ELEVEN
City Point, Virginia
The heady rush of victory spread throughout the camp.
Outside of Maggie’s confinement, endless cheers and chants of jubilation were audible.
Songs were sung, the drunken choruses slurred all hours of the day, and the men celebrated with any willing woman they could find.
Without William reappearing, Maggie didn’t have to be informed of what had transpired.
It was obvious—Richmond had fallen, and Lee had officially surrendered.
The war was ending. Snippets of conversation from passersby confirmed her suspicions about the trumpet celebrations underway.
She relied most heavily on her ears. Since awakening, she had not seen much of the outside world.
When she was transported to City Point from the encampment near Five Forks, she had been guarded and shielded by several tight-lipped soldiers.
Upon her arrival at City Point, she was immediately placed into the garrison.
The small, caged opening was too high to see out, but it allowed all the noise to drift into her cell.
William hadn’t visited again. Maggie didn’t expect him to. There was much activity occurring, both in City Point and Richmond. Duty would justifiably come before friendship.
Anytime that she’d become anxious and worrisome, she hummed the tune of her hymn.
The soldiers on duty threw her vexed looks, but didn’t interact.
Maggie just assumed they thought she was going mad.
The solitude was strangely comforting. She’d spent so long trying to avoid God…
now she had ample time to meditate, pray, and remember the scripture that her mother or Levi had read.
A crushing weight had been lifted from her soul when she repented, and she now rejoiced in the freedom she had found in Christ. The earthly bonds that held her captive in her eight-by-eight cell were no match.
She also dreamed of Mary and the children.
They were reunited, living as a small family in Mary’s cabin.
Though Maggie had never been there, she saw it vividly.
Little Susannah and Quincy were exuberant.
Mary wore a gentle glow of happiness as she tucked them in at night, with faithful Bob asleep at the foot of the bed.
Strangely, she didn’t dream of Henry. It was as if her mind wouldn’t allow her to contemplate the possibilities, so there was simply nothing.
Maggie was shocked to see the elderly figure appear before her cell.
The meal tray she had been expecting was precariously carried in his hands.
Unsure of whether he had been given clearance to enter, or if he was using the ruse of the meal to find her, she feigned indifference.
But instead of sliding the meal through the bars as she’d become accustomed, the guard turned the key in the lock, opening the cell to let the Reverend in.
“Five minutes.”
Adams bowed. “Thank you, sir. That’s all that I need.” The lock clicked behind him, shutting the reverend in with Maggie.
He took one look at her and opened his arms. “Come here, my dear.”
Maggie flew into them, careful not to upset his balance and knock him clear to the ground.
Any onlooker would have mistaken her tears and the sentiment for fear, but they would be wrong.
It was joy. The reverend was the first kind face she’d seen, and the thankfulness of this blissful reunion spilled over.
One worry that she had been unable to suppress was if her misfortune had impacted the reverend.
He patted her back, letting her spend her emotions. When the sobs muffled into hiccups, he pulled back from her, cupping her face in his weathered palms.
“Is it an old man’s fancy or have you accepted Christ as your savior?” His eyes shone as he asked the question.
Staring into his sweet eyes, she laughed gaily. “Yes, I have.”
Adams pulled her close once more for a fatherly embrace.
“I noticed the softness about you the second I laid eyes on you. I welcome you, sister in Christ.” When they separated, the reverend was quick to move on to other matters at hand.
“Forgive me for not finding you sooner. Cynthia was quite beside herself when Tucker and I returned to the wagon. But she knew where you’d gone.
By the time we reached Five Forks, there was no sign of you.
We searched high and low for days, fearing the worst. It wasn’t until I felt called to extend the search to City Point that we heard the whispers of a woman in disguise.
I sensed instantly that it was you—there could be none other braver.
It took some persuading to be allowed to see you…
but as you are awaiting to be questioned and the war is ending, an old reverend posed little threat. ”
Maggie couldn’t let him go any further until she apologized. “Please forgive me. I took advantage of your kindness. My foolish nature has gotten me into this predicament. You only sought to help me.”
He waved her away. “That matters not. But I must know, did you find him?”
Their time ticking away, she recounted that day on the field as quickly as she could. The awe of the miracle was not lost on the reverend. “Holy Father, may we never doubt you,” he whispered. “Have faith, Margaret. You moved mountains to find him. He will do no less for you.”
She nodded. “I know. I just hope he makes it in time before…” she trailed off, the image of the gallows springing to mind.
“That’s why I am here. I will vouch for you,” the reverend adamantly vowed. “As will the Joneses. Just tell the truth, Margaret, when you are asked. Leave nothing out. I know that this William fellow counseled you otherwise, but I don’t think it wise. The truth must come to light.”
Bless him. He genuinely cared deeply for her, and she wondered which man’s advice was the right one.
Not promising anything, she said hurriedly, “Reverend, I do need to tell you the full truth. If you can find William Johnson, please, have him send word, if his friendship with Henry means anything to him.” She’d rehearsed this many times, expecting to be informing Henry herself.
Leaving no detail out, she gave all the information that she knew on where to find Levi and Abigail.
Repeating the names several times, she was sure the Reverend’s mind had locked it all in.
“The war might be ending, but they will still need help getting home. Levi could’ve been imprisoned or worse if they tried to force him to fight.
He would never compromise his beliefs. Not for anything. ”
No sooner had she finished, the guard returned for Adams and opened the cell. “Time’s up.”
Adams squeezed Maggie’s hands. “Do not fear. I’ll be close by and will do as you have instructed.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The clang of the cell banging shut echoed finality. She had kept the loneliness at bay, but with the reverend’s absence, it felt cold. Resuming her normal tactics, she hummed until the feeling subsided, and then she prayed earnestly for her friends, wherever they might be.
Two guards escorted her from the garrison to an inn across the way.
A female innkeeper waited for them downstairs.
Stiff-lipped and bearing a strong look of disapproval, she showed Maggie to a back room and the guards waited outside the door.
On the bed lay an old gown, and there was an ewer filled with water, a basin, and cloth.
Maggie kept her back to the woman in an attempt at privacy.
The dress was modest, even if it was ill-fitting.
Once she was clothed and semi-clean, the woman pushed her down onto a stool by the fireplace and raked a brush through her hair.
It tugged, catching on days’ worth of snags.
Her scalp was still tender from the fall off Samson, but Maggie didn’t say a word and tried not to flinch.
Hair wound into a tight coil, the innkeeper tied it off and opened the door for the guards. They did not meet her eye as they took her by the arms and escorted her back out.
The streets were crowded, but thankfully, they didn’t have to go very far.
There was a house near the docks. It was unmarked, but they clearly were in the right place, as the door opened before they stepped onto the walkway.
Another soldier showed them through to the parlor.
It was stripped of its usual furniture. A long dining table instead took up most of the space.
Four chairs sat on one side facing Maggie.
The men occupying them watched her enter, their eyes sharp.
The guards placed her in the center of the room. Standing before them, still shackled, her knees shook.
An older, heavy-set gentleman with puffy sideburns sat on the far left. Next to him, in contrast, was a pencil-thin, young gentleman with a dark mustache and goatee. On the far right, there was another older man, slightly round in the face, with little hair on top of his head or on his face.
It was a middle-aged gentleman who addressed her first. Sitting third in the row, he had a meticulously short haircut.
The telltale color of age lined his temples and sprinkled the rest of his hairline.
Grey showed more so in the carefully groomed beard.
His blue eyes were calculating. Not cruel, but they didn’t miss anything.
He wore military dress like the rest, but there was a special air of respect surrounding him.
“State your name, please.” He didn’t bother to introduce himself.
She cleared her throat, determined to speak eloquently. “Margaret Anne Ackerman.”
The gentleman on the far right scribbled it down on paper in front of him.
“Miss Ackerman—it is Miss Ackerman, correct?” At Maggie’s nod, he continued. “Are you aware that you are being held on grounds of suspected conspiracy by means of espionage?”
“I have been informed of this, but I mean to prove my innocence.”
The thin man spoke up. “How does an innocent woman come to deception?”
Sweat beaded up on her forehead. “It’s a long story, sir. But I assure you, it wasn’t for the reason that you stated.”
The leader stared at her for a moment. “Go on, then. Intrigue us.”
Maggie looked around the room. “May I sit?”
Nonplussed, he gestured for the guards to move a chair in the corner to where she stood. Now seated, she could ignore her wobbly knees. “For full clarity, I believe I must go back to the beginning, where this all started.”
In the time that had passed since the reverend’s visit, Maggie had reflected on the conflicting advice she received. Silence seemed like the admittance of guilt. The truth was the only way to truly prove her intentions.
She told them everything, leaving nothing out. The beginning, when Henry found her in the woods after being brutally attacked, the journey to the Howards, the kindness of his family for sheltering her. Both armies invading the farm, taking all provisions, and forcing Abigail and Levi to the fort.
She spoke of her travels north, including meeting Mary and locating the reverend.
As for the moment she chose to enter the battle, she made it clear that it had been entirely reckless.
But all in the name of love. She hoped her story painted a picture of a young girl, deeply in love, determined to save him and those that he loved.
When her story concluded, there was no applause, no look of a closed case. If anything, the men looked down their noses at her. Maggie gulped, the sweat returning.
Finally, the leader of the four spoke. “You will have us believe that a young woman traveled a total distance of over two hundred miles, alone, in just a few weeks’ time? In the midst of a war? I know men who wouldn’t have survived that journey.”
She fought the urge to wipe her face on her sleeve. “But I wasn’t alone. As I said, I had help along the way.”
The thin general spoke again. “And after traveling, you happen to stumble upon him in the Battle of Five Forks? Combat spanned fifteen miles that day. Impossible.”
“You are right, it was impossible. I cannot explain how I found him, only by a supernatural force of God.”
The large man scoffed.
Throughout this interrogation, the man on the far right had not commented. Now he addressed the man next to him. “Officer Farrow has yet to materialize?”
“No.” He shifted towards Maggie. “And where do you think he is?”
“Truthfully, I do not know. He’ll be trying to prove my innocence in whatever way he can think of. I’ve told you all that I know. There is nothing left.”
“We’ve spoken to Reverend Adams and Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
Their admiration of your journey was clear, but they knew nothing of your plot to enter the field yourself.
General McDewitt is injured, but recalled you perfectly.
He said he’d forbidden your entry to the camp and that you claimed to be looking for your husband. ”
Maggie cringed. “Yes, I did say that. I thought it gave me more credibility to find Hen—Officer Farrow. That was a white lie, and for it, I am remorseful. It held no ill intent.”
“You’re quite good at lies. How are we to know that this entire story isn’t some fabrication?”
“I’ve told you the truth in its entirety. I don’t know how else to prove to you that I am just a simple woman. If I am guilty of anything, it is that I let my emotions override reason.”
After a lengthy pause, the leader spoke again.
“Miss Ackerman, as you may have deduced, the war is coming to its conclusion. The rebels have been beaten and will now pay recompense. Men will be allowed to return home on the condition that they lay down their arms and abide by federal law. It, however, does not include spies—suspected or not.”
Maggie felt like she’d been punched in the gut.
“Until Officer Farrow can be located and questioned, you are not permitted to leave. You will be returned to the garrison to await trial. If found guilty, you could face death or a life-long imprisonment. If you tell us the truth, the punishment may be more lenient. Is there anything that you have not communicated that you would like to?”
Haven’t I already told you the truth? I shared everything and it still wasn’t enough.
“There’s nothing left to say,” she said bleakly.
He dropped his gaze and gathered the paper from the others. “You may return to the garrison then.”
She was dismissed. The guards returned her to the cell to await her fate and for the first time since arriving, she let her tears fall.
Henry, I am sorry.