The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1892-01-29
FAITHFUL TO DEATH.
A SLAVES PATHETIC STORY OF HIS
YOUNG MASTERS END.
A Deed Of HeroIsm and Devotion Told
BY Cray Haired Old
Man,

Brunswick Correspondent of the Atlanta
The story of Neptune Small, a
fail hiul slave Of"war times" is full |
of tender palhos. Ii was gathered
from the old negro himself by |
II reporter. lt4.bears so directly
upon the bravery, the chivairy, the
,o the lost cause of a
family whose record, whether in
.he halls of Congress or upon the
battle field, civic or military sta
lions stands forth peerless and
without Il model or shadow in The
annals of Glynn county or any
other. that il is told for The enter.
talnment of our readers:
swell, genl'menS, lse b'longs to
de King family since my longest
'memberance. 1use 10 sor:er hav'
TO look after Mas Butler, Mas
Mallory, Mas Loyn, Mas Lord,
and lie balance. Well, one day on
St. Slmoa's Mas Butler he tooken
sick, and fore de doctor came he
was dead. Well. missus she grebe
and Srebe and follow him | tink
same year de Janneray afore de
war. Well, it most break up der
family, cos dey was all lovin' peo.
pies. Well, when we heard 'Fo't
Sumpta' surrender, all my young
masters say We must go ; dey don't
lake vantage Of Is coIored peo,
Piles to keep out de war. Well, |
went with Mas Lord cos when he
was u boy he WIZ mostly wild me.
A, first it was nothin' but we went
10 'Fursinny' de fun commence.
You know | use ter cook for him.
and kinder take care of him, cos |
wuz leetle de oldest. Any of you
genl'mens what's ben in de march
from de valley 10 the place called
'Fredrlcksburg,' mus know whol
a time 1t ware when abou, 25 miles
off we'd could hear de cannon and
see de town aburnin,' dat is de lite
of de sky. De army marches on
till we come to whar Mas Lord
seq was Mary Hi'e.' Just under
de hill | made fire ter cook sup.
per. When supper was ready |
90 10 call Mas Lord. He be talkin'
TO some big officers, and | waite
till he got through, and | say
Supper ready young MASTER
He come an eat his supper, but
he don't talk like most times;
when he got through he look into
de fire long time. | been busy
washing de dishes. when all OF
sudden he say: Neptune, a big
fight tomorrow mornig; good
me:. will eat their last supper TO-
night
1t makes me feel kinder lone.
some to here Mas Lord talk so,
cos he was always so happy heart.
ed. Well, de next day ! see de
canon gwine by, and de soldiers
marchin' by. and The gen'rals ridin'
by, and knowed trouble wuz cum.
in Jest afore - o'clock de canon
den comcmence TO shoot and |
hyar de mnskets begin, den I see
de wounded men going back and
den-but-but, genllesmens, war
broke loose on dat day all day
it gwine on, and l keep saying,
Mas Lord can't come, cos the big
sen'rals is keepln, him to carry
orders. Mite cum, but no Mas
lord. stir up de fire to his sup.
per warm, but no Mas Lord. |
still hyar de canon and de mus.
kets, and | say to myself, dey amt
through yet. Well, after it good
dark, left de supberby de fire to
60 look for Mas Lord. met an
officer on a hoss.
ask him if he see Mas Lord.
He says not since 9 o'clock. |
makes no answer, but my heart
cum up IN my trote, am | kn0wed
den he mus be hurt. l 90 toward
de Confederate line, where dey bin
filin all day, and ask de officer
could l 60 and hunt my master.
! don't know his name, but he say:
who is your young master p tole
him Mas Lorn King. De officer
say, spec you'll find him out dar,
but look out fur de yankee pick
cts. craw! down de hill dead
men lyin' every where, but none
look like Mas' Lord. come 10 Il
officer layin' on his face. Some.
body had pulled off his rite boot
and lef de lel', cos it was 50 blody.
1t didn't look like master and |
say 60 fudder down de line and
see if could find him.
When gil nearly a quarter of
mile, say to myself, know how
| can tell il dat is Mas Lord. |
see my missus run her hand thro'
his hair when he was a boy, and
she used To say: My boy you haye
such beautiful hair and | used
TO ieel it myself, cos it was 80 nice
and curly. crawl back and put
nv hand in his hair, but de blud
was clot, and de hair didn't ieel
like Mas Lords, but l turn his
head over where de blhd was not
so thick. turn up his face 80 he
could look up into Neptune's face
and l say to my young MASTER
Mas Lord. dis is old Neptune sup