The National tribune., 1902-12-25

negro type; sooty-black skins, low noses,
thick lips, and shining white teeth. They
wore only the coarse shoes and few rough
garments allowed to field hands, but each
OF them had picked up, or been given by
the soldiers, some abSurdly incongruous
article Of white mems wear, which any
where but in Sherman's army would have
made them seem intensely ludicrous. One
understood fat woman wore with conscious
pride a bell-crowned beaver. Another
was the proud possesor of a rattan hoop
skirt, which she had put on outside her
narrow petticoats. Still another large,
brawny wench wore an antique leghorn
bonnet with profusion Of broad white
ribbons. A fourth had crimson shawl
worn over her greasy, ragged gown.
The men were similarly decorated. each
with one article-a swallow-tailed coat, a
black satin vest, a pair of dOeskin panta-
looms, an antiquated tall hat-mingling
with his rough field clothes.
Capt. Bro0me was too deeply thought
full Of their physical and spiritual well
fare to take note of their scarecrow attire.
Those are the dumb, driven cattle, that
Longfellow speaks Of" said the Adjdtant,
scanning the almost hopelessy vacant
faces. "Can they ever be made citizens
of this great Republic?"
Gods grace, freedom, churches and
schools will work wonders with even such
material as this replied the devoutly
Methodistic Capt. Broome. "I'd like to
set some Methodist itinerants at work on
these people,.
"Adjutant. here is my contribution to
the column" said Capt. Higgins, the
sporty officer Of the regiment, coming up
with 10 or 20 young negroes. ut nearly
broke the boys's hearts to give them up,
and they wouldn't have done it but for
strict orders, for they have ransacked the
whole Of Georgia and South Carolina to
assemble this uneQualed aggregation of
talent of every possible kind. Snakes
alive, you've no idea what trouble my
cOmpany's been to to gather up this galaxy
Of unparalleled artists. It's the fruits of
steady testing and elimination ever since
We started from Atlanta. For example,
that young buck there is the champion
butter of two States. He can simply butt
out anything in the country. We started
from Atlanta with another promising
young artist with his head, whom we
called the Champion of the Chattahoochee
He held the belt against all corners till
we reached Milledgeville, when this Prod
ICY of the Oconee hutted him out, in three
straight heats. He bankrupted the whole
company, which lost over $150,000 Confed
on the other fellow, besides nearly
$50 real money. We had to recoup, and
so we sent the other fellow back to the
train, and took on this one, who has licked
out every buck that any of the other regi-
ments could pit against him, and won US
a cart-load of Confed money!
''Well, he is a jewell said the Adju-
tant. looking over the grinning negro with
the appreciation Of connoisseur. II re-
member now that he won basketful of
Confed for me, down there by Columbia.
But as fellow sport think you'd better
rid nf him and INnl- fnr thar
that the rest of the boys amt onto. You
can't get any more bets on him from any
body"
That's So" answered Capt. Higgins.
"Ill console the boys with that thought
when go back. These two imps," he
continued, bringing forward a pair of
grinning youths, "are positively the finest
clog dancers in the Southern Confederacy,
barring none. We call them the Climax
Adjutant, you young rascals. Juba-dis-l
Juba -datr'
The boys responded to his patting with
n spirited exhibition, which the Adjutant
studied with interest.
Very fine; very fine, indeed" he adj
judged. BEST l ever saw. and if we
were going to stay here, the regiment |
shouldn't lose them. But as we're setting
out to amuse Joe Johnston, and not to be !
amused ourselves, well have to let them
go. You might tag them, though, SOS |
we can find them again.
This continued Capt. Higgins, bring
ing forward sleepy young negro, sis the |
Phenomenal Pie-Biter of the Peedee. He
can come nearer eating whole quarter of |
beef in one day than any other one man in |
the army. He's won every eating match |
we've had since leaving Savannah"
Pass him along! Bounce him in a
hurry" shouted the Adjutant. "He is the
kind we are very anxious to get rid Of"
Other highly accomplished young ne
fiddlers, bOne-players.
boxers, and with other talents
highly priced in the army, were passed in
review before the Adjutant, who condemn
ed them, sometimes with sigh, to join
the innumerable caravan to move down
the river to Wilmington.