St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-11-07

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sense ofthat time; A .veritable history of
the souls progress towards light. i We
read it with deeper interest than we did
Uncle Tom. ".:>oo2 .:~.. .,..,. ,...=yY2: ;
'a"The Contrabanls at Fortress Monroe"
is Of unusual interest, and We make room
for the following extract hoping that our
readers generally will secure this number
Of the Atlantic as it has much that every
one should read. """
At two, P. NJ, the contrabands came to-
gether, answered to their names, and, each
takinga shovel, spade, or pick, began
to work u bon the breastworks farthest
from the village aud close to the new Gem
etary. The afternoon was very warm, the
warmest we had in Hampton. Some,
used only to household or other light work,
wilted under the heat; and they were told
TO- 90 into tho cemetary and lie down. I
remember distinctly corpulent colored
man, down whose cheek the pcrspiration
rolled and who said he felt badly. He al
80 was told to 60 away and rest until be
was better lie soon came back relieved,
and there was no more faithful laborer
among them all during the TEST of the
time Twice or three times iu the after
noon an intern,ission Of fifteen, minutes
was allowed to ALL. Thus they worked
until six in the evening. then we're dis
missed for the day.. They deposited their
tools in tlc courth 'use, where each one
Of hiso accord carefully put his pick
or shovel where be could find it again.
sometimes hehinda door and sometimes in
a sly corner or under seat, preferriog to
keep his>own tool fhtey were then in
formed that they must come together on
the ringing of the bell the next morning
at four o'clock. They thought that too
early, but they were assured that the sys-
te!h best for their health would be adopted,
and they woald afterwards he consulted
about changing it. The next morning we
did not rise quite so earl as four, and the
bell was not ru"g till some minutes; later
The contrabanis We're prompt, their names
had been called, and they had marched
to the trenches, a quarter of mile dis
tant, and were fairly at work by half. past
four or quarter before Eve. They did
excellent scrvi.c during the morning
hours, and at seven were dismissed till
eight The roll was then called again,
absences, if any, MOTEL, aud BY half past
eight they were at their post. They con-
tinued at the trenches till elcren, being
allowed rests, and were then dismissed
until three, 2. M. being relieved four
hours in the middle Of the day, when, the
bell being runy and the roll called. they
resumede their work and continued till
six, when they were dismissed for the day
Such We're the hours and usual course of
their labor. Their number was increased
some half dozen by .fugitiv:s from the
back county, who came in asked to be al
lowed to serve on the intrenchments.
The contrabands worked we'll, and in
no instance was it found necessary for the
superintendents to urge them. There
was,a public opini m among them against
idleness, which answered for discipline.
Some days they worked with our soldiers,
aud it was, found that they did more work,
and did the nicer parts-the facings and
ngs-better.i Colonels Packard and
Wardrop, under whose direction the breast
works were constructed, and General But
ler, who visited them, expressed satiseac-
tion at the work which tie contrabands
had done. On the l4th of July, Mr.. Rus
sci, Of the London ':rimes," and DR.. Bel
lows, of the Sanitary Commission, came to
Hampton and manifested much interest at
the success Of the experiment. The re-.
suit was indeed, pleasing. A subaltern
officer, to whom l had insisted that the
contrabands should oe treated with kind
ness, had sneered at the idea of applying
philanthropic notions in time of war. 1t
was then, as alwa Is, that decent persons
'willaccomplish more when treated at least
like human beings. The same pri,aci pie
five will but credit our own experience
and MIR. Rarey, too, may with advantage
be extended to ou, relations with the beasts
that serve US
= Three days after the contrabands CON-
,menced their work, five days. rations
were served to them, "a soldiers ration
for each laborer, and halfa ration for each
depeadent. The allowance was liberal
AS soldiers ration, If properly cooked,
is more than he generally needs, and the
dependent for whom halt: ration was re-
ceived might be wife Or half: grown
child. 1t consisted of salt beef or pork,
hard bread, beans, rice, coffee, sugar, soap,
and candles and. whero the family, was
large itn'ade a considerable pile. The re-.
cip!ents went home, appearing perfectly
satisfied, aud feeling assured that our prom
ises to them would be performed On