New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-02
FROM KENTUCKY.


system OF deliberate cruelty, WHICH, In Ierociy Vi
design and brutality Of execution. suggests painful
misgivDgs to whether We, indeed, live In an enght
ened sgo and Christian land. At this moment, over
four hundred helpless human beings-frail women and
delicate ehidren-having been driven from their homes
by United Sfatcs soldiers lying in barns and
mule sheds. wandering through woods, anguishing on
the highway and literally starving, for no other cfne
than their husbands and fathers having thrown aside
the nanaclcs Of Slavery to shoulder Union muskets
These dclucd creatures irnocenty supposed that free
dom better than bondage, and were prescriptions
enough TO believe that the pghted protection Of the
Government would be preserved inyolate. -
Since June last Camp Nelson has been recruiting
rendezvous for slaves During this period over nine
thousand coo-ed soldiers have entered the army from
this post When these left their ters they as
snmed the responsibility OF their own acts. Most Of
them loft without their masters permission, and know
ing the OF Southern chivar they had clear per
ceptons of the torture to which their families would DO
subjected at the hands Of their indignant masters In
deed. In some instances the wife and children were
turhed out Of doors when the husband enlisted Hence
the recruit was frequently with his family
and received assurance that his entering the army,
bis wife and children would he provided with shelter,
and allowed an opportunity to q livelihood by
cooking, washing &C., within the limits Of the comp.
ASSuTcu tn5t Ioinl. WIS renewed IRON Inc VEN
geance OF exasperated master and provided with a
home however humble he entered with cheerful
heart upon his new career and thus the ranks Of our
army were replenished by men whose subsequent
achievements reflected honor on their race. This al.
rangement at once Just and eIpcdient, entaied little
no expense upon The Government for these people lived
in ius built by themselves from material Cnscryiceable
for other purposes a
that KeptucxV slayp9 stOuld thus falsifV
the predictions of their former masters who delighted
20 dlate with horrifying amplitude npon tho miseries
which would inevitably overtake the families Of enlisted
slaves--,his act Of objectionable mpoliteness
in the eyes Of certain officers who commanded the
camp, and who had kindly regard for the Southern
Moocb These gentlemen, therefore put forth persist
ent efforts TO justify the prophetic wisdom Of their
slayeholding friends by driving the and children
from camp and leaving them alternative but starva
ion or letters. Through the influence Of some parties
vino lad not the fear Of the Slave Oligarchy before
their eyes, these benignant designs were frustrated for
a time But the furious wrath thus delayed acquired
new intensity, ard only awaited favorable oppor-
tunity 20 burst with increased violence upon the
beads OF the devoted victims This opportunity
was presented last Wednesday. Diabocal maig-
nifty could have desired better day which 10 per-
perae arocious cruelty The air intensely chilly;
the thermometer was below tie freezing point all day,
and strong men wrapped their oyercoats close around
them. when the provost guard turned four hundred
women aud children from their dwellings 10 face tho
winry blast With light and tattered garments. no food
ard 10 home Here indeed is picture for our Ameri-
can MacGlny INCORPORATE in his next volume Of his
History of the Rebellion" Armed soldiers attack
humble huts inhabited by poor ncgroes-helpess women
ard sick chldrenorier Tie inmates out The pain Of
IL ,ba;. cnfa
by lemoishing dilapidated dwellings The men who
did all this were United States soldiers. and not Sepoys.
az ey acted under instructions from Union General,
and not Nena Sahb.
These are stern truths amply eorroborated by aida
Wit, similar the which nave the honor TO iuclose
To-day these children of misery exposed to the
pit.less Tour already in their graves; one
was frozen to deatL. Others will undoubtedly md
speedy shelter in the tomb and God only knows what
II become Of the Slavery Is bad; but here is an
act which transceDds in deliberate depraviy and cool
uagni,y the darkest associations Of the slave mart.
pass unnotced the mental anguish the social suffer
iugs and tie domestic sOgrOws-nor will attempt to
portray IN amount of suffering which no language can
,opct but which these people row endure Their con-
dor must be seen TO be even approximately realized
No more ecacous plan could be devised for arrestng
the urocress OF negro ensments than that which visits
upon their families merciess persecution, compared
with which Slavery, or even death itself, would be o
positive blessing And il is wonder that Shareholders
in this State Loudly applaud the coarse thus adopted
and point their slaves 10 the sad spectacle as an Illus
tra,on OF what the families Of negro soldiers may
expect The heart revolts at the Thought ina! sueh
unparaeleL atrocities should be perpetrated wN any
prospect OF IMMUNITY anu my design in writing you y
10 arouse the Christian and patriotic people OF the
TO sense of the duty which they owe these innocent
sufferers Let the potent irresistible voice OF Just
md humane public demand of the authorities at Wash
gton that immediate steps Be taken to arrest these
babare' and to bring the responsible Agents 70 stern
account. ~ AASAiAn
AFFIDAVIT OF A CoLoRED SOLDIER.
CAsP NELSON KY. Nov. 81. 1904
Personally appeared before me. Edward b. W; hes.
tieau1 Captain and Assistant tluartermaser. JOSEPH
oath saws 81 was the slave Of George Miller Lineoih
County Kentucky have always resided ~ Ken,
lucky and soldier in the service OF the nited
now stationed at Camp Nelson. Ky; when came to
camp for the purpose 81 enstnS about tae aiauie oi
October i-6i ny wife and children came with me pc
cause my master said that II enlisted he would not
maintain them, and knew they would be abused Dy
him when left 1 had then four children, aged re-
spect,ey ten nine, seven and four years On ~ pro
sentng NY self recruit, was told Dy the peuten-
ant in command to take my family in,oo tent within
the limits OF the camp. Ny wife and family occupied
this tent by the express permission OF the aiorcmen-
toned officer and never received any notice 20 esvS
until Tuesday November ~ when mounted guard
gave my wife notice that she ana neI cnngren
must leave camp before early morning. I'M, Inns
yas about SIX O'clock a .e rsIh had been very
sick and was then slowly recovering. my WE naa 20
piace 70 20 and so remained until morning. About 9
o'clock Oh Wednesday %Gr nrs,e STv NV Vito anu eSI
dren out Of the camp. The morning was bitter cold
If was freezing hard was certain II would aill my
sick child 70 take him ont the cold .a s iae e, MAN mn
har told him that nv wife and children had place