The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-04
First Glimpse of Freedom.

dianapolis, .'that the twenty first Ohio
regiment was down in West Virginia,
in the Kanawha river region. Theregi-
ment was composed of men gathered
up promiscuously in the Black Swamp
region of Ohio. There were one or two
companies of gray-haired men, too
old to bear arms, who had gone into
the service to fight for principle-not
merely to put down the rebellion, but
to emancipate the slaves. They were
very religious, and they would hold
prayer meetings at night. They would
pray for the freedom of the slaves,
and that the negroes might have equal
rights with the white people. Their
prayers were very interesting to us
young fellows, who'd go thereabout to
listen to them, because they were asking
for something more than the issue of the
war promised at that time; but every
thing that those old fellows asked came
about afterward, and it is out of those
results that this incident that I'm tell
ing you about came to q conclusion.
We camped one day near a little town
called Red Bank ,on the Kanawha, and
after our coffee had been prepared we
found that we hadn't a spoonful OF
sugar in camp. There were q lot OF
negro cabins over on hillside op-
posite our camp, and / agreed to go
over and try to get some sugar from
the negroes There was but thirteen
cents in money in the whole camp, but
/ took that and started over with a
tin can to get the sugar. l entered
one of the cabins and found g. buxom
negro woman, with two little pick
aninnies hanging to her linsey dress.
They drew off into corner of the cab
ein, half frightened, when l went in, but
I told them that they needn't be afraid,
that / only wanted to get some sugar,
and that / had the money to pay for
it.
"'Tse kindly feared o you 'uns, said
the negro woman; 'mastah told me
not to have anything to do with you
Yankees, cause you'se gwine to take
to carry on the wah.'
"'My good woman, 1 said to her,
giving her a little blarney, because 1
wanted the sugar, you don't under
stand what this war is about. We,
Yankees are fighting for you, and if
this war comes out the way we want
it to, you will be free, and you won't
have any master, and will have all the
rights the white people have. Your
little boy will be sent to school, and
he will have just as good a chance to
become governor of Virginia as any
white boy
"'Fo' de Lord, you don't say SOP
she exclaimed.
"Iwent on to tell her then about how
the black people were just as good as
the white, and how they would be ben
efitted if we were victorious. Before l
quit talking she brought out an old
can and gave me what sugar | wanted.
She didn't want to take the money,
but told her she's better, and she ac-
cepted it.. 1t was only an incident of
the day, and after had told the boys
in camp how l had got the sugar,
thought no more about the matter.
had forgotten it entirely until about
three years ago, when was returning
from the city hospital one night, when
the car stopped for an old negro woman
with basket of clothes. Twas sitting
near the door and helped to lift the
basket into the car. She sat down be-
side me and remarked: Mighty cold
tonight. Don't have any such cold
weather down whar my ole home is
Where was your old homer? in
quired.
i" AT the little town of Red Bank,
down on the Kanawha river, in Wes'
Virginyah.'
"'Did you live in a little cabin, with
white house?' asked her.
I" Right dar was whar | lived
"'And do you remember when the
Yankee soldiers camped over in the
meadow near your cabin?' =
Deed do sir. l remember that
mighty WE'LL
DO you remember a young soldier
with a brass horn strapped to his
shoulder and a small sword at his side,
coming over to buy some sugar?'
90 4 should say do. remembers dat
young man mighty well. He spoke the
first good words lever heard about the
colored people. Hetold me that I was
to be free, and my little boy might be
president some day. Why, he gave me
thirteen cents. l kept that money
ever since for luck, and I've got it
right here!' and the old woman drew
from her bosom small, dirty purse.
from which she took the coins that I
had given her for the sugar twenty
years before.
".Do you think you would know
that young fellow if you should ever
see him asain?'
".Deed l would. I'd know that
young man the minute set eyes on
him.
"sWell, Auntie, I'm that young man.
"tFor the Lords sake, honeyp she
exclaimed, and threw her arms about
me. 1t was doubtless funny scene
to the passengers in the car, but her
made it q little en-
barrassing and not a trif1e unpleasant
for me. learned afterward that the
woman's husband was carpenter
in the city, and they were moderate
ly prosperous"