Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-11-22
An interesting Intervisw with q Contra
hand.


has The following conversation had with an
Intelligent contrsband, which has ring ot
truthfulness, and is suggestive;
"On Thursday, beyond Charlestown, our
pickets deserted a solitary horseman, with
3 basket ou bis arm, jogging sOSerly to-
wards them. he proved 10 be dark mn
latto, Of about thirty-6ve. As he approach
ed they ordered halt.
Where are you from -.
Southern Army, Cap'n, giving the MILL
tary salute.
Where are you going
Coming to yons all.
What do you want
Protection, boss. You won't send me
back, will your
No: come in. Whose servant are you
Cap'n Rhetts, Of South Csrliny-you's
heard Of Mr.. Barnwell Rhett, editor OF the
Charles,own Mereary2 His brother com.
mands battery.
How did you get away
Cap'n guv me fifteen dollars this morn.
ng, and said, John, go out and forage Tor
butter and eggs. So you see, boss, (wlth
a broad grin Use out foragingl pulled
my hat over my eyes and logged along on
him)with this basket on my arm, right by
our guards aud pickets. They never cbal-
lepged me once. If they had though
brought the Cap'n's pass. and the ne"
conner produced this document from his
pocket book, written in pencil and care
fully folded. / send you the original:
Pass my servant John, on horseback,
anywhere between Winchester and Mar
tinsburg, in search Of butter, &c.
A. BURNETT RHETT,
Capt. Light Artillery, Lees Battalion;
Are there many negroes in the rebel
corps
Heaps, boss. -,
Would the most of them come to us if
they could Z &C.,,
All of them, Cap'n. There isn't little
pickaninny so high (waving bis hand two
feet from the ground) that wouldn't.
Why did you expect protection
Heard so in Maryland, before the Proc
lamati0n.
Where did you hear about the Procla'
nation
Read it, Sir, in Richmond paper.
What is it
That every slave is to be emuncipated
on and after the 18th day Of January. l
can't state it, boss
Something liksit' When did you learn
to read
In '49, sir. l was head waiter at Mrs
Nevitt's boarding house in Savannah, and
Miss Walcott, New York lady, who was
stopping there, taught me.
Does your master know i'll
Capn Rhett doesn't know it, sir; but he
isn't my master He thinks I'm free, and
hired me at $25 month, but he neve:
paid me any of it. belong to Mrs. Johu
Spring, oil Stafford, Conn.-S5e used to
hire me out summers, and have me wait on
her every winter when she came South.
After the war she couldn't come, and
they were going 10 sell me for the Gov
ernment because belonged to a Northern
er. They sold a great many negroes III
that way. But slipped away TO the ar.
my. Having tried to come to you twice
before in Maryland, but couldn't pass our
pickets.
Were you at Antietam
Yes, boss Mighty hard battle.
Who whipped
Yous all, mass They say you didu',
but / saw it, and know. Ii you hat
fought US next day-Thursday-you woulC
have captured our whole army. They sa.
30 themselves.
Who?
Our officers, sir.
Did you ever hear OF old John Brown
Hear of him. Lord bless you, yes bos
I've read his life; and have it now in II
trunk at ChsrIestown: sent TO New Yor
by the stewart of the James AHger and &c
it. I've read it to heaps of our co!ore
folks. Lord, they think john Brown WI
almost God. just say you was a frien
of bis, aud any slave will almost kiss you
feet, if you let him. They say if he wa
only alive now be would be king How
did frighteH the white folks when he raise
the iusnrrectiOn 1t was Sunday when "
heard Of it. The y wouldn't let u negro 6
into the street. l was waiter at the Nil
House, 10 Charlestown. There was LAD
from Massachusetts who came down
breakfast that morning at my table. job
she says, want to see negro church
where is the principal one? Not any OPP
to-day, mistress, / told her. Why noll
Because Mr.. John Brown has raised
iasurrecliOn in Virginny. Alb, she sayi
well tnc1 udu Oobl6I lOOA Oub VI tucy "
get the white churches shut up in that vi
one Of these days. too.
Mr. Nicholson, one Of the proprietor
was listening from the Office to hear VIII
she said.-Wasn'L that lady watched aft
that have Douglass in, my trunk z
in The very sans way.
What do the slaves think about the wa
Well, boss, they all wish the Yauk
army would cone. The white folks
them all sorts Of bad stories about you 4
bat they don't believe them. They kn
that Mr.. Fremont, aud MIR. Mcclellan. q
Mr.. Burnside won't burt them.
John was taken to Geo. Mcclellan,
whom be gave all the Information be pc
ossed About the position, numbers and oI
aaizstion Of the rebel army. His knO
lsdge was full and valuable, and is corr
borAledsby all the facts We b we learn
from other sources. The principal featur
ef it l hare airsaay transmitted to you
telegraph. At The close OF the iRterVie
be asked anxiously.