This morning the door-bell rang a startling peal. Martha
being busy, I answered it. An orderly in gray stood with an official envelope
in his hand.
“Who lives here?”
“Mr. L––.”
Very imperiously — “Which Mr. L––?”
“Mr. H–– L––."
“Is he here?” “No.”
“Where can he be found?”
“At the office of Deputy ––.”
“I'm not going there. This is an order from General
Pemberton for you to move out of this house in two hours. He has selected it
for headquarters. He will furnish you with wagons.”
“Will he furnish another house also?”
“Of course not.”
“Has the owner been consulted?”
“He has not; that is of no consequence; it has been taken.
Take this order.”
“I shall not take it, and I shall not move, as there is no
place to move to but the street.”
“Then I'll take it to Mr. L––.”
“Very well, do so.”
As soon as Mr Impertine walked off I locked, bolted, and
barred every door and window. In ten minutes H–– came home.
“Hold the fort till I've seen the owner and the general,” he
said, as I locked him out.
Then Dr. B–– 's remark in New Orleans about the effect of
Dr. C––'s fine presence on the Confederate officials there came to mind. They
are just the people to be influenced in that way, I thought. I look rather
shabby now; I will dress I made an elaborate toilet, put on the best and most
becoming dress I had, the richest lace, the handsomest ornaments, taking care
that all should be appropriate to a morning visit; dressed my hair in the
stateliest braids, and took a seat in the parlor ready for the fray. H–– came
to the window and said:
“Landlord says, ‘Keep them out. Wouldn't let them have his
house at any price.’ He is just riding off to the country and can't help us now.
Now I'm going to see Major C––, who sent the order.”
Next came an officer, banged at the door till tired, and
walked away. Then the orderly came again and beat the door — same result. Next,
four officers with bundles and lunch-baskets, followed by a wagon-load of
furniture. They went round the house, tried every door, peeped in the windows,
pounded and rapped, while I watched them through the blind-slats. Presently the
fattest one, a real Falstaffian man, came back to the front door and rung a
thundering peal. I saw the chance for fun and for putting on their own
grandiloquent style. Stealing on tiptoe to the door, I turned the key and bolt
noiselessly, and suddenly threw wide back the door and appeared behind it. He
had been leaning on it, and nearly pitched forward with an “Oh ! what's this!” Then
seeing me as he straightened up, “Ah, madam!” almost stuttering from surprise
and anger, “are you aware I had the right to break down this door if you hadn't
opened it?”
“That would make no difference to me. I'm not the owner. You
or the landlord would pay the bill for the repairs.”
“Why didn't you open the door?”
“Have I not done so as soon as you rung? A lady does not
open the door to men who beat on it. Gentlemen usually ring; I thought it might
be stragglers pounding.”
“Well,” growing much blander, “we are going to send you some
wagons to move; yon must get ready.”
“With pleasure, if you have selected a house for me. This is
too large; it does not suit me.”
“No, I didn't find a house for you.”
“You surely don't expect me to run about in the dust
and shelling to look for it, and Mr. L–– is too busy.”
“Well, madam, then we must share the house. We will take the
lower floor.”
“I prefer to keep the lower floor myself; you surely don't
expect me to go up and down stairs when you are so light and more able to
do it.”
He walked through the hall, trying the doors. “What room is
that?” — “The parlor.” “And this?” — “Mv bedroom.” “And this?” — “The
dining-room.”
“Well, madam, we'll find you a house and then come and take
this.”
“Thank you, colonel; I shall be ready when you find the
house Good-moming, sir.”
I heard him say as he ran down the steps. “We must go back,
captain ; you see I didn't know they were this kind of people.”
Of course the orderly had lied in the beginning to scare me,
for General P–– is too far away from Vicksburg to send an order. He is looking
about for General Grant. We are told he has gone out to meet Johnston: and
together they expect to annihilate Grant's army and free Vicksburg forever.
There is now a general hospital opposite this house and a small-pox hospital
next door. War. famine, pestilence, and fire surround us. Every day the band
plays in front of the small-pox hospital. I wonder if it is to keep up their
spirits? One would suppose quiet would be more cheering.
SOURCE: George W. Cable, “A Woman's Diary Of The Siege Of
Vicksburg”, The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXX, No.
5, September 1885, p. 770
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