The National tribune., 1902-01-09

told me ran up into the "Great Dismal
Swamp" 1t appeared as we got near the
slave quarters. that we were on the other
SIDE of the canal from them. but there
was temporary bridge there, and across
this bridge 20 or 30 came to meet us.
Joe was marching at the head of the
detail with me, and had pointed them out
TO me some time before. but when they
recognized him they went wild About
hve or SIX girls Of say, IS to %, led the
van, shouting as they came over: "Ohi
It's Joe; IT'S Joe! And. bress de good
LaWd, de Yankees is come at last" So.
without more ado, one of the girls charged
on Joe in front, another behind, some more
on the sides, and altogether they were too
much for him, and as it mad been raining
recently and the ground was somewhat
slippery, Joe's feet slipped and. the grils
holding on. the entire outfit slid down the
/ bank, some SIX or eight feet, mixed up in
an indescribable mass. This was as good
as nigger show. When they got un-
tangled and came up we crossed over to
the main body, and their different ways of
expressing their JOY would be hard to for
get. Some of the more deyOut, with up
lifted hands, praised God and thanked
Uncle Abe" in almost the same breath;
some of them danced, others shouted, and
we had time to get them to work at
getting things collected that we wanted
them to take, for they stopped every few
minutes to jOllify.
L remember particularly one who
thought the news too good to be true. She
was casting her eyes toward me very
often. At last she concluded she would
settle the matter. She came up to me and
SAID: Now, boss, ye IZZent maxim b'lieve
dat yOu-alrs Yankees, is yer? Yer is
Yankees fer suah n0ugh, iZzent yer?"
l assured her that there was no doubt
but that we were the Simon Pure article,
whereupon she gave me one of the most
i think L can safely say the moSt-eni-
phatic embraces | ever received in my life,
and such as L feryently pray l shall never
receive again, for she was surely able to
have handled two such fellows as me
and, beside that, she ehewed tobacco [
was afraid she was going to kiss me.
explained to them that they were free,
and that We had come to take all of them
who wished to go to Roanoke Island; that
they should get their families together,
as far as they could, also, that their cloth
ing, beds, axes. spades, provisions and
everything that would be useful must be
got aboard of the boat before dark. And
mere arose new trouble, for it was as
difficult to keep them from taking useless
articles as 1t was to get them to take the
useful, and it required the united work of
Joe and committee he selected to keep
them steady.
While all this was going on Col. Max
well was busy getting corn and pork from
.hese warehouses on board, and what re-
nained he burned
When at last however. the boat start
ID, saw what kind of night was ahead
II us, and so l divided the sheep from the
goats, as 1t were. | gave the cabin to the
inclined and the lower deck to
the goats. The former held
livine service. while the latter danced.
The music embraced all keys and all kinds
rom Before ,Iehovahs Awful Throne
Y - II -
Thus the night was passed, and thus
so slaves passed from bondage to liberty.
j. b. KIRK, 101st Pa, 730 W. Wayne
It., Lima, Ohio.