The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10

"When the last war draft was or
dered during the winter of 1s64-5,'' be-
gan Uncle Jack Strokg. II was twenty
nine years old and was the mainstay Of
the farm. Brother Will was a cripple
from birth, sister Jane, the Oldest, had
retired from teaching to manage the
household duties and father and mother
were we'll up in the seventies and con-
sequently as good as helpless. We had
all opposed the war on conscientious
grounds, and therefore thought we had
excellent reasons for deploring the con-
scription. Our domestic situation failed
to present an effective appeal in my
plea for exemption. and we one night
held a family council. the result of which
determined me to pay a visit to my
uncle in one of the northern counties of
the State. Things were arrange to
that end, and three weeks before the
draft l packed up and left quietly be-
tween two days 1t was understood
that we were not to write any letters.
for the enrolling officers and provost
marshals were vigilant in those times,
unless in case of sickness or other
serious trouble. The part of the State
in which my uncle lived was sparsely
settled then. His farm was in a thick
ly wooded region seven miles east of
the Grand prairie. The nearest railway
station was a place called ~Springwood.
twenty miles west. / walke the entire
distance, carrying my vaIise. and gave
my relatives a great surprise, for we
had not seen each other for nine or ten
years. They CAV me a cordial well
come and I caop fo,,od 49, " 80,
sympathy with my views of the wal and
the CONSUMPTION. My three cousins were
all girls. and 1 had not been with them
twelve hours till they unanimously
elected me to teach the winter school
In their district. I soon further learned
that all the patrons of the school except
two families-one white and the other
black-were anti-war people. The negro
family had moved to the neighborhood
six months before and were tenants on
the farm of Wick Spencer, the soli-
tary white Ioyalist.' The latter's only
son was in the Union army. His re-
naming child was a daughter, a young
lady OF seventeen. The colored family
consisted of the parents and a lad Of
eighteen. So much for Introductory Cos
sip. | mention these folks because some
OF them cut an important figure in my
story.
MY uncle was the director of the
'deestrick,' and. being on friendly terms
politically and socially with the trustee,
he felt that my application for the school
would be equivalent to an election. Be
sides, / had taught a couple of terms
some years before in my own county,
which would give me prestige. The pro-
posal suited me exactly. and 1t was I'M
derstood among us that I would apply
Tor the place as soon as the draft was
over. Meantime I would pass for a
mere visitor. so as to avoid being listed
for CONSUMPTION.
The draft was made and the quotas
filled, with here and there a notable
exception where eligible citizens like
myself happened to be absent from
home. A few days later my uncle re-
ceived. a. letter from brother Will con-
tanning some rather startling news. My
name had been drawn. and l was a gov
conscript. The provost officers
had called for me and Will had told
them / was in New York. They went
away ~incredulous. saying they would
send for me. Wills urpos in writing
was to warn me, SO that / might escape
to the Queens dominions, which had
already been an asylum for so many
refugees-white as we'll as black. But
/ vowed that / would neither go to war
nor to Canada. My kin folks approved
of my resolution, for it was our firm be-
lief then that the war would last for
many years, and that 1T was only a
question of time when there would be
a general revolt in the Western States
against the conscription act.
Another week passed and I got no
further word from home. We did not
answer Wills letter for obvious rea-
sons. I made application for the school
and was employed at $3.50 a month.
The county examiner favored me with
a special hearing and / secured a license
good for eighteen months. On the fol-
A-sx Ha,l 4 n0nn pnx rrnr m
rolling the first day forty-three pupils.
Among them was a very pretty girl
who gave her name as Lena Spencer.
She turned out to be the daughter of
the war supporter of whom my cousins
had told me. l was not long discover
ing that she was far the brightest pupil
In the school, not excepting my cousin
Nancy, who stood next to her, however.
in fact, / was surprised to note the low
grade of advancement, due mainly to
the limited advantages in that section.
Miss Spencer was not My brilliant
in comparison with the rest. but was
unusually studious. modest, well-be-
haved and intelligent. l mentioned my
admiration of her to my cousins. and
they agreed with me, admitting that
the prejudice against her. which l had
very quickly perceived, was owing as
much to envy as to political animosity.
MY uncle's family kept me posted in
the neighborhood gossip. They learned
the first day that the negro youth in
tended starting IN the second MONDAY,
and expressed the opinion that If l per-
United him to enter it would break up
the school. The patrons were almost
unanimously opposed to niger equal
ity,' and would never tolerate such un-
paralleled ~impudence. This feeling grew
hotter from day to day. and on Friday
morning of the first week l received no
less than a dozen notes from Indignant
parents most of which were queer
specimens of illiteracy and silly preju-
dice. My educated inclinations were de-
cidedly anti-negro, but l was not at all
pleased with the peremptory tone OF
some of these notes. l kept my senti-
ments to myself, however. expressing
them only-and sparing1y-to my uncle.
His advice was to refuse the colored fell
low admission for the good of the
school, l had come to the point or
mentally resolving that that must de-
pend on circumstances. 1 wondered how
Miss Spencer would look at the matter.
When L limited the query TO cousin
Nancy and she gave her opinion that
the young lady and her father, being