Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-01-03
I0,OOO sIaves JILL a Master.
HnTOH HEAD, PORF ROYAL, s.

Monday, Dec. %, 1861.
The extreme imprOpriety Of sending
homo details Of militsiY movements in ad-
vance, or in fact sffOr6ing any premature
inioFmStion Ehs4eFeT, somewhat restricts
the choice Of subjects; but there is one
whose interest is neverfailing, and in re-
gard TO which new developments sre con-
stanny occurring. The slave question can
not lose its mportsnce-cannot become
hackneyed. There are now in Beaufort
District alone, l an informed by official
personsges, nearly 16, 900 slaves, whose
masters have fed, and Beaufort District is
but small portion of the country at pres
snt in our hands. have accompanied
number Of the reeoLnoisanees made in sll
directions from this post, both by sea and
land; have Witnessed the exploration Of
the country from Tybee Island on the South
70 North Edisto on the North, an extent Of
ct least sixty miles, and have penetrated
as far into the interior, on some Of these
excursions, &c our troops have yet gone.
Everywhere find the same state Of things
existing; everywhere the blacks hurry in
droVes TO our lines; they crowd in small
boais around our ships; they swarm upon
our decks; they hurry to our officers, from
the cotton houses Of their masters, in an
hour OF two after our guns are fired. am
writing now, not what l have heard, but
what have seen. / an net sending you
opinions, or conclusions ct which have
arrived, but facts that, I have observed.
mean each statement l make to be taken
literally; it is not garnished for rhetorical
effect but put into such form as will most
exactly convey TO the mind Of reader thS
impression made on me. have seen ne.
gross Who reported themselves as just es
capped from their masters, who came breath.
les to our forces, and said they dared nO
70 back for their masters would kill them
who told that their masters were at thai
moment armed and threatening TO shoe
any slave that did not fly with them; WHIT
declared they had tricked their owners anC
came away in boats that they were bidder
totake back 10 the whites. 1 have talkeC
with drivers and field hands, with hous
nlids and coachmen and body servants
Hlo we're apparently as eager to escape q
Ruy. ! have heard the blacks point on
hoW their masters might be caught Wher
they Wsre hidden, and what were thei
forces. l have seen them used as guide
and pilOts. ! have been along when the
pointed out in what houses stores Of am
mnnition and arms we're kept, and Wher
bodies Of troops we're stationed; In FEY
hours have known this information veri
hed. have asked them about the sent
ment Of the slave population, and been in
vRriably answered that everywhere it
the same.
have invariably been told by the NJ
eroes that thsy we're not we'll fed. II
first reason black man, or woman, or chill
assigns for deseFting his master is th
small quantity and poor quality Of foo
given him; the next reason Is the san
story about clothing; then comes the con
plant Of hard usage, hard work, and OecI
sionally Of cruelty. The last is rare, in n
experience. The most Of them speak, it
true, Of instances where negroes have bee
recently shot, but few allude to previol
hsrdships worse than whipping OF ls
the aocusedons Of masters shooting the
alaves are more frequent, indicating 9th
iB inference) that the desperation Of Il
rsbsls increases.