Carried Forward By Hope (58 page)

She paused for a long moment, letting the importance of what Harriet had done sink in. Then she continued. “When the war started, and it became much easier for slaves to go free, Harriet started helping the Union Army. She started out as a cook and nurse, but then she served as an armed scout and spy.”

“A
woman
?” Amber gasped. She slapped her hand over her mouth when she realized she had interrupted.

“A
woman
,” Rose said firmly. “I’m going to be telling you stories about all kinds of people in the days ahead, but I want all of you in this room to know you can do
anything
. It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female. Harriet Tubman was just five feet tall. She had a disability because of her head injury that would have made most people give up. She risked her life time and again because she cared so much about her friends and family living in freedom like she was.” She paused again and swept the room with her eyes. “She
believed
she could help them, so she just went out and did it.”

Rose walked around the room slowly, touching many of the children on the shoulder as she passed them. “Every single one of you sitting in this room has a dream. I happen to believe God gives us dreams because he knows we can make them come true. We usually have to work real hard at it, but I believe that no matter what your dream is, you can make it come true.”

She let her words linger in the air as she walked back to the front of the class. “Now it’s time to start learning all the things that will enable you to
make
those dreams come true,” she said firmly. “We’re going to start with the letters of the alphabet.”

******

Two days later, Carrie and Robert rode into Richmond on Granite and a sorrel mare named Shandy. They had laughed and talked all the way, grateful for a relatively cool day in mid-September. They had not had time to notify anyone of their arrival, but knew they would be welcomed.

Both of them grew silent as they rode into the city’s business district. The streets were crowded with people on foot. Just a few horse-drawn omnibuses carried loads of passengers. It had been almost four months since Carrie had been in the city, but this was Robert’s first time viewing the destruction.

“You tried to prepare me,” Robert finally said, “but I don’t think anything could. My God, it seems as if the whole city was on fire.”

“It felt that way,” Carrie admitted, able to remember every detail of that horrific night — the flames, the explosions, and the sheer terror of everyone in the city. “If the Union Army had not arrived when it did, I suspect the fire would have indeed consumed all of Richmond.”

“So in taking the city, they saved it,” Robert said cryptically.

“Yes,” Carrie said quietly, “though I have a feeling that in the future it will be portrayed differently.”

“If they hadn’t come down to take Richmond, none of this would have happened,” Robert replied, anger sparkling in his eyes as he stared at the grim outline of destroyed buildings.

Carrie could only imagine his feelings if he had seen the city four months earlier. There was still so much to be done, but great progress had been made. She understood his anger, but… “And if the South hadn’t seceded, they would have had no reason to come here,” she said quietly. “If we could have done the same thing to Washington, DC, we would have done it gladly.”

Robert gazed around him and heaved a heavy sigh. “You’re right,” he admitted. “There was not a way for the war to end with anything but destruction. When people make decisions from passion, it seldom ends well.” He shook his head. “At least it’s over.”

“It isn’t over,” a voice said firmly.

Startled, Carrie and Robert looked down at a man standing close enough to overhear their discussion.

“Excuse me?” Robert replied. The gray haired, middle-aged man addressing him had on a business suit that had seen better days, but his posture was still erect, and his eyes glittered with defiance.

“See that wall over there?” the man asked.

Robert and Carrie looked over at the burned-out building.

Carrie tried to remember what had once been there. “It used to be a clothing store,” she recalled suddenly. “I’ve bought many things there.”

“Yes,” the man agreed. “It was my store. I lost everything the night the fires burned Richmond. I don’t have a penny to my name, and no one is offering to help me rebuild. Northerners have come down and stocked the remaining storefronts with products we couldn’t even get into the city during the war, but what good does it do?” he asked bitterly. “No one has any money to buy anything. Before the war ended, anything you could find was ridiculously expensive, so Richmonders couldn’t afford to buy them. Now, our prices are lower than anywhere in the North because no one has any money, so they still can’t afford to pay for them. Nothing is leaving the stores the Yankees decided were worth their investment. They keep lowering the prices, but what difference does it make? Broke is broke.”

Robert frowned. “What are people doing? How are they eating?”

The man shrugged. “Just like I am,” he said. “The government is providing food supplies. They distribute tickets and then we all stand in line waiting to get enough cornmeal to keep us from starving. There are gardens all over the city, but most people are still hungry.”

Robert nodded, remembering his conversations with Matthew before he left. “What do you think of the new military governor, Pierpont?”

“I think he’s honest and I think he’s trying to help,” the man answered. “He got the Richmond government back in operation, and he seems to understand that he can’t possibly govern a state under a republican form of government when the vast majority of its people are disenfranchised and can’t hold office,” he said with a scowl. “The men who could make a real difference are still waiting to be pardoned by
President
Johnson,” he said sarcastically.

Carrie thought about Abby. “I understand there are a lot of Northerners who are coming down to invest in businesses.”

Again the man nodded. “That’s true. It’s hard to tell if it’s good or bad yet. They at least got one of the banks open again. Some of us have been able to get loans, and I know they’re trying to increase funding to help rebuild the city.” His voice was bleak. “I haven’t been able to borrow a penny.”

“I also understand Tredegar Iron Works is almost back to full operation,” Carrie said, trying to find the positive in the destruction that surrounded them.

The man peered at her. “You seem to know a lot about the city,” he said, looking closely at Granite and Shandy. “Those are fine horses,” he added, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Are you Yankees?”

Robert answered for them. “I assure you we are not. I am Captain Robert Borden from Virginia.”

“And I am Carrie Borden. My father worked in the Virginia government during the war.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “Your father is…?”

“Thomas Cromwell,” Carrie answered proudly, surprised when anger flashed in the man’s eyes.

“Cromwell…” the man muttered angrily. “He and his wife are building that new factory down by the river.”

“That’s right,” Carrie said evenly. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“I have a problem with a new factory going in that wants to hire niggers,” he said flatly.

“You believe only white people should have jobs?” Carrie asked calmly.

“I believe the nigger needs to know they will never be equal to whites,” the man said bitterly. “Your father seems to think he can get away with paying blacks the same wages whites will get.”

“If they do the same work, they should receive the same pay,” Carrie responded, biting back the angry words that wanted to spew from her mouth.

The man stiffened and glared at her. “Do you agree with your wife,
Captain
?” he asked, casting a glance at Robert.

“And if I do?”

“Then you need to go live up north where they love niggers,” he said flatly.

Robert managed to smile calmly. “I believe I’ll stay here in the South and work to change people’s ignorance,” he said flatly.

The man’s face flushed red as his eyes flared with rage. “We may have lost the war, but we do not intend to have our country run by niggers,” he spat.

“And I don’t think any of them have designs on running the country right now,” Robert replied. “They simply want to live their lives and also make a living.”

“Then they should go back out to the plantations and do what they were born to do!”

“Be slaves?” Carrie asked. “I believe that was abolished.”

The man snorted. “Slavery may be dead, but niggers can’t do anything more than work as laborers. They were meant to be controlled by the white people. If they’re not slaves, then they need to be on the plantations under the control of people who can help them survive.”

Carrie sighed. The war may be over and slavery abolished, but it was clear the way people believed had not changed. “The freed slaves believe they can take control of their lives now,” she replied, trying to remember that anger only fueled anger. It wouldn’t do any good to respond to this man’s anger with anger of her own.

“That’s ridiculous!” the man snorted. “Left to their own devices, the niggers will cease to exist in a hundred years. They’ve never been able to take care of themselves, and they certainly can’t now.”

Carrie smiled softly. “My experience tells me very differently.”

“Yes,” the man snarled, his face twisting into an ugly mask. “I’ve heard about your
experiences
, Mrs. Borden.”

Carrie stared at him.

“Your father was the laughing stock of Richmond when it was discovered that you had let all your slaves go free. We felt terribly sorry for him,” he said sarcastically.

Carrie tensed. “And yet my
father
still has a viable plantation and he is here in town to build a new factory,” she shot back, instantly sorry when the man’s rage deepened to something that scared her. She was also sorry she had let the man’s anger inflame her own.

“You little…”

Robert moved Shandy forward. “That will be all,” he said firmly, his voice deep with anger. “You will not disrespect my wife.”

“Your
wife
should learn her place,” the man growled.

Carrie was suddenly aware there were many people listening. Their faces were a mixture of angry sympathy and disdain. The few blacks close enough to hear the interchange had started to edge away, sensing the growing anger.

“My
wife
is one of the most intelligent women I know,” Robert shot back. “You could learn a lot from her.” He looked at Carrie, his eyes saying it was time to go. “I believe we have engaged this charming gentleman long enough, Carrie.” He nodded his head. “Have a nice afternoon,” he said, nudging Shandy forward.

Carrie was more than happy to nudge Granite into a trot to follow him. Several blocks passed before either said anything. “I’m sorry,” Carrie finally said, her breathing back to normal. “I know I shouldn’t have let him make me angry.”

“I would have thought you were deaf if you hadn’t gotten angry,” Robert replied. “The man was an idiot,” he said flatly.

“That idiot is going to be part of the Richmond business district that my father and Abby will have to deal with on a regular basis.”

“Yes,” Robert replied, “but that is no reason not to confront ignorance with the truth. I’m quite sure your father and Abby have dealt with these feelings already, and I’m also quite sure they knew what they were getting into before they started this venture.”

Carrie was quiet for several blocks. “They’re going to be in danger, aren’t they?” When Robert just looked at her, she knew he was trying to temper his response. “Don’t bother to figure out an easy way to say yes,” she sighed, glad when the blackened shells of the business district faded behind them, giving way to the neighborhoods leading to her father’s house.

******
 

Abby had just stepped out onto the porch when Carrie and Robert rode up. “What a lovely surprise,” she called. She stepped back into the house. “Thomas, come out here.”

Carrie and Robert were dismounting when Thomas strode onto the porch. “Carrie! Robert! What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I just have missed my father and his wonderful wife?” Carrie asked lightly.

Abby narrowed her eyes. “You could, and I believe you have, but your face tells me it is more than that.”

Carrie laughed. “It’s a good thing I like the fact that you can read me like a book.”

She smiled as Miles stepped out on the porch. “Would you mind taking Granite and Shandy in the back?”

“I’d be happy to,” Miles replied, his eyes shining as he looked at the horses. “Granite looks like himself again,” he said with satisfaction, “and that mare is sure a beauty!”

“That she is,” Robert agreed. “They both have earned some feed and hay.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Miles promised as he took their reins and led them around to the stable.

“I’m afraid I gained you an enemy today,” Carrie said regretfully as the four of them walked into the house. When her father raised an eyebrow, she told them the whole story. “I don’t know who he was,” she said when she finished.

Thomas sighed. “Marcus Summers. He is a man eaten up with bitterness.”

“So you know him?” Robert asked, taking the glass of tea May offered him with an appreciative smile.

“I’m afraid so,” Thomas answered. “He and his family were quite wealthy before the war. He did well, even throughout the war, by raising his prices exorbitantly, but he lost everything in the fire.”

“I made things worse by pointing out how well you are doing,” Carrie said regretfully. “I’m so sorry I lost my temper.”

“The man could make a saint lose his temper,” Abby replied archly. “I almost have a hole in my tongue from biting it.”

“But at least you bit it,” Carrie said remorsefully. “I’m afraid I just said what I thought.”

“Don’t worry, Carrie,” her father said immediately. “It was just a matter of time. Marcus has been looking for an opportunity to start a fight ever since we got here. Maybe it’s time it came to a head.”

“But what will happen?” Carrie asked, her face creased with worry. “It seems he could be a dangerous man.”

Thomas paused, causing Carrie’s worry to deepen. “Father?”

“What will happen, will happen,” Thomas finally said with a casual shrug.

“What does that mean?” Carrie cried, suddenly frightened.

Thomas hesitated, exchanged a long look with Abby, and then sat down in the chair by the fireplace. “Richmond is a powder keg right now,” he said bluntly. “They are struggling to come back from financial ruin. At least half of the city is surviving because of federal support programs. The Freedmen’s Bureau is here to provide assistance and programs for the freed slaves, but that seems to be enraging the white population even more.”

“I think
terrifying
them is a better description,” Abby added quietly. “Their fear is making them angry. They can’t figure out a way to keep the blacks under control so their anger is growing. They feel they’ve lost total control of their lives, so they are lashing out at anyone they can lash out at.”

“But the army is here to keep control of things,” Carrie argued, hoping that meant protecting Abby and her father.

“Yes,” her father agreed calmly, “but they can’t be everywhere at once.”

Carrie saw the flash of anger on Abby’s face and turned questioning eyes toward her.

Abby hesitated and then began to speak. “The government seems to be overwhelmed as well,” she said quietly. “The soldiers are here to keep control, but too many of them don’t see the freed slaves as people who should have equal rights. They may not think they should be slaves, but they believe they have to stay in their place.”

Carrie sighed. “I thought the Freedmen’s Bureau was in place to make sure they were taken care of.”

“They are,” Abby agreed, “but there are over two million freed slaves and not nearly enough people in the Freedmen’s Bureau to take care of things. Things in Richmond are bad, but they are much better than in other parts of the country.”

Carrie sighed. “We simply don’t know what’s going on when we’re out on the plantation.”

“It’s probably a good thing,” her father replied ruefully.

“It might be more comfortable,” Robert agreed, “but it leaves us feeling rather out of the loop.”

Jeremy walked in just then. “What loop would you like to be in?” he asked as his face broke into a grin. “Welcome to Richmond!”

Warm hugs were exchanged. Jeremy glanced over his shoulder. “Matthew should be here any moment. I ran into him on his way from the train station, but he had a stop to make. He’ll be thrilled you’re here.”

May walked in with a plate of cookies. “I put some more chicken on to fry,” she said happily. “It sure is nice to have a full house again!”

******

“So you still haven’t told us why you’re here,” Abby said an hour later when dinner was finished.

“I need to find Dr. Wild,” Carrie said, her heart fluttering with excitement as she took another step toward turning her idea into reality. “I’m going to start a medical clinic.”

“That’s wonderful!” Abby cried. “I’m sure there is a story that goes with this decision.”

Carrie nodded, and told them about Joe, Abner, and Bobby. “I realize I’m not a doctor yet, but someone has to help them,” she said firmly. “Moses and the men are finishing the building this week. I’m hoping Dr. Wild is still here and that he can help me with supplies.”

“He’s still here,” Matthew said. “I interviewed him a week ago about the plight of veterans in the Confederacy.”

“Then you know how terrible it is,” Carrie said.

Matthew’s face darkened. “I do. The number of war casualties is far from being final. Men are dying every single day, and there will be many more that die in the years ahead. But that’s not all — there are many struggling with depression and alcohol addiction. They have lost everything, so their families are suffering as well.” He frowned. “It’s as big a problem for the North as it is for the South. There are benefits in place for Union soldiers, but the government is struggling to figure out how to handle so many men’s needs, as well as the families who have been left behind.”

“People in rural areas are suffering more,” Abby said. “They don’t have access to even the limited programs the cities have.” She smiled at Carrie. “Your clinic will help.”

Carrie sighed. “I hope so. I know it’s such a small drop in the bucket, but…”

“At least it’s a drop in the bucket,” Abby said firmly. “And it will mean everything to the men and the families you help.”

Carrie nodded. “I believe so. Janie is going to work with me, and Annie is going to help as well. We’ll do everything we can.” She turned to Matthew. “I told Rose and Moses we would bring back all the information we could about what is happening with the freed slave situation.”

Matthew stared at her and shook his head. “I’m afraid there is not much good news,” he said heavily. “There are certainly bright spots of hope, but they seem to be overwhelmed by the problems and the hatred.”

“But the Freedmen’s Bureau…” Carrie protested.

“Is so hampered in what they can actually do,” Matthew said. “Most of the people involved care deeply about the freed slaves, but their number is so limited.” He hesitated. “And there are some who seem to just be drawing a paycheck. They’re eager not to create waves and are letting the Southern states have their way.”

“
Their
way is to put freed men back into slavery!” Carrie said angrily.

“Something like it,” Matthew agreed. He looked at Thomas. “I took your advice and contacted Perry Appleton. I just got back from their home in Georgia.”

“Louisa Blackwell’s husband?” Carrie asked. “How are they? I haven’t heard from her in so long.”

Matthew frowned. “I’m afraid this has been a difficult year for them. They got through Sherman’s march through Georgia with their house intact, but everything else — all their cotton ginning equipment was destroyed. They kept their spirits up, believing a good crop of cotton from their neighbors would help them begin again, but the weather in the Deep South has been terrible, and the neighboring plantations are finding it difficult to hire labor to work the fields. The crop yields are not what anyone hoped for.”

Thomas frowned. “I didn’t realize. I haven’t kept track of much outside of Virginia. The weather here has been perfect this summer.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time the last few weeks with plantation owners,” Matthew revealed. “The ones who are left anyway.”

Thomas nodded. “I know many of them have walked away from their land because everything has been destroyed. Their houses and barns are gone, along with all their animals and their tools. They don’t have the heart to try again.”

“Tens of thousands of them,” Matthew agreed. “Some are leaving the country, while others are going north or heading out west to start over.”

“What is happening with their land?” Robert asked.

Matthew shrugged. “It depends on what day you are asking.” His eyes flashed angrily. “There have been a lot of promises made that I fear will never be kept.” He paused. “I’ll see if I can make sense of what is becoming an increasingly complicated situation. When we were at war, hundreds of thousands of acres of land was confiscated from its owners by the Union Army.”

“The plantations?” Jeremy asked.

Matthew nodded. “Yes. Most of them were very large plantations confiscated from owners who were financing the rebellion. During the last couple years of the war, and in the months since the war has ended, the lands have been given to freed slaves who have fought for their right to that land because it was their labor that built it.”

“Like down in the Sea Islands,” Carrie said. “I remember reading about it in a journal that came last month.”

“Yes,” Matthew replied. “When General Sherman took Savannah, he promised four hundred thousand acres of land to the ten thousand freed slaves who had followed the Union Army across Georgia. Each of them got forty acres, and many of them got tools and a mule as well. They have worked hard and have created an independent community.” He stopped to gather his thoughts.

“I’ve heard great things about that community,” Abby said.

“They’ve done a remarkable job,” Matthew agreed. “I met with some of them while I was in Georgia. Unfortunately,” he said with a sigh, “everything is different now.”