Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-16
FRIDAY. xOVEsRER Io, Iso6.
African SuperstitiOns in
America.
The Negro Marching Back.
Some singular Develop menss.

Some singular Develop mems.
Some two months or more ago We copied,
from the Georgia and Mississippi papers,
statements showing that many of the negroes
in certain localities in those States were af
aicted with the most gro,esque and absurd
religious superstitions. The Rev. c. X.
MARSHALL, Of the latter State, also made
statement Of well authenticated facts, indi-
eating that those crude superstitions were
much more general among the negro popu-
lation Of the South, than was generally
known. One Of the forms Of this heathen-
ism is denominated Voodoo, by the negroes,
and was exemplifed practically in Memphis
on Sunday last, in the manner stated by the
Appeal, as follows:
"VooDOoIsM.-We believe this barbaric
religion Of worship is beginning to take
hold among the negroes. Free from the
check which was once held over them, they
have unlimited control over their baser pas
siOns, and now and then it bursts out, and
proves that the worship Of their barbaric
fathers still runs in the blood Of the Ameri-
canized negro. II was but last Sunday night
that party Of five negroes, dressed in the
garb which father ADAM is supposed TO have
worn, dashed down across South street into
an open feld, yelping and shouting like
madmen, 10 the terror Of the women and
amusement and surprise Of the men, who
did not know what TO make of them. Talk
ing with some negroes yesterday about this
incident, we asked them what it all meant,
several shrugged their shoulders innocendy,
but one more ignorant than the resi-, in
formed us 'dey are trying to voodoo de
niggars.' VoodooisTn, from what we can
learn, is a superstition little else than the
idolatrous religion Of Africa. 1t prevails
more extensively in New Orleans than
elsewhere and its rites and ceremonies |
are most disgusting. They believe in in |
carnations and charms, bewitch their enc |
mics by pieces Of hair, feathers and |
similar articles which are charmed. !
They have been suspected of human sac |
rilices, and are known to rob graves that |
they may procure materials for their charms, |
which are as varied and disgusting as those |
used by the witches in MACBETH. Strange |
10 say, they have made white converts, and |
in one or two cases, of sensible people. The
initiatory rites, as described by the New
Orleans police, who have several times
broken in upon them, consists of naked
dances around a leaking cauldron of charm
ed snakes, toads, human remains and similar
articles. They have woman to whom
they are subject. This woman, who resides
in New Orleans, is known to the police as
being beautiful octoroon. The subject is
one of interest, and the only works we know
of on it are very unsatisfactory. The negro
DIR. RANDOLPH, lately travelling with the
southern loyalists, delivered some lectures
on the subject at New Orleans, claiming
that he 3iad learned its mysteries in Africa,
bat he evidently knew very little on the
subject. 1t is known to be practiced on
most Of the Louisiana plantations. GII.-
MORE SAIMs has written a story called the
Enchanted Crow" which is evidently
based on this heathenism and superstitious
religion. 1t is TO be hoped that some COM
petent person will study It, for it is the re-
ligion Of Africa brought to our DOORS
The Galveston, Texas, BUUetin a few
weeks ago, stated a case occurring in the
county Jail, as follows:
"Thcre is at the county Jail n darkey
supposed to be voodooed SAMBo has been
there more than a month He has never
spoken except when hungry and forced to
say bread, and on one other occasion when
he was heard to say, nice morning Yet
the rascal can evidently talk and understand |
what is said to him. He viii stand by the
hour straight in the position Of a soldier
staring at the blank wall At other times
he will sing 'Bobbing Around for half the
night when he will curl himself on the
ground, put his head on his tin plate, and
sleep like pig. The other negroes say he
= oil, fp |
somebody"
Within the last ten days case has
transpired in thiscity with similar character
istics. A negress, Of the halfblood who
was for many years slave in the family of
the writer of this, and who has borne and
reared family Of several children, was
taken sick some six weeks or two months
ago, with some scrofulous form Of disease.
Failing to get relief, she called in negro
medicine man." who at once pronounced
her bewitched, or voodooed. He told her
that the bed on which she lay contained GER
tain feathers, bones and hair, which had pro-
duced all her suffering, and whereby she
had been voodooed. To prove il he pro-
posed to rip open and examine the bed.
Upon doing so be found certain minute
chicken bones, few chicken feathers, and
perhaps some hair. This demonstrated the
truth Of the physicians diagnosis, and he
began his curative process by dispelling the
sorcery, by incantations, sounds, gestures,
etc. the evil spirit Of the Noodoo. This so
shocked and disgusted the husband Of the
patient and the other members Of the family,
that the medicine man" was peremptorily
discharged, with warning not to return.
Another form Of the superstitions Of this
race was disclosed at the session Of the
Methodist Conference which assembled at
Galveston on the oath ult. The following is
an extract from the proceedings: !
EMANUEL HAMMITT, a negro preacher
from Millican, was elected to Deacon's or
ders. Ii was stated that he could read the
Bible we'll was good preacher, and "South-
,rn" in his feelings. The Bishop wished TO
know il he held any Of the Superstitions
common among the blacks, and was informed
that he did not The Bishop then stated {
that in travelling lately through Harrison !
county, on Red river, he had foand a re-
ligious organization Of the negroes, calling
themselves The Angel Band They were !
under the direction of an old negro woman J
whom thev called the God Mother and S
who. they believed, knew all their thoughts
and actions, whether they were present or l
absent. She prescribed punishment at plea
sure which was received without opposition
by the criminal
ct was expected that each person should
receive a revelation from Heaven and relate 4
il 10 the society One boy, about fourteen c
wears Of ago. received no divine light and J
was ordered 10 be aogged ill the vision {
came This was done, and a wonderful story {
was related. The Bishop asked the boy how c
IL was that the whipping gave him such {
revelation. and received the answer, Sir, IL s
YOU had been whipped as / was you would e
have had a revelation !
CoTroN CRoP IN SourIwIssrEsS tiEoR- {
GIA.-The Albany Ratrioi Of the Sd inst,
says 'fhe planters are nov beginning to d