The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 2Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
History
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 2
Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
Several of the Richmond churches were opened that Sunday night, and
thither repaired many of the Cottonocracy, devotional children of Bale,
to implore Providence in behalf of an army whose heroes have generally
appeared, in the eyes of the Federal troops, to be wholly Leave-ites.
The recent intelligence of "another confederate victory," at
Williamsburg, had added a finishing touch to the panic created by
reports of the triumphal retreat from Yorktown previously received, and
the fervor of Richmond's piety on that evening was eminently worthy of
a city liable at any moment to be cannonized. The reverend clergy of
the rebel capital selected their texts from Exodus by instinct, as it
were, and proved so conclusively that the Yankee invader was no man,
that the listening congregations were impressed with an instructive and
repentant sense of their own wickedness, (for they are the wicked who
invariably flee when "no man" pursueth,) and several members evinced
their new-born disgust at this sinful world by resolutely closing their
eyes upon it at once.
In his pew sat Mr. VICTOR E. ORDETH, with his wife and son, the latter
a member of the Richmond Home Guard. Stiff and erect he sat, like a
solemn note of admiration in a printer's case, ready to be used at the
end of any sounding passages, suffering an expression of weighty
approval to cross his countenance when the preacher hoped the same
planets might not thereafter be destined to shine on the North and the
South.
And well he might; for there had been something in the late capture of
New Orleans and other ports by the Union fleets to impress the Southern
mind with no small dread of the North's tar.
LIBBY remained at home under plea of sick-headache; but no sooner were
her parents fairly out of the house, than said plea proved to be
entirely invalid. At least, the young lady darted to her own private
room in a very sprightly manner, brought out from thence a small
package, and finally repaired to the apartment wherein Mr. BOB PETERS
kept solitary vigils and a bright lookout. Before passing in, however,
she paused to have a few words with the faithful JOCKO, whom she
discovered on his knees before the door of the captive's cell, with his
right eye slightly to the left of the knob.
"JOCKO!" she exclaimed, reproachfully, "what are you doing here, you
ridiculous thing?"
"Miss LIBBY," said the humble servitor, looming dimly in the shadow of
the hall as he slowly arose from his feet, "Ise ben prayin' dat you
might become a christian, and one ob these days, when de great
Hallelugerum come, hab wings and a harp."
Scarcely were these affecting words uttered, when Mr. PETERS tore open
the door rather disrespectfully, so greatly discomposing the devoted
black that the latter incontinently fled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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