Gate will open. Go to the house, Someone will be there to take Traveler, and to Let you in the house. You will be Speaking to Mistress Lucy Fenaway, a Younger woman than I but a close Friend. Follow her directions, she will be a Great help to you in your Endeavors.

  Never Forget I Love You. Don’t worry about Traveler, he Will be back with me by Tomorrow. Love, Grammy

  Ben smiled after reading the note, and put it back into his pocket. Now, all he had to do was find a certain street with a certain cross street in a city he was completely unfamiliar with. He took the map out of his pocket, but soon realized it would do him no good. It showed specific areas of Lexington, and the city’s relationship to the rest of Kentucky, but it had no street names. He nudged Traveler back towards the main street, and began his search.

  After riding through streets crowded with horses, carriages, men hurrying to and fro on business, and, especially, ladies with their burdensome hoop skirts, and having no more idea of where these two streets might be, he reined Traveler to a halt. This is seven kinds of crazy, riding around like this. I’ve got to risk asking someone about these streets. Besides that, the city smells. How can people live in a city if it smells like…like horse poop and garbage and stuff I’ve never even smelled before?

  He sat on the horse until two young girls came walking towards him. As they approached, he swung down from the saddle, pulled his cap off, and said as politely as he could, “Excuse me, Mistress, I wonder if you can help me?”