The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-14
"REMINISCENCES OF THE LATE VAR,

"REMINISCENCES OF THE LATE VAR.
INSTANCES OF THE LOVE OF SLAVES FOR THE1l
OLD MASTERS
Mr.. Edward Spencer contributes an articl,
to the Philadelphia Times of lest week from
which we take this interesting extract:
Strong friendship and the utmost familiarity
OF personal relationship grew out of this life
long intercourse between the house servan ts
and their masters, and a great many body
servants not only followed their NJ asteIs to the
field and devoted themselves to tn cir service in
she tenderest way, but fought, bled and died
Tor them. There are some touching instances
OF this intercourse and this devotion which
are worth relating. When General Joseph E.
Johnston was at jackson, at the Lamar House,
in the full tide of brilliant reception, an old
negro woman in O coarse sunbonnet, with q
cotton umbrella under her arm, raped at the
door and asked {: "Is dis Mr.. Johnston's room 2"
yea" .! wants to see him, den )" and in
guished soldier. and lsying her hand Familiarity
upon his epauletted shoulder. Johnston turned,
look OF surprise and gladness overspread his
face, he took both the bony, bird claw hands
warmly in bis own, and exclaimed "Why
Aunt Judy Paxtonp The old negress scanned
bis features with tears in her eyes, and OF last
said, in querulous treble, made touching with
Hndisguised Ia en- emotion mister Joe, you is git
tim old Then, patting bis hand, the old
nurse tured half apologeticaily to the assem-
sIsge, end said; Dis here's my own boy.
didn's I, honeyT Such Q scene would be-
strange elsewhere, bot it wss not SO in the
south. The artless sense of equality grew out
OF the stIon g gest sort Of affeotionate regard.
congressional Investigating Committee said
"The very kindest relations exist between the
old masters and their former servants. Icculd
give from my own personal knowledge in
stances OF the very tenderest ex pressions of
kindness and enthusiastic demonstrations of
love on the part of negroes for their old mas
I'M bod,
p long distance 70 see me; after having been
capt ured by the Federal army in Georgia and |
playing with them for months, be came back |
TO me just after the surrender ard told me he |
preferred to serve me rather than have his free
dom, if he must be separated from me- though |
he wanted his freedom. His ife was my
me to Brunswick She bad been RAISED by my
wife, and had been raissd very much as my
wife was; l had paid an enormous price for
per hu.bArd after my marriage, SO IS to bave
pim with his wife. bad been offered So 500
Eor him, which had refused to take. L would
pot have sold him at all, any more than /
Fould have sold my brother. These two me-
1roes were anxious TO go with US to Bruns-
giok, but bad but little money and was
enabe to take them. On my return to that
sprsion of Georgia two years sfterward,
sseakfast to their little cabin to see them
'4hen got to the door the woman was sitting
the breakfast table. AS opened the door ,
e was in the act of drinking coffee from o
$noer. In her excitement at seeing me, she
- the saucer fall upon the floor, sprang to me,
thered me in her arms, and sauk at my feet,
lying: 'Massa John, / never knew WHO nv |
sends were before"
ONE OF GENERAL LEES PEOPLE,
These are two instances from the associa- I
sons of two leading Confederates. Take au- 1
eher, from General Lees life, to show the C
saleb Balderstone sort of devotion with which {
RS interests 1t is from "Personne's" pamph- Z
t, and relates to the last year of the war, q
hen provisions were scarce and the general II
mself only had meat twice a week:
Y Having invited a number of gentlemen to v
ne with him, the commander in-c chief, in q fit a
4extravaganoe, ordered sumptuous repast o
cabbage and middling, Tue dinner was o
yed, and behold, great pile of ca bbage and Il
Hlt OF middlirg about four inches long and "
tfp lnches across The guests, with commend a
ae poiteness, unanimously declined middl. a
20 and IT remained in the dish untouched X
~ day; General Lee, remembering the deli a
sEe It'd bit that had been so providentialIy 81
eserved, ordered his servant to bring him oil
aG mlddllpg', The man hesitated, scratched II
head, ana finally owned up: DE fac is
ree Robert, dat der middlin' was borrered
ddlin'; we all didn't have nary spec, go p,
pc borrered it an now done paid il back to sc
nan whar got it from, sar.'" pt
Ahis servant was true Southern family al
Key, with all the pride of his connections in "
he was like the waiter at the Southern bt
- was 30 lmpassive and unresponsive to the ga
ehusiaeSs praises Of freedom and horror Of fiI
eveEy' tnst az last the latter cried leave
et leave mel cannot endure the aneotHcle ht
suoh obtusenets after such misfortune. ca ! be
III not be waited upon by one who is slava .
aeed ]" EXCUSE me, master" said the negro. oil
- :. .AS very mucn 70 'oommodate you, sab W,
e Tee 'sponsible for de spoons, sar.H Gonerai mi
pc servsnt was responsible, in his own opin- Nj
for the good appearance of his master'a T.
9, and, IL he had not been able to secure
bacon he would have suffered ss many
elee as Louis XIV's, grand valet did When -,
t9foot did not come in time to be served at ca ca
Kings banquet. pm
The devotion of this olass of neoross r,oD,, ch,
Nnem followed their masters to the field be-
y Only exceeded by their pride in their fAmi- tho
: sSo Pace. John Robinson, Savanu ah pilot, Of.
thrSa 49, nassau blockade ruDner, wss two In
:, thSov,s-h III TptSteoJ Dut retained his 10y pol
y tnrough All and always returned to bic Old hin