Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-05

tle ldCtS " LIEUT.. COl w arnef, WHO directed
him to furnish the men and animals with food,
and make a written statement of the affair.
The following is the captains
PATROL REPORT.
New Custom HOUSE, New Orleans, July 81.
About o'clock this morning, being on patrol
duty with a squad of my company, as l was
passing in front of the new custom house, l
saw in the street near the southeast corner of
the building, party of men mounted upon
mules and headed towards the United States
mint. Going up to them l found them to be
six black men mounted on the same number
of likely mules. Upon being questioned they
gave the following account of themselves =
They were slaves from the sugar planta-
ton of Alexander Grant, some twenty-one
miles down the river. This Grant they rep
resent to be a violent secessionist, having a
son in the rebel army, who was a captain in
one OF the leading gunboatS at the battle of
fort jackson. They left the plantation at II
o'clock last evening, in company with five
other c0ntrabands, all mounted ON mules be-
longing to said Grant. They represent as the
cause of their flight the cruel treatment they
received at the hands OF their master and over
seer, and their hope of protection from Gen.
Butler. They impressed the mules to speed
them on their journey. Arrived within the
city, five of their number were violently seized
by men with clubs supposed to be policemen,
whose employment consists partly in slave
hunting, for which they have their reward.
One of these individuals dealt one of the six a
severe blow on the shoulder and arm. The
names of the six are Silas, Henry, Pierre,
Auguste, Joseph, Ga large MANI, and Joseph,
Ga small man). made an Intellectual search
for the five who had been seized. The others
took to the front side OF the custom house,
and caused them to dismount and tie their
mules to the fence.
They complain particularly of insufficient
food and being overworked, not allowed to
rest even on Sundays; also of brutal whip
pings, and being threatened with death for
trifing otfences-a threat which was carried
into execution in the case of one of their fell
low slaves, who was shot dead by his over
seer in January last; and attempted to be ex-
ecuted in the case of one of these eleven, who
was shot by his overseer in the hip in March
last They had heard, they said, that Gen
Butler was good man. As they appeared to
be loyal Union men, and their story conceded
with what | had previously heard of this
Grant, and the doings on his plantation, L
thought best to give them an opportunity to
lay their case before Gen. Butler or some 9TH
er proper authority; and accordingly placed
VI tliS SuttiN az WV
front door of the custom house. All of which
is respectfully submitted,
HOMER B. SPRAGUE,
Capt of Co. II. and Commander of Patrol.
This morning the overseer of the negroes
came into the custom house and claimed
them. He had appeared on similar business
some weeks before, and had been summarily
elected from the quarters of Capt. Sprague,
upon avowing himself a REBEL and refusing to
take the oath of allegiance. Gen. Butler, af-
ter investigating this mornings transaction,
ordered that the negroes be sent to fort jack
son, there to await the pleasure Of the govern
ment at Washington, and that the mules be
turned over to the quartermaster, Col. Schaf-
fer.
p. S., July 22.-This morning the case of
the above mentioned contrabands assumed a
new aspect. A citizen came into the provost
court, and charged them with assault and bat
terry. Judge Bell found them guilty and SEN
fenced the whole eleven 1.-THE other five hav-
ing been brought I'M to three months impris-
onment at fort jackson, at which the slaves
seemed highly gratifed.