The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-04-28
thought have hundreds of thousands
of dollars in London and Paris

dcnt Lincoln ana HIS SUI, Auilili"i
Porter. Captain Penrose of the army,
Captain A. II. Adams of the navy,
Lieut.. w. w. Clemens of the signal
corps. Somehow the negroes on the
bank Of the river ascertained that the
tad man wearing black hat was
President Lincoln. There was a sud
den shout An officer who had just
picked up fifty negroes to do work on
the dock, found himself alone They |
left work and crowded round the
President. AS he approached | said
to colored woman
"There is the man who made you
free
"What, msssa p
"That is President Lincoln ~
DAT President Linkum p
Yes"
She gazed at him moment, clapped
her hands and jumped straight up and
down shouting "Gory, glory, glory
till her voice was lost in the universal
cheer.
There was no carriage near, so the
President, leading his son, walked
three-quarters of Il mile up to General
Weitzel's headquarters jeff Davis
mansion. What a spectacle it was
Such a hurlyburly such wild hides
crbable ecstatic JOY ! never Witnessed.
4 colored man acted as guide. Six
sailors, wearing their round blue caps
and short jackets and bagging pants,
with navy carbines, was the advance
guard. Then came the President and
Admiral Porter, fanked by the officers
accompanying him ana the correspon-
dent of the Jouraa' then six more
sailors with carbines twenty of us all
told amid surgng mass of men,
women and children, black white and
yellow, running, shouting, dancing,
swinging their caps, bonnets and
handkerchiefs The soldiers saw him
aud swelled the crowd, cheering III
wild enthusiasm All could see him
he was so tall so conspicuous.
One colored woman, standing in Il
doorway, MS the President passed
along the sidewalk said Thank you
dear Jesus, for this thank you,
Jesus Another standing by her side
was clapping her hands and shouting
Bless de Lord
A colored woman snatched her bon
net from her head. whirled it in the air
screaming with all her might, God
bless YOU massa Linkum.
A few white women looking ont from
the houses waved their handkerchiels
One lady in a large and elegant
building looked awhile and then
turned away her head rs if it was a
disgusting sight.
President Lincoln walked in silence
acknowledging the salutes Of officers
and soldiers and of the citizons, black
and white 1t was the man of the
people among the people 1t was the
great dehvcrer, meeting the delivered
Yesterday morning the majority Of the
thousands who crowded the streets
and hindcrcd our advance were slaves
Now they were free and beholding
him who had given them their liberty
Gen Shepley met tie President in ia,
street, and escorted him to Genera
Weitzel's quarters. Major Stevens
hearing that the President was on hi.
way suddenly summoned detachment
OF the Mass. 4th cavalry, and cleared
, the way
After Il tedious walk the mansion o
, JEFF Davis was reached The i'm
= mense crowd swept round the corner
5 of the street and packed the space il
front. Gen. Weitzel received Iii,
} President at the door Cheer upor
2 cheer went up from the excited mul
5 titude two-thirds Of whom were col
] ored
The President took a ride through
e the city, accompanied by Admira
a Porter, Gems Sheepley, Weitzel anC
l other officers. Such is the simpl
narrative of this momentous event, bu
no written page or illuminated can
j vass can give the reality of the event
e the enthusiastic bearing of the people
j the blacks and poor whites who hav
). suffered untold horrors during the wai
d their demonstrations of pleasure, tn
!, shouting, dancing, the Thanksgiving
to God, the mention of the name c
n Jesus as if President Lincoln wer
e next to the son of God in their afieC
5 tions the jnbilant cries, the counter
e mees beaming with unspeakable 10,
st the tossing mp Of caps, the swinging {
IS arms of a motley crowd some in rag
= some barefoot, some wearing pant
5. Of Union blue, and coats of ConfeC
!, crate gray, rag-a-muliins in dres
4, through the hardships OF war, bt
h yet OF stately bearing in hem
and soul-free men honceforth an
IS forever, their bonds cut asunder in a
e. hour men from whose limbs til
"A chains fell yesterday morning, me
e. who through many weary years hay
cs prayed for deliverance ha,
Of asked sometimes if God were dead
rs who, when their children were take
v from them and sent to the swamps
ut South Carolina and the cane brakes
ay Louisiana, cried to God for help an
ID cried IN vain, who told their sorrow
IS, to Jesus and asked for help, but wi
ID have been whipped, scourged, robbie
~ imprisoned, for no crime. All of the
k things must be kept in remembran
IS, if we wonld have the picture cor
n plete.
IN No wonder that President Linco
n who bou n eb,lI'o boor+ f,lt L., 49,