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steady　labor。



Those　who　liked　would；　of　course；　be　at　liberty　to　leave；　but　he

hoped　that　none　of　them　would　avail　themselves　of　this　freedom；

for　nowhere　would　they　do　so　well　as　by　accepting　the　offer　he

made　them。　　All　who　accepted　the　offer　of　a　plot　of　land　rent…free

must　understand　that　it　was　granted　them　upon　the　condition　that

they　would　labor　upon　the　estate　for　at　least　three　days　a　week；

receiving　a　rate　of　pay　similar　to　that　earned　by　other　freed

negroes。　Of　course　they　would　be　at　liberty　to　work　four　or　five

days　a　week　if　they　chose；　but　at　least　they　must　work　three　days

and　any　one　failing　to　do　this　would　forfeit　his　plot　of　land。　　〃Three

days'　work；〃　he　said；　〃will　be　sufficient　to　provide　all　necessaries

for　yourselves　and　families　and　the　produce　of　your　land　you　can

sell；　and　will　so　be　able　to　lay　by　an　ample　sum　to　keep　yourselves

in　old　age。　I　have　already　plotted　out　the　land　and　you　shall　cast

lots　for　choice　of　the　plots。　　There　will　be　a　little　delay　before　all

your　papers　of　freedom　can　be　made　out；　but　the　arrangement　will

begin　from　to…day；　and　henceforth　you　will　be　paid　for　all　labor

done　on　the　estate。〃



Scarcely　a　word　was　spoken　when　Vincent　concluded。　The　news

was　too　surprising　to　the　negroes　for　them　to　be　able　to　understand

it　all　at　once。　　Dan　and　Tony；　to　whom　Vincent　had　already

explained　the　matter；　went　among　them；　and　they　gradually　took　in

the　whole　of　Vincent's　meaning。　　A　few　received　the　news　with

great　joy；　but　many　others　were　depressed　rather　than　rejoiced　at

the　responsibilities　of　their　new　positions。　　Hitherto　they　had　been

clothed　and　fed；　the　doctor　attended　them　in　sickness；　their　master

would　care　for　them　in　old　age。　　They　had　been　literally　without　a

care　for　the　morrow；　and　the　thought　that　in　future　they　would

have　to　think　of　all　these　things　for　themselves　almost　frightened

them。　　Several　of　the　older　men　went　up　to　Mrs。　Wingfield　and

positively　declined　to　accept　their　freedom。　　They　were　quite

contented　and　happy；　and　wanted　nothing　more。　　They　had　worked

on　the　plantation　since　they　had　been　children；　and　freedom

offered　them　no　temptations　whatever。



〃What　had　we　better　do；　Vincent？〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　asked。



〃I　think；　mother；　it　will　be　best　to　toll　them　that　all　who　wish　can

remain　upon　the　old　footing；　but　that　their　papers　will　be　made　out

and　if　at　any　time　they　wish　to　have　their　freedom　they　will　only

have　to　say　so。　　No　doubt　they　will　soon　become　accustomed　to　the

idea；　and　seeing　how　comfortable　the　others　are　with　their　pay　and

the　produce　of　their　gardens　they　will　soon　fall　in　with　the　rest。　　Of

course　it　will　decrease　the　income　from　the　estate；　but　not　so　much

as　you　would　think。　　They　will　be　paid　for　their　labor；　but　we　shall

have　neither　to　feed　nor　clothe　them；　and　I　think　we　shall　get　better

labor　than　we　do　now；　for　the　knowledge　that　those　who　do　not

work　steadily　will　lose　their　plots　of　land；　and　have　to　go　out　in　the

world　to　work；　their　places　being　filled　by　others；　will　keep　them

steady。〃



〃It's　an　experiment；　Vincent；　and　we　shall　see　how　it　works。〃



〃It's　an　experiment　I　have　often　thought　I　should　like　to　make；

mother；　and　now　you　see　it　is　almost　forced　upon　us。　　To…morrow　I

will　ride　over　to　the　other　plantations　and　make　the　same

arrangements。〃



During　the　month　of　August　many　battles　took　place　round

Petersburg。　　On　the　12th　the　Federals　attacked；　but　were　repulsed

with　heavy　loss；　and　2；500　prisoners　were　taken。　On　the　21st　the

Confederates　attacked；　and　obtained　a　certain　amount　of　success；

killing；　wounding；　and　capturing　2；400　men。　　Petersburg　was

shelled　day　and　night；　and　almost　continuous　fighting　went　on。　

Nevertheless；　up　to　the　middle　of　October　the　positions　of　the

armies　remained　unaltered。　　On　the　27th　of　that　mouth　the　Federals

made　another　general　attack；　but　were　repulsed　with　a　loss　of

1；500　men。　　During　the　next　three　months　there　was　little　fighting；

the　Confederates　having　now　so　strengthened　their　lines　by

incessant　toil　that　even　General　Grant；　reckless　of　the　lives　of　his

troops　as　he　was；　hesitated　to　renew　the　assault。



But　in　the　South　General　Sherman　was　carrying　all　before　him。　

Generals　Hood　and　Johnston；　who　commanded　the　Confederate

armies　there；　had　fought　several　desperate　battles；　but　the　forces

opposed　to　them　were　too　strong　to　be　driven　back。　　They　had

marched　through　Georgia　to　Atlanta　and　captured　that　important

town　on　the　1st　of　September；　and　obtained　command　of　the

network　of　railways；　and　thus　cut　off　a　large　portion　of　the

Confederacy　from　Richmond。　　Then　Sherman　marched　south；

wasting　the　country　through　which　he　marched；　and　capturing

Savannah　on　the　21st　of　September。



While　he　was　so　doing；　General　Hood　had　marched　into

Tennessee；　and　after　various　petty　successes　was　defeated；　after

two　days'　hard　fighting；　near　Nashville。　　In　the　third　week　in

January；　1865；　Sherman　set　out　with　60；000　infantry　and　10；000

cavalry　from　Savannah；　laying　waste　the　whole　country…burning；

pillaging；　and　destroying。　The　town　of　Columbia　was　occupied；

sacked；　and　burned；　the　white　men　and　women　and　even　the

negroes　being　horribly　ill…treated。



The　Confederates　evacuated　Charleston　at　the　approach　of　the

enemy；　setting　it　in　flames　rather　than　allow　it　to　fall　into

Sherman's　hands。　　The　Federal　army　then　continued　its　devastating

route　through　South　Carolina；　and　at　the　end　of　March　had

established　itself　at　Goldsboro；　in　North　Carolina；　and　was　in

readiness　to　aid　Grant　in　his　final　attack　on　Richmond。



Lee；　seeing　the　imminence　of　the　danger；　made　an　attack　upon　the

enemy　in　front　of　Petersburg；　but　was　repulsed。　　He　had　now　but

37；000　men　with　which　to　oppose　an　enemy　of　nearly　four　times

that　strength　in　front　of　him；　while　Sheridan's　cavalry；　10；000

strong；　threatened　his　flank；　and　Sherman　with　his　army　was　but　a

few　days'　march　distant。　　There　was　fierce　fighting　on　the　29th；

30th；　and　31st　of　March；　and　on　the　2d　of　April　the　whole　Federal

army　assaulted　the　positions　at　Petersburg；　and　after　desperate

fighting　succeeded　in　carrying　them。　　The　Confederate　　troops；　

outnumbered　　and　exhausted　as　they　were　by　the　previous　week's

marching　and　fighting；　yet　retained　their　discipline；　and　Lee　drew

off　with　20；000　men　and　marched　to　endeavor　to　effect　a　junction

with　Johnston；　who　was　still　facing　Sherman。　But　his　men　had　but

one　day's　provision　with　them。　　The　stores　that　he　had　ordered　to

await　them　at　the　point　to　which　he　directed　his　march　had　not

arrived　there　when　they　reached　it；　and；　harassed　at　every　foot　of

their　march　by　Sheridan's　cavalry　and　Ord's　infantry；　the　force

fought　its　way　on。　　The　horses　and　mules　were　so　weak　from　want

of　food　that　they　were　unable　to　drag　the　guns；　and　the　men

dropped　in　numbers　from　fatigue　and　famine。　Sheridan　and　Ord

cut　off　two　corps；　but　General　Lee；　with　but　8；000　infantry　and

2；000　cavalry；　still　pressed　forward　toward　Lynchburg。　　But

Sheridan　threw　himself　in　the　way；　and；　finding　that　no　more　could

be　done；　General　Lee　and　the　infantry　surrendered；　and　a　few　days

later　Generals　Lee　and　Grant　met　and　signed　terms　of　peace。

General　Johnston's　army　surrendered　to　General　Sherman；　and　the

long　and　desperate　struggle　was　at　an　end。



It　was　a　dreadful　day　in　Richmond　when　the　news　came　that　the

lines　of　Petersburg　were　forced；　and　that　General　Lee　no　longer

stood　between　the　city　and　the　invaders。　The　president　and

ministers　left　at　once；　and　were　followed　by　all　the　better　class　of

inhabitants　who　could　find　means　of　conveyance。　　The　negroes；

Irish；　and　some　of　the　lower　classes　at　once　set　to　work　to　pillage

and　burn；　and　the　whole　city　would　have　been　destroyed　had　not　a

Federal　force　arrived　and　at　once　suppressed　the　rioting。



Whatever　bad　been　the　conduct　of　the　Federal　troops　during　the

last　year　of　the　war；　however　great　the　suffering　they　had　inflicted

upon　the　unarmed　and　innocent　population　of　the　country　through

which　they　marched；　the　terms　of　peace　that　General　Grant　agreed

upon；　and　which　were；　although　with　some　reluctance；　ratified　by

the　government；　were　in　the　highest　degree　liberal　and　generous。　

No　one　was　to　be　injured　or　molested　for　the　share　he　had　taken　in

the　war。　　A　general　amnesty　was　granted　to　all；　and　the　States　were

simply　to　return　to　the　position　in　the　Union　that　they　occupied

previous　to　the　commencement　of　the　struggle。



More　liberal　terms　were　never　granted　by　a　conqueror　to　the

vanquished。



Vincent　was　with　the　cavalry　who　escaped　prior　to　Lee's　surrender；

but　as　soon　as　the　terms　of　peace　were　ratified　the　force　was

disbanded　and　he　returned　home。　　He　was　received　with　the

deepest　joy　by　his　mother　and　sister。



〃Thank　God；　my　dear　boy；　that　all　is　over；　and　you　have　been

preserved　to　us。　　We　are　beaten；　but　no　one　can　say　that　we　have

been　disgraced。　　Had　every　State　done　its　duty　as　Virginia　has　we

should　never　have　been　overpowered。　　It　has　been　a　terrible　four

years；　and　there　are　few　families　indeed　that　have　no　losses　to

mourn。〃



〃It　was　well　you　were　not　in　Richmond；　mother；　the　day　of　the

riots。〃



〃Yes；　but　we　had　our　trouble　here　too；　Vincent。　　A　number　of　the

slaves　from　some　of　the　plantations　came　along　this　way；　and

wanted　our　hands　to　join　them　to　burn　down　their　quarters　and　the

house；　and　to　march　to　Richmond。　　Tony　and　Dan；　hearing　of　their

approach；　armed　themselves　with　your　double…barreled　guns；　went

down　and　called　out　the　hands　and　armed　them　with　hoes　and

other　implements。　　When　the　negroes　came　up　there　was　a

desperate　quarrel；　but　our　hands　stood　firm；　and　Tony　and　Dan

declared　that　they　would　shoot　the　first　four　men　that　advanced；

and　at　last　they　drew　off　and　made　their　way　to　Richmond。



〃Your　plan　has　succeeded　admirably。　　One　or　two　of　the　hands

went　to　Richmond　nex