The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-05-24

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The following spirited sketch, which
appears in the Nashville Times, shows
how one of our, Michigan Colonels,
who has long held out against the libe-
raj tendencies of his surroundings and
maintained the old Democratic faith as
not given to the saints, was converted,
and new and tenderh heart put into him.
The narrative is affecting, and bears in
ternal evidence of truthfulness. The
Col. l. named, is doubtless Col. Innes,
of the Mich. Mechanics and Engineers.
But TO the narrative: 'if
1t would require column of adiec-
tives to faithfully describe the true sit
uation of what may be Justly termed
the plantation slave. just imagine an
old negro, advancing hard on ninety,
not only isolated from the world and
all that contributes to its existence
who does not know how to spell his
own name even, which is but mono
syllable-who has no knowledge of the
Creator or His Holy Book, and who
never saw his father or mother. Such
a creature existed upon the plantation
owned by lady named B., widow
Of deceased brother of the late Post
master General of that name, and sit
uated near Elk River, in the southern
part of Tennessee. Through the kind
ness of the charming Mrs. B, we
and the gallant Colonel of the First M.
M. and T., accepted of her hospitali.
ties for the night. The next morning
we strolled through the plantation, and,
when about mile from the house, met
an old negro engaged in instructieg a
little colored girl (aged about ten, prob
ably how to hold plough and drive
the horse at the same time. When the
old man perceived us. he doffed his hat,
and bowing very. low, said:
How do, gemblem -
Col l. was the first to reply, and
asked him what he was about. He an
swered, "Ise jis learning the chile how
to plough de cotton"
Very abruptly the Colonel asked:
"Sam, how old are you?"
else almost hundred years old; my
young mars tole me yesterday dat rs
pntty near de good old age. But de
old mans putty lively jis now. Use
near gone las winter, wild de rumitis,
and for tree weeks, by golly, de legs
of de old man putty near glib up de
gose."
swell, you're all right now, old man;
amt your" we asked.
"Well, Pse all right, except de one
II
dat We bofe jis know wot de old man
means"
"What is it-what is it?" we said !;
''out with it, what do you want?"
"My young massars, if dis old nigga
had his freedom he'd be de craziest
chile under de hebens."
"Freedom!" calculated the Colonel !;
:'for Gods sake, what do you know
about freedom?"
"Hole on! hole on! Mars mustn't
git angry wild de ole man. You's de
friend of us alive dooe prayed for
dis to come heap o'times."
"Why, look a-here," said Col l.,
"I'll bet you was never away from
home in your life"
"Done; so neber was" replied the
negro. "rse born on de plantation
.jinin,' and been fast on de one, and
den no bofe all my life."
"Can you read?' he asked.
"'Fore God, mars, your foolish
Nigga read! / golly, dere's no niggas
round here reads; dats de ebils OBJ our
not having our freedom"
swell, you've got so much to say
about freedom, tell us all about it,"
said the Colonel with smile. "Tell us
all you know; tell us everything am
swell, my kline mars, it won't take
dis chile long to tell all he knows. /
knows how to plow and hoe de cotton
and de corn; knows how-how-how
to take care de white folks, an 1 knows
how TOTO kill de hogs and de chick
ems and de oxen, and ] knows how to-
"Here, here,n said /, 81 know all
about that; tell me what you know
about your freedom-that's what /
want to get at" r-i '07 a
"My good mars, you'd be 'stonished
to know all dat presses me troo dis ole
head. / know all bout de whole ting
Il knew twas coming long fore it
did, and know de whole ting dat we
come for, all bout it, an no one done
tole me OBJ it one world knew it all
de time misself" B.
"Knew what---knew what?" we ca
gerly asked. tr
"Knew that yes come to free de
poor ole man."
"Well, what'll you do when you get
your freedom?' asked the Colonel;
"you're to old now; you've got good
home h here; you'd starve to death if
"By golly mars, de ole man iis lief
die as not, if he only gifts his freedom"
We were both struck with the SEN
tence; and as we walked away, leaving
the black veteran with his weary toll,
Col, /. remarked, "I--, that's the
most unscrutahle exhibition I've wit
messed in the Southern Confederacy.--
That's not human-no sir. j tell you
what it is, this rebellion is going to
wash the id curse of slavery clean
ont of the land, and I thank God I've
got a hand in it''
The gallant Colonel l., up TO this
time, had been pro.slavery man. Now
he is one of the most thorough Admin
istration men in the army, and has
about thousand negroes under him,