Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-04-24
LINCOLN AT vHE FRONT.
An Affecting Reception by the Col-
Ored Troops.


orcd Troops.
Mr.. Lincoln wore very high black
silk hat and black trousers and frocle
coat. Like most men who had been
brought up in the west, he had good
command of horse, but it must be ac-
knowledged that in appearance he was
not very dashing rider. On this oc-
casion, by the time he had reached the
troops he was completely covered with
dust, and the black color of his clothes
had changed to confederate gray. AS he
had no straps, his trousers gradually
worked up above his ankles, and gave
him the appearance of n country farmer
riding into town wearing his Sunday
clothes. a citizen on horseback is al
ways an odd sight in the midst of u uni
formed army, and the picture pre-
sented by the president bordered upon
the grotesque. However, the troops
were so lost in admiration of the man
that the humorous aspect did not seem
to strike them. The soldiers rapidly
passed the word along the line that
'Uncle Abe" had joined them, and
cheers broke forth from all the com
mands, and enthusiastic shouts and
even words of familiar greeting met
him on all sides.
After awhile Gen. Grant said: "Mr.
President, let us ride on and see the
colored troops, who behaved so hand
somely in Smiths attack on the works
in front of Petersburg last week."
"Oh, yes" replied Mr.. Lincoln; 81
want to take a look at those boys. 1
read with the greatest delight the ac-
count given in Mr.. Dana's dispatch to
the secretary of war of how gallantly
they behaved. He said they took six
out of the 16 guns captured that day. l
was opposed on nearly every side when
l first favored the raising of colored
regiments; but they have proved their
efficiency, and am glad they have kept
pace with the white troops in the recent
assaults. When we wanted every able
bodied man who could be spared to go
to the front, and my opposers kept
objecting to the negroes, / used to tell
them that at such times it was just as
well to be little colorblind. / think,
general we can say of the black boys
what a country fellow, who was an old
time abolitionist in Illinois, said when
he went 10 IL IHedteT III IHlCdBO ana StW
Forrest playing Othello. He was not
very well up in Shakespeare, and didn't
know that the tragedian was white
man who had blacked up for the pur-
pose. After the play was over the folks
who had invited him to so to the show
wanted to know what he thought of the
actors, and he said: WAL, layin' aside
all sectional prejudices and any par
tiality 1 may have for the race, derned
if don't think the nigger held his own
with any on EN-" The westerns dia-
lect employed in this story was perfect.
The camp of the colored troops of the
Eighteenth corps was soon reached, and
scene now occurred which defies de-
scription. They beheld for the first
time the liberator of their race-the
man who by stroke of his pen had
struck the shuckles from the limbs of
their fellow-bondmen and proclaimed
liberty to the enslaved. Always inn
pressionable, the enthusiasm of the
blacks now knew no limits. They
cheered, laughed, cried, sang hymns of
praise, and shouted in their negro dia
lect: God bress Massa Linkum." "De
Lord save Fader Abraham" "De day
OBJ jubilee am come, shuah." They
crowded about him and fondled his