The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-18
JEFF. Thompson has a Family Talk
@ with his Men.

When the rebel jeff. Thompson's men |
had assembled at Jacksonport, Ala, to |
be paroled, few weeks since, the re-
doubtable hero of the white plume
mounted barrel and spoke to them
after this wise:
Gentlemen, have come here to have
little talk with you, as this will be the
last time l may ever meet you together.
I have come here to tell you the news.
Many of you don't know yet that Vicks-
burg has fallen, and many of you don't
know that Lee or Johnson have surren-
dered, but tell you it is all true. Many
of the 5000 men l now see around me,
very many of you, have been skulking
for the last three years in the swamps,
within few miles of your homes,
skulking duty, and during that time
have not seen your children. l see
many faces about me, that have not
been seen by mortal man for the last
three years, and what have you been
doing all that time? Why, you have
been lying in the swamps until the
moss has grown six inches long
on your backs, and such men call
themselves "chivalrous soldiers" A
few days ago General Reynolds sent a
flag of truce to my headquarters, and
sent out to gather up a respectable force
to meet those officers, and notion of you
responded; few days later when Col.
Davis and Capt. Bennett of Gen. Dodge's
staff, bore dispatches to me from that
General, 1 again attempted to call about
me enough to make respectable show,
and how many. of these brave 5000 men
reported at the call ? One sOTe-eyed
man with green goggles. But you rally
like brave and gallant men around I'm
Gle Sans Commissary Stores, and now
come to surrender you, and hope yon
will make better citizens than you have
soldiers. Voice from the crowd, Gen
eral talk to us like gentlemen.'D Now
dry up until getthrough, and then you
can get on this barrel and talk. Iknow
there are some gentlemen here and l
know there more sneeking, cowardly
dogs who "have done nothing ON nary
side,u and l am going to talk to you all.
In the first place l want to tell you |:
The Federal officers who have come
here to parole you and feed you, have
acted as gentlemen, in good faith. They
have not gone about peeping under your
coats to see if you have got pistols; they
have not spied about your camps to see
if you were secreting your arms, but
they have treated you as gentlemen; but
| tell you that yOu have not acted in
good faith. Those of you who had arms,
with very few exceptions, have left
them at home, and those who had gov
eminent horses failed to report them
here. Now let ME say to you, one and
all, those of you who have retained your
arms, as soonas you get home, take them
to the nearest military post and deliver
them up, or burn them, or get rid OF
them in some manner: for as sure as
there is God in heaven, if they are
found in your houses, just SO sure WIZ
your houses be burned to the gfound,
and hope to God every one of you VINO
keep good arms or property OF any KIM
in your houses will be hung; and you
will be too.
hard and take care of your families, |
work early and late, and get up at night
and see if your crops are growing. Above
all things avoid political discussions. If
anv man says niger to you, swear that
Won never knew or saw one in your life.
I'VE have talked about niggers for forty
wears and have been out-talked; we have
fought four years for the niggers and
have been badly whipped, and now it is
not syour putt" the Yankees have won
the niger, and will do what they please
with him and you have no say in the
matter if they want him they will take
him, and ifthey say You must keep him
you must do it and no mistake. I tell
you that you have no say in the matter,
and you oughtn't to have any. Go home
and stay there; don't go anywhere but
to mill ; be good citizens, and those of
you who have been good, honest and
brave soldiers have nothing to fear, but
I warn those of you who have been
nothing but sneaking, cowardly jay
hawkers, cutthroats and thieves, that a
just retribution awaits you, and hope
to God that the Federal authorities will
hang you whenever and wherever they
find you, and they will do it sure.