New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-30
OLD JOE.

The incidents Of this sketch aye no. imaginary
bat iea ana obtained 2acry tT9n historical ca,
One sceIe abridged and sIisar!y changed trom
a well know-.story by Mrs. CM!ds.
He can crace his American descen. back
through two hundred and fifty years. An
old family! You may well say so.
Illust-;cus lineage. Listen. By his
father is one Of the immortal aMss signed
to the declaration Of independence. Joe's
fathers father was a soldier il the revolu
tor. one Of the devoted band al GrO5on
Heights, who "fought ike tigers. and wers
b1tonersd," after they had surrendered, by
British soldiers under tho command o. the
traitor Arnold.
his death: The little oaru under Colonel
Ledyard, at G-oton Heights, were over
powered at last, and the British entered
the garrison.
Who commands this fors!' shouted the
British officer.
II did once; you 90 now" answered
Colonel Ledyard, at the same TINS Offering
his sword.
Instead of accepting the sword, the Brit
ish officer took il and ran !. TO the hilt
through the body Of Colonel Ledyari. Old
j 3os grandfather, private soldier, saw
the cowardly deed, and Immediately killed
the British officer with nis bayonet, Fer
thus yenging the death Of MS commander,
Old Joe's grandfather himself fell dead the
mex. moment. pierced with thirty-taree
bAvonet wounds. Was not that a brave
death TO die fer ones country.
Then there was OLD Joes own father, a
solder il the war of 1872, under General
Jackson IN the South Under solue eir-
cumsIaaces the name OF poor Old Joe's
father would nave been coupled with .ln
mora. homer from enc end OF this lana 10
,s,,e .hu,,
msa .:ored, and 70 this day. perhaps. is
known 20 no more than fifty people in
America. Why! You shall know Presently.
Vnis Is -1e story OF OLD Jee's father: The
American soldiers under General Stump
had been driven Uack on one occasion, anu
We1e ro-rea-iDg e wild disorder. Al this
instant, when the day seemed all lost,
comnoc soldier. Old Joe's father saw lis
he,o.c hour. He spranS from the ranhs.
mour.eI horse, tOoh comMaaI OF the tiv
Jag t.oop5 an0 bravely rallied, them. Like
the neco ne Was. he turned oar soldiers
against .le British, fought -Eem AID routed
them, ana So won me Gay iog -le Gag 3 IN
stead o. the ion. Il is true. Just as tell
you. AID yet never read ta,5 exploit of
DC Joe's father IL any history CT the war
OF 1872
He VICE a battle for America. but nc
poe. ever sung his brave deed. 70 title OF
honor Or gilt OF money and lands ever re-
Wa-deG him, and Ell .ng1aLefll country
bestowed no more thought on hiin than II
he had been British cog. He Went nome
to Tennessee, after the war, and worked
hard for his living, poor and neglected.
Wien ne was az Old man. long past sew
entE, lie was one day grossly insu..sd by a
70 wdy, and the OLD man raised the good
riga. arm which had won a battle tor his
country, ard struck the rutfian the blow he
deserved. Then, tor the tirs. time. his Coun-
try, or al least the State of Tennessee, re-
Il emDered the old hero, and this was now:
because the aged soldier had struck a
blow II seif-de1ense, the State OF Tennes
see stripped him naked and gave him
thirty -aine ashes upon his bare back. 1t
al happened 60 from one lit.ls c!rcum.
stance; This hero had black skin. That |
is why this heroic old American was treated |
worse than q dog in his native land BY |
tile law OF the State OF Tennessee a black |
man wAo, Tor any cause whatever, struck a |
waite man, was punished by go many lsshes !
on the back with rawhide. This last out
rage was the climax Of the Old mans |
wrongs. and it broke his heart. He sunk |
doWc and died soon after that, and went to |
his unknown, unhonored grave. That was |
what nis country did for Old Joe's father, |
whose father before him died heroic SOL !
name has not even ''nigger pew to itself |
in the history OF the wac Of 1872.
O-d Joe is negro, or at least part negro.
Hs is one Of the meek, patient sor:, to out
ward appearance, poor dull and SLOW, with /
) he downcast sadGened eye which is the \
Inheritance Of his hspless race |
in America. Only poor, old niger, you
kac ", hopeless, spiritless and stupid, as far
Is you or 1 can judge, like hundreds of
others We see every day. The Africans
in America will never come for
hem. Born in slavery, bred IN slavery,
Old ice carried his chains SO long, that
when at length they were lifted Off they
lad worn 80 deep into the mans nature
hat he could not outgrow the marks of
Them. What else could you expect, pray!
Old Joe had ten children. Some OF them