The National tribune., 1902-09-04

was bare, wOrm-eaten and decayed, its
| branches were full of luscious fruit, the
very sight of which could not. fail to fill
the heart of soldier with delight. COrp'l
| MsIntOsh, our leader, who was well
posted in history and philosophy, called
| our attention at once to the sacred pre-
cinct whereOn we stood, and to our duty
as American soldiers. In voice half
chOked with sorrow, yet echOing with a
patriotic ring that reached the ear of
every man in his command, he said: Look
there, boys; there's a sight to make angels
weep! See those unpatriotic Virginia
roosters perched in high glee-on George
Washington's cherry tree? Now, I'll be
eternally Scotched if any fowl miscreant
of treason can thus desecrate the memory
of the Father Of His Country and live"
Corp. Mcintosh was a man of his word,
and we saw by the fiery CLEAN Of his red
hair through the gathering shades of twi
light, that he was in dead earnest. Corp.
Mcintosh was also tall man-the tallest
in Co. II. In short, he was so tall that
the boys of Co. ii said he never asked
blessing, but when he wanted one he
| reached up and took it, and on this occa-
sion, after leading his command forward
until it stood beneath the Overhanging
branches of the old cherry tree, and step
ping up on the convenient rail fence, he
reached up and took one, two, or three, or
four, and perhaps mOre-in fact, he took
every last blessing in sight, and passed
them down to us who stood bravely on
the ground floor below, and when we took
our departure from the dear old home
stead where Washington's boyhood was
spent we felt that we had not lived in
vain, but that kind Providence had shaped
our destinies to noble purpose in guiding
our wandering feet to this sacred spot,
and as we looked our last on little Geor-
gie's cherry tree, even the dead cherry
tree seemed to rejoice with us that by our
hands the fowl despOilers of its fair fame
had received their long-merited decapi-
tatiOn.
wEsTMoRELAND COUNTY DARKIEs.
We remained in Westmoreland County
two nights and one day, during which time
we lived very WELL and seemed to enjoy
life, while we gathered in many hams and
much bacon from the well-filled smoke
houses; storing the same in the hold of
our good ship for future use, of which
shall have occasion to speak later We
also gathered bountiful quantities of
eggs, chickens, milk, butter and honey. In
time Of peace such acts would be called
robbery, but in time of war it was called
foraging. 1t was rough on the people
but war is all that and more. Gen. Sher-
mans definition Of war is the most truth
full as well as the most concise ever given.
When it became nOised abroad through
the enslaved negroes of that vicinity that
''de Lincum sogers had cum, suah," and
that Yankee steamboat lay moored at
the landing in their well-known river, they
deserted by scores and by hundreds the
old plantations where they were born and
| raised, and which had been left to their
| care and under their protection by their
| liberty-lOving masters, who had gone
forth to war for the right to keep them
and their children in everlasting servitude
q, they were thankless and unfaithful
lot, those Westmoreland County darkies.
saw many high-bred Virginia lady in
sorrow and in tears entreat her Dnah in
vain to return to the old homestead and
take care of her kind and helpless mistress
in the hour of her need. Old men and old
women, young men and young women,
| children and pickaninnies came focking to
our boat with whatever they could catch
in their haste, or came with nothing but
| the rags on their backs to take passage
| to the land of liberty. Who could blame
them? They were foolish, of course
People always are who want q greater de-
gree of liberty than they are enjoying, in
the eyes Of those who deny them such
rights, and the man or woman who has
once tasted liberty is never wise enough
to go back to slavery voluntarily. Lib
erty is sweet to all mankind, and the dar-
kies Of Westmoreland County were not an
exception. Our Colonel in command dared
not turn them away, even if he would, but
he soon discovered that if he would retain
room on his boat for his soldiers, he could
not prolong his stay moment beyond
the time necessary to accomplish the OBJ
ject Of the expedition. So, on the sec
ond morning, about sunrise, our boat cast
off her mOOrings and we started on our
return; but, early as it was, as we steamed
down the narrow channel and out into the
broad Potomac. with our deck SO thickly
crowded with Afric's sable sons and
daughters that there was barely standing
room for us ALL we could see them coming
from every direction, and as they saw
their messenger of liberty departing, they
halted where they stood, and as we passed
out of their sight they were still stand
ing there, the pictures Of sorrow and