Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-18

C's yalor in SO promptly responding to-
the command to act as skirmishers,
it was assigned quarters in the build
in gand placed in charge OF the cap
tured army. The slave pen on either
side of the main building consisted
merely of a large court formed OF
high walls, near the top and on the
inner side OF which there was mar
row shed roof running around the en-
tire square or court. This served as
protection from sunshine and storm to
the occupants, who, by standing close
to the wall, would be under this roof.
.'In one of the Enclosures was a col
ored boy about Is years of age, who
soon became known to us as George
Washington. We ascertained that he
had been sold and was here held for
safe keeping, pending the arrival of
his purchaser or new master. 1t was
not long, however, before we found
that he was not at all averse to being
liberated.
Il had discovered in desk drawer
in one of the office rooms a bunch of
keys, one of which proved to be the
key TO an immense paddock by which
the grated i'm door to the slave pen
was fastened. In the presence of sew
eral of the boys among whom, as
now recall, were William H. Bryan,
now of Ravenswood ILL.,; Smith w.
Fisk of Minneapolis, Mimi; Benny
Archer, then of Algansee, | unlocked
the door, and we Dade our colored
| brother to step out into the air of
| freedom and declare himself for the
old flag and the union. This he did
with many expressions of pleasure
and gratitude, declaring that he would
stay with that company and go with 1t
| through purgatory. if need be-
1.-THE ex-slave became at once an
| important factor as sort of auxiliary
member of our company. Soon after
this the company joined the regiment
upon Shutters Hill, near Alexandria,
| wher we we're encamped for several
weeks. During that period a gentle
man with two attendants came into
| camp and called upon Colonel Wilcox,
the former demanding the Immediate
| delivery of the negro, who, he claimed,
| had been taken from the custody of
| the proper authorities at the old slave
pen building. Colonel Wilcox, having
no authority to detain such property,
advised the gentleman that he was at
| perfect liberty to take the negro if he
! found him within the camp The
young fellow, who had learned what
was transpiring, soon tried to escape.
| An attempt was made by the gentle
man and his attendants to capture
| him, but the soldiers rallied to the
mans aid and in moment missiles
| flew thick and fast through the air
making the vicinity so uncomfortable
that the stakeholder and his aids beat
a hasty retreat from the camp and did
not again attempt to modest the negro
or his newly found friends.
''The colored boy accompanied the
company and regiment into the Bull
Run fight, joining with the others in
doing good service with musket in
hand. He went with the company on
it's return to Coldwater, and for some
time was employed as a porter in the
Southern Michigan hotel in that place
He enlisted in the first colored regi-
ment organized in Michigan. and
served with it until the close of the
war. Later he returned to Coldwater,
where he remained until about 1867.
and subsequently he came to Wash
ington, where he died about ten years
ago.
AT my instance he became a mem
Der of Charles Sumner Post, G. A. R.,
/ department of the Potomac. For
many years preceding his death he
was known as George G. Smith He
was without doubt the first slave ac-
tually liberated and made free during
the rebellion. to remain so until the
end