, 1861-10-07
THE ss ssCONTRABaNnsn - AT FORT
HES9 m0NRDK.
Interesting Narrative Of 4 mission
AEoNG,

has been led to devote especlal attention to
the wants Of the African roce, Thus among
1ts various home aud foreign missions it has
one among the Mendions in Africa, one among
the, refugees in Canada, and one among the
enancipated slavea in Jamaica Now tbs
con:rabands' u have opened te 1t new, in.
terestlng and important field. The Rev. L.
c. lockwood, for many years known as
successful city missionary in New York, is
now labo1ing In behalf Of this Association
amorg the people Of color at Fortress Mon
roe. His mission has received the approba-
'tion Of Gen. Wool and of Col Butler, brother.
Of Gen. Butler. He is lnstltutlng day schools
amorg them and Sunday schools, preaching,
and dcipg all tkat he can ;or their temporal
and spiritual weiEare.
Soma extracts from his recent letters
to tie Association will be Of interest to your
readers:
I find more and more thaukfulnsss thzt
Il is m5 privileged lot to minister to these
cohtrabards.n ] fad Eomc E2horteTs among
them, who have led meetings since they have
bsea without =. pastor; ana l row arrange
some meetings for them TO lead, thinking that
in this way tie morl a1d Intellectual deVel-
opment Of leaders and people will be better
secured. ....
Last week 1 walked out with one Of these
leaders, named Carey, to see some Of the rest,
and vas much interested in the tale of his
experience He said that for some years past
there bas been general and growing expects
lion among the slaves that God would soon
undertake. 1of then. He believes in eupsr-
natural impressions. Nearly three years ago,
he said the sky assumed strange appear
ance, ard he pray ed to God that he might IN
ce1staud it, If it was meant to be siga Of the
timEs. And in answer to prayer it was I'M
pressed OF his mind that It mas token Of
Judgment on the land because Of oppression.
For time nothing special occurred, and he
was lnuEhed ut hut when John Browns raid
Sec ps9sn1E S ss be- T1f6 4a ds1 you see the
After ~. Llrcoln's election, and before his
afs 1 lie 'e csnas Of IL al Il tafs.n Wall aaster,S
naid he, sit is only wha: have been expect
witbout much satisfaction. Carey represent
ed the light dawnirg on their prospects as
like that which drives away the fog from the
bsy and reveals the sails that before we're OBJ
Ecu-ed ip mist; aid the approach Of the day
Of the Lord as like the nearing Of a vessel to-
wards port
Another leader named Davis, on whom 1
called in company with him, said that he had
been aa oyerseer, aud after his conversion he
forged to be delivered from his unpleasant
Situation but 20 way opened h then prayed
That Gcd Wculd convert all under his charge,
them, "God is gong to deliver me III some
ray" ''Oh, no." sald they, "you are the last
enc that MISTER Rin let 60" Well" said
he, "he might cling to ne, Tor he LEFT the farm
IL my charge, aud when he rode out to see it,
he said, Things are going on better than /
Tysslf could make them co." Thus the
Lord blessed the crops, aud gave them favor
in fhe fyfE nf their rnaater
But he had great deal Of trouble In suing
fcr the freedom Of his wife, who was left free
hy will, but still wrorgfuliy held in bondage
BY the heirs. Another thing that troubled
h,m was p:iEation cf the: privilege Of reading
cf slavery, however, be learned to read .
little. He eaid, - Oh, how loDged for the
day when the Bible should be q frea book. u
He is very able in exhortation, resembling
Frederick Douglas in appearance, and Ike
him Il remarkable fo1 Eatiye talent.
Brother Davis, lender among item. of
Ehcn made mention in my last, told me TO-
dsy something Of his feelings in references to
learning TO read the Bible. He expressed to
bis masters son his strong desire TO read the
Bible, and he replied, +" You shall know how"
So he got him tint an elementary book, and
then q Bi61e. Within year, By constant ap-
rEeatics, at leisure intervals, he learned TO
reaa the New Te.tamenI very well, aud She
Old Testament by spelling out some hard
words "Oh," said he, when he gaye me 3
.eseoE II tEe Testament to get familiar With,
sa the: could read it really, would go alone
ard pray that God would help me learn His
~czd, and He did help me. and then, now
thanked Him that l could read the Bible for
myself, and teach others to read it. l WAS ac-
custom Cd to make the love I had for my wife
AID children the standard Of my best feelings,
hnt VIXEN was seeking religion, 7 inquired
cf myself whether loved Christ mora than
them, SO that, If need be, I could givo them
up fc1 Him. And So, when learning to read
the Bible, felt that though it would be like
1aklrg lfe to part with them, I could lst them
60 1a'her / than moi know how to read Gods
Such is the value an Intelligent, pious slage
Iu.s' upon TIE Wc1a OF Ged, which Is denied
0 as PoRs p & r 81 III siogasses sHa
etc, in former letters, but his address yester.
dsy wssx naater-piece. II melted every
Vbo were in rebellion against God, striving tn
put down rebellion in this land, aud asked
tht = how they, Who had been taught to read
the Bible, and learne1 The Lords Prayer In in
judgment, when poor, despissd and inferior
race, Who, though denied The Bible, had been
tsught OF God and found their way to Christ,
should r:ee up and condemn them. He then
tusned to Efafellow contrabands and entreated
them to embrace thankfully, and improve the
0AS1l d14 SAo{ 6AfC1. AV NG4o4AEEEu tEEE-
ect pledge ot the futu1e-tle virtual eiuan.
c1patioa OF fifteen or eighteen hundred, the
promise Of the emancipation OF four millions,
The Lord works from little to great.
There are ncW some 500 about here; many
Of them are members Of the church, and az fal
q appears, fsr9ent md consistent Christians.
Wien !l=ten to their prayers l cennot but
think That the time Of their deliverancs is at
hand, and that Euch prayers cannot but BE-
heard in heaven, and answered speedily. ]
sLall atuihute The preservation Of the Union
and the denvera1ce Of the bondman to their
prayers, as well as to the power OF our na.
ticna1 arms; albeit fully believe In the indis.
| Penssb]e Iee Of the physical means. Mr. Hill
| ahd Others said that when they heard that Ere
| mont came near being elected, their hearts
were greatly encouraged; and 1hcn Lincoln
was elected ttey believed that their time had
cone, % though some stiil doubted: Some have
/ tel6 me that masters plainly told their slaves
that Lincoln ard his Northern allies meant tc
| come down and free the slAYes, sud thev tr eG
to persuade them that the "Abolition Yan
KEGS" did not care particle for them they
only wanted to drive them off, as they haS
| done the Indians.
| There are some pcculiarities in their praye,
meetings Their Responses are MOI boisserous
but in the gentle caanted style. To compare
heart-wcrstip with Journalism they are ike
and yet unlike, the chanting Of the Li:any res
Rou!es by the boys Of Trinity Church, Men
| Aot1' AAo eAtSsHE u t0eSe y c0utl30aHd3
Is 70 me en2ha9tlng and JET have not heari
them in their best strains. Their singing L
generally devotional, but they have pri1ns
de]tTerance melody that WAS in this stjle:
"Ge down to Esypt, Tell Pharoah,
accent on last syllable, with repetition o
| chorus, Ike warning note, In the car OF des
potism.
Thsnk and praise the Lcrd! Yesterday wa
| Efgh cay in Zion, Al 916 =. m., op1net
Ssb6ath school in e1 President Tyler's house
rear Hampton "A new thing under the eua
A Sabbath school among Virginia freedmen
Little did the ex President think that his hous
wouid ever be used for such q purpose. (
Tyler compromise with witness. Commences
with the usual exercises; repeated togethe
The 4 B. C. card; arranged the classes, EN-
plo5i1g those thas could read (egen nstle1 a
teachers; let them teach d little while; CAV
direction for, the future, and closed the schoa
in due form. Elementary books and paper
were distributed. AL felt that it Was tbs be
Ur.n, and in glad anticipation hailed the tin
! vhtn they aad their children should all b
"taught Of God"'
must now open subject IS thrilling as
Is novel. have ascertained thst very larg
portion, probably, at least, more than half q
only in eaave fashion, BY ataking up together,
OF living together by mutual agreement, viii
| cut the least marriage ceremony. This stat
Of thirgs has not only been encouraged. bu
r to be married in due form by white, OF eve
:, | ty co}ored minis teIB, there would often be
| barrier agailet tie separation Of husband an
: | wife at the will ct the master. Many ma
= Nko would not Otherwise scruple at separ
t tirg the parties, has conscience enough I
e 1sEpsct The law Of marriage, when admin
# tered ty proper authority and in proper form
dCJce. Slavery. eThn Ur1ae Eha Christie