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clump　of　bushes；　and　assuring　themselves　that　none　of　them　had

been　used　as　a　place　of　refuge　for　the　runaway。

；

〃It's　no　good；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　the　sheriff　said　at　last。　〃The　man　may

have　been　here；　he　ain't　here　now。　　The　only　place　we　haven't；

searched　is　the　house；　and　you　may　be　quite　sure　the　slaves　dare

not　conceal　him　there。　　Too　many　would　get　to　know　it。　　No；　sir；

he's　made　a　bolt　of　it；　and　you　will　have　to　wait　now　till　he　is

caught　by　chance；　or　shot；　by　some　farmer　or　other　in　the　act　of

stealing。〃



〃I　would　lay　a　thousand　dollars；〃　Andrew　Jackson　exclaimed

passionately；　〃that　young　Wingfield　knows　something　about；　his

whereabouts；　and　has　lent　him　a　hand！〃



〃Well；　I　should　advise　you　to　keep　your　mouth　shut　about；　it；　till

you　get　some　positive　proof；〃　the　sheriff　said　dryly。　　〃I　tell　you　it's

no　joke　to　accuse　a　member　of　a　family　like　the　Wingfields　of

helping　runaway　slaves　to　escape。〃



〃I　will　bide　my　time；〃　the　planter　said。　　〃You　said　that　some　day

you　would　lay　hands　on　Tony　dead　or　alive。　You　see　if　some　day　I

don't　lay　hands　on　young　Wingfield。〃



Well；　it　seems；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　the　sheriff　remarked　with　a　sneer；　for

he　was　out　of　temper　at　the　ill　success　of　the　day's　work；　〃that；　he

has　already　laid　hands　on　your　son。　　It　seems　to　me　quite　as　likely

that　he　will　lay　hands　on　you　as　you　on　him。〃



Two　days　afterward　as　Vincent　was　riding　through　the　streets　of

Richmond　he　saw　to　his　surprise　Andrew　Jackson　in　close

conversation　with　Jonas　Pearson。



〃I　wonder　what　those　two　fellows　are　talking　about？〃　he　said　to

himself。　　〃I　expect；　Jackson　is　trying　to　pump　Pearson　as　to　the

doings　at　the　Orangery。　　I　don't　like　that；　fellow；　and　never　shall；

and　he　is　just　the　sort　of　man　to　do　one　a　bad　turn　if　he　had　the

chance。　　However；　as　I　have　never　spoken　to　him　about；　that　affair

from　beginning　to　end；　I　don't　see　that　he　can　do　any　mischief　if　he

wants　to。〃



Andrew　Jackson；　however；　had　obtained　information　which　he

considered　valuable。　　He　learned　that　Vincent　had　been　away　in　a

boat　for　five　days；　and　that　his　mother　had　been　very　uneasy　about

him。　　He　also　learned　that　the　boat　was　one　belonging　to　Mr。

Furniss；　and　that　it　was　only　quite　lately　that　Vincent　had　taken　to

going　out　sailing。



After　considerable　trouble　he　succeeded　in　getting　at　one　of　　the

slaves　upon　Mr。　Furniss'　plantation。　　But　he　could　only　learn　from

him　that　Vincent　had　been　unaccompanied　when　he　went　out　in

the　boat　either　by　young　Furniss　or　by　any　of　the　plantation　hands；

that　he　had　taken　with　him　only　his　own　slave；　and　had　come　and

gone　as　he　chose；　taking　out　and　fastening　up　the　boat　himself；　so

that　no　one　could　say　when　he　had　gone　out；；　except；　that　his　horse

was　put　up　at　the　stables。　　The　slave　said　that　certainly　the　horse

bad　only　stood　there　on　two　or　three　occasions；　and　then　only　for　a

few　hours；　and　that　unless　Mr。　Wingfield　had　walked　over　he

could　never　have　had　the　boat　out　all　night；　as　the　horse　certainly

had　not　stood　all　night　in　the　stables。



Andrew　Jackson　talked　the　matter　over　with　his　son；　and　both

agreed　that　Vincent's　conduct；　was　suspicious　His　own　people　said

he　had　been　away　for　five　days　in　the　boat。　　The　people　at　Furniss'

knew　nothing　about　this；　and　therefore　there　must　be　some　mystery

about　it；　and　they　doubted　not　that；　that　mystery　was　connected

with　the　runaway　slave；　and　they　guessed　that　he　had　either　taken

Tony　and　landed　him　near　the　mouth　of　the　York　River　on　the

northern　shore；　or　that　he　had　put　him　on　beard　a　ship。　　They

agreed；　however；　that　whatever　their　suspicious；　they　had　not

sufficient　grounds　for　openly　accusing　Vincent　of　aiding　their

runaway。



CHAPTER　V。　SECESSION。。



WHILE　Vincent　had　been　occupied　with　the　affairs　of　Tony　and

his　wife；　public　events　had　moved　forward　rapidly。　　The　South

Carolina　Convention　met　in　the　third　week　in　December；　and　on

the　20th　of　that　month　the　Ordinance　of　Secession　was　passed。　　On

the　10th　of　Jan…nary；　three　days　after　Vincent　returned　home　from

his　expedition；　Florida　followed　the　example　of　South　Carolina

and　seceded。　　Alabama　and　Mississippi　passed　the　Ordinance　of

Secession　on　the　following　day；　Georgia　on　the　18th；　Louisiana　on

the　23d；　and　Texas　on　the　1st　of　February。



In　all　these　States　the　Ordinance　of　Session　was　received　with

great；　rejoicing：　bonfires　were　lit；　the　towns　illuminated；　and　the

militia　paraded　the　streets；　and　in　many　cases　the　Federal　arsenals

were　seized　and　the　Federal　forts　occupied　by　the　State　troops。　　In

the　meantime　the　Northern　Slave　States；　Virginia；　North　Carolina；

Tennessee；　Kentucky；　and　Missouri；　remained　irresolute。　　The

general　feeling　was　strongly　in　favor　of　their　Southern　brethren；

but　they　were　anxious　for　peace；　and　for　a　compromise　being

arrived　at。　　Whether　the　North　would　agree　to　admit；　the

constitutional　rights　of　secession；　or　whether　it　would　use　force　to

compel　the　Seceding　States　to　remain　in　the　Union；　was　still

uncertain；　but　the　idea　of　a　civil　war　was　so　terrible　a　one　that　the

general　belief　was　that　some　arrangement　to　allow　the　States　to　go

their　own　way　would　probably　be　arrived　at。



For　the　time　the　idea　of　Vincent　going　to　West　Point　was

abandoned。　　Among　his　acquaintances　were　several　young　men

who　were　already　at　West　Point；　and　very　few　of　these　returned　to

the　academy。　　The　feeling　there　was　very　strongly　on　the　side　of

secession。　　A　great　majority　of　the　students　came　from　the

Southern　States；　as　while　the　sons　of　the　Northern　men　went

principally　into　trade　and　commerce；　the　Southern　planters　sent

their　sons　into　the　army；　and　a　great　proportion　of　the　officers　of

the　army　and　navy　were　Southerners。



As　the　professors　at　West；　Point　were　all　military　men；　the　feeling

among　them；　as　well　as　among　the　students；　was　in　favor　of　State

rights；　they　considering　that；　according　to　the　constitution；　their

allegiance　was　due　first　to　the　States　of　which　they　were　natives；

and　in　the　second　place　to　the　Union。　　Thus；　then；　many　of　the

professors　who　were　natives　of　the　seven　States　which　had　seceded

resigned　their　appointments；　and　returned　home　to　occupy

themselves　in　drilling　the　militia　and　the　levies；　who　were　at　once

called　to　arms。



Still　all　hoped　that；　peace　would　be　preserved；　until　on　the　11th　of

April　General　Beauregard；　who　commanded　the　troops　of　South

Carolina；　summoned　Major　Anderson；　who　was　in　command　of

the　Federal　troops　in　Fort　Sumter；　to　surrender；　and　on　his　refusal

opened　fire　upon　the　fort　on　the　following　day。



On　the　13th；　the　barracks　of　the　fort；　being　set　on　fire；　and　Major

Anderson　seeing　the　hopelessness　of　a　prolonged　resistance；

surrendered。　The　effect　of　the　news　throughout　the　United　States

was　tremendous；　and　Mr。　Lincoln　at　once　called　out　75；000　men　of

the　militia　of　the　various　States　to　put　down　the　rebellion…the

border　States　being　ordered　to　send　their　proportion。　　This　brought

matters　to　a　climax。　　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　Kentucky；

Tennessee；　and　Missouri　all　refused　to　furnish　contingents　to　act

against　the　Southern　States；　and　Virginia；　North　Carolina；　and

Kansas　a　few　days　later　passed　Ordinances　of　Secession　and　joined

the　Southern　States。　　Missouri；　Maryland；　and　Delaware　were

divided　in　their　counsels。



The　struggle　that　was　about；　to　commence　was　an　uneven　one。　

The　white　population　of　the　Seceding　States　was　about　8；000；000；

while　that　the　Northern　States　were　19；614；885。　　The　North

possessed　an　immense　advantage；　inasmuch　as　they　retained　the

whole　of　the　Federal　navy；　and　were　thereby　enabled　at　once　to　cut

off　all　communication　between　the　Southern　States　and　Europe；

while　they　themselves　could　draw　unlimited　supplies　of　munitions

of　war　of　all　kinds　from　across　the　Atlantic。



Although　the　people　of　Virginia　had　hoped　to　the　last　that　some

peaceful　arrangement　might　be　effected；　the　Act　of　Secession　was

received　with　enthusiasm。　　The　demand　of　Mr。　Lincoln　that　they

should　furnish　troops　to　crush　their　Southern　brethren　excited　the

liveliest　indignation；　and　Virginia　felt　that　there　was　no　course

open　to　her　now　but　to　throw　in　her　lot　with　the　other　Slaves

States。　　Her　militia　was　at　once　called　out；　and　volunteers　called

for　to　form　a　provisional　army　to　protect　the　State　from　invasion

by　the　North。



The　appeal　was　answered　with　enthusiasm；　men　of　all　ages　took

up　arms；　the　wealthy　raised　regiments　at　their　own　expense；

generally　handing　over　the　commands　to　experienced　army

officers；　and　themselves　taking　their　places　in　the　ranks；　thousand

of　lads　of　from　fifteen　to　sixteen　years　of　age　enrolled　themselves；

and　men　who　had　never　done　a　day's　work　in　their　life　prepared　to

suffer　all　the　hardships　of　the　campaign　as　private　soldiers。



Mrs。　Wingfield　was　an　enthusiastic　supporter　of　State　rights；　and

when　Vincent　told　her　that　numbers　of　his　friends　were　going　to

enroll　themselves　as　soon　as　the　lists　were　opened；　she　offered　no

objection　to　his　doing　the　same。



〃Of　course　you　are　very　young；　Vincent；　but　no　one　thinks　there

will　be　any　serious　fighting。　　Now　that　Virginia　and　the　other　four

States　have　cast　in　their　lot　with　the　seven　that　have　seceded；　the

North　can　never　hope　to　force　the　solid　South　back　into　the　Union。　

Still　it　is　right　you　should　join。　　I　certainly　should　not；　like　an　old

Virginian　family　like　ours　to　be　unrepresented；　but　I　should　prefer

your　joining　one　of　the　mounted　corps。



〃In　the　first；　place　it　will　be　much　less　fatiguing　than　carrying　a

heavy　rifle　and　knapsack；　and　in　the　second　place；　the　cavalry　will

for　the　most；　part　be　gentlemen。　　I　was　speaking　only　yesterday

when　I　went　into　Richmond　to　Mr。　Ashley；　who　is　raising　a　corps。　

He　is　one　of　the　best　riders　in　the　country；　and　a　splendid　specimen

of　a　Virginian　gentleman。　　lie　tells　me　that　he　has　already　received

a　l