The Portland daily press., 1863-01-24
MISCELLANY.
BY c. C. COFFIN.

BY c. C. COFFIN.
1t is cold, raw, showery day. am here,
as an observer of events In the grand army of
the Potomac. IL has gone on before and | am
tarrying an hour by the way, while my travel
ing companion has his horse provided with
shoes. am in log blacksmith shop, sitting
on a box on the forge, toasting my toes over
the charcoal flame, and making notes of
what see and hear. The wind is high, and
sweeps through the forest trees with a wild,
surging roar, through the cracks, crevices and
cranDies of the shop, drowning the roar of the
blacksmiths bellows. The snow-flakes sift
through the crazy, gathering roof, which has
lost nearly half its timeworn shingles, leaving
the rafters and ridge-pole bare.
The smith Is fifty years old. / am reminded
of the village blacksmith described by Long
fellow, whose shop is beneath the spreading
chestnut tree:
"His hair is crisp and black and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat.
He earns whate'er he can,
Api looks the whole world in the face,
For be owes not any man."
Wniie nlling Lie shoes, he gives me little
his experience ia life. He has been black
snith thirty-iiye years. Last year, unassisted
by any one in this dingy little shop, he earned
about eleven hundred dollars; this year he
thinks it will be about thirteen hundred The
farmers hereabout like his work. When we
rode up he was fitting the axles of two horse
wagon. He is favorite horse-shoer, can do
all sorts of handy things. His business with
the farmers is credit business, but he has
many cash customers. His wife and young
children live at Salem, four miles distant. He
lives an isolated life. He takes his meals at
little log hut near by, where free negro
keeps soul and body together, but sleeps in
ths shop. Summer and winter he sleeps here.
lying on the bare ground in summer. and curl
ing upon the warm cinders of the forge in
winter. There is his bed, and an old blanket.
Tonight, when his days work is DONE he will
wrap himself in 1t, and lie down to Sleep Sat-
urday night he goes home to Salem to see his
vile, and returns at daylight on Monday. So
he has lived for fourteen years. A singular
life, but not voluntary one. No. He is
slave. His owner lives down there, in that
large white farmhouse, with numerous out
buildings. Looking through the logs of the
shop, can see the proprietor of this blood,
bones and brains-an old man, white-haired
walking with a cane, about his stables, look
ing out for the comfort of his fourlegged cat
tie on stormy day. For thirty years has this
man before me welded the hammer, made the
anvil ring with heavy strokes for his MASTER
Thousand dollars year has been the aggre-
gate. Thirty thousand dollars earned! of
Isl.
siness done by one man-who has received
nothing in return Thirty thousand dollars
worth of unrequited labor. His wife is slave,
his children are slaves, sold South some of
them. He will behold them no more. One
---.A--. hs-----'s s+--.s- ;-@- f-.>l~-s, auc
one daughter Is singing OF freedom in the pre-
ssnce of God himself
Here is a little Of the conversation, rerbufin
et aierd.a@, winch have been having with
this blacksmith:
low much business do you do year, un-
Gle!
Last year earned between ten and eleven
hundred doiiafs, out THIS year 1t VIII be about
thir.eeh huhdred.
course your MASTER gives you liberal
share OF what you earn?"
NOT cent SIR. get nothing only what
.ne genueheh gives me. ! nave worked hard
al, anu master says u take good care OF the
toois ana snop he wili give EN- to me when he
oaes so lakes good care OF thein."
now oid v your masterr"
ne Is seventy years DID,
u should think, when so many negroes are
running away, you would want to get your
freedom, for fear they would sell YOU down
oonth.
4 told my master would always stay with
nim ana SO ne has promised TO give me the
too,s.
shoniu think you would Ike to be where
you couia hve with VIE.
ies, would, SIR, but they don't think OF
mans feelings here. We amt no more than
their STOCK, sir: Ihey abuses us, cause they's
got Ihe power.
lou nave money, havnt you uncle?"
les, ise got ABOUT three hundred dollars.
ABOUT MY dollars Is Southern confederate
Iiohey. lse mighty Uneasy about that, traid
snaii lose IT. Inc rest Is IN virginia bank
n".es. sc oeen saving IL TINS long while"
.tS. you hliu ratner marc tlnesT
Mighty nara, sir. haint mad no sugar
u n Gomez TINS long WINE. One Oh our sol
gefs gave me spoonful OF sugar yesterday.
Iou sc 20. nighiy me army, SIR. There's
ui'e sooa eiolnes IN one regiment that went
Ny Jsseerday, imam III the entire Southern ar
my
Then you have seen the Southern army?''
~oh yes. Gen. Walkers division went
Gown week ago to-day, and Longstreet went
down week agoto-day afore yesterday"
ms was important information; all of nv
previous Inquiries Of white residents upon the
matter had brought only unsatisfactory re-
plies.
Waiker's army, you say, wasn't very well
cio.nea
NO, SIR, they were mserably clothed. Lots
OF en- was barefoot. One on em offered me
SIX dollars for these ere shoes Use got on, and
I pitied him SO was good mind TO let him
nave EN-; then thought maybe | couldn't get
another pair. was afraid he would suffer-"
u should think. uncle, you would be lone
some here nights"