Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-02-16
From the Richmond Enquirer.
Autobiography of a Scalawag.

was born IN Greene COUNTY going on About
forty-odd years ago, having Bin the youngest
of IA children, all of which was raised except
which dide Of the meesles and things When
| was smart chap my Parents moved to
Shif1etts Holler, well known in Albemarle
county for sum remarkable murders, in which
so far as I know and Beleav none of our Foax
was mixed up.
I was as good a suthern man before the war
as thar was in our county, and always voted
the Democratic ticket as [ noad the Wings was
not Sound about the nggers, and my political
greed was founded on the Jefersonlan Repu6-
ican printed by Mr.. Alexander on Main street
in Charlottesville near about whar thar now IS
very fine Juelry store, and opposite the Elan
nagin Bank. [ jined of artillery company
about the first man, and fit until lost all taste
for that arjuous life-say nigh on about II
months [ was wun of the teamsters, and had
very ruff time amoving from Manassas to
Williamsburg, and particularly bak. About
this time [ got detale and held alice in the
Confederit stables in Richmond under Mr. Da-
Wis during the balance of the Waw. / was in
all the Battles around Richmond. working like
dog physiking and cleaning Nv horses, and
when we phinay got Gineral Mcclellan in
them swormps, | visited some of the hardest
up good many things.
About February, 1865, became Phully sat,
sfed in my own Conscience that [ smelt a rat.
So wun tolerable clear morning [ said, Con
federit stables, adu J. and struck out for the
lower Jeems, when | met a Yankee transpote.
[ Civ them all the pints, and told them | was
Union man out of Castle Thunder, whar had
suffered for my principles nigh on two years
and having lived very thin, it was pretty rough
in Richmond in them days, particularly the
Artlkkle of whiskey, my emashated condition
give a very gud kind Nv color to my story, and
SO they took me in. [ noad a gud deal about
the phix in Richmond, and so they took me to
Ginral Butler whar give me some very good ale
and five or six drinks, and axed me questions.
[ noad things was up, and told him putty much
the truth, tho being brung up at Shif1letts,
might have Tide in some things from the fose
of habit, and without any particular intenstun
Nv telling Nv a lie to my new friends.
Well, you know the final eend, and about
that time [ was putty siedy in Washington,
whar all the novilty had woan off Nv me, ex-
cept with Mr.. Greedy, who always gave me ten
cents and axed me for kruelties to the Federal
prisoners, which, Nv course, [ gived him, some
from real life, others hearn, and others to keep
up the interest.
[ cum back to Virginia in 1866, and iined
the niger meetings and tell EN- Nv thar
wrongs, and what we was ewine to do for them
L become right good hand at niger speaking,
and went in strong for manhood suffrage, whar
[ was posted in the Tribune Phoax phoolish
ly taxi me with being wv rekreunt TO my own
people, but [ seed very plain it war no time to
be continental, fuling about what was right,
fur [ noad we was in a revolution, and nobody
was agwine to help him who wuddent help
himself, so | sot my mind to help myself to
sumthing, and if every dog has his day and the
niggers was agwine to have theirs seed whar
the path Nv glory was open to John Stubs.
whar | waded in. We was obliged to stand
by the niggers, for the white foax cut us and
we wus dispised until thar wus nuthin left but
| to fife it out on that line. It Wur nesecerry to
be more particular in Virginia than in the 9TH
er States. because the white people was heavy
In the majority, and so we shet down on EN-
with the artikkle No. three excluding the most
malignant rebbles from the ballot, wharby we
killed about phifteen thousand Nv the best kind
Nv votes We cum at EN- then with fxn' NV
the Legislature, and give the niggers clean
majority of q thar And then we phixt the
counties SO as to git the moast of them, and we
Allowed about two hundred officers to a county,
so as to have enuff for All. But the wurst
thing they minded was when we give EN- the
Test Oath that was like a Senter shot, and l
noad the dog was certinly Hit by the way he
how led when we phixt it. It was a little ruff,
but it was the only way we had to Kun at EN-,
am now clerk Of -- county, worth, [
suppose, by fair dealings $4,000 a year. I
have no Reeson to complain NV Fortune for
she has been kind friend to me- [ may have
done some things-Eetin say my peck of dirt
some things whar under a more orspicious en-
vlronment mout have not liked, but [ never
has been able to Gee my way kleer without sum
wrasy it's not going to work, and [ never Gee
it work. We is scinners, and we must leave a
margin if we want to be practikke. | never
could sensher the Kummitty Of Nine, because
| h;nOio Jordan is a hard road to travel, and if
they don't stop torking about Honor these
Southern people will jes let the Yankees eat
EN- up We mus bend everything mus bend
at times; and whar is thar any exemption for
Konshence different from other artikkles, and
settin up to fife against circumstances and the
Spirit of the Age?
Whist little at first when [ BEGUN scala
wag, meeting Nv old acquaintance, but when
a man gifts up in the world, people is SO tole-
runt; and thar is so much rascalHty now a days
that particular cases does not ecsite so much
Attention as wunst upon time. My censibili-
ty, too, Is less akute sents | have made the ac~
kwaintance of the fratunity of carpet baggers,
the Right Bower of our party | have seed SO
much unblushing effrontery in these foax that
[ frekwently feels glow of conshus virtue
when me and they takes drink. They makes
no pertensions to strict course of life but
for the original talunt Of smartness and getting
all you ken [ bows to EN- as my betters. They
lets out sometimes feeling for me that borders
too near to my taste of contempt they has in
deed told me [ was embarrassed by scrupis,
which I am whar thar is smart game, and |
suppose is owing to my being born in this part
Of the world But | must finish this chapter
as | am called off to swar ina good many is
agwine to jump that fence.
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE -Saturday, Feb 6th.-Mr. Conk-