, 1861-09-06
Knftfaat2DE Letter From an Ell1n0stnn
1t Roll2,

Ihe toucWDg-a part OF private letter
from J. Q. P. Burnside, Of one Of the Illinois
regiments at Rolla-is sent In for publication.
Our regiment has been toased about pretty
LIVELY, since we came to this State, has been
semitic every point where fight was expect
ed, but as get we have not exchanged shot
with the enemy. !! think however We are now
before long. Ben McCul1cch is now in the
southern part Of this State with about twenty
thousand troops, and is rob5ing and deyas.a-
ting the whole country. His men, since the
great fight at Wilson'S Creek, haVe scattered
all over the surrounding country, and are now
depending altogether for their provisions and
forage upon the farmers cellars and fields. We
daily hear reports Of his intention to attack us.
Or Jefferson city, but these stories hare been
told US go often that our men are now perfect
II Indifferent to them. In fact fight has
been expected 80 long and sought after so dill
lgent1y it seems TO me that one is now actual
]y necessary to preserve our regiment.
=. l have seen aage1y in all its forms in this
State, ard have always thought Of both Of you
when passing an old plantation, for knew the
t1ght would carry you back many long years
to the days Of your childhood. The negroes
do everything, OF rather halfd everything,
AID it ls always more work to boss them than
it would be to do the job.
- F.r instance, once in passing, q mill saw
the1c1loWing: A farmers wife, perhaps,
found that her meal chest had no bottom'
Whereapon her lord must start with q small
detachment cf his field fe}lowsn to the
grist mill {half dozen miles distant), which
detachment took up its line Of march in the
following order:
LIST. Farmer leading horse with bag Of corn, ard
I1GGer No ! rldlngi taigger very much afraid he'd
2nd. Horse with bag Of corn, and niger No. 2
ri6i1g
sd. Horse with bag Of corn, and niger No. 3
riding.
hctseE, bags corn.
Estimated that said bags held two bushels each,
making total Of bushels corn.
Cosn worth per bnshel.. l..---....-...-....15 cts.
Total sal1e---.,-.,..-.. ....-.---...W cts.
White mans labor one day, {would have to
wait for grist, which would, togeth with
cCmiug to The mill and returning home, con-
sumo the whole day., worth at least. ....... rs
Three negroes labor, ono day each 50 cts -. 80
Three horses labor, one day each rs cts .-... .75
First cost Of producing corn, cts per bu 90. 80
Total ccst Of producing meal. s.. 80
Total value Of meal when produced. deduct
ing toll, Eay rs CTS per bu. 81 80
Amount expended more than value of meal. 80
The above is to show the manner III which
they labor here in slave districts. In free
state one pair OF horses. q wagon and driver,
would take a Erlst Of twenty five bushels to
mill, accomplishing in cne day what would
take this ta.mer, three negroes and three
horses four days to do, saying nothing about
the interest Gn the value Of the chatttls.
Slave labCr cannot be profitable in any way
bnt welding the hoe on Southern Plantations.
Slave breeding in this State, as also mule
breeding for other markets, may be pro1la-
bic to those who are soulie6s enough to fol-
low raising and driving human beings to the
auction block.
Will. On this subject must correct an CT
TOE in the FEeeport Bulletin, hope to your
satisfaction. The editors state that they saw
letter from member Of the 18th regiment,
in which it Tas said that some of the boys
tried to persuade number Of negroes to 10
with us, and that the negroes refused, saying
TIT they would rather stay with their masters,
TIE article c;rrlss the impression That the
above is tie prevailing sentiment amoDg the
THIN have begged us to take them along, say
:Dg that if We would only protect them they
ard all their friends would 20 with Us. Ofmy
own personal knoTledge I state that they
have sometimes come to our encanpment in
the night, when their masters supposed they
were asleep, aid begged US to take them With
rs. It is q cGmmcn remark in the regiment
that the ncgroes understand this war perfectly,
| and TINT they are all Union men We have
been careful, however, to hare the men avoid
anything Ike tamperiDg with the slaves. Tae
| circumstance rtpo7ted By the Bulletin, if cor.
| ;ectIy reported, is an Isolated one, can as
| sure yCu.
| I suppose thlre was never harder fighting
| done cn this continent than the battle a. VII
| son's Greek, in which the two Kansas regi.
| ments took SO conspicuous g part. Those
| fnows fought like old heroes