Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-10-05
y ARSE DAVE was old and childish

tom Ian
Belongt to him, an niggahs scatter'd bout
on every han;
De cabins settin hyar an da tole we wuz all
dc same,
An oil wuz doin' bizness In old Marse Davy's
nnmc;
Marse Dave he'd Civ do managin oil up to
Hugh, his son,
An Hugh was In de prime Nv life. ies tun-
min thurty-one,
He he'd de grit NV ole Marse Dave, and he'd de
kineness, too;
His face an ackshuns showed to once dat
all his blood wuz blue,
went wild him to Georgy when he went down
dar to we'd,
We wuz q pair OF 6yers so do Georgy mig
gahs said.
Marse Dave I'D still give orders in q kline of
chileish way
De folks 'ud hat to yumor him IA lot him
hab his say;
You'd see him try to look across dc fields at
'nrly morn,
An askin' ef de niggahs wuz a hoslu in de
corn,
'Twuz nifty sad to see him set, about do drap
NV sun,
An hear him mutter to hrselt: ma day is
nearly done;"
You'd see him stannin' in de ya'd lookin'
tode de hill,
Den tu'n away an totter OF ez hi dim eyes
'ud fill
De war wuz on In earnes', an dar cum de
southern call,
Marse Dave he cud'n' understan' de state NV
things ut all;
But when dey tole him dat de norf wuz gwine
to fight fur us,
Ho raise hi head minnit, an thought he
gwine to cuss;
But den he lent agin me, an, he said: you is
free. jim;
Stay wild me till I'm safe ncross"-ri.h dar
promised him.
Marse Hugh was drillin' nabers on SEQ his
curly hair
A wavin'. ez he sot upon de little sorrel
mare--
All drlllin in de medder an ridin' to an
fro
Day after day until da' cum de summins fer
De mawnn dat ho lef US he wuz in suit Nv
gray,
An Marse Dawes eyes wuz runnin' when he
see him ride away;
Marse Hugh he call ms to dc fence, an say:
Remember, Jim,
Use put de greLteS' trus in you, ma boy,
teclS keer Nv hin"'
You all know bout do Ayhtin, an nit seem
dat ever day
I'd hear de cannon boomin' in de valley fur
away.
De wust NV all wuz cumin' fer de niggahs one
by one
Kep' slippin' OF an leayln' till dar wusn'
hardly none;
Be 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 agln dc
shore,
De ripples seem sayin': Days Nv Joy dey
is no more"
Marse Dave 'ul wander on de bank. hear him
holler "J-i-m-ml"
An I'd be jes behine him, kase you know
promised him
One day dc troops cum marchin up do valley
dey wuZ blue,
Jes thousands Nv 'em comm. an de bands
wuz playin too;
Igot de ole spring wagon, an got ole marster
in,
We tuck de rivor road an few jes' like do
wings of win;
We stopped to rest mint by de little Shiloh
church.
An den prest on an lef de place behine us
in de lurch.
ldidn't stop until we cum to ole Aunt Sahra's
farm.
Bout foteen miles away. an den 1 knowed
hi safe frum harm
Mex day hear do cannuns ez I stood upon de
porch
Afeler stop an say to me: Hits down at
Shiloh church"
Lhear dat boomin goin' on clean up into do
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 han,
An payin' no attention kase he cud'n UNDER
stan;
An mex day when hit all wuz done. "a all do
air wuZ STILL
Isaid: Aunt Sahra. watch him. please"
and den she said: II will"
Ihitched dc ole spring wagon up, an went
down back dc road.
Jes' headed fur ole Riverside, do shortes'
way l knowed;
Idldn't hay Marse Dave wild me, wanted Jos
to see
II anything wuz left down whar de ole homo
used ter be;
An by and by cum to whar de trees wuz all
An purity soon see o man layin on de
groun';
His face wuz lookin' to do sun. twud rise fer
him no moro.
His hans wuz folded jes across do UNIFORM
he wore;
An by an by my heart got siok. an peared
my legs got weak.
When see whar de bloody streams he'd run
into de creek;
An dar wuz layln' 'napsacks NV de blue an NV
de gray,
De blue an gray wuz sleepin' clost together
on dat day.
Ar some wuz left unburrid, dar dey wuz on
ever side,
Dar didn't seem to be no spot but whar
some sojer died.
Ioud'n stan de sight Nv hit; like to reel an
fell.
An when dey's nghtiu' dar it must been 4
reg'ler hell
pushed on to olo Riverside before de sun
wuz set,
Ma heart wuz happy when | sec de house
wuz standin yet.
But when cum TO de ya'd see some three er
four
Dc naber boys talkin' an stannin' near
tho door.
Dey beokon me to como nigh. an den dey
say at las:
"Be keerful, Jim, he wants you, fer he's
comm nifty fas'"
xknowed dc trufo. dey tuck mo In. an dar
upon DC bed
Narse Hugh wuz layin', an SEQ bandage
'roun his tsad.