Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-04-01
MisftIIanepns.
UNCLE WATTY AND PRESIDENT
LINCOLN.
A TRUE STORY OF WAR TIMES.


world of trade and travel in one of thu
most fertile grain-growing and grazing
regions Of Maryland. At the mouth o
the Monocacy the inAowing Of its water,
causes the Potomac River, like the side
stroke from the hocky of a skilful player
to make a graceful detour. In the center
of this attractive country. five miles from
as many ferries across into Virginia and
about thirty miles north from Washing
ton city, the village slowly grew, and
the people prospered among themselves,
enliVened by their weekly gatherings on
Saturday afternoon for the mail, their
singing or dancing schools, their literary
society, an occasional ''scrub race" the
appearance Of a peddler, lecturer or a
wandering musician.
This was large slave-holding CON-
munity. 1t was pleasing and cherished
custom among the colored people during
the holidays and on Sundays, after meet
ing, to exchange greetings on the porch
es Of the village stores. In their best
clothes, clean and bright, free from the
cares and burdens of everyday life, they
merrily chartered like focks of happy
birds. Among the characters Of the time
and place was Watty Owens, a worthy
old colored man, with lame leg, along
up in the sixties, of whom everybody
was fond, for he was kind and obliging
to everyone. Uncle Watty, for so he was
Familiarity called, was an active member
of the church, which has Goods acre"
about it, divided between the whites and
colored people. He sat on the end of the
front row of seats in the gallery nearly
opposite the pulpit He sang with fer
vor, and we'll remem Der that the tears
would glisten on his cheeks and beneath
his spectacles when the exhortations of
the preacher touched his sympathetic
heart. The pews for the white folks
we're arranged on the ground floor. for
the women on one side and for the men
on the other side of the aisle Along
the walls Of tho latter dark spots marked
the places where many weary saints
rested their heads during the sermons,
ard along the floor at regular intervals
we're placed homemade square wooden
boxes filled with sand for the convenience
of saints and sinners, for they alike used
the weed.
Uncle Watty regularly appeared among
the gatherings of his friends upon the
store porches with large square basket,
with folding lids, filed with tempting
cakes, fresh from the hands Of his help
fol wife.
When the war began, the village, by
reason of its relative position to WASH
ington city and the several ferries on the
Potomac, naturally. and yet much to
the surprise of the good people of the
neighborhood, emerged from its seclu-
sion into an important point for the de.
tense of the national capital and became
a center for army operations 1t retained
this Importance during the first and Sec
ond years Of the war
What a mighty change the war made
in the South. 1t was an upheaval-an
earthquake. 1t marked an epoch. It
rolled up the past into completed scroll
of history. The olden times and scenes
of the days before the war will never
return. With the war. into this CON-
munity, came the many thousands of
brave soldiers, who became disting uished
in its annals, while the great conflict
went on, and the mingled waves of sor-
row and glory rolled over distracted
country.
The presence of soldiers singing John
Browns Body" really gave the colored
people of the neighborhood their freedom
sometime before the Emancipation Proc
lamation was issued. In this abrupt
change in their social condition the COL
ored people had to rely upon their own
resources.
Uncle Watty's amateur calling by the
stress of circumstances became the
means Of support for himself and Aunt
Polly. Every day the honest, strug-
Cling, old man could be seen busy with
his basket Of cakes Iit the camps As
soldier would look in upon them with
wistful eyes be could almost hear them
sing:
ave come from home fragrant with sugar
and spice,
We are horses, diamonds and hearts, so
sweet, so nice
Like old Santa used to put in stockings for
thee,
We would plead for hearts and hands that
long to be Free"
Uncle Watty's business soon outgrew
his basket and his lame leg Fortunat-
ly for him, at this time, several. con-
demned government horses were turned
loose to die by a passing squad of
troopers. He appropriated one Of them.
IL had been the victim Of rough service,
and was apparently on its last legs, and
followed with difficulty its delighted cap
tor, who with rope 10 hand introduced
it to Aunt Polly: "If be was mare
we ought to call it Pokyhoutas, but
when think it has been fighting in the
war and Of It's condition let's call it for
the present Bonypart If we make a
genuine success Of it we can it Flying
Cloud. after Marse Fenton Audd's racer
which beat Mermaid in the old field last
fall" BY the kind and careful uursinp
Of the old man and bis wife it became a
useful animal. He obtained an old
shackly wagon, and equipping the horse
with harness as variegated in mate
rails as the crops he raised in his truck
patch. he and the iron gray carried bust
ness into the camps along the river, Il
was never quiet along the Potomac when
be was on the road, for snatches Of
songs and hymns filled in any interlude
and sometimes even rose above the clat.
ter Of bis original outfit, the outgrowtt
Of necessity aud poverty, ingenuity and
perseverance. Uncle Watty aud Aunt
Polly toiled bravely on. lie became
the soldiers fAVorite, and he prospered
About this time l left the village
and did not return until my vacation
the following summer, when, meeting
with him, in reply to my INQUIRY how
IL