Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-06
d -. hAAAONO,
Chaplain 5th Wis. Vols.

| ing, of which more anon.
Yours rejoieingly;
Chaplain 5th Wis. Vols.
The Fall o. Ptersb9rg- Condition Of TIE City
JIM of the BlacES-Zhe Pursuit Of Lee
Hard Marching and lSersre Etgtting-2he
FIFTH OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Instances Of
Taior.
CORRESPONDENCE Of the state Journal.
CAMP OF 5TH Wis. VoIuSTRERsl
NEAR BuRKvnLE IrNcTIoN, Va,
April Is, 1856.
In my last gave you very meagre ac-
count of our part as a regiment in the fight
of the I'd below Petersburg. Though neces-
sarily at a late date, it may not be wholly de-
void of interest to our friends to briefly de-
tail our part in the subsequent movement,
Just resulting in the annihilation of Lees
/ army.
Early on Monday morning the news came
that the rebels had evacuated Petersburg,
near which our regiment had been lying dur
ing the night, behind rifle-pits which they
had hastily constructed. A portion of it,
however, had been thrown out as skirmish-
ers. under command of Lieut.. Col. Bull, who
were among the first Union soldiers to press
their way into the city. At about o'clock,
there came note from the Mayor, surren-
dering the city, which was received by Gen.
Wright, of our Corps; so that our Corps may
rightly claim the honor of having the city
surrender to US, though we were denied the
privilege of using the same, save few OIL
GERS who rode into 1t, leaving their regi-
ments.
The city bore but very little evidence of
the presence, for months, of desolating
great scarcity of food. For this cause, chief
Iy, presume, we may trace the enthusiasm
and Union feeling manifested on our entrance.
In riding through its streets, the most notice
able feature was the incxpressible Joy mani
tested by the poor blacks. Said one old
woman :" God bless ye! Wese been prayin'
for We ever since dis yer war commenced.
We feel so good, we dun know hardly what
10 do" Your correspondent felt very much
like laughing and crying at the same time, TO
see the many attitudes, and hear the many
expressions of of these simple hearted people,
now crazy with joy. 1.-The good LORD bress
you! I" "Bress de Lord, yOuse all come !"
&C., &C., was heard on every sde They had
but TO catch the glance OF ones eye, when,
with barred heads, they would bow well nigh
10 the ground, with many expressions of graf
Itude and joy. The same was true of the
negroes found on our march. Many of US will
often enjoy hearty laugh, when we remem-
Der one old darkey brought up by one OF Ihc
boys and introduced TO Lieut. Jones as 'tIe
General" Nothing could equal his express
sions OF thankfulness. l wish l could give
faithful account of all he did and said. What
fuluess and meaning in the words, as he
used them: Use freeman % The following
are a few questions and answers:
sod man, when did you first find out you
were free?"
Last Monday mornin' l heerd de big guns
and den knOwed Use free massa alters said
you'd never come, but when l heerd dem,
/ knowd you-uns had come, and Dress de
Lord, 1 Sc free"
What did you do when you knew you was
free ?"
"O-h," as his body swayed to and fro,
as if in sympathy with the great thought of
being free, and striving to ind words TO ex-
press his feelings, "Oh! jes' laid down aud
rolled"
do you want to hire ont ?"
"No," he said thoughtiully, two of my
boys went with you-uns yesterday, and dey'se
willIn' to fight or do anything else ,gaast tie
o.1bs; and must stay at nome and take care
of de old woman and oder chilln, l want to
take dem up to Petersburg and get little
home and set dem all down togedder, and iUe
jus as ,oltite folks do. Oh if L could only be
back twelve years I'd fly" He meant if he
NcEG 50 AuSh was 0DOAS MY
years old.
What would you give to see Old Abe ?"
"0-h! Use gwine TO Petersburg, where
dey tell me can see him."
What would you give to see Mrs. Old
Abe ?"
:. Another Oh" and the old fellow fairly
rolled upon the ground in paroxysnI of de-
light.
The strong,- practical common sense of
these men, their almost perfect conception OF
the true nature OF this conflict, understand
il g almost perfectly as they do its bearings
upon their interests as a race, is truly re-
markable. And yet, at may be supposed,
there is ignorance of other matters connect
ed Herewith that is often truly laughable,
were it not so truly deplorable as the result
of the devilish system of slavery. It is often
said that the negro has love for religion,
kind of religious instinct or inspiration pos
sessed by no other race. have thought
with regard to. this great conflict, with kind
of intuition they drink in its spirit, by kind
of inspiration they understand its liberty
giving, fraternizing power. Thus did God
most effectually put to naught the plan of
making them rebel soldiers, and thus too, has
He prepared them speedily to accept the
privileges and perform the duties of freemen.
of course the presence of Union soldiers in
no degree detracts from this feeling. When
ever they find one more than usually obtuse,
he is promptly told he is free, and need no
longer work for his old master unless he pays
him. The result is they act like freemen,
and though they do not come to US in very
large numbers, being too near Petersburg and
Richmond, they desert their old masters and
90 to those centers and care for themselves.
But to business. On Monday morning our
corps was early in motion to intercept the
fleeing rebels. We were encnmbered with
only such trains as we're absolutely necessary
to transport ammunition and ratiOns for men
and little enough of that. For the first
two days we travelled but q short distance
owing to the state of the roads, which are
said TO have surpassed in badness much of
the way over which Burnside's army went in
his famous "mud campaign" On the second
or third morning an order was read, saying
that the greatest possible effort must be made
to overtake Lees army, ana that Cen. Short
dan thought we might be able, if he was
properly supported, to take them all prisoners,
and that with such an object before them it
was expected that the Army of the Potomac
would as cheerfully endure she privations of
the march az they had offered life for their
country. Stimulated by the splendid victory
lust gained and this greater hope, this order
was obeyed to the very letter. Every man
seemed anxions TO do the utmost to gain this
and and without a murmur did we march daY