Candle in the Darkness - Lynn N. Austin [186]
“Look . . . Confederate soldiers,” Gilbert said, pointing. A long gray column of men snaked across the James River on Mayo’s Bridge, heading south. That probably meant that the northeastern approaches to the city had been left unguarded.
“They’ve set the railroad bridges on fire,” Gilbert said. Caroline watched the flames inch across the slender wooden structures like a creeping predator until the bridges began to collapse, dropping into the river in a cloud of steam. When nearly all of the soldiers had reached the other side of the James, they torched Mayo’s Bridge, as well. The river reflected the glowing flames as if it, too, were on fire.
Tears fell silently down Caroline’s cheeks as she stood on the balcony for nearly two hours, watching Richmond burn. She felt utterly helpless as flames consumed more and more of the business district, spreading at last to the flour mill that Charles’ family had owned for several generations. How would he and his family survive if their livelihood went up in smoke?
“At least the fire ain’t spreading up this way,” Gilbert said when he noticed her tears. But then Caroline realized in which direction the conflagration was spreading—to the west and north, inching up from the river toward Capitol Square and nearby Court End. Toward Charles’ home.
“I wonder if Sally and her parents fled the city last night?” she asked aloud. But Charles’ father had been ill for months, too weak to travel very far. If they were home, Sally would be terrified, with no safe place to go. “I promised Jonathan I would look after her,” she murmured.
Gilbert looked at her. “Who, Missy?”
“His wife, Sally. Would you be willing to drive me downtown to her house?” she asked. “I won’t make you do it unless you want to, Gilbert. The Yankees will be here any minute, and you’ll be a free man. You’re not obliged to follow my orders anymore.”
“Ain’t safe for either one of us to go down there.”
“Maybe not. But Sally’s servants won’t stay with her and help her like you’re all helping me. She and her parents won’t have any way to hitch up the carriage or get out of Court End if the fire spreads in that direction. I need to bring them up here, where it’s safe.”
“I can go get them for you, Missy. Ain’t no need for you to 407 risk your life.”
His courage brought tears to her eyes, but she shook her head. “I need to go,” she said quietly. “I need to make it up to them for using them the way I did. Please, if you’ll just get the buggy ready, I can probably drive it myself.”
Gilbert gripped her shoulders, something he had never done before in his life. His gaze met hers. “I promise your daddy I gonna look after you. I ain’t letting you go down there alone.”
“Then we’ll both go. Come on.”
Eli tried in vain to stop them. “Just pray for us,” she told him. “This is something I have to do.”
Gilbert whipped the horse into a near gallop once they were on Main Street, and headed down Church Hill. When they reached the bottom they could hear the crackling flames, roaring and hissing like a living creature. Mixed in were shouts and cries as looters wove among the burning buildings like ghosts, keeping ahead of the flames. Dense black smoke billowed into the sky, showering Caroline and Gilbert with ash and soot until they could scarcely breathe. She could feel the heated air with each breath she took. Flaming bits of debris showered down around them. Surely this was like the earth’s final end, when fire would engulf the planet and the firmament itself would melt with a fervent heat.
The entire lower city, all the way to the river, was in flames. Caroline saw great sheets of fire leaping from window to window, building to building, like children skipping across a stream from stone to stone. Several downtown banks were on fire. Flames soared through the roof of the Enquirer building. Two of the city’s biggest hotels, the American and the Columbian, were enveloped. She heard a low rumble and saw one wall of the post office building collapse. The flames moved on to devour the state courthouse