Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-31
Reminiscences Of Dixie.

The brigade was composed OF = MAine'
New HAMPSHIRE and a yermont regiment, a
Massachusetts light battery and detafch-
ment of New York cavalry. under the com
mand of General Culver Grover. The road
leading from Washington to the northern part
of the State is through fine agricultural
region. and there were many magnificent old
farms. owned by slave-holding families. who
not only carri ID on the raising of corn, wheat
and tobacco, but before the era Of the war
did a right smart business raising
men. women and children for the
cotton and rice fields of the South.
The Emancipation Proclamation had
not been issued. vet the slaves had, during
the occupation of the border States by the
army. rapidly acquired knowledge Of their
opportunities of separating themselves from
their old enforced connections, and thousands
had improved the chances to skedaddle and
ioin themselves to other masters, either as
laborers for the government, servants for
officers or in other capacities. The aged and
superannuated people who had lived and toiled
for the chivalry and could not be Of any fur
Their advantage TO their masters, were per-
mitted in most instances to remain, though
the control over all classes of slaves was at
this time so lax, that almost all, in the pres
ence of the army of the North could, if they
chose. shift for themselves. We used to
read in some of the South side Views" Of
the Kindness of ma sters and mistresses to
their servants and how, as interested owners.
they watched over the physical welfare of
their slaves with parental care. This was
doubtless true in many cases. but the Yankee
soldier can testify of facts where the patri-
archal institution was responsible for the
most cruel neglect of the common wants of
aged and helpless colored people who had
given their hard labor and their life's Blood
for the enrichment of their aristOcratic mas
ters In the vicinity Of QUIZ camp, about
mile away, on the road to Georgetown, was a
farm house occupied by Mrs. whose
husband had recently died. An adminstra-
ton of the estate had caused the sale of con-
siderable personal property, and as there
were articles such RS were wanted for use by
officers and others, we were for the time being
quite familiar with the premises. have for
gotten whether any slaves or colored people
were about the house or Outbuildings, but
think there were none. The Louise was
low. wide dwelling and stood some distance
from the main road. between which and the
house there was large field. In this field,
near the road stood an old log hut in most
diapidated condition. too poor and rotten to
all appearance for the habitation of man or
even respectable animals. had never no
ticed any signs of life about the howell, and
wondered some mischievous soldier had not
long before set it on fire. One day while
eol. N StrnM in rif falln,v nA
Ger, and while passing this old hut. we were
arrested by the sound of voices which seem
ed to proceed from the inside or back side of
the hut.
After listening moment, we decided we
would like to know what was about the old
building. Scaling the high rail fence, we
cautiously went around to the side opposite
the road and saw an entrance having tum-
BILE down door partly open. We heard female
voices inside, and just then an aged and de-
crepd colOred woman came to the door. sa-
luted us very respectfully, and cordially in
vited us to walk in. We entered, and found
as tenants two very old women. one of whom
was lying on n wretched bunk covered with
as ragged and dirty mess of old blankets as
can be imagined. We found seats on an old
bench. and directly entered into conversation
with the occupants. The one on the bed was
very cheerful and loquacious. and seemed to
feel highly hOnOred with a call from the Yam
kee officers. We inquired why they were
living in that old hut, and the old woman told
us they were slaves and had lived on the
plantation many years; but when past labor
and of no further use to their owners had been
showed of to exc out the remaining wears of
their lives in this wretched place. ''Have
You husband?" we asked. "No, not now:
he was sold to go to Georgia long time ago"
she replied ''Ilad you children?" "Oh, YES
| had thirteen boys and girls, but dev went
to de Carlinys, or de good Lord knows whar
gone, gone, sold and gone, and never sh'll
see 'em agin?'' do the folks at the house
support you now?" we inquired wal, dev
gives a lcetle ham and hominy 'casionally,
but de Lord knows dem tings is nifty skurce
about yer now sence de war begun This
and much more we learned to show that these
poor old slaves were turned out to die re-
gardless Of any considerations of comfort in
their old age.
A day or two after this visit, I CHANGED to
be at the farm house with friend, and in
conversation with the lady of the house in
quired about the case Of the two old women in
the howell She seemed to think it all right
that their dwelling was good enough for old
niggers, and she was under no special obi
CATION to take any better care of them. II
WIN VSN"SioH tuei W TtDuke neT lack OF at
tention to the wants of her old, worn out peo-
pie, and then went on to speak of the charac-
ter of the institution which was responsible
for such neglect of the common humanities of
life. The woman seemed astonished, and
said she never looked at it in that light, and
never heard any body talk so before. l said
supposed so, as until then when man could
say what he pleased without fear of being
shot or hung on the nearest tree, nobody had
ever dared TO say anything against slavery or
its enormous outrages in that part of the
country. l suppose that was the first aboli-
ton lecture that daughter of the chiy alrous
South ever listened to.
While in camp at Muddy Branch in the
winter OF b2-3 negro man died in the woods
near our camp of small pox and was buried
by the aid of our soldiers He was known
to have the disease. but the citizens of that
section. in their fight dared not do anything
tor him, and in fact had no facilities for TAX |
ing care of such cases. After an acouain- |
tantance with affairs in the South As they ex- |
listed then and do now In many places. who |
can wonder at the terrific result, of epidemic !
or contagious diseases where ignorance. su- |
perstition and unfeeling apathy exist and rem |
der people powerless to aid the distresses |
of the sick and dying. The charities and |