Antebellum BK 1 (67 page)

The two men exchanged a look, then both nodded.

“
Take Father Blair into the Cabinet Room, Anna,” Nicolay said. “It would be best if you could manage to stay in there until he leaves.”

Anna looked a bit uncertain. “Why should I stay?”

“
Mr. Blair is more likely to be polite if you’re in the room,” Hay said. “He sometimes forgets that he’s speaking to a President of the United States and he embarrasses himself and the office when he does so.”

“
I see.” She took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

She hurried back to her office and found Blair pacing. “The President is in the Cabinet Room. I’ll take you.”

“
I know the way.”

“
He’s not expecting you, sir. It would be best if I announced you.”

“
It’s unnecessary.”

“
There should be some formal protocol when seeking to speak to the President of the United States, even when the seeker is a trusted and valued advisor who was instrumental in his being elected.”

Blair cleared his throat. “Yes. Of course. You’re quite right, Anna. Quite right. Lead on.”

Anna led the way to the Cabinet Room, then knocked on the closed door.

“
Come in,” Lincoln called.

Anna opened the door just wide enough to stand in it, blocking Blair’s view of and access to the room. “Mr. President, Mr. Blair is here to see you.” She used hand gestures to indicate that she wanted to be included.

Lincoln was seated at the head of the long table. “I’m always happy to see Mr. Blair. Could you stay please, Anna? There’s a matter of some importance that I must discuss with you when Mr. Blair is finished.”

“
Yes, sir. Of course.” She opened the door all the way and stepped aside.

Blair burst through the door and charged toward the President. “Will you give up the fort?”

Lincoln had started to rise and offer his hand to Blair, but sat back down and tapped the small stack of paper. “The majority of the Cabinet seems to favor it.”

“
It would be treason to surrender Sumter, sir. Such a step would irrevocably lose this Administration the public confidence.”

Lincoln folded his big hands on the table. “Would you have us invade the South?”

“
Acquiescence to secession is recognition of its constitutionality.”

“
General Scott advises me that we cannot reinforce or resupply Fort Sumter by sea, and that it would take a large invading army to do so by land.”

“
Scott is fat, timid and senile. I believe that you are under the influence of Seward. That man has never known what the words principle and firmness mean. If you abandon Sumter, you will be impeached.”

“
That’s enough,” Anna said, pointing her finger at the old man. “You forget yourself, sir. You are speaking to the President of the United States.”

Blair seemed surprised by her vehemence for a moment, but then he nodded and left the room without another word.

Anna closed the door and put her back against it. “I’m sorry, Mr. President. I shouldn’t have brought him.”

“
On the contrary. I’m glad you did. I knew that was coming and now it’s over.”

“
Thank you, Mr. President.”

“
Thank you, Anna.” He took the next statement off the pile.

Anna went out and closed the door. Blair was gone.

March 15, 1861

Arlington, Virginia

I
t was a warm, springlike day. Jeb Stuart, Fitz Lee and the Van Buskirk brothers were standing on the porch of Arlington House as Robert E. Lee climbed the steps and accepted a cool drink from one of the house slaves. “You gentlemen look as if you’re expecting bad news.” He sat down and crossed his legs. “Please. Take your seats.” He waited for the four to sit. “I have been appointed Colonel of the First Regiment of United States Cavalry. My Colonelcy is signed by the new President, Abraham Lincoln. I am authorized to offer you positions within my regiment, should you wish them.”

“
What if Virginia secedes?” Fitz Lee asked.

“
Then I will no longer be Colonel of the First Regiment of United States Cavalry,” Colonel Lee replied.

“
What are they waiting for?” Stuart complained.

“
For cooler heads to prevail, I should hope,” Lee replied. “I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than dissolution of the Union.”

“
But you said that you would resign if Virginia secedes,” Fitz insisted. “Would you fight on the side of Virginia if war comes?”

“
I shall never bear arms against the Union,” Lee said, “but it may be necessary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state, Virginia. In which case I shall not prove recreant to my duty.”

Fitz turned to Johnny. “What about you?”

“
Me?” Johnny laughed. “I’m a Texan, not a Virginian.”

“
Enough of this theoretical talk of Virginia’s secession,” Lee said in a mild tone. “It is my fervent hope that such a heartbreaking event will never come to pass.”

April 15, 1861

Amsterdam, Kingdom of the Netherlands

T
he young woman walked to the counter and smiled. “Kan ik u helpen?”

“
Do you speak English?”

“
Yes, of course,” she said, holding the smile.

“
I was told that you – that is, the Kingdom – had a special program for black Americans who had no citizenship.”

“
Yes.” She selected a form from a bin on the counter and looked up with her pen poised. “Your name, please.”

“
Samuel Abraham Van Buskirk.”

“
Your age and date of birth?”

“
Uh – I’m thirty-five. My birthday was December 15
^th
, 1825.”

“
You were born where?”

“
Essex County, New Jersey, in the United States of America.”

“
Citizenship is none.” She checked a box. “Your mother’s name?”

“
Georgia Anna Van Buskirk.”

“
Your father’s name?”

“
I’m illegitimate. Marriage between white and black is against the law in most of the United States.”

“
This I know. Do you have your father’s name?”

“
I know it, but I don’t use it.”

“
His name and occupation, please.”

“
John Dekker. Deceased. He was a lawyer and a congressman from New Jersey.”

“
Do you have any formal acknowledgement of his parental acceptance – what you say?”

“
I know what you mean and the answer is no. A white man could be prosecuted for fathering a child with a woman of color in America. Any acknowledgement in writing could be a death warrant.”

“
This too, I know. One moment, please.” She took the form to a man seated in a glass-enclosed office, then came back after a brief conversation. “Have you any official identification?”

“
I have a birth certificate from Essex County in New Jersey.” He searched in his briefcase. “It has the State seal, but it shows my father as unknown.” He found it and gave it to her.

“
It shows your mother as you said: Georgia Anna Van Buskirk?” she asked, scanning the form.

“
Yes.” He leaned across the counter and pointed to the line. “There.”

“
She came by this Van Buskirk surname how?”

“
It’s a slave name. Do you know what that means?”

“
Yes, this I know. Was she or is she now a slave?”

“
No. She was born free. Her grandmother was a slave.”

“
The grandmother was the slave of a Dutch citizen?”

Samuel shifted his feet uncomfortably. “He was American. I don’t know anything else. Is that a problem?”

The woman shook her head. “She is living now, your mother?”

“
Yes. She’s still living.”

“
This is your mother’s still legal name? Van Buskirk? Spelled like this? With the upper letter V?”

“
Yes. That’s her legal name. It’s the name on her birth certificate. She owns property and pays taxes under that name.”

“
One moment, please.” Once again, she took the document to the man in the glass office. He looked at the certificate and nodded, then the woman returned. “We can certify you as a Dutch citizen.”

“
You can?” Samuel asked in gleeful surprise.

“
Yes. Under the relaxed anti-slavery law, your mother’s Dutch surname is sufficient. Come back tomorrow and I will have your documents.”

“
There’s one more thing,” Samuel said. “I’m hesitant to ask, but would it be possible to change my name legally?”

“
What is the reason?”

“
As you know, the name Van Buskirk is a slave name. I’d like to have a name of my own. I want to get married some day and maybe have children. My slave name might enable the American government to put my children in chains.”

“
Yes, yes. So sad.” He started to add something but she stopped him with a wave of her hand. “Your reason is sufficient.” She selected another form. “What would you change it to?”

“
Lincoln. Like the President. Samuel Abraham Lincoln.”

“
Samuel Abraham Lincoln.” She wrote it out in block letters. “It will take another day or two. A magistrate must approve the name change. When you come in tomorrow to collect your citizenship papers, we will set the appointment. After that, the citizenship papers will be amended. Not to worry. There will be no difficulty. It will take only a few days.”

“
Thank you,” Samuel said, trying to hide his bubbling emotions.

The woman smiled and offered her hand, then shook Samuel’s hand once, very vigorously and released it.

He giggled girlishly, then blushed and choked back a sob. “Thank you.” He wiped at his eyes furiously. “I’m so sorry.”