The national Republican., 1862-08-09
SLAVERY As 1T ls.-HoRRIBLE DE-
PRAyITY,


An officer Of the Seventeenth Massachusetts,
regiment, writing from Newbern, N. G., gives
the following as one Of his recent experiences;
and we are assured that, 30 far ashe is consern-
cd, the utmost reliance can be placed In the
narration:
OUrrosr PICKET, NEwBERN, N. c.,
July 30, 1862.
Ny DEAR SIR: believe l informed you In
my last that we were detailed on outpost pick.
ct duty. The duty Is certainly harder than II
we were with our regiment, but then we have
an opportunity OF being Of immense service 70
the poor runaway slaves, which more than COM
pensates for the extra trouble.
Within the past three days have had the
pleasure of admitting TO freedom no less than
twenty.seven Of that despised and perseoute
race.
had Intended to have answered your last
letter more fully, but for the last two days I
have been questioning contrabands about
slavery, and The stories they told me have 60
unsettled my mind, that can scarcely think or
write Of anything else. I will give you one Of
the stories, and wish you would tell me what
you think Of II. l am sometimes inclined To
suppose that their stories are blacker than their
skins.
There was one pretty yellow girl, about l5
years OF age, passed over the ferry on Sunday
night, who seemed very shy and afraid. She,
with several other contrabsnds, passed on with
the regiments TO Newbern. Many Of US noticed
her melancholy appearance; but all were too
busy working the ferry boat, to speak to her.
Yesterday, two other contrabands came over,
man and wife, and as they seemed tired, and
said they had had nothing 10 eat since Sunday
cnoratnn I told khorn 40 III ao.w~ "A -.,ll
get them something to eat. They readily &C
cspted my invitation, and soon entered into
conversation about their late master. In the
course Of conversation they inquired II had
seen yellow girl, describing the one who
passed over the previous night, and after q
great amount Of detail which would be super
fuous here, learned the following history Of
her:
She was the daughter Of her master, her
mother being rich mans slave, not twenty
miles from where now sit writing. She wa
brought up on the plantation Of her father
until about IA years old, when the old planter,
use. She now carries the scars on her back
where che was whipped before she would sub
nit to her own fathers lustful embraces. Day
after day she went through the hogglng, but OF
last her spirit, a. we'll as the flesh, was broken
She could Withstand the monster no longer
The master and father triunphed over bis help.
less victim, and after due course Of time, she
had . baby by her own father. This baby, q
few days ago, was forcibly taken from Its moth.
or, (when they heard the Yankees were coming, J
and sent into the country towards Goldsboro',
thinking Of course the mother would soon.
er sacrifice liberty than her child; but the wo
man had made up her mind that when the Ysn.
kees did come she would 60 with them, no mat
ter what the consequence.
Well, the mother Is here, the child is-she
don't know where.
Now, eau II be possible that human M
ture is 10 far depraved, or are the pLOr con.
trabands inventipg these stories 10 excite our
pity and sympathy and horror OF the system OF
which they are the victims? have heard oi
such instances before, but doubted Il; but these
contrabands declare Il is common occurrence
here. This am somewhat inclined to disbe-
lieve. as caunot think any society would tol.
crate such atrocity. That this poor child was
victim Of her own fathers lust, however,
have no doubt, but ! do hope, for humanity q
sake, such cases are rare.
II this filthy and disgusting practice Is com.
mon among slaves, the sooner the whole sys-
TEN Is abolished the better. This Is, to my
mind, the worst feature Of slavery. However
II has stirred up In me spirit Of inquiry, and
shall not rest satisfied until know more about
II.
But here comes some more contrabands
Farewell for the present.
Yours truly 80