THE DOCTOR'S TEA. 109 whatever, and also to display some of my boasted CHAPTER VIII. MY FIRST SECRET EXPEDITION-MY BANDS-PICKAXE, SHOVEL AND WORK AMONG CONTRAWHEELBARROW-COUNTING THE GUNS IN A REBEL FORTIFICATION—A CHANGE OF WORK -CARRYING WATER TO THE REBEL SOLDIERS-GENERALS LEE AND JOHNSON-THE REBEL FORCE AT YORKTOWN-A COUNCIL OF WAR TURNING WHITE AGAIN-A REBEL SPY—LIEUTENANT V.'S MURDERER-ON PICKET DUTY-MY RETURN TO OUR LINES-I PUT ON UNIFORM AND MAKE MY REPORT. A FTER supper I was left to my own reflections, which were anything but pleasant at that time; for in the short space of three hours I must take up my line of march toward the camp of the enemy. As I sat there considering whether it was best for me to make myself known to Mrs. B. before I started, Dr. E. put his head in at the tent door and said in a hurried manner: "Ned, I want you to black my boots to-night; I shall require them early in the morning." "All right, Massa Doct'r," said I; "I allers blacks de boots over night." After washing up the few articles which had taken the place of dishes, and blacking the Doctor's boots, I went to seek an interview with Mrs. B. I found her alone and told her who I was, but was obliged to give her satisfactory proofs of my identity before she was convinced SECRET EXPEDITION 111 that I was the identical nurse with whom she had parted three days previously. My arrangements were soon made, and I was ready to start on my first secret expedition toward the Confederate capital. Mrs. B. was pledged to secrecy with regard to her knowledge of "Ned" and his mysterious disappearance. She was not permitted even to tell Mr. B. or Dr. E., and I believe she kept her pledge faithfully. With a few hard crackers in my pocket, and my revolver loaded and capped, I started on foot, without even a blanket or anything which might create suspicion. At half-past nine o'clock I passed through the outer picket line of the Union army, at twelve o'clock I was within the rebel lines, and had not so much as been halted once by a sentinel. I had passed within less than ten rods of a rebel picket, and he had not seen me. I took this as a favorable omen, and thanked heaven for it. As soon as I had gone a safe distance from the picket lines I lay down and rested until morning. The night was chilly and the ground cold and damp, and I passed the weary hours in fear and trembling. The first object which met my view in the morning was a party of negroes carrying out hot coffee and provisions to the rebel pickets. This was another fortunate circumstance, for I immediately made their acquaintance, and was rewarded for my promptness by receiving a cup of coffee and a piece of corn bread, which helped 112 MADE TO WORK. very much to chase away the lingering chills of the preceding night. I remained there until the darkies returned, and then marched into York town with them without eliciting the least suspicion. The negroes went to work immediately on the fortifications after reporting to their overseers, and I was left standing alone, not having quite made up my mind what part to act next. I was saved all further trouble in that direction, for my idleness had attracted the notice of an officer, who stepped forward and began to interrogate me after the following manner: "Who do you belong to, and why are you not at work?" I answered in my best negro dialect: "I dusn't belong to nobody, Massa, I'se free and allers was I'se gwyne to Richmond to work." But that availed me nothing, for turning to a man who was dressed in citizen's clothes and who seemed to be in charge of the colored department, he said: "Take that black rascal and set him to work, and if he don't work well tie him up and give him twenty lashes, just to impress upon his mind that there's no free niggers here while there's a d-d Yankee left in Virginia." So saying he rode away, and I was conducted to a breast-work which was in course of erection, where about a hundred negroes were at work. I was soon furnished with a pickaxe, shovel, and a monstrous wheelbarrow, and I commenced forth |