The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-02
CHAPTER V

/ her wishes, she gave her consent, and
| they were duly married again.
CHAPTER V.
/ A MASTER OF MEN.
| The first Monday in October was court
/ day at Hambright, and from every nook
and corner of Campbell county, the peo-
! pie focked to town. The court house
/ had not yet been transformed into the
| farce-tragedy hall. where jail-birds and
drunken loafers were soon to sit on
/ judges bench and in attorneys chair in
stead of standing in the prisoners dock.
1 The merciful stay laws enacted by the
| Legislature had silenced the cry of the
auctioneer until the people might have
moment to grid themselves for a new life
/ struggle.
| But the black cloud was already seen
J on the horizon. The people were restless
and discouraged by the wild rumors set
afioat by the Freedman Bureau, of COM
| ing confscation revolution and revenge.
| A greater crowd than usual had come
! to town on the first day. The streets
We're black with negroes.
| A shout was heard from the crowd in
| the square, as the stalwart figure of
! General Daniel Worth, the brigade com
/ mander of Colonel Gaston's regiment,
was seen shaking hands with the men
of his old army.
| The General was a man to command
| instant attention in any crowd An ex-
| pert in anthropology would have selected
! his face from among a thousand as the
| typical man of the Caucasian race He
! was above the average height strong
muscular and well-rounded body, crown
ed by a heavy shock of what had once
/ been raven black hair, now iron gray.
| His face was rudy with the glow of
! perfect health and his full round lips
and the twinkle of his eye showed him
| to be lover of the good things of life.
| He wore a heavy moustache which seem
| ed a fitting ballast for the lower part of
| his face against the heavy projecting
straight eyebrows and hushy hair.
| AS he shook hands with his old SOL
diers his face was wreathed in smiles,
| his eyes flashed with something like tears
and he had a pleasant word for all.
Tom Camp was one of the first to spy
| the General and hobble to him as fast as
his peg-leg would carry him.
| "Howdy, General, howdy do, Lordy it's
good for sore eyes ter see ye!| Tom held
| fast to his hand and turning to the
crowd said,
Boys, here's the best General that
| ever led brigade, and there wasn't a
| man in it that wouldn't died for him.
| Now three times three cheers!" And
| they gave it with a will.
"Ah! Tom you're still at your old
tricks" said the General. what are you
after now"
"A speech, General!'-"A speech! A
| speech!" the crowd echoed.
The General slapped Tom on the back
and said.
What sort Of job is this you're put
| ting up on me-Im no orator! But I'll
! just say to you, boys, that this old peg
] leg here was the finest soldier that 1
ever saw carry musket and the men
/ who stood beside him were the most
| patient, the most obedient. the bravest
men that ever charged a foe and crown
ed their General with glory while he
| safely stood in the rear
| Again a cheer broke forth. The Cen
! eral was hurrying toward the court
house, when he was suddenly surrounded
by crowd Of negroes. In the front
ranks were a hundred of his old slaves
who had worked on his Campbell county
plantation. They seized his hands and
! laughed and cried and pleaded for recog-
milton like crowd of children. Most of
them he knew. Some of their faces he
had forgotten.
Hi dar, Marse Danl, you knows me,
Lordy, Use your boy Joe dat used ter
ketch 70 boss down at the plantation"
"Of course, Joe! Of course"
Il know Marse Danl amt forget old
Uncle Rube," said an aged negro push
ing his way to the front
THAT ! haven't Reuben. and how's
Aunt Julie ANN"
! she des tolIable. Marse Danl We'se
| bot I'm us had de plumbago. How is you
all sence de wah?"
''oh! first rate, Reuben. We manage
somehow to get enough TO eat and if we
do that nowadays we can't complain"
Oats de Gods truf, Marster sho! En-
now Marse Dan1. we all wants you ter
make us er speech en- 'splain erbout dis
freedom ter US. Dey's so many desc we're
BURGERS en- Leagers round here tellin' US
niggers what's er comm, twell we des
doan know muffin fur shot,
''Yassir OATS hit! You tell us er
speech Marse Danl."
The white men crowded up nearer and
joined in the cry. There was no escape.
In few moments the court house was
| filled with a crowd.
When he arose a cheer shook the
building, and strange as it may seem to-
day 1t came with almost equal enthusi-
asm from white and black.