Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-06-13
TERMS OF ADVERTISING,
Gen. Ashley and the Virginia Con-
trabands.

Gen. j. VI. Ashley, NJ. Z. from tho Toledo
District, has been visiting Fortress Monroe,
and has written letter to the Blade, in
which he describes his adventures thero.--
We make the following extract
You will have heard, by the time this
reaches you, of the manner in which he dis
posed Of Col. Mallory, who came into the
fort under flag of truce, to claim three of
his loyal slaves who had fed from his kind
and hospitable roof, and taken shelter in
Fortress Monroe, among strangers. Who
will say that Gen. Butler, so far as he went,
was not right? This Col. Mallory had met
Gen Butler in the Charleston and Baltimore
Conventions, and with that impudence and
assumption characteristic Of the oligarchy,
engaged in open treason against the Govern,
ment, demands that he shall enforce the
Fugitive Slave Law upon the soil of Virginia,
with United States soldiers, and return him
his happy and contented slaves
Gen Butler says, 'You hold that negro
slaves are property, and that Virginia is no
longer part Of the United States?'
The Colonel answered, Il do, SIR"
Gen. Butler then said, ''You are law
yer, sir, and | want to know if you claim
that the Fugitive Slave Act Of the United
States is binding in toreign nation and if
foreign nation uses this kind of property
to destroy the lives and property of citizens
of the United States. is that species of pro-
perry out not to be regarded as contraband2"
This was too much for the Colonel, and he
knocked under and withdrew.
This was but the beginning at Fort Mon
roe, and is bat the beginning of question
which this Administration must meet and
deteyniine viz: What shall be done with
the slaves who refuse to fight against the
Government Of the United States, and
escape from the traitors and come into our
camps for protection?' If the Admins
tration meets this question as it ought-well
If not, it will prove its overthrow. 1t isl
question Of more magnitude and importance
! than the rebellion itself; and woe to the
public man or the party who proves false to
| the demands of humanity and justice.
On Sunday eight more stout, able bodied
men came in. Gen. Butler said to me- "as
J you went to see John Brown hung, and have
some claim to control Virginia volunteers, 1
authorize you to see who and what those
colored men are, and decide what is to be
done with them" He added, ''You had
better examine them separately, and take
down in writing the material part of their
| answers"
Before doing so, | went ont to the fence
where the slaves were standing, surrounded
BY about two hundred volunteers l asked
the colored men few questions, and was
about to go into the house to call them in
/ separately, as suggested by the General,
when one of the slaves said. ''Massa, what's
you gwine to do with us?"
| told him that did not know, but that
we would not hurt them.
80, we knows dat" quickly responded
another, I'VE knows you S our friends. -
"What we wants to know is whether you's
gwine to send us back
/ answered that had no authority over
them, and no power to do anything, but
that my opinion was lit would be some time
before their masters would see them again.
! | said this in low, conversational tone of
voice, without noticing that all the volun-
teers were eagerly listening, but no sooner
had the words fallen from my lips than q
\ hundred voices shouted good" good"
and some in laughter and some in tears
clasped their hands and gave three rousing
cheers, which brought ont the officers and
General who supposed | had been making
speech to the troops.
4 This little incident tells me more plainly
than ever, that what said last winter in
4 the House is true, when declared that the
logic of events told me unmistakably that
Slavery must die.
If had time and you the space, Iwould
! give in their own words the material por
ton Of the answers of the most intelligent
slaves There is one thing certain, every
slave in the United States understands this
. rebellion, its causes and consequences, far
better than ever supposed. / asked one
old man, who said he was a Methodist class
leader, to tell Inc frankly whether this mat
ter was well understood by all the slaves,
and he answered me that it was, and he had
''prayed for it for many, many long. years. !"
, He said that their masters and all talked
! about it, and he added, "Lor' bless you,
honey-we don give it up last September
' dat the North's 100 much for MS, meaning,
of course, that Mr.. Lincoln's election was
, conceded even there by the slave masters
l and was understood and hoped for by all the
: slaves. ] asked the same man how many
2 more would probably come into the fort. He
, said IA good many, and if we's not sent
back you IL see 'em fore tomorrow night. "
r l asked why SO, and he said, "Dey'll I'M
, derstan' if we's not sent back, dat we're
'mons our friends, for if de STAKEHOLDER
D see us we gets sent right back" And sure
] enough, on Monday about forty or fifty more,
| of all ages. colors and sexes, came into camp.
and the guard was bound to arrest them.