The age-herald., 1898-08-23
THE NEGRO AND THE WAR

tery. Even now that it is all over the cause and the foe against whom we fought are unknown quantities to them. In the remote rural districts, reached only by fragment ary reports, some of them got an idea that 1t was the old war of secession being fought over again, and vague uneasiness pos sessed them lest slavery was to be the re- suit. But this feeling was quickly dissi- pated by the assurance that it was a for eign war, in which men of the north and men of the south were fighting side by side, and that the negro question-either in the Thasc of saveiy J= that forty acres and mule for which some of the older ones had been waiting for thirty odd years-did not enter remotely into the conflict.
 
 Their fears once allayed, many of them l cared no more about the war but some of them took a keen interest in things military, their ignorance of geography forming no barrier to prolonged discussions and oracu- lar opinions; and 1t was amusing to see how they mixed the names of men, places and nations in one grand tumble. After the news of Dewey's victory was received one sable statesman remarked to another:
 
 Tong back to his turin country and let we alls folks erlone, case dey say Gen'ul Dewey he went straight fru de coal mines wid his ships and when he got ter whar MT. Spain was CT settin on he sho' he jes' blowed him pretty nigh off on de face of de yearth. MT. Spain, he couldn't fight much caise his Philistines all done runned erway." Later on, when interest centered in the West Indies, the colored orator was again in evidence: "Gen'u Cuby must be CT powerful sharp one, caise dey tells me Samson done rig from de dad and come back wid CT hundr, q ships on CT line and den de carn ketch de genul." And so to the end Spain and Cuba remained, in the minds of this coored board of strategy, the generals who led the "Spaniards," the "Resurrectionists" and the "Philis tines" to battle against our troops
 One day the keeper of certain country store, who usually disseminated the news through that rarticula' neighborhood, was approached by negro whose whole appear ance at once marked him as doubling Thomas. "Mr Blank,' he said, "is it true dat you done tole it dat we alls men put de Spaniards in CT bottle and drive der cork in? My boy says you said it; and Parson Jones, who ought ter know, caise he can read coarse print, he say he done seen it in de top-side, right-hand corner of yo' paper; but aint believin' it, fur never was CT demmyjohn much less CT bottle dat any man could git into" Another morn- ing field hand from one of the plantations came into the store much excited. Boss" he said, "when de gov mint gifts through wid dem dogs of war dey's usin' doan you think you could git one of 'em for me? I hears dey is yaller and stump-tailed, an I lows dey make de bes' coon dogs in de world Cairn you git me one, boss? I'd give you six bits for him."
 But although the anxiety concerning re- enslavement was soon gone, fear in another form began to harass the negroes when it was whispered about that the government intended conscripting them and sending them to the war as substitutes for the white troops. Nobody knew how they got this information-as, indeed. nobody knows where they learn many things the birds and winds seem sometimes to carry the ru- mors-but it was curious to note how sus- picious of strangers they grew, and how fond of staying at home they suddenly be- came. The arrival of the enlisting officers in one of the towns was speedily made known throughout the adjacent country and the streets of that town knew but few of its sable habitues during the officers stay. In vain the explanation was made that no one could be taken without his con- Ia ha
 thought take me unbeknownst-like," was the reply of the sable solons.
 In small Virginia town two venturesome young negroes, dazzled by the war glory talk of the enlister, made him a verbal promise to meet him at the depot on a certain day and sign their papers and go away to the camp which he represented. The day came and a huge crowd of their people went to the depot to see them off. The two lads were the heroes of the hour and bore themselves with much swagger- ing Jauntiness, until preacher called the crowd to order that they might pray for their departing brothers. In that nraver he held out no hopes of a return. but re- signed them wholly to death and the Span- -N,- Oit l-Oiu, ueSe DOyS IS been mighty dancin', banjo-pickin' young uns, but, oh, Lord. when de shells is a-bustin' round 'em sabe dey souls, even if dey bodys is gwine down to de black pitr' The excitable crowd caught the spirit of the prayer and began to wall as if already at a death scene. Funeral hymns took the place of jests as in solemn procession they filed past the two heroes and mournfully bade them farewell forever, at the same time loading them with messages to de- parted friends 'Good-by, Jim, eff you does happen to go to heaben an you sees my mann dar, jes' tell her howdy for me-" Farewell, Dick, farewell: we gwine ter miss you considerable when de possums gifts fat; an when we's eatin' watermiion we gwine wish we could drap Ieetle of de juice onto your burnind' tongue way down wonder in torment" The ordeal was fos fba ha