The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-02-24

SNOWFALL, sezzee, "youse a wuf1ess
niggah an sassy, but Pm gwine tub trust
you. Oars my watch an money an
directed letter. Keep dem foh me till dis
culver an his eyes fill. an he couldn't no
how say eff I'm daid'-s'If-if YOU
kin fin me, den glib dem back tub me. If
you can't fin me, take $40 bill outen de
money fur yourself. put de rest wild de
watch in de envelope an stick il in de
postoffice. Goodbye, SNOWFALL"
jest lay down on de ground an bellered
De racket ober de rbber broke out wusser
dan ebber. 1t seemed tub ME dat ebbery
shot wuz pinted straight at Mistuh 10. an
ebbery time shell busted | wuz sho he
wuz tore tub pieces. | couldn't bear tuh
listen tub it nur see il. pulled Caliber 65
down beside me. rolled ober on my face,
shut my eyes. stuffed my fingers intuh my
ears, and tried tub keep it all out. but
couldn't. ] wanted de Lord tub SEN right
down an git me, an take me away from
trouble, an | was afeared ebbery minnit ID
be my last when dose big bumshellsd
come screechin' Ober hollerin' "Whar's
dat nggal? Whar's dat niggah? Ryah
he is"
Bimeby-towards dark-de racket wuz-
cent quite so awful. ] got nifty lonely out
daT wild nobody but myself an CaIiber 90,
! concluded dat if wuz gwine tub die, il
would be comfortabler up nearer Mistuh 10
an de rest. led Caliber IS acrost de
pontoon bridge tub Fredericksburg.
went up long street. pickn' my way ober
de brick walls datd bin knocked down,
an ober dead men an smashed wagons.
until come to not mOre'n d company OBJ
| men, gaddered about fire dat dey'd made
ob doors an winder-shutters dat dev'd
took from one oh de houses. Seemed tuh
me dat ! knowed some ob de men. an
went up to dem an axed:
Does you know whar is de 1O4th Cana
joharie2"
De man bust out cryin'. Sezzee:
SNOWFALL. is dat you? Dis is all dat is
left Oh dem. De rest is lookin' up at God,
out dar beyant de canal.
"Whar'S MiStuh Jo2" seq |, wild an
crazy in my mind
Mistuh 10 an de rest OBJ his mess, wild
lots Oh de udder boys, is layn' 'roun' de
Kunnel and Majah about one hundred
yards dis side dat stone wall. Dey got as
nigh to it as anybody. afore dey dropped,
de Kunnel fust. de Maah soon after. an
de rest OBJ de boys folering dem powerful
quick. Do you see dat fire right ober dar?"
Yes, seq l.
We'll. OATS in de rebel lines, lest in
front OBJ whar der Hbes went out OATS
de pint we wuz chargin foh.'
"Is swine right out dar tub whar dey is"
sez |.
SNOWFALL. you'se crazy" sezzee "You
wouidn' lib mnnt. De rebels's shootin'
ebberytinG dat moves"
rs gwine right out dar whar dey is"
SEE l. for I wuz plum beside myself
'Suthin tells me dat Mistuh JOS aiibe an
wants me. Ell he's daid want tub die
TOO. I'm only pore little niggah. an
dar, no good OBJ my iibben ef he's done
dad."
waded froo de canal an crawfed out
among Gle daid an wounded dat wuz
heaped UP like cord-wood Lord. God il
wuz lest terrible. De wounded wuz groanin'
an prayin an calm for water 'CaS;on
ally. de rebels d fire a storm oh shots
oher, as if dey wuz afeared de mend lump
up an come at dem agin
creep forward as fast as could. though
! had tub stop every little while tub help
some pore teller ] seemed tub have done
got Ober my skeer I knowed I wnz qyr;ne
tub die an wanted tub die as rigb