Nebraska advertiser., 1869-04-22

A Freeaman's RseOlIeotton OF Him
How the Blacks assisted his MOEe-

a FreeGman's Recollection OF Him
How the Blacks assisted hts MOFe-
mcnfs.
A writer in Psan0ns's Monthly, who
was at Harper's Ferry with the ma
tional troops in 1861, gives the follow
ing report of O conversation with a
colored man named Antony, who had
come into the Union lines:
Antony, did you ever see John
Brown 2''
'iDo you mean Mr.. Brown dey
hanged at Charlston?n ?n
yes
"Know him Yes, sar"-he dropped
his brush and straightened up-"yes,
sar; I was one OBJ his loOtenants."
''His What2"
His IOOtenants."
"What doyOu mean? He had none."
s'Yes, sab; de white folks said de
cullud people didn't care for him, an
want ter help him. But de cullud
folks roun' yer was all down on his
paper; dey was rolled, an we met,
saT, in de woods, Sundays an nights,
an got ready ter fight for him when
he called us; an' was chosen loo
tenant Ob de cullud people in Shep-
herdstown.p
"But how did it happen that the
white people never knew itm
"Why, COS no cullud man would
tell, an Mr.. Brown, he and his men
wouldn't tell, an dey used de roll OBJ
names fur de wads to de guns, or
some sich things, so I've heered. Any
ways, no one eber knowed wOt be-
come OBJ it,"
If Mr.. Brown had waited another
day, do you think many negroes
would have Joined him?"
MANY Why, Lieutenant, more'n
dere is in dis army would hab been
wild him in two days, an dey'd hab
fought for him till all was killed eff
dey could hab believed in de white
men bein' true.n
"How many do you think were on
the rolls?'
Cant tell yer, sar, jes' how many,
but dreffie sight mOFe'n a thousan."
"But if that was true, why didn't
you come to the Ferry and help him ?'
"COs we was afraid. De cuIIud peo-
ple's been cheated so often by de
white folks, dat when dey struck de
blow too soon at de Ferry We was
'fraid we was gOin to be cheated
81 don't understand about striking
too soon." sr-.S
"Why, We see, sar, Mr.. Brown toIe
us dat we should get leah t. come
home Saturday fur Sunday; am a
right smart lot o. folks came home,
mOre'n ever in de summer-even
more'n Christmas fur We see de ser
wants are hired out rOun' de country.
We was all ter be dar Sunday; an
den when dey 'spected we'd be all
done gone back toOur places, Monday,
we'd wait in the mountains back OBJ
de Ferry, till Mr.. Brown gabe de word,
an den all hurry dar ter jine him.
We folks didn't know what ter do
when Monday came, 'cos we hurd de
news dat Mr.. Brown an his men had
taken de Ferry an de arsnal, an was
killin' de white an cullud folks.
Course we couldn't known the truf,
and we got skeert ter go down dar,
les it was only plan ter git US ter go
down dar, les it was only a plan ter
git us ter show ourselves in q body,
an den dar'd be q 'scuse for KILN or
sellin' us; an we'd beed cheated so
many times afore, we tort we'd better
do muffin, till we see wOt Mr.. Brown
did. When de sojers cum and took
him, we KEEP quiet"
ibid you ever see Mr.. Brown after
that?n
''No, sar; we didn't dar to say nuf-
in bout him ter de white folks. We
talked bout him ter ourselves, but
nebber let anybody know it. One
night some OBJ de Shepherdstown
boys went tween night an mOrnin'
ther de fields back OBJ Charlestown,
whaP we could see de jail whar we was,
an we sat dar t'inkin' an talkin' till
de night was done gone, an we could
hardly git back ter de plantation fore
mornin'; but 1 tell you, Lieutenant,
dar warn't many such men as Mr..
Brown; he was de saviour an re-
deemer OBJ de cullud people, an mos
OBJ dem beliebed he was Jesus Christ
come back ter sabe US. -