Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-02-01
THE SLAVE YANKEE FIGHTERS.

to the party of gentlemen in the suite ol
officials, going the rounds of the forts about
one hundred and 6{ty or two hundred hear.
ty, strong negro-men, intended for laborers
on Sullivan's Island. These fellows chat.
tered and iabbered their peculiar negro
lingo with infinite delight at the prospect
of becoming, as they termed it, 'sogers to
fight for Souf Carlner.' Rolled up in huge
knots wherever the sun shone, they dozed
away in PEACEFUL sumbers, or grinned with
delight as anything pleasing to the fancy
passed in review. The ideas and language
interchanged among them, and to all who
chose to address them, evinced almost bar
baric simplicity. The majority of them
exhibited wor dcrfully stupid set of fca-
lures. One of them however-the most
intelligent fellow in the lot-gave quite
satisfactory answers to most of the inquiries
propounded to him. All the rest seemed
satisfied sihply with showing their ivories
and acquiescing in whatever replies their
spokesman should make. He, In answer
to my questions, informed me that E:ost of
the set Of hands were from 'Santee, sab, >
from de big plantation, sab, on de riber.'
Quesion-Were you ever on the sea or
ON rough water before? Answcr-Ob, yes,
massa; de Santee some time run so high
dat coohoo (canoes) swamp.
Q.-How would you like I'd cross this
harbor in canoe7 A. with two short,
indescrbable grunts)-Coonoo sink sab.
Q.-Where are you going row? A.-To
Mountry (MouI,rie), sab.
Q.-What to do there? A.-To fight,
sah. and to build up forts on de island sab.
Q.-Who are you going to fight A.
De dam Yankees, sab, apd ahumishnists
Laugbter.)
Q.-You don't dislike Yankees! A
Not 'zactly, sab, but massa do; and, sides,
dey come here to steal us; and young
Massa John come up to de peoples quar-
ters day fore yesterday, and when he call
all Of us together lie state de case TO us,
and tell US dat sufin' was goin' wrong down
to de city. Dat de Yankee nigger tief
won'd d fight, and dat if we wanted we should
go down and help kill 'em.
Q-What did you say 10 that2 A
We all volunteered right away, hut Massa
John picked OFT the best lot of hands and
sent'em right away to join desc here other
boys, and 50 we all come down.
Q.-Do you know how to shoota A.
Yes, sab. (The fellows eyes twinkled with
pleasure at the prospec,j l learn young
Massa John to handle he, rifle. When he
was boy we used to shoot deer together,
and learn him where to strike and how
to load up.
Q.-Will your master come down to tile
island and fighte A.-Yes, sab be prom
ised to fine Us soon in the works with he
company.
AFRIcANUs WITH THE WHITE FEATHER.
One great big fellow over in sunny cor.
ner Of the deck had been an attentive lis
teaes 10 the conversation, and whenever the
replies Of his fellow slave gave him pecu-
liar pleasure, or coincided with his views,
grin would spread clear across his face, and
thinking that he might be inclined to talk
/ approached him and put the question,
We'll, Sam, what can you do in a 6gbtG
A.-'Run, sab, when Bucra man come
wild de gum and at the same time tipping
his hat and scrapiug his foot, asked IF
massa please give him cbaw terbaccer.
Several negroes in soto roce to each
other signifed their disapprobation of the
fellows conduct and reply by calling him
Yah hoo nigger.' Their respect, however,
for the presence of white persons prevented
any other expression ofcontempt.
now THE NEGROES WORK.
In this lot of stopt fellows there was not
one badly clothed or underfed. They were
all above the medium height Of the white
man j; strong, healthy-though rough and
dull-such as swarm the yard of every
large plantation. All were provided with
large, comfortable blankets, strapped to the
shoulders in military style, and most Of them
carried besides a quantity Of baggage.
Their destination, learned, was not to the
fort, but to the works Of defence above
Moultrie, on SuIlivan's Island. An exten-
sive causeHay is here being constructed to
connect with the main land, and upon this,
as upon the redonbts now being thrown up
on the island, very large force of negroes
is employed. ] am told that they number
some seven or eight hundred fellows. A
very large number Of Irishmen are also
employed in the same work, but for endu-
rance the negro beats them all hollow.
There is no use for the pickaxe, and with
the shovel I have seen the slave work all