Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-21

meeting, 10 40 ioho"S
"People looked at each other, and then
nj us on the platform, 10 see whence
came this interruption, not set down III
the bills. Firmly and irrepresslbly Inc
ouavering voices sang on, verse aitei
verse: Others of the colored people join
ed In some whites on the platform be
gan, but motioned them to silence.
never saw anything so electric u maze
nil other words cheap; 1t seemed th'
choked voice of race at last unloos
ed. Nothing could be more wonder
fully unconscious; art could not nave
dreamed of n tribute to the day OF Ju
bilee that should be so affecting; history
will not believe 1t, and when came to
sneak of IL, after it was ended, tears
were everywhere. IL you could have
heard how Quaint and innocent 1t was
Old Tiff and his children might nave
sung IL; and close before me was l,'.'e
slave boy almost white, who seemeu 70
belong TO the party, and even ne mus.
join in. Just think or IL! ne h,s'
day they had ever had country; the
first flag they had ever seen which prom
ised anything to their people, ana nere'
while mere spectators STOOD III silenSe
waiting for my stupid words these S'iI,P,e
souls burst out in their lay, as II they
were by their own hearths at nome
When they stopped, there was hothlns
10 do for Il but to speak, and went on,
but the life of the whole day was gone
in those unknown peoples song.
Rut I must not forget to give you q
nrayer that was listened TO by one OF
she officers and jotted down at the time
verbatim: -, ,.,oo
40 Lord, when tink oh dis kismas
an las kismas; las kismas In oe ianu
OBJ de Secesh, and notin to eat put gri'sr
an no salt in 'em; dis year In Gle Yankee
camp, and too much bittleE
1t is not TO be supposed that the Ia
vorite phase "too much indicaieu an
excess of grub, but of hearty thahks-
giving. -,,. ,ros
near Township Landing, on the SAINT
Mary's river. 1t was but mere sklr-
mish. vet at that time was OF great I'M,
portance. as IL married the coloreu
troops TO the American army past all
divorce. They met and defeated Cap
tain Clark's company of cavalry win
the loss of two men killed and seven
wounded.
The Saint Mary's is narrow, RAPID
stream, and IL was wonder that lne
rebels ever permitted force TO escape
from them when once they had ascehu
ed the stream.
Above Township Landing was large
boom, and millions of logs coulu nave
been let loose upon the stream III shor'
time, that would so choke up the river
that no craft could navigate; or they
might have felled some OF the monster
pines across it, and so stopped the de
scent of the steamer. But nothing o
the kind. The Johnnies ran from one
bend of the river 10 another, ana hreC
upon them as they approached.
The next service was up the sam
Johns river, and the capture OF JACK
sonville, Florida, in March, and, aite
several skirmishcs with the enemy, I'M
place was finally evacuated, but neye
could learn why; and here | must relat
an incident that was not only on TN
tragic, but very laughable.
Our Captain Randolph, an old stat
of Manner, was out on raid and cap
tured quite party of Secesh with sup
plies for the enemy, and on arriving a
headquarters, one of the Johnnies com
planned to the Colonel, that the Car
tain had promised to let him return a
soon as they had got away from the III
mediate vicinity of the enemy. In
Colonel called Captain Randolph, an
inquired why he should make such
promise, when the doughty Captain al
swered:
al promised him nothing, sir, but tn
pains of h and the periods OF dan
nation"
"Oten," say. Colonel Higginson "hav
rolled beneath my tongue this SAVIOR
and solemn sentence, and L do not b.
lieve that since the days OF the Lon
Parliament, there has been more r
sounding anathema."
The regiment then returned to Beat
fort, and out to the Ferry on picket, an
there, for six weeks, amid all the beat
ties of Southern spring. the officer
beguiled themselves with the idea this
long rides through the woods, over oil
plantations, amid the orange groves an
the sweet smelling magnolias, they we
doing the country a vast amount oil re
hard service.
But the times changed, and carly
July they are recalled, and the raid
the Edi.to is planned and executed, Ju
9th and 10th, the same time the attaC
Is made on Morris Island, away up Il
river as far as IL is possible for the ligl
DRAFT steamers to go, bringing cote
and supplies of all kinds, and having
sharp little encounter at Wiltown Blu
where they loose several men, and Of
steamer is disabled, set on fire and bur
ed, aud two guns lost. Down the riv
under severe fire from a six 81
battery which sent seventeen sho
through her without disabling her-ty
shots Craze the steam chest, and thr
go through the engine room.
Amid all the horrors of war there a
always some laughable scenes. On o
of the steamers, a shot came ploughil
through the wood work close TO {
deck. The officers had compelled {
men 10 lie down fat, and once In VIII
they would be two or three deep. Rig
In the track Of this shot, lay July Gree
and some one on the top of him. L
fortunately for July, his head was
match for the iron, and 1t paid the pe
atty OF being in the way, being tax
of clean to his shoulders as though c
with n knife, and no further injury
the man on top than being badly smei
ed with blood and brains. He instan
jumped up and shouted at the top OF
voice:
any God July head done bust up
The loss In this encounter was on
severe; don't recollect just how maj
Colonel Hlgginson, 80 severely wound
rs to compel him to resign, the folio
ing spring. short time after beca
connected with the regiment.
To follow the regiment through
various service and different enga
nents. would be too tedious, suffice II
say they took an active part In the
lowing engagements: James Isla
sccond battle OF Secessionville, Hol