Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-02-09
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
FAITHFUL SERVANT.
Not Even Death Released Him From the
Duty Imposed.

Not Even Death Released Him From the
Duty Imposed
You can talk all you want to about
faithfulness and steaS stness to duty"
said an old army capt. IN TO a number
Of listeners, but when il comes to be-
ing true to a trust. the colored race
takes the blue ribbon every time Dur
ing the war, he continued. "a slave
came to my headquarters and begged
me TO let him stay and make himself
generally useful and act as my private
body guard. Well, I didn't need the
fellow, but l sort of took pity on him
and let him remain. and / was always
very glad ] did, for ne would do any
thing | told him to. no matter how much
Of an effort it cost him.
lie was pretty handy as a forager
and never seemed to have much trouble
IN locating a hen roost. We always had
chicken to eat If there was any in the
country ] remember one time ] told
him to so out and bring in some poul-
try He said All right, massa" and
started off Morning came and he fail
ed to return. A week had passed and l
saw nothing more of him. / felt sure
he had grown tired of camp life or had
been captured or killed But one morn
ing he came into camp with two large
ROSTERS He looked ragged and worn,
and as he threw down his burden he
said: Thar, massa, is yere blame ole
chickens. Them rebs got tween me
an de lines an made me trabble bout
foah hun'ed mile to git yere
I
valuables in my tent, and on starting
out with a skirmishing party told my
colored man not to allow anyone to
enter the tent. We had no more than
got away when the enemy rode into
camp and took everything except my
tent, which my Negro defended against
the whole army, and all because l had
told him he should keep every one out
| have thought since that if | had only
told him to 60 out and put down the
rebellion he would have done so. / had
become very much attached to him,
when one time he went with me on a
secret accommodating trip. My horse
had been shot from under me and / was
riding a mule. We reached thick
clump of bushes, when | dismounted
and told him to hold my mule till l re-
turned, and started away on foot.
had gone some distance through the
woods when l saw several confederates
between me and where / had left my
mule. My safety demanded that
hurry still further on to another thick
growth of timber. The enemy seemed
to be following me- and | kept going
forward until finally | reached camp
just before the opening of a severe
battle We We're forced to fall back,
and during the night started on a long
march. had but little doubt that my
Negro and mule had fallen into the en-
emy's hands. / never saw either of
them again during the war, and after
it was over l came north.
twenty-five years later took trip
south and visited the old battle grounds.
l found the same dense cluster of brush
and trees, where in the midst of which
had left my Negro with instructions
to hold my mule until returned. And,
although it was no more than / had
right to expect of him, l will confess !
was somewhat surprised to find stand
ing there the skeleton of that Negro, its
bony fingers clutching the strap to
which was attached the skeleton of a
mule Just the instant said, There,
jefferson, you needn't hold the mule
any longer" both the skeletons fell in
heap and l threw a few leaves and
some dirt over the bones, and, turning
away with tears in my eyes, l said:
How seldom do we see such fidelity to
duty But, notwithstanding that
Negroes good qualities, he had his fault.
He would lie Do the best could with
him he still seemed to have but little
regard for the truth. But I've often
thought if he could have associated
with me till the end of the war it might
have made a different man out of him ,"
CHICAGO News