Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-12-27
A CONTRABAND.


An army correspondent Of the Portland
Transcript, gives the following sketch Of the
appearance and pecularites of one Of the
slaves met with by his regiment while march
ing south
As | went into the yard, ! saw standing in
the midst of the men, an aged contraband,
whose woolly pate was profusely notified
with gray and gray, woolly fringe about
the base Of his ebon face, gave him most
singular appearance. His enormous mouth.
thick lips, and hattened nose of purely African
stamp, and retreating forehead, very low in
height, would convey an idea of almost lido
,. tic intellect within As | approached, his
lower jaw slowly moved downwards and then
upwards, like the first movement of the arms
of pondrous steam engine, and then, from
the expansive reservoir Of his throat came
forth a sound and he began to sing hymn
There was not much melody in his music but
he seemed to enjoy it as well as an Old Bull
or Paganni would their own performance -
He was dressed in the cast off unilorm-over-
coat and pants, of some rebel soldier, and the
coat, half dropping from one shoulder in a
careless style, plainly indicated an innate
"cufee." He finished his hymn and some
one asked him if he wouldn't pray? The
old man paused for a moment. and then said
ode good book say, dat when we worship
God, we must do it wild de speret and de
troof-and | dosen't like for see SIGH tings
treated lightly. Now. il yen all be quie. an
not larf an pay attention, I'll do de bes
KEN"
Having promised good behavior, tho old
man knelt down. As he was kneeling, some
one asked him to pray for the war to close.
He commenced his prayer with an eloquence
.nf1 otl 81 of h
solutely astonishing, and could hardly be-
lieve that in that apparently demented crani-
um could be stored an intellect which dis
played itself in manner indicating that ma
ture had given it a power Of utterance far
above many Of those who were looking on the
possessor as they would a monkey or parrot,
or some other natural curiosity. There was
an expression in his prayer, which, in con-
nection with the request to pray for the sol
ders, was peculiarly noticeable. He prayed
30, massa Lord God Almighty, have mer-
cy on all sogers, and GEMS gwine to war
o, Lord, batter oil dere big guns into Prov
sheers, and der swords into prune hooks and
make peace come quick
Tlis expression seemed an isolated one in
his payer, as having less propriety of express
sion than any other one. At the close Of his
prayer, he was asked where his master was,
and replied, so, he's done gone dis four
months; he wouldn't jne Mr.. Linhum's com
pany, so he had to leave and go off way down
Souf"
&" 'Twould be a snug chance for him if he
was az home here, now, wouldn't itf' some
one asked.
"Golly, massa, deed 'twould, | reckon,
laughed the sable chattel. He'd been dead
and buried up in dc grave long time ago, if
he hadn't run off.
He was asked if many soldiers came there,
and replied that they came every day, in the
morning, and that they had been there that
morning, on horseback. He was asked what
they were, aud replied.
Cant tell, massa, deed ! can't some says
deys sessongers, but pom my soul an body,
massa, cant tell one from tother, deed |
can't. But Use on Mr.. Linkums side, deed
l is"
He was then asked to preach, and finally
consented, and commenced, taking for his
subject the characters Of Nicodemus and
Hezekiah, and commenced in manner dis
playing an astonishing depth of knowledge
of Scripture history, and drawing logical de-
ductions with style of language and beauty
of expression that need not be ashamed Of as
worthy the efforts Of many an extemporane-
GUS preacher in the more enlightened portion:
of civilized community in the free States.
As listened, l thought, what. but for thu
accursed, soul destroying influence of slave
ny, which binds its victims in shackles of ig-
norance might this have been: Possessed
of an intellect of uncommon wealth and vigor
though clothed in rags, and bound by tn,
ranking shaekles of an unjust oppression
which forbids it to toish even, to rise to seel
its own level among humanity, it breaks tn
bonds with the force which nature alone i'm
parts, and rises, unaided by the requirement
of art, above the common herd around. II
what emnence might it not have attained,
cultivated and trained by the aids which tn
times now afford the free man.