The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-22

: = AkS<S 34NOEs
| A rather Interesting story Of the 80,
was told by Joseph r Perry. At IL,
national convention of soldiers. wh;cl
was held in indianapolis last summer
but. as the reports of the session wer
necessarily abridged, it escaped publ
cation at the time
1T was sometime in the summer n
1861. . Mr.. Perry said. ..that the 21s
Ohio regiment was down in West Vir
ginia, In the kanawha river region
The regiment was composed of me,
/ gathered up promiscuously in the Blacl
swamp region of Ohio. There wer,
one or two companies of gray-haires
men. too old to bear arms, who has
gone into the service to fight for ,
prineiple-not merely to put down tn.
rebellion. but to emancipate the slaves
They were very religious. and the,
would hold prayer-meetin at night
They would pray for the freedom O
the slaves, and that the negroes nigh
have equal rights with the white peo
pie. Their prayers were very inter
esting to us young fellows who would
go there to listen TO them. because they
were asking for something more thar
the issue of the war promised st that
time. but everything that those old
fellows asked in their prayers came
about afterward, and il is out of those
results that this incident I'm telling
you about came to a conclusion. We
camped one day near little town
called Red Bank. on the Kanawha, aud
after our coffee had been prepared we
found that we hadn't spoonful of su-
gar in camp. There were a lot of ne
gro cabins over on 4 hill opposite our
camp, ana | agreed TO go over and try
to get some sugar from the negroes.
There was but Is cents in money in the
whole camp. but took that and start
ed over with tin can to get the sugar.
entered one of the cabins and found
a buxom negro woman with two little
pickaninnies hanging to her hnsey
dress They drew off into corner of
the cabin. half frightened when l went
in, but told them that they needn't
be afraid; that | only wanted to get
some sugar, and that / 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
1ankees, cause you Sc 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 little blarney. because /
wanted the sugar, ''you don't under
stand what this war is about. We
Yankees are lighting 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 viii have all the
rights that white people have. Your
little boy there will be sent TO school.
and he will have just as good chance
to become governor of Virginia as any
white boy
"'Fo' de Lord, you don't say sor
she exclaimed
II went on to tell her then that the
black people were just as good as the
white, and how they would be benefit
ed if we were victorious. Before [
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 that she'd better. and
she accepted it. 1t was only an Incl
dent of the day. and after | told the
boys in camp how got the sugar l
thought no more about the the matter.
had forgotten it entirely until about
three years ago, when / was returning
rom the city hospital one night. when
he car stopped for an old negro wo-
man with a basket of clothes | was
sitting near the door, and helped her
% lift the basket into the car She sat
Town beside me, and remarked:
cold tonight. Don't have any
'uch weather down whar' my ole home
5.
Where was your old homePn in
luired.
AT the little town of Red Bank.
lown on the kanawha river, in Wes'
Did YOU live in little cabin, with
/ well beside it, and opposite a big
white house? ] asked her
= Right dar was whar | lived
'..And do you remember when the
Iankee soldiers camped over in the
meadow, near your cabin?'
''''Deed | do, sir. | remember that
mighty well.
- DO you remember a young soldier
With brass horn strapped to his
houlder and a small sword at his side,
oming over to your cabin to buy some
ugars'
"sI should say | do. I remembcr3
lat young man mighty well. He spoke
he first good words | ever heard said
bout the eolored people. He told me
hat was to be free, and that my lit
le boy might be president some day.
Why, he gave me 13 cents. kept |
hat money ever since for luck. and |
We got it right herei' and the old wo-
nan drew from her bosom small, |
lirty purse. from which she took the
oins that had given her twenty years
,efore.
'''Do you think you would know
hat young fellow if you should ever
zee him again?'
"''Deed l would. I'd know that
-oung man the minute l set eyes on
lin.
'.'Well, auntie. I'm that young
man,
. For de Lords sake, honeyp she
and threw her arms about
ne. 1t was doubtless funny scene to
he passengers in the car. but her dem
made it little embarrass-
ng and trifie unpleasant for me. L
earned afterward that the woman's
was a carpenter here in the
'ity, and that they were moderately
prosperous. .'-IRdianapois Journal.