The National tribune., 1879-09-01
The Secret Intelligence Among the Southern Me-
groes During the War

SOLDIER KGNvlscENcrs roLEDo THE
REMOVAL OF NoRTHERN PRoNR TO GET THEM OUT OF sHERMs
The train started off northeasterly direction and as
went through Florence the skies crimson with
great fires, burning in all directions We told this
cotton and military stores being destroyed in anc
patton of a visit from a part of Shermans forces.
When morning running in the same di-
recton that started In the confusion of loading
upon the the previous evening" had been allowed to
approach too rebel officers stock of ratons and
the result his being the loser and myself the gamer of
canteen filled with fairly good nlolasses Andrews and
had some bread and breakfased sumptously up
on it and the molasses which certainly the less
sweet from having been stolen Our meal over began
accommodating, much for employment any thing else
We were in the front end of box With made
ON the back of case knife, cut whole through the
boards big enough permit pass out and perhaps
escape We found that the foremost box of
the ainhe next vehicle to us being passenger coach,
in which the rebel officers On the platform of
this seated their servana trusty old slave
well dressed for negro and as respectful his class
usually Said to him
''Well uncle, where t':ey taking us?
He replied Wel, sah couldn't rightly say
but you could guess, if you tried, couldn't you?
''Yes sab He gave quick look around to see if the
door behind him securely shut that he could not be
overheard by the rebels inside the his dull stod face
lighted up negros always does in the excitement of
doing something cunning, and he said in loud whisper
Dey -gwine to take us to Wmington--ef dey kin git
you dare y
Can get us there's said in asonishment us there
anything To prevent them taking us there %
The dark face fill with inexpressible meanug. Said L
1T isn't possible that there Yankees to interfere,
isit?'
The great eyes filled up with intelligence tell that
guessed Alright again he glanced nervousy around to
himself that evesdroppng and he then
said in whisper just loud enough be heard above the
noise of the moving train:
"De Yankees took Wilmington yesterday mawning "
The startled me, but it true our troops hav
ing driven out the rebel troops and entered Wilmington
on the preceding day-the 22d of February, 1865,
learned afterwards. How the negro came to know more
of what going than his masters puzzled me much.
That he did know beyond question: since if the
rebels i'll whose charge were, had known of Whining
toms fall they would not have gone to the trouble of load
ing upon the and hauling 100 miles in the d
recon of city which had gone into the hands of
lit has been asserted by many writer's that the negroes
had occult ofdiffusng important among
the of their people probably by relays of swift
ners who travelled at night going twenty-five thirty
miles and back before morning Very astonishing stories
told of things communicated in this way the
length breadth of the confederacy 1t is said that
officers in the bockadng fleet in the Gulf heard from the
negroes advance of the publication the rebel papers,
of the of the proclamation of emancipation and
of several of most important victories The incident
given above prepares to believe all that has been told
of the perfection which the negroes had brought their
grapevine telegraph, it jocularly termed The
rebels believed something of it, too In spite of their
vigorous patrol institution dating long before the
and the punishmens visited upon negroes found off
their masters premises without pass, OF them
tertained doubt that the young negro in the
habit OF making long, mysterious journeys at night which
had other motives than love making chickenseaing