“Oh!” The tears welled up into Letty’s eyes. “Is General Lingan killed, and General Lee? Oh, Uncle Tom, is it so dreadful as that? And where is my father?”
“He is with Major Barney. General Lingan, I fear, is killed. General Lee, I am not so sure about. I hope he is safe. There has been much wrong done, and an ill-advised mob is hard to quell, especially when it is a principle rather than a personal grudge which is involved, because it is the whole mind of the party which works with equal interest. I regret exceedingly the manner of their opposition to Mr. Hanson’s paper, but—” He frowned and shook his head.
Rhoda fired up. “It is a disgrace. I should think you would feel it to be a blot on your city and state, that such things have been allowed by the authorities. I wish I had never come to this place, peopled by a set of villanous murderers.”
“Rhoda!” Her aunt spoke reprovingly.
“I don’t care.” Rhoda’s cheeks were flushed. “It is true. It is a dreadful, dreadful thing to murder men for saying they will not countenance a war with England.”
“It is a dreadful thing,” returned her uncle, “but we have many wrongs to avenge. Our poor seamen have been flogged to death, have been as brutally treated as this mob has treated the Federalists, and a desire for vengeance which will not be satisfied with less than an eye for an eye, is the motive power which has controlled these late horrible scenes. It is the first battle of our war for freedom, ill-advised as it is.”
Lettice was sobbing nervously. “I want to go home, too,” she cried, “I don’t want to stay here, either. I want to go home, Uncle Tom. I am afraid more dreadful things will happen.”
“I am afraid so, too, and I think you would all be safer and more at ease down in the country. I think, Martha, you had better take the girls and go down to Sylvia’s Ramble as soon as you can get off.”
“And leave you?”
“I am safe enough; at least, if need comes, you know what I shall do.”