The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27

old Nat had not spoken. II will settle
$4,000 on you, if you leave the State, and
never come back to it," he said: land give
your father half as much to-morrow-upon
the same condition"
That amt much fer err heightened gen.
tleman-when jest er plain likely niggers
with fifteen hundred" old Nat began.
Swan stopped him with a violent cuff and
rushed away in a passion of tears.
The house at Wake Forest stood quite
three miles from the Tennessee river, yet
the plantation ran down to the stream,
and Maj. billiard had his own landing.
In the third year of the Civil War, a vii
lage of white tents about 1t stretched far
back from the waterside. There was an
other smaller village of them up around
the house. The fences were all swept
away. Horses fully accoutred stood
champing and dancing all about the
lawns. Men ciattered up and down the
broad veranda steps. some with swords
clanking after them. more in undress uni
form, and a very few in the garb of civil
ians.
Not one of the original Inhabitants re-
manned. Maj Hilliard and Morris were
both in the Confederate army. Their
hundreds of slaves had been sent further
south as soon as the fall Of Fort Henry
gave the whole river region into Federal
control Now the fortunes of war had
made Wake Forest the camping ground
and base of operations for considerable
Federal column. It's aim and object were
secrets jealousy guarded since 1t was
known that Forests flying horse, the
most dreaded among ell the enemy, lay
almost in full strength not so many miles
away.
Gen. Bruton the ranking Federal on
Ger. wisely made his headquarters upon
the river bank, within range OF the gun
boats. But his chief lieutenant. Col. Flow.
tow, who was really the working soul of
the column, had quertered himself in the
plantation house, and from II directed
everything that went on. He was not a
military sybarite. yet made himself very
comfortable there. drinking the good
wines in the cellar and smoking the best
cigars in the Majors own special locker
The camps were both full of black va
grants-contrabands In the phrase of that
time. Bruton gave them rations, and lis
tened sympathetically to their stories He
had 50 many of them for servants indeed
they were in each others way. Flowtow
hated them, whole and several Brought
up lieutenant in the German army, he
had resigned come to America engaged
In business. dropped 1t at the call to arms,
and gone into the fighting almost purely
from love of fighting.
They cumber us-these blacksw he
said often. They ruin discipline, too
Then how shall you keep army secrets
when they go in and out like the air?''
But now even he had taken one into his
service 1t had happened in this wise
Three days earlier he had been recon
noitering when his detachment was
charged upon by a single mounted man.
riding at full speed, and crouching low
over the neck OF the horse. The reason
was plain. Behind came half a dozen
men in gray, also mounted. squirting as
for lofe and shooting as they rode. II
seemed a miracle that some bullet did not
touch the fugitive. The Federal cavalry
parted to let him through, as soon as they
saw his face. He was a mulatto, EVIL
IDENTIFY camp servant making a dash
for liberty, since he wore over bis lean
trousers a CASTOR gray overcoat.
"Shoot me, pleased Don't send me back -
he said. riding straight up to the Colonel
Flowtow eyed him a minute then asked.
gruf1y: why did you run away"
For answer the mulatto flung of his
coat and barred his back. 1t was marked
all over with cruel crimson welts. NO
body ever dared TO touch me befo'," he
said; IL was house nigger-and / don't
belong to the man that done IT,"
How came you in the army?" Flow
tow asked. suspiciously. The negro look
ed full in his eyes and said: II went 60
take kseE Of my msrster's son. He-hes