The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
CHRISTMAS in CAMP
MERRY NIGHT FOR SOLDIERS IN
SHENANDOAH VALLEY IN 1864.
Uncle Zeke's Concert of "COOn" Songs,
as Told by a Member of Mich
igan Cavalry Brigade.

Colonel c., in Detroit Free Press
Winter made its debut in the Shenandoah
valley in 1864 by riding in on a cold wave
that came sweeping down from the north
west at the rate of thousand miles day.
| The soldiers in camp felt the touch of old
| Boreas in every limb, and the hoary visitor
! did not fail to give a good account of him
| self while he fingered. The mercury went
| into it's burrow at an early date to hi
! bernate, and sometimes descended below
zero, but never pushed it's head out of the
| hole until the first of March The Michigan
| cavalry brigade lay in quarters at Camp
| Russell, about six miles southeast of Win
! chester Huts had been built, the command
was comparatively well housed, and had
| settled down TO the monotony of winter
life. There was nothing to relieve the dull
ness of the daily routine until the merry
| Christmas time, and very little then. There
was no Christmas holly with red berries
and glossy leaves; no spruce and pine in
| holiday quantities. and the good cheer we
were accustomed to at home on such occa-
sions was absent TO be sure there was
the suffer- who had stock of so-called lux
uries at prices that were three times their
value, but the paymaster had not visited
| the brigade for long time, and greenbacks
! We're an unknown quantity. There were no
| stockings hung up on that Christmas eve
| to be filled by Santa Claus, but some of the
men had received boxes of goodies from
| home, which were generously shared with
| their less fortunate com.a AIDES.
There was u short period of excitement
on the day before Christmas which brought
the men out of their quarters in hurry.
| About o'clock in the afternoon several
shots were heard in the direction of the
| river, where our pickets were stationed.
| Immediately the whole camp was on the
alert The bugle sounded boots and sad
dies" and in less than ten minutes the
| troopers were in readiness to repel any
zoe that might appear. But there was 10
be no fighting Investigation developed the
fact that some Of the soldiers had taken
! played-out horse 10 the outskirts of the
| camp to end its miserable existence AS
usual in such cases, it took more than
shot to dispatch the animal, and couple
or Colts reVOlVerS were emptied before the
| horse was killed. Hence the alarm.
In the early evening of that day ] was
| sitting in my cabin alone writing a letter
to the folks at home, when an orderly APP
| peared at the door with a message. Cap
tain Fisher sends his compliments and de
SlreS you 10 report at brigade headquaf-
! ters, said he. l wondered what was up,
but Immediately put on my overcoat and
| obeyed the order.
CAPTAIN IN THE BLUES
! Merry Christmas to YOU" said the cap
"a bad attack of the blues tonight, am all
alone here and feel mighty lonesome. Col.
Stagg and the remainder of the staff have
gone to Winchester to a ball, and l am left
| in charge of the brigade. They took the
band with them, so there's no music to be
had; the suter is cleaned out of wet goods
| entirely; there no cigars available, and
| the best thing 1 offer you is a pipe
and some natural leaf plug. Sit down and
make yourself at nome. You are wonder
| ing, perhaps why sent for you. The fact
is / have planned a visit for tonight and
want you to accompany me. 1t will not
take. us out OF camp, and some amusement
may come CT It,. You remember my black
servant, Uncle Zeke? Well, he came to me
near Richmond when we were on the Kill
! patrick raid, and has stuck to me ever since.
| He is a faithful and serviceable fellow; was
! born slave in Georgia, and when old
enough to be valuable was sold to a Vir-
| ginian. He is as black as the ace of spades,
has taught himself to read and write and
possesses one of the finest voices l think L
ever heard. He sings the old plantation
songs to perfection, accompanying himself
on what he calls his bOnjo.' He asked to
be relieved from duty to-day. as the coons'
wanted to have some Christmas eve doings
at their quarters. Now L propose that we
go over and see what they are up to. Are
you agreeabe?"
] assented, and bundling up in our over
coats we went forth into the night The
air was crisp and bracing, with just enough
the snow lay like a white mantle on the
earth as far as the eye could reach, broken
only by the .canvas-top roofs OF the cabins
OF the soldiers and a fringe of leaf1ess
| trees in the distance. AS we walked along
the faint strains of music reached our ears.
| Uncle Zel1e is at it," said the captain,
"and we will be just in time
1t was not far to the servants quarters
and we were soon there. the captain en-
boys" had built a huge fire in front of
| their tent. sheltered from TIE wind by
Headquarters wagon. On the inside the place
was illuminated by candles in the tops of
old bottles, and the atmosphere thick with
smoke from pipes in the mouths of the in
| mates. On hunks and bareback boxes
dozen black fellows of various ages were
seated, while Uncle Zeke occupied one end
| of an empty pork barrel the place Of
| honor. In his hands he held something
| shaped like a banjo, but differed from that
| instrument in that it possessed only three
| strings. The melody that he produced from
| it. however, was exquisite. This is what we
! first heard 8 we stood behind the wagon
unobserved., Uncle Zeke was talking and
seemed to be the whole thing.
UNCLE ZEKE'S SONGS.
| "Yo' brack man, ober dere from ATbam
member de song niggers sing when hoein'
in de cotton fiel? 1t goes disaway," and he
commenced to sing:
| Hoe, niggahs. hoe, twell de hawn blow
Hi OHIO hi OHIO;
Den We'll stop an hoe no mo-
Hi-an-ah; hi ah-ah.
| Ole marster comm down de road;
Hi OHIO, hi OHIO;
He de man whut pay ou' boad;
Hi-an-ah; hi ah-ah.
! Nov glib yo' some jawbone talk Doan'
| make SO much noise ober dar, you 'Ginny
! niger, de company cain hear what l say.
! Listen, now
| Hen, she fit de chicken hawk;
| Jawbone eat wild er knife and fawk-
| So dem jawbone takers talk,
| WhilSe dem walkers walk de chaWk.
Talk jawbone,
Do go home.
In come Jim wild jersey on.
| Alligator log,
| Hodin' talk wild er high-back hog;
| Gator lip dat riVah fence,
| En- / ain seed dat ole hog Sence.
] "Cawn-pone in de fryin' pan
| Look so good to hawngry man,
| In dar wild de possum fat,
| l ca stop stan all dat.
| "Ole Jack Eros er sassy man,
Foolin Toun' in Dixie lam:
Grab de white folks by de nose,
Cotch de niggah by de toes.
Cotton seed and cotton sowed.
! Rainy day en- Gavin done bowed;
! Pawsley CROWN mighty fas
Down dar in de gyarden sass
A round of applause greeted the singer as
! Zeke, go on. inc Zelle" stimulated the old
/ f1,,ve