"The General readily assented to all, and at once prepared to return home with me. He visited the General of the Army the following day.
"The next morning I again visited the Secretary of War, and explained to him the General's readiness to act. He was delighted with the arrangement, and said to me that I must return in two weeks and let him know how matters were progressing; that it would not do to communicate in writing. I bade him good-by, and the General and I left for home.
"On our arrival his wife and the two children were greatly delighted, as well as the rest of the family, including Ham and Aunt Martha. His wife, finding that he was to remain at home for some time, was extremely happy. Henry was now called into council and put in possession of a part of our plan. They at once went to work diligently, and in a very short time had made up a secret organization with a view, as understood, of going to the Black Hills, and by moving about in the country found that any number of good soldiers could be rendezvoused at Indianapolis ready to move by rail in any direction required, the Black Hills being the objective.
"Gov. Morton was sent for and had an interview with the Secretary of War. What arrangement or understanding was had between them I did not know, nor did I ever learn. The only thing he ever said to any of us was to Gen. Anderson, that there were plenty of arms, etc., in Indianapolis, and if he should ever have to start for the Black Hills to let him know at once. I suspected that he was fully posted.
"I returned in about two weeks to Washington. In the meantime the President had attempted to send the General of the Army out of the country into Mexico, on some civil mission. The General had positively refused to go. By this time there was quite a bitter feeling. The President expressed himself freely. The General was silent.
"The Secretary of War had been requested to resign, which he had refused to do, and the excitement was warming up considerably. Many telegrams were coming to the General of the Army from his old soldiers, saying they were ready to come to Washington in case of trouble with the President on the question of the enforcement of his views against the action of Congress. The General would destroy these telegrams as fast as they came. I told the Secretary of the progress of Gen. Anderson and Henry in reference to the Black Hills. He was very much gratified at the result.
"I was invited to come to the War Office at about 8:30 o'clock that evening. On arriving I was admitted by the Secretary himself. Inside the door I found a sentinel with musket in hand, regularly on duty. I said to the Secretary, 'How is this?' His only reply was: 'It looks warlike, does it not?'
"On entering his private room I found the Chief of Staff to the General of the Army and two other gentlemen. One was a man whom I knew well, the same mentioned by the parties as being the one to take care of Washington city. The other gentleman I had never seen. He was a resident of Washington city, had been a Colonel in the Union army, and was now acting as Adjutant-General and organizer under the former. These men remained during every night in the War Department with the Secretary of War, having spies out in Baltimore and Richmond, as well as in Washington, and knew of every movement that was going on. They also knew of every meeting of leading rebels with the President. I learned that their organization, secretly armed and equipped in Washington, amounted to over 2,000 men, the object of which was not disclosed to the men more than that it was a military organization in favor of the Union, and to be ready on call for any emergency.
"If the President had attempted to carry out his scheme, and any movement had been made from either Baltimore or Richmond, or from any part of any State, the first prisoner would have been the President. The Secretary of War determined that his Department should not go into the hands of any one who would be subservient to any set of conspirators, or the President, who was to be at the head of them.
"I returned home the next day full of alarm for our country. I greatly feared another scene of blood and desolation. I was so worried over the situation that my family thought me ill.
"Gen. Anderson returned that night from Indianapolis, and Henry from near Fayette. I told the General what I had seen and learned. When I told him how the gentleman in charge of the secret forces in Washington seemed to feel, and that he would make the President a prisoner the first thing if any move was made, he remarked:
"'That is the way to do it! Cut off the head the first blow, and the body will soon die.'
"Things went on in this way for a time. The President had copies of telegrams given him from the telegraph office, which were sent from different parts of the country, tendering the services of different organizations of soldiers to the General of the Army. He also discovered in some way that he would be in danger should he attempt the use of force.
"The House of Representatives now presented articles of impeachment against him. This alarmed his co-conspirators, and the embryo rebellion collapsed.
"I have no doubt that if the President at that time had had a General of the Army and a Secretary of War who could have been used by him to further his and his co-conspirators' schemes, within ninety days from the time when I first went to Washington, as stated, this country would have been plunged into another bloody rebellion with an unscrupulous, courageous and desperate man at the head of it, and at the same time in possession of the Capital of the Nation. The country has never known what it escaped and what it owes to those men--the Secretary of War and the General of the Army and his Chief of Staff--for standing as they did against these machinations."
"Uncle Daniel," said Dr. Adams, "why was this matter kept so profoundly secret?"
"There were two reasons: First, the country was easily excited at the time, and on that account, when the danger was passed, it was thought best to say nothing, and all who knew of it had been put upon their honor not to disclose it. Second, it could not be verified as to the co-conspirators in Maryland and Virginia, and the plan agreed upon by them, without involving a man heretofore mentioned, in high position among the very persons who were conspiring to do the deed. His exposure would doubtless have cost him his life; and I hope you will not now ask me to say whether he is living or dead."
"I will inquire no further on this subject," said Dr. Adams, "but would like to know what became of the Black Hills scheme?"
"That scheme failed at or about the same time of the collapse of the new rebellion.
"Time passed, and finally the country got rid of this President by electing the General of the Army. We all, or many of us at least, breathed more freely. The reorganization of the South became a fixed fact, and the machinery moved smoothly for awhile. My son Henry was still anxious to go to work and try his fortune in the Black Hills country. About this time his wife bore him a fine son. He therefore left her with me and started fortune hunting.
"Gen. Anderson made a visit to his old home in Mississippi and was, to all outward appearance, well received. He returned home, and, after talking the matter over with his wife, they thought it would be safe to return. The Union men were at that time in power in Mississippi, and many Northern people were flocking there and purchasing property.
Very soon the General and his family got ready to leave Allentown for Jackson, Miss. When the time came for them to leave, the sorrow with us all was very great. Mary Anderson and Seraine wept, and held to one another, instinctively fearing that this separation was forever. The two children, little Mary and Jennie, shrieked and screamed, and begged not to be separated. The scene was heartrending. I felt as though my last friend was leaving me. The General and I acted like children. We both wept and embraced each other--neither could speak. I held poor little Mary in my arms and bathed her blessed cheeks with my tears. Old Ham and Aunt Martha would go with 'Marsa Gen'l' They both wept and heaped blessings upon us all. As far off as we could see the poor old people, they were bowing and bidding us good-by. God bless their poor souls; they were as good and as kind a couple as ever lived!
"Seraine and I had procured good help before they left, and were, in that particular, in excellent shape; but when the General, his wife, little Mary and the old couple left, it was desolate, sure enough. We were lonely in the extreme. We had been so long together, and had passed through so many trials, had grieved, and had experienced so many sorrows together, that no one could describe our feelings. The General, however, felt that he could do well again at his old home, and he thought the people down there were reconstructed and satisfied with their wrong course.
"I spent most of my time out at the farm. I would take my Jennie, as I called my granddaughter, with me and explain everything to her, as much to employ my own mind as hers. Henry wrote us very often. He was delighted with the country and was doing quite well; had made money, and was investing it in property in Yankton. Seraine's father and mother visited us frequently, and we were living as happily as we could under all the circumstances.
"In a few months Gen. Anderson visited us. He was feeling satisfied with his home and was doing well. He gave a glowing description of old Ham and Aunt Martha's happiness now that they could see other colored people. The President had offered him (Anderson) a foreign mission, which he had declined on account of his fine prospects in his profession in Mississippi.
"The next year after Henry left us he returned, but was determined to make his new home his permanent one, and insisted on Jennie and I going with him. He said he would not leave us alone, and would stay in Indiana if we could not go with him and Seraine. He could not think of leaving Seraine and his fine baby boy any more. I thought I ought not to interfere with the boy's prospects, so I agreed to go with them. I rented my house, made arrangements about the farm, and we all left for Yankton. Henry had purchased a nice place, and we lived there very happily together. We kept up our correspondence with Gen. Anderson and his family.
"One day Henry came into the house very much excited, saying that he had just seen Wintergreen on the street, who pretended not to recognize him.
The town was settling up and growing very fast. Many people from the South were coming into the Territory as well as the town. I told Henry to beware of this man; that he, knowing that Henry had his secrets, might, through fear, if nothing else, do him some harm. One day there were quite a number of persons near a billiard hall, in a dispute about some matter. Wintergreen was in the midst of the crowd. Henry stepped up out of curiosity to ascertain the cause of the trouble. Wintergreen spied him, drew his revolver, and shot him dead.'
Dr. Adams exclaimed, "My God! Your last son!"
"Yes," said Uncle Daniel with a tremulous voice, "this was the last of my dear family. So you see, gentlemen, as I first stated, my home is desolate. Why should I wish to buffet the world longer? This was the fulfillment of my good wife's dream--the seven fingers were now gone.
"Wintergreen escaped. The distress of Henry's wife, as well as my own grief, I will not undertake to describe. We conveyed his body to Allentown and there laid him to rest with his mother and brothers. Gen.
Anderson, learning of our affliction, met us at our old home. Seraine and I remained with our little family at Allentown, I getting back my house. I broke down under this last sorrow, and was confined to the house for more than a year. Seraine cared for me as she would for her own father, and this child here, my dear Jennie, was with me and by my bedside nearly the whole time of my sickness. God bless her!"
"So say we all!" was the response from those present.
"Gen. Anderson visited me several times during my illness. His wife and little daughter came and spent a month with us, which added greatly to what happiness we could then enjoy.
"The men who had been in rebellion now began to show their feeling and take hold of the politics of the South. Gen. Anderson was very prominent as a lawyer and a leader in political affairs in Mississippi. The rebels now commenced to organize secret societies similar to those that were in the North during the war. Another Presidential canvass came on, and the then President was re-elected. Very soon political matters in that part of the country, in State affairs, became very exciting. Prominent men were threatened; colored men were whipped and driven away from meetings; raids were made upon their houses in the night-time and many were murdered--some white men sharing the same fate.
"Gen. Anderson used all of his influence to stay this tide of oppression and wrong. He was threatened with violence, but did not believe they would assault him. He was a brave man, and could not think of leaving his friends, but determined to stand by them. Quite a number of Northern men were driven from that part of the country, and their property destroyed. A perfect reign of terror prevailed.
"The General moved into another county, so as to be out of the excitement as much as possible. At a political meeting near the capital of the State, Gen. McKee, a Northern man, without any provocation whatever, was brutally assaulted and almost murdered for making a Republican speech. This character of conduct continued until one day in court, where some of these men were being tried for their outrages, the General denounced this course as brutal, and such as ought to make barbarians blush. A mob collected around the court-house and made threats of violence against him, denouncing him as a ----- Yank and not fit to live. They then and there notified him to leave the State within five days, and that if found there longer than this his life should pay the forfeit.
"He had determined not to leave, so he prepared himself and remained at home. At the end of the five days a mob collected about his house and demanded that he leave at once. They were boisterous and threatening.
One of his neighbors was at his house and prepared to assist the General in defense of his home and family. His wife and little girl were so much alarmed that they screamed and cried for help. Finally the General, standing in his door, flatly refused to leave. A volley was fired at him, one shot taking effect in his right thigh. His little daughter ran to him and threw her arms about his neck, shrieking and begging for her papa. His neighbor fired from a window, wounding one of the mob.
[Illustration: Murderous assault upon Gen. Anderson and family 449]
"This was like fanning the flame. They rushed upon the house, firing indiscriminately. The General was shot three times and fell dead. His little daughter, with her arms about his neck, received a shot in her left breast, from which she died in a few minutes. His neighbor, Gibson, was as brutally murdered in the house, being riddled with bullets. Old Ham ran out of the kitchen to make his escape and was shot dead in the yard. Mary Anderson fell senseless to the floor. Old Aunt Martha was the only soul left to do anything. She was on her knees praying while the mob was doing their desperate and bloody work. They retired yelling like Indians after taking scalps. Poor old Martha ran to one of the neighbors for help, but could get none from white people. A few old colored people gathered at the house and cared as best they could for the dead.
"For two days this family of dead and stricken lay without a white person coming to the house to aid or assist. The enemies would not, and the few friends were afraid to do so. The General, little Mary, and Mr.
Gibson were buried by the colored people in the best manner they could.
Mary Anderson became a raving maniac and died in about one week after, and was buried by the side of her husband and daughter, a minister and a few women having come to look after her since the interment of the other dead. Old Ham was laid away by the colored people. Aunt Martha was grieved beyond expression, and alarmed for fear she also would be murdered. She prayed night and day to be brought back to her 'Marsa Lyon.'
"The colored people, having great respect for the General and his family, made up money enough to send Aunt Martha back to my house. A young colored man ventured to come with her, for which I remunerated him. This poor old woman's story was enough to melt the most obdurate heart. She talked constantly of the General, his wife, little Mary, and poor old Ham, and felt that the 'good Laud' had deserted them for some reason."
We were all dumfounded at the recital of these barbarous murders.
"My God!" exclaimed Dr. Adams, "what is this people coming to?"
Col. Bush shed tears, but could not speak. All were silent. Uncle Daniel left the room, but returned in a few moments and said:
"My friends, you can now see why I so often have said, 'What have I to live for?' Why should I desire to remain here and brood over my great misfortunes and sorrows longer?"
Finally Col. Bush walked the floor, and in a most subdued tone, said: "For such a man and so noble a family to die in such a villainous manner! Did no one suffer punishment for this diabolical crime?"
"No, not one was punished. The matter was investigated, but that was all."
"Well, I have asked myself heretofore the question, why did I give my right arm for such a Government? That such a man, who had served his country as faithfully as he, could be thus brutally murdered, with his family, and no one punished for it, is a marvel to me; and no doubt some of his murderers are now holding high official position!"
"Yes," said Uncle Daniel, "one of the instigators of this crime has held office ever since, as a Southern patriot who nobly assisted in ridding the South of one of those Northern Yankees."