Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-12-19
Tho "Lafourche country, ;, Lou,.,.n.


The New Orleans correspondent of th,
New York Times says - .-,........, tg., ~
The news from the "Lafou-che country"
while It is entirely without especial, or rather
sensation, interest, has it's point of espscial
observation. The district OF country Alluded
to Is one Of the richest in agricultural wealth.
not only in this State, but probably richeat
in some respects of any spot of its sixe IN
the world, The wealth, however, consists
almost entirely Of sugar plantations and No,
grses. but as time has rolled on, the planters
have, in long years of prosperity, By accrsa-
ton as 1t were, possessed themselves, in ma.
ny instances, of a sort of barbaric splendor.
illustrated by rich furniture and costly eouip.
ages. These things, with their largo resi-
dences, IN most instances, were preciptate-
" abandoned the moment our force defeat
ed the enemy at Labadieville, and the con.
sequence was, that hundreds Of negroes, be-
sotted by the most severe system Of slavery.
were in moment left to themselves, in an
ecstacy OF joy on their knees, and "bresssd
God that Massa Lmkum had come" and
then, as semicivalzed people would natur.
ally do, they commenced indulging in all
sorts of cxcesscs, the first fruits Of their un.
restricted liberty.
The negroes by the way, were perfectly
quiet until our soldiers obtained complete
victory over the rebel troops, in fact, up to
that time, no one would have suspected thev
were not all of them the faithful and happy
beings we see pictured in those fancicul cos.
tunes, entitled Southern Views Of Slavcry.''
But the moment the butternut colored troops
of this State, or the hang dog looking Texan
Ranger skedaddled, the negroes threw of
all disguise, and commenced enjoying their
regeneratcd condition with a looseness that
was both melancholy and ridiculous. The
lirst demonstration was Of English fashion
in this. they preferred the most strict neu
trality; as one of them said, "God knows
that we haven't took sides at all, massa, but
just tended to our business" But unlike
the English they are not acting the part Of
hypocrItes by sympathysing with our ene-
mics, for they soon become partisans, and
| many, the moment it was safe, openly de-
clared dat dey were now on the Northern
side" They went deliberately at work, and
intelligcntly gave our troops all the informa-
ton they could desire, Of the character of
the country, the roads and outlets the num-
Der Of troops "below and beyond" and a
very correct list Of all the property of any
value open to view or covertly concealed.
| After the battle of Georgia Landing. thew
openly ard boldly seeded from their mas
ters, and went over body and rags to the Ma
tionsals, and then by thousands packed up
what they could carry or move off the plant
atoms. They now show their gratitude in
the desire to do something for their nav
friends there was not a private who did
not have dozen volunteer and most submis.
slvc servants, while the officers had fifty
apiece at their command, Such a motley
crowd never before assembled at the.buglc cal
or followed in the footsteps of a victorious
army. As things progressed, social chaos
came again; negroes, horses, mules, private
carriages, old and new wagons, dilapidated
carts, tapestry, carpets, rich furniture, Sewers
China pots, kettles-all mingled in an mex.
tricable mass of confusion, on the side Of the
bayou opposite the National camp and then
amid the waste and wantonness, the escaped
contrabands held high carnival feasting on
chickens, turkies, hogs, and fat cattle, few
days ago the scared property Of their lordly
and defiant musters, meantime occupying
their leisure time with their fiercest PRAYER
meetings, in which they prayed vociferously
for "Massa Linkum," and destruction to the
''perillas' (guerrillas), and success to the
Northern army, and then askf.. discomfri.-
ure on their former taskmasters, who, am ,ng
other rhetorical figures, they liken unto SO
many frogs sitting on log, with big ALI.
gator (the United States army that has come
along and gobbled up some, and "run dc res
into the bayou, bress God" 10 the careless
and reckless sold ers, the scene is one of IN.
tense fun, and already the wits among them
indulge in all sorts Of negro limitations that
would make George Christy die with envy.
To the Thoughtful. all this has different cf.
feet, for it suggests how much suffering is to
follow among the innocent and misguided Of
the masters, and equally, but in another way
deluded slaves-thc social system of the
South is broken up--the past is history
the future how difficult to comprehend.