The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-21

speeches to the soldiers all over the
South. In all Of which he urged and
begged them to stand to their post. He
drew, fine pictures Of the glories that
they were just about to grasp, after all
the hardships that they had endured.
He thanked God that we had about
reached the oasis In the desert that we
had been so bravely fighting and
marching through. He declared that
only another battle or two and the
victory was ours. But he then spoiled
1t all by telling US that there was then
two-thirds Of the southern troops ab.
sent without leave. This was certain
ly q very foolish assertion on his part,
as those left In the ranks already knew
that our numbers were far inferior to
those of our enemy and to learn now
that two-shirds of that few had desert
ed, was disheartening to us and deser-
ton continued undated, and when
the end came at AppomatOx we were
few indeed.
But the desire for peace grew strong.
er every day from this time on. A
great many Of the people that had pre-
viously had great confidence in the
Southern cause began to lose conf
dence in their great efforts and the
people became clamorOus for peace and
many Of the old hot heads would have
gladly yielded up their all to have
had the war stop.
Up to this time the sons of the
wealthy class had managed to keep
out of danger by remaining at home
and overseeing their negroes, q thing
that they would have considered dis.
grace to have done before the war, but
now the government allowed an over
seer to every three negroes that one
had, and to shield their SONS from the
danger OF the battlefield they made
overseers Of them all. II they did not
own three negroes for each son of mill
itary age, they either bought or hired
that number, though one man could
thirty, forty, yes, fifty Of
them before the war. See the rotten
esq In their government!
But now as the closing scenes of the
contest came upon us and as the bull
seen that all classes must necessarily
take hand In the dying contest.
Hence the great clamor for peace.
But I had almost forgotten to tell
you about our experience with darkies
as soldiers in the south. Mr.. Davis
Gen. r. E. Lee on the
subject Of enrolling and drilling the
negroes for Southern soldiers, and I
must say here was another weak point
In Davis. The plan was to SET free
every slave that would enlist In the
Southern cause. Gen. Lee did not
either approve or disapprove of the
plan, but merely replied that we would
have 10 recruit our army from some
where. And so the work Of enlisting
and drilling the darkies commenced.
Several Thousand Of them were enlist.
ed and the writer went out one day to
see them drill and 1t sounded like dis.
taut thunder when their great fiat feet
all struck the ground at once. They
were very awkward, and when the
officer would call on them
to fright dress" their great white eyes
would appear IS a chalk mark on q
But these black fellows
were never put into the confederate
service. There was great objection all
through the southern army to fighting
with them. The troops swearing that
1t was negro equality and that il the
negroes we're brought into the ranks
that they would quit and 60 home.
This was the general feeling that pre-
vailed among the troops and as Is gen.
orally the case the most Ignorant Of US
were first to buck and loudest In their
If 1t were to be done
over again l would not care what the
color of the man was that caught the
bullets that were fired at me.
These darkies were partially drilled
and then they were taken within three
miles of the Union camps, from which
place some 200 of them deserted the
first night and went over to the Yank-
ees. They did not know much tits
true, but they knew who their friends
were. So MIR. Davis concluded that
they would not make valuable South
ern soldiers aud the remainder was
disbanded.
There are other things connected
with this city Of much Importance
that will speak of in another letter,
as 1 wish to use them In connection
with other things and happenings,
namely the evacuation OF the city and
the closing scenes Of the rebellion,
some of my own personal adventures
here etc.
In my next We will again move out
on the peninsula and give you an
other idea Of what shell and shot, pow.
der and pluck fire and birthstone will
do. It. F. KELLEY.