Due North to Freedom
()
About this ebook
It is the autumn of 1864 in Richmond, Virginia. The great and glorious capitol of the Confederacy is surrounded on three sides by Union troops. This time the Yankees are not going away.
Thirteen year-old Ryan and eleven year-old Matthew O’Toole, having moved from Boston to Richmond with their father, mother and big sister only a little more than three years earlier, find themselves in a dangerous predicament. As the war rages on around Richmond and it looks as if finally the Union might prevail, some of their southern friends turn against them. The two boys are considered "dirty Yankees" now and their loyalty is suspect.
When the two boys help a freeman and his son to escape Richmond, the situation only becomes worse for the O’Toole family until they too must abandon their home and begin a danger-filled flight to the north and freedom.
Terence O'Grady
A musicologist by profession, I've written two music-themed mysteries (The Beethoven Quandary and The Mephisto Mysteries) as well as a handful of children’s books in a variety of genres.
Read more from Terence O'grady
Terror at the Lighthouse Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dragon's Christmas Gift Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Irish Tale Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Time for Mercy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJonathon Wart and the Risk Factor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArchibald the Giant-Slayer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJonathon Wart and The Hand of Doom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKing Arthur Returns Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Due North to Freedom
Related ebooks
Roomies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInvasion: Ice Hammer Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Story of Linda Lee Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuch Power is Dangerous Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Scarlet Impostor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crips: The Story of the L A Street Gang from 1971-1985 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNow and Then, Amen Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Glen of the High North Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsH. A. Cody – The Major Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Satanist Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Undercover Blues Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTomorrow Came Early Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMercy Among the Children: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Paladin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLost In Vegas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Soldier Boy; or, Tom Somers in the Army A Story of the Great Rebellion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFor Want of a Winter Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrancesca and Richard: No Other Gods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColonel Thorndyke's Secret Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEarly One Morning: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cold Rider Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNext of Kin: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stereo Types/How a Black Family and its Blond Homeboys Blended Their Hopes in 1950s Portland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Floating Outfit 11: Wagons to Backsight Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmbition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Toff Down Under: Break The Toff Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lightning Runner: A Western Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKrays Not Guilty Your Honour Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Codeword Golden Fleece Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Jazz Band Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's For You
Summary of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cedric The Shark Get's Toothache: Bedtime Stories For Children, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little House on the Prairie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Garden: The 100th Anniversary Edition with Tasha Tudor Art and Bonus Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Wild: Warriors #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dork Diaries 1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coraline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5House of Many Ways Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice In Wonderland: The Original 1865 Unabridged and Complete Edition (Lewis Carroll Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCoraline 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Phantom Tollbooth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Island of the Blue Dolphins: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Atlas Shrugged SparkNotes Literature Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Is Rising Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tikki Tikki Tembo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Write A Children’s Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Shadow Is Purple Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Due North to Freedom
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Due North to Freedom - Terence O'Grady
Due North to Freedom
Terence O’Grady
Copyright 2011 Terence O’Grady
Cover photo courtesy of Rob Shenk
Cover by Joleene Naylor
Smashwords Edition
Smashword Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: Richmond under Siege
Chapter 2: Fight!
Chapter 3: Expectations Denied
Chapter 4: First Threats
Chapter 5: Mr. Smith Arrested!
Chapter 6: Southern Strategy
Chapter 7: The Yankees
Meet
Chapter 8: Joseph Discovered
Chapter 9: Dark Times
Chapter 10: Warnings
Chapter 11: Plotting the Escape
Chapter 12: Escape from Chimborazo
Chapter 13: Family Conflicts
Chapter 14: Due North to Freedom
Chapter 15: Hopes Destroyed
Chapter 16: Time to Leave
Chapter 17: Flight to Freedom
Prologue
While the main characters and story line of Due North to Freedom are fictitious, most of the circumstances depicted here are historically accurate. A number of northerners had moved to southern cities such as Richmond prior to the war, mostly for economic reasons. When the war came, some of the transplanted Yankees completely embraced the Confederate’s perspective. Others, like the O’Toole family, were divided in their loyalties from the beginning and eventually concluded that they could not support the Confederate cause. From that point on, it was just a question of how and when they could return North to freedom.
Chapter One: Richmond Under Siege
Ryan sometimes felt his ears would go deaf with the explosions. The Yankees had been lobbing shells into Richmond from their long-range guns for so long that he forgot what quiet really sounded like. The Yankees probably knew that the shells weren’t doing much damage; they just wanted to remind everybody in the city that they weren’t going away.
And the heat! It seemed like it was always hot in Richmond, even in early October. Boston had been different. He had loved the crisp, cool air of Boston in the fall, and the roaring fires that he and his family would huddle around in the frigid winters. But Richmond barely had a winter. There was never any real snow here. That’s what he missed most about leaving Boston—sliding down the small but slippery hills that were only a couple of minutes from his house.
Of course his mother, Mary O’Toole, said that it was a blessing that Richmond was so warm. She hated the Massachusetts winters. But she had been born in the South, in Virginia, not far from Richmond, and always claimed that she could never got used to the cold. When the family had moved from Boston to Richmond so that his father, William O’Toole, could take a position at one of the largest banks in Richmond, no one was happier than his mother.
The move had not been an easy one for thirteen year-old Ryan O’Toole. He was lanky and tall for his years, but shy—slow to make friends—even after living in Richmond for over three years. There were a couple of other boys he liked, boys he sometimes fooled around with. But many of the other boys teased him about the way he talked, teased him about being a Yankee.
Usually they were smiling when they said it, but not always. Lately, as the war was getting worse and worse for the Confederacy, he could hear real anger in their taunts.
His younger brother, eleven year-old Matthew, seemed fine with the move to Richmond. Matthew had made friends quickly, as he always did. When the family first arrived, the other kids teased him about his Yankee
accent, but he gave it right back to them with a broad smile on his face. Matthew was easy to like. He had had dozens of friends back in Boston and now he had dozens of friends in Richmond as well.
Ryan’s older sister, Abigail, seemed happy enough in Richmond. She was nineteen and had recently taken a position as a schoolmistress. She now lived next to the little school in which she taught on the other side of Richmond. But Abigail still visited with the family often on weekends and that was fine with Ryan. She had a beau now, but sometimes made fun of him when she was alone with her family. Still, Ryan figured that moving to Richmond was probably just fine with her.
Ryan wasn’t sure about his father, though. While his Mother talked about moving to Richmond as coming home,
Mr. O’Toole would just smile slightly and nod. His father seemed to enjoy his job at the new bank—he was a vice president now and people always called him sir
—but Ryan thought that he had become much quieter than he used to be, especially in public. Mr. O’Toole had been so lively and outgoing back in Boston. He seemed to know everyone. But now, he was so soft-spoken when he greeted people, and he never seemed to really smile, not unless he was home with his family. Even then, his mother and father never seemed to laugh together—or at least not as much as they had in Boston. Of course there wasn’t much to laugh about with the war going on right in their own backyard.
Ryan suddenly heard the sounds of horses in back of him. Turning back toward his house, he saw two soldiers, dressed in drab, butternut uniforms, dismounting and heading toward the door. Something about the war! He was sick of hearing about the war! It had started right after his family had moved to Richmond. All the grown ups talked about it constantly and the boys at school always wanted to play soldier. Ryan wanted no part of it. The boys, of course, all pretended to be Confederate soldiers fighting the Yankees, driving them out of Richmond, driving them out of the South altogether. Ryan just ignored the other boys. He didn’t want to be a Yankee or a Reb. He just didn’t want to think about it. But now he saw that a couple of Confederate soldiers were knocking on his front door. Ryan returned quickly to the house and went around to a side window, ducking his head down so as not to be seen, and listened as best he could to what the soldiers had to say.
Now Mr. O’Toole, sir, we’re not here lookin’ for any trouble,
said the older of the two soldiers. You’re a respected man in this community, even if you haven’t been livin’ in Richmond too long.
But on the other hand, sir,
chimed in the younger man, we have to be lookin’ to the defense of our fine city. We must know how everyone stands on these matters. Richmond is under siege by the Yankees and we must know who we can count on.
Mr. O’Toole paused. He cleared his throat slightly.
Gentlemen,
he said quietly. Rest assured that I will take no action that reflects badly on Richmond, providing of course that all of her citizens are protected from abuse—abuse from any quarter.
That’s all very well and good,
the younger man said curtly, but them that is not with us is against us, if you take my meaning.
It’s just that…well…people will talk, sir,
said the older soldier in a gentler tone. Everybody knows that you’re from Massachusetts, and it may be some of those Massachusetts boys we find on our doorstep one of these fine days. We’ve got to know if we can rely on you for help if it comes to defending Richmond from the Yankees.
Well, corporal, I think you’ll agree that I’m a little old for active military service. But I can be relied on to continue to work hard for the betterment of Richmond, just as I have for the last three years,
said Mr. O’Toole, his tone stiffening slightly.
That’s as may be,
said the younger soldier, but some of us are a bit suspect as to just where the loyalties of some of you transplanted Yankees lie.
You will recall, sergeant, that we ‘Yankees’—two of whom work with me at my bank as you well know—came to Richmond of our own free will to make our homes and our lives here. We’re here now and have no plans to leave. As far as our loyalties are concerned, we—my ‘Yankee’ friends and I—are loyal to the notion of peace and harmony, nothing more and nothing less. Now if just you’re here to throw some more northerners in jail…
We’re not here to make an arrest, sir, but we felt we must remind you of the circumstances in which we all find ourselves,
said the older soldier calmly. And as a man of standing in this community, you surely are aware that there can be no peace without honor, sir. And Virginia must think of its honor.
Mr. O’Toole nodded his head gently. I understand your position, sir. Now please understand mine. We wish to be left alone—myself and my family—to pursue our lives and to live in peace. Now, I’m sure you gentlemen have other business which you must attend to so I’ll bid you good day.
The soldiers nodded and turned toward the door. Then the younger man wheeled around abruptly. Mr. O’Toole, you’ve got a fine family, I hear—a lovely wife of good Virginia stock. I wouldn’t think you would want to do anything foolish that would bring harm to them.
I have no intention of bringing harm to anyone, gentlemen,
replied Mr. O’Toole, raising himself to his full height, and I will see to it that no harm comes to my family, I can assure you.
Good day then, Mr. O’Toole,
said the older soldier, putting his hand on the younger man’s shoulder and beckoning toward the door.
The two soldiers left quickly, closing the door hard behind them. Mr. O’Toole turned to face the window under which Ryan had been crouched.
So, did you hear what you wanted to hear?
he said loudly, striding toward the window.
Ryan straightened up, looking guilty. I guess so, sir.
So it’s you, is it?
said his father, a smile starting to spread across his face. I had figured it would be your reckless little brother, Matthew. Well, come on in anyway. If you’re going to hear some of it, you might as well hear all of it.
A couple of minutes later, Ryan was munching oatmeal cookies at the dinner table while his father tried to explain.
"The war isn’t going well for the South, son, and they’re getting worried. It looks as if Richmond might come under direct attack and people are getting all agitated. So they’re looking for traitors—someone who they think is going to sneak around and open up a backdoor somewhere and let the Yankees creep in under cover of night. And if you’re looking for traitors, you’re naturally going to look at folks who come from up north, like you and me. And Mr. Boniface and Mr. Wilson at the bank. They came to Richmond from the North, too. And there