Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-03-19
MOSES in THE THE BRUSH.

An Incident which Happened During War
Times.
On the day after we tunneled out Of
the confederate stockade at Salisbury,
N. c., and while each man had taken
his own direction, came upon a color
ed man in the woods skirting field.
He was digging roots to make himself
a tonic, and broke through the brush
and came upon him SO suddenly that
there was no time To dodge. He was
kneeling down, with parcel of roots
beside him, and he looked at me a min
ute and then asked:
"When did you all git out of dat
PRISON.
Yesterday" I replied, seeing that
he had at once discovered my identity.
'tAn' whar yo' all gwine to now?"
'I'm going to try and get to the Yam
kee lines"
He began to grin, then he broke into
. chuckle. Then the chuckle became
q laugh and he rolled on the ground
thought him demented and was about
to move away when he sat up and said:
81 jess laffed and couldn't help it.
II don't see anything very funny
about it."
But yo' hain't an ole niger, yo' see?
Hits powerful funny an lie got to
laf some mo-"
He indulged in another fit of laugh
ing and rolling, and when he had recov-
cred from it he took a seat on a log
and said:
"'Bout TO months ago, de missus
she calls me up one day an looks at me
long time an den says:
Moses / has dream las mite
dreams dat one % dem Yankee prison
ers got out O. dat pen at Salisbury an
dat yo' was hidin' him in de woods back
yere Ize guwine to hev yer whipped
Tor dat, Moses"
Ibid she2"
'She had me tied up an whipped d, sab,
an / dun didn't git ober smartin' fur
two weeks. One mawnin bout two
months ago she calls me up agin an
says:
'Yo, boy Moses, look me in de eyel
has a dream agin, las mite. / dreams
dat one o dem Yankee prisoners got out
o dat pen at Salisbury, an dat yo' was
hidin' him in de tobacke-house. OATS
anoder whippin' fur yo', Noses"
And you got it again?"
jess laid it onto me de powerfullest
sort, an dat smart didn't dun go away
fur eber so long. Bout fo' weeks age
de missus dun called me up to de big
house ag'in. She looks at me long
time, an den says:
''See yere, Moses, I has anoder dream
bout yo' Last night dreams dat ono
o dem Yankee prisoners dun got ou
O dat pen down to Salisbury, an yo
was dun hidin' him in de brush ober by
de swamp. can't put up wild dat
Moses, and Tze gwine to hev yo' whip
ped mighty hard for it"
"And she actually had you whipped
agninP"
My back hain't dun got we'll yet, sah
but-yo! 70! yo!-Ile dun got to-can'
help it-?"
He went off into another "spell,
lasting couple of minutes, and wher
he had recovered. / said:
II can't see anything in all this t.
tickle you So"
Oats cause yc' hain't me-" he re
Piled as he wiped his eyes. "Dis NAV
MIN Missus dun called me up ag'in. Sh'
was looking mighty pleased, adj bime
by she said:
"Moses, had anoder dream bout yo
last mite l dreamed dat one o den
Yankee prisoners got outer dat pei
down to Salisbury, and dat yo' founc
him in de woods an brung him righ
up yere to me. Yere's a nice piece o
bacon to pay fur dat, Moses, an yo
hain't gwine to be whipped any mo-.
"Well?" asked, as he rolled aroun
again.
''Why sab, can't yo' dun see wha
ticklcs me? Misses had fo' dream
an got three whippin's befo' yo' du
cum, an now ize gwine to hide yo' ur
der de stuff in de shuck-house It'll de
git fru huntin' an den go to glory Ion
wild yo'."-American Tribune