Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-02-12

whar some boys was goin' with crossed Ma
| haran River, but | would cross no bridge, for
den dey'd track me, SO turned up de river.
Next mornin' half an hour by sun, heard de
dogs comm on my track. When dey come
close SO heard um plain, went in de river,
and swum across, den KEEP up t'other side till
de dogs found me out agin, den cross back
same way. In dat way fooled de dogs aud
| crossed de river seven times, but dey stuck to
me till Wednesday ,evenin' two hours by sun,
before dey lef' me quit In de night I some
times went into folks lots where dere was hogs
and sheep, and would go close by their door
SO to bother de dogs IL
But after | got clear o. de dogs dere was
nineteen fellows O. my marster's neighbors fol.
Tered me three days My marster offsr'd sew
en- hundred dollars for me, dead or live, aud
desc fellows tho't 'twould pay right smart to
git me. | was in sight ov um a good many
times, but | could keep away from dem better
dan de dogs, for den | had to round on my
same track and back and forth, every way, for
dere was thirtytwo Of um, and dey was mighty
keen. | KEEP on night aud day, but de men
rode on fast by day, den watch at some forks
Of de road all night, thinkn' dey was ahead O.
me- Dey see my track SO many times, dey
tell it quick, SO took de woods, den de feP,
and SO on. sG
| got to de Blackwater at Wyanoak Ferry
Friday mornin', and de hunters didn't git dere
till Saturday mornin', for when dey stopped
Thursday night, | passed by um and went all
night. s3
| never made no stop har'ly, but got three
poles and fasten'd um togedder wild some grape
wines and crossed right over Blackwater, den
didn't fear um in de least, for de Union CAL
vary was round dere, and reckon seven han.
dred dollars wouldn't be worth much to um
over here"
Such Mr.. Editor, is the experience Of thou.
sands of those called " contrahands," who are
willing to risk everything for liberty, and pass
through, as it were, FIRE and water, running
the guantlet With bloodhounds, and bIoodthirs.
ty men on horseback, spurred on by every
stlmulant that money and negro hate could
produce.
| have conversed with many contrabands,
who all express warm desire to be enlisted
as soldiers, and help fight their and our enc.
mics
They have the will, they have the power Of
endurance, far beyond our white men, and
their wonderful capacity for imitation would
make them very efficient in drill in short
time. Why carnot the bill just reported by
Lane, (Rep., Kan " receive immediate at.
tention for the raising of two hundred reg-
ments oi men of African descent ?n
would like to command company of stout
negroes-(and they are all stout)-they would
outscout, outmarch, and Outright the best of
our Northern soldiers 10 this climate.
But perhaps the Administration will con.
tinue to be blind to the interests of the coun.
try. +. ....... T..
IF the Cabinet lad me7ted and new one
built upon the proper basis, change might
have been expected.
Every one here is indignant that Banks was
sent skylarking down to the Gulf, instead of
operating against Richmond-the all azeportaat
point. We expected to form junction with
him and march against Petersburgh, and we
had right to expect it, for such move wonld
distract the enemy end make division of
their forces in front of Burnside necessary
but no, the forces at Suffolk must lie idle
Banks is sent TO Mobile, while all are left to
wonder-but not that Burnside was repulsed,
for such strategy would defeat the Almighty.
We expect to march to North Carolina to.
morrow, 10 help Gen. Foster; SO be tit
will do you more good to hear from us-in
lie field.
II. S. PARkHURST,
Co. G, seth Illinois.