Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-20

were usually on sick leave In hos
pitfalls, etc., so that we had about
ZOO men for duty. With this, then,
we began life among the Tar Heels
on the st of January, 1868. Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation went
into effect, and then we had what the
parrot told his mistress that he and
the monkey had. Quite number of
the slaves in that region could read
a little, and those who could not
read, thought little. and some of
them were, to use a North Carolina
term, right smart peart," SO that
altogether they knew about this proc
lamation as soon as anybody.
Perhaps on account OF the way they
managed and the manner of taking
them away from their plantations
might be interesting. On Judge
Donald, or Donnely's plantation
which lays on the north side of the
Albemarle Sound, there were in the
summer of '63, about 40 slaves
ranging in age from, we'll say. few
days to 100 years, and l am satisfied
that one of them had reached the
latter age. Their compilations varied
about as much as their ages, ranging
in color all the way from New Or
leans molasseS to a new saddle. Their
owner was gone with his family to
Richmond, leaving the slaves in
charge Of the overseer. One of their
number turned up at Plymouth one
day and requested Gen. Vessels to
send to the plantation for them. AS
detail of perhaps a hundred men in
charge Of the writer, was ordered for
the purpose. Having everything ready,
we emb arked on q steamer taking Joe, ,
II friend, who had come after US,
along. In due season we arrived at the
nearest point to the plantation and land
ed from the sound. On up farther than
we went, was a canal which l was told
went up into the great dismal swamp.
When we got up to the slaves quarters,
it appeared that we were on the opposite
sides of the canal, but a Temporary
trabands came to meet us. Joe was
marching at the head of the column.
with me and had pointed them out to
me some time before, but as soon as
they recognized him. they simply went
wild. About five or six girls of, say Is to
25, led the van, shouting as they crossed
over, 'Oh! t S Joe, it 8 Joe, and Dress de
good Lawd de Yankees is come at last. -
And without more ado, one of them sur
rounded him in front, another in the
rear, others on either side till they were
too much for poor Joe, and his feet Civ
ing way, the ground was quite slippery,
and the girls holding on. the entire out
fit rolled down the bank some six or
eight feet, all mixed up in an indescrib
able mass. This was as good as mig
ger show" After they got untangled
and came back, we crossed over to the
main body (for they were all there and
their different ways of expressing their
Joy, can never forget. Some of the
very old knelt on the ground, the tears
coursing down their furrowed cheeks, |
and with uplifted hands praised God |
for their deliverance. l remember one !
who seemed to think the |
news too good to be true, who came to |
ne and said ''now, boss, We izzent max n
D olive dat you all s Yankees, is we, y'r !
S Yankees for sure enough, isn't yer?'
remarked that there was no doubt
about it all, whereupon she gave me one
If the most emphatic embraces l ever
'eceiv8d, and I will just remark, such
Is [ hope l shall never receive again, for
IS [ sized her up, she must have been
bile to hold three such fellows as I was,
nd beside all that she chewed tobacco
explained to them that they were free,
nd that 1 had come TO take all of them
way who wished to go. That they
hould get their families together as far
S they could, also that their clothing.
eds, axes, spades, provisions, and in
hort everything that was useful. must
e carried or hauled to the boat before
ark, and here arose d new trouble, for
believe that if we had left them alone,
ney would have claimed the plantation.