The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-12-22


''niggers being of no account But tina
was the remark which cost her the hal
ticket, much to my edifcation.
There were two gambling parties OF
the train who played steadily all day ant
night. They used the back of car seat 70
tables. A boy stood by to hold the whis
key bottle and to light their pipes
About dozen men were ''broke' at tin
two tables during the time, having spen
AL of their own money and all they coul(
borrow. a crowd OF interested specta
tors surrounded the tables, betting on til,
best players, and the stream of foul anC
prOfane talk was as incessant as the flow
of whiskey. Two women (which were
Sinners" were Of this party, and one maj
becoming jealous of the attentions of an.
other to his favorite, went up to her ano
commenced kicking her tearfully. She
cried at first, and then grew mad and
pitched in, and things were very lively tol
some minutes. During the day negro
was knocked off the platform of the cal
when it was in rapid motion. The train
did not stop for him, and how much he
was injured we could not tell At the
stopping places, the passengers would rush
out to the little stands laden with hpecake
and ''fry Chickens" kept by the negroes.
and frequently ''clean them out" without
a penny Of compensation.
At the mouth of Tensas river. where
we took the boat for Mobile, As stood on
deck 10y the colored pilot, l saw a man
knock down three negroes with stick oi
wood because they did not lift lumber
wagon from the cars to the boat as soon
as he desired The pilot said it was an
every day occurrence. The day before, Il
hundred colored men were pressed and
taken up into the cypress swamps to get
out lumber, and he testified that he found
three dead bodies lying in the woods that
morning. They had been shot, probably
Tor refusing to work without pay. An
other negro told me that five dollars had
been taken from him by two whitcsa few
hours before. and that it was of no Use 10
earn any thing. BY that time, quite ::
circle of blacks had gathered around me,
telling their grievances, and the burden OF
their song Was, O Lord, how long
We reached Mobile at the early dawn.
my mind filled with the things | had wit
messed, and my heart burdenel. The
truth is, these black men are being SHOT,
and starved, and knocked about at fear
iul rate. 1t is said by the best men in the
south, that 100000 will perish the com
ing winter. The planters conspire against
them in many cases, refusing to give them
work They will have white men in
stead. The common expression is, The
id Yankees freed them, now let them
take care of them" 1t Wilson's Sta,
ton, n c.. stone was thrown through
our car window. and all declared ut one,
it was a negro, and that they would xii
him like dog, if they could catch him
1t came out in the conversations that fol-
lowed. that two had been shot that morn
ING, one for impudence and one for relus-
ing to work.
A soldier stationed at Eufaula. G;l.
told me that he had been hunting for 3
week in the swamps with a squad Of men
for planter who had compelled a ncgr,
to Ic his own grave and then to lie dow
in ii and be shot. The soldier vouchcC
+, for the truth of this, and others confirmed
, it, but declared that the whites would fee,
and secrete the murderer in the swamp:
, so that he could never be found | made
:. particular inquiry of our troops at the sta
tons. and of the Frecdmen's Bureau il
, the cities, and there was but one answer
Shooting the blacks, and pressing them in
to service without pay, and taking from
them what they have earned, is of every
, day occurrence. Some of the planters
especially humane, employ whiskey as ;
= motive to make the negroes work. 9th
ers dress up an overseer in federal uni
form, the negroes being ready to 10 any
a thing for soldier and northern man
f Others still hire our officers to whip then
: and press them into service, which, wit
e shame be it said, too many OF them az
* ready to do. And instances have com
= TO me in which our soldiers have taken til
). negroes hard-earned pittance by violence
e Ii is surprising how soon in this pollute
d atmosphere, northern troops learn to ours
!, and kick the colored man. Poor despise
If race! what will the end be Leadin
o men here estimate that not less than Oh
Il million out Of the four, have already pei