The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-31
CONTRABANDS OF WAR.
BY w. $. HrSELrsE.


In the royery month % May. fss3, the
Army Of the Potomac confronted Cen
Lee and the Confederate army on the
banks OF the serpentine Rappahannork,
the Union army, under Ftgnffng Joe
Hooker facing Freterickspurg. on
whose heights the enemy were strongly
entrenched. The ni-starrczs battles %
Fredericksburg. under Burnside. and
Chanceliorsville. under Hooker. had been
fought and lost. and depression Ike pail
rested on every soldiers heart There
were two beings, however, whom dtsas-
ter could not diseouFage-tTo black con
frabands OF war" known only az Jim
and Marcy" his wffe. Ia the language
of Jim. he was 80 old that he could not
recoilect the year he was born, nor coula
his wifely companion.
The log hat OF the ancient couple was
located near one OF the Union outposts
at Banks Ford. IL was just on the bor-
der OF a veritabIe wilderness. whose sinu-
Gus paths were amid perfect labyrinth
% vine and tree. and 30 dense was the
foliage and tree life that II was irnpossi-
bic TO see an object twenty feet away
Here. in peace and quiet the old couple
lived before the war Both were runa-
way slaves, and upon their faces ana
hands were the marks Of the slave-drl-
verss lash The coming OF the legion IN
blue brought happiness TO the hearts OF
the oppressed black people. nothing
could exceed their enthusiasm IN the pres
ence OF the nations flag and the boys
who defended Il.
Old Marcy taught many a novice tho
art of making corn dodger and the man
y,er OF handling q faptack. and many an
honest dollar she turned i'm mending tat
tered garments or disreputabie looking
cocks. The boys liked "Oid Nam ana
contributed literally OF their rations 10
the support Of the aged pair. In fact.
Jim and Marcy were adopted by the
command and they became the wards Of
every man who wore the blue. The faith
OF the black couple in 'sMassa Iinkufn"
was sublime. as was also their belief In
the triumph OF the Union cause. Presi-
dent Lincoln. In their humble belief, was
q demigod and only little lower than
the Savior of man. Indeed. not fnfre-
auently both divinity and humanity were
placed I'm the same category. When hon.
est Jim sang
I'm coming. Massa Linkum.
Press me TO your breast
ne was as earnest and fervent as though
AT darkey camp-rneetlng exhorting the
unbelieger. Rough. uneouth. ignorant
though he was. there was something in
the poor, despised black man that APP
TO cluster around the old man only re-
spect for the master who had scourged
him. and love and yeneration for the old
home on the Pc river.
Not n harsh word ever escaped his lips
whenever he spoke OF "Old Marse joe
and "Afissus Jaae." the owners OF the
bondman. In tho heart or the old slave
heaven and liberty were synonymous
terms nor could he be persuaded that
the word rlppled from the tongue of old
Jim, and how exhiiarated his countenance
seemed when he and Marcy sang:
mo poor old slave in Massa Linkum's
kingdom.
For when the poor old Niger gets there
he's free"
Amid the serenity of their lives came a
warning note toward the end of May and
the poor old slaves were stricken with
grief. Rumor gained credence that the
army was 10 move, but Just where no one
save the commander-in-chief knew On
the morning of May 18th the Union out
posts were Withdrawn. so quietly and SO
Unexpectedly that the boys who had be
come attached 10 the black couple could
not say good bye, and some hearts felt a
sense Of oppression when the thought oc-
CURED that since the little hut was no
longer within the Union lines tho couple
were at the mercy of guerrillas and other
rebel cutthroats.
The days crept into q week and one
day. either the 18th or a0th OF May the
command returned TO their old quarters
at Banks Ford, and search was made for
Jim and Marcy by some of the boys
The old hut was gore having been burned
down. and near by las The old slaves dead
Two CHASTITY rifie-shot wounds in the
head of each told the story The long
wished-for had been realized much sooner
than they had anticipated-the slaves
we're free. For them no moro scourgings.
no more harrassments OF hioodhounds,
for tranquility. happiness and liberty
were theirs TO enjoy forever. There they
lay, Just whore they fell together, along
side OF each other their bodies left to rot
Ike common carrlon. Truly the work OF
some predatory band OF the enemy was
awful and shocking.
With rcverentiai awe. with hearts bub-
bling with horror. indignation and SYM
gathy akin TO love, the bows in blue bu-
ricd the bodies OF the black slaves I'm one
common grave. while one of the com
mand said In faltering accents the funeral
service. then each soldier spread on the
grace clusters OF Wild rose and sprigs OF
sweethriar. while not far distant a South
efn hooking bird from ID lofty perch.
filled the wildwood with music Thus was
thes grave OF Jim and Marcy decorated
on the 9th or S0th of May, thirfy-four
years ago.
Retrtbuttvc Justice must have been
visited by part OF tho Union command
week later. While regiment con
nected with kilpatrick's brigade OF troons
were scouting few miles beyond Ranks
Ford. they attacked. routed and literally
wiped out a guerrilla command. ON the
head of dead rebel was black sort
hat which was Immediately recognized "a
the one presented TO Jim by one OF the
boys in blue.