Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-11-14
CONVERSATION WITH THE SLAVES OF
VIRGINIA-THEIH FEELINGS AND
HOPES.

Extract from letter to the Boston Trdrctier,
from the Massachusetts, 18th, dated Halls Hill,
Virginia:
thank you for the newspapers and pamph-
less you have sent, and also for the new words
to Yankee Doodle distributed copies among
my comrades, and tell you we sing in right
good earnest.
awe call II mean and mud-sil work, this
sending back a slave, SIR"
thank you for your letter. Any suchfavors
as those shall never forget, Away from home
and friends, with nothing but soldiers to be
seen for miles around, the mind sometimes gets
weary, and letters or papers from old Massa-
chusetts are gladly received and highly priced,
l assure you.
When / have been on picket guard, l have
sometimes had opportunities to visit houses,
and have talked with a number of slaves. They
all talk in the same way, with slight variations.
The following conversation with one that came
into our camp few days since will serve as a
specimen of the whole;
GLOW were you treated Robert? ?"
"Pretty well, sar."
"Did your master give you enough to eat
and cloth you comfortablyP"
"Pretty well, till dis year. Massa hab no
money to spend dis year. Dot get many
cloths dis year"
"lfyou had good master, suppose you
were contentedP"
"NO, sar."
"Why not, if you had enough to eat, and
clothes to wearP'
"Cause l want TO be free.'
"You say you have wife and children own
ed by another mani that they are treated well
and you had chance to see them once fort.
night. If you were all free how would you
manage to support your wife and children"
His eyes sparkled, as he answered, "Fd hire
little cabin with little garden, and keep {
pig and COW. I'd work out by the day, and
could save money. I've got eight dollars now
that laid up dis summer. But if i didn't save
cent, should feel better TO be free,'
"Can you read and write P"
mo, sar. Massa know we can't read word
but dis summer he's skeered tohab us see pa
per-"
"What do the slaves say about this P"
obey tink Lincoln is gwine to free u.s.
"Where did they hear that?"
"Massa said so, last Fall, afore he was Presi
dent"
"Dd you ever hear of John Brown"
81 did so, sar. Ebbery body hear bout hin,
Oar was great time when he come to Harper
Ferry. Folks was all skeered to d ath. De
went up from all round here to see him hung.
ado you think he was a good man ?"
eyes sar, mighty fine man"
might fill pages with their talk, all goini
to prove it false idea that slave is contene
when he has enough to eat and wear. Hilbert
is evidently just as sweet to them as it is t
other men. Here, we do not see slavery in it
worst form still it is slavery. was often toll
that | should think better of the system, if
visited the South but l have not found it SC
AS yet, | have not been able to discover an
beauties in slavery; when l do. l will inforr
you.
! say, from the bottom of my heart, never lt
us come to any terms with the rebels till W
have wiped out from our country this foul bio
this hateful system. which has caused us s
much trouble. |, for one, would rather sta
here for ten years, ard encounter continue
hardshps, than to have the question settled q
any other terms. Oh, if l could only sa,
America is free-free to dUi That would be
result worth suffering and fighting for.