The New York herald., 1862-01-13


aiming Colonel Josiah Harlan Of the Eleventh Pennsyl
wanna cavalry The Board meets at the post library, in
the fort.
OUR HATTERAS INLET CORRESPONDENCE
HAITERAs INLET, N c., Jan. l, 1862
The Colored Men Of Hatteras-Aniual Of Contratands-
Their Notions and What They Think, dc.
Tho Tlletts of North Carolina are should say among
the happiest Of its inhabitants today. Who lbey9
and what is the Of their oy9 They black
aad black women and are supposed TO be free. They
have hitherto lived Roanoke Island, the slaves Of
white masters; they stand upon sand spts the
peers Of white men, the fellows Of soldiers, acknowedg
ing no authority but that which acts and under
the eagles Of the Union They who exchange saluaons
On New Years day in your rich metropolis know little
Of the wealth Of joy there in the meeting Of and
women who have como together again after hurried
journey from bondage Yours is artificial conventional
stiff; the Tetts reunion is natural simple rude, per-
haps, but mighty cordial. cannot initiate the yell at
hrst the significant ejaculation the grunt Of local pur
port nor the shrug and the na loud laugh that seemed
TO indicate unconsciousness Of the future its respon
sbilties Franklin Tle the father Of the contrabands,
and his wife, Nancy, aged, respectively, sxty-eght
and sixty-fve years. They have passed their days,
hitherto, on Roanoke Island farming sometimes and
sometimes begettng children. have seventeen Of
the nineteen children who have grown out Of the union Of
tho old couple and who have, may be, served to re-
ieve the austerty Of wool gathering hay making and
those other bucoc empoyments which make up the an
nual sum OF the life Of slave. II will strike you very
odd that the children Of this couple bear three
This Of their having been the property Of three par
ties The children, instead Of taking their fathers
name take those Of their owners. So account for IL
that amongst these seventeen children Of old Nancy we
hou GyaT Sn,. n~-. n.;-r. ~~A
seven Ashbys. Roanoke must become crippled in her
resources the sudden withdrawal Of eight men, five
men and Eve children cannot fail to be hurtfu to .
community which before was, perhaps, poor. Indeed
the abrupt withdrawal Of SIS 900 $40 900 from the
capital Of the town Of Fireplace in your State would
be likely to bring misery to the stomachs Of those who
were left behind Ibis, Of COURSE is nlerentia for
old Ben, who thougha Tillett, and Of dusky hue is
purer patriot, truer man, stronger Unionis, than
any Of the sand burned sheroes'' who claim to be
the lords Of the soil of North Carolina.
There may be those in your city who "cant see t;'
that is the merit which have found in the Tletts but
is not worth while TO seek to enghten them9 The old
Tett OF all is tall man. quite intelligent, and close
observer He understands the issues which have led
the quite well as many of those who are paid for
expounding them in the national Congress His sons
equally well informed. Old Ben, Of whom have spoken
largely has come to be leading man here in Haeras
indeed ne would be listened to with attention in any
convocaon OF plain men, He is as said before, skill
full inland sailor knows all about the inets outlets
would be very useful man on the coast survey Com.
mend him to Professor Bache Old Ben is the fifth of
Franklin and Nancy Tett, and perhaps the ablest Of
them all. He speaks the English language WELL his
cabulay is quite copious Many have guessed him be
a preacher, but he ,s simply modest fisherman, who
asks nothing but the privilege Of aborng for livelihood
in the land Of the free and the home the bravev II
Is not worth while TO detail the particulars In the charac
ter OF the runaway Roanoke negroes which distinguish
them above all Of their tribe that have but may
say in general way that these darkes from old Ben
his chief mate, John Founder, possess the germ Of q
larger cultivation and higher civilization. Icannot in
letter Of this kind forty you with the proofs Of this
but here is poetic enusion Of John Founder, which
though II may be neegan is not worse than those lines
OF your esteemed contemporary Of the Tribune which you
have so often published with earnest commendaton
Let those readers Of the HERALD who have sung Greeley
with delight be attentive TO John Founder while be sings
TIE HANDSOME MAN.
Madam, have come courtrg,
Your kind favors for to gain;
II you viii smile ON my endeav0rs,
Sunday night III come again,
Sunday night pll come again.
Madam, have ships on de ocean,
Madam, have house and land,
Madam, have wealth and station
All shall be nj your command,
All shall be at your command.
What cares for your ships on do ocean'
What cares for your house and landi
What cares for your wealth and stationf
All want is o handsome man,
All want H q handsome man.
Madam, why stand up for beauty
Beauty is thing which will decay;
In the morning like the red rose,
Afternoon will fade away,
Afternoon will fade away.
This think, sufficiently illustrates the poetic resources
Of Mr. Founder but you want the tones Of his voice. the
expression Of the face and that action of the
body and mind which combine to convince the listener
that this African "hath music In his SOUL"
In 30 far as have touched upon them at all have
given only the good traits Of these negroes II
to say that they have bad traits. The Jack q. C.
John Tyler above stealing chickens and drinking
whskey He is expert in all games but is great he
tells you, "only IN sevenup" He is up in dancing, and
all that I.,ls
heel and toc-from old Frank TO Casar-t means some
thing TO say he UP In dancing And he Is the devil
Sawcser he Is not above Old Zen or two or thrsc oS h
comparisons Let IL not 10 inferred that these coored
spend al their hours in frivolous dancing and sing
ing. Indeed, | have seen them listen with attention
while OF their number expoanded complicated
question and have heard them, In general debate with
interest and instruction They often remind me of the
committee of Of your assemblies of lawgivers
There this be said in their favor that they fling
ioul epithes throw bottles, or enter upon questions Of
mere personality
These coored becoming anxious for the future
and they seem 10 see the dgcult Of their eituaton
think that should the war cad with an order directing
their return TO thelt owners large per centage Of them
will commit Suicide. have heard them, when srccuat
ing their cabins this point, declare that they would
never, never, return to Roanoke and slavery.
But of these men enough. They have interested mo
from abolition standpoint-end shall be salts
fed If DO successful TO equal degree with the
readers OF the HERALD If can but excite emotion In
behalf of the 1ets, Of Roanoke in the minds Of those
phanthropsts Of the North who have seemed TO need
only an open neld 10 sucn let me announce tnat HAT
Inlet wide opcn and that these negroes ready
TO be shipped any cmc ignorant Of the slave code
any planet which free air 10 man.
January 3.The negroes have heard OF the surrender
OF sdcl, Mason, Euss and Macfarland, and they see
the point and troubled. mention this iusra
tion OF hc superior intelligence Of these coored and
women and for the purcsc Of enabling their friends to
see how negroes
January To-day fivo moro conrabands arrived from
Plymouth, ". {. They have been turned oyer to the
Of the Ninth regiment Of New York Voun
teers by tho Provost Marshall and IL quite likely thoy
will be the adult school, which Is about 10 he
tablished by a soldier named Patrick Kelley, OF the
United States artillery.
GENERAL BANKS DIVISION.
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