University of Virginia Library

9. CHAPTER XI.
YORKTOWN BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.

It is not known to most of our readers, perhaps, that Yorktown, the closing
scene of the Revolution, was once the principal importing mart for all that
region of country, now supplied by Baltimore, Richmond and Norfolk. Such
was its importance at the date of our story. The roadsted, now occupied by
a few miserable fishing smacks, was once occupied by merchant-ships, and a
tall forest of masts crowded a quay, now only the mart of the celebrated York
River Oysters. Large ware-houses and imposing edifices, both public and
private, and brisk business occupied its streets. Such was its appearance as
Kate Spotswood cantered up its principal avenue, Moore on one side and
Carter on the other, the whole cavalcade following. They rode through the
principal streets of the city, until they came to that point, since known as
the location of the wind-mill—there on both sides of the angle formed by the
entrance of the river into the waters of the bay, in every vacant lot, and even
in the unfrequented streets were tents, and camp-fires, many of the latter
without the comforts of the former, while the hotels were filled to overflowing
with strangers of higher grade. The party rode in among the encamped
emigrants, and commenced making enquiries for their mysterious visitors, but
there were so many for whom the description would answer, and so many
had already set out to the interior, that it was impossible to trace them.
Both the young ladies dismounted and walked among the poorer sort, dispensing
their charities: they found so many really needy applicants and in some
instances sufferers, that they promised to send them a wagon with more substantial
supplies as soon as they got home. The Governor had alighted at
the house of Mr. Diggs, a member of the general assembly, and a personal
and political friend, and here again he sent out messengers for the bearer of
the letter, but all in vain. While thus occupied a young stranger presented
himself as a candidate for employment. He stated that he was one of the
emigrants, and without means to prosecute his journey into the interior, and
without a single relation among all those who had arrived with him—that he
was a classical scholar and desirous of obtaining the situation of private tutor
in some gentleman's family, for a short time, in order to obtain means to prosecute
his designs in coming over; that his name was Henry Hall—twenty-four
years of age, and intended to reside permanently in the colony. The
Governor was pleased with the young man, and wanted just such an one to
direct Mr. Robert's studies. He told the applicant, therefore, that he would
send a horse for him as soon as he arrived at home, and as no credentials or
testimonials of qualification had been exhibited, he would place him in the
hands of Dr. Blair, who would put him through his syntax, and as for the
mathematics, said the veteran, his eyes glistening with delight, and rubbing
his hands, I will try you about that myself. “Do you know anything about
military engineering, young man, continued he, as he saw him about to depart?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Ha, then, you are just my man, we will make a night of it, depend upon it.”

The party soon after returned to Temple Farm without having obtained
any clue to the route of those whom they were so anxious to find. The Governor
dispatched old June with a horse for the young man who proposed
becoming tutor to Robert, as he had promised. Each one now sought out
his own amusement until dinner time, some strolled upon the lawn, while
others walked upon the beach and gathered shells. Old Dr. Evylin retired
into the house to read a letter from his daughter, which the post brought him

that morning, in answer to a most pressing invitation from the ladies of
the mansion to visit them. As it was characteristic of the lady, and as
she is quite an important little personage, we will give it entire:

Kate was sitting anxiously waiting to hear from the old gentleman what
answer his daughter returned, and she saw a tear glistening in his eye, as
he handed her the note. She read it over; the old gentleman sitting silent
until she had finished and returned it. “Poor Ellen,” said she, as she looked
up in his face, from which the tears were now stealing down, “but despond
not, dear Doctor, the change of scene and air will surely do her good.”

“I fear her case is beyond the reach of human aid,” replied he.

“Indeed! do you consider it so hopeless?”

“Her's is a crushed spirit, my dear Kate, she has no physical disease
except such as is produced by it, and you know it is hard to pluck up the
cooted sorrow.”

“Never despair, dear Doctor, cheerful company and fresh air on horseback,
and long rambling walks among the flowers and green leaves, and the seabreeze,
may do wonders for her. I'll show you that I have not been your
disciple for nothing.”

They separated; the old man to walk along the beach, and try to relieve
his melancholy forebodings by watching the sparkling wave, and the white
sails as they spread for that land from which he had brought the mother of
his drooping daughter. Let no desponding heart walk upon the sea-shore
to cultivate cheerfulness; it is too much like standing on the borders of
eternity. The melancholy and monotonous roar of the distant waves is too
depressing; they are too much like the great current of human life, forever
pouring onwards, regardless of individual suffering.

That evening the Doctor's old family coach came rumbling up to the hall
door, at a staid and sober gait, and the whole party in the parlor turned out

to receive so unusual a visitor. There stood the gentlemen, old and young,
bare headed, and the ladies likewise, surrounding the steps of the carriage,
each one anxious to render assistance, but all giving way for the Doctor to
receive his daughter in his arms, carrying her, poor old man, to the platform
before he suffered her to regain her feet. Fondly she hung upon his neck
as they stood there, he within one step of the landing, and she on the top;
no one ventured to disturb them, for both were weeping and seemed to have
forgotten the presence of any body else.

One hour afterwards she entered the parlor, supported by Kate on one
side and Dorothea on the other, to a large arm chair, made soft with shawls.
She was rather a petil figure, but what was lost in majesty of form was fully
compensated for by symmetry of mould, or rather had been, for she was now
thin and shadowy. Her face was almost transparent, it was so purely white,
and the blue veins upon her temples shone through her wax-like skin, as if
the current of life was restrained but by a gossamer texture. Her eyes were
large, and of a fine deep blue, so that when they slowly moved over the objects
in the room, it almost startled one, so shadow-like was her general appearance.
Her hair was of a brown color, but when the rays of light fell upon
its rich folds, they played among them, so as to bring out their fine auburn
tints—at one moment exhibition a black shade, and the next a purple. She had
no cough, nor any apparent symptoms of physical disease, yet she was evidently
wasting away in the very first bloom of her youth and beauty, for beautiful she
still was, and in perfect health, must have been a fascinating little fairy. How
those two girls tried to entertain her, hanging round her chair, and bringing
to her in succession, every object of curiosity or interest about the place!
Even little Robert had piled her lap with curious shells, and Kate was turning
over some new volumes of Pope's and Swift's poetry, just then in the first novelty
of their recent publication; every now and then reading her passages which
struck their fancy. How the whole conversation of a room full of company
became subdued by the presence of one poor little valetudinarian, instead of
chosing the most cheerful and enlivening subjects, the sufferer is sure to be
painfully impressed with the fact that he or she, is a drawback to the enjoyment
of others; and so it was on the present occasion, for she soon observed
it, and spoke of it to Kate.

“You must not let me engross the attention of every one, my dear Kate,”
said she, in a suppressed voice, “it is painful to me.”

The Governor, who was sitting near, heard it, and replied, “Suppose, then,
we have in the young tutor, and put him through his facings: Essex tells me
he is waiting.”

“No, no, papa,” said Kate, “it will never do, remember the young man has
some feeling, and may not choose to be examined upon his proficiency in a
room full of company.”

“Poh! poh,” said the Governor, “bring him in Essex, we will treat Bob to
a scene of his master learning some of his own lessons, before he administers
the birch to him.”

The boy rubbed his hands with delight at the proposition, and his father sent
him off to bring in an armful of Latin and Greek books from the library.

The Reverend Commissary was sent for too, who came, spectacles on nose,
just fresh from his books. He, too, objected to the publicity of the examination,
but knowing the peculiarities of his friend, his sudden whims and eccentricities,
he attempted like a skilful tactitian, to compromise the matter.

“I left the young man in the library,” said he, “and I will return and ask
him if he has any objection.”

“Tell him then,” said the Governor, “that I will require these young gentlemen
to construe verse about with him, and we will try which has the best
of it, Old Oxford or William and Mary.”

The youngsters seemed not quite so ready for the exhibition, now that they

were to take part in the performance, as they were before, but they acquiesced
of course.

The Rev. Commissary returned with the young scholar. He was dressed
in black, rather the worse for the wear, but still scrupulously neat and clean.
The deep impress of long familiarity with persons of high breeding was in
every step and movement.

“Egad, he's a gentleman at all events,” said the Governor, as he eyed him
coming up the room, and rather abashed himself, that he had proposed such a
boyish freak to such a man: such was his way, however, and he attempted
to smooth over the matter.

“Mr. Hall, here are two or three young gentlemen, alumni of our Western
College, which you have doubtless heard of, and I have proposed that the
Rev. Commissary shall play the pedagogue to-night with the the whole of
us; what say you, will you be one of the class?”

“Most willingly, your Excellency;” seeming to understand the Governor's
mood at once.

“Get the books, Bob, the books, the books.”

But just at that moment, Kate and her sister ran up to poor Ellen Evylin,
who would have fallen had they not caught her, she was almost gone. She
had been sitting in her big arm chair, so arranged that she had not seem the
proposed tutor. As she recovered a little, she whispered to Kate, upon
whose shoulder her head was leaning, “Oh, that voice, it was so like”—
then she stopped, and Kate prepared to wheel her into another room, but she
strenuously opposed it, and even desired her chair to be turned round, so that
she could see the occupants of the other side of the table.

From that moment, her eye seemed absolately rivetted to the face of the
stanger, and whenever it came to his turn to read, Kate felt her whole system
thrill and vibrate like one in an ague. This was very strange; and still
more surprised Kate, but she kept these thoughts to herself.

The Governor was once more in high glee with his new class, and was
really taking it turn about with the youngsters at the bucolics. Indeed it
seemed to afford fine sport for all concerned.

Once or twice the stranger youth raised his eyes above his book and examined
the group, now located on the other side of the room.

The new tutor was far from being an an ordinary looking man. To use
a common homely saying, he was one who had evidently seen better days.
This alone invests one with some interest. The thread-bare garments which
he wears, are deprived at once of all their shabbiness and meanness, and
invested with a compound interest. A graceful movement, an uncommon
expression rivets the eye upon him. We are carried back in imagination to
the place and scenes of his birth and naturally our curiosity is excited. Nor
was this all in the present instance, there was a desponding sadness in the
voice of this young man, a depth in its tones which affected his lady hearers
powerfully. They were all more or less interested in him. Then that deep
scar across his face; how came that there? had he been a soldier? This
question was destined to have some light thrown upon it sooner than they
expected. The Governor being satisfied with his classical attainments, in his
impatience for his favorite studies, soon had Robert's black board brought in
and was figuring away with his chalk at a great rate. He was becoming
delighted with his prize, for even Dr. Blair whispered to him that he was a
ripe scholar. From mathematics it was an easy transition to their military
application, and in less than half an hour his Excellency had one of Marlborough's
late battles drawn fully out, and he and his new antagonist engaged
in a most animated discussion. The veteran's eye glistened with delight
as he listened to the young man's glowing description of the battle.
He placed if in an entirely new light, and the Governor now understood

some matters which had been puzzling him ever since the accounts were
received. He therefore gave up the controversy, which was quite a new
thing for him in military matters and no mean compliment to his new adversary.
After reposing his eye in a brown study for a few moments on the
black board, where the lipes of attack and defence still remained, he wheeled
suddenly upon his antagonist and exclaimed: “I'll tell you what it is, Mr.
Tutor, you must have seen service—none but a true military eye could correct
the errors of my lines.”

The poor youth was struck dumb, all his late animation and military ardor
engendered amidst the clashing of imaginary armies, vanished in a moment.
He was confused. His antagonist seeing this, continued: “Never mind
young man on which side you took up arms—there shall be no tales out of
school here. You are in a freer atmosphere than that which you lately
left—where the Dutchess and Mrs. Masham alternately sway the fate of contending
armies. I have been a soldier of fortune myself, and it boots little to
me in what school you learned you tacties. Sufficient that you are a
soldier.”

“Gad, Bob, with such a master you will beat John yet, if you only spur up,
my man.”

“Your Excellency seems fully informed of the shameful wrangling of the
Queen's Ministers,” replied Hall modestly.

“Rather say the wrangling of the female gossips of the Court, and you
would come nearer the mark. It is no longer Oxford and Bolinbroke, and
that was bad enough, but it is now a fair fight of petticoat against petticoat.
The instructions which I receive by one packet are countermanded by the
next. If this state of things continue I must divide my papers into two
packages and label one, `despatches from her grace of Marlborough,' and the
other `from her high Mightiness, Mrs. Masham.”'

“Any further news from home, Governor?” asked Carter, “concerning the
grand expedition across the mountains.”

“Not one syllable. I have been twice ordered to prepare my little army,
and twice has it been countermanded, ere I could cleverly commence operations.
The council, dama them—I beg your Reverences pardon as being of
them—is too much like the Queen's privy council, they are under petticoat
government too, and thus far have most effectually thwarted me.”

By this time he had become quite excited, and was walking with immense
strides across the floor and talked on, almost in a continuous strain. “They
hope to unhorse me before I can set out, but upon the very first intimation
from the ministry that my measures are approved, I will set out—then arrest
me who can. Curse the block-heads of the council.”

“Softly, softly, your Excellency,” said the Commissary, “you should not
denounce these men, because they cannot think exactly with us. The General
Assembly were fully as much to blame, for they refused to vote the necessary
funds. They could not see with our eyes.”

“See with our eyes!” replied the Governor, contemptuously, “nor with
any other, damn them, they cannot see an inch from from their noses. What
do they know about military matters?” turning to Henry Hall, as he continued
vehemently—“you see, Sir, those rascally Frenchmen are hemming us
in, in every direction. They are gradually approximating their military settlements
up the branches of the Mississippi, on the one hand, and down the
lakes on the other, until they are just about to meet on the other side of the
mountains. Now I propose to march an expedition across these mountains
and by force, if necessary, seize the strip of land lying between their settlements.
No military eye could look upon the thing for one single moment,
without being struck with the magnificence of the conception. I have written
to the ministry, sent maps of the rivers and mountains, and urged them

before it is too late,—but while they are carrying on their cursed squshbles
between the rival factions of two old wives, our enemies will have
already seized upon the ground.”

While he spoke thus, he had seized the chalk, and was rapidly sketching
the course of the principal rivers, having their sources most directly
among the mountains, and the Blue Ridge, and beyond that again, the
sources of the Mississippi, running South and South-west, and the rivers
on the North emptying into the great lakes. He was a fine draughtsman,
and a military engineer of the highest repute in that day, and when
he had finished his handy work, really presented a field for a martial enterprise,
calculated to fire up the enthusiasm of much tamer spirits than
those he addressed. Hall especially, entered into his views with an ardor
and a zeal which captivated the old veteran at once. His practised
eye ran over the plan of the campaign with the rapidity of intuition, and
in less than half an hour, he had mastered all the then known geography
of the country, together with the forces, position and number of the
French settlements. It is true, that they knew not of the double chain
of mountains, and had never heard of the great valley of Virginia,—that
garden spot of the land,—but with that exception, these plans were wouderfully
correct, and into that mistake they were purpesely betrayed, as
will be seen as we progress.

They supposed that the head waters of the Mississippi, had their source
immediately beyond the mountains, which could be just faintly discovered
from the then frontier settlements of the Colony.

The table was soon strewed with papers and mans, giving an exact detail of
the militia and regular force of the Colony, and all the known Geography of
Virginia.

“I see,” remarked Hall, “that your population numbers an hundred
thousand, your militia nine thousand five hundred and twenty two, of which
two thousand three hundred and sixty-three are light horse, and seven thousand
one hundred and fifty-nine are foot and dragoons.”

“Exactly,” said the Governor, “and yet these craven hearted delegrates
and councillors contend that I want to strip the colony of its military protection,
to go upon some wild Quixotic expedition beyond the borders of civilization,
from whence we will never return, and if we do, to find them all
butchered at home. Was any thing over heard so supremely ridieulous?”

“Can you not raise an entirely new force for the transmontaise expedition?”
asked Hall.

“As how?” said his Excellency, eagerly.

“Suppose you issue a proclamation, calling upon all the young gentry of
the colony to come forward, with each so many followers of his own enlisting,
or chosing. Say three hundred gentlemen, with each fifty followers. If
you take possession of this fine country beyond the mountains in her Majesty's
name, surely her Ministers will make liberal grauts to those who thus conquer
or acquire it.”

“A glorious conception, by Heavens,” hugging the new tutor actually in
his arms, and giving way to other evidences of delight.

“I'll tell you what it is, Harry Hall, you shall draw up that proclamation
this very night. I'll read it before I go to bed.”

“No, no papa,” said Kate, interfering, “Mr. Hall is already fatigued with
his day's toil, and is besides just from the confinement of a ship, he has already
been wearying himself reading at least a bushel of your dry papers,”

“Dry papers!” replied the father, “they are far more interesting than the
gingling nonsense which Bernard has been reading to you young ladies the
last half hour.”

“Fie, fie papa, to call Mr. Pope's beautiful pastorals gingling nonsense. I

appeal to Dr. Blair, whether there is not food in them to satisfy minds of even
masculine vigor.”

“Right, right my Kate,” said the old prelate, “in both cases. The young
man is doubtless fatigued and the poetry is good.”

“I am not the least weary, your Excellency, and will draft your proclamation
on the spot, if you say so.”

“No, no, the general voice is against me, and we will adjourn the subject
until after breakfast in the morning, especially as I see Bob is coming already
for his first lesson.”

The youngster had been standing some time leaning upon a pair of
foils, and now approaching bashfully, asked Hall if he could give him lessons
with these also.

“Oh, yes,” said he, taking one of the instruments out of his hand, and telling
Robert to pat on his basket, while he laid his own on the table, and placed
himself bare-headed in a posture of defence. He suffered the boy to make a
few passes at him, and then disarmed him so handsomely and so easily that
he threw the foil entirely over, end for end, and caught it in his own hand.

“A trick of the Continental army, by Heavens!” exclaimed the Governor.
“Come here, Moore, this gentleman needs a more formidable competitor, than
Bob. Here, Mr. Hall, is one of my holiday pupils; toast him a little for the
amusement of these girls.”

At it they went in fine style, both evidently playing shy until they should
see a little into the others fence, and both giving and parrying with caution
and dexterity. Neither had much advantage in length of limb, and both were
practised swordsmen, but Moore rather undervaluing his plebeian adversary,
began to push at him pretty fiercely; instantly his foil was seen turning
pirouetts in the air.

“Ha,” said the-old veteran, rising and rabbing his hands, “have I found an
antagonist at last? Now for it, Mr. Hall.”

Even the ladies began to take some interest in the game, for they were
quite accustomed to such scenes, and did not usually turn even to notice so
ordinary an affair; but now when two such extraordinary swordsmen encountered,
every one was looking on with pleased interest. Long and dexterously
did they thrust and parry, advancing and retreating, until they were so worn
down that the two blades lay against each other in close pressure, neither
willing or daring to renew the encounter.

“Come, come,” said Dr. Blair, “that's enough—you are both satisfied.”
Like two boys tired out with fighting, they were willing enough to desist.

The tutor was soon after shewn to his own room. When he had gone, the
Governor was loud in his praise, and pronounced him a most extraordinary
young man, and the finest swordsman that he had encountered since he left
the army.

“I'll tell you what it is, Governor—I have been thinking what an acquisition
that young man would be to our College,' said the Commissary.

“The College may go a begging this time, Dr. Blair, I intend that Henry
Hall shall see the highest blue peak of the Apelachian mountains before I
am done with him. Providence has doubtless sent him to me with some such
design, and when I have caught the bird in my net, you come and open your
cage, and say, let him fly in here. No, no—I have engaged Mr. Hall for
Bob, and your College must get along without him, I assure you.”

“Well, well, it will be time enough for us when you return from the mountains,
if indeed you don't leave the bones of the fine youth bleaching upon
their highest peaks.”

Rather an unkind cut of the old Doctor, and which set the Governor to
thinking for a moment ere he replied.

“Just as sure as the sun shines to-morrow, I tell you, Dr. Blair, that I will

lead an expedition over yonder blue mountains, and I will triumph over the
French—the Indians, and the Devil, if he chooses to join forces with them.”

“No doubt of it—no doubt of it. I did not question the result at all, I only
meant to allude to the mishaps inevitable from all human undertakings, and
against these, even your great military experience cannot guarantee this
youth.”

The evening closed as previous ones had done, with family prayer, after
which the party separated for the night.