A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: being a record of the actual experiences of the wife of a Confederate officer — John Locke — John Shaqi
A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: being a record of the actual experiences of the wife of a Confederate officer
John Locke · en
I laughed, but the orderly did not see the point. Dan’s body-servant
was to drive the ambulance back, so the orderly, turning it over to a
man whom he picked up in the tavern, went back to camp according to
instructions. As soon as he was out of sight I began to repent. If Dan
_shouldn’t_ come on that freight, what would I do with myself and that
strange man and the ambulance and the mules? It was getting late when
the welcome sound of a whistle broke upon my ear and the freight came
creeping in. On the engine beside the engineer stood my husband, with
that abominable little bundle of General Lee’s in his hand.
“Josh got left somewhere,” Dan said of his servant, “the man will have
to drive.”
At last we were off, Dan and I sitting comfortably back in the
ambulance. I was very cold when I first got in, but he wrapped me up
well in the blanket and I snuggled up against him, and began to tell
him how nice and warm he was, and how thankful I was that there was no
possibility of his getting left from me between here and camp.
“I had a time of it to come on that freight,” he said.
“The orderly said you would.” I repeated the orderly’s remark, and Dan
laughed.
“He told the truth. I had to do more swearing to the square inch than I
have been called upon to do for some time. I knew you didn’t even know
where you were going, and that I _must_ get here to-night. As soon as
I heard about the freight, I went to the conductor. He said passengers
couldn’t be taken on the freight, it was against orders. ‘I belong to
the army as you see,’ I urged, ‘I am an officer and it is important for
me to rejoin my command.’ He insisted still that I couldn’t go, that
it was against orders. I told him that it was a bundle for General Lee
that had got me left, and I pictured your predicament in moving colors.
He was obdurate. ‘If the freights begin to take passengers,’ he said,
‘there would soon be no room for any other sort of freight on them.’
I felt like kicking him. It was then that I told him that orders were
not made for fools to carry out, and the swearing began. I threatened
to report him. He looked uneasy and was ready to make concessions which
politeness had not been able to win, but I walked off. Evidently,
like a mule, he respected me more for cursing him. I had my plan laid.
Just as the train moved out of the station I swung on to the engine,
and politely introduced myself to the engineer. He had overheard my
conversation with the conductor--the first part of it, not the part
where the swearing came in--and he invited me to get off the engine.
While we were debating the engine was traveling. I saw that he was
about to stop it.
“Quick as a flash I had my pistol at his head.