The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-08-11
CAMP DODGE, NEAR CoRINTH, Mss. !
July 26th, 1863.
c.. H. L..

uuly ~oIu, iCoo.
FRIEND R:cH 1T takes boiling sun
to make ice creams desirable and fair
daughter of Eve to make them delicious.
Take then seats for two in fashionable
saloon, seat No. occupied by one Of the
aforesaid beings, whose rosy cheeks are
eloquent of health, purity and fun, whose
sparkling eyes would shame the bright
est jewel, and whose cherry lips would
tempt an angel from the banks of para
disc. Seat No. 2 occupied by your
humble SELF single dish of ice cream
between you and single spoon to eat it,
and who would not wish the summer
would last all the year round ? But
here where ice creams come only in
dreams Of the past, where the cool saloon
is canvass tent which seems made to
keep out all the air and coax in all the
heat, where fairy dam3els have given
place to substantial, sable fair ones, whose
rosy cheeks remind you Of side of ba-
con, and whose dainty slippers are No.
twelyes, there is nothing very poetical
in thermometer at 90 in the shade,
such at least is my private opinion. But
enough Of this.
The more | see Of the workings of this
new plan of our government, EARNING
the colored man. the more am | con
WINGED that he is to be power which shall
be felt in the crushing out of this REBEL
ion. People may call me negro wor-
shipper il they please. Ibelieve love my
country, and desire yet TO sec the Old
Flag wave over it all, and that too with
as little additional loss of loyal white
blood as possible. The black man has
cause enough TO fight his rebel masters,
and if he is willing to step forward and
say, | will share your danger with you
in your struggle for liberty, | will labor
for you, will step into the breach, |
will bare my bosom to the bullet that is
aimed at your heart, is a man a negro
worshipper who will let them do it? II
so, just leave your home, my friend, let
wife and children go, shoulder your mus
ket, and in the Union army labor and
fight one year against these internal rob
els and hell-b born guerrillas, and you will
worship the negro too. L colored
regiment here, is still winning for itself
golden opinions for the efficiency of its
drill, the earnestness of its manners, ard
the fathfulness with which it discharges
every duty imposed upon it, and when
the battle comes | believe it will carve it.
self name which will bring a glow OF
pride to the heart of every true Ameri-
can, while know it shall be diadem OF
glory upon the brow of him who said
"you shall be free" The Cd colored
regiment fills up slowly. We have about
goo men here in camp. | have 81 men
in my company l have received the
appointment of Captain of the company
from Gen. Dodge, and j. c. Glass is my
| first Lieutenant | find him model of
ficer, always willing, always prompt, al
ways trusty and true, thoroughly in ear
nest, wish the service was filed with
men as good as he. His example in.
spires the men to earnest effort, and his
care for their welfare has won their love
and confidence There is scarcely a
day passes but my men say to me Z" Cap
tain if You will get permission from the
General for us 10 start after the black
people and give them their liberty and
such good times as we have, we will fol-
low you and Lieut.. Glass as long as a
man Of US is left" But | promised to
tell you Of Uncle Rufus, one Of our col
ored orators. He is an old man, over
sixty years of age, yet a soldier in the
ranks. He made war speech the 9th
.cr day. | always think the cream of a
negro's speech is their narrative style, and
he gets it TO perfection. He said when
be lived in middle Tennessee. (I forget
the town. their minister's name was
Jones. When, (says he) "de Yankees
come Massa Jones done run away, stay
tree, four, six months. One day l'se in
de iiel when Sam (dat's de little boy,
comes cut and says he Uncle Rufus,
Maasa Jones wants to see you at do big
house | COS up, and says | Massa
Jones, how de =? How do, Uncle Rufus
(says he) Use jus toler'ble, Massa
Joaes. how's yourself" Well. Uncle
Rufus. what do YOU link Of the times %