The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-03-17

ed pavements and grass grown streets
silent to all sounds of business and voice
less only to the woe-begone, poverty-strick-
en-, haggard people, who wander up and
down, amid the ruins, looking to a jubi-
lent past, a disappointed present and a
hopeless future They are in rags and
their boots are out at the toes, their shoes
down at the heel. There Is no longer any
manifestation of arrogance, lordly inso.
lence and conscious superiority over the
Yankees on the part of the white
| | cannot well analyze the feelings OF
the people. They touched their hats to
me, and spoke respectfully. They Were
reticent except when questioned. Once
they asked questions of Yankees "What
is your occupation What brought you
to the South ; What are you doing here
l believe you are a - abolitionist, and
the quicker you get out of this town the
better" Such was formerly their Ian
guage. So they talked to Judge Hoar
SO they talked TO Col. Woodford in 1860,
of whom more in another letter. So they
talked to many other men.
I've are here and we have come to
stay, am a Yankee and an abolitionist, -
/ said to citizen. He made no reply
did not even look daggers. 1t is the most
completely subjugated community ever
saw. There is modification. disappoint-
ment, hopelessness in their eountenanees-
l have given utterance to my most radical
sentiments to try their temper. and have
not even succeeded in making any one
threaten me, by word, look or gesture
VIM. Lloyd Garrison or Wendell Phillips
Or Henry Ward Beecher can speak their
minds in the open air, upon the parade in
front of the citadel, without fear of moles-
tation, and with certainty of hearty
cheers from one portion of their audience,
The bayonets of thousands of colored sol
diers are flashing in the sunlight. and
there are other thousands. who have sud-
denly felt their Shaekels drop from their
limbs, who are ready to shoulder the mus
ket and fight for the Union.
There are a few Union men In the city.
mostly Germans. have seen a list of
their names Some of them have been
true and staunch friends to our officers
and soldiers who have been prisoners in
the city: but 50 terrible has been this tyr
amy. 80 sharp-eyed that these men are
shy and cautious. They talk softly and
/ look behind the doors to see if there Is moi
a listener Not So the colored people
They dance and shout and sing and bles>
the Lord in open day They are the true
Union people of Charleston
CoLoREp SOLDIERS.
! The hardest thing 10 the Charlestonians
is the presence of nero soldiers They
are tie provost guard of the city. with
their headquarters in the citadel Who
ever desires protection papers or passes
whoever has business with tie marshal ol
the general commanding the city, rich Oh
poor. high born or low born, white ol
black. man or woman, must meet color
ed sentinel face TO face and obtain from 4
eoiored sergeant permission 10 enter the
gate, They We're first in the city. and ii
is their privilege TO guard it, their duty to
maintain law and order.
Ii gave ME great satisfaction to see a
mn jor in rebel uniform marched off TO the
guard house by these colored soldiers. Ii
WAS calling TO his pride: he marched with
downcast ewes and sorry countenance, Ii
gave me pleasure also TO see the citizen.
and women of the city who came 10 Oh.
tain protection from the general, wait al
the gate. obedient to the will of the cour.
teous sergeant, who treated them fairly.
giving each their turn and showing no dis.
tinction on account of color.
Msny of the colored troops were for
merly residents of Charleston, and now
they are at home. They are the lions o.
the hour. When off duty they chat will
their old friends, 1t will be easy to raise
a colored regiment in Charleston
The 10Th Massachusetts. which is il
Gen. Potter's brigade. entered the city las
night singing the John Brown song and
making Charleston ring with cheers fol
J Abraham Lincoln and John 4. Andrew
Think of it. all this in the city of Charles
ton,
Last evening. while passing through The
city enquired my way Of a white wo
man, and improved the opportunity TO Is
certain her opinion of the Yankees
"How do the Yankees behavel"
asked.
30, they behave well enough. but tn,
, Niger troops are dreadful sassy" (Sh,
spells Niger with two gs.)
They have not insulted YOU, l hope,
20. no. they havn't me. but they hav,
other folks. They don't turn out whel
we meet them, they smoke cigars, AM
t 20 right up to a gentleman and ask hin
for light"
Dear me, that is very bad, but sup
pose We shall have 10 put up with it,
r SAID
Il suppose So" was the reply of tn
r lady. who, | think, never mlstrusted tina
she was talking with one of the terribi
2 vandal horde of Yankees
: The citadel in which Gen. Scllimelfen
5 mig has his headquarters was originally
t tobacco inspection Office. but when Sout
f Carolina began to SET up a nationality fo
e herself in 1880 she made it a citadel an
: established military school therein, whic
e has been kept up as such to the presen
: time There the proud old state fame