Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-12-27
WAR "REMINISCENCES.

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| AVO ARSE DAVE was old ana childish
when de war wuz breakin' out
But seem he cudn' agger up jos whut 'twuz
oil about,
A lookin' up an won'rin when no seed tht
things astir,
A lis'nin an askin' folks jos whut 1t all
wuz fur.
Ole Riverside plantation wid do hill en- bot
tom Ian
Belongt to him, an niggahs scstterd bout
| on every han'
| De cabins settin' hyar an da' tole We wuz all
| de same.
An all wuz dom bizness In old Marse Davy's
| name;
Marse Dave he'd Civ do managin' ell up to
Hugh, his son,
An Hugh was In dc prime Nv life, JOS tun-
MIN thurty-one,
He he'd do grit NV ole Marse Dave and he'd dc
kineness, too;
His face an ackshuns showed to once dat
all his blood wuz blue,
went wild him to Georgy whom he went down
dar to wed,
l VIC WIZ D pair OL uy0fbt 81 VIC 6CoEky uiB
gahs said
Marse Dave I'D still give orders in . kline Of
CHILDISH way,
De folks 'ud haf to yumor him an let him
hab his say;
You'd see him try TO look across dc fields ct
'arly MORN
An askin' ef de niggahs wu2 hoein' In do
corn
'Twuz nifty sad to see him set, about de drap
Nv sun,
An hear him mutter to hiself: ma day is
nearly done"
You'd see him stannin' In de ya'd, lookin
tode de hill,
Den tn away an totter on ez hi dim eyes
'ud fill
De war wuz on in earnes', an dar cum de
southern call,
Marse Dave he cudn understan' de state Wv
things at all;
But when dey tole him dat do MORT wuz gwine
to fight fur us,
He raise hi head minnit, an / thought he
But den he lent agin me, an, he said: "You Is
free. Jim;
Stay wild me till I'm safe across"-righ dar
promised him
Marse Hugh was drilin' nabers, an see his
curly hair
wavin', ez he sot upon de little sorrel
mare
Alldrlllin in de medder, an ridin to an
fro
Day after day until da' cum de summins fer
De mawnin dat he LET US he wuz in suit NV
gray,
An Marse Dawes eyes wuz runnin when he
see him ride away,
Marse Hugh he call me to de fencc, an say:
Remember, Jim,
Use put de creates trus' In you. ma boy.
teck keer wv him?"
You all know bout de fizhtin', an hit seem
dat ever day
ia hear de cannon boontn' in de valley fur
De wust Nv oil wuz cumin', fer de niggahs one
by one
Keep slippin' OF an leavln' till dar wusn'
hardly none;
De fields dey wuz silent, an de cabins all wuz
still,
You never hear de singin out upon the pas
ture hill.
De river seem to run along an lap agin de |
shore.
De ripples seem sayin': Days Nv Joy dey |
Is no more.
Marse Dave nd wander on de bank, hear him |
holler "J-i-m-ml"
An I'd be tes' behine him, kase YOU know !
promised him
One day de troops cum mArchin' up dc valley
dey wuz blue,
Jes thousands Nv EN- comm, an de bands
wuz playin' too;
| got de ole spring wagon, an got ole marster
in,
We tuck de river road an few jes' like dc
wings OF win;
We stopped to rest a mint BY de little Shiloh
church.
An den prest on an lef de PLACE behine us
in de lurch.
l didn't stop until we cum to ole Aunt Sahra's
farm,
Bout fo'te miles away, an den l knowed
hi safe frum harm
Nex day hear de cannuns ez stood upon de
porcA,
Afeler stop an say to me: Hits down st
Shiloh church"
Ihear dat boomin' goin' on clean up into de
night
An ole Aunt Sahra walk de hall; her face
wuz set and white.
Marse Dave he sot noddin, wild hi head bent
on hi ham,
An payin no attention, kase he cud'n UNDER
stan;
An mex day when hit all wuz done, an all do
air wuz still,
Isaid: Aunt Sahra, watch him, please"
and den she said: II will.
l hitched de ole spring wagon up, an went
down back de road.
Jes' headed fur ole Riverside, de shortes'
way knowed
| didn't hav' Marse Dave wild me, wanted les
to see
II anything wuz left down whar de ole homo
used ter be:
An by and by cum to whar de trees wuz Gil
shutdown,
An purity soon see man lAyin' on do
groun';
His face wuz lookin' to do sun, twud rise fer ,
him no more
His hams wuz folded jes across do UNIFORM !
he wore:
An by an by my heart got sick, an 'peared
my legs got weak.
When see whar dc bloody streams he'd run
into de creek;
on l,.xt gy.r. a