The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-05-20
From the Cambridge Democrat.
tDisgracefhl Proceedings"


"One of the most .disgraceful scenes
was enacted in our county on Friday last
that has ever fallen to our lot to record,
and which should make the authors of it
blush to their dying day. The Govern
ment steamer Balloon, with squad of ne
gro soldiers, III der the command of two
white officers, left Cambridge on Thurs
day morning for Taylors Island, in the
lower part of this county. Upon arriving
there, the officers and soldiers proceeded
to search almost every farm and all the
male negroes they found were compelled
to go along with them. They were taken
against their will, and were made to stop
their work in the field and follow these
men. They marched from Taylor's Isl
and to Cambridge, and all along the route,
whenever they came across negro, they
made him follow them upon the penalty of
instant death. We refer our readers to
the extracts which we give below from a
letter received from Taylor's Island which
gives some interesting particulars
"1nnocent aud unoHending negroes
dragged from their peaceful and happy
homes, without an opportunity of seeing
their families, and without sufficient cloth.
ing, as a majority of them were marched
7 through town in their shirt sleeves
Wishing to obtain truthful statement of
the affair, we visited the steamer after
they were put aboard, and the poor fell
lows told MS, in pitiful tones, of the man
per in which they had been abducted from
their homes--that the soldiers threatened
to shoot them unless they went with them,
etc."
The following letter gives some details
of these proceedings: .glf
"The steamer Balloon came in our river
yesterday and landed about 30 negro SOL
diers, under the command of Captaia But
Ter and Lieutenant Foster. This steamer
was from Cambridge, | suppose, as the
Provost Marshal was on board. On land
ing they ransacked every farm, even go.
ing into gentlemen's dwellings, searching
and taking every negro man, free and
slave, they could find, telling the poor ig.
noramuses that they had been "drafted"
and were compelled to 60. OF course,
these poor creatures knew no better. But
if, they had have known better, it would
have made no difference, for they Butler
and FOSTER had the strong arm of militia
ry with which to enforce their illegal de-
signs. They succeeded in capturing about
20 negroes, and would have gotten many
more had it not been that the negroes
suspected them and fed, as from the jaws
of death, into the woods and forests.
"Oue slave whilst at work in the field,
refused to go, and threw himself on the
ground, when his hands were bound and
he forced to join them. Another free aud
highly respectable negro, quite indepen-
dent and working his own farm, was taken
in his shirt sleeves, whilst at work in his
own field, and forced to join, leaving his
horses and cattle and work, and not even
permitted to go to bis cottage for change
or addition of clothing.
CAT about 6 o'clock, P. NJ, yesterday,
tho aforesaid prizes of some thirty free
men and slaves were paraded through the
town, Zen route for the steamer Balloon,
lying at the wharf,) guarded by the squad
Of negro soldiers formed in hollow square
around them, and it was narrowing sight
to witness the aforesaid rebellious slave
who had thrown himself on the ground,
still bound among them, aud the mother
Of the aforesaid free negro, in much dis
tress, at the wharf. Upon elnbarking the
negroes, the steamboat left"