That evening. The verandah of The Mess. Mary Lee, still in her wheelchair, sits, industriously knitting socks, of which a small pile grows beside her. From time to time she glances disapprovingly at the armed Union Guard who stands at the other end of the verandah – a black soldier in a Federal uniform. She looks up, apprehensive but defiant, as General Rawlins arrives on the verandah.
Rawlins Mrs Lee?
Mary Lee Why, yes.
Rawlins My name is General Rawlins. General Grant has sent me.
Mary Lee Oh, yes? Why did he not come himself?
Rawlins General Grant is not in Richmond. He is detained by other duties.
Mary Lee I see. And what is your business?
Rawlins General Grant wishes to be reassured of your safety and well being. He wants to know that you and your family have been humanely treated.
Mary Lee Well: I received a comfortable armchair from the President, by which I mean, of course, President Davis, who had the goodness to concern himself with the subject of my arthritis. Other than that I wouldn’t say our treatment has been especially humane.
She turns to stare fixedly at the black Guard. Rawlins follows her gaze, but does not, for the moment, grasp its import.
Rawlins I’m sorry to hear that.
Mary Lee points at the Guard.
Mary Lee We felt this, for example, could only be a deliberate insult.
Rawlins frowns at the Guard, still not understanding.
Rawlins Has he been impolite?
Mary Lee No, not in the least. His courtesy is neither here nor there.
Rawlins finally grasps what she means.
Rawlins Oh, of course. I’m so sorry. This must have been a simple oversight. There was certainly no intention to demean you. Allow me to deal with this.
He goes to the Guard and speaks quietly to him. The Guard salutes and exits smartly. Rawlins returns to Mary Lee.
I’ll wait with you a while, if I may, Mrs Lee; until some … suitable replacement can be found.
Mary Lee You mean, I trust, a white man.
Rawlins Indeed, ma’am. And please accept my sincere apologies. Put it down to the anarchy of war.
Silence.
Mary Lee After such a long campaign, it must have been galling to march in and find you’d gained no more than a few handfuls of ashes.
Rawlins We expected Confederate command to destroy bridges, magazines, ironclads, before evacuating the city.
Mary Lee But not perhaps all the tobacco warehouses and the flour mills.
Rawlins No, perhaps not.
Mary Lee The end is not yet, you know. Richmond is not the Confederacy. And you see how well our boys have understood their orders. Leave not one stone on another if it might benefit the enemy.
Rawlins Only regrettable that most of the inhabitants of the poorhouse near French Garden Hill were not warned in advance of the intention to explode the magazines and were consequently incinerated.
Mary Lee looks up at him, a half-smile on her face.
Mary Lee Yes, put it down to the anarchy of war.