Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
i War "Reminiscences .
Indianapolis Journal

indianapolis Journal.
A rather interesting story of the
war was told by Joseph r. Perry, at
the national convention of soldiers,
which was held at Indianapolis last
summer; but. as the reports of the SEES
sion were necessarily abridged, it es-
capped publication at the time.
1T was some time in the summer
of 1861" Mr.. Perry said. "that the
21st Ohio regiment were down in
West Virginia, in the Kanawha river
region. The regiment was composed
of men gathered up promiscuously in
the Black swamp region of Ohio.
There were one or two companies of
gray hai1ed men, too old to bear arms,
who had gone into service to fight for
a princlple-nOt merely to put down
the rebellion, but to emancipate the
slaves. They were very religious,
and they would hold prayer meeting
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 would go there. to listen to them,
because they were asking for some
thing more than the issue of the war
promised at that time, but everything
that those old fellows asked in their
prayers came about afterward, and it
IS out of those results that this Incl
dent I'm telling you about came to a
conclusion. We camped one day near
little town called Red Bank. on the
Kanawha, and after our coffee had
been prepared we found that we
hadn't spoonful of sugar IN camp.
There were a lot of negro cabins over
on hillside opposite our camp, and 7
agreed to go over and try to get some
sugar from the negroes. There was
camp, but [ took that and started over
with a tin can to get the sugar. [
entered one of the cabins and found a
bUxom negro woman with two little
pickaninnies hanging to her linsey
dress. They drew off into corner of
the cabin, half frightened when
went IN, but [ told them that they
needn't be afraid; that only wanted
some sugar, and that I had the money
to pay for it.
Use kindly feared O. you 'uns,
said the negro woman; 'mastah told
me not to have anything to do with
you Yankees, cause yo1'se gwine to
take us off to Cuby and sell us to get
money to carry on the wah.'"
My good woman, said to her,
giving her a little barney, because 7
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,win have
all the rights that white people have.
Your little boy there will be sent to
school, and he will have just as good
a chance to become governor of Vir-
ginia as any white boy
" 'F'o' de Lord, you don't say sol
she exclaimed.
Il went GA to tell her then about
how the black people were just as
good as the white, and how they
would be benefited if we were victo~
rious. Before I quit talking she
brought out an old can and gave me
what sugar I wanted. She didn't
want to take the money, but I told
her that she'd better, and she accept
ed it. 1t was only an incident of the
day, and after [ told the boys in camp
how got the sugar thought no
more about the matter. had for
gotten 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 a basket of clothes. I was sit
ting near the door, and helped her to
lift the basket into the car. She sat
down beside me, and remarked:
mighty cold tonight. Don't have !
any such cold weather down where
my old home is
Where was your old homer I
inquired.
"'At the little town of Red Bank,
down on the Kanawha river, in Yves
Virginyah.'
Ibid you live in little CABIN,
with a well beside it, and opposite
Dig white house2' [ asked her.
- Right dar was whar [ lived
And do you remember when the
I ankee soldiers camped over in the
Meadow!
"''Deed do sir. 7 remember that
WE'LL
"'Do you remember young soldier
with brass horn strapped to his
shoulder and a small sword at his
side, coming over to your cabin to buy
some sugar.
's'I should say 1 do. I remembers
lat young man mighty well. He
spoke the first good words ever heard
laid about the colored people. He
old me that I was to be free, and that
nv little bow might be president some