American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-08-24

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/ MADISON CouNrY, July 25th, 1867.
FRIEND Bos:
As l have a leisure hour, l thought
would drop You a line to bet you know how
thtags are in our end of the county. Tit
| crops look cutie promising, particularly thu
/ corn. ! do not4snow OF man but will mak,
: plenty to DO him 'bouutifully. Gen. Greer
has had a very strong force in all our cottor
fields, and it has been difficult to remov,
thim,.le being we'll fortified in his position
whist We wire battling in the corn fields
bat, the corn contest Setlled,we have brough,
10 bear ali our force on the grass, and by
constant hard blows, Gen. Green's force is
rapdly wiling, and will soon withdraw
completely demolished and cut up; and
don't behave he will renew the contest before
speyt springs campaign Shall open. AS yet,
it is too soon to estimate the cotton crop
the weed is looking well, and should the
Season prove favorable from this out, no tell
ing what it may yield The negroes are do
ing pretty we'll, SO far as / know. Most of
them that have heard speak of the coming
election, say they are going to vote for Lin
corn for head Governor, eterually. One
fellow says he VIII vote to Lave big dinner
every Saturday night, and % buster every
+th of July.
By some means It had gotten out that
| there was to be big to-do'in Canton to-day,
for the benefit of the tarkies so nine, or
rather, those in my employ, came to me last
evening to know If was going to let them
go to Canton, to the big dinner, horse race,
and "tunement." They said they heard
there was to be big dinner set for all
in the county, the table to be mile long,
with "tunements " at both ends all for
their benefit. saw that ! was likely TO
lose days work of my whole torcej so
endeavored to explain to them what It was
told them they had n0 part or claim in it
and there would be no dinner for them.
then explained what tournament was
what it was gotten up for, and how 1t was
conducted, | had great difficulty in making
them believe it was not for them. ! then
them that ! would have "tu-
nement' las they called ~ tbs morning
here on the place, for their benefit told them
what iLey hau TO 40 and now they must rae
lhey Ell agreed 4hehFst pr'ze' 10 the sue
cesstuL knight, to be plug OF tobacco the
second prize to be a big watermelon. Mind
you, am not running my sunement
against anyoodEs tournament, as every man
has right to DO as ne can, provided he Is
not DISTINGUISHED. So this morning, atsu
Use, July 25th, all hands made their appear
'nce in the lane to ride their mules for the
Prize From limb OF perslmmon tree,
IN old horse collar az the ring, knowing
hey had more practice IN running mules
read through it, than they did in running
tick through lap ring. Each knight was
irmed with piece ct fence rail about seven
It long he was to gaLlop his mule nnaer
he tree, STICK MS ran through Vie collar
.nI take 1t OH the IImo TO De nnoer tAe
rec with gooi "niP to whip tue mules oy
Il time the tit TO be made any timo INSIDE
v hait hour.
BILL the Twilight of Ethiopia, mounted
. his p'Ow mule. Mouse, was the hrst
night to make tilt, and here be came in
brisk trot. As soon as he arrived in reach {
# my whip ! made quick effort tt lay the
whip across houses" back, when she
9fong ob'iquely to the left, just as Bill
'"'f poke Tor the collar inns sudden
ID" movement GU the part OF Mouse
al5ed Bill to incline too much to the right,
nd the ground flew up aud gave him tre-
zendous lick in the back. he, with some
ltcuIty and a few grunts, got up, walked
r. aud took seat in the corner OF the
arce.
The next TT was made by Tony, Knight
t the Freedmans Bureau mounted on :
Brown Dick Here he came, in full sweep, ,
nd looked like the negroes did when they
ere trying to get 10 the Yankees, time of
berman's raid. As sooh as he arrived in {
rihiug distance, I raised my whip, and
Brown Dick made quick "ahout face" =
nd pitched Tony about fifteen feet before ,
e reached the ground. saw he was com 5
e down on his head and knew be was safe, ,
! never knew one to be thrown from a {
ule or fall from a tree aud light on his {
cad, that was hurt. t