The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-12-10
The C0ntraba nds at Beaufort.

The EveniRg Post, in the letter of its cor,
respondent on the Great Naval Expedition
has tho following account OF the behavior O
the negroes about Beaufort:
SO - Early in the morning after the
victory, the plantation negroes began to come
into camp, and with the genuine A frican in
stinct for trade, each bad provided himself
with a turkey, a shoulder of bacon, or TIVE
shoulders and brace of hams in the snaps Of
struggling porker, which he bork kicking and
I sqpealing under bis arm. 1t was amusing Ia
see the pertinacity with which the fellows
would cling to their prize, even while wait.
ing to be questioned un Ter guard of file OF
soldiers. The instant ono was spoken TO, he
/ biz of 4 wide awake or the rimless crown OF
straw which did duty as hat would he je"k.
Ell off with CHARACTERISTIC obse1uiousness, the
negro standing scraping and bowling, answer.
ing meanwl lie his catechism, a. well az he
J could with the noisy and struggling beast dis
tracing its attention.
| Several who came in brought wagons load.
I ed With 'khapsacks and other accounterments
which they had picked up on the way All
seemed ready to work, and these who were
fortunate TO have possessed themselves of
some stray horse or pair Of plantation mules,
found bundant occupation. '..'
AS our troops were At first too busy in ma,
king good their position to attend to anything
else, and the Quarternssters had already
more pom their hands than they could attend
TO, the negroes who appeared were no, en-.
couraged to remain, but at oLce sent back,
and on one pretense and another to take care
Of themselves. But by the morning of the
second day fifty were already gathered at head
quarters, and signs Of much greater influx
were abundant. "t.,
Those who remained were put under charge
of Capt. Goodrich, the Quartermaster Of
Gen. Wright's brigade, who saw that their
wants were well attended to, giving up an
old blilding to their accommodation
Our troops were accompanied in their first
reconnaissance into the island by Dr.. j. j.
Craven, the efficient surgeon OF tie third bri
gade, who reports the negroes on the planta
tors further inland as almost wild with de.
light at the advent Of our troops and the hasty
flight Of their masters, which they described
with the utmost gusto. r.l
"Oh Lord massa," said one, "we'rc so
glad to see you. We'se prayed and pray
ed the good Lord that be would send yer
Yankees, and We knowed you'se WAS com
ing"
How could YOU know that!" asked DR..
Craven. You can't read the paper, how did
you get the newsi' asr ,... 'ri .-..
I" No, massa, we'se can't read, but we'se can
listen. Massa and missus used to read, and
sometimes they's would read loud, and then
we would listen so"--making an expressive
gesture indicative of close attention at key.
hole-"Vhan Use get chance rs would
list'n, and Jim him would listen, and we
put the listen together and We knsw'd the
Yankees We're coming. Bless the Lord, mas.
sa."
Another stout fellow asserted that the
good Lord bad appeared to him in the shape
Of a Yankee who assured him that his hour
Of deliverance was at hand.
The poor, trusting creatures never seemed
to question that a war which they had heard
was all about them must mean their deliver
erance from a bondage with which thev do
not seem 10 have been sufficiently 10 love
to follow the fortunes Of their fleeing mas
ters.
A drivers whip which was pickle up,
and which the correspondent of the Post
now bias in his possession, was shown one of
them, aud he was asked if he knew what it
was.
Golly, massa!" sad the negro, with
suspicious, sidelong look at the familiar whip
he saw raised aloft, "Guess dis nigger knows
what dat dare is, and he proceeded to explain
the use to which it was applied.
When some doubt was expressed ne to the
negro statement in regard to numbers, one of
them answered: ID
1--WE cant read, but we can count"
~ How did YOU learn to count?"
"Pickiug cotton, massa. We'se all got to
count when We pick cotton, massa."
There seems to be abundant work for them
to do N picking cotton on Hilton Head Is
land, which our troops have occupied, and it
is hoped tnat their services will be in some
way turned to account for this purpose.
Acres Of it, already white for the harvest,
were found within less that a mile of Fort
Walker, and will 5e lost, unless speedily at
tended to.
Several buildings filled with unginned cot
ton were found further back toward Skull
Creek, and on the islands beyond the steam
similar deposits could be seen. a heavy
smoke, which was seen at a distance, the
negroes reported to come from lot Of cot
ton which had been fired by the re,relting
Rebels