River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-08-20

seemed to have too much on his mind.
or else that his mind wasn't big enough
10 carry all the things that were in it.
President Polk was speaker of the
house of representatives, and he was
jolly man with his white friends. He
seldom noticed any of the servants.
Gen. jackson knew all of the colored
people, and called me Lizzie whenever
he saw me. He knew the other serv-
ants by their names, too. We all liked
him. Presi lent Pierce was handsome
man and very popular; but he some
times got too much liquor into him, and
then he was not so handsome. He vas
always gentlemanly and polite to every
body, and / often heard people who adj.
mired him say: 'What pity he drinks
too much or words like that. They
said that he was great orator and n
good president.
II saw very little of President Blu
chanan. ire was not much of man to
go calling; leastwise he seldom called
at our house, and folks said that he
stayed most of the time at the
white house. I only saw President
Lincoln once, and that was when he was
inaugurated. Soon after that l was
taken TO Virginia, and lived with the
Lees until after the war. twas ia Rich
mond when the Yankees came there,
and it was an awful time. Everybody
was scared. They used to tell us awful
stories of what the Yankees would do if
they ever caught us. But when the
Yankees came into Richmond they
didn't do anything but march in and
take possession. There was a great
deal of excitement, but the Yankees
were not bad men at all. They were
simply soldiers like our poor rebel sol
diers; but they had plenty to eat and
good clothes to wear, while our poor
rebel soldiers were hungry and almost
naked. I never thought the Yankees
ought TO be so very proud of whipping
the rebels at Richmond, for our people
were almost famished, while the Yam
KEGS had everything that soldiers could
need.
II never felt SO bad in my life as did
when the news came that President
Lincoln had been killed. cried, and
all the colored people cried. We didn't
know just why we cried, but all of us
felt that Mr.. Lincoln was our friend,
and we were looking for good times as
soon as the war was all over. Gen.
Grant was great man, and we all felt
that he would take care of as; but the
colored people believed that Mr.. Lin.
coin was our best friend.
"No, / never saw Gen. Grant when he
was in .irginia; but l saw him in
Washington after the war; and / saw
him often when he was president. He
used to drive about the city with ais
fast horses, and he was very foni of
having pretty girls with him. | think
he was the last president who has gone
driving about the city with perfect free
dom. The others all keep themselves
away from the people, so that nobody
knows them even by sight.
"Yes, | am growing very old. ] feel
that have done my work, and that the
good Lord will take care of me when
am called away. / have been a Chris
tian for many year, and whether free
or slave. / feel that 1 am under the
shadow of His wing, and that He will
gather me up when all nations will be
known as His children Somehow, in
His own way, on the other shore, the ma
tions will be changed and be equal as
His children; but they are not all equal
here, and they ought not to think So"
Aunt Lizzie evidently descended from
one of the best tribes in Africa, for she
is of superior mental fiber. There is no
white blood in her veins. She is black,
but her head is finely formed, and her
eyes are as brilliant and expressive as
the eyes of any of her elderly white
friends. She belongs to the Baptist
church. and is a regular attendant.
But. aside from her church associations.
she seeks the society of the white peo-
pie. and she is welcome In many ZONES
of the old families of Washington.
SMITH D. FRY.