Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-10-18

ises. And there assert that Henry Samp-
son, of San Francisco, a slave to Colonel
Chambers, of Rapides Parish, La, who
paid through me $1,000 for his freedom,
though the law would not have enforced
one cent,was as well qualified to exercise
the great American right of suffrage as
any single man now resident in the State
of Louisiana. What more beautiful sen
timent than that of my acquaintance,
'Old Shady" ''Good-by, Massa JEFF;
good-by Massa Stephens; 'scuse dis mig
ger for takin' his leavin's"- polite and
gentle to the end. Burns never said any
thing better.
When the army had the honor to
command from Atlanta to the Sea"
reached Savannah, the first essential step
was to carry, by assault, Fort McAlister,
in order to open up communication with
the fleet sent in anticipation with sup
plies. The work was promptly and gen.
teelly done by the Second Division of
the Fifteenth Corps, commanded by
General W. 3. Hazen. l was watching
the assault from rice mill across the
Ogeechee, but as soon as l saw the rebel
flag go down and "Old Glory go up on
the Flagstaff, 1 jumped into an oyster
boat and pulled down. Reaching the
McAlister plantation after dark, l was
conducted to the overseer's house, where
General HaZen and his officers were TAX
ing supper. l, General Howard and the
few officers with me were invited in, an
invitation promptly accepted, because
we had had nothing to eat since day
light. General HaZen, who sat at the
head of the (kitchen) table, remarked:
General Sherman, Major Anderson, who
commanded the captured garrison is
now prisoner of war out in the corral
He is a gentleman. May l invite him
to share our supper?" ''Of course, this
is your table, and 1 am only your guest;
certainly bring the Major in" An aide
de-camp was sent, and soon entered
Major Anderson in handsome dress of
approved gray, with decorations on the
collar to indicate his rank. He was
courteously received by General Hazen,
introduced to me and the others, and
shown to seat opposite me at that
(kitchen) table. He looked at me hard
to discover the horns and talons of the
devil, for at that time my reputation was
not good at the South; but, like myself,
being hungry, he lay to on ham, hard
bread and coffee served out to us by our
host. He was naturally somewhat Op-
pressed at the thought that his post had
been carried by assault, and | attempted
to compliment him on his gallant de-
fense In time he finished his first cup
of coffee, and turned to the servant in
waiting with the familiar coffee-p pot, and
recognized his own boy "Bob," who had
been his own servant and slave two
hours before, in Fort McAliSter. He
seemed overwhelmed at the recognition,
and turned to me. General Sherman,
may l speak to this individual?' Ger
tainIy," 1 answered; "but, Bob, remem-
Der you are now free man; answer the
gentleman truly and politely, without
fear or favor" "Bob," said Major An
derson, sis it possible that you have run
away to the Yankees?" "Oh!" answer
ed Bob, "I'm working for Mr.. Hazen." :"
Here was a black man who two hours
before was the slave of Major Anderson
in the rebel Fort McAlister now work
ing cheerily for wages with Mr.. Hazen.
We never construed a negro as a pris-
oner of war. Anderson, after receiving
his cup of coffee from his former slave,
"Bob," said: "Gentlemen, it looks to
me as though the game was up" Eyes" :"
1 answered, "the game is up. Slavery
is gone and the Southern Confederacy a
thinu of the mast -
1 believe that the game was up long
before Appomattox. The American I'm
ion is as firmly established on the basis
of equality of citizenship and personal
freedom of action as any nation on
earth. Let us freely accord to the negro
his full share Of influence and power,
trusting the perpetuity of our institu-
tions to the everlasting principles of
human nature, which tolerate all races
and colOrs, leaving each human being to
seek in his own sphere 'the enjoyment
of life, liberty and happiness"
W. T. SHERMAN.