Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-24
letter from Mrs. Frances d. GaEs--A Day
Among the Contrabands.

Il Among AAe Coutrnhandds
i Correspondence Of he Cleveland Leader.l
! said in my last, believe, that there
we're two sides to any picture, and to this
cOntraband pencilling there seems dozen.
Every day that spend with them gives
ne new phases Of character, and reveals
more clearly their nature and capacities.
At the risk of being considered egotisti-
cal, will relate in part the incidents of a
day among the people Of plantation.
It was about ten in the morning of q
bright sunny day when Mr.. C. called for
me at the mission house in Beaufort, to
ride with him to a plantation six miles
away.
he told ne as We rode along, that he had
S very unprOmising family; thst the old, the
very young, the infrm and decrepid had
been left by the rebel master when he fed,
taking his best servants into the interior.
That just after he was called to the super
intendency, in June last, his people were
exposed tothe small pox, seventy-sve were
borne down with Che ,5isSAss, with not half
well ones enough to take care of the sick,
and none to till the cotton (badly put in
or to keep the weeds down in the potatoes
or corn. There was little help to be got
from physicians, and it was remarkable
fact that three old negresses took charge of
the sick, and by their good nursing and the
aid Of simple teas and washes, they saved
the lives of all but five. mention this
fact Of the sickness to explain what fol-
lows.
We chatted, as we rode, upon the cOndi-
tion Of these forlorn creatures, SO long the
victims of the accursed 'fnstitution," and
expressed my views freely Of their needs,
that the course being pursued by the North
was not as practical as it might be; that
the women needed teaching, the mothers
to be stirred up to a consciousness, if pos
sible, of their duty to their families, as
well as to be taught their A. B. C.s; and
unless there could be those found who
would be willing to enter their cabins, and
show them hsw to live, their progress to-
ward neatness and order must be slow in
deed; that all these things so prized by
cultured society, must come with develop
ment Of mind, and could not be the work
Of one or even ten years. But as the sur
est method Of attainment speedily, we must
impress the mothers to give instruction to
the young children.
Mr.. C. agreed with me, and requested
that I would allow him to call his charge
together, in their praise house, (every plan
tation has "praise house" if it be only
an empty room in an out-building,) and
that l should talk to them of their domes-
tic duties; and after had visited their
cabins and looked into their wants, con-
sented.
We visited from twenty to thirty houses. !
Oh, the squalid poverty, the dirt and filth ! !
We're to enter into details, you would not |
believe me, and would set me down as a |
sensation writer. One woman was blind, |
asSALsE- -bssat darhla raith ulAossslaOtisEa
two or three declared themselves " over a |
hundred; old men, sick men, lazy men, |
women in rage -baa-ins IN thai- a,---s 81
eyed babes,-my heart was sorrowful in |
deed as went from door to door. 1 shook |
hands with them and asked after their |
wants, and they told me their tale of sOr-
row and suffering in almost Unintelligible |
language, with power and pathos that |
wrung tears from my eyes, through which |
I saw the hideous skeleton Of slavery |
which had been the cause of all.
I noticed that they had an abundance of |
hens, geese and guinea fowls, and asked |
them TO sell me some eggs. They had none. |
q You will not get one" said Mr.. C. "Su-
perintendents, soldiers and others have |
lugged them away so much, that they will |
not sell one here, but travel all the way to |
Beaufort on foot, to be sure to get money
for them"
in silver, II wanted them for the house /
keeping of the mission house) It was of /
no use. HDem hens no lay in de frost |
cum" and other equally curious excuses
were given. They looked at me in q kind |
of sullen curiosity, as if were an enemy;
and though spoke kindly as knew, it |
did not seem to touch any spring that
reached the inner life.
Finally 1 said to one, "why do you not |
mend that dress" "Gotno needle, missis."
I gave them needles, thread and thimbles. |
After this, showed them how their blan-
kets could be mended and darned together;
how Judy's old frock, if washed, could be |
spliced to Sallie's, and one good garment |
made; patch put on Jake's elbow, which |
could well be cut from that old coat which |
lay on the rag-hesp in the corner. So 1 |
helped them to come out Of the shadows in |
to the light little.
When we got round to the praise house,
we found it full, the very floors were |
crowded, and spoke to them for half an |
hour, telling them Of freedom and its uses |
in the plainest possible way. To be free,
said to them, was to be independent, to /
work for themselves, think for themselves |
and God; that true freedom meant homes
ty, sObriety, carefulness, kindness, and |
1.r-. D--sE - AAL itOS Uetall ali tnat
childish talk.
When I had finished, l asked them to |
sing for me, and the beautiful, stirring air |
of "Roll, Jordan, roll, was sung by OF |
least fifty voices, as if an inspiration had |
lifted them above life and its cares and !
sorrows. And then came such shaking /
of hands and showering Of blessings as |
made me almost cry out in amazement, |
" What had done that had 80 suddenly |
transformed these people from the dull |
sullenness of an hour sgO?" had an
swerei to their needs; that was ali; spo-
ken to them as if I felt for them and |
with them, as if 1 had somewhere in my
heart feeling that recognized their hu-
manity-nothing more.
After few minutes chat with the old |
people 1 stepped from the door of the
room, (which was vacant shed which had |
once been used for cotton gin,) and was |
about leaving for Beaufort. Bnt, lol The |
women we're coming from their quarters
in all directions; one with two eggs in her