Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-06-10
KENTUCKY NEGRO EXODUS.

Kentucky Shareholders have held on to their
chattles like ''death TO a dead nigger," but the
inexorable war of rebellion is now fast breaking
the chains of the peculiar institution" even in
Kentucky. The Louisville Democrat of Friday
reports that the greatest excitement exists in
Davies, Henderson and other counties bordering
on the lower Ohio, owing to trouble in regard
to the negroes. 1t complains that a govern
ment transport ''gobbled up some 300 slaV es
for army service opposite ShawneetOwn, Him
ois, 73 of whom belonged to the Hon. Archy
Dixon, and that some six hundred slaves had
collected at Owensboro', a portion of whom
had enlisted in the Federal Army. GOnsidera-
BILE excitement existed, and fears were entertain
ed of negro insurrectiOn. At OwensbOro'
the stores were closed, and business had been
suspended for several days
This is the portion of Kentucky where For
rest and his raiders were recently entertained
and furnished with supplies by rebel sympa-
thisers, and committed all sorts of cOnscription
and outrage on Union men and their families.
The present sufferers in the negro line have lit
| tie or no claim ON loyal sympathy.
Washington dispatch to the Tribune says:
"Adiutant General Thomas will be in Ken
| tuckY next week and two silver eagles will take
high flight and then the slaves of Kentucky
| will be gathered by this great recruiter with a
rake that will not leave a county unvisited.-
The epoch of prO-slavery bluster, BOrder-State
sneaking and military slave-driving Is atan end.
| The negroes of Kentucky have got to fight foI
the Union. Gen. Thomas goes down with plen-
ary powers, and carries in his pocket, to start
with. the organization of three regiments, the
names of qualified officers who have passed
Casey's Board Sixteen regiments of Kentucky
blacks will swell the army ranks in a few weeks.
The Cincinnati Commercial of the 4th has
the following gratifying article on the Ken.
lucky exodus:
s.Within few days the negroes of Kentucky
have become impressed with the idea that the
road to freedom lies through military service
and there has been a stampede from the farm.
to the recruiting offices. The bodied blacks
are turning out almost unanimously, and the
women and children are disposed to go with the
crowd. The consequence is, the railroads o.
the State have not the capacity to transport the
negroes who are finding their way to the United
States camps The white people of Kentucky
are taking this extraordinary cOmmOtiOn among
the negroes very cody, looking upon it as OHt
of the phenomena of the times, and acquiescine
in it as part of the drift of destiny. Slave
property has been recognized in Kentucky a,
verY precariOus in its nature, ever since the
Southern fanatics insisted that sectional diff
culties should culminate in war. The negroes
have not been in good working condition fo
some time, and their rush for the army is no
as serious a matter for the agricultural interest,"
of the State as might be expected. Then they
are relieving the State of the draft, suddenly
and forever, for enough of them are swarmin!
to meet all probable calls in the future. If tn
Government chooses TO accept black men fo
soldiers, and the blacks want to go, and tn
whites don't, it is absurd for the whites to com
plain of the policy that practically exempt
them and receives am inferior article in full con
sideration of all demands. The uprising ifw
may so call it, of the negroes of Kentucky nov
in progress, is one Of the most remarkable an,
sinifcant events of the war"