“The Vice-President had now taken the oath of office and had entered upon the duties of President. Lincoln was dead; the last act in the bloody drama on the program of the conspirators had been played.”
CHAPTER XXI.
SCHEME FOR A NEW REBELLION.—ANDREW JOHNSON AND HIS CO-
CONSPIRATORS.—THE GENERAL OF THE ARMY AND SECRETARY OF WAR
SAVE THE COUNTRY.—“TOM” ANDERSON'S BRUTAL MURDER.—UNCLE
DANIEL DIES.
“Forgiveness to the injured does belong,
But they never pardon who have done the wrong.”
—Dryden
“Jones surrendered to Sherwood. Mobile had fallen Iand all the minor commands in rebellion were trying to see which could get in first. The President of the Confederacy had been captured by Wellston. Our great armies were mustered out of the service, and peace once more reigned throughout the land. The then President had by his declarations shown such bitter hostility toward the leading rebels that they were greatly alarmed, and many were leaving the country. The General of our armies had established his headquarters at Washington, and all matters pertaining to the future were now in the hands of the civil authorities.
“Gen. Anderson had returned to my house, where he found joy and happiness in our little family at his safety after passing through the storm of this great struggle. His wife and little Mary, as well as little Jennie, seemed as though they would never get through kissing him. Henry and his wife (Seraine) were now with-us. Lieut. Whitcomb returned to Detroit to his parents. Gen. Anderson and Henry were all who were left of the eight of my household who had entered the service. You can imagine the sadness this brought back to me. David's wife (Jennie) became melancholy and more depressed than usual. She was stricken with fever and died in about three weeks after the General's return. This left this dear child”—pointing to Jennie Wilson—“alone in the world, without a protector, save her poor old grandfather. Mary Anderson, the General, Henry and Seraine were all kind and willing to do anything for her that they could. She was sole heir to her father's farm, which had been left in my hands, and naturally looked to me, and so we have ever since lived together.
“Henry, Seraine, Gen. Anderson and his family stayed with me until the General could determine whether he would remain North or venture to return to his old home in Mississippi. Old Ham and Aunt Martha, after the murder of Mr. Lincoln, seemed to have lost all energy, and were unusually silent and melancholy, seldom speaking to any one, save in the expression of their great joy at the safe return of their Marsa Gen'l.' One day, while we were sitting on the porch, the General said to Ham, who had come to the front of the house:
“'Ham, what is the matter with you and Aunt Martha? You seem to be in a serious mood all the time, since my return?'
“'Yes, Marsa Gen'l, we is monstrous serious, sah. We feels bad 'bout Marsa Lincum, what dem 'Sesh kill. He war our bes' frien', He make us free, and we feel dat dar am some wrong somewhar, dat dem 'Sesh starve de Union sogers; dey shoots dem when dey wants to, and dey kills our President, and none of dem get hunged for dis. If dis is de way dat matters is a-gwine, what am goin' to 'come of de darkies? Whar am dey gwine? What am gwine to 'come ob Marfa and Ham? Dat's what am worryin' us.'
“'Well, Ham, you need not worry about that. You will be taken care of. I will see to that.'