Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-25
Ven. sMlth upon the COulrab e5a Question


zen. saith upon the CSnirab e5a Question
--slnves Hunted By BleO Wounds
Raduoaoh Correspondence Louiss Vie journal
Gen. Halleck sent orders to u " command
ant Of this post Gen. Smith, 70 Keep out all
negroes-that he must order Il lepickets 10
permit no negro to enter the hat Satc.
Now the rebels have been AeouriDg the
border counties for weeks, With hoE Sc and
hounds and chains, stealth g nCgroas rom
both friend aud foe, and takirIg them IN large
bands to Columbus AMI 9th er places wloefe
they want work done upon : he iortiicatis. 1s
At camp Beauregavd, they lave even place q
arms in the hands Of a com pany Of this hu-
man chGttel.
Suppose these poor neg !rOes, in their eI-
tremity, are driven to our line of pickets2-
Shall our soldiers turn them back at the
point Of the bayonel2 EShall our brave and
chivalrous old soldier and commandment
Gen. Smith, send out asquad of "Zouaves"
to catch these " run2Ws Us" and hand them
over TO their masters or to their pursuers,
with his best love, saying, "Here, sirs, are
FIVE and twenty stout able. bodied men, who
can do more work IL a day upon your forth
ications then a hundred of your best sold
iers; take them and set them TO work, and
send US word when your fertilization is fin
ished, and We will come and let you fight us
from behind itI' Let me tell you what he
did say the other day to a rebel master who
had come to him General Smith, for assist
snce in the search of a runaway negro.
"Sir, said the General, Strengthening him
self, and turning a glance upon the master
which made him fairly shake in his boots,
81 have e~ndeavored to serve my country in
the capacity of n soldier for twenty years /;
1 was never before asked to catch a niger
have never been q negro catcher and I'll
be damned if I descend to the dirty work in
my old age" It is wicked in a General to
swear, but in this case the noble sentiment
so redeems the ompaDying expletive that
I have no doubt that the H.e,ording angel, as
be few up to heavens chancery with the oath
blushed as he gave it in, and the recording
angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear
upon the word and blotted it out fOreverl'
1t will surprise some of my readers that
in Kentucky and Tennessee negroes are hunt
ed with blo~odhounds. But there is an in
stance for which l will vouch. One Of our
gunboats went up the Cumberland river a few
days ago TO pick up the Tennessee refugees
whom the reign of terror had driven from
their homes and sacred altars, and who were
hiding in the woods, living upon berries and
roots, awaiting opportunities Of escape
While anchored at a bend Of the Cumber-
land, they beheld a negro making 'double
quick" for the river. He tore down the
bank towards the waters edge as if in the
greatest terror, and, having caught sight Of
the boat, he stretched out his black hands,
and in the most earnest tones besought them
to take him on board, declaring that the
blOodhounds were upon his track. The man
was Immediately taken on board, and as soon
as he reached the deck he fell upon his knees
and burst into a food of tears. In a few
moments the hounds appeared upon the
bank. The men who were in pursuit, at 1.-THE
sight of the g~unboat, went back again even
faster than they came, evidently fearing that
a leaden messenger might overtake them.