Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-09-07

nois Regiment, who has long since
passed to the final roll call, related o
conversation he overheard on the plan
tation OF Mr.. Harding, who had moved
his family away, his dwelling having
been appropriated for a Yankee hospi-
tai. 10 show the spirit Of the newly
made freemen I cannot do better than
quote from the history Of the seth Iii
nois Regiment:
"One old colored .gemmen' used in
my presence the expression sour
army" / said, which is your army?
"Oh, de MORT. We's all TOR de Norf."
On entering the cabin known among
the black people as "Aunt Car1ine's
house" and among us as ward B, he
found IN interesting and exciting col
loquy going on, which had been start
ed by Tom, a wild ~rollicking boy of II
or IA years, with important orders. He
said he was stopping ut Murfereesboro,
as he was coming back from the other
plantation, where Mr.. Harding's fam
lily and a major part of the servants
had gone for safety, by order of Col
pnel somebody, who had detained all
the rest of the hands and sent them for
those who were at the old place. "La
me" said Aunt Carline, Il never was
in SIGH bodderation in all my BON
ilays. Ise been brot up in SIGH a kim
der guv'ment, dat | hates to be gwine
off till Use done seed all de parties.
Now if / could SEQ ole Miss and she
was agreeable, I'd go sudden quick.
| dun know what to do well" says
Tom, "dem's de orders; de Colonel
done sent me up TO sho' to tell you'uns
to come down to town; dat you wern't
to wo'k no mo- for ole Marse Harding.
case he's secesh." "Oh, la, what shall
I do? What will become of ole Miss,
her as / used to nuze? If she was only
agreeable, ] tells you Use not dat kline
Do a purson dat runs away from ole
Miss" Look heah," says an old man,
the husband of Carline, a patriarch
among the darkies, Look heah, don't
you dun sec we's prisoners oh wah?
We mus do what dem tells us as took
rs prisoners. Yest'day all round heah
was desc rebels, ebery one has
lone treated, and de Union sogers,
God Dress dem, has come and ives in
de hams OBJ de Union, we's prisoners
ob wah. Now don't you see we won't
u away from ole Marse Harding. but
we only 'beys de orders oh dem as dun
tux us prisoners? We's consifcated. /
tole ole Marse long time ago dat he
better be on de side OBJ de Union, dat
God would hress de Union yet, but he
,nly git mad and cuss, and say de Souf
will whip ebery time. You see ole
Marse want to be alters on de side dat
whips. OATS de kim oh man he is"
oh, OH" says Car'line, "Ise neber in
80 much trouble in all de BON days oh
my life. Use 'pletelo flustered. ]
don't like to leah de OF Miss, I don't"
do you tink you gwine to stay here
when you dun git yo' orders. and de
whole army what made de Rebels ske-
laddle close by to 'fo'ce de orders ?
Pears to me yo' amt got no good sense
.o-day, Car'line."
well, it pears to me I don't know
muffin ut all, TO de Lawd, l don't. !
neber see SIGH times afo.' I allus said
I'll stay with OF Misses while / las,
but pears like [ must go now" aud the
devoted old couple proceeded
to gather up their little earthly goods
20 leave. If this should ever meet the
eye of the white Mr.. Harding, he has
my testimony in addition to Car'lines
shat his negroes did not run away, but
were "tuk rs prisoners oh wah."-M.
G.. T., in American Tribune.